Communication method and communication device based on triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism

Abstract

The invention discloses a communication method and a communication device based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism. The application is applied to a wireless local area network system supporting an IEEE802.11 ax next generation Wi-Fi protocol, such as 802.11 be, Wi-Fi 7 or EHT, and then 802.11 series protocols, such as 802.11 be next generation, Wi-Fi 8, Wi-Fi AI and the like, and can also be applied to a wireless personal local area network system and a sensing system based on UWB (Ultra Wideband). The method comprises: receiving a first frame from an access point; after replying a second frame for the first frame, neglecting the NAV set by the access point within a first time period until any one of the following conditions occurs: the station has a transmission failure; the station does not send the PPDU in the PIFS after sending the third frame; the station does not send the PPDU in the PIFS after receiving the immediate response from the access point; interference can be reduced.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The original application has the application number 202210946098.4 and the original application date is August 8, 2022. The entire contents of the original application are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and devices based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism. Background Technology

[0003] Wi-Fi systems (i.e., systems supporting the IEEE 802.11 standard) are deployed on unlicensed spectrum, where multiple stations compete for channel resources. For example, in the commonly used Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) contention mechanism, after a station completes channel backoff, it sends its first frame. If the first frame contains a response frame, the station's successful reception of the response frame signifies successful channel contention; otherwise, the station needs to backoff again. If the first frame does not require a response frame, the station's transmission of the first frame signifies successful channel contention. After successfully contentioning for the channel, the station can reserve a period for data transmission; this period is called a transmission opportunity (TXOP). The station that successfully reserves a TXOP is called the TXOP holder. Within the TXOP, only the TXOP holder can actively transmit data; other stations can only receive data or send corresponding response frames.

[0004] The IEEE 802.11be standard extends the TXOP mechanism, allowing an AP acting as a TXOP holder to allocate a portion of its reserved TXOP time resources to a non-APSTA via a MU-RTS TXS trigger frame. This mechanism is currently known as triggered TXOP sharing. Triggered TXOP sharing has two allocation modes: in mode 1, a station can send uplink data to the AP during its allocated time; in mode 2, a station can perform peer-to-peer (P2P) transmissions with other stations or send uplink data to the AP during its allocated time. This mechanism reduces collisions caused by station contention for the channel, improving system efficiency. However, existing communication schemes based on triggered TXOP sharing suffer from the problem of potential interference from other stations to the AP's transmissions. Therefore, research is needed on communication schemes based on triggered TXOP sharing that can avoid interference with AP transmissions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application discloses a communication method and communication device based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism, which can avoid interference with the transmission of the AP.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism. This method is applied to a site and includes: receiving a first frame from an access point (AP), the first frame instructing the AP to allocate a first time period to the site; responding to the first frame with a second frame, ignoring the network allocation vector (NAV) set by the AP during the first time period until any of the following occurs: the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the site experiences a transmission failure; the transmission opportunity (TXOP) sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the site does not send a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) within the Point Coordination Function interframe space (PIFS) after sending a third frame, and the third frame does not require an immediate response from the AP; the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the site does not send a PPDU within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP. Optionally, the first frame is an MU-RTS TXS trigger frame (or MU-RTS TXS frame). Optionally, the second frame is a clear to send (CTS) frame. The NAV set by the access point can include the site's intra-basic service set (BSS) NAV and / or basic NAV. Specifically, when the site is associated with the access point, the NAV is the intra-basic service set NAV; otherwise, it is the basic NAV. The NAV set by the access point can be understood as the NAV set by the access point for the site. PCF refers to the point coordination function.

[0007] Alternatively, the first aspect of the method can be replaced by: receiving a first frame from an access point, the first frame instructing the access point to allocate a first time period to the station; after ignoring the NAV set by the access point during the first time period based on the first frame, and after a first condition occurs during the first time period, determining that the virtual carrier sensing is idle when the NAV equals 0, and determining that the virtual carrier sensing is busy when the NAV is not equal to 0, the first condition includes any of the following: the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station experiences a transmission failure; the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within the Point Coordination Function Inter-Frame Spacing (PIFS) after sending the third frame, and the third frame does not require an immediate response from the access point; the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the access point. In this embodiment, not sending a PPDU can be considered as not initiating any PPDU transmission. The condition that virtual carrier sensing is idle when the NAV equals 0 can be replaced by the condition that virtual carrier sensing is idle when both the NAV (internal BSS NAV) and the basic NAV are equal to 0.

[0008] Alternatively, the first approach can be replaced by the following: After a station (STA) sends a CTS in response to a MU-RTS TXS trigger frame from the AP (corresponding to the first frame mentioned above), the STA should ignore the NAV set by the AP for it during the time period allocated by the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame, until any of the following occurs: the TXOP sharing mode value in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP; the TXOP sharing mode value in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after sending a frame that does not require an immediate response; or the TXOP sharing mode value in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA experiences a transmission failure. The corresponding English translation can be as follows: After sending the CTS solicited by MU-RTS TXS from the associated AP, the STA that sends the responding CTS shall ignore the NAVthat is set by the AP within the time allocation signaled in the MU-RTS TXSTrigger frame until any of the conditions occurs: the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the associated AP if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfield value equals to 1; the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after sending a frame that does not require an immediate response if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfield value equals to 1; transmission failure happens if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfield value equal to 1. In this embodiment of the application, after replying to the second frame after the first frame, the NAV set by the access point is ignored for a first time period until any of the above situations occur; this can avoid interfering with the AP's transmission.

[0009] In one possible implementation, a TXOP sharing mode value of 1 in the first frame indicates that the station is only allowed to transmit frames with the associated AP (i.e., the access point) within the allocated time. The associated AP refers to the access point associated with the station, i.e., the access point that sent the first frame to the station. The phrase "a TXOP sharing mode value of 1 in the first frame" mentioned above can be equivalently replaced with "the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is set to allow the station to transmit frames with the associated AP only within the allocated time."

[0010] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism. This method is applied to a site and includes: receiving a first frame from an access point, the first frame instructing the access point to allocate a first time period to the site; responding to the first frame with a second frame, ignoring the NAV set by the access point, until any of the following occurs: the first time period ends; the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the site experiences a transmission failure; the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the site does not send a PPDU within a PIFS after sending a third frame, where the third frame does not require an immediate response from the access point; the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the site does not send a PPDU within a PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the access point.

[0011] Alternatively, the second aspect of the method can be replaced by: receiving a first frame from the access point, the first frame being used to instruct the access point to allocate a first time period to the station; after determining, based on the first frame, to ignore the NAV set by the access point, after the occurrence of a first condition, when the NAV is equal to 0, determining that the virtual carrier sensing is idle, and when the NAV is not equal to 0, determining that the virtual carrier sensing is busy, the first condition includes any of the following: the first time period ends; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station experiences a transmission failure; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after sending a third frame, the third frame not requiring an immediate response from the access point; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the access point.

[0012] Alternatively, the second approach can be replaced by the following: After the station sends a CTS in response to the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame from the AP, the STA ignores the NAV set by the AP until any of the following occurs: the time allocation signal in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame ends; the TXOP sharing mode value in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP; the TXOP sharing mode value in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after sending a frame that does not require an immediate response; or the TXOP sharing mode value in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA experiences a transmission failure. The corresponding English translation can be as follows: After sending the CTS solicited by MU-RTS TXS from the associated AP, the STA that sends the responding CTS shall ignore the NAV that is set by the AP until any of the conditions occurs: the time allocation signaled in the MU-RTS TXS Triggerframe ends; the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the associated AP if the TXOPSharing Mode subfield value equals to 1; the STA does not initiate any PPDUtransmission within the PIFS after sending a frame that does not require animmediate response if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfield value equals to 1; transmission failure happens if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfield values ​​equalto 1. In this embodiment of the application, after replying to the second frame in response to the first frame, the NAV set by the access point is ignored until any of the following situations occur; this can avoid interfering with the AP's transmission.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 to indicate that the station is only allowed to transmit frames with the associated AP during the allocated time. The phrase "the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1" mentioned above can be equivalently replaced with "the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is set to allow the station to transmit frames with the associated AP during the allocated time."

[0014] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide another communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism, which is applied to a site. The method includes: receiving a first frame from an access point, the first frame being used to instruct the access point to allocate a first time period to the site; replying to the first frame with a second frame, ignoring the NAV set by the access point during the first time period, and not initiating channel contention during the first time period.

[0015] In this embodiment of the application, after replying to the second frame with the first frame, the NAV set by the access point is ignored during the first time period, and no channel contention is initiated during the first time period; this can reduce or avoid interference with the AP's transmission.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the first field in the first frame is used to indicate that the station is only allowed to transmit frames with the associated AP during the allocated time.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the first field is a TXOP sharing mode subfield, and the value of the first field is equal to 1. The phrase "the first field is a TXOP sharing mode subfield, and the value of the first field is equal to 1" mentioned in the above description can be equivalently replaced with "the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame only allows the site to transmit frames with the associated AP within the allocated time".

[0018] In this implementation, the first field is the TXOP shared mode subfield, and the value of the first field is equal to 1, so as to determine whether to initiate channel contention in the first time period based on the first field.

[0019] The third approach can be replaced by the following: After sending the CTS solicited by the MU-RTS TXS from the associated AP, the STA that sends the responding CTS shall ignore the NAV that is set by the AP within the time allocation signaled in the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame. The STA shall not initiate channel contention within the time allocation signaled in the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfield value equals 1. Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device that has the function of implementing the behavior described in the first aspect of the method embodiment. The communication device may be a communication equipment, a component of a communication equipment (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication equipment. The functions of the communication device can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software, and the hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the aforementioned functions. In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a transceiver module and a processing module, wherein: the transceiver module is configured to receive a first frame from an access point (AP), the first frame being used to instruct the access point to allocate a first time period to the station; the transceiver module is further configured to reply with a second frame in response to the first frame; the processing module is configured to, after replying with the second frame in response to the first frame, ignore the NAV set by the access point for the first time period until any of the following occurs: the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station experiences a transmission failure; the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after sending a third frame, the third frame not requiring an immediate response from the access point; the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the access point.

[0020] For possible implementations of the communication device in the fourth aspect, please refer to the various possible implementations in the first aspect.

[0021] For the technical effects of the various possible implementations of the fourth aspect, please refer to the introduction of the technical effects of the first aspect or the various possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0022] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide another communication device that has the function of implementing the behavior described in the second aspect of the method embodiments. This communication device may be a communication equipment, a component of a communication equipment (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication equipment. The functions of this communication device can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software, and the hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the aforementioned functions. In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a transceiver module and a processing module, wherein: the transceiver module is configured to receive a first frame from an access point, the first frame being used to instruct the access point to allocate a first time period to the station; the transceiver module is further configured to reply with a second frame in response to the first frame; the processing module is configured to, after replying with the second frame in response to the first frame, ignore the NAV set by the access point until any of the following occurs: the first time period ends; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station experiences a transmission failure; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after sending a third frame, the third frame not requiring an immediate response from the access point; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the access point.

[0023] For possible implementations of the communication device in the fifth aspect, please refer to the various possible implementations in the second aspect.

[0024] For the technical effects of the various possible implementations of the fifth aspect, please refer to the introduction of the technical effects of the second aspect or the various possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0025] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide another communication device that has the function of implementing the behavior described in the third aspect of the method embodiments. This communication device can be a communication equipment, a component of a communication equipment (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication equipment. The function of the communication device can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software, the hardware or software including one or more modules or units corresponding to the above functions. In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a transceiver module and a processing module, wherein: the transceiver module is configured to receive a first frame from an access point, the first frame indicating that the access point allocates a first time period to the station; the processing module is configured to determine that no channel contention will be initiated during the first time period if a first field in the first frame indicates that the station is not allowed to perform point-to-point transmission during the allocated time period.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the first field is a TXOP shared schema subfield, and the value of the first field is equal to 1.

[0027] For possible implementations of the communication device in the sixth aspect, please refer to the various possible implementations in the third aspect.

[0028] For the technical effects of the various possible implementations of the sixth aspect, please refer to the introduction of the technical effects of the third aspect or the various possible implementations of the third aspect.

[0029] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide another communication device, the communication device including a processor coupled to a memory for storing a program or instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to perform the method shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or cause the communication device to perform the method shown in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or cause the communication device to perform the method shown in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0030] In this embodiment of the application, during the execution of the above method, the process of sending information (or signals) can be understood as a process of outputting information based on processor instructions. When outputting information, the processor sends the information to the transceiver for transmission. After being output by the processor, the information may require further processing before reaching the transceiver. Similarly, when the processor receives input information, the transceiver receives the information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the information, it may require further processing before being input into the processor.

[0031] Unless otherwise specified, or unless their actual function or internal logic in the relevant description is contradicted, the sending and / or receiving operations involved by the processor can generally be understood as processor instruction output.

[0032] In implementation, the processor described above can be a processor specifically designed to execute these methods, or it can be a processor that executes computer instructions stored in memory to execute these methods, such as a general-purpose processor. For example, the processor can also be used to execute a program stored in memory, which, when executed, causes the communication device to perform the methods as shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the memory is located outside the aforementioned communication device. In another possible implementation, the memory is located inside the aforementioned communication device.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the processor and memory may be integrated into a single device; that is, the processor and memory may be integrated together.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver for receiving or transmitting signals, etc.

[0036] Eighthly, this application provides another communication device, which includes a processing circuit and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is used to acquire data or output data. The processing circuit is used to perform the method as shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect above, or to perform the method as shown in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect above, or to perform the method as shown in the third aspect or any possible implementation of the third aspect above.

[0037] Ninthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program including program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the method as shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or to perform the method as shown in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or to perform the method as shown in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0038] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a computer program product comprising a computer program, the computer program including program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the method as shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or to perform the method as shown in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or to perform the method as shown in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0039] Eleventhly, this application provides a communication system including the site and access point described in the fourth aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Alternatively, the communication system includes the site and access point described in the fifth aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Alternatively, the communication system includes the site and access point described in the sixth aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0040] In a twelfth aspect, this application provides a chip including a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface and executes the method shown in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or executes the method shown in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or executes the method shown in the third aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Attached Figure Description

[0041] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the background art, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application or the background art will be described below.

[0042] Figure 1 The WLAN communication system shown is an example of a wireless communication system that can be used with the technical solution provided in this application; Figure 2 This illustrates the process by which the AP allocates a portion of the time resources within the reserved TXOP to STA 1 via a MU-RTS TXS trigger frame; Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating the interaction of a communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism, provided for an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating another communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in this application embodiment; Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating another communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in this application embodiment; Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating another communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in this application embodiment; Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating another communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in this application embodiment; Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating another communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in this application embodiment; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 900 provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device 100 provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device 110 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used only to distinguish different objects and not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0044] The term "embodiment" as used herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0045] The terminology used in the following embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the singular expressions “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” “the,” and “this” are intended to include the plural expressions as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the listed items. For example, “A and / or B” can mean: the presence of only A, the presence of only B, and the presence of both A and B, where A and B can be singular or plural. The term “multiple” as used in this application means two or more.

[0046] It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that there is a correspondence between A and B, and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining (or generating) B based on (or on) A does not mean that B is determined (or generated) solely based on (or on) A; B can also be determined (or generated) based on (or on) A and / or other information.

[0047] The following section first introduces the terminology and technical solutions involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0048] I. Access Points and Sites This application primarily uses the deployment of WLAN networks, especially those employing the IEEE 802.11 system standard, as an example for illustration. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the various aspects of this application can be extended to other networks employing various standards or protocols, such as BLUETOOTH, high-performance radio LAN (HIPERLAN) (a wireless standard similar to IEEE 802.11, primarily used in Europe), and wide area networks (WANs), personal area networks (PANs), or other networks now known or to be developed in the future. Therefore, regardless of the coverage area and wireless access protocol used, the various aspects provided in this application can be applied to any suitable wireless network.

[0049] The embodiments of this application can also be applied to wireless local area network systems such as Internet of Things (IoT) networks or Vehicle-to-X (V2X) networks. Of course, the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other possible communication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems, 5th Generation (5G) systems, and future 6th Generation (6G) systems, etc.

[0050] The communication systems described above that are applicable to this application are merely illustrative examples, and the communication systems applicable to this application are not limited to these. They will be uniformly described here and will not be repeated below.

[0051] See Figure 1 , Figure 1 The illustrated WLAN communication system is an example of a wireless communication system that can be used with the technical solution provided in this application. The communication system includes an access point (AP, only AP1 is shown) and one or more STAs (STA1, STA2, and STA3 are shown). Both the access point and the STA support WLAN protocols, which may include IEEE 802.11be (or Wi-Fi 7, EHT protocol), and may also include IEEE 802.11ax, IEEE 802.11ac, etc. Of course, with the continuous evolution and development of communication technology, the WLAN protocol may also include next-generation protocols such as IEEE 802.11be. Taking WLAN as an example, the device implementing the method of this application can be an access point or STA in the WLAN, or a chip or processing system installed in the access point or STA. Figure 1 As shown, STA1 and STA2 in the basic service set can compete for channel resources.

[0052] An access point is a device with wireless communication capabilities, supporting communication using the WLAN protocol and enabling communication with other devices (such as stations or other access points) within the WLAN network. It can also communicate with other devices. A WLAN system includes one or more AP-type stations and one or more non-access point stations (non-AP STAs). For ease of description, this article refers to access point-type stations as access points (APs) and non-access point-type stations as stations (STAs).

[0053] An access point can be a complete device, or it can be a chip or processing system installed within a complete device. Devices with these chips or processing systems installed can implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application under the control of the chip or processing system (i.e., the AP). The AP in the embodiments of this application is a device that provides services to a station (STA) and can support the 802.11 series of protocols, such as 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11be, Wi-Fi 8, or their next generation. For example, an AP can be a communication server, router, switch, bridge, or other communication entity. An access point (AP) can include macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small stations), pico base stations, femtocells, relay stations, access points, gNBs, transmission reception points (TRPs), evolved Node Bs (eNBs), radio network controllers (RNCs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved Node Bs, or home Node Bs, HNBs), base band units (BBUs), WiFi access points (APs), integrated access and backhaul (IABs), etc. Of course, the AP can also be the chip and processing system within these various types of devices, thereby implementing the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application.

[0054] A station is a device with wireless communication capabilities, supporting communication using the WLAN protocol and having the ability to communicate with other stations or access points in a WLAN network. For example, a STA is any communication device that allows a user to communicate with an AP and thus with the WLAN. This communication device can be a complete device or a chip or processing system installed in a complete device. Devices with these chips or processing systems installed can implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application under the control of the chip or processing system (i.e., the station). STAs can include mobile phones, mobile stations (MS), tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities (such as laptops), virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, self-driving, remote medical, smart grid, transportation safety, smart city, and smart home applications, subscriber units, cellular phones, wireless data cards, personal digital assistant (PDA) computers, tablets, laptop computers, and machine-type communication (MTC) terminals. Stations can include various handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem with wireless communication capabilities. Optionally, the station can be a handset with wireless communication capabilities, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, or a terminal in the Internet of Things (IoT), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) network, or any form of terminal in 5G and subsequent communication systems; this application is not limited in this regard. The station can support 802.11 series protocols, such as 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11be, Wi-Fi 8, or other next-generation WLAN standards.

[0055] II. Triggered TXOP sharing mechanism The IEEE 802.11be standard extends the TXOP mechanism, allowing an AP acting as a TXOP holder to allocate a portion of the reserved TXOP time resources (hereinafter referred to as TXOP) via a MU-RTS TXS trigger frame. Figure 1 The first time period in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is allocated to a site (hereinafter referred to as the first site). This mechanism is currently called Triggered TXOP sharing. The first site is any site associated with the AP that is the TXOP holder. The Triggered TXOP sharing mechanism has two allocation modes: in the first allocation mode (mode 1), the first site can send uplink data to the AP during the allocated time; in the second allocation mode (mode 2), the first site can perform P2P transmission with the second site or send uplink data to the AP during the allocated time. The TXOP sharing mode subfield in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame indicates the allocation mode. For example, if the value of the TXOP sharing mode subfield in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1, only the first site is allowed to perform frame transmission with the associated AP during the allocated time; if the value of the TXOP sharing mode subfield in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 2, the first site is allowed to perform frame transmission with the associated AP and P2P transmission with the second site during the allocated time. It should be understood that when the value of the TXOP shared mode subfield in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1, it corresponds to the first allocation mode (mode 1); when the value of the TXOP shared mode subfield in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 2, it corresponds to the second allocation mode (mode 2). The P2P link used for P2P transmission here is established by two non-AP STAs through a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) or other P2P protocols. P2P may be referred to as device-to-device (D2D) or TDLS in other technical descriptions, but their essence is the same, and this patent does not limit it.

[0056] Figure 2 This shows that the AP will trigger a frame via MU-RTS TXS to allocate a portion of the time resources within the reserved TXOP (i.e. Figure 1 The process of assigning the first time period in the process to STA1. For example... Figure 2As shown, the AP sends a cleartosend-to-self (CTS-to-self) frame to itself to reserve TXOP; the AP sends a MU-RTS TXS trigger frame to STA1, which is used to allocate a portion of the time resources within the reserved TXOP (i.e., Figure 1 The first time period of the MU-RTS TXS frame allocation is assigned to a STA1. After receiving the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame, STA1 replies with a CTS to the AP. After replying to the AP with a CTS, STA1 sends a non-TBPPDU. The AP responds with a block ACK (BA) to the non-TBPPDU from STA1. According to existing NAV rules, if a STA is set with NAV, it can only respond to frames sent to itself by the TXOP holder. For example, responding with an ACK or BA to data sent to itself by the AP, or sending a TBPPDU on a resource unit (RU) allocated by the AP via a basic trigger frame. If a STA's NAV value is not 0, it is not allowed to actively send, such as single-user (SU) PPDUs. To solve this problem, one approach is to allow STAs to ignore the NAV set by the AP during the first time period of the MU-RTS TXS frame allocation. The corresponding English description is as follows: After sending the CTS solicited by MU-RTS TXS from the associated AP, the STA that sends the responding CTS shall ignore the NAVthat is set by the AP within the time allocation signaled in the MU-RTS TXSTrigger frame. III. Channel Access WLAN systems operate in unlicensed frequency bands, and their wireless channels are shared. Stations need to access the channel before transmitting. Before transmitting a wireless frame, a station needs to listen for other stations that are transmitting. If the channel is busy, transmission will be temporarily suspended until the channel becomes idle. Once the channel is idle, the station needs to perform random backoff before transmitting data to handle collisions between multiple potential transmitting stations. After the random backoff process ends when the channel is idle, the station can transmit wireless frames. Before transmitting data to the target station, a short control frame interaction, such as a request-to-send (RTS) / CTS, can be performed to further reduce throughput loss due to collisions. Because after a collision, the transmitting station can quickly know that a collision has occurred and will re-perform random backoff before re-accessing the channel, avoiding the direct transmission of long data frames during a collision and causing the entire data frame to fail.

[0057] IV. NAV Settings Before accessing a WLAN channel, a site must first perform listening, which is divided into physical carrier listening and virtual carrier listening. Physical carrier listening involves monitoring the energy level on the channel and the strength of the WLAN radio frame signal. When the received energy level or the strength of the received WLAN radio frame is less than a certain threshold, physical carrier listening is idle; otherwise, it is busy. Virtual carrier listening is implemented by setting a NAV (Network Address Value). It maintains a NAV value. When the NAV value is not zero, virtual carrier listening is busy; when the NAV value is zero, virtual carrier listening is idle. Typically, only when both physical and virtual carrier listening are idle is a site allowed to access the channel and transmit radio frames.

[0058] In early WLAN systems, each station had only one NAV. When a station correctly received a radio frame, it could update the NAV based on the Duration field information in the frame. If the received frame's address was its own Medium Access Control (MAC) address, the station did not update the NAV. For other radio frames, if the Duration field value was greater than the station's current NAV value, the NAV was updated accordingly. The NAV mechanism effectively solved the collision problem caused by hidden nodes. A hidden node is a station outside the transmitting station's signal coverage area, but whose transmissions can interfere with the receiving station (i.e., the station receiving data). While the transmitting station was transmitting radio frames, the hidden node, unaware of the transmitting station's transmission, also transmitted radio frames simultaneously, causing interference to the receiving station and preventing it from correctly receiving radio frames. With Virtual Carrier Sense (VCS), after the transmitting station acquires the channel, it can first exchange short frames with the receiving station. In both short frames, the Duration field is used to set the NAV for surrounding non-target stations, ensuring that hidden nodes will not compete for the channel or transmit radio frames during the NAV protection period. The period during which NAV protection is applied is usually referred to as TXOP.

[0059] The IEEE 802.11ax standard introduces two NAVs for more granular management: Intra-BSS NAV and Basic NAV. Intra-BSS NAV is updated via Intra-BSS PPDUs, while Basic NAV is updated via Inter-BSS PPDUs or PPDUs that cannot be distinguished as Intra-BSS or Inter-BSS. In simple terms, Inter-BSS PPDUs are PPDUs sent from STAs outside the local BSS, while Intra-BSS PPDUs are PPDUs sent from stations within the local BSS. For detailed identification methods of Inter-BSS PPDUs and Intra-BSS PPDUs, please refer to the IEEE 802.11ax standard; they will not be elaborated upon here.

[0060] A site that is not a TXOP holder updates its intra-BSS NAV if and only if the received frame (i.e., the radio frame received by the site) meets all of the following conditions: The received frame is an intra-BSS PPDU; The Duration field value of the received frame is greater than the current intra-BSS NAV value of the site; The received frame's address is not the site's MAC address, or the received frame will not trigger an immediate response from the site, or the received frame is a trigger frame.

[0061] A site updates its basic NAV if and only if all of the following conditions are met when a received frame is received: The received frame is an inter-BSS PPDU, or it is not possible to distinguish whether it is an intra-BSS or an inter-BSS PPDU; The Duration field value of the received frame is greater than the current basic NAV value of the site; The receive address of the received frame is not the MAC address of the site.

[0062] Virtual carrier sensing is considered idle only when both intra-BSS NAV and basic NAV are equal to 0, allowing the site to compete for channel space. When a site is triggered to respond immediately by an associated AP, it can only respond if its physical carrier sensing is idle and its basic NAV value is 0. If the basic NAV is not 0, a response cannot be given even if the physical carrier sensing result is idle.

[0063] V. Transmission network allocation vector (TXNAV) TXNAV is a timer maintained internally by the TXOP holder. It is initialized with the Duration / ID field of the most recently successfully transmitted frame by the TXOP holder; that is, the duration of TXNAV is equal to the remaining duration of the current TXOP. TXNAV begins timing when the PPDU carrying the frame ends.

[0064] In one implementation, a station is allowed to ignore the NAV set by the AP within the time period allocated to it by the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame; that is, the station is allowed to send independently. The corresponding English description is: After sending the CTS solicited by the associated AP from the MU-RTS TXS, the STA that sends the responding CTS shall ignore the NAV that is set by the AP within the time allocation signaled in the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame. However, currently, an AP is still allowed to regain control of the TXOP under certain conditions, in which case the station is not allowed to continue autonomous transmission. If an extremely high throughput (EHT) AP determines that it has successfully transmitted a MU-RTS TXS trigger frame with the TXOP shared mode subfield value equal to 1 to a non-AP EHT STA (see 26.2.6.2 (MU-RTS trigger frame transmission)), then the AP is not allowed to send any PPDU within the allocated time specified in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame unless: the PPDU carries an immediate response requested by the non-AP STA; or the carrier sense (CS) mechanism indicates that the medium at the TxPIFS boundary is idle after the transmission of an immediate response frame sent to that STA has ended or after receiving a frame from that STA that does not require an immediate response has ended. The corresponding English description is: If the EHT AP determines that its transmission of an MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame to a non-AP EHT STA with the TXOPSharing Mode subfield equal to 1 is successful (see 26.2.6.2 (MU-RTS Triggerframe transmission)), then the AP shall not transmit any PPDU within the allocated time specified in the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame unless: The PPDUcarries an immediate response that is solicited by the non-AP STA; The CSmechanism indicates that the medium is idle at the TxPIFS slot boundary after the end of either the transmission of an immediate response frame sent to that STA or the reception of a frame from that STA that did not require animmediate response. Under certain conditions, an AP should not initiate channel contention during the remaining allocation time for a STA. However, according to the rules of the current protocol, a STA can ignore the NAV set by the AP throughout the allocation time. Therefore, a STA may initiate channel contention during the remaining allocation time, thus interfering with the AP's transmission. Alternatively, after the AP regains control of the TXOP, a station ignoring the NAV set by the AP during the time period allocated to it in the MU-RTS TXS frame may interfere with the AP's transmission. An example of an existing communication scheme based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism is as follows: When a STA is allocated a first time period for non-TB PPDU by the AP via a MU-RTS TXS trigger frame; if the AP regains the right to use the TXOP during this first time period, the STA ignoring the NAV set by the AP during the remaining first time period may interfere with the AP's transmission. It is evident that existing communication schemes based on the triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism have the problem of stations potentially interfering with the AP's transmission. Therefore, it is necessary to research a communication scheme based on the triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism that can avoid interfering with the AP's transmission. The communication scheme based on the triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in this application can avoid interference with the AP's transmission. The main principle of the communication scheme based on the triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application is to clarify under what circumstances the STA will lose the right to use the time period allocated to it by the AP through the MU-RTSTXS frame. Correspondingly, during the remaining time period, the STA is not allowed to ignore the NAV set by the AP for the STA.

[0065] The communication scheme provided in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0066] Figure 3 This document provides an interactive flowchart of a communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism, as illustrated in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the method includes: 301. AP sends the first frame to the station.

[0067] Accordingly, the STA receives a first frame from the AP. This first frame instructs the access point to allocate a first time period to the STA. For example, the first frame instructs the access point to allocate a first time period within a reserved TXOP to the STA. Optionally, the first frame is a MU-RTS TXS trigger frame. The first frame can also be other radio frames used to instruct the access point to allocate a first time period to the STA; this application does not limit the type of frame. The first time period can be any time period within the TXOP allocated by the AP to the STA; this application does not limit the type of frame.

[0068] In one possible implementation, the first field in the first frame is used to indicate that the site is only allowed to transmit frames with the access point during the allocated time (i.e., the first time period). Optionally, the first field is a TXOP shared mode subfield, and the value of the first field is equal to 1.

[0069] 302. The site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame.

[0070] The second frame is used to indicate that the station has successfully received the first frame. The second frame can be a CTS frame or other frames. In this embodiment, the station is not limited to replying to the AP with a CTS frame in response to the first frame.

[0071] 303. Ignore the NAV set by the AP during the first time period until any of the following occurs: The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station experiences a transmission failure. That is, the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame only allows the station to transmit frames with the associated AP within the allocated time and the station experiences a transmission failure. The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within the PIFS after sending the third frame. That is, the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame only allows the station to transmit frames with the associated AP within the allocated time and the station does not send a PPDU within the PIFS after sending the third frame. The third frame does not require an immediate response from the AP. The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1, and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP. That is, the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame only allows the station to transmit frames with the associated AP within the allocated time, and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP.

[0072] The statement in the above description that "the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is equal to 1" can be equivalently replaced with "the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame only allows the site to transmit frames with the associated AP within the allocated time." The statement in the above description that PIFS can be equivalently replaced with a preset duration. It is understood that PIFS is merely an example of a preset duration, which can be configured according to requirements.

[0073] Alternatively, the site will not ignore the NAV set by the access point if any of the following occurs during the first time period: The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station experiences a transmission failure; The value of the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after sending the third frame. The third frame does not require an immediate response from the AP. The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP.

[0074] Ignoring the NAV set by the access point can be understood as follows: if the current NAV (specifically, the intra BSS NAV) is set based on frames sent by the associated access point, then even if the current NAV value is not 0, the station can treat the NAV value as 0. If the current NAV is not set based on frames sent by the associated access point, then when the NAV value is not 0, the station must consider the current virtual carrier sensing result to be busy.

[0075] Not ignoring the NAV set by the access point can be understood as follows: regardless of whether the current NAV (specifically, the intra BSS NAV) value is set based on the frame sent by the associated access point, as long as the current NAV value is not 0, the station must consider the current virtual carrier sensing result to be busy.

[0076] When the STA has both intra-BSS NAV and Basic NAV, the detailed virtual carrier sensing results can be summarized in the following table: Table 1

[0077] Table 1 shows the virtual carrier sensing results when the STA has both intra-BSS NAV and Basic NAV. As shown in the third row of Table 1, when the NAV set by the access point is not ignored, if the NAV set by the AP is not 0 (i.e., non-zero) and the Basic NAV is 0, the site determines the virtual carrier sensing result to be busy. As shown in the fourth row of Table 1, when the NAV set by the access point is not ignored, if the NAV not set by the AP is not 0 (i.e., non-zero) and the Basic NAV is 0, the site determines the virtual carrier sensing result to be busy. As shown in the ninth row of Table 1, when the NAV set by the access point is ignored, if the NAV set by the AP is not 0 (i.e., non-zero) and the Basic NAV is 0, the site determines the virtual carrier sensing result to be idle. As shown in the tenth row of Table 1, when the NAV set by the access point is ignored, if the NAV not set by the AP is not 0 (i.e., non-zero) and the Basic NAV is 0, the site determines the virtual carrier sensing result to be busy. This section only describes the meaning of four rows in Table 1. The meaning of each row in Table 1 can be interpreted in the same way, and the meaning of each row will not be described here.

[0078] After the station replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame, it executes step 303. Step 303 can be understood as follows: before any of the above situations occur, the station ignores the NAV set by the access point during the first time period. Alternatively, before any of the above situations occur, the station can send data autonomously during the first time period. The NAV set by the access point can be understood as the NAV set by the access point for the station. The NAV set by the access point can include the station's intra BSS NAV and / or basic NAV. The third frame does not require an immediate response from the access point; that is, the Ack Policy subfield in the third frame is set to No Ack. A transmission failure occurs when the station sends a frame that requires an immediate response, but does not receive a response frame after the short inter-frame space (SIFS) time after the frame transmission ends; in this case, the transmission is considered a failure.

[0079] Step 303 can be replaced by: after ignoring the NAV set by the access point during the first time period, and after the first condition occurs during the first time period, if the NAV set by the access point is equal to 0, determine that the virtual carrier sensing is idle; if the NAV set by the access point is not equal to 0, determine that the virtual carrier sensing is busy; the first condition includes any of the following: The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station experiences a transmission failure; The value of the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after sending the third frame. The third frame does not require an immediate response from the AP. The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP.

[0080] Alternatively, step 303 can be replaced by: the STA ignoring the NAV set by the AP during the time period allocated by the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame until any of the following occurs: the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after sending a frame that does not require an immediate response; or the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA experiences a transmission failure.

[0081] Figure 3The process can be described as follows: After a station (STA) sends a CTS in response to a MU-RTS TXS trigger frame from the AP (corresponding to the first frame mentioned above), the STA should ignore the NAV set by the AP for the time period allocated by the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame until any of the following occurs: the TXOP sharing mode value in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP; the TXOP sharing mode value in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after sending a frame that does not require an immediate response; or the TXOP sharing mode value in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA experiences a transmission failure. The corresponding English translation can be as follows: After sending the CTS solicited by MU-RTS TXS from the associated AP, the STA that sends the responding CTS shall ignore the NAVthat is set by the AP within the time allocation signaled in the MU-RTS TXSTrigger frame until any of the conditions occurs: the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the associated AP if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfield value equals to 1; the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after sending a frame that does not require an immediate response if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfield value equals to 1; transmission failure happens if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfield value equal to 1. In one possible implementation, after any of the above situations occur, the station may perform the following operation: after detecting that the virtual carrier listening is idle during the first time period, it initiates channel contention. That is, the station will not initiate channel contention before detecting that the virtual carrier listening is idle, thus avoiding interference with the AP's transmission. This can reduce or avoid interference with the AP's transmission.

[0082] In this embodiment of the application, after replying to the second frame after the first frame, the NAV set by the access point is ignored for a first time period until any of the above situations occur; this can avoid interfering with the AP's transmission.

[0083] Figure 4 The following is an interactive flowchart of another communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 The methods and processes in Figure 3 The methods and processes described in the original text are essentially the same, but differ in their descriptive style. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the method includes: 401. AP sends the first frame to the station.

[0084] Step 401 can be found in step 301.

[0085] 402. The site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame.

[0086] Step 402 can be found in step 302.

[0087] 403. The site ignores the NAV set by the AP until any of the following occurs: The first time period has ended; The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station experiences a transmission failure; If the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after sending the third frame, the AP does not need to respond immediately to the third frame. The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP.

[0088] Alternatively, the site will not ignore the NAV set by the access point if any of the following conditions occur: The first time period has ended; The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station experiences a transmission failure; If the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after sending the third frame, the AP does not need to respond immediately to the third frame. The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP.

[0089] After the station replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame, it executes step 403. Step 403 can be understood as follows: before any of the above situations occur, the station ignores the NAV set by the access point. In other words, before any of the above situations occur, the station can send data autonomously. Figure 4 Please refer to the explanations of the terms or nouns used in this document. Figure 3 This will not be elaborated upon here.

[0090] Step 403 can be replaced by: after initially ignoring the NAV set by the access point, after the first condition occurs, if the NAV equals 0, determining that the virtual carrier listening is idle; if the NAV is not equal to 0, determining that the virtual carrier listening is busy; the aforementioned first condition includes any of the following: The first time period has ended; The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station experiences a transmission failure; If the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after sending the third frame, the AP does not need to respond immediately to the third frame. The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP.

[0091] Alternatively, step 403 can be replaced by: the STA ignoring the NAV set by the AP during the time period allocated in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame until any of the following occurs: the time allocation signal in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame ends, i.e., the first time period ends; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after sending a frame that does not require an immediate response; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA experiences a transmission failure.

[0092] Figure 4The process flow can be described as follows: After the station (STA) sends a CTS in response to the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame (corresponding to the first frame mentioned above) from the AP, the STA ignores the NAV set by the AP until any of the following occurs: the time allocation signal in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame ends; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after sending a frame that does not require an immediate response; the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is equal to 1 and the STA experiences a transmission failure. The corresponding English translation can be as follows: After sending the CTS solicited by MU-RTS TXS from the associated AP, the STA that sends the responding CTS shall ignore the NAVthat is set by the AP until any of the conditions occurs: the time allocation signaled in the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame ends; the STA does not initiate anyPPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the associated AP if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfield value equals to 1; the STAdoes not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after sending a frame that does not require an immediate response if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfieldvalue equals to 1; transmission failure happens if the TXOP Sharing Modesubfield values ​​equal to 1. In this embodiment, after the site replies to the second frame in response to the first frame, it ignores the NAV set by the access point until any of the above situations occur; this can avoid interfering with the AP's transmission.

[0093] Figure 5 The following is an interactive flowchart of another communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 The method flow is Figure 3 or Figure 4 One possible implementation of the described method is as follows: In this implementation, if the station does not send a PPDU within the PIFS after sending the third frame, it no longer ignores the NAV set by the AP, thus avoiding interference with the AP's transmission. Figure 5 As shown, the method includes: 501. AP sends the first frame to the station.

[0094] Step 501 can be found in step 301.

[0095] 502. The site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame.

[0096] Step 502 can be found in step 302.

[0097] 503. The site begins to ignore the NAV set by the access point during the first time period.

[0098] After the site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame, it executes step 503. Step 503 can be understood as: after the site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame, it begins to ignore the NAV set by the access point. Or, in other words, after the site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame, it begins to ignore the NAV set by the access point at the start time of the first time period.

[0099] 504. The site sends the third frame to the AP.

[0100] Accordingly, the AP receives the third frame from the site. The third frame can be any radio frame that does not require an immediate response from the AP, such as a PPDU. In other words, the AP does not need to respond to the third frame immediately.

[0101] 505. If the value of the TXOP sharing mode of the station is equal to 1 in the first frame and no PPDU is sent within PIFS after the third frame is sent, it is determined that the NAV set by the access point will not be ignored in the second time period.

[0102] The start time of the second time period can be the time when the station determines that no PPDU has been sent within the PIFS after sending the third frame, and the end time of the second time period is the end time of the first time period. The second time period is included in the first time period. In practical applications, PIFS can be replaced with other durations, and this application embodiment does not limit this. It should be understood that once the station detects that no PPDU has been sent within the PIFS after sending the third frame, it will no longer ignore the NAV set by the access point, that is, it cannot continue to perform autonomous transmission.

[0103] Alternatively, step 505 can be replaced with: if the station does not send a PPDU within the PIFS after sending the third frame, when NAV equals 0, determine that the virtual carrier listening is idle; when NAV is not equal to 0, determine that the virtual carrier listening is busy. Determining that the virtual carrier listening is idle when NAV equals 0 can be replaced with: determining that the virtual carrier listening is idle when both the station's intra BSS NAV and basic NAV are equal to 0. Determining that the virtual carrier listening is busy when NAV is not equal to 0 can be replaced with: determining that the virtual carrier listening is busy when at least one of the station's intra BSS NAV and basic NAV is not equal to 0.

[0104] Alternatively, step 505 can be replaced by: if the site sends any PPDU within the PIFS after sending the third frame, it continues to ignore the NAV set by the access point.

[0105] In this embodiment of the application, if the station does not send a PPDU within the PIFS after sending the third frame, it no longer ignores the NAV set by the AP, which can avoid interfering with the AP's transmission.

[0106] Figure 6 The following is an interactive flowchart of another communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 The method flow is Figure 3 or Figure 4 One possible implementation of the described method is as follows: In this implementation, when a transmission failure occurs, the station no longer ignores the NAV set by the AP, thus avoiding interference with the AP's transmissions. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the method includes: 601. AP sends the first frame to the station.

[0107] Step 601 can be found in step 301.

[0108] 602. The site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame.

[0109] Step 602 can be found in step 302.

[0110] 603. The site begins to ignore the NAV set by the access point during the first time period.

[0111] After the site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame, it executes step 603. Step 603 can be understood as: after the site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame, it begins to ignore the NAV set by the access point. Or, in other words, after the site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame, it begins to ignore the NAV set by the access point at the start time of the first time period.

[0112] 604. The site sends a second PPDU to the AP.

[0113] Accordingly, the AP receives a second PPDU from the site. The second PPDU can be a PPDU that requires an immediate response from the AP, or it can be a PPDU that does not require an immediate response from the AP; this embodiment of the application does not limit this. Step 604 is optional, not necessary. When the second PPDU requires an immediate response from the AP, the site can receive an immediate response from the AP for that second PPDU after sending it to the AP.

[0114] 605. If the value of the TXOP sharing mode of the site is equal to 1 in the first frame and a transmission failure occurs, determine that the NAV set by the access point will not be ignored in the second time period.

[0115] A transmission failure can be termed a transmission malfunction. The start time of the second time period can be used by the site to determine when the transmission failure occurred, and the end time of the second time period is the end time of the first time period. The second time period is included within the first time period.

[0116] Alternatively, step 605 can be replaced with: in the event of a transmission failure, if the NAV set by the access point is equal to 0, the site determines that the virtual carrier listening is idle; if the NAV set by the access point is not equal to 0, the site determines that the virtual carrier listening is busy.

[0117] In this embodiment of the application, when a transmission failure occurs, the site no longer ignores the NAV set by the AP, which can avoid interfering with the AP's transmission.

[0118] Figure 7 The following is an interactive flowchart of another communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 The method flow is Figure 3 or Figure 4One possible implementation of the described method is as follows: In this implementation, if the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP, it no longer ignores the NAV set by the AP, thus avoiding interference with the AP's transmissions. Figure 7 As shown, the method includes: 701. AP sends the first frame to the station.

[0119] Step 701 can be found in step 301.

[0120] 702. The site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame.

[0121] Step 702 can be found in step 302.

[0122] 703. The site begins to ignore the NAV set by the access point during the first time period.

[0123] After the site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame, it executes step 703. Step 703 can be understood as: after the site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame, it begins to ignore the NAV set by the access point. Or, in other words, after the site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame, it begins to ignore the NAV set by the access point at the start time of the first time period.

[0124] 704. The site sends the first PPDU to the AP.

[0125] Accordingly, the AP receives the first PPDU from the site. The first PPDU is any PPDU that requires an immediate response from the AP. Optionally, the first PPDU is a non-TB PPDU that requires an immediate response from the AP.

[0126] 705. AP responds to the site immediately for the first PPDU.

[0127] Accordingly, the site receives an immediate response from the AP in response to the first PPDU.

[0128] 706. If the value of the TXOP sharing mode in the first frame is equal to 1 and no PPDU is sent within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP, determine that the NAV set by the access point will not be ignored in the second time period.

[0129] The start time of the second time period can be the time when the site determines that no PPDU has been sent within the PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP, and the end time of the second time period is the end time of the first time period. The second time period is included in the first time period.

[0130] Step 706 can be replaced by: if the station does not send any PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP, and the NAV set by the access point is equal to 0, then the virtual carrier listening is determined to be idle; if the NAV set by the access point is not equal to 0, then the virtual carrier listening is determined to be busy. Determining that the virtual carrier listening is idle when the NAV set by the access point is 0 can be replaced by: determining that the virtual carrier listening is idle when both the station's intra BSS NAV and basic NAV are equal to 0. Optionally, the station may initiate channel contention after determining that the virtual carrier listening is idle. Alternatively, the station may not initiate channel contention before determining that the virtual carrier listening is idle.

[0131] Alternatively, step 706 can be replaced by: if the site sends any PPDU within PIFS after receiving an immediate response from the AP, it continues to ignore the NAV set by the access point.

[0132] In this embodiment, when the STA does not initiate any PPDU transmission within the PIFS after receiving the AP's immediate response, it no longer ignores the NAV set by the AP, thus avoiding interference with the AP's transmission.

[0133] Figure 8 The following is an interactive flowchart of another communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 The methods and processes in Figure 3 The methods and processes described in the text are fundamentally different in terms of technology. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the method includes: 801. AP sends the first frame to the station.

[0134] Step 801 can be referred to step 301. The first frame is used to instruct the access point to allocate the first time period to the site.

[0135] In one possible implementation, the first field in the first frame is used to indicate that only the aforementioned station is allowed to transmit frames with the associated AP within the allocated time period. Optionally, the first field is a TXOP sharing mode subfield, and the value of the first field is equal to 1. In this implementation, the first field is a TXOP sharing mode subfield, and the value of the first field is equal to 1, so as to determine whether to initiate channel contention during the first time period based on the first field.

[0136] 802. The site replies to the AP with the second frame in response to the first frame.

[0137] Step 802 can be found in step 302.

[0138] 803. The station ignores the NAV set by the AP during the first time period and does not initiate channel contention during the first time period.

[0139] This application does not limit the implementation method of the station not initiating channel contention during the first time period. In other words, any technical method that achieves the goal of the station not initiating channel contention during the first time period falls within the protection scope of this application. Optionally, the station sets the basic NAV to a value greater than 0 and keeps this value unchanged. Optionally, the station sets the basic NAV to a value greater than the duration of the first time period.

[0140] Step 803 can be replaced by: If the value of the TXOP shared mode subfield in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame is 1, the above-mentioned stations will not initiate channel contention during the time period allocated in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame.

[0141] Figure 8 The process can be described as follows: After sending the CTS solicited by the associated AP in response to the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame, the STA that sends theresponding CTS shall ignore the NAV set by the AP within the time allocation signaled in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame. The STA shall not initiate channel contention within the time allocation signaled in the MU-RTS TXS trigger frame if the TXOP Sharing Mode subfield value equals 1. In this embodiment of the application, after replying to the second frame with the first frame, the NAV set by the access point is ignored during the first time period, and no channel contention is initiated during the first time period; this can reduce or avoid interference with the AP's transmission.

[0142] The structure of a communication device that can implement the communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0143] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device 900 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 900 can correspondingly implement the functions or steps implemented by the stations in the above-described method embodiments, and can also correspondingly implement the functions or steps implemented by the access points in the above-described method embodiments. The communication device may include a processing module 910 and a transceiver module 920. Optionally, it may also include a storage unit, which can be used to store instructions (code or program) and / or data. The processing module 910 and the transceiver module 920 can be coupled to the storage unit. For example, the processing module 910 can read the instructions (code or program) and / or data in the storage unit to implement the corresponding method. The above-described units can be set independently, or partially or completely integrated. For example, the transceiver module 920 may include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module can be a transmitter, and the receiving module can be a receiver. The entity corresponding to the transceiver module 920 can be a transceiver or a communication interface.

[0144] In some possible implementations, the communication device 900 can correspondingly implement the behavior and functions of the station in the above method embodiments. For example, the communication device 900 can be a station or a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) applied in the station. The transceiver module 920 can, for example, be used to perform... Figures 3 to 8 In the embodiments, all receive or send operations performed by the station, and / or other processes used to support the techniques described herein. Processing module 910 is used to perform... Figures 3 to 8 In the embodiment, all operations performed by the station other than sending and receiving are considered.

[0145] In some possible implementations, the communication device 900 can correspondingly implement the behavior and functions of the access point in the above method embodiments. For example, the communication device 900 can be an access point or a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) applied in the access point. The transceiver module 920 can, for example, be used to perform... Figures 3 to 8 In the embodiments described herein, the processing module 910 performs all receive or transmit operations by the access point, and / or other processes used to support the techniques described herein.

[0146] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device 100 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 10 The communication device mentioned above can be either the aforementioned site or the aforementioned access point.

[0147] like Figure 10 As shown, the communication device 100 includes at least one processor 1010 and a transceiver 1020.

[0148] In some embodiments of this application, the processor 1010 and transceiver 1020 can be used to perform functions or operations performed by the site. For example, the transceiver 1020 performs... Figures 3 to 8 In this embodiment, all receive or send operations are performed by the station. The processor 1010 is used, for example, to perform... Figures 3 to 8 In the embodiment, all operations performed by the station other than sending and receiving are considered.

[0149] In some embodiments of this application, the processor 1010 and transceiver 1020 can be used to perform functions or operations performed by the access point. For example, the transceiver 1020 performs... Figures 3 to 8 In this embodiment, all receive or send operations are performed by the access point. The processor 1010 is used to perform all operations performed by the access point other than the receive and send operations.

[0150] Transceiver 1020 is used to communicate with other devices / appliances via a transmission medium. Processor 1010 uses transceiver 1020 to send and receive data and / or signaling, and to implement the methods in the above method embodiments. Processor 1010 can implement the functions of processing module 910, and transceiver 1020 can implement the functions of transceiver module 920.

[0151] Optionally, the transceiver 1020 may include radio frequency (RF) circuitry and an antenna. The RF circuitry is primarily used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals. The antenna is primarily used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, and keyboards, are primarily used for receiving user input data and outputting data to the user.

[0152] Optionally, the communication device 100 may further include at least one memory 1030 for storing program instructions and / or data. The memory 1030 is coupled to the processor 1010. The coupling in this embodiment is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 1010 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1030. The processor 1010 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 1030. At least one of the at least one memory may be included in the processor.

[0153] When the communication device 100 is powered on, the processor 1010 can read the software program in the memory 1030, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 1010 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then performs RF processing on the baseband signal and transmits the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1010. The processor 1010 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0154] In another implementation, the aforementioned radio frequency circuits and antennas can be set up independently of the processor that performs baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuits and antennas can be arranged in a remote manner, independent of the communication device.

[0155] This application embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the transceiver 1020, processor 1010, and memory 1030. This application embodiment... Figure 10 The memory 1030, processor 1010, and transceiver 1020 are connected via a bus 1040, and the bus is in Figure 10 The connections between other components are shown in thick lines only and are not intended to be limiting. This bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 10 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0156] In the embodiments of this application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components, capable of implementing or executing the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0157] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device 110 provided in an embodiment of this application. (See attached diagram.) Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11 The communication device shown includes logic circuit 1101 and interface 1102. Figure 9 The processing module 910 can be implemented using logic circuit 1101. Figure 9The transceiver module 920 can be implemented using interface 1102. The logic circuit 1101 can be a chip, processing circuit, integrated circuit, or system-on-chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface 1102 can be a communication interface, input / output interface, etc. In this embodiment, the logic circuit and the interface can also be coupled to each other. The specific connection method between the logic circuit and the interface is not limited in this embodiment.

[0158] In some embodiments of this application, the logic circuit and interface can be used to perform the functions or operations performed by the aforementioned site.

[0159] In some embodiments of this application, the logic circuit and interface can be used to perform the functions or operations performed by the access point described above.

[0160] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods of the above embodiments. The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer, or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state drive (SSD)). The aforementioned computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices.

[0161] It should be noted that those skilled in the art will recognize that all or part of the steps in the various methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware, and this program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Computer-readable storage media include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), one-time programmable read-only memory (OTPROM), electronically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, disk storage, magnetic tape storage, or any other computer-readable medium capable of carrying or storing data.

[0162] This application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions or a computer program that, when executed on a computer, causes the methods described in the above embodiments to be performed. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When these computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated.

[0163] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, they can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product.

[0164] This application also provides a communication system, including the aforementioned site and access point.

[0165] The technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer program product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a device (which may be a terminal device, network device, vehicle device, router, server, robot, chip, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0166] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of protection of the above claims.

Claims

1. A communication method based on a triggered transmission opportunity sharing mechanism, characterized in that, When applied to a website, the method includes: Receive a first frame from the access point, the first frame being used to instruct the access point to allocate a first time period to the site, the first frame being a MU-RTSTXS trigger frame; After responding to the second frame in response to the first frame, the Network Allocation Vector (NAV) set by the access point is ignored during the first time period until any of the following occurs: The first time period has ended; If the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the site does not send a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) within the Point Coordination Function Inter-Frame Interval (PIFS) after sending the third frame, the third frame does not require the access point to respond immediately. The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving the immediate response from the access point.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second frame is a CTS frame.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The network allocation vector includes Intra-BSSNAV.

4. A communication device, characterized in that, include: The transceiver module is used to receive a first frame from the access point. The first frame is used to instruct the access point to allocate a first time period to the site. The first frame is a MU-RTSTXS trigger frame. The processing module is configured to, after responding to the second frame in response to the first frame, ignore the settings set by the access point during the first time period until any of the following occurs: The first time period has ended; If the TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the site does not send a PPDU within PIFS after sending the third frame, the third frame does not require the access point to respond immediately. The TXOP sharing mode value in the first frame is equal to 1 and the station does not send a PPDU within PIFS after receiving the immediate response from the access point.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second frame is a CTS frame.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The network allocation vector includes Intra-BSSNAV.

7. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, the computer program including program instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor, the processor being configured to, when executing instructions, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The device further includes a memory for storing the instructions.

10. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored in the memory through the communication interface and executes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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