Communication method and communication device

Abstract

Provided are a communication method and a communication device, the communication method being applied to a first device or a chip system in the first device, the communication method comprising: receiving first information, the first information comprising quality information of one or more first beams obtained by a second device, the one or more first beams are beams used by a third device and a fourth device during beam forming training; and determining a second beam from the one or more first beams according to the first information, the second beam being used for communication between the third device and the fourth device. According to the technical scheme, the overall system throughput can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to communication methods and communication apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In high-frequency communication, due to the high signal loss, at least one device in a pair typically needs to communicate in a directional manner (e.g., directional transmission or directional reception). That is, the pair usually requires a "directional + directional" or "directional + omnidirectional" communication method. Furthermore, due to the directional nature of high-frequency communication, if multiple pairs of devices need to communicate simultaneously, it is difficult to estimate whether interference will occur between them using simple methods such as distance. To enable simultaneous transmission between multiple pairs of devices without severe interference affecting performance, a spatial sharing mechanism is designed.

[0003] However, in the space sharing mechanism of multiple pairs of devices, each pair of devices can only passively measure whether it will be affected by the communication of other pairs of devices. If it is significantly affected by other pairs of devices, each pair of devices can only choose to avoid the communication of other pairs of devices, which makes it impossible to achieve space sharing and limits the overall throughput of the system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and a communication device that can improve system throughput.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which may be executed by a first device (such as an access point (AP) or a personal basic service set (PBSS) control point (PCP)), or by a module in the first device such as a chip system or circuit, or by a logic node, logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first device. This application does not limit the scope of the method.

[0006] The method includes: receiving first information, the first information including quality information of one or more first beams obtained by a second device, the one or more first beams being used by a third device and a fourth device during beamforming training; and determining a second beam from the one or more first beams based on the first information, the second beam being used by the third device and the fourth device for communication.

[0007] In the above technical solutions, a trade-off can be found between pursuing beam alignment and spatial sharing. In other words, the beam obtained by beamforming training may not be the optimal beam for communication between site pairs, but mutual interference can be avoided under spatial sharing, thereby maximizing the overall system throughput.

[0008] Optionally, the beam quality information can be the measurement result of the average noise plus interference power indicator (ANIPI) or the received signal-to-noise indicator (RSNI), or it can be other parameters such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

[0009] Optionally, the one or more first beams can be all the transmit beams of the third device, or only a portion of the transmit beams of the third device. That is, the second device measures all the transmit beams of the third device, but may only report the measurement results of a portion of the transmit beams. For example, if the measurement results of the portion of the transmit beams meet preset conditions, such as exceeding a certain threshold, the second device may only report the measurement results that meet the preset conditions.

[0010] Optionally, the first information may be included in the directional channel quality report frame.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the third device is the first device, or the fourth device is the first device.

[0012] In the above technical solution, the first device can also have the ability to select the beams for communication between itself and other devices in its BSS.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending second information to the third device, the second information being used to indicate the second beam.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, when the third device and the fourth device communicate through the second beam, the second device performs spatial sharing.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending a first indication information to the third device, the first indication information being used to indicate that a first service interval SP is used for communication between the third device and the fourth device, the first SP and the second SP overlapping in the time domain, and the second SP being used for communication between the second device.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first SP and the second SP completely overlap.

[0017] In the above technical solutions, space sharing can refer to the space sharing of SPs, that is, a mechanism that allows two or more pairs of SPs to operate simultaneously in space without interference. This approach can increase the utilization rate of space resources and the system throughput.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, sending the first instruction information to the third device includes: sending the first instruction information to the third device via a low-frequency band.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, receiving the first information includes: receiving the first information via a low-frequency band.

[0020] Optionally, low frequency can be a frequency resource of less than or equal to 7 GHz, and high frequency can be a frequency resource of greater than or equal to 45 GHz. It should be understood that the above-mentioned high and low frequencies are merely examples and not limitations. Other definitions of high and low frequencies, or high and low frequencies defined in future communications that are applicable to this application, should also be within the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first device and the second device belong to different Basic Service Sets (BSS), and receiving the first information includes: receiving the first information from a fifth device, which is an Access Point (AP) or a Personal Basic Control Set (PCP) in the BSS to which the second device belongs.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending third information to the fifth device, the third information including quality information of one or more third beams obtained by devices in the BSS to which the first device belongs, the one or more third beams being the beams used by devices in the BSS to which the second device belongs during beamforming training or communication.

[0023] In the above technical solution, the first device can report the monitoring results of the devices belonging to its BSS to the fifth device. Furthermore, decision-making stations in different BSSs can interact and coordinate, summarizing the measurement results of all devices in all BSSs regarding the beams of the devices in the BSS belonging to the first or fifth device, thereby more rationally selecting beams for the devices in their respective BSSs.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving fourth information from the fifth device, the fourth information being used to negotiate space sharing between devices in the BSS to which the first device belongs and devices in the BSS to which the fifth device belongs; and sending feedback information to the fifth device in response to the fourth information, the feedback information including at least one of the following: the measurement period of beam quality information, the feedback time of beam quality information, the negotiation time of SP, and the capability to support space sharing.

[0025] In the above technical solution, the parameter negotiation process makes it more reasonable for each decision site in the BSS, such as AP or PCP, to select beams for the equipment in its BSS.

[0026] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, receiving the fourth information from the fifth device includes: receiving the fourth information from the fifth device via a low-frequency band; sending feedback information to the fifth device regarding the fourth information includes: sending feedback information to the fifth device regarding the fourth information via the low-frequency band.

[0027] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first device and the second device belong to the same BSS, and receiving the first information includes: receiving the first information from the second device.

[0028] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending a first request message, the first request message being used to request the second device to measure the quality information of the one or more first beams; and sending a second request message, the second request message being used to request the fourth device to measure the quality information of the one or more first beams.

[0029] Optionally, the first request message and the second request message can be directional channel quality request frames.

[0030] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, determining a second beam from one or more first beams based on the first information includes: receiving fifth information, the fifth information including quality information of the one or more first beams obtained by the fourth device; determining at least one first beam from one or more first beams based on the first information and a first threshold, wherein when the quality information is positively correlated with beam quality, the quality information of the at least one first beam in the first information is less than or equal to the first threshold, and when the quality information is negatively correlated with beam quality, the quality information of the at least one first beam in the first information is greater than or equal to the first threshold; determining the second beam from the at least one first beam based on the fifth information, wherein when the quality information is positively correlated with beam quality, the quality information of the second beam in the fifth information is lower than the quality information of other beams in the at least one first beam besides the second beam, and when the quality information is negatively correlated with beam quality, the quality information of the second beam in the fifth information is better than the quality information of other beams in the at least one first beam besides the second beam.

[0031] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which can be executed by a second device (such as a station (STA)), or by a module in the second device such as a chip system or circuit, or by a logic node, logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the second device. This application does not limit this.

[0032] The method includes: measuring one or more first beams to obtain first information, the first information including quality information of one or more first beams, the one or more first beams being used by a third device and a fourth device during beamforming training; and transmitting the first information.

[0033] In the above technical solutions, a trade-off can be found between pursuing beam alignment and spatial sharing. In other words, the beam obtained by beamforming training may not be the optimal beam for communication between site pairs, but mutual interference can be avoided under spatial sharing, thereby maximizing the overall system throughput.

[0034] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, when the third device and the fourth device communicate through the second beam, the second device performs spatial sharing.

[0035] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving second indication information, the second indication information being used to instruct a second SP to communicate with the second device, the second SP and the first SP overlapping in the time domain, and a first service interval SP being used to communicate with the third device and the fourth device.

[0036] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first SP and the second SP completely overlap.

[0037] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the transmission of the first information includes: transmitting the first information via a low-frequency band.

[0038] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second device and the third device belong to different BSSs, and sending the first information includes: sending the first information to a fifth device, which is an access point (AP) or a personal basic control set (PCP) in the BSS to which the second device belongs.

[0039] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second device and the third device belong to the same BSS, and sending the first information includes: sending the first information to the first device, wherein the first device is an access point (AP) or a personal basic control set (PCP) in the BSS to which the second device belongs.

[0040] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving a first request message, the first request message being used to request the second device to measure the quality information of the one or more first beams.

[0041] Thirdly, a communication device is provided. The device is applied to a first device, and includes a transceiver unit configured to: receive first information, the first information including quality information of one or more first beams obtained by a second device, the one or more first beams being beams used by a third device and a fourth device during beamforming training; and a processing unit configured to: determine a second beam from the one or more first beams based on the first information, the second beam being used for communication between the third device and the fourth device.

[0042] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the third device is the first device, or the fourth device is the first device.

[0043] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to: send second information to the third device, the second information being used to indicate the second beam.

[0044] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, when the third device and the fourth device communicate through the second beam, the second device performs spatial sharing.

[0045] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to: send a first indication information to the third device, the first indication information being used to indicate that a first service interval SP is used for communication between the third device and the fourth device, the first SP and the second SP overlapping in the time domain, and the second SP being used for communication between the second device.

[0046] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first SP and the second SP completely overlap.

[0047] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is specifically used to: send the first indication information to the third device via a low-frequency band.

[0048] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is specifically used to: receive the first information via a low-frequency band.

[0049] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first device and the second device belong to different Basic Service Sets (BSS), and the transceiver unit is specifically used to: receive the first information from the fifth device, which is an access point (AP) or a personal basic control set (PCP) in the BSS to which the second device belongs.

[0050] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to: send third information to the fifth device, the third information including quality information of one or more third beams obtained by the devices in the BSS to which the first device belongs, the one or more third beams being the beams used by the devices in the BSS to which the second device belongs during beamforming training or communication.

[0051] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to: receive fourth information from the fifth device, the fourth information being used to negotiate space sharing between devices in the BSS to which the first device belongs and devices in the BSS to which the fifth device belongs; and send feedback information to the fifth device regarding the fourth information, the feedback information including at least one of the following: the measurement period of beam quality information, the feedback time of beam quality information, the negotiation time of SP, and the capability to support space sharing.

[0052] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is specifically used to: receive fourth information from the fifth device via a low-frequency band; and send feedback information regarding the fourth information to the fifth device via the low-frequency band.

[0053] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first device and the second device belong to the same BSS, and the transceiver unit is specifically used to: receive first information from the second device.

[0054] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is specifically used to: send a first request message, the first request message being used to request the second device to measure the quality information of one or more first beams; and send a second request message, the second request message being used to request the fourth device to measure the quality information of one or more first beams.

[0055] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to: receive fifth information, the fifth information including quality information of the one or more first beams obtained by the fourth device; the processing unit is specifically configured to: determine at least one first beam from the one or more first beams according to the first information and a first threshold, wherein when the quality information is positively correlated with beam quality, the quality information of the at least one first beam in the first information is less than or equal to the first threshold, and when the quality information is negatively correlated with beam quality, the quality information of the at least one first beam in the first information is greater than or equal to the first threshold; determine the second beam from the at least one first beam according to the fifth information, wherein when the quality information is positively correlated with beam quality, the quality information of the second beam in the fifth information is lower than the quality information of other beams in the at least one first beam except the second beam, and when the quality information is negatively correlated with beam quality, the quality information of the second beam in the fifth information is better than the quality information of other beams in the at least one first beam except the second beam.

[0056] In one implementation, the communication device is a first device (such as an AP or PCP). When the communication device is a first device, the transceiver unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0057] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a first device (such as an AP or PCP). When the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a first device, the transceiver unit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0058] The explanations and beneficial effects of the communication device provided in the third aspect can be found in the communication method described in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0059] Fourthly, a communication device is provided. The device is applied to a second device and includes a processing unit for: measuring one or more first beams to obtain first information, the first information including quality information of one or more first beams, the one or more first beams being beams used by a third device and a fourth device during beamforming training; and a transceiver unit for: transmitting the first information.

[0060] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, when the third device and the fourth device communicate through the second beam, the second device performs spatial sharing.

[0061] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to: receive second indication information, the second indication information being used to instruct the second SP to communicate with the second device, the second SP and the first SP overlapping in the time domain, and the first service interval SP being used to communicate with the third device and the fourth device.

[0062] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first SP and the second SP completely overlap.

[0063] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is specifically used to: transmit the first information via a low-frequency band.

[0064] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the second device and the third device belong to different BSSs, and the transceiver unit is specifically used to: send the first information to the fifth device, which is an access point (AP) or a personal basic control set (PCP) in the BSS to which the second device belongs.

[0065] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the second device and the third device belong to the same BSS, and the transceiver unit is specifically used to: send the first information to the first device, wherein the first device is an access point (AP) or a personal basic control set (PCP) in the BSS to which the second device belongs.

[0066] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to: receive a first request message, the first request message being used to request the second device to measure the quality information of the one or more first beams.

[0067] In one implementation, the communication device is a second device (such as a STA). When the communication device is a second device, the transceiver unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0068] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a second device (such as an STA). When the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a second device, the transceiver unit can be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit can be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0069] The explanation of the communication device and its beneficial effects provided in the fourth aspect can be found in the communication method shown in the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0070] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, the device comprising: a memory for storing a program; and at least one processor for executing the computer program or instructions stored in the memory to perform the method provided by the first aspect or any of the above-described implementations of the first aspect, or to perform the method provided by the second aspect or any of the above-described implementations of the second aspect.

[0071] In one implementation, the communication device is a device (such as a first device, or a second device).

[0072] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit for use in a device (such as a first device or a second device).

[0073] Sixthly, this application provides a processor for performing the methods provided in the above aspects.

[0074] Unless otherwise specified, or if it does not contradict its actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, the transmission and acquisition / reception operations involved in the processor can be understood as processor output and reception, input and other operations, or as transmission and reception operations performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas. This application does not limit them in this regard.

[0075] A seventh aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium storing program code for execution by a device, the program code including instructions for performing the method provided in the first aspect or any of the above-described implementations of the first aspect, or including instructions for performing the method provided in the second aspect or any of the above-described implementations of the second aspect.

[0076] Eighthly, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method provided by the first aspect or any of the above-described implementations of the first aspect, or causes the computer to perform the method provided by the second aspect or any of the above-described implementations of the second aspect.

[0077] Ninth aspect, a chip system is provided, the chip system including a processor and a communication interface, the processor reads instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface, executes the method provided by the first aspect or any of the above-described implementations of the first aspect, or executes the method provided by the second aspect or any of the above-described implementations of the second aspect.

[0078] Optionally, as one implementation, the chip system further includes a memory storing computer programs or instructions. The processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the processor is used to execute the method provided by the first aspect or any of the above implementations of the first aspect, or to execute the method provided by the second aspect or any of the above implementations of the second aspect.

[0079] In a tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising at least one communication device as described in the third aspect above and at least one communication device as described in the fourth aspect above.

[0080] For a description of the beneficial effects of aspects five through ten, please refer to the descriptions of aspects one through two. Attached Figure Description

[0081] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0082] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another communication system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0083] Figure 3 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0084] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a beacon interval provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0085] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a beamforming training process provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0086] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a space-sharing measurement process provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0087] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of a space sharing method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0088] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the frame structure of a directional channel quality request frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0089] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the frame structure of a directional channel quality response frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0090] Figure 10 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0091] Figure 11 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0092] Figure 12 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0093] Figure 13 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0094] Figure 14 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0095] Figure 15 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0096] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0097] Figure 17 This is another schematic diagram of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0098] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the division of high-frequency and low-frequency stages provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0099] Figure 19 This is a schematic structural block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0100] Figure 20 This is a schematic structural block diagram of another communication device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0101] Figure 21 This is a schematic structural block diagram of another communication device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0102] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of a chip system provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0103] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0104] First, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the communication system and network architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0105] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to wireless local area network (WLAN) scenarios. For example, they support IEEE 802.11 related standards, such as 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, and IEEE 802.11ax next-generation Wi-Fi protocols, such as 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, Extremely High Throughput (EHT), 802.11ad, 802.11ay, or 802.11bf, as well as 802.11be next-generation and Wi-Fi 8. They can also be applied to ultra-wideband (UWB) based wireless personal area network systems, such as the 802.15 series standards, and to sensing systems, such as the 802.11bf series standards. Furthermore, they can be applied to integrated... mmWave / Integrated Millimeter Wave / IMMW protocol. Among them, the 802.11n standard is called high throughput (HT), the 802.11ac standard is called very high throughput (VHT), the 802.11ax standard is called high efficient (HE), and the 802.11be standard is called extremely high throughput (EHT). 802.11bf includes two main categories: low-frequency (e.g., sub7GHz) and high-frequency (e.g., 60GHz) standards. The sub7GHz implementation mainly relies on 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, and next-generation standards, while the 60GHz implementation mainly relies on 802.11ad, 802.11ay, and next-generation standards. Among them, 802.11ad can also be called the directional multi-gigabit (DMG) standard, and 802.11ay can also be called the enhanced directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) standard.

[0106] Although the embodiments of this application are mainly illustrated with the deployment of WLAN networks, especially networks using the IEEE 802.11 system standard, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the various aspects involved in the embodiments of this application can be extended to other networks using various standards or protocols, such as high performance radio local area networks (HIPERLAN), wireless wide area networks (WWAN), wireless personal area networks (WPAN), or other networks that are now known or will be developed in the future.

[0107] Alternatively, the technical solutions of this application can be applied to Internet of Things (IoT) networks, vehicle-to-X (V2X) networks, and other networks, etc., without specific limitation. For example, the application scenarios of this application can be IoT networks based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, V2X networks based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, or other networks based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. The IEEE 802.11 family of standards can be IEEE 802.11ax, IEEE 802.11be, the next-generation IEEE 802.11 standard of IEEE 802.11be, etc. The technical solutions of this application can also be applied to other WLAN networks with future standard protocols. Therefore, regardless of the coverage area and wireless access protocol used, the various aspects provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to any suitable wireless network.

[0108] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can also be applied to various communication systems, such as: WLAN communication systems, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, 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) communication systems, and 5G (5G) communication systems. thGeneration (5G) systems or new radio (NR), future communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) networks, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks, etc.

[0109] 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.

[0110] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an applicable scenario of an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the communication method provided in this application is applicable to data communication between stations (STAs). A station can be an access point (AP) type station or a non-access point station (non-AP STA), referred to as AP and non-AP stations respectively. Specifically, Figure 1 The scenario shown in (a) applies to data communication between an AP and one or more non-AP sites (e.g., data communication between AP1 and non-AP STA1, non-AP STA2), data communication between APs (e.g., data communication between AP1 and AP2), and data communication between non-AP STAs (e.g., data communication between non-AP STA2 and non-AP STA3).

[0111] An access point (AP) is a node that allows terminals (such as mobile phones) to access a wired (or wireless) network. It is primarily deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. It can also be deployed outdoors. An access point acts as a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, its main function being to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet.

[0112] Specifically, an access point (AP) can be a terminal or network device with a Wi-Fi chip, or it can be a terminal or network device including a chip for accessing wired (wireless) networks. This network device can be a server, router, switch, bridge, computer, mobile phone, relay station, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, network equipment in 5G networks, network equipment in future communication networks, or network equipment in public land mobile networks (PLMNs), etc., without limitation. The access point can be a device that supports Wi-Fi standards. For example, the access point can also support one or more standards from the IEEE 802.11 series, such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ad, and 802.11ay.

[0113] Non-AP sites can be wireless communication chips, wireless sensors, or wireless communication terminals, and may also be referred to as users, user equipment (UE), access terminals, user units, user stations, mobile stations, mobile stations, remote stations, remote terminals, mobile devices, user terminals, terminals, wireless communication equipment, user agents, or user devices. Non-AP sites can be cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, IoT devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, terminal devices in future communication networks, or terminal devices in PLMNs, etc., without limitation. Non-AP sites can be devices that support WLAN standards. For example, non-AP sites can support one or more standards in the IEEE 802.11 series, such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ad, and 802.11ay.

[0114] For example, non-AP sites can be mobile phones, tablets, set-top boxes, smart TVs, smart wearable devices, vehicle communication devices, computers, IoT nodes, sensors, smart home devices such as smart cameras, smart remote controls, smart water and electricity meters, and sensors in smart cities.

[0115] The aforementioned AP or non-AP sites may include transmitters, receivers, memory, processors, etc., wherein the transmitter and receiver are used for transmitting and receiving packet structures, respectively, the memory is used for storing signaling information and pre-agreed preset values, etc., and the processor is used for parsing signaling information and processing related data, etc.

[0116] Figure 1 Image (b) also illustrates a communication system applicable to embodiments of this application, wherein the communication system includes a basic service set (BSS) 1 and a BSS 2. A BSS is a fundamental module of an IEEE 802.11 local area network and consists of multiple STAs. BSSs can be classified into infrastructure BSSs, independent BSSs, etc. In different types of BSSs, their member STAs will form different topologies.

[0117] Within each Infrastructure BSS, one site acts as the access point to the distribution system (DS), known as the Access Point (AP). The other sites are non-AP STAs. Within each Infrastructure BSS, all non-AP STAs must access the DS through the AP (meaning non-AP STAs need to be associated with the AP), and non-AP STAs cannot communicate directly with each other by default. It is worth noting that in the embodiments of this application, "site in Infrastructure BSS" or simply "site" can refer to either an AP or a non-AP STA, and "associated" can refer to establishing a communication connection through a link.

[0118] like Figure 1 As shown in (b), the communication system includes two infrastructure BSSs, BSS1 and BSS2. AP 1 in BSS1 and AP 2 in BSS2 are connected to the DS. In BSS1, AP 1 is associated with, or communicates with, non-AP STA 1 and non-AP STA 2 via a link. In BSS2, AP 2 is associated with, or communicates with, non-AP STA 3 and non-AP STA 4 via a link.

[0119] Optionally, Figure 1 The non-AP site shown can also be a non-APMLD device that supports multiple links. Figure 1 The AP in the diagram can also be a multi-link AP MLD.

[0120] A multi-link device (MLD) is a wireless communication device that supports parallel transmission across multiple links. Compared to communication devices that only support single-link transmission, multi-link devices offer higher transmission efficiency and throughput. Multi-link devices can also be called multi-band devices. A multi-link device can include one or more affiliated stations (STAs), which are logical stations that can operate on a single link. The affiliated station can be an access point (AP) or a non-AP STA. For ease of description, this application refers to a multi-link device with an affiliated station as an AP as an AP multi-link device (AP MLD), and a multi-link device with an affiliated station as a non-AP STA as a non-AP multi-link device (non-AP MLD).

[0121] It is worth noting that an AP MLD can be associated not only with a non-AP MLD, but also with a non-MLD non-APSTA (i.e., a non-AP STA that is not attached to any MLD). When an AP MLD's associated AP is associated with a non-MLD non-AP STA, the functionality and use of the associated AP are completely consistent with that of the non-MLD non-AP STA.

[0122] Figure 2 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a communication system involving multi-link device association, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2As shown, AP MLD 1 is associated with non-AP MLD 1, non-MLD non-AP STA 3 (hereinafter referred to as non-AP STA 3), and non-AP MLD 2, or in other words, they communicate via a link. Assume that AP MLD 1 includes four subordinate sites, namely AP 1 to AP 4; non-AP MLD 1 includes two subordinate sites, namely non-AP STA 1 and non-AP STA 2; non-AP STA 3 is a single-link device; and non-AP MLD 2 includes two subordinate sites, namely non-AP STA 4 and non-AP STA 5. AP MLD 1 is associated with non-AP MLD 1 using links 1 and 3 respectively. In other words, link 1 is used to associate AP 1 with non-AP STA 1 and link 3 is used to associate AP 3 with non-AP STA 2. AP MLD 1 is associated with non-AP MLD 3 using link 3. In other words, link 3 is used to associate AP 3 with non-AP STA 3. AP MLD 1 is associated with non-AP MLD 2 using links 3 and 4 respectively. In other words, link 3 is used to associate AP 3 with non-AP STA 4 and link 4 is used to associate AP 4 with non-AP STA 5.

[0123] Figure 3 This application illustrates a communication device. Figure 3 The device shown can be an access point (AP) or an AP MLD, or a non-AP site (STA) or a non-AP MLD. The medium access control (MAC) layer processing module, physical (PHY) layer processing module, and RF / antenna are used to implement the relevant functions of the transmitter and receiver, such as... Figure 3 As shown, in addition to the MAC layer processing module, PHY layer processing module, RF / antenna, memory, and processor, the device may also include a controller and a scheduler.

[0124] It should be understood that Figure 3 This is merely an example of an apparatus provided in this application and does not constitute a limitation of this application. For example, the apparatus may not include a controller and / or scheduler.

[0125] Before introducing the embodiments, the terminology involved in this application will be described in detail.

[0126] 1. High frequency and low frequency:

[0127] In this application, low frequency can refer to frequency resources less than or equal to 7 GHz, and high frequency can refer to frequency resources greater than or equal to 45 GHz. It should be understood that the above-mentioned high and low frequencies are merely examples and not limitations. Other definitions of high and low frequencies, or high and low frequencies defined in future communications that are applicable to this application, should also be within the scope of protection of this application.

[0128] 2. Directional communication:

[0129] In high-frequency communication, due to the large signal loss, at least one device generally needs to use directional communication when two devices are communicating. That is, the two devices usually use a "directional + directional" or "directional + omnidirectional" communication method. Due to the directional nature of millimeter-wave communication, beam calibration training, i.e., beamforming training, is required before communication begins.

[0130] 3. Beacon Interval (BI):

[0131] In 802.11ad / ay, the time axis is divided into beacon intervals (BIs). Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the structure of the beacon interval (BI). The beacon interval is divided into the beacon header interval (BHI) and the data transmission interval (DTI). The BHI further includes the beacon transmission interval (BTI), association beamforming training (A-BFT), and announcement transmission interval (ATI).

[0132] Specifically, the Personal Basic Service Set (PBSS) control point (PCP) or Access Point (AP) sends multiple beacon frames in the BTI according to sector numbers for downlink sector scanning. A-BFT is used for STA association and uplink sector scanning. ATI is used by the PCP or AP to poll the STA for buffered data information and to allocate resources in the data transmission interval (DTI) to the STA.

[0133] The entire DTI will be divided into several sub-periods. The sub-periods will be divided into contention-based access period (CBAP) and service period (SP) according to the access method. The latter is for scheduled transmission and does not require contention.

[0134] It should be understood that 802.11ad and ay allow PCPs to communicate with STAs, and the behavior of PCPs is similar to that of APs. Unless otherwise specified, this application can be considered to apply to PCPs as well.

[0135] 4. Beamforming training (BFT):

[0136] Also known as beamforming or spatial filtering, it is a signal processing technique that uses sensor arrays to transmit and receive signals in a directional manner. Beamforming training technology adjusts the parameters of the basic units of a phase array so that signals at certain angles exhibit constructive interference, while signals at other angles exhibit destructive interference. Beamforming can be used at both the signal transmitting and receiving ends.

[0137] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a high-frequency beamforming training method. (Example) Figure 5 The image shows an example of the 802.11ad beamforming process. Overall, this process allows two devices to complete beamforming training at their respective transmitting and receiving ends. High-frequency beamforming training begins with a sector-level sweep (SLS) phase initiated by the initiator. The purpose of the SLS phase is to ensure that the two devices can at least meet the requirements for highly robust, low-data-rate communication. Generally, the SLS phase only provides beamforming training at the transmitting end (initiator-transmit sector sweep (I-TXSS) or R-TXSS). Of course, beamforming training at the receiving end can also exist, such as a responder-receive sector sweep (R-RXSS) or an initiator-receive sector sweep (I-RXSS).

[0138] Following the SLS phase, a beam refinement protocol (BRP) phase can be implemented if required by the initiating or responding end. The purpose of the BRP phase is to provide receiver training and beam refinement (or antenna weight vector (AWV) improvement) at both the transmitting and receiving ends. The BRP phase includes, but is not limited to: beam refinement protocol establishment, multi-sector ID detection, sector combination, and beam refinement processing. Furthermore, beam training methods for beam tracking can also be included in beamforming.

[0139] Specifically, the SLS phase may include the following steps:

[0140] 1. The initiating device sends frames in multiple directions (the responding device receives them in quasi-omnidirectional mode);

[0141] 2. The responding device sends frames in multiple directions (carrying the optimal transmission beam from step 1), at which point the initiating device receives them in a quasi-omnidirectional manner;

[0142] 3. The initiating device sends a directional feedback frame via sector scanning (using the optimal transmission beam suggested by the responding device in step 2, and carrying the optimal transmission beam of the responding device in step 2);

[0143] 4. The responding device confirms the direction of frame transmission through sector scanning (using the optimal transmission beam recommended by the initiating device in step 3).

[0144] It should be understood that omnidirectional antennas can be used for omnidirectional transmission or reception. Omnidirectional antennas radiate uniformly in a 360° horizontal direction (i.e., non-directional) and exhibit a beamwidth in the vertical direction. Generally, the smaller the beamwidth, the greater the gain. Omnidirectional antennas have a large coverage area and are commonly used in communication systems for suburban and large-area network stations. Conversely, directional antennas can be used for directional transmission or reception. They radiate within a specific angular range in the horizontal direction (i.e., directional). Like omnidirectional antennas, the smaller the beamwidth, the greater the gain. Directional antennas are generally used in communication systems in environments with long communication distances, small coverage areas, high target density, and high frequency utilization.

[0145] In this way, the two devices obtain the optimal transmit beam for communication with each other. It should be noted that SLS typically only trains the transmit beam, not the direction of the receive beam. Therefore, it can only guarantee relatively basic communication requirements.

[0146] At this point, the PCP or AP can complete the training of transmitting beamforming with the STA to meet basic communication requirements.

[0147] Of course, the SLS phase can also provide beamforming training for I-RXSS or R-RXSS. In R-RXSS, the transmitted beam corresponds to the same antenna pattern; for example, it can continuously transmit a quasi-omnidirectional beam. The behavior of the transmitting end then changes from quasi-omnidirectional reception to directional reception. This meets the needs of devices with weak transmitting capabilities, achieving the same basic communication requirements by training the receiving beam on the peer device. The SLS phase can occur in the DTI phase or in the BTI+A-BFT phase. When SLS occurs in the BTI+A-BFT phase, there is no... Figure 5 The sector scan verification process in SLS.

[0148] 5. Space sharing:

[0149] The spatial sharing in this application refers to SP spatial sharing, which is a mechanism that allows two or more pairs of SPs to operate simultaneously in space without interference. This approach can increase the utilization of spatial resources and the system throughput. For example, different SPs from different sites near the same location can be scheduled simultaneously with minimal interference.

[0150] Specifically, two types of SPs are currently defined: existing SPs and candidate SPs. Existing SPs are SPs that have already been scheduled and have high priority in subsequent space sharing. Candidate SPs are SPs that will soon undergo space sharing probability assessment with existing SPs. In subsequent scheduling, access points will no longer allocate dedicated time to candidate SPs, but will instead reuse candidate SPs with existing SPs.

[0151] Before space sharing can be implemented, preliminary measurements must be taken. This involves measuring whether the transmission between a pair of stations will affect the reception of other stations. Each station feeds back its measurement results to the access point, which then determines whether the measurement results meet the space sharing evaluation criteria. If they do, the corresponding SP is scheduled to perform space sharing in the next BI; otherwise, space sharing is not implemented.

[0152] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating a preliminary measurement process for space sharing provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 6As shown, taking existing SP as SP1 and candidate SP as SP2 as an example, assuming SP1 is used for communication between STA A and STA B, and SP2 is used for communication between STA C and STA D, the specific process for sharing the space between SP1 and SP2 is as follows:

[0153] (1) The AP sends a directional channel quality request frame to allow STA C and STA D to measure the channel quality in the communication beam direction of STA A and STA B in SP1, such as measuring the average noise plus interference power indicator (ANIPI) or the received signal-to-noise indicator (RSNI) of the channel, so as to evaluate the impact of STA A and STA B communicating with each other on STA C and STA D;

[0154] (2) The AP sends a directional channel quality request frame to allow STAA and STA B to measure the channel quality in the direction of the communication beam in SP2, such as the aforementioned ANIPI or RSNI, in order to evaluate the impact of STA C and STA D communicating on STA A and STA B.

[0155] (3) After the measurement is completed, each STA will send its measurement results back to the AP via a directional channel quality report frame;

[0156] (4) After collecting the measurement results of each STA, the AP determines the mutual interference between the STAs of the two pairs of SPs during communication and decides whether to spatially share SP1 and SP2. For example, when the measurement results of the STAs of both pairs of SPs meet the preset conditions, the AP or PCP determines to spatially share SP1 and SP2; otherwise, it determines not to spatially share SP1 and SP2. For example, if the measurement results of the STAs are for ANIPI, the preset condition could be that the measurement results of all STAs are less than (or equal to) a first threshold. In other words, when the ANIPI measurement results of each STA are less than (or equal to) the first threshold, it can be considered that there is no mutual interference, and the AP or PCP can determine to spatially share SP1 and SP2.

[0157] Figure 7This illustration shows a schematic diagram of space sharing between SP1 and SP2 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 As shown in (a), if the AP decides to spatially share SP1 and SP2, the AP will overlap the two pairs of SPs in the time domain during subsequent scheduling. When SP1 and SP2 have spatially shared and have been scheduled, SP1 and SP2 can be referred to as a pair of SPs. In practical applications, there may be two or more pairs of SPs communicating simultaneously, and this application embodiment does not limit this. Alternatively, in some other embodiments of this application, such as Figure 7 As shown in (b), the AP can also determine that SP1 and SP2 completely overlap, meaning the AP can identify SP1 and SP2 as the same SP. In other words, STA A and STA B, as well as STA C and STA D, are all communicating on the same SP.

[0158] For ease of understanding, Figure 8 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the frame structure of a directional channel quality request frame according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 This diagram illustrates the frame structure of a directional channel quality report frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0159] like Figure 8 As shown, a directional channel quality request frame may include the following fields:

[0160] (1) Operating class: This indicates the set of channels used in the directed channel quality request. Together with the channel number field, it specifies the channel frequency and spacing used in the directed channel quality request.

[0161] (2) Channel number: used to indicate the channel number used in the directed channel quality request.

[0162] (3) Associated ID (AID): The AID assigned to the target station. The target station can be understood as the station that performs communication measurements with the station that receives the directional channel quality request. For example, if the directional channel quality request frame is sent by the AP to STA A, requesting STA A to perform communication measurements with STA B, then STA B is the target station, and the AID field in the directional channel quality request frame is the identifier of STA B. It should be understood that if the directional channel quality request frame requests only sensing measurements between the first and second stations, i.e., only measuring the channel quality of the sensing beam, the AID field can be empty, or the station may assume that the AID field is meaningless. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0163] (4) Reserved bits or pre-reserved bits

[0164] (5) Measurement method: This indicates the method used by the requested site to perform the measurement and the method used to report the measurement results in the measurement report. For example, the meaning of its field values ​​can be as follows: 0 for measuring ANIPI, 1 for measuring RSNI, 2 for measuring ANIPI in 1 microsecond, and 3 for measuring RSNI in 1 microsecond.

[0165] (6) Measurement start time: The specific time when the requested measurement will begin.

[0166] (7) Measurement duration: When the measurement method field is 0 or 1, it indicates the measurement duration with a granularity of 1024 microseconds. When the measurement method field is 2 or 3, it indicates the measurement duration with a granularity of 1 microsecond.

[0167] (8) Number of time blocks: This indicates the number of time blocks within the "Measurement Duration" mentioned above. The ratio of the measurement duration to the number of time blocks is the duration of a single measurement unit.

[0168] (9) Optional subelements: Subelements may be omitted or included. For example, the subelements may include at least one of the following: directional channel quality report subelements, measurement configuration subelements, and extended configuration subelements. For instance, the directional channel quality report subelement indicates that feedback should only be provided when ANIPI or RSNI is greater than or equal to a set value in this element; the measurement configuration subelement informs about measurement channel and other related information; and the extended configuration subelement indicates further time-related configuration based on the measurement channel.

[0169] like Figure 9As shown, a directional channel quality report frame may include the following fields: operating class, channel number, associated ID (AID), reserved bits, measurement method, measurement start time, measurement duration, number of time blocks, measurement results for time block 1 to measurement for time block N, and optional subelements: subelements may be omitted or included. The measurement results for time blocks 1 to N display the ANIPI or RSNI value for each measurement duration (Number of Time Blocks). Other fields can be found in the description of the directional channel quality request frame above.

[0170] During space sharing, the AP or PCP can periodically send directional channel quality request (ANSI) frames to all STAs corresponding to the SPs sharing the space, requesting them to perform ANIPI or RSNI measurements. Each STA performs the measurements and replies with the ANIPI or RSNI results. If the measurement results indicate that the signal quality does not meet the requirements, the AP or PCP can decide to terminate space sharing, terminating communication between STAs in the candidate SP and allowing only STAs in the existing SP to continue communicating. In other words, the AP or PCP can terminate communication between STA C and STA D in SP2, allowing only STA A and STA B to communicate in SP1.

[0171] It is worth noting that the aforementioned sites supporting space sharing need to undergo the beamforming training process described earlier before transmitting within the SP, meaning they need to transmit in a fixed direction. After receiving the feedback information, the AP or PCP can decide whether the SPs of these multiple pairs of users can overlap in time allocation.

[0172] However, the aforementioned space-sharing measurement process is a passive method. This means that multiple pairs of stations can only passively measure whether they are affected by other interferences affecting user transmission and communication. If the impact is significant, they cannot transmit together. In other words, in this method, if interference exists between multiple pairs of stations, they cannot actively avoid the interference and can only choose not to share space. For example, when the communication between STA A and STA B affects STA C, STA C can only avoid communication between STA A and STA B. This limits the use of space sharing and also limits the overall system throughput.

[0173] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a communication method 1000 that can improve the overall system throughput. Figure 10 A schematic flowchart of a communication method 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 10 As shown, the communication method 1000 may include steps S1010 to S1020.

[0174] Step S1010: The second device sends the first information.

[0175] Correspondingly, the first device receives first information. Specifically, the first information includes quality information of one or more first beams obtained by the second device, which are beams used by the third device and the fourth device during beamforming training. The second device may obtain the quality information of the one or more first beams by measuring them.

[0176] The number of second devices can be one or more. For example, with... Figure 6 Taking SP1 as an example, the second device can be Figure 6 The second device can be either STA C or STA D, or both STA C and STA D, while the third and fourth devices can be STA A or STA B, respectively. In other words, the second device is the listening device for the spatially shared measurement phase, and the third and fourth devices are a pair of devices that use SP for beamforming training.

[0177] And with Figure 6 The scenario shown is different, in Figure 6In SP1, STA A and STA B are in the communication phase, meaning that STA C and STA D are listening to the beam used by STA A and STA B during communication. In the embodiments of this application, STA C and STA D, as the second devices, are listening to the beam used by the third device and the fourth device during beamforming training. The third and fourth devices can be STA A and STA B respectively; for example, if the third device is STA A, the fourth device is STA B, and vice versa. The aforementioned beamforming training can be for communication between the third device (e.g., STA A) and the fourth device (e.g., STA B), or it can be for spatial sharing between the second device (e.g., STA C and / or STA D) and the third device (e.g., STA A or STA B). This application does not limit the purpose of the beamforming training.

[0178] In embodiments of this application, the first device can be an AP or PCP in a first BSS, while the third and fourth devices belong to the same first BSS as the first device. In other embodiments of this application, the third device can be the first device, or the fourth device can be the first device. A scenario where the third or fourth device is the first device could be a scenario where the AP and STA in the first BSS are performing beamforming training. That is, the first device has the ability to select a communication beam between itself and the station. For example, when AP#1 and STA#1 in the first BSS are performing beamforming training, AP#1 and STA#1 can be the aforementioned third and fourth devices, respectively. The beam ultimately used for communication between AP#1 and STA#1 is selected and determined by AP#1, thus AP#1 also serves as the aforementioned first device.

[0179] Optionally, if the second device in step S1010 also belongs to the first BSS, then the second device can be a STA in the first BSS, and the second device is different from the third and fourth devices. In this case, step S1010 can be the second device sending first information to the first device, that is, the first device can be an AP or PCP of the first BSS to which the second device belongs, and then receiving the first information from the second device.

[0180] Optionally, if the second device and the first device belong to different BSSs, such as the second device belonging to the second BSS, then the second device can be a station in the second BSS, such as an AP, PCP, or STA. Communication between the first device and the second device needs to be through a network such as... Figure 1 This can be achieved using the communication system shown in (b) above. For example, the first device could be... Figure 1 In (b) shown in the diagram, AP 1 in BSS1, the second device can be... Figure 1In (b) shown, STA 3 or STA 4 in BSS2, the third and fourth devices can be STA 1 and STA 2 in BSS1, respectively. Furthermore, communication between AP 1 and STA 3 or STA 4 needs to be achieved through AP 2 in BSS2 and the distributed system DS. The third and fourth devices can be STA 1 and STA 2 in BSS1, respectively. For example, the first device could be... Figure 1 In (b) shown in the diagram, AP 1 in BSS1, the second device can be... Figure 1 In (b) shown, AP 2 in BSS2, the third device, and the fourth device can be STA 1 and STA 2 in BSS1, respectively. Furthermore, communication between AP 1 and AP 2 needs to be achieved through the distributed system DS.

[0181] Figure 11 A schematic flowchart of another communication method 1000 is shown. For example, if the fifth device is a decision-making station such as an AP or PCP in the second BSS, then as follows: Figure 11 As shown, the second device can send the quality information obtained from measuring one or more first beams, or the first information, to the fifth device through step S1012. Then, the fifth device sends the first information to the first device through step S1014. In embodiments of this application, the second device may send the first information to the fifth device, and the fifth device may directly forward the first information to the first device; or, the second device may send the quality information obtained from measuring one or more first beams to the fifth device, and the fifth device may obtain the first information by adding content to the quality information and forward it to the first device.

[0182] The reason for needing a fifth device to forward the message is that, according to Figure 1 As shown in (b), the second device and the first device belong to different BSSs and cannot directly exchange information. The second device needs to inform the first device of the quality information obtained from measuring one or more first beams. Therefore, information transmission can be carried out through the interaction between the decision stations in the first BSS and the second BSS (i.e., the first device and the fifth device).

[0183] For example, the one or more first beams can be as follows: Figure 5The third device shown can be used to train beamforming with the fourth device using all transmitted beams, or it can be used to train beamforming with the fourth device using only a portion of the transmitted beams. That is, the second device measures all transmitted beams used by the third device in beamforming training with the fourth device, but may only report the measurement results of a portion of the transmitted beams. For example, if the measurement results of this portion of the transmitted beams meet preset conditions, such as exceeding a certain threshold, the second device may only report the measurement results that meet the preset conditions.

[0184] by Figure 5 For example, in the ISS phase, Figure 5 The initiating device can be a third device, and the responding device can be a fourth device. The one or more first beams can be one or more transmit beams of the initiating device during the SLS phase. Similarly, during the RSS phase, Figure 5 The receiving device can be a third device, and the initiating device can be a fourth device. The one or more first beams can be one or more transmitting beams of the responding device in the SLS phase. That is, in some other embodiments of this application, the transceiver roles and information transmission and reception processes of the third device and the fourth device can be interchanged.

[0185] It should be understood that beam quality information can reflect the reception quality of the beam. If one or more of the aforementioned first beams are useful information relative to the second device, then the beam quality information can be information reflecting the magnitude of the useful information, i.e., positively correlated with beam quality; if one or more of the aforementioned first beams are interference relative to the second device, then the quality information can be information reflecting the magnitude of the interference, i.e., negatively correlated with beam quality. This application does not limit the type of beam quality information.

[0186] Optionally, the beam quality information can be the aforementioned measurement results of ANIPI or RSNI, or other parameters such as signal-noise ratio (SNR). In this case, the beam quality information can reflect the degree of interference. For example, taking the beam quality information as the measurement results of ANIPI by the second device, if the measurement result of ANIPI for beam #1 is higher, it can be determined that when the third and fourth devices are communicating, the second device can receive beam #1 with better quality, that is, beam #1 will cause some interference to the communication of the second device; conversely, if the measurement result of ANIPI for beam #1 is lower, it indicates that beam #1 will not affect the communication of the second device.

[0187] Optionally, the first information can be carried in the aforementioned directional channel quality report frame. In other words, step S1010 can be that the second device sends a directional channel quality report frame, which includes the first information, such as the first information being carried in the time block measurement result field of the directional channel quality report frame.

[0188] Optionally, before step S1010, the first device may also request the second device to measure the one or more first beams. Figure 12 A schematic flowchart of another communication method 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 12 As shown, the second device can also receive a first request message, which requests the second device to measure the quality information of the one or more first beams. For example, the first request message may be the aforementioned directional channel quality request frame, thereby assessing the impact of the one or more first beams on the second device. Figure 12 As shown, when the first device and the second device belong to the same BSS, the first device can directly send the first request message to the second device through step S1002.

[0189] Optionally, in embodiments of this application, the first device may further request the fourth device to measure the one or more first beams, so that the fourth device, as a responding device, can provide feedback on the quality information of the one or more first beams. Specifically, the first device may send a second request message to the fourth device, which requests the fourth device to measure the quality information of the one or more first beams. This second request message may also be the aforementioned directional channel quality request frame. Furthermore, the first device may receive fifth information from the fourth device, which includes the quality information of the one or more first beams obtained by the fourth device, enabling the first device to perform beam selection for the third device based on the received first and fifth information. The beam selection process will be described in detail below.

[0190] Step S1020: The first device determines the second beam from one or more first beams based on the first information.

[0191] Specifically, the second beam is used for communication between the third device and the fourth device. In other words, the first device selects a second beam from one or more first beams for the third device to communicate with the fourth device.

[0192] exist Figure 6 In the scenario shown, the AP or PCP, acting as the first device, has pre-selected the beam for communication between the third device (e.g., STA A) and the fourth device (e.g., STA B). The second device listens to whether the beam used for communication between the third and fourth devices affects its operation. Figure 6 Unlike the scenario shown, in the embodiments of this application, the second device (such as STA C and / or STA D) listens to one or more first beams used by the third device (such as STA A) and the fourth device (such as STA B) during beamforming training. The first device (such as AP or PCP) needs to determine the second beam for the third device to communicate with the fourth device based on the quality information of the one or more first beams obtained after the second device listens, thereby realizing spatial sharing.

[0193] For example, if one or more first beams are third devices (such as...) Figure 5 The transmitting beams #1 to #5 of the initiating device in the middle, wherein, Figure 5 During the beamforming training process shown, the fourth device, acting as a response device, determines that transmit beam #3 has the best quality. However, in the quality information obtained by the second device (such as another STA that is not a response device) measuring transmit beams #1 to #5, transmit beam #3 affects the communication of the second device, while transmit beams #2, 4, and 5 have a smaller impact on the second device. Therefore, in the embodiments of this application, the first device may not select transmit beam #3, but instead select one of transmit beams #2, 4, and 5 (such as selecting the optimal beam among the three transmit beams determined by the fourth device), i.e., selecting the second beam in step S1020. In this way, although the third and fourth devices cannot communicate using the optimal beam, spatial sharing with the second device can be satisfied when the third and fourth devices communicate.

[0194] Optionally, the first device can determine the second beam from the one or more first beams based on the first information and the aforementioned fifth information. The aforementioned fifth information includes the quality information of the one or more first beams obtained by the fourth device.

[0195] For example, the first device can initially select at least one first beam from one or more first beams based on first information and a first threshold. Specifically, when the quality information is positively correlated with channel quality, such as when the quality information reflects the degree of interference, the quality information of the at least one first beam in the first information is less than or equal to the first threshold; when the quality information is negatively correlated with channel quality, such as when the quality information reflects the amount of useful information, the quality information of the at least one first beam in the first information is greater than or equal to the first threshold. In other words, the first device initially selects at least one first beam with minimal impact on the second device based on the first information, thereby achieving spatial sharing with the second device. The first threshold can be preset by the first device or determined through negotiation with other decision-making sites in the BSS, such as the aforementioned fifth device; different second devices can correspond to different first thresholds.

[0196] Subsequently, the first device can determine the second beam from the at least one first beam based on the fifth information. Specifically, when the quality information is positively correlated with channel quality, the quality information of the second beam in the fifth information is lower than the quality information of other beams in the at least one first beam; when the quality information is negatively correlated with channel quality, the quality information of the second beam in the fifth information is better than the quality information of other beams in the at least one first beam. In other words, the first device further filters out the second beam based on the fifth information, selecting one with less interference to the fourth device or more useful information. Therefore, the ultimately selected second beam not only avoids interference with the second device but also facilitates communication between the third and fourth devices.

[0197] In other embodiments of this application, when the first device selects a beam for the fourth device to communicate with the third device, the process described in steps S1010 and S1020 above can also be referred to. That is, the first device can receive quality information of one or more transmit beams used by the fourth device for beamforming training with the third device from the second device, and receive quality information of one or more transmit beams used by the fourth device for beamforming training with the third device from the third device. Then, through the two filtering steps of the beam selection process described above, the first device can select a beam for the fourth device to communicate with the third device.

[0198] Similarly, before the first device performs beam selection for the fourth device, it can also send the first request message and the second request message as described above to the second and third devices to request the second and third devices to measure the quality information of one or more transmit beams used by the fourth device for beamforming training with the third device. The beam selection process of the fourth device can be referred to the description of the beam selection process of the third device in this document, and will not be repeated here.

[0199] Optionally, after the first device selects the second beam, it may also send a second message to the third device, which indicates the second beam. In other words, the first device informs the third device of the second beam selected for it through the second message.

[0200] In embodiments of this application, when the first device and the second device belong to different BSSs (e.g., the first device belongs to the first BSS and the second device belongs to the second BSS), the first device is equivalent to selecting a beam for communication for a station in the first BSS based on the beam measurement results of the device in the second BSS. Correspondingly, the device in the first BSS can also act as a listening device, measuring the quality information of one or more third beams, which are the beams used by the device in the second BSS during beamforming training or communication. Figure 13 A flowchart of yet another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 13 As shown, the first device can also integrate the measurement results of the devices in the first BSS into third information, and send the third information to the aforementioned fifth device through step S1030. Then, through step S1040, the fifth device selects a fourth beam for communication for the devices in the second BSS, such as the second device, from one or more third beams based on the third information.

[0201] Optionally, before the aforementioned step S1030, the first device and the fifth device may also include a parameter negotiation process. Figure 14 A schematic flowchart of another communication method 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 14 As shown, the first device receives fourth information from the fifth device through step S1022, wherein the fourth information is used to negotiate space sharing between the devices in the first BSS and the devices in the second BSS.

[0202] For example, taking the need for space sharing between the second device and the third and fourth devices as an example, the first and fifth devices, as decision-making stations in their respective BSSs, can negotiate to initiate beam measurement for space sharing through the fourth information. That is, to initiate beam measurement used by the second device when training the third and fourth devices with beamforming. Afterward, the first and fifth devices can negotiate the time period of the aforementioned beam measurement process, the time period for quality information feedback, and the time period for negotiating multiple SPs for space sharing, etc., to ensure that the first and fifth devices can successfully complete the beam measurement, quality information exchange, SP declaration, and other stages. In addition, the first and fifth devices can also negotiate the ability of the devices in their respective BSSs to support space sharing, such as whether they support space sharing, or whether they support passive space sharing (e.g., whether the device supports working in the aforementioned candidate SPs), or whether they support active space sharing (e.g., whether the device supports working in the aforementioned existing SPs).

[0203] Optionally, the fourth information can also be used to negotiate one or more parameters, including an interference threshold, etc. For example, in the process of the first device selecting the at least one first beam based on the first threshold and the first information, the first threshold can be determined through negotiation between the first device and the fifth device, and the thresholds used by the first device and the fifth device in beam selection can be different, that is, the first device uses the first threshold, while the fifth device can use a second threshold different from the first threshold.

[0204] Then, in step S1024, the first device sends feedback information regarding the fourth information to the fifth device. This feedback information indicates at least one of the following: the measurement period of the aforementioned beam quality information determined by the first device, the feedback time of the beam quality information, the negotiation time of the SP, the ability to support spatial sharing, and the parameter value of one or more parameters. Correspondingly, the first device can also send the fourth information to the fifth device and receive feedback information regarding the fourth information from the fifth device.

[0205] Through the parameter negotiation process, different BSSs can know whether the devices in their respective BSSs support space sharing, and the decision-making stations in each BSS, such as APs or PCPs, can select beams more rationally. For example, if some BSS decision-making stations select interference thresholds that are too high, resulting in the final selected beam still significantly affecting communication, the interference thresholds can be modified through the parameter negotiation process.

[0206] Optionally, when the first device and the second device belong to the same BSS, the first device can also select a beam for communication for the second device through the aforementioned steps. For example, if the second device and the sixth device are a communication site pair and the beam used by the second device for beamforming training is one or more fifth beams, then the first device can receive the quality information of the one or more fifth beams measured by the third device and the fourth device in the same manner as in step S1010, and select a sixth beam for communication between the second device and the sixth device from one or more fifth beams based on the information.

[0207] Optionally, after the first device has selected the beam for communication for the device in its BSS, such as the third device, it can proceed to the SP declaration stage, that is, assign one or more SPs to different site pairs. Figure 15 This illustration shows a schematic flow of another communication method 1000 provided in an embodiment of this application. For example, as shown... Figure 15 As shown, the first device can send a first indication message to the third device in step S1050. This first indication message instructs the first SP to communicate between the third and fourth devices. Simultaneously, in step S1060, the second device receives a second indication message, which instructs the second SP to communicate between the second and sixth devices. Figure 15 As shown in (a), when the first device and the second device belong to the same BSS, the second device can receive second indication information from the first device; as Figure 15 As shown in (b), when the first device and the second device belong to different BSSs, the second device can receive second indication information from the aforementioned fifth device. The first SP and the second SP can be as follows: Figure 7 As shown, they overlap in the time domain, or the first SP and the second SP can be the same SP (i.e., the first SP and the second SP completely overlap in the time domain and the frequency domain).

[0208] Communication method 1000 allows for a trade-off between beam alignment and spatial sharing. In other words, the beam obtained through beamforming training may not be the optimal beam for communication between site pairs, but mutual interference can be avoided under spatial sharing conditions, maximizing the overall system throughput.

[0209] Optionally, as mentioned above, the beamforming training process is performed on a high-frequency band, while in the embodiments of this application, the aforementioned information interaction process can be performed on a low-frequency band. For example, the first device and the second device (which may also include a fifth device) can interact on a low-frequency band to exchange the first information and / or the first request message. As another example, the parameter negotiation process between the first device and the fifth device can be implemented on a low-frequency band, that is, the interaction of the fourth information and feedback information regarding the fourth information can be performed on a low-frequency band. As yet another example, the first device and the third device can interact on a low-frequency band to exchange the second information and / or the first indication information.

[0210] The above text combined Figures 10 to 15 This section introduces a schematic flowchart of communication method 1000. The following text will combine... Figures 16 to 18 Specific embodiments of the communication method 1000 are described. Embodiments 1 and 2 illustrate two examples where the first device and the second device belong to the same BSS, while Embodiment 3 illustrates an example where the first device and the second device belong to different BSSs.

[0211] Example 1:

[0212] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the communication method 1000 provided in Embodiment 1 is shown. Taking the AP in BSS#1 as an example, STA#1 and STA#2 in BSS#1 are communication station pairs, STA#3 and STA#4 are communication station pairs, and STA#5 and STA#6 are communication station pairs. Embodiment 1 may also include more station pairs. The transmit beams for beamforming training of STA#1 can be beams #1-1 to #1-4, and the transmit beams for beamforming training of STA#2 can be beams #2-1 and #2-2. The names of the transmit beams corresponding to other STAs can refer to the foregoing.

[0213] like Figure 16 As shown, corresponding to step S1010, in SP#1, when STA#1 (which acts as the third device and STA#2 as the fourth device) is performing beamforming training of beams #1-1 to #1-4 in SP#1, STA#3 to STA#6 (which act as the second devices) act as listening devices and can measure the quality information of beams #1-1 to #1-4, such as the aforementioned SNR, ANIPI, RSNI, etc., or in other words, measure whether beams #1-1 to #1-4 have any influence or interference on them, and then send the measured quality information (including the first information in step S1010) to the AP (i.e., the first device) in BSS#1.

[0214] Subsequently, when STA#2 (which acts as the third device and STA#1 as the fourth device) is also performing beamforming training for beam #2-1 and beam #2-2 in SP#1, STA#3 to STA#6 (which act as the second devices) act as listening devices and measure the quality information of beam #2-1 and beam #2-2, such as the aforementioned SNR, ANIPI, RSNI, etc., and then send the measured quality information (including the first information in step S1010) to the AP (i.e. the first device) in BSS#1.

[0215] Similarly, in SP#2, corresponding to the same processing procedure in step S1010, when STA#3 (acting as the third device and STA#4 as the fourth device) performs beamforming training for beams #3-1 to #3-5 in SP#2, STA#1, STA#2, STA#5, and STA#6 (i.e., acting as the second device) act as listening devices and can measure the quality information of beams #3-1 to #3-5, such as the aforementioned SNR, ANIPI, RSNI, etc., or in other words, measure whether beams #3-1 to #3-5 have any impact or interference on their communication, and then send the measured quality information (including the first information in step S1010) to the AP (i.e., the first device) in BSS#1.

[0216] The description of the beam measurement process when STA#4 to STA#6 are used as the third device can be found in the above description, and will not be repeated here.

[0217] Table 1 shows a schematic diagram of beam quality information for STA feedback as a second device. Taking STA#1 as an example, in... Figure 16 In SP#3, which involves beamforming training via SP#2 and subsequent STA#5 and STA#6, STA#1, as the second device, needs to feed back the quality information of the transmitted beams used for beamforming training from STA#3 to STA#6 to the AP. In SP#1, STA#1, as the fourth device, also needs to feed back the quality information of the transmitted beams used for beamforming training from the peer device, STA#2.

[0218] Table 1

[0219]

[0220]

[0221] As shown in Table 1, STA#1 provides feedback on the measurement results of the transmit beams of STA#2 to STA#6. The naming of SNR is merely illustrative, used only to distinguish different quality information. For example, SNR.1#2-1 indicates the quality information of beam #2-1 of STA#2 measured by STA#1, and SNR.1#4-2 indicates the quality information of beam #4-2 of STA#4 measured by STA#1. This application does not limit the naming and differentiation methods for beams and quality information. Furthermore, the quality information in Table 1 uses SNR as an example only; it could also be ANIPI, RSNI, etc., or could include multiple of SNR, ANIPI, and RSNI. For example, Table 1 could include three columns to display the measurement results of SNR, ANIPI, and RSNI of STA#1 for different beams. If the quality information can include other parameters, Table 1 could also have more columns.

[0222] Alternatively, different STAs can correspond to different quality information; that is, different STAs can use different parameters as indicators to measure quality information. For example, STA#3 measures the beam's SNR, while STA#4 can measure the beam's ANIPI.

[0223] Optionally, Table 1 may be the quality information of all beams fed back by STA#1 to AP, that is, the quality information of all transmitted beams from STA#2 to STA#6.

[0224] Optionally, in some other embodiments of this application, Table 1 may also be the quality information of a portion of the beams fed back by STA#1 to AP. For example, if STA#1 does not detect the transmit beams of some STAs, the quality information of these undetected transmit beams will not be fed back. As another example, STA#1 may only feed back the quality information of beams that meet preset conditions, for example, only beams greater than or equal to a certain threshold; that is, the quality information of beams that have a particularly large impact on STA#1 may not be fed back.

[0225] Optionally, such as Figure 5 As shown in Example 1, the receivers for beamforming training all use pseudo-omnidirectional beams for reception. If the receivers also perform beam training using multiple receiving beams, Table 1 may also include quality information from multiple receiving beam measurements.

[0226] For example, if STA#4 uses beams #A to #D as receiving beams, then the quality information fed back by STA#4, as shown in Table 1, can include quality information measured for each receiving beam. That is, based on Table 1, it should include quality information measured for each receiving beam. Table 2 shows an example of including quality information of the receiving beams, wherein when STA#2 performs beamforming training with STA#1, STA#1 uses receiving beams #1-1 to #1-3 as receiving beams, while STA#3 and STA#4 also use receiving beams #3-1, etc., and receiving beams #4-1, etc., when performing beamforming training.

[0227] Table 2

[0228]

[0229]

[0230] As shown in Table 2, in the quality information fed back by STA#1, all receiving beams of STA#1 (i.e., receiving beams #1-1 to #1-3) will feed back quality information for each transmitting beam. That is, unlike Table 1 where each transmitting beam corresponds to one quality information, in Table 2, each transmitting beam can correspond to multiple quality information, and these multiple quality information correspond one-to-one with the multiple receiving beams of the STA in Table 2.

[0231] It is worth noting that the naming conventions for quality information in Table 2 are merely examples, used only to distinguish different quality information. For instance, SNR.1#4-1-1 represents the quality information of the transmit beam #4-1 measured by the receive beam #1-1 of STA#1. This application does not impose any limitations on the naming of quality information.

[0232] The quality information fed back to the AP by STA#2 to STA#6 is shown in Table 1 or Table 2. This means they not only monitor whether other stations affect their own beamforming training, but also need to monitor the transmit beams of peer stations to ensure communication. This will not be elaborated upon further. In addition, STA#1 to STA#6 can also feed back identification information for the transmit and receive beams, which is used to locate the transmit and / or receive beams corresponding to each quality information.

[0233] Then, corresponding to step S1020, after the AP collects the tables shown in Table 1 fed back by STA#1 to STA#6, it needs to select the transmission beam for communication for STA#1 to STA#6.

[0234] First, taking the example of the AP selecting a beam for STA#3 and all receivers using pseudo-omnidirectional beams, i.e., STA#3 as the third device, STA#4 as the fourth device, and STA#1, STA#2, STA#5 to STA#6 as the second devices, the transmit beams #3-1 to #3-5 of STA#3 are one or more of the aforementioned first beams. The AP integrates the collected data into a table as shown in Table 3, and then selects a second beam for STA#2. The content in the third column and subsequent columns of Table 3 represents the measurement results of the quality information of the transmit beam of STA#3 by STA#1, STA#2, STA#5 to STA#6 as the second devices, and the content in the second column represents the measurement results of the quality information of the transmit beam of STA#3 by STA#4 as the fourth device.

[0235] Table 3

[0236]

[0237] As shown in Table 3, the first column represents the transmit beams #3-1 to #3-5 corresponding to STA#3 (i.e., the beams that the AP needs to select). The second column represents the measurement results of the peer device STA#4 for transmitting beams #3-1 to #3-5. The third column and subsequent columns represent the measurement results of other STAs acting as secondary devices for transmitting beams #3-1 to #3-5. It is possible that some STAs may only report partial measurement results. For example, as shown in Table 3, if beam #3-4 has a relatively small impact on STA#1, STA#1 may not detect beam #3-4; or, the quality information of beam #3-4 measured by STA#1 may be greater than (or equal to) the first threshold (i.e., beam #3-4 has a very large impact on STA#1).

[0238] Furthermore, the AP can determine the beam selection for STA#3 according to Table 3. For example, the following describes beam selection based on thresholds. Optionally, the thresholds for different STAs can be the same or different. That is, STA#1 can correspond to threshold #1, STA#2 can correspond to threshold #2, and the values ​​of threshold #1 and threshold #2 can be the same or different. In other words, when the AP performs beam selection, it can filter the quality information of non-peer STA measurements based on multiple thresholds. The following describes an example where the values ​​of threshold #1 and threshold #2 are different.

[0239] First, in the embodiments of this application, in order to ensure spatial sharing, the transmission beam of STA#3, acting as the third device, needs to have as little impact as possible on the non-peer STA (i.e., the second device). Therefore, thresholds #1 and #2 can be introduced, and the transmission beam of STA#3 can be filtered based on the beam quality information fed back by the non-peer STA and thresholds #1 and #2. Specifically, when the quality information and the interference level are negatively correlated (i.e., the quality information represents the magnitude of useful information), beams with quality information greater than (or equal to) thresholds #1 and #2 can be filtered out; that is, the larger the value of the quality information, the smaller the interference level. When the quality information and the interference level are positively correlated (i.e., the quality information represents the magnitude of the interference level), beams with quality information less than (or equal to) thresholds #1 and #2 can be filtered out; that is, the smaller the value of the quality information, the smaller the interference level.

[0240] For example, taking the positive correlation between SNR quality information and interference level as an example, it is necessary to filter out beams with quality information less than (or equal to) threshold #1. Table 4 shows the filtered results from Table 3.

[0241] Table 4

[0242]

[0243] As shown in Table 4, the SNR of beam #3-1 measured by STA#1 is greater than threshold #1, and the SNR of beam #3-5 measured by STA#1 and STA#2 are greater than threshold #1 and threshold #2, respectively. Therefore, the AP deletes beams #3-1 and #3-5, and retains beams #3-2 to #3-4. That is, beams #3-2 to #3-4 have less impact and interference on STAs other than STA#4.

[0244] Finally, based on the SNR of beams #3-2 to #3-4 measured by STA#4 as the fourth device, AP can select the optimal beam (e.g., the one with the lowest SNR) as the transmit beam for STA#3, completing step S1020. For example, if the SNR value of beam #3-3 measured by STA#4 is lower than that of the other beams, then the transmit beam for STA#3 selected by AP is beam #3-3.

[0245] Secondly, taking the example of the AP selecting a beam for STA#3 and the receiver receiving multiple beams from different directions, Table 5 shows an example of the beams related to STA#3 compiled by the AP based on the collected tables. As shown in Table 5, compared with Table 3, except for STA#3, the quality information fed back by other STAs includes the quality information measured by the receiving beam of each STA. For example, the SNR measured by STA#4 includes the SNR measured by the receiving beam of STA#4, such as #4-1.

[0246] Table 5

[0247]

[0248]

[0249] The AP's beam selection process for STA#3 based on Table 5 is similar to the beam selection process based on Table 3. Similar to Table 4, the initial step is still to filter out the transmit beams of STA#3 that have a smaller impact on the non-peer STAs, based on the aforementioned thresholds and beam quality information fed back by the non-peer STAs. Table 6 shows the filtered results from Table 5.

[0250] Table 6

[0251]

[0252] As mentioned above, during the beam selection process for STA#3 based on Table 5, if the quality information of a certain transmitted beam measured by the STA as the second device is greater than the threshold, then the transmitted beam is considered to be a beam that has a significant impact and interference on the STA of the second device, and can therefore be filtered out. As shown in Table 6, the STA as the second device includes multiple received beams, some of which may have quality information measured greater than the threshold, while others may have quality information measured less than the threshold.

[0253] For example, as shown in Table 6, since the SNR of the transmit beam #3-1 measured by the receive beam #2-2 is greater than the threshold while the SNR of the transmit beam #3-1 measured by the receive beam #2-1 is less than the threshold, the STA#2 can communicate with the transmit beam #3-1 through the receive beam #2-1 without having to filter out the transmit beam #3-1.

[0254] For another example, as shown in Table 6, the SNR of the transmitted beam #3-2 measured by STA#1 through all received beams is greater than the threshold. Therefore, the transmitted beam #3-2 has a significant impact on STA#1, and thus needs to be filtered out. In other words, when a transmitted beam has a significant impact or interference on all received beams of the second device, it is necessary to filter out that portion of the transmitted beams during the beam selection process. The finally filtered transmitted beams can have a small impact or interference on all or part of the received beams of all the second devices.

[0255] Subsequently, the AP can select the optimal transmit and receive beams from the selected transmit beams based on the SNR measured by STA#4 (the fourth device) for communication between STA#3 (the third device) and STA#4. For example, if the quality information of transmit beam #3-1 measured by receive beam #4-2 is optimal, then transmit beam #3-1 can be selected as the optimal transmit beam, and receive beam #4-2 as the optimal receive beam. This enables communication between STA#3 and STA#4 without significantly affecting or interfering with other STAs, thus achieving spatial sharing.

[0256] The beam selection process for APs on other STAs can be referred to the description of the beam selection process for STA#3 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0257] also, Figure 16 The information exchange between the AP and STA shown can also be referred to Figures 11 to 15 The description is as follows. For example, after selecting beam #3-3, the AP can inform STA #3 via a second message. The AP can send indication messages to STA #1 to STA #6, declaring that SP #1 to SP #3 are used for communication between STA #1 and STA #2, STA #3 and STA #4, and STA #5 and STA #6, respectively. Among them, SP #1 to SP #3 can achieve the following: Figure 7 The space sharing shown is illustrated. For example, unlike high-frequency beamforming training, the information exchange in the above examples can all be performed in the low-frequency band.

[0258] Example 2:

[0259] Example 1 provides a global search spatial sharing method. The term "global" means that the beams of all participating stations can be adjusted; however, this also increases complexity. To reduce complexity and facilitate implementation, or to avoid affecting the communication of an existing pair of stations, Example 2 provides a local search scheme. The term "local" means that some transmission pairs have already completed beam training and will not change their beams, but can still perform beam sensing as in Example 1 and avoid interference.

[0260] Figure 17 A schematic diagram of the communication method 1000 provided in Embodiment 2 is shown. Figure 16 The difference is that STA#1 and STA#2 have completed beam training and use, for example, Figure 5 The optimal transmission beam selected by the process shown is used for communication. At this time, STA#1 and STA#2 also need to participate in the quality information measurement process of the transmission beams of STA#3 to STA#6 so that the AP can select the transmission beams of STA#3 to STA#6 that have less impact on STA#1 and STA#2.

[0261] However, unlike Example 1, the number of beams measured by STA#3 to STA#6 for STA#1 and STA#2 is reduced to 1. Therefore, STA#3 to STA#6 determine whether the communication of STA#1 and STA#2 affects or interferes with them. Table 6 shows the quality information of the transmit beam fed back by STA#1, i.e., the quality information fed back by STA#1 as a second device. It only includes the transmit beams of STA#3 to STA#6, omitting the already determined transmit beam of STA#2. In other words, STA#1 will only act as a second device to listen to the transmit beams of other STAs, and will not act as a third and fourth device with STA#2 respectively, because the communication beams of STA#1 and STA#2 have been determined. The table fed back by STA#2 to the AP can be found in Table 7.

[0262] Table 7

[0263]

[0264] Table 8 shows the feedback forms from other STAs besides STA#1 and STA#2, such as STA#5, to the AP. That is, the quality information fed back by STA#5 when it is the second device. The feedback forms from STA#3, STA#4, and STA#6 can be found in Table 8.

[0265] Table 8

[0266]

[0267] As shown in Table 8, in Example 2, the beams of STA#1 and STA#2 fed back by STA#5 are the beams used when STA#1 and STA#2 communicate, not the beams used during beamforming training. After the AP collects the above tables of STA feedback, it can also aggregate them into a table as shown in Table 3 above for beam selection. Table 9 uses the selection of the beam of STA#4 as an example, that is, STA#4 as the third device and STA#3 as the fourth device, and its content is basically the same as that shown in Table 3. The difference is that the AP does not need to select beams for STA#1 and STA#2.

[0268] Table 9

[0269]

[0270] When the receiving beam has multiple directions, the beam selection process in Embodiment 2 can be referred to the table and description of the beam selection process in Embodiment 1. This will not be repeated here.

[0271] Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, the number of feedback points is reduced, thereby reducing complexity. The beam selection process of the AP for the STA can be referred to the description in Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0272] Example 3:

[0273] As mentioned above, Embodiment 3 describes the scenario where the first device and the second device belong to different BSSs. For example, Embodiment 3 uses STA#1 and STA#2 belonging to BSS#1, and STA#3 and STA#4 belonging to BSS#2 as examples. It is assumed that the decision-making station for BSS#1 is AP#1 (i.e., the aforementioned first device), and the decision-making station for BSS#2 is AP#2 (i.e., the aforementioned fifth device). It is worth noting that the above is merely an example, and Embodiment 3 may include more BSSs.

[0274] When STA#1 (i.e., the aforementioned third device) performs beamforming training, STA#3 and STA#4 (i.e., the aforementioned second device) in BSS#2 measure the quality information of the transmitted beam of STA#1. Similarly, when STA#2, as the third device, or other devices in BSS#1 perform beamforming training, STA#3 and STA#4, as the second device in BSS#2, can measure the quality information of the transmitted beam. However, since STA#3 and STA#4 belong to BSS#2, they cannot directly interact with the devices in BSS#1. Therefore, the quality information measured by STA#3 and STA#4 (i.e., included in the aforementioned first information) needs to be sent to AP#2 (i.e., the fifth device) in BSS#2 first. Then, corresponding to the aforementioned step S1014, AP#2 sends the first information to AP#1, so that AP#1 can perform beam selection for the devices in BSS#1 based on step S1020 and according to the listening results of the devices in BSS#2 (which may also include the listening results of the devices in BSS#1 other than the third and fourth devices).

[0275] Correspondingly, the device in BSS#1 can also act as a second device to listen to the beam quality information of the device in BSS#2 when it is performing beamforming training or communication. Corresponding to step S1030, AP#1, acting as the first device, can also send the measurement results of the device in BSS#1, acting as the second device, to AP#2, acting as the fifth device, through third information. Then, AP#2, acting as the fifth device, can select a beam for the device in BSS#2 through step S1040.

[0276] Optionally, in other embodiments of this application, the multiple decision stations corresponding to multiple BSSs may also select one of the decision stations as the overall decision station. The overall decision station is used to select beams and declare SPs for the devices in the multiple BSSs, rather than the decision station of each BSS selecting beams and declaring SPs for the devices of each BSS.

[0277] Optionally, in embodiment 3, the decision station for BSS#1 can be either STA#1 or STA#2, or the decision station for BSS#2 can be either STA#3 or STA#4. In other words, the AP can also have the ability to select the beams for communication between itself and the stations in its BSS. This process is similar to the aforementioned process types, and this application will not elaborate on this case.

[0278] In summary, in Example 3, for measuring beam quality information of stations not belonging to the same BSS, each station can report to the decision-making station in its respective BSS, such as the AP or PCP. Furthermore, decision-making stations in different BSSs can interact and coordinate, summarizing the measurement results of all devices in all BSSs regarding the beams of devices in the BSS to which the decision-making station belongs, thereby more rationally selecting beams for devices in their respective BSSs.

[0279] Optionally, corresponding to steps S1022 and S1024, the multiple decision-making stations corresponding to the multiple BSSs in Embodiment 3 can negotiate space sharing or negotiate parameters such as interference thresholds or the ability to support space sharing (e.g., whether space sharing is supported) by exchanging fourth information and feedback information on the fourth information.

[0280] For example, if a station only reports quality information greater than (or equal to) threshold #2, and different BSSs may correspond to different thresholds #2, then through steps S1022 and S1024, the multiple decision-making stations can select the same or similar threshold #2. As another example, the quality information reported by devices in different BSSs may be of different types. To facilitate the aggregation of quality information by the decision-making stations in each BSS, steps S1022 and S1024 can unify the types of quality information and the possible thresholds. Furthermore, if some devices in a BSS do not support space sharing, then through steps S1022 and S1024, the decision-making station in each BSS can identify which devices in that BSS do not support space sharing, and thus avoid using SPs for those devices that do not support space sharing during the SP declaration phase.

[0281] Optionally, the negotiation, feedback, and SP declaration phases of the aforementioned multiple decision-making sites can be implemented in low-frequency bands. Figure 18A schematic diagram of another communication method 1000 provided in Embodiment 3 is shown.

[0282] like Figure 18 As shown, firstly, multiple decision-making stations interact with fourth information and feedback information regarding that fourth information through steps S1022 and S1024 to conduct a negotiation phase. This negotiation phase can be implemented in the low-frequency band.

[0283] Then, the beamforming training process as described in Examples 1 and 2 is performed, which is carried out in the high-frequency band.

[0284] Then, through step S1014 or step S1030, the multiple decision-making stations need to inform other decision-making stations of the listening results of their respective BSS devices regarding the devices of other BSSs, in order to summarize the beam quality information. This process can also be implemented in the low-frequency band.

[0285] Then, these multiple decision-making stations can inform the corresponding SPs of the devices in their respective BSSs, and the multiple SPs can overlap in the time domain to achieve spatial sharing. This SP declaration phase can also be implemented in low-frequency bands. Finally, the communication process between station pairs within an SP can be implemented in high-frequency bands.

[0286] Finally, the device embodiments of this application will be described.

[0287] To achieve the functions provided in this application, communication devices such as terminal devices or base stations may include hardware structures and / or software modules, implementing the aforementioned functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether a particular function is implemented using hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0288] Figure 19 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1900 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1900 can be a first device such as an AP or PCP, or it can be a second device such as a STA. Furthermore, the communication device 1900 can also be a chip or module within a device such as a first or second device, used to implement the methods involved in the above embodiments. The communication device 1900 includes a transceiver unit 1910 and a processing unit 1920. The transceiver unit 1910 will be described exemplarily below.

[0289] The transceiver unit 1910 may include a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit is used to perform the transmitting action of the communication device, and the receiving unit is used to perform the receiving action of the communication device. For ease of description, the transmitting unit and the receiving unit are combined into one transceiver unit in this embodiment. This will be explained uniformly here and will not be repeated later.

[0290] In some embodiments of this application, the transceiver unit 1910 may also be referred to as a transceiver or transceiver device, etc., and may include an antenna and a radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit can be used for the conversion between baseband signals and RF signals and for processing RF signals, and the antenna can be used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. The aforementioned RF circuit and the aforementioned antenna can be set up independently of the processor that performs baseband processing, that is, as a separately set module. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuit and the antenna can be arranged in a remote radio unit (RRU) independently of the communication device.

[0291] In some other embodiments of this application, the transceiver unit 1910 may also be implemented as an input / output interface consisting only of input / output circuits.

[0292] When the communication device 1900 is the first device, for example, the transceiver unit 1910 is used to receive first information; the processing unit 1920 can be used to determine a second beam from one or more first beams based on the first information.

[0293] When the communication device 1900 is a second device, for example, the processing unit 1920 can be used to measure one or more first beams to obtain first information; the transceiver unit 1910 is used to transmit the first information.

[0294] The above description is for illustrative purposes only. When the communication device 1900 is the first device or the second device, it will be responsible for executing the methods or steps related to the first device and the second device in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0295] Optionally, the communication device 1900 further includes a storage unit (not shown in the figure) for storing programs or code for performing the aforementioned methods.

[0296] Figure 20 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2000 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 2000 includes a processor 2010 and a communication interface 2020, which can be interconnected via a bus 2030. The communication device 2000 may be a first device or a second device, etc., that executes the communication method 800.

[0297] Optionally, the communication device 2000 may also include a memory 2040. The memory 2040 includes, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), which is used to store related instructions and data.

[0298] Processor 2010 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs). When processor 2010 is a CPU, the CPU can be a single-core CPU or a multi-core CPU.

[0299] The communication interface 2020 may include the aforementioned antenna and radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit can be used for converting baseband signals to RF signals and processing RF signals, while the antenna can be used for transmitting and receiving RF signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. The aforementioned RF circuit and antenna can be set up independently of the processor that performs baseband processing, that is, as a separately set module. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuit and antenna can be arranged in a remote radio unit (RRU) independently of the communication device.

[0300] When the communication device 2000 is the first device, for example, the communication interface 2020 is used to receive first information; the processor 2010 is used to determine a second beam from the one or more first beams based on the first information.

[0301] When the communication device 2000 is a second device, for example, the processor 2010 is used to measure one or more first beams to obtain first information; the communication interface 2020 is used to send the first information.

[0302] The above description is for illustrative purposes only. When the communication device 2000 is a first device or a second device, it will be responsible for executing the methods or steps related to the first device or the second device in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0303] The above description is merely exemplary. For details, please refer to the content shown in the above method embodiments. Figure 20 The implementation of each operation can also be referenced accordingly. Figures 10 to 15 The corresponding description of the method embodiments shown.

[0304] Figure 19 and Figure 20 The illustrated device embodiment is used to implement Figures 10 to 15 The content described. Figure 19 and Figure 20 The specific execution steps and methods of the device shown can be found in the content described in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0305] Figure 21 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 2100 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 2100 is used to implement the functions of a first device or a second device. The communication device 2100 may be a chip in the first device or the second device.

[0306] The communication device 2100 includes an input / output interface 2120 and a processor 2110. The input / output interface 2120 may be an input / output circuit. The processor 2110 may be a signal processor, a chip, or other integrated circuit capable of implementing the method of this application. The input / output interface 2120 is used for inputting or outputting signals or data.

[0307] For example, when the communication device 2100 is the first device, the input / output interface 2120 is configured to receive first information, and the processor 2110 is configured to determine a second beam from the one or more first beams based on the first information.

[0308] For example, when the communication device 2100 is a second device, the processor 2110 is used to measure one or more first beams to obtain first information; the input / output interface 2120 is used to send the first information.

[0309] In one possible implementation, the processor 2110 executes instructions stored in memory to implement the functions of the first device or the second device.

[0310] Optionally, the communication device 2100 may also include a memory.

[0311] Optionally, the processor and memory are integrated together.

[0312] Optionally, the memory is located outside the communication device 2100.

[0313] In one possible implementation, the processor 2110 can be a logic circuit, which inputs / outputs messages or signaling through the input / output interface 2120. The logic circuit can be a signal processor, a chip, or other integrated circuit that can implement the methods of the embodiments of this application.

[0314] The above description of the communication device 2100 is merely an exemplary description. The communication device 2100 can be used to execute the methods described in the foregoing embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0315] Optionally, the memory is located outside the communication device 2100.

[0316] In one possible implementation, device 2100 can be a chip system 2100.

[0317] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of a chip system 2200 provided in an embodiment of this application. The chip system 2200 (or may also be called a processing system) includes logic circuitry 2210 (i.e., processor 2110) and input / output interface 2220.

[0318] The logic circuit 2210 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 2200. The logic circuit 2210 can be coupled to a memory unit, calling instructions from the memory unit, enabling the chip system 2200 to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application. The input / output interface 2220 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 2200, outputting processed information from the chip system 2200, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 2200 for processing.

[0319] As one approach, the chip system 2200 is used to implement the operations performed by the first device or the second device in the various method embodiments described above.

[0320] For example, input / output interface 2220 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving related operations performed by the first device or the second device in the above method embodiments.

[0321] The above description of the communication device is merely an exemplary description. The communication device can be used to perform the methods described in the foregoing embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0322] This application also provides a chip, including a processor, for calling and executing instructions stored in a memory, causing a communication device on which the chip is installed to perform the methods in the examples above.

[0323] This application also provides a chip, including: an input interface, an output interface, and a processor. The input interface, the output interface, and the processor are connected via an internal connection path. The processor is used to execute code in a memory. When the code is executed, the processor is used to perform the methods described in the examples above. Optionally, the chip further includes a memory for storing computer programs or code.

[0324] This application also provides a processor for coupling with a memory for performing the methods and functions involving the first and second devices in any of the above embodiments.

[0325] This application provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, implement the methods of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0326] This application also provides a computer program that, when run on a computer, enables the implementation of the methods described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0327] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a computer, implements the methods described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0328] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0329] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0330] In the several embodiments provided in this application, the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0331] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the technical objectives of the embodiments of this application, depending on actual needs.

[0332] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0333] If a function is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, or parts of the technical solutions, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the various method embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0334] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the protection scope of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, A chip system applied to or in the first device, including: Receive first information, the first information including quality information of one or more first beams obtained by the second device, the one or more first beams being the beams used by the third device and the fourth device during beamforming training; Based on the first information, a second beam is determined from one or more first beams, and the second beam is used for communication between the third device and the fourth device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third device is the first device, or the fourth device is the first device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second message to the third device, the second message being used to indicate the second beam.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, When the third device and the fourth device communicate through the second beam, the second device performs space sharing.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first indication message to the third device. The first indication message is used to indicate that the first service interval SP is used for communication between the third device and the fourth device. The first SP and the second SP overlap in the time domain, or the first SP and the second SP completely overlap, and the second SP is used for communication between the second device.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Sending the first instruction information to the third device includes: The first indication information is sent to the third device via a low-frequency band.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The receiving of the first information includes: The first information is received via a low-frequency band.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first device and the second device belong to different Basic Service Sets (BSS). Receiving the first information includes: The first information is received from a fifth device, which is an access point (AP) or a personal basic control set (PCP) in the BSS to which the second device belongs.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send third information to the fifth device. The third information includes quality information of one or more third beams obtained by the devices in the BSS to which the first device belongs. The one or more third beams are the beams used by the devices in the BSS to which the second device belongs during beamforming training or communication.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive fourth information from the fifth device, the fourth information being used to negotiate space sharing between devices in the BSS to which the first device belongs and devices in the BSS to which the fifth device belongs; The fifth device sends feedback information regarding the fourth information, the feedback information including at least one of the following: the measurement period of beam quality information, the feedback time of beam quality information, the negotiation time of SP, and the ability to support spatial sharing.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The receiving of the fourth information from the fifth device includes: Receive fourth information from the fifth device via the low-frequency band; Sending feedback information regarding the fourth information to the fifth device includes: Feedback information regarding the fourth information is sent to the fifth device via the low-frequency band.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first request message, the first request message being used to request the second device to measure the quality information of the one or more first beams; Send a second request message, which requests the fourth device to measure the quality information of the one or more first beams.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The first device and the second device belong to the same BSS, and receiving the first information includes: Receive first information from the second device.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, Determining the second beam from the one or more first beams based on the first information includes: Receive fifth information, the fifth information including the quality information of the one or more first beams obtained by the fourth device; Based on the first information and the first threshold, at least one first beam is determined from the one or more first beams. When the quality information is positively correlated with the beam quality, the quality information of the at least one first beam in the first information is less than or equal to the first threshold. When the quality information is negatively correlated with the beam quality, the quality information of the at least one first beam in the first information is greater than or equal to the first threshold. According to the fifth information, the second beam is determined from the at least one first beam. When the quality information is positively correlated with the beam quality, the quality information of the second beam in the fifth information is lower than the quality information of the other beams in the at least one first beam besides the second beam. When the quality information is negatively correlated with the beam quality, the quality information of the second beam in the fifth information is better than the quality information of the other beams in the at least one first beam besides the second beam.

15. A communication method, characterized in that, A chip system used in or in a second device, including: Measure one or more first beams to obtain first information, the first information including the quality information of one or more first beams, wherein the one or more first beams are beams used by the third device and the fourth device during beamforming training; Send the first message.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, When the third device and the fourth device communicate through the second beam, the second device performs space sharing.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive second indication information, the second indication information is used to instruct the second SP to communicate with the second device, the second SP and the first SP overlap in the time domain, or the first SP and the second SP completely overlap, and the first service interval SP is used to communicate with the third device and the fourth device.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that, Sending the first information includes: The first information is transmitted via a low-frequency band.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that, The second device and the third device belong to different BSSs, and sending the first information includes: The first information is sent to a fifth device, which is an access point (AP) or a personal basic control set (PCP) in the BSS to which the second device belongs.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that, The second device and the third device belong to the same BSS, and sending the first information includes: The first information is sent to the first device, which is either an access point (AP) or a personal basic control set (PCP) in the BSS to which the second device belongs.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a first request message, which is used to request the second device to measure the quality information of the one or more first beams.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a unit for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a unit for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 15 to 21.

24. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor configured to be coupled to a memory, read and execute instructions and / or program code in the memory to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor configured to be coupled to a memory, read and execute instructions and / or program code in the memory to perform the method as described in any one of claims 15 to 21.

26. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes at least one communication device as described in claim 22 and at least one communication device as described in claim 23.

27. A chip system, characterized in that, include: A logic circuit for coupling with an input / output interface, through which data is transmitted to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, or to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 21.

28. A computer-readable medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable medium stores program code that, when executed on a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14, or the method as described in any one of claims 15 to 21.

29. A computer program product, characterized in that, It includes computer program code that, when run, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14, or implements the method as described in any one of claims 15 to 21.

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