Communication method and device and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method and device and a storage medium, and belongs to the technical field of Wi-Fi communication. In the method, a first AP STA sends a first TF, the first TF is the same as a second TF sent by at least one second AP STA, the sending time of the first TF is the same as the sending time of the second TF, and the working channel of the at least one second AP STA is the same as the working channel of the first AP STA. The invention provides a method for simultaneously sending the TF by a plurality of cooperative AP STAs without interfering with each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of Wi-Fi communication technology, specifically relating to a communication method, device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Multi-access point station (AP STA) collaboration refers to the sharing of transmission opportunities (TXOPs) among multiple AP STAs. Methods for multi-AP STA collaboration include coordinated spatial reuse (CSR), coordinated orthogonal frequency division multiple access (C-OFDMA), coordinated beamforming (CBF), and coordinated joint transmission (C-JT).

[0003] In CBF (Cross-Banded Fiber), multiple APs need to send trigger frames (TFs) to trigger their respective associated non-AP STAs to perform uplink transmission. Sending TFs typically involves no beamforming and needs to be transmitted across the entire channel bandwidth. How to ensure that multiple cooperating AP STAs can simultaneously send TFs without interfering with each other is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved. Similar problems exist in CSR (C-Side Response), C-OFDMA (C-OF DMA), and C-JT (C-Jump-Track). Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application relates to a communication method, apparatus, and storage medium, and proposes a method for multiple cooperating AP STAs to simultaneously transmit TF without interfering with each other.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied in a first AP STA, the method comprising:

[0006] A first TF is transmitted, which is the same as a second TF transmitted by at least one second AP STA. The transmission time of the first TF is the same as the transmission time of the second TF. The channels through which the at least one second AP STA operates are the same as the channels through which the first AP STA operates.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the user information in the first TF is the same as the user information in the second TF, and the sending address in the first TF is the same as the sending address in the second TF.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the user information in the first TF includes first user information and at least one second user information, wherein,

[0009] The first user information is used to trigger the first non-AP STA to perform uplink transmission. The first non-AP STA is a non-AP STA associated with the first AP STA.

[0010] Any one of the at least one second user information is used to trigger the second non-AP STA to perform uplink transmission. The second non-AP STA is a non-AP STA associated with any one of the at least one second AP STAs.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the sending address in the first TF is the address of the AP STA that shares the transmission opportunity.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the user information in the first TF indicates a first resource and at least one second resource; wherein...

[0013] The first resource is the resource used by the first AP STA to send an acknowledgment frame or a block acknowledgment frame, and the at least one second resource is the resource used by the at least one second AP STA to send an acknowledgment frame or a block acknowledgment frame.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the space of the at least one second AP STA is different from the space of the association identifiers assigned to its associated non-AP STAs by any two AP STAs in the first AP STA.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0016] Send a first message, which indicates the address of at least one AP STA sharing the transmission opportunity.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the first information is carried in a beacon frame.

[0018] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied in a first AP STA, the method comprising:

[0019] Send a second message indicating the updated association identifier of the first non-AP STA, which is a non-AP STA associated with the first AP STA.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the second information is carried in a response message.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0022] Receive third information, which is used to request an update of the associated identifier.

[0023] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied in a first non-AP STA, the method comprising:

[0024] Receive a first TF, the sending address in the first TF is the address of the AP STA sharing the transmission opportunity, the user information in the first TF includes first user information, and the association identifier in the first user information is the association identifier of the first non-APSTA.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the user information in the first TF indicates a first resource, which is a resource used to receive an acknowledgment frame or a block acknowledgment frame.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0027] In response to the first TF, a trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) is sent, and an acknowledgment frame or block acknowledgment frame is received on the first resource.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0029] Receive first information, which indicates the address of at least one AP STA sharing a transmission opportunity.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the first information is carried in a beacon frame.

[0031] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied in a first non-AP STA, the method comprising:

[0032] Receive second information, the second information indicating the updated association identifier of the first non-AP STA, the first non-AP STA being a non-AP STA associated with the first AP STA.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the second information is carried in a response message.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0035] Send a third message, which is used to request an update to the associated identifier.

[0036] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device applied in a first AP STA, the device comprising:

[0037] The transmitting module is used to transmit a first TF, which is the same as a second TF transmitted by at least one second AP STA. The transmission time of the first TF is the same as the transmission time of the second TF, and the channels through which the at least one second AP STA operates are the same as the channels through which the first AP STA operates.

[0038] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device applied in a first AP STA, the device comprising:

[0039] The sending module is used to send second information, the second information indicating the updated association identifier of the first non-AP STA, the first non-AP STA being a non-AP STA associated with the first AP STA.

[0040] Seventhly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device applied in a first non-AP STA, the device comprising:

[0041] The receiving module is used to receive a first TF, wherein the sending address in the first TF is the address of the AP STA sharing the transmission opportunity, and the user information in the first TF includes first user information, wherein the association identifier in the first user information is the association identifier of the first non-AP STA.

[0042] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device applied in a first non-AP STA, the device comprising:

[0043] The receiving module is configured to receive second information, the second information indicating the updated association identifier of the first non-AP STA, the first non-AP STA being a non-AP STA associated with the first AP STA.

[0044] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, including: a processor and a memory;

[0045] The memory stores computer-executed instructions;

[0046] The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory to implement the methods described in the first, second, third, or fourth aspects.

[0047] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the methods described in the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, or the fourth aspect.

[0048] In one aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a computer, implements the methods described in the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, or the fourth aspect.

[0049] In a twelfth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a chip on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by the chip, it implements the methods described in the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, or the fourth aspect.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the chip is a chip in a chip module.

[0051] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, and storage medium. In this method, a first AP STA transmits a first TF (Transmission Token), which is identical to a second TF transmitted by at least one second AP STA. The transmission time of the first TF is the same as that of the second TF, and the channels through which the at least one second AP STA operates are the same as those through which the first AP STA operates. In other words, this application provides a method for multiple cooperating AP STAs to simultaneously transmit TFs without interfering with each other. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the application scenarios provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0053] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the allowed OBSS_PD level and transmit power (TX_PWR);

[0054] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the CSR downlink transmission process in related technologies;

[0055] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the TF provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 5 Flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 ;

[0057] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating the transmission of multiple TFs provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 7A A schematic diagram of block acknowledgment frame transmission provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 7B Another schematic diagram illustrating the transmission of block acknowledgment frames provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 8 Flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 2 ;

[0061] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first element provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the AID allocation element provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figure 11 Flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 3 ;

[0064] Figure 12 A schematic diagram illustrating the frame format of the response message provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 13 Flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 4 ;

[0066] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the frame format of the request message provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 10 provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0068] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 20 provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0069] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 30 provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0070] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 40 provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0071] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 50 provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0072] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0073] In this application, "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0074] In this application, "at least one" means one or more. "More than one" means two or more.

[0075] The use of terms like "first," "second," etc., in this application is for illustrative purposes and to distinguish the objects being described. They do not indicate any particular order or limit on the number of objects in the embodiments of this application, and therefore do not constitute any limitation on the embodiments of this application. For example, "first TF" and "second TF" are merely to distinguish different TFs, and do not indicate a difference in priority or importance between the two TFs.

[0076] In this application, terms such as "exemplary," "in some embodiments," and "in other embodiments" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Rather, the term "exemplary" is used to present the concept in a specific manner.

[0077] To facilitate understanding, the following will be combined with... Figure 1 The application scenarios applicable to the embodiments of this application will be described.

[0078] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario provided by an embodiment of this application. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 Taking a wireless LAN as an example, it includes AP STA1, AP STA2, non-access point station (non-AP STA) 1, and non-AP STA2. AP STA1 can communicate with non-AP STA1, AP STA2 can communicate with non-AP STA2, and AP STA1 and APSTA2 can also communicate with each other.

[0079] It should be noted that the above application scenarios are merely examples. For instance, the AP STA mentioned above can also be an access point multi-link device (AP MLD), and the non-AP STA can also be a non-access point multi-link device (non-AP MLD); furthermore, this application does not limit the number of each device in the scenario.

[0080] To explain this application more clearly, the relevant technologies involved in this application will be introduced first below.

[0081] 1. Spatial reuse (SR)

[0082] Prior to IEEE 802.11ax (High Efficiency, HE), a station could not transmit if it detected a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) signal on the channel, specifically if the received channel power indicator (RCPI) was greater than -82 dBm in packet detection (PD) mode or greater than -62 dBm in energy detection (ED) mode.

[0083] 802.11ax introduced SR based on Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS) PD. If a station detects Wi-Fi signal transmission on a channel, but the signal strength is low, the station can still transmit on that channel, ensuring its power does not interfere with existing Wi-Fi signal transmission. 802.11be (Extremely High Throughput (EHT)) continues to use this scheme.

[0084] For SRs based on OBSS PD, specific power limitations are as follows: Figure 2 As shown, for a normalized power of 20MHz, the transmit power on the horizontal axis at 20MHz and the measured OBSS_PD level on the vertical axis must fall within the shaded area in the figure. The shaded area in the figure represents the highest transmit power TX_PWR. ref OBSS_PD min) and OBSS_PD max It is determined that the slope of the hypotenuse is -1; where, for non-AP STA:

[0085] TX_PWR ref =21dBm;

[0086] OBSS_PD max The operating parameters for the basic service set (BSS) can be broadcast in beacon frames;

[0087] OBSS_PD min It is -82dBm.

[0088] At point A, the OBSS is closer, and the measured signal of the physical protocol data unit (PPDU) is stronger, resulting in lower transmit power during spatial multiplexing transmission. At point B, the OBSS is farther away, and the measured signal of the PPDU is weaker, resulting in higher transmit power during spatial multiplexing.

[0089] 2. Multi-AP STA cooperative transmission

[0090] Methods for multiple AP STAs to cooperate in transmission include CSR, C-OFDMA, CBF, C-JT, etc.

[0091] like Figure 3 As shown, the downlink transmission process of CSR includes: AP STA1 and AP STA2 operate on the same frequency channel. AP STA1 competes for the channel and triggers CSR through CSR TF. AP STA1 can use transmit power 1 to send PPDU1 to its associated non-AP STA1. At the same time, AP STA2 can use transmit power 2 to send PPDU2 to its associated non-AP STA2. Transmit power 1 and transmit power 2 are negotiated in advance by AP STA1 and AP STA2. After receiving the PPDU, non-AP STA1 and non-AP STA2 can send block acknowledgment frames to their associated AP STAs in time-division or frequency-division mode, respectively.

[0092] CSR is an enhancement of SR. Through cooperation between AP STAs, more precise power control can be achieved (for example, non-AP STA1 can measure signals from AP STA1 and AP STA2, and non-AP STA2 can measure signals from AP STA1 and AP STA2. After obtaining the signal strength and / or signal quality, they report to their respective associated AP STAs. AP STA1 and AP STA2 determine the transmission power of CSR through interaction). This can reduce interference between AP STAs during SR, ensure the success rate of simultaneous transmission, and thus improve system performance.

[0093] CBF can reduce interference through beamforming (for example, when AP STA1 sends data to non-AP STA1, it can use zero beam to point to non-AP STA2; when AP STA2 sends data to non-AP STA2, it can use zero beam to point to non-AP STA1), thus increasing transmission power and achieving a higher transmission rate.

[0094] 3. TF

[0095] The structure of TF is as follows Figure 4As shown, it includes: frame control field, duration field, receiver address (RA) field, transmitter address (TA) field, common info field, user info list field, padding field, and frame check sequence (FCS) field. The user information list field includes information about multiple triggered non-AP STAs. Specifically, the user information list field includes at least one user information field, and each user information field includes the following subfields: Association Identifier (AID) 12 subfields, Resource Unit (RU) allocation subfield, Uplink (UL) Forward Error Correction (FEC) coding type subfield, UL EHT Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) subfield, Reserved subfield, Spatial Stream (SS) allocation subfield, UL Target Received Power subfield, Primary or Secondary 160MHz Subchannel (PS160) subfield, and Trigger-dependent User Info subfield.

[0096] In CBF (Content-Based Frequency), after the simultaneous transmission of PPDU (Programmable Component Distributed Unit), multiple receivers reply with acknowledgment frames (ackframes) or block acknowledgment frames (blockack frames) to their corresponding transmitters. Acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames generally do not have beamforming. To avoid interference between simultaneously transmitted acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames, they can be transmitted using time-division or frequency-division methods. Therefore, how to configure the time and frequency resources of acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0097] Furthermore, in CBF (Channel-Based Frequency), the transmit signals (TFs) simultaneously sent by multiple cooperating AP STAs do not undergo beamforming and need to be transmitted across the entire channel bandwidth. Therefore, how to ensure that multiple cooperating AP STAs can transmit TFs simultaneously without interfering with each other is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0098] Similar to CBF, CSR has a technical problem where it is difficult to coordinate the power of acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames or TF. C-OFDMA and C-JT have technical problems where acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames require OFDMA and TF cannot use OFDMA.

[0099] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a communication method in which multiple cooperating APSTAs can simultaneously send identical TFs to their respective associated non-APSTAs without interfering with each other.

[0100] The technical solutions shown in this application will now be described in detail through specific embodiments. It should be noted that the following embodiments may exist independently or in combination with each other; identical or identical content will not be repeated in different embodiments.

[0101] Figure 5 Flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 1 .like Figure 5 As shown, the method includes:

[0102] S501, the first AP STA sends a first TF to the first non-AP STA. The first TF is the same as the second TF sent by at least one second AP STA. The transmission time of the first TF is the same as the transmission time of the second TF. The channel on which at least one second AP STA operates is the same as the channel on which the first AP STA operates.

[0103] In other words, the first non-AP STA receives the first TF sent by the first AP STA.

[0104] It should be noted that, prior to implementing the scheme of this application, the first AP STA and the first non-AP STA had already established a relationship.

[0105] The transmission time of the first TF is the same as the transmission time of the second TF. That is, while the first AP STA is transmitting the first TF, at least one second AP STA that has a cooperative relationship with the first AP STA is also transmitting the second TF to its respective associated non-AP STA.

[0106] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, if AP STA1, AP STA2 and AP STA3 are cooperative AP STAs, AP STA1 can send TF1 to its associated non-AP STA1 at time t1, AP STA2 can send TF2 to its associated non-AP STA2 at time t1, and AP STA3 can send TF3 to its associated non-AP STA3 at time t1, and TF1, TF2 and TF3 are the same.

[0107] In one possible implementation, the first TF being the same as the second TF can also mean that the PPDU carrying the first TF is the same as the PPDU carrying the second TF.

[0108] In one possible implementation, "the first TF and the second TF being the same" can mean that the content included in the first TF is the same as the content included in the second TF; for example, the user information in the first TF is the same as the user information in the second TF, and the TA in the first TF is the same as the TA in the second TF. Specifically, "the user information in the first TF is the same as the user information list field in the second TF" means that the user information list field in the first TF is the same as the user information list field in the second TF.

[0109] In one possible implementation, the user information in the first TF and the user information in the second TF both include first user information and at least one second user information, wherein the first user information is used by the first AP STA to trigger the first non-AP STA to perform uplink transmission; any one of the at least one second user information is used by any one of the at least one second AP STA to trigger its associated second non-AP STA to perform uplink transmission.

[0110] For example, AP STA1, AP STA2, and AP STA3 are cooperative AP STAs. AP STA1 is associated with non-AP STA1, AP STA2 with non-AP STA2, and AP STA3 with non-AP STA3. At time t1, AP STA1 sends TF1, AP STA2 sends TF2, and AP STA3 sends TF3. Since TF1, TF2, and TF3 are the same, the user information for TF1, TF2, and TF3 all include user information 1, user information 2, and user information 3. User information 1 is used to trigger uplink transmission for non-AP STA1, user information 2 is used to trigger uplink transmission for non-AP STA2, and user information 3 is used to trigger uplink transmission for non-AP STA3.

[0111] In one possible implementation, the TA in the first TF is the address of the AP STA that shares the TXOP. The AP STA that shares the TXOP is the AP STA that competes for the TXOP. That is, the TA in the first TF is the AP STA that competes for the TXOP and shares the TXOP.

[0112] Since the first TF and the second TF are the same, the TA in the second TF is also the address of the AP STA sharing the TXOP.

[0113] The address of the AP STA sharing the TXOP can refer to the media access control (MAC) address of the AP STA sharing the TXOP.

[0114] An AP STA that shares a TXOP can also be called a sharing AP STA, and an AP STA that receives a TXOP can also be called a shared AP STA.

[0115] In the embodiments of this application, the first AP STA can be a shared AP STA or a shared AP STA; the second AP STA can be a shared AP STA or a shared AP STA. When the first AP STA is a shared AP STA, the second AP STA can be a shared AP STA; when the first AP STA is a shared AP STA, the second AP STA can be a shared AP STA.

[0116] In this embodiment of the application, since the TFs sent by multiple cooperating AP STAs are the same, there is no interference between them.

[0117] In one possible implementation, each user information in the first TF may further indicate the time-frequency resources for the corresponding non-AP STA to receive acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames. Specifically, the first TF may include a first resource and at least one second resource, wherein the first resource is the resource used by the first AP STA to send an acknowledgment frame or block acknowledgment frame after receiving uplink transmissions from its associated non-AP STA (i.e., the resource used by the first non-AP STA to receive acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames), and the at least one second resource is the resource used by at least one second AP STA to send an acknowledgment frame or block acknowledgment frame after receiving uplink transmissions from its associated non-AP STA (i.e., the resource used by the second non-AP STA to receive acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames). The second resource corresponds one-to-one with the second AP STA.

[0118] The aforementioned time-frequency resources can be indicated by user information, such as by the resource source (RU) number in the user information indicating the location and size of the time-frequency resources; or by a combination of public information and user information, such as by the public information indicating the type of RU for each time-frequency resource (each time-frequency resource has the same type), such as a 26-tone RU, and by each user information indicating the sequence number of the time-frequency resource.

[0119] The first resource may include time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources, and the second resource may include time-domain resources and / or frequency-domain resources. The time-domain resource may refer to the time-domain location of the transmitted block acknowledgment frame or acknowledgment frame (i.e., the time-domain location of the received block acknowledgment frame or acknowledgment frame), and the frequency-domain resource may refer to the frequency-domain location of the transmitted block acknowledgment frame or acknowledgment frame (i.e., the frequency-domain location of the received block acknowledgment frame or acknowledgment frame).

[0120] For example, the user information in the first TF indicates that the AP STA sharing the TXOP (hereinafter referred to as the sharing AP STA) sends a block acknowledgment frame after receiving the PPDU, after a short inter-frame space (SIFS) interval. The AP STA receiving the TXOP (hereinafter referred to as the shared AP STA) sends a block acknowledgment frame after the sharing AP STA sends its block acknowledgment frame, after a SIFS interval. The format of the block acknowledgment frames sent by each AP STA can be as follows: Figure 7A As shown.

[0121] In another example, shared AP STAs compete for 80MHz of bandwidth. The user information in the first TF instructs the sharing APSTA to send block acknowledgment frames on the primary 40MHz band, while the shared AP STAs send block acknowledgment frames on the secondary 40MHz band. The method by which each AP STA sends block acknowledgment frames is as follows: Figure 7B As shown, the block acknowledgment frame can be sent in the form of a non-HT PPDU.

[0122] In the embodiments of this application, interference between individual acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames is reduced by instructing the resources for sending acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames.

[0123] exist Figure 5 Based on the illustrated embodiment, the following, in conjunction with Figure 8 The method described in this application is explained.

[0124] Figure 8 Flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 2 .like Figure 8 As shown, the method includes:

[0125] S801, the first AP STA sends a first message to the first non-AP STA, the first message indicating the address of at least one AP STA sharing TXOP.

[0126] In other words, the first non-AP STA receives the first information sent by the first AP STA.

[0127] In the process of multi-AP STA collaboration, each AP STA can send the first message.

[0128] In one possible implementation, the first information may be carried in a beacon frame.

[0129] For example, the first information can be carried in the first element of the beacon frame, and the structure of the first element is as follows: Figure 9As shown, it includes an element identifier (ID) field, a length field, an element ID extension field, and a list of AP STAs sharing the TXOP field, wherein the list of AP STAs sharing the TXOP field includes the address of at least one AP STA sharing the TXOP.

[0130] It should be noted that the names of the first element and its fields are merely examples. This application does not limit the specific names of elements, fields, etc. As long as the function is the same as the element or field in the example of this application, it can be considered equivalent to the element or field of this application. For example, the first element can also be called the shared AP STA list element, and the AP STA list field of the shared TXOP can also be called the shared AP STA list field.

[0131] S802, the first AP STA sends a first TF to the first non-AP STA. The first TF is the same as the second TF sent by at least one second AP STA. The transmission time of the first TF is the same as the transmission time of the second TF. The channel on which at least one second AP STA operates is the same as the channel on which the first AP STA operates.

[0132] It should be noted that the execution process of S802 can be found in the execution process of S501, and will not be repeated here.

[0133] S803, the first non-AP STA responds to the first TF by sending a trigger-based PPDU (TB PPDU).

[0134] When the first non-AP STA receives the first TF, it first determines whether the TA in the first TF is the address of the first AP STA or at least one AP STA sharing a TXOP indicated by the first information. If so, it determines whether its own AID belongs to the AID carried by the user information in the first TF (i.e., the AID of the first non-AP STA is the same as the AID carried by a certain user information in the first TF). If so, it performs uplink transmission according to the resources indicated by the user information.

[0135] For example, the first information indicates the address of AP STA1, the address of AP STA2, and the address of AP STA3; the non-AP STA receives TF1, where the TA in TF1 is the address of AP STA2, and the user information in TF1 consists of user information 1, user information 2, and user information 3. User information 1 carries AID1, user information 2 carries AID2, and user information 3 carries AID3; the non-AP STA is assigned AID2. Since the TA in TF1 belongs to the addresses of the multiple AP STAs sharing a TXOP indicated by the first information, and the AID of the non-AP STA belongs to the AID carried in the user information in TF1, the non-AP STA can respond to the trigger of TF1 to perform uplink transmission.

[0136] The non-AP STAs associated with multiple cooperating AP STAs can all determine whether they need to respond to the TF for uplink transmission in the manner described above.

[0137] In one possible implementation, the first non-AP STA sends a TB PPDU to the first AP STA, and while the second non-AP STA is sending a TB PPDU to the second AP STA, the first AP STA uses a receive zero beam to point at the second non-AP STA, and the second AP STA uses a receive zero beam to point at the first non-AP STA.

[0138] S804. The first AP STA sends an acknowledgment frame or a block acknowledgment frame on the first resource, and correspondingly, the first non-AP STA receives an acknowledgment frame or a block acknowledgment frame on the first resource.

[0139] If the user information corresponding to the first non-AP STA in the first TF indicates a first resource for receiving acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames and the user information corresponding to the second non-AP STA indicates a second resource for receiving acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames, then the first non-AP STA can receive acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames on the first resource, and the second non-AP STA can receive acknowledgment frames or block acknowledgment frames on the second resource.

[0140] Figure 8 The beneficial effects of the illustrated embodiments and Figure 5 The beneficial effects of the embodiments shown are the same, and will not be repeated here.

[0141] In one possible implementation, for the above embodiments to be successfully carried out, at least one second AP STA has a different AID space than any two AP STAs in the first AP STA that allocate AIDs to their associated non-AP STAs. The AID space can also be referred to as the AID range.

[0142] That is, multiple collaborating AP STAs each use different AID spaces. For example, AP1 uses an AID space of 1-500, and AP2 uses an AID space of 501-1000. In another example, AP1 uses an AID space of 1, 3, 5, ..., 997, 999, and AP2 uses an AID space of 2, 4, 6, 8, ..., 998, 1000.

[0143] In a network of multiple collaborating AP STAs, the AID space used by each AP STA can be allocated by the coordinator or adaptively adjusted among the AP STAs.

[0144] The coordinator can be a cooperating AP STA or an extended service set (ESS) controller. A cooperating AP STA can be any one of multiple cooperating AP STAs.

[0145] The coordinator can broadcast the AID space used by all cooperating AP STAs, or it can send the AID space used by each AP STA individually.

[0146] When each AP STA adaptively adjusts the AID space it uses, one AP STA can first broadcast its AID space, and other cooperating AP STAs can then select other AID spaces to broadcast.

[0147] When the AID space used by an AP STA is allocated by a cooperating AP STA or when AP STAs adaptively adjust the AID space they use, the AID space can be indicated through a UHR action frame.

[0148] For example, a UHR action frame may include an AID allocation element, the structure of which may be as follows: Figure 10 As shown, it includes an element ID field, a length field, an element ID extension field, a start AID field, and an end AID field. The start AID field and the end AID field indicate the AID space used by the AP STA.

[0149] It should be noted that this application does not limit the specific names of each element and field. As long as the function is the same as the element or field in the example of this application, it can be considered equivalent to the element or field in this application.

[0150] Figure 11 Flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 3 This is used to update the AID associated with a non-AP STA. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the method includes:

[0151] S1101, the first AP STA sends a second message to the first non-AP STA, the second message indicating the updated AID of the first non-AP STA.

[0152] In other words, the first non-AP STA receives the second information sent by the first AP STA.

[0153] The first non-AP STA is the non-AP STA associated with the first AP STA.

[0154] In one possible implementation, the second information may be carried in a response message.

[0155] The response message can be either a request-based response message or a non-request-based response message.

[0156] That is, the first AP STA can proactively send the second information to the first non-AP STA, or it can send the second information to the first non-AP STA based on the request of the first non-AP STA.

[0157] For example, the first AP STA can proactively send a second message to the first non-AP STA after the AID space it is using changes.

[0158] For example, the first AP STA initially uses the AID space of AID1-AID1000, and when it associates with the first non-AP STA, it assigns AID 666. When the AID space used by the first AP STA changes to AID1-AID500, the first AP STA can send a second message to the first non-AP STA, indicating AID8. After receiving the second message, the first non-AP STA can update its own AID from AID666 to AID8.

[0159] The frame format of the response message can be as follows: Figure 12 As shown, it includes the category field, the update AID response action field, the status code field, and the AID field.

[0160] It should be noted that this application does not limit the specific names of each field. As long as the function is the same as the field in the example of this application, it can be considered equivalent to the field in this application.

[0161] The first AP STA in the embodiments of this application can be an AP STA in a multi-AP STA collaboration, or it can be another AP STA.

[0162] Figure 13 Flowchart of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this application Figure 4 .like Figure 13 As shown, the method includes:

[0163] S1301, the first non-AP STA sends a third message to the first AP STA, the third message being used to request an update to the AID.

[0164] In other words, the first AP STA receives the third information sent by the first non-AP STA.

[0165] The third piece of information can be carried in the request message, and the frame format of the request message can be as follows: Figure 14 As shown, it includes the category field and the update AID request action field.

[0166] S1302, the first AP STA sends a second message to the first non-AP STA, the second message indicating the updated AID of the first non-AP STA.

[0167] It should be noted that the execution process of S1302 can be found in the execution process of S1101, and will not be repeated here.

[0168] It should be noted that, Figure 11 or Figure 13 The illustrated embodiments can be used with Figure 5 or Figure 8 The examples shown are combinations.

[0169] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the communication device 10 provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 10 is used in a first APSTA, such as... Figure 15 As shown, the device 10 includes:

[0170] The transmitting module 11 is used to transmit a first TF, which is the same as the second TF transmitted by at least one second AP STA. The transmission time of the first TF is the same as the transmission time of the second TF, and the channel on which at least one second AP STA operates is the same as the channel on which the first AP STA operates.

[0171] In one possible implementation, the user information in the first TF is the same as the user information in the second TF, and the sending address in the first TF is the same as the sending address in the second TF.

[0172] In one possible implementation, the user information in the first TF includes first user information and at least one second user information, wherein the first user information is used to trigger the first non-AP STA to perform uplink transmission, and the first non-AP STA is a non-AP STA associated with the first AP STA;

[0173] At least one of the second user information is used to trigger the second non-AP STA to perform uplink transmission. The second non-AP STA is a non-AP STA associated with any one of the at least one second AP STAs.

[0174] In one possible implementation, the sending address in the first TF is the address of the AP STA that shares the transmission opportunity.

[0175] In one possible implementation, the user information in the first TF indicates a first resource and at least one second resource; wherein the first resource is the resource used by the first AP STA to send an acknowledgment frame or a block acknowledgment frame, and the at least one second resource is the resource used by at least one second AP STA to send an acknowledgment frame or a block acknowledgment frame.

[0176] In one possible implementation, at least one second AP STA has a different space for the association identifiers assigned to its associated non-AP STAs than any two AP STAs in the first AP STA.

[0177] In one possible implementation, the sending module 11 is further configured to:

[0178] Send a first message, which indicates the address of at least one AP STA sharing the transmission opportunity.

[0179] In one possible implementation, the first information is carried in a beacon frame.

[0180] The communication device 10 can execute the steps performed by the first AP STA in the above method embodiment. Its implementation principle and beneficial effects are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0181] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the communication device 20 provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 20 is used in a first APSTA, such as... Figure 16 As shown, device 20 includes:

[0182] The sending module 21 is used to send second information, which indicates the updated association identifier of the first non-AP STA, and the first non-AP STA is the non-AP STA associated with the first AP STA.

[0183] In one possible implementation, the second information is carried in the response message.

[0184] In one possible implementation, the device 20 further includes:

[0185] The receiving module 22 is used to receive third information, which is used to request an update of the associated identifier.

[0186] The communication device 20 can execute the steps performed by the first AP STA in the above method embodiment. Its implementation principle and beneficial effects are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0187] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the communication device 30 provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 30 is used in a first non-AP STA, such as... Figure 17 As shown, device 30 includes:

[0188] The receiving module 31 is used to receive a first TF, wherein the sending address in the first TF is the address of the AP STA sharing the transmission opportunity, and the user information in the first TF includes first user information, wherein the association identifier in the first user information is the association identifier of the first non-APSTA.

[0189] In one possible implementation, the user information in the first TF indicates a first resource, which is a resource used to receive an acknowledgment frame or a block acknowledgment frame.

[0190] In one possible implementation, the device 30 further includes:

[0191] The sending module 32 is configured to send a TB PPDU in response to the first TF, and the receiving module 31 is also configured to receive an acknowledgment frame or a block acknowledgment frame on the first resource.

[0192] In one possible implementation, the receiving module 31 is further configured to:

[0193] Receive first information, which indicates the address of at least one AP STA sharing the transmission opportunity.

[0194] In one possible implementation, the first information is carried in a beacon frame.

[0195] The communication device 30 can execute the steps performed by the first non-AP STA in the above method embodiment. Its implementation principle and beneficial effects are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0196] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the communication device 40 provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 40 is used in a first non-AP STA, such as... Figure 18 As shown, the device 40 includes:

[0197] The receiving module 41 is used to receive second information, which indicates the updated association identifier of the first non-AP STA, and the first non-AP STA is the non-AP STA associated with the first AP STA.

[0198] In one possible implementation, the second information is carried in the response message.

[0199] In one possible implementation, the device 40 further includes:

[0200] The sending module 42 is used to send third information, which is used to request an update of the associated identifier.

[0201] The communication device 40 can execute the steps performed by the first non-AP STA in the above method embodiment. Its implementation principle and beneficial effects are similar, and will not be described again here.

[0202] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the communication device 50 provided in an embodiment of this application. Please refer to... Figure 19 The device 50 may include a transceiver 51, a memory 52, and a processor 53. The transceiver 51 may include a transmitter and / or a receiver. The transmitter may also be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter port, or transmitter interface, etc., and the receiver may also be referred to as a receiver, receiver port, or receiver interface, etc. Exemplarily, the transceiver 51, memory 52, and processor 53 are interconnected via a bus 54.

[0203] Memory 52 is used to store program instructions;

[0204] The processor 53 is used to execute the program instructions stored in the memory, so that the communication device 50 performs the steps performed by the first non-AP STA or the steps performed by the first AP STA in the above method embodiment.

[0205] The transceiver 51 is used to perform the transmission and reception functions of the communication device 50 in the above communication method.

[0206] The communication device 50 can be a chip, module, integrated development environment (IDE), etc.

[0207] The communication device 50 can execute the steps executed by the first non-AP STA or the first APSTA in the above method embodiments. The implementation principle and beneficial effects are similar, and will not be repeated here.

[0208] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause any of the aforementioned communication methods to be executed.

[0209] This application embodiment may also provide a computer program product that can be executed by a processor, such that when the computer program product is executed by a computer, the communication method described above is executed.

[0210] All or part of the steps in the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a readable memory. When the program is executed, it performs the steps of the above-described method embodiments; and the aforementioned memory (storage medium) includes: read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, hard disk, solid-state drive, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical disc, and any combination thereof.

[0211] This application describes embodiments with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processing unit of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0212] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0213] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0214] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the embodiments of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if these modifications and variations to the embodiments of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method applied to a first access point station (AP STA) comprises: sending a first trigger frame (TF), wherein the first TF is the same as a second TF sent by at least one second AP STA, the sending time of the first TF is the same as the sending time of the second TF, and the channel on which the at least one second AP STA operates is the same as the channel on which the first AP STA operates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The user information in the first TF is the same as the user information in the second TF, and the sending address in the first TF is the same as the sending address in the second TF.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The user information in the first TF comprises first user information and at least one second user information, wherein, the first user information is used to trigger a first non-AP STA to perform uplink transmission, and the first non-AP STA is a non-AP STA associated with the first AP STA; any one of the at least one second user information is used to trigger a second non-AP STA to perform uplink transmission, and the second non-AP STA is a non-AP STA associated with any one of the at least one second AP STA.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The sending address in the first TF is the address of an AP STA sharing a transmission opportunity.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The user information in the first TF indicates a first resource and at least one second resource; wherein, the first resource is a resource used by the first AP STA to send an acknowledgement frame or a block acknowledgement frame, and the at least one second resource is a resource used by the at least one second AP STA to send an acknowledgement frame or a block acknowledgement frame.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The at least one second AP STA is different from any two AP STAs in the first AP STA in a space of an association identifier allocated to a non-AP STA associated with the AP STAs.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate the address of at least one AP STA sharing a transmission opportunity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The first information is carried in a beacon frame.

9. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method applied to a first access point station (AP STA) comprises: sending second information, wherein the second information indicates an updated association identifier of a first non-AP STA, and the first non-AP STA is a non-AP STA associated with the first AP STA.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The second information is carried in a response message.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving third information, wherein the third information is used to request to update an association identifier.

12. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method applied to a first non-AP STA comprises: receiving a first trigger frame (TF), wherein the sending address in the first TF is the address of an AP STA sharing a transmission opportunity, and the user information in the first TF comprises first user information, and the association identifier in the first user information is the association identifier of the first non-AP STA.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The user information in the first TF indicates a first resource, and the first resource is a resource used to receive an acknowledgement frame or a block acknowledgement frame.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The method further comprises: In response to the first TF, a trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) is sent, and an acknowledgement frame or block acknowledgement frame is received on the first resource.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12-14, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate an address of an AP STA sharing the transmission opportunity.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The first information is carried in a beacon frame.

17. A method of communication, comprising: The method applied to a first non-AP STA comprises: receiving second information, the second information indicating an updated association identifier of the first non-AP STA, the first non-AP STA being associated with a first AP STA.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The second information is carried in a response message.

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein, The method further comprises: sending third information, the third information being used to request an update of the association identifier.

20. A communications device, characterized by The apparatus applied to a first AP STA comprises: a sending module, configured to send a first trigger frame (TF), the first TF being the same as a second TF sent by at least one second AP STA, a sending time of the first TF being the same as a sending time of the second TF, the at least one second AP STA working on a same channel as the first AP STA.

21. A communications device, characterized by The apparatus applied to a first AP STA comprises: a sending module, configured to send second information, the second information indicating an updated association identifier of a first non-AP STA, the first non-AP STA being associated with the first AP STA.

22. A communications device, characterized by The apparatus applied to a first non-AP STA comprises: a receiving module, configured to receive a first trigger frame (TF), a sending address in the first TF being an address of an AP STA sharing a transmission opportunity, user information in the first TF including first user information, an association identifier in the first user information being an association identifier of the first non-AP STA.

23. A communications device, characterized by The apparatus applied to a first non-AP STA comprises: a receiving module, configured to receive second information, the second information indicating an updated association identifier of the first non-AP STA, the first non-AP STA being associated with a first AP STA.

24. A communications device, characterized by comprises: a processor and a memory; the memory stores computer-executed instructions; the processor executes the computer-executed instructions stored in the memory, and implements the method of any one of claims 1-8, or the method of any one of claims 9-11, or the method of any one of claims 12-16, or the method of any one of claims 17-19.

25. A computer readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium has stored therein computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, implement the method of any one of claims 1-8, or the method of any one of claims 9-11, or the method of any one of claims 12-16, or the method of any one of claims 17-19.

26. A computer program product, characterised in that, A computer program that, when executed by a computer, implements the method of any one of claims 1-8, or the method of any one of claims 9-11, or the method of any one of claims 12-16, or the method of any one of claims 17-19.

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