Multi-access point cooperation method

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to the technical field of Wi-Fi, and discloses a multi-access point cooperation method. The method is applied to a first access point, and comprises the following steps: negotiating with at least one access point to establish a multi-access point cooperation set; and carrying out data transmission with the associated terminal through cooperation with the access points in the multi-access-point cooperation set. Releasing the cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set; wherein the step of releasing the cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set comprises the following steps: responding to a releasing frame, releasing the cooperation of at least one C-R-TWT contained in the releasing frame, and not releasing the cooperation mode of the C-R-TWT between the first access point and the second access point; wherein the releasing frame comprises an RTWT element ID corresponding to the RTWT needing to be released and a corresponding MAC address for transmitting the releasing frame. According to the invention, the existing multi-access point cooperation process is perfected, and more flexible multi-access point cooperation can be supported.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese invention patent application filed on November 7, 2024, with application number 2024115849876 and invention title "A Multi-Access Point Collaboration Method, Electronic Device and Storage Medium". Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of Wi-Fi technology, and in particular to a multi-access point collaboration method. Background Technology

[0003] In future communication systems, scheduling or configuration operations within a single device can only achieve a relatively good or optimal effect within a localized area of ​​that device and its associated terminal devices. If other adjacent devices operate independently, interference will prevent the achievement of a better or optimal effect over a wider area. Therefore, a method is proposed that utilizes collaboration (or cooperation, coordination, etc.) between the device and its neighboring devices to complete the configuration, operation, or communication transmission of the communication system.

[0004] In discussions about future Wi-Fi systems, Multi-Access Point Coordination (MAPC) has been proposed as a Wi-Fi communication system solution based on the aforementioned ideas. Specifically, taking access points (APs) as an example, if multiple APs operate on the same frequency or their frequency bands at least partially overlap, interference will occur to terminals (Stations, STAs) at the edge of the APs. To reduce this interference and improve spectrum utilization, cooperative communication between APs has become a research hotspot. Several schemes (or modes) already exist, including joint transmission, Coordinated Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access / Coordinated Time Division Multiple Access (C-OFDMA / TDMA), Coordinated Spatial Reuse (C-SR), Coordinated Beamforming (CBF), and Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (CR-TWT). These cooperative schemes can all share a single Multi-AP Coordination Framework. The framework includes steps such as capability announcement, negotiation, and data transfer. Currently, the framework is not yet complete, and details are still unclear. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a multi-access point collaboration method, electronic device, and storage medium, which at least helps to add a release phase to the existing multi-access point collaboration process, enabling access points to flexibly join or leave the collaboration, improving the existing multi-access point collaboration process, and supporting more flexible multi-access point collaboration.

[0006] According to some embodiments of this application, a first aspect of this application provides a multi-access point cooperation method, comprising: applying to a first access point, the method comprising: negotiating to establish a multi-access point cooperation set with at least one access point; transmitting data with an associated terminal through cooperation with access points in the multi-access point cooperation set; and discontinuing cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set; wherein, discontinuing cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set comprises: in response to a discontinuation frame, discontinuing cooperation of at least one CR-TWT contained in the discontinuation frame, without discontinuing the CR-TWT cooperation mode between the first access point and a second access point; wherein, the discontinuation frame contains CR-TWTs to be discontinued. TWT corresponds to R The TWT element ID and the corresponding MAC address used to transmit the release frame.

[0007] In some embodiments, the release frame is sent by the second access point, or the release frame is sent by the terminal associated with the second access point, wherein the second access point is the access point that initiated the establishment of the multi-access point cooperation set, the access point that preempted the transmission opportunity in the multi-access point cooperation set, or the access point that scheduled the target wake-up time of the terminal associated with the multi-access point cooperation set.

[0008] In some embodiments, the MAC address included in the release frame includes: the MAC address of the scheduling AP in the multi-access point cooperative set access point, and the MAC address of the coordinating AP associated with the at least one CR-TWT.

[0009] In some embodiments, after decoupling the cooperation of at least one CR-TWT contained in the decoupling frame without decoupling the CR-TWT cooperation mode between the first access point and the second access point, the method further includes: renegotiating the decoupling CR-TWT cooperation.

[0010] In some embodiments, the step of discontinuing cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set further includes: discontinuing cooperation with at least one cooperation mode of the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set, wherein the cooperation mode includes at least one of the following: simultaneous transmission of multiple access points, cooperative time division multiple access, cooperative spatial division reuse, and cooperative beamforming.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes: releasing the multi-access point cooperation set according to a determined release timing, wherein the release timing of the multi-access point cooperation set is determined during the negotiation phase or obtained by updating the release timing determined during the negotiation phase through an interactive third data frame; wherein the third data frame carries information for indicating the update of the release timing of the multi-access point cooperation set.

[0012] In some embodiments, the third data frame includes the third initial control frame, and the interaction of the third data frame includes: receiving the third initial control frame sent by the second access point, wherein the third initial control frame carries information for indicating a release timing specified by the second access point.

[0013] In some embodiments, the third data frame further includes a third initial response frame, and the interaction of the third data frame further includes: after receiving the third initial control frame sent by the second access point, sending a third initial response frame to the second access point, wherein the third initial response frame carries information for indicating the release timing specified by the first access point; wherein the release timings corresponding to the third initial control frame and the third initial response frame are the same or different.

[0014] In some embodiments, the termination of cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set includes: when it is necessary to terminate cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set, and there is still data to be transmitted with the terminal in a preset service mode, after the data to be transmitted is completed, terminating the cooperation relationship with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set or the cooperation mode used for cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set.

[0015] In some embodiments, the data for the preset business mode includes low-latency business data and / or high-quality-of-service-priority business data.

[0016] According to some embodiments of this application, a second aspect of this application also provides a multi-access point cooperation method applied to a second access point, the method comprising: negotiating with at least one access point to establish a multi-access point cooperation set; and disengaging from cooperation with access points in the multi-access point cooperation set.

[0017] According to some embodiments of this application, a third aspect of this application also provides an electronic device, including: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, the instructions being executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform any one of the multi-access point cooperation methods described in the embodiments of this application.

[0018] According to some embodiments of this application, a fourth aspect of this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the multi-access point cooperation method described in any one of the embodiments of this application.

[0019] The technical solution provided in this application has at least the following advantages: In the process of multi-access point collaboration, the collaboration with access points in the multi-access point collaboration set is introduced, that is, access points can flexibly join and leave collaboration, which improves the existing multi-access point collaboration process, and by supporting the removal of access points in the multi-access point collaboration set, the multi-access point collaboration becomes more flexible and configurable. Attached Figure Description

[0020] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with the corresponding pictures in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not limited to scale.

[0021] Figure 1 This is the flow of the multi-access point collaboration method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 This is the flow of the multi-access point collaboration method provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the various embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will understand that many technical details have been presented in the various embodiments of this application to enable readers to better understand this application. However, the technical solutions claimed in this application can be implemented even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments.

[0023] The division of the following embodiments is for ease of description and should not constitute any limitation on the specific implementation of this application. The various embodiments can be combined with and referenced by each other without contradiction.

[0024] This application provides a multi-access point cooperation method applied to a first access point. The first access point is any access point capable of joining a multi-access point coordination set and cooperating with other access points in the set for transmission. In some cases, the multi-access point coordination set can be used to understand the method; the first access point is any access point in the set other than a second access point. The second access point is an access point that initiates cooperation, dominates cooperation, secures a transmission opportunity (TXOP), or schedules the associated terminals' target wake-up time (i.e., how the terminals associated with the AP operate in target wake-up time (TWT) mode includes at least one TWT / Restricted Target Wake Time (R-TWT) parameter). This is commonly referred to as a coordinating AP, sharing AP, or scheduling AP (also known as a TWT / R-TWT scheduling AP). At this point, the first access point can be a cooperative access point, a coordinated AP, or a shared AP, etc. The meanings of the first and second access points will not be elaborated further here or subsequently.The descriptions of the relevant APs are already available in the prior art. For example, a coordinating AP is an Ultra High Reliable (UHR) access point. It sets the value of the coordinating support field in data frames such as Beacon Frame, Probe Response Frame, Probe Request Frame, Initial Control Frame (ICF) / Initial Control Response Frame (ICR) to 1 and transmits a cooperation request to another UHR AP. The coordinating support field of this other UHR AP is also set to 1 (meaning it supports MAPC). On the other hand, a coordinated AP is a UHR AP STA that sets the value of the coordinating support field to 1 in data frames such as Beacon Frame, Probe Response Frame, Probe Request Frame, ICF, and ICR and receives a cooperation request from another UHR AP. The other UHR AP sets the value of the coordinating support field to 1 and transmits a cooperation response to the other coordinating AP. The Coordinating Support Field is a field or domain contained in the Ultra-Reliable Physical Layer (UHR) PHY capability element, the Ultra-Reliable Media Access Control (UHR) MAC capability element, or the Management Information Base (MIB). A value of 1 indicates that the AP capability supports multi-AP collaboration. A value of 0 indicates that it does not support collaboration.

[0025] The multi-access point collaboration method provided in this application embodiment, applied to the first access point, enables the first access point to discontinue collaboration after it has begun. This introduces discontinuation of collaboration into the existing multi-access point collaboration process, allowing the first access point to flexibly join or leave collaboration. This improves the existing multi-access point collaboration process and supports more flexible multi-access point collaboration. For ease of understanding, the following will be combined with... Figure 1 The flowchart shown illustrates the multi-access point collaboration method applied to the first access point provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0026] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the multi-access point collaboration method applied to the first access point may include the following steps: Step 101: Negotiate with at least one access point to establish a multi-access point collaboration set.

[0027] Step 102: Data transmission is performed by cooperating with and associated terminals of the access points in the multi-access point collaboration set.

[0028] Step 103: Disconnect from the access points in the multi-access point collaboration set.

[0029] In this way, the process of multi-access point collaboration is improved by introducing the cancellation of collaboration with access points in the multi-access point collaboration set. This allows access points to flexibly join and cancel collaboration, thus improving the existing multi-access point collaboration process. Furthermore, by supporting the cancellation of access points in the multi-access point collaboration set, multi-access point collaboration becomes more flexible and configurable.

[0030] For ease of understanding, the following will be... Figure 1 The steps of the illustrated embodiment will be explained.

[0031] In step 101, a multi-access point (MAP) cooperation set is negotiated and established with at least one access point. This embodiment of the application does not limit the implementation method of negotiating and establishing the MAP cooperation set. It is understood that the negotiation and establishment of the MAP cooperation set is achieved through two phases: capability announcement and negotiation. Capability announcement enables the access point initiating cooperation to learn the capabilities of other access points and further negotiate based on the announced capabilities. Therefore, by constructing a MAP cooperation set corresponding to multiple access points, interference between access points and adjacent terminals, as well as between adjacent terminals associated with different access points, can be reduced. Furthermore, spectrum resources can be utilized more fully and efficiently.

[0032] In some embodiments, during the capability announcement phase, the access point sends a Beacon Frame, Probe Response Frame, Probe Request Frame, or other data frames (such as newly defined management frames) to inform of its capabilities. To indicate the access point's capabilities, the sent data frames may include at least one or a combination of the following information: information indicating a supported Transaction Identifier (TID) (e.g., "Supported TID"), information indicating a supported channel (e.g., "Channel number"), information indicating whether low-latency services are supported, information indicating a supported cooperation mode (or pattern), information indicating a supported cooperation mode for the service period, information indicating the mode of cooperation supported by the transport association, information indicating bandwidth, etc., which will not be listed here. For example, in some embodiments, the following fields, domains, or tuples can be defined and carried in the capability declaration data frame: {Supported TID, Supported Channel Number, Bandwidth, Whether Low-Latency Services are Supported, Supported Cooperation Modes, Cooperation Methods for Supported Service Duration, Cooperation Methods for Supported Transmission Opportunities}, applicable to at least one of the following cooperation modes: {Simultaneous Transmission, Cooperative Time Division Multiple Access, Cooperative Spatial Division Reuse, Cooperative Beamforming, Cooperative Limited Target Wake-up Time}. Taking the indication of the cooperation mode as an example, for instance, the support capability for cooperation modes C-OFDMA / TDMA, C-SR, C-BF, and CR-TWT is indicated by a field, which can contain two bit characters. For example, the above four cooperation modes can be encoded as 00, 01, 10, and 11, respectively. Alternatively, a bitmap can be used to represent the support capability for the above four cooperation modes; 1111 indicates that all four cooperation modes are supported, and 0000 indicates that none of the above four cooperation modes are supported. For example, the aforementioned support capabilities for relevant collaboration modes are contained in the UHR PHY capability element, or the UHR MACcapability element, or the MIB.

[0033] In some embodiments, the ability to declare may include: 1. The number of CR-TWTs supported between the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP. This capability can be carried through UHR PHY capability elements, UHR MAC capability elements, enhanced R-TWT elements, etc., or in data frames such as Beacon Frames, Probe Request Frames, and Probe Response Frames during the announcement phase. This capability is represented by a field, such as a maximum value of 8, or one of the following values ​​{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}. 0 indicates that CR-TWT is not supported, or that the AP in the current state or mode does not support it.

[0034] 2. Does it support R-TWT collaboration with more than two APs? This capability can be carried through UHR PHY capability element, UHR MAC capability element, enhanced R-TWT element (also known as broadcast TWT element; in this case, the element corresponding to the R-TWT collaboration mode is called CR-TWT element), etc. Alternatively, this capability can be carried in data frames such as Beacon Frame, Probe Request Frame, and Probe Response Frame during the announcement phase interaction. In this case, a field value of 1 indicates support, and 0 indicates no support. Alternatively, this capability can be carried in the MIB. In this case, collaborative R-TWT with more than one coordinated AP is only possible if the corresponding capability field is enabled.

[0035] 3. Does it support reconfiguration of at least one parameter in the R-TWT parameter set corresponding to an R-TWT? For this capability, it can be defined that if not supported, the coordinated AP will terminate the R-TWT or simultaneously terminate the cooperation protocol between the coordinated AP and the scheduling AP when this parameter changes after a certain number of Target Beacon Transmission Time (TBTT) as indicated in the Broadcast TWTPersistence subfield. For example, in some cases, the scheduling AP notifies the coordinated AP of the change via a notification frame, inform frame, Initial Control Response (ICR), or management frame. The coordinated AP then responds to the scheduling AP via ICR or a newly defined management frame, indicating whether it accepts the change. If the coordinated AP does not accept the change, it terminates the R-TWT cooperation relationship or terminates the cooperation protocol between the coordinated AP and the scheduling AP. For example, responding to the scheduling AP via the aforementioned ICR or newly defined management frame by indicating that the corresponding R-TWT is not supported simultaneously signifies the termination of the coordination agreement between the coordinated AP and the scheduling AP. In some cases, the aforementioned initial control frame or newly defined management frame contains a field, such as a bit, where 1 indicates acceptance of the parameter change, and 0 indicates non-acceptance of the parameter change. In other cases, the aforementioned ICR or newly defined management frame contains a field, such as a bit, where 1 indicates termination of the R-TWT coordination agreement when the parameter change is not accepted, and 0 indicates that the R-TWT coordination agreement is not terminated when the parameter change is not accepted (the coordination agreement before the change is retained). In some cases, when the coordinating AP does not accept the new parameter (parameter change), it sends a termination frame at the time of CR-TWT termination, terminating the coordination for that CR-TWT.

[0036] 4. Up and down capabilities.

[0037] 5. Whether to support using a release frame to terminate MAPC. The release frame corresponds to a field or domain, which is a one-bit field. 1 indicates support, 0 indicates no support. This field or domain can be included in the UHR PHY capability element or the UHR MAC capability element. During capability announcement, the capability (or element) is included in data frames such as Beacon Frame, Probe Request Frame, Probe Response Frame, or in ICF / ICR, or in the MIB. Only when the field or domain of the capability corresponding to the coordinating AP and / or the coordinated AP is 1 can the multi-AP cooperation relationship be negotiated and terminated using a release frame. In some cases, this release frame represents the termination of more than one multi-AP cooperation mode at once.

[0038] 6. Does it support more than one multi-AP collaboration mode? The field or domain corresponding to this capability is represented by a bitmap or a single binary bit, where 1 indicates support and 0 indicates no support. This field or domain can be included in the UHRPHY capability element or the UHR MAC capability element. During capability announcement, this capability (or element) is included in data frames such as Beacon Frame, Probe Request Frame, Probe Response Frame, ICF, ICR, or in the MIB. Collaboration based on this collaboration mode is only possible when the corresponding capability field or domain is represented as 1. In some cases, the capability for collaboration with more than one AP is bound to a specific collaboration mode.

[0039] 7. Whether it has the capability to become a second access point. This capability can be indicated by the dot11CoordinatingAPImplemented field being true for a UHR STA (an access point device). That is, the Requester Support subfield in the UHR Capabilities element of the AP with this capability should be set to 1 if the device supports working in the coordinating AP role in multi-AP collaboration, otherwise it should be set to 0.

[0040] 8. Is it capable of becoming the primary access point? This capability can be indicated by the dot11CoordinatedAPImplemented field being true for a UHR STA (an access point device). That is, the Responder Support subfield in the UHR Capabilities element of the AP with this capability should be set to 1 if the device supports working in the coordinated AP role in multi-AP collaboration, otherwise it should be set to 0.

[0041] 9. Whether it has the capability to simultaneously serve as the first and second access point. This capability can be indicated by the dot11MAPImplemented field being true for a UHR STA (an access point device). That is, the MAP Support subfield in the UHR Capabilities element of the AP with this capability should be set to 1 if the device supports working in the coordinating AP and coordinated AP roles in multi-AP collaboration; otherwise, it should be set to 0.

[0042] In some cases, the fields, fields, or bitmaps used to indicate whether an AP has the relevant capability can be included in the Extended capability element or the UHR capability element.

[0043] It should be noted that the aforementioned ability to become the first access point and the second access point is not specific to any particular cooperation mode. In some cases, similar to the above description, the ability to become the first access point and the second access point can be represented by a bit, a field, or a bitmap. However, for the first access point or the second access point in a cooperation mode of multi-access point simultaneous transmission, cooperative time division multiple access, cooperative spatial division multiple reuse, cooperative beamforming, or cooperative limited target wake-up time, the ability can be represented by a combination of the aforementioned bit, field, or bitmap.

[0044] In some embodiments, during the negotiation phase, access points participating in the collaboration (or those wishing to join the multi-access point collaboration set) negotiate to determine some details or parameters of MAPC. For example, they negotiate one or more parameters such as the working bandwidth, supported modulation and coding schemes (MCS), and collaboration duration. Alternatively, multi-access point collaboration may be a working mode (or operating mode, etc.) established via ICF / ICR.

[0045] In some embodiments, during the negotiation process, the ICF or ICR includes a CR-TWT required subfield, which, when set to 1, indicates that the R-TWT scheduled by the currently scheduling AP requires the cooperation of the Coordinated AP and operates in CR-TWT mode. The CR-TWT required subfield is contained within the Extended capability element or UHR capability element of the ICF or ICR. If this field is absent or set to 0, it indicates that the cooperation mode is not negotiated.

[0046] In some embodiments, the CR-TWT required subfield is included in the broadcast frame, UHR operation element, or TWT request frame, indicating that the terminal needs to join a CR-TWT. Similarly, during the negotiation process of other operating modes, when the corresponding value of the field or subfield C-TDMA required subfield, C-SR required subfield, C-BF required subfield, etc., is set to 1, it indicates that the other AP needs to assist in entering the corresponding cooperation mode, which will not be elaborated further. In some examples, the above field or subfield is an encoding (00, 01, 10, 11 correspond to the four cooperation modes mentioned above, respectively), or when the corresponding bit in the bitmap is 1, it indicates that the corresponding cooperation mode is being negotiated. Furthermore, taking the restricted target wake-up time as an example, the wake-up time of each restricted target can be negotiated separately by the second access point and the first access point (e.g., the scheduling AP negotiates separately with another coordinated AP for each R-TWT). In other words, the establishment of each restricted target wake-up time protocol requires completing a negotiation process.

[0047] Of course, taking the cooperative restricted target wake-up time as an example again, the first access point and the second access point can negotiate all supported restricted target wake-up times at once (e.g., the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP negotiate once to support all subsequent R-TWTs). Therefore, when a certain restricted target wake-up time is needed later, only the identifier of the restricted target wake-up time (e.g., ...) needs to be used.<R-TWT element ID MAC> (etc.) Informing the second access point will activate the protection for the restricted target wake-up time. This notification to the second access point can be achieved through data frames such as ICF, a newly defined Trigger Frame, or a newly defined management frame. These data frames carry an identifier for the restricted target wake-up time, activating the corresponding restricted target wake-up time in the second access point to trigger the cooperative restricted target wake-up time.

[0048] In some embodiments, during the capability declaration phase, the first access point informs other access points of its capabilities, supporting multi-access point collaboration. The capability of the first access point can be a range or multiple parameters. For example, it may support multiple TID values ​​for TID set 1, etc. These capabilities have been described previously and will not be repeated here. The second access point declares its support for multi-access point collaboration, such as supporting TID values ​​for TID set 2. That is, during negotiation, the first and second access points support a set that is the intersection of TID set 1 and TID set 2, or a subset of the intersection of TID set 1 and TID set 2. Similarly, other capabilities can also be determined by taking the intersection of the sets supported by different access points, or a subset of the intersection of the sets supported by different access points, to determine the final supported capabilities (parameters and / or parameter ranges).

[0049] In some embodiments, the aforementioned process of negotiating the intersection or subset of the intersection may also include negotiating specific collaboration modes, such as the specific supported restricted target wake-up time usage.<R-TWT ID MAC> An identifier (or other forms of identifier described below) is included in the initial control frame or initial response frame used for negotiation, along with the intersection of this identifier and the corresponding capabilities supported by the negotiation. The initial control frame or initial response frame used for negotiation carries an identifier for the specific cooperation mode. Thus, after negotiation, when data transmission occurs, it is sufficient to indicate the start of the corresponding cooperation mode by including the identifier of the cooperation mode in the interaction management frame (or trigger frame, etc.). This management frame, etc., can be for Multi-User Request To Send / Clear To Send (MU-RTS / CTS) between access points, or for MU-RTS / CTS for enhanced multi-access point cooperation, or for Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) / Buffer Status Reports (BSR) for enhanced multi-access point cooperation, or a newly defined management frame. In other words, the specific cooperation mode or pattern is determined during negotiation.

[0050] In some embodiments, during the negotiation phase, the ICF and ICR used for negotiation do not contain a specific cooperation mode, but rather a cooperation mode agreement. This agreement includes the parameters of a parameter set, or the range of capabilities or modes. During subsequent data transmission, only management frames (or trigger frames, etc.) are exchanged. Similar to the aforementioned, these management frames can be for MU-RTS / CTS between access points, or for MU-RTS / CTS for enhanced multi-access point cooperation, or BSRP, or newly defined management frames. These management frames may contain a parameter set corresponding to the operating mode. If this parameter set is a subset of the set consisting of the ranges of the parameters in the agreement, then the operating mode corresponding to that parameter set is supported; otherwise, it is not supported. For example, the aforementioned management frame, sent by the coordinating AP to the coordinated AP, contains the parameter set for the operating mode. The coordinated AP then receives this frame and compares it with the parameter range in the agreement. If it is a subset, it responds with an ICR to indicate support for the operating mode; otherwise, it responds with an ICR to indicate non-support for the operating mode. For example, the management frame may carry a set of parameters for the working mode, known as the R-TWTelement parameter set, which in some cases includes at least one parameter set. That is, the cooperation mode or working mode is not specifically determined during negotiation, but rather determined later.

[0051] In some embodiments, it is also considered that after the initial multi-access point cooperation set negotiation is established, there may be a need for parameter updates. In this case, an additional scheme is provided to reconfigure the negotiated content. For example, after receiving a BeaconFrame, Probe Response Frame, or ICF (the initial control frame may specifically be a negotiation frame, trigger frame, BSRP frame, Target Wake-up Time Notification (TWT) informing frame, or enhanced TWT informing frame, etc.) sent by the coordinating AP, unless the coordinating AP corresponds to a non-transmitting BSSID in the BSSID set, the station (STA) obtains the latest restricted target wake-up time element (R-TWT element) from these data frames to obtain or update the cooperative restricted target wake-up time parameter values ​​(CR-TWT parameter values).<R-TWT ID MAC> The value is consistent with the value agreed upon in advance.

[0052] In some embodiments, considering the effects of uplink and downlink in CR-TWT negotiation, the following strategies for data transmission can also be negotiated: Strategy 1: If the current terminal is transmitting downlink, the corresponding coordinated AP can transmit downlink. However, terminals near this terminal that are associated with the coordinated AP cannot be scheduled to transmit uplink, or their uplink transmission is postponed, or the uplink TXOP is transmitted before the R-TWT begins.

[0053] Strategy 2: If the current terminal is transmitting uplink, the corresponding coordinated AP can schedule the associated terminal to transmit uplink. Alternatively, the terminal of the coordinated AP cannot be scheduled to transmit downlink, or its downlink transmission can be postponed, or the downlink TXOP can be transmitted before the R-TWT starts.

[0054] The aforementioned negotiation can be completed through the trigger frame of the coordinating AP or ICF / ICR. The corresponding policy codes constitute a policy field or policy domain, with policy 1 being 00 and policy 2 being 01. Codes 10 and 11 are reserved for future expansion of supported functions. In some cases, this policy field or policy domain contains an enhanced R-TWT element used for collaborative R-TWT modes in multi-AP collaboration.

[0055] It should be noted that the above reconfiguration only takes the reconfiguration using previously negotiated parameters as an example. In some embodiments, new parameters may be negotiated during the reconfiguration process, etc., which will not be elaborated here.

[0056] It should also be noted that the above negotiation process is not unconditional. Access points are allowed to agree to cooperate based on their own conditions, or determine the cooperation method or parameters according to their own circumstances. Furthermore, the form of the data frames exchanged between access points is not limited. For example, an ICF can be a unicast, broadcast, or multicast frame, which can be sent by one access point to at least one other access point simultaneously. Alternatively, the exchanged data frames, as mentioned above, can be MU-RTS / CTS, enhanced MU-RTS / CTS, BSRP trigger frames, or newly defined data frames, etc., which will not be elaborated further here.

[0057] In step 102, data transmission is performed with the associated terminal through cooperation with access points in the multi-access point cooperation set. This embodiment does not limit the cooperation method; as mentioned above, there are multiple cooperation modes. Taking the cooperative target wake-up time as an example, the target wake-up time is generally used to transmit low-latency services. However, it can be affected by interference from other terminals. For example, when one target wake-up time begins, other terminals may be transmitting simultaneously. Therefore, it is possible to further require other terminals to stop transmitting when the target wake-up time begins, thereby avoiding interference between terminals. In this case, the target wake-up time that avoids interference from other terminals is called the restricted target wake-up time. Furthermore, access points can also interfere with data transmission within the restricted target wake-up time. For example, when the restricted target wake-up time of a terminal begins, adjacent access points may also be transmitting, interfering with services within the restricted target wake-up time. Therefore, by further combining multi-access point cooperation, adjacent access points may stop transmitting when the corresponding transmission opportunity begins at the start of the restricted target wake-up time, thus forming a cooperative restricted target wake-up time. Specifically, at this point, negotiating the establishment of a multi-access point cooperation set with at least one access point includes: negotiating with a second access point to reach a cooperation agreement with the restricted target wake-up time parameter set of the associated terminal. Accordingly, data transmission with the associated terminal is performed through cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set, including: after the associated terminal wakes up according to the restricted target wake-up time, data transmission is performed with the associated terminal through cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set.

[0058] In step 103, cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set is terminated. This embodiment does not limit the method of termination; for example, it can be automatically terminated based on a predefined time. Alternatively, it can be terminated based on received (including overhear) data frames. Or, it can be passively terminated based on instructions from the second access point, etc., and will not be listed further here.

[0059] To facilitate understanding of the discontinuation of multi-access point cooperation in the embodiments of this application, it will be explained below.

[0060] In some embodiments, negotiating the establishment of a multi-access point (MAP) cooperation set with at least one access point is achieved by exchanging a first data frame with a second access point, wherein the first data frame carries information indicating the timing for dissolving the MNP cooperation set. Correspondingly, dissolving cooperation with access points in the MNP cooperation set can be achieved by: dissolving the cooperation relationship with access points in the MNP cooperation set according to the dissolution timing, or dissolving at least one cooperation mode of cooperation with the MNP cooperation access points, wherein the cooperation mode includes at least one of the following: simultaneous transmission of multiple access points, cooperative time-division multiple access, cooperative spatial division multiple reuse, cooperative beamforming, and cooperative restricted target wake-up time. This allows for automatic dissolution based on the negotiated time.

[0061] The first data frame can be ICF or IRF, etc. The differences between these data frames have been previously explained and will not be repeated here. Furthermore, the first data frame carries specific information to indicate the timing of termination. For example, it may carry a timer or information based on TBTT, allowing the first access point to terminate cooperation at the corresponding time after determining the termination timing. Thus, by carrying the aforementioned timer information, TBTT quantity configuration, or the validity period of the cooperation protocol in the ICF or IRF frame, the multi-access point cooperation relationship, multi-access point cooperation mode, or multi-access point cooperation protocol automatically terminates when the timer expires, the TBTT expires, or the validity period expires.

[0062] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application do not limit the method of discontinuing cooperation. In some embodiments, when the timer expires or the indicated discontinuation time arrives, such as after multiple TBTTs, the multi-AP cooperation relationship or multi-access point cooperation mode between the coordinating AP and the coordinated AP ends, without the need to transmit a data frame to indicate discontinuation. In some embodiments, the coordinating AP and the coordinated AP automatically discontinue the multi-access point cooperation relationship or multi-access point cooperation mode, and simultaneously send a management frame (or ICF, IRF, Acknowledge character (ACK), or other newly defined frames, etc.) to indicate that the multi-access point cooperation relationship has ended. In some cases, the aforementioned management frame, etc., carries a field indicating the discontinuation of cooperation. For example, this field or the corresponding bit of the field can be configured to be 1 to indicate the discontinuation of cooperation, and 0 to indicate that the cooperation relationship is not discontinued or continues. Thus, the discontinuation of cooperation is indicated by the "1" in the field or field carried in the management frame, etc.

[0063] In some embodiments, considering the influence of various factors, after the coordinating AP and the coordinated AP have determined the termination timing (e.g., how many milliseconds (or seconds, TBTT)) during the negotiation phase, there may be a need to modify the termination timing. In this case, the coordinating AP can send an ICF to the coordinated AP, updating the termination timing by carrying a new time indication in the ICF. Alternatively, after receiving the ICF, the coordinated AP can transmit an IRF to the coordinating AP, where the IRF carries the new time indication. Wherein, if the coordinated AP agrees with the time proposed by the coordinating AP, the new termination timing of the cooperation in the ICF and IRF is consistent; otherwise, they are inconsistent.

[0064] Furthermore, considering that there may still be untransmitted data when the termination time arrives, in some embodiments, if the coordinating AP or coordinated AP still has data to transmit, the current buffered data (or the current TXOP data, or the current Restricted Target Wake Time Service Period (R-TWT SP) data, or the current Bufferable Unit (BU)) is transmitted before the multi-AP cooperation relationship ends. Specifically, not all untransmitted data waits for transmission to be completed before termination of cooperation; termination may be delayed only if the data is special service data. For example, this special service data could be low-latency service data or high Quality of Service (QoS) priority service data.

[0065] In other words, in some embodiments, when the termination time arrives, if the coordinating AP or coordinated AP still has data to transmit, the multi-AP cooperation relationship will be terminated immediately without transmitting all the data currently buffered (or the data of the current TXOP, or the data of the current R-TWT SP, or the current BU).

[0066] In some embodiments, establishing a multi-access point cooperation set with at least one access point can be achieved by negotiating a restricted target wake-up time with a second access point. Correspondingly, data transmission with the associated terminal through cooperation with access points in the multi-access point cooperation set can be achieved by: after the associated terminal wakes up according to the restricted target wake-up time, data transmission with the associated terminal through cooperation with access points in the multi-access point cooperation set. At this time, discontinuing cooperation with access points in the multi-access point cooperation set can be achieved in the following ways: receiving a restricted target wake-up time cancellation frame, wherein the restricted target wake-up time cancellation frame is a request cancellation frame sent by the terminal to the second access point, a cancellation frame sent by the second access point to the terminal associated with the second access point, or a confirmation cancellation frame sent by the second access point to the terminal associated with the second access point; under the condition of satisfying the predefined target conditions, according to the timing of the cancellation of the multi-access point cooperation set indicated by the restricted target wake-up time cancellation frame, simultaneously canceling the restricted target wake-up time and the cooperation with access points in the multi-access point cooperation set; wherein the predefined target conditions include: the restricted target wake-up time that needs to be canceled indicated by the restricted target wake-up time cancellation frame is the only restricted target wake-up time supported by the negotiation between the first access point and the second access point, the only target wake-up time that currently conforms to the cooperation mode negotiated by the first access point and the second access point, and / or, all restricted target wake-up times.

[0067] In some embodiments, when predefined target conditions are met, the restricted target wake-up time release frame carries information for indicating the restricted target wake-up time of the first access point and the associated terminal, and / or information for indicating the release timing.

[0068] In other words, in some embodiments, if the Target Wake-Up Time (CR-TWT) is the only CR-TWT between the Scheduling AP and the Coordinated AP, and if all terminals operating in that CR-TWT mode are tear down (i.e., the CR-TWT mode / schedule is terminated between the Scheduling AP and the associated terminals), then the Scheduling AP and the Coordinated AP simultaneously terminate their cooperation relationship for that CR-TWT. Specifically, between the Scheduling AP and the corresponding terminal, the CR-TWT termination is achieved by the Scheduling AP transmitting an R-TWT termination frame to the corresponding terminal, containing the CR-TWT ID. For example, the terminal terminates the CR-TWT immediately upon receiving the frame, or after several TBTTs indicated in the frame. Simultaneously, after receiving (or overhearing) the termination frame, the Coordinated AP terminates its cooperation relationship for that CR-TWT at the CR-TWT termination time, or after the indicated time. This allows for the termination of cooperation by reusing the scheduling AP to send R-TWT termination frames.

[0069] In some embodiments, if the CR-TWT is the only CR-TWT in the negotiation mode supported between the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP, and if the CR-TWT is terminated between the scheduling AP and the corresponding terminal, the cooperation relationship of the CR-TWT between the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP is simultaneously terminated. Specifically, between the scheduling AP and the corresponding terminal, the termination of the CR-TWT is performed by the scheduling AP sending an R-TWT termination frame (carrying the corresponding CR-TWT ID). For example, the terminal terminates the CR-TWT immediately upon receiving the frame, or after several TBTTs indicated in the frame. Simultaneously, after receiving (or overhearing) the termination frame, the coordinated AP terminates the cooperation relationship with the corresponding scheduling AP in the negotiation mode for that CR-TWT at the time of or after the CR-TWT termination.

[0070] In this context, "negotiated support for CR-TWT" refers to the process where, when the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP establish a cooperative relationship for R-TWT through ICF / ICR negotiation, the coordinated R-TWT specifies the TID, service mode, QoS, service priority, uplink R-TWT, or downlink R-TWT supported by that cooperative R-TWT. For example, if the CR-TWT is the only CR-TWT with supported TIDs, and the coordinated AP receives (or overhears) a cancellation frame for that CR-TWT between the scheduling AP and the relevant terminal, then the cooperative relationship (or cooperative protocol) between the coordinated AP and the scheduling AP for the R-TWT supporting the stated TID is terminated.

[0071] In certain situations, if the CR-TWT is the only CR-TWT negotiated and supported between the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP, and if the CR-TWT is terminated between the scheduling AP and the corresponding terminal, then both the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP simultaneously terminate their cooperation relationships for that CR-TWT, or all CR-TWT cooperation relationships. Specifically, between the scheduling AP and the corresponding terminal, the scheduling AP sends a CR-TWT termination frame to the corresponding terminal, tearing down the terminal's operation in the CR-TWT mode / schedule. This termination frame contains the CR-TWT ID. For example, the terminal terminates the CR-TWT immediately upon receiving the frame, or after several TBTTs indicated in the frame. Simultaneously, after receiving (or overhearing) the termination frame, the coordinated AP terminates the corresponding cooperation relationship for the negotiated CR-TWT mode at the time of termination, or after that time.

[0072] The negotiation-supported mode refers to the process where, when the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP negotiate and establish a cooperative relationship for R-TWT through an initial control frame and / or an initial response frame, they specify the supported TID, service mode, QoS, service priority, uplink service, or downlink service for the cooperative R-TWT. For example, if the CR-TWT is the only CR-TWT for the supported TID, and the coordinated AP receives (or overhears) the corresponding cancellation frame, then the cooperative relationship with the scheduling AP for the supported TID is terminated. In some cases, when the coordinated AP terminates its cooperative relationship with the scheduling AP, the coordinated AP sends a management frame, ACK frame, or ICR to the scheduling AP. This frame indicates that the cooperative relationship for the R-TWT between the coordinated AP and the scheduling AP has been terminated. In some cases, this frame contains a field indicating the termination of the CR-TWT cooperative relationship between the APs. In some cases, a field or corresponding bit of this field being 1 indicates the termination of the CR-TWT cooperative relationship between the APs. 0 indicates that the CR-TWT relationship is either not terminated or continues.

[0073] In some embodiments, the aforementioned release frame indicates the release of all R-TWTs or TWTs before the multi-AP cooperation relationship or multi-AP cooperation agreement is terminated, where some R-TWTs operate in multi-AP cooperation mode. In certain cases, if the frame transmitted by the scheduling AP, or a management frame, or a TWT release frame, or an R-TWT release frame contains the corresponding TWT element or the Teardown All TWT field in the R-TWT element set to 1, and the coordinated AP receives (or overhears) this frame, then the cooperation agreement or consensus between the coordinated AP and the scheduling AP on all CR-TWTs is terminated. In some cases, the R-TWT element can be an enhanced element for CR-TWTs, or simply a CR-TWT element. Thus, by reusing the Teardown All TWT field, this element further supports the termination of cooperation relationships between multiple APs.

[0074] In some embodiments, when a coordinated AP unintentionally receives (i.e., overhears) a request to cancel a terminal sent to its associated scheduling AP, or a cancellation frame sent by the scheduling AP to its associated terminal, or a confirmation cancellation frame sent by the scheduling AP to its associated terminal, the coordinated AP performs the aforementioned operation to terminate the corresponding CR-TWT cooperation between the coordinated AP and the scheduling AP, or terminate the R-TWT cooperation agreement between the coordinated AP and the scheduling AP. Here, the cooperation relationship, or cooperation agreement, or simply cooperation, is referred to as a coordination agreement. In some cases, this cooperation agreement includes at least cooperation parameters such as bandwidth, service type, uplink mode, or downlink mode.

[0075] In some embodiments, coordinated APs may unintentionally receive (i.e., overhear) a cancellation frame and use it to terminate the cooperation relationship between APs. This cancellation frame may be a broadcast or multicast frame.

[0076] In some embodiments, the scheduling AP and the coordinating AP operate in CR-TWT mode. The scheduling AP has some terminals associated with it, and these terminals operate within the CR-TWT. The scheduling AP transmits a terminal-to-terminal (CR-TWT) release frame to the terminal associated with it. If the coordinating AP inadvertently receives this release frame, it does not terminate its cooperation with the scheduling AP's corresponding CR-TWT.

[0077] In some embodiments, discontinuing cooperation with access points in a multi-access point cooperation set can be achieved as follows: a first access point receives a second data frame sent by a second access point, wherein the second data frame carries information for indicating discontinuing cooperation with access points in the multi-access point cooperation set; and the discontinuation of cooperation with access points in the multi-access point cooperation set is triggered based on the second data frame.

[0078] In some embodiments, the second data frame carries information for indicating the cooperation mode to be discontinued, such as the cooperation mode itself, for example, information about the restricted target wake-up time, and / or, for indicating one of the MAC addresses of at least two parties involved in the cooperation to be discontinued.

[0079] In other words, the collaboration is not automatically terminated, but rather initiated based on instructions. In some embodiments, if the collaboration protocol between the coordinating AP (scheduling AP) and the coordinated AP needs to be terminated, frame exchanges between the two APs are required. For example, termination might be achieved through an ICF / ICR transmitted between the two APs, or through a dedicated termination frame for dissolving the collaboration protocol. This is not achieved by the coordinated AP unintentionally receiving a termination frame sent by the coordinating AP to its associated terminal.

[0080] In some embodiments, the tear-down frame is an ICF (Initial Form Frame), such as a Trigger Frame, or a newly defined management frame used to terminate the cooperation relationship between multiple APs. This frame contains a field, or field indicating that the frame's function is to terminate the cooperation protocol between multiple APs. For example, this indication is used in conjunction with a specific scheme number, such as two bits: 00 for C-TDMA, 01 for C-SR, 10 for C-BF, and 11 for CR-TWT. For example, an ICF / ICR may contain a field, or field whose function is to terminate the CR-TWT cooperation protocol between multiple APs. This field contains one bit: 0 indicates establishing a relationship and negotiating, and 1 indicates terminating the relationship. The field 1 indicates termination, and the scheme number field is 11.

[0081] In some embodiments, the release frame includes the R-TWT element ID to be released and the corresponding MAC address that transmitted the frame, jointly representing a CR-TWT. In some cases, this...<R-TWT element ID MAC> Included in the release frame, it is used to release the R-TWT. In some cases, when multiple R-TWTs need to be released, this release frame contains multiple R-TWTs.<R-TWT element ID MAC> This corresponds to multiple CR-TWTs that need to be deactivated. In some cases, this deactivation frame only deactivates the cooperation between the coordinating AP and the coordinated AP for at least one CR-TWT contained in the deactivation frame, without deactivating the cooperation protocol between the coordinating AP and the coordinated AP for the CR-TWT. In some cases, the deactivation frame contains a 1-bit field used to configure whether to deactivate the current at least one CR-TWT or the cooperation protocol between the coordinating AP and the coordinated AP for the CR-TWT. A field value of 1 indicates deactivation of the cooperation for at least one CR-TWT contained in the current deactivation frame, while a field value of 0 indicates deactivation of the cooperation relationship (cooperation protocol) for the CR-TWT contained in the current deactivation frame. In some cases, a field value of 0 indicates deactivation of the cooperation protocol for the CR-TWT between the coordinating AP and the coordinated AP. If the coordinating AP and the coordinated AP need to cooperate for a CR-TWT, they need to renegotiate and establish a cooperation protocol before they can cooperate for that CR-TWT. Instead of simply having the coordinating AP notify the coordinated AP of the R-TWT information.<R-TWT element ID MAC> It transmits the information to the coordinated AP, requesting it to cooperate with or assist the R-TWT.

[0082] In some embodiments, when the coordinating AP and the coordinated AP transmit frames for R-TWT cooperation, such as ICF, ICR, or MU-RTS / CTS, or (enhanced MU-RTS / CTS for inter-AP transmission), BSRP, polling, newly defined trigger frames, or release frames, etc., which contain an identifier for determining the cooperative R-TWT (CR-TWT), this identifier is...<R-TWT element ID,MAC> Where MAC is the MAC address of the scheduling AP of R-TWT. In some cases, this identifier is...<R-TWT element ID,MAC1,MAC2> Here, MAC1 is the MAC address of the scheduling AP of the R-TWT, and MAC2 is the MAC address of the coordinating AP that cooperates with the scheduling MAC AP of the R-TWT. In some cases, this identifier includes the MAC address of at least one coordinating AP. In some cases, this identifier includes at least one R-TWT element ID, for example,<R-TWT element ID1,R-TWTelement ID2,MAC1,MAC2> .

[0083] In some embodiments, the scheduling AP may also receive (or overhear) a frame from the coordinated AP sent to its associated terminal to terminate the agreement. The terminal associated with the coordinating AP or the terminal associated with the coordinated AP sends a termination frame to terminate at least one CR-TWT, or to terminate the cooperation protocol between the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP. In some cases, this frame is a termination frame, or a TWT / R-TWT related frame (e.g., a request frame, response frame, broadcast frame), or the termination request frame contains the aforementioned identifier, or function fields and scheme number. In some cases, the termination includes R-TWT / TWT parameters / schedules for the associated coordinated AP that conflict with the CR-TWT. For example, their cycles overlap, or their terminal wake-up times at least partially overlap.

[0084] It should be noted that the above is just an example. The release parameters can be configured in detail and carried in data frames such as the initial control frame or the initial response frame.

[0085] In some embodiments, if the CR-TWT is the only cooperating R-TWT between the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP, if the R-TWT is terminated between the scheduling AP and the associated terminal, the coordination relationship (or coordination agreement) between the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP is simultaneously terminated. Specifically, the R-TWT is terminated either by the scheduling AP or by a terminal associated with the scheduling AP requesting termination, and then the scheduling AP confirms the termination. Simultaneously, when the R-TWT is terminated by the scheduling AP, or when the termination is confirmed by the scheduling AP, the coordination agreement between the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP for the R-TWT is also terminated. In some cases, it is configurable whether the coordination agreement between the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP for the R-TWT is also terminated when the aforementioned unique cooperating R-TWT is terminated. Accordingly, during negotiation, a field, or a bit, is included in the frame used for negotiation, such as in ICF / ICR, where 0 indicates that terminating the unique cooperating R-TWT terminates the coordination agreement between the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP for the R-TWT. Otherwise, 1 indicates that the R-TWT cooperation agreement between the scheduling AP and the coordinated AP is not terminated.

[0086] Based on the above explanations of different termination strategies, it can be seen that, regardless of the termination strategy, before terminating the cooperation relationship with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set, or before terminating at least one cooperation mode of cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation, the termination timing can be updated in the following way: interacting with the second access point with a third data frame, wherein the third data frame carries information for indicating the update of the termination timing; and updating the termination timing based on the third data frame.

[0087] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the third data frame may include a third initial control frame. In this case, interacting with the second access point by the third data frame can be achieved by receiving the third initial control frame sent by the second access point, wherein the third initial control frame carries information for indicating the release timing specified by the second access point.

[0088] Furthermore, in some embodiments, feedback on the modification of the release timing of the first access point is further supported. In this case, the third data frame also includes a third initial response frame. Interacting with the second access point with the third data frame further includes: after receiving the third initial control frame sent by the second access point, sending the third initial response frame to the second access point, wherein the third initial response frame carries information indicating the release timing specified by the first access point; wherein the release timings corresponding to the third initial control frame and the third initial response frame are the same or different.

[0089] Of course, the above are just examples of modifying the contact timing. In some embodiments, the modification of the release timing can also be indicated by other data frames. In particular, the first access point can actively initiate the process of modifying the release timing to the second access point, and the second access point can choose to agree or disagree with the request, etc., which will not be listed here.

[0090] Furthermore, based on the explanations of the different decoupling strategies described above, it can be understood that there can be a strict correspondence between the decoupling timing and the decoupling action. That is, decoupling from the access points in the multi-access point collaboration set is achieved by directly decoupling the collaboration relationship with the access points in the multi-access point collaboration set or the collaboration mode used by the access points in the multi-access point collaboration set. However, there can also be a relaxed correspondence between the decoupling timing and the decoupling action. Decoupling from the access points in the multi-access point collaboration set can also be achieved in the following way: when it is necessary to decouple from the access points in the multi-access point collaboration set, and there is still data to be transmitted with the terminal in a preset service mode, the collaboration relationship with the access points in the multi-access point collaboration set or the collaboration mode used by the access points in the multi-access point collaboration set can be decoupled after the data to be transmitted is completed.

[0091] It should be noted that the above are merely examples. It is understood that collaboration may involve multiple modes, including C-SR, in addition to CR-TWT as mentioned above. The explanations of the different release strategies described above use CR-TWT as an example only, and do not imply that only CR-TWT can be released; multiple collaboration modes can be released together or in association. For example, in some embodiments, the release frame identifies the corresponding collaboration mode to be released. In some embodiments, to deactivate multiple working modes, it is necessary to include indications of multiple working modes. For example, each cooperative mode corresponds to a field or domain provided in the aforementioned CR-TWT related embodiments, which is carried in the corresponding data frame in a manner similar to that in the aforementioned CR-TWT related embodiments. This allows the interaction of these data frames to determine whether the corresponding cooperative mode needs to be deactivated, the corresponding deactivation time, etc. For example, the deactivation frame includes a cooperative mode indication, such as C-TDMA, C-SR, C-BR, and CR-TWT. Each mode's corresponding field or domain contains two bits, and the aforementioned cooperative modes are encoded as 00, 01, 10, and 11, respectively. Only when the corresponding capability field or domain is represented as 1 can cooperation based on that cooperative mode be performed, and only when the corresponding capability field or domain is represented as 0 can deactivation based on that cooperative mode be performed. In addition, the corresponding cooperative capability can also be bound to a specific cooperative mode. In particular, some deactivation frames may also include a field or domain (these fields or domains, for example, are called "tear down all"), which, when set to 1, is used to indicate the deactivation of all working modes currently participated in by the AP, or all cooperative protocols of a certain cooperative mode of the current AP. Not including or setting it to 0 indicates that the above functions are not available. The corresponding data frames can be transmitted using unicast, multicast, or broadcast methods, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0092] Correspondingly, this application also provides a multi-access point collaboration method applied to a second access point, which has been described in the foregoing embodiments and will not be repeated here. The multi-access point collaboration method applied to the second access point includes, for example... Figure 2 As shown, the process includes the following steps: Step 201: Negotiate with at least one access point to establish a multi-access point collaboration set.

[0093] Step 202: Disconnect from the access points in the multi-access point collaboration set.

[0094] It is not difficult to see that this embodiment is a method embodiment corresponding to the foregoing method embodiments, and this embodiment can be implemented in conjunction with the foregoing embodiments. The relevant technical details mentioned in the foregoing embodiments are still valid in this embodiment, and will not be repeated here to reduce repetition. Accordingly, the relevant technical details mentioned in this embodiment can also be applied to the foregoing embodiments.

[0095] The steps of the various methods described above are only for clarity. In practice, they can be combined into one step or some steps can be split into multiple steps. As long as they include the same logical relationship, they are all within the scope of protection of this patent. Adding insignificant modifications or introducing insignificant designs to the algorithm or process, but without changing the core design of the algorithm and process, are also within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0096] Another aspect of this application embodiment also provides an electronic device, such as... Figure 3 As shown, it includes: at least one processor 301; and a memory 302 communicatively connected to at least one processor 301; wherein the memory 302 stores instructions executable by at least one processor 301, which are executed by at least one processor 301 to enable at least one processor 301 to perform the multi-access point cooperation method described in any of the above method embodiments.

[0097] The memory 302 and processor 301 are connected via a bus, which can include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges. The bus connects various circuits of one or more processors 301 and memory 302 together. The bus can also connect various other circuits, such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. A bus interface provides an interface between the bus and the transceiver. The transceiver can be a single element or multiple elements, such as multiple receivers and transmitters, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. Data processed by processor 301 is transmitted over a wireless medium via an antenna, which further receives data and transmits it to processor 301.

[0098] Processor 301 is responsible for managing the bus and general processing, and can also provide various functions, including timing, peripheral interfaces, voltage regulation, power management, and other control functions. Memory 302 can be used to store data used by processor 301 during operation.

[0099] Another aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the above-described method embodiments.

[0100] That is, those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. This program is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a device (which may be a microcontroller, chip, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0101] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are specific embodiments for implementing this application, and in practical applications, various changes can be made to them in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of this application.

Claims

1. A multi-access point cooperation method, characterized in that, Applied to a first access point, the method includes: Negotiate and establish a multi-access point collaboration set with at least one access point; Data transmission is performed through terminals that collaborate with and are associated with access points in the multi-access point collaboration set. Disconnect from the cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set; The step of disabling cooperation with access points in the multi-access point cooperation set includes: In response to a release frame, cooperation of at least one CR-TWT contained in the release frame is released, without releasing the cooperation mode of the CR-TWT between the first access point and the second access point; wherein, the release frame contains the CR-TWT to be released. TWT corresponds to R The TWT element ID and the corresponding MAC address used to transmit the release frame.

2. The multi-access point cooperation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The release frame is sent by the second access point, or the release frame is sent by the terminal associated with the second access point, wherein the second access point is the access point that initiated the establishment of the multi-access point cooperation set, the access point that preempted the transmission opportunity in the multi-access point cooperation set, or the access point that scheduled the target wake-up time of the terminal associated with the multi-access point cooperation set.

3. The multi-access point cooperation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The MAC addresses included in the release frame include: the MAC address of the scheduling AP in the multi-access point cooperative set of access points, and the MAC address of the coordinating AP associated with the at least one CR-TWT.

4. The multi-access point cooperation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After decoupling the cooperation of at least one CR-TWT contained in the decoupling frame, without decoupling the CR-TWT cooperation mode between the first access point and the second access point, the method further includes: The terminated CR-TWT cooperation will be renegotiated.

5. The multi-access point cooperation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The step of disabling cooperation with access points in the multi-access point cooperation set also includes: The cooperation mode of disabling the cooperation of the access point with the multiple access points includes at least one of the following: simultaneous transmission of multiple access points, cooperative time division multiple access, cooperative spatial division reuse, and cooperative beamforming.

6. The multi-access point cooperation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: The multi-access point cooperation set is terminated according to the determined termination timing, wherein the termination timing of the multi-access point cooperation set is determined during the negotiation phase or obtained by updating the termination timing determined during the negotiation phase through the interaction of a third data frame; wherein the third data frame carries information for indicating the updating of the termination timing of the multi-access point cooperation set.

7. The multi-access point cooperation method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The third data frame includes the third initial control frame, and the interaction of the third data frame includes: The third initial control frame sent by the second access point is received, wherein the third initial control frame carries information for indicating the release timing specified by the second access point.

8. The multi-access point cooperation method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The third data frame also includes a third initial response frame, and the interaction of the third data frame further includes: After receiving the third initial control frame sent by the second access point, a third initial response frame is sent to the second access point, wherein the third initial response frame carries information for indicating the release timing specified by the first access point; The timing of the release corresponding to the third initial control frame and the third initial response frame may be the same or different.

9. The multi-access point cooperation method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The termination of cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set includes: In the case where it is necessary to terminate the cooperation with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set, and there is still data to be transmitted with the terminal in a preset service mode, the cooperation relationship with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set or the cooperation mode used with the access points in the multi-access point cooperation set shall be terminated after the data to be transmitted is completed.

10. The multi-access point cooperation method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The data for the preset business mode includes low-latency business data and / or high-service-quality-priority business data.

Images