A communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and device. In the method, a CCO generates and sends a first beacon frame, wherein the first beacon frame includes indication information of a first CSMA time slot, the time slot indication information of the first CSMA includes type indication information, and the type indication information is used to indicate whether the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame (i.e. a physical layer frame defined in a new protocol version). Nodes supporting the first type and nodes supporting a second type (i.e. an old protocol version) can determine whether to compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot according to the indication of the first beacon frame, avoiding the possibility that nodes not supporting the first type may occur data conflict in the first CSMA time slot due to the inability to correctly parse the first type of physical layer frame sent by other nodes, thereby realizing that new and old protocol nodes can be mixed in networking without upgrading all nodes in the network to support the first type, wasting manpower and resources.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Power line communication (PLC), also known as power line networking, refers to a carrier communication method that uses existing power lines to transmit data. PLC technology can use existing low-frequency (50 / 60 Hz) power lines to send broadband data. With the development of smart grids, PLC is being used more and more widely in the power industry, not only for collecting electricity consumption information, but also for monitoring distribution networks, and for communication scenarios in new power systems such as photovoltaic systems and orderly charging.

[0003] Currently, the PLC protocol used in the power industry for electricity consumption information collection employs orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation, utilizing a frequency band within 12MHz for meter data acquisition and remote monitoring. This technology is also commonly referred to in the industry as high-speed power line communication (HPLC).

[0004] Power systems contain numerous nodes, including a central coordinator (CCO), proxy coordinators (PCOs), and stations (STAs). Therefore, HPLC employs a combined time-division multiple access (TDMA) and carrier-sense multiple access (CSMA) approach, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the beacon period is also the MAC period. In a beacon period, the CCO sends a beacon frame. The beacon frame contains the beacon time slots allocated by the CCO within the beacon period. The beacon time slots include TDMA time slots (time slots allocated to one or more specific sites without contention), CSMA time slots, and bound CSMA time slots (CSMA time slots that one or more designated sites can contend for). Each node needs to access the channel based on the allocated time slots.

[0005] Due to the complex channel conditions of PLCs, including significant channel attenuation and interference, older communication protocols used a longer preamble in the physical layer frame structure to ensure communication success, containing 13 data payload symbols (excluding the guard interval), resulting in substantial preamble overhead. Therefore, the industry began researching new communication protocols to improve communication efficiency. However, achieving compatibility between the new and old communication protocols remains a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and apparatus to solve the compatibility problem between new and old protocols.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a communication device, or a communication module / processing module in a communication device, or a circuit or chip in a communication device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip in a communication device responsible for processing functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)).

[0008] Taking the application of this method to a communication device as an example, in this method, a first beacon frame is generated. The first beacon frame includes indication information of a first carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) time slot. The time slot indication information of the first CSMA includes type indication information. The type indication information is used to indicate that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame (i.e., a physical layer frame defined by a new protocol version, including a frame structure different from that of the old protocol version), or to indicate that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame; the first beacon frame is then sent.

[0009] The aforementioned communication device can be a CCO.

[0010] In the above embodiments, the first beacon frame generated and sent by the CCO includes type indication information for the first CSMA time slot, which is used to indicate whether the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type. This allows nodes supporting the first type (i.e., the new protocol version) and nodes supporting the second type (i.e., the old protocol version) to determine whether they can compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot based on the indication of the first beacon frame. This avoids nodes that do not support the first type competing for the channel in the first CSMA time slot. However, since these nodes cannot correctly parse the physical layer frames of the first type sent by other nodes, there is a possibility of data conflict. This enables nodes of the new and old protocols to be mixed in the network without having to upgrade all nodes in the power line network to support the first type, thus saving too much manpower and resources.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the type indication information is indicated through the Link Identifier (LID) field. Existing beacon frames contain an LID field, which is one byte long and ranges from 0 to 255. However, many values ​​within this range are currently unused. Therefore, embodiments of this application can utilize these unused values ​​to express the type indication information, minimizing modifications to existing beacon frames.

[0012] In one possible implementation, when the i-th bit of the LID field is a preset value, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame; and / or, when the i-th bit of the LID field is not a preset value, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame. Existing beacon frames contain an LID field, which is 1 byte long (8 bits), but not every bit is fully utilized. In this implementation, one of the 8 bits can be used to represent type indication information, which helps reduce modifications to existing beacon frames.

[0013] In one possible implementation, when the value of the LID field falls within a first preset value range, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame; and / or, when the value of the LID field falls within a second preset value range, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame; wherein the first preset range and the second preset range have no overlap. Existing beacon frames contain an LID field, which is one byte long and has a value range of 0 to 255, but currently, a large number of values ​​within this range are not being utilized. In this implementation, the underutilized value range can be used to represent type indication information, which helps reduce modifications to existing beacon frames.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first CSMA time slot is a bound CSMA time slot. To facilitate understanding that nodes that do not support the first type can use the first CSMA time slot to transmit physical layer frames of the first type, the first CSMA time slot can be set as a bound time slot. That is, nodes that support the first type can compete for the channel on the first CSMA time slot, while nodes that do not support the first type cannot compete for the channel on the first CSMA time slot. Thus, after receiving the first beacon frame, nodes that do not support the first type can confirm that they cannot compete for the channel on the first CSMA time slot, thereby further avoiding the possibility of data collisions.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first beacon frame includes indication information for a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) time slot, in which the first type of physical layer frame is transmitted after the second type of physical layer frame. Sending the second type of physical layer frame first helps nodes that do not support the first type to correctly receive and parse it, preventing nodes that do not support the first type from receiving it first, thus failing to correctly parse it, and potentially even affecting the reception of the second type of physical layer frame.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the first beacon frame is a physical layer frame of type 2. In practical applications, nodes that support the new protocol (i.e., nodes that support type 1) usually also support the old protocol (i.e., nodes that support type 2). Therefore, the CCO can send beacon frames based on the frame structure of the old protocol. In this way, both nodes supporting type 1 and nodes supporting type 2 can determine the information of each time slot in the beacon period through the first beacon frame.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the first beacon frame is a physical layer frame of the first type, and the type indication information is used to indicate that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type. The method further includes: sending a second beacon frame, the second beacon frame being a physical layer frame of the second type, the second beacon frame including indication information for a second CSMA time slot and indication information for the first CSMA time slot, the second CSMA time slot not being usable for transmitting physical layer frames of the first type, and the first CSMA time slot being usable for transmitting physical layer frames of the first type. In the case of a mixed network of nodes using new and old protocols, the CCO can send beacon frames, i.e., a first beacon frame and a second beacon frame, based on the frame structures of the new and old protocols respectively. Nodes supporting the new protocol can determine the time slots of the contentionable channel based on the first beacon frame, and nodes not supporting the new protocol can determine the time slots of the contentionable channel based on the second beacon frame. Furthermore, the second beacon frame also includes indication information for the first CSMA time slot, enabling nodes not supporting the new protocol to determine that they cannot contend for the channel on the first CSMA time slot based on the indication information for the first CSMA time slot in the second beacon frame.

[0018] In one possible implementation, sending the first beacon frame includes sending the first beacon frame after sending the second beacon frame. Sending the second beacon frame first helps nodes that do not support the first type to correctly understand the second beacon frame, and avoids nodes that do not support the first type receiving the first beacon frame first, which could lead to incorrect parsing of the first beacon frame and even affect the reception of the second beacon frame.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame, including: it can be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame but cannot be used to transmit a second type of physical layer frame; or, it can be used to transmit both the first type of physical layer frame and the second type of physical layer frame.

[0020] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a communication device, or a communication module / processing module in a communication device, or a circuit or chip in a communication device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip in a communication device responsible for processing functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)).

[0021] Taking the application of this method to a communication device as an example, in this method, a first physical layer frame is generated and sent. The first physical layer frame is a second type of physical layer frame. The first physical layer frame includes frame length indication information and type indication information. When the type indication information indicates that the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame, it means that from the end position of the first physical layer frame to the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, nodes that support the first type of physical layer frame can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame, or can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame and the second type of physical layer frame.

[0022] In the above method, nodes in the power line network supporting the new protocol can send preemption frames to preempt the time slots available for transmitting physical layer frames based on the new protocol. Upon receiving a preemption frame, these nodes can determine the preemption time slot based on its indication and compete for the channel during that time slot to transmit either physical layer frames based on the new protocol or those based on the old protocol. Nodes not supporting the new protocol, while unable to identify the specific meaning of the preemption frame, can determine the time slot where the channel is occupied (i.e., the preemption time slot) based on the frame length indication information within the preemption frame, thus avoiding channel competition during that time slot and preventing data conflicts caused by the inability to identify physical layer frames based on the new protocol. Furthermore, this scheme is more flexible, allowing for flexible scheduling of time slots available for transmitting the first type of physical layer frames within a beacon period, which helps reduce the transmission latency of nodes supporting the new protocol.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned communication device can be a Central Coordinator (CCO), a Proximity Coordinator (PCO), or a Station (STA). In this implementation, the CCOs, PCOs, and STAs in the power line network that support the new protocol can all send preemption frames, making scheduling more flexible and helping to further reduce the transmission latency of nodes supporting the new protocol.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the PCO is authorized to send the preemption frame; and / or, the STA is authorized to send the preemption frame. In this implementation, not every PCO or STA can send the preemption frame; only authorized PCOs and STAs have the authority to send it, thereby avoiding frequent preemption and reducing transmission latency for nodes that do not support the new protocol.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the first physical layer frame does not include data payload symbols. When the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame, its primary purpose is to indicate that a first type of physical layer frame can be transmitted during the preemptive period, rather than to transmit data payloads; therefore, the preemptive frame may not include data payload symbols.

[0026] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a communication method applied to a communication device, or a communication module / processing module in a communication device, or a circuit or chip in a communication device responsible for communication functions (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core or a system-in-package (SIP) chip), or a circuit or chip in a communication device responsible for processing functions (such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)).

[0027] Taking the application of this method to a communication device as an example, the communication device supports a second type of physical layer frame and a first type of physical layer frame. In this method, a first physical layer frame is received. The first physical layer frame is a second type of physical layer frame. The first physical layer frame includes frame length indication information and type indication information. When the type indication information indicates that the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame, it means that from the end position of the first physical layer frame to the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, nodes supporting the first type of physical layer frame can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame, or can compete to transmit both the first type of physical layer frame and the second type of physical layer frame. Before the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, if there is a transmission demand, the first type of physical layer frame or the second type of physical layer frame is sent.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the second node is a Central Coordinator (CCO), a Proximity Coordinator (PCO), or a Site (STA).

[0029] In one possible implementation, the first physical layer frame does not include data payload symbols.

[0030] Fourthly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be a communication equipment, including a processor, chip, or functional module, etc., and has the function of implementing the method in the first aspect or any implementation thereof. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described function.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a processing module and, optionally, an interface module. These modules can perform the corresponding functions described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes at least one processor configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface and / or a memory. The communication interface is used for sending and receiving frames, information, or data, and for communicating with other devices in the communication system. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0033] Fifthly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be a first node, a processor, a chip, or a functional module within the first node, etc., and the communication device has the function of implementing the method in the second aspect or any implementation thereof. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described function.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a processing module and, optionally, an interface module. These modules can perform the corresponding functions described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes at least one processor configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface and / or a memory. The communication interface is used for sending and receiving frames, information, or data, and for communicating with other devices in the communication system. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0036] Sixthly, this application also provides a communication device, which may be a second node, a processor, a chip, or a functional module within the second node, and has the function of implementing the method in the third aspect or any implementation thereof. The function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes a processing module and, optionally, an interface module. These modules can perform the corresponding functions described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof, as detailed in the method examples, which will not be repeated here.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes at least one processor configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions described in the first aspect or any implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface and / or a memory. The communication interface is used for sending and receiving frames, information, or data, and for communicating with other devices in the communication system. The memory is coupled to the processor and stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device.

[0039] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a communication system including the communication device described in the fourth aspect above; or including the communication device described in the fifth aspect above and the communication device described in the sixth aspect above.

[0040] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip, including: at least one processor coupled to a memory for storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the chip to implement the methods described in the first to third aspects and any of their implementations.

[0041] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in the first to third aspects and any of their implementations.

[0042] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in the first to third aspects and any of their implementations.

[0043] For the technical effects that can be achieved by any possible implementation of any of the third to tenth aspects above, please refer to the description of the technical effects that can be achieved by the corresponding implementation schemes in the first to second aspects above. Repeated points will not be discussed. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the power line network architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the physical layer frame structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating the access method for power communication provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the frame structure of a preemptive frame provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0052] Power line communication (PLC) utilizes existing power lines to transmit data or information using digital signal processing methods. PLC technology can transmit broadband data using existing low-frequency (50 / 60 Hz) power lines. In the power industry, PLC technology is commonly used for collecting electricity consumption information from power users, and for data exchange between concentrator communication units and electricity meter communication units, as well as between collector communication units, in electricity consumption information collection systems. With the development of smart grids, the applications of power line communication in the power industry are becoming increasingly widespread, not only for collecting electricity consumption information but also for monitoring distribution networks and communication scenarios in new power systems such as photovoltaic systems and orderly charging systems.

[0053] PLC applications in the power industry have a natural advantage due to existing cabling, eliminating the need for additional communication cabling and offering greater reliability compared to air communication. However, the challenge with PLCs lies in the fact that power cables are not specifically designed for communication. The load impedance on these cables is complex and changes in real time, and noise interference from various electrical devices is significant, greatly limiting transmission speeds. This places higher demands on transceiver design. Furthermore, the power industry requires communication with a large number of nodes (potentially exceeding 2000) located far apart. Therefore, PLC networks typically form multi-level tree-like networks, such as… Figure 1 As shown. In Figure 1 The tree network topology diagram shown can include network nodes, excluding the central coordinator (CCO), proxy coordinator (PCO), and station (STA).

[0054] Currently, the power industry has formulated the enterprise standard Q / GDW 11612-2016 "Technical Specification for Interoperability of Broadband Carrier Communication for Low-Voltage Power Lines," which is the world's first broadband carrier communication standard for power business applications. It adopts OFDM modulation and uses a frequency band within 12MHz for data acquisition and remote monitoring of electricity meters. This technology is often referred to in the industry as high-speed power line communication (HPLC), and we will use HPLC to refer to this technology from now on.

[0055] The physical layer structure used in HPLC can be as follows: Figure 2 As shown, it includes a preamble, frame control symbols, and data payload symbols. In this embodiment, a physical layer frame may refer to a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU).

[0056] Due to the large number of nodes in the power communication network, HPLC employs a combined multiple access method of time division multiple access (TDMA) and carrier sense multiple access (CSMA), such as... Figure 3 As shown, the CCO can periodically send beacon frames. These beacon frames include beacon time slots, TDMA time slots, CSMA time slots, and bound CSMA time slots within the beacon period allocated by the CCO. Specifically, beacon time slots are non-contention-based and used for transmitting beacon frames; TDMA time slots are also non-contention-based and used by one or more designated nodes to access the channel according to their allocated time slots, without needing to compete for transmission opportunities; CSMA time slots are used by nodes to access the channel through contention; and bound CSMA time slots are used by one or more designated nodes to access the channel through contention, or by nodes to access the channel for one or more specified services through contention. Each registered node needs to access the channel based on its allocated time slots.

[0057] Due to the large number of HPLC nodes, the TDMA time slots allocated to specific users are often only used in a few scenarios. Most users send data in CSMA time slots and use the CSMA method to compete for time slot resources.

[0058] However, current HPLC technology has the following drawbacks:

[0059] 1. Due to the complex channel conditions of HPLC / PLC, the channel attenuation is large and the interference is large. In order to improve the communication success rate, the preamble design in the physical layer frame structure is relatively long, containing 13 data payload symbols (excluding the guard interval), which makes the preamble overhead greater than other protocols.

[0060] 2. Turbo encoding and decoding technology is used, but Turbo codes lag behind other encoding and decoding technologies in terms of encoding gain and decoding latency. Given the further development of encoding and decoding technologies, encoding and decoding, especially for short codes in the frame header, could consider using other encoding and decoding schemes with higher encoding gain and / or lower decoding latency, such as polar codes.

[0061] With the development needs of the power industry, the original HPLC protocol is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the future development needs of the power industry. The evolution of the protocol requires modifications to the physical layer frame structure, such as shortening the preamble and modifying the encoding and decoding scheme in the frame control symbols.

[0062] However, these evolutionary measures will all lead to compatibility issues between the new and old protocol versions. For example, nodes that only support the old protocol version may be unable to detect the new protocol version's physical layer frames and complete necessary steps such as frame synchronization and frequency synchronization due to changes in the preamble. They may also be unable to correctly decode the data in the frame control symbols due to changes in the encoding and decoding of the frame control symbols. These problems will prevent nodes that only support the old protocol version from detecting the new protocol version's physical layer frames or from decoding the data in the frame control symbols to obtain crucial frame length information.

[0063] The aforementioned compatibility issues, when nodes supporting both the old and new protocols are networked together, will cause nodes that only support the old protocol and are competing for time slots in the CSMA time slots to be unable to detect the physical layer frames of the new protocol. These nodes will perceive the medium as idle and, when they have data transmission needs, will directly preempt time slot resources to send signals, thus causing conflicts between the physical layer frames of the old and new protocol nodes. This problem becomes particularly pronounced in large-scale HPLC networks, and the transmission failures caused by these conflicts reduce communication success rates and protocol efficiency.

[0064] While researching new communication protocols, achieving compatibility between the new and old protocols is also a problem that needs to be solved.

[0065] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a communication method to resolve compatibility issues between new and old protocols.

[0066] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to power line communication network technologies in the power industry, such as the aforementioned HPLC and PLC. Specifically, the above-mentioned communication method can be applied to scenarios such as data exchange between the concentrator communication unit and the energy meter communication unit, and between the collector communication unit in an electricity information acquisition system. With the development of smart grids, it will cover more scenarios such as distribution network monitoring, photovoltaic systems, and orderly charging, and can also be applied to communication scenarios of distribution network monitoring, photovoltaic systems, and orderly charging in new power systems.

[0067] The communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to, for example... Figure 1 In the power line network shown. It should be understood that, Figure 1 This is just a simplified example; in real-world applications, the number of nodes and their topological relationships may be much more complex. Figure 1 The network topology shown is more complex. For example... Figure 1 As shown, power line networks typically include three roles: CCO, PCO, and STA. For example, in an electricity consumption information acquisition system, the concentrator is usually the CCO, while the electricity meter and collector are usually the STA or PCO. It should be understood that a node's role can be relative. For instance, node 2 is the PCO relative to nodes 4, 5, and 6, but relative to node 1, node 2 can also be the STA. Node 2 itself may also generate data that needs to be reported and report it to node 1, which is the CCO.

[0068] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0069] Step 401: Generate a first beacon frame, wherein the first beacon frame includes indication information of a first CSMA time slot, and the time slot indication information of the first CSMA includes type indication information. The type indication information is used to indicate that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit a second type of physical layer frame, or it can be used to indicate that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit a second type of physical layer frame.

[0070] Figure 4 The communication method shown can be applied to the CCO, that is, the above steps 401 and subsequent steps 402 can be performed by the CCO in the power line network.

[0071] The generated first beacon frame includes indication information for the first CSMA time slot. The first CSMA time slot is a contention time slot. Nodes with transmission needs need to access the channel in a contention manner on the first CSMA time slot. That is, they need to listen to the physical layer frames sent by other nodes to determine whether they can send physical layer frames at the moment and when they can send physical layer frames.

[0072] The first CSMA slot indication information may include one or more of the following: the start position of the first CSMA slot, the duration of the first CSMA slot, and the end position of the first CSMA slot.

[0073] In addition, the first CSMA slot indication information also includes type indication information, which indicates whether the first CSMA slot can be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame.

[0074] In the embodiments of this application, the first type of physical layer frame can be a physical layer frame based on a new protocol version; the second type of physical layer frame can be a physical layer frame based on an old protocol version. For example, the preamble of a physical layer frame based on a new protocol version may be shorter than the preamble of a physical layer frame based on an old protocol version; the encoding and decoding scheme in the frame control symbols of a physical layer frame based on a new protocol version may also be different from the encoding and decoding scheme in the frame control symbols of a physical layer frame based on an old protocol version.

[0075] Since nodes in a power line system may not support the first type, type indication information can be added to the time slot indication information to indicate whether the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type. This avoids nodes that only support the second type competing for the channel with nodes that support the first type in the same time slot, which could lead to conflicts caused by nodes that only support the second type being unable to recognize physical layer frames of the first type. When the type indication information indicates that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type, nodes that support the first type can compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot, while nodes that do not support the first type cannot compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot. When the type indication information indicates that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type, nodes that do not support the first type can compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot. For nodes that support both the first and second types, they can also compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot, but can only transmit physical layer frames of the second type.

[0076] Step 402: Send the first beacon frame.

[0077] The Control Center (CCO) sends out the generated first beacon frame, which can be received by all nodes in the power line system where the CCO resides. For example, the CCO sends the first beacon frame to its connected next-level nodes, such as the Power Control Center (PCO) and the Stabilizer (STA). The PCO then forwards the first beacon frame to its connected next-level nodes, and so on, until each PCO forwards the first beacon frame to its connected next-level nodes, ensuring that every node receives the first beacon frame. It should be understood that the above "forwarding" includes processing the first beacon frame before sending it, or transparently transmitting the first beacon frame.

[0078] Upon receiving the first beacon frame, each node determines whether it can send a physical layer frame on the first CSMA time slot, and what type of physical layer frame to send, based on the indication information of the first CSMA time slot in the first beacon frame.

[0079] Optionally, the phrase "can transmit physical layer frames of the first type" can mean that it can be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type but not of the second type; or it can mean that it can be used to transmit physical layer frames of both the first and second types. For a node A that supports both the first and second types, it can transmit physical layer frames of either type. If the first CSMA time slot allows transmission of both types, then node A can send physical layer frames of the first type to node B (which supports the first type) and also to node C (which only supports the second type) in the first CSMA time slot. If the first CSMA time slot allows transmission of physical layer frames of the first type but not of the second type, then node A can send physical layer frames of the first type to node B in the first CSMA time slot, but cannot send physical layer frames of the second type to node C; however, node A can still send physical layer frames of the second type to node B through channel contention in other CSMA time slots that allow transmission of physical layer frames of the second type.

[0080] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned type indication information can reuse the link identifier (LID) field from existing beacon frames. Existing beacon frames contain an LID field, which is one byte long (8 bits) and has a value range of 0 to 255. However, many values ​​within this range are currently unused. Therefore, embodiments of this application can utilize these unused values ​​to express type indication information, minimizing modifications to existing beacon frames.

[0081] In a specific design, since the LID field includes 8 bits, one of these bits can be used to indicate type information. For example, the i-th bit in the LID field can be selected as the type indicator. When the i-th bit has a preset value, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame; when the i-th bit has a value other than the preset value, it indicates that the first CSMA cannot be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame. For instance, the first bit of the LID field can be used as the type indicator; when its value is 1, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame, and when its value is 0, it indicates that the first CSMA cannot be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame.

[0082] In another specific design, since the LID field has a large value range while the currently utilized values ​​are relatively few, the LID field value can be set to indicate that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame when it falls within a first preset range, and that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame when it falls within a second preset range. The first and second preset ranges do not overlap, and their union is less than or equal to the LID field value range. For example, when the LID field value range is 0–127, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame; when the LID field value range is 128–255, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame.

[0083] Currently, the LID field uses values ​​from 0 to 4 to represent the service corresponding to the CSMA time slot. That is, only physical layer frames that meet the service scenario can be transmitted on the corresponding CSMA time slot. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, the LID field can express whether the first CSMA implementation allows the transmission of the first type of physical layer frame, or it can express the service corresponding to the first CSMA implementation. For example, when the LID field value ranges from 0 to 127, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type. When the LID field value ranges from 128 to 255, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type. Furthermore, when the LID field value ranges from 0 to 4, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type, and the service type that the first CSMA time slot can transmit is the corresponding service type and is a physical layer frame of the second type. When the LID field value ranges from 128 to 132, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type, and the service type that the first CSMA time slot can transmit is the corresponding service type and is a physical layer frame of the first type.

[0084] To facilitate understanding that nodes not supporting the first type can use the first CSMA time slot to transmit physical layer frames of the first type, the first CSMA time slot can be set as a bound time slot. The current beacon period can include bound CSMA time slots for one or more specified nodes to compete for the channel, or for one or more specified services to compete for the channel. Nodes not supporting the first type may not understand the type indication information in the first CSMA time slot indication information. Nodes supporting the first type may still compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot, but because they cannot correctly identify the physical layer frames of the first type, data collisions may occur. When generating the beacon frame, the CCO can set the first CSMA time slot as a bound time slot, meaning that nodes supporting the first type can compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot, while nodes not supporting the first type cannot. Therefore, upon receiving the first beacon frame, nodes not supporting the first type can confirm that they cannot compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot, thus further avoiding potential data collisions.

[0085] In the above design, for nodes that do not support Type 1, the first CSMA time slot is a bound time slot. However, for nodes that support Type 1, the first CSMA time slot can be a bound time slot, or it can be a dedicated time slot for Type 1. For both new and old protocol versions, even the same frame structure can be used to express different meanings. According to the old protocol version, the first beacon frame might be interpreted as a bound time slot, while according to the new protocol version, it might be interpreted as a dedicated time slot for Type 1. Regardless of the interpretation, the goal remains the same: nodes supporting Type 1 can compete for the channel on the first CSMA time slot, while nodes that do not support Type 1 cannot compete for the channel on the first CSMA time slot.

[0086] In a network configuration with nodes using both new and old protocols, one possible implementation is that the CCO can send beacon frames based on the frame structures of the new and old protocols respectively. In this case, the first beacon frame can be a beacon frame based on the frame structure of the new protocol, that is, the first beacon frame is a first type of physical layer frame; and in addition to generating and sending the first beacon frame, the CCO can also generate and send a second beacon frame, that is, a second type of physical layer frame based on the frame structure of the old protocol.

[0087] In the above implementation, the second beacon frame may include indication information for the second CSMA time slot and indication information for the first CSMA time slot. The second CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit first-type physical layer frames; that is, the second CSMA time slot is used to support second-type nodes in channel contention and to transmit second-type physical layer frames. The nodes supporting the second type include nodes that only support the second type; optionally, it may also include nodes that support both the second type and other types (such as the first type). The first CSMA time slot is used to transmit first-type physical layer frames, and nodes supporting the first type can compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot. In the second beacon frame, the first CSMA time slot can be set as a bound time slot, thereby preventing nodes that do not support the first type from competing for the channel in the first CSMA time slot.

[0088] In the above implementation, when the CCO sends the first and second beacon frames, it can send the second beacon frame first, followed by the first. Sending the second beacon frame first helps nodes that do not support the first type to correctly understand it, preventing nodes that do not support the first type from receiving the first beacon frame first, which could lead to incorrect parsing of the first beacon frame and even affect the reception of the second beacon frame. Furthermore, the second beacon frame can also include indication information from the first beacon frame, thereby preventing nodes that do not support the first type from receiving a first beacon frame that cannot be correctly parsed.

[0089] In a network configuration with mixed nodes supporting both new and old protocols, another possible implementation is that the CCO can send beacon frames based solely on the frame structure of the old protocol. In other words, the first beacon frame mentioned above is a physical layer frame of type two. This is because in practical applications, nodes supporting the new protocol (i.e., those supporting type one) typically also support the old protocol (i.e., those supporting type two). In this implementation, both nodes supporting type one and those supporting type two can determine the information of each time slot in the beacon period through the first beacon frame. In the first beacon frame, the first CSMA time slot can be set as a bound time slot, so nodes that do not support type one will not compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot.

[0090] In addition, the first beacon frame may also include indication information for the TDMA time slot. The TDMA time slot is a non-contention-based time slot, allowing one or more designated nodes to access the channel. That is, the designated nodes do not need to listen for physical layer frames sent by other nodes; when transmission demand exists, they can transmit physical layer frames on the configured time slot. The TDMA time slot indication information may include one or more of the following: the start position of the TDMA time slot, the duration of the TDMA time slot, and the end position of the TDMA time slot.

[0091] Optionally, within a TDMA time slot, if a designated node supports both Type 1 and Type 2, the designated node may prioritize sending Type 2 physical layer frames before sending Type 1 physical layer frames. Furthermore, each designated node may send Type 2 physical layer frames first, followed by Type 1 physical layer frames. Sending Type 2 physical layer frames first helps nodes that do not support Type 1 to correctly receive and parse Type 2 physical layer frames, preventing nodes that do not support Type 1 from receiving Type 1 physical layer frames first, thus failing to correctly parse them, and potentially even affecting the reception of Type 2 physical layer frames.

[0092] In the above embodiments, the first beacon frame generated and sent by the CCO includes type indication information for the first CSMA time slot, which is used to indicate whether the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type. This allows nodes that support the first type and nodes that support the second type to determine whether they can compete for the channel in the first CSMA time slot based on the indication of the first beacon frame. This avoids nodes that do not support the first type competing for the channel in the first CSMA time slot. However, since these nodes cannot correctly parse the physical layer frames of the first type sent by other nodes, there is a possibility of data transmission conflicts. This enables the mixing of nodes with new and old protocols in the network without having to upgrade all nodes in the power line network to support the first type (i.e., the new protocol version), thus saving excessive manpower and resources.

[0093] This application also provides a communication method to solve the compatibility problem when new and old protocol nodes are networked together. This communication method can also be applied to power line communication network technologies in the power industry, such as the aforementioned HPLC and PLC; and can also be applied to... Figure 1 In the power line network shown.

[0094] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0095] Step 501: The first node generates a first physical layer frame, wherein the first physical layer frame is a second type of physical layer frame. The first physical layer frame includes frame length indication information and type indication information. When the type indication information indicates that the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame, it means that from the end position of the first physical layer frame to the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, nodes that support the first type of physical layer frame can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame, or can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame and the second type of physical layer frame.

[0096] Although the first physical layer frame is a second type of physical layer frame based on the frame structure of the old protocol, it adds type indication information to indicate whether the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame. This type indication information can be represented by existing fields, or new fields can be added to represent the type indication information.

[0097] When the type indication information indicates that the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame, it means that a first type of physical layer frame can be transmitted during the preemption period requested by the first physical layer frame (i.e., from the end position of the first physical layer frame to the end position indicated by the frame length indication information). The first node and other nodes supporting the first type can transmit first-type physical layer frames or second-type physical layer frames during the preemption period by contention for the channel. Since first-type physical layer frames can be transmitted during the preemption period, to avoid data collisions, the nodes contention for the channel are nodes supporting the first type. However, if the receiving end does not support the first type, the node that wins the channel contention during the preemption period can also send second-type physical layer frames.

[0098] Although the first physical layer frame generated by the first node is based on the second type of frame structure, the understanding of the first physical layer frame differs between nodes that support the first type and nodes that do not support the first type.

[0099] For nodes that do not support the first type, the frame length indication information in the first physical layer frame indicates the length of the first physical layer frame itself. The end position indicated by the frame length indication information is the end position of the first physical layer frame transmission. Therefore, nodes that do not support the first type, although they cannot correctly understand the meaning of the type indication information, will, according to the old protocol, assume that the channel has been occupied by the first physical layer frame before the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, and will therefore not send physical layer frames before the end position indicated by the frame length indication information to avoid data collisions.

[0100] For nodes that support the first type, the meaning of the type indication information in the first physical layer frame can be understood, thus determining whether the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame. When the first physical layer indication information indicates a preemptive frame, the preemption period can be determined based on the frame length indication information, during which nodes can compete to transmit first-type physical layer frames.

[0101] The start position of the aforementioned preemption period is the end position of the first physical layer frame. The end position of the first physical layer frame can be the moment when the transmission of the first physical layer frame ends. For example, if the first physical layer frame contains a preamble and frame control symbols, the moment when the physical layer frame transmission ends is the end position of the preamble and frame control symbols. Alternatively, the end position of the first physical layer frame can also be the moment when the transmission of the first physical layer frame ends plus a delay of a specific length.

[0102] The end position of the aforementioned preemption period is the end position indicated by the frame length indication information in the first physical layer frame. The frame length indication information can indicate a duration, assuming it is the first duration, then the preemption period is the duration lasting from the end position of the first physical layer frame (such as the end position of the last frame control symbol); or, the frame length indication information can also indicate the end position of the preemption period, then the preemption period is the duration from the end position of the first physical layer frame to the end position of the preemption period.

[0103] Figure 5 The communication method shown can be applied to any node in a power line network, such as a CCO, PCO, or STA. However, in some embodiments, only the CCO may be authorized to send preemption frames; that is, the first node mentioned above is a CCO. Alternatively, in other embodiments, some PCOs and / or some CCOs may also be authorized to send preemption frames; that is, the first node mentioned above may also be an authorized PCO and / or an authorized STA.

[0104] Optionally, when the type indication information indicates that the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame, the first physical layer frame does not include data payload symbols. When the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame, its primary purpose is to indicate that physical layer frames of the first type can be transmitted during the preemptive period, rather than transmitting data payloads. Therefore, the preemptive frame may not include data payload symbols, such as... Figure 6 As shown.

[0105] Step 502: The first node sends the aforementioned first physical layer frame.

[0106] After the first node generates the first physical layer frame, it sends the first physical layer frame so that other nodes in the power line network that support the first type can determine the time period during which they can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame based on the first physical layer frame; it can also enable nodes in the power line network that do not support the first type to determine that the channel during the preemption period has been occupied and not compete for the channel during the preemption period.

[0107] Optionally, the first node can send a preemption frame on the CSMA slot within the beacon period; further, the first node can also ensure that the preemption period is also within the CSMA slot, such as... Figure 6 As shown, this enables nodes supporting the first type to compete for transmission of the first type of physical layer frames on CSMA time slots. Alternatively, the first node can also preempt frames using a TDMA implementation within the beacon period, with the preemption period also located within a TDMA time slot.

[0108] Step 503: If the second node has a transmission requirement before the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, send the first type of physical layer frame or the second type of physical layer frame.

[0109] The second node mentioned above is a node that supports the first type. The second node can be a CCO, a PCO that supports the first type, or an STA that supports the first type.

[0110] After receiving the preemption frame (i.e. the first physical layer frame), the second node can determine the preemption period based on the end position of the preemption frame and the end position indicated by the frame length indication information. During the preemption period, if the second node has a transmission requirement, it can compete to send either the first type of physical layer frame or the second type of physical layer frame.

[0111] For nodes that do not support Type 1, upon receiving the first physical layer frame, they can determine the time period occupied by the first physical layer frame based on the end position indicated by the frame length indication information in the first physical layer frame, and thus will not compete for the channel during that time period. Although nodes that do not support Type 1 believe that the channel is occupied by the first physical layer frame during that time period, in reality, the channel is not completely occupied by the first physical layer frame during that time period, but rather is available for nodes that support Type 1 to preempt the channel.

[0112] In the above method, nodes in the power line network supporting the new protocol can send preemption frames to preempt the time slots available for transmitting physical layer frames based on the new protocol. Upon receiving a preemption frame, these nodes can determine the preemption time slot based on its indication and compete for the channel during that time slot to transmit either physical layer frames based on the new protocol or those based on the old protocol. Nodes not supporting the new protocol, while unable to identify the specific meaning of the preemption frame, can determine the time slot where the channel is occupied (i.e., the preemption time slot) based on the frame length indication information within the preemption frame, thus avoiding channel competition during that time slot and preventing data conflicts caused by the inability to identify physical layer frames based on the new protocol. Furthermore, this scheme is more flexible, allowing for flexible scheduling of time slots available for transmitting the first type of physical layer frames within a beacon period, which helps reduce the transmission latency of nodes supporting the new protocol.

[0113] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the communication device may include an interface module 701 and a processing module 702. The processing module 702 is used to process data by the communication device. The interface module 701 is used to receive content from the communication device and other units or network elements, or to send content from the communication device and other units or network elements. It should be understood that the processing module 702 in this embodiment may be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components (or, referred to as processing circuitry), and the interface module 701 may be implemented by a receiver / transmitter or receiver / transmitter-related circuit components.

[0114] For example, the communication device may be a communication device equipment, or it may be a chip or other combination device or component that has the functions of the aforementioned communication device equipment applied in the communication device equipment.

[0115] When the communication device is Figure 4 In the communication device of the illustrated embodiment, the processing module 702 is configured to: generate a first beacon frame, the first beacon frame including indication information of a first carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) time slot, the first CSMA time slot indication information including type indication information, the type indication information being used to indicate that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame, or, to indicate that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame; and send the first beacon frame through the interface module 701.

[0116] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figure 4 Other processes performed by the communication device in the illustrated embodiment. Beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0117] When the communication device is Figure 5In the first node of the illustrated embodiment, the processing module 702 is used to: generate a first physical layer frame, the first physical layer frame being a second type of physical layer frame, the first physical layer frame including frame length indication information and type indication information, when the type indication information indicates that the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame, it means that from the end position of the first physical layer frame to the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, nodes supporting the first type of physical layer frame can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame, or can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame and the second type of physical layer frame; and send the first physical layer frame through the interface module 701.

[0118] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figure 5 Other processes performed by the first node in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects are described above and will not be repeated here.

[0119] When the communication device is Figure 5 In the second node of the illustrated embodiment, the communication device supports both the second type of physical layer frame and the first type of physical layer frame. The processing module 702 is configured to: receive a first physical layer frame through the interface module 701, wherein the first physical layer frame is a second type of physical layer frame, and the first physical layer frame includes frame length indication information and type indication information. When the type indication information indicates that the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame, it means that from the end position of the first physical layer frame to the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, nodes supporting the first type of physical layer frame can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame, or can compete to transmit both the first type of physical layer frame and the second type of physical layer frame. If there is a transmission requirement before the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, the first type of physical layer frame or the second type of physical layer frame is sent through the interface module 701.

[0120] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figure 5 Other processes performed by the second node in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0121] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device includes at least one processor 801, a communication interface 802, and may further include a memory 803 and a bus 804. The processor 801, communication interface 802, and memory 803 can be interconnected via the bus 804. The bus 804 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus 804 can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, Figure 8 The symbol is represented by only one line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0122] Processor 801 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of CPU and NP. The processor may further include hardware chips. These hardware chips may be application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or combinations thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof. Memory 803 may be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both. The non-volatile memory may be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache.

[0123] The processor 801 is used to implement the data processing operation of the communication device, and the communication interface 802 is used to implement the receiving and sending operations of the communication device.

[0124] When the communication device is Figure 4 In the communication device of the illustrated embodiment, the processor 801 is configured to: generate a first beacon frame, the first beacon frame including indication information of a first carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) time slot, the first CSMA time slot indication information including type indication information, the type indication information being used to indicate that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame, or to indicate that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame; and send the first beacon frame through the communication interface 802.

[0125] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figure 4 Other processes performed by the communication device in the illustrated embodiment. Beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0126] When the communication device is Figure 5 In the first node of the illustrated embodiment, the processor 801 is configured to: generate a first physical layer frame, the first physical layer frame being a second type of physical layer frame, the first physical layer frame including frame length indication information and type indication information; when the type indication information indicates that the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame, it means that from the end position of the first physical layer frame to the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, nodes supporting the first type of physical layer frame can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame, or can compete to transmit both the first type of physical layer frame and the second type of physical layer frame; and send the first physical layer frame through the communication interface 802.

[0127] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figure 5 Other processes performed by the first node in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects are described above and will not be repeated here.

[0128] When the communication device is Figure 5 In the second node of the illustrated embodiment, the processor 801 is configured to: receive a first physical layer frame through the communication interface 802, the first physical layer frame being a second type of physical layer frame, the first physical layer frame including frame length indication information and type indication information; when the type indication information indicates that the first physical layer frame is a preemptive frame, it means that from the end position of the first physical layer frame to the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, nodes supporting the first type of physical layer frame can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame, or can compete to transmit the first type of physical layer frame and the second type of physical layer frame; before the end position indicated by the frame length indication information, if there is a transmission requirement, send the first type of physical layer frame or the second type of physical layer frame through the communication interface 802.

[0129] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support Figure 5 Other processes performed by the second node in the illustrated embodiment. The beneficial effects can be found in the preceding description and will not be repeated here.

[0130] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, including... Figure 4 The communication device in the embodiments described above; or, including Figure 5 The first node and the second node in the embodiment.

[0131] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application provide a chip, including: at least one processor, the at least one processor being coupled to a memory, the memory being used to store instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the processor, causing the chip to implement the method described in any of the above implementation methods.

[0132] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the above-described method embodiments to be performed.

[0133] Based on the same technical concept, this application also provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the above-described method embodiments to be executed.

[0134] It should be understood that in the description of this application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used only for distinguishing purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or order. References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," and "in still other embodiments" appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0135] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0136] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will 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 processor 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 processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0137] 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.

[0138] 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.

[0139] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0140] 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 the embodiments 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 in that, The method includes: A first beacon frame is generated. The first beacon frame includes indication information for a first carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) time slot. The time slot indication information for the first CSMA includes type indication information. The type indication information is used to indicate that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame, or to indicate that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame. Send the first beacon frame.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The type indication information is indicated through the Link Identifier (LID) field.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the i-th bit of the LID field is a preset value, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame; and / or When the i-th bit of the LID field is not a preset value, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the value of the LID field is within a first preset value range, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame; and / or When the value of the LID field is within the second preset value range, it indicates that the first CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame; Wherein, the first preset range and the second preset range have no overlap.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The first CSMA time slot is a bound CSMA time slot.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The first beacon frame includes indication information of a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) time slot, in which the first type of physical layer frame is transmitted after the second type of physical layer frame.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first beacon frame is a physical layer frame of type 2.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The first beacon frame is a physical layer frame of the first type, and the type indication information is used to indicate that the first CSMA slot can be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type; The method further includes: A second beacon frame is sent. The second beacon frame is a physical layer frame of the second type. The second beacon frame includes indication information of a second CSMA time slot and indication information of the first CSMA time slot. The second CSMA time slot cannot be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame, while the first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Sending the first beacon frame includes: After sending the second beacon frame, the first beacon frame is sent.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The first CSMA time slot can be used to transmit a first type of physical layer frame, including: It can be used to transmit the first type of physical layer frame, but cannot be used to transmit the second type of physical layer frame; or It can be used to transmit physical layer frames of the first type and physical layer frames of the second type.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, include: At least one processor coupled to a memory for storing a program or instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

13. A computer program product containing instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

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