Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to a communication method and device, which belong to the technical field of communication, can avoid as far as possible that a second device is preempted by an interfering device in a concurrent process, and improve the concurrent performance of a communication system. The method comprises the following steps: a second device receives first information from a first device; the first information is used for indicating the air interface protection mode of the second device during burst concurrent; and during the burst concurrent, a message is sent to a terminal device according to the first information.

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] In a communication system, each fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) device can synchronously send messages to each terminal device during the initial concurrent transmission. However, since the duration of the block acknowledgment (BA) frames responded to by different terminal devices to different FTTR devices may vary, the FTTR device receiving the shorter BA frame can wait for an additional period. After all FTTR devices have received their corresponding BA frames, they can continue to synchronously send messages to each terminal device, thus improving the concurrency performance of the communication system.

[0003] However, during the extra waiting period for the FTTR device, the air interface may be preempted by other interfering devices, causing the FTTR device to be unable to continue synchronous transmission and affecting the concurrent performance of the communication system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can minimize the risk of a second device having its air interface preempted by an interfering device during concurrent operation, thereby improving the concurrent performance of the communication system.

[0005] Firstly, this application provides a communication method that can be executed by a second device. Unless otherwise specified, "second device" in this application can refer to the second device itself, a component within the second device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second device. The method includes: receiving first information from a first device, the first information indicating the air interface protection mode of the second device during a burst concurrency; and during the burst concurrency, sending a message to a terminal device according to the first information.

[0006] Based on the first aspect, the first device can instruct the second device on the air interface protection mode during burst concurrency through the first information. Thus, the second device can perform air interface protection according to the first information during burst concurrency. That is, while the second device is waiting for other cooperating second devices to receive BA frames, it can ensure that the air interface corresponding to the second device is not preempted by other interfering devices and loses the opportunity to send, thus ensuring that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency, improving the concurrency performance of the communication system, making full use of air interface opportunities, and improving air interface efficiency.

[0007] In one possible design, the first information includes first indication information; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate sending a CTS frame before the message is sent, or the first indication information is used to indicate adding a padding field after the sent message, or the first indication information is used to indicate sending an air interface frame after receiving a Block Acknowledgment (BA) frame.

[0008] Based on this possible design, the first device instructs the second device to send a CTS frame before sending a message through the first indication information. This allows the second device to reserve the air interface based on the sent CTS frame (such as reserving the air interface during burst concurrency), thereby minimizing the risk of losing the transmission opportunity due to other interfering devices preempting the air interface during burst concurrency. This ensures that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency and improves the concurrency performance of the communication system.

[0009] Alternatively, the first device can instruct the second device to add a padding field after the sent message via the first instruction information. This allows the second device to add a padding field after the message sent to the terminal device. By increasing the message duration, the second device's extra waiting time is reduced, thereby minimizing the possibility of losing the transmission opportunity due to other interfering devices preempting the air interface because of the long extra waiting time. This ensures that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency and improves the concurrency performance of the communication system.

[0010] Alternatively, the first device can instruct the second device to send an air interface frame after receiving a BA frame via a first indication message. This allows the second device to occupy the air interface by actively sending air interface frames during the extra waiting time, thereby minimizing the risk of losing the transmission opportunity due to other interfering devices preempting the air interface during burst concurrency. This ensures that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency and improves the concurrency performance of the communication system.

[0011] In one possible design, where the first indication information is used to indicate that a CTS frame is sent before the message is sent, the first information may further include one or more of the following: transmission rate information of the CTS frame, or duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame.

[0012] Based on this possible design, the duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame can be the reserved air interface duration. By indicating the reserved air interface duration, it can be shown that the second device occupies the air interface continuously within that duration, which can prevent other interfering devices from seizing the air interface.

[0013] In one possible design, the absolute value of the difference between the duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame and the burst concurrency duration is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0014] In one possible design, the duration field in the CTS frame indicates a duration greater than or equal to the burst concurrency duration.

[0015] Based on the two possible designs mentioned above, the duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame can be determined according to the burst concurrent duration, which can ensure that the second device occupies the air interface continuously during the burst concurrent duration, and prevent other interfering devices from preempting the air interface.

[0016] In one possible design, during burst concurrency, a message is sent to the terminal device according to the first information, including: if the first indication information is used to indicate that a CTS frame is sent before the message is sent, a CTS frame is sent to the terminal device before the first message is sent to the terminal device.

[0017] Based on this possible design, the second device may send a CTS frame to the terminal device before sending a message to the terminal device for the first time to reserve the air interface. Optionally, the second device may send a CTS frame to the terminal device before sending a message to the terminal device for subsequent times, or it may choose not to send a CTS frame to the terminal device, without restriction.

[0018] In one possible design, where the first indication information is used to indicate the addition of a padding field after the sent message, the first information may also include the duration of the padding field.

[0019] In one possible design, the duration of the padding field is determined based on the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device and the maximum of the durations of the BA frames corresponding to one or more second devices associated with the first device.

[0020] In one possible design, the absolute value of the difference between the duration of the padding field and the first duration is less than or equal to the second threshold; wherein, the first duration is the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device.

[0021] Based on the above three possible designs, the duration of the padding field can be determined according to the duration of the BA frame of each second device. This can ensure that the second device occupies the air interface by padding the field during the burst concurrency duration, thus preventing other interfering devices from preempting the air interface.

[0022] In one possible design, when the first indication information is used to indicate that an air interface frame is sent after a BA frame is received, the first information may further include one or more of the following: the number of times the air interface frame is sent, the frame type of the air interface frame, the transmission protocol corresponding to the air interface frame, or the transmission rate information of the air interface frame.

[0023] In one possible design, the number of air interface frames sent is determined based on the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device, the maximum duration of the BA frames corresponding to one or more second devices associated with the first device, and the duration of the air interface frame.

[0024] In one possible design, the number of air interface frames transmitted is equal to the rounded result of the ratio of the first duration to the second duration; where the first duration is the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device, and the second duration is the sum of the duration of the air interface frame and the duration of the short inter-frame interval (SIFS).

[0025] In one possible design, the frame type of the air interface frame is any of the following: CTS frame, QoS NULL frame, or empty data frame.

[0026] Based on the four possible designs described above, the first device can also indicate relevant information about the air interface frame to the second device, enabling the second device to occupy the air interface by sending air interface frames and preventing other interfering devices from preempting the air interface. It is understood that different second devices may have different first durations, which can be matched by adjusting one or more parameters such as the number of transmissions, frame type, transmission protocol, and transmission rate.

[0027] In one possible design, the first information also includes a second indication information; wherein the second indication information is used to indicate that burst parallel transmission is enabled.

[0028] Based on this possible design, the aforementioned first instruction information can take effect when the second instruction information is used to indicate that burst parallel sending is enabled.

[0029] Secondly, this application provides a communication method that can be executed by a first device. Unless otherwise specified, "first device" in this application can refer to the first device itself, a component within the first device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first device. The method includes: acquiring first information corresponding to one or more second devices, the first information indicating the air interface protection mode of the second device during burst concurrency; and sending the first information to one or more second devices respectively.

[0030] Based on the second aspect, the first device can instruct the second device on the air interface protection mode during burst concurrency through the first information. Thus, the second device can perform air interface protection according to the first information during burst concurrency. That is, while the second device is waiting for other cooperating second devices to receive BA frames, it can ensure that the air interface corresponding to the second device is not preempted by other interfering devices and loses the opportunity to send, thus ensuring that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency, improving the concurrency performance of the communication system, making full use of air interface opportunities, and improving air interface efficiency.

[0031] In one possible design, the first information includes first indication information; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate sending a CTS frame before the message is sent, or the first indication information is used to indicate adding a padding field after the sent message, or the first indication information is used to indicate sending an air interface frame after receiving a Block Acknowledgment (BA) frame.

[0032] Based on this possible design, the first device instructs the second device to send a CTS frame before sending a message through the first indication information. This allows the second device to reserve the air interface based on the sent CTS frame (such as reserving the air interface during burst concurrency), thereby minimizing the risk of losing the transmission opportunity due to other interfering devices preempting the air interface during burst concurrency. This ensures that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency and improves the concurrency performance of the communication system.

[0033] Alternatively, the first device can instruct the second device to add a padding field after the sent message via the first instruction information. This allows the second device to add a padding field after the message sent to the terminal device. By increasing the message duration, the second device's extra waiting time is reduced, thereby minimizing the possibility of losing the transmission opportunity due to other interfering devices preempting the air interface because of the long extra waiting time. This ensures that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency and improves the concurrency performance of the communication system.

[0034] Alternatively, the first device can instruct the second device to send an air interface frame after receiving a BA frame via a first indication message. This allows the second device to occupy the air interface by actively sending air interface frames during the extra waiting time, thereby minimizing the risk of losing the transmission opportunity due to other interfering devices preempting the air interface during burst concurrency. This ensures that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency and improves the concurrency performance of the communication system.

[0035] In one possible design, where the first indication information is used to indicate that a CTS frame is sent before the message is sent, the first information may further include one or more of the following: transmission rate information of the CTS frame, or duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame.

[0036] Based on this possible design, the duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame can be the reserved air interface duration. By indicating the reserved air interface duration, it can be shown that the second device occupies the air interface continuously within that duration, which can prevent other interfering devices from seizing the air interface.

[0037] In one possible design, the absolute value of the difference between the duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame and the burst concurrency duration is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0038] In one possible design, the duration field in the CTS frame indicates a duration greater than or equal to the burst concurrency duration.

[0039] Based on the two possible designs mentioned above, the duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame can be determined according to the burst concurrent duration, which can ensure that the second device occupies the air interface continuously during the burst concurrent duration, and prevent other interfering devices from preempting the air interface.

[0040] In one possible design, obtaining the first information corresponding to one or more second devices includes: receiving a pre-scheduling request from one or more second devices; determining the burst concurrency duration based on the pre-scheduling request; and determining the first information corresponding to one or more second devices based on the burst concurrency duration.

[0041] In one possible design, where the first indication information is used to indicate the addition of a padding field after the sent message, the first information may also include the duration of the padding field.

[0042] In one possible design, the duration of the padding field is determined based on the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device and the maximum of the durations of the BA frames corresponding to one or more second devices associated with the first device.

[0043] In one possible design, the absolute value of the difference between the duration of the padding field and the first duration is less than or equal to the second threshold; wherein, the first duration is the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device.

[0044] Based on the above three possible designs, the duration of the padding field can be determined according to the duration of the BA frame of each second device. This can ensure that the second device occupies the air interface by padding the field during the burst concurrency duration, thus preventing other interfering devices from preempting the air interface.

[0045] In one possible design, when the first indication information is used to indicate that an air interface frame is sent after a BA frame is received, the first information may further include one or more of the following: the number of times the air interface frame is sent, the frame type of the air interface frame, the transmission protocol corresponding to the air interface frame, or the transmission rate information of the air interface frame.

[0046] In one possible design, the number of air interface frames sent is determined based on the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device, the maximum duration of the BA frames corresponding to one or more second devices associated with the first device, and the duration of the air interface frame.

[0047] In one possible design, the number of air interface frames transmitted is equal to the rounded result of the ratio of the first duration to the second duration; where the first duration is the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device, and the second duration is the sum of the duration of the air interface frame and the duration of the short inter-frame interval (SIFS).

[0048] In one possible design, the frame type of the air interface frame is any of the following: CTS frame, QoS NULL frame, or empty data frame.

[0049] Based on the four possible designs described above, the first device can also indicate relevant information about the air interface frame to the second device, enabling the second device to occupy the air interface by sending air interface frames and preventing other interfering devices from preempting the air interface. It is understood that different second devices may have different first durations, which can be matched by adjusting one or more parameters such as the number of transmissions, frame type, transmission protocol, and transmission rate.

[0050] In one possible design, obtaining the first information corresponding to one or more second devices includes: receiving the duration of BA frames from one or more second devices; and determining the first information corresponding to one or more second devices based on the duration of the BA frames from one or more second devices.

[0051] In one possible design, the first information also includes a second indication information; wherein the second indication information is used to indicate that burst parallel transmission is enabled.

[0052] Based on this possible design, the aforementioned first instruction information can take effect when the second instruction information is used to indicate that burst parallel sending is enabled.

[0053] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device that can be applied to the second device described in the first aspect to realize the functions performed by the second device. The communication device can be the second device, or it can be a chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip of the second device, etc. The communication device can execute the functions performed by the second device through hardware, or it can execute corresponding software through hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions. For example, a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module can independently complete the following transceiver operations, or it can cooperate with the processing module to complete the following transceiver operations; correspondingly, the processing module can independently complete the following processing operations, or it can cooperate with the transceiver module to complete the following processing operations, without limitation.

[0054] For example, the transceiver module is configured to receive first information from the first device, which is used to indicate the air interface protection mode of the second device during burst concurrency; the transceiver module is also configured to send a message to the terminal device according to the first information during burst concurrency.

[0055] Optionally, the transceiver module and processing module of the communication device in the third aspect may also perform the corresponding functions in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, as detailed in the above method examples, and the beneficial effects that can be achieved can also be found in the foregoing related content.

[0056] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device that can be applied to the first device described in the second aspect to realize the functions performed by the first device. The communication device can be the first device itself, or it can be a chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip (SoC) of the first device. The communication device can execute the functions performed by the first device through hardware or through corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned functions. For example, a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module can independently complete the following transceiver operations or cooperate with the processing module to complete the following transceiver operations; correspondingly, the processing module can independently complete the following processing operations or cooperate with the transceiver module to complete the following processing operations, without limitation.

[0057] For example, the processing module is used to obtain first information corresponding to one or more second devices respectively, the first information being used to indicate the air interface protection mode of the second device during burst concurrency; the transceiver module is used to send the first information to one or more second devices respectively.

[0058] Optionally, the transceiver module and processing module of the communication device in the fourth aspect may also perform the corresponding functions in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, as detailed in the above method examples, and the beneficial effects that can be achieved can also be found in the foregoing related content.

[0059] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device comprising one or more processors; the one or more processors being configured to run computer programs or instructions, such that when the one or more processors execute the computer instructions or instructions, the communication method described in any one of the first to second aspects is performed.

[0060] In one possible design, the communication device further includes one or more memories coupled to one or more processors, the memories used to store the aforementioned computer programs or instructions. In one possible implementation, the memories are located outside the communication device. In another possible implementation, the memories are located inside the communication device. In embodiments of this application, the processor and memory may also be integrated into a single device, i.e., the processor and memory may be integrated together. In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver for receiving and / or transmitting information.

[0061] In one possible design, the communication device further includes one or more communication interfaces coupled to one or more processors, and the communication interfaces are used to communicate with other modules outside the communication device.

[0062] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a communication device including an interface circuit and a logic circuit; the interface circuit is used for inputting and / or outputting information; the logic circuit is used for performing the communication method as described in any one of the first to second aspects, processing and / or generating information based on the information.

[0063] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions or programs that, when executed on a computer, cause the communication method described in any one of the first to second aspects to be performed.

[0064] Eighthly, this application provides a computer program product containing computer instructions that, when run on a computer, causes the communication method described in any one of the first to second aspects to be executed.

[0065] Ninthly, this application provides a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the communication method described in any one of the first to second aspects to be executed.

[0066] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a chip comprising: a processor coupled to a memory for storing programs or instructions, wherein when the programs or instructions are executed by the processor, a communication method as described in any one of the first to second aspects is executed.

[0067] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects five through ten are similar to those in aspects one through two, and will not be elaborated upon further.

[0068] In one aspect, this application provides a communication system that may include communication means for performing the communication as described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, and communication means for performing the communication as described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0069] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a networking scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a Co-SR provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a burst concurrent process provided for embodiments of this application. Figure 1 ;

[0072] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a burst concurrent process provided for embodiments of this application. Figure 2 ;

[0073] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a burst concurrent process provided for embodiments of this application. Figure 3 ;

[0075] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a burst concurrent process provided for embodiments of this application. Figure 4 ;

[0076] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a burst concurrent process provided for embodiments of this application. Figure 5 ;

[0077] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating yet another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 12 This is a structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0081] The communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) networking scenarios.

[0082] For example, such as Figure 1 As shown, an FTTR networking scenario can include FTTR equipment and terminal equipment. FTTR equipment can include a main FTTR unit (MFU) and a sub-FTTR unit (SFU). The operator's network can communicate with the MFU via fiber to the home (FTTH). The MFU can connect to one or more SFUs via an optical link (such as optical fiber). For example, the MFU and SFU can communicate via xPON protocols such as Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) or Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON), without limitation. The SFU and terminal equipment can communicate via wireless local area networks (WLAN) technology. Optionally, the MFU and terminal equipment can also communicate via WLAN technology.

[0083] Figure 1 The MFU in this context can be a device that supports relevant standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), possesses centralized scheduling and management functions, and can communicate with one or more SFUs via an optical link. For example, the MFU can receive optical signals converted from uplink digital signals sent by the SFU through the uplink transmission channel of the optical link, and send optical signals converted from downlink digital signals to the SFU through the downlink transmission channel of the optical link.

[0084] The relevant IEEE standards can include: 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn (Ultra High Reliability, UHR) / Wi-Fi 8, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, 802.11bf (sensing), Ultra Wide Bandwidth (UWB), and 802.15, etc., without restriction. Regarding bandwidth configuration, channel bundling was introduced starting with 802.11n, allowing multiple 20MHz channels to be bundled together to achieve greater bandwidth and higher transmission rates. Starting with 802.11ac, a maximum bandwidth of 160MHz can be provided. The 802.11ax standard supports the following bandwidth configurations: 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, and 80+80MHz. The 802.11be standard also supports a 320MHz bandwidth configuration.

[0085] For example, an MFU can be a device with a Wi-Fi chip, such as a network device, communication server, router, switch, bridge, or computer. An MFU can also serve as an access point (AP) for mobile users to access a wired network, primarily deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. Of course, it can also be deployed outdoors. An MFU acts as a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, its main function being to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet.

[0086] Figure 1 The SFU (System-on-Function) in this context can be a device that supports relevant IEEE standards. It can work with the MFU (Multi-Functional Unit) to communicate with various terminal devices, and can achieve communication connectivity with terminal devices based on Wi-Fi technology. The SFU also achieves communication connectivity with the MFU through an optical link. The SFU may include one or more antennas. The SFU can convert the digital signals from one or more antennas into optical signals and send them to the MFU through the uplink transmission channel of the optical link, or receive optical signals converted from downlink digital signals sent by the MFU through the downlink transmission channel of the optical link through one or more antennas.

[0087] For example, an SFU can be a device with a Wi-Fi chip, such as a network device, communication server, router, switch, bridge, or computer. An SFU can also serve as an access point for mobile users to access a wired network, primarily deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. Of course, it can also be deployed outdoors. An SFU acts as a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, its main function being to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet.

[0088] Figure 1 The terminal device in the process can be a device that supports relevant IEEE standards and can establish a communication connection with the SFU based on Wi-Fi technology, such as sending physical frames to the SFU based on radio frequency analog signals (or wireless signals, wireless radio frequency analog signals, wireless analog signals, etc.).

[0089] For example, terminal devices can be station (STA) equipment, wireless communication chips, wireless sensors (such as temperature and humidity sensors), wireless communication terminals, communication servers, routers, switches, bridges, computers, etc. For instance, terminal devices can be mobile phones supporting Wi-Fi communication, tablet computers supporting Wi-Fi communication, set-top boxes supporting Wi-Fi communication, smart home appliances supporting Wi-Fi communication, smart wearable devices supporting Wi-Fi communication, in-vehicle communication devices supporting Wi-Fi communication, computers supporting Wi-Fi communication, cameras supporting Wi-Fi communication, robots supporting Wi-Fi communication, office equipment supporting Wi-Fi communication, etc., without limitation.

[0090] It's understandable that Wi-Fi technology uses the air interface for data transmission, which is shared by all Wi-Fi devices (such as MFUs and SFUs mentioned above). When multiple Wi-Fi devices operate on overlapping frequency bands, transmission failures may occur due to conflicts caused by two devices operating concurrently. Therefore, a coordinated spatial reuse (Co-SR) method under centralized MFU control can be used. By coordinating and adjusting the transmission power of Wi-Fi devices, mutual interference can be reduced, thereby enabling burst concurrency and improving system throughput.

[0091] For example, such as Figure 2As shown, taking Wi-Fi devices including SFU1 and SFU2, and terminal devices including STA1 and STA2 as an example, SFU1 can communicate with STA1, and SFU2 can communicate with STA2. When the operating frequency bands of SFU1 and SFU2 overlap, as shown by dashed line 1, concurrent operation of SFU1 and SFU2 will cause transmission failures due to collisions, affecting communication between SFU1 and STA1, and between SFU2 and STA2. Based on this, the Co-SR method can be adopted, as shown by dashed line 2, to reduce the transmission power of SFU1 and SFU2, reduce mutual interference, thereby achieving burst concurrency and improving system throughput.

[0092] Based on the above description of the Co-SR method, in an FTTR network scenario, the MFU can instruct the SFU to initiate Co-SR burst transmission, allowing each SFU to synchronously transmit downlink bursts concurrently based on centralized scheduling. Specifically, during the initial concurrency process, the MFU can send scheduling instructions to each SFU based on the scheduling procedure. These instructions can include a synchronization timestamp. Each SFU can guarantee synchronous transmission during the initial concurrency based on this timestamp, meaning each SFU can synchronously send packets to its corresponding terminal devices during the initial concurrency process. After receiving the packets sent by the SFU, each terminal device can send a block ACK (BA) frame back to the SFU. After receiving the BA frame, the SFU continues to send packets to the terminal devices after a short interframe space (SIFS).

[0093] During the aforementioned burst concurrency process, the aggregation degree of each terminal device or the rate of the BA frames returned by each terminal device may differ, leading to variations in the duration of the BA frames returned by each terminal device. Consequently, the start time for each SFU to send messages to each terminal device via SIFS after receiving the BA frame may be inconsistent. In other words, the start time of the second concurrency of each SFU may be inconsistent, affecting the concurrency performance of the communication system. The duration of the BA frame can be understood as the time taken by the terminal device to send the BA frame.

[0094] Based on this, during the burst concurrency process, each SFU can report the duration of the BA frames acquired by each SFU to the MFU, assisting the MFU in scheduling the next airspace coordination. That is, the MFU can configure the synchronization timestamp for the next burst concurrency process for each SFU based on the duration of the BA frames acquired by each SFU. In this way, each SFU can synchronously send messages to each terminal device in the next burst concurrency process according to the synchronization timestamp indicated by the MFU, thereby improving the concurrency performance of the communication system.

[0095] For example, taking SFU1 and SFU2 as SFUs and STA1 and STA2 as terminal devices, as follows: Figure 3 As shown, during the initial burst concurrency process, SFU1 and SFU2 can obtain the first synchronization timestamp based on the MFU's scheduling instructions, and synchronously send downlink packets to STA1 and STA2 according to the first synchronization timestamp. After receiving the downlink packets, STA1 and STA2 can respectively send BA frames back to SFU1 and SFU2, and obtain the synchronization timestamp (such as the second synchronization timestamp) configured by the MFU for the next burst concurrency process. In the next burst concurrency process, they can synchronously send downlink packets to STA1 and STA2 according to the second synchronization timestamp, and STA1 and STA2 can respectively send BA frames back to SFU1 and SFU2 after receiving the downlink packets. This method is repeated until the burst concurrency ends.

[0096] Since the duration of the BA frames responded to by different terminal devices to different SFUs may be different, the SFU that receives the shorter BA frame can wait for an additional period of time. After each SFU has received its corresponding BA frame, each SFU continues to synchronously send messages to each terminal device according to the synchronization timestamp of the next burst concurrent process configured by the MFU.

[0097] However, during the extra waiting period of the SFU, the air interface may be preempted by other interfering devices, causing the SFU to be unable to continue synchronous transmission and affecting the concurrent performance of the communication system.

[0098] For example, taking SFU1 and SFU2 as SFUs and STA1 and STA2 as terminal devices, as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the duration of the BA frame corresponding to SFU1 is shorter than that of the BA frame corresponding to SFU2. SFU1 needs to wait for an additional period of time, which may reach hundreds of microseconds. That is, the air interface idle time may reach hundreds of microseconds. During this period, other interfering devices may preempt the air interface to send messages, causing SFU1 to be unable to continue to send synchronously, thus affecting the concurrent performance of the communication system.

[0099] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of this application provide a communication method, which includes: a second device receiving first information from a first device, the first information indicating the air interface protection mode of the second device during burst concurrency; and the second device sending a message to a terminal device according to the first information during burst concurrency.

[0100] In this embodiment of the application, the first device can instruct the second device on the air interface protection mode during burst concurrency through the first information. Thus, the second device can perform air interface protection according to the first information during burst concurrency. That is, during the period when the second device is waiting for other cooperating second devices to receive BA frames, it can ensure that the air interface corresponding to the second device is not preempted by other interfering devices and loses the opportunity to send, thereby ensuring that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency and improving the concurrency performance of the communication system.

[0101] The following is combined with Figure 1 The network topology shown below is for reference only. Figure 5 The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application is described below, wherein the first device can be Figure 1 In any of the MFUs shown in the networking scenario, the second device can be... Figure 1 In any of the SFUs shown in the networking scenario, the terminal device can be... Figure 1 Any terminal device in the network scenario shown.

[0102] It is understood that the processing performed by a single execution entity (first device, second device, or terminal device) shown in the embodiments of this application can also be divided into multiple execution entities, which can be logically and / or physically separated, without limitation. Furthermore, the message names or parameter names in the messages exchanged between the various devices in the embodiments of this application are merely examples; other names may be used in specific implementations without limitation. Actions, terms, etc., involved in the various embodiments of this application can be referenced mutually without limitation.

[0103] Figure 5 A flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application is shown below. Figure 5 As shown, the method may include:

[0104] Step 501: The first device acquires the first information corresponding to one or more second devices respectively.

[0105] The one or more second devices may be one or more second devices that execute the burst concurrent process. The first device may determine corresponding first information for each of the one or more second devices in step 501.

[0106] The first piece of information can be used to indicate the air interface protection method of the second device during burst concurrency.

[0107] For example, the first information may include first indication information, which indicates that a clear to send (CTS) frame should be sent before the message is sent, or the first indication information indicates that a padding field should be added after the sent message, or the first indication information indicates that an air interface frame should be sent after a BA frame is received.

[0108] In this method, the first device instructs the second device to send a CTS frame before message transmission via a first indication message. This allows the second device to reserve the air interface based on the sent CTS frame (e.g., reserve the air interface during burst concurrency), thereby minimizing the risk of other interfering devices preempting the air interface and causing the second device to lose its transmission opportunity during burst concurrency. This ensures that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency, improving the concurrency performance of the communication system. A detailed description of this air interface protection method can be found in the first possible design below, and will not be repeated here.

[0109] In this method, the first device instructs the second device to add a padding field to the end of the transmitted message via a first indication message. This allows the second device to add a padding field to the end of the message sent to the terminal device. By increasing the message duration, the second device's additional waiting time is reduced, thereby minimizing the possibility of other interfering devices preempting the air interface due to excessive waiting time and ensuring that the second device can transmit synchronously during burst concurrency, thus improving the concurrency performance of the communication system. A detailed description of this air interface protection method can be found in the second possible design below, and will not be repeated here.

[0110] In this method, the first device instructs the second device via a first indication message to send an air interface frame after receiving a BA frame. This allows the second device to actively send air interface frames during the additional waiting time to occupy the air interface, thereby minimizing the risk of other interfering devices preempting the air interface and losing transmission opportunities during burst concurrency. This ensures that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency, improving the concurrency performance of the communication system. A detailed description of this air interface protection method can be found in the third possible design below, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0111] It is understandable that, for a second device with an additional waiting time, the first device can indicate the air interface protection mode to the second device through the first indication information in the first information, as described above. For a second device without an additional waiting time, the first device may not need to send the first information to the second device, or the first device may send the first information including the first indication information to the second device. In this case, the first indication information can be used to indicate that no additional processing is required (or described as no air interface protection, no air interface protection mode, etc., without restriction).

[0112] The first device can determine whether to send first information including first indication information to each second device based on the duration of the BA frame corresponding to each second device, or determine the air interface protection method specifically indicated by the first indication information in the first information sent to each second device.

[0113] For example, the first device can compare the durations of the BA frames corresponding to each second device. For the second device corresponding to the longest BA frame, the first device may not need to send the first information to that second device, or it may send the first information including first indication information to that second device. The first indication information is used to indicate that the second device does not need additional processing. In this case, the second device can also be considered as a second device without additional waiting time. For the second devices corresponding to other BA frames, the first device can send the first information to the second devices to indicate the air interface protection mode corresponding to each second device. In this case, each second device can be considered as a second device with additional waiting time.

[0114] It is understandable that each second device can receive BA frames fed back by the terminal device during communication with the terminal device (such as unicast communication, multicast communication, burst concurrent communication, etc.) and feed back the duration of the BA frames it received to the first device. Thus, the first device can determine the first information corresponding to each second device based on the duration of the BA frames corresponding to each second device.

[0115] It is understandable that the air interface protection methods indicated by the first information corresponding to different second devices can be the same or different, without restriction.

[0116] Optionally, the first indication information may correspond to multiple bits, and these multiple bits may be set to different values ​​to represent different meanings.

[0117] For example, taking the first indication information corresponding to 1 byte (i.e. 8 bits) as an example, the first indication information can be indicated by setting the value of the first bit to 1, indicating that the first indication information is used to indicate that a CTS frame is sent before the message is sent; or, the value of the second bit is set to 1, indicating that the first indication information is used to indicate that a padding field is added after the sent message; or, the value of the third bit is set to 1, indicating that the first indication information is used to indicate that an air interface frame is sent after a BA frame is received; or, the value of all bits is set to 0, indicating that the first indication information is used to indicate that no additional processing is required.

[0118] In another example, taking the first indication information corresponding to 2 bits as an example, the first indication information can be indicated by setting the value of 2 bits to 00, indicating that the first indication information is used to indicate that a CTS frame is sent before the message is sent; or, the value of 2 bits can be indicated by setting the value of 2 bits to 01, indicating that the first indication information is used to indicate that a padding field is added after the sent message; or, the value of 2 bits can be indicated by setting the value of 2 bits to 10, indicating that the first indication information is used to indicate that an air interface frame is sent after a BA frame is received; or, the value of 2 bits can be indicated by setting the value of 2 bits to 11, indicating that the first indication information is used to indicate that no additional processing is required.

[0119] Optionally, the first information may also include second indication information, which is used to indicate that burst parallel sending is enabled.

[0120] It is understood that this second indication information can also be used to indicate that burst parallel transmission is not enabled. When burst parallel transmission is not enabled, each second device does not need to perform air interface protection according to the first indication information. That is, the aforementioned first indication information takes effect when the second indication information is used to indicate that burst parallel transmission is enabled.

[0121] Optionally, the second indication information may correspond to one or more bits, and these one or more bits may be set to different values ​​to represent different meanings.

[0122] For example, taking the second indication information corresponding to 1 bit as an example, the value of this 1 bit can be set to 1 to indicate that the second indication information is used to indicate that burst parallel transmission is enabled, or the value of this 1 bit can be set to 0 to indicate that the second indication information is used to indicate that burst parallel transmission is not enabled.

[0123] In another example, taking the second indication information corresponding to 2 bits as an example, the value of the first bit can be set to 1 to indicate that the second indication information is used to indicate that burst parallel transmission is enabled, or the value of the second bit can be set to 1 to indicate that the second indication information is used to indicate that burst parallel transmission is not enabled.

[0124] Step 502: The first device sends first information to one or more second devices respectively; correspondingly, one or more second devices receive the first information from the first device.

[0125] The first device can employ a centralized scheduling method, sending the first information along with a scheduling instruction to each second device. This scheduling instruction can also be described as the result of airspace scheduling.

[0126] Step 503: During the burst concurrency period, the second device sends a message to the terminal device based on the first information.

[0127] In the case where the first indication information is used to instruct the sending of a CTS frame before the message is sent, the second device may send a CTS frame to the terminal device before sending the message to the terminal device for the first time, in order to reserve the air interface. The second device may also send a message to the terminal device after sending the CTS frame, and after receiving the message, the terminal device may send a BA frame back to the second device.

[0128] Optionally, the second device may send a CTS frame to the terminal device before sending a message to the terminal device for the first time, or it may choose not to send a CTS frame to the terminal device, without restriction.

[0129] In cases where the first indication information instructs the addition of a padding field to the end of the transmitted message, the second device may add a padding field to the end of the message sent to the terminal device to increase the message duration. Upon receiving the message, the terminal device may send a BA frame back to the second device.

[0130] In the case where the first indication information is used to indicate that an air interface frame is sent after receiving a BA frame, the second device can send a message to the terminal device, the terminal device sends a BA frame back to the second device, and the second device sends an air interface frame after receiving the BA frame to occupy the air interface.

[0131] Based on the above Figure 5 The method shown allows the first device to instruct the second device on the air interface protection mode during burst concurrency via the first information. This enables the second device to perform air interface protection during burst concurrency based on the first information. Specifically, while the second device waits for other cooperating devices to receive BA frames, it ensures that the air interface corresponding to the second device is not preempted by other interfering devices, thus preventing the loss of transmission opportunities. This guarantees that the second device can achieve synchronous transmission during burst concurrency, improving the concurrency performance of the communication system, fully utilizing air interface opportunities, and increasing air interface efficiency.

[0132] Based on the above description, the various air interface protection methods for the first information indication are described in detail below, with reference to the following three possible designs:

[0133] In the first possible design, where the first indication information is used to indicate that a CTS frame is sent before the message is sent, the first information may also include one or more of the following: CTS frame transmission rate information, or the duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame.

[0134] The transmission rate information can be a specific transmission rate or a transmission rate level corresponding to the transmission rate, without restriction.

[0135] The duration field in the CTS frame indicates the reserved air interface duration. By indicating the reserved air interface duration, it means that the second device occupies the air interface for the entire duration, which can prevent other interfering devices from taking over the air interface.

[0136] Optionally, the absolute value of the difference between the duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame and the burst concurrency duration is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0137] The first threshold can be predefined by the communication protocol or determined by the first device, and is not limited thereto. For example, the first threshold can be the duration of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, or it can be 0, etc., and is not limited thereto.

[0138] Optionally, the duration field in the CTS frame indicates a duration greater than or equal to the burst concurrent duration.

[0139] The first device can receive a pre-scheduling request sent by one or more second devices, determine the burst concurrency duration based on the pre-scheduling request, and determine the duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame corresponding to each second device based on the burst concurrency duration.

[0140] The pre-scheduling request may include data cache information of the second device, transmission time requirements, etc., and is not restricted.

[0141] Based on this first possible design, such as Figure 6As shown, taking the second device including SFU1 and SFU2, and the terminal devices including STA1 and STA2 as an example, the first device can configure a first synchronization timestamp for SFU1 and SFU2. Before sending messages to STA1 and STA2 for the first time, SFU1 and SFU2 can synchronously send CTS frames to STA1 and STA2 according to the first synchronization timestamp, then send messages to STA1 and STA2, and receive BA frames fed back by STA1 and STA2. Since the duration of the BA frame corresponding to SFU1 is less than the duration of the BA frame corresponding to SFU2, SFU1 can wait for an additional period of time. Since SFU1 has already reserved the air interface by sending CTS frames, even if SFU1 does not perform any send or receive actions during the additional waiting time, it can be guaranteed that the air interface will not be preempted by other interfering devices. After SFU2 receives the BA frame, SFU1 and SFU2 can synchronously send messages to STA1 and STA2 according to the second synchronization timestamp configured by the first device, and receive BA frames fed back by STA1 and STA2. Optionally, before SFU1 and SFU2 send messages to STA1 and STA2 based on the second synchronization timestamp, they can synchronously send CTS frames to STA1 and STA2 based on the second synchronization timestamp.

[0142] In the second possible design, where the first indication information is used to indicate the addition of a padding field after the transmitted message, the first information may also include the duration of the padding field. The duration of the padding field can be understood as the duration taken by the second device to transmit the padding field.

[0143] The duration of the padding field can be determined based on the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device and the maximum of the durations of the BA frames corresponding to one or more second devices associated with the first device.

[0144] For example, the absolute value of the difference between the duration of the fill field and the first duration is less than or equal to the second threshold, where the first duration is the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device.

[0145] The second threshold can be predefined by the communication protocol or determined by the first device, and is not limited thereto. For example, the second threshold can be the duration of the OFDM symbol, or it can be 0, etc., and is not limited thereto.

[0146] For example, taking the second devices associated with the first device, including second device 1, second device 2, second device 3, and second device 4, as an example, the maximum value of the BA frame duration can be determined based on the duration 1 of the BA frame corresponding to second device 1, the duration 2 of the BA frame corresponding to second device 2, the duration 3 of the BA frame corresponding to second device 3, and the duration 4 of the BA frame corresponding to second device 4. Assuming the maximum value is the BA frame duration 4, the first duration 1 corresponding to second device 1 can be the absolute value of the difference between the BA frame duration 4 and the BA frame duration 1, and the absolute value of the difference between the duration of the padding field corresponding to second device 1 and the first duration 1 is less than or equal to a second threshold. Similarly, the first duration 2 corresponding to second device 2 can be the absolute value of the difference between the BA frame duration 4 and the BA frame duration 2, and the absolute value of the difference between the duration of the padding field corresponding to second device 2 and the first duration 2 is less than or equal to the second threshold. The first duration 3 corresponding to the second device 3 can be the absolute value of the difference between the duration 4 of the BA frame and the duration 3 of the BA frame, and the absolute value of the difference between the duration of the padding field corresponding to the second device 3 and the first duration 3 is less than or equal to the second threshold.

[0147] The first device can obtain the duration of BA frames from one or more second devices, and determine the duration of the padding field corresponding to each second device based on the duration of the BA frames corresponding to each second device.

[0148] Optionally, the content to be filled in the padding field can be a data frame, a Quality of Service NULL (QoS NULL) frame, or other content, without restriction.

[0149] Based on this second possible design, such as Figure 7 As shown, taking the second device including SFU1 and SFU2, and the terminal devices including STA1 and STA2 as an example, the first device can configure a first synchronization timestamp for SFU1 and SFU2. Since the duration of the BA frame corresponding to SFU1 is shorter than the duration of the BA frame corresponding to SFU2, SFU1 can add padding bits after the message sent to the terminal devices. SFU1 and SFU2 synchronously send messages to STA1 and STA2 according to the first synchronization timestamp and receive the BA frames fed back by STA1 and STA2. Because SFU1 adds padding bits after the message sent to the terminal devices, the extra waiting time of SFU1 can be reduced, thereby ensuring that the air interface is not preempted by other interfering devices. After SFU2 receives the BA frame, SFU1 and SFU2 can synchronously send messages to STA1 and STA2 according to the second synchronization timestamp configured by the first device and receive the BA frames fed back by STA1 and STA2.

[0150] In the third possible design, when the first indication information is used to indicate that an air interface frame is sent after a BA frame is received, the first information may also include one or more of the following: the number of times the air interface frame is sent, the frame type of the air interface frame, the transmission protocol corresponding to the air interface frame, or the transmission rate information of the air interface frame.

[0151] The number of air interface frames sent can be determined based on the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device, the maximum duration of the BA frames corresponding to one or more second devices associated with the first device, and the duration of the air interface frame.

[0152] For example, the number of times an air interface frame is sent is equal to the rounded result of the ratio of the first duration to the second duration. The first duration is the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device. The second duration is the sum of the duration of the air interface frame and the duration of SIFS. The rounding can be rounded up or rounded down, without restriction.

[0153] For example, taking a second device associated with a first device, including second device 1, second device 2, second device 3, and second device 4, the maximum value of the BA frame duration can be determined based on the duration 1 of the BA frame corresponding to second device 1, the duration 2 of the BA frame corresponding to second device 2, the duration 3 of the BA frame corresponding to second device 3, and the duration 4 of the BA frame corresponding to second device 4. Assuming the maximum value is the duration 4 of the BA frame, the first duration 1 corresponding to second device 1 can be the absolute value of the difference between the duration 4 of the BA frame and the duration 1 of the BA frame. The first duration 2 corresponding to second device 2 can be the absolute value of the difference between the duration 4 of the BA frame and the duration 2 of the BA frame. The first duration 3 corresponding to second device 3 can be the absolute value of the difference between the duration 4 of the BA frame and the duration 3 of the BA frame.

[0154] The frame type of the air interface frame can be any of the following: CTS frame, QoS NULL frame, or NULLdata frame.

[0155] The transmission protocol corresponding to the air interface frame can be any 802.11 protocol, such as 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn, etc., without restriction.

[0156] The transmission rate information can be a specific transmission rate or a transmission rate level corresponding to the transmission rate, without restriction.

[0157] The first device can receive the duration of BA frames from one or more second devices, and determine the above parameters based on the duration of the BA frames corresponding to each second device.

[0158] It is understandable that different second devices may have different first durations, and different first durations can be matched by adjusting one or more parameters such as the number of transmissions, frame type, transmission protocol, and transmission rate.

[0159] For example, for the first duration 1, the second device can send a CTS frame after receiving a BA frame, based on a CTS frame, 6 Mbps, and the 802.11a protocol, and the air interface duration of the CTS frame can be 44 µs. Alternatively, for the first duration 2, the second device can send a CTS frame after receiving a BA frame, based on a CTS frame, 24 Mbps, and the 802.11a protocol, and the air interface duration of the CTS frame can be 28 µs.

[0160] Based on this third possible design, such as Figure 8 As shown, taking the second device including SFU1 and SFU2, and the terminal devices including STA1 and STA2 as an example, the first device can configure a first synchronization timestamp for SFU1 and SFU2. SFU1 and SFU2 can synchronously send messages to STA1 and STA2 according to the first synchronization timestamp, and receive BA frames fed back by STA1 and STA2. Since the duration of the BA frame corresponding to SFU1 is less than the duration of the BA frame of SFU2, SFU1 can actively send one or more air interface frames after receiving the BA frame to occupy the air interface, thereby ensuring that the air interface will not be preempted by other interfering devices. After SFU2 receives the BA frame, SFU1 and SFU2 can synchronously send messages to STA1 and STA2 according to the second synchronization timestamp configured by the first device, and receive BA frames fed back by STA1 and STA2.

[0161] Based on the above description of the first information, the first information is illustrated in Table 1 below as an example:

[0162] Table 1

[0163]

[0164]

[0165] Optionally, when the first device sends the first information to each of the second devices, it may send the first information in a scheduling instruction, which may also be called the airspace scheduling result.

[0166] For example, the airspace scheduling results may include the parameters listed in Table 2 below:

[0167] Table 2

[0168]

[0169]

[0170] Optionally, before each second device executes the burst concurrency process, the first and second devices can also perform initialization, synchronization, pre-scheduling, and centralized scheduling processes.

[0171] For example, such as Figure 9 As shown, taking the second device as SFU1, SFU2, ..., SFUN and the first device as MFU as an example, SFU1, SFU2, ..., SFUN can, during the burst concurrency period, use the synchronization timestamps included in the scheduling instructions, referring to the above. Figures 5 to 8 The illustrated embodiment performs air interface transmission synchronously until the burst concurrent process ends.

[0172] Optionally, before executing the burst concurrency process, each SFU can also perform initialization, synchronization, pre-scheduling, and centralized scheduling with the MFU. Specifically, the MFU can make airspace collaborative scheduling decisions based on the pre-scheduling requests sent by each SFU or based on the duration of the BA frames fed back by each SFU, and send scheduling instructions (which may include first information) to each SFU to achieve airspace resource allocation.

[0173] It should be noted that the various embodiments of this application can be implemented independently or in combination, without limitation. Unless otherwise specified or in conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between the different embodiments provided in this application are consistent and can be referenced mutually. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0174] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the executing entity may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also perform other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the various steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessarily necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0175] The foregoing primarily describes the solutions provided in this application from the perspective of device-to-device interaction. It is understood that each device, in order to achieve the aforementioned functions, includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, based on the algorithm steps of the examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0176] This application embodiment can divide each device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0177] When dividing each function into modules according to its corresponding function. Figure 10 A communication device 100 is shown, which can perform the above-described... Figures 5 to 9 The actions performed by the first device, the second device, or the terminal device in the method shown, and all related content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module. The technical effects that can be obtained can be referred to the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0178] The communication device 100 may include a transceiver module 1001 and a processing module 1002. Exemplarily, the communication device 100 may be a communication equipment, or a chip or other combination device or component having the aforementioned communication device functions. When the communication device 100 is a communication equipment, the transceiver module 1001 may be a transceiver, which may include an antenna and radio frequency circuits, etc.; the processing module 1002 may be a processor (or processing circuit), such as a baseband processor, which may include one or more CPUs. When the communication device 100 is a component having the aforementioned communication device functions, the transceiver module 1001 may be a radio frequency unit; the processing module 1002 may be a processor (or processing circuit), such as a baseband processor. When the communication device 100 is a chip system, the transceiver module 1001 may be an input / output interface of a chip (e.g., a baseband chip); the processing module 1002 may be a processor (or processing circuit) of the chip system, and may include one or more central processing units. It should be understood that the transceiver module 1001 in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components; the processing module 1002 can be implemented by a processor or processor-related circuit components (or, referred to as processing circuit).

[0179] For example, the transceiver module 1001 can be used to perform... Figures 5 to 9 In the illustrated embodiment, all transmit and receive operations performed by the communication device, and / or other processes used to support the technology described herein; the processing module 1002 can be used to perform Figures 5 to 9The embodiments shown include all operations performed by the communication device other than the transmit and receive operations, and / or other processes used to support the techniques described herein.

[0180] As another feasible approach Figure 10 The transceiver module 1001 can be replaced by a transceiver unit, which can integrate the functions of the transceiver module 1001; the processing module 1002 can be replaced by a processor, which can integrate the functions of the processing module 1002. Furthermore, Figure 10 The communication device 100 shown may also include a memory.

[0181] Alternatively, when the processing module 1002 is replaced by a processor and the transceiver module 1001 is replaced by a transceiver, the communication device 100 involved in the embodiments of this application can also be... Figure 11 The communication device 110 shown. The processor can be logic circuit 1101, and the transceiver can be interface circuit 1102. Furthermore, Figure 11 The communication device 110 shown may also include a memory 1103.

[0182] This application also provides a communication device 1200, such as... Figure 12 As shown, the communication device 1200 can be the above-mentioned Figures 5 to 9 The method shown can be the first device or the chip or system-on-a-chip in the first device; or it can be the above. Figures 5 to 9 The method shown may include a second device or a chip or system-on-a-chip in the second device; or it may be the above-mentioned Figures 5 to 9 The terminal device or the chip or system-on-a-chip in the terminal device shown in the method. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the communication device 1200 includes a processor 1201, a transceiver 1202, and a communication line 1203.

[0183] Furthermore, the communication device 1200 may also include a memory 1204. The processor 1201, the memory 1204, and the transceiver 1202 can be connected via a communication line 1203.

[0184] The processor 1201 can be a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. The processor 1201 can also be other devices with processing capabilities, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, without limitation.

[0185] Transceiver 1202 is used to communicate with other devices or other communication networks. These other communication networks can be Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. Transceiver 1202 can be a module, circuit, transceiver, or any device capable of enabling communication.

[0186] Communication line 1203 is used to transmit information between the components included in communication device 1200.

[0187] Memory 1204 is used to store instructions. These instructions can be computer programs.

[0188] The memory 1204 can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and / or instructions; it can also be a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and / or instructions; it can also be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, etc., without limitation.

[0189] It should be noted that the memory 1204 can exist independently of the processor 1201 or can be integrated with the processor 1201. The memory 1204 can be used to store instructions, program code, or some data, etc. The memory 1204 can be located inside or outside the communication device 1200, without limitation. The processor 1201 is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 1204 to implement the communication method provided in the following embodiments of this application.

[0190] In one example, processor 1201 may include one or more CPUs, for example Figure 12 CPU0 and CPU1 in the CPU.

[0191] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1200 includes multiple processors, for example, besides Figure 12 In addition to processor 1201, it may also include processor 1207.

[0192] As an optional implementation, the communication device 1200 also includes an output device 1205 and an input device 1206. For example, the input device 1206 is a device such as a keyboard, mouse, microphone, or joystick, and the output device 1205 is a device such as a display screen or speaker.

[0193] It should be noted that the communication device 1200 can be a desktop computer, laptop computer, network server, mobile phone, tablet computer, wireless terminal, embedded device, chip system, or other device. Figure 12 Equipment with a similar structure. Furthermore... Figure 12 The structural composition shown does not constitute a limitation on the communication device, except... Figure 12 In addition to the components shown, the communication device may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0194] In this embodiment of the application, the chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0195] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, can implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0196] This application also provides a computer program that, when executed by a computer, can implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0197] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. This program can be stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the above method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be an internal storage unit of the terminal (including a data sending end and / or a data receiving end) of any of the foregoing embodiments, such as the terminal's hard disk or memory. The computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the terminal, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., equipped on the terminal. Further, the computer-readable storage medium can include both the terminal's internal storage unit and external storage devices. The computer-readable storage medium is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the terminal. The computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0198] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. "First" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0199] Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0200] It should be understood that in this application, "at least one (item)" means one or more. "More than one" means two or more. "At least two (items)" means two or three or more. "And / or" is used to describe the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Both "...when" and "if" indicate that a corresponding action will be taken under certain objective circumstances. They are not time limits, nor do they require a judgment action to be taken when the action is taken, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0201] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0202] In this application, "sending information to...(terminal device)" can be understood as the destination of the information being the terminal device. This can include sending information directly or indirectly to the terminal device. "Receiving information from...(terminal device)" can be understood as the source of the information being the terminal device, and can include receiving information directly or indirectly from the terminal device. Information may undergo necessary processing between the source and destination, such as format changes, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source.

[0203] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0204] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0205] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0206] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0207] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application embodiment, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This software product 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 USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Receive first information from the first device; wherein the first information is used to indicate the air interface protection mode of the second device during a burst of concurrency; During the burst concurrency period, a message is sent to the terminal device based on the first information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information includes first indication information; wherein, the first indication information is used to indicate sending a CTS frame before sending the message, or, the first indication information is used to indicate adding a padding field after sending the message, or, the first indication information is used to indicate sending an air interface frame after receiving a Block Acknowledgment (BA) frame.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the first indication information is used to indicate that a CTS frame is sent before the message is sent, the first information may further include one or more of the following: CTS frame transmission rate information, or duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The absolute value of the difference between the duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame and the burst concurrent duration is less than or equal to a first threshold.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The duration field in the CTS frame indicates a duration greater than or equal to the burst concurrent duration.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, During the burst concurrency period, sending a message to the terminal device based on the first information includes: In cases where the first indication information is used to indicate that a CTS frame should be sent before the message is sent, a CTS frame is sent to the terminal device before the message is first sent to the terminal device.

7. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, In cases where the first indication information is used to indicate the addition of a padding field after the sent message, the first information also includes the duration of the padding field.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The duration of the padding field is determined based on the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device and the maximum value of the duration of the BA frames corresponding to one or more second devices associated with the first device.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The absolute value of the difference between the duration of the filling field and the first duration is less than or equal to the second threshold; wherein, the first duration is the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device.

10. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the first indication information is used to indicate that an air interface frame is sent after a BA frame is received, the first information may further include one or more of the following: the number of times the air interface frame is sent, the frame type of the air interface frame, the transmission protocol corresponding to the air interface frame, or the transmission rate information of the air interface frame.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The number of times the air interface frame is sent is determined based on the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device, the maximum duration of the BA frames corresponding to one or more second devices associated with the first device, and the duration of the air interface frame.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The number of times the air interface frame is transmitted is equal to the rounded result of the ratio of the first duration to the second duration; wherein, the first duration is the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device, and the second duration is the sum of the duration of the air interface frame and the duration of the short inter-frame interval (SIFS).

13. The method according to any one of claims 10-12, characterized in that, The frame type of the air interface frame is any of the following: CTS frame, QoS NULL frame, or empty data frame.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, The first information also includes second indication information; wherein the second indication information is used to indicate enabling burst parallel transmission.

15. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Obtain first information corresponding to one or more second devices respectively; wherein, the first information is used to indicate the air interface protection mode of the second device during a burst concurrency; The first information is sent to one or more second devices respectively.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The first information includes first indication information; wherein, the first indication information is used to indicate sending a CTS frame before sending the message, or, the first indication information is used to indicate adding a padding field after sending the message, or, the first indication information is used to indicate sending an air interface frame after receiving a Block Acknowledgment (BA) frame.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, When the first indication information is used to indicate that a CTS frame is sent before the message is sent, the first information may further include one or more of the following: CTS frame transmission rate information, or duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The absolute value of the difference between the duration indicated by the duration field in the CTS frame and the burst concurrent duration is less than or equal to a first threshold.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that, The duration field in the CTS frame indicates a duration greater than or equal to the burst concurrent duration.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17-19, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the first information corresponding to one or more second devices includes: Receive a pre-scheduling request from one or more of the second devices; The burst concurrency duration is determined based on the pre-scheduling request; Based on the burst concurrency duration, determine the first information corresponding to the one or more second devices respectively.

21. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, In cases where the first indication information is used to indicate the addition of a padding field after the sent message, the first information also includes the duration of the padding field.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The duration of the padding field is determined based on the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device and the maximum value of the duration of the BA frames corresponding to one or more second devices associated with the first device.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The absolute value of the difference between the duration of the filling field and the first duration is less than or equal to the second threshold; wherein, the first duration is the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device.

24. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, When the first indication information is used to indicate that an air interface frame is sent after a BA frame is received, the first information may further include one or more of the following: the number of times the air interface frame is sent, the frame type of the air interface frame, the transmission protocol corresponding to the air interface frame, or the transmission rate information of the air interface frame.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that, The number of times the air interface frame is sent is determined based on the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device, the maximum duration of the BA frames corresponding to one or more second devices associated with the first device, and the duration of the air interface frame.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that, The number of times the air interface frame is transmitted is equal to the rounded result of the ratio of the first duration to the second duration; wherein, the first duration is the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the duration of the BA frame corresponding to the second device, and the second duration is the sum of the duration of the air interface frame and the duration of the short inter-frame interval (SIFS).

27. The method according to any one of claims 24-26, characterized in that, The frame type of the air interface frame is any of the following: CTS frame, QoS NULL frame, or empty data frame.

28. The method according to any one of claims 21-27, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the first information corresponding to one or more second devices includes: The duration for receiving BA frames from the one or more second devices; Based on the duration of the BA frames of the one or more second devices, the first information corresponding to each of the one or more second devices is determined.

29. The method according to any one of claims 15-28, characterized in that, The first information also includes second indication information; wherein the second indication information is used to indicate enabling burst parallel transmission.

30. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor; the processor is configured to run a computer program or instructions that cause the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-14 to be executed, or cause the communication method as described in any one of claims 15-29 to be executed.

31. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes an interface circuit and a logic circuit; the interface circuit is used to input and / or output information; the logic circuit is used to execute the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-14, or to execute the communication method as described in any one of claims 15-29, and to process and / or generate the information based on the information.

32. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions or programs that, when executed on a computer, cause the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-14 to be executed, or cause the communication method as described in any one of claims 15-29 to be executed.

33. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions; when some or all of the computer instructions are executed on a computer, they cause the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-14 to be executed, or cause the communication method as described in any one of claims 15-29 to be executed.

34. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a first device and a second device, the second device being used to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-14, and the first device being used to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 15-29.

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