Channel access method and apparatus, communication device, and storage medium

Abstract

A channel access method and device, a communication device and a storage medium belong to the technical field of wireless communication. The method is executed by a station device, which is a zero-power device. The method comprises: performing channel access of an unlicensed frequency spectrum through a first access category (501); the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to the zero-power device.

Description

Channel access method, device, communication equipment and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a channel access method, apparatus, communication equipment, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In a wireless local area network (WLAN), a communication device can access a channel in an unlicensed spectrum to obtain a transmission opportunity.

[0003] In related technologies, for example, a communication device in a WLAN may perform channel access through a channel access protocol based on a Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA) mechanism.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a channel access method, apparatus, communication device, and storage medium. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a channel access method, the method being performed by a site device, the site device being a zero-power device, the method comprising:

[0007] Channel access to the unlicensed spectrum is performed through a first access category; the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to the zero-power device.

[0008] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a channel access method, which is performed by an AP device and includes:

[0009] A first access category is configured to a site device through a first configuration frame so that the site device accesses a channel of an unlicensed spectrum through the first access category; the site device is a zero-power device, and the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to the zero-power device.

[0010] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a channel access device, the device comprising:

[0011] A channel access module is used for a site device to access a channel of an unlicensed spectrum through a first access category; the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to a zero-power device, and the site device is a zero-power device.

[0012] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a channel access device, the device comprising:

[0013] A configuration module is used to configure a first access category to a site device through a first configuration frame so that the site device accesses a channel of an unlicensed spectrum through the first access category; the site device is a zero-power device, and the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to the zero-power device.

[0014] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor, a memory and a transceiver, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to be executed by the processor to implement the above-mentioned channel access method.

[0015] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the above-mentioned channel access method.

[0016] In another aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a communication device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing the communication device to perform the above-mentioned channel access method.

[0017] On the other hand, a chip is provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and the chip is used to run in a communication device so that the communication device executes the above-mentioned channel access method.

[0018] On the other hand, a computer program is provided, which is executed by a processor of a communication device to implement the above-mentioned channel access method.

[0019] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can bring the following beneficial effects:

[0020] As a site device of a zero-power device, channel access can be performed on the unlicensed spectrum through one of at least one second access category specially set for the zero-power device. That is to say, the above scheme sets a suitable AC for the zero-power device, so that the channel access of the site device of the zero-power device can meet the transmission requirements of the zero-power device, reduce the interference and conflict between the zero-power device and the non-zero-power device, and improve the system performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0022] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture of a communication system provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the PPDU structure involved in this application;

[0024] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the frame format of the MAC frame involved in this application;

[0025] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of EDCA parameters involved in this application;

[0026] FIG5 is a flow chart of a channel access method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG6 is a flow chart of a channel access method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG7 is a flow chart of a channel access method provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the elements of the EDCA parameters of the AC corresponding to the AP indicating the AMP STA;

[0030] FIG9 is a format diagram of elements for configuring EDCA parameters for an AP;

[0031] FIG10 is a block diagram of a channel access device provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG11 is a block diagram of a channel access device provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the implementation methods of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0036] Please refer to FIG1 , which shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. The network architecture may include: a station 10 and an access point 20 .

[0037] There are usually multiple sites 10, and each access point 20 can be associated with one or more sites 10. Sites 10 can include various zero-power devices with wireless communication capabilities, sensor devices, handheld devices, vehicle-mounted devices, wearable devices, computing devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, as well as various forms of user equipment (UE), mobile stations (MS), terminal devices, etc. For ease of description, in the embodiments of this application, the above-mentioned devices are collectively referred to as sites STA.

[0038] The access point 20 is a device deployed in the access network to provide wireless communication functions for the station 10, and may also be referred to as an AP (Access Point). The access point 20 may include various forms of wireless routers, wireless switches, or wireless relay devices.

[0039] The above-mentioned station 10 and / or access point 20 may be a multi-link device.

[0040] Optionally, what is not shown in FIG1 is that the above network architecture also includes other network devices, such as gateway devices and the like.

[0041] The station 10 and the access point 20 may be associated and communicated with each other via wireless local area network technology, for example, communication based on the IEEE 802.11 protocol.

[0042] The IEEE 802.11BF working group is currently discussing the development of a protocol to define how to implement WLAN awareness using IEEE 802.11-compliant WLAN signals. WLAN terminals participating in awareness may play roles such as awareness session initiator, awareness session responder, awareness signal sender, and awareness signal receiver.

[0043] A WLAN awareness session includes one or more of the following phases: session establishment, awareness measurement, awareness reporting, and session termination. A WLAN terminal may have one or more roles in a awareness session. For example, the awareness session initiator can be solely the awareness session initiator, but can also be the awareness signal sender, the awareness signal receiver, or both.

[0044] Before introducing the technical solution of this application, some technical knowledge involved in this application is first introduced and explained.

[0045] 1. Zero-power devices

[0046] Based on the energy source and usage of zero-power devices, zero-power devices can be divided into the following types:

[0047] 1) Passive zero-power devices

[0048] Zero-power devices do not require internal batteries. When they approach a network device (such as a reader in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system), they are within the near-field radiation generated by the network device's antenna. Consequently, the zero-power device's antenna generates an induced current through electromagnetic induction, which drives the device's low-power chip circuitry. This enables forward link signal demodulation and backward link signal modulation. For backscatter links, the zero-power device uses backscattering to transmit signals.

[0049] It can be seen that the passive zero-power device does not require a built-in battery to drive either the forward link or the reverse link, and is a truly zero-power device.

[0050] Passive zero-power devices do not require batteries, and the RF circuit and baseband circuit are very simple. For example, they do not require low-noise amplifiers (LNA), power amplifiers (PA), crystal oscillators, analog-to-digital converters (ADC) and other devices. Therefore, they have many advantages such as small size, light weight, very low price and long service life.

[0051] 2) Semi-passive zero-power devices

[0052] Semi-passive zero-power devices do not have conventional batteries themselves, but instead use radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting modules to harvest radio wave energy and store the harvested energy in an energy storage unit (such as a capacitor). This energy storage unit then drives the low-power chip circuitry of the zero-power device, performing tasks such as demodulating forward link signals and modulating backward link signals. For backscatter links, the zero-power device uses backscattering to transmit signals.

[0053] It can be seen that the semi-passive zero-power device does not require a built-in battery to drive either the forward link or the reverse link. Although it uses energy stored in capacitors during operation, the energy comes from the radio energy collected by the energy harvesting module. Therefore, it is also a truly zero-power device.

[0054] Semi-passive zero-power devices inherit many advantages of passive zero-power devices, so they have many advantages such as small size, light weight, very low price, and long service life.

[0055] 3) Active zero-power devices

[0056] In some scenarios, zero-power devices can also be active zero-power devices, which can have built-in batteries. The batteries power the low-power chip circuitry of the zero-power device, which performs tasks such as demodulating forward link signals and modulating reverse link signals. However, for backscatter links, zero-power devices use backscattering to transmit signals. Therefore, the zero-power nature of these terminals lies primarily in the fact that reverse link signal transmission does not require the terminal's own power, but rather utilizes backscattering.

[0057] Active zero-power devices, powered by built-in batteries, extend their communication range and improve communication reliability. Therefore, they are used in scenarios with relatively high requirements for communication distance and read latency.

[0058] 2. Cellular Passive IoT

[0059] As 5G industry applications expand, the types of connected objects and application scenarios will increase, placing higher demands on the price and power consumption of communication terminals. The application of battery-free, low-cost passive IoT devices has become a key technology for cellular IoT, expanding the types and number of terminals connected to 5G networks and truly realizing the interconnection of everything. Passive IoT devices can be based on existing zero-power devices and expanded upon them for use in cellular IoT.

[0060] 3. Equipment based on ambient energy

[0061] In New Radio (NR) and Wi-Fi systems, the battery-free and low-cost nature of devices enables low-cost, large-scale deployment and maintenance-free Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Current standards are exploring how to support ambient energy-based IoT devices in NR and Wi-Fi systems. These devices, known as ambient IoT (AMP IoT) devices, operate from energy harvested from ambient sources, such as wireless signals, solar energy, and thermal energy. These devices are similar to passive or semi-passive devices in zero-power communications.

[0062] 4. PPDU in 802.11 Technology

[0063] Wi-Fi device information is transmitted based on physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) frames. PPDU frames include a physical layer header and a data portion. For example, the physical layer header of 802.11a / g consists of three parts: an STF, an LTF, and a SIGNAL, which are short and long training fields, as well as some specific settings for the data portion. Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the PPDU structure involved in this application.

[0064] Among them, the first part is the short training field (STF), which is mainly composed of 10 short symbols (t1-t10), each of which is 0.8us. It includes many functions, mainly realizing frame synchronization and coarse frequency synchronization. Among them, t1-t7 mainly include signal detection (Signal Detect), automatic gain control (Automatic Gain Control, AGC), and diversity selection (Diversity Selection) functions, and t8-t10 mainly include coarse Freq, offset estimation (Offset Estimation), and timing synchronization (Timing Synchronize) functions. The second part is the long training field (LTF), which realizes fine frequency synchronization and channel estimation. The SIGNAL part carries information related to the data part, including data transmission rate, data packet length information Length, reserved bits and tail bits.

[0065] The data part of the PPDU carries a Media Access Control (MAC) frame. The frame format of the MAC frame includes the following parts: a MAC header, a frame body, and a frame check sequence (FCS). As shown in Figure 3, a schematic diagram of the frame format of the MAC frame involved in this application is shown.

[0066] 5. Unlicensed Spectrum

[0067] Unlicensed spectrum is a spectrum designated by countries and regions for use by radio equipment. This spectrum is generally considered shared spectrum, meaning that communication devices in different communication systems can use it as long as they meet the regulatory requirements set by the country or region for that spectrum, without having to apply for exclusive spectrum authorization from the government. To ensure the harmonious coexistence of various communication systems using unlicensed spectrum for wireless communications, some countries or regions have established regulatory requirements that must be met for the use of unlicensed spectrum. For example, in Europe, communication devices adhere to the "Listen-Before-Talk" (LBT) principle. This means that before transmitting on a channel in unlicensed spectrum, a communication device must first sense the channel. Only when the channel sense result indicates that the channel is idle can the communication device transmit. If the channel sense result indicates that the channel is busy, the communication device cannot transmit. Furthermore, to ensure fairness, the duration of a communication device's signal transmission on an unlicensed spectrum channel cannot exceed the Maximum Channel Occupation Time (MCOT) during a transmission.

[0068] Currently, technologies using unlicensed spectrum have been standardized in cellular communication systems. For example, NR Unlicensed (NR-U) technology, which uses unlicensed spectrum below 7 GHz, is standardizing in 3GPP Rel-16. Future technological evolution will consider using higher-frequency unlicensed spectrum and related technologies, such as the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz band discussed in Rel-17. Widely used Wi-Fi technology also utilizes unlicensed spectrum.

[0069] 6. Channel Access Mechanism

[0070] In the 802.11 protocol, the basic channel access protocol is the Distributed Coordination Function (DCF). It uses the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA) mechanism to enable different compatible STA devices to share the channel and reduce the probability of conflicts.

[0071] DCF mainly consists of four core mechanisms:

[0072] 1) Carrier sense mechanism

[0073] The carrier sense mechanism is divided into physical carrier sense and virtual carrier sense. If the result of either sense indicates that the channel is busy, then the channel is busy.

[0074] Physical carrier sensing uses three channel idle detection methods: energy detection, carrier detection, and energy-carrier hybrid detection, collectively referred to as Clear Channel Assessment (CCA). Energy detection determines the energy level of the received signal. When the received power exceeds the physical layer threshold ED_threshold, the channel is considered occupied. Carrier detection detects the preamble portion of the channel signal and determines whether the channel is occupied based on the detection result.

[0075] The virtual carrier sensing mechanism is provided by MAC, and the 802.11 standard uses the Network Allocation Vector (NAV) to implement virtual sensing. The Dur / ID field in the MAC frame stores the "duration". For the STA that receives this information, it determines how long the channel will be occupied and how long its own transmission needs to be delayed. NAV is a timer that is used to define how long the current channel will be occupied. The starting value is the duration of the last received frame, and the countdown ends at 0. Each monitoring STA uses the NAV timer. During data communication, the STA occupying the channel will inform other STAs how long it will take through the duration field in the frame, and the STA that has not obtained the channel will update its own NAV value by comparing the duration value in the received packet. When the NAV value is 0 and the physical carrier sensing indicates that the channel is idle, the current channel is considered to be idle.

[0076] 2) Interframe space (IFS) mechanism

[0077] To minimize collisions, 802.11 stipulates that after completing a transmission, all stations must wait a short period (continue listening) before sending the next frame. This period is commonly known as the interframe space (IFS). The length of the IFS depends on the type of frame the station is sending. High-priority frames require a shorter wait time and are therefore given priority for transmission, while low-priority frames must wait longer. If a low-priority frame is not sent before other high-priority frames have already been sent to the media, the media becomes busy and the low-priority frame must be delayed further. This reduces the chance of collisions.

[0078] IFS provides different priorities for wireless medium access. Different priorities are divided according to the length of the IFS time. The shorter the time, the higher the corresponding priority. The interframe interval time is listed from small to large as follows:

[0079] 1. Short Interframe Space (SIFS)

[0080] SIFS is the shortest interval used to separate frames that require an immediate response, such as control frames (Request to Send (RTS) / Clear to Send (CTS) / Acknowledgement (ACK)). Using the shortest interval between transmissions in a frame exchange sequence prevents other stations waiting for the medium from attempting to use it.

[0081] 2. Point Coordination Function Interframe Space (PIFS) can only be used by sites working in PCF mode.

[0082] 3. Distributed Coordination Function Interframe Space (DIFS) can only be used by sites working in DCF mode.

[0083] 4. Extended Interframe Space (EIFS): If an error occurs in the previous frame, the sending node has to delay the EIFS period instead of the DIFS period before sending the next frame.

[0084] 3) Random backoff mechanism

[0085] 802.11 uses a backoff method to resolve inter-node conflicts. When a STA has a frame to transmit, it initiates the backoff process after both the physical carrier sense and virtual carrier sense indicate that the channel is idle. The STA randomly selects a number x within the contention window (CW) as a backoff counter and backs off for x slot times. During the backoff process, the channel idleness is monitored once per slot time. If idle, the counter x is decremented by 1; otherwise, it remains unchanged. When the backoff counter reaches zero, the entire data frame is transmitted. The length of the CW is between the minimum contention window value, CWmin, and the maximum contention window value, CWmax. CWmin and CWmax determine the range of the node's backoff counter.

[0086] 4)RTS / CTS handshake mechanism

[0087] The IEEE 802.11 RTS / CTS (Request To Send / Clear To Send) protocol is a mechanism used by the 802.11 protocol to reduce conflicts caused by hidden node problems. The basic idea of ​​the RTS / CTS mechanism is to reserve a channel using short control packets. If a sending station wants to send a message to a receiving station, it first sends an RTS control frame. After receiving this RTS, the stations surrounding the sending station set their own Network Allocation Vector (NAV) values ​​based on the Duration field. After receiving the RTS, the receiving station replies with a CTS control frame. After receiving the CTS, the stations surrounding the receiving station set their own NAV values ​​based on the Duration field. Stations with NAV values ​​other than 0 cannot monitor the channel for idleness, thereby avoiding conflicts with the transmissions between the sending and receiving stations.

[0088] Due to their low cost, low complexity, and low power consumption, zero-power terminals are widely used in Wi-Fi and cellular communication systems, such as the passive Internet of Things. The use of unlicensed spectrum is also a key deployment scenario in cellular communication systems. When using unlicensed spectrum, how can zero-power terminals share channels with existing devices to reduce conflicts and interference? This is a challenge that needs to be addressed.

[0089] Due to its power consumption limitations, zero-power terminals have low complexity requirements. For example, the receiver only supports simple modulation and demodulation methods, such as amplitude-shift keying (ASK) and frequency-shift keying (FSK), but does not support orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). For the use of existing unlicensed spectrum, in order to ensure fairness in channel use, if a zero-power terminal needs to occupy a channel to send data, it also needs to perform corresponding CCA to determine whether the channel is idle. It also needs to support the CSMA / CA mechanism to be compatible and coexist with existing devices. Taking the WiFi system as an example, the channel occupancy of the zero-power terminal needs to support the DCF protocol, which requires the zero-power terminal to be able to detect the existing PPDU frames sent based on OFDM to meet the physical and virtual carrier sensing, as well as the support of the RTS / CTS mechanism. This is not possible for a zero-power terminal. There are two approaches to addressing this issue: one is for zero-power terminals to perform physical carrier sensing based on energy detection, employing a simplified CSMA / CA mechanism. Another approach is to transmit on channels occupied by non-zero-power devices, such as access points (APs) that share these channels with zero-power terminals. In either approach, the access category (AC) used for channel access by zero-power terminals must be determined to ensure coexistence with other devices.

[0090] In this application, zero-power terminals, from the perspective of power supply, can include devices powered by ambient energy, such as AMP IoT (Ambient Powered IoT) devices, battery-free terminals, and maintenance-free terminals. They can serve as communication terminals in WiFi or cellular networks. This application uses AMP devices as an example to illustrate the invention, but the invention is not limited to AMP devices.

[0091] In the 802.11e protocol involved in related technologies, in order to enable 802.11 to support QoS functions, four different priority levels are defined, also known as access categories AC. They are ranked from high to low: AC_VO, AC_VI, AC_BE, and AC_BK, as shown in Table 1 below, and are identified by AC Index (ACI).

[0092] Table 1

[0093] Each AC corresponds to a set of Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) parameters, including CWmin, CWmax, Arbitration Inter Frame Spacing Number (AIFSN), and Transmission Opportunity limit (TXOP limit). The AP notifies the STA of these EDCA parameters corresponding to different ACs through Beacon or Probe Response frames. Among them, AIFSN indicates the number of time slots the STA needs to delay before backing off. The total delay time (AIFS) that the STA needs to delay before backing off is calculated using the following formula, where aSlotTime is the length of a slot and aSIFSTime is the length of a SIFS.

[0094] Among them, AIFS[AC]=AIFSN[AC]×aSlotTime+aSIFSTime.

[0095] Different ACs have different AIFS, CWmin, CWmax, and TXOP limits, which determine channel access priorities. Under the same environment, a smaller contention window and a smaller AIFSN allow STAs to compete for channels more quickly. A larger TXOP limit allows STAs to use the channel longer and thus has a higher channel access priority.

[0096] The 802.11 protocol defines default values ​​of EDCA parameters for different ACs, as shown in FIG4 , which illustrates a schematic diagram of EDCA parameters involved in this application.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 5, which shows a flow chart of a channel access method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method can be performed by a site device, which is a zero-power device. The site device can be site 10 in the network architecture shown in Figure 1. The method can include the following steps:

[0098] Step 501: Access a channel of an unlicensed spectrum through a first access category; the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to a zero-power device.

[0099] In an embodiment of the present application, at least one second access category is specially set for zero-power consumption devices. When a site device serving as a zero-power consumption device performs channel access on an unlicensed spectrum, it can perform channel access through one of at least one second access category (i.e., the first access category).

[0100] To sum up, the solution shown in the embodiment of the present application, as a site device of a zero-power device, can perform channel access on the unlicensed spectrum through one of at least one second access categories specially set for zero-power devices. That is to say, the above solution sets a suitable AC for the zero-power device, so that the channel access of the site device as a zero-power device can meet the transmission requirements of the zero-power device, reduce the interference and conflict between the zero-power device and the non-zero-power device, and improve the system performance.

[0101] In the embodiment of the present application, the first access category used by the above-mentioned site device may be predefined by a protocol, or may be configured to the site device by an AP device.

[0102] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned site device can perform channel access of the unlicensed spectrum through the first access category and the enhanced distributed channel access EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category.

[0103] In an embodiment of the present application, the access category specially set for the zero-power device will also have corresponding EDCA parameters, so that the channel access of the zero-power device can be more adapted to the transmission requirements of the zero-power device.

[0104] The EDCA parameters may include at least one of CWmin, CWmax, AIFSN, and TXOP limit.

[0105] For example, the EDCA parameters of the at least one second access category may include four types: CWmin, CWmax, AIFSN, and TXOP limit.

[0106] Alternatively, the EDCA parameters of the at least one second access category may include any one, any two, or any three of CWmin, CWmax, AIFSN, and TXOP limit. Optionally, other parameters of CWmin, CWmax, AIFSN, and TXOP limit may be default values ​​(default values).

[0107] In some embodiments, the EDCA parameters of the first access category may be predefined by a protocol, or may be configured by an AP device to a station device.

[0108] In the case where the first access category used by the above-mentioned site device is configured by an AP device, please refer to Figure 6, which shows a flow chart of a channel access method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method can be performed by an AP device, and the above-mentioned AP device can be access point 20 in the network architecture shown in Figure 1. The method may include the following steps:

[0109] Step 601, configure a first access category to the site device through a first configuration frame so that the site device accesses the channel of the unlicensed spectrum through the first access category; the site device is a zero-power device, and the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to the zero-power device.

[0110] To sum up, the solution shown in the embodiment of the present application, as a site device of a zero-power device, can be instructed by the AP device to perform channel access on the unlicensed spectrum in at least one second access category set specifically for the zero-power device. That is to say, the above solution sets a suitable AC for the zero-power device, so that the channel access of the site device as a zero-power device can meet the transmission requirements of the zero-power device, reduce the interference and conflict between the zero-power device and the non-zero-power device, and improve the system performance.

[0111] Taking the example of the first access category used by the above-mentioned site device being configured by the AP device, please refer to Figure 7, which shows a flow chart of a channel access method provided by one embodiment of the present application. The method can be interactively executed by the site device and the AP device. The site device and the AP device can be the site 10 or the access point 20 in the network architecture shown in Figure 1, respectively. The site device is a zero-power device, and the method can include the following steps:

[0112] Step 701: The AP device configures a first access category to a station device through a first configuration frame. The first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to a zero-power device.

[0113] That is, the first access category is configured by the access point AP device through the first configuration frame.

[0114] In some embodiments, the first configuration frame includes:

[0115] Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

[0116] For example, the AP device may send a beacon frame to the station device, where the beacon frame instructs the station device to use the first access category for channel access.

[0117] Alternatively, the AP device may send a probe response frame to the station device, where the probe response frame instructs the station device to use the first access category for channel access.

[0118] Alternatively, the AP device may send a beacon frame and a probe response frame to the station device, both of which instruct the station device to use the first access category for channel access.

[0119] Alternatively, the AP device may send a beacon frame to the site device, which indicates at least one second access category that the site device can use. Subsequently, the AP device may send a probe response frame to the site device, which instructs the site to use one of the at least one second access categories (i.e., the above-mentioned first access category) for channel access.

[0120] In some embodiments, the EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are configured by the AP device through the second configuration frame. That is, the AP device configures the EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category to the site device through the second configuration frame.

[0121] In some embodiments, the second configuration frame includes:

[0122] Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

[0123] For example, the AP device may send a beacon frame to the station device, where the beacon frame includes EDCA parameters of the first access category.

[0124] Alternatively, the AP device may send a probe response frame to the station device, where the probe response frame includes EDCA parameters of the first access category.

[0125] Alternatively, the AP device may send a beacon frame and a probe response frame to the station device, and both the beacon frame and the probe response frame include EDCA parameters of the first access category.

[0126] Alternatively, the AP device may send a beacon frame to the site device, which includes multiple EDCA parameters. Subsequently, the AP device may send a probe response frame to the site device, which instructs the site to use one of the multiple EDCA parameters as the EDCA parameter of the first access category.

[0127] In some embodiments, the at least one second access category is the same as at least one access category among the multiple access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

[0128] In an embodiment of the present application, one or more access categories corresponding to multiple access categories of non-zero power consumption devices (such as the four access categories corresponding to Table 1 above) can be set as at least one second access category used by zero power consumption devices.

[0129] For example, the at least one second access category includes a single access category, and the single access category may be AC_BK in Table 1. In this case, the first access category is AC_BK.

[0130] For another example, the at least one second access category includes two access categories, and the two access categories may be AC_BK and AC_BE in Table 1. In this case, the first access category is one of AC_BK and AC_BE.

[0131] In other embodiments, some of the access categories in at least one second access category are the same as all or some of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device. In other words, at least one second access category used by the zero power consumption device overlaps (or overlaps) with the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

[0132] For example, the at least one second access category includes two access categories, one of which is an access category in Table 1 (such as AC_BK), and the other access category is not in any access category in Table 1.

[0133] In some embodiments, the at least one second access category is different from the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

[0134] In an embodiment of the present application, one or more new access categories may be set in addition to the four access categories shown in Table 1 above, as at least one second access category used by zero-power devices. That is, any access category in the at least one second access category is different from any access category of a non-zero-power device.

[0135] In some embodiments, when the at least one second access category is different from the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device, when the EDCA parameters include an arbitration interframe space number AIFSN, the first AIFSN is smaller than the second AIFSN;

[0136] The first AIFSN is the maximum value among the AIFSNs of at least one second access category, and the second AIFSN is the minimum value among the AIFSNs of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption devices.

[0137] In the implementation of the present application, if any access category of the at least one second access category mentioned above is different from any access category of the non-zero power consumption device, the AIFSN in the EDCA parameters of the AC used by the zero power consumption device is less than the AIFSN in the EDCA parameters of the AC used by the non-zero power consumption device, that is, the channel access priority of the zero power consumption device may be lower than the channel access priority of the non-zero power consumption device.

[0138] In some embodiments, when the at least one second access category is different from the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device, when the EDCA parameter includes a contention window minimum value CWmin, the first CWmin is greater than the second CWmin;

[0139] The first CWmin is the minimum value among the CWmins of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmin is the maximum value among the CWmins of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption devices.

[0140] In the implementation of the present application, if any access category of the at least one second access category mentioned above is different from any access category of the non-zero power consumption device, the CWmin in the EDCA parameters of the AC used by the zero power consumption device is greater than the CWmin in the EDCA parameters of the AC used by the non-zero power consumption device, that is, the channel access priority of the zero power consumption device may be lower than the channel access priority of the non-zero power consumption device.

[0141] In some embodiments, when the at least one second access category is different from the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device, when the EDCA parameter includes a contention window maximum value CWmax, the first CWmax is greater than the second CWmax;

[0142] The first CWmax is the minimum value of the CWmax of each of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmax is the maximum value of the CWmax of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

[0143] In the implementation of the present application, if any access category of the at least one second access category mentioned above is different from any access category of the non-zero power consumption device, the CWmax in the EDCA parameters of the AC used by the zero power consumption device is greater than the CWmax in the EDCA parameters of the AC used by the non-zero power consumption device, that is, the channel access priority of the zero power consumption device may be lower than the channel access priority of the non-zero power consumption device.

[0144] In some embodiments, when the at least one second access category is different from the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device, if the EDCA parameters include a transmission opportunity TXOP duration, the first TXOP duration is less than the second TXOP duration;

[0145] The first TXOP duration is a maximum value among the TXOP durations of the at least one second access category, and the second TXOP duration is a minimum value among the TXOP durations of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption devices.

[0146] In the implementation of the present application, if any access category of the at least one second access category mentioned above is different from any access category of the non-zero power consumption device, the TXOP duration in the EDCA parameters of the AC used by the zero power consumption device is less than the TXOP duration in the EDCA parameters of the AC used by the non-zero power consumption device, that is, the channel access priority of the zero power consumption device may be lower than the channel access priority of the non-zero power consumption device.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first access category is associated with at least one of the following information of the site device:

[0148] Zero-power device types, energy harvesting methods, energy storage capabilities, and energy storage status.

[0149] In some embodiments, the EDCA parameter of the first access category is associated with at least one of the following information of the site device:

[0150] Zero-power device types, energy harvesting methods, energy storage capabilities, and energy storage status.

[0151] The above-mentioned zero-power device types may refer to the classification of zero-power devices, including passive zero-power devices, semi-passive zero-power devices, active zero-power devices, and the like.

[0152] The above energy collection methods may include: radio frequency signals, solar energy, mechanical energy, etc.

[0153] The energy storage capacity may indicate the capacity of the energy storage component of the site equipment, such as the capacitance.

[0154] The energy storage status may indicate the energy / energy ratio of the current energy storage of the site device. For example, the energy storage status may include the absolute amount of current energy storage, or the energy storage status may include the ratio between the absolute amount of previous energy storage and the capacity of the energy storage component.

[0155] That is, the first access category and / or EDCA parameters of the first access category may be determined in combination with the zero-power device type, energy collection method, energy storage capability, and / or energy storage status of the site device.

[0156] For example, the AP device can determine the EDCA parameters of the above-mentioned first access category and / or the first access category through the zero-power device type, energy collection method, energy storage capacity, and / or energy storage status of the site device, and configure them to the site device through a configuration frame (the above-mentioned first configuration frame and / or second configuration frame).

[0157] In some embodiments, the site device may also report the device capability information to the AP device in advance. For example, when the site device is installed for the first time or restarted, it may first access the channel through the default AC (such as one of the ACs in Table 1 above) and the corresponding EDCA parameters, and report the capability information to the AP. The capability information may include the zero-power device type, energy collection method, energy storage capacity, and / or energy storage status.

[0158] Step 702: The site device accesses a channel of the unlicensed spectrum using a first access category and EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category.

[0159] The embodiment of the present application is described by taking the example that the first access category used by the site device is configured by the AP device. Optionally, in some embodiments, the first access category may also be predefined by a protocol.

[0160] For example, the protocol predefines that zero-power devices use a single access category (which can be one in Table 1, such as AC_BK, or a new AC outside Table 1), and the site device subsequently uses this access category to access the channel of the unlicensed spectrum.

[0161] For another example, the protocol pre-defines multiple second access categories for zero-power devices, and defines the association between these multiple second access categories and the capability information of the devices, where the capability information includes the type of zero-power device, energy collection method, energy storage capacity, and / or energy storage status; the site device serving as a zero-power device can determine the first access category from the multiple second access categories based on the information pre-defined by the protocol and its own capability information.

[0162] Optionally, in some embodiments, the EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are predefined by a protocol.

[0163] For example, the protocol predefines that zero-power devices use a single EDCA parameter (which can be one in Table 1, such as AC_BK, or a new AC outside Table 1), and the site device subsequently uses the EDCA parameter to access the channel of the unlicensed spectrum.

[0164] For another example, the protocol pre-defines multiple EDCA parameters for zero-power devices, and defines the association between these multiple EDCA parameters and the capability information of the devices, where the capability information includes the type of zero-power device, energy collection method, energy storage capacity, and / or energy storage status; the site device serving as a zero-power device can determine the EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category from the multiple EDCA parameters based on the information pre-defined by the protocol and its own capability information.

[0165] The ACs and corresponding EDCA parameters mentioned in related technologies are those supported by existing 802.11 devices. For example, when a new AMP device, such as an AMP STA, accesses a channel for data transmission, it is necessary to define an appropriate AC to minimize the impact on transmission performance, such as throughput and latency, of existing 802.11 devices. Furthermore, selecting an appropriate AC based on the characteristics of the AMP STA also helps meet its transmission needs.

[0166] The present application, in combination with any of the embodiments shown in Figures 5 to 7 above, provides a channel access solution for zero-power devices, wherein the purpose of channel access is the transmission of AMP STA, but the subject performing channel access is not limited, and can be AP, STA, or AMP STA. The solution shown in the present application provides a method for determining the channel access type, and the channel access performed for the transmission of AMP STA adopts the corresponding channel access type AC. Taking the zero-power device as an AMP device as an example, the solution shown in the present application may include the following:

[0167] Embodiment 1: Predefine AC and EDCA parameters used by AMP STA.

[0168] The type of data transmitted uplink by AMP STAs is generally sensor data. The Quality of Service (QoS) of most such data, such as meter reading data, is not latency-sensitive. Furthermore, the data volume is relatively small. This is similar to existing background services. Therefore, a default AC can be predefined for AMP STA data transmission.

[0169] Specifically, the AC may use one of the four ACs defined in the prior art, such as AC_BK. The AC_BK used by the AMP STA adopts default EDCA parameters, which may be the same as the default EDCA parameters used by the existing AC_BE.

[0170] Specifically, you can also use a dedicated AC for AMP STAs, such as AC_BK_AMP, with a corresponding set of default EDCA parameters. For example, as shown in the table below, AC_BK_AMP, defined for AMP STAs, uses a higher AIFSN than the existing AC_BK. Therefore, AC_BK_AMP has a lower priority than AC_BK. You can also set specific CWmin, CWmax, and TXOP limits for AMP STAs. For example, as shown in Table 2, AC_BK_AMP has a higher CWmin, CWmax, and a lower TXOP limit than the existing AC_BK.

[0171] Table 2

[0172] Example 2: The AP configures AC and EDCA parameters for the AMP STA.

[0173] In the prior art, EDCA parameters corresponding to different ACs, including the four currently defined ACs, can be communicated to STAs via Beacon or Probe Response frames. In this method, the AP can configure AC and EDCA parameters for an AMP STA. For example, the AP can communicate these parameters to the AMP STA via a Beacon or Probe Response frame, which the AMP STA can receive. Similar to the format of existing elements carrying EDCA parameters corresponding to an AC, a schematic diagram of the elements used by the AP to communicate EDCA parameters to the AMP STA for the AC corresponding to the AC can be shown in Figure 8.

[0174] Example 3: Multiple AC and EDCA parameters corresponding to AMP STA.

[0175] Considering that the data transmitted by AMP STAs also includes delay-sensitive services such as fire alarms and logistics identification, multiple AC and EDCA parameters may actually be defined for AMP STA channel access.

[0176] Similar to the first and second embodiments, the multiple ACs and corresponding EDCA parameters may be default EDCA parameters or may be configured by the AP. For example, the AP configures EDCA parameters corresponding to AC_VO_AMP, AC_VI_AMP, AC_BE_AMP, and AC_BK_AMP. The format diagram of the elements of the corresponding AP-configured EDCA parameters may be as shown in FIG9 .

[0177] This embodiment does not limit whether the multiple ACs and EDCA parameters corresponding to the AMP STA are related to the existing AC_VO, AC_VI, AC_BE, and AC_BK in terms of quantity and meaning. For example, ACs different from the existing ACs can be defined for the AMP STA, and these ACs correspond to specific EDCA parameters.

[0178] Example 4: The EDCA parameters of the AC corresponding to the AMP STA are related to the device type, energy collection method or energy storage status.

[0179] The AC in related technologies is used for non-AMP devices. The energy for these existing 802.11 devices comes from batteries or power supplies, so the EDCA parameters corresponding to the AC only consider the QoS of the services transmitted by the STA. The energy for the AMP STA to work comes from the environment and is not stable. It often requires a long energy collection time and a short working time. When the transmission of the AMP STA collides, the uplink transmission will fail and it will be necessary to compete for uplink resources again. In this process, due to the limitation of the AMP STA's energy storage, it cannot support a long period of resource competition and uplink transmission attempts, which ultimately results in the inability to complete the uplink transmission within a certain period of time. For example, in a logistics environment, goods pass through the conveyor belt within a limited time, and the information cannot be reported, resulting in missed inspections of the goods. Therefore, AMP STAs based on environmental energy collection have higher requirements for the success probability of channel access, and they require higher channel access priority.

[0180] Furthermore, AMP STAs in different energy storage states have different requirements for channel access priority. Zero-power terminals with less energy storage urgently need higher channel access priority.

[0181] In this embodiment, the AC corresponding to the AMP STA may be related not only to the QoS of the service, but also to the device type, energy collection method, energy storage capacity, energy storage status, etc.

[0182] Specifically, for AMP type STAs, specific AC and corresponding EDCA parameters may be used (refer to the solutions of embodiments 1 to 3).

[0183] Specifically, for the energy collection method of AMP STA, the corresponding AC and corresponding EDCA parameters are adopted. For example, the speed and stability of energy collection through different energy collection methods such as radio frequency signals, solar energy, and mechanical energy are different. In different scenarios, the efficiency of environmental energy collection of AMP STAs that support different types of environmental energy is different. For example, in outdoor daytime scenarios, AMP STAs that support solar energy have higher energy collection efficiency. In indoor scenarios, AMP STAs based on wireless radio frequency have higher energy collection efficiency. In some special scenarios, AMP STAs based on mechanical energy and thermal energy have higher energy collection efficiency. Therefore, AMP STAs that support different types of environmental energy can have different channel access priorities and can respectively adopt corresponding AC and corresponding EDCA parameters. These AC and corresponding EDCA parameters can be defined through the schemes of embodiments one to three.

[0184] Specifically, AMP STAs have different energy storage capabilities corresponding to different AC and EDCA parameters. AMP STAs have energy storage modules for AMP STA operation. Due to different AMP STA size and capability requirements, they may have different energy storage capacities. For example, if capacitors are used as energy storage modules, the capacitance can vary, with common capacitors ranging from tens to hundreds of μF. AMP STAs with low energy storage capacity have a lower channel access attempt time and therefore require higher channel access priority.

[0185] Specifically, different AMP STA energy storage states correspond to different AC and EDCA parameters. AMP STAs in different energy storage states have different requirements for channel access success rates. Zero-power STAs with less energy storage have a more urgent need to improve channel access success rates. They require higher channel access priority.

[0186] In this embodiment, the AC and EDCA parameters corresponding to the AMP STA can be determined by the solutions in embodiments one to three.

[0187] Please refer to Figure 10, which shows a block diagram of a channel access device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The device has the function of implementing the steps performed by the station device in the above-mentioned channel access method. As shown in Figure 10, the device may include:

[0188] The channel access module 1001 is used for a site device to access a channel of an unlicensed spectrum through a first access category; the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to a zero-power device, and the site device is a zero-power device.

[0189] In some embodiments, the performing of channel access to the unlicensed spectrum through the first access category includes:

[0190] Channel access of the unlicensed spectrum is performed through the first access category and the enhanced distributed channel access EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category.

[0191] In some embodiments, the first access category is predefined by a protocol.

[0192] In some embodiments, the first access category is configured by an access point (AP) device through a first configuration frame.

[0193] In some embodiments, the first configuration frame includes:

[0194] Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

[0195] In some embodiments, the EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are predefined by a protocol.

[0196] In some embodiments, the EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are configured by the AP device through a second configuration frame.

[0197] In some embodiments, the second configuration frame includes:

[0198] Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

[0199] In some embodiments, the at least one second access category is the same as at least one access category among a plurality of access categories corresponding to non-zero power consumption devices.

[0200] In some embodiments, the at least one second access category is different from the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

[0201] In some embodiments, when the EDCA parameter includes the arbitration interframe space number AIFSN,

[0202] The first AIFSN is smaller than the second AIFSN;

[0203] The first AIFSN is the maximum value among the AIFSNs of the at least one second access category, and the second AIFSN is the minimum value among the AIFSNs of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption devices.

[0204] In some embodiments, when the EDCA parameter includes a contention window minimum value CWmin,

[0205] The first CWmin is greater than the second CWmin;

[0206] The first CWmin is the minimum value among the CWmins of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmin is the maximum value among the CWmins of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption devices.

[0207] In some embodiments, when the EDCA parameter includes a contention window maximum value CWmax,

[0208] The first CWmax is greater than the second CWmax;

[0209] The first CWmax is the minimum value of the CWmax of each of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmax is the maximum value of the CWmax of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

[0210] In some embodiments, when the EDCA parameters include a transmission opportunity TXOP duration,

[0211] The first TXOP duration is less than the second TXOP duration;

[0212] The first TXOP duration is a maximum value among the TXOP durations of the at least one second access category, and the second TXOP duration is a minimum value among the TXOP durations of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

[0213] In some embodiments, the first access category is associated with at least one of the following information of the site device:

[0214] Zero-power device types, energy harvesting methods, energy storage capabilities, and energy storage status.

[0215] Please refer to Figure 11, which shows a block diagram of a channel access device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The device has the function of implementing the steps performed by the AP device in the above-mentioned channel access method. As shown in Figure 11, the device may include:

[0216] Configuration module 1101 is used to configure a first access category to a site device through a first configuration frame so that the site device accesses a channel of an unlicensed spectrum through the first access category; the site device is a zero-power device, and the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to the zero-power device.

[0217] In some embodiments, the first configuration frame includes:

[0218] Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

[0219] In some embodiments, the EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are predefined by a protocol.

[0220] In some embodiments, the configuration module is further configured to configure EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category to the site device through a second configuration frame.

[0221] In some embodiments, the second configuration frame includes:

[0222] Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

[0223] In some embodiments, the at least one second access category is the same as at least one access category among a plurality of access categories corresponding to non-zero power consumption devices.

[0224] In some embodiments, the at least one second access category is different from the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

[0225] In some embodiments, when the EDCA parameter includes the arbitration interframe space number AIFSN,

[0226] The first AIFSN is smaller than the second AIFSN;

[0227] The first AIFSN is the maximum value among the AIFSNs of the at least one second access category, and the second AIFSN is the minimum value among the AIFSNs of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption devices.

[0228] In some embodiments, when the EDCA parameter includes a contention window minimum value CWmin,

[0229] The first CWmin is greater than the second CWmin;

[0230] The first CWmin is the minimum value among the CWmins of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmin is the maximum value among the CWmins of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption devices.

[0231] In some embodiments, when the EDCA parameter includes a contention window maximum value CWmax,

[0232] The first CWmax is greater than the second CWmax;

[0233] The first CWmax is the minimum value of the CWmax of each of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmax is the maximum value of the CWmax of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

[0234] In some embodiments, when the EDCA parameters include a transmission opportunity TXOP duration,

[0235] The first TXOP duration is less than the second TXOP duration;

[0236] The first TXOP duration is a maximum value among the TXOP durations of the at least one second access category, and the second TXOP duration is a minimum value among the TXOP durations of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

[0237] In some embodiments, the first access category is associated with at least one of the following information of the site device:

[0238] Zero-power device types, energy harvesting methods, energy storage capabilities, and energy storage status.

[0239] It should be noted that the device provided in the above embodiment only uses the division of the above-mentioned functional modules as an example to implement its functions. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules according to actual needs, that is, the content structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0240] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0241] Please refer to Figure 12, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1200 provided in one embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1200 may be a multi-link device and may include: a processor 1201, a receiver 1202, a transmitter 1203, a memory 1204, and a bus 1205.

[0242] The processor 1201 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 1201 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0243] The receiver 1202 and the transmitter 1203 may be implemented as a communication component, which may be a communication chip, which may also be called a transceiver.

[0244] The memory 1204 is connected to the processor 1201 via a bus 1205 .

[0245] The memory 1204 may be used to store a computer program, and the processor 1201 may be used to execute the computer program to implement the various steps performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0246] In addition, the memory 1204 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, including but not limited to: magnetic disk or optical disk, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, static random access memory, read-only memory, magnetic memory, flash memory, and programmable read-only memory.

[0247] In an exemplary embodiment, the communication device includes a processor, a memory, and a transceiver (the transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, the receiver is used to receive information, and the transmitter is used to send information);

[0248] In a possible implementation, the processor and the transceiver may be used to execute all or part of the steps executed by the site device or the AP device in any of the embodiments of FIG. 5 , FIG. 6 or FIG. 7 , which are not described in detail here.

[0249] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement all or part of the steps performed by the site device or AP device in any of the embodiments of Figures 5, 6, or 7 above.

[0250] The present application also provides a computer program product, comprising computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor of a communication device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, causing the communication device to perform all or part of the steps performed by the station device or AP device in any of the embodiments of FIG. 5 , FIG. 6 , or FIG. 7 .

[0251] The present application also provides a chip, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and the chip is used to run in a communication device so that the communication device executes all or part of the steps performed by the site device or AP device in any of the embodiments of Figures 5, 6 or 7 above.

[0252] The present application also provides a computer program, which is executed by a processor of a communication device to implement all or part of the steps performed by a site device or an AP device in any of the embodiments of Figures 5, 6 or 7 above.

[0253] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any media that facilitates the transmission of computer programs from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0254] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A channel access method, characterized in that: The method is performed by a site device, the site device is a zero-power consumption device, and the method includes: Channel access to unlicensed spectrum is performed through a first access category; the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to a zero-power device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The performing channel access of the unlicensed spectrum through the first access category includes: Channel access of the unlicensed spectrum is performed through the first access category and the enhanced distributed channel access EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first access category is predefined by a protocol.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first access category is configured by an access point AP device through a first configuration frame.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first configuration frame includes: Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are predefined by a protocol.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are configured by the AP device through a second configuration frame.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The second configuration frame includes: Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The at least one second access category is the same as at least one access category among multiple access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The at least one second access category is different from the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that In the case where the EDCA parameters include the arbitration interframe space number AIFSN, The first AIFSN is smaller than the second AIFSN; The first AIFSN is the maximum value of the AIFSNs of the at least one second access category, and the second AIFSN is the minimum value of the AIFSNs of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The EDCA parameters include the contention window minimum value CW min In the case of First CW min Greater than the second CW min ; Among them, the first CW min is the CW of each of the at least one second access category min The minimum value of the second CW min is the CW of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device min The maximum value in .

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that: The EDCA parameters include the contention window maximum value CW max In the case of First CW max Greater than the second CW max ; Among them, the first CW max is the CW of each of the at least one second access category max The minimum value of the second CW max is the CW of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device max The maximum value in .

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that: In case the EDCA parameters include a transmission opportunity TXOP duration, The first TXOP duration is less than the second TXOP duration; The first TXOP duration is a maximum value among the TXOP durations of the at least one second access category, and the second TXOP duration is a minimum value among the TXOP durations of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that: The first access category is associated with at least one of the following information of the site device: Zero-power device types, energy harvesting methods, energy storage capabilities, and energy storage status.

16. A channel access method, characterized in that: The method is performed by an AP device, and the method includes: A first access category is configured to a site device through a first configuration frame so that the site device accesses a channel of an unlicensed spectrum through the first access category; the site device is a zero-power device, and the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to the zero-power device.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The first configuration frame includes: Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that The EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are predefined by a protocol.

19. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that The method further comprises: The EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are configured to the site device through a second configuration frame.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The second configuration frame includes: Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

21. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 20, characterized in that: The at least one second access category is the same as at least one access category among multiple access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

22. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 20, characterized in that: The at least one second access category is different from the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that In the case where the EDCA parameters include the arbitration interframe space number AIFSN, The first AIFSN is smaller than the second AIFSN; The first AIFSN is the maximum value of the AIFSNs of the at least one second access category, and the second AIFSN is the minimum value of the AIFSNs of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that In the case where the EDCA parameters include a contention window minimum value CWmin, The first CWmin is greater than the second CWmin; The first CWmin is the minimum value of the CWmin of each of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmin is the maximum value of the CWmin of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

25. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that: In the case where the EDCA parameters include a contention window maximum value CWmax, The first CWmax is greater than the second CWmax; The first CWmax is the minimum value of the CWmax of each of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmax is the maximum value of the CWmax of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

26. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 25, characterized in that: In case the EDCA parameters include a transmission opportunity TXOP duration, The first TXOP duration is less than the second TXOP duration; The first TXOP duration is a maximum value among the TXOP durations of the at least one second access category, and the second TXOP duration is a minimum value among the TXOP durations of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

27. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 26, characterized in that: The first access category is associated with at least one of the following information of the site device: Zero-power device types, energy harvesting methods, energy storage capabilities, and energy storage status.

28. A channel access device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A channel access module is used for a site device to access a channel of an unlicensed spectrum through a first access category; the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to a zero-power device, and the site device is a zero-power device.

29. The device according to claim 28, characterized in that The performing channel access of the unlicensed spectrum through the first access category includes: Channel access of the unlicensed spectrum is performed through the first access category and the enhanced distributed channel access EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category.

30. The device according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that The first access category is predefined by a protocol.

31. The device according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that The first access category is configured by an access point AP device through a first configuration frame.

32. The device according to claim 31, characterized in that The first configuration frame includes: Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

33. The device according to any one of claims 28 to 32, characterized in that The EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are predefined by a protocol.

34. The device according to any one of claims 28 to 32, characterized in that The EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are configured by the AP device through a second configuration frame.

35. The device according to claim 34, characterized in that The second configuration frame includes: Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

36. The device according to any one of claims 28 to 35, characterized in that The at least one second access category is the same as at least one access category among multiple access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

37. The device according to any one of claims 28 to 35, characterized in that The at least one second access category is different from the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

38. The device according to claim 37, characterized in that In the case where the EDCA parameters include the arbitration interframe space number AIFSN, The first AIFSN is smaller than the second AIFSN; The first AIFSN is the maximum value of the AIFSNs of the at least one second access category, and the second AIFSN is the minimum value of the AIFSNs of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

39. The device according to claim 37 or 38, characterized in that In the case where the EDCA parameters include a contention window minimum value CWmin, The first CWmin is greater than the second CWmin; The first CWmin is the minimum value of the CWmin of each of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmin is the maximum value of the CWmin of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

40. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 39, characterized in that In the case where the EDCA parameters include a contention window maximum value CWmax, The first CWmax is greater than the second CWmax; The first CWmax is the minimum value of the CWmax of each of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmax is the maximum value of the CWmax of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

41. The device according to any one of claims 37 to 40, characterized in that In case the EDCA parameters include a transmission opportunity TXOP duration, The first TXOP duration is less than the second TXOP duration; The first TXOP duration is a maximum value among the TXOP durations of the at least one second access category, and the second TXOP duration is a minimum value among the TXOP durations of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

42. The device according to any one of claims 28 to 41, characterized in that The first access category is associated with at least one of the following information of the site device: Zero-power device types, energy harvesting methods, energy storage capabilities, and energy storage status.

43. A channel access device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A configuration module is used to configure a first access category to a site device through a first configuration frame so that the site device accesses a channel of an unlicensed spectrum through the first access category; the site device is a zero-power device, and the first access category is one of at least one second access category corresponding to the zero-power device.

44. The device according to claim 43, characterized in that The first configuration frame includes: Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

45. The device according to claim 43 or 44, characterized in that The EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category are predefined by a protocol.

46. ​​The device according to claim 43 or 44, characterized in that The configuration module is further configured to configure EDCA parameters corresponding to the first access category to the site device through a second configuration frame.

47. The device according to claim 46, characterized in that The second configuration frame includes: Beacon frame, and / or, probe response frame.

48. The device according to any one of claims 43 to 47, characterized in that The at least one second access category is the same as at least one access category among multiple access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

49. The device according to any one of claims 43 to 47, characterized in that The at least one second access category is different from the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

50. The device according to claim 49, characterized in that In the case where the EDCA parameters include the arbitration interframe space number AIFSN, The first AIFSN is smaller than the second AIFSN; The first AIFSN is the maximum value of the AIFSNs of the at least one second access category, and the second AIFSN is the minimum value of the AIFSNs of the access categories corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

51. The device according to claim 49 or 50, characterized in that In the case where the EDCA parameters include a contention window minimum value CWmin, The first CWmin is greater than the second CWmin; The first CWmin is the minimum value of the CWmin of each of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmin is the maximum value of the CWmin of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

52. The device according to any one of claims 49 to 51, characterized in that In the case where the EDCA parameters include a contention window maximum value CWmax, The first CWmax is greater than the second CWmax; The first CWmax is the minimum value of the CWmax of each of the at least one second access category, and the second CWmax is the maximum value of the CWmax of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

53. The device according to any one of claims 49 to 52, characterized in that In case the EDCA parameters include a transmission opportunity TXOP duration, The first TXOP duration is less than the second TXOP duration; The first TXOP duration is a maximum value among the TXOP durations of the at least one second access category, and the second TXOP duration is a minimum value among the TXOP durations of the access category corresponding to the non-zero power consumption device.

54. The device according to any one of claims 43 to 53, characterized in that The first access category is associated with at least one of the following information of the site device: Zero-power device types, energy harvesting methods, energy storage capabilities, and energy storage status.

55. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is implemented as a first device, and the communication device includes a processor, a memory and a transceiver; the memory stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to be executed by the processor to implement the channel access method as described in any one of claims 1 to 27.

56. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to be executed by a processor to implement the channel access method as described in any one of claims 1 to 27.

57. A chip, characterized in that: The chip is used to run in a communication device so that the communication device executes the channel access method according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

58. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product includes computer instructions, which are stored in a computer-readable storage medium; the processor of the communication device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions, so that the communication device executes the channel access method as described in any one of claims 1 to 27.

59. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program is executed by a processor of a communication device to implement the channel access method according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

Images