Communication method, apparatus, device, chip and system

Abstract

Provided are a communication method, device, equipment, chip and system, and the technical field belongs to communication. The method comprises the following steps: a master device sends a first scheduling message to a first slave device, the first scheduling message is used for indicating a first competition strategy, the first competition strategy is used for indicating that, in the case that the first slave device fails to send data through an air interface at a first time point in a first scheduling time, the first slave device re-sends data at a second time point in the first scheduling time; wherein the first slave device is any one of at least one slave device in communication connection with the master device. The method is beneficial to improving air interface utilization.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In homes or workplaces, fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) networks can be deployed. Multiple FTTR devices in an FTTR network provide a unified wireless local area network (WLAN) service to stations (STAs).

[0003] In the presence of multiple FTTR devices, if one FTTR device is transmitting data through the air interface while other devices are simultaneously transmitting data through the air interface or if there is other interference, a conflict will occur, causing the FTTR device to fail to transmit data.

[0004] However, in FTTR networks, due to the close proximity of the various FTTR devices, there is a higher probability of collisions when FTTR devices transmit data over the air interface, resulting in lower data transmission efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, device, chip, and system that can improve data transmission efficiency. The technical solution adopted is as follows:

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided, applied to a master device connected to at least one slave device via optical fiber. The method includes sending a first scheduling message to a first slave device. The first scheduling message indicates a first contention strategy, which instructs the first slave device to retransmit data at a second time within the first scheduling time if it fails to transmit data over the air interface at a first time point within a first scheduling time. The first slave device is any one of the at least one slave device. The first scheduling time is a period allocated by the master device to the first slave device for data transmission.

[0007] In this application, the master device sends a first scheduling message to the first slave device, indicating a first contention strategy. If the first slave device fails to transmit data at the first moment within the first scheduling time, it can retransmit the data at the second moment within the same first scheduling time according to the first contention strategy. This gives the first slave device two opportunities to compete for the air interface within the first scheduling time, thereby improving air interface utilization and data transmission efficiency. Furthermore, the master device can flexibly set the first contention strategy for the first slave device at the scheduling time granularity through the first scheduling message, allowing for timely and flexible adjustment of the first slave device's ability to preempt the air interface as needed.

[0008] Optionally, the first competitive strategy can be any one of the following four competitive strategies:

[0009] The first method is to immediately resend data when the air interface is detected to be idle.

[0010] The second method is to resend data when the air interface is detected to be idle, based on the enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters stored in the first slave device.

[0011] The third method is to resend data according to the EDCA parameter in the scheduling message when the air interface is detected to be idle.

[0012] Fourth, when the air interface is detected to be idle, data is retransmitted according to the backoff time slot number in the scheduling message.

[0013] These four contention strategies all instruct the first slave device how to determine the aforementioned second time. For the first contention strategy, the second time is determined by the moment the air interface is detected as idle. In this case, the first slave device waits the shortest time before retransmitting data, allowing it to send as much data as possible within the first scheduling time, thus improving its data transmission efficiency. For the second contention strategy, the second time is the moment the air interface is detected as idle, delayed by a first backoff time slot. The first backoff time slot is determined based on the EDCA parameters stored locally by the first slave device. When the scheduling message indicates the second contention strategy, the processing logic of the first slave device requires minimal modification and is easy to implement. For the third contention strategy, the second time is the moment the air interface is detected as idle, delayed by a second backoff time slot. The second backoff time slot is determined based on the EDCA parameters in the scheduling message. When the scheduling message indicates the third contention strategy, the ability of the first slave device to preempt the air interface can be adjusted in a timely manner. For the fourth contention strategy, the second time is the moment the air interface is detected as idle, delayed by the backoff time slot number in the scheduling message. When the scheduling message indicates the fourth contention strategy, the ability of the first slave device to preempt the air interface can be adjusted in a timely manner, and the first slave device does not need to calculate the number of backoff time slots, making the implementation simple.

[0014] Optionally, the EDCA parameters include the maximum backoff window, the minimum backoff window, and the arbitration inter-frame spacing number (AIFSN). The type of this EDCA parameter is the same as that of conventional EDCA parameters, allowing the first slave device to process it using existing processing logic, making it easy to promote and apply.

[0015] Optionally, the EDCA parameters stored in the first slave device correspond to the access category (AC) queues in the first slave device. This allows different EDCA parameters to be set for different AC queues, enabling different AC queues to have different air interface preemption capabilities and meeting the quality of service requirements for different types of data.

[0016] Optionally, the first scheduling message includes the start time and duration of the first scheduling time; or, the first scheduling message includes the start time and end time of the first scheduling time. The start and end times of the first scheduling time can be directly determined through this first scheduling message.

[0017] Optionally, the first scheduling message is a WLAN management and control interface (WMCI) message. WMCI messages are carried by the WLAN management and control channel (WMCC) between the master and slave devices, and have advantages such as low latency.

[0018] Optionally, the first time point and the second time point are different times. That is, the first slave device has multiple opportunities to send data within the first scheduling time, which helps to improve the data transmission efficiency of the first slave device.

[0019] Optionally, this method can be applied to scenarios where a master device centrally schedules multiple slave devices. In this scenario, the master device uniformly allocates and manages the scheduling time for itself and each connected slave device, thereby reducing conflicts and efficiency degradation caused by air interface contention between the master device and the slave devices. Therefore, the method may further include: allocating the first scheduling time to the first slave device and allocating a second scheduling time to the second slave device, wherein the second slave device is another slave device among the at least one slave device besides the first slave device.

[0020] In some embodiments, the master device schedules only one slave device, i.e., the first slave device, within the first scheduling time. In other embodiments, the master device schedules multiple slave devices within the first scheduling time. In this case, the method further includes sending a second scheduling message to a second slave device. The second scheduling message indicates a second contention strategy, which instructs the second slave device to resend data at a third time within the first scheduling time if it fails to transmit data over the air interface at a first time within the first scheduling time.

[0021] Optionally, the second competition strategy may be different from or the same as the first competition strategy. That is, for the first and second slave devices scheduled within the same scheduling time, the master device may configure the same or different competition strategies to meet the needs of different scenarios.

[0022] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a first slave device. The first slave device is any one of at least one slave device connected to a master device via optical fiber. The method includes: receiving a first scheduling message sent by the master device, the first scheduling message indicating a first contention strategy, the first contention strategy indicating that if the first slave device fails to transmit data via the air interface at a first moment within a first scheduling time, it shall retransmit data at a second moment within the first scheduling time; and transmitting data according to the first scheduling message.

[0023] For details regarding the first competition strategy and the first scheduling message, please refer to the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0024] Optionally, sending data according to the first scheduling message includes: if the air interface is detected to be idle at the beginning of the first scheduling time, then data is sent through the air interface, i.e., the first time is the beginning of the first scheduling time; or, if the air interface is detected to be busy at the beginning of the first scheduling time, or if the first data transmission through the air interface fails during the first scheduling time, then data is retransmitted at the second time according to the first contention strategy. It can be seen that, under the instruction of the first scheduling message, the first slave device can obtain the opportunity to re-compete for the air interface if the air interface is detected to be busy at the beginning of the first scheduling time or if the first data transmission fails, thereby potentially obtaining the opportunity to retransmit data and improving its data transmission efficiency.

[0025] Thirdly, a data transmission device is provided. This data transmission device has the function of implementing the method described in the first aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described function.

[0026] Fourthly, a data transmission device is provided. This data transmission device has the function of implementing the method described in the second aspect. The function can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described function.

[0027] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, including a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface being connected to the processor, wherein the processor is used to implement any of the data transmission methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0028] Optionally, the processor may be one or more, and the processor may be a multi-core processor, and the memory may be one or more.

[0029] Optionally, the communication interface includes a transceiver.

[0030] Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory storing program code; the processor is configured to read and execute the program code stored in the memory to implement any of the communication methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0031] Optionally, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be separated from the processor.

[0032] In the specific implementation process, the memory can be a non-transitory memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or set on different chips. This application does not limit the type of memory or the way the memory and processor are set.

[0033] In a sixth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a master device and at least one slave device, wherein the master device and the at least one slave device are connected via an optical fiber. The master device is used to implement any of the communication methods provided in the first aspect, and the first slave device among the at least one slave device is used to implement any of the communication methods provided in the second aspect.

[0034] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein a software program is stored therein, and the software program, when read and executed by one or more processors, can implement any of the communication methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0035] Eighthly, a computer program (product) is provided, the computer program (product) comprising: computer program code, wherein when the computer program code is run by a computer device, the computer device executes any of the communication methods provided in the first or second aspect.

[0036] A ninth aspect provides a chip including a processor and a communication interface connected to the processor. The processor executes instructions to cause the chip to perform any of the communication methods provided in the first or second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a fiber-to-the-home or fiber-to-the-office system architecture.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the FTTR system architecture;

[0039] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the management channel between the master and slave devices in an FTTR network;

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario where a master device and multiple slave devices work together to provide WLAN signals to a site.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the first slave device transmitting data via the air interface in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a fiber-to-the-home / fiber-to-the-office (FTTH / O) system architecture. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the OLT connects to upstream network-side devices (such as switches and routers) and connects to downstream optical network units (ONUs) via an optical distribution network (ODN). The ODN includes passive optical splitters for optical power distribution, a backbone fiber connecting the passive optical splitter and the OLT, and branch fibers connecting the passive optical splitter and the ONUs. When transmitting downlink signals, the downlink signal sent by the OLT is transmitted to each ONU through the splitter, and the ONU selectively receives the downlink data belonging to itself from the downlink signal. When transmitting uplink signals, the uplink signals sent by multiple ONUs are combined into a single optical signal by the splitter and transmitted to the OLT. The ONU is also called an optical network terminal (ONT).

[0048] Building upon FTTH / O, to address signal coverage issues (such as wireless local area network (WLAN) signals) in home or office networks, fiber optic cables can be extended further into the room. Optical terminal equipment providing WLAN signals is installed inside the room, thus reducing the distance between the user terminal and the wireless access point (AP) and improving signal quality. This technology is called Fiber to the Room (FTTR).

[0049] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the FTTR system architecture. (Example) Figure 2 As shown, in FTTH / O, the OLT is deployed in the central equipment room, while the ONU is deployed in homes or offices. The master device in the FTTR network acts as both an ONU in the FTTH network and an upstream device for the FTTR slave devices, managing them. Slave devices in the FTTR network can be deployed in various rooms of homes or offices. Slave devices possess ONU functionality and can also function as access points (APs) to provide WLAN signals to STAs. Both master and slave devices can connect to user terminals via a user network interface (UNI).

[0050] In an FTTR network, multiple slave devices can be deployed, each connected to the master device via an optical splitter. The master device can centrally manage and configure all slave devices. The master device can also be called a "master gateway," "master optical modem," or "master FTTR unit (or master fiber unit, MFU)," etc., while slave devices can be called "slave gateways," "slave optical modems," or "slave FTTR units (or sub-fiber units, SFU)," etc.

[0051] Optionally, the STA can be any type of terminal device, including but not limited to mobile phones, laptops, tablets, or wearable devices. Wearable devices include, but are not limited to, smartwatches, smart bracelets, virtual reality (VR) glasses, or VR headsets.

[0052] Figure 2 The master device is connected to two slave devices, namely slave device 1 and slave device 2. However, this embodiment does not limit the number of slave devices connected to the master device; for example, there can be more than two or only one slave device.

[0053] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the management channel between master and slave devices in an FTTR network. (Example:) Figure 3 As shown, the master device manages the slave device through the WLAN management and control channel (WMCC). The WMCC is a low-latency channel in an FTTR network that enables WLAN control and other functions between the master and slave devices, and it carries WLAN management and control interface (WMCI) messages.

[0054] WMCI messages are encapsulated in FTTR encapsulation method (FEM) frames and are used to manage and control the WLAN functions of slave devices. FTTR transceivers can identify the destination (destination device) of the WMCI message using the port ID in the FEM frame. The WMCI message structure is shown in Table 1 below.

[0055] Table 1 WMCI Message Encapsulation Format

[0056]

[0057] The following is an explanation of each field in Table 1.

[0058] 1) Message Type ID

[0059] The Message Type ID is an 8-bit field used to indicate the type of message and define the semantics of the message content. When the master device receives an uplink message with an unsupported message type ID, it can ignore the message, including the SeqNo field. When the slave device receives a message with a reserved or unsupported message type ID, it can ignore the message.

[0060] In this embodiment of the application, the message type can be a roaming switching message.

[0061] 2) SeqNo

[0062] SeqNo is an 8-bit field containing a sequence number counter to ensure WMCC robustness. In the downlink direction, the SeqNo field is filled with the corresponding master device sequence number counter value. The master device maintains a separate sequence number counter for each slave device unicast and broadcast WMCI message stream. Each sequence number counter rolls from 255 to 1. A value of 0 is not used in the downlink direction.

[0063] In the uplink direction, when an uplink WMCI message is a response to a downlink message, the value of the SeqNo field is equal to the value of the SeqNo field in the downlink message. If the WMCI message is initiated by the slave device, then SeqNo = 0.

[0064] 3) Length and processing requirements

[0065] The message length and processing is a 2-byte field consisting of three fields: message priority, operation type, and message content length.

[0066] X (the most significant bit of the third byte): Indicates the priority of processing this message. When X=1, it indicates that the message has a high priority; when X=0, it indicates that the message has a low priority.

[0067] C: Used to indicate the operation type of the current message.

[0068] In the downlink direction, when C=1, the message indicates that the operation type is a parameter request type, requesting the slave device to send the output indicated by the Message type ID field; when C=0, the message indicates that the message is a parameter configuration type message, and the parameter type configured in the message is indicated by the Messagetype ID field.

[0069] In the uplink direction, when C=1, the operation type of the message is a scheduling request, requesting the master device to send the scheduling configuration indicated by the Message type ID field; when C=0, the message is a parameter reporting message or an alarm message, and the parameter or alarm type (response) reported by the message is indicated by the Message type ID field.

[0070] LL LLLL LLLL: This field indicates the length of the message content. The value range is 0 to 1023.

[0071] 4) Message content

[0072] The format of the message content field is related to the specific message. The message content includes two parts: the message mask and the parameter content.

[0073] The message mask consists of a 16-bit mask, as shown in Table 2.

[0074] Table 2 Message Masks

[0075]

[0076] Each message type can carry up to 16 parameters.

[0077] The message content is filled in according to the order indicated by the parameter mask. For downlink GET or Request messages, the parameter mask represents the parameters that the master device wants to obtain.

[0078] 5) Message verification

[0079] The CRC field is used to check whether the message has been corrupted during transmission. The value of this field is generated by the CRC algorithm.

[0080] To maintain and ensure the normal operation of the WMCI channel, the master and slave devices periodically exchange messages. If the master or slave device does not receive a message from the other party within a certain period of time, the master or slave device can actively send a request message to request feedback from the other party. If feedback is received within a specific period of time, the WMCI channel can be considered to be working normally; otherwise, the WMCI channel can be judged to be faulty, and the slave device can reactivate the WMCI channel or exit the WMCI scheduling mode.

[0081] In this embodiment, both the master device and the slave device can function as an access point (AP) to provide WLAN signals to the STA. When both the master device and the slave device provide WLAN signals simultaneously, the close proximity between the master device and the slave devices, as well as between the slave devices themselves, can easily lead to conflicts and data transmission failures when the master device and the slave devices transmit data over the air interface. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario where a master device and multiple slave devices work together to provide WLAN signals to a site. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the coverage area of ​​each device (master device or slave device) overlaps with the coverage area of ​​at least one other device. When two devices with overlapping coverage areas send data through the air interface at the same time, a conflict will occur, causing the data transmission to fail.

[0082] In this scenario, the master device can centrally schedule the air interface, allocating scheduling time to each slave device. Both the master and slave devices can then transmit data over the air interface within their respective scheduling times. By centrally scheduling the air interface, the master device can uniformly manage the order in which it and the slave devices transmit data, thereby reducing conflicts and efficiency degradation caused by air interface contention between the master and slave devices.

[0083] In scenarios with centralized air interface scheduling, if a device fails to send data on its first attempt within its allocated scheduling time, it will stop sending data and wait for the next scheduling opportunity. During this scheduling time, the air interface may be idle for a period of time after the device's first data transmission failure, resulting in low air interface utilization.

[0084] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method in which the master device performs unified air interface time-domain scheduling on each slave device through scheduling messages. These scheduling messages also indicate a scheduling strategy, which instructs a slave device to retransmit data at a second time within the scheduling period if the slave device fails to transmit data at the first moment of the scheduling time. In this way, within the same scheduling time, slave devices may have multiple opportunities to compete for the air interface, thereby further improving air interface utilization and data transmission efficiency.

[0085] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method is applied to a communication system comprising multiple access points (APs), each AP including a master device and at least one slave device. The master device and at least one slave device are connected via optical fiber, for example, through an optical distributed network (ODN). Figure 2 or Figure 4 The communication system shown. (As shown) Figure 5 As shown, the method includes:

[0086] In step 501, each slave device sends service information to the master device.

[0087] Correspondingly, the master device receives service information sent by each slave device.

[0088] For example, service information is used to indicate information about service data that the device needs to transmit over the air interface. Optionally, service information may include one or more of the following: service type, service traffic, service latency, and service priority.

[0089] Optionally, business information can be carried in a business reporting message. This business reporting message can be the aforementioned WCMI message.

[0090] In one implementation, the slave device can periodically send service information to the master device so that the master device can obtain the latest service information of each slave device in a timely manner and make centralized scheduling decisions based on the latest service information, thereby improving the scheduling accuracy and overall network performance in the wireless network.

[0091] In another implementation, the slave device can send service information to the master device before or after each scheduled event and completion of service data transmission over the air interface. This allows the master device to promptly obtain the latest service information from the slave device and make centralized scheduling decisions based on this information, thereby improving scheduling accuracy and overall network performance in the wireless network. For example, after being scheduled and successfully competing for the air interface, the slave device can send a response message to the master device, carrying service information within the message. This allows the master device to obtain the latest service information from the slave device.

[0092] Optionally, prior to step 501, the method may also include an initialization process and a synchronization process.

[0093] The master device can obtain the capability information of each slave device through the initialization process and configure the operating parameters of each slave device. Capability information includes, but is not limited to, protocol version number, number of frequency bands, supported service set identifier (SSID) number, supported transmit power level, number of antennas, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) capability, etc., and may include one or more of these. Operating parameters include, but are not limited to, operating mode, SSID, password, beacon type, encryption mode, authentication mode, frequency band selection, channel, channel width, transmit power level, etc., and may include one or more of these.

[0094] For example, during initialization, the master device may send a request message and / or a configuration message to each slave device. The request message requests the slave device's capability information, and the configuration message configures the slave device's operating parameters. When a slave device receives a request message, it reports its capability information to the master device. When a slave device receives a configuration message, it configures its operating parameters according to the configuration message.

[0095] This synchronization process is used to achieve time synchronization between the master and slave devices, enabling the master device to perform unified time-domain scheduling of the air interface. Furthermore, the master device can also obtain the slave device's operating status and performance statistics through the synchronization process.

[0096] In step 502, the master device allocates scheduling time to each slave device based on the service information sent by each slave device.

[0097] In this embodiment, the scheduling time is a period of time allocated by the master device to the slave device for the slave device to transmit data. Each slave device has the opportunity to transmit data over the air interface during its allocated scheduling time. The length of the scheduling time can be set according to actual needs, and this embodiment does not impose any restrictions on it. The length of the scheduling time can be fixed or variable.

[0098] Optionally, within the same scheduling time, the master device can schedule one or more slave devices. That is, the master device can allocate the same scheduling time to one slave device, or allocate the same scheduling time to different slave devices. The slave devices corresponding to different scheduling times (i.e., scheduling times that do not overlap in the time domain) can be completely identical, partially identical, or completely different.

[0099] For example, in Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the master device allocates the same scheduling time to the first slave device and the second slave device, namely the first scheduling time; and allocates another scheduling time to the third slave device, namely the second scheduling time. The second scheduling time does not overlap with the first scheduling time in the time domain dimension and is after the first scheduling time (not shown in the figure).

[0100] Through step 502, the master device can sort the scheduling times of each slave device, thereby sorting the time when each slave device sends data.

[0101] In implementation, the master device can determine the scheduling time for each slave device based on the device priority. For example, scheduling time can be allocated to slave devices with higher device priority, that is, the slave devices with higher device priority will have earlier scheduling times.

[0102] Optionally, this application embodiment does not limit the method by which the master device determines the device priority of each slave device, including but not limited to the following methods: determining the device priority of the slave device based on the service information of each slave device.

[0103] In some examples, the device priority of a slave device can be determined based on one of the service messages sent by the slave device.

[0104] For example, the device priority of a slave device can be determined based on the types of services it sends. Different sets of service types can correspond to different priorities, and each set of service types includes at least one service type. In this case, the correspondence between service type sets and device priorities can be pre-defined, and the device priority of the slave device can be determined by looking up this correspondence.

[0105] For example, the device priority of a slave device can be determined based on the service traffic it sends. Different service traffic ranges correspond to different device priorities, with slave devices having higher service traffic having higher priority than those with lower service traffic. This way, slave devices with higher service traffic can be scheduled first. In this case, the correspondence between service traffic ranges and device priorities can be pre-defined, and the device priority of a slave device can be determined by looking up this correspondence.

[0106] For example, the priority of a slave device can be determined based on the latency of the service it sends. Different latency ranges correspond to different device priorities, with slave devices having lower latency having higher priority than those with higher latency. This allows slave devices sensitive to latency to be prioritized. In this case, a pre-defined mapping between latency ranges and device priorities can be established, and the priority of a slave device can be determined by looking up this mapping.

[0107] For example, the priority of a slave device can be determined based on the priority of the services it sends. A slave device with a higher service priority has a higher device priority than a slave device with a lower service priority. This way, slave devices with higher service priorities can be scheduled first. In this case, a pre-defined mapping between service priorities and device priorities can be established, and the device priority of a slave device can be determined by looking up this mapping.

[0108] In other examples, the device priority of a slave device can also be determined based on various aspects of the service information sent by the slave device. In implementation, a weight can be assigned to each type of service information, with the sum of the weights for all types of service information equal to 1. Furthermore, a pre-established correspondence between elements and priority values ​​is created for each type of service information. Here, the elements can be the aforementioned set of service types, service traffic range, service latency range, or service priority. When determining the device priority of a slave device, the corresponding priority value can be determined first for each type of service information, and then the priority value for each type of service information can be multiplied by its corresponding weight to obtain the slave device priority.

[0109] In other embodiments, in addition to allocating scheduling time to each slave device based on device priority, scheduling time can also be allocated based on the degree of mutual interference between the slave devices. For example, among all slave devices connected to the master device, scheduling time can be allocated preferentially to slave devices with high device priority and no interference with other slave devices. There are two situations where there is no interference between two slave devices: one is that the two slave devices use different channels, and the other is that the distance between the two slave devices is too great to affect each other's signal transmission.

[0110] This application does not restrict the method by which the master device allocates scheduling time to each slave device; it can be selected according to actual needs.

[0111] In step 503, the master device sends a first scheduling message to the first slave device.

[0112] Accordingly, the first slave device receives the first scheduling message.

[0113] The first scheduling message is used to indicate a first contention strategy. The first contention strategy is used to instruct the first slave device to retransmit data at a second time within the first scheduling time if it fails to transmit data via the air interface at a first time within the first scheduling time. The first time and the second time can be different times.

[0114] For example, the first scheduling message includes contention policy indication information, which is used to indicate the first contention policy.

[0115] Optionally, the first competitive strategy can be any one of the following four competitive strategies:

[0116] The first method is to immediately resend data when the air interface is detected to be idle.

[0117] In other words, the second moment is when the air interface is detected to be idle. In this case, the first slave device waits for the shortest time before retransmitting data, and can send as much data as possible within the first scheduling time, thus improving the data transmission efficiency of the first slave device.

[0118] The second method is to resend data based on the EDCA parameters stored in the first slave device when the air interface is detected to be idle.

[0119] For example, EDCA parameters include the maximum contention window, minimum contention window, and AIFSN. The maximum and minimum contention windows determine the average backoff time. Larger values ​​for these parameters result in a longer average backoff time. AIFSN indicates the number of time slots delayed after the short interframe space (SIFS) time when the AP (or STA) accesses the network; a smaller value for this parameter means a shorter waiting time for the AP to access the channel.

[0120] In this scenario, the second timeframe can be determined based on the EDCA parameters stored in the first slave device. For example, the first backoff timeframe number can be determined based on the EDCA parameters stored in the first slave device, and then the timeframe after delaying the moment when the air interface is detected to be idle by the first backoff timeframe number can be determined as the second timeframe.

[0121] For example, the first backoff slot number can be equal to the sum of the AIFSN value and the target contention window size, which is a random number determined based on the maximum and minimum contention windows. In other words, the target contention window size is randomly determined within the range between the maximum and minimum contention windows.

[0122] For example, the first slave device can store multiple sets of EDCA parameters, with different sets of EDCA parameters corresponding to different AC queues. Setting different EDCA parameters for different AC queues allows each AC queue to have different preemption capabilities for the air interface, meeting the service quality requirements of different types of data.

[0123] Access categories can also be called access classes. For example, access categories include: AC_BE (best effort), AC_BK (background), AC_VI (video), and AC_VO (voice). These four access category queues each correspond to a set of EDCA parameters. Each set of EDCA parameters includes the aforementioned maximum contention window, minimum contention window, and AIFSN. At least one parameter in different sets of EDCA parameters has a different value.

[0124] In implementation, the AIFSN corresponding to a high-priority AC queue can be less than the AIFSN corresponding to a low-priority AC queue. For example, if the AC_VI and AC_VO queues have the highest priority, the AC_BE queue has a medium priority, and the AC_BK queue has the lowest priority, then the AIFSN corresponding to the AC_VI and AC_VO queues is less than the AIFSN corresponding to the AC_BE queue, and the AIFSN corresponding to the AC_BE queue is less than the AIFSN corresponding to the AC_BK queue.

[0125] The second competition strategy requires less modification to the processing logic of the first slave device and is easy to implement.

[0126] The third method is to resend data based on the EDCA parameter in the scheduling message when the air interface is detected to be idle.

[0127] In this scenario, the second timeframe can be determined based on the EDCA parameter in the scheduling message. For example, the second backoff time slot number can be determined based on the EDCA parameter in the scheduling message, and then the time after delaying the moment when the air interface is detected to be idle by the second backoff time slot number can be determined as the second timeframe. The method for determining the second backoff time slot number can be found in the method for determining the first backoff time slot number.

[0128] When it is necessary to temporarily adjust the ability of the first slave device to preempt the air interface, for example, if the first slave device fails to send data for a long time, or if the service data of the first slave device has a higher priority, the ability of the first slave device to preempt the air interface can be enhanced by carrying the EDCA parameter in the scheduling message.

[0129] Fourth, when the air interface is detected to be idle, data is retransmitted according to the backoff time slot number in the scheduling message.

[0130] In this scenario, the second timeframe can be determined based on the number of backoff slots in the scheduling message. For example, the time when the air interface is detected to be idle can be delayed by the number of backoff slots in the scheduling message to determine the second timeframe.

[0131] In this fourth competition strategy, the number of backoff time slots is directly indicated through scheduling messages. If the first slave device fails to transmit data via the air interface within the first time period, it can directly retransmit data according to the number of backoff time slots. On the one hand, the ability of the first slave device to preempt the air interface can be temporarily adjusted; on the other hand, the first slave device does not need to calculate based on EDCA parameters, making the implementation simple. The range of values ​​for the number of backoff time slots in the scheduling message can be set according to actual needs, and this application embodiment does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0132] In the third and fourth strategies, the scheduling message includes not only contention strategy indication information, but also contention parameters (i.e., the aforementioned EDCA parameters and the number of backoff slots).

[0133] In one possible implementation, the first scheduling message further includes time information indicating the first scheduling time. For example, the time information may include the start time and duration of the first scheduling time; or, the time information may include the start time and end time of the first scheduling time. Both methods clearly indicate the first scheduling time. That is, in this implementation, the first scheduling message carries time information that directly indicates the first scheduling time, allowing the master device to flexibly and promptly adjust the length of the scheduling time corresponding to each scheduling message. Optionally, the start time of the first scheduling time can be an absolute time or a relative time, with the unit being microseconds (μm). Since the master device and each slave device maintain time synchronization, each slave device can determine the same first scheduling time based on this time information.

[0134] In another possible implementation, the first scheduling message does not include time information that directly indicates the first scheduling time. In this case, a relationship between the scheduling message and the first scheduling time is established in advance. For example, the length of the first scheduling time is a set duration, and the time difference between the start time of the first scheduling time and the time when the first slave device receives the first scheduling message is a set difference.

[0135] In one possible implementation, the first scheduling message further instructs the first slave device to immediately transmit data over the air interface if it detects that the air interface is idle at the beginning of the first scheduling time. Since in a centralized scheduling scenario, the master device only schedules a portion of the slave devices when allocating scheduling time, the likelihood of the first slave device conflicting with other devices' data transmission is low. Therefore, the first slave device can immediately transmit data when it detects that the air interface is idle at the beginning of the first scheduling time, reducing waiting time and improving air interface utilization. Furthermore, if the first slave device fails to transmit data for the first time within the first scheduling time, it can retransmit data according to the first contention strategy within the first scheduling time, effectively compensating for the initial data transmission failure and further improving air interface utilization.

[0136] In another possible implementation, the first scheduling message instructs the first slave device to transmit data over the air interface at the start of the first scheduling time, based on the EDCA parameters stored in the first slave device or the contention parameters in the first scheduling message. That is, the first slave device begins competing for the air interface according to the EDCA parameters at the start of the target scheduling time; if it wins the air interface, it then transmits data over the air interface.

[0137] Optionally, the first scheduling message can be the aforementioned WCMI message. For example, the first scheduling message may include a contention strategy field, which carries the aforementioned contention strategy indication information. When the contention strategy indication information indicates the aforementioned third or fourth contention strategy, the first scheduling message further includes a contention parameter field, which carries the aforementioned contention parameters.

[0138] For example, the parameter content of the first scheduling message can be as shown in Table 3 below. The length of each field in Table 3 can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0139] Table 3: Parameter Contents of Scheduling Messages

[0140]

[0141]

[0142] In Table 3, cmin represents the minimum contention window, and cmax represents the maximum contention window. For example, in this embodiment, the values ​​of the maximum and minimum contention windows can range from 0 to 1023, but the minimum contention window must be less than the maximum contention window. In other embodiments, to save the number of bytes occupied by the minimum and maximum contention windows, an exponential contention window can be used. Optionally, the value range of AIFSN is 0-7. Optionally, the value range of the backoff slot number is 0-1023. This application embodiment does not limit the value range of each parameter and can adjust it according to actual needs.

[0143] In this embodiment, downlink refers to the direction from the AP to the site, and uplink refers to the direction from the site to the AP. As shown in Table 3, time information can also be used to indicate the duration for which the site sends uplink data to the AP.

[0144] In step 504, the first slave device sends data over the air interface according to the first scheduling message.

[0145] For example, in step 504, if the first slave device detects that the air interface is idle at the beginning of the target scheduling time, it sends data through the air interface. If no data conflict occurs at the beginning of the target scheduling time, the first slave device can continue to send data until the target scheduling time ends or the first slave device finishes sending data.

[0146] If a data conflict occurs at the start of the target scheduling time for the first slave device, such as when other nearby devices are simultaneously transmitting data on the same channel, causing the first slave device to fail to transmit data through the air interface, then the first slave device continues to listen to the air interface and retransmits data according to the aforementioned first contention strategy.

[0147] If the first slave device detects that the air interface is busy at the beginning of the target scheduling time, it continues to listen to the air interface and retransmits data according to the aforementioned first contention strategy.

[0148] As can be seen, in this embodiment of the application, the first slave device can obtain the opportunity to re-compete for the air interface if it detects that the air interface is busy at the beginning of the first scheduling time or if the first data transmission fails, thereby potentially obtaining the opportunity to retransmit data and improving its data transmission efficiency.

[0149] When the first competition strategy is the aforementioned first competition strategy, the first slave device immediately retransmits data when it detects that the air interface is idle, until the target scheduling time ends or the first slave device finishes transmitting data.

[0150] When the first competition strategy is the aforementioned second competition strategy, when the first slave device detects that the air interface is idle, it determines the number of the first backoff time slots according to the EDCA parameters corresponding to the AC queue, performs backoff according to the number of the first backoff time slots, and then retransmits the data until the target scheduling time ends.

[0151] When the first competition strategy is the aforementioned third competition strategy, when the first slave device detects that the air interface is idle, it determines the second backoff time slot number according to the EDCA parameter in the first scheduling message, performs backoff according to the first backoff time slot number, and then retransmits data until the target scheduling time ends.

[0152] When the first competition strategy is the aforementioned fourth competition strategy, when the first slave device detects that the air interface is idle, it backs off according to the number of backoff time slots in the first scheduling message and then retransmits the data until the target scheduling time ends.

[0153] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the first slave device transmitting data via the air interface in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 6 As shown, during the first centralized scheduling, the master device sends a scheduling message S1 to the first slave device. This message S1 indicates that the first slave device is scheduled within scheduling time t1, meaning it can send data during that time. At the beginning of scheduling time t1, if the first slave device detects that the air interface is busy (the black box indicates the air interface is occupied), it determines that sending data through the air interface has failed and then resends data at the second moment according to the first contention strategy, until scheduling time t1 ends. During the second centralized scheduling, the master device sends a scheduling message S2 to the first slave device. This message S2 indicates that the first slave device is scheduled within scheduling time t2. At the beginning of scheduling time t2, if the first slave device detects that the air interface is idle, it immediately sends data through the air interface until scheduling time t2 ends.

[0154] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0155] In step 505, the master device sends a second scheduling message to the second slave device.

[0156] The second scheduling message indicates a second contention strategy, which in turn indicates the contention strategy for the second slave device to retransmit data at the third time within the first scheduling time if the second slave device fails to transmit data via the air interface at the first time within the first scheduling time. Accordingly, the second slave device receives this second scheduling message.

[0157] Optionally, the second competition strategy is also one of the four competition strategies mentioned above. In some embodiments, the second competition strategy differs from the first competition strategy. That is, within the same scheduling time, the master device can specify different competition strategies for different slave devices. In some embodiments, the second competition strategy is the same as the first competition strategy. That is, within the same scheduling time, the master device can specify the same competition strategy for different slave devices.

[0158] The method for determining the third time point is the same as that for determining the second time point, depending on the specific competitive strategy employed in the second competition strategy. The third time point can be the same as or different from the second time point.

[0159] In step 506, the second slave device sends data over the air interface according to the second scheduling message.

[0160] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the first slave device and the second slave device are scheduled within the same scheduling time. If there is no mutual interference between the first slave device and the second slave device, both the first slave device and the second slave device may transmit data through the air interface within the first scheduling time. If there is mutual interference between the first slave device and the second slave device, at most one of the first slave device and the second slave device can transmit data through the air interface within the first scheduling time.

[0161] Furthermore, since the first slave device and the second slave device are scheduled within the same scheduling time, there is no specific order between steps 503 and 505; they can be executed simultaneously or sequentially.

[0162] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This device can be formed as part or all of the aforementioned main device in a software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware manner. For example... Figure 7As shown, the data transmission device 700 includes: a transmission module 701, configured to send a first scheduling message to a first slave device, the first scheduling message being configured to indicate a first contention strategy, the first contention strategy being configured to indicate that if the first slave device fails to transmit data through the air interface at a first moment within a first scheduling time, it shall retransmit data at a second moment within the first scheduling time; wherein, the first slave device is any one of at least one slave device connected to the master device via optical fiber.

[0163] Optionally, the first contention strategy is any of the following: when the air interface is detected to be idle, immediately retransmit the data; when the air interface is detected to be idle, retransmit the data according to the EDCA parameters stored in the first slave device; when the air interface is detected to be idle, retransmit the data according to the EDCA parameters in the first scheduling message; when the air interface is detected to be idle, retransmit the data according to the backoff time slot number in the first scheduling message.

[0164] Optionally, the EDCA parameters include the maximum backoff window, the minimum backoff window, and the arbitration inter-frame interval.

[0165] Optionally, the EDCA parameters stored in the first slave device correspond to the access category (AC) queue in the first slave device.

[0166] Optionally, the first scheduling message is further used to instruct the first slave device to send data through the air interface if it detects that the air interface is idle at the beginning of the first scheduling time.

[0167] Optionally, the first scheduling message includes the start time and duration of the first scheduling time; or, the first scheduling message includes the start time and end time of the first scheduling time.

[0168] Optionally, the first scheduling message is a WMCI message.

[0169] Optionally, the first time point and the second time point are different times.

[0170] Optionally, the method further includes: allocating the first scheduling time to the first slave device and allocating the second scheduling time to the second slave device, wherein the second slave device is another slave device among the at least one slave device other than the first slave device.

[0171] Optionally, the sending module 701 is further configured to send a second scheduling message to the second slave device. The second scheduling message is used to indicate a second contention strategy. The second contention strategy is used to indicate the contention strategy for the second slave device to resend data at the third time within the first scheduling time if it fails to send data through the air interface at the first time within the first scheduling time. The second contention strategy may be different from or the same as the first contention strategy.

[0172] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This device can be configured as part or all of the aforementioned first slave device in a software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the data transmission device 800 includes a receiving module 801 and a transmitting module 802. The receiving module 801 receives a first scheduling message sent by the master device. The first contention strategy instructs a first slave device to retransmit data at a second time within the first scheduling time if the slave device fails to transmit data over the air interface at a first time within the first scheduling time. The transmitting module 802 transmits data according to the first scheduling message. The first slave device is any one of at least one slave device connected to the master device via an optical fiber.

[0173] Optionally, the first contention strategy is any one of the following: when the air interface is detected to be idle, immediately retransmit the data; when the air interface is detected to be idle, retransmit the data according to the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) parameters stored in the first slave device; when the air interface is detected to be idle, retransmit the data according to the EDCA parameters in the scheduling message; when the air interface is detected to be idle, retransmit the data according to the backoff slot number in the scheduling message.

[0174] Optionally, the EDCA parameters include the maximum backoff window, the minimum backoff window, and the arbitration inter-frame interval.

[0175] Optionally, the EDCA parameters stored in the first slave device correspond to the access category (AC) queue in the first slave device.

[0176] Optionally, the first scheduling message is further used to instruct the first slave device to send data through the air interface if it detects that the air interface is idle at the beginning of the first scheduling time.

[0177] Optionally, the first scheduling message includes the start time and duration of the first scheduling time; or, the first scheduling message includes the start time and end time of the first scheduling time.

[0178] Optionally, the first scheduling message is a WMCI message.

[0179] Optionally, the first time point and the second time point are different times.

[0180] Optionally, the sending module 802 is configured to send data through the air interface if it detects that the air interface is idle at the beginning of the first scheduling time; or, if it detects that the air interface is busy at the beginning of the first scheduling time, or if the first data transmission through the air interface fails during the first scheduling time, it retransmits the data according to the first contention strategy.

[0181] It should be noted that the communication device provided in the above embodiments is only illustrated by the division of the above functional modules. 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. In addition, the communication device and communication method embodiments provided in the above embodiments belong to the same concept, and their specific implementation process can be found in the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0182] The descriptions of the processes corresponding to the above-mentioned figures each have their own emphasis. For parts of a process that are not described in detail, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other processes.

[0183] This application also provides a communication device. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 As shown, the communication device 900 includes a processor 904 and a communication interface 908. The processor 904 and the communication interface 908 are connected, for example, via a bus 902. It should be understood that this application does not limit the number of processors in the communication device 900.

[0184] The 902 bus can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 9 The bus 902 may be represented by a single line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus. The bus 902 may include a path for transmitting information between various components of the communication device 900 (e.g., processor 904, communication interface 908).

[0185] Processor 904 may include any one or more processors such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor (MP), or a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0186] The communication interface 908 uses transceiver modules (such as optical modules) such as, but not limited to, transceivers to enable communication between the communication device 900 and other devices or communication networks.

[0187] Optionally, the communication device also includes a memory 906, and the processor 904, memory 906, and communication interface 908 communicate via a bus 902. It should be understood that this application does not limit the number of memories in the communication device 900.

[0188] The memory 906 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM). The processor 904 may also include non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), or solid state drive (SSD).

[0189] The memory 906 stores executable program code, and the processor 904 executes this executable program code to implement the functions of the aforementioned modules, thereby realizing the aforementioned communication method. That is, the memory 906 stores instructions for executing the communication method.

[0190] This application also provides a computer program product containing instructions. The computer program product may be a software or program product containing instructions, capable of running on a computer device or stored on any usable medium. When the computer program product is run on at least one computer device, it causes the at least one computer device to perform the aforementioned communication method.

[0191] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer device can store, or a data storage device such as a data center containing one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state drive). The computer-readable storage medium includes instructions that instruct a computer device to perform the aforementioned communication method.

[0192] This application also provides a communication system, which includes a master device and at least one slave device connected via an optical fiber. The master device and at least one slave device are used to implement the aforementioned communication method.

[0193] This application also provides a chip. The chip includes a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface being connected to the processor; the processor is used to execute instructions to cause the chip to perform the aforementioned communication method.

[0194] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and similar terms used in this patent application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “an” or “a” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “comprising” or “including” and similar terms mean that the elements or objects preceding “comprising” or “including” encompass the elements or objects listed following “comprising” or “including” and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. The “multiple” mentioned in the embodiments of this application refers to two or more. A and / or B indicate three possibilities: A; B; and A and B.

[0195] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and such modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a master device, the method includes: Send a first scheduling message to the first slave device. The first scheduling message is used to indicate a first contention strategy. The first contention strategy is used to indicate that if the first slave device fails to send data through the air interface at the first moment of the first scheduling time, it shall resend the data at the second moment of the first scheduling time. The first slave device is any one of at least one slave device that is connected to the master device via an optical fiber.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first competitive strategy is any one of the following competitive strategies: When the air interface is detected to be idle, data is immediately retransmitted; When the air interface is detected to be idle, the data is retransmitted according to the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) parameters stored in the first slave device. When the air interface is detected to be idle, data is retransmitted according to the EDCA parameter in the first scheduling message; When the air interface is detected to be idle, data is retransmitted according to the backoff time slot number in the first scheduling message.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The EDCA parameters include the maximum backoff window, the minimum backoff window, and the arbitration inter-frame interval.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The EDCA parameters stored in the first slave device correspond to the access category (AC) queue in the first slave device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first scheduling message is also used to instruct the first slave device to send data through the air interface if it detects that the air interface is idle at the beginning of the first scheduling time.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first scheduling message includes the start time and duration of the first scheduling time; or, the first scheduling message includes the start time and end time of the first scheduling time.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first scheduling message is a Wireless Management and Control Interface (WMCI) message.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first time point and the second time point are different times.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first scheduling time is allocated to the first slave device, and the second scheduling time is allocated to the second slave device, wherein the second slave device is another slave device other than the first slave device among the at least one slave device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second scheduling message to the second slave device. The second scheduling message is used to indicate a second contention strategy. The second contention strategy is used to indicate the contention strategy for the second slave device to resend data through the air interface at the third time within the first scheduling time if the second slave device fails to send data through the air interface at the first time within the first scheduling time. The second competitive strategy may be different from or the same as the first competitive strategy.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, The first slave device is any one of at least one slave devices that are connected to the master device via optical fiber; The method includes: The master device receives a first scheduling message, which indicates a first contention strategy. The first contention strategy indicates that if the first slave device fails to transmit data through the air interface at a first moment within a first scheduling time, it shall retransmit the data at a second moment within the first scheduling time. Data is sent according to the first scheduling message.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first competitive strategy is any one of the following competitive strategies: When the air interface is detected to be idle, data is immediately retransmitted; When the air interface is detected to be idle, the data is retransmitted according to the EDCA parameters stored in the first slave device; When the air interface is detected to be idle, data is retransmitted according to the EDCA parameter in the first scheduling message; When the air interface is detected to be idle, data is retransmitted according to the backoff time slot number in the first scheduling message.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The EDCA parameters include the maximum backoff window, the minimum backoff window, and the arbitration inter-frame interval.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The EDCA parameters stored in the first slave device correspond to the access category (AC) queue in the first slave device.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that, The first scheduling message is also used to instruct the first slave device to send data through the air interface if it detects that the air interface is idle at the beginning of the first scheduling time.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that, The first scheduling message includes the start time and duration of the first scheduling time; or, the first scheduling message includes the start time and end time of the first scheduling time.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that, The first scheduling message is a Wireless Management and Control Interface (WMCI) message.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first time point and the second time point are different times.

19. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, characterized in that, Sending data according to the first scheduling message includes: If the air interface is detected to be idle at the beginning of the first scheduling time, then data is sent through the air interface; or, If an air interface busy signal is detected at the beginning of the first scheduling time, or if the first data transmission via the air interface fails during the first scheduling time, the data is retransmitted according to the first contention strategy.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes: The sending module is used to send a first scheduling message to the first slave device. The first scheduling message is used to indicate a first contention strategy. The first contention strategy is used to indicate that if the first slave device fails to send data through the air interface at a first moment within the first scheduling time, it shall resend the data at a second moment within the first scheduling time. The first slave device is any one of at least one slave device that is connected to the master device via optical fiber.

21. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes: The receiving module is used to receive a first scheduling message sent by the master device. The first scheduling message is used to indicate a first contention strategy. The first contention strategy is used to indicate that if the first slave device fails to send data through the air interface at a first moment within the first scheduling time, it shall resend the data at a second moment within the first scheduling time. The sending module is used to send data according to the first scheduling message; The first slave device is any one of at least one slave device that is connected to the master device via an optical fiber.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor and a communication interface, and the processor and the communication interface are connected. The processor is configured to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, or to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 11 to 19.

23. A chip, characterized in that, The chip includes a processor and a communication interface connected to the processor. The processor is configured to execute instructions to cause the chip to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, or to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 11 to 19.

24. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a master device and at least one slave device, the master device and the at least one slave device being connected via an optical fiber, the master device being used to perform the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10; or, to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11 to 19.

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