Wireless communication method, access point, medium, program product
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510170730.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-21
AI Technical Summary
但是，当前的AP的RTWTSP只在该AP的BSS内有效，需要考虑多AP间的对低延迟流量的传输的保护
Smart Images
Figure CN122621976A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to the field of wireless communication, and more specifically to a wireless communication method for a first access point (AP), a wireless communication method for a second AP, a first AP, a second AP, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product. Background Technology
[0002] Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technology has been developing rapidly and has become an important network in homes, businesses, and hotspots. WLAN technology is based on the IEEE 802.11 standard. The IEEE 802.11 standard aims to improve speed and reliability and expand the operating frequency bands of wireless networks. Modern WLAN devices need to support various low-latency or real-time applications, such as augmented reality (AR), robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and autonomous vehicles, while energy efficiency has also become a goal.
[0003] Target Wake Time (TWT) is a power-saving and scheduling technique that allows devices to determine when and how frequently they wake up and send / receive data. In this technique, the Access Point (AP) and Station (STA) terminals (such as smartphones and tablets) within a Basic Service Set (BSS) (a BSS contains an Access Point (AP) and one or more associated Stations (STAs)) negotiate a Target Wake-up Time Service Period (TWT SP). During the TWT SP, both the STA and AP can be awake and interact, but they must compete for channel access. Outside the TWT SP, the STA can be in sleep mode to conserve power, and the AP will not actively transmit frames to the STA. The TWT mechanism can reduce the number of wake-ups and communication time for devices that do not require long-term continuous network connections, such as smart home devices and sensors, and significantly reduce power consumption and network usage.
[0004] To better support low-latency applications (such as video conferencing and live streaming), Restricted TWT (RTWT) is a technology that further enhances the quality of service (QoS) of low-latency traffic based on TWT technology. The AP provides RTWT SP protection within the BSS. When the RTWT SP is active, the AP transmits data only with the scheduled STAs within the BSS that have negotiated the RTWT, while terminating transmission opportunities (TXOPs) with other STAs within the BSS and restricting their data transmission. This provides priority access for low-latency traffic to the scheduled STAs that have negotiated the RTWT. However, the current AP's RTWT SP is only effective within its own BSS; therefore, protection for low-latency traffic transmission across multiple APs needs to be considered. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The embodiments of this disclosure provide a wireless communication method for coordinated restricted target wake-up time (RTWT) scheduling among multiple APs, which can provide different levels of protection for the RTWT scheduling of a certain AP among multiple APs.
[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, at least one embodiment provides a wireless communication method for a first access point (AP) for coordinating restricted target wake-up time (RTWT) scheduling among multiple APs, comprising: negotiating a first RTWT scheduling with a station (STA) associated with the first AP to determine a first restricted target wake-up time service period (RTWT SP); determining a target protection level among multiple different protection levels for one or more RTWT schedulings of the first AP, wherein the multiple different protection levels respectively represent that one or more RTWT schedulings of the first AP are protected to different degrees among the multiple APs; and sending time information of the target protection level and the first RTWT SP to a second AP, so that the second AP performs protection corresponding to the target protection level on the first RTWT scheduling of the first AP during the first RTWT SP.
[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, at least one embodiment provides a wireless communication method for a second access point (AP) for multi-AP coordinated restricted target wake-up time (RTWT) scheduling, comprising: receiving a first restricted target wake-up time service period (RTWT SP) sent by a first AP and a target protection level among multiple different protection levels for one or more RTWT schedulings of the first AP, wherein the multiple different protection levels respectively represent that one or more RTWT schedulings of the first AP are protected to different degrees among the multiple APs; and performing protection corresponding to the target protection level on the first RTWT scheduling of the first AP during the first RTWT SP.
[0008] According to another aspect of this disclosure, at least one embodiment provides a first access point (AP), comprising: a memory for storing computer instructions; and a processor for reading the computer instructions from the memory and performing a method according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure.
[0009] According to another aspect of this disclosure, at least one embodiment provides a second access point (AP) having computer instructions stored thereon, wherein, when executed by a processor, the computer instructions cause the processor to perform a method according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure.
[0010] According to another aspect of this disclosure, at least one embodiment provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, wherein, when executed by a processor, the computer instructions cause the processor to perform a method according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure.
[0011] According to another aspect of this disclosure, at least one embodiment provides a computer program product including computer instructions, wherein, when executed by a processor, the computer instructions cause the processor to perform a method according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure.
[0012] The current RTWT SP of an AP is only valid within its own BSS. If multiple APs and overlapping BSSs exist, there is no Co-RTWT SP data transmission protection or further energy-saving strategy with different protection levels extended between APs. However, according to various embodiments of this disclosure, by sending the target protection level and the timing information of the first RTWT SP to the second AP, the second AP performs protection corresponding to the target protection level on the first RTWT scheduling of the first AP during the first RTWT SP, thereby ensuring different levels of protection for low-latency traffic transmission among multiple APs. In some embodiments, some protection levels also enable APs to achieve further energy-saving effects and allow multiple APs to transmit low-latency traffic while providing protection for RTWT scheduling. Attached Figure Description
[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or related technologies of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0014] Figure 1 An example diagram of a wireless network according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0015] Figure 2A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an AP according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0016] Figure 3 A flowchart of a wireless communication method for a first AP and a second AP according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0017] Figure 4 A process diagram illustrating the operation of a first AP and a second AP according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0018] Figure 5 A structural diagram of a TWT element according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0019] Figure 6A The present disclosure illustrates RTWT scheduling protection operations of a first AP and associated STA-1, and RTWT scheduling protection operations of a second AP and station STA-2 within a second BSS, under at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, where the protection level is a first protection level and robust protection.
[0020] Figure 6B The present disclosure illustrates RTWT scheduling protection operations of a first AP and its associated STA-1, and RTWT scheduling protection operations of a second AP and its associated conventional STA-2, under at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, where the protection level is a first protection level and robust protection. Detailed Implementation
[0021] Referring now to specific embodiments of this disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Although this application will be described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit this application to the described embodiments. Rather, it is intended to cover variations, modifications, and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It should be noted that the method steps described herein can be implemented by any functional block or functional arrangement, and any functional block or functional arrangement can be implemented as a physical entity or a logical entity, or a combination of both.
[0022] In this article, "multiple" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.
[0023] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.
[0024] In this document, the term "access point" or "AP" is used to refer to a network infrastructure component that provides wireless access to remote terminals. The terms "station" and "STA" are used to refer to a remote wireless device that wirelessly accesses an AP or competes for a wireless channel in a wireless local area network (WLAN), whether the STA is a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone or smartphone) or a fixed device (e.g., a desktop computer, AP, media player, fixed sensor, television, etc.). Depending on the network type, other well-known terms such as "router" or "gateway" may be used instead of "access point" or "AP," and other well-known terms such as "mobile station," "user station," "remote terminal," "user equipment," "wireless terminal," or "user equipment" may be used instead of "station" or "STA."
[0025] In this paper, the term Target Wake-up Time (TWT) is a power-saving mechanism that allows a device to determine when to wake up and send / receive data. Limiting TWT (RTWT) is a technique that further improves the quality of service for low-latency traffic based on TWT technology. Coordinated-RTWT (Co-RTWT) refers to RTWT coordinated between multiple access points (APs). While TWT, RTWT, and Co-RTWT may be used separately in this paper, these terms are interchangeable in certain situations.
[0026] In existing RTWT technology, a single AP's RTWT SP can only protect data transmission within the STA's Basic Service Set (BSS). However, it cannot provide data transmission protection in scenarios with multiple APs in overlapping BSSs (OBSSs). Therefore, channel contention among STAs across multiple BSSs can reduce the reliability of low-latency traffic transmission. To address this issue, the next-generation Wi-Fi standard may introduce Co-RTWT technology, which will solve the reliability problem of traffic transmission within the RTWT SP between OBSSs through multi-AP (MAP) collaboration. Currently, an AP's RTWT SP is only effective within its own BSS. If multiple APs and overlapping BSSs exist, there is no Co-RTWT SP data transmission protection strategy with different protection levels extended between APs. Furthermore, in addition to reliability, energy saving is also a necessary effect to ensure during multi-AP collaboration. Therefore, further energy saving requirements during multi-AP collaboration need to be considered.
[0027] The defects and problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art solutions are also the result of the inventor's careful research after practical and creative labor. The discovery process of the above problems and the solutions proposed by at least one embodiment disclosed below for the above problems are all creative contributions of the inventor during the invention process.
[0028] Figure 1 An example diagram is shown illustrating an application scenario of multi-AP collaborative constrained target wake-up time (RTWT) scheduling according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the wireless network here is, for example, a WLAN. Wireless network 100 may include one or more access points (APs) and one or more STAs (STAs). First AP 111 and second AP 121 may be entities that provide network access to associated STAs via wireless media. First AP 111 and second AP 121 can communicate with the Internet 130. First AP 111 provides wireless access to the Internet 130 to multiple associated STAs 112-114 in a BSS within its coverage area 110. Second AP 121 provides wireless access to the Internet 130 to multiple associated STAs 122, 123 in a BSS within its coverage area 120. First AP 111 and second AP 121 may communicate with each other and with STAs using Wi-Fi or other WLAN communication technologies. STA113 and 114 associated with the first AP 111 can be covered by the coverage area 120 of the second AP 121 at the same time. The second AP 121 can also be covered by the coverage area 110 of the first AP 111, and the first AP 111 can also be covered by the coverage area 120 of the second AP 121. The first AP 111 and the second AP 121 can communicate directly over the air.
[0030] The first AP 111 and the second AP 121 may include circuitry and / or procedures for implementing a wireless communication method for coordinated target wake-up time (RTWT) scheduling among multiple APs.
[0031] exist Figure 1 In the diagram, the dashed lines indicate the approximate extent of the coverage areas 110 and 120 of the first AP 111 and the second AP 121, which are shown as approximately circular for illustration and explanation purposes. It should be clearly understood that the coverage areas associated with the APs (e.g., coverage areas 110 and 120) can have other shapes, including irregular shapes.
[0032] Although it is shown as Figure 1The wireless network 100 shown is one example, but it can be modified in various ways. For example, the wireless network 100 can include any number of APs and any number of STAs in any suitable arrangement. Furthermore, the APs can communicate directly with any number of STAs and provide wireless access to the Internet 130 for these STAs.
[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an AP according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, AP 200 may include a transceiver 210, a processor 220, and a memory 230. The memory 230 is used to store computer instructions; the processor 220 is used to read the computer instructions from the memory and execute a method according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure. The memory 230 may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, or read-only memory (ROM), etc.
[0035] Transceiver 210 can receive incoming radio frequency (RF) signals from an antenna, such as signals transmitted by a STA in wireless network 100. Transceiver 210 can down-convert the input RF signal to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signal. The IF or baseband signal can be filtered, decoded, and / or digitized to generate a processed baseband signal, which can be further processed by processor 220.
[0036] Processor 220 can also encode, multiplex, and / or digitize the baseband data of the analog or digital data to be transmitted (e.g., audio / video data, text data, etc.) to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. Transceiver 210 up-converts the baseband or IF signal into an RF signal and transmits it through an antenna.
[0037] certainly Figure 2 The hardware structure shown is just an example; in reality, other components can be added to accomplish other functions.
[0038] Figure 3 A flowchart of a wireless communication method for a first AP 310 and a second AP 320 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 A process diagram illustrating the operation of a first AP 310 and a second AP 320 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. (In conjunction with...) Figure 3 and Figure 4 The following description will be provided.
[0039] like Figure 3The method shown can be used for multi-AP collaborative restricted target wake-up time (RTWT) scheduling. The wireless communication method for the first AP 310 includes steps 311, 312, and 313, and the wireless communication method for the second AP 320 includes steps 321 and 322.
[0040] In the first phase, Figure 3 In step 311, the first AP 310 may negotiate a first RTWT schedule with the station STA associated with the first AP 310 to determine a first RTWT SP. Here, "first" RTWT schedule refers to any given RTWT schedule and is not intended to be limited to the first RTWT schedule in time. The first RTWT SP also refers to any given RTWT SP and is not intended to be limited to the first RTWT SP in time. Note that "first," "second," and "third" in this document are used to distinguish, not to restrict order or importance, unless the context indicates their order or importance.
[0041] Specifically, in this stage, such as Figure 4 As shown, in step 410, the first AP and its associated STA-1 have a periodic high-priority, low-latency traffic transmission requirement (i.e., delay-sensitive traffic). Therefore, the first AP can determine the first RTWT SP time information with STA-1 through the existing RTWT negotiation process in the 802.11be protocol. The first AP can generate and send communication frames containing the first RTWT SP time information to STA-1. These communication frames can include key information such as the start time, duration, and period (or interval, indicating how often the first RTWT SP is repeated) of the first RTWT SP.
[0042] After the first AP and STA-1 complete the negotiation, during the first RTWT SP, the first AP and STA-1 transmit low-latency traffic. Other STAs in the first BSS of the first AP need to provide protection for the first RTWT SP. Before the first RTWT SP starts, the TXOP needs to be terminated, and no uplink transmission should be actively contested for the channel during the first RTWT SP.
[0043] exist Figure 3 In step 312, the first AP 310 can determine a target protection level among multiple different protection levels for one or more RTWT schedules of the first AP 310. The multiple different protection levels can respectively represent that one or more RTWT schedules of the first AP 310 are protected to different degrees across multiple APs.
[0044] In the second phase, Figure 3In step 313, the first AP can send the target protection level and the time information of the first RTWT SP to the second AP, so that the second AP can perform protection corresponding to the target protection level for the first RTWT scheduling of the first AP during the first RTWT SP.
[0045] Specifically, the first AP 310 can initiate Co-RTWT negotiation with the second AP through multi-AP Coordination (MAP) technology to extend the already coordinated first RTWT SP protection to Co-RTWT SP protection. Figure 4 , Figure 6A , Figure 6B The Co-RTWT SP shown is also the first RTWT SP. Specifically, in this stage, in Figure 4 In step 420, according to the MAP architecture, the first AP and the second AP can mutually announce the MAP functions they support. Then, the first AP initiates a Co-RTWT negotiation with the second AP. For example, the first AP 310 can send the first RTWT SP and the target protection level to the second AP 320. The second AP can accept this negotiation process, including receiving the target protection level and the first RTWT SP.
[0046] Here, the target protection level can be a protection level for the first RTWT SP only, or it can be a long-term protection level that can be used for protection during subsequent (second, third, ...) RTWT SPs until the target protection level is modified by the first AP.
[0047] In some embodiments, the first AP can send the target protection level and the first RTWT SP by transmitting TWT elements to the second AP.
[0048] Figure 5 A structural diagram of a TWT element according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5As shown, a TWT element includes Element ID, Length, Control, and TWT Parameter Information fields. The TWT Parameter Information fields include a Target Wake Time field (indicating the start time of the TWT SP in the first BSS), a TWT Wake Duration field (indicating the duration of the TWT SP), a TWT Wake Interval Mantissa field (indicating the interval between every two TWT SPs), and a Traffic Info Control field (indicating information about the traffic to be transmitted).
[0049] Here, the target protection level can be indicated in the Flow Information Control field of the TWT parameter information field. The value of the target protection level can be indicated by the Protection Indicator field (B2-3) in the Flow Information Control field (8 bits in total, B0-B7). The Flow Information Control field also includes other fields, such as Downlink Service Identifier Bitmap Valid (DL TID Bitmap Valid, used to determine which downlink data transmission flows are active by checking which TID positions in the bitmap are set to 1, and thus arrange the order and timing of downlink data transmission), Uplink Service Identifier Bitmap Valid (UL TID Bitmap Valid, used to determine which uplink data transmission flows are active by checking which Transmission Identifier (TID) positions in the bitmap are set to 1, and thus arrange the order and timing of uplink data transmission), and a Reserved field.
[0050] The protection indicator field can be set with different values to indicate multiple different protection levels. Different protection levels instruct the second AP to control data transmission in different ways during the first RTWT SP. Traditional technologies lack a scheme for the first AP to negotiate or notify the second AP of different protection levels through the protection indicator field in the flow information control field of the TWT parameter information field. This limits the flexibility of TWT negotiation between multiple APs, the transmission of data at different protection levels, and potential further energy-saving operations. Multiple different protection levels can include a first protection level, a second protection level, a third protection level, etc. The meanings of the first protection level, the second protection level, and the third protection level will be described in detail below.
[0051] Examples of values for the protection indicator field and their corresponding protection levels can be shown in Table 1 below (but this example is not limited, and other different protection levels are also possible):
[0052] Table 1 Meaning of the Protection Indicator Fields
[0053]
[0054] (1) When the protection indicator value is 1, the target protection level is robust protection, referred to as the first protection level. When the target protection level is the first protection level, the target protection level indicates that the second AP terminates the TXOP before the start of the first RTWT SP and is in a sleep or unavailable state during the first RTWT SP, and the STA associated with the second AP enters a sleep, unavailable, or silent state during the first RTWT SP. Specifically, the second AP can choose to send a non-requested multi-STA block acknowledgment frame or a silence element to the STA associated with the second AP, causing the STA to enter a sleep, unavailable, or silent state during the first RTWT SP, depending on the type of the STA associated with the second AP. The non-requested multi-STA block acknowledgment frame indicates the duration of entering a sleep or unavailable state as the first RTWT SP, and the silence element indicates the silence time of entering a silent state as the first RTWT SP.
[0055] In this embodiment, the second AP needs to ensure that STAs and / or APs within the second BSS of the second AP are not allowed to access the channel during the first RTWT SP time, and the second AP may perform further power-saving operations during the first RTWT SP time, such as the second AP and the STAs within the second BSS of the second AP entering a sleep state or an unavailable state.
[0056] (2) When the protection indicator value is 2, the target protection level is 802.11be RTWT protection, referred to as the second protection level. In the case of the second protection level, the target protection level instructs the second AP to terminate TXOP before the start of the first RTWT SP, and the second AP and the STA associated with the second AP do not compete for the channel for data transmission during the first RTWT SP. Here, it is not required that the second AP and the STA associated with the second AP enter a sleep state, an unavailable state, or a silent state.
[0057] In this embodiment, the second AP needs to ensure that the STA / AP of the second BSS regards the first RTWT SP as an RTWT SP within the second BSS, provides the protection policy defined in 802.11be, and allows subsequent modification of the protection policy through TWT management frames.
[0058] (3) When the protection indicator indicates a value of 3, the target protection level is MAP transmission protection, which is called the third protection level. When the target protection level is the third protection level, the target protection level indicates that the second AP should transmit data in the mode of protection scheduled by the first AP during the first RTWT SP, because the second AP may also have a need for low-latency traffic transmission and also needs to transmit data during the first RTWT SP.
[0059] Transmission methods can include coordinated beamforming (Co-BF), coordinated time division multiple access (Co-TDMA), coordinated spatial reuse (Co-SR), and coordinated frequency division multiple access (Co-FDMA). The negotiation process involves the first AP and the second AP negotiating a Co-TDMA, Co-SR, Co-BF, or Co-FDMA transmission strategy via a MAP architecture, specifying a time as the first RTWT SP. STAs within the second BSS of the second AP can transmit data within the first RTWT SP using the coordinated transmission strategy (Co-TDMA, Co-SR, or Co-BF, Co-FDMA), thereby increasing transmission fairness among multiple APs and allowing the second AP to also have the opportunity to transmit low-latency traffic during the first RTWT SP. The specific meanings of the transmission methods Co-TDMA, Co-SR, Co-BF, or Co-FDMA will be described in detail later.
[0060] (4) When the value indicated by the protection indicator is 0, this field is a reserved field.
[0061] The specific operation of the second AP in the third stage will be described in detail later with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0062] After the first AP transmits the TWT element, the second AP 320 receives the information indicated by the TWT element transmitted by the first AP 310, see [link / reference]. Figure 3 In step 321, the second AP 320 can receive the first RTWT SP sent by the first AP 310 and the target protection level among multiple different protection levels scheduled for one or more RTWTs of the first AP 310. The second AP 320 can then transmit a frame containing an acceptance field to the first AP 310, thus completing the second phase of Co-RTWT negotiation.
[0063] In the third stage, Figure 3 In step 322, the second AP 320 can perform protection corresponding to the target protection level for the first RTWT scheduling of the first AP during the first RTWT SP. Specifically, the second AP 320 can broadcast the first RTWT SP and the target protection level within its second BSS, so that the second AP 320 and the devices within its BSS provide protection corresponding to the target protection level for the RTWT scheduling of the first AP. This can be further divided into two steps, as follows: Figure 4 As shown, firstly, in step 430, the second AP 320 broadcasts the first RTWT SP and the target protection level within its second BSS. Secondly, in step 440, while the APs and STAs within the first BSS of the first AP begin transmitting / receiving data frames according to the first RTWT SP, the APs and STAs within the second BSS of the second AP perform corresponding protection operations for the RTWT scheduling of the first AP according to the first RTWT SP and the target protection level. For example, in the case of a first target protection level and robust protection, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the AP in the second BSS enters an unavailable / sleep state, and the STA enters an unavailable / sleep / silent state.
[0064] The following describes the specific operation process of RTWT scheduling of the second AP to the first AP for protection among multiple APs under the condition that the target protection level is the first target protection level and robust protection.
[0065] Figure 6A The present disclosure illustrates RTWT scheduling protection operations of a first AP and associated STA-1, and RTWT scheduling protection operations of a second AP and station STA-2 within a second BSS, under at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, where the target protection level is a first protection level and robust protection is provided.
[0066] Here, the STA-2 station can be a device that supports the latest Wi-Fi standards or has specific functions (such as entering an unavailable / sleep state).
[0067] As mentioned above, the first AP 310 initiates Co-RTWT negotiation with the second AP through the MAP architecture to extend the negotiated first RTWT SP protection to Co-RTWT SP protection, and sends the first RTWT SP and the target protection level (assuming the negotiated target protection level is the first protection level, robust protection) to the second AP 320.
[0068] Next, during the first RTWT SP (shown as Co-RTWT SP in the figure), the APs and STAs within the first BSS of the first AP begin transmitting / receiving data frames according to the first RTWT SP. For example, if the first AP transmits low-latency traffic with STA-1, which has negotiated the first RTWT SP, other STAs within the first BSS of the first AP need to provide protection for this first RTWT SP. Before the first RTWT SP begins, the TXOP needs to be terminated, and no active contention for channel transmission is required during the first RTWT SP.
[0069] During the first RTWT SP, the second AP can broadcast a TWT element in the management frame of the second BSS that includes information indicating the first RTWT SP and indicates the target protection level (consistent with the cooperative target protection level in the MAP procedure) as the first protection level, robust protection. That is, the protection indicator field in the TWT element of the broadcast frame transmitted by the second AP indicates a value of 1.
[0070] The second AP terminates TXOP before the start of the first RTWT SP, and enters an unavailable or sleep state during this first RTWT SP. Specifically, it enters the unavailable state when the second AP is currently operating in Active mode, and enters the sleep state when it is currently operating in Power Save mode. After receiving and parsing the TWT elements transmitted by the second AP in its second BSS, STA-2 (and other STAs) transmit data without competing for the channel during the first RTWT SP. They can perform further energy-saving operations based on their own operating state; for example, if currently operating in Active mode, they enter the unavailable state; if currently operating in Power Save mode, they enter the sleep state. Neither the second AP nor STA-2 competes for the channel for data transmission.
[0071] Figure 6B The present disclosure illustrates RTWT scheduling protection operations of a first AP and its associated STA-1, and RTWT scheduling protection operations of a second AP and its associated legacy STA-2, in the case of a target protection level of first protection level and robust protection, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0072] The operation of the first AP 310 and Figure 6A The similarities are the same, so I will not elaborate further here.
[0073] A legacy STA refers to a device with traditional or limited functionality that does not support the latest Wi-Fi standards or specific features, such as the inability to enter an unavailable / sleep state. Therefore, during the first RTWT SP (Real-Time To Wrap), a second AP can send (or broadcast) a frame to the legacy STA containing a identifiable quiet element, indicating that the quiet period is the length of the first RTWT SP. The legacy STA receiving this frame can enter a quiet state and will not compete for channel access for data transmission during the first RTWT SP.
[0074] Thus, under the target protection level of first protection level and robust protection, only the first AP and its STA that has negotiated the first TWT SP transmit data. The second AP and the STAs in the second BSS of the second AP do not transmit data, creating a good communication environment for the first AP and its STAs to robustly protect the data transmission between the first AP and its STAs (e.g., low latency), significantly reducing interference and access delay for the first AP, thus meeting the high reliability and low latency goals of the next-generation Wi-Fi standard. Moreover, while there is no data transmission, it can enter an unavailable state / sleep state / silent state to achieve power saving, meeting the AP energy saving goal of the next-generation Wi-Fi standard.
[0075] The following describes the specific operation process of RTWT scheduling of the second AP to the first AP for protection among multiple APs when the target protection level is the second protection level and the third protection level.
[0076] When the target protection level is the second protection level and 802.11be RTWT protection, after the second AP receives the second protection level, it needs to ensure that the STA / AP of the second BSS regards the first RTWT SP as an RTWT SP within the second BSS and follows the 802.11be RTWT protection mechanism. That is, like other STAs within the first BSS, the second AP and the STAs within the second AP's BSS terminate TXOP before the first RTWT SP begins and do not compete for the channel to transmit data during the first RTWT SP.
[0077] However, under this second protection level, STAs within the second AP and the BSS of the second AP do not need to perform power-saving operations, that is, they do not need to enter an unavailable state, sleep state, or silent state. For example, STAs within the second AP and the BSS of the second AP can remain active and can begin channel contention and data transmission as soon as the first RTWT SP ends.
[0078] When the target protection level is level 3, the second AP can also transmit data during the first RTWT SP, for example, if the second AP also needs to transmit low-latency data. The target protection level indicates that the second AP transmits data during the first RTWT SP to ensure the transmission method protecting the first AP's first RTWT schedule. This transmission method can include one or more of Co-TMDA, Co-SR, Co-BF, and Co-FDMA to provide protection for low-latency data traffic transmission while also ensuring transmission fairness.
[0079] In some embodiments, when the transmission method includes Co-TMDA, the target protection level indicates that the second AP performs data transmission in response to a notification sent by the first AP after the data transmission of the first AP and the STA associated with the first AP during the first RTWT SP has ended. That is, the first AP allocates transmission resources during the first RTWT SP, and after the first AP completes its transmission, the first AP can notify the second AP to start transmission.
[0080] In other embodiments, where the transmission method includes Co-TMDA, an AP can share a portion of its acquired TXOPs with another AP. For example, the target protection level indicates that the second AP uses a portion of the TXOPs shared by the first AP during the first RTWTSP for data transmission. Specific steps may include the first AP acting as the sharing AP and the second AP acting as the polled or coordinated AP. The sharing AP sends a control frame indicating that it is initiating TXOP sharing and specifying the shared object and duration. The coordinated AP responds to this control frame (e.g., by replying with a Clear To Send (CTS) signal), and then completes the data transmission within the granted time. The coordinated AP can (e.g., by sending a special control frame) return the remaining TXOPs to the sharing AP.
[0081] In this way, the data transmission of the first AP and the second AP are staggered in time and will not interfere with each other, thereby ensuring that the second AP will not interfere with the data transmission of the first AP and ensuring the protection of the first RTWT scheduling of the first AP.
[0082] When the transmission method includes Co-SR, the target protection level indicates that the second AP reduces its power to reduce or eliminate interference between its data transmission and the data transmission of the first AP. For example, the first and second APs can respectively measure link information (such as Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), path loss, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)) between themselves and each STA (including STAs associated with the first AP and STAs associated with the second AP). The first and second APs can collaboratively exchange measurement results to establish a Co-SR mechanism. Based on the measurement results, the second AP can gradually reduce its transmit power until a balance is reached, ensuring both signal coverage and quality while reducing or eliminating interference with the data transmission of the first AP. This ensures that the second AP does not interfere with the data transmission of the first AP, while also allowing the second AP to transmit low-latency data traffic, guaranteeing real-time data transmission requirements, and further saving energy. Alternatively, the first AP can also reduce its transmit power simultaneously based on the measurement results to reduce or eliminate interference with the data transmission of the second AP, allowing both the first and second APs to transmit low-latency data traffic in parallel without interference.
[0083] When the transmission mode includes Co-BF type, the target protection level indicates that the second AP performs beamforming on STAs associated with the second AP and beam cancellation on STAs not associated with the second AP. Specifically, the first AP and the second AP can obtain the Channel State Indicator (CSI) across the BSS through sequential / joint sounding measurements. For example, the first AP and the second AP can each measure their own channel measurements with each STA (including STAs associated with the first AP and STAs associated with the second AP). The first AP and the second AP can collaboratively calculate the steering vector of the BF based on the channel measurement results and perform partial nulling to eliminate interference to STAs in the OBSS within the collision domain. In this way, the second AP can transmit data using the collaborative steering vector to reduce or eliminate interference of its transmitted beams to the data transmission of the first AP, ensuring protection of the first AP's first RTWT schedule. At the same time, the first AP can also transmit data through the coordinated steering vector, thereby performing beamforming on STAs associated with the first AP and beam cancellation on STAs not associated with the first AP, so as to reduce or eliminate interference to the data transmission of the second AP, so that the first AP and the second AP can transmit low-latency data traffic in parallel without interfering with each other.
[0084] When the transmission method includes Co-FDMA, the target protection level indicates that the second AP can select a different channel than the first AP for data transmission, ensuring protection of the first AP's first RTWT scheduling. Specifically, the first AP and the second AP can perform channel probing at the start time of the first RTWT SP to assess the interference situation on each channel. Based on the channel probing results, the two APs can select different channels and ensure that the isolation between them is large enough to reduce or eliminate mutual interference.
[0085] In this way, the second AP can both ensure the protection of the first AP's first RTWT scheduling and perform low-latency data transmission.
[0086] In some embodiments, the first AP may send a modification instruction to the second AP as needed to modify the target protection level.
[0087] For example, if the target protection level of the first RTWT SP negotiated is not robust protection, and the low-latency transmission requirements of the first AP cannot be met in subsequent transmissions, the protection strategy can be changed to robust protection in the following way:
[0088] When the current protection strategy is not robust protection but the first AP needs to transmit low-latency data, the first AP can initiate a change in the protection strategy through the MAP architecture, requesting that the target protection level be changed to robust protection. After accepting the request, the second AP will update the first RTWT SP protection strategy through the TWT management frame, and set the protection indicator field in the TWT element indicating Co-RTWT information in the subsequent beacon frame to 1. This causes the second AP and the STAs in its BSS to enter an unavailable or sleep state, thereby robustly guaranteeing the low-latency transmission of the first AP.
[0089] When the target protection level of the first RTWT SP is robust protection, but the subsequent transmission is not low-latency data and robust protection is not required, the first AP can also change the target protection level to another target protection level through MAP negotiation.
[0090] Of course, the above describes changing from other protection levels to robust protection, or changing robust protection to other protection levels, but in reality, the protection level can be changed arbitrarily, as long as a modification instruction is sent.
[0091] The first AP can also request temporary robust protection from the second AP via the MAP architecture, informing that the validity period of the target protection level is consistent with the first RTWT SP. Here, "consistent" can mean that the validity period of the target protection level is the same as the time period of the first RTWT SP, but this disclosure is not limited to this; the validity period of the target protection level and the time period of the first RTWT SP may not be exactly the same, for example, there may be a small time deviation, such as 1%, but not limited to this value. After accepting the request, the second AP declares that it has entered an unavailable / sleep state, the duration of which is the first RTWT SP; during this time, the second AP enters the unavailable / sleep state and cannot send or receive frames. The method by which the second AP declares that it has entered the unavailable / sleep state can be by transmitting a non-requestive Multi-STA Block Acknowledgement (M-STABA) frame, which includes fields indicating the start time and duration of the AP entering the unavailable / sleep state. After receiving this, the STAs of the second BSS do not compete for the channel during the AP's unavailable / sleep state time and cannot transmit frames to the second AP. When the second AP is associated with a traditional STA device, the second AP may also transmit a silence element to the traditional STA and indicate that the silence time for entering the silence state is the first RTWT SP. During the silence time, after the STA of the second BSS receives the signal, it will not compete for the channel during the AP unavailable state / sleep state and cannot transmit frames to the second AP, thus providing temporary robust protection for the first BSS.
[0092] Of course, this is just an example of temporary robust protection, but other temporary protection levels are similar; you just need to set the validity period of the target protection level to be consistent with the first RTWT SP.
[0093] In this way, by sending the first RTWT SP and the target protection level among multiple different protection levels from the first AP to other APs, different levels of protection can be guaranteed for the data transmission of the first AP during the cooperation between multiple APs, thereby enabling flexible cooperation in data transmission between multiple APs.
[0094] Thus, according to various embodiments of this disclosure, by sending a first RTWT SP and a target protection level among multiple different protection levels for the first RTWT scheduling of the first AP to the second AP via the first AP, the second AP performs protection corresponding to the target protection level on the first RTWT scheduling of the first AP during the first RTWT SP, thereby ensuring different levels of protection for the first RTWT scheduling among multiple APs. Furthermore, some protection levels can achieve further energy-saving effects and enable multiple APs to transmit low-latency traffic while providing protection for the first RTWT scheduling.
[0095] This disclosure may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Instructions, such as computer instructions, are stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the various methods described above can be performed. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, computer storage media (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, solid-state drives, removable disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, Blu-ray discs, etc.). For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium can be connected to a computing device such as a computer, and then, when the computing device executes the computer instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium, the various methods described above can be performed.
[0096] This disclosure may also include a computer program product that can perform the methods, steps, and operations given herein. For example, such a computer program product may be a computer software package, computer code instructions, or a computer-readable tangible medium having computer instructions tangibly stored (and / or encoded) thereon, which can be executed by a processor to perform the operations described herein. The computer program product may include packaging materials.
[0097] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems disclosed herein are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The term “such as / for example” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as / for example but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.
[0098] The flowcharts and method descriptions in this disclosure are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that the steps of the various embodiments must be performed in the given order. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the steps in the above embodiments can be performed in any order. Words such as "then," "next," etc., are not intended to limit the order of the steps; these words are only used to guide the reader through the description of these methods. Furthermore, any reference to a singular element, such as the use of the articles "a," "one," or "the," is not to be construed as limiting that element to the singular.
[0099] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit at least one embodiment of the present disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof.
Claims
1. A wireless communication method for a first access point (AP), used for Co-Restricted Target Wake-Up Time (Co-RTWT) scheduling among multiple APs, comprising: Negotiate a first RTWT schedule with the station STA associated with the first AP to determine a first restricted target wake-up time service period RTWT SP; Determine a target protection level among multiple different protection levels for one or more RTWT schedulings of the first AP, wherein the multiple different protection levels respectively represent that one or more RTWT schedulings of the first AP are protected to different degrees among the multiple APs. as well as The target protection level and the time information of the first RTWT SP are sent to the second AP so that the second AP performs protection corresponding to the target protection level for the first RTWT scheduling of the first AP during the first RTWT SP.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The multiple different protection levels include a first protection level, and When the target protection level is the first protection level, the target protection level indicates that the second AP terminates the transmission opportunity TXOP before the first RTWT SP begins and is in a sleep or unavailable state during the first RTWT SP, and the station STA associated with the second AP enters the sleep or unavailable state or enters a silent state during the first RTWT SP.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The multiple different protection levels include a second protection level, and When the target protection level is the second protection level, the target protection level instructs the second AP to terminate TXOP before the first RTWT SP begins, and the second AP and the STA associated with the second AP do not compete for the channel to transmit data during the first RTWT SP.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The various protection levels include a third protection level, and When the target protection level is the third protection level, the target protection level instructs the second AP to transmit data during the first RTWT SP to ensure the protection of the first AP's first RTWT scheduling transmission mode, the transmission mode including one or more of cooperative time division multiple access, cooperative spatial multiplexing, cooperative beamforming, and cooperative frequency division multiplexing.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, In the case where the transmission mode includes the Cooperative Time Division Multiple Access, the target protection level instructs the second AP to perform data transmission in response to a notification sent by the first AP after the data transmission of the first AP and the STA associated with the first AP has ended during the first RTWT SP.
6. The method according to claim 4, wherein, When the transmission mode includes the Cooperative Time Division Multiple Access, the target protection level instructs the second AP to use a portion of the TXOP shared by the first AP to the second AP during the first RTWT SP to perform data transmission.
7. The method according to claim 4, wherein, When the transmission mode includes the cooperative spatial multiplexing, the target protection level instructs the second AP to reduce its power to reduce or eliminate interference from the data transmission of the second AP to the data transmission of the first AP.
8. The method according to claim 4, wherein, When the transmission mode includes the cooperative beamforming, the target protection level instructs the second AP to perform beamforming on STAs associated with the second AP and to perform beam cancellation on STAs not associated with the second AP.
9. The method according to claim 4, wherein, When the transmission method includes the cooperative frequency division multiplexing, the target protection level instructs the second AP to select a different channel than the first AP for data transmission.
10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Send a protection level modification instruction to the second AP to modify the target protection level.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The validity period of the target protection level is consistent with that of the first RTWT SP.
12. A wireless communication method for a second access point (AP), used for multi-AP coordinated constrained target wake-up time (RTWT) scheduling, comprising: The system receives a first restricted target wake-up time service period (RTWT SP) sent by the first AP and a target protection level among multiple different protection levels for one or more RTWT schedulings of the first AP, wherein the multiple different protection levels respectively represent that one or more RTWT schedulings of the first AP are protected to different degrees among the multiple APs. During the first RTWT SP, the first RTWT schedule of the first AP performs protection corresponding to the target protection level.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The multiple different protection levels include a first protection level, and When the target protection level is the first protection level, the second AP terminates the transmission opportunity TXOP before the first RTWT SP begins and is in a sleep or unavailable state during the first RTWT SP, and the station STA associated with the second AP enters the sleep or unavailable state or enters a silent state during the first RTWT SP.
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The multiple different protection levels include a second protection level, and When the target protection level is the second protection level, the second AP terminates TXOP before the first RTWT SP begins, and the second AP and the STA associated with the second AP do not compete for the channel to transmit data during the first RTWT SP.
15. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The various protection levels include a third protection level, and When the target protection level is the third protection level, the second AP ensures data transmission of the protection transmission mode for the first AP's first RTWT scheduling during the first RTWT SP, the transmission mode including one or more of cooperative time division multiple access, cooperative spatial multiplexing, cooperative beamforming, and cooperative frequency division multiplexing.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, In the case where the transmission mode includes the Cooperative Time Division Multiple Access, the second AP performs data transmission in response to a notification sent by the first AP after the data transmission of the first AP and the STA associated with the first AP has ended during the first RTWT SP.
17. The method according to claim 15, wherein, When the transmission method includes the Cooperative Time Division Multiple Access, the second AP uses a portion of the TXOPs shared by the first AP to the second AP during the first RTWT SP to perform data transmission.
18. The method according to claim 15, wherein, When the transmission method includes the cooperative spatial multiplexing, the second AP reduces its power to reduce or eliminate interference between the data transmission of the second AP and the data transmission of the first AP.
19. The method according to claim 15, wherein, When the transmission mode includes the cooperative beamforming, the second AP performs beamforming on STAs associated with the second AP and beam cancellation on STAs not associated with the second AP.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein, When the transmission method includes the cooperative frequency division multiplexing, the second AP selects a different channel than the first AP for data transmission.
21. The method of claim 12, further comprising: Receive a protection level modification instruction from the first AP to modify the target protection level.
22. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The validity period of the target protection level is consistent with that of the first RTWTSP.
23. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The second AP selects, based on the type of the STA associated with the second AP, to send a non-requested multi-STA block acknowledgment frame or a silence element to the STA associated with the second AP, so that the STA enters the sleep state, the unavailable state, or the silence state during the first RTWT SP, wherein the non-requested multi-STA block acknowledgment frame indicates the duration of entering the sleep state or the unavailable state as the first RTWT SP, and the silence element indicates the silence time of entering the silence state as the first RTWT SP.
24. A first access point (AP), comprising: Memory, which stores computer instructions; At least one processor is configured to execute the computer instructions in the memory to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-11.
25. A second access point (AP), comprising: Memory, which stores computer instructions; At least one processor is configured to execute the computer instructions in the memory to perform the method according to any one of claims 12-23.
26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, in, When the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the processor performs the method according to any one of claims 1-23.
27. A computer program product comprising computer instructions, in, When the computer instructions are executed by the processor, the processor performs the method according to any one of claims 1-23.