Multi-access point coordinated transmission method, communication device, and storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses a multi-access point cooperative transmission method, a communication device and a storage medium, and belongs to the technical field of wireless communication. The multi-access point cooperative transmission method comprises the following steps: a shared access point sends a first frame to a shared access point, wherein the first frame is used for instructing the shared access point to select a target terminal for cooperative transmission; the shared access point receives a second frame sent by the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries the identification of at least one first target terminal and the identification of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal; the first target terminal is a target terminal associated with the shared access point and selected by the shared access point; the second target terminal is a target terminal associated with the shared access point for cooperative transmission; and the shared access point performs cooperative transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a multi-access point cooperative transmission method, communication device, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Multiple Access Point (MAP) cooperative transmission technology refers to the technology in which multiple Access Points (APs) form a cooperative transmission set to cooperate and transmit data. Cooperative transmission means that multiple APs share radio resources such as frequency, space, or time and use technologies such as Coordination Beamforming (C-BF) and Coordination Spatial Reuse (C-SR) to send data frames to multiple non-APSTA (non-APSTA, also known as terminals).

[0003] In multi-access point (AP) collaborative transmission scenarios, the multiple access points can be broadly classified into two categories: sharing APs and shared APs. In most collaborative transmission solutions, the transmission of the sharing AP is typically dominant. When selecting a target non-AP STA for the sharing AP, the selection of the shared AP is not taken into account. However, for the shared AP, the target non-AP STA selected by the sharing AP may cause significant interference to its transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a multi-access point collaborative transmission method, communication device, and storage medium, which can solve the problem that the target non-AP STA selected by the sharing AP may cause significant interference to the transmission of the shared AP.

[0005] In a first aspect, a multi-access point cooperative transmission method is provided, comprising: a shared access point sending a first frame to a shared access point, wherein the first frame is used to instruct the shared access point to select a target terminal for cooperative transmission; the shared access point receiving a second frame sent by the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries an identifier of at least one first target terminal and an identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each of the first target terminals, wherein the first target terminal is a target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point, and the second target terminal is a target terminal associated with the shared access point for cooperative transmission; and the shared access point performing cooperative transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame.

[0006] Secondly, a multi-access point cooperative transmission method is provided, comprising: a shared access point receiving a first frame sent by a shared access point, wherein the first frame is used to instruct the shared access point to select a target terminal for cooperative transmission; the shared access point sending a second frame to the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries an identifier of at least one first target terminal and an identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal, wherein the first target terminal is a target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point, and the second target terminal is a target terminal associated with the shared access point for cooperative transmission; and the shared access point performing cooperative transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame. Thirdly, a communication device is provided, the communication device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions executable on the processor, the program or instructions being executed by the processor to implement the steps of the multi-access point cooperative transmission method described in the first or second aspect above.

[0007] Fourthly, a readable storage medium is provided, on which a program or instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the multi-access point cooperative transmission method as described in the first or second aspect above.

[0008] Fifthly, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer program comprising program instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the multi-access point cooperative transmission method as described in the first or second aspect above.

[0009] In this embodiment, the shared access point sends a first frame to the shared access point, instructing the shared access point to select a target terminal for cooperative transmission. Then, it receives a second frame sent by the shared access point. This second frame carries the identifier of at least one first target terminal and the identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal. The first target terminal is the target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point. The second target terminal is the target terminal associated with the shared access point for cooperative transmission. The shared access point performs cooperative transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame. This allows the shared access point to perform cooperative transmission based on the first target terminal selected by the shared access point, avoiding the problem that the target terminal selected by the shared access point might cause significant interference to the transmission of the shared access point.

[0010] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0012] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates a network architecture applicable to embodiments of this application. Figure 2 This application shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a multi-access point cooperative transmission process is shown; Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a multi-access point cooperative transmission method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the structure of the prefer STA-ID field in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a multi-access point cooperative transmission method provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating another multi-access point cooperative transmission method provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating a multi-access point cooperative transmission method in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating a multi-access point cooperative transmission method in another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating a multi-access point cooperative transmission method in yet another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating a multi-access point cooperative transmission method in yet another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0013] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0014] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication network is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The described scenario is merely one of many possibilities, and the methods provided in this application can be implemented in various systems to meet different needs. For example, the implementations discussed herein can be applied to various wireless devices. The wireless implementation schemes described in detail below are merely illustrative examples.

[0015] Figure 1 A network consisting of one or more wireless communication devices is illustrated, including an access point (AP) 102 and a station (STA) 104. In some examples, these devices are able to exchange data according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802 series standards. The IEEE 802 standards cover communication specifications for a variety of network devices, ranging from Local Area Networks (LANs) to Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs). In particular, the IEEE 802.11 standard sets clear guidelines for communication in Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). In these networks, communication must adhere to at least one communication protocol to ensure communication between different devices. These communication protocols are dynamically evolving and are continuously updated with technological advancements to enhance communication stability and improve data transmission efficiency.

[0016] IEEE 802.11 wireless communication technology can also be referred to as WiFi technology. In this example, AP102 and STA104 transmit data via one or more protocols from the IEEE 802.11 protocol family. These protocols cover a range from early standards such as 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a, to the Very High Throughput (VHT) of 802.11n and 802.11ac, to the High Efficiency (HE) of 802.11ax, and the Extremely High Throughput (EHT) of 802.11be. Furthermore, it includes next-generation IEEE 802.11 technologies such as the Ultra High Reliability (UHR) standard, as well as other developing IEEE 802.11 wireless communication specifications.

[0017] In other examples, AP102 and STA104 may communicate according to other standards, such as the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) standard developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Furthermore, wireless communication standards may include LTE-A (an enhanced version of LTE), next-generation 5G NR technology, Bluetooth, global navigation satellite systems (such as GPS or GLONASS), and mobile television broadcasting standards (such as ATSC-M / H). These technologies can be used individually or in combination. In some embodiments, STA104 may be designed to support only a single wireless communication technology. The names of AP102 and STA104 may also differ depending on the technological context. For example, in an LTE network, AP102 may be referred to as an Evolved NodeB (eNB), while STA104 may be referred to as User Equipment (UE).

[0018] In some embodiments, the wireless terminal device, also known as a station (STA), may be more specifically defined as a non-access point STA (non-AP STA). These STAs 104 are capable of wirelessly connecting to nearby network devices, such as access points (APs 102). The wireless terminal device can be a mobile phone, handheld device, wearable device, computer or tablet, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), unmanned flight controller (UAC), vehicle, or virtually any type of wireless device. The STA may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The STA 104 can perform any of the methods described in this application by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively, the STA 104 may also include programmable hardware elements, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), integrated circuits, or other hardware components configured to perform any part or all of the methods described in this application.

[0019] In some implementations, AP102 can be defined as a station (STA), and more specifically, an access point STA (AP STA). AP102 can be, but is not limited to, a router, a mobile terminal enabling a hotspot, a base station, etc., all equipped with hardware facilities for wireless communication with STA104. Furthermore, AP102 can be configured to communicate with network 106, which can be a telecommunications network, such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), the Internet, or other possible networks. Therefore, AP102 can enable communication not only between STA104 but also between STA104 and network 106. As will be further described later in this document, AP102 includes the hardware required to achieve wireless communication with STA104, and may also include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the features described herein.

[0020] The communication range of AP102 is typically referred to as the Basic Service Set (BSS). AP102 and STA104 can communicate via various radio access technologies or wireless communication technologies, including but not limited to LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE A), 5G NR, WiFi, and Ultra Wideband (UWB). AP102 can also be configured to provide STA104 with a communication connection to network 106.

[0021] The STA104 can also be configured to communicate with other STA104 devices. For example, the STA104 can be configured to support direct device-to-device communication, commonly referred to as peer-to-peer (P2P) communication. This communication method allows two devices to communicate directly without the AP102.

[0022] Multiple BSSs can be combined to form an Extended Service Set (ESS). In this example, AP102 may not be a single access point, but rather one of multiple access points. A controller, not shown in the diagram, can be responsible for storing and managing shared information among the multiple AP102s and for controlling the BSSs, such as allocating parameters like the primary channel and BSS color.

[0023] The traditional STA108 can operate according to one or more standards in the IEEE 802.11 standard family, which may include 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ad / ah / ay / ax, etc. The AP102 can communicate with the traditional STA108 using traditional IEEE 802.11 communication technology.

[0024] The Medium Access Control (MAC) layer and Physical (PHY) layer in AP102 and STA104 exchange Protocol Data Units (PDUs) and Service Data Units (SDUs) during the management of wireless communication traffic. The PHY layer is configured to receive SDUs from the MAC layer, encapsulating the MACSDUs into Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (PHY PDUs, PPDUs) by adding a preamble. In some embodiments, different types of PPDUs may exist, such as single-user (SU) PPDUs, downlink (DL) PPDUs, multi-user (MU) PPDUs, extended range (ER) SUPPDUs, and / or trigger-based (TB) PPDUs. The PPDU preamble may include various training fields used by the receiving AP102 or STA104 to perform synchronization, gain control, channel characteristic estimation, and signal equalization. AP102 and STA104 then exchange wireless communication signals in PPDU format.

[0025] Wireless communication channel bandwidths offer a variety of options, including but not limited to 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, and combinations such as 80+80MHz. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the channel bandwidth may reach 320MHz, or appear in a combination of 160+160MHz. For narrower channels, bandwidth options may include subdivisions from 1MHz to 10MHz, or combinations thereof, or other bandwidths less than or equal to the available bandwidth may also be used. In some embodiments, the channel bandwidth may also be determined based on the number of subcarriers carrying data, which may be 26, 52, 106, 242, 484, 996, and 2x996. In some embodiments, the allocation of bandwidth, tone, or number of subcarriers may be referred to as resource unit (RU) allocation.

[0026] In some embodiments of IEEE 802.11, such as the ax / be embodiment, AP102 gains control of the wireless channel through a contention mechanism to acquire a transmission window (TXOP). During the TXOP, AP102 can transmit frames containing EHT / HE trigger information, which may be related to the synchronous uplink and downlink data transmission of STA104. AP102 can provide the duration of the TXOP and RU allocation information. STA104 communicates with AP102 using multiple access technologies such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access (OFDMA) or multiple user multiple input multiple output (MUMIMO). During the TXOP, AP102 can send one or more PPDUs to exchange data with STA104.

[0027] In some implementations, STA104 and / or AP102 are configured to perform the actions described in this article. Figure 4 , Figure 6-7 Describe the methods and functions. The term "WiFi" may refer to one or more versions of the IEEE 802.11 communication standard. AP and STA may include access point and terminal equipment based on EHT / HE technology standards, as well as traditional wireless communication equipment.

[0028] Figure 2 A block diagram of a communication device 200 is shown, the structure of which is suitable for implementing various technologies or methods discussed in the embodiments of this application. In some embodiments, device 200 can operate independently or establish connections with other devices to form a network system. When device 200 is deployed in a network, it can operate as a server or client in a server-client mode, or as a node in a P2P network mode. Device 200 may represent AP102, STA104, STA108, or any other device capable of executing relevant instructions, including methods for implementing or supporting the features described herein.

[0029] Device 200 may include processor 204 (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU) or any combination thereof), memory 202, display device 212, input device 214, sensor device 216 and antenna 218.

[0030] Memory 202 stores the control program and various data used. AP102 and STA104, STA108 can be configured to implement or support the implementation of part or all of the methods described in this application, for example, by executing program instructions stored in the memory. The memory can be implemented as RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this respect, the memory can be coupled to the processor, allowing the processor to read information from and write information to the memory. In some embodiments, the memory may each include a cache for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed by the processor. The memory may also include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processor. After the device is powered on, one or more programs stored on a hard disk or read-only memory are transferred to random access memory and registers for storing variables and parameters required by this application.

[0031] Device 200 may also include display device 212 and input device 214 (e.g., keyboard and mouse). In some embodiments, display device 212 and input device 214 may be touch screen displays. Sensor 216 may be, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor or other sensors.

[0032] Processor 204 is responsible for executing various instruction sets or software programs and managing data transmission and reception tasks. Processor 204 may include a Media Access Control Unit 206 (MAC unit), a Physical Layer Unit 208 (PHY unit), and a storage unit 210. These units, including PHY unit 208, MAC unit 206, and storage unit 210, can be interconnected and may be partially or entirely integrated on a single chip. Processor 204 can implement or assist in implementing one or more of the functions, operations, or methods described herein by running program code stored in storage units 202 or 210. Furthermore, processor 204 can be configured to use one or more antennas to transmit and receive signals with other wireless devices (e.g., AP 102, STA 104, or legacy device 108). In a particular embodiment, PHY unit 208 is responsible for performing functions such as signal encoding and decoding, power amplification, and filtering, including generating baseband signals for transmission and decoding received signals. PHY unit 208 can also transmit signals according to one of the 802.11 standards discussed herein, such as 802.11ax / 802.11be. MAC unit 206 is responsible for managing access rights to the wireless communication medium. In some embodiments, MAC unit 206 can compete for access to the wireless medium based on Network Allocation Vector (NAV) and Clear Channel Assessment (CCA). Certain functions of signal transmission and reception may be accomplished through the collaborative work of PHY unit 208, MAC unit 206, and other components. In some embodiments, processor 204 may integrate one or more general-purpose or purpose-specific processors. Processor 204 may also be configured as a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or implemented using dedicated hardware components such as Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) to implement the required hardware and logic circuitry. In some cases, the implementation of processor 204 may rely on the combination of software-configured elements with other hardware elements.

[0033] Antenna 218 may include one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, linearly polarized antennas, circularly polarized antennas, narrowband antennas, wideband antennas, ultra-wideband antennas, or other types of antennas suitable for transmitting RF signals. In some embodiments, antenna 218 may be configured to perform wireless communication using at least one of simple input multiple output (SIMO), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), or multiple input simple output (MISO) techniques. In some embodiments, multi-user MIMO technology may be used for wireless communication.

[0034] In several embodiments, the methods described in this application may be implemented entirely in software, or in part through a combination of software and firmware. These software components and / or firmware may be encoded on a persistent computer-readable storage medium for the processor to read. The processor parses and executes these encoded instructions to perform the series of operations described in this application. These instructions may exist in various forms, including but not limited to raw source code, compiled code, scripts requiring interpretation, directly executable programs, statically compiled programs, or dynamically generated programs.

[0035] In multi-AP cooperative transmission, multiple access points can be divided into two main categories: sharing APs and shared APs, also known as master APs and slave APs. A sharing AP or master AP is the AP responsible for coordinating and controlling other APs in multi-AP cooperative transmission. Shared APs and slave APs are APs controlled and scheduled by the sharing AP in multi-AP cooperative transmission. Shared APs coordinate with each other through the sharing AP to avoid collisions and improve transmission efficiency. The roles of sharing APs and shared APs are usually determined based on the initial negotiation of the cooperative transmission set, or based on factors such as network topology, AP processing capacity, AP location and coverage, or, in the Carrier-Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA) mechanism, the first AP to complete the backoff process and attempt to access the channel becomes the sharing AP.

[0036] MAP cooperative operation can be performed in three dimensions: time domain, frequency domain, and spatial domain. A complete MAP cooperative operation includes the main processes of MAP cooperative discovery, MAP cooperative agreement negotiation, and MAP cooperative transmission. After a Sharing AP obtains a transmission opportunity (TXOP), it can perform MAP cooperative transmission by sharing its time and frequency resources with the Shared AP. The types of cooperative transmission include, but are not limited to, C-SR, C-BF, and Coordination Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (C-OFDMA).

[0037] C-SR, or Cooperative Spatial Multiplexing, allows the sharing AP to perform parallel transmission on the same time / frequency resources after acquiring TXOP. Furthermore, the sharing AP can reduce interference to each other's receivers by controlling the transmission power of the shared AP during C-SR transmission.

[0038] C-BF, or Cooperative Beamforming, allows the sharing AP to transmit in parallel with the shared AP on the same time / frequency resources after the sharing AP acquires the TXOP. The sharing AP and the shared AP can reduce the interference of parallel transmission on each other's receivers by setting the null space precoding matrix.

[0039] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a multi-access cooperative transmission process is shown. For example... Figure 3As shown, at the start of a TXOP, AP1, acting as the sharing AP, sends an Initial Control Frame (ICF) to announce its intention to perform C-SR / C-BF with AP2. AP2 can indicate in its response frame whether it will participate in C-SR / C-BF within the current TXOP. The ICF frame may carry the destination non-AP STA identifier (AID12, etc.) of the sharing AP. The response frame may contain the destination non-AP STA identifier (AID12, etc.) of the shared AP, as well as information such as AC, SCS ID, TID, etc. If AP2 indicates its intention to participate in cooperative transmission in its response frame, AP1 can send a Coord Trigger frame during the subsequent TXOP to trigger C-SR / C-BF data transmission.

[0040] However, in related technologies, the transmission of the sharing AP is usually dominant, and the sharing AP selects the destination non-AP STA. When selecting the destination non-AP STA, the sharing AP does not refer to the selection of the shared AP. However, for the shared AP, the destination non-AP STA selected by the sharing AP may cause significant interference to the transmission of the shared AP.

[0041] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a multi-access point collaborative transmission scheme to solve these problems.

[0042] Figure 4 A flowchart of a multi-access point cooperative transmission method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. This method can be performed by a shared access point in multi-access point cooperative transmission. Figure 4 As shown, the multi-access point cooperative transmission method mainly includes the following steps.

[0043] S410, the sharing access point sends a first frame to the shared access point, wherein the first frame is used to instruct the shared access point to select a target terminal for cooperative transmission.

[0044] In some embodiments, the first frame may be a control frame or a management frame, and the first frame may carry information such as parameters for assisting the shared access point in interference suppression.

[0045] In some embodiments, the shared access point may send the first frame mentioned above at the start of the TXOP after acquiring the TXOP on the primary 20MHz channel via enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA).

[0046] In some embodiments, a shared access point may send a first frame to one shared access point or to multiple shared access points. In the case of sending a first frame to multiple shared access points, the information carried in the first frame sent to different shared access points may be different.

[0047] In some embodiments, the first frame may carry indication information of at least one cooperative transmission strategy, which is a cooperative transmission strategy selected by the sharing access point. This indication information can instruct the shared access point to select a target terminal for each of the at least one cooperative transmission strategy. For example, the indication information may indicate at least one of C-SR, C-BF, etc. Through these embodiments, the sharing access point triggers the shared access point to select a target terminal for at least one cooperative transmission strategy, thereby enabling the sharing access point to select the corresponding target terminal based on the current cooperative transmission strategy in subsequent processes.

[0048] S420, the shared access point receives a second frame sent by the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries the identifier of at least one first target terminal and the identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first target terminal is a target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point, and the second target terminal is a target terminal associated with the shared access point for collaborative transmission. In this embodiment, the shared access point can send the identifiers of the first and second target terminals selected by the shared access point to the shared access point via a second frame. The first target terminal is a target terminal associated with the shared access point, and the second target terminal is a target terminal associated with the shared access point. That is, the shared access point expects the shared access point to select the first target terminal for communication during subsequent collaborative transmission, and correspondingly, the shared access point to select the second target terminal for communication.

[0050] In some embodiments, when the first frame carries indication information of at least one cooperative transmission strategy, the second frame carries an identifier of at least one first target terminal corresponding to each of the at least one cooperative transmission strategy, and an identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal. That is, in these embodiments, the shared access point can select a set of first target terminals and a set of second target terminals for each cooperative transmission strategy.

[0051] In some embodiments, the identifiers of the first target terminal and the second target terminal may be non-AP STA user identification identifiers (Access Identifier, AID).

[0052] In some embodiments, if the first frame is a management frame, then the second frame is also a management frame. The shared access point can participate in channel contention at a later time after receiving the first frame, and send the second frame after successfully obtaining a transmission opportunity.

[0053] In other embodiments, if the first frame is a control frame, then the second frame is also a control frame. During the current transmission opportunity, after receiving the first frame, the shared access point sends the second frame as an acknowledgment of the first frame at short inter-frame space (SIFS) intervals. If the shared access point triggers multiple shared access points to acknowledge the second frame simultaneously via the first frame, the shared access points can also acknowledge the second frame in a trigger-based manner.

[0054] In some embodiments, the identifier of at least one first target terminal carried in the second frame can be represented by a set of available preferred site identifiers (Prefer STA-ID(s)). In these embodiments, Prefer STA-ID(s) can represent various meanings through field encoding methods: 1) Determine the corresponding non-AP STA ID.

[0055] 2) Represents any non-AP STA associated with the sharing AP.

[0056] 3) Not participating in cooperative transmission. That is, the shared AP has no intended destination non-APSTA to participate in cooperative transmission with the sharing AP.

[0057] The Prefer STA-ID field can have different meanings depending on the encoding method. Table 1 shows the meanings of different values ​​for the Prefer STA-ID field in the embodiments of this application. In Table 1, if the Prefer STA-ID field is 1-2007, it specifically refers to a particular non-AP STA AID associated with the sharing AP. If the Prefer STA-ID field is 2008, it represents any non-AP STA associated with the sharing AP. If the Prefer STA-ID field is 2009, it indicates that the shared AP does not participate in cooperative transmission.

[0058] Table 1.

[0059] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the prefer STA-ID field in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown, as follows: Figure 5 As shown, each first target non-AP STA-ID (prefer STA-ID) in Prefer STA-ID(s) may correspond to multiple second target non-AP STA IDs associated with the shared AP. The number of target non-AP STAs associated with the shared AP corresponding to each STA-ID in Prefer STA-ID(s) may be limited to 2. For example, in C-BF transmission, the maximum number of target non-AP STAs corresponding to a single AP is limited to 2. Therefore, Figure 5 The STA ID Assocaiatedshared AP N field can be 010, but it is not limited to this. The number of target non-AP STAs associated with each STA-ID and the shared AP may also be greater than 2. The specific number can be determined according to the actual application.

[0060] In some embodiments, the second frame may carry the (Prefer STA-ID(s)) corresponding to each cooperative transmission strategy.

[0061] In some embodiments, each STA-ID (i.e., the identifier of the first target terminal) in Prefer STA-ID(s) may correspond to multiple target non-AP STA IDs (i.e., the identifiers of the second target terminals) associated with the shared AP. The maximum number of second target terminal identifiers corresponding to each first target terminal identifier can be determined based on the specific application. For example, in the case of C-BF transmission, since the maximum number of target non-AP STAs corresponding to a single AP is limited to two, the maximum number of second target terminal identifiers corresponding to each first target terminal identifier can be two.

[0062] In some embodiments, the second frame also includes service priority parameters, such as Access Category (AC), Flow Classification Service (SCS), Traffic Identifier (TID), etc., so that the shared access point can select the AP for cooperative transmission according to the service priority of each shared access point.

[0063] In some embodiments, the second frame may also carry other parameters and other information for coordinated transmission, which are not limited in the specific embodiments of this application.

[0064] In some embodiments, prior to S420, the method may further include: the sharing access point and the shared access point negotiating whether to carry the identifier of at least one first target terminal in the second frame. For example, the sharing access point may negotiate with the shared access point whether to carry Prefer STA-ID(s) in the second frame. In some embodiments, during the MAP coordination agreement negotiation phase, the sharing access point and the shared access point negotiate whether to enable feedback of the identifier of at least one first target terminal (e.g., Prefer STA-ID(s)) through a specific MAP action frame or management frame. If not enabled, the identifier of at least one first target terminal (e.g., Prefer STA-ID(s)) may not be carried in the second frame. Alternatively, the sharing access point or the shared access point may also dynamically enable or disable feedback of the identifier of at least one first target terminal (e.g., Prefer STA-ID(s)) by sending a specific action frame or management frame in a later time period of the MAP coordination agreement negotiation phase. Through these embodiments, feedback of the identifier of the first target terminal can be enabled when needed, thereby avoiding unnecessary overhead.

[0065] S430, the shared access point performs cooperative transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame.

[0066] In this embodiment of the application, the shared access point can determine the target terminal for collaborative transmission based on the identifier of at least one first target terminal carried in the second frame and the identifier of the second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal, and then perform collaborative transmission with the shared access point.

[0067] In some embodiments, in S430, the shared access point can send a multi-access point coordination trigger frame to the shared access point, wherein the multi-access point coordination trigger frame carries an identifier of a first destination terminal associated with the shared access point and participating in the current coordinated transmission. In these embodiments, the shared access point can trigger the shared access point to start the current coordinated transmission through a specific coordination trigger frame, thereby realizing coordinated transmission with the shared access point.

[0068] In some embodiments, the shared access point may carry the identifier of the first destination terminal mentioned above through the public field and user field or special user field in the cooperative trigger frame, such as the destination non-AP STA ID associated with the shared access point participating in this cooperative transmission.

[0069] In some embodiments, the aforementioned collaborative trigger frame may also carry an identifier of a second destination terminal associated with the shared access point and participating in the current collaborative transmission. For example, the destination non-AP STA ID associated with the shared AP and participating in this collaborative transmission.

[0070] Of course, the aforementioned collaborative trigger frame may also carry other information for collaborative transmission by the shared access point, which is not limited in the specific embodiments of this application.

[0071] In some embodiments, after the shared access point sends a multi-access point coordination trigger frame to the shared access point, the method may further include: receiving an acknowledgment frame sent by the shared access point, the acknowledgment frame carrying an identifier of a second destination terminal associated with the shared access point and participating in the current coordinated transmission. For example, the destination non-AP STA ID associated with the shared AP participating in this coordinated transmission. In these embodiments, the shared AP may send the acknowledgment frame at SIFIS intervals after completing the reception of the MAP coordination trigger frame.

[0072] Of course, the above response frame may also carry other information for collaborative transmission using the shared access point, which is not limited in the specific embodiments of this application.

[0073] In some embodiments, after the shared access point sends a multi-access point coordination trigger frame to the shared access point, the method may further include: the shared access point sending a first downlink coordination data frame, wherein a first destination non-AP STA addressed by the first downlink coordination data frame parses the data frame and sends a BA / ACK. In these embodiments, the shared access point may send a second downlink coordination data frame, wherein a second destination non-AP STA addressed by the second downlink coordination data frame parses the data frame and sends a BA / ACK.

[0074] Using the technical solution provided in this application embodiment, the shared access point sends a first frame to the shared access point, instructing the shared access point to select a target terminal for cooperative transmission. Then, it receives a second frame sent by the shared access point. This second frame carries the identifier of at least one first target terminal and the identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal. The first target terminal is the target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point, while the second target terminal is the target terminal associated with the shared access point for cooperative transmission. The shared access point performs cooperative transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame. This allows the shared access point to perform cooperative transmission based on the first target terminal selected by the shared access point, avoiding the problem that the target terminal selected by the shared access point might cause significant interference to the transmission of the shared access point.

[0075] Figure 6 A flowchart of a multi-access point cooperative transmission method provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. This method can be executed by a shared access point, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the multi-access point cooperative transmission method mainly includes the following steps.

[0076] S610, the sharing access point sends a first frame to the shared access point, wherein the first frame is used to instruct the shared access point to select a target terminal for cooperative transmission, and the first frame carries the identifier of at least one candidate terminal, which is a terminal associated with the sharing access point.

[0077] Method Implementation Examples and Figure 4 The difference in the illustrated method embodiment is that, in this embodiment, the first frame sent by the shared access point carries the identifier of at least one candidate terminal associated with the shared access point. For example, when sending the first frame, the shared access point can select at least one candidate terminal associated with the shared access point and carry the identifier (e.g., AID) of the at least one candidate terminal in the first frame to instruct the shared access point to select the at least one candidate terminal as the target non-AP STA for cooperative transmission.

[0078] In some embodiments, the first frame may also carry indication information of at least one cooperative transmission strategy. In these embodiments, the first frame may carry at least one candidate terminal corresponding to each cooperative transmission strategy.

[0079] In some embodiments, the candidate terminals corresponding to different cooperative transmission strategies may not be exactly the same. For example, in the first frame, at least one candidate terminal is indicated for C-SR and C-BF respectively, with the candidate terminals corresponding to C-SR being STA1 and STA2, and the candidate terminals corresponding to C-BF being STA1 and STA3.

[0080] In the above embodiments, the shared access point can select at least one candidate terminal based on factors such as the physical location and channel information of the STA. The specific method is not limited in this embodiment.

[0081] S620, the shared access point receives a second frame sent by the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries the identifier of at least one first target terminal and the identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal.

[0082] This step is similar to S420 above, and you can refer to the relevant description of S420 above for details.

[0083] In this embodiment, the first target terminal may be one of the at least one candidate terminals, or it may not be one of the at least one candidate terminals. That is, the shared terminal may be a target terminal selected from at least one candidate terminal and associated with the shared access point, or it may be a target terminal selected from a terminal other than at least one candidate terminal and associated with the shared access point. For example, if the cooperative transmission strategy is C-BF, and there is no service related to a terminal (the terminal associated with the shared access point) that forms the best C-BF pairing with at least one candidate terminal in the internal cache of the shared access point, the shared access point cannot select at least one candidate terminal as the target terminal associated with the shared access point. In this case, the shared access point can select other terminals as the target terminal associated with the shared access point.

[0084] S630, the shared access point performs cooperative transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame.

[0085] This step is the same as S430 above. For details, please refer to the steps related to S430 above. It will not be repeated here.

[0086] Using the technical solution provided in this application embodiment, the shared access point sends a first frame to the shared access point, instructing the shared access point to select a target terminal for cooperative transmission. Then, it receives a second frame sent by the shared access point. This second frame carries the identifier of at least one first target terminal and the identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal. The first target terminal is the target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point, while the second target terminal is the target terminal associated with the shared access point for cooperative transmission. The shared access point performs cooperative transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame. This allows the shared access point to perform cooperative transmission based on the first target terminal selected by the shared access point, avoiding the problem that the target terminal selected by the shared access point might cause significant interference to the transmission of the shared access point.

[0087] Based on the same technical concept, this application also provides another multi-access point cooperative transmission method, which is a method executed by the shared access point corresponding to the above-mentioned shared access point.

[0088] It should be noted that the following embodiments only describe the operations related to the shared access point. For other matters not covered, please refer to the above description of the methods for executing the shared access point.

[0089] Figure 7 A flowchart of a multi-access point cooperative transmission method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown, which can be executed by the shared access point. Figure 7 As shown, the multi-access point cooperative transmission method mainly includes the following steps.

[0090] S710, the shared access point receives the first frame sent by the shared access point, wherein the first frame is used to instruct the shared access point to select the target terminal for cooperative transmission.

[0091] The shared access point can adopt the above-mentioned method. Figure 4 or Figure 6 The method shown sends the first frame; for details, please refer to the above information regarding... Figure 4 or Figure 6 Related descriptions.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first frame carries the identifier of at least one candidate terminal, wherein the at least one candidate terminal is a terminal associated with the shared access point. In these embodiments, the shared access point may carry the identifier of at least one associated terminal it selects for cooperative transmission in the first frame, so that the shared access point can know the identifier of at least one associated terminal selected by the shared access point for cooperative transmission, and can refer to the selection of the shared access point when subsequently selecting a target terminal associated with the shared access point.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first frame may also carry indication information of at least one cooperative transmission strategy. Through this indication information, the sharing access point can indicate the transmission strategy for cooperative transmission to the shared access point, thereby enabling the shared access point to select the target terminal for cooperative transmission based on the cooperative transmission strategy.

[0094] In some embodiments, at least one candidate terminal carried in the first frame may correspond to each cooperative transmission strategy, and the first frame carries at least one candidate terminal corresponding to each cooperative transmission strategy. This allows the shared access point to know the identifier of at least one associated terminal selected by the shared access point for cooperative transmission based on each cooperative transmission strategy, and thus can refer to the selection of the shared access point when subsequently selecting the target terminal associated with the shared access point.

[0095] S720, the shared access point sends a second frame to the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries the identifier of at least one first target terminal and the identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal.

[0096] In this embodiment, the first target terminal is the target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point, and the second target terminal is the target terminal associated with the shared access point for collaborative transmission.

[0097] In this embodiment, the second frame can indicate to the shared access point that the shared access point wishes to have a destination non-AP STA ID (e.g., STA AID) associated with the shared access point participate in cooperative transmission. For example, the identifier of at least one first target terminal can be represented by a preferred site identifier set (Prefer STA-ID(s)). PreferSTA-ID(s) can represent various meanings through field encoding methods, as detailed in Table 1 above.

[0098] In some embodiments, the shared access point can assess the interference situation based on indicators such as signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SIR), and then select at least one first target terminal associated with the shared access point and a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal. For example, if the SIR of C-BF transmission between a certain first target terminal and a certain second target terminal is the largest, the shared access point can select the first target terminal and designate the second target terminal as the second target terminal corresponding to the first target terminal.

[0099] In some embodiments, the shared access point may also select at least one first target terminal associated with the shared access point and a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal based on the service caching status of the shared access point's local hardware or software queues. For example, if the shared access point's internal cache contains related services for a second target terminal that forms an optimal C-BF pairing combination with a certain first target terminal, the shared access point can select that first target terminal and designate that second target terminal as the second target terminal corresponding to the first target terminal.

[0100] In some embodiments, if the first frame carries at least one cooperative transmission strategy, then S720 may include the following steps: Step 1: The shared access point selects at least one first target terminal and a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal for different cooperative transmission strategies. Step 2: The shared access point sends a second frame to the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries at least one first target terminal corresponding to each cooperative transmission strategy and a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal.

[0101] For example, a shared AP can construct different Prefer STA-ID(s) based on different cooperative transmission strategies. This allows the shared access point to know the Prefer STA-ID(s) corresponding to different cooperative transmission strategies.

[0102] In some embodiments, the shared access point may select at least one identifier of a first target terminal from at least one identifier of a candidate terminal associated with the shared access point carried in the first frame, thereby constructing a Prefer STA-ID(s). In these embodiments, sending a second frame from the shared access point to the shared access point may include: Step 1: The shared access point selects at least one first target terminal from at least one candidate terminal, and determines the second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal; Step 2: The shared access point sends a second frame to the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries at least one first target terminal and a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal.

[0103] Of course, this is not the only possibility. The identifier of the first target terminal selected by the shared access point can also be an identifier other than the identifiers of the at least one candidate terminal mentioned above. For example, if at least one candidate terminal does not meet the requirements of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio or other indicators, or if the service caching of the local hardware or software queue of the shared access point is not met, then the identifier of the first target terminal selected by the shared access point can be an identifier other than the identifiers of the at least one candidate terminal mentioned above.

[0104] In some embodiments, prior to S720, the method may further include: the shared access point and the sharing access point negotiating whether to carry the identifier of at least one first target terminal in the second frame. In these embodiments, the shared AP may negotiate with the sharing AP whether to carry Prefer STA-ID(s) in the second frame. For example, the sharing AP and the shared AP may negotiate whether to enable Prefer STA-ID(s) feedback through a specific MAP action frame or management frame during the MAP coordination agreement negotiation phase. If Prefer STA-ID(s) feedback is not enabled, the shared AP does not need to carry Prefer STA-ID(s) in the second frame. The sharing AP or the shared AP may also dynamically enable or disable Prefer STA-ID(s) feedback by sending a specific action frame or management frame in the subsequent time of the MAP coordination agreement negotiation phase. Through these embodiments, the shared access point can carry the identifier of at least one first target terminal in the second frame when needed, thereby reducing unnecessary overhead and saving power consumption of the shared access point.

[0105] S730, the shared access point performs cooperative transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame.

[0106] In this embodiment of the application, after receiving the second frame, the shared access point can initiate the current cooperative transmission based on the identifier of the first target terminal carried in the second frame and the identifier of the second target terminal corresponding to the identifier of the first target terminal. The shared access point then performs cooperative transmission with the shared access point based on the identifier of the first target terminal carried in the second frame and the identifier of the second target terminal corresponding to the identifier of the first target terminal.

[0107] In some embodiments, S730 may include the following steps: Step 1: The shared access point receives a multi-access point coordination trigger frame sent by the shared access point, wherein the multi-access point coordination trigger frame carries the identifier of the first destination terminal associated with the shared access point and participating in the current coordinated transmission; In some implementations, the multi-access point coordination trigger frame may also carry the identifier of a second destination terminal associated with the shared access point and participating in this coordinated transmission.

[0108] Step 2: The shared access point sends a response frame to the sharing access point, wherein the response frame carries the identifier of the second destination terminal associated with the shared access point and participating in the current cooperative transmission.

[0109] For example, after receiving the multi-access point coordination trigger frame, the shared access point can send the aforementioned response frame after an interval of SIFIS. This response frame carries the second destination non-APSTA ID associated with the shared AP that participated in this coordinated transmission.

[0110] In some embodiments, after S730, the shared access point may send a second downlink cooperative data frame, which is then addressed by a second destination non-AP STA that parses the data frame and sends a BA / ACK.

[0111] Through the technical solution provided in the embodiments of this application, after receiving the first frame sent by the shared access point, the shared access point sends a second frame. This second frame carries the identifier of at least one first target terminal and the identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal. The first target terminal is the target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point, and the second target terminal is the target terminal associated with the shared access point for collaborative transmission. Collaborative transmission is then performed with the shared access point based on the second frame. This allows the shared access point and the shared access point to perform collaborative transmission based on the first target terminal selected by the shared access point, avoiding the problem that the target terminal selected by the shared access point might cause significant interference to the transmission of the shared access point.

[0112] Figure 8 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a multi-access point cooperative transmission method according to an exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 8 In the diagram, AP1 is the sharing AP, while AP2 and AP3 are the shared APs.

[0113] like Figure 8 As shown, when sharing an AP selects a target non-AP STA, it considers the traffic arrival status of each non-AP STA. In scenarios where traffic arrival is predictable, such as R-TWT, the sharing AP announces a relatively long-term target non-AP STA selection strategy by sending management frames. Therefore, AP1 sends management frames (MAPRequest) to address AP2 and AP3 respectively.

[0114] In the management frame sent to AP2, AP1 selects C-BF as the cooperative transmission strategy and selects STA1 and STA2 associated with AP1 as the target non-AP STAs for cooperative transmission. The sharing AP can select target non-AP STAs from those that have completed C-BF sounding feedback. Typically, a sharing AP can specify one or two non-AP STAs as transmission targets. However, in the C-BF transmission mechanism, the maximum number of target non-AP STAs corresponding to a single AP is limited to two.

[0115] In the management frame sent to AP3, AP1 selects C-SR as the cooperative transmission strategy and selects STA2 associated with AP1 as the target non-AP STA for cooperative transmission. The sharing AP may select a non-AP STA (STA2) that is physically located far from AP3.

[0116] After receiving the management frame sent by AP1, AP2 sends a management frame (MAP Response) and carries the preferred STA-ID as STA1 in the frame, and selects STA3 associated with AP2 as the non-APSTA to perform cooperative C-BF transmission with STA1.

[0117] After receiving the management frame sent by AP1, AP3 sends a management frame carrying the preferred STA-ID as STA1, and selects STA4, which is associated with AP3, as the non-AP STA to perform cooperative C-BF transmission with STA1. AP3 did not select candidate STA2 provided by AP1 as the preferred STA-ID, possibly because STA2 and STA4 are physically close.

[0118] Therefore, in the subsequent cooperative transmission, AP1 selects AP2 as the cooperative transmission AP and sends a Coord Trigger frame, which carries the target non-AP STAs: STA1 and STA3. AP1 and AP2 then complete the cooperative C-BF data transmission and receive the BA from STA1 and the BA from STA3, respectively.

[0119] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a multi-access point cooperative transmission method according to another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 9 In the diagram, AP1 is the sharing AP, and AP2 is the shared AP.

[0120] and Figure 8 The process shown is different, Figure 9The frame interaction process shown is completed within a TXOP.

[0121] like Figure 9 As shown, after AP1 acquires TXOP, it sends an initial control frame (ICF) at the start of TXOP. AP1 selects C-BF as the cooperative transmission strategy and selects STA1, STA2 and STA3 associated with AP1 as the target non-APSTA for cooperative transmission.

[0122] After the SIFS interval, AP2 sends an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame, carrying the preferred STA-ID as STA1, and selects STA4, associated with AP2, as the non-AP STA to perform cooperative C-BF transmission with STA1. AP2 constructs the preferred STA-ID by evaluating interference conditions using indicators such as signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). Since STA1 and STA4 have the highest SINR for C-BF transmission, AP2 selects this combination.

[0123] Furthermore, the construction of the Prefer STA-ID may also take into account the service caching situation of AP2's local hardware / software queues. Since there are currently no services in AP2's internal cache that form the best C-BF pairing combination with STA2 (STA5 is associated with AP2), AP2 cannot select STA2 (or the STA5 paired with STA2).

[0124] After AP1 receives the initial control response frame, it sends a Coord Trigger frame at SIFS intervals. This frame explicitly carries the target non-AP STA information for this cooperative transmission, namely STA1 and STA4. Upon receiving the Coord Trigger frame, AP2 can send a response frame. Subsequently, AP1 and AP2 complete the cooperative C-BF data transmission and receive the BA from STA1 and the BA from STA4, respectively.

[0125] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a multi-access point cooperative transmission method is shown in yet another exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 10 In the diagram, AP1 is the sharing AP, while AP2 and AP3 are the shared APs.

[0126] like Figure 10 As shown, after AP1 acquires TXOP, it sends an initial control frame (ICF) at the start of TXOP. AP1 selects C-BF as the cooperative transmission strategy, but does not provide any candidate non-AP STAs. This can be interpreted as AP1 collecting relevant cooperative transmission information and subsequently determining the AP object and target non-AP STA for cooperative transmission.

[0127] After the SIFS interval, AP2 and AP3 send Initial Control Response (ICR) frames. AP2 carries the preferred STA-ID STA1 in the frame and selects STA3, associated with AP2, as the non-AP STA for cooperative C-BF transmission with STA1. AP3 carries the preferred STA-ID STA2 in the frame and selects STA4, associated with AP2, as the non-AP STA for cooperative C-BF transmission with STA2.

[0128] After AP1 receives the initial control response frame, it sends a Coord Trigger frame at SIFS intervals. This frame explicitly carries the target non-AP STA information for this cooperative transmission, namely STA2 and STA4. Upon receiving the Coord Trigger frame, AP3 can send a response frame. Subsequently, AP1 and AP3 complete the cooperative C-BF data transmission and receive the BA from STA1 and the BA from STA4, respectively.

[0129] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a multi-access point cooperative transmission method is shown in yet another exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 11 In the diagram, AP1 is the sharing AP, and AP2 is the shared AP.

[0130] like Figure 11 As shown, after AP1 acquires TXOP, it sends an initial control frame at the start of TXOP. AP1 selects C-BF as the cooperative transmission strategy and selects STA1, STA2 and STA3 associated with AP1 as the target non-AP STAs for cooperative transmission.

[0131] AP2 carries the information that the Prefer STA-ID field is 2009 in the initial control response frame it sends. Therefore, after AP1 completes the reception of the initial control response frame, it does not send a Coord Trigger frame, but sends a downlink data frame addressed to STA1.

[0132] The technical solution provided in this application allows a shared AP to select a target non-APSTA for cooperative transmission, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the shared AP and thus enhancing the performance and efficiency of the entire multi-AP cooperative network.

[0133] like Figure 12 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides a communication device 1200, which can be the above-mentioned... Figure 2 The communication device shown. (For example...) Figure 12As shown, the communication device may include a processor 1201 and a memory 1202. The memory 1202 stores programs or instructions that can run on the processor 1201. For example, when the communication device 1200 is a shared access point, the program or instructions executed by the processor 1201 will implement the above-mentioned... Figure 4 or Figure 6 The various steps of the multi-access point cooperative transmission method embodiment shown can achieve the same technical effect. When the communication device 1200 is a shared access point, the program or instruction executed by the processor 1201 implements the above. Figure 7 The steps of the multi-access point cooperative transmission method embodiment shown are the same and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0134] In some embodiments of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a computer program is stored, which, when executed by a processor, performs the following steps: Send a first frame to the shared access point, wherein the first frame is used to instruct the shared access point to select a target terminal for cooperative transmission; The second frame sent by the shared access point is received, wherein the second frame carries the identifier of at least one first target terminal and the identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal, wherein the first target terminal is the target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point, and the second target terminal is the target terminal associated with the shared access point for collaborative transmission. Based on the second frame, coordinated transmission is performed with the shared access point.

[0135] Alternatively, when the program is executed by the processor, it performs the following steps: Receive a first frame sent by the shared access point, wherein the first frame is used to indicate the target terminal selected by the shared access point for cooperative transmission; Send a second frame to the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries the identifier of at least one first target terminal and the identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal, wherein the first target terminal is the target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point, and the second target terminal is the target terminal associated with the shared access point for cooperative transmission. Based on the second frame, coordinated transmission is performed with the shared access point.

[0136] When executed by the processor, this program can implement all the above-described implementation methods of the multi-access point cooperative transmission method applied to the shared access point side or the shared access point side. To avoid repetition, these will not be described again here.

[0137] In one exemplary embodiment, a readable storage medium is also provided, which stores a program or instructions that a stored program or instruction processor executes all or part of the steps in the multi-access point cooperative transmission method described above. For example, the readable storage medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, or optical data storage device, etc.

[0138] In one exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is also provided, the computer program product including a computer program stored on a non-transitory readable storage medium, the computer program including program instructions, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform all or part of the steps in the above-described multi-access point cooperative transmission method, or to perform all or part of the steps in the above-described uplink control information resource determination method.

[0139] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the claims.

[0140] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi-access point cooperative transmission method, characterized in that, include: The shared access point sends a first frame to the shared access point, wherein the first frame is used to instruct the shared access point to select a target terminal for cooperative transmission; The shared access point receives a second frame sent by the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries the identifier of at least one first target terminal and the identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal, the first target terminal being a target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point, and the second target terminal being a target terminal associated with the shared access point for collaborative transmission. The shared access point performs coordinated transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first frame carries the identifier of at least one candidate terminal, wherein the at least one candidate terminal is a terminal associated with the shared access point.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first frame carries indication information of at least one cooperative transmission strategy.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first frame also carries at least one candidate terminal for each of the cooperative transmission strategies, and the at least one candidate terminal is a terminal associated with the shared access point.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, At least one of the candidate terminals corresponding to different cooperative transmission strategies are not exactly the same.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second frame includes the identifier of at least one of the first target terminals corresponding to each of the cooperative transmission strategies.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2, 4 to 5, characterized in that, The at least one candidate terminal includes the first target terminal.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, Before the shared access point receives the second frame sent by the shared access point, the method further includes: The shared access point and the shared access point negotiate to carry the identifier of the at least one first target terminal in the second frame.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The shared access point performs coordinated transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame, including: The shared access point sends a multi-access point coordination trigger frame to the shared access point, wherein the multi-access point coordination trigger frame carries the identifier of the first destination terminal associated with the shared access point and participating in the current coordinated transmission.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The multi-access point collaborative trigger frame also carries the identifier of a second destination terminal associated with the shared access point and participating in the current collaborative transmission.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, After the shared access point sends a multi-access point coordination trigger frame to the shared access point, the method further includes: Receive a response frame sent by the shared access point, wherein the response frame carries an identifier of a second destination terminal associated with the shared access point and participating in the current cooperative transmission.

12. A multi-access point cooperative transmission method, characterized in that, include: The shared access point receives a first frame sent by the shared access point, wherein the first frame is used to instruct the shared access point to select a target terminal for cooperative transmission; The shared access point sends a second frame to the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries the identifier of at least one first target terminal and the identifier of a second target terminal corresponding to each first target terminal, the first target terminal being the target terminal selected by the shared access point and associated with the shared access point, and the second target terminal being the target terminal associated with the shared access point for collaborative transmission. The shared access point performs coordinated transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first frame carries the identifier of at least one candidate terminal, wherein the at least one candidate terminal is a terminal associated with the shared access point.

14. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first frame carries indication information of at least one cooperative transmission strategy.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The first frame also carries at least one candidate terminal corresponding to each of the cooperative transmission strategies, wherein the at least one candidate terminal is a terminal associated with the shared access point.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The shared access point sends a second frame to the shared access point, including: The shared access point selects at least one first target terminal and a second target terminal corresponding to each of the first target terminals for different collaborative transmission strategies. The shared access point sends the second frame to the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries at least one first target terminal corresponding to each of the cooperative transmission strategies and a second target terminal corresponding to each of the first target terminals.

17. The method according to claim 13 or 15, characterized in that, The shared access point sends a second frame to the shared access point, including: The shared access point selects at least one first target terminal from the at least one candidate terminal, and determines a second target terminal corresponding to each of the first target terminals; The shared access point sends the second frame to the shared access point, wherein the second frame carries the at least one first target terminal and a second target terminal corresponding to each of the first target terminals.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that, Before the shared access point sends the second frame to the shared access point, the method further includes: The shared access point negotiates with the sharing access point to carry the identifier of the at least one first target terminal in the second frame.

19. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that, The shared access point performs cooperative transmission with the shared access point based on the second frame, including: The shared access point receives a multi-access point collaboration trigger frame sent by the shared access point, wherein the multi-access point collaboration trigger frame carries an identifier of a first destination terminal associated with the shared access point and participating in the current collaborative transmission; The response frame sent by the shared access point to the sharing access point carries an identifier of a second destination terminal associated with the shared access point and participating in the current cooperative transmission.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing programs or instructions that can run on the processor, the programs or instructions being executed by the processor to implement the steps of the multi-access point cooperative transmission method as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, The readable storage medium stores a program or instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the multi-access point cooperative transmission method as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer program including program instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the multi-access point cooperative transmission method as described in any one of claims 1 to 19.

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