Congestion control method, communication device, storage medium and computer program product

Abstract

This application discloses a congestion control method, communication device, storage medium, and computer program product, belonging to the field of wireless communication technology. The congestion control method includes: an access point determining whether the current network is in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state; in response to the current network being in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state, the access point sends a congestion control command to a terminal with priority-enhanced distributed channel access functionality, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on the priority-enhanced distributed channel access functionality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a congestion control method, communication device, storage medium, and computer program product. Background Technology

[0002] A related technology proposes a channel access method based on Carrier-Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA), which employs a binary exponential backoff strategy to avoid collisions. Nodes first listen for the carrier, and when idle, they wait for a period of time before randomly backing up within a contention window to preempt the channel. If a collision occurs, the backoff window is extended for retransmission. Prioritized Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (P-EDCA) technology further distinguishes the channel access priorities between traditional Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) devices and P-EDCA devices, providing P-EDCA devices with higher channel access opportunities.

[0003] However, in high-density deployment scenarios, the competition for limited wireless channel resources among numerous devices makes it difficult for P-EDCA devices to quickly acquire idle channels. Due to the large number of competing P-EDCA devices, the channel remains constantly busy, forcing other P-EDCA devices to wait, significantly increasing the latency of priority access. The increased number of devices also greatly increases the probability of collisions. When a P-EDCA device transmits data, it may collide with data from other devices, requiring retransmission. The increased number of retransmissions not only wastes channel resources but also weakens the advantage of priority access for high-priority services. Therefore, when the number of P-EDCA devices exceeds a certain threshold, P-EDCA technology struggles to fully reflect priority differences, causing access performance for devices with different priorities to become uniform. Thus, a congestion control scheme for priority-enhanced distributed channel access is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a congestion control method, communication device, storage medium, and computer program product that can perform congestion control on priority-enhanced distributed channel access to save channel resources.

[0005] In a first aspect, a congestion control method is provided, comprising: an access point determining whether the current network is in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state; in response to the current network being in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state, the access point sending a congestion control command to a terminal having priority-enhanced distributed channel access function, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on the priority-enhanced distributed channel access function.

[0006] Secondly, a congestion control method is provided, comprising: a terminal having a priority-enhanced distributed channel access function receiving a congestion control command sent by an access point, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on the priority-enhanced distributed channel access function; and the terminal performing corresponding operations based on the congestion control command.

[0007] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, the communication device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing a program or instructions executable on the processor, the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, implementing the steps of the congestion control method as described in the first or second aspect above.

[0008] 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 congestion control method as described in the first or second aspect above.

[0009] 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 congestion control method as described in the first or second aspect above.

[0010] In this embodiment, the access point determines whether the current network is in a state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion. In response to this state, the access point sends a congestion control command to terminals with priority-enhanced distributed channel access functionality. This congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on the priority-enhanced distributed channel access functionality. This allows for the control of channel access congestion based on the priority-enhanced distributed channel access functionality, thereby conserving channel resources.

[0011] 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

[0012] 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.

[0013] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a wireless communication network applicable to embodiments of this application is shown;

[0014] Figure 2 A block diagram of a communication device 200 is shown;

[0015] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a carrier sense multiple access / collision avoidance (CSMA / CA) method used by wireless devices to access channels in related technologies is shown.

[0016] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the channel access process for devices that do not support P-EDCA and devices that do support P-EDCA.

[0017] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the trigger frame sent by the access point.

[0018] Figure 6 A flowchart of a congestion control method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown;

[0019] Figure 7 A flowchart of a congestion control method provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown;

[0020] Figure 8 A flowchart of a congestion control method provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown;

[0021] Figure 9 A flowchart of a congestion control method provided in yet another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown;

[0022] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating a congestion control method in yet another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown;

[0023] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating a congestion control method in yet another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown;

[0024] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating another congestion control method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown;

[0025] Figure 13 This illustration shows a scenario in which an access point (AP) performs congestion detection in an exemplary embodiment.

[0026] Figure 14This diagram illustrates a scenario of congestion state reporting in an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a congestion state reporting scenario in another exemplary embodiment is shown;

[0028] Figure 16 This illustration shows a scenario of congestion state reporting in yet another exemplary embodiment;

[0029] Figure 17 This illustration shows a scenario in an exemplary embodiment where an access point triggers an uplink multi-user transmission procedure to request a P-EDCA node to send an uplink data frame.

[0030] Figure 18 This diagram illustrates a scenario of MU-EDCA mode for a P-EDCA node in an exemplary embodiment.

[0031] Figure 19 This is a structural block diagram of a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0032] Figure 20 A structural block diagram of a terminal provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0033] 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.

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a wireless communication network applicable to embodiments of this application 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.

[0035] Figure 1A 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 capable of exchanging data according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802 series standards. The IEEE 802 standards cover communication specifications for a wide range of network devices, 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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).

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] In AP102 and STA104, the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer and Physical (PHY) layer 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 MACSDU into a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PHY PDU, PPDU) 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] In some implementations, STA104 and / or AP102 are configured to perform the actions described in this article. Figure 6-11 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates a flowchart of a carrier sense multiple access / collision avoidance (CSMA / CA) method used by wireless devices to access a channel in related technologies. Figure 3 As shown, before transmitting data, a wireless device first listens to the wireless channel to detect if any other devices are transmitting data. When the detected signal strength is greater than a predetermined strength threshold, the channel is considered busy, and the wireless device should delay its channel access time. This process is called Clear Channel Assessment (CCA), and the predetermined strength threshold is called the CCA threshold. If no signal is detected or the signal strength is less than the CCA threshold, the channel is considered idle.

[0056] When the channel is idle, the wireless device needs to wait for the channel to remain idle for a period of time before performing a backoff process. This period is called the Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) inter-frame space (IFS) or is replaced by the Arbitrated Inter-Frame Space (AIFS), which is larger than the Point Coordination Function (PIFS) inter-frame space. The backoff process consists of multiple random backoff slots. In each slot, the wireless device continuously monitors the channel's busy / idle status, and when the number of slots decreases to 0, it transmits data on the corresponding channel. However, a collision occurs when a wireless device and another device attempt to access the channel simultaneously. The device involved in the collision is reassigned backoff slots to re-execute the above process. The reassigned slots are randomly selected from the contention window (0, CW). If a collision occurs, the contention window (CW) becomes twice the original (0, 2*CW). Through the CSMA / CA process, wireless devices can avoid collisions and improve transmission efficiency when transmitting data on a shared wireless channel. Ensure that multiple devices can share wireless resources fairly.

[0057] P-EDCA allows an access point (AP) or non-access point (STA, also known as a terminal) to send a special signal or Medium Access Control (MAC) frame to announce a high-priority EDCA contention before the regular contention begins. For example... Figure 4 As shown, STA1 and STA2 are traditional devices that do not support P-EDCA, while STA3 and STA4 are devices that do support P-EDCA. STA1 and STA2 are based on... Figure 3 The procedure shown initiates a channel contention process when the channel is detected to be idle. STA3 and STA4 can directly send a special signal (e.g., a Deferred Signal, DS) or a MAC frame after the DIFS interval to occupy the channel. The special signal or MAC frame sent by STA3 and STA4 will cause STA1 and STA2 to enter the EIFS or NAV BUSY state. STA3 and STA4 can begin the backoff procedure after the special signal or MAC frame has been sent. Therefore, STA3 and STA4 obtain a higher channel access priority than STA1 and STA2.

[0058] P-EDCA technology is not applicable to all traffic types and can be enabled only for specific traffic types. Specifically, it can be applied to Voice Access Category (AC_VO) traffic, or extended to certain Flow Classification Service (SCS) traffic. Non-AP STAs may be granted permission to use P-EDCA if the SCS request is approved by the AP.

[0059] To further limit the application scenarios of P-EDCA technology, AP / non-AP STAs can use P-EDCA in data retransmission scenarios. Furthermore, once a STA obtains a transmission opportunity (TXOP) through P-EDCA, it must wait for a certain period before being allowed to re-enter P-EDCA, or the number of P-EDCA entries must be limited. These measures are helpful in controlling the number of devices using P-EDCA technology. However, in densely deployed network environments, when a large number of devices simultaneously enter the P-EDCA contention cycle, the priority difference between P-EDCA devices cannot be reflected. Therefore, the access effect of P-EDCA technology tends to be consistent with EDCA.

[0060] Traditional 802.11 technology uses Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), allowing only one device to transmit data at a time. However, the 802.11ax standard introduces uplink multi-user transmission technology. Based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Multiple-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) technologies, it allows non-AP STAs to transmit data simultaneously. The key feature of this technology is that it enables contention-free and collision-free data transmission in Wi-Fi networks.

[0061] OFDMA is a key technology for achieving contention-free uplink transmission. It divides the entire channel bandwidth into multiple smaller, mutually orthogonal resource units (RUs). The AP can dynamically allocate specific RUs to each device based on the needs of different user devices and network conditions. In this way, multiple devices can use their respective allocated RUs to upload data in parallel at the same time, without having to compete for channel usage rights as in traditional 802.11 technology.

[0062] MU-MIMO technology utilizes multiple antennas to communicate simultaneously with multiple devices in a spatial dimension. The access point (AP) forms an independent spatial stream for each device. Multiple devices can simultaneously send data to the AP via different spatial streams on the same time and frequency resources, achieving contention-free transmission in space.

[0063] The AP plays a scheduling role throughout the process. For example... Figure 5As shown, after completing the necessary backoff contention and successfully acquiring the channel, the AP sends a trigger frame. The trigger frame carries the STA objects that will subsequently perform uplink triggered transmissions, such as STA1 and STA2, as well as transmission parameters for each STA1 and STA2, such as modulation and coding scheme (MCS), spatial stream number (NSS), and resource element (RU). After sending the trigger frame, STA1 and STA2 transmit data according to the parameters in the trigger frame. After a short frame interval (SIFS), STA1 and STA2 transmit data on different RUs. After STA1 and STA2 successfully transmit data, the AP sends a multi-user block acknowledgment frame to confirm whether the data transmission of all participating stations was successful. Uplink triggered transmissions ensure that multiple STAs can transmit data simultaneously without causing channel congestion or data collisions.

[0064] To address the problem that too many P-EDCA devices are competing simultaneously, causing the channel to remain constantly busy and other P-EDCA devices to wait, resulting in a significant increase in priority access delay, this application provides a congestion control method to control channel access congestion based on P-EDCA functionality.

[0065] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a congestion control method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown, which can be executed by an access point. Figure 6 As shown, the method mainly includes the following steps.

[0066] S610, the access point determines whether the current network is in a state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion.

[0067] In this embodiment of the application, whether the current network is in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state refers to whether a delay in channel access based on the P-EACA function has occurred in the current network. For example, if a non-AP STA enables the P-EDCA function and fails to successfully access the channel within a specific time period (time T) after sending the Defer Signal (DS) signal, then the non-AP STA is in a P-EDCA congestion state.

[0068] S620, in response to the current network being in a P-EDCA congestion state, the access point sends a congestion control command to a terminal with P-EDCA functionality, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on P-EDCA functionality.

[0069] Access points (APs) possess strong network management capabilities. However, in scenarios with dense device deployments, many non-AP STAs supporting P-EDCA (Priority Enhanced Distributed Channel Access) struggle to effectively reduce channel access latency even with P-EDCA technology. Therefore, in this embodiment, access points can control channel access congestion based on P-EDCA functionality. For example, the access point can prevent some devices from using P-EDCA to access the channel, effectively mitigating network contention. Alternatively, the access point can initiate a non-contention-based uplink multi-user access process to guarantee the transmission priority of these terminals, further improving network access.

[0070] The technical solution provided in this application allows an access point to send a congestion control command to terminals with priority-enhanced distributed channel access (PED) functionality when the network is determined to be in a congested state. This command controls channel access congestion based on PED functionality, thereby conserving channel resources.

[0071] In some embodiments, a terminal with P-EDCA enabled can report to the access point whether it is currently processing P-EDCA congestion. The access point can then determine whether the network is currently processing P-EDCA congestion based on the received feedback. Figure 7 A flowchart of a congestion control method provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the method mainly includes the following steps.

[0072] S710, the access point receives the first indication information sent by the terminal that has enabled P-EDCA function, and determines whether the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state based on the first indication information.

[0073] In these embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is in a P-EDCA congestion state.

[0074] In some embodiments, the first indication information can be used to indicate that the terminal is in a P-EDCA congestion state. That is, in these embodiments, the terminal can send the first indication information to the access point when it is in a P-EDCA congestion state, thereby avoiding unnecessary feedback and saving network resources.

[0075] In some embodiments, a terminal with P-EDCA enabled may proactively report first indication information indicating that the terminal is in a P-EDCA congestion state when it is determined that it is in a P-EDCA congestion state.

[0076] In some embodiments, a terminal with P-EDCA enabled may also periodically report first indication information to indicate whether the terminal is in a P-EDCA congestion state.

[0077] In some embodiments, the access point may also send an instruction to the terminal, which instructs the terminal with P-EDCA enabled to report first indication information indicating whether the terminal is in a P-EDCA congestion state.

[0078] In some embodiments, a non-AP STA that has successfully completed a Specific Service Category (SCS) negotiation with an AP can enable the Priority Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (P-EDCA) function. The Quality of Service (QoS) characteristic field includes an indicator bit to carry the P-EDCA enabled or disabled status, thus clearly indicating whether the function is on or off. This indicator bit indicates whether the terminal has activated the P-EDCA function.

[0079] In some embodiments, the access point may receive the first indication information on a different frequency than the frequency at which P-EDCA congestion occurs. For example, if a terminal with P-EDCA functionality enables P-EDCA on a first frequency band and determines that it is currently in a P-EDCA congestion state, the terminal may send the first indication information on the uplink of a second frequency band that is in normal working condition, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different frequency bands.

[0080] In some embodiments, the access point may also receive a data frame sent by a terminal that has enabled P-EDCA, which may carry the aforementioned first indication information, and the access point may obtain the aforementioned first indication information from the data frame.

[0081] In some embodiments, the access point may also be an acknowledgment frame sent by a terminal receiving P-EDCA functionality. The acknowledgment frame may carry the aforementioned first indication information, and the access point obtains the aforementioned first indication information from the acknowledgment frame.

[0082] In this embodiment of the application, after receiving the first indication information, the access point can determine whether the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state based on the indication of the first indication information. For example, if the first indication information fed back by a terminal indicates that the terminal is in a P-EDCA congestion state, the access point determines that the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state. If no indication is received that a terminal is in a P-EDCA congestion state, the access point determines that the current network is not in a P-EDCA congestion state.

[0083] S720, in response to the current network being in a P-EDCA congestion state, the access point sends a congestion control command to the terminal with priority enhanced distributed channel access function, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on priority enhanced distributed channel access function.

[0084] For example, the congestion control command can trigger at least one terminal with P-EDCA enabled to perform uplink multi-user transmission, ensuring the transmission priority of these terminals. Alternatively, it can disable the P-EDCA function of at least one terminal with P-EDCA enabled, preventing some terminals from using P-EDCA to access the channel, thus effectively mitigating network contention issues.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first indication information may also be used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0086] 1) Terminal data cache size;

[0087] 2) Terminal service priority parameters; for example, Access Category (AC), Flow Classification Service (SCS), or Traffic Identifier (TID).

[0088] 3) Terminal latency information. For example, timeout information.

[0089] Based on the indication of the first indication information, the access point can determine the congestion control method corresponding to the terminal and then send a congestion control command to the terminal. For example, assuming the terminal's service priority parameter indicates a high service priority, the access point can send an uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame to the terminal, triggering the terminal to perform uplink multi-user transmission, thereby ensuring priority transmission of service data with higher service priority. As another example, assuming the terminal's timeout is long and the service priority parameter indicates a low service priority, the access point can send a preset frame instructing the terminal to disable the P-EDCA function, thereby disabling the terminal's P-EDCA function, preventing the terminal from competing for the channel, and alleviating congestion.

[0090] Through the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, a terminal that has enabled P-EDCA function can notify the access point whether the terminal is in a P-EDCA congestion state, thereby enabling the access point to know whether the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state, and thus control the channel access congestion based on P-EDCA function, as well as alleviate the competition and conflict in the network and improve the utilization rate of channel resources.

[0091] like Figure 4As shown, when a terminal with P-EDCA enabled sends a special signal or MAC frame to occupy the channel, it causes devices and access points that do not support P-EACA to enter the Extended Interframe Space (EIFS) state. If the current network is congested, the terminal with P-EDCA enabled may fail to successfully send the special signal or MAC frame to occupy the channel. This may cause the terminal with P-EDCA enabled to continuously send special signals or MAC frames to occupy the channel, resulting in devices and access points that do not support P-EACA continuously entering the EIFS state. Therefore, access points can also determine whether the current network is handling P-EDCA congestion based on the number of consecutive entries into the EIFS state. Figure 8 A flowchart of a congestion control method provided in another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the method mainly includes the following steps.

[0092] S810, the access point determines whether the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state based on the number of times it continuously enters the extended inter-frame interval state within a first predetermined time period.

[0093] In some embodiments, a first threshold can be set to determine that the network is in a P-EDCA congestion state if the number of consecutive entries into the Extended Interframe Space (EIFS) state within a first predetermined time period exceeds the first threshold. In these embodiments, the specific values ​​of the first threshold and the first predetermined time period can be preset values ​​or dynamically determined values ​​according to a certain algorithm, and are not limited in the specific embodiments of this application.

[0094] In some embodiments, the access point may count the number of times it continuously enters the extended inter-frame interval state within a first predetermined time period, and determine that the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state if the number of consecutive entries into the extended inter-frame interval state exceeds a first threshold.

[0095] In some embodiments, in response to successfully receiving a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) sent by a terminal with P-EDCA enabled within a first predetermined time period, the access point resets the number of times it has consecutively entered the extended inter-frame interval state within the first predetermined time period to zero. If the access point receives a PPDU sent by a terminal with P-EDCA enabled, it indicates that the network is not currently in a congested state. Therefore, resetting the number of times the access point has consecutively entered the extended inter-frame interval state within the first predetermined time period to zero can improve the accuracy of congestion state determination.

[0096] S820, in response to the current network being in a P-EDCA congestion state, the access point sends a congestion control command to the terminal with priority enhanced distributed channel access function, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on priority enhanced distributed channel access function.

[0097] For example, the congestion control command can trigger at least one terminal with P-EDCA enabled to perform uplink multi-user transmission, ensuring the transmission priority of these terminals. Alternatively, it can disable the P-EDCA function of at least one terminal with P-EDCA enabled, preventing some terminals from using P-EDCA to access the channel, thus effectively mitigating network contention issues.

[0098] Through the above technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, the access point can determine whether the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state based on the number of times it continuously enters the EIFS state. After determining whether the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state, the access point can control the channel access congestion based on the P-EDCA function, alleviate the competition and conflict in the network, and improve the utilization rate of channel resources.

[0099] like Figure 4 As shown, terminals with P-EDCA enabled will send Deferred Signals (DS) to occupy the channel. If there are many P-EDCA terminals competing simultaneously, the access point will receive more Deferred Signals during this time period. Therefore, the access point can also determine whether the network is currently handling P-EDCA congestion based on the number of consecutively received Deferred Signals. Figure 9 A flowchart of a congestion control method provided in yet another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the method mainly includes the following steps.

[0100] S910, the access point determines whether the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state based on the number of times the delayed signal is received continuously within a second predetermined time period.

[0101] In some embodiments, a second threshold may be set to determine that the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state if the number of consecutive delayed signals received within a second predetermined time period exceeds the second threshold.

[0102] In these embodiments, the specific values ​​of the second threshold and the second predetermined time period can be a preset value or a value dynamically determined according to a certain algorithm. The specific values ​​are not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0103] In some embodiments, the access point may count the number of times a delay signal is received consecutively within a second predetermined time period, and determine that the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state if the number of consecutive delay signals received exceeds a second threshold.

[0104] In some embodiments, in response to successfully receiving a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) sent by a terminal with P-EDCA enabled within a second predetermined time period, the access point resets the count of consecutively received delay signals within the second predetermined time period to zero. If the access point receives a PPDU sent by a terminal with P-EDCA enabled, it indicates that the network is not currently in a congested state. Therefore, resetting the count of consecutively received delay signals within the second predetermined time period by the access point can improve the accuracy of congestion state determination.

[0105] S920, in response to the current network being in a P-EDCA congestion state, the access point sends a congestion control command to the terminal with priority enhanced distributed channel access function, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on priority enhanced distributed channel access function.

[0106] For example, the congestion control command can trigger at least one terminal with P-EDCA enabled to perform uplink multi-user transmission, enabling these terminals to complete uplink transmission and mitigating network contention. Alternatively, it can disable the P-EDCA function of at least one terminal with P-EDCA enabled, prohibiting some terminals from using P-EDCA to access the channel, thus effectively mitigating network contention.

[0107] Through the above technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, the access point can determine whether the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state based on the number of times the delayed signal is received continuously. After determining whether the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state, the access point can control the channel access congestion based on the P-EDCA function, alleviate the competition and conflict in the network, and improve the utilization rate of channel resources.

[0108] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating a congestion control method in another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. In this exemplary embodiment, the access point can trigger at least one terminal to perform uplink multi-user transmission by sending an uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame to at least one terminal with P-EDCA enabled, thereby ensuring the transmission priority of these terminals. Figure 10 As shown, the method mainly includes the following steps.

[0109] S1010, the access point determines whether the current network is in a state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion.

[0110] The access point can be based on the above. Figures 6 to 9 The method described in any of the embodiments for determining whether the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state can be found in the relevant descriptions above, and will not be repeated here.

[0111] S1020, the access point sends an uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame to at least one first terminal with P-EDCA function enabled, wherein the uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame is used to trigger the first terminal to perform uplink multi-user transmission.

[0112] In this embodiment, through the aforementioned uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame, the access point can trigger at least one first terminal to perform uplink multi-user transmission, thereby ensuring the transmission priority of the at least one first terminal.

[0113] In some embodiments, the at least one first terminal may be the terminal that actively sends the first instruction information.

[0114] In some embodiments, S1020 may include the following steps:

[0115] Step 1: The access point enters the P-EDCA state;

[0116] Step 2: In P-EDCA state, send an uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame to at least one of the first terminals.

[0117] In the above embodiments, the access point can actively enter the P-EDCA state in order to prioritize sending the uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame, thereby triggering at least one of the first terminals to perform uplink multi-user transmission as soon as possible.

[0118] In some embodiments, the aforementioned uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame may carry second indication information, which is used to indicate whether the first terminal switches to the multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state after completing data transmission. Through these embodiments, the first terminal can determine whether to enter the multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state after completing data transmission.

[0119] In some embodiments, after S1020, the at least one first terminal may respond to the received uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame. For example, after S1020, the method further includes: the access point receiving an uplink data frame sent by the first terminal in response to the uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame, such as a low-latency data frame sent in TB frame format. This enables data transmission by the first terminal.

[0120] In some embodiments, after receiving the aforementioned uplink data frame, the access point may also send a multi-user confirmation frame to the first terminal so that the first terminal can know that the uplink data frame transmission was successful.

[0121] In some embodiments, the uplink data frame may also carry third indication information, which is used to indicate whether the uplink data transmission of the first terminal has been completed. If the transmission is not complete, the access point may resend the uplink multi-user trigger frame to trigger the first terminal to continue transmitting uplink data frames. Through these embodiments, the first terminal can complete the transmission of uplink data through the uplink multi-user trigger frame.

[0122] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating a congestion control method in yet another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. In this exemplary embodiment, the access point can dynamically enable or disable the P-EDCA function of at least one terminal to perform congestion control. Figure 11 As shown, the method mainly includes the following steps.

[0123] S1110, the access point determines whether the current network is in a state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion.

[0124] The access point can be based on the above. Figures 6 to 9 The method described in any of the embodiments for determining whether the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state can be found in the relevant descriptions above, and will not be repeated here.

[0125] S1120, the access point sends a preset frame to at least one second terminal with P-EDCA function, wherein the preset frame is used to enable or disable the P-EDCA function of the second terminal.

[0126] In this embodiment, the aforementioned preset frame can be a specific action frame or management frame. Through this specific action frame or management frame, the P-EDCA function of one or more second terminals can be dynamically enabled or disabled.

[0127] In some embodiments, the preset frame may carry the activation window information of the P-EDCA function of the second terminal. The activation window signal can indicate the activation time of the P-EDCA function of the second terminal, thereby avoiding a large number of terminals from competing for the channel by activating the P-EDCA function at the same time and alleviating congestion.

[0128] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned effective window information may include at least one of the following:

[0129] 1) The start time information of the next P-EDCA function activation window; for example, the time of the next P-EDCA function activation window relative to the current time synchronization function (TSF).

[0130] 2) The interval between two P-EDCA function activation windows; this interval can be the interval between two P-EDCA function activation windows expected by the access point, that is, the interval between two P-EDCA function activations expected by the access point for the second terminal.

[0131] 3) Duration of each P-EDCA function's effective window.

[0132] In some embodiments, the aforementioned preset frame may also contain only instruction information instructing the second terminal to enable or disable the P-EDCA function.

[0133] In some embodiments, the address field of the aforementioned preset frame may carry identification information of the second terminal, such as a MAC address, or the preset frame may contain a specific user information field. These embodiments indicate that the information carried in the preset frame pertains to a terminal with a corresponding MAC address or user information.

[0134] Based on the same technical concept, this application also provides another congestion control method, which is executed on the terminal side corresponding to the above-mentioned access point.

[0135] It should be noted that the following embodiments only describe the relevant operations on the terminal side. For other matters not covered, please refer to the above description of the method for executing the shared access point.

[0136] Figure 12 This illustration shows a flowchart of another congestion control method provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application. This method can be executed by a terminal, such as... Figure 12 As shown, the method mainly includes the following steps.

[0137] S1210, a terminal with P-EDCA function receives a congestion control command sent by the access point, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on P-EDCA function.

[0138] When the access point determines that the current network is in a P-EDCA congestion state, it sends the above-mentioned congestion control command. For example, the access point can send the above-mentioned congestion control command to the terminal in accordance with the method described in the above embodiments. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0139] S1220, the terminal performs the corresponding operation based on the above congestion control command.

[0140] In this embodiment of the application, after receiving a congestion control command, the terminal performs corresponding operations based on the execution of the congestion control command to control the current P-EDCA congestion state of the network.

[0141] In some embodiments, the terminal can be a terminal that has enabled P-EDCA functionality. This terminal can report to the access point whether it is in a P-EDCA congestion state. Therefore, in these embodiments, before S1210, the method may further include the following steps:

[0142] Step 1: The terminal determines whether it is currently in a P-EDCA congestion state.

[0143] If a terminal has enabled the P-EDCA function and fails to successfully access the channel within a specific time period after sending the DS signal, it can be determined that the current network is in a congested state. Therefore, in some embodiments, the terminal's determination of whether it is currently in a P-EDCA congestion state may include: in response to failing to successfully access the channel within a first time period after sending the delayed signal, the terminal determines that it is currently in a P-EDCA congestion state. The duration of the first time period can be a predetermined value, and the specific value can be determined according to the actual application.

[0144] In some embodiments, the number of times the terminal continuously sends DS signals within a certain period can also be used to determine whether the terminal is currently in a P-EDCA congestion state. In these embodiments, the terminal determining whether it is currently in a P-EDCA congestion state may include: in response to the number of times the delay signal is continuously sent within a second time period being greater than a third threshold, the terminal determines that it is currently in a P-EDCA congestion state. The duration of the second time period and the value of the third threshold can be predetermined values, and the specific values ​​can be determined according to the actual application.

[0145] In some embodiments, the terminal can count the number of times the DS signal is continuously transmitted in the second time period. If the terminal accesses the channel and successfully transmits PPDU in the second time period, the count of the number of times the DS signal is continuously transmitted can be cleared to ensure the accuracy of the determination.

[0146] Step 2: The terminal sends a first indication message to the access point, wherein the first indication message is used to indicate whether the terminal is in a P-EDCA congestion state.

[0147] Through the above embodiments, the terminal can detect whether it is currently in a P-EDCA congestion state and feed back the detection result to the terminal, so that the access point can know whether the terminal is currently in a P-EDCA congestion state.

[0148] In some embodiments, the first indication information described above is also used to indicate at least one of the following:

[0149] 1) Terminal data cache size;

[0150] 2) Terminal service priority parameters;

[0151] 3) Terminal latency information.

[0152] Through the above embodiments, the access point can obtain the specific congestion information of the terminal, and then determine the congestion control strategy based on the information.

[0153] In some embodiments, the terminal may proactively report the first indication information. For example, if the terminal detects that it is in a P-EDCA congestion state, it may report the first indication information to the access point, indicating that the terminal is in a P-EDCA congestion state. Alternatively, the terminal may periodically report the first indication information, indicating whether the terminal is in a P-EDCA congestion state in the current period.

[0154] In some embodiments, the terminal may also provide the first instruction information mentioned above upon receiving an instruction from the access point.

[0155] In some embodiments, the terminal described above can be a terminal that has enabled the priority-enhanced distributed channel access function. In these embodiments, S1210 may include: the terminal receiving an uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame sent by the access point, wherein the uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame is used to trigger the terminal to perform uplink multi-user transmission. Correspondingly, the terminal performs corresponding operations based on the congestion control command, which may include: the terminal sending uplink data frames. In these embodiments, the terminal can send uplink data frames to transmit uplink data under the trigger of the uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame sent by the access point, thereby ensuring the priority transmission of the terminal's uplink data.

[0156] In some embodiments, the uplink data frame may carry third indication information, which is used to indicate whether the uplink data transmission of the terminal is complete. Through these embodiments, the terminal can indicate to the access point whether the uplink data transmission is complete. If the transmission is not complete, the terminal can request the access point to send uplink multi-user transmission trigger frames to the terminal multiple times to ensure that the uplink data transmission of the terminal is completed.

[0157] In some embodiments, if the terminal successfully transmits uplink data under the trigger of an uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame, it can enter the MU-EDCA state of P-EDCA. Therefore, after the terminal sends the uplink data frame, the method may further include: the terminal switching to the MU-EDCA state.

[0158] In some embodiments, the terminal may determine whether to switch to the multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state based on the second indication information carried in the uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate whether the first terminal switches to the multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state after completing data transmission.

[0159] In some embodiments, the terminal may also determine whether to switch to the multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state based on a preset configuration. The access point and the terminal have a unified understanding of the configuration value of this preset configuration. The preset configuration may be pre-configured in software or hardware, and specific embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0160] In some embodiments, the terminal switches to a multi-user enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) state with priority-enhanced distributed channel access. In this state, the terminal has a dedicated set of distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters for priority-enhanced distributed channel access contention. This EDCA parameter set may include, but is not limited to, the AIFSN, CWmin, CWmax, and TXOP duration of the corresponding AC.

[0161] In one or more embodiments, the dedicated distributed channel access (EDCA) parameter set used for priority-enhanced distributed channel access contention can be referred to as the first EDCA parameter set, while the MU-EDCA parameter set used for P-EDCA can be referred to as the second EDCA parameter set. The first EDCA parameter set and the second EDCA parameter set can interact through management frames sent by the access point.

[0162] In some embodiments, at least one parameter in the second EDCA parameter set has a more conservative or lower contention priority value compared to the parameters in the first EDCA parameter set. For example, CWmin and CWmax in the second EDCA parameter set can be set to values ​​greater than those in the first EDCA parameter set. With this configuration, non-AP STAs entering P-EDCA MU-EDCA mode have a lower probability of occupying the channel via P-EDCA compared to non-AP STAs in traditional P-EDCA mode.

[0163] In some embodiments, after the terminal switches to the multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access, the method may further include the following steps:

[0164] Step 1: The terminal starts a timer, which is used to indicate the duration of the terminal entering the multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state of priority enhanced distributed channel access.

[0165] Step 2: In response to the timer reaching its end and the terminal not being scheduled and successfully transmitted by the access point, the terminal switches to the priority-enhanced distributed channel access state.

[0166] In the above embodiments, after the terminal enters P-EDCA MU-EDCA mode, the terminal can set a P-EDCA MU-EDCA timer. The timer indicates the duration for which the terminal enters P-EDCA MU-EDCA mode. When the timer reaches zero and the uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame is not scheduled and successfully transmitted by the AP, the terminal can switch back from P-EDCA MU-EDCA mode to traditional P-EDCA mode.

[0167] In some embodiments, if the terminal successfully transmits uplink data under the triggering of an uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame, it can be considered that the terminal has successfully completed data transmission using the P-EDCA mechanism. Therefore, according to the P-EDCA mechanism, the terminal can return to the traditional EDCA contention state until the P-EDCA activation conditions are met again and the mechanism is successfully triggered. Therefore, in these embodiments, the method may further include: in response to the completion of uplink data transmission, the terminal switches to an enhanced distributed channel access contention state. Here, the aforementioned EDCA contention state refers to the terminal successfully completing data transmission using the P-EDCA mechanism. Figure 3 The procedure shown is to access the channel, rather than sending DS signals.

[0168] In some embodiments, S1210 may include: the terminal receiving a preset frame sent by an access point, wherein the preset frame is used to enable or disable the terminal's priority enhancement distributed channel access function; then, the terminal performing corresponding operations based on the congestion control command may include: the terminal enabling or disabling the terminal's priority enhancement distributed channel access function based on the preset frame. In these embodiments, the terminal can enable or disable the terminal's priority enhancement distributed channel access function based on the aforementioned preset frame to alleviate network congestion.

[0169] It should be noted that the terminal described in this application embodiment can be a non-access point site (non-AP STA).

[0170] The technical solutions provided in this application will be described below through specific embodiments.

[0171] Figure 13This diagram illustrates a scenario where an access point (AP) performs congestion detection in an exemplary embodiment. In this network scenario, station 2 (STA2) and station 3 (STA3) are non-AP STAs, both with Priority Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (P-EDCA) enabled. At a certain moment, STA2 and STA3 simultaneously transmit a Distributed Coordination Delay Signal (DS signal). In this embodiment, the DS signal specifically manifests as a Clear Transmit Frame (CTS frame). After transmitting the DS signal, STA2 and STA3 immediately enter a P-EDCA contention state and initiate a backoff counting mechanism. Notably, both STA2 and STA3 select 4 as the backoff count value. This means that when the backoff process ends, both send Request to Transmit Frames (RTS frames) to the AP simultaneously for addressing. However, because the AP simultaneously receives RTS frames from both STA2 and STA3, the signals interfere with each other, preventing the AP from correctly decoding these RTS frames. In this situation, the AP increments its internal counter by 1. This operation indicates that within a specific time window T, the AP received DS signals one more time consecutively, and during this period, it successfully received no Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs). Subsequently, STA2 and STA3 repeated the above process. They again completed backoff at the same time and simultaneously sent RTS frames to the AP. The AP still could not correctly decode these RTS frames, so it incremented the Count counter by 1 again. When the Count counter value exceeded the preset threshold, the AP determined that the current network was in a P-EDCA congestion state.

[0172] Figure 14This diagram illustrates a congestion reporting scenario in an exemplary embodiment. In this network scenario, station 1 (STA1) and station 2 (STA2) are non-AP STAs, both with Priority Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (P-EDCA) enabled. At a certain moment, STA1 and STA2 simultaneously send a Distributed Coordination Delay Signal (DS signal). In this embodiment, the DS signal specifically manifests as a Clear Transmit Frame (CTS frame). After sending the signal, STA1 and STA2 immediately enter a P-EDCA contention state and initiate a backoff counting mechanism. Notably, both STA1 and STA2 select 4 as the backoff count value. This means that when the backoff process ends, both will simultaneously send Request to Transmit Frames (RTS frames) to the AP for addressing. However, because the AP simultaneously receives RTS frames from STA2 and STA3, the signals interfere with each other, causing the AP to be unable to correctly decode these RTS frames. In this situation, the AP cannot correctly send a CTS frame as a response. STA1 and STA2, unable to receive the CTS frame within the CTS timeout period, increment the Count counter by 1. This operation indicates that within a specific time window T, the number of times the STA continuously sends DS signals increases by one, and no PPDU transmission is successfully completed during this period. Subsequently, STA1 and STA2 repeat the above process. They again complete the backoff at the same time and simultaneously send RTS frames to the AP. The AP still cannot correctly decode these RTS frames, so it increments the Count counter value by 1 again. When the value of STA1's Count counter exceeds the preset threshold, the network is determined to be in a P-EDCA congestion state.

[0173] In the subsequent process, STA1 reports the congestion indication information (i.e., the first indication information mentioned above) to the AP. STA1 can include the congestion indication information in the acknowledgment frame sent to the AP. This congestion indication information includes, but is not limited to, indications of whether the current non-AP STA is in a congested state, the current non-AP STA's data buffer size, and service priority parameters such as AC, SCS, and TID. The congestion indication information can be carried in the Multi-STA BA frame. This is because traditional ACK or BA frames may not have enough reserved bits to carry the congestion indication information. In the Multi-STA BA frame, the BlockAck Bitmap in the Feedback Per AID TID Info field can be replaced with the congestion indication information. The Ack Type field in the Feedback Per AID TID Info field can be set to 0 and the TID field can be set to a reserved value.

[0174] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of a congestion state reporting scenario is shown in another exemplary embodiment. In the scenario and Figure 14 The difference lies in that STA1 carries congestion indication information in the data frames it sends to the AP. Specifically, the A control field in the data frame can be used to carry this information. In this scenario, when the value of STA1's Count counter exceeds a preset threshold, the network is determined to be in a P-EDCA congestion state. In the subsequent process, STA1 reports the congestion indication information (i.e., the aforementioned first indication information) to the AP via data frames.

[0175] Figure 16 A schematic diagram illustrating a congestion state reporting scenario is shown in yet another exemplary embodiment. In this exemplary embodiment, AP, STA1, and STA2 are all multi-link devices (MLDs). Operating in the 2.4 GHz band, STA1 reports congestion states according to relevant determination mechanisms, such as those described above. Figure 14 The relevant judgment mechanism confirms that the current state is P-EDCA congestion. Based on this, STA1 uses the 5GHz band to report congestion indication information about the 2.4GHz band (i.e., the first indication information mentioned above). It is worth noting that the uplink of the 5GHz band is in normal working condition at this time, and no congestion has occurred. This allows STA1 to successfully and timely report the congestion indication information of the 2.4GHz band to the AP. After receiving this information, the AP can take measures such as scheduling transmissions for the 2.4GHz band to alleviate the congestion situation in this band.

[0176] Figure 17 This illustration shows a scenario in an exemplary embodiment where an access point triggers an uplink multi-user transmission procedure to request a P-EDCA node to send an uplink data frame. For example... Figure 17 As shown in this exemplary embodiment, after detecting congestion, the AP can trigger the P-EDCA node to perform uplink multi-user transmission. To access the channel more quickly, the AP can enter P-EDCA contention state and use smaller minimum contention window (CWmin) and maximum contention window (CWmax) values. In this way, the AP has a higher channel access priority compared to site 1 (STA1), site 2 (STA2), and site 3 (STA3). Figure 17As shown, after the AP enters the P-EDCA state, its CWmax value can be set to 3, while the CWmax values ​​of STA1, STA2, and STA3 are 7. At this time, the AP's backoff counter value is 2. Subsequently, the AP successfully accesses the channel and sends a trigger frame. STA1, STA2, and STA3 respond upon receiving the trigger frame by sending uplink data frames. Then, the AP sends a multi-user block acknowledgment frame in response. STA1, STA2, and STA3 are considered to have successfully completed data transmission using the P-EDCA mechanism. Therefore, according to the P-EDCA mechanism, STA1, STA2, and STA3 should return to the traditional EDCA contention state. Thus, STA1 and STA2 will not send DS signals in subsequent channel contention until the P-EDCA activation conditions are met and the mechanism is successfully triggered again. For example, P-EDCA may be disabled for a period of time, thereby alleviating network congestion.

[0177] Figure 18 This diagram illustrates a scenario of MU-EDCA mode for a P-EDCA node in an exemplary embodiment. Figure 18 As shown, STA1, STA2, and STA3 are sites that support P-EDCA functionality. When the access point (AP) detects network congestion, it triggers STA1 and STA2 to perform uplink multi-user transmission. After STA1 and STA2 successfully complete data transmission, they enter the P-EDCA MU-EDCA mode. The duration of this mode is determined by the P-EDCA MU-EDCA timer.

[0178] Within the time range specified by the timer, STA1 and STA2 will use a new EDCA parameter set when they enter the P-EDCA contention state after sending the DS signal. For example... Figure 18 As shown, compared to STA3, STA1 and STA2 have a CWmax of 15, while STA3 has a CWmax of 7. Based on this setting, STA3 will obtain a higher P-EDCA access priority. This method helps alleviate P-EDCA contention issues. When the timer resets to 0, STA1 and STA2 will revert to traditional P-EDCA parameters.

[0179] like Figure 19 As shown, this application embodiment also provides a communication device 1900, including a processor 1901 and a memory 1902. The memory 1902 stores a program or instructions that can run on the processor 301. For example, when the communication device 1900 is an access point, the program or instructions executed by the processor 1901 will implement the above-mentioned... Figures 6 to 11The congestion control method embodiment shown in the diagram achieves the same technical effect through various steps. When the communication device 1900 is a terminal, the program or instruction executed by the processor 1901 implements the above-described steps. Figure 12 The steps of the congestion control method embodiment shown are the same and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0180] like Figure 20 As shown, embodiments of this application also provide a terminal, including: a transceiver, a memory, a processor, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the program, it performs the following steps:

[0181] Receive a congestion control command sent by the access point, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on priority-enhanced distributed channel access function;

[0182] Based on the congestion control command, perform the corresponding operation.

[0183] Among them, Figure 20 In this embodiment, the bus architecture can include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically linking various circuits of one or more processors represented by processor 2000 and memory represented by memory 2020 together. The bus architecture can also link various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be further described in this embodiment. The bus interface provides an interface. Transceiver 2010 can be multiple components, including transmitters and transceivers, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. For different user equipment, user interface 2030 can also be an interface capable of connecting external or internal devices, including but not limited to keypads, displays, speakers, microphones, joysticks, etc.

[0184] The processor 2000 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, while the memory 2020 can store the data used by the processor 2000 when performing operations.

[0185] In some embodiments of this application, a readable storage medium is also provided, which stores a program or instructions, and the stored program or instructions are executed by a processor to implement the following steps:

[0186] Determine whether the current network is in a state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion;

[0187] In response to the current network being in a state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion, a congestion control command is sent to terminals with priority-enhanced distributed channel access functionality. This congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on the priority-enhanced distributed channel access functionality. Alternatively,

[0188] Receive a congestion control command sent by the access point, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on priority-enhanced distributed channel access function;

[0189] Based on the congestion control command, perform the corresponding operation.

[0190] When the program is executed by the processor, it can implement all the above-mentioned implementation methods applied to various method embodiments. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0191] For example, the readable storage medium can be a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device, etc.

[0192] 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 the above-described... Figures 6 to 12 All or some of the steps in the congestion control method shown.

[0193] 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.

[0194] 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 congestion control method, characterized in that, include: The access point determines whether the current network is in a state of congestion in priority-enhanced distributed channel access. In response to the current network being in a state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion, the access point sends a congestion control command to a terminal with priority-enhanced distributed channel access functionality, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on the priority-enhanced distributed channel access functionality.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The access point determines whether the current network is in a state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion, including: The access point receives a first indication message sent by a terminal that has enabled the priority-enhanced distributed channel access function, wherein the first indication message is used to indicate whether the terminal is in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state. The access point determines whether the current network is in a state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion based on the first indication information.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The access point determines whether the current network is in a state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion, including: The access point determines whether the current network is in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state based on the number of times it continuously enters the extended inter-frame interval state within a first predetermined time period; or... The access point determines whether the current network is in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state based on the number of times it continuously receives delayed signals within a second predetermined time period.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The access point determines whether the current network is in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state based on the number of times it continuously enters the extended inter-frame interval state within a first predetermined time period, including: In response to the number of times the extended inter-frame interval state is entered consecutively within the first predetermined time period exceeding a first threshold, the access point determines that the current network is in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to successfully receiving a physical layer protocol data unit sent by a terminal that has enabled priority-enhanced distributed channel access within the first predetermined time period, the access point will reset the number of times it has continuously entered the extended inter-frame interval state within the first predetermined time period to zero.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The access point determines whether the current network is in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state based on the number of consecutive delayed signals received within a second predetermined time period, including: In response to the fact that the number of times a delayed signal is received consecutively within the second predetermined time period exceeds a second threshold, the access point determines that the current network is in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to successfully receiving a physical layer protocol data unit sent by a terminal that has enabled priority-enhanced distributed channel access within the second predetermined time period, the access point will reset the number of times it has continuously received delayed signals within the second predetermined time period to zero.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The access point sends congestion control commands to terminals with priority-enhanced distributed channel access functionality, including: The access point sends an uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame to at least one first terminal that has enabled the priority-enhanced distributed channel access function, wherein the uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame is used to trigger the first terminal to perform uplink multi-user transmission.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame carries a second indication information, which is used to indicate whether the first terminal switches to the multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state after completing data transmission.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The access point sends an uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame to at least one first terminal that has enabled priority-enhanced distributed channel access, including: The access point enters the priority-enhanced distributed channel access state; In the priority-enhanced distributed channel access state, the uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame is sent to the at least one first terminal that has enabled the priority-enhanced distributed channel access function.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The access point sends congestion control commands to terminals with priority-enhanced distributed channel access functionality, including: The access point sends a preset frame to at least one second terminal with priority-enhanced distributed channel access function, wherein the preset frame is used to enable or disable the priority-enhanced distributed channel access function of the second terminal.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The preset frame carries the activation window information of the priority enhancement distributed channel access function of the second terminal.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The effective window information includes at least one of the following: the start time information of the next priority enhancement distributed channel access function effective window, the interval between two priority enhancement distributed channel access function effective windows, and the duration of each priority enhancement distributed channel access function effective window.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The address field of the preset frame carries the identification information of the second terminal.

15. A congestion control method, characterized in that, include: A terminal with priority-enhanced distributed channel access function receives a congestion control command sent by an access point, wherein the congestion control command is used to control channel access congestion based on the priority-enhanced distributed channel access function. The terminal performs corresponding operations based on the congestion control command.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The terminal is one that has enabled the priority-enhanced distributed channel access function; Before the terminal with priority-enhanced distributed channel access receives the congestion control command sent by the access point, the method further includes: The terminal determines whether it is currently in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state. The terminal sends a first indication message to the access point, wherein the first indication message is used to indicate whether the terminal is in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The terminal determines whether the current network is in a state of priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion, including: In response to failing to successfully access the channel within the first time after sending the delay signal, the terminal determines that it is currently in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state; or, If the number of times a delayed signal is continuously transmitted within a second time period exceeds a third threshold, the terminal determines that it is currently in a priority-enhanced distributed channel access congestion state.

18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first indication information is also used to indicate at least one of the following: the data cache size of the terminal, the service priority parameter of the terminal, and the latency information of the terminal.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that, The terminal is one that has enabled the priority-enhanced distributed channel access function; The terminal with priority-enhanced distributed channel access function receives a congestion control command sent by the access point, including: the terminal receiving an uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame sent by the access point, wherein the uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame is used to trigger the terminal to perform uplink multi-user transmission. Based on the congestion control command, the terminal performs corresponding operations, including sending uplink data frames.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, After the terminal sends the uplink data frame, the method further includes: The terminal switches to multi-user enhanced distributed channel access mode.

21. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The uplink data frame carries a third indication information, which is used to indicate whether the uplink data transmission of the terminal has been completed.

22. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, After the terminal sends the uplink data frame, the method further includes: The terminal determines whether to switch to a multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state based on the second indication information carried in the uplink multi-user transmission trigger frame, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate whether the first terminal should switch to a multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state after completing data transmission; or... The terminal determines whether to switch to multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state based on preset configuration.

23. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, After the terminal sends the uplink data frame, the method further includes: The terminal switches to a multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state with priority-enhanced distributed channel access. In this state, the terminal has a dedicated set of distributed channel access parameters for competing for priority-enhanced distributed channel access.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, After the terminal switches to the multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state with priority-enhanced distributed channel access, the method further includes: The terminal starts a timer, wherein the timer is used to indicate the duration of the terminal entering the multi-user enhanced distributed channel access state of priority enhanced distributed channel access; In response to the timer reaching its peak and the terminal not being scheduled and successfully transmitting by the access point, the terminal switches to the priority-enhanced distributed channel access state.

25. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, After the terminal sends the uplink data frame, the method further includes: In response to the completion of uplink data transmission, the terminal switches to the enhanced distributed channel access contention state.

26. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that, The terminal with priority-enhanced distributed channel access function receives a congestion control command sent by the access point, including: the terminal receiving a preset frame sent by the access point, wherein the preset frame is used to enable or disable the priority-enhanced distributed channel access function of the terminal. The terminal performs corresponding operations based on the congestion control command, including: the terminal enables or disables the priority enhancement distributed channel access function based on the preset frame.

27. 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 congestion control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 26.

28. 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 congestion control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 26.

29. 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 congestion control method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 26.

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