Access point, communication method, and integrated circuit

Abstract

To improve the efficiency of transmission power control in uplink cooperative communication.SOLUTION: An access point that performs communication with a terminal, the access point including a reception circuit that receives an uplink-transmitted signal, a transmission power of the uplink transmission being determined by the terminal to be a minimum transmission power among a plurality of transmission power candidates based on a plurality of signals received from a plurality of access points including the access point that performs uplink coordinated communication, and a control circuit that decodes the received signal, whether or not to determine the transmission power based on the plurality of signals is determined in the terminal on the basis of information included in at least one signal among the plurality of signals, and the information is a type of a trigger frame that is the at least one signal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal, a communication device, and a communication method. [Background technology]

[0002] The technical specifications for 802.11be (hereinafter referred to as "11be") are currently being developed as the successor standard to 802.11ax (hereinafter referred to as "11ax"), the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 standard.

[0003] In 11be, the application of cooperative communication to uplink (UL) is being considered. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] IEEE 802.11-19 / 1102r0, A unified transmission procedure for multi-AP coordination, July 2019 [Non-patent document 2] IEEE 802.11-20 / 1040r1, Coordinated Spatial Reuse: Extension to Uplink, July 2020 [Non-patent document 3] IEEE P802.11ax / D6.0, November 2019 Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, transmission power control in uplink cooperative communications has not been fully studied.

[0006] Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure contribute to providing a terminal, a communication device, and a communication method that can improve the efficiency of transmission power control in uplink cooperative communication.

[0007] A terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control circuit that determines the uplink transmission power based on multiple signals received from multiple transmission sources performing uplink cooperative communication, and a transmission circuit that performs uplink transmission using the determined transmission power.

[0008] These comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a recording medium, or may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the efficiency of transmission power control in uplink cooperative communication.

[0010] Further advantages and benefits of an embodiment of the present disclosure will become apparent from the specification and drawings. Such advantages and / or benefits may be provided by some of the embodiments and features described in the specification and drawings, respectively, but not necessarily all of them may be provided to obtain one or more identical features. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] Downlink (DL)-Downlink communication operation example [Figure 2] Diagram showing an example of Uplink (UL)-UL communication operation [Figure 3] An example of coordinated spatial reuse (C-SR) in action [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of Medium Access Control (MAC) frame types [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of the format of the Common info field [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of the format of the User info field [Figure 7] An example of a Trigger Type [Figure 8] An example of how parameterized spatial reuse (PSR)-based spatial reuse works [Figure 9] Block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a part of a terminal (STA: Station) [Figure 10] Block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an access point (AP) [Figure 11] Block diagram showing an example of STA configuration [Figure 12] Diagram showing an example of AP and STA placement [Figure 13] A sequence diagram showing an example of UL-UL communication according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] An example of the Multi-AP (MAP) Trigger frame format [Figure 15] An example of the Multi-AP (MAP) Trigger frame format [Figure 16] An example of the Multi-AP (MAP) Trigger frame format [Figure 17] A sequence diagram showing an example of UL-UL communication according to the second embodiment. [Figure 18] Diagram showing an example of AP and STA placement [Figure 19] A sequence diagram showing an example of UL-UL communication according to the third embodiment. [Figure 20] An example of the Common info field in the MAP Trigger frame [Figure 21] An example of the User info field in the MAP Trigger frame [Figure 22] An example of a Trigger Type [Figure 23]An example of the MAP Trigger frame format [Figure 24] A diagram showing an example of a MAC frame type DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] [Cooperative Communications] In 11be, for example, the application of Multi-AP (MAP) coordination (hereinafter referred to as "cooperative communication"), which transmits and receives data between multiple access points (also called "base stations", hereinafter referred to as "APs (Access Points)") and terminals (for example, also called non-AP STAs (stations), hereinafter referred to as "STAs"), is being considered.

[0014] There are two types of communication: communication from an AP to a STA (hereinafter referred to as "DL communication") and communication from a STA to an AP (hereinafter referred to as "UL communication"). As for types of cooperative communication, for example, two APs cooperate to perform DL communication together (hereinafter referred to as "DL-DL communication") and two APs cooperate to perform UL communication together (hereinafter referred to as "UL-UL communication") are under consideration (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0015] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of DL-DL communication. As shown in Fig. 1, AP1, which is a master AP that controls cooperative communication, transmits a trigger frame (e.g., Slave TF) to AP2 and AP3, which are slave APs, to instruct them to start cooperative communication. Then, AP1, AP2, and AP3 cooperate with each other and transmit downlink data, Data 1, Data 2, and Data 3, respectively.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of UL-UL communication. As shown in Fig. 2, AP1, which is the master AP, transmits a trigger frame (e.g., Slave TF) instructing the start of cooperative communication, as in Fig. 1. Then, AP1, AP2, and AP3 each transmit a trigger frame (e.g., Basic TF) instructing uplink transmission. Then, AP1, AP2, and AP3 cooperate with each other and receive uplink data, Data 1, Data 2, and Data 3, respectively.

[0017] An example of a cooperative scheme is coordinated spatial reuse (hereinafter referred to as "C-SR"), in which multiple APs receive signals using the same frequency band (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2).

[0018] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of operation of UL-UL communication, in which C-SR is applied (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2).

[0019] 3 shows an example of the operation of AP1, AP2, STA1-1, STA1-2, STA2-1, and STA2-2, for example. Note that STA1-1 and STA1-2 are STAs connected to AP1 (or referred to as components of the Basic Service Set (BSS) of AP1). Also, STA2-1 and STA2-2 are STAs connected to AP2 (or components of the BSS of AP2). For example, AP1 and AP2 may be included in a cooperative set (e.g., an AP candidate set), which is a group of AP candidates that perform cooperative communication.

[0020] A BSS (Basic Service Set) is a set of basic services consisting of an AP and multiple STAs. The action of a STA connecting to an AP within a BSS is called "associating."

[0021] In the "Preparation Phase" of FIG. 3, for example, information indicating the capability of each device, information indicating the received power of each device (e.g., received signal strength indicator (RSSI)), and measurement report information (e.g., information regarding path loss) are aggregated in AP1 (e.g., called a Master AP or Sharing AP) that controls cooperative communication. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, in C-SR, the path loss between the STA and AP (STA-AP) included in the cooperative set (AP candidate set) may be notified to AP1, which is the Master AP (or Sharing AP), from AP2, which is the Slave AP (or Shared AP) that controls cooperative communication.

[0022] Also, in the "Announcement Phase" of FIG. 3, for example, AP1 transmits a C-SR announcement (C-SR-A) frame to AP2.

[0023] Then, in the "Transmission Phase" of Fig. 3, data is transmitted and received. For example, in Fig. 3, AP1 and AP2 each transmit a trigger frame to the associated STA. Then, AP1 and AP2 cooperate to receive uplink data from STA1-1, STA1-2, and STA2-1, STA2-2, respectively.

[0024] As in the above examples, in each cooperative communication mode, for example, a trigger frame is transmitted and received to notify the STA of transmission control information and transmission timing. For example, the Slave TF and Basic TF shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the C-SR-A shown in Figure 3 are examples of trigger frames.

[0025] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the type of Medium Access Control (MAC) frame in 11ax. Figure 4 shows the changes made to the values ​​in 11ax. The contents shown in Figure 4 are the contents shown in Table 9-1 of Non-Patent Document 3.

[0026] A trigger frame that instructs UL communication in 11ax includes a field containing common information addressed to the STA to be triggered (hereinafter referred to as the "Common info field"), and a field containing information addressed to individual STAs (hereinafter referred to as the "User info field").

[0027] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the format of the Common info field. The format shown in Fig. 5 is similar to the format shown in, for example, Figure 9-64b of Non-Patent Document 3. Fig. 5 shows multiple subfields included in the format of the Common info field. The Common info field includes, for example, AP TX Power (information indicating the transmission power value from the AP to the STA) as information related to transmission power control.

[0028] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the format of the User info field. The format shown in Fig. 6 is similar to the format shown in Figure 9-64d of Non-Patent Document 3. Fig. 6 shows multiple subfields included in the format of the User info field. The User info field includes information related to transmission power control, such as UL Target RSSI (information related to the target received signal strength of the AP in the uplink; also called UL Target Receive Power).

[0029] 7 shows an example of values ​​included in the subfield indicated as "Trigger Type" in the Common info field (hereinafter simply referred to as Trigger Type). The table shown in FIG. 7 is similar to, for example, Table 9-31b in Non-Patent Document 3.

[0030] Furthermore, for 11ax, for example, parameterized spatial reuse (PSR)-based spatial reuse is being considered (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 3). Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of PSR-based spatial reuse. Note that the content shown in Figure 8 is the content shown in Figure 26-13 of Non-Patent Document 3.

[0031] For example, as shown in Figure 8, an AP may transmit a PSR Reception Physical layer convergence procedure Protocol Data Unit (PSRR PPDU), which is a Trigger frame. For example, a Common Info field (e.g., a field common to multiple STAs) in the PSRR PPDU may include a value specified by UL spatial reuse.

[0032] 8, a STA other than the STA under the BSS (e.g., a STA under the Overlapping BSS (OBSS) or also referred to as an OBSS STA) may calculate uplink transmission power based on a value specified by UL spatial reuse included in the PSRR PPDU and a path loss measured using the PSRR PPDU.The STA under the OBSS may then transmit an uplink signal (e.g., a PSR Transmission PPDU (PSRT PPDU)) based on the calculated transmission power.

[0033] In FIG. 8, for example, a STA associated with the AP (e.g., a STA under the BSS, or also called a BSS STA) may transmit an uplink signal (e.g., a High Efficiency Trigger-based PPDU (HE TB PPDU)) based on information regarding the uplink transmission power specified by the PSRR PPDU, which is a trigger frame.

[0034] An example of cooperative communication has been described above.

[0035] However, for example, transmission power control in UL-UL communication has not been fully studied. For example, in the UL-UL communication shown in Fig. 3, information about path loss between STAs and APs included in the cooperative set is notified to AP1, which is the Master AP, so the amount of information in inter-AP communication may increase.

[0036] Therefore, in a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, a method for reducing the amount of information in inter-AP communication and improving the efficiency of transmission power control in UL-UL communication will be described.

[0037] (Embodiment 1) [Example of wireless communication system configuration] A wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least two APs and one STA.

[0038] Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a portion of STA 10. STA 10 shown in Fig. 9 includes a control unit 11 and a transmission unit 12. The control unit 11 (e.g., corresponding to a control circuit) determines uplink transmission power based on multiple signals (e.g., trigger frames) received from multiple transmission sources (e.g., APs) performing uplink cooperative communication. The transmission unit 12 (e.g., corresponding to a transmission circuit) performs uplink transmission using the determined transmission power.

[0039] Hereinafter, as an example, a case where at least two APs cooperate to perform UL-UL communication will be described. Note that in the following description, "packets" and "frames" are non-limiting examples of "signals."

[0040] [AP configuration example] Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of an AP according to this embodiment. AP 100 shown in Fig. 10 includes a transmission packet generation unit 101, a wireless transmission / reception unit 102, a reception packet decoding unit 103, and a control signal generation unit 104.

[0041] The transmission packet generation unit 101 generates a transmission packet, for example, from transmission data received from a processing unit in an upper layer (not shown) and data (e.g., control information) generated by the control signal generation unit 104, and outputs the generated packet to the radio transmission / reception unit 102.

[0042] The wireless transmitting / receiving unit 102 converts the transmission packet input from the transmission packet generating unit 101 into a wireless transmission signal, and transmits the wireless transmission signal via an antenna.

[0043] The radio transmitting / receiving unit 102 receives a radio reception signal, converts the radio reception signal into a reception packet, and outputs the reception packet to the reception packet decoding unit 103 .

[0044] The received packet decoding unit 103 decodes the received packet and outputs the received data input from the wireless transmitting / receiving unit 102 to a processing unit in an upper layer (not shown). Alternatively, the received packet decoding unit 103 decodes the received packet and outputs control information to the control signal generating unit 104.

[0045] The control signal generating unit 104 generates control information based on at least one of the transmission data, the control information input from the received packet decoding unit 103, and an internal state, and outputs the generated control information to the transmission packet generating unit 101. For example, the control signal generating unit 104 may generate control information related to a trigger, an association, or data communication.

[0046] [STA configuration example] Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of an STA according to this embodiment. STA 200 shown in Fig. 11 includes transmission packet generation section 201, radio transmission / reception section 202, received packet decoding section 203, path loss measurement section 204, control signal generation section 205, and transmission power control section 206.

[0047] For example, the control unit 11 shown in Fig. 9 may include at least one of the transmission packet generation unit 201, the reception packet decoding unit 203, the path loss measurement unit 204, the control signal generation unit 205, and the transmission power control unit 206 shown in Fig. 11. Furthermore, for example, the transmission unit 12 shown in Fig. 9 may include the radio transmission / reception unit 202 shown in Fig. 11.

[0048] The transmission packet generation unit 201 generates a transmission packet, for example, from transmission data received from a processing unit in an upper layer (not shown) and data (e.g., control information) generated by the control signal generation unit 205, and outputs the generated packet to the radio transmission / reception unit 202.

[0049] The wireless transmitting / receiving unit 202 converts the transmission packet input from the transmission packet generating unit 201 into a wireless transmission signal, and transmits the wireless transmission signal via an antenna.

[0050] The radio transmitting and receiving unit 202 receives a radio reception signal, converts the radio reception signal into a reception packet, and outputs the reception packet to the reception packet decoding unit 203 and the path loss measurement unit 204 .

[0051] The received packet decoding unit 203 decodes the received packet and outputs the received data input from the radio transmitting and receiving unit 202 to a processing unit in an upper layer (not shown). Alternatively, the received packet decoding unit 203 decodes the received packet and outputs control information to the path loss measurement unit 204, the control signal generation unit 205, and the transmission power control unit 206.

[0052] The path loss measurement unit 204 measures the path loss between the AP 100 and the STA 200, for example, based on the received power measurement value of the received packet input from the wireless transceiver unit 202 and information regarding the transmission power of the AP 100 included in the control information input from the received packet decoding unit 203, and outputs the information regarding the path loss to the control signal generation unit 205 and the transmission power control unit 206.

[0053] The control signal generating unit 205 generates control information based on at least one of the transmission data, the control information input from the received packet decoding unit 203, the information regarding path loss input from the path loss measuring unit 204, and the internal state, and outputs the generated control information to the transmission packet generating unit 201.

[0054] The transmission power control unit 206 controls the uplink transmission power in the radio transmission / reception unit 202 based on information regarding transmission power included in the control information input from the received packet decoding unit 203 and information regarding path loss input from the path loss measurement unit 204.

[0055] [Example of UL-UL communication] The following describes, as an example, cooperation in UL-UL communication between the AP 100 and the STA 200. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of UL-UL communication in cooperation based on the C-SR scheme.

[0056] 12 shows, for example, a set (cooperative set) including AP1, AP2, STA1, and STA2. STA1 is located within the coverage area of ​​AP1 and is associated with AP1. STA2 is located within the coverage area of ​​AP2 and is associated with AP2. In other words, in FIG. 12, the associated AP of STA1 is AP1, and the associated AP of STA2 is AP2.

[0057] In Fig. 12, for example, UL communication from STA1 to AP1 and UL communication from STA2 to AP2 are coordinated by the C-SR scheme. In Fig. 12, for example, AP1 is arranged in a cooperative set and is an AP (e.g., a Master AP or a Sharing AP) that controls the cooperative set (or cooperative communication). AP2 is arranged in the cooperative set and is an AP (e.g., a Slave AP or a Shared AP) controlled by the Master AP.

[0058] 12, for example, the lower the transmission power of STA2 is set (in other words, limited), the more the influence of interference from STA2 on AP1 can be reduced. Also, in FIG. 12, for example, AP2 is located in a position where it is less susceptible to interference from STA1.

[0059] 12, STA1 is located in a position where it can receive packets from AP1 but is unlikely to receive packets from AP2. In this case, the received power of packets from AP2 at STA1 is likely to be low.

[0060] 12, STA2 is located in a position where it can receive packets from both AP1 and AP2, for example. In this case, the received power of packets from AP1 is likely to be high at STA2.

[0061] For example, after the initial setup of the cooperative set shown in FIG. 12, and STA1 associates with AP1 and STA2 associates with AP2, UL-UL communication may be performed in the cooperative set.

[0062] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence of UL-UL communication in the cooperative set illustrated in FIG.

[0063] 13, AP1 and AP2 transmit beacons, for example. The beacons may be transmitted at regular intervals, for example. The beacons may also include information on the transmission power values ​​of AP1 and AP2, for example. After receiving beacons from each AP, STA1 and STA2 may measure the path loss between the STA and the AP based on the transmission power value of the AP included in the beacon and the received power measured using the beacon.

[0064] For example, STA1 notifies AP1, which is its associated AP, of a Report packet including information about the measured path loss. Similarly, STA2 notifies AP2, which is its associated AP, of a Report packet including information about the measured path loss. For example, STA2 may notify AP2 of the path loss between STA2 and AP1 and the path loss between STA2 and AP2 using a Report packet.

[0065] For example, the AP1 specifies to the AP2 the frequency band in which the AP2 will receive signals by using a Multi-AP Trigger frame (MAP TF) that instructs the start of coordinated transmission.

[0066] AP2 calculates the transmission power value (UL transmission power) of STA2 based on, for example, the path loss between STA2 and AP1 and the path loss between STA2 and AP2 included in the Report packet from STA2. AP2 notifies STA2 of, for example, a Trigger frame including information about the calculated transmission power value of STA2.

[0067] STA2 transmits a DATA packet based on the transmission power value specified by the Trigger frame from AP2, for example.

[0068] 13, the transmission power value of STA2 is calculated by AP2, which is the associated AP of STA2. Also, for example, the path loss value used to calculate the transmission power value of STA2 is measured based on beacons received by STA2 from each AP 100 (e.g., AP1 and AP2), and transmitted to AP2, which is the associated AP of STA2. In other words, the path loss value measured by STA2 does not need to be transmitted to AP1, which is not the associated AP of STA2.

[0069] As a result, for example, AP2, which is a Shared AP in cooperative communication, does not need to notify AP1, which is a Sharing AP, of the path loss related to STA2 (for example, the path loss between STA2 and AP1 and the path loss between STA2 and AP2).

[0070] Therefore, according to this embodiment, in the transmission power control of UL communication, the amount of information in communication between APs can be reduced, and therefore the efficiency of transmission power control in cooperative communication can be improved.

[0071] 13, AP1 may calculate the transmission power value (UL transmission power value) of STA1 based on information about path loss included in a Report packet from STA1 (for example, the path loss between STA1 and AP1 and the path loss between STA1 and AP2), and notify STA1 of a Trigger frame including information about the calculated transmission power value of STA2. STA1 may transmit a DATA packet based on the transmission power value specified by the Trigger frame from AP1, for example.

[0072] Furthermore, the STA 200 may, for example, spontaneously transmit a Report packet. For example, the STA 200 may transmit a Report packet based on the latest beacon. Alternatively, the STA 200 may, for example, respond to a Report packet request from the AP 100 (for example, by transmitting a Report packet). When the STA 200 spontaneously transmits a Report packet, the STA 200 may, for example, transmit a set of an identifier of the AP 100 (for example, an AP-ID) and a path loss value corresponding to the AP 100, or may transmit in the Report packet a path loss value between the STA 200 and the AP 100 corresponding to the AP-ID specified in the Report packet request from the AP 100.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above example, a method was described in which STA200 measures path loss based on a beacon, but the signal used to measure path loss is not limited to a beacon and may be, for example, a null data packet (NDP).

[0074] In the above example, the case where the path loss is notified to the AP 100 by the Report packet has been described, but the information notified to the AP 100 is not limited to the path loss. For example, the STA 200 may notify the AP 100 of the received power, and the AP 100 may calculate the path loss at the STA 200 based on the notified received power.

[0075] Also, for example, if the STA 200 does not receive a beacon from each AP 100, it may set the path loss between the AP 100 and the STA 200 to the maximum value of the path loss or the minimum value of the received power and notify the associated AP.

[0076] Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 13, a case has been described in which a transmission power value is notified from AP2 to STA2 via a Trigger frame, but the information notified via the Trigger frame is not limited to the transmission power value. For example, AP2 may notify (or specify) to STA2 a value obtained by subtracting the path loss between STA2 and AP2 from the calculated transmission power value (hereinafter, referred to as, for example, expected receive power). In this case, STA2 can determine the transmission power by treating the expected receive power in the same manner as the UL Target RSSI in FIG. 6. For example, STA2 can calculate the path loss between AP2 and STA2 based on the transmission power information of AP2 included in the Trigger frame transmitted from AP2 (corresponding to AP TX Power in FIG. 6) and the received power of the Trigger frame at STA2, and determine the transmission power from the calculated path loss and the expected receive power. Therefore, when notifying the expected receive power using the Trigger frame format in FIG. 6, it is preferable to set the value of the expected receive power in the UL Target RSSI field. Alternatively, when used in cooperative communication, the UL Target RSSI field may be repurposed, for example, as the UL Expected Receive Power field, to indicate the expected received power. This allows the Trigger frame in the format shown in Fig. 6 to be used in both cooperative communication and communications other than cooperative notification without adding any additional fields.

[0077] Also, for example, in FIG. 13, AP1 may specify the transmission power of STA1 to a preset (or limited) value.

[0078] Furthermore, the Sharing AP (for example, AP1 in FIG. 13) may notify the Shared AP (for example, AP2 in FIG. 13) of the allowable interference power (also called the Acceptable Maximum Interference Level) by, for example, a MAP TF. The Shared AP may set the transmission power of the STA 200, for example, based on the notified allowable interference power. By using the allowable interference power for transmission power control, for example, the Shared AP can set the transmission power of the STA 200 associated with the Shared AP, taking into account interference with the Sharing AP, thereby improving the accuracy of transmission power control.

[0079] For example, the allowable interference power may be notified in the Common info field of the MAP TF. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a format in which a field for the allowable interference power is added to the Common info field of the MAP TF. In the case of Fig. 14, the Sharing AP notifies the Shared AP of one allowable interference power by the MAP TF. Therefore, for example, when specifying settings for multiple STAs 200 by a Trigger frame following the MAP TF, the allowable interference power specified by the MAP TF may be set to any one value (for example, the minimum value) of the allowable interference power for the STAs 200.

[0080] Also, for example, the allowable interference power may be notified in the User info field of the MAP TF. For example, the allowable interference power may be specified individually for the AP 100, individually for the frequency band, or individually for the STA 200. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a format for specifying the allowable interference power individually for the AP 100 or the frequency band. For example, "AP-ID" shown in Fig. 15 is an identifier for specifying the AP 100. The AP-ID may be included in, for example, AID12, which is the identifier of the STA 200 shown in Fig. 6, or the AP-ID may be used instead of AID12. Also, Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a format for specifying the allowable interference power individually for the STA 200. As shown in Fig. 16, information on the allowable interference power may be included in the STA info field (information field individual to the STA) in the User info field.

[0081] (Embodiment 2) In the configuration example of the base station and terminal according to this embodiment, for example, some functions may be different from those in the first embodiment, and other functions may be the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0082] In the first embodiment, for example, an example has been described in which the AP 100 determines the transmission power of the STA 200 based on the path loss measured in the STA 200. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the STA 200 determines the transmission power based on the path loss.

[0083] As an example, in the following, similar to embodiment 1, an example of UL-UL communication coordinated based on the C-SR method by AP100 (e.g., AP1 and AP2) and STA200 (e.g., STA1 and STA2) as shown in Figure 12 will be described.

[0084] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence of UL-UL communication in the cooperative set illustrated in FIG.

[0085] In Fig. 17, AP1, which is a Sharing AP, specifies the frequency band that AP2, which is a Shared AP, receives, for example, by MAP TF. MAP TF may include, for example, the UL spatial reuse information shown in Fig. 5 or the allowable interference power described in the first embodiment. In Fig. 17, for example, STA1 and STA2 can also receive MAP TF.

[0086] AP1 and AP2 transmit, for example, a Trigger frame including information related to transmission power control to STA1 and STA2. The information related to transmission power control may include, for example, AP TX Power (information indicating a transmission power value from the AP to the STA) shown in Fig. 5 and UL Target RSSI (information related to a target received signal strength of the AP 100 in the uplink) shown in Fig. 6.

[0087] For example, when STA2 receives a MAP TF (e.g., a signal from an AP other than the associated AP) instructing the start of cooperative communication from AP1, STA2 may measure the path loss using the MAP TF and calculate a transmit power candidate (hereinafter referred to as "TxPowerOBSS") based on the measured path loss. STA2 may calculate the transmit power candidate based on the MAP TF, for example, by processing similar to the PSR-based spatial reuse shown in FIG. 8. For example, STA2 may calculate the uplink transmit power candidate TxPowerOBSS based on the value specified by the UL spatial reuse included in the MAP TF and the path loss measured using the MAP TF.

[0088] Furthermore, for example, when STA2 receives a trigger frame (e.g., a trigger frame from an associated AP) instructing uplink transmission from AP2, STA2 may calculate a transmit power candidate (hereinafter referred to as "TxPowerBSS") based on information on transmit power control included in the trigger frame (e.g., including the above-mentioned AP TX Power and UL Target RSSI) and the received power (e.g., referred to as "RxPower") measured using the trigger frame. STA2 may calculate the transmit power candidate TxPowerBSS, for example, according to the following equation (1). For example, (AP TX power - RxPower) in equation (1) corresponds to the path loss between STA2 and AP2. TxPowerBSS = (AP TX Power - RxPower) + UL Target RSSI (1)

[0089] Then, STA2 may determine the transmission power (hereinafter referred to as "TxPow") of an uplink signal (for example, a DATA packet) based on the multiple transmission power candidates TxPowerOBSS and TxPowerBSS in accordance with the following equation (2). TxPow=min(TxPowerOBSS, TxPowerBSS) (2)

[0090] In this way, STA200 determines the uplink transmission power based on multiple signals (e.g., MAP TF and Trigger frame) received from multiple transmission sources (e.g., AP1 and AP2) performing uplink cooperative communication, and performs uplink transmission using the determined transmission power.

[0091] 17, for example, the transmission power value of STA2 is calculated by STA2. Also, for example, the path loss value used to calculate the transmission power value of STA2 is measured based on trigger frames transmitted from multiple APs 100 (e.g., AP1 and AP2) received by STA2. Therefore, for example, the path loss value measured by STA2 does not need to be transmitted to APs 100 (e.g., AP1 and AP2).

[0092] 17, for example, AP2, which is a Shared AP (for example, AP100 different from AP1 that controls cooperative communication), does not need to notify AP1, which is a Sharing AP, of the path loss related to STA2 (for example, the path loss between STA2 and AP1 and the path loss between STA2 and AP2).Furthermore, STA2 does not need to notify AP2 of the path loss related to STA2.

[0093] Therefore, according to this embodiment, in the transmission power control of UL communication, the amount of information in communication between APs can be reduced, and therefore the efficiency of transmission power control in cooperative communication can be improved.

[0094] Also, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 17, for example, STA 200 sets transmission power using path loss measured based on packets received at timing closer to (for example, immediately before) the timing of transmitting a DATA packet (for example, in Fig. 17, MAP TF from AP1 and Trigger frame from AP2). This setting of transmission power shortens the period from path loss measurement to packet transmission, making it easier to follow fluctuations in path loss due to, for example, obstructions or movement of STA 200, and improving the accuracy of transmission power control.

[0095] Furthermore, here, TxPowerBSS is a transmit power value set based on the path loss between STA2 and AP2, which is the AP associated with STA2, and parameters notified by a Trigger frame from AP2. In other words, TxPowerBSS is a transmit power value expected for communication between STA2 and AP2 (e.g., a desired transmit power value). On the other hand, TxPowerOBSS is a transmit power value set based on, for example, UL spatial reuse included in a MAP TF from AP1, which is different from the AP associated with STA2. For example, the parameters specified by UL spatial reuse may include a value related to allowable interference power. In this case, TxPowerOBSS is, for example, the transmit power allowable for UL transmission in STA2. In other words, a signal transmitted by STA2 with transmit power exceeding TxPowerOBSS may cause interference to AP1.

[0096] As described above, by using formula (2), STA2 can set the uplink transmission power, for example, with TxPowerOBSS as the upper limit value, thereby improving the accuracy of uplink transmission power control. In this way, for example, STA200, which is located in a position where it can receive packets from multiple APs 100, can appropriately control the uplink transmission power while suppressing interference with multiple APs 100 that are performing cooperative communication, based on the received packets from each of the multiple APs 100.

[0097] 17, when STA2 does not receive MAP TF, STA2 may set the transmission power of the DATA packet to, for example, TxPowerBSS. When STA2 does not receive MAP TF, the path loss based on MAP TF, for example, the path loss between STA2 and AP1, is expected to be larger than when STA2 receives MAP TF. Therefore, even if the transmission power of STA2 is set to TxPowerBSS, it is expected that the impact of interference caused by uplink transmission from STA2 on AP1 will be small. In this way, STA200 located in a position where it can receive packets from some APs 100 (e.g., associated APs) among multiple APs 100 performing cooperative communication can appropriately control uplink transmission power taking into account the APs 100 performing uplink communication, based on packets from those some APs 100.

[0098] 12, for example, STA1 is likely to receive packets from AP1 but not receive packets from AP2. Therefore, in FIG. 17, STA1 may set transmission power (for example, a value similar to TxPowerBSS) based on a Trigger frame from AP1.

[0099] Also, in this embodiment, STA2 calculates TxPowerOBSS when it receives a MAP TF from AP1 (e.g., OBSS). In other words, STA2 does not need to calculate TxPowerOBSS when it does not receive a MAP TF from AP1 (e.g., OBSS). Therefore, for example, STA200 may receive an allowable interference power (also referred to as an Acceptable Maximum Interference Level) notified by a MAP TF from a sharing AP (e.g., AP1 in FIG. 17). Note that information regarding the allowable interference power may be included in the Common info field of the MAP TF (or Trigger frame) as shown in FIG. 14, or in the User info field of the MAP TF (or Trigger frame) as shown in FIG. 15, or in the STA info field within the User info field as shown in FIG. 16.

[0100] Upon receiving the notification of the allowable interference power, STA2 may set its transmission power based on the allowable interference power included in the MAP TF, for example. By controlling transmission power using the allowable interference power, for example, the Shared AP can set the transmission power of STA200 associated with the Shared AP, taking into account interference with the Sharing AP, thereby improving the accuracy of transmission power control.

[0101] In addition, in STA200, the calculation method of the transmit power candidate TxPowerBSS based on the Trigger frame from the associated AP is not limited to, for example, the method based on Equation (1), and other methods may be used. Also, in STA200, the calculation method of the transmit power candidate TxPowerOBSS based on the Trigger frame (e.g., MAP TF) from an AP other than the associated AP is not limited to, for example, the method based on PSR-based spatial reuse, and other methods may be used. For example, the calculation methods of TxPowerBSS and TxPowerOBSS may be the same or different.

[0102] (Embodiment 3) In the configuration example of the base station and terminal according to this embodiment, for example, some functions may be different from those in the first embodiment, and other functions may be the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0103] In the second embodiment, cooperative communication by two APs 100 has been described, but the number of APs 100 performing cooperative communication may be three or more. In the present embodiment, a case where there are three APs 100 will be described as an example.

[0104] FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of UL-UL communication coordinated based on the C-SR scheme.

[0105] 18 shows, for example, a set (cooperative set) including AP1, AP2, AP3, STA1, STA2, and STA3. STA1 is located within the coverage area of ​​AP1 and is associated with AP1. STA2 is located within the coverage area of ​​AP2 and is associated with AP2. STA3 is located within the coverage area of ​​AP3 and is associated with AP3. In other words, in FIG. 18, the associated AP of STA1 is AP1, the associated AP of STA2 is AP2, and the associated AP of STA3 is AP3.

[0106] In Fig. 18, for example, UL communication from STA1 to AP1, UL communication from STA2 to AP2, and UL communication from STA3 to AP3 are coordinated by the C-SR scheme. In Fig. 18, for example, AP1 is arranged in a cooperative set and is an AP (e.g., called a Master AP or Sharing AP) that controls the cooperative set (or cooperative communication). AP2 and AP3 are arranged in the cooperative set and are APs (e.g., called Slave APs or Shared APs) controlled by the Master AP. In other words, Fig. 18 shows an example of cooperative transmission involving multiple Shared APs (or Slave APs).

[0107] 18, for example, the lower the transmission power of STA2 and STA3 is set (in other words, limited), the more the influence of interference from STA2 and STA3 on AP1 can be reduced. Also, in FIG. 18, for example, the lower the transmission power of STA1 and STA3 is set (in other words, limited), the more the influence of interference from STA1 and STA3 on AP2 can be reduced. Also, in FIG. 18, for example, AP3 is located in a position where it is less susceptible to interference from STA1 and STA2.

[0108] 18, STA1 is located in a position where it can receive packets from AP1, but is unlikely to receive packets from AP2 or AP3. In this case, the received power of packets from AP2 or AP3 at STA1 is likely to be low.

[0109] On the other hand, in Fig. 18, STA2 is located in a position where it can receive packets from both AP1 and AP2. In this case, the received power of packets from AP1 is likely to be high at STA2. Also in Fig. 18, STA3 is located in a position where it can receive packets from AP1, AP2, and AP3. In this case, the received power of packets from AP1 and AP2 is likely to be high at STA3.

[0110] For example, after the initial setup of the cooperative set shown in FIG. 18, and STA1 associating with AP1, STA2 associating with AP2, and STA3 associating with AP3, UL-UL communication may be performed in the cooperative set.

[0111] FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence of UL-UL communication in the cooperative set illustrated in FIG.

[0112] 19, AP1, which is a Sharing AP, specifies the frequency bands to be received by AP2 and AP3, which are Shared APs, using a MAP TF, as in the case of, for example, Embodiment 2. The MAP TF may include, for example, the UL spatial reuse information shown in FIG. 5 or the allowable interference power described in the case of Embodiment 1. In FIG. 19, for example, STA1, STA2, and STA3 can also receive the MAP TF.

[0113] AP1 and AP2 transmit a Trigger frame including information related to transmission power control to STA1 and STA2, similar to, for example, embodiment 2. The information related to transmission power control may include, for example, AP TX Power (information indicating a transmission power value from the AP to the STA) shown in Fig. 5 and UL Target RSSI (information related to a target received signal strength of AP100 in uplink) shown in Fig. 6, similar to embodiment 2.

[0114] In this embodiment, STA1 and STA2 may set the transmission power by, for example, the same operation as in the second embodiment.

[0115] 19, AP3 transmits a trigger frame to STA3 at a transmission timing different from that of the trigger frame of AP2. For example, AP3 may transmit the trigger frame at a fixed interval (e.g., Short Inter Frame Space (SIFS)) after the trigger frame of AP2. Alternatively, for example, the packet length of the trigger frame of AP2 (e.g., referred to as the trigger length) may be notified by the MAP TF, and AP3 may transmit the trigger frame (SIFS+Trigger Length+SIFS) after the MAP TF.

[0116] In this way, the time domain resources of the Trigger frames transmitted from multiple Shared APs may be different from each other.

[0117] For example, when STA3 receives a MAP TF (e.g., a signal from an AP other than the associated AP) instructing the start of cooperative communication from AP1, STA3 calculates a transmit power candidate (hereinafter referred to as "TxPowerOBSS1") based on the MAP TF. For example, STA3 may measure a path loss using the MAP TF and calculate TxPowerOBSS1 based on the measured path loss and a value specified by UL spatial reuse. For example, STA3 may calculate a transmit power candidate based on the MAP TF by processing similar to the PSR-based spatial reuse shown in FIG. 8.

[0118] Similarly, when STA3 receives a trigger frame from AP2 (e.g., a signal from an AP other than the associated AP), it calculates a transmit power candidate (hereinafter referred to as "TxPowerOBSS2") based on the trigger frame. STA3 may, for example, measure a path loss using the trigger frame and calculate TxPowerOBSS2 based on the measured path loss and a value specified by UL spatial reuse. STA3 may, for example, calculate a transmit power candidate based on a trigger frame from AP2 other than the associated AP by processing similar to the PSR-based spatial reuse shown in FIG. 8.

[0119] Furthermore, when STA3 receives a trigger frame instructing uplink transmission from AP3 (for example, a trigger frame from an associated AP), STA3 calculates a transmit power candidate (hereinafter referred to as "TxPowerBSS") based on the trigger frame. STA3 may calculate TxPowerBSS based on, for example, information on transmit power control included in the trigger frame (for example, including AP TX Power and UL Target RSSI) and received power measured using the trigger frame (for example, referred to as "RxPower"). STA3 may calculate the transmit power candidate TxPowerBSS, for example, according to the above-mentioned formula (1).

[0120] Then, STA3 may set the transmission power (hereinafter referred to as "TxPow") of the uplink signal (for example, a DATA packet) based on the multiple transmission power candidates TxPowerOBSS1, TxPowerOBSS2, and TxPowerBSS according to the following equation (3). TxPow=min(TxPowerOBSS1, TxPowerOBSS2, TxPowerBSS) (3)

[0121] In this way, STA200 determines the uplink transmission power based on multiple signals (e.g., MAP TF and Trigger frame) received from multiple transmission sources (e.g., AP1, AP2, and AP3) performing uplink cooperative communication, and performs uplink transmission using the determined transmission power.

[0122] 19, for example, the transmission power value of STA3 is calculated by STA3. Also, for example, the path loss value used to calculate the transmission power value of STA3 is measured based on trigger frames transmitted from multiple APs 100 (e.g., AP1, AP2, and AP3) received by STA3. Therefore, for example, the path loss value measured by STA3 does not need to be transmitted to APs 100 (e.g., AP1, AP2, and AP3).

[0123] 19, for example, AP2 and AP3 (e.g., AP100 different from the AP that controls the cooperative communication) that are Shared APs do not need to notify AP1 that is the Sharing AP of the path loss related to STA2 and STA3. Also, STA2 and STA3 do not need to notify AP2 and AP3 of the path loss related to STA2 and STA3.

[0124] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the amount of information in inter-AP communication can be reduced in transmit power control of UL communication, so that the efficiency of transmit power control in cooperative communication can be improved even when the number of APs is three or more.

[0125] For example, if STA3 does not receive a Trigger frame from AP2, STA3 may perform transmission power control based on TxPowerOBSS1 and TxPowerBSS (for example, the same operation as STA2 shown in FIG. 17 of the second embodiment). Also, for example, if STA3 does not receive a MAP TF from AP1, STA3 may perform transmission power control based on TxPowerOBSS2 and TxPowerBSS. Also, for example, in FIG. 19, if STA3 does not receive a MAP TF from AP1 or a Trigger frame from AP2, STA3 may set, for example, TxPowerBSS as the transmission power of the DATA packet.

[0126] Furthermore, for example, the transmission order of the trigger frames in the shared AP may be the order specified by the user info field of the MAP TF. For example, if the user info field specifies AP2, AP3 in that order, the transmission order of the trigger frames may be set as shown in FIG. 19.

[0127] Also, while FIG. 19 illustrates a case where the trigger frames of AP2 and AP3 are transmitted at different timings (in other words, resources in different time domains), the trigger frames of AP2 and AP3 may be transmitted in different resources in a certain domain. For example, the trigger frames of AP2 and AP3 may be transmitted in different frequency bands (resources in different frequency domains). In this case, the time resources (or timings) in which the trigger frames of AP2 and AP3 are transmitted may be the same or different. This allows STA3 to measure the path loss between STA3 and AP2, for example, based on the trigger frame from AP2.

[0128] 19, the case where there are two Shared APs (AP2 and AP3) has been described, but the number of Shared APs may be three or more. In this case, the resources for transmitting the Trigger frames of the three or more Shared APs may be different from each other, for example, in at least one of the time domain and the frequency domain. This allows the STA 200 to measure the path loss between the STA 200 and each Shared AP, for example, based on the Trigger frames from the multiple Shared APs.

[0129] 19, the frequency band allocated to the Trigger frame of AP3 may be different from the frequency band allocated to the DATA of STA1 and STA2. By setting this frequency band, even if the transmission timing of the Trigger frame of AP3 collides (or overlaps) with the transmission timing of the DATA of STA1 and STA2, as shown in FIG. 19, for example, AP3 can transmit the Trigger frame while suppressing interference with the DATA.

[0130] 19, the transmission power of the trigger frame of AP3 may be controlled based on the path loss between AP1 and AP3 due to the MAP TF and the path loss between AP2 and AP3 due to the trigger frame transmitted by AP2. This transmission power control enables transmission power control for the trigger frame of AP3 that suppresses interference with data reception by AP1 and AP2.

[0131] Furthermore, in this embodiment, STA3 calculates TxPowerOBSS1 when it receives a MAP TF from AP1 (for example, an OBSS). In other words, STA3 does not need to calculate TxPowerOBSS1 when it does not receive a MAP TF from AP1 (for example, an OBSS). Therefore, for example, STA200 may receive an allowable interference power (also referred to as an Acceptable Maximum Interference Level) notified by a MAP TF from a sharing AP (for example, AP1 in FIG. 19). Note that information regarding the allowable interference power may be included in the Common info field of the MAP TF (or Trigger frame) as shown in FIG. 14, or in the User info field of the MAP TF (or Trigger frame) as shown in FIG. 15, or in the STA info field within the User info field as shown in FIG. 16.

[0132] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above.

[0133] (Variation 1) In the second and third embodiments, a case has been described in which the STA 200 performs uplink transmission power control based on signals from a plurality of APs 100. In a first variation, for example, the AP 100 may instruct whether to enable or disable the operation of transmission power control based on a plurality of signals.

[0134] For example, information regarding whether the operation of transmit power control based on multiple signals is enabled or disabled (e.g., referred to as "TX Power Select") may be notified to the STA 200 by a Trigger frame. For example, Tx Power Select may be indicated by Reserved (B63) in the Common info field shown in FIG. 5.

[0135] The STA 200 may determine whether to determine the transmit power based on multiple signals, for example, based on TX Power Select included in the Trigger frame. For example, when TX Power Select=0, the STA 200 may perform transmit power control based on the Trigger frame of the associated AP (transmit power control based on multiple signals: disabled). On the other hand, when TX Power Select=1, the STA 200 may perform the transmit power control described in the second or third embodiment (transmit power control based on multiple signals: enabled).

[0136] Furthermore, TX Power Select may be specified based on, for example, path loss. For example, in the second embodiment, if the path loss between STA2 and AP1 is sufficiently larger than the path loss between STA2 and AP2 (for example, if the difference is equal to or larger than a threshold), TX Power Select may be set to 0 (disabled).

[0137] Furthermore, the STA 200 may determine whether to enable or disable the transmit power control based on multiple signals based on the type of the received packet (e.g., the Trigger Type in the Common info field shown in FIG. 5) instead of using TX Power Select. For example, when the STA 200 receives a packet with a Trigger Type of MAP TF from an AP different from the associated AP, the STA 200 may enable the transmit power control based on multiple signals during the TXOP period specified in the UL Length or the preamble of the MAP TF shown in FIG. 5. This allows the operating period of the transmit power control based on multiple signals to be set (or limited).

[0138] (Variation 2) In the first, second and third embodiments, the format of the Common info field of the MAP TF may be the format shown in Fig. 20 instead of the format shown in Fig. 5. Also, the format of the User info field of the MAP TF may be the format shown in Fig. 21 instead of the format shown in Fig. 6. Also, when the formats shown in Figs. 20 and 21 are applied to the MAP TF, information on the Trigger frame shown in Fig. 22 may be set instead of information on the Trigger Type (for example, a table) shown in Fig. 7.

[0139] In FIG. 22, compared to FIG. 7, Trigger Type=Multi-AP is added.

[0140] For example, the UL / DL Flag shown in Fig. 20 may be added to the Trigger Dependent Common Info shown in Fig. 5. Also, for example, the AID12 shown in Fig. 6 may be changed to the AP ID (for example, an identifier indicating the notification destination Shared AP) shown in Fig. 21. Also, for example, a value (for example, UL HE-MCS, etc.) that is unused during C-SR in the MAP TF shown in Fig. 6 or Trigger Dependent User Info may be assigned a MAP Type and MAP Type Dependent Info.

[0141] Also, for example, the format of the MAP TF may be different from the format of the Trigger frame. For example, FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of the format of a MAP Trigger frame. In FIG. 23, the frame type being "MAP Trigger" may be specified, for example, by "Type" and "Subtype" included in the "Frame Control" field. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the type of MAC frame specified by Type and Subtype. For example, FIG. 24 is a table in which "MAP Trigger" is added to the types of MAC frames shown in FIG. 4.

[0142] In FIG. 23, for example, the "Common Info" field may indicate information common to the Shared APs performing cooperative communication, and the "Per AP info" field may indicate information specific to the Shared AP performing cooperative communication.

[0143] Also, in the Common Info fields of Figures 20 and 23, "Length" may indicate the DATA transmission / reception period including the Sharing AP's Ack transmission / reception, "BW" may indicate the frequency band used by the Sharing AP and Shared AP for transmission / reception, "TX Power" may indicate the transmission power value of the MAP TF, and "UL / DL Flag" may indicate a flag indicating the DATA transmission direction (UL communication or DL ​​communication) of the Sharing AP.

[0144] Furthermore, in the User info field shown in FIG. 21 and the Per AP Info field shown in FIG. 23, "AP ID" may indicate an identifier indicating the Shared AP to be notified, "Resource Allocation" may indicate a frequency band that the corresponding Shared AP can use, "MAP Type" may indicate a cooperation method, and "MAP Type Dependent Info" may indicate information corresponding to the cooperation method indicated by MAP Type.

[0145] Examples of MAP Types include C-SR, Joint Transmissions (JT), Coordinated Beamforming (CBF), and Coordinated Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (C-OFDMA).

[0146] For example, when MAP Type indicates C-SR, the AP Type Dependent Info may be set to the allowable interference power described in embodiment 1 if the UL / DL Flag indicates UL communication, or may be set to the maximum transmission power of the Shared AP if the UL / DL Flag indicates DL communication. Also, as an example, an example has been described in which MAP Type Dependent Info during C-SR switches between the allowable interference power and the maximum transmission power based on the UL / DL Flag, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a format that notifies both the allowable interference power and the maximum transmission power may also be used.

[0147] Also, for example, when the MAP Type indicates C-OFDMA, the MAP Type Dependent Info may be set to no information.

[0148] Furthermore, for example, enable / disable of the transmission power control based on the plurality of transmission power candidates described in the second and third embodiments may be switched based on the MAP Type. For example, when the MAP Type is C-SR, the operation of the transmission power control based on the plurality of transmission power candidates may be set to enabled, and when the MAP Type is different from C-SR, the operation of the transmission power control based on the plurality of transmission power candidates may be set to disabled.

[0149] In addition, we have explained the case where the maximum transmission power of the Shared AP is notified in the MAP Type Dependent Info when the MAP Type is C-SR, but this is not limited to this, and the allowable interference power (for example, ``maximum transmission power - path loss between the Sharing AP and the Shared AP'') may also be notified.

[0150] Variation 2 has been explained above.

[0151] In the above-described embodiments, the case where the STA 200 associates with one AP 100 (associated AP) has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the STA 200 may associate with multiple APs 100. For example, similar to the above-described first embodiment, the STA 200 may notify the multiple associated APs of path losses based on signals from multiple APs 100 including the multiple associated APs, and the multiple associated APs may control the transmission power of the STA 200. Alternatively, for example, similar to the above-described second and third embodiments, the STA 200 may control the uplink transmission power based on signals from multiple APs 100 including the multiple associated APs.

[0152] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been shown in which multiple APs perform cooperative communication with a STA, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, in the second and third embodiments, the source of multiple signals used for STA transmission power control is not limited to an AP. For example, some of the multiple APs may be replaced by STAs. For example, the present disclosure may be applied to a case in which one or more APs and one or more STAs perform cooperative communication with another STA. Alternatively, the present disclosure may be applied to a case in which two or more STAs perform cooperative communication with another STA.

[0153] Furthermore, the terms used to represent each signal (each packet) in the above-described embodiment are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to these.

[0154] Furthermore, the notation "··· part" in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with other notations such as "··· circuitry," "··· device," "··· unit," or "··· module."

[0155] The present disclosure can be realized by software, hardware, or software linked to hardware. Each functional block used in the description of the above embodiments may be partially or entirely realized as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit, and each process described in the above embodiments may be partially or entirely controlled by a single LSI or a combination of LSIs. The LSI may be composed of individual chips, or may be composed of a single chip that includes some or all of the functional blocks. The LSI may have data input and output. Depending on the degree of integration, the LSI may be called an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI.

[0156] The integrated circuit method is not limited to LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit, a general-purpose processor, or a dedicated processor. Also, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI, may be used. The present disclosure may be realized as digital processing or analog processing.

[0157] Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or other derivative technologies, it is natural that such technology can be used to integrate functional blocks. The application of biotechnology is also a possibility.

[0158] The present disclosure may be implemented in any type of apparatus, device, or system (collectively referred to as a communications apparatus) that has a communications function. The communications apparatus may include a wireless transceiver and processing / control circuitry. The wireless transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, or both functions. The wireless transceiver (transmitter and receiver) may include a radio frequency (RF) module and one or more antennas. The RF module may include an amplifier, an RF modulator / demodulator, or the like. Non-limiting examples of communication devices include telephones (e.g., cell phones, smartphones), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktops, notebooks), cameras (e.g., digital still / video cameras), digital players (e.g., digital audio / video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smartwatches, tracking devices), game consoles, digital book readers, telehealth / telemedicine devices, communication-enabled vehicles or mobile transportation (e.g., cars, airplanes, ships), and combinations of the above devices.

[0159] Communications equipment is not limited to portable or mobile equipment, but also includes non-portable or fixed equipment, devices, and systems of any kind, such as smart home devices (such as appliances, lighting equipment, smart meters or metering devices, control panels, etc.), vending machines, and any other "things" that may exist on an IoT (Internet of Things) network.

[0160] Communications include data communications via cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, communications satellite systems, etc., as well as data communications via combinations of these.

[0161] A communications apparatus also includes devices such as controllers and sensors connected or coupled to a communications device that performs the communications functions described in this disclosure, such as controllers and sensors that generate control and data signals used by the communications device to perform the communications functions of the communications apparatus.

[0162] The communication apparatus also includes infrastructure facilities, such as base stations, access points, and any other apparatus, device, or system that communicates with or controls the various apparatuses listed above, but are not limited to these.

[0163] A terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control circuit that determines an uplink transmission power based on multiple signals received from multiple transmission sources performing uplink cooperative communication, and a transmission circuit that performs uplink transmission using the determined transmission power.

[0164] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control circuit determines the uplink transmission power based on a plurality of transmission power candidates based on each of the plurality of signals.

[0165] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of signals includes a trigger frame that instructs the uplink transmission.

[0166] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of signals includes a trigger frame that instructs the start of the cooperative communication.

[0167] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the source access point to which the terminal connects is a second access point, different from the first access point that controls the cooperative communication, among the plurality of source access points.

[0168] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of time domain and frequency domain resources of trigger frames, which are the signals transmitted from the plurality of second access points, are different from each other.

[0169] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control circuit determines whether to determine the transmission power based on the plurality of signals based on information included in at least one of the plurality of signals.

[0170] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the information is included in a common information field of a trigger frame of the at least one signal.

[0171] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the information is a type of trigger frame that is the at least one signal.

[0172] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the wireless communication system further includes a receiving circuit for receiving information regarding an allowable interference power, and the control circuit determines the transmission power based on the allowable interference power.

[0173] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the information about the allowable interference power is included in a common information field of a trigger frame that is at least one of the plurality of signals.

[0174] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the information about the allowable interference power is included in a user information field of a trigger frame that is at least one of the plurality of signals.

[0175] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the information about the allowable interference power is included in a field specific to the terminal in the user information field.

[0176] A communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a transmitting circuit that transmits information related to cooperative communication, and a receiving circuit that receives uplink transmissions transmitted based on the information related to the cooperative communication, and the transmit power of the uplink transmissions is determined based on the information related to the cooperative communication.

[0177] In a communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal determines an uplink transmission power based on multiple signals received from multiple transmission sources performing uplink cooperative communication, and performs uplink transmission using the determined transmission power.

[0178] In a communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication device transmits information related to cooperative communication, receives an uplink transmission transmitted based on the information related to the cooperative communication, and the transmission power of the uplink transmission is determined based on the information related to the cooperative communication.

[0179] The disclosures of the specification, drawings and abstract contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-174019, filed on October 15, 2020, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. [Industrial Applicability]

[0180] One embodiment of the present disclosure is useful in wireless communication systems. [Explanation of symbols]

[0181] 10,200 STA 11 Control section 12 Transmitter 100 AP 101,201 Transmission packet generation unit 102,202 Radio transmitter / receiver 103,203 Received packet decoding unit 104,205 Control signal generation unit 204 Path loss measurement unit 206 Transmission power control section

Claims

1. An access point that communicates with a terminal, a receiving circuit that receives a signal transmitted on an uplink, and a transmission power of the uplink transmission is determined by the terminal to be a minimum transmission power among a plurality of transmission power candidates based on a plurality of signals received from a plurality of access points including the access point that perform uplink cooperative communication; a control circuit for decoding the received signal; Equipped with whether or not to determine the transmission power based on the plurality of signals is determined in the terminal based on information included in at least one of the plurality of signals; the information being a type of trigger frame of the at least one signal; Access point.

2. The trigger frame is a trigger frame that instructs the uplink transmission. The access point of claim 1 .

3. the trigger frame is a trigger frame that instructs the start of the cooperative communication. The access point of claim 1 .

4. a source access point to which the terminal connects is a second access point, among the plurality of access points, that is different from a first access point that controls the cooperative communication; The access point of claim 1 .

5. resources of at least one of a time domain and a frequency domain of the trigger frames, which are the signals transmitted from the plurality of second access points, are different from each other; 5. The access point of claim 4.

6. the information is included in a common information field of the trigger frame; The access point of claim 1 .

7. The transmission power is determined based on an allowable interference power. The access point of claim 1 .

8. The information about the allowable interference power is included in a common information field of the trigger frame.

8. The access point of claim 7.

9. The information about the allowable interference power is included in a user information field of the trigger frame.

8. The access point of claim 7.

10. The information about the allowable interference power is included in a field specific to the terminal in the user information field.

10. The access point of claim 9.

11. A communication method for an access point that communicates with a terminal, comprising: receiving a signal transmitted on an uplink, and determining, by the terminal, a transmit power of the uplink transmission to be the minimum transmit power among a plurality of transmit power candidates based on a plurality of signals received from a plurality of access points including the access point that perform uplink cooperative communication; decoding the received signal; Including, whether or not to determine the transmission power based on the plurality of signals is determined in the terminal based on information included in at least one of the plurality of signals; the information being a type of trigger frame of the at least one signal; Communication method.

12. An integrated circuit for an access point that communicates with a terminal, comprising: receiving a signal transmitted on an uplink, and determining, by the terminal, a transmit power of the uplink transmission to be the minimum transmit power among a plurality of transmit power candidates based on a plurality of signals received from a plurality of access points including the access point that perform uplink cooperative communication; decoding the received signal; Control the whether or not to determine the transmission power based on the plurality of signals is determined in the terminal based on information included in at least one of the plurality of signals; the information being a type of trigger frame of the at least one signal; Integrated circuit.

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