Communication methods and equipment

Abstract

This invention provides a communication method and device for receiving groupcast frames in a wider range of scenarios. [Solution] The communication method includes the step of a first multilink device (MLD) performing a listening operation via an awake-state attached station operating on an extended multilink single radio EMLSR link. The listening operation includes a first listening operation and a second listening operation, under which the attached station of the first MLD receives a groupcast frame, and under which the attached station of the first MLD performs a free channel evaluation (CCA) and receives an initial control frame of a frame exchange sequence transmitted by an access point (AP) MLD.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Application No. 2024-563990, with the invention title "Communication Method and Device", filed on October 29, 2024.

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular, to communication methods and devices.

Background Art

[0003] Currently, related protocols define multi-link devices (MLDs) such as the listening operation of non-Access Point (non-AP) MLD on the EMLSR link. However, the existing listening operation is limited to the frame reception ability and may not be able to receive frames normally in some specific scenarios.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] In an embodiment of the present application, a communication method and device that enable the reception of group cast frames in more scenarios are provided.

[0005] In an embodiment of the present application, a communication method is provided. The communication method includes:

[0006] A step in which a first multi-link device (MLD) performs a first listening operation, where the first listening operation includes a step used for the first station of the first multi-link device (MLD) to receive a group cast frame using a first reception ability.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present application, a communication method is provided. The communication method includes:

[0008] A step in which a second multilink device MLD transmits first information, the first information being used by the first multilink device MLD to perform a first listening operation, the first listening operation being used by a first station of the first multilink device MLD to receive a groupcast frame using a first receiving capability.

[0009] In embodiments of the present invention, a first multilink device is provided. This first multilink device is,

[0010] A processing unit for performing a first listening operation, the first listening operation including a processing unit that receives a groupcast frame using a first receiving capability.

[0011] In embodiments of the present invention, a second multilink device is provided. This second multilink device is,

[0012] A transmitting unit for transmitting first information, wherein the first information is used by a first multilink device (MLD) to perform a first listening operation, and the first listening operation includes a transmitting unit used by a first station on the first multilink device (MLD) to receive a groupcast frame using a first receiving capability.

[0013] In embodiments of the present invention, a first multilink device is provided, which includes a processor and memory. The memory is used to store computer programs, and the processor is used to perform the above-described method applied to the first multilink device by calling and executing the computer programs stored in the memory.

[0014] In embodiments of the present invention, a second multilink device is provided, the second multilink device including a processor and memory, the memory being used to store computer programs, and the processor being used to perform the above-described method applied to the second multilink device by calling and executing the computer programs stored in the memory.

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention provide a chip for realizing a method applicable to the first multilink device described above.

[0016] Specifically, the chip includes a processor that causes the device to which the chip is attached to perform the above method applied to the first multilink device by calling and executing a computer program from memory.

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention provide a chip for realizing a method applied to the second multilink device described above.

[0018] Specifically, the chip includes a processor for performing the above method applied to a second multilink device by calling and executing a computer program from memory.

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a device, the device is caused to perform the method applied to a first multilink device or the method applied to a second multilink device.

[0020] In embodiments of the present application, a computer program product is provided, which includes computer program instructions that cause a computer to perform the above method applicable to a first multilink device or to perform the above method applicable to a second multilink device.

[0021] In an embodiment of the present application, a computer program is provided. When executed on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the above method applied to a first multi-link device or the above method applied to a second multi-link device.

[0022] In an embodiment of the present application, a communication system is provided. The communication system

[0023] a first multi-link device for executing a method applied to a first multi-link device, and

[0024] a second multi-link device for executing a method applied to a second multi-link device.

[0025] In an embodiment of the present invention, by executing a first listening operation by a first multi-link device MLD, reception of group cast frames in more scenes can be realized.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2(A)] It is a schematic diagram of frame exchange triggered by a MU-RTS trigger frame in the EMLSR mode. [Figure 2(B)] It is an example of frame exchange triggered by a BSR trigger frame in the EMLSR mode. [Figure 3] It is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 300 according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] It is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 400 according to another embodiment of the present application. [Figure 5] It is a schematic block diagram of a first multi-link device 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a schematic block diagram of a second multi-link device 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7(A)] This is a schematic diagram of the implementation flow in one specific example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7(B)] This is a schematic diagram of the implementation flow in one specific example of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7(C)] This is a schematic diagram of the implementation flow in one specific example of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7(D)] This is diagram 4 of the implementation flow in one specific example of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7(E)] This is diagram 5 of the implementation flow in one specific example of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7(F)] This is a schematic diagram of the implementation flow in one specific example of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a schematic block diagram of a chip according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a schematic block diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] The technical solution in the embodiment of this application will be described below with reference to the drawings of the embodiment.

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention may be applied to various communication systems such as wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless fidelity (WiFi®), or other communication systems.

[0029] As an example, a communication system 100 to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied is shown in Figure 1. The communication system 100 may include an access point (AP) 110 and a station (STA) 120 that accesses the network via the access point 110.

[0030] In some scenes, it's AP or AP STA, meaning that in a sense, AP is also STA.

[0031] In some contexts, STA is also referred to as non-AP STA.

[0032] Communication in the communication system 100 may be communication between an AP and a non-AP STA, communication between two non-AP STAs, or communication between an STA and a peer STA. Here, peer STA means a device that communicates with the other party of an STA, and for example, peer STA may be an AP or a non-AP STA.

[0033] An AP (Access Point) acts as a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, primarily intended to connect each wireless network client and then allow the wireless network to access Ethernet. AP devices may be terminal devices (e.g., mobile phones) or network devices (e.g., routers). These terminal or network devices have chips that implement communication functions, such as WLAN or WiFi chips.

[0034] It is understood that the role of an STA (Network Access Terminal) is not absolute in communication systems. For example, in some scenarios, a mobile phone is a non-AP STA when it is connected to a router, and an AP when it is acting as a hotspot for other mobile phones.

[0035] APs and non-AP STAs may be devices applied to car networks, such as IoT nodes and sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT), smart cameras, smart remotes, smart meters and electric meters in smart homes, and sensors in smart cities.

[0036] In some embodiments, the non-AP STA may support the 802.11 be protocol. The non-AP STA may also support current and future 802.11 family wireless local area network (WLAN) protocols such as 802.11 ax, 802.11 ac, 802.11 n, 802.11 g, 802.11 b, and 802.11 a.

[0037] In some embodiments, the AP may be a device that supports the 802.11 be protocol. The AP may also be a WLAN protocol device that supports current and future 802.11 families such as 802.11 ax, 802.11 ac, 802.11 n, 802.11 g, 802.11 b, and 802.11 a.

[0038] In embodiments of the present application, STA includes mobile phones, tablets, computers, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless devices in industrial control, set-top boxes, wireless devices in self-driving, in-vehicle communication devices, wireless devices in remote medical, wireless devices in smart grids, wireless devices in transportation safety, wireless devices in smart cities, or wireless devices in smart homes, wireless communication chips / ASICs / SOCs, etc. that support WLAN / WiFi technology.

[0039] The frequency bands that can be supported by WLAN technology include, but are not limited to, low-frequency bands (e.g., 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz) and high-frequency bands (e.g., 45GHz, 60GHz).

[0040] Figure 1 illustrates one AP STA and two non-AP STAs, and selectively, the communication system 100 may include multiple AP STAs and other numbers of non-AP STAs, but is not limited to the embodiments of the present application.

[0041] It should be understood that the terms “system” and “network” are used interchangeably within this specification. The term “and / or” in this specification is merely a relational relationship describing the related objects and may indicate that three relationships exist. For example, A and / or B may mean that A exists alone, that A and B exist simultaneously, or that B exists alone. Furthermore, the letter “ / ” in this application generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an “or” relationship.

[0042] It is understood that the “instruction” referred to in the embodiments of the present application may be direct instruction, indirect instruction, or an indication of a relationship. For example, A instructing B may represent A directly instructing B, e.g., B obtaining through A; A indirectly instructing B, e.g., A instructing C and B obtaining through C; or it may represent a correlation between A and B.

[0043] In the description of embodiments of the present invention, the term "correspondence" may mean that there is a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or that there is a related relationship between the two, or that there is a relationship such as a referent and a referent, or a placement entity and a placement object.

[0044] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, related technologies of the embodiments of this application are described below. These related technologies may be selectively combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and all of them fall within the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application.

[0045] First, Enhanced Multi-link Single Radio (EMLSR)

[0046] The related protocols standardize EMLSR operation and provide clearer process specifications for EMLSR operation. Specifically, a non-AP MLD may operate in EMLSR mode on one particular subset of the established link set. Links in that particular subset are called EMLSR links.

[0047] A non-AP MLD may listen to the channel state of the EMLSR link via an awake state auxiliary station operating on the EMLSR link. Here, the listening operation (referred to as the second listening operation in this application) includes performing a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) and receiving an initial control frame of a frame exchange sequence transmitted by the AP MLD, the initial control frame being transmitted using a non-HT (duplicate) physical layer protocol data unit (non-HT PPDU) having a single spatial stream.

[0048] The AP attached to the AP MLD (also called the attached AP) is one of the EMLSR links, initializes frame exchange with the non-AP MLD, and transmits an initial control frame to the non-AP MLD to start the frame exchange flow. The initial control frame may be a Multiple User Request-To-Send (MU-RTS) trigger frame or a Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) trigger frame. For example, as shown in Figure 2(A), in the case of a MU-RTS trigger frame, the attached AP1 of the AP MLD transmits MU-RTS, and the attached STA1 of the non-AP MLD transmits CTS after the short interframe space (SIFS) at the end of transmission. Accordingly, the attached AP1 of the AP MLD transmits A-MPDU after the SIFS at the end of transmission, and finally the attached STA1 of the non-AP MLD transmits BlockAck. Here, both the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD are in EMLSR mode. As shown in Figure 2(B), for a BSRP trigger frame, AP1 of the AP MLD sends a BSRP trigger to STA1 of non-AP MLD1, and to STA1 of non-AP MLD2 through non-AP MLD n. In response, STA1 of non-AP MLD, and STA1 of non-AP MLD2 through non-AP MLD n perform a frame exchange flow, and STA1 of non-AP MLD, and STA1 of non-AP MLD2 through non-AP MLD n send EHT TB PPDU 1 with acknowledgement, EHT TB PPDU 2 with acknowledgement, and EHT TB PPDU n with acknowledgement. Here, both the AP MLD and non-AP MLD are in EMLSR mode.

[0049] In the case of a non-AP MLD in EMLSR mode, it must receive a MU-RTS trigger frame or a BSRP trigger frame. After receiving the initial control frame of the frame exchange sequence, such as the MU-RTS trigger frame or BSRP trigger frame, the non-AP MLD may transmit or receive frames on the link that received the initial control frame, and must not transmit or receive on other links within the EMLSR link until the frame exchange sequence is complete. Also, affected by spatial stream capability, operating mode, and link switching delay, the non-AP MLD should be able to receive Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) transmitted using multiple spatial streams after a short interframe space (SIFS) has elapsed since the transmission of response frames for the initial control frame request. During the frame exchange sequence, the AP MLD should not transmit frames to the non-AP MLD on other links within the EMLSR link. Once the frame exchange sequence is complete, the non-AP MLD switches to listening operation on the active link (e.g., immediate switching).

[0050] Second, transmission of multilink groupcast frames.

[0051] Each attached AP to an AP MLD (also called the attached AP corresponding to the AP MLD, or the AP corresponding to the AP MLD) sends and schedules a cached groupcast frame immediately after receiving a Delivery Traffic Indication Map (DTIM) beacon frame. However, one attached TWT scheduling AP of the AP MLD sends and schedules a cached groupcast frame within a Broadcast Target Wake Time (TWT) service period that is within the beacon interval for sending DTIM beacon frames.

[0052] The attached STA (i.e., attached station) of a Non-AP MLD must receive groupcast cache units (BUs) transmitted from the attached AP corresponding to the AP MLD associated with the Non-AP MLD on the corresponding link, in accordance with the following operating rules:

[0053] The rules of operation are: If dot11FMSactivated is false (i.e., the Flexible Multicast Service (FMS) is not active) and ReceiveDTIMs is true (i.e., the attached STA should be woken up to receive all DTIM frames), then the attached STA requires early awakening. This allows it to receive each non-STBC DTIM or each STBC DTIM transmitted by the AP in the Basic Service Set (BSS).

[0054] If dot11FMSactivated is true (i.e., the FMS is active) and ReceiveDTIMs is true (i.e., the sub-STA should be woken up to receive all DTIM frames), and the attached STA has permission for an alternate delivery interval for the AP's groupcast stream, then the attached STA has an FMS Counter field for a particular FMS stream and should wake up before any non-STBC DTIM or STBC DTIM whose current count value is zero.

[0055] If the indicator for a groupcast frame for the cache of one of the attached APs of an AP MLD in the Traffic Indication Map (TIM) element is received by any station attached to a non-AP MLD (i.e., received by any attached station), and the non-AP MLD is in an awakened state to receive attached stations of groupcast frames associated with that attached AP, it must selectively receive groupcast frames that are scheduled to be transmitted to all links where that attached AP resides.

[0056] As can be seen from the above, the correlation defines a listening operation on the EMLSR link of a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode (referred to as the second listening operation in this invention), which includes an initial control frame to perform a CCA and initiate frame exchange transmitted from the AP MLD, for example, a MU-RTS trigger frame or a BSRP trigger frame.

[0057] The characteristics of this second listening operation are that all associated stations corresponding to links where non-AP MLDs in the EMLSR link are in the awake state are in the listening state, and the capabilities of this second listening operation are limited. It can receive initial control frames such as CCA and MU-RTS trigger frames or BSRP trigger frames, but other types of frames cannot be received properly due to limitations in modulation and coding scheme (MCS) / rate / spatial stream (SS) / bandwidth (BW) capabilities.

[0058] Therefore, if an AP MLD supports EMLSR mode and there is a Non-AP MLD associated with it that operates in EMLSR mode, and the AP of the AP MLD on the EMLSR link does not first transmit a MU-RTS control frame when it is on the corresponding link, it will directly transmit a groupcast frame of high-order or higher-SS video traffic data, and the attached station (e.g., attached station A) on that link of the non-AP MLD (i.e., the link of the groupcast frame to which the attached AP transmits high-order or higher-SS video traffic data) is the target receiving station for that groupcast frame. In this case, if the Non-AP MLD is in a second listening operation, attached station A cannot accurately receive the groupcast frame with high-order or higher-SS video traffic data because it is limited by the encoding rate / MCS / SS / BW processing capacity of the received frame.

[0059] Based on this, the present invention provides a mechanism for receiving group cast frames to address the frame processing problems present in higher-order or more SS group cast frames used by non-AP MLDs to directly receive from stations on an EMLSR link in EMLSR mode (for example, directly receiving assuming that MU-RTS trigger frames have not been received in advance). This mechanism can support AP MLD-transmitted group cast frames in EMLSR mode and at the same time ensure that non-AP MLDs can successfully receive higher-order or more SS group cast frames in EMLSR mode. Furthermore, the present invention proposes a listening operation for non-AP MLDs on an EMLSR link to satisfy the reception of group cast frames in special scenarios.

[0060] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 300 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This method can be selectively applied to the system shown in Figure 1, but is not limited thereto. This method includes at least some of the following steps.

[0061] S310, the first multilink device MLD performs a first listening operation, which is used for a first station on the first MLD to receive a groupcast frame using a first receiving capability.

[0062] In one embodiment, the first station is an attached station of the first MLD. Specifically, the first station is a station on the first MLD corresponding to the first link, and the first station is used to listen to the first link, i.e., the first listening operation is used to listen to the channel state of the first link by the first station being in a listening state. Here, the first station may also be called a listening station. The first link is the link that transmits the groupcast frame.

[0063] In one embodiment, the first MLD is an MLD operating in extended multilink single radio EMLSR mode, and accordingly, the first link is a link within an EMLSR link.

[0064] In one embodiment, the first MLD is a non-access point (non-AP) MLD. For example, the first MLD is a non-access point (non-AP) MLD that operates in EMLSR mode and is associated with an AP MLD such as a second MLD.

[0065] Specifically, S310 is the step in which a non-access point (non-AP) MLD operating in EMLSR mode performs a first listening operation, where the first listening operation is used for the first station (i.e., a listening station) on the non-AP MLD to listen to a first link in an EMLSR link, thereby allowing the first station to receive groupcast frames via the first link using a first receiving capability. Here, the first link may be a link on which an AP MLD associated with the non-AP MLD transmits groupcast frames. Here, the AP MLD may operate in EMLSR mode. Furthermore, an access point (i.e., an attached AP) on the AP MLD may transmit groupcast frames to the first station attached to the non-AP MLD via the first link.

[0066] For example, in an EMLSR link, the two ends of the link correspond to a station on a non-AP MLD and an attached AP on an AP MLD, respectively, and the attached AP transmits a groupcast frame via that link. In response, the station receives a groupcast frame via that link. In other words, for a station, one station corresponds to one link and one AP, and the AP transmits a groupcast frame via the link corresponding to itself. In response, the station receives a groupcast frame via the link corresponding to itself. In short, there may be a one-to-one correspondence between the station, the link, and the AP.

[0067] In one embodiment, the first receiving capability is greater than or equal to the second receiving capability. The second receiving capability is the receiving capability used by the first station when the first MLD performs the second listening operation. Here, the first receiving capability may be greater than the second receiving capability.

[0068] In a specific example, the first receiving capability is the receiving capability in EMLSR mode, that is, the first receiving capability is the receiving capability of the first station to which the first MLD is attached in EMLSR mode. Accordingly, the second receiving capability is also the receiving capability in EMLSR mode, that is, the second receiving capability is the receiving capability of the first station to which the first MLD is attached in EMLSR mode.

[0069] In one embodiment, the first receiving capability includes at least one of a first rate, a first modulation and coding scheme MCS, a first spatial stream SS, and a first bandwidth BW.

[0070] In another embodiment, the second receiving capability includes at least one of a second rate, a second modulation and coding policy MCS, a second spatial stream SS, and a second bandwidth BW, wherein the second receiving capability is the receiving capability of the first station under a second listening operation.

[0071] Here, the first rating is greater than or equal to the second rating. The first MCS is better than or equal to the second MCS. The first SS is greater than or equal to the second SS. The first BW is greater than or equal to the second BW.

[0072] Furthermore, this application does not limit the number of parameters included in the first receiving capability (or second receiving capability), and for example, it may be one, two, or more of the above parameters. Accordingly, the parameters included in the first receiving capability and the parameters included in the second receiving capability may be the same or different, and the number of parameters included in the first receiving capability may be the same as or different from the number of parameters included in the second receiving capability, and this application does not limit this either.

[0073] It is understood that if at least one parameter of the first receiving capability (at least one of the above parameters) is greater than the parameter corresponding to the second receiving capability, the first receiving capability is considered to be greater than the second receiving capability. For example, the first rate included in the first receiving capability is greater than the second rate included in the second receiving capability. In this case, if the first receiving capability includes other parameters, the first receiving capability may be considered greater than or superior to the second receiving capability even if the other parameters included in the first receiving capability are equal to the corresponding parameters included in the second receiving capability. For example, the first SS included in the first receiving capability is equal to the second SS included in the second receiving capability. In this case, since the first rate included in the first receiving capability is greater than the second rate included in the second receiving capability, the first receiving capability may still be considered greater than the second receiving capability.

[0074] In one embodiment, all parameters included in the first receiving capability are greater (or better) in the second receiving capability than in the corresponding parameters. This ensures that groupcast frames can be received in a greater number of scenes. Specifically, the first station on the first MLD has the first receiving capability (or is said to have a better first receiving capability) so that it can receive groupcast frames transmitted with higher capability without having to receive initial control frames such as MU-RTS trigger frames in advance, and can still receive groupcast frames transmitted by the second MLD at a higher rate, or a higher MCS (also called a better MCS), or a higher BW, or more SS, etc.

[0075] In one embodiment, under the first listening operation, only the first station on the first MLD is in a listening state, and none of the other stations on the first MLD can enter a listening state, i.e., they do not have the ability to receive or transmit frames.

[0076] Alternatively, in another embodiment, a second station is further included on the first MLD. The first listening operation is further used to cause the second station to listen to a second link in the EMLSR link (i.e., to put the second station into a listening state), the second link being a link in the EMLSR link other than the first link. Furthermore, the second station also has the first receiving capability. That is, if the first station has the first receiving capability under the first listening operation, the second station on the first MLD may also be in a listening state to listen to other links other than the first link, in which case the second station may also have the first receiving capability.

[0077] Specifically, if the first multilink device MLD performing a first listening operation means that the first multilink device MLD maintains and performs the first listening operation, then the first listening operation is further used by a second station to listen to a second link in the EMLSR link, the second station being a station on the first MLD, and the second link being a link in the EMLSR link other than the first link. Alternatively, if the first multilink device MLD performing a first listening operation means that the first multilink device MLD switches from a second listening operation to a first listening operation, then the first listening operation prevents the second station from listening.

[0078] In this embodiment, if the first station has a first receiving capability under the first listening operation, there may be one or more second stations in an awake state on the first MLD, and the application is not limited thereto. For example, if the first station has a first receiving capability under the first listening operation, all second stations in an awake state on the first MLD may be in a listening state, and all second stations may have the first receiving capability. In this case, the receiving capabilities of the first station and the second stations may be different; for example, the second station may have a second receiving capability, or other receiving capabilities, and as long as the first station has the first receiving capability and can successfully receive groupcast frames, the application is not limited thereto and falls within the scope of protection.

[0079] For example, the first listening operation (i.e., the first listening operation in EMLSR mode) may specifically mean that an attached station (for example, abbreviated as a listening station, e.g., the first station) operating on a non-AP MLD in EMLSR mode and corresponding to a specific link in the EMLSR link (e.g., the first link) can receive groupcast frames transmitted using a higher rate / higher MCS / more SS / higher BW.

[0080] Furthermore, the terms "higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW" as used in this application mean at least one or more of the following: higher rate, higher MCS, higher SS, and higher BW, i.e., at least one.

[0081] Furthermore, there are two cases for the first listening operation in which the non-AP MLD enters EMLSR mode.

[0082] Case 1: Under the first listening operation, an attached station (e.g., the first station) can be put into a listening state corresponding to the frame exchange processing of a specific link (e.g., the first link) within the EMLSR link, i.e., under the first listening operation, the receiving capability (also called frame processing capability) of frames of the attached station (e.g., the first station) corresponding to a specific link (e.g., the first link) matches the frame exchange processing capability of that specific link, i.e., it can receive groupcast frames transmitted using a higher rate / higher MCS / more SS / higher BW. Also, in this state, it is not possible to listen to any other links within the EMLSR link other than the specific link (e.g., the first link), i.e., other links other than the specific link cannot transmit or receive frames. For example, in this case, by merging and switching links, the first station may have a stronger first receiving capability by merging the transmit / receive capabilities within the EMLSR link (e.g., the transmit / receive capabilities of other stations within the EMLSR link) into the first station.

[0083] Case 2: Under the first listening operation, an attached station (e.g., the first station) on a specific link (e.g., the first link) in EMLSR mode has the capability to receive groupcast frames transmitted at a higher rate / higher MCS / higher BW / more SS, and can therefore keep all attached stations (e.g., the second station) in the awake state on the EMLSR link in a listening state. At this time, the attached stations in the awake state (e.g., the second station) may have the same or different receiving capabilities as the first station. The present application provides for protection if the first station has the capability to receive groupcast frames transmitted at a higher rate / higher MCS / higher BW / more SS. In this case, since no link merging and switching is performed, it is understood that the receiving capability of the first station at this time may be weaker than the receiving capability after link merging and switching.

[0084] In one embodiment, the second listening operation is used to have a target station on the first MLD (i.e., an auxiliary station of the first MLD) listen to the corresponding link, where the target station is an awake station on the first MLD and has the second receiving capability, for example, the second receiving capability includes at least one of performing an empty channel evaluation CCA and receiving an initial control frame to initiate frame exchange. Alternatively, for example, if there are two or more target stations in the awake state on the first MLD, the second listening operation can each give the two or more target stations on the first MLD the second receiving capability. That is, in the second listening operation, any auxiliary station in the awake state on the first MLD, for example, one, more, or all of the awake auxiliary stations, can all be in a listening state, and any auxiliary station in a listening state has the second receiving capability, for example, a second receiving capability that is lower than the first receiving capability.

[0085] For example, the second listening operation (i.e., the first listening operation in EMLSR mode) operates on a non-AP MLD in EMLSR mode, meaning that all associated stations (i.e., target stations) in the awakened state corresponding to the EMLSR link are in a listening state, where the receiving capability of each station corresponding to the EMLSR link, i.e., the second receiving capability, is capable of receiving initial control frames such as CCA or MU-RTS trigger frames, but other types of frames cannot be accurately received because they are limited to capabilities such as rate / MCS / SS / BW.

[0086] In one embodiment, the first MLD receives a groupcast frame via a first station using the first receiving capability. Furthermore, the groupcast frame received using the first receiving capability is carried by a Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU), and the PPDU is Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM physical layer protocol data unit PPDU, Non-high throughput non-HT duplicate DUP PPDU and, With extremely high throughput VHT PPDU, High-throughput HT PPDU and High-efficiency HE single-user SU PPDU and, Includes at least one PPDU supported by an extremely high-throughput EHT station STA, including an extremely high-throughput EHT multi-user MU PPDU.

[0087] For example, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode can receive PPDUs transmitted using a higher rate / higher MCS / higher spatial stream (SS) / higher BW at an associated station (e.g., the first station) corresponding to a specific link in an EMLSR link (i.e., the first link). Here, the PPDU may be at least one of the PPDUs supported by an EHT STA, including OFDM PPDU, non-HT DUP PPDU, VHT PPDU, HT PPDU, HE SU PPDU, and EHT MU PPDU, thus ensuring that the non-AP MLD can correctly receive PPDUs carrying groupcast frames using at least one of the following parameters, where the parameters include a higher rate, a higher MCS, a higher SS, and a higher BW.

[0088] In one embodiment, when the reception of the groupcast frame is complete, the first MLD switches from the first listening operation to the second listening operation. For example, when the non-AP MLD completes the reception of the groupcast frame, for example, the non-AP MLD confirms that the reception of the groupcast frame is complete based on an instruction, or when the groupcast frame is transmitted within the broadcast TWT service period or the Groupcast With Retries (GCR) service period, the non-AP MLD switches from the first listening operation in EMLSR mode to the second listening operation in EMLSR mode when it reaches the end of the broadcast TWT service period or GCR service period SP and there are no groupcast frames being received.

[0089] In aspects of the present invention, the first multilink device MLD performs a first listening operation using several methods, as described below.

[0090] Method 1: The first MLD performs a first listening operation based on the first information. Specifically, S310 means that the first MLD performs a first listening operation based on the first information. Furthermore, the first information is used for the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time. Specifically, S310 means that the first MLD causes the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time based on the first information.

[0091] In one example, the first information includes a target time, and in this case, the first information is used to enable the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time included in the first information. Alternatively, in another example, the first information does not include a target time. In this case, the target time is received in advance by the first MLD. In this case, the first information is used to enable the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the pre-acquired target time. The present application protects all cases where the first information enables the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time, without limiting whether or not the target time is included in the first information.

[0092] In one embodiment, step S310 specifically includes the first multilink device MLD switching from a second listening operation to the first listening operation, or the first multilink device MLD maintaining and performing the first listening operation. Furthermore, step S310 specifically includes the first multilink device MLD switching from a second listening operation to the first listening operation based on the first information, or the first multilink device MLD performing the first listening operation based on the maintenance of the first information.

[0093] In one embodiment, the method includes a first time point, which specifically includes at least one of the following:

[0094] (1) The expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame. At this time, the first MLD performs the first listening operation at the expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame, or at a time earlier than the expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame. Here, the expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame may be any predetermined time, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0095] (2) The target beacon transmission time (TBTT) of the expected delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame. Here, the transmission time of the expected groupcast frame is slower than the TBTT of the DTIM beacon frame. At this time, the first MLD performs the first listening operation at the TBTT of the expected DTIM beacon frame, or at a time before the TBTT of the expected DTIM beacon frame.

[0096] (3) The start time of the broadcast target awaken time TWT service period SP when it is expected to transmit the groupcast frame. Here, the expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame is within the TWT service period SP. At this time, the first MLD performs the first listening operation at the start time of the broadcast target awaken time TWT service period SP when it is expected to transmit the groupcast frame, or at a time before the start time.

[0097] (4) The TBTT of a non-spatial-time block code non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of a particular flexible groupcast service FMS stream is zero. Here, the transmission time of the expected groupcast frame is after the TBTT of the non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of the FMS stream is zero. At this time, the first MLD performs the first listening operation at a time before the TBTT of the non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of a particular FMS stream is zero, or before the TBTT of the non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of a particular FMS stream is zero.

[0098] (5) The start time of the retry-enabled groupcast GCR service period in which it is expected to send a groupcast frame. Here, the expected time of sending the groupcast frame falls within the GCR service period. At this time, the first MLD performs the first listening operation at the start time of the retry-enabled groupcast GCR service period in which it is expected to send the groupcast frame, or at a time prior to that start time.

[0099] For example, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode can listen to the link that schedules and transmits groupcast frames (i.e., the first link) within the EMLSR link by performing a first listening operation in advance of the expected groupcast frame transmission time. Furthermore, when a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode performs the first listening operation, it may receive groupcast frames via the first link, and after confirming that the reception of groupcast frames is complete, it may switch to a second listening operation. In other words, if a non-AP MLD is associated with an AP MLD that supports one EMLSR mode, and the non-AP MLD operates using EMLSR mode on an EMLSR link, and a groupcast frame is scheduled to be transmitted over one of the EMLSR links corresponding to the non-AP MLD (e.g., the first link), and a station on that link (e.g., the first link) on the non-AP MLD (station A, i.e., the first station) is preparing to receive the groupcast frame, the non-AP MLD must ensure that it enters the first link operation in advance, either at or before the expected groupcast frame transmission time. This allows station A to listen on the link (i.e., the first link) transmitting the groupcast frame and receive it correctly.

[0100] Furthermore, for the sender of a groupcast frame, the AP attached to the AP MLD uses at least one of the following methods to schedule and send cached groupcast frames:

[0101] (1) The AP attached to the AP MLD schedules and transmits the cached groupcast frame at the expected groupcast frame transmission time. Here, the expected groupcast frame transmission time may be any predetermined time, and is not limited to this.

[0102] (2) The AP attached to the AP MLD sends a DTIM beacon frame, and then schedules and sends a cached groupcast frame. For example, after each DTIM beacon frame, it schedules and sends a cached groupcast frame.

[0103] (3) An AP attached to an AP MLD schedules and transmits groupcast frames within a broadcast TWT service period SP. For example, one AP attached to an AP MLD is a TWT scheduling AP, which schedules and transmits cached groupcast frames within a broadcast TWT service period SP that is in a beacon interval that transmits DTIM beacon frames.

[0104] (4) Send cached groupcast frames using a specific flexible groupcast service FMS. For example, schedule and send cached groupcast frames after TBTT for a non-space-time block code non-STBC DTIM beacon frame where the current count value of the FMS counter domain of a specific flexible groupcast service FMS stream is zero.

[0105] (5) Send cached groupcast frames using GCR. For example, schedule and send cached groupcast frames within the GCR service period.

[0106] For example, when an AP MLD schedules to send a cached groupcast frame after a DTIM beacon frame via a link within an EMLSR link (e.g., the first link), a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will first enter a first listening operation on the link that will schedule and send the groupcast frame (i.e., the first link) at or before the expected DTIM beacon frame TBTT. Subsequently, after receiving the DTIM beacon frame, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will maintain the first listening operation (i.e., maintain the frame exchange operation state) for the link that will schedule and send the groupcast frame (e.g., the first link) until the reception of the groupcast frame is complete, thus maintaining listening to the link that will schedule and send the groupcast frame (e.g., the first link) by maintaining the first listening operation. Furthermore, when a non-AP MLD receives an instruction, for example, that the number of More Data subfields in a groupcast frame sent by the first link AP is 0, and it is confirmed that there are no more groupcast frames, it then returns from the first listening operation (also called frame exchange operation) to the second listening operation in EMLSR mode.

[0107] Furthermore, for example, if an AP MLD schedules and transmits cached groupcast frames within a broadcast TWT service period or GCR service period, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will first enter a first listening operation on the link to which the groupcast frames are scheduled to be transmitted (e.g., the first link) at or before the start time of the broadcast TWT service period or GCR service period in which the groupcast frames are scheduled to be transmitted, i.e., enter a first listening operation in advance and listen to the link to which the groupcast frames are scheduled to be transmitted (e.g., the first link). Subsequently, after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will maintain the first listening operation (i.e., maintain the frame exchange operation state) on the link to which the groupcast frames are scheduled to be transmitted (e.g., the first link) until the reception of the groupcast frame is complete, i.e., maintain listening to the link to which the groupcast frames are scheduled to be transmitted (e.g., the first link) by maintaining the first listening operation. Furthermore, when the non-AP MLD receives an instruction confirming the absence of groupcast frames (i.e., that reception of groupcast frames has been completed), the non-AP MLD returns from the first listening operation (i.e., frame exchange operation) to the second listening operation in EMLSR mode, or, if the end of the broadcast TWT service period or GCR service period (SP) has been reached and there are no groupcast frames being received, it returns from the first listening operation to the second listening operation in EMLSR mode.

[0108] In one embodiment, the first time point is one that has been previously received by the first MLD. Specifically, the first time point is one that has been previously received by the first MLD from a related second MLD. More specifically, the first time point is one that has been previously received by a non-AP MLD from a related AP MLD. For example, the first time point is one that has been received before S310. This ensures that the first MLD performs a first listening operation in advance of the expected transmission of a groupcast frame so that the first station listens to the link on which to schedule and transmit a groupcast frame within the EMLSR link.

[0109] Method 2, the first information is a delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame. The DTIM beacon frame is used for the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time. Furthermore, a difference from Method 1 is that in Method 2, the target time includes a second time point. That is, the DTIM beacon frame is used for the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the second time point.

[0110] In one example, the DTIM beacon frame may include a target time (e.g., a second time point), i.e., a target time to be carried. In this case, it is understood that the DTIM beacon frame is used to cause the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time to be carried to the DTIM beacon frame. Alternatively, in another example, the DTIM beacon frame does not include a target time, i.e., does not carry a target time. In this case, the target time is received in advance by the first MLD, and the DTIM beacon frame is used to cause the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the previously acquired target time. The present invention protects all cases where the DTIM beacon frame can cause the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time, without limiting whether or not the target time is carried to the DTIM beacon frame.

[0111] In one embodiment, the first MLD performs the second listening operation before the expected TBTT of the transmitted DTIM beacon frame, i.e., the second listening operation is performed by the first MLD before the target beacon transmission time TBTT of the expected transmitted DTIM beacon frame. Furthermore, the first MLD performing the first listening operation based on first information may specifically include the first MLD switching from the second listening operation to the first listening operation before the second time point or before the second time point. That is, in this scheme two, the first MLD performs the second listening operation before the expected TBTT of the transmitted DTIM beacon frame, receives the DTIM beacon frame in the case of the second listening operation, and further switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation before the second time point or before the second time point. This allows the first station of the first MLD to switch from a lower second receiving capability to a higher first receiving capability, ensuring that the first station of the first MLD can successfully receive groupcast frames.

[0112] Furthermore, the second time point includes the expected groupcast frame transmission time after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete, where the DTIM beacon frame is received by the first MLD under the second listening operation. That is, the expected groupcast frame transmission time is after the time the DTIM beacon frame is transmitted. At this time, the first MLD receives the DTIM beacon frame first and performs the first listening operation either after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete and before the expected groupcast frame transmission time, or after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete and before the expected groupcast frame transmission time. It is understood that the first MLD performs the first listening operation when the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete.

[0113] For example, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode may enter a second listening operation before the TBTT of a DTIM beacon frame when preparing to receive a groupcast frame on one link within an EMLSR link. Then, after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete and before the time to schedule and transmit the expected groupcast frame, the first station of the first MLD switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation, thereby listening on the link (e.g., the first link) on which the groupcast frame will be scheduled and transmitted within the EMLSR link. Here, under the first listening operation, the first station has first receiving capability, thus ensuring that the groupcast frame can be successfully received. Furthermore, under the first listening operation, the non-AP MLD receives groupcast frames via the first station until the reception of the groupcast frame is complete. If the non-AP MLD receives an instruction confirming that there are no further groupcast frames, reception may be considered complete. After that, the system returns from the first listening operation (i.e., the frame exchange operation) to the second listening operation.

[0114] It is understood that an AP MLD needs to wait a sufficient amount of time after transmitting a DTIM beacon frame on an EMLSR link before beginning to schedule and transmit a groupcast frame. In this way, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode and associated with such an AP MLD may switch to the first listening operation of the link that schedules and transmits groupcast frames on the EMLSR link (e.g., the first link) after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete and before the time to transmit or transmit the groupcast frame.

[0115] Method three, the first information is determined based on a first instruction. The first instruction is used to indicate whether or not to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame. For example, the first instruction is specifically used to indicate to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame, or to indicate that it is not necessary to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame. Furthermore, in this method three, the first instruction may be expressed in the following two ways, each of which is:

[0116] The first method, The first instruction is used to uniformly instruct whether a first MLD corresponding to an access point AP performs the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame. Here, the access point AP is the AP corresponding to a second MLD to which the first MLD is associated, and the AP corresponding to the second MLD includes at least one of the APs attached to the second MLD and the APs pointed to by the BSSID in a multiple Basic Service Set Identifier set (multiple BSSID set) to which the APs attached to the second MLD are located.

[0117] For example, the first MLD that the access point AP corresponds to is specifically the first MLD that the first station corresponding to the access point AP corresponds to, and both ends of a link (for example, a link in an EMLSR link) correspond to the first station on the first MLD and the access point AP corresponding to the second MLD, respectively. Then, the station, link, and AP can each correspond one-to-one. Based on this, it is understood that the access point AP corresponds to a station, and that the station corresponds to the first MLD.

[0118] In the first instruction, the target time is not conveyed; for example, the first time point is not conveyed. The purpose of the first instruction is to indicate whether or not a first listening operation should be performed when it is necessary to receive a group cast. Based on this, the first time point may be obtained in advance by the first MLD by other means, and the present application does not impose any specific limitations thereon. Alternatively, in another case, the first instruction may not only indicate whether or not a first listening operation should be performed when it is necessary to receive a group cast, but may also convey a target time such as the first time point. In this case, it is not necessary for the first MLD to obtain the first time point in advance. In actual applications, the two methods described above may be selected and implemented, and the present application does not limit this.

[0119] In one embodiment, the value of the first instruction is used to uniformly instruct a first MLD corresponding to an access point AP to perform the first listening operation when a groupcast frame needs to be received, provided that the value of the first instruction is a first value (e.g., 1).

[0120] Alternatively, when the value of the first instruction is a second value (e.g., 0), it is used to uniformly indicate that the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP does not need to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame.

[0121] In one embodiment, the first instruction is conveyed by an EMLSR operation instruction element. Furthermore, the first instruction is conveyed by a first field within the EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0122] In one embodiment, the first field includes a second instruction. If the possible value of the second instruction is a third value (e.g., 1), then the first field includes the first instruction.

[0123] In one embodiment, the first field is an EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control. The first instruction is an EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator instruction. Furthermore, the second instruction is an EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present instruction. Here, the EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present instruction is used to indicate whether or not the first field (i.e., the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control) contains an EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator instruction.

[0124] In actual use, the EMLSR operation instruction element may include other fields, and it is understood that the present invention is not particularly limited to the fields included.

[0125] For example, Table 1 shows an example of fields (also called domains) included in the EMLSR operation instruction element in the first case, and Table 2 shows an example of instructions included in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control in the first case. [Table 1] [Table 2]

[0126] As shown in Table 1, the EMLSR operation instruction element consists of an element identifier (Element ID), a length, and an element ID extension, where each of the element identifier, length, and element ID extension occupies 1 byte, and their specific definitions may be the same as those in the relevant standards.

[0127] Furthermore, the EMLSR operation indicator element further includes an EMLSR operation indicator bitmap control, which occupies one byte.

[0128] As shown in Table 2, the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control includes EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present, and if the value of EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present is 1, the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control further includes EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator and Reserved. Here, EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present, EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator, and Reserved occupy 1 bit, 1 bit, and 6 bits, respectively. Based on this, EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present, EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator, and Reserved included in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control occupy a total of 1 byte.

[0129] Here, the EMLSR unified operation instruction (or EMLSR unified operation instruction domain, i.e., the first instruction) is used to uniformly instruct whether a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to an AP should perform a first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a group cast frame. The first listening operation is used so that a first station corresponding to an AP on the non-AP MLD has a first receiving capability, and furthermore, so that the first station listens to a link on which the AP is located. In other words, the EMLSR unified operation instruction is used to uniformly instruct whether a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to an AP should have a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and so that the AP should perform a first listening operation on a link on which it is located (e.g., the first link), when it is necessary to receive a group cast frame.

[0130] Here, the AP includes at least one of the APs attached to the AP MLD and the APs pointed to by the BSSID in a multiple BSSID set that includes the APs attached to the AP MLD. The non-AP MLD is associated with the AP MLD.

[0131] A non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to an AP may specifically be a non-AP MLD operating in the EMLSR mode corresponding to the station corresponding to the AP (for example, the first station).

[0132] Furthermore, when the value of the EMLSR Operation Unified Instruction is 1, if it is necessary to receive a group cast frame, it indicates that a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to the AP has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher (SS) / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and that the AP performs a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link).

[0133] When the value of the EMLSR Operation Unified Instruction is 0, if it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame, it indicates that the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to the AP has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher (SS) / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and that the AP does not need to perform a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link).

[0134] In one embodiment, the EMLSR operation instruction element is carried by a management frame. In this case, the first information may be a management frame in particular. Furthermore, the first MLD receives the management frame. Specifically, the first MLD receives the management frame before S310. For example, since the first MLD receives the management frame transmitted by the second MLD, it is easy to perform the first listening operation based on the management frame. Here, in one example, the management frame includes a traffic instruction map TIM beacon frame.

[0135] The second method, The position of each bit in the first instruction is used to specify an access point (AP). The value of each bit in the first instruction is used to indicate whether the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP will perform a first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame.

[0136] Here, the access point AP is an AP corresponding to a second MLD to which the first MLD is associated, and the AP corresponding to the second MLD includes at least one of the attached AP of the second MLD and the AP pointed to by the BSSID in a multi-BSSID set to which the attached AP of the second MLD is located.

[0137] For example, the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP is specifically the first MLD corresponding to the first station corresponding to the access point AP, and both ends of a link (for example, a link in an EMLSR link) correspond to the first station on the first MLD and the access point AP corresponding to the second MLD, respectively. Then, the station, link, and AP can each be corresponded to one-to-one. Based on this, it is understood that the access point AP corresponds to a station, and the station corresponds to the first MLD.

[0138] In the first instruction, the target time is not conveyed; for example, the first time point is not conveyed. The purpose of the first instruction is to indicate whether or not a first listening operation should be performed when it is necessary to receive a group cast. Based on this, the first time point may be obtained in advance by the first MLD by other means, and the present application does not specifically limit this. Alternatively, in another case, the first instruction may not only indicate whether or not a first listening operation should be performed when it is necessary to receive a group cast, but may also convey a target time such as the first time point. In this case, the first MLD does not need to obtain the first time point in advance. In actual applications, the two methods described above may be selected and implemented, and the present application does not limit this.

[0139] In one embodiment, the first MLD corresponding to an access point AP is used to instruct the first listening operation to perform when the value of each bit of the first instruction is a fourth value (e.g., 1) and a groupcast frame needs to be received.

[0140] Alternatively, when the value of each bit of the first instruction is a fifth value (e.g., 0), it is used to indicate that the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP does not need to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame.

[0141] In one embodiment, the first instruction is conveyed by an EMLSR operation instruction element. Furthermore, the first instruction is conveyed by a second field within the EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0142] In one embodiment, the second field is a portion of the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap, which is formed by cutting out a portion of consecutive bits in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap.

[0143] In one embodiment, the EMLSR operation instruction element includes a first field, where the value of the second instruction in the first field is a sixth value (e.g., 0), the first field includes a third instruction. The third instruction is used to indicate the position of a portion of consecutive bits to be cut out from the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap. In one embodiment, the third instruction is a bitmap offset amount. This allows the portion of the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap to be cut out from the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap based on the bitmap offset amount.

[0144] In one embodiment, the first field is an EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control. The first instruction is an EMLSR operation unification instruction. Furthermore, the second instruction is the presence of the EMLSR operation unification instruction, which is used to indicate whether the first field (i.e., the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control) contains the EMLSR operation unification instruction. For example, if the value of the presence of the EMLSR operation unification instruction is a third value (e.g., 1), the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control includes the EMLSR operation unification instruction. In this case, it may further include a hold. In this case, whether the corresponding first MLD needs to perform a first listening operation is uniformly indicated by the EMLSR operation unification instruction. Furthermore, if the value of the presence of the EMLSR operation unification instruction is a sixth value (e.g., 0), the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control includes a bitmap offset amount. In this case, the EMLSR operation instruction element must also include some EMLSR operation instruction bitmaps, and further, through some EMLSR operation instruction bitmaps, it must be indicated whether or not the corresponding first MLD should perform the first listening operation.

[0145] In actual use, the EMLSR operation instruction element may include other fields, and it is understood that the present invention is not particularly limited to the fields that may be included.

[0146] It can be understood that the possible values ​​described above, from the first to the sixth, are merely specific examples, and in actual use, other values ​​such as 2, 3, or 10 may be taken for the first to sixth values, and the present application is not limited thereto.

[0147] For example, Table 3 shows an example of a field (also called a domain) included in an EMLSR operation instruction element in the second case, and Table 4 shows an example of an instruction included in an EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control in the second case. [Table 3] [Table 4]

[0148] As shown in Table 3, the EMLSR operation instruction element consists of an element identifier (Element ID), a length, and an element ID extension, where each of the element identifier, length, and element ID extension occupies 1 byte, and their specific definitions may be the same as those in the relevant standards.

[0149] Furthermore, the EMLSR operation indicator element includes an EMLSR operation indicator bitmap control and a partial EMLSR operation indicator bitmap, where the EMLSR operation indicator bitmap control is instructed to occupy 1 byte. The partial EMLSR operation indicator bitmap is instructed to occupy a numerical byte of any value between 1 and 251. Here, in the first method described above, it is understood that the number of bytes occupied by the partial EMLSR operation indicator bitmap is 0.

[0150] As shown in Table 4, the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control includes an EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present, and if the value of the EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present is 0, the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control further includes a Bitmap Offset. Here, the EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present and the Bitmap Offset occupy 1 bit and 7 bits, respectively. Based on this, the EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present and the Bitmap Offset included in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control occupy 1 byte.

[0151] Here, the bitmap offset amount may be similar to the definition of the bitmap offset amount domain of the TIM element in the correlation standard, but the difference is that the bitmap offset amount domain of the TIM element in the correlation standard corresponds to the traffic indication virtual bitmap, while the bitmap offset amount in this application corresponds to the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap.

[0152] Furthermore, some EMLSR operation instruction bitmaps (also called some EMLSR operation instruction bitmap domains or fields) are formed by extracting a contiguous set of meaningful bits from within the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap. This extraction method is consistent with the method used to form some traffic mark virtual bitmaps of TIM elements in the relevant standards, and these traffic mark virtual bitmaps are formed by extracting bits at contiguous positions within a portion of the traffic mark virtual bitmap. The difference lies in the different definitions of the bit values ​​used in each.

[0153] Specifically, in the proposed solution, the position of each bit in the EMLSR operation indication bitmap corresponds to an AP, where the AP includes at least one of the APs associated with the AP MLD and the APs pointed to by the BSSID in a multi-BSSID set in which the AP MLD's associated APs are located. In this application, the definition of bit positions in the EMLSR operation indication bitmap is consistent with the definition of the correspondence between APs and bit positions when a groupcast frame cache exists in the traffic tag virtual bitmap of a TIM element in the relevant standards.

[0154] Furthermore, the value of each bit in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap is used to indicate whether a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to the AP corresponding to this bit will perform a first listening operation when a group cast frame cache exists. The first listening operation is used when a first station corresponding to the AP on the non-AP MLD has first receiving capability, and the first station listens to a link on which the AP is located. Alternatively, the value of each bit in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap is used to indicate whether a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to the AP corresponding to this bit will perform a first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a group cast frame. The first listening operation is used when a first station corresponding to the AP on the non-AP MLD has first receiving capability, and the first station listens to a link on which the AP is located.

[0155] In other words, the value of each bit in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap indicates whether, if a group cast frame cache exists, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to the AP corresponding to this bit has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and whether that AP needs to perform a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link).

[0156] A non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to an AP is, specifically, a non-AP MLD operating in the EMLSR mode corresponding to a station corresponding to an AP (e.g., a first station). The non-AP MLD is associated with the AP MLD.

[0157] Furthermore, when the EMLSR operation has a bit value of 1 in the bitmap, the AP corresponding to that bit indicates that, if a groupcast frame cache exists, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to that AP has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and that AP needs to perform a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link).

[0158] When the EMLSR operation has a bit value of 0 in the bitmap, the AP corresponding to that bit indicates that, if a groupcast frame cache exists, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to that AP has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and that the AP does not need to perform a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link).

[0159] In one embodiment, the EMLSR operation instruction element is carried by a management frame. In this case, the first information may be a management frame in particular. Furthermore, the first MLD receives the management frame. Specifically, the first MLD receives the management frame before S310. For example, since the first MLD receives the management frame transmitted by the second MLD, it is easy to perform the first listening operation based on the management frame. Here, in one example, the management frame may further specifically include a traffic instruction map TIM beacon frame.

[0160] Method 4: The first piece of information is a target initial control frame, which is used to indicate that a group cast frame will be sent after the target initial control frame. In certain examples, the target initial control frame does not need to be replied to.

[0161] In one embodiment, prior to step S310, the first MLD receives the target initial control frame. It is understood that the target initial control frame is transmitted by the second MLD when the first MLD needs to perform the first listening operation, where the second MLD is an MLD related to the first MLD. For example, if the second MLD anticipates transmitting a group cast frame using a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW, it transmits the target initial control frame to the first MLD in advance, informing it that it will transmit the group cast frame after the target initial control frame, and causing the first MLD to perform the first listening operation. This allows for the successful reception of the group cast frame transmitted using the higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW.

[0162] In one case, the first multilink device (MLD) performing the first listening operation means, specifically, that the first multilink device (MLD) switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation, or more specifically, that the first MLD switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation after receiving the target initial control frame. Alternatively, in another case, the first MLD is currently (i.e., when or before receiving the target initial control frame) in the first listening operation. In this case, there is no need to switch, and the first listening operation can be maintained, i.e., the first listening operation can be continued. In this way, groupcast frames transmitted using higher rates / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW can be successfully received.

[0163] In one embodiment, the target initial control frame includes an instruction duration, which is the maximum available duration for the first MLD to switch to the first listening operation. That is, if a switch is necessary, the first MLD must switch to the first listening operation within the maximum available duration. This facilitates the successful reception of groupcast frames. Furthermore, the first multilink device MLD performing the first listening operation specifically means that the first multilink device MLD switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation, and more specifically, that the first MLD switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation within the instruction duration. Alternatively, in another case, the first MLD is currently in the first listening operation. In this case, there is no need to switch, and it is sufficient to maintain the first listening operation, i.e., to continuously perform the first listening operation.

[0164] In one embodiment, the target initial control frame is a variation of the multi-user request transmission MU-RTS trigger frame. Furthermore, the value of the trigger type subdomain of the variation of the MU-RTS trigger frame is different from the value of the trigger type subdomain of the MU-RTS trigger frame.

[0165] In one embodiment, the target initial control frame, for example, a variation MU-RTS trigger frame, is used to signal that a group cast frame will be transmitted after the MU-RTS trigger frame. The purpose of the variation MU-RTS trigger frame is to signal the first MLD to transmit a group cast frame after the MU-RTS trigger frame, and the transmitted group cast frame uses a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW, so the first MLD does not need to reply after receiving the variation MU-RTS trigger frame, and only needs to switch to a first listening operation within the instruction duration carried by the variation MU-RTS trigger frame, or the first MLD is in a first listening operation when it receives the variation MU-RTS trigger frame, i.e., a first listening operation. At this time, there is no need to reply, and the first listening operation can be continued.

[0166] For example, if an AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode is expected to transmit a groupcast frame using a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW, it will transmit a groupcast frame that does not require a reply, such as a variation of the MU-RTS trigger frame, before transmitting the groupcast frame. This will signal that the groupcast frame will be transmitted after the target initial control frame and that the transmitted groupcast frame will use a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / BW (and also signal the non-AP MLD associated with the AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode, which also operates in EMLSR mode). Simultaneously, the target initial control frame carries a specified padding duration (i.e., instruction duration), allowing the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode to successfully receive the groupcast frame by providing sufficient time to switch to the first listening operation in advance on a specific link within the EMLSR link (i.e., the link transmitting the groupcast frame, such as the first link).

[0167] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 400 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This method may be selectively applied to the system shown in Figure 1, but is not limited thereto. This method includes at least some of the following:

[0168] S410, the second multilink device MLD transmits first information. The first information is used by the first multilink device MLD to perform first listening. The first listening operation is used by the first station on the first MLD to receive a groupcast frame using first receiving capability.

[0169] In one embodiment, both the first MLD and the second MLD are MLDs that operate in EMLSR mode.

[0170] In one embodiment, the second MLD is an access point AP MLD, and the first MLD is a non-access point (non-AP) MLD corresponding to the AP MLD. Furthermore, the second MLD is an MLD operating in EMLSR mode, and the first MLD is a non-access point (non-AP) MLD operating in EMLSR mode and associated with the AP MLD (i.e., the second MLD).

[0171] In one embodiment, the first station is an attached station of the first MLD. Specifically, the first station is a station on the first MLD corresponding to the first link, and the first station is used to listen to the first link, i.e., the first listening operation is used because the first station is in a listening state to listen to the channel state of the first link. Here, the first station may also be called a listening station. The first link is the link that transmits the groupcast frame.

[0172] In one embodiment, the link 1 above is a link within the EMLSR link.

[0173] Specifically, S410 indicates that an access point AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode transmits first information, which is used by a non-access point (non-AP) MLD to perform a first listening operation. Here, the first listening operation is used by a first station (i.e., a listening station) on the non-AP MLD to listen to a first link in the EMLSR link, thereby allowing the first station to receive groupcast frames via the first link using a first receiving capability. Here, the first link may be a link on which an AP MLD associated with the non-AP MLD transmits groupcast frames. For example, an access point AP (i.e., an attached AP) on the AP MLD may transmit groupcast frames via the first link. The non-AP MLD also operates in EMLSR mode.

[0174] For example, in an EMLSR link, the two ends of the link correspond to a station on a non-AP MLD and an attached AP on an AP MLD, respectively, and the attached AP transmits a groupcast frame via the link. In response, the station receives the groupcast frame via the link. That is, for an AP, one AP corresponds to one link and one station, and the AP transmits a groupcast frame through the link corresponding to itself. In response, the station receives the groupcast frame via the link corresponding to itself. In other words, there may be a one-to-one correspondence between the station, the link, and the AP.

[0175] In one embodiment, the first receiving capability is greater than or equal to the second receiving capability. The second receiving capability is the receiving capability that the first MLD employs at the first station when performing a second listening operation. For example, the first receiving capability may be greater than the second receiving capability.

[0176] In a specific example, the first receiving capability is the receiving capability in EMLSR mode, that is, the first receiving capability is the receiving capability of the first station to which the first MLD is attached in EMLSR mode. Accordingly, the second receiving capability is also the receiving capability in EMLSR mode, that is, the second receiving capability is the receiving capability of the first station to which the first MLD is attached in EMLSR mode.

[0177] In one embodiment, the first receiving capability includes at least one of a first rate, a first modulation and coding scheme MCS, a first spatial stream SS, and a first bandwidth BW.

[0178] In another embodiment, the second receiving capability includes at least one of a second rate, a second modulation and coding policy MCS, a second spatial stream SS, and a second bandwidth BW, wherein the second receiving capability is the receiving capability of the first station under a second listening operation.

[0179] Here, the first rating is greater than or equal to the second rating. The first MCS is better than or equal to the second MCS. The first SS is greater than or equal to the second SS. The first BW is greater than or equal to the second BW.

[0180] Furthermore, this application does not limit the number of parameters included in the first receiving capability (or second receiving capability), and for example, it may be one, two, or more of the above-mentioned parameters. Accordingly, the parameters included in the first receiving capability and the parameters included in the second receiving capability may be the same or different, and the number of parameters included in the first receiving capability may be the same as or different from the number of parameters included in the second receiving capability, and this application does not limit this either.

[0181] It is understood that if at least one parameter of the first receiving capability (at least one of the above parameters) is greater than the parameter corresponding to the second receiving capability, the first receiving capability is considered to be greater than the second receiving capability. For example, the first rate included in the first receiving capability is greater than the second rate included in the second receiving capability. In this case, if the first receiving capability includes other parameters, the first receiving capability may be considered greater than or superior to the second receiving capability even if the other parameters included in the first receiving capability are equal to the corresponding parameters included in the second receiving capability. For example, the first SS included in the first receiving capability is equal to the second SS included in the second receiving capability. In this case, since the first rate included in the first receiving capability is greater than the second rate included in the second receiving capability, the first receiving capability may still be considered greater than the second receiving capability.

[0182] In one embodiment, all parameters included in the first receiving capability are greater than (or better than) the corresponding parameters of the second receiving capability. This ensures that groupcast frames can be received in a greater number of scenes. Specifically, the first station on the first MLD has the first receiving capability (or is said to have a better first receiving capability) so that it can receive groupcast frames transmitted with higher capability without having to receive initial control frames such as MU-RTS trigger frames in advance, and can still receive groupcast frames transmitted using a higher rate, or a higher MCS, or a higher BW, or a higher SS, etc.

[0183] In one embodiment, under the first listening operation, only the first station on the first MLD is in a listening state, and none of the other stations on the first MLD can enter a listening state, i.e., they do not have the ability to receive or transmit frames.

[0184] Alternatively, in another embodiment, a second station is further included on the first MLD. The first listening operation is further used to cause the second station to listen to a second link in the EMLSR link (i.e., to put the second station into a listening state), the second link being a link in the EMLSR link other than the first link. Furthermore, the second station also has the first receiving capability. That is, if the first station has the first receiving capability under the first listening operation, the second station on the first MLD may be in a listening state to listen to other links other than the first link. In this case, the second station may have the first receiving capability.

[0185] Specifically, if the first multilink device MLD performing a first listening operation means that the first multilink device MLD maintains and performs the first listening operation, then the first listening operation is further used by a second station to listen to a second link in the EMLSR link, the second station being a station on the first MLD, and the second link being a link in the EMLSR link other than the first link. Alternatively, if the first multilink device MLD performing a first listening operation means that the first multilink device MLD switches from a second listening operation to a first listening operation, then the first listening operation prevents the second station from listening.

[0186] In this embodiment, if the first station has first receiving capability under the first listening operation, there may be one or more second stations in the awake state on the first MLD, and the application is not limited thereto. For example, if the first station has first receiving capability under the first listening operation, all second stations in the awake state on the first MLD may be in a listening state, and all second stations may have first receiving capability.

[0187] For example, the first listening operation (i.e., the first listening operation in EMLSR mode) may specifically mean that an attached station (abbreviated as a listening station, e.g., the first station) operating on a non-AP MLD in EMLSR mode and corresponding to a specific link in the EMLSR link (e.g., the first link) can receive groupcast frames transmitted using a higher rate / higher MCS / more SS / higher BW. Furthermore, there are two cases for the first listening operation in which the non-AP MLD enters EMLSR mode.

[0188] Case 1: Under the first listening operation, an attached station (e.g., the first station) can be put into a listening state corresponding to the frame exchange processing of a specific link (e.g., the first link) within the EMLSR link, i.e., under the first listening operation, the receiving capability (also called frame processing capability) of frames of the attached station (e.g., the first station) corresponding to a specific link (e.g., the first link) matches the frame exchange processing capability of that specific link, i.e., it can receive groupcast frames transmitted using a higher rate / higher MCS / more SS / higher BW. Also, in this state, it is not possible to listen to any other links within the EMLSR link other than the specific link (e.g., the first link), i.e., other links other than the specific link cannot transmit or receive frames. For example, in this case, by merging and switching links, the first station may have a stronger first receiving capability by merging the transmit / receive capabilities within the EMLSR link (e.g., the transmit / receive capabilities of other stations within the EMLSR link) into the first station.

[0189] Case two, under the first listening operation, an attached station (e.g., the first station) with a specific link (e.g., the first link) in EMLSR mode has the capability to receive groupcast frames transmitted using a higher rate / higher MCS / higher BW / more SS, and can therefore keep all attached stations (e.g., the second station) in the awake state on the EMLSR link in a listening state. At this time, the attached stations in the awake state (e.g., the second station) may have the same or different receiving capabilities as the first station. The present application provides for protection if the first station has the capability to receive groupcast frames transmitted at a higher rate / higher MCS / higher BW / more SS. In this case, since no link merging and switching is performed, it is understood that the receiving capability of the first station at this time may be weaker than the receiving capability after link merging and switching.

[0190] In one embodiment, the second listening operation is used to have a target station on the first MLD (i.e., an auxiliary station of the first MLD) listen to the corresponding link, where the target station is an awake station on the first MLD and has a second receiving capability, for example, the second receiving capability includes at least one of performing an empty channel evaluation CCA and receiving an initial control frame to initiate frame exchange. Alternatively, for example, if there are two or more awake target stations on the first MLD, the second listening operation can each give two or more target stations on the first MLD a second receiving capability. That is, in the second listening operation, any of the awake auxiliary stations on the first MLD, for example, one, more, or all of the awake auxiliary stations, can be in a listening state, and any auxiliary station in a listening state has a second receiving capability, for example, a second receiving capability that is lower than the first receiving capability.

[0191] For example, the second listening operation (i.e., the first listening operation in EMLSR mode) operates on a non-AP MLD in EMLSR mode, meaning that all associated stations (i.e., target stations) in the awakened state corresponding to the EMLSR link are in a listening state, where the receiving capability of each station corresponding to the EMLSR link, i.e., the second receiving capability, is capable of receiving initial control frames such as CCA or MU-RTS trigger frames, but other types of frames cannot be accurately received because they are limited to capabilities such as rate / MCS / SS / BW.

[0192] In one embodiment, the transmission of the groupcast frame by the second MLD specifically means that the second MLD transmits the groupcast frame on a first link that was listened to when the first MLD performed a first listening operation. More specifically, the AP attached to the second MLD transmits the groupcast frame on a first link that was listened to when the first MLD performed a first listening operation. Accordingly, the first MLD receives the groupcast frame using a first station that listens to the first link and has first receiving capabilities.

[0193] In one embodiment, the group cast frame transmitted by the second MLD is carried by a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), and the PPDU is Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM physical layer protocol data unit PPDU, Non-high throughput non-HT duplicate DUP PPDU and, With extremely high throughput VHT PPDU, High-throughput HT PPDU and High-efficiency HE single-user SU PPDU and, Includes at least one PPDU supported by an extremely high-throughput EHT station STA, including an extremely high-throughput EHT multi-user MU PPDU.

[0194] Accordingly, the first MLD receives the groupcast frame via the first station using the first receiving capability. For example, an attached AP of an AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode transmits a PPDU carrying the groupcast frame on a specific link in the EMLSR link (i.e., the first link) using at least one of the following parameters. Accordingly, an attached station (e.g., the first station having the first receiving capability) corresponding to a specific link in the EMLSR link (i.e., the first link) of a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode can successfully receive the PPDU transmitted by the attached AP of the AP MLD. Here, the parameters include a higher rate, a higher MCS, a higher SS, and a higher BW.

[0195] In one embodiment, the second MLD transmits the groupcast frame at the following time points, i.e., the second MLD transmits the groupcast frame via the attached AP at the following time points. The specific time points include the following:

[0196] (1) The expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame. Here, the expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame may be any predetermined time, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the AP attached to AP MLD schedules and transmits the cached groupcast frame at the expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame.

[0197] (2) The time after the delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame has been sent. That is, the expected time of sending the groupcast frame is after the TBTT when the DTIM beacon frame is sent. For example, an AP attached to AP MLD will schedule and send a cached groupcast frame after sending a DTIM beacon frame. For example, after each DTIM beacon frame, a cached groupcast frame will be scheduled and sent.

[0198] (3) Broadcast target awaken time, a point in time within the TWT service period SP. That is, the expected groupcast frame transmission time is within the broadcast TWT service period SP. For example, an AP attached to AP MLD schedules and transmits groupcast frames within the broadcast TWT service period SP. For example, one AP attached to AP MLD is a TWT scheduling AP, and the TWT scheduling AP schedules and transmits cached groupcast frames within the broadcast TWT service period SP within the beacon interval for transmitting DTIM beacon frames.

[0199] (4) A time after TBTT of a non-spatial time-division groupcast non-STBC DTIM beacon frame where the current count value of the FMS counter domain of a particular flexible groupcast service FMS stream is zero. That is, the expected groupcast frame transmission time is after TBTT of a non-STBC DTIM beacon frame where the current count value of the FMS counter domain of the FMS stream is zero. For example, a cached groupcast frame is scheduled and transmitted at a time after TBTT of a non-spatial time-division groupcast non-STBC DTIM beacon frame where the current count value of the FMS counter domain of a particular flexible groupcast service FMS stream is zero.

[0200] (5) Within the GCR service period for groupcast with retries. That is, the expected groupcast frame transmission time falls within the GCR service period. For example, cached groupcast frames are scheduled and transmitted within the GCR service period.

[0201] In one embodiment, the first information transmitted by the second MLD and used to cause the first multilink device MLD to perform a first listening operation may be obtained using one of several methods, such as the following.

[0202] Method 1: The first information is used by the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time. That is, the first MLD can be made to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time based on the first information.

[0203] In one example, the first information includes a target time. In this case, it is understood that the first information is used to enable the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time included in the first information. Alternatively, in another example, the first information does not include a target time. In this case, the target time is transmitted in advance by the second MLD to the first MLD, i.e., received in advance by the first MLD. In this case, the first information is used to enable the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the pre-acquired target time. The present application protects all cases that enable the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time, without limiting whether or not the target time is included in the first information.

[0204] In one embodiment, the first information is used for the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time; specifically, the first information is used for the first MLD to switch from the second listening operation to the first listening operation at or before the target time, or the first MLD is in the first listening operation state when the first information is received. In this case, it is sufficient to simply continue performing the first listening operation.

[0205] In one embodiment, the method includes a first time point, which specifically includes at least one of the following:

[0206] (1) The expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame. At this time, the first MLD performs the first listening operation at the expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame, or at a time earlier than the expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame. Here, the expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame may be any predetermined time, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0207] (2) The target beacon transmission time (TBTT) of the expected delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame. Here, the transmission time of the expected groupcast frame is slower than the TBTT of the DTIM beacon frame. At this time, the first MLD performs the first listening operation at the TBTT of the expected DTIM beacon frame, or at a time earlier than the TBTT of the expected DTIM beacon frame.

[0208] (3) The start time of the broadcast target awaken time TWT service period SP at which the groupcast frame is expected to be transmitted. Here, the expected time of transmission of the groupcast frame is within the broadcast TWT service period SP. At this time, the first MLD performs the first listening operation at the start time of the broadcast target awaken time TWT service period SP at which the groupcast frame is expected to be transmitted, or at a time before the start time.

[0209] (4) The TBTT of a non-spatial-time block code non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of a particular flexible groupcast service FMS stream is zero. Here, the transmission time of the expected groupcast frame is after the TBTT of the non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of the FMS stream is zero. At this time, the first MLD performs the first listening operation at a time before the TBTT of the non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of a particular FMS stream is zero, or before the TBTT of the non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of a particular FMS stream is zero.

[0210] (5) The start time of the retry-enabled groupcast GCR service period for sending the expected groupcast frame. Here, the time of sending the expected groupcast frame falls within the GCR service period. At this time, the first MLD performs the first listening operation at the start time of the retry-enabled groupcast GCR service period for sending the expected groupcast frame, or at a time prior to the start time.

[0211] For specific examples of the receiving side, i.e., the first MLD side, please refer to the explanation above, and understand that they will not be explained here.

[0212] In one embodiment, the first time point is determined by the second MLD. Furthermore, the first time point is transmitted in advance by the second MLD to the first MLD. For example, before step S410, the second MLD transmits the first time point to the first MLD. This ensures that the first MLD performs a first listening operation in advance of the expected transmission of groupcast frames so that the first station listens to the link on which to schedule and transmit groupcast frames within the EMLSR link.

[0213] Method two, the first information is a DTIM beacon frame, that is, step S410 specifically means that the first MLD transmits a DTIM beacon frame, and the DTIM beacon frame is used by the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time.

[0214] In one example, the DTIM beacon frame may include a target time (e.g., a second time point), i.e., a target time to be carried. In this case, it is understood that the DTIM beacon frame is used to enable the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time carried by the DTIM beacon frame. Alternatively, in another example, the DTIM beacon frame does not include a target time, i.e., does not carry a target time. In this case, the target time is transmitted in advance by the first MLD to the first MLD, i.e., received in advance by the first MLD, and the DTIM beacon frame is used to enable the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the pre-acquired target time. The present invention protects all cases where the DTIM beacon frame can cause the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time, without limiting whether or not the target time is carried in the DTIM beacon frame.

[0215] In one embodiment, the difference from method 1 is that in method 2, the target time includes a second time point. Furthermore, the DTIM beacon frame is used to switch from the second listening operation to the first listening operation at or before the second time point.

[0216] Furthermore, the second time point includes the expected groupcast frame transmission time after the first MLD has finished receiving the DTIM beacon frame, where the DTIM beacon frame is received by the first MLD under the second listening operation. That is, the expected groupcast frame transmission time is after the time the DTIM beacon frame is transmitted. At this time, the first MLD receives the DTIM beacon frame first and performs the first listening operation either after the expected groupcast frame transmission time after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete, or before the expected groupcast frame transmission time after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete. It is understood that the first MLD performs the first listening operation when the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete.

[0217] For example, an AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode transmits a DTIM beacon frame on a specific link within the EMLSR link (e.g., the first link). At this time, a non-AP MLD (associated with the AP MLD) operating in EMLSR mode may enter a second listening operation before the TBTT of the DTIM beacon frame when preparing to receive a groupcast frame on that link within the EMLSR link (the first link). Then, after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete and before the time to schedule and transmit the expected groupcast frame, the first station of the first MLD switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation, thereby listening on the link (e.g., the first link) within the EMLSR link that will schedule and transmit the groupcast frame. Under the first listening operation, the first station has first receiving capability. In this way, it is ensured that the groupcast frame can be received successfully.

[0218] It is understood that an AP MLD needs to wait a sufficient amount of time after transmitting a DTIM beacon frame on an EMLSR link before beginning to schedule and transmit a groupcast frame. In this way, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode and associated with such an AP MLD may switch to the first listening operation of the link that schedules and transmits groupcast frames on the EMLSR link (e.g., the first link) after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete and before the time to transmit or transmit the groupcast frame.

[0219] Method three, the first information is determined based on a first instruction. The first instruction is used to indicate whether or not to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame. For example, the first instruction is specifically used to indicate to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame, or to indicate that it is not necessary to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame. Furthermore, in this method three, the first instruction may be expressed in the following two ways, each of which is:

[0220] The first method, The first instruction is used to uniformly instruct whether a first MLD corresponding to an access point AP performs the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame. Here, the access point AP is the AP corresponding to a second MLD to which the first MLD is associated, and the AP corresponding to the second MLD includes at least one of the APs attached to the second MLD and the APs pointed to by the BSSID in a multi-BSSID set to which the APs attached to the second MLD are located.

[0221] For example, the first MLD that the access point AP corresponds to is specifically the first MLD that the first station corresponding to the access point AP corresponds to. Both ends of a link (for example, a link in an EMLSR link) correspond to the first station and the access point AP corresponding to the second MLD on the first MLD, respectively. Then, the station, link, and AP can each be corresponded to one-to-one. Based on this, it is understood that the access point AP corresponds to a station, and that the station corresponds to the first MLD.

[0222] In the first instruction, the target time is not conveyed; for example, the first time point is not conveyed. The purpose of the first instruction is to indicate whether or not a first listening operation should be performed when it is necessary to receive a group cast. Based on this, the first time point may be obtained in advance by the first MLD by other means, and the present application does not impose any specific limitations thereon. Alternatively, in another case, the first instruction may not only indicate whether or not a first listening operation should be performed when it is necessary to receive a group cast, but may also convey a target time such as the first time point. In this case, the first MLD does not need to obtain the first time point in advance. In actual applications, the two methods described above may be selected and implemented, and the present application does not limit this.

[0223] In one embodiment, the value of the first instruction is used to uniformly instruct a first MLD corresponding to an access point AP to perform the first listening operation when a groupcast frame needs to be received, provided that the value of the first instruction is a first value (e.g., 1).

[0224] Alternatively, when the value of the first instruction is a second value (e.g., 0), it is used to uniformly indicate that the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP does not need to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame.

[0225] In one embodiment, the first instruction is conveyed by an EMLSR operation instruction element. Furthermore, the first instruction is conveyed by a first field within the EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0226] In one embodiment, the first field includes a second instruction. If the value of the second instruction is a third value (e.g., 1), then the first field includes the first instruction.

[0227] In one embodiment, the first field is an EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control. The first instruction is an EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator instruction. Furthermore, the second instruction is an EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present instruction. Here, the EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present instruction is used to indicate whether or not the first field (i.e., the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control) contains an EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator instruction.

[0228] In actual use, the EMLSR operation instruction element may include other fields, and it is understood that the present invention does not particularly limit the fields that may be included.

[0229] In one embodiment, the EMLSR operation instruction element is carried by a management frame. In this case, the first information may be a management frame in particular. Furthermore, the first MLD receives the management frame. Specifically, the first MLD receives the management frame before S310. For example, since the first MLD receives the management frame transmitted by the second MLD, it is easy to perform the first listening operation based on the management frame. Here, in one example, the management frame includes a traffic instruction map TIM beacon frame.

[0230] The second method, The position of each bit in the first instruction is used to specify an access point (AP). The value of each bit in the first instruction is used to indicate whether the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP will perform a first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame.

[0231] Here, the access point AP is an AP corresponding to a second MLD to which the first MLD is associated, and the AP corresponding to the second MLD includes at least one of the attached AP of the second MLD and the AP pointed to by the BSSID in a multi-BSSID set to which the attached AP of the second MLD is located.

[0232] For example, the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP is specifically the first MLD corresponding to the first station corresponding to the access point AP. Both ends of a link (for example, a link in an EMLSR link) correspond to the first station and the access point AP corresponding to the second MLD on the first MLD, respectively. Then, the station, link, and AP can each be corresponded to one-to-one. Based on this, it is understood that the access point AP corresponds to a station, and the station corresponds to the first MLD.

[0233] In the first instruction, the target time is not conveyed; for example, the first time point is not conveyed. The purpose of the first instruction is to indicate whether or not a first listening operation should be performed when it is necessary to receive a group cast. Based on this, the first time point may be obtained in advance by the first MLD by other means, and the present application does not impose any specific limitations thereon. Alternatively, in another case, the first instruction may not only indicate whether or not a first listening operation should be performed when it is necessary to receive a group cast, but may also convey a target time such as the first time point. In this case, it is not necessary for the first MLD to obtain the first time point in advance. In actual applications, the two methods described above may be selected and implemented, and the present application does not limit this.

[0234] In one embodiment, the first MLD corresponding to an access point AP is used to instruct the first listening operation to perform when the value of each bit of the first instruction is a fourth value (e.g., 1) and a groupcast frame needs to be received.

[0235] Alternatively, when the value of each bit of the first instruction is a fifth value (e.g., 0), it is used to indicate that the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP does not need to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame.

[0236] In one embodiment, the first instruction is conveyed by an EMLSR operation instruction element. Furthermore, the first instruction is conveyed by a second field within the EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0237] In one embodiment, the second field is a portion of the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap, which is formed by cutting out a portion of consecutive bits in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap.

[0238] In one embodiment, the EMLSR operation instruction element includes a first field, where the first field includes a third instruction if the value of the second instruction in the first field is a sixth value (e.g., 0). The third instruction is used to indicate the position of a portion of consecutive bits to be cut out from the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap. In one embodiment, the third instruction is a bitmap offset amount. This allows the portion of the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap to be cut out from the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap based on the bitmap offset amount.

[0239] In one embodiment, the first field is an EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control. The first instruction is an EMLSR operation unification instruction. Furthermore, the second instruction is the presence of an EMLSR operation unification instruction, which is used to indicate whether the first field (i.e., the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control) contains an EMLSR operation unification instruction. For example, if the value of the presence of the EMLSR operation unification instruction is a third value (e.g., 1), the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control contains the EMLSR operation unification instruction. In this case, it may further include a hold. In this case, whether the corresponding first MLD needs to perform a first listening operation is uniformly indicated by the EMLSR operation unification instruction. Furthermore, if the value of the presence of the EMLSR operation unification instruction is a sixth value (e.g., 0), the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control contains a bitmap offset amount. In this case, the EMLSR operation instruction element must further include some EMLSR operation instruction bitmaps. Furthermore, certain EMLSR operation instruction bitmaps must be used to indicate whether the corresponding first MLD should perform the first listening operation.

[0240] In actual use, the EMLSR operation instruction element may also include other fields, and it is understood that the present invention does not particularly limit the fields that may be included.

[0241] In one embodiment, the EMLSR operation instruction element is carried by a management frame. In this case, the first information may be a management frame in particular. Furthermore, the first MLD receives the management frame. Specifically, the first MLD receives the management frame before S310. For example, since the first MLD receives the management frame transmitted by the second MLD, it is easy to perform the first listening operation based on the management frame. Here, in one example, the management frame may further specifically include a traffic instruction map TIM beacon frame.

[0242] Specific examples of the first and second methods can be found in the first MLD-related example, and it will be understood that they will not be repeated here.

[0243] Method 4: The first piece of information is a target initial control frame, which is used to indicate that a group cast frame will be sent after the target initial control frame. In certain examples, the target initial control frame does not need to be replied to.

[0244] In one embodiment, it is understood that the target initial control frame is transmitted by the second MLD when the first MLD needs to perform the first listening operation, where the second MLD is an MLD related to the first MLD. For example, if the second MLD anticipates transmitting a groupcast frame using a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW, it transmits a target initial control frame to the first MLD in advance to inform it that it will transmit the groupcast frame after the target initial control frame, causing the first MLD to perform the first listening operation. This allows the groupcast frame transmitted using the higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW to be successfully received.

[0245] In one case, the first multilink device (MLD) performing the first listening operation means, specifically, that the first multilink device (MLD) switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation, or more specifically, that the first MLD switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation after receiving the target initial control frame. Alternatively, in another case, the first MLD is currently (i.e., when or before receiving the target initial control frame) in the first listening operation. In this case, there is no need to switch, and the first listening operation can be maintained, i.e., the first listening operation can be continued. In this way, groupcast frames transmitted using higher rates / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW can be successfully received.

[0246] In one embodiment, the target initial control frame includes an instruction duration, which is the maximum available duration for the first MLD to switch to the first listening operation. For example, if the first MLD needs to perform the first listening operation, the second MLD transmits the target initial control frame so that the first MLD switches to the first listening operation within the maximum available duration when it needs to switch. This facilitates the first MLD to successfully receive the groupcast frame.

[0247] In one embodiment, the target initial control frame is a variation of the multi-user request transmission MU-RTS trigger frame. Furthermore, the value of the trigger type subdomain of the variation of the MU-RTS trigger frame is different from the value of the trigger type subdomain of the MU-RTS trigger frame.

[0248] In one embodiment, the target initial control frame, for example, a variation MU-RTS trigger frame, is used to signal that a group cast frame will be transmitted after the MU-RTS trigger frame. The purpose of the variation MU-RTS trigger frame is to signal the first MLD to transmit a group cast frame after the MU-RTS trigger frame, and the transmitted group cast frame uses a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW, so that the first MLD does not need to reply after receiving the variation MU-RTS trigger frame, but only needs to switch to a first listening operation within the instruction duration carried by the variation MU-RTS trigger frame, or the first MLD is in a first listening operation when it receives the variation MU-RTS trigger frame, i.e., at this time, it does not need to reply, and only needs to continue performing the first listening operation.

[0249] For example, if an AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode is expected to transmit a groupcast frame using a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW, it will transmit a groupcast frame that does not require a reply, such as a variation of the MU-RTS trigger frame, before transmitting the groupcast frame. This will signal that the groupcast frame will be transmitted after the target initial control frame and that the transmitted groupcast frame will use a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / BW (and also signal the non-AP MLD associated with the AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode, which also operates in EMLSR mode). Simultaneously, the target initial control frame carries a specified padding duration (i.e., instruction duration), allowing the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode to successfully receive the groupcast frame by providing sufficient time to switch to the first listening operation in advance on a specific link within the EMLSR link (i.e., the link transmitting the groupcast frame, such as the first link).

[0250] In an embodiment of the present invention, a first multilink device is further provided. As shown in Figure 5, the first multilink device 500 includes a processing unit 510.

[0251] The processing unit 510 is used to perform a first listening operation. The first listening operation involves a first station on a first multilink device MLD receiving a groupcast frame using a first receiving capability.

[0252] In one embodiment, The first receiving capability is greater than or equal to the second receiving capability. The second receiving capability is the receiving capability used by the first station when the first MLD performs the second listening operation.

[0253] In one embodiment, the processing unit is specifically used to perform a first listening operation based on first information.

[0254] In one embodiment, the first information is used for the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time.

[0255] In one embodiment, the target time includes a first time point, and the first time point is specifically: The expected time of sending the groupcast frame, The predicted delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame target beacon transmission time TBTT, and The broadcast target awake time TWT service period SP start time is expected to send a groupcast frame, TBTT of a non-space-time block code non-STBC DTIM beacon frame where the current count value of the FMS counter domain of a specific flexible groupcast service FMS stream is zero, The start time of the Groupcast GCR service period with retries, which may include at least one of the following: sending the expected Groupcast frame.

[0256] In one embodiment, the first time point is one that has been previously received by the first MLD.

[0257] In one embodiment, the first information is a delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame. The DTIM beacon frame is used by the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time.

[0258] In one embodiment, the target time includes a second time point, the second time point including an expected groupcast frame transmission time after the reception of the delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame is completed, the DTIM beacon frame being received by the first MLD under a second listening operation.

[0259] In one embodiment, the processing unit 510 is specifically used to switch from the second listening operation to the first listening operation at or before the second time point. The second listening operation is performed before the first MLD is performed at the target beacon transmission time TBTT of the expected transmitted DTIM beacon frame.

[0260] In one embodiment, the first information is determined based on a first instruction, which is used to indicate whether or not to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame.

[0261] In one embodiment, the first instruction is used to uniformly instruct whether a first MLD corresponding to an access point AP performs the first listening operation when a groupcast frame needs to be received.

[0262] The access point AP is an AP that corresponds to the second MLD to which the first MLD is related, and the AP that corresponds to the second MLD is It includes at least one of the attached APs of the second MLD and the APs pointed to by the BSSID in a multi-BSSID set that has the attached AP of the second MLD.

[0263] In one embodiment, the value of the first instruction is used to uniformly instruct a first MLD corresponding to an access point AP to perform the first listening operation when a groupcast frame needs to be received.

[0264] Alternatively, it is used to uniformly instruct that when the value of the first instruction is the second value and when it is necessary to receive a group cast frame, the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP does not need to execute the first listening operation.

[0265] In one embodiment, the first instruction is carried by an EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0266] In one embodiment, the first instruction is carried by a first field within an EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0267] In one embodiment, the first field includes a second instruction.

[0268] When the value of the second instruction is the third value, the first field includes the first instruction.

[0269] In one embodiment, the first instruction is a unified EMLSR operation instruction.

[0270] In one embodiment, the position of each bit in the first instruction is used to indicate the access point AP. The access point AP is the AP corresponding to the second MLD related to the first MLD, and the AP corresponding to the second MLD includes at least one of the attached AP of the second MLD and the AP pointed to by the BSSID in the multi-BSSID set where the attached AP of the second MLD is located.

[0271] The value of each bit in the first instruction is used to indicate whether the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP needs to execute the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a group cast frame.

[0272] In one embodiment, when the value of each bit of the first instruction is the fourth value, it is used to instruct the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a group cast frame.

[0273] Alternatively, when the value of each bit of the first instruction is the fifth value, it is used to instruct that the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP does not need to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a group cast frame.

[0274] In one embodiment, the first instruction is carried by an EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0275] In one embodiment, the first instruction is carried by a second field within the EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0276] In one embodiment, the second field is a partial EMLSR operation instruction bitmap, and the partial EMLSR operation instruction bitmap is formed by cutting off a part of consecutive bits within the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap.

[0277] In one embodiment, the EMLSR operation instruction element includes a first field.

[0278] When the value of the second instruction in the first field is the sixth value, the first field includes a third instruction. The third instruction is used to indicate the position of a portion of consecutive bits cut from the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap.

[0279] In one embodiment, the third instruction is a bitmap offset amount.

[0280] In one embodiment, the second instruction is the presence of an EMLSR unified operation instruction, where the EMLSR unified operation instruction is used to indicate whether or not the first field contains an EMLSR unified operation instruction.

[0281] In one embodiment, the first field is an EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control.

[0282] In one embodiment, the EMLSR operation instruction element is transported by a management frame.

[0283] In one embodiment, the management frame includes a traffic instruction map TIM beacon frame.

[0284] In one embodiment, the system further includes a first receiving unit.

[0285] The first receiving unit is used to receive management frames.

[0286] In one embodiment, the first information is a target initial control frame, which is used to indicate that a group cast frame will be sent after the target initial control frame.

[0287] In one embodiment, the target initial control frame includes an instruction duration, which is the maximum available duration for the first MLD to switch to the first listening operation.

[0288] In one embodiment, the target initial control frame is a variation of the multi-user request transmission MU-RTS trigger frame.

[0289] In one embodiment, the value of the trigger type subdomain of the MU-RTS trigger frame of the variation is different from the value of the trigger type subdomain of the MU-RTS trigger frame.

[0290] In one embodiment, a second receiving unit is further included.

[0291] The second receiving unit receives the target initial control frame. The target initial control frame is transmitted by a second MLD when a first MLD needs to execute the first listening operation. The second MLD is an MLD related to the first MLD.

[0292] In one embodiment, specifically, the processing unit switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation, or maintains and executes the first listening operation.

[0293] In one embodiment, the first receiving capability includes at least one of a first rate, a first modulation and coding scheme MCS, a first spatial stream SS, and a first bandwidth BW. Alternatively, the second receiving capability includes at least one of a second rate, a second modulation and coding policy MCS, a second spatial stream SS, and a second bandwidth BW, and the second receiving capability is the receiving capability that the first station has under the second listening operation. Here, the first rate is greater than or equal to the second rate. The first MCS is better than or equal to the second MCS. The first SS is greater than or equal to the second SS. The first BW is greater than or equal to the second BW.

[0294] In one embodiment, the second listening operation is used by a target station on the first MLD to listen to the link corresponding to the target station, where the target station is a station in an awake state on the first MLD, the target station has the second receiving capability, and the second receiving capability includes at least one of performing a clear channel assessment CCA and receiving an initial control frame for starting frame exchange.

[0295] In one embodiment, it further includes a third receiving unit.

[0296] The third receiving unit receives the groupcast frame via the first station using the first receiving capability.

[0297] In one embodiment, the group cast frame received using the first receiving capability is carried by a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), and the PPDU is Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM physical layer protocol data unit PPDU, Non-high throughput non-HT duplicate DUP PPDU and, With extremely high throughput VHT PPDU, High-throughput HT PPDU and High-efficiency HE single-user SU PPDU and, Includes at least one PPDU supported by an extremely high-throughput EHT station STA, including an extremely high-throughput EHT multi-user MU PPDU.

[0298] In one embodiment, the processing unit is further included.

[0299] When the processing unit has finished receiving the group cast frame, it switches from the first listening operation to the second listening operation.

[0300] In one embodiment, the first station is a station on a first MLD corresponding to the first link, the first station is used to listen to the first link, and the first link is the link that transmits the groupcast frames.

[0301] In one embodiment, the first MLD is an MLD operating in extended multilink single radio EMLSR mode. Accordingly, the first link is a link within the EMLSR link.

[0302] In one embodiment, the first MLD is a non-access point (non-AP) MLD.

[0303] In one embodiment, if the first multilink device MLD performing a first listening operation means the first multilink device MLD maintaining and performing the first listening operation, the first listening operation further involves a second station being used to listen to a second link in the EMLSR link, the second station being a station on the first MLD, and the second link being a link in the EMLSR link other than the first link. or, If the first multilink device MLD performing a first listening operation means that the first multilink device MLD switches from a second listening operation to a first listening operation, then the first listening operation prevents the second station from listening.

[0304] The first multilink device 500 in the embodiment of the present application can realize the corresponding functions of the first multilink device in the embodiment of the method described above. The flow, functions, implementation methods, and beneficial effects corresponding to each module (submodule, unit, or component, etc.) in this first multilink device 500 will not be repeatedly described here, as they are described in the corresponding descriptions in the embodiment of the method described above. Note that the functions described for each module (submodule, unit, or component, etc.) in the first multilink device 500 according to the embodiment of the present application may be realized by different modules (submodules, units, or components, etc.) or by the same module (submodule, unit, or component, etc.).

[0305] The present invention further provides a second multilink device. As shown in Figure 6, the second multilink device 600 includes a transmitting unit 610.

[0306] The transmitting unit 610 is used to transmit first information. The first information is used for the first multilink device MLD to perform a first listening operation, and the first listening operation is used for the first station on the first multilink device MLD to receive a groupcast frame using a first receiving capability.

[0307] In one embodiment, the first receiving capability is greater than or equal to the second receiving capability. The second receiving capability is the receiving capability used by the first station on the first MLD instructed by the second listening operation. The second listening operation is a listening operation that the first MLD can perform.

[0308] In one embodiment, the first information is used for the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time.

[0309] In one embodiment, the target time includes a first time point, and the first time point is specifically: The expected time of sending the groupcast frame, The predicted delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame target beacon transmission time TBTT, and The broadcast target awake time TWT service period SP start time is expected to send a groupcast frame, TBTT of a non-space-time block code non-STBC DTIM beacon frame where the current count value of the FMS counter domain of a specific flexible groupcast service FMS stream is zero, The start time of the Groupcast GCR service period with retries, which may include at least one of the following: sending the expected Groupcast frame.

[0310] In one embodiment, the first time point is determined by the second MLD.

[0311] In one embodiment, the first information is a delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame. The DTIM beacon frame is used by the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time.

[0312] In one embodiment, the target time includes a second time point, the second time point including the expected time of transmission of a groupcast frame after the first MLD has received a DTIM beacon frame, the DTIM beacon frame being received by the first MLD under a second listening operation.

[0313] In one embodiment, the DTIM beacon frame is used to switch from a second listening operation to a first listening operation at or before the second time point.

[0314] In one embodiment, the first information is determined based on a first instruction, which is used to indicate whether or not to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame.

[0315] In one embodiment, the first instruction is used to uniformly instruct whether a first MLD corresponding to an access point AP performs the first listening operation when a groupcast frame needs to be received.

[0316] The access point AP is an AP that corresponds to the second MLD to which the first MLD is related, and the AP that corresponds to the second MLD is It includes at least one of the attached APs of the second MLD and the APs pointed to by the BSSID in a multi-BSSID set that has the attached AP of the second MLD.

[0317] In one embodiment, the value of the first instruction is used to uniformly instruct a first MLD corresponding to an access point AP to perform the first listening operation when a groupcast frame needs to be received. Alternatively, when the value of the first instruction is the second value, it is used to uniformly indicate that the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP does not need to perform the first listening operation when a groupcast frame needs to be received.

[0318] In one embodiment, the first instruction is conveyed by the EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0319] In one embodiment, the first instruction is conveyed by a first field within the EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0320] In one embodiment, the first field includes a second instruction.

[0321] If the value of the second instruction is the third value, the first field contains the first instruction.

[0322] In one embodiment, the first instruction is an EMLSR operation unification instruction.

[0323] In one embodiment, the position of each bit in the first instruction is used to indicate an access point AP. The access point AP is the AP corresponding to the second MLD to which the first MLD is associated, and the AP corresponding to the second MLD includes at least one of the attached APs of the second MLD and the APs pointed to by the BSSID in a multi-BSSID set to which the attached APs of the second MLD are located.

[0324] The value of each bit in the first instruction is used to indicate whether the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP will perform a first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame.

[0325] In one embodiment, the first MLD corresponding to an access point AP is used to instruct the first listening operation to perform when the value of each bit of the first instruction is a fourth value and a groupcast frame needs to be received. Alternatively, the first MLD corresponding to the access point AP does not need to perform the first listening operation when the value of each bit of the first instruction is the fifth value, in which case a groupcast frame should be received.

[0326] In one embodiment, the first instruction is conveyed by the EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0327] In one embodiment, the first instruction is conveyed by a second field within the EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0328] In one embodiment, the second field is a portion of the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap, which is formed by cutting out a portion of consecutive bits in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap.

[0329] In one embodiment, the EMLSR operation instruction element includes a first field. If the value of the second instruction in the first field is the sixth value, the first field includes a third instruction. The third instruction is used to indicate the position of a portion of consecutive bits cut from the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap.

[0330] In one embodiment, the third instruction is a bitmap offset amount.

[0331] In one embodiment, the second instruction is the presence of an EMLSR unified operation instruction, where the EMLSR unified operation instruction is used to indicate whether or not the first field contains an EMLSR unified operation instruction.

[0332] In one embodiment, the first field is an EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control.

[0333] In one embodiment, the EMLSR operation instruction element is transported by a management frame.

[0334] In one embodiment, the management frame includes a traffic instruction map TIM beacon frame.

[0335] In one embodiment, the first information is a target initial control frame, which is used to indicate that a group cast frame will be sent after the target initial control frame.

[0336] In one embodiment, the target initial control frame includes an instruction duration, which is the maximum available duration for the first MLD to switch to the first listening operation.

[0337] In one embodiment, the target initial control frame is a variation of the multi-user request transmission MU-RTS trigger frame.

[0338] In one embodiment, the value of the trigger type subdomain of the MU-RTS trigger frame of the variation is different from the value of the trigger type subdomain of the MU-RTS trigger frame.

[0339] In one embodiment, the first receiving capability includes at least one of a first rate, a first modulation and coding scheme MCS, a first spatial stream SS, and a first bandwidth BW. and / or, the second receiving capability includes at least one of a second rate, a second modulation and coding policy MCS, a second spatial stream SS, and a second bandwidth BW, wherein the second receiving capability is the receiving capability of the first station under a second listening operation. Here, the first rating is greater than or equal to the second rating. The first MCS is better than or equal to the second MCS. The first SS is greater than or equal to the second SS. The first BW is greater than or equal to the second BW.

[0340] In one embodiment, the second listening operation is used for a target station on the first MLD to listen to the corresponding link, where the target station is an awake station on the first MLD and has a second receiving capability, the second receiving capability includes at least one of performing an empty channel evaluation CCA and receiving an initial control frame to initiate frame exchange.

[0341] In one embodiment, the transmission unit further includes: At the expected time of sending the groupcast frame, At the point after sending the delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame, Broadcast target awakening time TWT service period SP, The time after TBTT for a non-spatial-time block code non-STBC DTIM beacon frame where the current count value of the FMS counter domain of a specific flexible groupcast service FMS stream is zero, and Used to send groupcast frames within the retry-enabled groupcast GCR service period.

[0342] In one embodiment, the group cast frame received using the first receiving capability is carried by a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), and the PPDU is Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM physical layer protocol data unit PPDU, Non-high throughput non-HT duplicate DUP PPDU and, With extremely high throughput VHT PPDU, High-throughput HT PPDU and High-efficiency HE single-user SU PPDU and, Includes at least one of the PPDUs supported by the extremely high-throughput EHT station STA, including an extremely high-throughput EHT multi-user MU PPDU.

[0343] In one embodiment, the first station is a station on a first MLD corresponding to the first link, the first station is used to listen to the first link, and the first link is the link that transmits the groupcast frames.

[0344] In one embodiment, the first MLD and the second MLD are MLDs operating in extended multilink single radio EMLSR mode, and the first link is a link within the EMLSR link.

[0345] In one embodiment, the second MLD is an access point AP MLD, and the first MLD is a non-access point (non-AP) MLD corresponding to the AP MLD.

[0346] In one embodiment, if the first multilink device MLD performing a first listening operation means the first multilink device MLD maintaining and performing the first listening operation, the first listening operation further involves a second station being used to listen to a second link in the EMLSR link, the second station being a station on the first MLD, and the second link being a link in the EMLSR link other than the first link. or, If the first multilink device MLD performing a first listening operation means that the first multilink device MLD switches from a second listening operation to a first listening operation, then the first listening operation prevents the second station from listening.

[0347] The second multilink device 600 in the embodiment of the present application can realize the corresponding functions of the second multilink device in the embodiment of the method described above. The flow, functions, implementation methods, and beneficial effects corresponding to each module (submodule, unit, or component, etc.) in this second multilink device 600 will not be repeatedly described here, as they are described in the corresponding descriptions in the embodiment of the method described above. Note that the functions described for each module (submodule, unit, or component, etc.) in the second multilink device 600 according to the embodiment of the present application may be realized by different modules (submodules, units, or components, etc.) or by the same module (submodule, unit, or component, etc.).

[0348] The present application will be explained in more detail below, using specific examples. Specifically,

[0349] The aspects of this invention primarily define a mechanism to support AP MLDs in EMLSR mode (i.e., AP MLDs operating in EMLSR mode) transmitting group cast frames in response to frame processing problems where non-AP MLDs may directly receive high-order or more group cast frames, assuming that stations on an EMLSR link (also called stations corresponding to an EMLSR link) do not receive MU-RTS trigger frames in advance, and define a mechanism for non-AP MLDs to receive group cast frames in EMLSR mode, as well as extending the listening operation of EMLSR links by non-AP MLDs to satisfy the reception of group cast frames in special scenarios.

[0350] Before explaining the present invention in detail, let us clarify the specific definitions of the first listening operation and the second listening operation in EMLSR mode. Specifically,

[0351] The first listening operation, specifically the first listening operation in EMLSR mode, is that on a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode, a specific link within the EMLSR link (e.g., the first link) can receive PPDUs transmitted using a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW at its corresponding auxiliary station (simply a listening station such as the first station).

[0352] Here, the PPDU may be at least one of the PPDUs supported by EHT STA, including OFDM PPDU, non-HT DUP PPDU, VHT PPDU, HT PPDU, HE SU PPDU, and EHT MU PPDU, thus ensuring that the non-AP MLD can correctly receive a PPDU carrying a groupcast frame using at least one of the following parameters, where the parameters include a higher rate, a higher MCS, a higher SS, and a higher BW.

[0353] Here, there are two methods for the first listening operation in which the non-AP MLD enters EMLSR mode.

[0354] (1) Under the first listening operation, an attached station (e.g., the first station) can be put into a listening state corresponding to the frame exchange processing of a particular link (e.g., the first link) in the EMLSR link, i.e., under the first listening operation, the frame receiving capability (also called frame processing capability) of the attached station (e.g., the first station) corresponding to a particular link (e.g., the first link) matches the frame exchange processing capability of that particular link, i.e., under the first listening operation, the attached station corresponding to a particular link (e.g., the first link) can receive groupcast frames transmitted using high rate / high MCS / higher SS / higher BW. Also, in this state, other links in the EMLSR link other than the particular link (e.g., the first link) cannot be listened to, i.e., other links other than the particular link cannot transmit or receive frames.

[0355] (2) Under the first listening operation, an attached station (e.g., the first station) that has a specific link (e.g., the first link) in EMLSR mode is able to keep all attached stations (e.g., the second station) that are in the awake state on the EMLSR link in a listening state because it is capable of receiving groupcast frames transmitted using faster / faster MCS / higher BW / more SS.

[0356] Accordingly, the second listening operation in EMLSR mode, that is, the non-AP MLD entering the second listening operation in EMLSR mode, specifically means that on the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode, all awake auxiliary stations (which may be abbreviated as listening stations such as target stations) corresponding to the EMLSR link are in a listening state. Here, the receiving capability (i.e., second receiving capability) of each station corresponding to the EMLSR link is limited, and in addition to receiving initial control frames such as CCA or MU-RTS trigger frames, other types of frames cannot be received correctly because they are limited to capabilities such as rate / MCS / SS / BW.

[0357] After clearly defining the first and second listening actions, we provide four specific implementation methods for the first listening action, each of which is as follows:

[0358] Method 1: A non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode listens to the link that schedules and transmits groupcast frames (i.e., the first link) within the EMLSR link by performing a first listening operation in advance before the expected groupcast frame transmission time. For example, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode listens to the link that schedules and transmits groupcast frames (i.e., the first link) within the EMLSR link by performing a first listening operation on the link to which groupcast frames are transmitted, i.e., the first listening operation, in advance before the expected groupcast frame transmission time. Furthermore, when a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode performs the first listening operation, it may receive groupcast frames via the first link, and after confirming that the reception of groupcast frames is complete, it may switch to a second listening operation. In other words, if a non-AP MLD is associated with an AP MLD that supports EMLSR mode, and the non-AP MLD operates using EMLSR mode on an EMLSR link, and a groupcast frame is scheduled to be transmitted on one of the EMLSR links corresponding to the non-AP MLD (e.g., the first link), and a station on that link (e.g., the first link) on the non-AP MLD (station A, i.e., the first station) is preparing to receive the groupcast frame, the non-AP MLD needs to ensure that it enters the first link operation in advance, either at or before the expected groupcast frame transmission time. This allows station A to listen on the link (i.e., the first link) transmitting the groupcast frame and receive it correctly.

[0359] Here, for the sender of the groupcast frame, the AP attached to the AP MLD can schedule and send cached groupcast frames using at least one of the following methods:

[0360] (1) The AP attached to the AP MLD schedules and transmits the cached groupcast frame at the expected groupcast frame transmission time. Here, the expected groupcast frame transmission time may be any predetermined time, and is not limited to this.

[0361] (2) The AP attached to the AP MLD sends a DTIM beacon frame, and then schedules and sends a cached groupcast frame. For example, after each DTIM beacon frame, it schedules and sends a cached groupcast frame.

[0362] (3) An AP attached to an AP MLD schedules and transmits groupcast frames within a broadcast TWT service period SP. For example, one AP attached to an AP MLD is a TWT scheduling AP, and the TWT scheduling AP schedules and transmits cached groupcast frames within a broadcast TWT service period SP that is in the beacon interval for transmitting DTIM beacon frames.

[0363] (4) Send cached groupcast frames using a specific flexible groupcast service FMS. For example, schedule and send cached groupcast frames after TBTT for a non-space-time block code non-STBC DTIM beacon frame where the current count value of the FMS counter domain of a specific flexible groupcast service FMS stream is zero.

[0364] (5) Send cached groupcast frames using GCR. For example, schedule and send cached groupcast frames within the GCR service period.

[0365] Accordingly, in a method in which an AP MLD-based attached AP schedules and transmits cached groupcast frames, the expected groupcast frame transmission time may be any predetermined time, or it may be obtained based on the following method.

[0366] First, the target beacon transmission time (TBTT) of the expected delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame. At this time, the transmission time of the expected groupcast frame is slower than the TBTT of the DTIM beacon frame. At this time, the non-AP MLD performs the first listening operation at the TBTT of the expected DTIM beacon frame, or at a time earlier than the TBTT of the expected DTIM beacon frame.

[0367] Second, the start time of the broadcast target awaken time TWT service period SP, during which the groupcast frame is expected to be transmitted. At this time, the expected groupcast frame transmission time falls within the broadcast TWT service period SP. At this time, the non-AP MLD performs the first listening operation at the start time of the broadcast target awaken time TWT service period SP, or at a time prior to the start time, during which the groupcast frame is expected to be transmitted.

[0368] Third, the TBTT of a non-space-time block code non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of a specific flexible groupcast service FMS stream is zero. In this case, the transmission time of the expected groupcast frame is after the TBTT of the non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of the FMS stream is zero. In this case, the non-AP MLD performs the first listening operation at a time before the TBTT of the non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of a specific FMS stream is zero, or before the TBTT of the non-STBC DTIM beacon frame whose current count value in the FMS counter domain of a specific FMS stream is zero.

[0369] Fourth, the start time of the retry-enabled groupcast GCR service period in which the expected groupcast frame is expected to be transmitted. At this time, the time of transmission of the expected groupcast frame falls within the GCR service period. At this time, the non-AP MLD performs the first listening operation at the start time of the retry-enabled groupcast GCR service period in which the expected groupcast frame is expected to be transmitted, or at a time prior to that start time.

[0370] For example, when an AP MLD schedules to send a cached groupcast frame after a DTIM beacon frame via a link within an EMLSR link (e.g., the first link), a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will first enter a first listening operation on the link that will schedule and send the groupcast frame (i.e., the first link) at or before the expected DTIM beacon frame TBTT. Subsequently, after receiving the DTIM beacon frame, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will maintain the first listening operation (i.e., maintain the frame exchange operation state) for the link that will schedule and send the groupcast frame (e.g., the first link) until the reception of the groupcast frame is complete, thus maintaining listening to the link that will schedule and send the groupcast frame (e.g., the first link) by maintaining the first listening operation. Furthermore, when the non-AP MLD receives an instruction, for example, that the More Data subfield of a groupcast frame sent by the first link AP is 0, and it is confirmed that there are no more groupcast frames, it returns from the first listening operation (also called frame exchange operation) to the second listening operation in EMLSR mode.

[0371] Furthermore, for example, if an AP MLD schedules and transmits cached groupcast frames within a broadcast TWT service period or GCR service period, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will first enter a first listening operation on the link to which the groupcast frames are scheduled to be transmitted (e.g., the first link) at or before the start time of the broadcast TWT service period or GCR service period in which the groupcast frames are scheduled to be transmitted, i.e., enter a first listening operation in advance and listen to the link to which the groupcast frames are scheduled to be transmitted (e.g., the first link). Subsequently, after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will maintain the first listening operation (i.e., maintain the frame exchange operation state) on the link to which the groupcast frames are scheduled to be transmitted (e.g., the first link) until the reception of the groupcast frame is complete, i.e., maintain listening to the link to which the groupcast frames are scheduled to be transmitted (e.g., the first link) by maintaining the first listening operation. Furthermore, when the non-AP MLD receives an instruction confirming the absence of groupcast frames (i.e., an instruction that reception of groupcast frames has been completed), the non-AP MLD returns from the first listening operation (i.e., frame exchange operation) to the second listening operation in EMLSR mode, or, if it reaches the end of the broadcast TWT service period or GCR service period (SP) and there are no groupcast frames being received, it returns from the first listening operation to the second listening operation in EMLSR mode.

[0372] Method 2: For example, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode may enter a second listening operation before the TBTT of a DTIM beacon frame when preparing to receive a groupcast frame on one link within the EMLSR link. Then, after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete and before the time to schedule and transmit the expected groupcast frame, the first station of the first MLD switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation, so that the first station listens to the link (e.g., the first link) on which to schedule and transmit groupcast frames within the EMLSR link, and receives groupcast frames via that link until the reception of the groupcast frame is complete. If the non-AP MLD receives an instruction to confirm that there are no further groupcast frames, reception may be considered complete. Thereafter, it returns from the first listening operation (i.e., frame exchange operation) to the second listening operation.

[0373] It is understood that an AP MLD needs to wait a sufficient amount of time after sending a DTIM beacon frame over an EMLSR link before beginning to schedule and send a groupcast frame. In this way, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode and associated with the AP MLD may switch to a first listening operation on the link that schedules and sends groupcast frames on the EMLSR link (e.g., the first link) after it has finished receiving the DTIM beacon frame and before it sends the groupcast frame.

[0374] Furthermore, when the non-AP MLD receives an instruction, for example, that the More Data subfield of a groupcast frame sent by the first link AP is 0, and it is confirmed that there are no more groupcast frames, it returns from the first listening operation (also called frame exchange operation) to the second listening operation in EMLSR mode.

[0375] Method 3: The AP MLD transmits a management frame carrying an EMLSR operation instruction element (e.g., a TIM beacon frame). Here, the EMLSR operation instruction element may indicate whether the AP needs to cache the groupcast frame (i.e., whether the station corresponding to the AP needs to receive the groupcast frame), and whether the non-AP MLD (related to the AP MLD corresponding to the AP) operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to this AP has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability) and whether the AP performs a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link). Furthermore, if the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode intends to receive (i.e., need to receive) this groupcast frame after acquiring the EMLSR operation instruction element, it will decide whether to perform a first listening operation based on the meaning of the value of the EMLSR operation instruction element, for example, whether to perform the first listening operation at or before the expected groupcast frame transmission time.

[0376] Furthermore, when the non-AP MLD receives an instruction, for example, that the More Data subfield of a groupcast frame sent by the first link AP is 0, and it is confirmed that there are no more groupcast frames, it returns from the first listening operation (also called frame exchange operation) to the second listening operation in EMLSR mode.

[0377] For example, if an AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode is expected to transmit a groupcast frame using a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW, it will transmit a groupcast frame that does not require a reply, such as a variation of the MU-RTS trigger frame, before transmitting the groupcast frame. This will signal that the groupcast frame will be transmitted after the target initial control frame and that the transmitted groupcast frame will use a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / BW (and also signal the non-AP MLD associated with the AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode, which also operates in EMLSR mode). Simultaneously, the target initial control frame carries a specified padding duration (i.e., instruction duration), allowing the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode to successfully receive the groupcast frame by providing sufficient time to switch to the first listening operation in advance on a specific link within the EMLSR link (i.e., the link transmitting the groupcast frame, such as the first link).

[0378] Furthermore, when the non-AP MLD receives an instruction, for example, that the More Data subfield of a groupcast frame sent by the first link AP is 0, and it is confirmed that there are no more groupcast frames, it returns from the first listening operation (also called frame exchange operation) to the second listening operation in EMLSR mode.

[0379] The present application will be explained in more detail below using specific examples. Specifically,

[0380] Figure 7(A) is a schematic diagram of the implementation flow in one specific example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7(A), the non-AP MLD enters a first listening operation before the TBTT of the DTIM beacon frame. Specifically,

[0381] A non-AP MLD becomes associated with an AP MLD through a multilink establishment process, and the two associated links are Link 1 and Link 2. Here, the ends of Link 1 are AP1 of the AP MLD and Station 1 (STA1) of the non-AP MLD, respectively, and the corresponding link between AP1 and STA1 is Link 1.

[0382] Link 2 is connected to AP2, an attached AP MLD, and Station 2 (STA2), a non-AP MLD, respectively. In other words, the corresponding link between AP2 and STA3 is Link 2.

[0383] Here, the AP MLD supports EMLSR mode, and the non-AP MLD operates using EMLSR mode on EMLSR links (e.g., Link1 and Link2).

[0384] If an AP MLD is expected to schedule and transmit a cached (i.e., cached) Groupcast frame via Link1 in an EMLSR link after transmitting a DTIM beacon frame, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will first enable STA1 to receive first by entering a first listening operation on the link that will schedule and transmit the Groupcast frame (i.e., Link1) before the expected TBTT of the DTIM beacon frame, thereby enabling STA1 to listen on Link1. After the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will maintain the first listening operation on the link that will schedule and transmit the Groupcast frame (i.e., Link1) until the reception of the Groupcast frame is complete (i.e., this is called maintaining frame exchange operation). At this point, the AP MLD transmits the Groupcast frame over Link1 via AP1.

[0385] Furthermore, when the non-AP MLD receives an instruction confirming that there are no further groupcast frames, it switches from the first listening operation to a second listening operation for Link1 and Link2 in EMLSR mode, after an EMLSR conversion delay.

[0386] Here, under the first listening operation, i.e., the first listening operation in EMLSR mode, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode is STA1 corresponding to a specific link within the EMLSR link (Link1 in this example) and can receive PPDUs carrying groupcast frames transmitted at higher rates / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW.

[0387] Here, non-AP MLD has two ways to enter the first listening operation on a specific link (Link1 in this example) in EMLSR mode.

[0388] (1) The system enters a listening state corresponding to the frame exchange process of a specific link in the EMLSR link (Link1 in this example). At this time, the attached station (STA1 in this example) that the specific link (Link1 in this example) corresponds to can receive PPDUs transmitted at a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW. The receiving capability at this time (i.e., the first receiving capability) matches the frame exchange capability of that specific link. In this state, other links in the EMLSR link (which may be Link2 in this example) cannot perform listening operations, i.e., they cannot transmit or receive frames.

[0389] (2) An attached station (STA1 in this example) on a specific link (Link1 in this example) in EMLSR mode has the capability to receive PPDUs transmitted at a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW, and can therefore keep all attached stations (e.g., STA2) in the awake state on the EMLSR link in a listening state. At this time, the attached stations in the awake state (e.g., STA2) may have the same or different receiving capabilities as STA1. The present invention is protected as long as STA1 has the capability to receive groupcast frames transmitted at a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW, and is not limited thereto.

[0390] The second listening operation in EMLSR mode is a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode, where all attached stations (abbreviated as listening stations, e.g., Link1 and Link2) in the awake state within the EMLSR link are in a listening state. However, the listening capabilities of each station in the EMLSR link, e.g., Link1 and Link2, are limited, and except for the reception of initial control frames such as CCA and MU-RTS, other types of frames may not be received correctly because their rate / MCS / SS / BW capabilities are limited.

[0391] Here, the first listening operation and the second listening operation can be described in the previous explanation, and will not be repeated here.

[0392] The first conversion delay time of the EMLSR refers to the conversion duration during which a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode switches from a first listening operation within an EMLSR link to a second listening operation on an EMLSR link (including multiple links).

[0393] Figure 7(B) is a schematic diagram of the implementation flow in one specific example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7(B), the non-AP MLD performs a first listening operation after receiving a DTIM beacon frame and before scheduling and transmitting a groupcast frame. Specifically,

[0394] A non-AP MLD becomes associated with an AP MLD through a multilink establishment process, and the two associated links are Link 1 and Link 2. Here, the ends of Link 1 are AP1 of the AP MLD and Station 1 (STA1) of the non-AP MLD, so the link corresponding to AP1 and STA1 is Link 1. The ends of Link 2 are AP2 of the AP MLD and Station 2 (STA2) of the non-AP MLD, so the link corresponding to AP2 and STA3 is Link 2.

[0395] Here, the AP MLD supports EMLSR mode, and the non-AP MLD operates using EMLSR mode on EMLSR links (e.g., Link1 and Link2).

[0396] If an AP MLD is on Link1 and is expected to schedule and transmit a groupcast frame after transmitting a DTIM beacon frame, a sufficient amount of time is allowed between the end of transmission of the DTIM beacon frame and the start of transmission of the groupcast frame, i.e., the duration between the end of transmission of the DTIM beacon frame and the start of transmission of the groupcast frame is greater than or equal to the EMLSR second conversion delay time. This allows a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode to switch to a first listening operation after receiving a DTIM beacon frame, entering the link (Link1 in this example) where the groupcast frame was scheduled and transmitted on the EMLSR link before the start of transmission of the groupcast frame.

[0397] Here, the second conversion delay time refers to the duration of the conversion from the second listening operation to the first listening operation in an EMLSR link for a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode.

[0398] Specifically, when a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode anticipates receiving a cached, scheduled groupcast frame on Link1 after a DTIM beacon frame, it first enters a second listening operation on the multilink (i.e., Link1 and Link2) on the EMLSR link at or before the expected TBTT of the DTIM beacon frame. Then, after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete, it enters a first listening operation on Link1 at or before the start of transmission of the groupcast frame, and maintains the first listening operation on Link1 to receive the groupcast frame on Link1. When the non-AP MLD receives an instruction confirming that there are no further groupcast frames, it switches from the first listening operation to the second listening operation on the multilink (Link1 and Link2) in EMLSR mode after a first EMLSR conversion delay time.

[0399] Here, the first listening operation, the second listening operation, and the first conversion delay time of the EMLSR may be described in the above explanation, and will not be repeated here.

[0400] Figure 7(C) is a schematic diagram of the implementation flow in one specific example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7(C), the non-AP MLD enters the first listening operation before / at the start of the broadcast TWT service period. Specifically,

[0401] A non-AP MLD becomes associated with an AP MLD through a multilink establishment process, and the two associated links are Link 1 and Link 2. Here, the ends of Link 1 are AP1 of the AP MLD and Station 1 (STA1) of the non-AP MLD, respectively, and the link corresponding to AP1 and STA1 is Link 1. The ends of Link 2 are AP2 of the AP MLD and Station 2 (STA2) of the non-AP MLD, respectively, and the link corresponding to AP2 and STA3 is Link 2.

[0402] Here, the AP MLD supports EMLSR mode, and the non-AP MLD operates using EMLSR mode on an EMLSR link (e.g., Link1 and Link2). A broadcast TWT is established between one station, such as STA1, on the EMLSR link on the non-AP MLD, and an AP associated with the AP MLD, such as AP1. STA1 is a predetermined station for the broadcast TWT service period, and AP1 schedules and transmits cached groupcast frames within the broadcast TWT service period.

[0403] If an AP MLD is expected to schedule and transmit cached groupcast frames during a broadcast TWT service period located within the beacon interval for transmitting DTIM beacon frames via Link 1 in an EMLSR link, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will first enter a first listening operation on the link (i.e., Link 1) from which the groupcast frames were scheduled to be transmitted, before / at the start of the broadcast TWT service period. Subsequently, the first listening operation is maintained throughout the broadcast TWT service period, and groupcast frames are received until reception of the groupcast frames is complete. Furthermore, when the non-AP MLD receives an instruction confirming that there are no further groupcast frames or that the broadcast TWT service period has ended, the non-AP MLD will switch to a second listening operation on the multilink (i.e., Link 1 and Link 2) in EMLSR mode after a first EMLSR conversion delay.

[0404] Here, the first listening operation, the second listening operation, and the first conversion delay time of the EMLSR may be described in the preceding explanation and will not be repeated here.

[0405] Figure 7(D) is a schematic diagram of the implementation flow in one specific example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7(D), the non-AP MLD enters a first listening operation after the DTIM beacon frame based on the EMLSR operation instruction element.

[0406] First, let's explain the EMLSR operation instruction elements. Specifically, [Table 5] [Table 6(A)] [Table 6(B)]

[0407] As shown in Table 5, the EMLSR operation indicator element consists of an element identifier (Element ID), a length, and an element ID extension, where the element identifier, length, and element ID extension each occupy 1 byte, and their specific definitions may be the same as those in the relevant standards. Furthermore, the EMLSR operation indicator element includes an EMLSR operation indicator bitmap control, which occupies 1 byte.

[0408] In this example, based on the structures shown in Tables 5, 6(A), and 6(B), two methods are used to indicate whether or not to perform the first listening operation when a group cast frame needs to be received. Specifically,

[0409] The first method, As shown in Table 6(B), the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control includes EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present, and if EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present is 1, the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control further includes EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator and Reserved. Here, EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present, EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator, and Reserved occupy 1 bit, 1 bit, and 6 bits, respectively. Based on this, EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator Present, EMLSR Operation for ALL Indicator, and Reserved included in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control occupy a total of 1 byte.

[0410] As shown in Table 6(A), when the value of the EMLSR unified operation instruction presence is 0, the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control further includes a bitmap offset amount. Here, the EMLSR unified operation instruction presence and the bitmap offset amount occupy 1 bit and 7 bits, respectively. Based on this, the EMLSR unified operation instruction presence and bitmap offset included in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap control occupy a total of 1 byte.

[0411] Furthermore, the EMLSR unified operation instruction (or EMLSR unified operation instruction domain, i.e., the first instruction) is used to uniformly instruct whether a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to an AP should perform a first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a group cast frame. The first listening operation is used when a first station corresponding to an AP on the non-AP MLD has a first receiving capability, and further, when the first station listens to a link on which the AP is located. In other words, the EMLSR unified operation instruction is used to uniformly instruct whether a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to an AP should have a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and when it is necessary to receive a group cast frame, should perform a first listening operation on a link on which the AP is located (e.g., the first link).

[0412] Here, the AP includes at least one of the APs attached to the AP MLD and the APs pointed to by the BSSID in a multiple BSSID set that includes the APs attached to the AP MLD. The non-AP MLD is associated with the AP MLD.

[0413] A non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to an AP may, specifically, be a non-AP MLD operating in the EMLSR mode corresponding to a station corresponding to an AP (e.g., a first station). For example, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to AP1 may, specifically, be a non-AP MLD corresponding to SAT 1 corresponding to AP1.

[0414] Furthermore, when the value of the EMLSR Operation Unified Instruction is 1, if it is necessary to receive a group cast frame, it indicates that a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to the AP has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher (SS) / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and that the AP performs a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link).

[0415] When the value of the EMLSR Operation Unified Instruction is 0, if it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame, it indicates that the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to the AP has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher (SS) / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and that the AP does not need to perform a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link).

[0416] In other words, this method instructs whether or not to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a group cast frame by the EMLSR operation unification instruction. At this time, the number of bytes in some of the EMLSR operation instruction bitmaps included in the EMLSR operation instruction element is 0, that is, in this method, the configuration of the EMLSR operation instruction element is shown in Table 5 and Table 6(B). At this time, the number of bytes in some of the EMLSR operation instruction bitmaps in Table 5 is 0.

[0417] The second method, As shown in Table 5, the EMLSR operation indicator element further includes a partial EMLSR operation indicator bitmap, which differs from the first method. In this method, the partial EMLSR operation indicator bitmap indicates whether or not to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a group cast frame. That is, in this method, the configuration of the EMLSR operation indicator element is shown in Tables 5 and 6(A), and in this case, the number of bytes in the partial EMLSR operation indicator bitmap in Table 5 is one of the values ​​from 1 to 251.

[0418] Here, the bitmap offset amount may be the same as the definition of the bitmap offset amount domain of the TIM element in the correlation standard, but the difference is that the bitmap offset amount domain of the TIM element in the correlation standard corresponds to the traffic indication virtual bitmap, while the bitmap offset amount in this application corresponds to the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap.

[0419] Furthermore, some EMLSR operation instruction bitmaps (also called some EMLSR operation instruction bitmap domains or fields) are formed by clipping a significant partial contiguous bit within the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap, and the clipping method is consistent with the method used to form some traffic mark virtual bitmaps of TIM elements in the relevant standards, and these traffic mark virtual bitmaps are formed by clipping bits at contiguous positions within a portion of the traffic mark virtual bitmap. The difference lies in the different definitions of the bit values ​​in the two.

[0420] Specifically, in the proposed solution, the position of each bit in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap corresponds to an AP, where the AP includes at least one of the APs associated with the AP MLD and the APs pointed to by the BSSID in a multi-BSSID set in which the AP MLD's associated APs are located. In this application, the definition of bit positions in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap is consistent with the definition of the correspondence between APs and bit positions when there is a groupcast frame cache in the traffic tag virtual bitmap of a TIM element in the relevant standard.

[0421] Furthermore, the value of each bit in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap indicates whether, if a group cast frame cache exists, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to the AP corresponding to that bit has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and whether that AP needs to perform a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link). In other words, the value of each bit in the EMLSR operation instruction bitmap indicates whether, if a group cast frame needs to be received, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to the AP corresponding to this bit has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and whether that AP needs to perform a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link).

[0422] A non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to an AP is, specifically, a non-AP MLD operating in the EMLSR mode corresponding to a station corresponding to an AP (e.g., a first station). The non-AP MLD is associated with the AP MLD.

[0423] Furthermore, when the EMLSR operation has a bit value of 1 in the bitmap, the AP corresponding to that bit indicates that, if a groupcast frame cache exists, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to that AP has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and that the AP needs to perform a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link).

[0424] When the EMLSR operation has a bitmap value of 0, the AP corresponding to that bit indicates that, if a groupcast frame cache exists, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode corresponding to that AP has a receiving capability with a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW (i.e., a first receiving capability), and that the AP does not need to perform a first listening operation on a link (e.g., a first link).

[0425] Furthermore, the EMLSR operation instruction element may be carried by a management frame such as a TIM beacon frame; for example, the EMLSR operation instruction element may be added to the frame body of a TIM beacon frame. When a TIM beacon frame carries the EMLSR operation instruction element, the group cast frame transmitted by the instructed AP indicates that a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode should perform the action instructed by the EMLSR operation instruction element if it is preparing to receive the group cast frame. This facilitates the successful reception of the group cast frame.

[0426] As shown in Figure 7(D), the non-AP MLD enters the first listening operation after the DTIM beacon frame, based on the EMLSR operation instruction element. Specifically,

[0427] A non-AP MLD becomes associated with an AP MLD through a multilink establishment process, and the two associated links are Link 1 and Link 2. Here, the ends of Link 1 are AP1 of the AP MLD and Station 1 (STA1) of the non-AP MLD, so the link corresponding to AP1 and STA1 is Link 1. The ends of Link 2 are AP2 of the AP MLD and Station 2 (STA2) of the non-AP MLD, so the link corresponding to AP2 and STA3 is Link 2.

[0428] Here, the AP MLD supports EMLSR mode, and the non-AP MLD operates using EMLSR mode on EMLSR links (e.g., Link1 and Link2).

[0429] If AP1 of the AP MLD carries an EMLSR operation instruction element in the transmitted TIM beacon frame, and this EMLSR operation instruction element is present in the groupcast frame cache, it instructs the non-AP MLD operating under the EMLSR model to enter a first listening operation on the link where AP1 resides (i.e., Link1) with higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW receiving capability (i.e., first receiving capability).

[0430] Furthermore, if an AP MLD schedules and transmits a cached groupcast frame after a DTIM beacon frame via Link1 in an EMLSR link, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will first enter a first listening operation on the link (i.e., Link1) that scheduled and transmitted the groupcast frame, either at or before the expected DTIM beacon frame TBTT, and then maintain the first listening operation on the link (i.e., Link1) that scheduled and transmitted the groupcast frame, after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete, until the reception of the groupcast frame is complete. Furthermore, when the non-AP MLD receives an instruction confirming that there are no further groupcast frames, it will switch from the first listening operation to a second listening operation for the multilink (Link1 and Link2) in EMLSR mode after a first EMLSR conversion delay.

[0431] Furthermore, AP1 attached to the AP MLD carries an EMLSR operation instruction element in the transmitted TIM beacon frame, instructing AP1 that if a groupcast frame cache exists, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode does not need to enter a first listening operation on the link where AP1 resides (Link1). Additionally, if the AP MLD schedules and transmits a cached groupcast frame after a subsequent DTIM beacon frame via link Link1 in an EMLSR link, a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will first enter a second listening operation on the multilink (Link1 and Link1) either before or after the expected DTIM beacon frame's TBTT, and under the second listening operation, will receive both DTIM beacon frames and groupcast frames until the groupcast frame has been received.

[0432] Here, the first listening operation, the second listening operation, and the first conversion delay time of the EMLSR may be described in the preceding explanation and will not be repeated here.

[0433] Figure 7(E) is a schematic diagram of the implementation flow in one specific example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7(E), the non-AP MLD enters the first listening operation before / at the start of the broadcast TWT service period. Specifically,

[0434] A non-AP MLD becomes associated with an AP MLD through a multilink establishment process, and the two associated links are Link 1 and Link 2. Here, the ends of Link 1 are AP1 of the AP MLD and Station 1 (STA1) of the non-AP MLD, respectively, and the corresponding link between AP1 and STA1 is Link 1.

[0435] Link 2 is connected to AP2, an attached AP MLD, and Station 2 (STA2), a non-AP MLD, respectively. In other words, the corresponding link between AP2 and STA3 is Link 2.

[0436] Here, the AP MLD supports EMLSR mode, and the non-AP MLD operates using EMLSR mode on an EMLSR link (e.g., Link1 and Link2). A station such as STA1 on an EMLSR link on a non-AP MLD establishes a broadcast TWT with the corresponding (i.e., associated) AP on an AP MLD such as AP1, where STA1 is a predetermined station for the broadcast TWT service period, and AP1 schedules and transmits cached groupcast frames within the broadcast TWT service period.

[0437] AP1, attached to the AP MLD, carries an EMLSR operation instruction element in the transmitted DTIM beacon frame. This EMLSR operation instruction element instructs AP1 to enter a first listening operation on the link where AP1 resides (Link1), which has higher rate / higher MCS / higher spatial stream (SS) / higher BW receiving capabilities, if a groupcast frame cache is available.

[0438] If it is expected that the AP MLD will schedule and transmit cached groupcast frames via Link1 in the EMLSR link during a broadcast TWT service period (the first broadcast TWT service period shown in Figure 7(E)) located within the beacon interval for transmitting DTIM beacon frames, the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode will first enter a first listening operation on the link (i.e., Link1) from which the groupcast frames were scheduled to be transmitted, before / at the start time of the broadcast TWT service period. Subsequently, the first listening operation is maintained throughout the broadcast TWT service period, and groupcast frames are received until reception of the groupcast frames is complete. Furthermore, when the non-AP MLD receives an instruction confirming that there are no further groupcast frames or that the end of the broadcast TWT service period has been reached, the non-AP MLD will switch to a second listening operation on the multilink (i.e., Link1 and Link2) in EMLSR mode after a first EMLSR conversion delay time.

[0439] Furthermore, AP1, attached to the AP MLD, carries an EMLSR operation instruction element in the transmitted DTIM beacon frame. This EMLSR operation instruction element instructs a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode so that AP1 does not need to enter a second listening operation on a link (Link1) if a groupcast frame cache exists. Furthermore, if the AP MLD is expected to schedule and transmit cached groupcast frames via link Link1 in the EMLSR link during the broadcast TWT service period (the second broadcast TWT service period shown in Figure 7(E)), the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode enters a second listening operation on the multilink (Link1 and Link1) before / at the start time of the broadcast TWT service period and receives groupcast frames within the broadcast TWT service period until reception of the groupcast frames is completed under the second listening operation.

[0440] Here, the first listening operation, the second listening operation, and the first conversion delay time of the EMLSR may be described in the above explanation, and will not be repeated here.

[0441] Figure 7(F) is a schematic diagram of the implementation flow in one specific example of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7(F), the non-AP MLD performs a first listening operation based on the MU-RTS trigger frame of variation. Specifically,

[0442] Based on the 802.11 be Trigger Frame format definition, a variation type for MU-RTS Variant trigger frames, namely "Clear To Send (CTS) MU-RTS," is added as shown in Table 7. This MU-RTS Variant trigger frame, i.e., the variation of MU-RTS trigger frame, is otherwise identical to MU-RTS except that the trigger type subdomain value of the trigger frame variant differs from that of MU-RTS. [Table 7]

[0443] The MU-RTS Variant trigger frame is transmitted before transmitting a specific group cast frame (e.g., a group cast frame transmitted at a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW), and is used to transmit the group cast frame after notifying the MU-RTS Variant trigger frame. Depending on the need for EMLSR conversion delay (e.g., EMLSR second conversion delay for switching from second listening operation to first listening operation), an appropriate padding duration is added to ensure that a non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR operation has sufficient time to switch to first listening operation early on the corresponding link in an EMLSR link, thereby facilitating the reception of specific group cast frames transmitted after the reception of the MU-RTS Variant trigger frame.

[0444] Specifically, a non-AP MLD becomes associated with an AP MLD through a multilink establishment process, and the two associated links are Link 1 and Link 2. Here, the ends of Link 1 are AP1 attached to the AP MLD and Station 1 (STA1) of the non-AP MLD, respectively, so the link corresponding to AP1 and STA1 is Link 1. The ends of Link 2 are AP2 attached to the AP MLD and Station 2 (STA2) of the non-AP MLD, respectively, so the link corresponding to AP2 and STA3 is Link 2.

[0445] Here, the AP MLD supports EMLSR mode, and the non-AP MLD operates using EMLSR mode on EMLSR links (e.g., Link1 and Link2).

[0446] When AP1 with the AP MLD transmits a groupcast frame using a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW, it first transmits a target initial control frame, such as a MU-RTS Variant trigger frame, that does not require a response before transmitting the groupcast frame, to indicate that the groupcast frame following the target initial control frame will employ a higher rate / higher MCS / higher SS / higher BW. The target initial control frame is transmitted for a specified padding (bit padding) duration, which allows the non-AP MLD operating in EMLSR mode sufficient time to switch to the first listening operation early on a particular link within the EMLSR link, thereby facilitating the successful reception of the groupcast frame.

[0447] As shown in Figure 7(F), after the first DTIM beacon frame, the MU-RTS variant trigger frame is sent first, followed by the group cast frame sent using faster / faster MCS / more SS / higher BW.

[0448] Regarding the reception of the groupcast frame after the first DTIM beacon frame in Figure 7(F), when a non-AP MLD prepares to receive a cached groupcast frame scheduled and transmitted after the DTIM beacon frame on Link 1, it first enters the second listening operation of the multilink (Link 1 and Link 2) on the EMLSR link before the expected DTIM beacon frame TBTT. Then, after the reception of the DTIM beacon frame is complete, it receives the MU-RTS variation trigger frame, and within the indicated duration of the MU-RTS variation trigger frame, it switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation of Link 1, maintains the first listening operation of Link 1, and receives groupcast frames until the reception of the groupcast frame is complete. Furthermore, when the non-AP MLD receives an indication that there are no further groupcast frames, it switches to the second listening operation of the multilink (Link 1 and Link 2) in EMLSR mode after the first EMLSR conversion delay.

[0449] Regarding the reception of the groupcast frame after the second DTIM beacon frame in Figure 7(F), if the non-AP MLD is preparing to receive the cached groupcast frame scheduled and transmitted after the DTIM beacon frame on Link1, it will enter a second listening operation on the multilink (Link1 and Link2) on the EMLSR link before the expected DTIM beacon frame TBTT, and then continue to receive DTIM beacon frames and groupcast frames until the reception of the groupcast frame is complete.

[0450] Here, the first listening operation, the second listening operation, and the first conversion delay of the EMLSR may be described in the preceding explanation and will not be repeated here.

[0451] Based on this, the present application defines a mechanism by which an AP MLD supporting EMLSR mode transmits groupcast frames, and a mechanism by which a non-AP MLD in EMLSR mode receives groupcast frames, while simultaneously extending and defining the listening operation of a non-AP MLD on an EMLSR link. In this way, the reception of groupcast frames in special scenarios is satisfied.

[0452] It is understood that the proposed solution also applies to operating methods for enhancing multilink multi-wireless modes.

[0453] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication device 800 includes a processor 810, and the processor 810 may implement the method in the embodiment of the present application by calling and executing a computer program from memory.

[0454] In one possible embodiment, the communication device 800 may further include a memory 820. Here, the processor 810 may cause the communication device 800 to implement the method in the embodiment of the present application by calling and executing a computer program from the memory 820.

[0455] The memory 820 may be a separate device independent of the processor 810, or it may be integrated with the processor 810.

[0456] In one possible embodiment, the communication device 800 may further include a transceiver 830. The processor 810 may control the transceiver 830 to communicate with other devices, specifically by transmitting information or data to other devices or receiving information or data transmitted by other devices.

[0457] Here, the transceiver 830 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 830 may further include an antenna. The number of antennas may be one or more.

[0458] In one possible embodiment, the communication device 800 may be a second multilink device of the embodiment of the present application, which may implement the corresponding flow implemented by the second multilink device in various ways of the embodiment of the present application, which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0459] In one possible embodiment, the communication device 800 may be the first multilink device of the embodiment of the present application, and the communication device 800 may implement the corresponding flow implemented by the first multilink device in various ways of the embodiment of the present application, which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0460] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of a chip 900 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This chip 900 includes a processor 910. The processor 910 implements the method in the embodiment of the present application by calling and executing a computer program from memory.

[0461] In one possible embodiment, the chip 900 may further include a memory 920. Here, the processor 910 implements the method performed by the first or second multilink device in the embodiment of the present application by calling and executing a computer program from the memory 920.

[0462] Here, the memory 920 may be a separate device independent of the processor 910, or it may be integrated with the processor 910.

[0463] In one possible embodiment, the chip 900 may include an input interface 930, where the processor 910 may control the input interface 930 to communicate with other devices or chips, specifically, to acquire information or data transmitted by other devices or chips.

[0464] In one possible embodiment, the chip 900 may include an output interface 940. Here, the processor 910 may control the output interface 940 to communicate with other devices or chips, specifically by outputting information or data to other devices or chips.

[0465] In one possible embodiment, the chip may implement the corresponding flow realized by the second multilink device in various ways of the embodiments of the present application, which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0466] In one possible embodiment, the chip may implement the corresponding flow realized by the first multilink device in various ways of the embodiments of the present application, which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0467] The chips applied to the second multilink device and the first multilink device may be the same chip or different chips.

[0468] It is understood that the chips referred to in the embodiments of this application may be called system-level chips, system chips, chip systems, or on-chip system chips, etc.

[0469] The aforementioned processors may be general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. Here, the aforementioned general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0470] The memory described above may be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or it may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Here, non-volatile memory may be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory may be random-access memory (RAM).

[0471] The above-mentioned memories are illustrative but not limited to. For example, the memories in the embodiments of this application include static random access memory (static RAM, SRAM), dynamic random access memory (dynamic RAM, DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (synchronous DRAM, SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory interface (double data rate SDRAM, DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (enhanced SDRAM, ESDRAM), synch-link dynamic random access memory (synch-link DRAM, SLDRAM), and direct memory bus random access memory (Direct Rambus RAM, DR RAM). In other words, the memories in the embodiments of this specification are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0472] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication system 1000 includes a first multilink device 1010 and a second multilink device 1020. Specifically,

[0473] A first multilink device 1010 is used to perform a first listening operation, which is used for a first station on the first multilink device to receive a groupcast frame using a first receiving capability.

[0474] The first multilink device 1020 is used to transmit first information. The first information is used by the first multilink device to perform a first listening operation, and the first listening operation is used by a first station on the first multilink device to receive a groupcast frame using a first receiving capability.

[0475] Here, the first multilink device 1010 may be used to realize the corresponding function realized by the first multilink device in the method described above, and the second multilink device 1020 may be used to realize the corresponding function realized by the second multilink device in the method described above. For the sake of brevity, this will not be repeated here.

[0476] The embodiments described above may be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it may be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When this computer program instruction is loaded into a computer and executed, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of the present application is generated. This computer may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. This computer instruction may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, this computer instruction may be transmitted from one web station, computer, server, or data center to another web station, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, radio, microwave, etc.). This computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer, or it may include a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. This available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., SSD (Solid State Disk)).

[0477] In the various embodiments of the present application, the magnitude of the sequence number of each process described above does not indicate the order of execution, and it should be understood that the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and inherent logic, without constituting any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0478] Those skilled in the art will understand that the specific operating procedures of the systems, apparatus, and units described above may be clearly understood by referring to the corresponding procedures in the embodiments of the methods described above, for the sake of ease and conciseness of explanation. Such procedures will not be repeated here.

[0479] The above is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any modification or substitution that is easily conceivable by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the art disclosed in the present application should be included within the scope of protection of the present application. Accordingly, the scope of protection of the present application should be the same as the scope of protection of the claim in question.

Claims

1. A first multilink device MLD performs a listening operation via an awake auxiliary station operating on an extended multilink single radio EMLSR link, the listening operation comprising a first listening operation and a second listening operation, the first listening operation including receiving a groupcast frame by the auxiliary station of the first MLD, and the second listening operation including performing an empty channel evaluation CCA and receiving an initial control frame of a frame exchange sequence transmitted by an access point AP MLD. Communication method.

2. Under the first listening operation, the attached station of the first MLD receives the groupcast frame using the first receiving capability, The first receiving capability is greater than or equal to the second receiving capability, and the second receiving capability is the receiving capability used by the attached station when the first MLD performs the second listening operation. The method according to claim 1.

3. The attached station of the first MLD performs a first listening operation based on the first information. The method according to claim 1.

4. The first information is used by the attached station of the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at or before the target time. The method according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned target time includes a first time point, and the aforementioned first time point is The expected time of sending the groupcast frame, The predicted delivery traffic instruction map DTIM beacon frame target beacon transmission time TBTT, The broadcast target awake time TWT service period SP start time is expected to send the groupcast frame, The TBTT of a non-space-time block code non-STBC DTIM beacon frame where the current count value of the FMS counter domain of a specific flexible groupcast service FMS stream is zero, The start time of the Groupcast GCR service period with retries, which sends the expected Groupcast frame, and at least one of the following: The method according to claim 4.

6. The first time point is one that has been previously received by the first MLD. The method according to claim 5.

7. The first information is determined based on a first instruction, which is used to indicate whether or not to perform the first listening operation when it is necessary to receive a groupcast frame. The method according to claim 3.

8. The first receiving capability includes at least one of a first rate, a first modulation and coding scheme MCS, a first spatial stream SS, and a first bandwidth BW. and / or, The second receiving capability includes at least one of a second rate, a second modulation and coding policy MCS, a second spatial stream SS, and a second bandwidth BW, wherein the second receiving capability is the receiving capability of the attached station under the second listening operation. The first rate is equal to or greater than the second rate, the first MCS is better than or equal to the second MCS, the first SS is equal to or greater than the second SS, and the first BW is equal to or greater than the second BW. The method according to claim 1.

9. The aforementioned auxiliary station is a station on the first MLD corresponding to the first link, the auxiliary station is used to listen to the first link, and the first link is the link that transmits the groupcast frame. The first MLD is an MLD that operates in EMLSR mode, and the first link is a link within the EMLSR link. The first MLD described above is a non-access point (non-AP) MLD. The method according to claim 1.

10. If the first MLD performing the first listening operation means the first MLD maintaining and performing the first listening operation, then the first listening operation further involves a second station being used to listen to a second link in the EMLSR link, the second station being a station on the first MLD, and the second link being a link in the EMLSR link other than the first link. or If the first MLD performing the first listening operation means the first MLD switching from the second listening operation to the first listening operation, then the first listening operation prevents the second station from listening. The method according to claim 9.

11. The first multilink device, A processor and memory are included, the memory being used to store computer programs, and the processor is used to cause the first multilink device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 by calling and executing the computer programs stored in the memory. The first multilink device.

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