Communication method and communication device

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication device. The present application is applicable to a wireless local area network system supporting the next-generation Wi-Fi protocol of IEEE 802.11ax (e.g., 802.11bf, 802.11be, Wi-Fi8, EHT, UHR, or another 802.11 series protocol), or may further be applicable to a UWB-based wireless personal area network system and a sensing system. The method includes: an AP determines a first communication frame, the first communication frame includes first information, and the first information indicates N candidate time periods for sensing measurement; and the AP transmits the first communication frame to a STA. This can improve the efficiency of sensing measurement setup and improve resource utilization.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202310244980.9, entitled "Communication Method and Communication Apparatus," filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on March 1, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Technical Field The present application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and devices. [Background technology]

[0003] Wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing is a technology for sensing targets by using WLAN radio signals. A communication device may determine characteristics of a given target (e.g., a device, object, animal, or person) based on radio wave measurements or environmental sampling capabilities, such as determining the distance, orientation, speed, movement, or behavior of the given target.

[0004] The communication devices may exchange sensing capability parameters in a sensing session establishment process. After the sensing session establishment is completed, the communication devices may complete sensing measurement setup in a sensing measurement setup process to perform sensing measurements. However, currently, the efficiency of the sensing measurement setup process is low. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication device for improving the efficiency of the sensing measurement setup process and improving resource utilization. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a communication method. The method may be performed by a communication device or a module (e.g., a chip) configured in (or used in) the communication device. In the following, for the purpose of explanation, an example in which an access point (AP) performs the method is used.

[0007] The method includes: an AP determines a first communication frame, the first communication frame includes first information, the first information indicates N candidate time periods for sensing measurement, N is a positive integer; and the AP transmits the first communication frame to a station STA.

[0008] According to the aforementioned solution, the AP and the STA can reach an agreement on the candidate time period during which the STA supports sensing measurements, improving the efficiency of the sensing measurement setup and improving resource utilization.

[0009] In implementation 1 of the first aspect, an AP transmits a first communication frame to a STA, and the AP receives a second communication frame from the STA, the second communication frame including second information, the second information indicating M candidate time periods among N candidate time periods, the M candidate time periods being time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements, where N is greater than 1 and M is a positive integer less than or equal to N. The AP initiates sensing measurement instances in one or more of the M candidate time periods.

[0010] For example, the first communication frame is a sensing measurement setup request frame, and the second communication frame is a sensing measurement setup response frame.

[0011] According to the above solution, when an AP sends a sensing measurement setup request frame to a STA, the AP provides a variable number of candidate time periods for the STA in the sensing measurement setup request frame as needed. After the STA receives the sensing measurement setup request frame, the STA obtains the N candidate time periods provided by the AP, determines M candidate time periods based on the time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements among the N candidate time periods, and may notify the AP of the M candidate time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements based on the sensing measurement setup response frame, where M may be equal to 1 or may be greater than 1. In this way, the AP and the STA reach an agreement on the candidate time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements, thereby improving the efficiency of the sensing measurement setup and improving resource utilization.

[0012] Optionally, N is greater than 1 when the STA is an associated STA that establishes an association with an AP, or N is equal to 1 when the STA is an unassociated STA that does not establish an association with an AP.

[0013] According to the above solution, when an AP transmits a first communication frame to an associated STA, the first information in the first communication frame may indicate multiple candidate time periods, or when an AP transmits a first communication frame to a non-associated STA, the first information in the first communication frame may indicate one candidate time period. Before the AP transmits a sensing measurement setup request frame to a non-associated STA, the AP receives a sensing measurement setup query frame from the non-associated AP. The sensing measurement setup query frame indicates one or more availability windows for performing sensing measurements by the non-associated STA. If the AP already knows the candidate time periods in which the non-associated STA supports sensing measurements, the AP may select an availability window from among the availability windows in which the non-associated STA supports sensing measurements and notify the non-associated STA through the sensing measurement setup request frame. For an associated STA, the AP may determine the candidate time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements through the sensing measurement setup request frame and the sensing establishment response frame. Regarding whether a STA establishes an association with the AP, the AP may flexibly adjust the number of candidate time periods indicated in the first communication frame, thereby reducing resource waste.

[0014] Optionally, the first information includes one or more of a starting point, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the N candidate time periods.

[0015] Optionally, the second communication frame further includes third information, where the third information indicates that the response status is successful.

[0016] In one example, the second information is a bit sequence, the bit sequence including bits corresponding to N candidate time periods, and a bit corresponding to one candidate time period indicating whether the corresponding candidate time period is a time period in which the STA supports sensing measurements or not.

[0017] In another example, the second information includes one or more of a start time, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the M candidate time periods.

[0018] In implementation 2 of the first aspect, an AP transmits a first communication frame to a STA, and the AP receives a second communication frame from the STA, the second communication frame including fourth information, the fourth information indicating K candidate time periods, the K candidate time periods being time periods recommended by the STA, and K being a positive integer.

[0019] Optionally, the K candidate time periods are other than the N candidate time periods and are time periods indicated by the first information.

[0020] According to the above solution, if the STA does not support the N candidate time periods indicated in the first communication frame, or the N candidate time periods indicated in the first communication frame do not meet the requirements of the STA, the STA may send a second communication frame to the AP and notify the AP of the recommended K candidate time periods, that is, the K candidate time periods are the time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements. In this way, the AP and the STA can reach an agreement on the time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements, thereby improving the efficiency of sensing measurement setup.

[0021] Optionally, the second communication frame further includes fifth information, where the fifth information indicates that the response status is a rejection carrying the change proposal.

[0022] In implementation 3 of the first aspect, the AP receives a third communication frame from the STA, the third communication frame including sixth information, the sixth information indicating L candidate time periods, the L candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements. The AP transmits a first communication frame to the STA, the N candidate time periods indicated by the first information in the first communication frame being N of the L candidate time periods, where L is an integer greater than or equal to N.

[0023] For example, the STA is an associated STA that establishes an association with an AP, and the third communication frame is a sensing measurement setup query frame, a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame.

[0024] According to the above solution, the STA may notify the AP of one or more candidate time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurement based on the third communication frame, so that the AP knows the candidate time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurement and can select the time periods supported by the STA for sensing measurement in the sensing measurement setup process, which can improve the efficiency of the sensing measurement setup and improve resource utilization.

[0025] Optionally, the third communication frame is an association request frame or a reassociation request frame. In one example, the sixth information is an instruction field in a sensing element in the third communication frame. In another example, the sixth information is a field in a sensing field included in the sensing element in the third communication frame.

[0026] In implementation 4 of the first aspect, the AP receives a fourth communication frame from the STA, the fourth communication frame including seventh information, the seventh information indicating P candidate time periods, the P candidate time periods being time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements, the fourth communication frame being a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, where P is a positive integer. The AP receives a sensing measurement setup query frame from the STA, the L candidate time periods being indicated by the sixth information being updated time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements. The AP transmits a first communication frame to the STA.

[0027] According to the above solution, after the STA notifies the AP through the fourth communication frame of the candidate time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, if the sensing-related parameters supported by the STA change before the AP and the STA perform the sensing measurements, for example, if the candidate time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements change, the STA may update the sensing-related parameters supported by the STA through the sensing measurement setup query frame, for example, update the candidate time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements through the sensing measurement setup query frame, so that the sensing-related parameters of the STA known to the AP in the sensing measurement setup process between the STA and the AP are valid.

[0028] Optionally, after the AP transmits the first communication frame to the STA, the AP may receive a second communication frame from the STA, the second communication frame including third information, and the third information indicating the status is successful. The AP initiates a sensing measurement instance in one or more of the N candidate time periods.

[0029] According to a second aspect, there is provided a communication method. The method may be performed by a communication device or a module (e.g., a chip) configured in (or used in) the communication device. In the following, a station (STA) is used as an example for explanation.

[0030] The method includes: a station (STA) receives a first communication frame from an access point (AP), the first communication frame including first information, the first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurements, where N is a positive integer, and the STA determines the N candidate time periods based on the first communication frame.

[0031] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, N is greater than 1 when the STA is an associated STA that establishes an association with the AP, or N is equal to 1 when the STA is an unassociated STA that does not establish an association with the AP.

[0032] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first information includes one or more of a start time, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the N candidate time periods.

[0033] In relation to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the STA transmits a second communication frame to the AP, the second communication frame including second information, the second information indicating M candidate time periods among the N candidate time periods, the M candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, and M being a positive integer less than or equal to N.

[0034] Referring to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second communication frame further includes third information, and the third information indicates that the response status is successful.

[0035] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second information is a bit sequence, the bit sequence including bits corresponding to N candidate time periods, and a bit corresponding to one candidate time period indicating whether the corresponding candidate time period is a time period in which the STA supports sensing measurements or not; or the second information includes one or more of a start time, duration, or periodicity of each of the M candidate time periods.

[0036] In relation to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the STA transmits a second communication frame to the AP, the second communication frame includes fourth information, the fourth information indicates K candidate time periods, the K candidate time periods are time periods other than the N candidate time periods and are recommended by the STA, and K is a positive integer.

[0037] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second communication frame further includes fifth information, and the fifth information indicates that the response status is a rejection that carries the change proposal.

[0038] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first communication frame is a sensing measurement setup request frame, and the second communication frame is a sensing measurement setup response frame.

[0039] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, before the STA receives the first communication frame from the AP, the method further includes: the STA transmits a third communication frame to the AP; the third communication frame includes sixth information, the sixth information indicating L candidate time periods, the L candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements; the N candidate time periods indicated by the first information in the first communication frame are N of the L candidate time periods, where L is an integer greater than or equal to N.

[0040] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the STA is an associated STA that establishes an association with the AP, and the third communication frame is a sensing measurement setup query frame, a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame.

[0041] In some implementations of the second aspect, the third communication frame is an association request frame or a reassociation request frame, and the sixth information is an instruction field in a sensing element in the third communication frame, or a field in a sensing field included in the sensing element in the third communication frame.

[0042] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the third communication frame is a sensing measurement setup query frame, and the STA transmitting the third communication frame to the AP includes: the STA transmitting a fourth communication frame to the AP, the fourth communication frame including seventh information, the seventh information indicating P candidate time periods, the P candidate time periods being time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements; the fourth communication frame being a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, where P is a positive integer; the STA transmitting a sensing measurement setup query frame to the AP, and the L candidate time periods indicated by the sixth information being updated time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements.

[0043] With reference to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, after the STA receives the first communication frame from the AP, the STA may transmit a second communication frame to the AP, the second communication frame including third information, where the third information indicates a status of success. The STA may respond to the AP in one or more of the N candidate time periods to initiate a sensing measurement instance.

[0044] According to a third aspect, a communications apparatus is provided. In one design, the apparatus may include modules in a one-to-one correspondence with methods / operations / steps / actions according to the first aspect or any one of its implementations. The modules may be implemented by hardware circuitry, software, or a combination of hardware circuitry and software. In one design, the apparatus includes: a processing unit configured to determine a first communication frame, the first communication frame including first information, the first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurements, where N is a positive integer; and a transceiver unit configured to transmit the first communication frame to a station STA.

[0045] In one implementation of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second communication frame from the STA, the second communication frame including second information, the second information indicating M candidate time periods among the N candidate time periods, the M candidate time periods being time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements, where N is greater than 1 and M is a positive integer less than or equal to N. The AP initiates sensing measurement instances in one or more of the M candidate time periods.

[0046] In implementation 2 of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second communication frame from the STA, the second communication frame including fourth information, the fourth information indicating K candidate time periods, the K candidate time periods being time periods recommended by the STA, and K being a positive integer.

[0047] In an implementation 3 of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a third communication frame from the STA, the third communication frame including sixth information, the sixth information indicating L candidate time periods, the L candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements. The N candidate time periods indicated by the first information in the first communication frame are N of the L candidate time periods, where L is an integer greater than or equal to N.

[0048] In an implementation 4 of the third aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a fourth communication frame from the STA, the fourth communication frame including seventh information, the seventh information indicating P candidate time periods, the P candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, the fourth communication frame being a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, where P is a positive integer. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a sensing measurement setup query frame from the STA, the L candidate time periods indicated by the sixth information being updated time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements.

[0049] According to a fourth aspect, a communications apparatus is provided. In one design, the apparatus may include modules in a one-to-one correspondence with methods / operations / steps / actions according to the second aspect or any one of its implementations. The modules may be implemented by hardware circuitry, software, or a combination of hardware circuitry and software. In one design, the apparatus includes: a transceiver unit configured to receive a first communication frame from an AP, the first communication frame including first information, the first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurements, where N is a positive integer; and a processing unit configured to determine the N candidate time periods based on the first communication frame.

[0050] In implementation 1 of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a second communication frame to the AP, the second communication frame including second information, the second information indicating M candidate time periods out of N candidate time periods, the M candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, N being greater than 1 and M being a positive integer less than or equal to N.

[0051] Optionally, the processing unit is further configured to respond to the AP to initiate a sensing measurement instance at one or more of the M candidate time periods.

[0052] In implementation 2 of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a second communication frame to the AP, the second communication frame including fourth information, the fourth information indicating K candidate time periods, the K candidate time periods being time periods recommended by the STA, and K being a positive integer.

[0053] Optionally, the K candidate time periods are other than the N candidate time periods and are time periods indicated by the first information.

[0054] In an implementation 3 of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a third communication frame to the AP, the third communication frame including sixth information, the sixth information indicating L candidate time periods, the L candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements. The N candidate time periods indicated by the first information in the first communication frame are N of the L candidate time periods, where L is an integer greater than or equal to N.

[0055] In an implementation 4 of the fourth aspect, the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a fourth communication frame to the AP, the fourth communication frame including seventh information, the seventh information indicating P candidate time periods, the P candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, the fourth communication frame being a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, where P is a positive integer. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a sensing measurement setup query frame to the AP, the L candidate time periods indicated by the sixth information being updated time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements.

[0056] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a communication device including a processor. The processor may implement a method according to the first aspect and any one of the possible implementations thereof, or may implement a method according to the second aspect and any one of the possible implementations thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. The processor may be coupled to the memory and configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to implement a method according to the first aspect and any one of the possible implementations thereof, or to implement a method according to the second aspect and any one of the possible implementations thereof. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface. In embodiments of the present application, the communication interface may be a transceiver, a pin, a circuit, a bus, a module, or another type of communication interface. This is not limited thereto.

[0057] In some implementations, the communication apparatus is a communication device (e.g., a device having the functionality of an AP or a device having the functionality of an STA). When the communication apparatus is a communication device, the communication interface may be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0058] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip configured in a communication device. When the communication device is a chip configured in a communication device, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0059] Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0060] According to a sixth aspect, a processor is provided, including an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit configured to receive signals through the input circuit and send signals through the output circuit to enable the processor to perform a method according to any one of the first aspect and possible implementations of the first aspect, or to perform a method according to the second aspect and any one of the possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0061] In a particular implementation process, the processor may be one or more chips, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the processing circuit may be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, any logic circuit, etc. An input signal received by an input circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and a signal output by an output circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, output to a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter, and the input circuit and the output circuit may be the same circuit, which is used as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. The specific implementation of the processor and various circuits is not limited to the embodiments of this application.

[0062] According to a seventh aspect, there is provided a computer program product, which includes a computer program (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which, when executed, enables a computer to perform a method according to the first aspect and any one of its possible implementations, or a method according to the second aspect and any one of its possible implementations.

[0063] According to an eighth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program (sometimes referred to as code or instructions) that, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to perform a method according to the first aspect and any one of its possible implementations, or a method according to the second aspect and any one of its possible implementations.

[0064] According to a ninth aspect, there is provided a communication system including the at least one AP and the at least one STA as described above. Optionally, the communication system further includes the at least one STA as described above. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0065] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram of an architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method according to the present application;

[0067] [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram of the format of an availability window information subfield according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0068] [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram of a format of RSTA availability information according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0069] [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram of the format of an RSTA availability window element according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0070] [Figure 6] 10A-10C are diagrams of different formats of a TB sensing specific sub-element containing first information according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 7] 10A-10C are diagrams of different formats of a TB sensing specific sub-element containing first information according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 8] 10A-10C are diagrams of different formats of a TB sensing specific sub-element containing first information according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 9] 10A-10C are diagrams of different formats of a TB sensing specific sub-element containing first information according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0071] [Figure 10] 4 is another schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] [Figure 11] 10A-10C are diagrams illustrating different formats of a sensing measurement setup response frame according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 12] 10A-10C are diagrams illustrating different formats of a sensing measurement setup response frame according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 13] 10A-10C are diagrams illustrating different formats of a sensing measurement setup response frame according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 14] 10A-10C are diagrams illustrating different formats of a sensing measurement setup response frame according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0073] [Figure 15]FIG. 10 is a diagram of a format of a TB sensing specific sub-element including fourth information according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0074] [Figure 16] 4 is another schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] [Figure 17] 10A-10C are diagrams of different formats of a sensing measurement setup query frame according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 18] 10A-10C are diagrams of different formats of a sensing measurement setup query frame according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 19] 10A-10C are diagrams of different formats of a sensing measurement setup query frame according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0076] [Figure 20] 10A-10C are diagrams of different formats of sensing elements in a sensing measurement setup query frame according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 21] 10A-10C are diagrams of different formats of sensing elements in a sensing measurement setup query frame according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0077] [Figure 22] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a sensing field format in a sensing element according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0078] [Figure 23] 4 is another schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] [Figure 24] 1 is a block diagram of an example communication device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] [Figure 25] FIG. 2 is a diagram of another example structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0081] The following describes the technical solution of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0082] In the present embodiment, " / " may indicate an "or" relationship between associated objects. For example, A / B may indicate A or B. "And / or" may indicate three relationships between associated objects. For example, A and / or B may indicate three cases: only A is present, both A and B are present, and only B is present. Here, A and B may be singular or plural. To facilitate the description of the technical solutions in the present embodiment, terms such as "first" and "second" may be used for distinction in the present embodiment. Terms such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and terms such as "first" and "second" do not indicate clear distinction. In the present embodiment, terms such as "example" or "for example" indicate an example, illustration, or explanation. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" or "for example" should not be described as preferred or having more advantages over another embodiment or design scheme. Terms such as "example" or "for example" are used to present related concepts in a specific way for ease of understanding. In the embodiments of the present application, "at least one (type)" may alternatively be described as "one (type) or multiple (types)," and "multiple (types)" may be two (types), three (types), four (types), or more (types). This is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0083] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application may be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, for example, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi). For example, the solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application may be applied to wireless local area network systems supporting the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ax next-generation Wi-Fi protocol (e.g., 802.11bf, 802.11be, Wi-Fi 8, extreme high throughput (EHT), UHR, Wi-Fi AI, or another 802.11 series protocol); and may further be applied to ultra-wideband (UWB)-based wireless personal area network systems and sensing systems. Other examples are internet of things (IoT) systems, narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, or 5th-generation (5G) communication systems, as well as new communication systems emerging in future communication developments.

[0084] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication system 100 includes at least one network device. As shown in FIG. 1, the network device may be an access point (AP). The communication system 100 may further include at least one terminal. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal may be a station (STA). In the communication system 100, the AP and the STA may complete a sensing measurement setup in a sensing measurement setup process to perform sensing measurements.

[0085] For example, an AP may be understood as an access point entity, and a STA may be understood as a station entity. For example, this application is applicable to a sensing measurement scenario between an AP and a STA in a WLAN. The AP and the STA may support a WLAN communication protocol, which may include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series of protocols.

[0086] For example, the solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application may be applied to wireless local area network systems supporting 802.11 series protocols, for example, 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, or next-generation Wi-Fi protocols of IEEE 802.11ax such as EHT, and in another example, next-generation protocols of 802.11be, for example, Wi-Fi 8, UHR, or Wi-Fi AI, and may further be applied to ultra-wideband (UWB)-based wireless personal area network systems or sensing systems.

[0087] The AP provided in this embodiment of the present application may be a device with wireless communication capabilities, support communication and sensing according to a WLAN protocol, and have the capability of communicating with and sensing other devices (e.g., STAs or other APs) in a WLAN network. Of course, the AP may also have the capability of communicating with and sensing other devices. Alternatively, the AP may be equivalent to a bridge connecting a wired network and a wireless network. The main function of an AP is to connect wireless network clients to each other and then connect the wireless network to Ethernet. In a WLAN system, an access point may be called an access point station (AP, STA). The device with wireless communication capabilities may be an entire device, or a chip or processing system embedded in the entire device. A device incorporating a chip or processing system may implement the methods and functions in the embodiments of the present application under the control of the chip or processing system. The AP in the embodiment of the present application is a device that provides services for STAs and may support the 802.11 series of protocols. For example, an access point may be an access point for a terminal device (e.g., a mobile phone) to access a wired (or wireless) network, and may be located in a home, a building, a campus, or outdoors. In another example, an AP may be a communication entity such as a communication server, a router, a switch, or a network bridge. The AP may include various types of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, etc., or the AP may be chips and processing systems in these various types of devices for implementing the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application. The access point in the present application may be a high-efficiency (HE) AP or an ultra-high-throughput EHT AP, or an access point applicable to future Wi-Fi protocols, etc.

[0088] The STA provided in this embodiment of the present application is a device with wireless communication capabilities, supports communication and sensing according to a WLAN protocol, and has the ability to communicate with and sense other stations or access points in a WLAN network. In a WLAN system, a STA may be referred to as a non-access point station (non-AP STA). For example, a STA may communicate with another device in a WLAN by communicating with an AP and sensing the AP. A device with wireless communication capabilities may be an entire device, or a chip or processing system embedded in the entire device. A device embedded with a chip or processing system may implement the methods and functions in the embodiments of the present application under the control of the chip or processing system. For example, a station may be a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, or a wireless communication terminal, and may also be referred to as a user. In another example, the station may be a mobile phone supporting Wi-Fi communication capabilities, a tablet computer supporting Wi-Fi communication capabilities, a set-top box supporting Wi-Fi communication capabilities, a smart television supporting Wi-Fi communication capabilities, a smart wearable device supporting Wi-Fi communication capabilities, an in-vehicle communication device supporting Wi-Fi communication capabilities, or a computer supporting Wi-Fi communication capabilities.

[0089] With the continuous evolution of WLAN application scenarios, WLAN systems are applied to more scenarios or industries, such as the Internet of Things industry and the Internet of Vehicles industry. Devices (e.g., APs or STAs) supporting WLAN communication and sensing may be sensor nodes in smart cities (e.g., smart water meters, smart electricity meters, or smart air detection nodes), smart devices in smart homes (e.g., smart cameras, projectors, displays, TVs, stereos, refrigerators, and washing machines), nodes and sensors in the Internet of Things, entertainment terminals (e.g., AR, VR, or other wearable devices), smart devices in smart offices (e.g., printers, projectors, loudspeakers, and stereos), infrastructure in daily life scenarios (e.g., vending machines, self-service navigation stations in supermarkets, self-service cash register devices, and self-service ordering machines), devices in large sports and music venues, etc. The specific forms of STAs and APs are not limited to the embodiments of this application and are merely examples for explanation purposes herein.

[0090] An STA and an AP can establish a sensing session in an association establishment process. The STA can send an association request frame to the AP, and the STA can send the STA's sensing-related capability parameters to the AP through the association request frame. After the AP receives the association request frame, the AP can send an association response frame to the STA. If the AP accepts the association, the association response frame can include the AP's sensing-related capability parameters to establish a sensing session. In this process, the exchange of sensing-related capability parameters between the AP and the STA is completed.

[0091] After the sensing session establishment is completed, when sensing measurements need to be performed, the sensing measurement participating nodes (e.g., participating nodes may be STAs and / or APs) may execute a sensing measurement setup process. In the sensing measurement setup process, each participating node may select and negotiate relevant parameters based on the application of the sensing measurement. Specifically, the sensing initiator may send a sensing measurement setup request frame to the sensing responder to initiate the sensing measurement setup and request its role in the sensing measurement and relevant parameters. After the sensing responder receives the sensing measurement setup request frame, the sensing responder sends a sensing measurement setup response frame to the sensing initiator.

[0092] If the sensing responder accepts the sensing measurement setup parameters requested by the sensing initiator in the sensing measurement setup request frame, the status code in the sensing measurement setup response frame sent by the sensing responder is set to success and indicated as SUCCESS.

[0093] If the sensing responder rejects the sensing measurement setup parameters requested by the sensing initiator, but the sensing responder can provide sensing measurement setup parameters recommended by the sensing responder in the sensing measurement setup response frame, the status code in the sensing measurement setup response frame sent by the sensing responder is set to rejection carrying change suggestions, indicated as REJECTED_WITH_SUGGESTED_CHANGES.

[0094] If the sensing responder rejects the sensing measurement setup parameters requested by the sensing initiator and does not provide recommended sensing measurement setup parameters, the status code in the sensing measurement setup response frame sent by the sensing responder is set to request rejection, represented as REQUEST_DECLINE.

[0095] After the sensing measurement setup is complete, the sensing initiator may initiate one or more sensing measurement instances. A sensing measurement instance initiated by an AP as a sensing initiator may be referred to as a trigger-based (TB) sensing measurement instance. A sensing measurement instance initiated by a STA as a sensing initiator may be referred to as a non-TB sensing measurement instance.

[0096] When the AP acts as the sensing initiator, the sensing measurement setup parameters requested by the AP during the sensing measurement setup process may not meet the requirements of the STA, resulting in the inability to set up the sensing measurement or the inability to actually perform the sensing measurement after it has been set up. For example, the STA may not be able to perform the sensing measurement within the sensing time requested by the AP. As a result, the efficiency of the sensing measurement setup is low and there is a resource waste problem. According to the solution provided in this embodiment of the present application, the AP and the STA reach a consensus on a candidate time period during which the STA will support the sensing measurement, thereby improving the efficiency of the sensing measurement setup and improving resource utilization.

[0097] The following describes the solution provided in this application with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0098] FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0099] S201: An AP determines a first communication frame, where the first communication frame includes first information, and the first information indicates N candidate time periods for sensing measurement, where N is a positive integer.

[0100] The first information may include one or more of a start time, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the N candidate time periods. For example, the first information may include N pieces of sub-information, each sub-information indicating one candidate time period.

[0101] In one implementation, the number of bits occupied by the first information in the first communication frame varies with the value of the number N of candidate time periods determined by the AP. For example, the AP may determine the N candidate time periods and the number N of candidate time periods to be provided for the STA based on resource conditions. If the AP determines that the number N of candidate time periods is 3, the first information includes three pieces of sub-information, or if the AP determines that the number N of candidate time periods is 2, the first information includes two pieces of sub-information. In this case, the AP can flexibly indicate a different number of candidate time periods as needed.

[0102] It should be understood that the candidate time period may also be referred to as an availability window for sensing measurements, an availability window for sensing measurements, or another name. In this embodiment of the present application, an availability window is primarily used as an example for illustration. The present application is not limited thereto.

[0103] For example, the first information may be referred to as a responding STA (RSTA) availability window element (denoted as RSTA availability window element) or an availability window field.

[0104] For example, the first information is called an RSTA availability window element. The RSTA availability window element may include RSTA availability information, which may include N availability window information subfields. One availability window information subfield indicates the start time, duration, and periodicity of one of the N availability windows. For example, FIG. 3 shows the format of the availability window information subfield. As shown in FIG. 3, the availability window information subfield includes partial timing synchronization function (TSF) timer (denoted as partial TSF timer) information, duration information, and periodicity information. The partial TSF timer information is used to determine the start time of the availability window indicated by the availability window information subfield, the duration information indicates the length of the availability window duration, and the periodicity information indicates the periodicity duration of the availability window. That is, the availability window appears periodically by using the periodicity duration as the periodicity. In this example, the length of the availability window information subfield is 32 bits, i.e., 4 bytes. The partial TSF timer information may be located, for example, in bits (B) 0 to B15 of the availability window information subfield. The duration information may include 7 bits located in bits B16 to B22, and the periodicity information may include 8 bits located in bits B24 to B31. Between the duration information and the periodicity information, there may be reserved bits or bits used for other purposes. After the AP transmits the first communication frame to the STA in S202, the STA may determine the N availability windows provided by the AP based on the N availability window information subfields in the RSTA availability window element.

[0105] In this example, the RSTA availability information may be shown in Figure 4. The RSTA availability information includes N availability window information subfields, and the format of each availability window information subfield may be shown in Figure 3. The availability windows indicated by different availability window information subfields differ in at least one of start time, duration, or periodicity. In addition, the RSTA availability information may further include a 1-byte header.

[0106] For example, in addition to the RSTA availability information, the first information (i.e., the RSTA availability window element) may further include a 1-byte (octet) identifier (ID) of the RSTA availability window element, denoted as Element ID, 1-byte length information, and 1-byte Element ID Extension information. For example, the first information may be shown in FIG. 5. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the length of the first information is variable in the first communication frame. When the first information indicates N availability windows, the length of the first information is (4+4N) bytes, i.e., (32+32N) bits. When the first information includes only one availability window information subfield, the length of the first information is the minimum length, i.e., 8 bytes or 64 bits.

[0107] When the first information is called an availability window field, the availability window field includes RSTA availability window elements, and the N availability windows are indicated by the RSTA availability window elements in the availability window field.

[0108] In this embodiment of the present application, it should be understood that the formats of frames, information, elements, sub-elements, etc. shown in the accompanying drawings, and the arrangement sequence of sub-information or information in those formats, are merely examples provided for a better understanding of the solution of the present application, and the present application is not limited thereto, and in a specific implementation, the format and arrangement order may be determined based on implementation requirements.

[0109] The solutions provided in this embodiment of the present application may include, but are not limited to, the following implementation 1 and implementation 2.

[0110] Implementation 1: The AP may provide multiple candidate time periods for sensing measurements for the STA based on the first information in the first communication frame, so that after the STA receives the first communication frame, the STA determines a time period within the N candidate time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements and feeds back the time period to the AP.

[0111] For example, the first communication frame may be a sensing measurement setup request frame. In this way, the STA can determine, among the N candidate time periods, a time period in which the STA supports sensing measurement, i.e., an available time period in which the STA performs sensing measurement. This solution can improve the efficiency of sensing measurement setup, reduce cases in which the efficiency of sensing measurement setup is low or sensing measurement cannot be set up because the sensing measurement time requested by the AP is unavailable to the STA, and improve resource utilization.

[0112] For example, the sensing measurement setup request frame is determined by the AP and sent to the STA. Therefore, the AP is the sensing initiator, and the sensing measurement setup process is a trigger-based (TB) sensing measurement setup process. The sensing measurement setup request frame determined by the AP includes a TB sensing specific subelement, and the TB sensing specific subelement includes the first information.

[0113] Specifically, the sensing measurement setup request frame may include a sensing measurement parameters element, and the TB sensing specific subelement is specifically included in a sensing subelement within the sensing measurement parameters element.

[0114] In one example, the first information may be referred to as an RSTA Availability Window element. For example, the format of the TB sensing-specific sub-element may be shown in FIG. 6. In this example, the first information (i.e., the RSTA availability window element) may be the last element in the TB sensing-specific sub-element, and the number of bits occupied by the first information is variable. The RSTA availability window element indicates N availability windows. The format of the RSTA availability window element may be as shown in FIG. 5 or may be in another format. The TB sensing-specific sub-element may further include an 8-bit sub-element identifier, i.e., sub-element ID, used to determine length information of the sensing-specific sub-element. For example, the length information is 8 bits. Additionally, the TB sensing specific sub-element may include an association ID (AID) or unassociated STA ID (USID), poll assigned information, a channel state information (CSI) variation threshold, and sensing responder to sensing responder (SR2SR) information. The TB sensing specific sub-element may further include two reserved bits, or the two bits may indicate other information. The two bits may be located between the SR2SR information and the RSTA availability window element. However, the present application is not limited thereto.

[0115] In another example, the first information may be referred to as an availability window field. For example, the format of the TB sensing specific sub-element may be shown in FIG. 7. The availability window field may be the last element in the TB sensing specific sub-element, and the number of bits occupied by the availability window field is variable. The availability window field may include an RSTA availability window element. The RSTA availability window element indicates N availability windows. The format of the RSTA availability window element may be as shown in FIG. 5 or may be another format. The minimum length of the availability window information may be 8 bytes, i.e., 64 bits. However, the present application is not limited thereto.

[0116] According to the solution of Implementation 1, the AP may provide a variable number of candidate time periods for the STA as needed, so that the STA can determine the candidate time period for sensing measurement based on the time period in which the STA supports sensing measurement among the N candidate time periods and notify the AP of the candidate time period. In this way, the AP and the STA can reach a consensus on the candidate time period in which the STA supports sensing measurement, thereby improving the efficiency of sensing measurement setup and improving resource utilization.

[0117] Implementation 2: Before S201, the STA transmits a third communication frame to the AP, and the third communication frame includes sixth information. The sixth information indicates L candidate time periods. The L candidate time periods are time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements. In other words, the L candidate time periods are available time periods in which the STA performs sensing measurements. Correspondingly, after the AP receives the third communication frame, the AP determines N candidate time periods for sensing measurements in the L candidate time periods and notifies the STA through the first communication frame.

[0118] For example, the third communication frame is a sensing measurement setup query frame, a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame.

[0119] The STA may notify the AP of multiple availability windows for the STA to perform sensing measurements based on the third communication frame, and the AP may select one or more availability windows from the multiple availability windows for the STA to perform sensing measurements with the STA.

[0120] In one example, the first communication frame may be a sensing measurement setup request frame. In the sensing measurement setup request frame, the format of the TB sensing-specific sub-element including the first information may be shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7. The first information may be the RSTA availability window element shown in FIG. 5 or the availability window element shown in FIG. 6. The AP selects N availability windows from multiple availability windows that can be used by the STA to perform sensing measurements and notifies the STA of the length of the first information in the sensing measurement setup request frame through the sensing measurement setup request frame, where N may be equal to 1 or may be greater than 1. That is, the number of occupied bits is determined based on the number N of availability windows selected by the AP. For example, the format of the first information is shown in FIG. 5, where the first information includes a 1-byte element ID, 1-byte length information, and 1-byte element ID extension information, and the RSTA availability information includes a 1-byte header and N availability information sub-fields. If one availability window information subfield occupies 4 bytes, the length of the first information in the sensing measurement setup request frame is 4+4N bytes, i.e., 32+32N bits. After the STA receives the first communication frame, the STA determines that sensing measurements can be performed in the N availability windows indicated by the first information in the first communication frame.

[0121] In another example, the AP selects one availability window from multiple availability windows that can be used by the STA to perform sensing measurements, and notifies the STA through the first communication frame, i.e., N is equal to 1. The length of the first information in the first communication frame is fixed. After the STA receives the first communication frame, the STA determines that the sensing measurement can be performed in the availability window indicated by the first information in the first communication frame.

[0122] The first communication frame may be a sensing measurement setup request frame. For example, in the sensing measurement setup request frame, the format of a TB sensing-specific sub-element including the first information may be shown in FIG. 8. The first information is an RSTA availability window element, which indicates only one availability window. For the format of the RSTA availability window element, see FIG. 5. However, in this example, the length of the RSTA availability information in the RSTA availability window element is fixed to 5 bytes, i.e., the RSTA availability information only includes a 1-byte header and a 4-byte availability window information subfield, and the RSTA availability window element includes a total of 8 bytes, i.e., 64 bits. Alternatively, in the sensing measurement setup request frame, the format of a TB sensing-specific sub-element including the first information may be shown in FIG. 9. The first information is availability window information, which indicates only one availability window. For example, the availability window information may include 64 bits.

[0123] According to the above solution, the STA may notify the AP of one or more candidate time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurement based on the third communication frame, so that the AP knows the candidate time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurement, selects the time periods supported by the STA for sensing measurement, and notifies the STA through the first communication frame. In this way, the AP and the STA can reach a consensus on the candidate time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurement, thereby improving the efficiency of sensing measurement setup and improving resource utilization.

[0124] S202: The AP transmits a first communication frame to the STA.

[0125] In response, the STA receives a first communication frame from the AP.

[0126] Regarding the above Implementation 1, Figure 10 is a schematic flowchart of Implementation 1. The method 1000 in Implementation 1 shown in Figure 10 may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0127] S1001: An AP transmits a first communication frame to a STA, where the first communication frame includes first information, and the first information indicates N candidate time periods for sensing measurement.

[0128] For the first communication frame in S1001, please refer to the above description of the embodiment shown in Figure 2. For brevity, the details will not be described again in this specification. After the STA receives the first communication frame from the AP, the STA may transmit a second communication frame to the AP. Implementations of the second communication frame include, but are not limited to, the following scheme a and scheme b.

[0129] Method a: The STA performs S1003a to transmit a second communication frame to the AP, where the second communication frame includes second information, and the second information indicates M candidate time periods among N candidate time periods, where the M candidate time periods are time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements, and M is a positive integer less than or equal to N.

[0130] In scheme a, after the STA acquires the N candidate time periods provided by the AP through the first communication frame, the STA determines that sensing measurements can be performed in M ​​of the N candidate time periods. In other words, the M of the N candidate time periods are available time periods in which the STA performs sensing measurements. In this case, the STA may transmit a second communication frame including the second information to the AP. In this way, the AP and the STA reach a consensus on the available time periods in which the STA performs sensing measurements, and start a sensing measurement instance in the available time period in which the STA performs sensing measurements.

[0131] In one example, the second information may be a bit sequence, where the bit sequence includes bits corresponding to N candidate time periods, where a bit corresponding to one candidate time period indicates whether the corresponding candidate time period is a time period in which the STA supports sensing measurements, and M bits corresponding to M candidate time periods in the bit sequence indicate that the corresponding candidate time period is a time period in which the STA supports sensing measurements, where M is 1 or greater.

[0132] The length of the bit sequence in the second communication frame is variable, and the number of bits included in the bit sequence is N, where the N bits correspond one-to-one to the N availability windows indicated by the first information in the first communication frame. For example, if a bit in the bit sequence is 1, it indicates that the availability window corresponding to that bit is an availability window in which the STA supports sensing measurements, and if that bit is 0, it indicates that the availability window corresponding to that bit is not an availability window in which the STA supports sensing measurements, and M bits out of the N bits in the bit sequence are 1. However, the present application is not limited thereto.

[0133] In another example, M is equal to 1, the second information is a bit sequence, the length of the bit sequence in the second communication frame is variable, and the bit sequence is

number

number

[0134] For example, the AP indicates three availability windows based on the first information in the first communication frame, i.e., N=3, and the three availability windows are availability window 0, availability window 1, and availability window 2, in order. The second information in the second communication frame sent by the STA is

number

[0135] The first communication frame may be a sensing measurement setup request frame, and the second communication frame may be a sensing measurement setup response frame. The sensing measurement setup response frame includes third information, and the third information indicates that the response status of the sensing measurement setup is successful. For example, the third information may be referred to as status code information, and the status code information indicates that the status is SUCCESS. The format of the sensing measurement setup response frame may be shown in FIG. 11. The second information may be a field of the sensing measurement setup response frame, and the field may be referred to as an assigned availability window field. The sensing measurement setup response frame may further include 1-byte category information, 1-byte public action / protected dual of public action information, 1-byte dialog token, and 1-byte measurement setup ID.

[0136] Optionally, the sensing measurement setup response frame may alternatively be shown in Figure 12. Based on the format shown in Figure 11, the sensing measurement setup response frame may further include a sensing measurement parameters element indicating operational parameters associated with the sensing measurement instance. For example, the sensing measurement parameters element may be 0 bytes, i.e., the element is not included; or the sensing measurement setup response frame includes a sensing measurement parameters element, and the length of the sensing measurement parameters element is variable.

[0137] In an optional implementation, the STAs in the example shown in FIG. 10 are associated STAs.

[0138] For example, in a sensing measurement setup request frame transmitted by an AP to an associated STA, the format of the TB sensing-specific sub-element including the first information may be shown in Figure 6, and the format of a sensing measurement setup response frame transmitted by an associated STA may be shown in Figure 11 or 12. In a sensing measurement setup request frame transmitted by an AP to a non-associated STA, the format of the TB sensing-specific sub-element including the first information may be shown in Figure 8, and the format of a sensing measurement setup response frame transmitted by a non-associated STA does not include an assigned availability window field. See the frame format shown in Figure 11 or 12. A non-associated STA includes fields other than the assigned availability window field.

[0139] In another example, in a sensing measurement setup request frame transmitted by an AP to an associated STA, the format of a TB sensing specific sub-element including first information (e.g., the first information may be an RSTA availability window element) may be shown in FIG. 7. The format of a sensing measurement setup response frame transmitted by an associated STA may be shown in FIG. 11 or 12. In a sensing measurement setup request frame transmitted by an AP to a non-associated STA, the format of a TB sensing specific sub-element including first information may be shown in FIG. 9. The format of a sensing measurement setup response frame transmitted by a non-associated STA does not include an assigned availability window field. See the frame format shown in FIG. 11 or 12. A non-associated STA includes fields other than the assigned availability window field.

[0140] In other words, the length of the first information included in the sensing measurement setup request frame may be 0 or variable. When the sensing measurement setup request frame is sent by an AP to an associated STA, the length of the first information in the sensing setup request frame (e.g., the first information is an RSTA availability window element or availability window information) may be variable. The AP provides N candidate time periods (i.e., N availability windows) for the associated STA through the sensing setup request frame. The associated STA selects M availability windows from the N availability windows that can be used by the STA to perform sensing measurements and notifies the AP through the assigned availability window field included in the sensing setup response frame. When the sensing measurement setup request frame is sent by an AP to a non-associated STA, before the AP sends the sensing measurement setup request frame to the non-associated STA, the non-associated STA sends a sensing measurement setup query frame to the AP to request participation in the sensing measurement initiated by the AP. The sensing measurement setup query frame indicates one or more availability windows in which the non-associated STA supports sensing measurements. After the AP receives the sensing measurement setup query frame from the unassociated STA, the AP can select an availability window from among the availability windows in which the unassociated STA supports sensing measurements, and the unassociated STA is notified through a sensing measurement setup request frame. The length of the first information in the sensing measurement setup request frame is fixed, for example, including 64 bits, and the 64 bits indicate the availability window selected by the AP.

[0141] In another example, the second information includes one or more of a start time, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the M candidate time periods.

[0142] For example, the first communication frame may be a sensing measurement setup request frame, and the second communication frame may be a sensing measurement setup response frame. The sensing measurement setup response frame includes third information. For example, the third information may be status code information, which indicates that the response status is SUCCESS. The format of the sensing measurement setup response frame may be shown in FIG. 13. The second information may be a field in the sensing measurement setup response frame, which may be referred to as an RSTA availability window element. The RSTA availability window element in the sensing measurement setup request frame transmitted by the AP indicates N availability windows. For example, the RSTA availability window element includes N availability window information subfields. In this case, the STA may determine M availability windows that can be used by the STA to perform sensing measurements in the N availability windows indicated by the N availability window information subfields, and notify the AP through the sensing measurement setup response frame. The RSTA availability window element included in the sensing measurement setup response frame includes M availability window information subfields indicating M availability windows.

[0143] In one scheme, M is equal to 1, and the RSTA availability window element has a fixed length in the sensing measurement setup response frame, for example, 8 bytes, i.e., 64 bits. The 64-bit RSTA availability window element indicates one of N availability windows. The STA notifies the STA of the availability window selected for sensing measurements through the RSTA availability window element.

[0144] In another scheme, M is greater than or equal to 1, and the length of the RSTA availability window element in the sensing measurement setup response frame is variable, and the length of the RSTA availability window element is determined by the STA among the N availability windows and is determined based on the number M of availability windows that are for sensing measurements. For example, the length of the RSTA availability window element is 32+32M. The STA notifies the STA of one or more availability windows selected for sensing measurements through the RSTA availability window element.

[0145] Optionally, the sensing measurement setup response frame may alternatively be shown in Figure 14. Based on the format shown in Figure 13, the sensing measurement setup response frame may further include a sensing measurement parameters element indicating operational parameters associated with the sensing measurement instance. For example, the sensing measurement parameters element may be 0 bytes, i.e., the element is not included; or the sensing measurement setup response frame includes a sensing measurement parameters element, and the length of the sensing measurement parameters element is variable.

[0146] In an optional implementation, the STAs in the example shown in FIG. 10 are associated STAs.

[0147] For example, in a sensing measurement setup request frame transmitted by an AP to an associated STA, the format of the TB sensing-specific sub-element including the first information may be shown in Figure 6, and the format of a sensing measurement setup response frame transmitted by an associated STA may be shown in Figure 13 or 14. In a sensing measurement setup request frame transmitted by an AP to a non-associated STA, the format of the TB sensing-specific sub-element including the first information may be shown in Figure 8, and the format of a sensing measurement setup response frame transmitted by a non-associated STA does not include an assigned availability window field. See the frame format shown in Figure 13 or 14. A non-associated STA includes fields other than the assigned availability window field.

[0148] In another example, in a sensing measurement setup request frame transmitted by an AP to an associated STA, the format of the TB sensing-specific sub-element including the first information may be shown in Figure 7, and the format of a sensing measurement setup response frame transmitted by an associated STA may be shown in Figure 13 or 14. In a sensing measurement setup request frame transmitted by an AP to a non-associated STA, the TB sensing-specific sub-element including the first information may be shown in Figure 9, and the format of a sensing measurement setup response frame transmitted by a non-associated STA does not include an assigned availability window field. See the frame format shown in Figure 13 or 14. A non-associated STA includes fields other than the assigned availability window field.

[0149] According to scheme a, the AP may flexibly choose to allocate one or more candidate time periods to the STA as needed, so that the STA can select the available time period for performing sensing measurement, which can improve the efficiency of the sensing measurement setup and improve resource utilization.

[0150] Method b: The STA executes S1003b to send a second communication frame to the AP, where the second communication frame includes fourth information, and the fourth information indicates K candidate time periods, where the K candidate time periods are time periods recommended by the STA and are for sensing.

[0151] Optionally, the K candidate time periods are time periods other than said N candidate time periods.

[0152] If the N candidate time periods provided by the AP for the STA based on the first information in the first communication frame are all time periods in which the STA cannot be used for sensing measurements, the STA may transmit a second communication frame to the AP including fourth information, in which time periods recommended by the STA and for sensing measurements are provided for the AP based on the second information.

[0153] For example, the first communication frame may be a sensing measurement setup request frame, and the second communication frame may be a sensing measurement setup response frame. The sensing measurement setup response frame may include fifth information. For example, the fifth information may be status code information indicating that the response status is a rejection (REJECTED_WITH_SUGGESTED_CHANGES) that carries a change proposal. Fourth information may be included in the sensing measurement setup response frame.

[0154] Specifically, the sensing measurement setup response frame includes a sensing sub-element, and the fourth information is included in a TB sensing specific sub-element within the sensing sub-element.

[0155] In one example, the fourth information may be referred to as an initiating STA (ISTA) availability window element. In a sensing measurement setup response frame, a TB sensing-specific sub-element including the ISTA availability window element may be shown in FIG. 15. The ISTA availability window element indicates K candidate time periods. For example, the ISTA availability window element may include one ISTA availability information field, which includes an availability bitmap, and the availability bitmap indicates K candidate time periods. The length of the ISTA availability window element is variable.

[0156] In another example, the fourth information may be referred to as an availability window field. In a sensing measurement setup response frame, a TB sensing specific sub-element including an availability window field may be shown in FIG. 7. The sensing sub-element includes an availability window field, which includes an ISTA availability window element indicating K candidate time periods. For example, the availability information field in the ISTA availability window element includes an availability bitmap, which indicates K candidate time periods. The length of the availability window field is variable.

[0157] For Implementation 2 in S202, specific procedures may be shown in Figure 16. The method 1600 in Implementation 2 shown in Figure 16 includes, but is not limited to, the following steps.

[0158] S1601: The STA transmits a third communication frame to the AP, the third communication frame including sixth information, the sixth information indicating L candidate time periods, the L candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements.

[0159] L is an integer of 1 or greater.

[0160] In one implementation, the STA is an associated STA and the third communication frame is a sensing measurement setup query frame.

[0161] In this implementation, after a STA establishes association with an AP, the STA may inform the AP of L candidate time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements based on a Sensing Measurement Setup Query frame. In this way, when the AP initiates sensing measurement setup, the AP may select one or more candidate time periods from the L candidate time periods.

[0162] In one example, the format of the sensing measurement setup query frame may be shown in FIG. 17. The sixth information may be referred to as an ISTA Availability Window element, which includes an availability bitmap indicating L candidate time periods. The length of the ISTA availability window field is variable. The sensing measurement setup query frame also includes one byte of category information and one byte of protected dual public function / public function information. The associated STA has exchanged sensing-related parameters with the AP during the sensing measurement session establishment process. Therefore, the sensing measurement setup query frame does not carry a sensing element indicating sensing-related parameters.

[0163] Considering an unassociated STA, when the unassociated STA transmits a sensing measurement setup query frame, the sensing setup query frame includes an ISTA availability window element and a sensing element, and the sensing element includes sensing-related parameters of the unassociated STA. For example, the sensing element may be 12 bytes. When the associated STA transmits a sensing measurement setup query frame, the sensing setup query frame includes an ISTA availability window element and the sensing element is 0 bytes, i.e., the sensing element is not included. The format of the sensing measurement setup query frame may be represented as shown in FIG. 18, and the sensing element may be 0 bytes or 12 bytes.

[0164] In another example, when an associated STA needs to update sensing-related parameters, the sensing measurement setup query frame sent by the associated STA to the AP includes an ISTA availability window element and a sensing element, where the ISTA availability window element indicates L availability windows in which the associated STA supports sensing measurements. When the associated STA does not need to update sensing-related parameters, the sensing measurement setup query frame sent by the associated STA to the AP includes the ISTA availability window element but does not include a sensing element. The format of the sensing measurement setup query frame may be shown in FIG. 18, where the sensing element may be 0 bytes or 12 bytes.

[0165] In yet another example, all sensing measurement setup query frames transmitted by an associated STA include an ISTA availability window element and a sensing element, e.g., all sensing measurement setup query frames transmitted by an associated or non-associated STA include an ISTA availability window element and a 12-byte sensing element.

[0166] In yet another example, a sensing measurement setup query frame may be shown in FIG. 19. Sixth information may be included in the sensing element shown in FIG. 19. For example, the sixth information is an ISTA availability window element, and the format of the sensing element may be shown in FIG. 20. The ISTA availability window element includes an availability bitmap indicating L candidate time periods. The length of the ISTA availability window field is variable. The sensing element may also include an element ID, length information, and element ID extension information. The sensing element may not include a sensing field. Alternatively, the sensing element may include a 9-byte sensing field. For example, in a sensing measurement setup query frame with the format shown in FIG. 19 transmitted by an unassociated STA, the sensing element includes the ISTA availability window element and the sensing field; in a sensing measurement setup query frame with the format shown in FIG. 19 transmitted by an associated STA, the sensing element includes the ISTA availability window element and the sensing field. Alternatively, an associated STA may determine whether a sensing element includes a sensing field based on whether sensing-related parameters need to be updated. Alternatively, all sensing elements in a Sensing Measurement Setup Query frame sent by an associated or non-associated STA include a sensing field.

[0167] In another implementation, the third communication frame is a probe request frame, and the sixth information is included in the probe request frame.

[0168] When a STA needs to establish an association with an AP in a sensing session establishment process, the STA may first transmit a probe request frame to probe the AP and the network supported by the AP. The STA may include candidate time intervals in which the STA supports sensing measurements in the probe request frame. The AP may obtain candidate time intervals in which the STA supports sensing measurements from the probe request frame from the STA and select a time interval in which the STA will perform sensing measurements from the candidate time intervals. For example, the sixth information may be an ISTA availability window element, which indicates L candidate time intervals. The probe request frame body may be as shown in Table 1. The ISTA availability window element in the probe request frame may be the last allocation + n, where n may be equal to or greater than 4. This element is optionally present if dot11WLANSensingImplemented (dot11WLANSensingImplemented) is true; otherwise, this element is not present. dot11WLANSensingImplemented is a capability parameter preconfigured in the STA. If dot11WLANSensingImplemented is true, it defines when the STA supports sensing measurements, which allows it to implement sensing measurement-related procedures. [Table 1]

[0169] In yet another implementation, the third communication frame is an Association Request frame or a Reassociation Request frame.

[0170] In the sensing session establishment process, the STA sends an association request frame to the AP to inform the AP of the STA's capabilities and capabilities (where the association request frame includes sensing-related parameters) to join the network and obtain an association identifier (AID). However, the STA has established an association with the AP and needs to renegotiate some or all parameters with the AP, or the STA needs to establish an association with another AP. In this case, the STA may send a reassociation request frame to the corresponding AP to renegotiate the parameters or establish an association with another AP. For example, the sixth information may be an ISTA availability window element, which indicates L candidate time periods.

[0171] In one example, the association request frame / reassociation request frame may be shown as in Table 2. The sixth information (i.e., ISTA availability window element) may be finally assigned element + n, where n may be 5 or greater. This element is optionally present if dot11WLAN sensing implemented (dot11WLANSensingImplemented) is true, and is not present otherwise. dot11WLANSensingImplemented is a capability parameter preconfigured in the STA. [Table 2]

[0172] As another example, if the sixth information is included in a sensing element in an association request frame / reassociation request frame, the frame body of the association request frame / reassociation request frame may be shown as in Table 3. The sensing element whose order is the last allocation + 1 includes the sixth information, i.e., the ISTA availability window element. [Table 3]

[0173] The association request frame / reassociation request frame includes a sensing element of an ISTA availability window element, where the sensing element includes a sensing field indicating sensing-related parameters and an ISTA availability window element indicating L availability windows. For example, the format of the sensing element may be shown in Figure 20. In this example, the number of bytes in the sensing field in the sensing element is 9.

[0174] In yet another example, the sixth information is included in a sensing field included in a sensing element in the association request frame / reassociation request frame. For example, the format of the sensing element may be shown in FIG. 21. The number of bytes of the sensing field in the sensing element is variable. For example, the sensing element includes an ISTA availability window element, and the ISTA availability window element indicates L availability windows. For example, the format of the sensing field may be shown in FIG. 22. The length of the ISTA availability window element is variable, and the STA may determine the length of the ISTA availability window element based on the number L of availability windows that need to be indicated. The sensing element may also specify other parameters related to the sensing capabilities of the STA, such as whether a responder is required, the supported bandwidth, and the maximum number of transmitted space-time streams (Max TX STS), maximum number of received space-time streams (Max RX STS), maximum number of TX HE-LTF repetitions (Max TX EHT-LTF Repetition), maximum number of RX HE-LTF repetitions (Max RX EHT-LTF Repetition), maximum total number of TX HE-LTFs (Max TX EHT-LTF Total), maximum total number of RX HE-LTFs (Max RX EHT-LTF Total), device class, full bandwidth uplink MU-MIMO, maximum number of devices supported as responder (Max Number of Supported Setups As Responder), minimum time between measurements (Min Time Between Measurements), polling required (Poll Required), Threshold-based Reporting, Sensing-Responder-to-Sensing-Responder Support (SR2SRSupport), Maximum Number of RX Antennas, etc.

[0175] S1602: The AP sends a first communication frame to the STA, where the first communication frame includes first information, the first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurement, the N candidate time periods being N of the L candidate time periods.

[0176] After the AP receives the third communication frame from the STA in S1601, the AP may obtain, through the third communication frame, L candidate time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements, and the AP may determine N candidate time periods among the L candidate time periods and notify the STA of the N candidate time periods selected by the AP based on the first communication frame. For example, N is equal to 1, and the AP may select one candidate time period from the L candidate time periods supported by the STA as the time period in which the AP and the STA perform sensing measurements; or N is greater than 1, and the AP may select multiple candidate time periods from the L candidate time periods supported by the STA as the time periods in which the AP and the STA perform sensing measurements. For implementation of the first communication frame transmitted by the AP to the STA, please refer to the description of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. For brevity, the details will not be described again herein.

[0177] For example, the first communication frame may be a sensing measurement setup request frame. After the AP sends the sensing measurement setup request frame to the STA, the STA may send a sensing measurement setup response frame to the AP. If the status code information in the sensing measurement setup response frame indicates that the response status is successful, the sensing measurement between the AP and the STA is successfully set up. The AP may start a sensing measurement instance in one or more of the N candidate time periods indicated by the first information, and the AP and the STA may perform the sensing measurement in the one or more candidate time periods.

[0178] According to the above solution, the STA may notify the AP of candidate time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements, so that the AP can select one or more time periods for sensing measurements in the candidate time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements. This can reduce the problem of low efficiency of sensing measurement setup due to the sensing measurement time periods selected by the AP being unavailable to the STA, improve the efficiency of sensing measurement setup, and improve resource utilization.

[0179] A STA may notify an AP of candidate time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements based on a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame. Before the AP and the STA perform sensing measurements, sensing-related parameters supported by the STA may change, for example, the candidate time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements may change. In this case, the present application proposes that the STA may update the sensing-related parameters through a sensing measurement setup query frame. In this way, the sensing-related parameters of the STA known to the AP during the sensing measurement setup process between the STA and the AP are valid. Figure 23 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 2300 according to an embodiment of the present application. The method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0180] S2301: The STA transmits a fourth communication frame to the AP, the fourth communication frame including seventh information, the seventh information indicating P candidate time periods, the P candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements.

[0181] P is a positive integer. Correspondingly, the AP receives a fourth communication frame from the STA.

[0182] For example, the fourth communication frame may be a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame. When the fourth communication frame can be a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, for some implementations, please refer to implementations in which the third communication frame is a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame. For brevity, the details will not be described again herein.

[0183] S2302: The STA sends a sensing measurement setup query frame to the AP, where the sensing measurement setup query frame includes sixth information, where the sixth information indicates L candidate time periods, and the L candidate time periods are updated time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements.

[0184] After the AP receives the fourth communication frame from the STA, the AP may determine P candidate time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements. However, before the sensing measurements are set up, the parameters of the STA may change. In this case, the candidate time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements may also be changed from P candidate time periods to L candidate time periods, and the STA may send a sensing measurement setup query frame to the AP. The sensing measurement setup query frame includes sixth information, which indicates the updated L candidate time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements. For implementation of the sensing measurement setup query frame including the sixth information, refer to the aforementioned implementation in which the third communication frame is a sensing measurement setup query frame. For brevity, the details will not be described again herein. Correspondingly, the AP may receive a sensing measurement setup query frame from the STA and determine the updated L candidate time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements.

[0185] S2303: The AP sends a sensing measurement setup request frame to the STA, where the sensing measurement setup request frame includes first information, where the first information indicates N candidate time periods for the sensing measurement, and the N candidate time periods are N of the L candidate time periods.

[0186] When the AP initiates the sensing measurement setup process, the AP may determine N candidate time periods from the L candidate time periods updated by the STA through the sensing measurement setup query frame and notify the STA of the N candidate time periods selected by the AP based on the first information in the sensing measurement setup request frame, where N may be equal to 1 or greater than 1. After the AP sends the sensing measurement setup request frame to the STA, the STA may send a sensing measurement setup response frame to the AP. If the status code information in the sensing measurement setup response frame indicates that the response status is successful, the sensing measurement between the AP and the STA is successfully set up. The AP may initiate a sensing measurement instance in one or more of the N candidate time periods indicated by the first information, and the AP and the STA may perform sensing measurements in the one or more candidate time periods.

[0187] According to the above solution, after the STA notifies the AP through the fourth communication frame of the candidate time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, if the sensing-related parameters supported by the STA change before the AP and the STA perform the sensing measurements, for example, if the candidate time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements change, the STA may update the sensing-related parameters supported by the STA through the sensing measurement setup query frame, for example, update the candidate time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements through the sensing measurement setup query frame, so that the sensing-related parameters of the STA known to the AP in the sensing measurement setup process between the STA and the AP are valid.

[0188] It can be understood that to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the AP and the STA include corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for performing the functions. Those skilled in the art should easily recognize that the present application can be implemented by hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software, in combination with the units and method steps in the examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein. Whether the functions are performed by hardware or by hardware driven by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0189] 24 and 25 are diagrams of possible communication device structures according to embodiments of the present application. These communication devices may be configured to implement the functions of the STA or AP in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and thus may also implement the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned method embodiments. In this embodiment of the present application, the communication device may be the AP shown in FIG. 1, or the STA shown in FIG. 1, or may be a module (e.g., a chip or chip system) in a communication device that implements the functions of the AP or STA.

[0190] The communications device 1700 may include a transceiver unit 2420. The transceiver unit 2420 may be configured to receive or transmit information. The communications device 1700 may further include a processing unit 2410. The processing unit 2410 may be configured to process instructions or data to perform corresponding operations.

[0191] It should be understood that when the communication apparatus 1700 is a chip configured for (or used in) a communication device, the transceiver unit 2420 in the communication apparatus 2400 may be an input / output interface or circuitry of the chip, and the processing unit 2410 in the communication apparatus 2400 may be a processor within the chip.

[0192] Optionally, the communication device 2400 may further include a storage unit. The storage unit may be configured to store instructions or data. The processing unit 2410 may execute the instructions or data stored in the storage unit to enable the communication device to perform corresponding operations.

[0193] The communications device 2400 may be configured to implement the functionality of an AP or a STA in the method embodiment shown in FIG.

[0194] 8, the processing unit 2410 is configured to determine a first communication frame, the first communication frame including first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurements, where N is a positive integer. The transceiver unit 2420 is configured to transmit the first communication frame to a station STA.

[0195] 8, the transceiver unit 2420 is configured to receive a first communication frame from an AP, the first communication frame including first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurements, where N is a positive integer. The processing unit 2410 is configured to determine the N candidate time periods based on the first communication frame.

[0196] The communications device 2400 may be configured to implement the functionality of an AP or a STA in the method embodiment shown in FIG.

[0197] 10 , the processing unit 2410 is configured to determine a first communication frame, the first communication frame including first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurements, where N is a positive integer, and the transceiver unit 2420 is configured to transmit the first communication frame to a station STA.

[0198] In addition, the transceiver unit 2420 is further configured to receive a second communication frame from the STA, the second communication frame including second information, the second information indicating M candidate time periods among N candidate time periods, the M candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, where M is a positive integer less than or equal to N; and / or the transceiver unit 2420 is further configured to receive a second communication frame from the STA, the second communication frame including fourth information, the fourth information indicating K candidate time periods, the K candidate time periods being time periods other than the N candidate time periods and recommended by the STA.

[0199] 10 , the transceiver unit 2420 is configured to receive a first communication frame from an AP, the first communication frame including first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurements, where N is a positive integer. The processing unit 2410 is configured to determine the N candidate time periods based on the first communication frame.

[0200] In addition, the transceiver unit 2420 is further configured to transmit a second communication frame to the AP, the second communication frame including second information, the second information indicating M candidate time periods among the N candidate time periods, the M candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, where M is a positive integer less than or equal to N; and / or the transceiver unit 2420 is further configured to transmit a second communication frame to the AP, the second communication frame including fourth information, the fourth information indicating K candidate time periods, the K candidate time periods being time periods other than the N candidate time periods and recommended by the STA.

[0201] The communications device 2400 may be configured to implement the functionality of an AP or a STA in the method embodiment shown in FIG.

[0202] When the communication device 2400 is configured to implement the functionality of the AP in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 16 , the transceiver unit 2420 is configured to receive a third communication frame from the STA, the third communication frame including sixth information, the sixth information indicating L candidate time periods, the L candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, where L is an integer greater than or equal to N. The processing unit 2410 is configured to determine the L candidate time periods based on the third communication frame. The transceiver unit 2420 is further configured to transmit a first communication frame to the STA, the first information in the first communication frame indicating N candidate time periods within the N candidate time periods.

[0203] 16, the transceiver unit 2420 is configured to transmit the third communication frame to the AP. The transceiver unit 2420 is further configured to receive the first communication frame from the AP. The processing unit 2410 is configured to determine N candidate time periods selected by the AP from the L candidate time periods based on the first communication frame.

[0204] The communications device 2400 may be configured to implement the functionality of an AP or a STA in the method embodiment shown in FIG.

[0205] 23 , the transceiver unit 2420 is configured to receive a fourth communication frame from the STA, the fourth communication frame including seventh information indicating P candidate time periods, the P candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, the fourth communication frame being a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, where P is a positive integer. The transceiver unit 2420 is further configured to receive a sensing measurement setup query frame from the STA, the L candidate time periods indicated by the sixth information being updated time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements. The processing unit 2410 is configured to determine the updated time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements via the sensing measurement setup query frame.

[0206] When the communication device 2400 is configured to implement the functionality of the STA in the method embodiment shown in Figure 23, the processing unit 2410 is configured to determine an updated time period during which the STA supports sensing measurements. The transceiver unit 2420 is configured to transmit a fourth communication frame to the AP. The transceiver unit 2420 is further configured to transmit a sensing measurement setup query frame to the AP.

[0207] For a more detailed description of the aforementioned processing unit 2410 and transceiver unit 2420, please refer to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in Figure 8.

[0208] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 2420 in the communication device 2400 may be implemented through a communication interface (e.g., a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, an input / output interface, or a pin). When the communication interface is a transceiver, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter. The processing unit 2410 in the communication device 2400 may be implemented by at least one processor. The processing unit 2410 of the communication device 2400 may be realized by at least one logic circuit. Optionally, the communication device 2400 further includes a storage unit, which may be implemented by using a memory.

[0209] 25, the communication device 2500 includes a processor 2510 and an interface circuit 2520. The processor 2510 and the interface circuit 2520 are connected to each other. It may be understood that the interface circuit 2520 may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 2500 may further include a memory 2530 configured to store instructions executed by the processor 2510, input data required by the processor 2510 to execute the instructions, or data generated after the processor 2510 executes the instructions.

[0210] In some implementations, the memory 2530 may alternatively be integrated into the processor 2510 or may be separate from the processor 2510 .

[0211] When the communications device 2500 is configured to implement the method shown in FIG. 8, the processor 2510 is configured to implement the functionality of the processing unit 2410, and the interface circuit 2520 is configured to implement the functionality of the transceiver unit 2420.

[0212] When the communication apparatus is a chip of a communication device having the function of an AP, the chip may implement the function of the AP in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The chip receives information from another module (e.g., a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the AP, and the information is transmitted to the AP by the STA, or the chip transmits information to another module (e.g., a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the AP, and the information is transmitted to the STA by the AP.

[0213] When the communication device is a chip of a communication device having the function of an STA, the chip may implement the function of the STA in the above method embodiment. The chip receives information from another module (e.g., a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the STA, and the information is transmitted to the STA by the AP; or the chip transmits information to another module (e.g., a radio frequency module or an antenna) in the STA, and the information is transmitted to the AP by the STA.

[0214] It may be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or may be another general-purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or any conventional processor, etc.

[0215] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented in hardware or by software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions may include corresponding software modules. The software modules may be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, removable hard disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. For example, the storage medium may be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium may alternatively be components of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC may be located in an AP or an STA. The processor and the storage medium may alternatively exist as discrete components in the AP or STA.

[0216] According to the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code that, when executed by one or more processors, enables an apparatus including the processors to perform the methods illustrated in Figures 2, 10, 16, and 23.

[0217] All or part of the above-described embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When software is used to implement an embodiment, all or part of the embodiment may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the procedures or functions of the embodiments of this application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a communication device having the functionality of the above-described AP, a communication device having the functionality of the above-described STA, or another programmable device.

[0218] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing the aforementioned computer program or instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, enables an apparatus including the processors to perform the methods shown in Figures 2, 10, 16, and 23.

[0219] A computer program or instructions may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from a computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, a computer program or instructions may be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless connections. A computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, or a data storage device that integrates one or more available media, such as a server or data center. The available medium may be magnetic media, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; optical media, such as a digital video disk; or semiconductor media, such as a solid-state disk. A computer-readable storage medium may be volatile or nonvolatile, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile storage media.

[0220] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system including one or more APs as described above. Alternatively, the system may further include one or more of the STAs as described above.

[0221] In some embodiments provided herein, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods may be implemented in other ways. For example, the described devices are merely examples. For example, the division into units is merely a logical division of function, and other divisions may be used in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not implemented. In addition, the shown or described mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be implemented through some interfaces. Indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be implemented electronically, mechanically, or in other ways.

[0222] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, and may be located in one location or distributed over multiple network units, some or all of which may be selected based on actual requirements to achieve the objectives of the solutions of the embodiments.

[0223] In various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is no logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions in different embodiments are consistent and can be cross-referenced, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined based on their internal logical relationships to form new embodiments.

[0224] The above description is merely a specific implementation of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Any modifications or replacements that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application shall fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method of communication comprising: determining, by the access point AP, a first communication frame, the first communication frame including first information, the first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurements, where N is a positive integer; transmitting the first communication frame to a station STA by the AP; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first information includes one or more of a start time, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the N candidate time periods.

3. The method comprises: receiving, by the AP, a second communication frame from the STA, the second communication frame including second information, the second information indicating M candidate time periods among the N candidate time periods, the M candidate time periods being time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements, where M is a positive integer less than or equal to N; initiating, by the AP, a sensing measurement instance in one or more of the M candidate time periods; 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second communication frame further includes third information, and the third information indicates that a response status is successful.

5. The second information is a bit sequence, the bit sequence including bits corresponding to the N candidate time periods, and a bit corresponding to one candidate time period indicates whether the corresponding candidate time period is a time period in which the STA supports sensing measurements or not; or the second information includes one or more of a start time, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the M candidate time periods; The method according to claim 3 or 4.

6. According to the method: receiving, by the AP, a second communication frame from the STA, the second communication frame including fourth information, the fourth information indicating K candidate time periods, the K candidate time periods being time periods for sensing measurements recommended by the STA, where K is a positive integer; The method according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second communication frame further includes fifth information, the fifth information indicating that the response status is a rejection that carries a change proposal.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first communication frame is a sensing measurement setup request frame and the second communication frame is a sensing measurement setup response frame.

9. Prior to the step of determining, by the access point AP, a first communication frame, the method comprises: The method further includes receiving, by the AP, a third communication frame from the STA, the third communication frame including sixth information, the sixth information indicating L candidate time periods, the L candidate time periods being time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements, the N candidate time periods being N of the L candidate time periods, and L being an integer greater than or equal to N. The method of claim 1.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the STA is an associated STA that establishes an association with the AP, and the third communication frame is a sensing measurement setup query frame, a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame.

11. the third communication frame is the association request frame or the reassociation request frame; the sixth information is an indication field of the sensing element in the third communication frame; or the sixth information is a field in a sensing field included in a sensing element in the third communication frame; 11. The method according to claim 9 or 10.

12. The third communication frame is the sensing measurement setup query frame, and receiving the third communication frame from the STA by the AP includes: receiving, by the AP, a fourth communication frame from the STA, the fourth communication frame including seventh information, the seventh information indicating P candidate time periods, the P candidate time periods being time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements, the fourth communication frame being a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, where P is a positive integer; receiving, by the AP, the sensing measurement setup query frame from the STA, wherein the L candidate time periods indicated by the sixth information are updated time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements; 11. The method of claim 9 or 10, comprising:

13. 1. A method of communication comprising: receiving, by a station STA, a first communication frame from an access point AP, the first communication frame including first information, the first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurements, where N is a positive integer; determining, by the STA, the N candidate time periods based on the first communication frame; A method comprising:

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first information includes one or more of a start time, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the N candidate time periods.

15. The method further comprises: transmitting, by the STA, a second communication frame to the AP, the second communication frame including second information, the second information indicating M candidate time periods among the N candidate time periods, the M candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, where M is a positive integer less than or equal to N; 15. The method of claim 13 or 14.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second communication frame further includes third information, and the third information indicates a response status of success.

17. the second information is a bit sequence, the bit sequence including bits corresponding to the N candidate time periods, and a bit corresponding to one candidate time period indicating whether the corresponding candidate time period is a time period in which the STA supports sensing measurements or not; or the second information includes one or more of a start time, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the M candidate time periods; 17. The method of claim 15 or 16.

18. The method comprises: The method further includes transmitting, by the STA, a second communication frame to the AP, the second communication frame including fourth information, the fourth information indicating K candidate time periods, the K candidate time periods being time periods for sensing measurements recommended by the STA, where K is a positive integer.

15. The method of claim 13 or 14.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the second communication frame further includes fifth information, the fifth information indicating that the response status is a rejection that carries a change proposal.

20. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first communication frame is a sensing measurement setup request frame and the second communication frame is a sensing measurement setup response frame.

21. Before receiving the first communication frame from the AP by the STA, the method further comprises: transmitting a third communication frame to the AP by the STA, the third communication frame including sixth information, the sixth information indicating L candidate time periods, the L candidate time periods being time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements, the N candidate time periods being N of the L candidate time periods, and L being an integer greater than or equal to N; The method of claim 13.

22. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the STA is an associated STA that establishes an association with the AP, and the third communication frame is a sensing measurement setup query frame, a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame.

23. the third communication frame is the association request frame or the reassociation request frame; the sixth information is an indication field of the sensing element in the third communication frame; or the sixth information is a field in a sensing field included in a sensing element in the third communication frame; 23. The method of claim 21 or 22.

24. The third communication frame is the sensing measurement setup query frame, and transmitting the third communication frame by the STA to the AP includes: transmitting, by the STA, a fourth communication frame to the AP, the fourth communication frame including seventh information, the seventh information indicating P candidate time periods, the P candidate time periods being time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements, the fourth communication frame being a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, where P is a positive integer; transmitting, by the STA, the sensing measurement setup query frame to the AP, wherein the L candidate time periods indicated by the sixth information are updated time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements; 23. The method of claim 21 or 22, comprising:

25. 1. A communication device for use in an access point AP, comprising: a processing unit configured to determine a first communication frame, the first communication frame including first information, the first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurements, N being a positive integer; a transceiver unit configured to transmit the first communication frame to a station STA; An apparatus having:

26. 26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first information includes one or more of a start point, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the N candidate time periods.

27. the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second communication frame from the STA, the second communication frame including second information, the second information indicating M candidate time periods among the N candidate time periods, the M candidate time periods being time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements, where M is a positive integer less than or equal to N; the AP is further configured to initiate a sensing measurement instance in one or more of the M candidate time periods.

27. Apparatus according to claim 25 or 26.

28. 28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the second communication frame further includes third information, the third information indicating a response status is successful.

29. The second information is a bit sequence, the bit sequence including bits corresponding to the N candidate time periods, and a bit corresponding to one candidate time period indicates whether the corresponding candidate time period is a time period in which the STA supports sensing measurements or not; or the second information includes one or more of a start time, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the M candidate time periods; 29. Apparatus according to claim 27 or 28.

30. the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second communication frame from the STA, the second communication frame including fourth information, the fourth information indicating K candidate time periods, the K candidate time periods being time periods for sensing measurements recommended by the STA, where K is a positive integer; 27. Apparatus according to claim 25 or 26.

31. 31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the second communication frame further includes fifth information, the fifth information indicating that a response status is a rejection carrying a change proposal.

32. 32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first communication frame is a sensing measurement setup request frame and the second communication frame is a sensing measurement setup response frame.

33. Before the access point AP determines the first communication frame, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a third communication frame from the STA, the third communication frame including sixth information, the sixth information indicating L candidate time periods, the L candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, the N candidate time periods being N of the L candidate time periods, and L being an integer greater than or equal to N; 26. The apparatus of claim 25.

34. 34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the STA is an associated STA that establishes an association with the AP, and the third communication frame is a sensing measurement setup query frame, a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame.

35. the third communication frame is the association request frame or the reassociation request frame; the sixth information is an indication field of the sensing element in the third communication frame; or the sixth information is a field in a sensing field included in a sensing element in the third communication frame; 35. Apparatus according to claim 33 or 34.

36. The third communication frame is the sensing measurement setup query frame, and the transceiver unit specifically: receiving a fourth communication frame from the STA, the fourth communication frame including seventh information, the seventh information indicating P candidate time periods, the P candidate time periods being time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements, the fourth communication frame being a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, where P is a positive integer; receiving the sensing measurement setup query frame from the STA, wherein the L candidate time periods indicated by the sixth information are updated time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements; 35. Apparatus according to claim 33 or 34, configured to perform:

37. A communication device for use in a station STA, comprising: a transceiver unit configured to receive a first communication frame from an access point AP, the first communication frame including first information, the first information indicating N candidate time periods for sensing measurements, N being a positive integer; and a processing unit configured to determine the N candidate time periods based on the first communication frame; and An apparatus having:

38. 38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the first information includes one or more of a start point, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the N candidate time periods.

39. the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a second communication frame to the AP, the second communication frame including second information, the second information indicating M candidate time periods among the N candidate time periods, the M candidate time periods being time periods during which the STA supports sensing measurements, and M being a positive integer less than or equal to N; 39. Apparatus according to claim 37 or 38.

40. 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the second communication frame further includes third information, the third information indicating a response status is successful.

41. the second information is a bit sequence, the bit sequence including bits corresponding to the N candidate time periods, and a bit corresponding to one candidate time period indicating whether the corresponding candidate time period is a time period in which the STA supports sensing measurements or not; or the second information includes one or more of a start time, a duration, or a periodicity of each of the M candidate time periods; 41. Apparatus according to claim 39 or 40.

42. the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a second communication frame to the AP, the second communication frame including fourth information, the fourth information indicating K candidate time periods, the K candidate time periods being time periods recommended by the STA for sensing measurements, where K is a positive integer; 39. Apparatus according to claim 37 or 38.

43. 43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the second communication frame further includes fifth information, the fifth information indicating that a response status is a rejection carrying a change proposal.

44. 44. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the first communication frame is a sensing measurement setup request frame and the second communication frame is a sensing measurement setup response frame.

45. Before the STA receives the first communication frame from the AP, the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a third communication frame to the AP, the third communication frame including sixth information, the sixth information indicating L candidate time periods, the L candidate time periods being time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements, the N candidate time periods being N of the L candidate time periods, and L being an integer greater than or equal to N; 38. The apparatus of claim 37.

46. 46. ​​The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the STA is an associated STA that establishes an association with the AP, and the third communication frame is a sensing measurement setup query frame, a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame.

47. the third communication frame is the association request frame or the reassociation request frame; the sixth information is an indication field of the sensing element in the third communication frame; or the sixth information is a field in a sensing field included in a sensing element in the third communication frame; 47. Apparatus according to claim 45 or 46.

48. The third communication frame is the sensing measurement setup query frame, and the transceiver unit specifically: transmitting a fourth communication frame to the AP, the fourth communication frame including seventh information, the seventh information indicating P candidate time periods, the P candidate time periods being time periods for which the STA supports sensing measurements, the fourth communication frame being a probe request frame, an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, where P is a positive integer; transmitting the sensing measurement setup query frame to the AP, wherein the L candidate time periods indicated by the sixth information are updated time periods in which the STA supports sensing measurements; 47. Apparatus according to claim 45 or 46, configured to perform

49. 27. A communications device comprising a processor, the processor being configured to execute a computer program stored in a memory to enable the communications device to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or to perform a method according to any one of claims 14 to 26.

50. 50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the processor comprises the memory.

51. 27. A communications device comprising a logic circuit and a communications interface, the logic circuit configured to process information to be processed and obtain processed information, and the communications interface configured to obtain the information to be processed and / or output the processed information, whereby the communications device is capable of performing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or of performing a method according to any one of claims 14 to 26.

52. 27. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed, performs the method of any one of claims 1 to 13 or any one of claims 14 to 26.

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