Multi-link communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A multi-link communication method and apparatus are disclosed for use in wireless local area network systems supporting 802.11 series protocols, such as next-generation Wi-Fi protocols (e.g., 802.11ax, 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, or EHT), and next-generation protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi 8, UHR, or Wi-Fi AI), including ultra-wideband (UWB)-based wireless personal local area network systems and sensing systems. The method includes a station transmitting a communication frame and an access point receiving the communication frame in response. The communication frame may include n multi-link elements, each corresponding to one co-located AP MLD. The multi-link element includes identifier information for a non-co-located AP MLD and identifier information for a co-located AP MLD, and the n co-located AP MLDs are affiliated with one non-co-located AP MLD. This can quickly and effectively identify co-located AP MLDs.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001]

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202310178334.7 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Multi-Link Communication", filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on February 20, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and to Chinese Patent Application No. 202311095345.5 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Multi-Link Communication", filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on August 28, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002]

[0002] Technical field This application relates to the field of communications technology, and more particularly to multi-link communications methods and apparatus. [Background technology]

[0003] A multi-link device (MLD) is a device with multiple stations, each operating on a different frequency band or channel. A non-AP MLD can perform multi-link establishment operations for a single link by associating with an AP MLD and establishing multiple links using a link identifier.

[0004]

[0004] However, with the evolution of multi-link device technology, the above-mentioned method of establishing a link by using a link identifier is no longer applicable. Summary of the Invention

[0005]

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a multi-link communication method and apparatus for quickly and effectively identifying a co-located AP MLD, so that a UHR non-AP MLD can quickly and effectively establish a link with the co-located AP MLD.

[0006]

[0006] According to a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a multi-link communication method, the method being applied to a first communication device, the method comprising: determining a communication frame, the communication frame including n multi-link elements, each multi-link element corresponding to one second AP MLD, the multi-link element including identifier information of a first access point multi-link device AP MLD and identifier information of a second AP MLD, the n second AP MLDs being affiliated with the first AP MLD, n being an integer greater than or equal to 1; and The step of transmitting the communication frame is included.

[0007] In this embodiment of the present application, the first communication device may include an AP, a STA, a Wi-Fi chip, or the like. The communication frame may include a management frame. The first AP MLD may include a non-collocated AP MLD, and the second AP MLD may include a collocated AP MLD. In a system prior to ultra high reliability (UHR) (e.g., one referred to as pre-UHR), when establishing a link with an AP MLD, the non-AP MLD can learn of the link established by the non-AP MLD by using a link identifier. However, in a UHR system, when the UHR non-AP MLD is associated with a non-collocated AP MLD and establishes a link with the collocated AP MLD, if the link is still identified only by using a link identifier, the UHR non-AP MLD may not be able to quickly identify the link that needs to be established between the UHR non-AP MLD and the collocated AP MLD.

[0008]

[0008] Therefore, in this embodiment of the present application, the multi-link element includes identifier information of a co-located AP MLD and identifier information of a non-co-located AP MLD, so that the UHR non-AP MLD can quickly and effectively identify the co-located AP MLD or a link within the co-located AP MLD.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the identifier information of the first AP MLD is: the first AP MLD identifier (ID), or MLD medium access control (MAC) address of the first AP MLD and The second AP MLD identifier information is: The ID of the second AP MLD, or MLD MAC address of the second AP MLD It includes at least one of the following:

[0010] In this embodiment of the present application, both the MLD MAC address of the non-co-located AP MLD and the ID of the non-co-located AP MLD may be included in the multi-link element, or one of the two may be included in the multi-link element. For example, the ID of the non-co-located AP MLD may be configured by the non-co-located AP MLD or may be configured by the operator (for reference only). Similarly, both the MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD and the ID of the co-located AP MLD may be included in the multi-link element, or one of the two may be included in the multi-link element. For example, the ID of the co-located AP MLD may be different from the MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD. For example, the ID of the co-located AP MLD may be assigned by the non-co-located AP MLD. For example, the ID of the co-located AP MLD may be the same as the ID of the AP MLD. For example, the ID of the AP MLD may be configured by the AP MLD. For example, the ID of the co-located AP MLD may be the same as the MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD, and the MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD may be set before distribution.

[0011]

[0011] In a possible implementation, when the first communication device is a STA, the multi-link element further includes an MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD that is affiliated with the STA.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the multi-link element further comprises a presence bitmap, which determines whether the multi-link element is: ID of the first AP MLD, MLD MAC address of the first AP MLD, The ID of the second AP MLD, or MLD MAC address of the second AP MLD Indicates whether the expression contains at least one of the following:

[0013]

[0013] In this embodiment of the present application, whether the multi-link element includes the above contents may depend on the function or the function of the communication frame. For example, the multi-link element may include the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, the ID of the non-co-located AP MLD (or the MLD MAC address of the non-co-located AP MLD), and the ID of the co-located AP MLD (or the MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD). For example, the multi-link element may include the MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD, the AP MLD ID (e.g., set by the AP MLD), the co-located AP MLD ID (e.g., set by the non-co-located AP MLD), and the non-co-located AP MLD ID (the MLD MAC address of the non-co-located AP MLD). The examples shown herein are merely examples and should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of the present application.

[0014]

[0014] In a possible implementation, when n is 2 or more, the MLD MAC addresses of the first AP MLDs in all the multi-link elements are the same, and the IDs of the first AP MLDs in all the multi-link elements are the same.

[0015]

[0015] In this embodiment of the present application, n=2, n=3, or n=4. Details will not be enumerated here. In this case, each of the n multi-link elements included in the communication frame may correspond to one co-located AP MLD, and the same non-co-located AP MLD is identified in the n multi-link elements. It will be understood that the multi-link element described in this embodiment of the present application may also be referred to as a basic multi-link element.

[0016]

[0016] In a possible implementation, the communication frame further includes a reduced neighbor report element, and the reduced neighbor report element carries identifier information of the first AP MLD and / or identifier information of the second AP MLD.

[0017]

[0017] For example, the reduced neighbor report element may carry the ID of a non-co-located AP MLD (or the MLD MAC address of a non-co-located AP MLD) and / or the ID of a co-located AP MLD (or the MLD MAC address of a co-located AP MLD).

[0018] In a possible implementation, the method includes the steps of: when the first communication device is an AP, sending a basic service set (BSS) transition management (BTM) request frame, the BTM request frame including link transition information, the link transition information indicating whether to perform a switch between the second AP MLD; and The method further includes receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) frame for the BTM request frame.

[0019]

[0019] In a possible implementation, the method includes the steps of: when the first communication device is a STA, receiving a BTM request frame, the BTM request frame including link transition information, and the link transition information indicating whether to perform switching between the second AP MLD; and The method further includes transmitting an acknowledgement frame for the BTM request frame.

[0020]

[0020] In this embodiment of the present application, the BTM request frame further includes BSS termination included information and link removal information. The BSS termination included information indicates whether to terminate the BSS of an affiliated AP, whether to terminate all BSSs of a co-located AP MLD, or whether to terminate all BSSs of a non-co-located AP MLD. The link removal information indicates whether to remove a link. Therefore, in a UHR system, the link transition information, BSS termination included information, and link removal information can specify whether to perform link transition of different non-co-located AP MLDs, or link transition of different co-located AP MLDs affiliated with the same non-co-located AP MLD.

[0021]

[0021] In a possible implementation, the method includes the steps of: when the first communication device is an AP, receiving a BTM response frame, where the BTM response frame includes a target basic service set identifier (target BSSID), the target BSSID indicates an MLD MAC address of a target AP MLD, and the target AP MLD includes the first AP MLD or the second AP MLD; and The method further includes transmitting an acknowledgement frame for the BTM response frame.

[0022]

[0022] In a possible implementation, the method includes the steps of: when the first communication device is a STA, sending a BTM response frame, where the BTM response frame includes a target basic service set identifier BSSID, the target BSSID indicates an MLD MAC address of a target AP MLD, and the target AP MLD includes a first AP MLD or a second AP MLD; and The method further includes receiving an acknowledgment frame of the BTM response frame.

[0023] In this embodiment of the present application, the BTM response frame may include a BTM status code. For example, the BTM status code may include a first value, and the first value may indicate that a BSS transition of a different AP MLD affiliated with the same non-co-located AP MLD is allowed. In this case, the target BSSID may be set to the MLD MAC address of the corresponding target co-located AP MLD. In another example, the BTM status code may include a second value, and the second value may indicate that a BSS transition of a different non-co-located AP MLD is accepted. In this case, the target BSSID may be set to the MLD MAC address of the target non-co-located AP MLD, and the neighbor report element indicates a target co-located AP MLD affiliated with the target non-co-located AP MLD to which the BSS is to be forwarded. Alternatively, in this case, the target BSSID may be set to the MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD affiliated with the target non-co-located AP MLD.

[0024]

[0024] According to a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a multi-link communication method, the method being applied to a second communication device, the method comprising: receiving a communication frame, the communication frame including n multi-link elements, each multi-link element corresponding to one second AP MLD, the multi-link element including identifier information of a first access point multi-link device AP MLD and identifier information of a second AP MLD, the n second AP MLDs being affiliated with the first AP MLD, n being an integer greater than or equal to 1; and The method includes the step of analyzing the communication frame.

[0025]

[0025] In this embodiment of the present application, the second communication device may include a STA, an AP, a Wi-Fi chip, or the like. If the first communication device includes an AP, the second communication device may include a STA. In another example, the first communication device may include a STA, and the second communication device may include an AP.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the identifier information of the first AP MLD is: the identifier ID of the first AP MLD, or MLD Medium Access Control MAC Address of the First AP MLD and The second AP MLD identifier information is: The ID of the second AP MLD, or MLD MAC address of the second AP MLD It includes at least one of the following:

[0027]

[0027] In a possible implementation, if the second communication device is a STA, the multi-link element further includes the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD to which the STA is affiliated.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the multi-link element further comprises a presence bitmap, the presence bitmap determining whether the multi-link element is: ID of the first AP MLD, MLD MAC address of the first AP MLD, The ID of the second AP MLD, or MLD MAC address of the second AP MLD Indicates whether the expression contains at least one of the following:

[0029]

[0029] In a possible implementation, when n is 2 or more, the MLD MAC addresses of the first AP MLDs in all the multi-link elements are the same, and the IDs of the first AP MLDs in all the multi-link elements are the same.

[0030]

[0030] In a possible implementation, the communication frame further includes a reduced neighbor report element, and the reduced neighbor report element carries identifier information of the first AP MLD and / or identifier information of the second AP MLD.

[0031]

[0031] In a possible implementation, the method includes the steps of: when the second communication device is a STA, receiving a BTM request frame, the BTM request frame including link transition information, and the link transition information indicating whether to perform switching between the second AP MLD; and The method further includes transmitting an acknowledgement frame for the BTM request frame.

[0032]

[0032] In a possible implementation, the method includes the steps of: when the second communication device is an AP, sending a basic service set BSS transition management BTM request frame, where the BTM request frame includes link transition information, and the link transition information indicates whether to perform a switch between the second AP MLDs; and The method further includes receiving an acknowledgment frame for the BTM request frame.

[0033]

[0033] In a possible implementation, the method includes the steps of: when the second communication device is a STA, sending a BTM response frame, where the BTM response frame includes a target basic service set identifier BSSID, the target BSSID indicates an MLD MAC address of a target AP MLD, and the target AP MLD includes the first AP MLD or the second AP MLD; and The method further includes receiving an acknowledgment frame of the BTM response frame.

[0034]

[0034] In a possible implementation, the method includes the steps of: receiving a BTM response frame when the second communication device is an AP, where the BTM response frame includes a target basic service set identifier BSSID, the target BSSID indicates an MLD MAC address of a target AP MLD, and the target AP MLD includes the first AP MLD or the second AP MLD; and The method further includes transmitting an acknowledgement frame for the BTM response frame.

[0035]

[0035] For a specific description of the second aspect, please refer to the above first aspect or the following specific implementation.

[0036]

[0036] With respect to the first and second aspects, it will be understood that the first communication device may be an AP and the second communication device may be a STA; or the first communication device may be a STA and the second communication device may be an AP. Alternatively, in a possible implementation, the first communication device may be a non-co-located AP MLD and the second communication device may be an AP that is affiliated with a co-located AP MLD that is affiliated with the non-co-located AP MLD.

[0037] According to a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a multi-link communication method, the method comprising: transmitting a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame including indication information, the indication information indicating a request to add a link; and Receiving a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame is included.

[0038] According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a multi-link communication method, the method comprising: receiving a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame including indication information, the indication information indicating whether to request adding a link; and The method includes transmitting a multi-link reconfiguration response frame.

[0039]

[0039] Regarding the third or fourth aspect, in a possible implementation, the indication information includes first indication information, which indicates a request to add a link. The multi-link reconfiguration request frame further includes first link information, which indicates link information on the station side corresponding to the added link. The multi-link reconfiguration response frame includes second link information, which indicates link information on the access point side corresponding to the added link.

[0040]

[0040] In this embodiment of the present application, the first indication information indicates a request to add a link, so that the communication receiver effectively knows that the multi-link reconfiguration request frame contains the first link information and can correctly parse the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0041]

[0041] In a possible implementation, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame includes the frame body (excluding some fields and elements) of a reassociation request frame (the frame body of the reassociation request frame excluding some fields and elements). The first link information shown in this embodiment of the present application is determined based on the frame body (excluding some fields and elements) of the reassociation request frame, for example, based on the relevant fields and elements (excluding some fields and elements) in the frame body of the reassociation request frame. The multi-link reconfiguration request frame can carry STA-side information corresponding to the added link.

[0042] In a possible implementation, the first link information includes the following information: ability information, Support Rate and Basic Service Set BSS Membership Selector, Extended support rate and BSS membership selector, power capacity, Support channels, Basic Multi-Link element, or Operating channel information (OCI) element It includes at least one of the following:

[0043]

[0043] In a possible implementation, the multilink reconfiguration response frame includes the frame body of the reassociation response frame (excluding some fields and elements). The second link information shown in this embodiment of the present application is determined based on the frame body of the reassociation response frame (excluding some fields and elements), for example, based on the relevant fields and elements in the frame body of the reassociation response frame (excluding some fields and elements). The multilink reconfiguration response frame can carry AP-side information corresponding to the added link.

[0044] In a possible implementation, the second link information includes the following information: ability information, Status Code, Support rate and BSS membership selector, Extended supported rate and BSS membership selector, Enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameter set, fast transition element (FTE), Basic Multi-Link element, or Operating Channel Information OCI Element It includes at least one of the following:

[0045]

[0045] In a possible implementation, the FTE includes a group temporal key or multi-link operating (MLO) group temporal key (MLO GTK), a consistency group temporal key or multi-link operating integrity group temporal key (MLO IGTK), and a beacon consistency group temporal key or multi-link operating beacon integrity group temporal key (MLO BIGTK).

[0046]

[0046] In a possible implementation, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame further includes a reconfiguration multi-link element, which is used to carry link information of a deleted link or link information of a link whose link operating parameters have been updated.

[0047]

[0047] In a possible implementation, the basic multi-link element includes a common information field, which carries link information for one link out of the M added links, where M is a positive integer.

[0048] In a possible implementation, the common information fields are: Link Identifier ID, Station Medium Access Control STA MAC address, Beacon interval, Timing synchronization function TSF offset, Delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) information, or NSTR instruction bitmap and The Link ID field indicates the link ID of one link; The STA MAC address field indicates the STA MAC address of the non-AP MLD side corresponding to a link, or the BSSID of the AP MLD side corresponding to a link; The beacon interval field indicates the beacon interval for one link; The TSF offset field indicates the difference between the AP's TSF timer corresponding to one link and the transmission link's TSF timer; The DTIM Information field includes a DTIM Count field and a DTIM Period field, where the DTIM Count field indicates the number of beacon frames until the next DTIM, and the DTIM Period field indicates the number of beacon intervals between two consecutive DTIMs; and The NSTR indication bitmap indicates whether one link and another link are NSTR links.

[0049]

[0049] In a possible implementation, when M is 2 or greater, the basic multi-link element further includes M-1 per-STA profile sub-elements, each of which is used to carry link information for one link of the M-1 links, where the M-1 links are the M-1 links excluding one link of the N links.

[0050]

[0050] In this embodiment of the present application, the basic multi-link element in the multi-link reconfiguration request frame and the basic multi-link element in the multi-link reconfiguration response frame have the same format, but the basic multi-link element in the multi-link reconfiguration request frame carries link information on the STA side corresponding to the added link, and the basic multi-link element in the multi-link reconfiguration response frame carries link information on the AP side corresponding to the added link.

[0051]

[0051] In a possible implementation, the multi-link reconfiguration response frame further includes a count field and a reconfiguration status list, where the count field indicates the number of link IDs and status codes in the reconfiguration status list, and the number of link IDs and status codes corresponds to the number of per-STA profile sub-elements carried in the reconfiguration multi-link element in the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0052] According to a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a multi-link communication method, the method comprising: transmitting a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame including a first basic multi-link element, the first basic multi-link element including M per-STA profile sub-elements corresponding to the M additional links, each per-STA profile sub-element indicating link information on the station STA side corresponding to one of the M links; and The method includes a step of receiving a multi-link reconfiguration response frame, the multi-link reconfiguration response frame including a second basic multi-link element, the second basic multi-link element including M per-STA profile sub-elements corresponding to the M additional links, each per-STA profile sub-element indicating link information on the access point (AP) side corresponding to one of the M links.

[0053] According to a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a multi-link communication method, the method comprising: receiving a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame including a first basic multi-link element, the first basic multi-link element including M per-STA profile sub-elements corresponding to the M additional links, each per-STA profile sub-element indicating link information on the station STA side corresponding to one of the M links; and The method includes a step of transmitting a multi-link reconfiguration response frame, wherein the multi-link reconfiguration response frame includes a second basic multi-link element, the second basic multi-link element includes M per-STA profile sub-elements corresponding to the M additional links, and each per-STA profile sub-element indicates link information on the access point (AP) side corresponding to one of the M links.

[0054]

[0054] In this embodiment of the present application, the format of the first basic multi-link element is the same as the format of the second basic multi-link element, but the first basic multi-link element carries link information on the STA side corresponding to the additional link, and the second basic multi-link element carries link information on the AP side corresponding to the additional link.

[0055]

[0055] In a possible implementation, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame further includes a reconfiguration multi-link element, which is used to carry link information of a deleted link or link information of a link whose link operation parameters have been updated.

[0056]

[0056] In a possible implementation, the multi-link reconfiguration response frame further includes a count field and a reconfiguration status list, where the count field indicates the number of link IDs and status codes in the reconfiguration status list, and the number of link IDs and status codes corresponds to the number of per-STA profile sub-elements carried in the reconfiguration multi-link element in the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0057]

[0057] In a possible implementation, the common information field of the first basic multi-link element does not include a link identifier ID field.

[0058] According to a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device configured to perform the method of the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect, wherein the communication device includes a unit for performing the method of the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0059] According to an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device configured to perform the method of the second aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the second aspect, wherein the communication device comprises a unit for performing the method of the second aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0060] According to a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device configured to perform the method of the third aspect or the fifth aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the third aspect or the fifth aspect, wherein the communication device comprises a unit for performing the method of the third aspect or the fifth aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the third aspect or the fifth aspect.

[0061] According to a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device configured to perform the method of the fourth aspect or the sixth aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the fourth aspect or the sixth aspect, wherein the communication device comprises a unit for performing the method of the fourth aspect or the sixth aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the fourth aspect or the sixth aspect.

[0062]

[0062] In the seventh to tenth aspects, the communication device and the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. For specific descriptions of the transceiver unit and the processing unit, please refer to the device embodiments provided below.

[0063] According to an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device includes a processor configured to perform the method of any one of the first to sixth aspects or possible implementations of the first to sixth aspects. Alternatively, the processor is configured to execute a program stored in a memory. When the program is executed, the method of any one of the first to sixth aspects or possible implementations of the first to sixth aspects is performed.

[0064]

[0064] In a possible implementation, the memory is located external to the communication device.

[0065]

[0065] In a possible implementation, the memory is located within the communication device.

[0066]

[0066] In this embodiment of the present application, the processor and the memory may alternatively be integrated into one device. In other words, the processor and the memory may alternatively be integrated together.

[0067]

[0067] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver, the transceiver being configured to receive signals or transmit signals.

[0068]

[0068] According to a twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device includes a logic circuit and an interface. The logic circuit is coupled to the interface. The logic circuit is configured to determine a communication frame. The interface is configured to output the communication frame.

[0069]

[0069] In a possible implementation, the interface is further configured to output a BTM request frame and input an acknowledgment frame for the BTM request frame, or the interface is further configured to input a BTM request frame and output an acknowledgment frame for the BTM request frame.

[0070]

[0070] In a possible implementation, the interface is further configured to input a BTM response frame and output an acknowledgment frame for the BTM response frame, or the interface is further configured to output a BTM response frame and input an acknowledgment frame for the BTM response frame.

[0071]

[0071] It will be understood that for the communication device in the twelfth aspect, please refer to the first aspect or the following specific implementations.

[0072]

[0072] According to a thirteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device includes a logic circuit and an interface. The logic circuit is coupled to the interface. The interface is configured to input a communication frame. The logic circuit is configured to analyze the communication frame.

[0073]

[0073] In a possible implementation, the interface is further configured to input a BTM request frame and output an acknowledgment frame for the BTM request frame; or the interface is further configured to output a BTM request frame and input an acknowledgment frame for the BTM request frame.

[0074]

[0074] In a possible implementation, the interface is further configured to output a BTM response frame and input an acknowledgment frame for the BTM response frame; or the interface is further configured to input a BTM response frame and output an acknowledgment frame for the BTM response frame.

[0075]

[0075] It will be understood that for the communication device in the thirteenth aspect, please refer to the second aspect or the following specific implementations.

[0076]

[0076] According to a fourteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device includes a logic circuit and an interface. The logic circuit is coupled to the interface. The interface is configured to output a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame and to input a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame.

[0077]

[0077] According to a fifteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device. The communication device includes a logic circuit and an interface. The logic circuit is coupled to the interface. The interface is configured to input a multi-link reconfiguration request frame and output a multi-link reconfiguration response frame.

[0078]

[0078] It will be understood that for the communication devices in the fourteenth and fifteenth aspects, please refer to the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or the following specific implementations.

[0079] According to a sixteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium configured to store a computer program, which, when run on a computer, performs the method of any one of the first to sixth aspects or possible implementations of the first to sixth aspects.

[0080] According to a seventeenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, the computer program product including a computer program that, when run on a computer, performs the method of any one of the first to sixth aspects or possible implementations of the first to sixth aspects.

[0081]

[0081] According to an eighteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program, which, when run on a computer, performs the method of any one of the first to sixth aspects or possible implementations of the first to sixth aspects.

[0082] According to a nineteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, the communication system including a first communication device and a second communication device, the first communication device configured to perform the method of the first aspect or any one of possible implementations of the first aspect, and the second communication device configured to perform the method of the second aspect or any one of possible implementations of the second aspect.

[0083] According to a twentieth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system. The communication system includes an AP and a STA. The STA is configured to perform a method according to the third aspect or the fifth aspect or any one of possible implementations of the third aspect or the fifth aspect, and the AP is configured to perform a method according to the fourth aspect or the sixth aspect or any one of possible implementations of the fourth aspect or the sixth aspect. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0084] [Figure 1]

[0084] Figure 1 is a diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2]

[0085] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a connection scheme between a multi-link AP and a multi-link STA according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 3a]

[0086] FIG. 3a illustrates a scenario of communication between an AP MLD and a non-AP MLD according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 3b]

[0087] FIG. 3b illustrates a scenario of communication between an AP MLD and a non-AP MLD according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4]

[0088] FIG. 4 is a diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 5]

[0089] FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart of a multi-link communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 6]

[0090] FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart of another multi-link communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 7]

[0091] FIG. 7 is a diagram of a multi-link element according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 8a]

[0092] FIG. 8a is a diagram of a TID-to-link mapping element according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 8b]

[0093] FIG. 8b is a diagram of a reduced neighbor report element according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 8c]

[0094] FIG. 8c is a diagram of another reduced neighbor report element according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 9a]

[0095] FIG. 9a is a diagram of an AP switching scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 9b]

[0096] FIG. 9b is a schematic flowchart of yet another multi-link communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 10a]

[0097] FIG. 10a is a diagram of a BTM request frame according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 10b]

[0098] FIG. 10b is a diagram of a BTM response frame according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 11a]

[0099] FIG. 11a is a schematic flowchart of yet another multi-link communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 11b]

[0100] FIG. 11b is a diagram of a multi-link reconfiguration element according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 11c]

[0101] FIG. 11c is a diagram of an OCI element according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 12a]

[0102] FIG. 12a is a diagram of a scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 12b]

[0103] FIG. 12b is a diagram of another scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 12c]

[0104] FIG. 12c is a diagram of a multi-link reconfiguration request frame according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 13]

[0105] FIG. 13 is a diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 14]

[0106] FIG. 14 is a diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 15]

[0107] FIG. 15 is a diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 16]

[0108] FIG. 16 is a diagram of a communication scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 17]

[0109] FIG. 17 is a format diagram of a reconfiguration multi-link element according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 18a]

[0110] FIG. 18a is a format diagram of a Basic Multi-Link element according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 18b]

[0111] FIG. 18b is a format diagram of a common information field in a basic multi-link element according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 18c]

[0112] FIG. 18c is a format diagram of DTIM information according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 19]

[0113] FIG. 19 is a diagram of a multi-link device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0085]

[0114] In order to facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the present application, the present application is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0086]

[0115] The terms "first," "second," and the like in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used merely to distinguish between different objects, and are not used to describe a particular order. Furthermore, terms such as "comprise" and "have," as well as any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but instead may optionally further include unlisted steps or units, or may optionally further include other steps or units inherent to such process, method, product, or device.

[0087]

[0116] The term "embodiment" as used herein indicates that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described with reference to the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. Phrases appearing in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor are they exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiments to another embodiment. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0088]

[0117] In this application, "at least one piece (item)" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "at least two pieces (items)" means two, three, or more, and "and / or" is used to describe an association relationship between related objects and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, "A and / or B" may indicate three cases: only A is present, only B is present, and both A and B are present, where A and B may be singular or plural. "Or" indicates that two relationships may exist. For example, only A is present and only B is present. If A and B are not mutually exclusive, it may indicate that three relationships exist. For example, only A is present, only B is present, or both A and B are present. The character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between associated objects. "At least one item (piece) of" or similar expressions means any combination of these items. For example, at least one item (piece) of a, b, or c may represent a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0089]

[0118] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application may be applied to WLAN systems, such as Wi-Fi. The methods provided in the embodiments of the present application may be applied to IEEE 802.11 series protocols, such as 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, or next-generation protocols. Examples are not listed here. The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application may also be applied to wireless personal area networks (WPANs) based on UWB technology. The methods provided in the embodiments of the present application may be applied to IEEE 802.15 series protocols, such as 802.15.4a, 802.15.4z, 802.15.4ab, or next-generation UWB WPAN protocols. Examples are not listed here. The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application may be further applied to the following communication systems, for example, internet of things (IoT) systems, vehicle-to-X (V2X) systems, and narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) systems, devices in the internet of things, internet of things nodes, sensors and the like in the internet of things (IoT), smart cameras, smart remote controls, and smart water or electricity meters in smart homes, sensors and the like in smart cities, or long term evolution (LTE) systems, fifth generation (5G) communication systems, new communication systems emerging in future communication developments, and the like.

[0090]

[0119] WLAN systems can provide high-speed and low-latency transmission. With the continuous evolution of WLAN application scenarios, WLAN systems are being applied in more scenarios and industries, such as the Internet of Things industry, the Internet of Vehicles industry, banking industry, corporate offices, stadium exhibition halls, concert halls, hotel rooms, dormitories, hospital rooms, classrooms, supermarkets, plazas, streets, production plants, and warehouses. Indeed, devices (e.g., access points or stations) supporting WLAN communication or sensing could be sensor nodes in a smart city (e.g., smart water meters, smart electricity meters, or smart air detection nodes), smart devices in a smart home (e.g., smart cameras, projectors, displays, televisions, stereos, refrigerators, or washing machines), nodes in the Internet of Things, entertainment terminals (e.g., wearable devices such as augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) devices), smart devices (e.g., printers, projectors, loudspeakers, or stereos) in a smart office, Internet of Vehicle devices in the Internet of Vehicles, infrastructure in everyday life scenarios (e.g., vending machines, self-service navigation consoles in supermarkets, self-service cash register devices, or self-service ordering machines), devices in large sports and music venues, and the like. For example, access points and stations may be devices used in the Internet of Vehicles, Internet of Things nodes, sensors in the Internet of Things or the like, smart cameras, smart remote controls, and smart water or electricity meters in smart homes, sensors in smart cities or the like.

[0091]

[0120] Although the embodiments of the present application are primarily described using WLANs, particularly networks that apply to the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, as examples, the present application may also apply to systems that support Wi-Fi 7, which may also be referred to as extreme high throughput (EHT) systems, or systems that support Wi-Fi 8, which may also be referred to as ultra high reliability (UHR) systems or ultra high reliability and throughput (UHRT) systems. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that various aspects of the embodiments of the present application may also be extended to other networks that use various standards or protocols, such as Bluetooth, high-performance radio LAN (HIPERLAN) (a wireless standard similar to the IEEE 802.11 standard, primarily used in Europe), and wide area networks (WANs), or other networks that are now known or developed in the future.

[0092]

[0121] A multi-link device (MLD) is a device with multiple stations (e.g., APs or non-AP STAs) that each operate on a different frequency band or channel. If the separation between the channels on which two stations in a multi-link device operate is large enough, the two stations may not interfere with each other and may operate independently. If simultaneous transmission at one station and reception at another station is supported between any two stations, simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) capability may be considered supported between the two stations; otherwise, non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (NSTR) capability may be considered supported between the two stations. A multi-link device includes multiple affiliated stations. The affiliated stations may be physical or logical stations, and each station may operate on one link, one frequency band, one channel, or the like. The affiliated stations may be APs or non-AP STAs. For ease of explanation, in the embodiments of the present application, A multi-link device whose affiliated stations are APs may be referred to as a multi-link AP, a multi-link AP device, or an AP multi-link device (AP MLD). A multi-link device whose affiliated stations are non-AP STAs is called a multi-link STA, a multi-link STA device, or an STA multi-link device. A multi-link device whose affiliated stations are non-AP STAs is called a multi-link non-AP, multi-link non-AP device, or non-AP multi-link device (non-AP MLD). A multi-link device (which may be a non-AP MLD or an AP MLD in this case) is a communication device with wireless communication capabilities. The communication device may be an entire device, or a chip, processing system, or the like incorporated into the entire device. A device incorporating a chip or processing system may implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application under the control of the chip or processing system.

[0093]

[0122] The multi-link device MLD performs wireless communication in accordance with an 802.11 series protocol, such as an Extremely High Throughput (EHT) protocol, or an 802.11be-based or 802.11be-compatible protocol, and is thereby capable of communicating with another device, which may or may not be a multi-link device.

[0094]

[0123] 1 is a diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, the AP MLD includes AP1, AP2, ..., and APn, and the non-AP MLD includes STA1, STA2, ..., and STAn, where n is a positive integer. The AP MLD and the non-AP MLD can perform parallel communication on link1, link2, ..., and linkn. STA1 in the non-AP MLD establishes an association relationship with AP1 in the AP MLD. STA2 in the non-AP MLD establishes an association relationship with AP2 in the AP MLD. STAn in the non-AP MLD establishes an association relationship with APn in the AP MLD. Thus, one or more STAs in the non-AP MLD and one or more APs in the AP MLD can communicate after establishing association relationships. The frequency bands in which multi-link devices (including AP MLD and non-AP MLD) operate may include, but are not limited to, sub-1 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, and high-frequency 60 GHz. For example, the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application are applicable to, but not limited to, single-user uplink / downlink transmission, multi-user uplink / downlink transmission, vehicle-to-everything (V2X, where X represents anything) communication, and device-to-device (D2D) communication. For example, V2X communications may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communications, vehicle-to-network (V2N) communications, or the like.

[0095]

[0124] 2 is a diagram of a connection scheme between a multi-link AP and a multi-link STA according to an embodiment of the present application. The 802.11 standard focuses on the 802.11 physical layer (PHY) part and medium access control (MAC) layer part in a multi-link device. Therefore, FIG. 2 only shows the PHY layer and MAC layer as an example.

[0096]

[0125] As shown in FIG. 2, a multi-link device (e.g., a multi-link AP and a multi-link STA) may include a physical layer (PHY) (PHY#1, PHY#2, and PHY#n shown in FIG. 2) and a medium access control (MAC) layer. The physical layer may be configured to process PHY layer signals, and the MAC layer may be configured to process MAC layer signals. The MAC layer may be further divided into a high-MAC layer (high MAC shown in FIG. 2) and multiple low-MAC layers (low MAC#1, low MAC#2, and low MAC#n shown in FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2, multiple APs included in a multi-link AP are independent of each other in the lower MAC layer and PHY, and share the upper MAC layer. Multiple STAs included in a multi-link STA are independent of each other in the lower MAC layer and PHY, and share the upper MAC layer. The upper MAC layer is connected to multiple lower MAC layers separately, i.e., the upper MAC layer is shared by multiple links. For example, the upper MAC layer mainly completes operations such as assigning sequence numbers (SN) and packet numbers (PN) of MAC service data units (MSDUs), encryption, and decryption. For example, the lower MAC layer mainly completes operations such as assembling MAC protocol data units (MPDUs) on each link, channel access, and packet transmission and reception acknowledgment.

[0097]

[0126] In FIG. 2, the PHY#1 layer, lower MAC#1 layer, and upper MAC layer in the multi-link AP may be regarded as AP#1, the PHY#2 layer, lower MAC#2 layer, and upper MAC layer may be regarded as AP#2, and the PHY#n layer, lower MAC#n layer, and upper MAC layer may be regarded as AP#n. That is, it can be understood that the multi-link AP includes n AP entities. The situation is similar for a multi-link STA, specifically, the upper MAC layer in the multi-link STA is also shared by multiple links; the PHY#1 layer, lower MAC#1 layer, and upper MAC layer are regarded as STA#1, the PHY#2 layer, lower MAC#2 layer, and upper MAC layer are regarded as STA#2, and the PHY#n layer, lower MAC#n layer, and upper MAC layer are regarded as STA#n. That is, it can be understood that the multi-link STA includes n STA entities. As shown in Figure 2, PHY #1 of AP #1 in the multi-link AP and PHY #1 of STA #1 in the multi-link STA operate on the same channel, so AP #1 in the multi-link AP and STA #1 in the multi-link STA communicate with each other on a certain link (link #1 shown in Figure 2). PHY #2 of AP #2 in the multi-link AP and PHY #2 of STA #2 in the multi-link STA operate on another same channel, so AP #2 in the multi-link AP and STA #2 in the multi-link STA communicate with each other on a certain link (link #2 shown in Figure 2). PHY #n of AP #n in the multi-link AP and PHY #n of STA #n in the multi-link STA operate on another same channel, so AP #n in the multi-link AP and STA #n in the multi-link STA communicate with each other on a certain link (link #n shown in Figure 2).

[0098]

[0127] For example, the upper MAC layer or the lower MAC layer may be implemented by one processor in the chip system of the multi-link device, or by different software processing modules in the chip system. Examples are not listed in the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that FIG. 2 may be understood as a division into functional modules implemented on the multi-link device. The modules shown in FIG. 2 may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules. The PHY layer and MAC layer shown in FIG. 2 can be understood as a logical functional division, and other division methods may be used in actual implementation. The number n shown in FIG. 2 may be equal to 1, or may be an integer greater than 1.

[0099]

[0128] The upper MAC layer may be referred to as the MLD upper MAC sublayer, and the lower MAC layer may be referred to as the MLD lower MAC sublayer. In the case of a multi-link device, in addition to the MAC address of each link of each multi-link device, the multi-link device also has an MLD MAC address. The architecture shown in Figure 2 is used as an example. The upper MAC layer may be uniquely identified by the MAC address of the corresponding MLD, and the lower MAC layer may be uniquely identified by the MAC address of the corresponding link. For example, lower MAC#1 and lower MAC#2 may correspond to the MAC addresses of the corresponding links, respectively.

[0100]

[0129] For example, the multi-link device in the embodiments of the present application may be a single-antenna device or a multi-antenna device. For example, the multi-link device may be a device having more than two antennas. The number of antennas included in the multi-link device is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0101]

[0130] The frequency bands in which a multi-link device operates may include, but are not limited to, sub-1 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, and high frequency 60 GHz. Figures 3a and 3b are two diagrams of communication between a multi-link device and another device in a wireless local area network over multiple links.

[0102]

[0131] 3a illustrates a scenario in which AP MLD 101 communicates with non-AP MLD 102. AP MLD 101 includes AP 101-1 and AP 101-2 in an affiliate relationship, non-AP MLD 102 includes STA 102-1 and STA 102-2 in an affiliate relationship, and AP MLD 101 and non-AP MLD 102 communicate in parallel over link 1 and link 2.

[0103]

[0132] 3b illustrates a scenario in which AP MLD 101 communicates with non-AP MLD 102, non-AP MLD 103, and STA 104. AP MLD 101 includes affiliated APs 101-1 through 101-3, non-AP MLD 102 includes three affiliated stations: STA 102-1, STA 102-2, and STA 102-3, non-AP MLD 103 includes two affiliated stations: STA 103-1 and STA 103-2, and STA 104 is a single-link device and includes STA 104-1. AP MLD 101 can separately communicate with non-AP MLD 102 via link 1, link 2, and link 3, with non-AP MLD 103 via link 2 and link 3, and with STA 104 via link 1. In one example, STA 104 operates on the 2.4 GHz frequency band; in non-AP MLD 103, STA 103-1 operates on the 5 GHz frequency band and STA 103-2 operates on the 6 GHz frequency band; and in non-AP MLD 102, STA 102-1 operates on the 2.4 GHz frequency band, STA 102-2 operates on the 5 GHz frequency band, and STA 102-3 operates on the 6 GHz frequency band. AP 101-1, operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency band with AP MLD 101, can perform uplink or downlink data transmission with STA 104 and with STA 102-1 in non-AP MLD 102 via link 1. AP 101-2, operating in the 5 GHz frequency band with AP MLD 101, can perform uplink or downlink data transmission with STA 103-1, operating in the 5 GHz frequency band with non-AP MLD 103, via link 2, and can also perform uplink or downlink data transmission with STA 102-2, operating in the 5 GHz frequency band with non-AP MLD 102, via link 2. AP 101-3 operating in the 6 GHz frequency band with AP MLD 101 can perform uplink or downlink data transmission with STA 102-3 operating in the 6 GHz frequency band with non-AP MLD 102 via link 3, and can also perform uplink or downlink data transmission with STA 103-2 in non-AP MLD via link 3.

[0104]

[0133] FIG. 3a only shows that the AP MLD supports two frequency bands, and FIG. 3b only shows an example in which the AP MLD 101 supports three frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz), each frequency band corresponds to one link, and the AP MLD 101 may operate on one or more of link 1, link 2, or link 3 for illustrative purposes. On the AP side or STA side, a link in this case may be understood as a station operating on a link. In actual applications, the AP MLD and non-AP MLD may further support more or fewer frequency bands, i.e., the AP MLD and non-AP MLD may operate on more or fewer links. This is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b are merely simple diagrams and do not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0105]

[0134] FIG. 4 is a diagram of a communication system architecture according to an embodiment of the present application. The architecture shown in FIG. 4 includes a UHR system, an EHT system, and a system before EHT (e.g., referred to as pre-EHT). It will be understood that lines of different thicknesses, dashed lines, or the like shown in FIG. 4 are used to represent different transmission paths. In general, the interface between an upper layer (also called a high layer, e.g., a radio resource control (RRC) layer) and the MAC layer may be referred to as a MAC service access point (SAP) (represented by seven black dots, MAC SAP 1 to MAC SAP 7 in FIG. 4). A MAC address can uniquely identify a MAC SAP. It will be understood that the representation (e.g., representation by black dots) and representation location (e.g., location of the black dots) of the MAC SAPs shown in FIG. 4 are merely examples and should not be construed as limitations on the embodiment of the present application.

[0106]

[0135] The non-co-located AP MLD may also be referred to as a logical AP MLD, and the co-located AP MLD may also be referred to as a physical AP MLD. For ease of explanation, the following uses the non-co-located AP MLD and the co-located AP MLD as examples to describe the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0107]

[0136] In one example, since the data of a pre-EHT STA is associated with an affiliated AP, all data related to the pre-EHT STA needs to be received and transmitted through the MAC SAP (MAC SAP1, MAC SAP3, MAC SAP4, or MAC SAP6 shown in FIG. 4) of the corresponding affiliated AP. As shown in FIG. 4, for data from or transmitted to a pre-EHT STA, the AP may process the data by using a non-MLD upper MAC layer (MAC SAP1, MAC SAP3, MAC SAP4, or MAC SAP6 shown in FIG. 4).

[0108]

[0137] In another example, since data of an EHT non-AP MLD is associated with a co-located AP MLD, all data related to the EHT non-AP MLD needs to be received and transmitted through the MAC SAP (MAC SAP 2 and MAC SAP 5 shown in FIG. 4) of the corresponding co-located AP MLD. As shown in FIG. 4, for data from or transmitted to an EHT non-AP MLD, the co-located AP MLD may perform data processing by using the AP MLD upper MAC sublayer (MAC SAP 2 or MAC SAP 5 shown in FIG. 4), and then perform data processing by using the AP MLD lower MAC sublayer. Each AP MLD lower MAC sublayer may correspond to one PHY. For example, in the case of co-located AP MLD A, all AP MLD lower MAC sublayers sequentially correspond to PHY1 (which may also be referred to as link 1 or the PHY corresponding to link 1), ..., and PHYN (which may also be referred to as link N or the PHY corresponding to link N). In the case of co-located AP MLD B, all AP MLD lower MAC sublayers may sequentially correspond to PHY1 (which may also be referred to as link 1 or the PHY corresponding to link 1), ..., and PHYM (which may also be referred to as link M or the PHY corresponding to link M). A and B are used to distinguish different co-located AP MLDs, and M and N are both positive integers.

[0109]

[0138] In yet another example, because data from a UHR non-AP MLD is associated with a non-co-located AP MLD, all data related to the UHR non-AP MLD needs to be transmitted or received via the MAC SAP (MAC SAP 7 shown in Figure 4) of the corresponding non-co-located AP MLD. As shown in Figure 4, for data sent from or to a UHR non-AP MLD, the non-co-located AP MLD processes the data by using the AP MLD upper MAC sublayer and then forwards the processed data via MAC SAP 7 or forwards the processed data to the corresponding co-located AP MLD. The co-located AP MLD distributes the data to modules related to TID-to-link mapping or link merging.

[0110]

[0139] For example, the division into non-co-located AP MLD upper MAC sublayer and non-co-located AP MLD lower MAC sublayer functions may depend on whether a traffic identifier (TID) is allowed to be mapped to links of different co-located AP MLDs. For example, if a traffic identifier (TID) is allowed to be mapped to links of different co-located AP MLDs, a block acknowledgment (BA) session for the TID needs to be maintained in the non-co-located AP MLD upper MAC sublayer, and the session can be refreshed based on BA information fed back by the corresponding co-located AP MLD.

[0111]

[0140] It can be understood that the functional block of the AP MLD upper MAC sublayer may be located in a co-located AP MLD or in an access point controller. The manner of configuring the non-co-located AP MLD upper MAC sublayer is not limited to the embodiments of the present application. The AP MLD upper MAC sublayer and the AP MLD lower MAC sublayer may communicate with each other by using a network cable or other technology. For example, multiple co-located AP MLDs affiliated with a non-co-located AP MLD may not be located in the same device.

[0112]

[0141] For example, a non-co-located AP MLD may be understood as an AP MLD that includes multiple co-located AP MLDs, or a non-co-located AP MLD may be understood as a device configured to centrally or unifiedly manage (or control) multiple co-located AP MLDs.

[0113]

[0142] The relationship between the MAC addresses of the links affiliated with the MLD and the MAC addresses of the MLDs shown in Figure 2 is used as an example. A similar relationship exists between non-co-located AP MLDs and co-located AP MLDs. For example, each non-co-located AP MLD has a non-co-located MLD MAC address (the non-co-located AP MLD upper MAC sublayer shown in Figure 4), the MLD MAC addresses of the co-located AP MLDs affiliated with the non-co-located AP MLD, and the MAC addresses of the links affiliated with the co-located AP MLD. It will be understood that the non-co-located MLD MAC address may be understood as the MAC address of the AP MLD upper MAC sublayer shown in Figure 4 (e.g., the MAC address of the AP MLD upper MAC sublayer can identify MAC SAP 7). n co-located AP MLDs that are affiliated with a non-co-located AP MLD may mean that the non-co-located AP MLD contains the n co-located AP MLDs or that the non-co-located AP MLD corresponds to the n co-located AP MLDs.

[0114]

[0143] It will be understood that different descriptions of the relationship between non-co-located AP MLD and co-located AP MLD may exist as standards evolve, and therefore, the description of the relationship between non-co-located AP MLD and co-located AP MLD is not limited to the embodiments of the present application.

[0115]

[0144] In the aforementioned embodiments of the present application, the first communication device may be an AP and the second communication device may be a STA; or the first communication device may be a STA and the second communication device may be an AP. Alternatively, in a possible implementation, the first communication device may be a non-co-located AP MLD and the second communication device may be an AP that is affiliated with a co-located AP MLD that is affiliated with the non-co-located AP MLD.

[0116]

[0145] A non-co-located AP MLD contains multiple co-located AP MLDs, and the link identifiers (link IDs) of the co-located AP MLDs may be the same. Therefore, when a UHR non-AP MLD associates with a non-co-located AP MLD and establishes a link with a particular co-located AP MLD, the UHR non-AP MLD cannot know the co-located AP MLD with which it seeks to establish a link simply by using the link identifier. In one example, the IDs of the co-located AP MLDs may be the same for different non-co-located AP MLDs. In another example, the link IDs may be the same for different co-located AP MLDs. Because a non-co-located AP MLD not only contains a co-located AP MLD that is affiliated with the non-co-located AP MLD, but also contains multiple links that are affiliated with the co-located AP MLD, a multi-link element that only contains the associated identifier information of the co-located AP MLD cannot effectively identify the co-located AP MLD.

[0117]

[0146] In consideration of this, embodiments of the present application provide a multi-link communication method for quickly and effectively identifying a co-located AP MLD. According to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, when establishing a link across non-co-located AP MLDs, the non-AP MLD can effectively distinguish between different co-located AP MLDs affiliated with the same non-co-located AP MLD, and can also effectively distinguish between different non-co-located AP MLDs. When a UHR non-AP MLD needs to establish a link with a specific co-located AP MLD, the non-co-located AP MLD can quickly and effectively know the co-located AP MLD with which the UHR non-AP MLD requests to establish a link by using the co-located AP MLD corresponding to the link that is requested to be established. For example, in the embodiments of the present application, a UHR non-AP MLD may be associated with a non-co-located AP MLD, so that the UHR non-AP MLD can effectively distinguish between the non-co-located AP MLD associated with the UHR non-AP MLD by indicating the MLD address of the non-co-located AP MLD.

[0118]

[0147] FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart of a multi-link communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. For descriptions of non-co-located AP MLD, co-located AP MLD, non-AP MLD, and the like in the method, please refer to the above description. Details are not described in the method shown in FIG. 5. Although a relay node is not used in the method described below, it will be understood that those skilled in the art may know that a forwarding operation may be performed via a relay node when a transmitting party and a receiving party communicate with each other. As shown in FIG. 5, the method includes the following steps:

[0119]

[0148] 501: The AP transmits a communication frame, and the STA receives the communication frame in response.

[0120]

[0149] An AP may be an AP in a co-located AP MLD that is affiliated with a non-co-located AP MLD, and may also be an AP that is affiliated with the co-located AP MLD, and may also be referred to as an affiliated AP.

[0121]

[0150] Optionally, before transmitting a communication frame, the AP may separately acquire the communication frame. The AP may acquire the communication frame by generating the communication frame itself, or by acquiring the communication frame from a co-located AP MLD or a non-co-located AP MLD. It can be seen from the system architecture shown in FIG. 4 that different co-located AP MLDs may have different software modules (e.g., MAC layers and PHYs), and different APs within the same co-located AP MLD may have different software modules (e.g., different MAC layers and PHYs). Therefore, the communication frame may be understood to be generated by a software module. Alternatively, in a specific implementation, different APs within a co-located AP MLD may share the same processor. In this case, the communication frame may be understood to be generated by the processor. Alternatively, if the upper MAC sublayer of a non-co-located AP MLD is independently located within a controller, the controller may generate the communication frame. After generating the communication frame, the controller may transmit the communication frame to the AP.

[0122]

[0151] In one example, the communication frame may be generated by an AP, for example, the communication frame may be a management frame, such as a channel switch announcement, after a link is established between the AP and the STA.

[0123]

[0152] In another example, the communication frame may be generated by a co-located AP MLD with which the AP is affiliated. In yet another example, the communication frame may be generated by a non-co-located AP MLD with which the co-located AP MLD with the affiliate AP is affiliated. For example, the communication frame may be an association response frame, a reassociation response frame, or a multi-link reconfiguration response frame. In another example, when associative operations across non-co-located AP MLDs are used, the communication frame may be a multi-link reconfiguration response frame generated by a non-co-located AP MLD.

[0124]

[0153] In addition to the communication frames listed above, the communication frame shown in this embodiment of the present application may also be a beacon frame. For example, the beacon frame may be used for nearby co-located AP MLD discovery, associated link selection, or the like. Alternatively, the communication frame may be a probe request frame, a probe response frame, or the like. However, as long as the multi-link element included in the communication frame complies with the characteristics of the multi-link element described below, the communication frame falls within the scope of protection of the embodiment of the present application.

[0125]

[0154] 502: The STA analyzes the communication frame.

[0126]

[0155] For example, the STA may obtain information related to channel switching by analyzing the communication frame. In another example, the STA may obtain information related to link association, link reassociation, or the like by analyzing the communication frame. For information obtained by the STA by analyzing the communication frame, see the description of the multi-link element of the communication frame described below, see the description of the TID-to-link mapping element of the communication frame described below, or see the description of the reduced neighbor report element described below. Details are not recited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0127]

[0156] FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart of another multi-link communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. For descriptions of non-co-located AP MLD, co-located AP MLD, non-AP MLD, and the like in the method, please refer to the above description. Details are not described in the method shown in FIG. 6. Although a relay node is not used in the method described below, it will be understood that those skilled in the art may know that a forwarding operation may be performed via a relay node when a transmitting party and a receiving party communicate with each other. As shown in FIG. 6, the method includes the following steps:

[0128]

[0157] 601: The STA transmits a communication frame, and the AP receives the communication frame in response.

[0129]

[0158] The STA may be an STA that has an affiliate relationship with the non-AP MLD, and the STA may also be called an affiliated STA.

[0130]

[0159] Optionally, before transmitting the communication frame, the STA may separately acquire the communication frame. The STA may acquire the communication frame by generating the communication frame itself or by acquiring the communication frame from a non-AP MLD.

[0131]

[0160] In one example, the communication frame may be generated by a STA, for example, a management frame after a link is established between the STA and an AP.

[0132]

[0161] In another example, the communication frame may be generated by a non-AP MLD, e.g., the communication frame may be an association request frame, a reassociation request frame, a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, or the like.

[0133]

[0162] 602: The AP analyzes the communication frame.

[0134]

[0163] For example, the AP may obtain information related to link association, information related to link re-association, or the like by analyzing the communication frame. Details are not listed. For information obtained by the STA by analyzing the communication frame, please refer to the description of the multi-link element of the communication frame described below, or refer to the description of the TID-to-link mapping element of the communication frame described below. Details are not listed in the embodiments of the present application.

[0135]

[0164] The communication frame described in the embodiment of the present application will be explained below.

[0136]

[0165] A communication frame may include n multi-link elements, each corresponding to one co-located AP MLD. For example, if a communication frame is associated with association information for multiple co-located AP MLDs that are affiliated with one non-co-located AP MLD, the communication frame may include n multi-link elements, each corresponding to one co-located AP MLD.

[0137]

[0166] Optionally, the communication frame may further include m multi-link elements, and the non-co-located AP MLD corresponding to the m multi-link elements may be different from the non-co-located AP MLD corresponding to the n multi-link elements. Both m and n are integers equal to or greater than 1. For example, if the communication frame is associated with information related to multiple non-co-located AP MLDs, the communication frame may include m multi-link elements and n multi-link elements, and the non-co-located AP MLD corresponding to the n multi-link elements is different from the non-co-located AP MLD corresponding to the m multi-link elements, and each multi-link element corresponds to one co-located AP MLD. The number of multi-link elements can be determined based on actual circumstances. Details are not recited in the embodiments of the present application. For ease of explanation, the communication frame will be described below using multi-link elements as an example, but the number of multi-link elements described below should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0138]

[0167] In a possible implementation, the multi-link element includes identifier information for a non-co-located AP MLD and identifier information for a co-located AP MLD.

[0139]

[0168] In a possible implementation, the identifier information of the non-co-located AP MLD includes at least one of the following: an ID of the non-co-located AP MLD or an MLD MAC address of the non-co-located AP MLD; and the identifier information of the co-located AP MLD includes at least one of the following: an ID of the co-located AP MLD or an MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD. It will be understood that the information described in the embodiments of the present application may exist in the form of a field, or may exist in the form of an element or sub-element. For ease of explanation, the following description will take the following representational manner as an example to describe the multi-link element provided in the embodiments of the present application: The Non-Collocated AP MLD MAC Address field identifies the MLD MAC address of the non-collocated AP MLD, the non-co-located AP MLD ID field identifies the ID of the non-co-located AP MLD; The Co-located AP MLD ID field identifies the ID of the Co-located AP MLD, and The Co-located AP MLD MAC Address field identifies the MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD.

[0140]

[0169] The non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field can identify the MLD MAC address of the non-co-located AP MLD. For example, the non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field can identify the MLD MAC address of the non-co-located AP MLD to which the co-located AP MLD is affiliated. If the non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field cannot uniquely identify the non-co-located AP MLD, the multi-link element can further include a non-co-located AP MLD ID field, which can identify the ID of the non-co-located AP MLD. For example, the ID of the non-co-located AP MLD can be configured by the non-co-located AP MLD or can be configured (for reference only) by the operator and the like. For example, a UHR non-AP MLD is associated with a non-co-located AP MLD, and the pairwise transient key (PTK) of the UHR non-AP MLD is derived based on the MLD address of the non-co-located AP MLD. Because there may be multiple non-co-located AP MLDs in an extended service set (ESS), the multi-link element may include a Non-Co-located AP MLD ID field. For example, if at most one non-co-located AP MLD is allowed in an ESS, the Non-Co-located AP MLD ID may be a single bit to indicate whether the current co-located AP MLD is affiliated with a non-co-located AP MLD.

[0141]

[0170] Regarding the co-located AP MLD ID field, in a possible implementation, for different co-located AP MLDs affiliated with the same non-co-located AP MLD, the ID of the AP MLD identified by the AP MLD ID field (i.e., the AP MLD ID field that existed in the multi-link element prior to this solution) may be understood as the ID set by the AP MLD. Therefore, for the same non-co-located AP MLD, the ID of the AP MLD may not be unique. Therefore, it is difficult to identify a co-located AP MLD by using only the AP MLD ID field. Because a co-located AP MLD may not be uniquely identified by using the AP MLD ID field, the co-located AP MLD ID field is further described in the embodiments of the present application. The co-located AP MLD ID field can identify the ID of the co-located AP MLD. For example, the ID of the co-located AP MLD may be set by the non-co-located AP MLD. The Co-located AP MLD ID field may be used for nearby co-located AP MLD discovery, cross-collocated AP MLD operation, and the like. Details are not recited one by one in the embodiments of the present application. In this embodiment of the present application, the Co-located AP MLD ID field and the Co-located AP MLD MAC Address field may be considered as different fields. For example, the Co-located AP MLD ID field may be present in both a communication frame transmitted by an AP and a communication frame transmitted by a STA (merely by way of example, whether the Co-located AP MLD ID field is present needs to be determined based on the role or function of the communication frame). It will be understood that, in general, the MLD MAC Address of the Co-located AP MLD is set before distribution.

[0142]

[0171] For the Co-located AP MLD ID field, in another possible implementation, the Co-located AP MLD ID field may be set to the Co-located AP MLD MAC address. For example, for communication frames transmitted by an AP, the Co-located AP MLD ID field may reuse the MLD MAC address field that existed prior to this solution. Specifically, when a multi-link element is carried in a communication frame transmitted by an affiliated AP, the MLD MAC address of the corresponding Co-located AP MLD may be carried in the MLD address field in the multi-link element. However, for communication frames transmitted by a STA, the Co-located AP MLD ID field carries the MLD MAC address of the Co-located AP MLD corresponding to the link (i.e., the link indicated by the Link ID field in the multi-link element). That is, in this implementation, the Co-located AP MLD ID field may be present in the multi-link element of a communication frame transmitted by the STA.

[0143]

[0172] Regarding the Co-located AP MLD ID field, in yet another possible implementation, the Co-located AP MLD ID field and the AP MLD ID field may also be understood as the same field, and the Co-located AP MLD ID field reuses the AP MLD ID field that existed prior to this solution. In this case, since the AP MLD ID field is set by each Co-located AP MLD (i.e., the ID set by a different Co-located AP MLD that is affiliated with a non-co-located AP MLD may be the same), it may be difficult for a communication device receiving a communication frame (including a multi-link element) to parse the mapping between the Co-located AP MLD ID field and the Co-located AP MLD MAC Address field. The reason for the difficulty may be as follows: non-AP MLD needs to infer the MLD address of the co-located AP MLD corresponding to the AP MLD ID field by combining the BSSID and AP MLD ID fields in the Reduced Neighbor Report element in the beacon frame of the current co-located AP MLD with the BSSID and MLD MAC Address fields in the Multi-Link element in the Reduced Neighbor Report element in the beacon frame of the nearby co-located AP MLD.

[0144]

[0173] For example, this multi-link element may include a non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field and a co-located AP MLD ID field. For example, the multi-link element may include a non-co-located AP MLD ID field and a co-located AP MLD ID field. For example, in the case of a communication frame transmitted by a STA, the multi-link element may include a non-AP MLD MAC address field, a non-co-located AP MLD ID field (or a non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field), and a co-located AP MLD ID field (or a co-located AP MLD MAC address field). For example, in the case of a communication frame transmitted by an AP, the multi-link element may include a co-located AP MLD MAC address field, an AP MLD ID field (e.g., configured by the AP MLD), a co-located AP MLD ID field (e.g., configured by the non-co-located AP MLD), and a non-co-located AP MLD ID field (or the MLD MAC address of the non-co-located AP MLD).

[0145]

[0174] For example, a multi-link element of a communication frame transmitted by an AP may include the MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD to which the AP is affiliated (e.g., a Co-located AP MLD MAC Address field), an AP MLD ID (ID assigned by the co-located AP MLD) field, a Co-located AP MLD ID (ID assigned by the non-co-located AP MLD) field, the MLD MAC address of the non-co-located AP MLD to which the co-located AP MLD with the affiliated AP is affiliated (e.g., a Non-co-located AP MLD MAC Address field), and a Non-co-located AP MLD ID field. It will be understood that both the AP MLD ID field and the Co-located AP MLD ID field may be present in a multi-link element, or a multi-link element may include either the AP MLD ID field or the Co-located AP MLD ID field. For example, a multi-link element of a communication frame transmitted by a STA may include an MLD MAC address (e.g., MLD MAC Address) of a non-AP MLD to which the STA is affiliated, a co-located AP MLD ID field, a non-co-located AP MLD MAC Address field, and a non-co-located AP MLD ID field. It will be understood that both the non-co-located AP MLD MAC Address field and the non-co-located AP MLD ID field may be present in a multi-link element, or a multi-link element may include a non-co-located AP MLD MAC Address field or a non-co-located AP MLD ID field.

[0146]

[0175] The above-listed multi-link elements may include the following fields: a co-located AP MLD ID field, a co-located AP MLD MAC Address field, a non-co-located AP MLD ID field, and a non-co-located AP MLD MAC Address field; and the fields specifically included in a multi-link element may be defined in the protocol, or the fields included in a multi-link element may be indicated by a presence bitmap (e.g., the presence bitmap shown in Figure 7 below).

[0147]

[0176] For example, a multi-link element includes a multi-link control field and a common info field. The multi-link control field includes a presence bitmap, which indicates whether relevant information is present in the common info field. For example, the common info field may include at least one of the following: an MLD MAC Address (MAC address of the MLD transmitting the multi-link element) field, an AP MLD ID field, a co-located AP MLD ID field, a non-co-located AP MLD MAC Address field, or a non-co-located AP MLD ID field. FIG. 7 is a diagram of a multi-link element according to this embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 7, the multi-link element may include an element ID (e.g., element ID=255), a length, an element ID extension (e.g., element ID extension=107), multi-link control, a common info field, and a link info field. For example, the multi-link control field may include a type (e.g., type=0), reserved, and a presence bitmap. For example, the common information field may include at least one of an MLD MAC address field, an AP MLD ID field, a co-located AP MLD ID field, a non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field, a non-co-located AP MLD ID field, or a common info length field. For example, the link information field may include one or more per-STA profiles, and a per-STA profile may include a subelement ID, a length, and data.It will be understood that the dashed lines shown in Figure 7 indicate that any one or more of the AP MLD ID field, the co-located AP MLD ID field, the non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field, and the non-co-located AP MLD ID field may not be present in the multi-link element. The order of information shown in Figure 7 is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. It will be understood that the division method between fields, sub-elements, or elements shown in this embodiment of the present application is merely an example. In a specific implementation, there may be other division methods for different information in a communication frame. This is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0148]

[0177] The MLD MAC address field identifies the MLD MAC address of the MLD transmitting the communication frame, e.g., the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD or the MLD MAC address of a co-located AP MLD. Thus, in either the method shown in FIG. 5 or the method shown in FIG. 6, the communication frame includes the MLD MAC address field. For example, if an AP transmits the communication frame, the MLD MAC address field may be the MLD MAC address of a co-located AP MLD to which the AP is affiliated. For another example, if a STA transmits the communication frame, the MLD MAC address field may be the MLD MAC address of a MLD to which the STA is affiliated. Because the MLD MAC address field is always present in the communication frame, the presence bitmap may indicate whether the AP MLD ID field, the co-located AP MLD ID field, the non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field, and the non-co-located AP MLD ID field are present. For example, in the presence bitmap, the first bit may indicate whether the AP MLD ID field is present, the second bit may indicate whether the co-located AP MLD ID field is present, the third bit may indicate whether the non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field is present, and the fourth bit may indicate whether the non-co-located AP MLD ID field is present. It will be understood that the presence bitmap may also be referred to as a presence or presence bitmap. The specific names of the fields in the multi-link control are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0149]

[0178] The presence of the AP MLD ID field, co-located AP MLD ID field, non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field, and non-co-located AP MLD ID field described above may be determined based on the role or function of the communication frame. For example, if the communication frame is a beacon frame transmitted by an AP, the AP MLD ID field and non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field may be present in the multi-link element of the beacon frame, but the co-located AP MLD ID field and non-co-located AP MLD ID field may not be present. As another example, if the communication frame is an association request frame (or reassociation request frame) sent by a STA, the AP MLD ID field, the non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field, and the co-located AP MLD ID field may be present in the multi-link element in the association request frame. In yet another example, if the communication frame is an association response frame (or reassociation response frame) sent by an AP, the Co-located AP MLD ID field may not be present in the Multi-Link element in the association response frame. In yet another example, if the communication frame is a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame transmitted by a STA, the AP MLD ID field, the Non-Collocated AP MLD MAC Address field, and the Co-located AP MLD ID field may be present in the Multi-Link Element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame. In yet another example, if the communication frame is a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame transmitted by an AP, the Co-located AP MLD ID field may not be present in the Multi-Link Element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame. It should be understood that the above-listed multi-link elements are merely examples. In actual applications, a multi-link device may determine whether one or more of the AP MLD ID field, the co-located AP MLD ID field, the non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field, and the non-co-located AP MLD ID field are present in the multi-link element based on its specific function or role. Therefore, the fields included in the above-listed multi-link elements should not be understood as limitations on the embodiments of the present application.

[0150]

[0179] Optionally, the UHR non-AP MLD may be selected to associate with a co-located AP MLD (e.g., mode 0) or a non-co-located AP MLD (e.g., mode 1). Thus, the multi-link element may further include an indication field, which may indicate the association mode selected by the UHR non-AP MLD. For example, in mode 0, the PTK may be bound to the MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD. In mode 1, the PTK may be bound to the MLD MAC address of the non-co-located AP MLD. Optionally, the multi-link device may also determine the association mode selected by the UHR non-AP MLD based on whether the multi-link element in the association request frame carries the co-located AP MLD ID field and the non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field. For example, if a multi-link element carries the co-located AP MLD ID field and the non-co-located AP MLD MAC Address field, it indicates that the association mode selected by the UHR non-AP MLD is mode 1. In another example, if a multi-link element does not carry the co-located AP MLD ID field and the non-co-located AP MLD MAC Address field, it indicates that the association mode selected by the UHR non-AP MLD is mode 0. Thus, a fixed UHR non-AP MLD may choose to associate with a co-located AP MLD instead of a non-co-located AP MLD, since the fixed UHR non-AP MLD is not relevant to BSS transitions.

[0151]

[0180] Because a non-co-located AP MLD may include multiple co-located AP MLDs, a co-located AP MLD ID field may be carried in the link information related element of the co-located AP MLD, or a co-located AP MLD ID field may be carried in the service relationship information related element of the non-co-located AP MLD to uniquely identify the co-located AP MLD. For example, the relationship elements may include a TID-to-link mapping element and a reduced neighbor report element, which are described below. It will be understood that the multi-link element described in this embodiment of the present application may include a basic multi-link element.

[0152]

[0181] According to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, when traversing non-co-located AP MLDs, a non-AP MLD can quickly and effectively distinguish between co-located AP MLDs that are affiliated with the non-co-located AP MLD, and can also effectively identify different non-co-located AP MLDs.

[0153]

[0182] For example, the aforementioned associated elements may include a TID-to-link mapping element. FIG. 8A is a diagram of a TID-to-link mapping element according to this embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 8A, the TID-to-link mapping element may include a co-located AP MLD ID field and a link ID bitmap field corresponding to the TID (also referred to as link mapping corresponding to a TID (e.g., TID0 to TID7)), and the link ID bitmap field may be associated with the co-located AP MLD ID field. It will be understood that TID0 to TID7 shown in FIG. 8A are merely examples, and more TIDs may be included in a specific implementation. The TID-to-link mapping element and the multi-link element described in this embodiment of the present application may be included in the same communication frame, or the TID-to-link mapping element and the multi-link element may be located in different communication frames. This is not a limitation of this embodiment of the present application. It will be understood that the Link ID Bitmap fields described below may be understood as Link ID Bitmap TID0 through Link ID Bitmap TID7.

[0154]

[0183] In the case of a TID-to-link mapping element, in one example, the communication frame may include a TID-to-link mapping element. In this case, the TID-to-link mapping element may include a link ID bitmap field and a co-located AP MLD ID field that corresponds to the link ID bitmap field. In another example, the communication frame may include a TID-to-link mapping element (e.g., for relational operations across different co-located AP MLDs). In this case, multiple link ID bitmap fields and co-located AP MLD ID fields may be arranged in sequence, such that each co-located AP MLD ID field corresponds to one link ID bitmap field. For example, a multi-link device can sequentially learn the co-located AP MLD field corresponding to each Link ID Bitmap field based on the arrangement order of the Co-located AP MLD ID and Link ID Bitmap fields. For example, a TID-to-link mapping element may include a co-located AP MLD ID field 1 (e.g., corresponding to co-located AP MLD 1), a link ID bitmap field 1, a co-located AP MLD ID field 2 (e.g., corresponding to co-located AP MLD 2), a link ID bitmap field 2, an AP MLD ID field 3 (e.g., corresponding to co-located AP MLD 3), a link ID bitmap field 3, and the like, which are not enumerated in detail here. In yet another example, a communication frame may include multiple TID-to-link mapping elements (e.g., related operations across different co-located AP MLDs). In this case, each TID-to-link mapping element may correspond to one co-located AP MLD field. Each TID-to-link mapping element may include a co-located AP MLD ID field and a link ID bitmap field corresponding to the co-located AP MLD field. For example, the communication frame includes a TID-to-link mapping element 1 and a TID-to-link mapping element 2. The TID-to-link mapping element 1 may correspond to a co-located AP MLD ID field (e.g., corresponding to co-located AP MLD 1) and a link ID and bitmap field. The TID-to-link mapping element 2 may correspond to a co-located AP MLD ID field (e.g., corresponding to co-located AP MLD 2) and a link ID and bitmap field.

[0155]

[0184] In the above example, the ID of the co-located AP MLD is present in the TID-to-link mapping element in the form of a field. Optionally, the ID of the co-located AP MLD may also be present in the TID-to-link mapping element in the form of a sub-element.

[0156]

[0185] For example, the aforementioned relationship element may include a reduced neighbor report element. Optionally, FIG. 8b is a diagram of a reduced neighbor report element according to this embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 8b, the reduced neighbor report element may include an extended MLD parameters field, which may include a co-located AP MLD ID field and a non-co-located AP MLD ID field. It will be understood that the aforementioned extended MLD parameters field may also be referred to as an enhanced MLD parameters field. Optionally, Figure 8c is a diagram of another reduced neighbor report element according to this embodiment of the present application. The reduced neighbor report element includes MLD parameters, which may include at least one of the following fields: AP MLD ID, link ID, BSS parameters change count, all updates included, disabled link indication, co-located AP MLD ID, or non-co-located AP MLD ID.

[0157]

[0186] It will be understood that the related embodiments of the co-located AP MLD ID field (non-co-located AP MLD ID field or non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field) and the related embodiments of the TID-to-link mapping element shown above may each be used as separate embodiments. The multi-link elements in the communication frames shown in Figures 5 and 6 may each include a co-located AP MLD ID field (non-co-located AP MLD ID field or non-co-located AP MLD MAC address field); or the communication frames shown in Figures 5 and 6 may each include a TID-to-link mapping element. Alternatively, the related embodiments described above may be combined with each other, and the communication frames shown in Figures 5 and 6 may each include a multi-link element and a TID-to-link mapping element.

[0158]

[0187] It will be understood that the related embodiments of the co-located AP MLD ID field and the related embodiments of the reduced neighbor report element shown above may each be used as separate embodiments. The multi-link elements in the communication frames shown in Figures 5 and 6 may each include a co-located AP MLD ID field (a non-co-located AP MLD ID field or a non-co-located AP MLD MAC Address field); or the communication frames shown in Figures 5 and 6 may each include a reduced neighbor report element. Alternatively, the related embodiments described above may be combined with each other, and the communication frames shown in Figures 5 and 6 may each include a multi-link element and a reduced neighbor report element.

[0159]

[0188] A UHR non-AP MLD can add and establish a new link with a neighbor co-located AP MLD. Figure 9a is a diagram of an AP switching scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9a, a non-AP MLD establishes a link with co-located AP MLD 1 and is located within the coverage area of ​​co-located AP MLD 1. When the non-AP MLD moves to the coverage area of ​​co-located AP MLD 2, the non-AP MLD can establish a new link with co-located AP MLD 2. Optionally, if the non-AP MLD is located not only within the coverage area of ​​co-located AP MLD 1 but also within the coverage area of ​​co-located AP MLD 2, both co-located AP MLD 1 and co-located AP MLD 2 can perform data transmission with the non-AP MLD. If the non-AP MLD moves out of the coverage area of ​​the co-located AP MLD 1, the non-AP MLD may delete the link between the non-AP MLD and the co-located AP MLD 1.

[0160]

[0189] In the above AP switching scenario, the non-AP MLD needs to query the current co-located AP MLD 1 to obtain related information of the neighbor co-located AP MLD, or perform a channel scan by itself to switch to the neighbor co-located AP MLD. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application further provides a multi-link communication method for providing related information of the neighbor co-located AP MLD to the UHR non-AP MLD.

[0161]

[0190] FIG. 9b is a schematic flowchart of yet another multi-link communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. For descriptions of non-co-located AP MLD, co-located AP MLD, non-AP MLD, and the like in the method, please refer to the above description. Details are not described in the method shown in FIG. 9b. Although a relay node is not used in the method described below, it will be understood that those skilled in the art may know that a forwarding operation may be performed via a relay node when a transmitting party and a receiving party communicate with each other. As shown in FIG. 9b, the method includes the following steps:

[0162]

[0191] 901: The AP sends a BTM request frame, and the STA receives the BTM request frame in response.

[0163]

[0192] It will be appreciated that after receiving the BTM request frame, the STA may further send an acknowledgement (ACK) frame to the AP.

[0164]

[0193] For example, the BTM request frame may be generated by an AP, may be generated by a co-located AP MLD to which the AP is affiliated, or may be generated by a non-co-located AP MLD to which the co-located AP MLD is affiliated with an affiliate AP. For a description of the BTM request frame, please refer to the previous description of the communication frame. The details will not be described again here.

[0165]

[0194] It will be understood that the BTM request frame described in this embodiment of the present application is merely an example. In another possible implementation, a new UHR action frame is defined to instruct the UHR non-AP MLD to perform link transition operations. For ease of explanation, in this embodiment of the present application, the method provided in this embodiment of the present application is described by using a BTM request frame as an example.

[0166]

[0195] The BTM request frame may include link transition information, which may indicate whether to perform a switch between co-located AP MLDs. For example, the link transition information may be referred to as co-located AP MLD transition. FIG. 10a is a diagram of a BTM request frame according to this embodiment of the present application. The BTM frame may include at least one of the following: a category, a radio network management action, a dialog token, a request mode, a disassociation timer, a validity interval, a BSS termination duration, session information (session info URL), or a BSS transition candidate list. The BSS transition candidate list is optional. The request mode may include at least one of the following: preferred candidate list included, abridged, disassociation imminent, BSS termination included, extended service set (ESS) disassociation imminent, link removal, or link transition. The BSS termination included indication field indicates whether to disable the BSS. For UHR non-AP MLD, the BSS termination included indication field has a continuing meaning and may indicate, for example, whether to terminate the BSS of an affiliate AP (e.g., the AP sending the BTM request frame), or whether to terminate all BSSs in a co-located AP MLD, or whether to terminate all BSSs in a non-co-located AP MLD. The link removal information indicates whether to delete the link.Therefore, in a UHR system, the link transition information, the BSS termination inclusion indication information, and the link removal information may indicate whether to perform link transition of different non-co-located AP MLDs or to perform link transition of different co-located AP MLDs that are affiliated with the same non-co-located AP MLD.

[0167]

[0196] In one example, for UHR non-AP MLD, when the BSS of an affiliate AP is terminated, the co-located AP MLD requires that the AP transmit a BTM request frame in a broadcast manner on the corresponding link, with the BSS Termination Indication field set to 1, the Link Removal field set to 1, and the Link Transition field set to 0.

[0168]

[0197] In another example, if the current co-located AP MLD is to be terminated, the co-located AP MLD needs to send a BTM request frame in a broadcast manner on all links of the co-located AP MLD, with the BSS Termination Indication field set to 1, the Link Removal field set to 0, and the Link Transition field set to 1.

[0169]

[0198] In yet another example, when the entire non-co-located AP MLD is terminated, the non-co-located AP MLD needs to transmit a BTM request frame in a broadcast manner on all links of the co-located AP MLDs that are affiliates of the non-co-located AP MLD, with the BSS termination inclusion indication field set to 1, the link removal field set to 0, and the link transition field set to 0.

[0170]

[0199] Optionally, before sending the BTM request frame, the AP may further receive a BTM query frame from the STA. For a description of the BTM query frame, please refer to the relevant standard or protocol, which is not limited to the embodiment of the present application.

[0171]

[0200] 902: The STA transmits a BTM response frame, and in response, the AP receives the BTM response frame.

[0172]

[0201] It will be understood that after receiving the BTM response frame, the AP may further send an ACK frame to the STA.

[0173]

[0202] For example, the BTM response frame may be generated by the STA or may be generated by a non-AP MLD to which the STA is affiliated. For a description of the BTM response frame, please refer to the above description of the communication frame. The details will not be described again here.

[0174]

[0203] FIG. 10b is a diagram of a BTM response frame according to this embodiment of the present application. The BTM response frame may include the following fields: category, radio network management action, dialog token, BTM status code, BSS termination delay, target BSSID, and BSS transition candidate list. The target BSSID and BSS transition candidate list are optional. For example, if the value of the BTM status code is 0, the BTM response frame includes the target BSSID field. The BTM status code may indicate whether the BSS transition request is accepted. In one example, the BTM status code may be set to a newly defined status value (e.g., a first value) to indicate that transitions between different co-located AP MLDs affiliated with the same non-co-located AP MLD (co-located AP MLD transitions within the same non-co-located AP MLD) are accepted. For example, the target BSSID field may be set to the corresponding target co-located AP MLD MAC address.

[0175]

[0204] In another example, the BTM status code may be further set to another newly defined status value (e.g., a second value) to indicate that the UHR non-AP MLD accepts a BSS transition for a different non-co-located AP MLD. For example, the target BSSID field may be set to the corresponding target non-co-located AP MLD MAC address, and the neighbor report element indicates the co-located AP MLD affiliated with the target non-co-located AP MLD to which the BSS is specifically transferred. Alternatively, if the UHR non-AP MLD performs a BSS transition for another non-co-located AP MLD, the target BSSID field may be set to the MLD MAC address of the co-located AP MLD affiliated with the corresponding target non-co-located AP MLD.

[0176]

[0205] Table 1 shows various values ​​of the BTM status code described in this embodiment of the present application. It will be understood that x (e.g., x1, x2, and x3), y (e.g., y1, y2, and y3), z (e.g., z1, z2, and z3), etc. in the table shown in the embodiment of the present application may be understood as values. Values ​​such as x, y, and z are not limited in the embodiment of the present application: Table 1 [Table 1]

[0177]

[0206] It will be appreciated that for relevant descriptions of the BTM query frame, BTM request frame, and BTM response frame, please refer to the relevant standard or protocol.

[0178]

[0207] The method shown in FIG. 5 (or FIG. 6) may be combined with the method shown in FIG. 9b. For example, when AP1 and STA1 exchange information with each other, communication frames can be used to carry relevant information. Then, before the UHR non-AP MLD to which STA1 is affiliated needs to switch to the co-located AP MLD, interaction can be performed based on the BTM request frame and the BTM response frame. Optionally, after the UHR non-AP MLD acquires the nearby co-located AP MLD, a link can be added and / or deleted based on the subsequent Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame and the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame. Alternatively, after a link is added and / or deleted based on the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame and the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, the AP and the STA can exchange relevant information based on the communication frames. That is, the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other, and the order of combination can be determined based on a specific implementation. Details are not listed one by one in the embodiments of the present application.

[0179]

[0208] Generally, when a link is added between a non-AP MLD and a non-co-located AP MLD, a reassociation operation is required. Furthermore, before reassociation, the pairwise transient key (PTK), group temporal key (GTK), integrity group temporal key (IGTK), and beacon integrity group temporal key (BIGTK) must all be deleted. As a result, all links between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD are severed, and data transmission is interrupted.

[0180]

[0209] In view of this, embodiments of the present application provide a multi-link communication method and apparatus for ensuring continuity of data transmission when a link needs to be added and / or deleted. The embodiments of the present application provide a multi-link reconfiguration request frame and a multi-link reconfiguration response frame. The two frames can be used to add and / or delete links while ensuring data transmission.

[0181]

[0210] FIG. 11a is a schematic flowchart of yet another multi-link communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. For descriptions of non-co-located AP MLD, co-located AP MLD, non-AP MLD, and the like in the method, please refer to the above description. Details are not described in the method shown in FIG. 11a. Although a relay node is not used in the method described below, it will be understood that those skilled in the art may know that a forwarding operation may be performed via a relay node when a transmitting party and a receiving party communicate with each other. As shown in FIG. 11a, the method includes the following steps:

[0182]

[0211] 1101: The STA transmits a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, and in response, the AP receives the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0183]

[0212] The Multi Link Reconfiguration Request frame includes indication information, which indicates whether a link is requested to be added. Alternatively, it may be understood that the indication information indicates whether the Multi Link Reconfiguration Request frame includes link information for an additional link, or whether link information for an additional link is present in the Multi Link Reconfiguration Request frame. Alternatively, it may be understood that the indication information indicates whether the frame body of the Reassociation Request frame (excluding some fields and elements) is present in the Multi Link Reconfiguration Request frame. For ease of explanation, the following describes the method provided in this embodiment of the present application by using an example in which indication information indicates whether a link is requested to be added. The indication information may also be referred to as a request type, an existence indication, or the like. The specific name of the indication information is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. For example, the indication information may occupy one byte, and the length occupied by the indication information is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0184]

[0213] In a possible implementation, the indication information may include first indication information, which indicates a request to add a link. In this case, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame further includes first link information, which indicates link information on the station side corresponding to the added link. For example, if the added link is the first link, the first link information may indicate link information on the station side corresponding to the first link. The number of added links is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. If two or more links are added, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame may include link information on the station side corresponding to two or more links, or the first link information may indicate link information on the station side corresponding to two or more links. For a description of the first link information, please refer to the frame body (excluding some fields and elements) of the reassociation request frame described below.

[0185]

[0214] In another possible implementation, the indication information may include second indication information, where the second indication information indicates that the first link information is not present in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame. Alternatively, it will be understood that the second indication information indicates that a link has not been added or that the frame body of the Reassociation Request frame (except for some fields and elements) is not present in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame.

[0186]

[0215] For example, the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame may further include a Multi-Link Reconfiguration element, which may be used to carry link information for the deleted link. Alternatively, it will be understood that the Multi-Link Reconfiguration element may be used to carry instruction information related to the link deletion or parameter information for the corresponding link whose link operating parameters are to be updated.

[0187]

[0216] FIG. 11b is a diagram of a Multi-Link Reconfiguration element according to this embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 11b, the Multi-Link Reconfiguration element may include at least one of the following fields: Element ID, Length, Element ID Extension, Multi-Link Control, Common Information Length, MLD MAC Address, or Per-STA Profile. For example, the Multi-Link Control field includes Type, Presence Bitmap, and Reserved. For example, the Per-STA Profile includes Sub-Element ID, Length, STA Control, and STA Info. The STA Control field may include Link ID, Complete Profile, STA MAC Address Present, Removal Timer Present, Operation Parameters Present, and Reserved. The STA Info may include at least one of STA Information Length, STA MAC Address, Removal Timer, or Operation Parameters. It will be understood that a specific description of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration element is not recited one by one in the embodiments of the present application. Optionally, the per-STA profile sub-element within the Multi-Link Reconfiguration element may not carry the STA profile field.

[0188]

[0217] With respect to the indication information, first link information, and multi-link reconfiguration elements described above, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame may include some examples as follows:

[0189]

[0218] Example 1: A multi-link reconfiguration request frame includes first indication information and first link information, but does not include a multi-link reconfiguration element.

[0190]

[0219] Example 2: The multi-link reconfiguration request frame includes the second indication information and the multi-link reconfiguration element, but does not include the first link information.

[0191]

[0220] Example 3: The multi-link reconfiguration request frame includes first indication information, first link information, and a multi-link reconfiguration element.

[0192]

[0221] Table 2 shows the contents of the Multi-link Reconfiguration Request frame described in this embodiment of the present application. As shown in Table 2, the Multi-link Reconfiguration Request frame may include at least one of the following: a category, a protected EHT action frame, a dialog token, a request type (i.e., instruction information), a frame body of a Reassociation Request frame (excluding some fields and elements), or a Reconfiguration Multi-link element: Table 2 [Table 2]

[0193]

[0222] Table 3 shows the contents of a portion of the frame body of a reassociation request frame provided in this embodiment of the present application. Generally, the frame body of a reassociation request frame is used to carry STA-side link information corresponding to an additional link. Therefore, if the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame contains first indication information, a partial frame body of the reassociation request frame is present in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame. When a Multi-Link reconfiguration operation is performed, some fields and elements in the reassociation request frame, such as the listen interval, current AP address, service set identifier (SSID) element, mobility domain element (MDE), and FTE, do not need to be present. For example, during Multi-Link reconfiguration, the MAC address corresponding to the currently associated AP does not need to be changed, so the current AP address field does not need to be carried. Although the FTE is used for BSS transition, the Multi-Link reconfiguration operation is not related to BSS transition: Table 3 [Table 3]

[0194]

[0223] 1102: The AP transmits a multi-link reconfiguration response frame, and the STA receives the multi-link reconfiguration response frame in response.

[0195]

[0224] When the multi-link reconfiguration request frame includes the first indication information, the multi-link reconfiguration response frame may include second link information, and the second link information indicates link information on the access point side corresponding to the additional link.

[0196]

[0225] Table 4 shows the contents of the Multi Link Reconfiguration Response frame provided in this embodiment of the present application. As shown in Table 4, the Multi Link Reconfiguration Response frame may include at least one of the following: a Category, a Protected EHT Action frame, a Dialog Token, or the frame body of a Reassociation Response frame (excluding some fields and elements). It will be understood that if the Multi Link Reconfiguration Request frame is used only to request the deletion of a link, the Multi Link Reconfiguration Response frame may not include the frame body of a Reassociation Response frame (excluding some fields and elements): Table 4 [Table 4]

[0197]

[0226] Table 5 shows the contents of a portion of the frame body of the Reassociation Response frame described in this embodiment of the present application. Generally, the frame body of the Reassociation Response frame is used to carry AP-side link information corresponding to an additional link. Therefore, when the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame includes first indication information, a partial frame body of the Reassociation Response frame is present in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame. When a Multi-Link Reconfiguration operation is performed, some fields and elements in the Reassociation Response frame, such as MDE, do not need to be present: Table 5 [Table 5]

[0198]

[0227] Because the GTK, IGTK, and BIGTK need to be negotiated / allocated for each newly added link in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, the FTE may be present in the frame body (excluding some fields and elements) of the Reassociation Response frame. In one example, the FTE may be used to carry M MLO GTK sub-elements, MLO IGTK sub-elements, and MLO BIGTK sub-elements for M newly added links, respectively, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. In another example, the FTE may be used to carry one GTK sub-element, one IGTK sub-element, and one BIGTK sub-element for each newly added link. In this case, the FTE may be carried in the per-STA profile within the Basic Multi-Link element (e.g., in this case, the GTK, IGTK, and BIGTK information carried in the FTE is for the link indicated by the Link ID field in the corresponding per-STA profile or the link indicated by the Link ID field in the Common Information field), or may be allowed to be carried in the frame body. In yet another example, non-collocated MLO GTK sub-elements, non-collocated MLO IGTK sub-elements, and non-collocated MLO BIGTK sub-elements may be further defined, i.e., the identity of the collocated AP MLD (e.g., the MLD MAC address of the collocated AP MLD) is added to the MLO GTK sub-element, MLO IGTK sub-element, and MLO BIGTK sub-element. For example, the FTE may be carried within the frame body and outside the basic multilink element. Because the PTK does not need to be renegotiated, information in the FTE, such as the message integrity code (MIC), authenticator nonce (e.g., ANounce), and supplicant nonce (e.g., SNounce), is not required, i.e., the PMK-R1 key holder identifier (R1KH-ID) and PMK-R0 key holder identifier (R0KH-ID) subelements do not need to be carried.

[0199]

[0228] Table 6 shows the contents of the FTE described in this embodiment of the present application: Table 6 [Table 6]

[0200]

[0229] FIG. 11c is a diagram of an OCI element according to this embodiment of the present application. The OCI element indicates operating channel information. The OCI element may include: element ID, length, element ID extension, operating class, primary channel number, frequency segment 1 channel number, on-channel tunneling operating class, on-channel tunneling primary channel number, and on-channel tunneling frequency segment 1 channel number. The OCI element carries the on-channel tunneling operating class, on-channel tunneling primary channel number, and on-channel tunneling frequency segment 1 channel number, so that a multi-link reconfiguration request frame or a multi-link reconfiguration response frame can be exchanged over another established link to perform link addition and the like. For a description of the OCI element, please refer to the specific scenario below.

[0201]

[0230] In this embodiment of the present application, the frame formats of the reassociation request frame and the reassociation response frame are reused, so that the multi-link reconfiguration request frame and the multi-link reconfiguration response frame effectively implement the link addition function. For example, when multiple links are added, the association rules of the basic multi-link element may be reused. Therefore, the implementation is simple.

[0202]

[0231] It will be understood that the above-described embodiments may be separate embodiments or may be combined with each other.

[0203]

[0232] Consider a Multi-Link Reconfiguration scenario below. Assume that non-AP MLD has established Link 0 with AP MLD, and Link 1 and Link 2 need to be added through a Multi-Link Reconfiguration operation. However, the current link quality of Link 1 and Link 2 is not good. Therefore, non-AP MLD may exchange a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame and a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame on Link 0 to perform the operation to add Link 1 and Link 2. For example, STA-side information about Link 1 may be carried in the frame body of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame, the Link ID in the common information in the Basic Multi-Link element is set to the Link ID of Link 1, and information about Link 2 is carried in the per-STA profile.

[0204]

[0233] If the frame body of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame carries an OCI element, the Operational Class, Primary Channel Number, and Frequency Segment 1 Channel Number may be set to the channel information corresponding to Link 1; the On-Channel Tunneling Operational Class, On-Channel Tunneling Primary Channel Number, and On-Channel Tunneling Frequency Segment 1 Channel Number are present and set to the channel information corresponding to Link 0.

[0205]

[0234] If the per-STA profile in the Basic Multi-link element of the Multi-link Reconfiguration Request frame carries an OCI element, the Operational Class, Primary Channel Number, and Frequency Segment 1 Channel Number may be set to the channel information corresponding to link 2; the On-Channel Tunneling Operational Class, On-Channel Tunneling Primary Channel Number, and On-Channel Tunneling Frequency Segment 1 Channel Number are present and set to the channel information corresponding to link 0.

[0206]

[0235] In this embodiment of the present application, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame and the multi-link reconfiguration response frame are transmitted on link 0, but the STA-side and AP-side information corresponding to link 0 does not need to be conveyed; only the information of the link to be added needs to be conveyed.

[0207]

[0236] Consider the following scenario: As shown in Figure 12a, a UHR non-AP MLD currently has established links 0 and 1 with co-located AP MLD 0. As shown in Figure 12b, the UHR non-AP MLD needs to establish links with co-located AP MLD 1 and co-located AP MLD 2, respectively, and delete link 0 with co-located AP MLD 0. Co-located AP MLD 0, co-located AP MLD 1, and co-located AP MLD 2 are affiliated with the same non-co-located AP MLD.

[0208]

[0237] Therefore, the UHR non-AP MLD can send a multi-link reconfiguration request frame on link 1 to the co-located AP MLD 0. Figure 12c is a diagram of a multi-link reconfiguration request frame according to this embodiment of the present application. Because the UHR non-AP MLD requires simultaneous establishment of links to two co-located AP MLDs, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame includes two basic multi-link elements, e.g., basic multi-link element 0 and basic multi-link element 1.

[0209]

[0238] In the common information field within Basic Multilink Element 0, The MLD MAC address field is the MAC address of the UHR non-AP MLD. The Co-located AP MLD ID field is the MLD MAC address of the Co-located AP MLD1, The Non-Collocated AP MLD MAC Address field is the MLD MAC address of the non-collocated AP MLD to which the collocated AP MLD1 is affiliated. The Link ID is the ID of Link 0 of the collocated AP MLD1. The Link ID in the per-STA profile of Basic Multi-Link Element 0 is set to the ID of Link 1 of the collocated AP MLD1.

[0210]

[0239] In the common information field within Basic Multi-Link Element 1, The MLD MAC address field is the MLD MAC address for UHR non-AP MLD. The Co-located AP MLD ID field is the MLD MAC address of the Co-located AP MLD2, The Non-Co-located AP MLD MAC Address field is the MLD MAC address of the non-co-located AP MLD to which Co-located AP MLD2 is affiliated. It will be understood that the Link ID in the Common Information field of Basic Multi-link Element 0 is set to 0, but the Link ID field may not be present in the Common Information field of Basic Multi-link Element 1 because the information carried in the frame body is that of Co-located AP MLD1's Link 0. The Link IDs in the two per-STA profiles of Basic Multi-link Element 1 are set to Co-located AP MLD1's Link ID 0 and Link ID 1, respectively.

[0211]

[0240] The OCI element in a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame may contain OCI0 through OCI3. For example, OCI0 contains the following information: Info on link 0 of Collocated AP MLD 1, and It is possible to carry information on link 1 of collocated AP MLD 0. OCI1 contains the following information: Info on link 1 of Collocated AP MLD 1, and Carries information on link 1 of collocated AP MLD 0. OCI2 collects the following information: Info on link 0 of Collocated AP MLD 2, and Carries information on link 1 of collocated AP MLD 0. OCI3 collects the following information: Info on link 1 of Collocated AP MLD 2, and It carries information on link 1 of Collocated AP MLD 0.

[0212]

[0241] It should be understood that the above two scenarios are merely examples. In specific implementations, there may be many more scenarios that refer to one or more of the above Multi-Link element, TID-to-link mapping element, reduced neighbor report element, Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame, and Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame. Details are not listed in the embodiments of the present application.

[0213]

[0242] This embodiment of the present application further provides a multi-link reconfiguration request frame and a multi-link reconfiguration response frame. The multi-link communication method in the embodiment of the present application may be applied to a communication system including non-AP MLD and AP MLD, or may be applied to a communication system including non-co-located AP MLD, co-located AP MLD, and non-AP MLD. The communication system is not limited. For ease of explanation, the following uses the scenario shown in FIG. 16 as an illustrative example when a specific example is used, but this does not constitute a limitation. As shown in FIG. 16, Link 0 is initially established between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD. However, at some point, the non-AP MLD needs to add Link 1 and Link 2 through a multi-link reconfiguration operation (also called a reconfiguration multi-link operation). For example, a non-AP MLD and an associated AP MLD can exchange Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frames (also called Reconfiguration Multi-Link Request frames) and Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frames (also called Reconfiguration Multi-Link Response frames) on Link 0 to implement the addition of Link 1 and Link 2. That is, the number of added links, M, is equal to 2.

[0214]

[0243] Example A

[0244] Table 7 shows the contents of a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame. For a related description of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame, please refer to Table 2. For the contents of the frame body of the Reassociation Request frame, please refer to Table 3. The details will not be described again here. For example, the Reconfigure Multi-Link element (also called the Multi-Link Reconfigure element) in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame can carry link information of a link to be deleted, or parameter information of a link whose link operation parameters will be updated. Figure 17 is a format diagram of a Reconfigure Multi-Link element according to this embodiment of the present application. For a related description of Figure 17, please refer to Figure 11b. The details will not be described again here. For the format of the Reconfigure Multi-Link element, please refer to Figure 11b. The details will not be described again here: Table 7 [Table 7]

[0215]

[0245] 18a is a format diagram of a Basic Multi-Link element according to this embodiment of the present application. The Link ID field in the Common Information field of the Basic Multi-Link element may be set to the Link ID of one of the links being added. For example, the Link ID field in the Common Information field may be set to the Link ID of Link 1. The Basic Multi-Link element may carry a Per-STA Profile sub-element to indicate link information for Link 2.

[0216]

[0246] For example, if one link is added, the Link ID field in the Common Information field may be set to the Link ID of the link. The number of per-STA profile subelements may increase with the number of links added. For example, the number of per-STA profile subelements may be M-1.

[0217]

[0247] As shown in FIG. 18b, the common information field in the basic multilink element may further include at least one of the following: a STA MAC address, a beacon interval, a timing synchronization function (TSF) offset, a delivery traffic indication message (DTIM info), or a non-simultaneous transmit and receive (NSTR) indication bitmap. For example, the common information field may further include at least one present bit (not shown in FIG. 18b). For example, the present bit may indicate whether the STA MAC address field is present and whether the NSTR indication bitmap field is present, respectively. In another example, one present bit may indicate whether the beacon interval field, the TSF offset field, and the DTIM info field are all present. The sequence and byte lengths of all fields shown in Figures 18b and 18c are merely examples and should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of the present application.

[0218]

[0248] Generally, the per-STA profile sub-element also includes a STA MAC address, a beacon interval, a TSF offset, DTIM information, and an NSTS indication bitmap (not shown in FIG. 18a). For example, the content carried in the above five fields in the per-STA profile sub-element may be information related to link 2. The content carried in the above five fields in the common information field may be information related to link 1. The above five fields in the common information field are described in detail below.

[0219]

[0249] The STA MAC address field may be used to carry the STA MAC address on the non-AP MLD side of the newly added link or the BSSID on the AP MLD side of the newly added link. Generally, an MLD is a device with multiple radio frequency modules, each operating on a different frequency band / channel. If the distance between the channels on which two radio frequency modules in the device are operating is large enough, the two radio frequency modules may not interfere with each other and may operate independently. As shown in Figure 19, each AP MLD has an MLD MAC address in addition to the MAC addresses of each link. Similarly, each non-AP MLD has an MLD MAC address in addition to the MAC addresses of each link. Therefore, in the case of a multi-link reconfiguration request frame sent by a STA, the STA MAC address field may be used to carry the STA MAC address on the non-AP MLD side of the newly added link or the BSSID on the AP MLD side of the newly added link. For related descriptions of Figure 19, please refer to Figures 2, 4, etc. Details will not be repeated here.

[0220]

[0250] The NSTR Indication Bitmap field indicates whether the link being added (e.g., Link 1) and other links (e.g., links established between MLDs other than Link 1) are NSTR links. If transmission on one link occurs simultaneously with reception on another link, STR capability may be considered supported between the two links; otherwise, NSTR capability is considered supported between the two links. For example, an NSTR bitmap size field may be added to the presence bitmap field (or what is called the presence bitmap, as shown in Figure 18a) in the basic multilink element. The NSTR bitmap size field indicates the length of the NSTR indication bitmap.

[0221]

[0251] The beacon interval field may indicate the beacon interval of the corresponding link (e.g., link 1).

[0222]

[0252] The TSF offset field indicates the difference between the TSF timer of the AP corresponding to the link being added (e.g., link 1) and the TSF timer of the outgoing link on which the AP is located.

[0223]

[0253] The format of the DTIM information field may be as shown in Figure 18c. The DTIM count field may indicate the number of remaining beacon frames until the next DTIM, and the DTIM Period indicates the number of beacon intervals between two consecutive DTIMs.

[0224]

[0254] Table 8 shows the contents of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame: Table 8 [Table 8]

[0225]

[0255] The count field may indicate the number of link IDs + status codes (e.g., N) in the reconfiguration status list. The number of link IDs + status codes may correspond to the number of per-STA profile subelements carried in the reconfiguration multi-link element. The link ID may be the ID of the link to be deleted carried in the reconfiguration multi-link element, or the ID of the link whose link operational parameters are to be updated.

[0226]

[0256] The Reconfiguration Status List carries N "Link ID + Status Code" entries, as indicated by the Count field.

[0227]

[0257] For other contents of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, please refer to the description in Table 4. For contents of the frame body of the Reassociation Response frame, please refer to the description in Table 5. The details will not be repeated here. For a related description of the FTE, please refer to Table 6. For a related description of the Basic Multi-Link element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, please refer to Figures 18a to 18c. The Basic Multi-Link element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame and the Basic Multi-Link element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame have the same format. The difference between the Basic Multi-Link element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame and the Basic Multi-Link element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame is that the Basic Multi-Link element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame carries link information for the STA side of the link being added, and the Basic Multi-Link element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame carries link information for the AP side of the link being added.

[0228]

[0258] For example, if the link being added is a non-primary link in NSTR Mobile AP MLD, the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame does not need to carry the link's BIGTK information (or need not carry GTK and IGTK information), and does not need to carry the beacon interval, TSF offset, and DTIM information, because the AP corresponding to the non-primary link does not transmit beacon frames.

[0229]

[0259] Generally, a multi-link element includes a multi-link control field, a common information field, and a link information field. The common information field carries common information for multiple stations in the multi-link device and information about the multi-link device. The link information field carries information about stations on each link in the multi-link device, such as the per-STA profile shown in Figure 17. The multi-link control field carries the type of the multi-link element (e.g., several variants are currently defined, such as a basic variant, a reconfiguration variant, and a probe request variant), a presence bitmap field, and indication information indicating which fields are not present.

[0230]

[0260] Inheritance mode means that a corresponding element of a corresponding link in the per-STA profile is carried in the per-STA profile only if the content of the corresponding element of the corresponding link in the per-STA profile differs from the content of the corresponding element of the corresponding link in the frame body. If the content of the corresponding element of a corresponding link in the per-STA profile is the same as the content of the corresponding element of the corresponding link in the frame body, the corresponding element of the corresponding link in the per-STA profile does not need to be carried repeatedly in the per-STA profile. In this embodiment of the present application, the following fields are added to the common information field: STA MAC address, beacon interval, timing synchronization function offset (TSF offset), DTIM info, and NSTR indication bitmap. Therefore, the basic multi-link element inheritance rules can be effectively used. For example, if the content of the element corresponding to link 1 is the same as the content of the element corresponding to link 2, the content of the element corresponding to link 2 may not need to be carried repeatedly in the per-STA profile. In another example, if the content of an element corresponding to link 1 differs from the content of an element corresponding to link 2, the content of the element corresponding to link 2 may be carried in the per-STA profile.

[0231]

[0261] In this embodiment of the present application, the Basic Multi-Link Element indicates the associated information of multiple added links, and currently defined associated Basic Multi-Link Element inheritance rules may be reused. For example, the Basic Multi-Link Element may alternatively not carry information about the transmission link, thereby reducing signaling overhead. The transmission link is the transmission link of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame.

[0232]

[0262] Example B

[0263] For the contents of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame, please refer to Table 2 or Table 7. For the contents of the frame body of the Reassociation Request frame, please refer to Table 3. The details will not be repeated here. For example, the Reconfigure Multi-Link element (also called the Multi-Link Reconfigure element) in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame may carry link information of the link to be deleted or parameter information of the link whose link operation parameters are to be updated. For related descriptions of the Reconfigure Multi-Link element, please refer to Figure 17, Figure 11b, etc. The details will not be repeated here.

[0233]

[0264] For example, since the NSTR information is updated due to a link addition, the Reconfiguration Multi-Link element may also carry the MAC address of the non-AP MLD side STA corresponding to the added link. In the case of an NSTR information update due to a link addition, if this link is added successfully, the Status Code field corresponding to the NSTR information update of the corresponding added link in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame should be set to SUCCESS.

[0234]

[0265] In one example, as shown in Table 3 above, the frame body of the reassociation request frame may not carry a current AP address field.

[0235]

[0266] In another example, the Current AP Address field in the frame body of the reassociation request frame may also be set to the STA MAC address corresponding to the link being added.

[0236]

[0267] For a related description of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, please refer to the description of Example A (Table 8). The details will not be described again here.

[0237]

[0268] For other link information of the additional links carried in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame in the above-described Examples B and C, please refer to the Capability Information, Supported Rate and BSS Membership Selector, Extended Supported Rate and BSS Membership Selector, Power Capability, Supported Channels, and OCI elements shown in Table 3. For other link information of the additional links carried in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, please refer to the Capability Information, Status Code, Supported Rate and BSS Membership Selector, Extended Supported Rate and BSS Membership Selector, EDCA Parameter Set, FTE, and OCI elements shown in Table 5. Details will not be repeated here.

[0238]

[0269] Example C

[0270] Additional link information can be carried for multiple newly added links by using the per-STA profile subelement in the link information field of the basic multi-link element. For example, one per-STA profile subelement corresponds to the link information for one added link. The frame body of the reassociation request frame (excluding some fields and elements) is carried in the STA profile field of the per-STA profile subelement.

[0239]

[0271] For example, link information for Link 1 and link information for Link 2 may be carried separately in the per-STA profile subelement. For example, in this case, the Link ID field in the common information field of the Basic Multi-Link element may not be present. In Example C, since the current Basic Multi-Link element inheritance rule cannot be used (the current Basic Multi-Link element inheritance rule is based on the information in the frame body of the Reassociation Request frame / Reassociation Response frame), an inheritance rule based on the information in the STA profile of the first per-STA profile subelement may be defined. For example, the frame body of the Reassociation Request frame may be carried in the STA profile field of the per-STA profile subelement.

[0240]

[0272] The Basic Multilink Element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame and the Basic Multilink Element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame have the same format. The difference between the two Basic Multilink Elements is that the Basic Multilink Element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame carries link information for the STA side of the additional link, and the Basic Multilink Element in the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame carries link information for the AP side of the additional link.

[0241]

[0273] Table 9 shows the contents of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame: Table 9 [Table 9]

[0242]

[0274] For explanations of the relevant contents in Table 9, please refer to Table 2, Table 3, Table 7, etc. The details will not be explained again here.

[0243]

[0275] Table 10 shows the contents of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame. For example, the frame body of the Reassociation Response frame may be carried in the STA Profile field of the per-STA Profile subelement. For related descriptions of the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, see Tables 8 and 9. The details will not be repeated here. Table 10 [Table 10]

[0244]

[0276] In this embodiment of the present application, the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request Frame / Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response Frame is reset, which simplifies the format of the two frames and allows for further implementation of link addition functions.

[0245]

[0277] For the relevant description of the basic multi-link elements in the frames shown in Tables 7 to 9, please further refer to the above description in Figures 5 to 7. The details will not be described again here.

[0246]

[0278] In the embodiments of the present application, "fields", "subfields", and the like are not particularly distinguished. Although "fields", "subfields", "elements", "elements", and "subelements" are not particularly distinguished in the embodiments of the present application, a person skilled in the art would be able to appropriately distinguish the relationship between the fields described in the embodiments of the present application.

[0247]

[0279] The communication device provided in the embodiment of the present application will be described below.

[0248]

[0280] In the present application, the communication device is divided into functional modules based on the embodiment of the aforementioned method. For example, functional modules corresponding to functions may be obtained through division, or two or more functions may be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the module division in the present application is an example and is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Hereinafter, the communication device in the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail with reference to Figures 13 to 15.

[0249]

[0281] 13 is a structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 13, the communication device includes a processing unit 1301 and a transceiver unit 1302. The transceiver unit 1302 is capable of implementing corresponding communication functions, and the processing unit 1301 is configured to perform data processing. The transceiver unit 1302 may also be referred to as a communication interface, a communication unit, etc.

[0250]

[0282] In some embodiments of the present application, a communication device may be configured to perform the operations performed by the AP in the aforementioned method embodiments. In this case, the communication device may be the AP or a component (e.g., a chip or a system) that can be disposed in the AP. The transceiver unit 1302 is configured to perform the operations related to AP reception / transmission in the aforementioned method embodiments. The processing unit 1301 is configured to perform the operations related to AP processing in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0251]

[0283] For example, the processing unit 1301 is configured to determine a communication frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to output the communication frame.

[0252]

[0284] It will be understood that the transceiver unit 1302 can transmit the communication frame to a STA, or the transceiver unit 1302 outputs the communication frame from the processing unit 1301 to another component in the AP. The related descriptions of outputting other frames by the transceiver unit are similar, and the details will not be described again below.

[0253]

[0285] For example, the processing unit 1301 may be configured to determine a BTM request frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 may be configured to output the BTM request frame. It will be understood that the transceiver unit 1302 may transmit the BTM request frame to a STA, or the transceiver unit 1302 may output the BTM request frame from the processing unit 1301 to another component within the AP.

[0254]

[0286] For example, the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to input a BTM response frame, and the processing unit 1301 is configured to parse the BTM response frame.

[0255]

[0287] For example, the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to input a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, and the processing unit 1301 is configured to analyze the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0256]

[0288] For example, the processing unit 1301 is configured to determine a multi-link reconfiguration response frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to output the multi-link reconfiguration response frame.

[0257]

[0289] In some other embodiments of the present application, a communication device may be configured to perform the operations performed by the STA in the aforementioned method embodiments. In this case, the communication device may be a STA or a component that can be disposed in the STA. The transceiver unit 1302 is configured to perform the operations related to reception / transmission of the STA in the aforementioned method embodiments. The processing unit 1301 is configured to perform the operations related to processing of the STA in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0258]

[0290] The transceiver unit 1302 is configured to input a communication frame, and the processing unit 1301 is configured to analyze the communication frame.

[0259]

[0291] It should be understood that for a specific description of analyzing the communication frame by the processing unit 1301, please refer to the above method embodiments, and the details will not be described here.

[0260]

[0292] For example, the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to input a BTM request frame, and the processing unit 1301 is configured to parse the BTM request frame.

[0261]

[0293] For example, the processing unit 1301 is configured to determine a BTM response frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to output the BTM response frame.

[0262]

[0294] For example, the processing unit 1301 is configured to determine a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to output the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0263]

[0295] For example, the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to receive a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, and the processing unit 1301 is configured to analyze the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame.

[0264]

[0296] In some embodiments of the present application, a communication device may be configured to perform the operations performed by the STA in the aforementioned method embodiments. In this case, the communication device may be the STA or a component (e.g., a chip or a system) that can be disposed in the STA. The transceiver unit 1302 is configured to perform the operations related to reception / transmission of the STA in the aforementioned method embodiments. The processing unit 1301 is configured to perform the operations related to processing of the STA in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0265]

[0297] For example, the processing unit 1301 is configured to determine a communication frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to output the communication frame.

[0266]

[0298] It will be understood that the transceiver unit 1302 can transmit the communication frame to the AP, or alternatively, the transceiver unit 1302 outputs the communication frame from the processing unit 1301 to another component within the STA.

[0267]

[0299] For example, the processing unit 1301 is configured to determine a BTM request frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to parse the BTM request frame.

[0268]

[0300] For example, the processing unit 1301 is configured to determine a BTM response frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to output the BTM response frame.

[0269]

[0301] For example, the processing unit 1301 is configured to determine a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to output the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0270]

[0302] For example, the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to receive a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, and the processing unit 1301 is configured to analyze the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame.

[0271]

[0303] In some other embodiments of the present application, a communication device may be configured to perform the operations performed by the AP in the aforementioned method embodiments. In this case, the communication device may be the AP or a component that can be disposed in the AP. The transceiver unit 1302 is configured to perform operations related to AP reception / transmission in the aforementioned method embodiments. The processing unit 1301 is configured to perform operations related to AP processing in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0272]

[0304] The transceiver unit 1302 is configured to input a communication frame, and the processing unit 1301 is configured to analyze the communication frame.

[0273]

[0305] It should be understood that for a specific description of analyzing the communication frame by the processing unit 1301, please refer to the above method embodiments, and the details will not be described here.

[0274]

[0306] For example, the processing unit 1301 may be configured to determine a BTM request frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 may be configured to output the BTM request frame. It will be understood that the transceiver unit 1302 may transmit the BTM request frame to a STA, or alternatively, the transceiver unit 1302 may output the BTM request frame from the processing unit 1301 to another component within the AP.

[0275]

[0307] For example, the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to input a BTM response frame, and the processing unit 1301 is configured to parse the BTM response frame.

[0276]

[0308] For example, the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to input a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, and the processing unit 1301 is configured to analyze the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0277]

[0309] For example, the processing unit 1301 is configured to determine a multi-link reconfiguration response frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to output the multi-link reconfiguration response frame.

[0278]

[0310] In yet other embodiments of the present application, the communication device may be a non-co-located AP MLD or a component capable of being disposed in a non-co-located AP MLD. For example, the processing unit 1301 may be configured to generate a communication frame, and the transceiver unit 1302 may be configured to output the communication frame (e.g., output the communication frame to an AP).

[0279]

[0311] Optionally, the communication device may further include a storage unit. The storage unit may be configured to store instructions and / or data. The processing unit 1301 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit to enable the communication device to perform the above-described method embodiments.

[0280]

[0312] It should be understood that the specific descriptions of the transceiver unit and the processing unit described in the embodiments of the present application are merely examples. For the specific functions, steps performed, etc. of the transceiver unit and the processing unit, please refer to the aforementioned method embodiments. Details will not be described here.

[0281]

[0313] For descriptions of the communication frame, BTM request frame, BTM response frame, Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame, Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, and the like in the foregoing embodiments, please refer to the descriptions in the foregoing method embodiments, and the details will not be described again here.

[0282]

[0314] The above describes a communication device in an embodiment of the present application. Hereinafter, possible product forms of the communication device will be described. It should be understood that any product in any form having the functions of the communication device described in FIG. 13 falls within the scope of protection of the embodiment of the present application. It should be further understood that the following description is merely an example, and the product forms of the communication device in the embodiment of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0283]

[0315] In a possible implementation, in the communication device shown in FIG. 13 , the processing unit 1301 may be one or more processors. The transceiver unit 1302 may be a transceiver, or the transceiver unit 1302 may be a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit may be a transmitter, and the receiving unit may be a receiver. The transmitting unit and the receiving unit may be integrated into one device, such as a transceiver. In this embodiment of the present application, the processor and the transceiver may be combined or similar. The connection method between the processor and the transceiver is not limited to the embodiment of the present application. In the process of executing the above-mentioned method, the information transmitting process in the above-mentioned method may be understood as a process of outputting information by the processor. When outputting information, the processor outputs information to the transceiver so that the transceiver transmits the information. After the information is output by the processor, other processing may need to be performed on the information before it arrives at the transceiver. Similarly, the information receiving process in the above-mentioned method may be understood as a process of receiving the above-mentioned input information by the processor. When the processor receives input information, the transceiver receives the information and inputs the information to the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the information, other processing may have to be performed on the information before it is received by the processor.

[0284]

[0316] As shown in FIG. 14, the communications device 140 includes one or more processors 1420 and a transceiver 1410 .

[0285]

[0317] In some embodiments of the present application, a communication device may be configured to perform steps, functions, or the like performed by an AP in the above-described method embodiments.

[0286]

[0318] The processor 1420 is configured to determine the communication frame and the transceiver 1410 is configured to transmit the communication frame (or the transceiver 1410 is configured to receive the communication frame and the processor 1420 is configured to analyze the communication frame).

[0287]

[0319] For example, the processor 1420 is configured to determine a BTM request frame and the transceiver 1410 is configured to transmit the BTM request frame. It will be appreciated that the transceiver 1410 may transmit the BTM request frame to a STA, or alternatively, the transceiver 1410 may transmit the BTM request frame from the processor 1420 to another component within the AP.

[0288]

[0320] For example, the transceiver 1410 is configured to receive a BTM response frame, and the processor 1420 is configured to parse the BTM response frame.

[0289]

[0321] For example, the transceiver 1410 is configured to receive a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, and the processor 1420 is configured to parse the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0290]

[0322] For example, the processor 1420 is configured to determine a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, and the transceiver 1410 is configured to transmit the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame.

[0291]

[0323] In some other embodiments of the present application, a communication device may be configured to perform the steps, functions, or the like performed by a STA in the above-described method embodiments.

[0292]

[0324] The transceiver 1410 is configured to receive communication frames and the processor 1420 is configured to analyze the communication frames (or the processor 1420 is configured to determine the communication frames and the transceiver 1410 is configured to transmit the communication frames).

[0293]

[0325] For example, the transceiver 1410 is configured to receive a BTM request frame, and the processor 1420 is configured to parse the BTM request frame.

[0294]

[0326] For example, the processor 1420 is configured to determine a BTM response frame, and the transceiver 1410 is configured to transmit the BTM response frame.

[0295]

[0327] For example, the processor 1420 is configured to determine a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, and the transceiver 1410 is configured to transmit the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0296]

[0328] For example, the transceiver 1410 is configured to receive a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, and the processor 1420 is configured to parse the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame.

[0297]

[0329] It will be understood that the specific descriptions of the transceiver and the processor described in the embodiments of the present application are merely examples. For the specific functions, steps performed, or the like of the transceiver and the processor, please refer to the aforementioned method embodiments. Details will not be described here.

[0298]

[0330] In yet other embodiments of the present application, the communication device may be a non-co-located AP MLD or a component capable of being disposed within a non-co-located AP MLD. For example, the processor 1420 may be configured to generate a communication frame, and the transceiver 1410 may be configured to transmit the communication frame (e.g., transmit the communication frame to an AP).

[0299]

[0331] In the above-mentioned embodiments, for descriptions of the communication frame, BTM request frame, BTM response frame, Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame, Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, and the like, please refer to the descriptions in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and the details will not be described again here.

[0300]

[0332] In each implementation of the communication apparatus shown in Figure 14, the transceiver may include a receiver apparatus and a transmitter apparatus. The receiver apparatus is configured to perform a receiving function (or operation), and the transmitter apparatus is configured to perform a transmitting function (or operation). The transceiver is configured to communicate with another device / apparatus over a transmission medium.

[0301]

[0333] Optionally, the communication device 140 may further include one or more memories 1430 configured to store program instructions and / or data. The memory 1430 is coupled to the processor 1420. A coupling in the embodiments of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which may be in an electrical, mechanical, or other form and is used for exchanging information among the devices, units, and modules. The processor 1420 may operate together with the memory 1430. The processor 1420 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 1430. Optionally, at least one of the one or more memories may be included in the processor.

[0302]

[0334] The specific connection medium between the transceiver 1410, the processor 1420, and the memory 1430 is not limited to the embodiment of the present application. In this embodiment of the present application, in FIG. 14, the memory 1430, the processor 1420, and the transceiver 1410 are connected to each other via a bus 1440. The bus is represented by a thick line in FIG. 14. The connection manner between the other components is described merely by way of example, but is not limited thereto. The bus may be classified as an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, and the like. For simplicity of representation, the bus is represented by only one thick line in FIG. 14. However, this does not indicate that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0303]

[0335] In this embodiment of the present application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component, and may implement or perform the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, any conventional processor, or the like. The steps of the methods disclosed with reference to the embodiments of the present application may be performed and accomplished directly by a hardware processor, or may be performed and accomplished by using a combination of hardware and hardware modules within a processor.

[0304]

[0336] In this embodiment of the present application, memory may include, but is not limited to, non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), read-only memory (ROM), or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). Memory is any storage medium capable of being used to carry or store program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and is any storage medium that can be read and / or written by a computer (e.g., a communication device described in this application). Memory in this embodiment of the present application may alternatively be a circuit or any other device capable of performing a memory function and configured to store program instructions and / or data.

[0305]

[0337] For example, the processor 1420 is primarily configured to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data of the software programs. The memory 1430 is primarily configured to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1410 may include a control circuit and an antenna. The control circuit is primarily configured to: convert between baseband signals and radio frequency signals, and process radio frequency signals. The antenna is primarily configured to receive or transmit radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. An input / output device, such as a touchscreen, display, or keyboard, is primarily configured to: receive data entered by a user and output data to a user.

[0306]

[0338] After the communication device is powered on, the processor 1420 may load a software program in the memory 1430, interpret and execute instructions in the software program, and process data in the software program. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly, the processor 1420 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and then outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then transmits the radio frequency signal in the form of electromagnetic waves via an antenna. When data is to be transmitted to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal via the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal to a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1420. The processor 1420 converts the baseband signal to data and processes the data.

[0307]

[0339] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna may be located independently of the processor that performs the baseband processing, for example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuitry and antenna may be located independently and remote from the communication device.

[0308]

[0340] It will be understood that the communication device described in the embodiments of the present application may further include more components than those shown in FIG. 14 , and is not limited to the embodiments of the present application. The above-described methods performed by the processor and transceiver are merely examples. For specific steps performed by the processor and transceiver, please refer to the methods described above.

[0309]

[0341] In another possible implementation, in the communication device shown in FIG. 13, the processing unit 1301 may be one or more logic circuits, and the transceiver unit 1302 may be an input / output interface, also referred to as a communication interface, interface circuit, interface, or the like. Alternatively, the transceiver unit 1302 may be a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit may be an output interface, and the receiving unit may be an input interface. The transmitting unit and the receiving unit may be integrated into one unit, for example, an input / output interface. As shown in FIG. 15, the communication device shown in FIG. 15 includes a logic circuit 1501 and an interface 1502. In other words, the processing unit 1301 may be implemented by the logic circuit 1501, and the transceiver unit 1302 may be implemented by the interface 1502. The logic circuit 1501 may be a chip, a processing circuit, an integrated circuit, a system on chip (SoC), or the like. The interface 1502 may be a communication interface, an input / output interface, a pin, or the like. For example, Figure 15 shows an example in which the communication device is a chip. The chip includes a logic circuit 1501 and an interface 1502.

[0310]

[0342] In this embodiment of the present application, the logic circuit and the interface may be further coupled to each other, and the specific manner of connection between the logic circuit and the interface is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0311]

[0343] In some embodiments of the present application, a communication device may be configured to perform steps, functions, or the like performed by an AP in the above-described method embodiments.

[0312]

[0344] For example, the logic circuit 1501 is configured to determine a communication frame, and the interface 1502 is configured to output the communication frame (or the interface 1502 is configured to input the communication frame, and the logic circuit 1501 is configured to analyze the communication frame). It will be understood that for a specific description of analyzing the communication frame by the logic circuit 1501, please refer to the aforementioned method embodiments. Details will not be described here.

[0313]

[0345] For example, logic circuit 1501 is configured to determine a BTM request frame, and interface 1502 is configured to output the BTM request frame.

[0314]

[0346] For example, the interface 1502 is configured to input a BTM response frame, and the logic circuit 1501 is configured to parse the BTM response frame.

[0315]

[0347] For example, the interface 1502 is configured to input a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, and the logic circuit 1501 is configured to analyze the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0316]

[0348] For example, logic circuit 1501 is configured to determine a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, and interface 1502 is configured to output the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame.

[0317]

[0349] In some other embodiments of the present application, a communication device may be configured to perform the steps, functions, or the like performed by a STA in the above-described method embodiments.

[0318]

[0350] For example, interface 1502 is configured to input a communication frame and logic circuit 1501 is configured to analyze the communication frame (or logic circuit 1501 is configured to determine the communication frame and interface 1502 is configured to output the communication frame).

[0319]

[0351] It will be understood that for a specific description of analyzing the communication frame by the logic circuit 1501, please refer to the above method embodiments, and the details will not be described here.

[0320]

[0352] For example, the interface 1502 is configured to input a BTM request frame, and the logic circuit 1501 is configured to parse the BTM request frame.

[0321]

[0353] For example, logic circuit 1501 is configured to determine a BTM response frame, and interface 1502 is configured to output the BTM response frame.

[0322]

[0354] For example, logic circuit 1501 is configured to determine a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, and interface 1502 is configured to output the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

[0323]

[0355] For example, interface 1502 is configured to input a Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, and logic circuit 1501 is configured to parse the Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame.

[0324]

[0356] In yet other embodiments of the present application, the communication device may be a non-co-located AP MLD or a component capable of being disposed within a non-co-located AP MLD. For example, logic circuit 1501 may be configured to generate a communication frame, and interface 1502 may be configured to output the communication frame (e.g., output the communication frame to an AP).

[0325]

[0357] It will be understood that the specific descriptions of the logic circuits and interfaces described in the embodiments of the present application are merely examples. For the specific functions, steps performed, or the like of the logic circuits and interfaces, please refer to the aforementioned method embodiments. Details will not be described here.

[0326]

[0358] In the above-mentioned embodiments, for descriptions of the communication frame, BTM request frame, BTM response frame, Multi-Link Reconfiguration Request frame, Multi-Link Reconfiguration Response frame, and the like, please refer to the descriptions in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and the details will not be described again here.

[0327]

[0359] It will be understood that the communication device described in the embodiments of the present application may implement the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application in the form of hardware, or may implement the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application in the form of software, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0328]

[0360] An embodiment of the present application further provides a wireless communication system, which includes an AP and a STA, and the AP and the STA may be configured to perform the method in any of the previous embodiments.

[0329]

[0361] Additionally, the present application further provides a computer program, which can be used to implement the actions and / or processes performed by the AP in the methods provided herein.

[0330]

[0362] The present application further provides a computer program, which can be used to implement the actions and / or processes performed by the STA in the methods provided in the present application.

[0331]

[0363] The present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium that stores computer code that, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to perform the actions and / or processes performed by the AP in the methods provided herein.

[0332]

[0364] The present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium that stores computer code that, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to perform the actions and / or processes performed by the STA in the methods provided herein.

[0333]

[0365] The present application further provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or a computer program that, when executed on a computer, performs the actions and / or processes performed by the AP in the methods provided herein.

[0334]

[0366] The present application further provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or a computer program that, when executed on a computer, performs the actions and / or processes performed by the STA in the methods provided in the present application.

[0335]

[0367] It will be understood that in some embodiments provided in the present application, the disclosed systems, devices, and methods may be implemented in other manners. For example, the described device embodiments are merely examples. For example, the division into units is merely a logical division of function. In actual implementation, other division schemes may exist. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not implemented. Furthermore, the shown or described mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be implemented via some interface. Indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be implemented in electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0336]

[0368] The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and the parts shown as units may or may not be physical units, and may be located in one place or distributed over multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected based on actual requirements to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0337]

[0369] Furthermore, the functional units in the embodiments of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, each unit may exist physically alone, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional unit.

[0338]

[0370] When an integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, the integrated unit may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application may essentially, or the portion that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution may be implemented in the form of a software product. A computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium and includes a plurality of instructions for instructing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in the embodiments of the present application. The readable storage medium includes any medium capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a removable hard disk drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0339]

[0371] The above description is merely a specific implementation of the present application and does not limit the scope of protection of the present application. Any variations or replacements that can be easily devised 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. A multi-link communication method, applied to a first communication device, the method comprising: determining a communication frame, the communication frame including n multi-link elements, each multi-link element corresponding to one second AP MLD, the multi-link elements including identifier information of a first access point multi-link device AP MLD and identifier information of the second AP MLD, the n second AP MLDs being affiliated with the first AP MLD, n being an integer greater than or equal to 1; and transmitting the communication frame; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier information of the first AP MLD is: an identifier ID of the first AP MLD; or the MLD Medium Access Control MAC address of the first AP MLD and The identifier information of the second AP MLD is: the ID of the second AP MLD; or MLD MAC address of the second AP MLD The method includes at least one of:

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the multi-link element further comprises a presence bitmap, the presence bitmap indicating whether the multi-link element is: the ID of the first AP MLD; the MLD MAC address of the first AP MLD; the ID of the second AP MLD; or MLD MAC address of the second AP MLD A method that indicates whether the method contains at least one of the following:

4. 4. The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein, when n is 2 or greater, the MLD MAC addresses of the first AP MLDs in all the multi-link elements are the same, and the IDs of the first AP MLDs in all the multi-link elements are the same.

5. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication frame further includes a reduced neighbor report element, the reduced neighbor report element carrying identifier information of the first AP MLD and / or identifier information of the second AP MLD.

6. 6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: If the first communication device is an AP, sending a basic service set BSS transition management BTM request frame, the BTM request frame including link transition information, the link transition information indicating whether to perform a switch between the second AP MLDs; and receiving an acknowledgment frame for the BTM request frame; or When the first communication device is a STA, receiving a BTM request frame, the BTM request frame including link transition information, the link transition information indicating whether to perform a switch between the second AP MLDs; and transmitting an acknowledgement frame for the BTM request frame; A method comprising:

7. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: receiving a BTM response frame when the first communication device is an AP, the BTM response frame including a target basic service set identifier BSSID, the target BSSID indicating an MLD MAC address of a target AP MLD, the target AP MLD including a first AP MLD or a second AP MLD; and transmitting an acknowledgment frame for the BTM response frame; or If the first communication device is a STA, sending a BTM response frame, the BTM response frame including a target basic service set identifier BSSID, the target BSSID indicating an MLD MAC address of a target AP MLD, and the target AP MLD including a first AP MLD or a second AP MLD; and receiving an acknowledgement frame for the BTM response frame; A method comprising:

8. A multi-link communication method, applied to a second communication device, the method comprising: receiving a communication frame, the communication frame including n multi-link elements, each multi-link element corresponding to one second AP MLD, the multi-link elements including identifier information of a first access point multi-link device AP MLD and identifier information of the second AP MLD, the n second AP MLDs being affiliated with the first AP MLD, n being an integer greater than or equal to 1; and analyzing the communication frame; A method comprising:

9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifier information of the first AP MLD is: an identifier ID of the first AP MLD; or the MLD Medium Access Control MAC address of the first AP MLD and The identifier information of the second AP MLD is: the ID of the second AP MLD; or MLD MAC address of the second AP MLD The method includes at least one of:

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the multi-link element further comprises a presence bitmap, the presence bitmap indicating whether the multi-link element is: the ID of the first AP MLD; the MLD MAC address of the first AP MLD; the ID of the second AP MLD; or MLD MAC address of the second AP MLD A method that indicates whether the method contains at least one of the following:

11. 11. The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein when n is 2 or more, the MLD MAC addresses of the first AP MLDs in all the multi-link elements are the same, and the IDs of the first AP MLDs in all the multi-link elements are the same.

12. 12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the communication frame further includes a reduced neighbor report element, the reduced neighbor report element carrying identifier information of the first AP MLD and / or identifier information of the second AP MLD.

13. 13. The method of any one of claims 8 to 12, further comprising: When the second communication device is a STA, receiving a BTM request frame, the BTM request frame including link transition information, the link transition information indicating whether to perform a switch between the second AP MLDs; and transmitting an acknowledgement frame for the BTM request frame; or If the second communication device is an AP, transmitting a basic service set BSS transition management BTM request frame, the BTM request frame including link transition information, the link transition information indicating whether to perform a switch between the second AP MLDs; and receiving an acknowledgment frame for the BTM request frame; A method comprising:

14. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: If the second communication device is a STA, sending a BTM response frame, the BTM response frame including a target basic service set identifier BSSID, the target BSSID indicating an MLD MAC address of a target AP MLD, and the target AP MLD including a first AP MLD or a second AP MLD; and receiving an acknowledgement frame for the BTM response frame; receiving a BTM response frame when the second communication device is an AP, the BTM response frame including a target basic service set identifier BSSID, the target BSSID indicating an MLD MAC address of a target AP MLD, the target AP MLD including a first AP MLD or a second AP MLD; and transmitting an acknowledgement frame for the BTM response frame; A method comprising:

15. 1. A multi-link communication method comprising: transmitting a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame including first indication information, the first indication information indicating a request to add a link, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame further including first link information, the first link information indicating link information on the station side corresponding to the link to be added; and receiving a multi-link reconfiguration response frame, the multi-link reconfiguration response frame including second link information, the second link information indicating link information on the access point side corresponding to the added link; A method comprising:

16. 1. A multi-link communication method comprising: receiving a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame including first indication information, the first indication information indicating a request to add a link, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame further including first link information, the first link information indicating link information on the station side corresponding to the link to be added; and receiving a multi-link reconfiguration response frame, the multi-link reconfiguration response frame including second link information, the second link information indicating link information on the access point side corresponding to the added link; A method comprising:

17. 17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the first link information comprises the following information: ability information, Support Rate and Basic Service Set BSS Membership Selector; Expanded support rate and BSS membership selector, power capacity, Support channels, a basic multi-link element, or Operational Information Element OCI Element The method includes at least one of:

18. 18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the second link information comprises the following information: ability information, status code, Supported Rate and BSS Membership Selector, Extended supported rate and BSS membership selectors, Enhanced Distributed Channel Access EDCA Parameter Set, fast transition element FTE, a basic multi-link element, or Operating Channel Information OCI Element The method includes at least one of:

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the FTE includes a Multi-Link Operational Group Temporal Key MLO GTK, a Multi-Link Operational Consistency Group Temporal Key MLO IGTK, and a Multi-Link Operational Beacon Consistency Group Temporal Key MLO BIGTK.

20. 20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the multi-link reconfiguration request frame further includes a reconfiguration multi-link element, and the reconfiguration multi-link element is used to carry link information of a deleted link or a link whose link operation parameters are being updated.

21. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the basic multi-link element includes a common information field, the common information field carrying link information for one link among M added links, where M is a positive integer.

22. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the common information fields are: Link Identifier ID, Station Medium Access Control STA MAC address, Beacon interval, Timing synchronization function TSF offset, Delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) information, or NSTR instruction bitmap and The link ID field indicates the link ID of one link; The STA MAC address field indicates the STA MAC address of the non-AP MLD side corresponding to the one link, or the BSSID of the AP MLD side corresponding to the one link; the beacon interval field indicating a beacon interval for the one link; The TSF offset field indicates a difference between the TSF timer of the AP corresponding to the one link and the TSF timer of the transmission link; The DTIM information field includes a DTIM count field and a DTIM period field, the DTIM count field indicating the number of beacon frames until the next DTIM, and the DTIM period field indicating the number of beacon intervals between two consecutive DTIMs; and The NSTR indication bitmap indicates whether the one link and another link are NSTR links.

23. 23. The method of claim 21 or 22, wherein when M is 2 or greater, the basic multi-link element further includes M-1 per-STA profile sub-elements, each per-STA profile sub-element being used to carry link information for one link of the M-1 links, the M-1 links being the M-1 links excluding one link of the N links.

24. 24. The method of claim 15, wherein the multi-link reconfiguration response frame further includes a count field and a reconfiguration status list, the count field indicating the number of link IDs and status codes in the reconfiguration status list, and the number of link IDs and status codes corresponding to the number of per-STA profile sub-elements carried in the reconfiguration multi-link element in the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

25. 1. A multi-link communication method comprising: transmitting a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame including a first basic multi-link element, the first basic multi-link element including M per-STA profile sub-elements corresponding to M additional links, each per-STA profile sub-element indicating link information on the station STA side corresponding to one of the M links; and receiving a multi-link reconfiguration response frame, the multi-link reconfiguration response frame including a second basic multi-link element, the second basic multi-link element including M per-STA profile sub-elements corresponding to M additional links, each per-STA profile sub-element indicating link information on the access point (AP) side corresponding to one of the M links; A method comprising:

26. 1. A multi-link communication method comprising: receiving a multi-link reconfiguration request frame, the multi-link reconfiguration request frame including a first basic multi-link element, the first basic multi-link element including M per-STA profile sub-elements corresponding to M additional links, each per-STA profile sub-element indicating link information on the station STA side corresponding to one of the M links; and transmitting a multi-link reconfiguration response frame, the multi-link reconfiguration response frame including a second basic multi-link element, the second basic multi-link element including M per-STA profile sub-elements corresponding to M additional links, each per-STA profile sub-element indicating link information on the access point (AP) side corresponding to one of the M links; A method comprising:

27. 27. The method of claim 25 or 26, wherein the multi-link reconfiguration request frame further includes a reconfiguration multi-link element, and the reconfiguration multi-link element is used to carry link information of a deleted link or a link whose link operation parameters are being updated.

28. 28. The method of claim 25, wherein the multi-link reconfiguration response frame further includes a count field and a reconfiguration status list, the count field indicating the number of link IDs and status codes in the reconfiguration status list, and the number of link IDs and status codes corresponding to the number of per-STA profile sub-elements carried in the reconfiguration multi-link element in the multi-link reconfiguration request frame.

29. 29. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 28, wherein the common information field of the first basic multi-link element does not include a link identifier ID field.

30. 30. A communication device comprising a unit configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 29.

31. A communications device including a processor and a memory, the memory configured to store instructions; and 30. A communications device, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 29.

32. A communication device including a logic circuit and an interface, the logic circuit is coupled to the interface; and 30. A communications device, wherein the interface is configured to input and / or output code instructions, and the logic circuit is configured to execute the instructions to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 29.

33. 30. A communication device comprising: a computer-readable storage medium configured to store a computer program that, when executed, performs the method of any one of claims 1 to 29.

34. 30. A computer program which, when executed, performs the method of any one of claims 1 to 29.

35. A communication system, the communication system including a first communication device and a second communication device; The first communication device is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and A communication system, wherein the second communication device is configured to perform a method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

36. A communication system, the communication system including a station STA and an access point AP, The STA is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 15, 17 to 25, 27 to 29, and 30. A communication system, wherein the AP is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 16 to 24 and 26 to 29.

Images