Wireless communication methods and communication equipment

Abstract

A wireless communication method and communication equipment are provided. The method includes a first device performing channel access on multiple channels and determining a first channel set, and the first device transmitting first information to a second device, the first information being associated with the first channel set. In embodiments of the present application, the first device can perform channel access on multiple channels, determine a first channel set, and transmit first information associated with the first channel set to the second device. The second device can then communicate based on the first channel set. This helps to avoid the situation in conventional solutions where the second device cannot obtain an available channel because it lacks channel access capability, and improves the likelihood that the second device can obtain an available channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technologies, and more specifically, to a wireless communication method and a communication device.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, in order to ensure the fairness of channel usage, when a second device needs to occupy a channel in the unlicensed spectrum to transmit data, it needs to perform channel access (for example, channel sensing) to determine whether the channel is idle. However, in some scenarios, the second device does not have the ability to access the channel, and at this time, the second device cannot determine the available channels.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a wireless communication method and a communication device. Hereinafter, each aspect according to this application will be described.

[0004] In a first aspect, a wireless communication method is provided. The method includes: a first device performing channel access on a plurality of channels to determine a first channel set; and the first device transmitting first information to a second device, where the first information is associated with the first channel set.

[0005] In a second aspect, a wireless communication method is provided. The method includes: a second device receiving first information transmitted from a first device, where the first information is associated with a first channel set determined by the first device through channel access on a plurality of channels.

[0006] In a third embodiment, a communication device is provided, the communication device being a first device comprising: a processing unit configured to perform channel access on a plurality of channels and determine a first channel set; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit first information to a second device, the first information being associated with the first channel set.

[0007] In a fourth embodiment, a communication device is provided, the communication device being a second device, comprising a receiving unit that receives first information transmitted from a first device, wherein the first information is associated with a first channel set determined by channel access by the first device on a plurality of channels.

[0008] In a fifth embodiment, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, memory, and a communication interface, wherein the memory is configured to store one or more computer programs, and the processor calls the computer programs in the memory to cause the communication device to perform some or all of the steps of the methods of each embodiment described above.

[0009] In a sixth embodiment, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, the system including the first and / or second devices described above. In another possible design, the system may further include other devices that interact with terminal or network devices in the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0010] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program is stored, and the computer program causes a communication device (e.g., a first device or a second device) to perform some or all of the steps of the methods of each of the above aspects.

[0011] In the eighth embodiment, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium on which the computer program is stored, and the computer program is operable to cause a communication device (e.g., a terminal device or a network device) to perform some or all of the steps of the methods of each embodiment described above. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0012] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip which provides memory and a processor, and the processor can perform some or all of the steps described in the methods of each of the above aspects by calling and executing a computer program from the memory.

[0013] In the embodiments of the present invention, the first device can perform channel access on multiple channels, determine a first channel set, and transmit first information associated with the first channel set to the second device. At this time, the second device can communicate based on the first channel set. This helps to avoid the situation in conventional solutions where the second device cannot acquire an available channel because it does not have the channel access capability, and improves the likelihood that the second device can acquire an available channel. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a wireless communication system 100 to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) frame to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of a media access control (MAC) frame structure to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 4]This is a schematic flowchart of the wireless communication method according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the first channel set according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of the frequency hopping method of the second device in the first channel set according to the embodiment of the present application. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of a method in which the first information according to an embodiment of the present application indicates the target channel. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram of the communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The technical solution of this application will be described below with reference to the drawings. To facilitate understanding, the communication terminology and communication process related to the embodiment of this application will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0016] Wireless communication system The following describes a wireless communication system to which the embodiments of this application apply, with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 shows the architecture of wireless communication system 100 to which the embodiments of this application apply. It should be understood that the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as 5th generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR), long-term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, cellular networks, wireless fidelity (WIFI) systems, etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to future communication systems such as 6th generation mobile communication systems.

[0017] The architecture shown in Figure 1 includes a first device 110 and a second device 120. In some implementations, the first device may be a network device, a terminal device, a wireless access point (AP), a relay device, or a control node. In some other implementations, the second device may be a terminal device or a station (STA).

[0018] In some scenarios, we assume that the first device 110 may be a network device 110, and the second device 120 may be a terminal device 120. Here, the network device 110 may be a device that communicates with the terminal device 120. The network device 110 can provide communication coverage to a specific geographic area and can communicate with the terminal device 120 located within that coverage area.

[0019] The terminal in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as a user equipment (UE), an access terminal, a user unit, a user station, a mobile station, a mobile station (MS), a mobile terminal (MT), a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal device, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user device. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a device that provides a voice and / or data connection to a user, and can be used to connect people, objects, machines such as home appliances, sensors, and electronic tags equipped with a wireless connection function. The terminal in the embodiments of the present application may be a wireless terminal in a smart home, a wireless terminal in an IWSN, a wireless terminal in smart logistics and a smart warehouse, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, etc.

[0020] In the embodiments of this application, the network device is a device for communicating with terminal equipment. This network device may be an access network device or a radio access network device; for example, the network device may be a base station. In the embodiments of this application, the network device may refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) from which terminal equipment accesses a radio network. Base stations are broadly covered or replaced by various names such as NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master station (MeNB), secondary station (SeNB), multi-standard radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, radio node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), and positioning node. Base stations may also be macro base stations, micro base stations, relay nodes, donor nodes, or similar devices, or combinations thereof. A base station may also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip carried by the above-mentioned device or apparatus.The base station may be a device that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, a network-side device in a 6G network, or a device that performs base station functions in a future communication system. The base station may be a network that supports the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technologies and specific device forms adopted by the network device.

[0021] The base station may be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or a drone may be configured to function as a mobile base station, and one or more cells move according to the position of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or a drone may be configured to function as a device that communicates with another base station.

[0022] In some arrangements, the network device in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a CU or a DU, or the network device may include a CU and a DU. The gNB may further include an AAU.

[0023] The network device and the terminal device may be arranged on land, including indoor or outdoor, handheld or vehicle-mounted, or may be arranged on water. In the embodiments of the present application, the scenes where the network device and the terminal device are located are not limited.

[0024] It should be understood that all or part of the functions of the communication device in the present application may be realized by software functions executed on hardware, or may be realized by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform).

[0025] In some other scenarios, using a WIFI system as an example and continuing to refer to Figure 1, the first device 110 may be an AP, and correspondingly, the second device 120 may be an STA. Here, the AP establishes a wireless network in order to provide wireless network services to the STA.

[0026] Figure 1 shows one first device and one second device as examples, and optionally, the communication system 100 may include multiple first devices, and may include other numbers of second devices within the coverage area of ​​each first device, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0027] Furthermore, in some implementations, the communication system 100 may include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0028] With the advancement of wireless communication technology, there is a growing need to integrate wireless communication systems with various vertical industries such as logistics, manufacturing, transportation, and energy. For example, wireless communication systems can be integrated with industrial wireless sensor networks (IWSNs). In another example, wireless communication systems can be integrated with smart logistics and smart warehouses. In yet another example, wireless communication systems can be integrated with smart home networks. However, in these industries, terminal devices need to have characteristics such as low cost, small size (e.g., ultra-thin), maintenance-free operation, and long lifespan. Therefore, zero-power devices have been introduced into wireless communication systems to meet these requirements.

[0029] For example, the second device 120 shown in Figure 1 may be a zero-power device. Correspondingly, the first device 110 shown in Figure 1 may be an energy supply device, that is, the first device 110 can supply energy to the second device 120 by transmitting an energy supply signal to the second device 120.

[0030] In the embodiments of this application, the zero-power devices described above may also include devices based on environmental energy (e.g., Ambient Powered IoT (AMP IoT) devices), battery-less terminals, and maintenance-free terminals, when classified from the viewpoint of the power supply method. For ease of understanding, zero-power devices and devices based on environmental energy will be described below.

[0031] Zero-power devices Communication between the first and second devices can be conducted using zero-power communication technology. In this case, the second device may also be called a "zero-power communication device," "zero-power device," "zero-power communication terminal," or "zero-power terminal."

[0032] A zero-power terminal, as the name suggests, is a terminal device that consumes very little energy during communication, or even no energy at all. Currently, zero-power terminals have one or more of the following advantages:

[0033] Advantage 1: Zero-power terminals do not need to actively transmit signals, thus eliminating the need to construct complex radio frequency paths. For example, by eliminating the need for devices such as power amplifiers (PAs) and radio frequency filters in the radio frequency path, the cost and volume of the terminal can be reduced.

[0034] Advantage 2: Since zero-power terminals do not need to actively generate high-frequency signals, a high-frequency crystal oscillator is not required, reducing the cost and volume of the terminal.

[0035] Advantage 3. Because zero-power terminals can communicate with network devices using backscattering technology, the terminals consume little energy during communication and do not need to consume any energy themselves.

[0036] In zero-power communication technology, zero-power terminals can be divided into three categories based on the terminal's energy source and energy utilization method: passive zero-power terminals, semi-passive zero-power terminals, and active zero-power terminals.

[0037] 1. Passive Zero Power Terminal Passive zero-power terminals typically do not require an internal battery. When a passive zero-power terminal approaches network equipment, it is positioned within the short-range range formed by the network equipment's antenna radiation. At this time, the passive zero-power terminal's antenna can generate an induced current through electromagnetic induction. This induced current supplies energy to the passive zero-power terminal, driving its low-power consumption chip circuitry to perform operations such as demodulation of forward link signals and modulation of backward link signals. In the case of backscatter links, passive zero-power terminals can transmit signals using a backscatter realization method.

[0038] As can be seen from the above explanation, passive zero-power terminals do not require an internal battery in either forward-link-based or reverse-link-based transmission processes, making them truly zero-power terminals.

[0039] In some implementations, the passive zero-power terminal described above may be an electronic tag, and accordingly, the network device may be a reader / writer of an RFID (radio frequency identification) system, configured to read and / or modify the contents of the electronic tag.

[0040] 2. Semi-passive zero-power terminals A semi-passive zero-power terminal itself does not have a conventional battery, but it can collect radio wave energy using an energy collection module (e.g., an RF energy collection module) and simultaneously store the collected energy in an energy storage unit (such as a capacitor). After the energy storage unit acquires the energy, it supplies that energy to the zero-power terminal, which can then drive low-power chip circuits. This enables operations such as demodulation of forward link signals and modulation of backward link signals. In the case of backscatter links, the zero-power terminal uses a backscatter realization method to transmit signals.

[0041] As can be seen from the above explanation, semi-passive zero-power terminals do not require an internal battery in either forward-link or reverse-link transmission processes. Although they use energy stored in a capacitor during operation, this energy originates from radio energy collected by an energy collection module, making semi-passive zero-power terminals truly zero-power terminals.

[0042] 3. Active Zero Power Terminals Active zero-power terminals can be equipped with an internal battery. The battery supplies energy to the active zero-power terminal, driving its low-power consumption chip circuitry. This enables operations such as demodulation of forward link signals and modulation of backward link signals. In the case of backscatter links, active zero-power terminals transmit signals using a backscatter implementation scheme. Therefore, the zero power of such terminals primarily utilizes the backscatter scheme for signal transmission in the reverse link, rather than consuming power from the terminal itself.

[0043] Active zero-power terminals can be powered by an internal battery, which extends their communication range and improves communication reliability. Therefore, they are applicable to several scenarios where there are relatively high demands regarding communication range and read latency.

[0044] In some implementations, the active zero-power terminal described above may be an electronic tag, and the network device may be an RFID reader / writer. In this case, the built-in battery can extend the read / write distance between the RFID reader / writer and the electronic tag by supplying power to the RFID chip within the electronic tag. On the other hand, the built-in battery, by supplying power to the RFID chip within the electronic tag, shortens the read / write delay of the electronic tag by the RFID reader / writer, which is advantageous for improving communication reliability.

[0045] Cellular Passive IoT As mentioned earlier, in some industries, terminal devices typically need to possess characteristics such as low cost, small size (e.g., ultra-thin), maintenance-free operation, and long lifespan. Therefore, the application of battery-less, low-cost passive IoT devices has become a crucial technology for cellular IoT. Here, passive IoT devices can be based on the zero-power terminals described above and extended to be adaptable to cellular IoT. Consequently, new devices based on zero-power devices, namely environmentally friendly energy devices, are now being introduced.

[0046] Environmental energy-based devices In known wireless communication systems (e.g., NR systems and WiFi systems), environmentally energy-based devices are similar to passive zero-power or semi-passive zero-power devices in zero-power communication. The energy required for their operation typically comes from environmental energy collection, such as radio signals, sunlight, and thermal energy. Such devices offer advantages such as low cost and battery-less operation, supporting low-cost, high-volume deployment and maintenance-free operation of IoT devices. Therefore, current standards are exploring ways to support such devices in existing wireless communication systems.

[0047] In the embodiments of this application, the above-described environmental energy-based device may be called an ambient IoT or AMP IoT device.

[0048] Information transmission in WiFi systems Currently, information from Wi-Fi devices can be transmitted based on PPDU frames. In some implementations, a PPDU frame includes a physical layer header and a data portion.

[0049] Referring to Figure 2, in some protocols (e.g., 802.11a / g), the physical layer header may include three parts: a short training field (STF), a long training field (LTF), and a signal (SIGNAL), that is, it carries the specific settings for the short training field, the long training field, and the data portion. Here, the first part is the STF, which mainly consists of 10 short symbols (t1~t10), each 0.8us, and includes multiple functions, mainly achieving frame synchronization and coarse frequency synchronization. Here, t1~t7 mainly includes signal detection, automatic gain control (AGC), and diversity selection functions, while t8~t10 mainly includes functions such as coarse frequency synchronization, offset estimation, and timing synchronization. The second part is the LTF, which achieves fine frequency synchronization and channel estimation. The SIGNAL portion carries information related to the data portion, including the data transmission rate, data packet length information (Length), reserved bits, and tail bits.

[0050] Referring to Figure 3, the data portion can carry MAC frames, and the MAC frame format includes a MAC header, a frame body, and a frame check sequence (FCS).

[0051] Unauthorized Spectrum Unlicensed spectrum is a spectrum that can be used for communication by radio equipment divided by country or region, and is generally considered a shared spectrum. That is, communication equipment in different communication systems can use that spectrum without applying to the government for a dedicated spectrum license, as long as it meets the legal requirements set by the country or region for that spectrum. Unlicensed spectrum may also be called a shared spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, license-exempt spectrum, unlicensed frequency band, license-exempt frequency band, or unlicensed frequency band.

[0052] To ensure that communication systems using unlicensed spectrum can coexist amicably on that spectrum, some countries and regions have established legal requirements that must be met for the use of unlicensed spectrum. For example, communication equipment must adhere to the "listen before talk (LBT)" principle. That is, communication equipment must first perform channel sensing before transmitting a signal on an unlicensed spectrum channel. Only if the channel sensing result is channel idle can the communication equipment transmit a signal. If the channel sensing result on an unlicensed spectrum channel is channel busy, the communication equipment cannot transmit a signal. To ensure fairness, the time that communication equipment uses an unlicensed spectrum channel to transmit a signal in a single transmission cannot exceed the maximum channel occupancy time (MCOT).

[0053] Currently, technologies using unlicensed spectrum are being standardized in cellular communication systems. For example, the NR-U technology in 3GPP Rel-16 uses unlicensed frequency bands below 7 GHz. In future technological advancements, the use of unlicensed spectrum in higher frequency bands will be considered, such as the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz range discussed in the Rel-17 standard. Furthermore, widely used WiFi technology is also a communication technology based on unlicensed frequency bands.

[0054] Channel access mechanism Some protocols (e.g., 802.11 protocols) define channel access protocols for unlicensed spectra, namely distributed coordination functions (DCF), and introduce carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA / CA or CCA) mechanisms, allowing different compatible STA devices to share channel usage and reduce the probability of collisions.

[0055] In some implementations, DCF primarily includes four core mechanisms: a carrier sense mechanism, an interframe space (IFS) mechanism, a random backoff mechanism, and a request to send / clear to send (RTS / CTS) handshake mechanism. These four mechanisms are described below.

[0056] Career Sense Mechanism In some implementations, the carrier sense mechanism is divided into physical carrier sense and virtual carrier sense. Generally, if the result of either sensing indicates that the channel is busy, then the channel is busy.

[0057] Physical carrier sensing typically employs three channel idle detection methods: energy detection, carrier detection, and energy-carrier hybrid detection, collectively known as CCA (clear channel assessment). Energy detection determines the magnitude of the energy in the received signal. If the received power is greater than a threshold defined by the physical layer (represented by "ED_threshold"), the channel is considered occupied. Carrier detection detects the preamble portion of the signal within the channel and determines whether the channel is occupied based on the detection result.

[0058] The virtual carrier sensing mechanism is provided by MAC, and some protocols (e.g., 802.11) use a network allocation vector (NAV) to achieve virtual sensing. The Dur / ID field in the MAC frame stores the "duration". Upon receiving this information, the STA determines how long the channel will be occupied and decides how long it needs to delay its own transmission. The NAV is a timer that defines how much longer the channel will be occupied. The starting value is the duration of the last received frame and counts down to 0. Each listening STA uses this NAV timer. During data communication, the STA occupying the channel notifies other STAs of how much longer it will be occupied via the duration field in the frame, and STAs that have not acquired the channel update their own NAV value by comparing it with the duration value in the packet. If the NAV value is 0, indicating that the physical carrier sensing is channel idle, the channel is considered to be currently idle.

[0059] IFS mechanism To avoid collisions as much as possible, some protocols (e.g., 802.11) require that after all STAs have completed transmission, they must wait (continue listening) for a short period before transmitting the next frame. This period is generally called the inter-frame interval. The length of the inter-frame interval depends on the type of frame that the STA is trying to transmit. Typically, high-priority frames have shorter waiting times and can therefore gain priority in transmission, while low-priority frames require a longer waiting time. In some scenarios, if other high-priority frames are transmitted to the medium (e.g., the channel) before a low-priority frame is transmitted, the medium becomes busy, forcing the low-priority frame to further delay transmission, thus reducing the chance of a collision.

[0060] IFS provides different access priorities to the wireless medium, and these priorities are divided according to the length of time for each IFS, with shorter times corresponding to higher priorities. Inter-frame spacing times can range from short to long and include short inter-frame spacing (SIFS), point coordination inter-frame spacing (PIFS), distributed inter-frame spacing (DIFS), and extended inter-frame spacing (EIFS).

[0061] In the case of SIFS, it is currently the shortest time interval and can be used to space out frames that require immediate response, such as control frames (RTS / CTS frames, ACK frames). By using the shortest interval between two sequential transmissions in frame exchange, it is possible to prevent other stations waiting for the medium from attempting to use it.

[0062] In the case of PIFS, currently only stations operating in point coordination function (PCF) mode can be used.

[0063] In the case of DIFS, currently only stations operating in distributed coordination function (DCF) mode can be used.

[0064] In the case of EIFS, if an error occurs in the previous frame, the sending node must delay the next frame by the EIFS period, not the DIFS period.

[0065] Random backoff mechanism Some protocols (e.g., 802.11) employ a binary exponential backoff method to resolve the necessary back time in the event of a node transmission failure or collision. After there is a frame to send at the MAC layer and both the physical and virtual carrier senses indicate that the channel is idle, if the backoff window count value is not zero, the count value continues to decrease in units of slot time; otherwise, one backoff window is randomly generated. This is equivalent to the node selecting a random backoff count value based on a random number within the conflict window, and after the backoff time has been selected, setting a backoff timer. The conflict window value is a parameter value between the minimum conflict window CWmin and the maximum conflict window CWmax of the physical characteristics values, and is used by the node to select a range for the random backoff counter value. The station continuously listens to the channel within the slot time. If the channel is detected as idle, the backoff timer continues to count down by 1. If a channel is detected as busy, the remaining time of the backoff timer is frozen, and the system waits for the channel to become idle again. After the time DIFS has elapsed, the countdown resumes from the remaining time. When the backoff timer reaches zero, transmission of all data frames begins.

[0066] RTS / CTS Handshake Mechanism Some protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11) introduce the RTS / CTS mechanism, which is employed to reduce collisions caused by the hidden node problem. The basic idea of ​​the RTS / CTS mechanism is to reserve a channel with a short control packet. When a transmitting station wants to send a message to a receiving station, it must first send one RTS control frame. After stations around the transmitting station receive this RTS, they set their own network allocation vector (NAV) value according to the duration field. After the receiving station receives the RTS, it replies with one CTS control frame. After the receiving station receives the CTS, stations around the receiving station set their own NAV value according to the duration field. Stations with a non-zero NAV value cannot monitor the channel idle, thus avoiding collisions in transmission between the transmitting and receiving stations.

[0067] As mentioned earlier, the use of unlicensed frequency bands is also an important deployment scenario in wireless communication systems. Currently, to ensure fairness in channel use, if a second device needs to occupy a channel in the unlicensed spectrum to transmit data, it must perform channel access (e.g., channel sensing) to determine whether the channel is idle or not. However, in some scenarios, the second device does not have the ability to perform channel access. In this case, if the second device forcibly occupies the channel and communicates, it will collide with other devices and cause communication failure.

[0068] Taking the example of a second device being a zero-power terminal, due to its power consumption limitations, a zero-power terminal may only support simple modulation and demodulation methods such as amplitude-shift keying (ASK) and frequency-shift keying (FSK), and may not support orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). On the other hand, PPDU frames transmitted by a WiFi system are based on OFDM modulation. In a scenario where the WiFi system occupies an unauthorized spectrum to transmit PPDU frames, the zero-power terminal does not support OFDM modulation and therefore cannot sense the PPDU frames transmitted on the channel to determine whether the channel is idle or not. If the second device then forcibly occupies the channel and attempts to communicate, it will collide with other devices and cause a communication failure.

[0069] Therefore, in view of the above problems, embodiments of the present application provide a wireless communication method. In this solution, the first device can assist the second device in performing channel sensing in an unlicensed spectrum and instruct the second device on the channel on which it has acquired channel access so that the second device can transmit data. In other words, in some implementations, the first device can transmit first information to the second device, which is used to determine which channels the second device can access in the unlicensed spectrum. This helps to reduce the probability of collisions with other devices when the second device communicates on the unlicensed spectrum.

[0070] Currently, to ensure fairness when different devices use unlicensed (unlicensed) spectrum and to reduce mutual interference, different countries and regions have established different norms regarding the use of unlicensed spectrum (e.g., unlicensed spectrum below 1 GHz). For example, some countries (e.g., China) stipulate that the operating mode that communication equipment should adopt in unlicensed spectrum is frequency hopping. Here, frequency hopping can be understood as a communication device operating in a frequency hopping manner between multiple channels; that is, the communication device operates on one channel during one time period, and then switches to another channel during the next time period.

[0071] As can be seen from the above explanation of the frequency hopping method, communication equipment needs to perform frequency hopping between multiple channels. If the communication equipment is the second device mentioned above, the second device needs to instruct the first device on the frequency hopping channel for each frequency hopping process, resulting in a large transmission overhead when instructing the channel.

[0072] Therefore, in view of the above problems, an embodiment of the present application provides a wireless communication method. In this method, a first device can instruct a second device to provide a first channel set via first information, thereby enabling the second device to communicate based on the first channel set, which helps reduce the transmission overhead when the first device provides channels to the second device. In other words, because the second device (e.g., a zero-power terminal) cannot support a channel access mechanism, it is necessary to use a first device that provides a service to transmit data using a channel. In response to this, the first device can provide multi-channel access to the transmission of the second device, which helps reduce the transmission overhead when the first device provides channels to the second device. The wireless communication method according to an embodiment of the present application will be described below with reference to Figure 4.

[0073] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in Figure 4 includes steps S410 and S420.

[0074] In step S410, the first device performs channel access on multiple channels and determines the first channel set.

[0075] In some implementations, the first channel set may include one or more channels. For a description of the first channel set, please refer to Example 1 below, and for brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0076] In some implementations, the above-mentioned multiple channels may be located in the unlicensed spectrum. For example, the unlicensed spectrum may include the spectrum below 1 GHz, and the supported channel bandwidths may include 1 MHz, 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 8 MHz, and 16 MHz, where 1 MHz and 2 MHz are the basic channel bandwidths. In another example, in China, the unlicensed spectrum may include the 920-925 MHz frequency band, where use based on radio frequency identification must satisfy the requirement that the channel bandwidth does not exceed 250 kHz. The channel center frequency fc can be determined based on the formula f(c)(MHz) = 920.125 + M × 0.25, where M is an integer and its value is between 0 and 19. In some other implementations, the above-mentioned multiple channels may be located in other spectra requiring channel access. The embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0077] In the embodiments of this application, the channel access method described above is not limited, and taking an unlicensed spectrum as an example, the channel access process may include sensing the channel. Here, the channel sensing method can be found in the description above.

[0078] In step S420, the first device transmits the first information to the second device.

[0079] In some implementations, the first information is associated with a first channel set, or the first information is used to indicate a first channel set, or the first information is used to determine a first channel set. The first channel set in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to Example 1.

[0080] Example 1: First channel set In some implementations, the first channel set may be determined by channel access by the first device on an unlicensed spectrum. Alternatively, one or more channels within the first channel set may be channels on which the first device has obtained channel access on an unlicensed spectrum, for example, the first channel set may be a channel set on which the first device has successfully obtained a transmission opportunity (TXOP), or on channels included in the first channel set on which the first device has obtained a TXOP.

[0081] In embodiments of the present invention, the first channel set may be determined based on all channels on which the first device has successfully acquired channel access on the unlicensed spectrum. For ease of explanation, the channel set in which all channels on which the first device has successfully acquired channel access on the unlicensed spectrum reside will be referred to as the third channel set. In some implementations, all channels in the third channel set may belong to the first channel set, i.e., the first channel set is the same as the third channel set. In some other implementations, some channels in the third channel set may belong to the first channel set, i.e., the first channel set is a subset of the third channel set.

[0082] In the unlicensed spectrum, channel usage changes over time, so the channel set acquired by the first device at different times will also differ. In other words, the first channel set determined by the first device at different times will be different.

[0083] To facilitate understanding, the first channel set according to the embodiment of the present application will be described below with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the first channel set according to the embodiment of the present application. Assume that the first device performs channel access at time T0, time T1, and time T2, respectively.

[0084] Referring to Figure 5, at time T0, the channel set from which the first device has acquired channel access on the unauthorized spectrum includes channels 1 to 6; that is, at time T0, the first channel set may include channels 1 to 6. At time T1, the channel set from which the first device has acquired channel access on the unauthorized spectrum includes channels 1 to 4; that is, at time T1, the first channel set may include channels 1 to 4. At time T2, the channel set from which the first device has acquired channel access on the unauthorized spectrum includes channels 1 to 5; that is, at time T2, the first channel set may include channels 1 to 5.

[0085] In embodiments of the present invention, after the first device instructs the second device to provide a first channel set, the second device can perform transmissions based on the channels in the first channel set. Thus, the first channel set can be understood as containing one or more channels available to the second device, or one or more channels may be channels on which the first device has obtained channel access for transmission by the second device. For example, a TXOP obtained by the first device on a channel included in the first channel set may be used by the second device, or a TXOP obtained by the first device on a channel included in the first channel set may be used for transmission by the second device.

[0086] In some implementations, the first channel set may be determined based on a second channel set, where the second channel set may be the channel set on which the first device performs channel access. For example, the second channel set may be the channel set on which the first device performs channel sensing on an unlicensed spectrum. In another example, the second channel set is the channel set on which the first device performs CCA on an unlicensed spectrum.

[0087] In some scenarios, the first device may not be able to successfully acquire channel access to all channels in the second channel set on which it performs channel sensing. If some channels in the second channel set are not idle, the first device may not be able to successfully acquire channel access. In this case, channels that have acquired channel access in the second channel set may belong to the first channel set, or idle channels in the second channel set may belong to the first channel set. In other words, the first channel set may be a subset of the second channel set. Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the first device may be able to acquire channel access to all channels in the second channel set, in which case the first channel set may be equal to the second channel set, or the first channel set may be equal to the second channel set.

[0088] In some implementations, the first device can set parameters associated with the second device to increase the priority of the second device using the first channel set. In some implementations, the parameters associated with the second device may include interframe interval parameters, and accordingly, the first device can set a shorter interframe interval for the second device to increase the priority of the second device using the first channel set. For example, the first device can set the interframe interval of the second device to a short interframe interval.

[0089] Currently, to ensure fairness when different devices use unlicensed spectrum and to reduce mutual interference, different countries and regions have established different norms regarding the use of unlicensed spectrum (e.g., unlicensed spectrum below 1 GHz). For example, some countries (e.g., China) specify the operating mode of communication equipment in unlicensed spectrum as frequency hopping. Therefore, how a second device operates using frequency hopping within a first channel set is an urgent issue that needs to be resolved.

[0090] In view of the above issues, embodiments of the present application further provide a wireless communication method. In this method, a first device transmits first information to a second device so that the second device determines a frequency hopping scheme in a first channel set based on the first information, or the first information is used to determine the frequency hopping scheme of the second device in the first channel set. For ease of understanding, Embodiment 2 will be described below with reference.

[0091] In the embodiments of this application, the first channel set may be any one of the channel sets described above. Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the first channel set may be any other channel set.

[0092] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present application, the first information for determining the frequency hopping scheme may be the same as the first information for indicating the first channel set. Alternatively, the first information for determining the frequency hopping scheme may be different from the first information for indicating the first channel set.

[0093] Example 2: The first information is associated with the frequency hopping scheme of the second device in the first channel set.

[0094] In response to this, the second device may determine the frequency hopping scheme within the first channel set based on the first information, or the second device may perform frequency hopping within the first channel set based on the first information.

[0095] In some implementations, associating the first information with a frequency hopping scheme may include using the first information to determine the frequency hopping scheme of a second device in a first channel set. A method for determining the frequency hopping scheme based on the first information in embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to Examples 1 to 3.

[0096] Example 1: The first piece of information is used to indicate the first channel set.

[0097] In some implementations, the above frequency hopping scheme may be determined based on a first channel set indicated by parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme and first information. Alternatively, a second device may determine the frequency hopping scheme within the first channel set based on parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme and first information.

[0098] In the embodiments of the present invention, the parameters associated with the above-described frequency hopping scheme may include one or more of the channel dwell time, channel switching time, and channel offset value.

[0099] Taking the example of a frequency hopping scheme where the parameters associated with it include channel dwell time, in some implementations, channel dwell time can be used to determine how long a second device stays on each channel in the first channel set. For example, if the channel dwell time is 2 seconds, the time a second device stays on each channel in the first channel set is 2 seconds or less.

[0100] Taking the example of a frequency hopping scheme where the parameters associated with it include channel switching time, in some implementations, the channel switching time can be used to determine when a second device will switch channels within the first channel set. For example, if the channel switching time is 2 seconds, then the second device will switch channels within the first channel set after 2 seconds.

[0101] Taking as an example that the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme include a channel offset value, in some implementations, the channel offset value is used by the second device to determine the target channel on which to frequency hop within the first channel set. For example, the channel offset value may be the channel offset value between the target channel and the reference channel, and accordingly, the second device can determine the target channel based on the reference channel and the channel offset value. The embodiments of this application are not limited to the reference channel. For example, the reference channel may be the channel currently being used by the second device. In another example, the reference channel may be a pre-configured or pre-defined channel.

[0102] In the embodiments of the present application, the channel offset value may be the offset value of the channel index in the first channel set. For example, the channel index C(i) of the target channel is determined by the formula C(i) = (C(i-1) + k) mod N, where C(i-1) represents the channel index of the reference channel, k represents the channel index offset, and N represents the number of channels included in the channel set. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the channel offset value may also be the offset value of the frequency corresponding to the channel, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0103] To facilitate understanding, the frequency hopping method of the second device in the first channel set in the embodiment of this application will be explained below with reference to Figure 6. Referring to Figure 6, assuming that at time T0 the first channel set includes CH1 to CH6, the channel dwell time of the second device is 2 seconds, and the channel index offset value is 1, the second device dwells on the TXOP in CH1 for 2 seconds, then switches to the TXOP in CH2. Subsequently, the second device dwells on the TXOP in CH2 for 2 seconds, then switches to the TXOP in CH3. Subsequently, the second device dwells on the TXOP in CH3 for 2 seconds, then switches to the TXOP in CH4, and so on.

[0104] Assuming that at time T1 the first channel set includes CH1 to CH4, the channel dwell time of the second instrument is 2 seconds, and the channel index offset value is 1, the second instrument will dwell on the TXOP in CH1 for 2 seconds, then switch to the TXOP in CH2. Subsequently, the second instrument will dwell on the TXOP in CH2 for 2 seconds, then switch to the TXOP in CH3. Subsequently, the second instrument will dwell on the TXOP in CH3 for 2 seconds, then switch to the TXOP in CH4, and so on.

[0105] Assuming that at time T2 the first channel set includes CH1 to CH5, the channel dwell time of the second instrument is 2 seconds, and the channel index offset value is 1, the second instrument dwells on the TXOP in CH1 for 2 seconds, then switches to the TXOP in CH2. Subsequently, the second instrument dwells on the TXOP in CH2 for 2 seconds, then switches to the TXOP in CH3. Subsequently, the second instrument dwells on the TXOP in CH3 for 2 seconds, then switches to the TXOP in CH4, and so on.

[0106] The embodiments of this application are not limited to the method of acquiring the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme described above. In some implementations, the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme may be parameters pre-set by a second device. In some other implementations, the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme may be indicated by a first device. For example, the first device may indicate the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme via first information. Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the first device may indicate the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme via other information.

[0107] For example, if the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme are parameters pre-set by the second device, then the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme can be understood as predetermined rules, and accordingly, the second device can perform frequency hopping within the first channel set based on the first information and the predetermined rules. Alternatively, the second device can determine the frequency hopping scheme within the first channel set based on the first information and the predetermined rules. Here, the predetermined rules may be used to instruct the second device on the rules for changing the channels used at a target time, or the predetermined rules may be the frequency hopping rules of the second device.

[0108] In the embodiments of this application, the parameters associated with the above-mentioned predetermined rules or frequency hopping scheme may be associated with multiple channel sets (e.g., including a first channel set). That is, when the second device performs frequency hopping within multiple channel sets, it may employ the same parameters associated with the same predetermined rules or frequency hopping scheme, i.e., the same frequency hopping scheme. Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the parameters associated with the above-mentioned predetermined rules or frequency hopping scheme may be associated with a single channel set (e.g., a first channel set). That is, when the second device performs frequency hopping within each channel set, it may employ different parameters associated with different predetermined rules or frequency hopping schemes, i.e., different frequency hopping schemes.

[0109] Example 2: The first piece of information is used to determine the target channel for the second device to perform frequency hopping.

[0110] In some implementations, the above target channel can be understood as a target channel for the second device to perform frequency hopping, or the target channel can be understood as a frequency hopping channel for the second device to perform frequency hopping.

[0111] In response to this, the second device can determine, based on the first information, the target channel for frequency hopping within the first channel set, i.e., the frequency hopping method of the second device within the first channel set.

[0112] In the embodiments of this application, there are various methods for determining the target channel based on the first information, which will be explained below with reference to Examples 2-1 and 2-2.

[0113] In Example 2-1, the first piece of information is used to indicate the target channel.

[0114] In other words, the target channel may be one through which the first device instructs the second device in real time via the first information.

[0115] Assuming the first channel set includes channels 1 and 2, after the second device transmits data to the first device on channel 1, the first device can indicate channel 2 in the ACK frame corresponding to the data, and in response, the second device can frequency hop to channel 2 based on the first information to perform subsequent transmissions.

[0116] The embodiments of this application are not limited to the method of indicating the target channel. In some implementations, the first information may indicate the target channel by carrying the channel index of the target channel. In some other implementations, the first information may indicate the target channel via frequency information corresponding to the target channel.

[0117] In Example 2-2, the first information indicates the target channel by showing the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set. Alternatively, the first information adjusts the target channel of the second device by adjusting the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set.

[0118] In other words, the index of the target channel for frequency hopping by the second device remains unchanged, and if the first information indicates a change in the channel index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set, the target channel of the second device is also changed accordingly. In this case, the target channel is determined based on the channel index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set indicated by the first information, and the channel index of the target channel.

[0119] To facilitate understanding, the following explanation will refer to Figure 7. Referring to Figure 7, assuming that the first channel set contains six channels, these six channels can be represented as CH1 to CH6 in ascending order of their frequencies, meaning that CH1 is located at the lowest frequency and CH6 is located at the highest frequency. Furthermore, the channel index of the target channel of the second device is 1.

[0120] At time T0, the first piece of information indicates that the channel index corresponding to the ascending order of the frequencies in which the channels are located within the first channel set can be represented as [123456]. In this case, the target channel corresponding to channel index 1 is CH1. At time T1, the first piece of information indicates that the channel index corresponding to the ascending order of the frequencies in which the channels are located within the first channel set can be represented as [234561]. In this case, the target channel corresponding to channel index 1 is CH6. At time T2, the first piece of information indicates that the channel index corresponding to the ascending order of the frequencies in which the channels are located within the first channel set can be represented as [345612]. In this case, the target channel corresponding to channel index 1 is CH5.

[0121] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the target channel index of the second device is not changed, and channel frequency hopping is achieved by changing the frequency at which the channel bandwidth corresponding to the channel index indicated by the first information is located.

[0122] In some scenarios, the first information may be associated with multiple second devices, in which case the target channels of multiple second devices can be jointly indicated via the first information. In some implementations, the channel index order in the first channel set corresponding to different second devices within multiple second devices may be the same, but the channel indices of the target channels corresponding to different second devices may be different.

[0123] To facilitate understanding, the method by which the first information indicates the target channel in the embodiment of the present application will be described below with reference to Figure 7. Referring to Figure 7, assuming that the first channel set contains six channels, these six channels can be represented as CH1 to CH6 in ascending order of their frequencies, that is, the frequency at which CH1 is located is the lowest, and the frequency at which CH6 is located is the highest. Furthermore, the channel index of the target channel of the second device 1 is 1, and the channel index of the target channel of the second device 2 is 2.

[0124] At time T0, the first piece of information indicates that the channel index corresponding to the ascending order of frequencies in which the channels are located within the first channel set can be represented as [123456]. In this case, the target channel corresponding to channel index 1 is CH1, and the target channel corresponding to channel index 2 is CH2. That is, the target channel for second device 1 is CH1, and the target channel for second device 2 is CH2. At time T1, the first piece of information indicates that the channel index corresponding to the ascending order of frequencies in which the channels are located within the first channel set can be represented as [234561]. In this case, the target channel corresponding to channel index 1 is CH6, and the target channel corresponding to channel index 2 is CH1. That is, the target channel for second device 1 is CH6, and the target channel for second device 2 is CH1. At time T2, the first piece of information indicates that the channel index corresponding to the ascending order of frequencies in which the channels are located within the first channel set can be represented as [345612]. In this case, the target channel corresponding to channel index 1 is CH5, and the target channel corresponding to channel index 2 is CH6. In other words, the target channel for the second device 1 is CH5, and the target channel for the second device 2 is CH6.

[0125] Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the index order of channels in the first channel set corresponding to different second devices among the multiple second devices may be different, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0126] Example 3: The first piece of information can indicate whether the second device performs frequency hopping within the first channel set.

[0127] In some implementations, if the first information indicates that the second device will perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, the second device can determine the frequency hopping scheme within the first channel set based on the first information and parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme.

[0128] The parameters associated with the frequency hopping method and their acquisition methods can be found in the explanation in Example 2-1 above, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be explained again here.

[0129] In some scenarios, a first device may provide channel access for the transmission of multiple second devices; that is, a first channel set may be associated with multiple second devices, or the first device may provide services to multiple second devices. Correspondingly, in some implementations, the first information may be associated with multiple second devices, or the first information may be used to determine the frequency hopping scheme of multiple second devices. In some other implementations, the first information may indicate that the channel on which some or all of the multiple second devices frequency hop is the target channel.

[0130] For example, the first piece of information may include a bitmap, where different bits in the bitmap correspond to one of several second devices. If the value of a bit in the bitmap is the first value, the channel on which the second device corresponding to that bit performs frequency hopping is the target channel. If the value of a bit in the bitmap is the second value, the channel on which the second device corresponding to that bit performs frequency hopping is not the target channel.

[0131] In some other implementations, the first information may indicate that some or all of the multiple second devices perform frequency hopping within the first channel set.

[0132] For example, the first piece of information may include a bitmap, where different bits in the bitmap correspond to one of several second devices. If the value of a bit in the bitmap is the first value, the second device corresponding to that bit performs frequency hopping within the first channel set. If the value of a bit in the bitmap is the second value, the second device corresponding to that bit does not perform frequency hopping within the first channel set.

[0133] Note that the first value mentioned above is different from the second value. For example, the first value may be 1, and correspondingly, the second value may be 0. In another example, the first value may be 0, and correspondingly, the second value may be 1.

[0134] In some scenarios, the second device needs to transmit over a corresponding TXOP in the first channel set. Therefore, in embodiments of the present invention, the first device may instruct the second device to transmit over a corresponding TXOP in the first channel set. In other words, the second device can determine the time-domain and / or frequency-domain resources of the channels it will use based on the instructions of the first device.

[0135] In embodiments of the present application, the above information may be indicated by first information, i.e., the first information is associated with a TXOP in a first channel set. Of course, in embodiments of the present application, the above information may be transmitted via other information. A solution in which the first information in embodiments of the present application indicates a TXOP in a first channel set will be described below with reference to Example 3.

[0136] Example 3: The first information is used to indicate the TXOP in the first channel set.

[0137] In some implementations, the first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: a transmission opportunity (TXOP) in the first channel set, a second device corresponding to a TXOP in the first channel set, a first device corresponding to a TXOP in the first channel set, a service interval in a TXOP in the first channel set, and the wake-up time of the second device corresponding to a TXOP in the first channel set.

[0138] Taking the first information as an example, if it is used to indicate a TXOP in a first channel set, in some implementations the first information may be used to indicate the duration and / or end time of the TXOP. Of course, in embodiments of the present application, the first information may be used to indicate the start time of the TXOP.

[0139] Taking the example of the first information being used to indicate a second device that corresponds to a TXOP, the second device that corresponds to a TXOP can be understood as a second device that can use a TXOP. In some implementations, the first information can indicate the second device that corresponds to a TXOP by indicating the device identifier that corresponds to the TXOP. In some other implementations, the first information can indicate the second device that corresponds to a TXOP by indicating the device group identifier that corresponds to the TXOP.

[0140] Taking the example of the first information being used to indicate the first device corresponding to TXOP, the first device corresponding to TXOP can be understood as the first device that obtains TXOP via channel access. In some implementations, the first information can indicate the first device by an identifier corresponding to the first device. Here, the identifier corresponding to the first device may be one or more of the following, for example, BSSID (basic service set identifier), compressed SSID (compressed service set identifier), and STA ID (station identifier).

[0141] Taking the first information as an example, if it is used to indicate the service interval within a TXOP, where the service interval within the TXOP can be understood as the time period or time window available within the second device TXOP. In some implementations, the first information can indicate the service interval within the TXOP by indicating parameters associated with the service interval (also called service interval parameters), where parameters associated with the service interval may include the service time within the TXOP, the service period within the TXOP, etc.

[0142] Taking the example that the first information is used to indicate the wake-up time of the second device corresponding to the TXOP, it can also be said that the first information is used to determine the wake-up time within the second device's TXOP. In some implementations, the first information can indicate the target wake-up time within the second device's TXOP by using target wake-up time (TWT) information.

[0143] The first information in the embodiments of this application was described above with reference to Examples 1 to 3. The transmission method of the first information in the embodiments of this application will be described below.

[0144] In some implementations, the first information may be carried in a control frame. In some other implementations, the first information may be carried in a management frame, for example, in a beacon frame, and in another example, in a probe response frame. In yet another example, the first information may be carried in an association frame. Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the control frame may be carried in a data frame.

[0145] Taking the example that the first information can be carried by a control frame, the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the control frame. In some implementations, the control frame may be an ACK frame. In some other implementations, the control frame may be another control frame that carries the instruction information. For example, it may be a null data physical layer protocol data unit (NDP CMAC) frame that carries MAC information.

[0146] In some implementations, the first information is carried on the first channel. In some implementations, the first channel may be a predetermined channel. In some other implementations, the first channel may be a primary channel. In some other implementations, the first channel may be a channel corresponding to a second device.

[0147] Taking the first channel as a predetermined channel, the first channel may be one predetermined channel within the first channel set. Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the first channel may be a channel that does not belong to the first channel set.

[0148] Taking the first channel as the primary channel as an example, the primary channel may be a channel within the first channel set. Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the primary channel does not have to belong to the first channel set.

[0149] For example, the first information is used to indicate the first channel set, and in this case, the first information may be carried in a beacon frame within the primary channel, and in response, the second device can acquire the first information by receiving the beacon frame within the primary channel.

[0150] In another example, the first information is used to indicate a first channel set, which may be carried in probe response frames within the primary channel, and accordingly, the second device can acquire the first information by receiving the probe response frames within the primary channel.

[0151] In another example, the first information is used to indicate a first channel set, which may be carried in association frames within the primary channel, and in this case, the second device can obtain the first information by receiving the association frames within the primary channel.

[0152] Furthermore, if the first piece of information is associated with multiple second devices, and the first channels of the multiple second devices are different, the first device can transmit multiple pieces of first information through the first channels of the multiple second devices to instruct each of the multiple second devices, or the first device may transmit the first piece of information through the first channel corresponding to each of the multiple second devices. Of course, if the first channels of the multiple second devices are the same, the first device can transmit one piece of first information through the first channel and jointly instruct multiple second devices.

[0153] In some implementations, the first channel corresponding to multiple second devices may belong to the first channel set, in which case the first information can be transmitted over some or all of the channels within the first channel set.

[0154] Furthermore, the statement that the first channel corresponds to the second device means that the first channel may be a channel used by the second device, or that the first channel is a channel currently used by the second device. For example, the first information may be transmitted on the channel where the second device's TXOP is currently located.

[0155] Taking the example of the first piece of information being transmitted by an ACK frame, when the second device sends data to the first device on channel 1, channel 1 is the channel currently used by the second device, and in this case, the first device can carry the first piece of information on channel 1 by an ACK frame.

[0156] In some implementations, upon receiving the first information, the second device determines a target channel from the first channel set based on the first information and communicates with the first device. For example, the second device can transmit data to the first device via the target channel. The method for determining the target channel based on the first information can be found in the explanation above and will not be repeated here for brevity.

[0157] In some scenarios, the results of channel frequency hopping by the first and second devices may not match, or the target channels determined by the first and second devices may differ. For example, if the second device loses the first information transmitted from the first device, the target channel determined by the second device will differ from the target channel determined by the first device. In this case, communication failure will occur between the first and second devices.

[0158] Therefore, in light of the above issues, channel frequency hopping initialization can be performed between the first and second devices at the target time. After initialization, the second device can return to the second channel (also called the "initialization channel"), at which point the first device can establish reliable communication with the second device via the second channel.

[0159] In some implementations, channel frequency hopping initialization may be performed periodically between the first and second devices. Of course, the first device may instruct the second device to perform channel frequency hopping initialization in real time, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0160] In the embodiments of the present application, the second channel may be the channel used when the second device communicates with the first device for the first time. Of course, in the embodiments of the present application, the second channel may be any channel agreed upon between the first device and the second device.

[0161] The embodiments of the method of this application were described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 7. Hereinafter, embodiments of the apparatus of this application will be described in detail with reference to Figures 8 to 10. It should be understood that the description of the method embodiments corresponds to the description of the apparatus embodiments; therefore, for parts not described in detail, one can refer to the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0162] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 800 shown in Figure 8 is the first device. The communication device 800 shown in Figure 8 may include a processing unit 810 and a transmission unit 820.

[0163] The processing unit 810 is configured to perform channel access on multiple channels and determine the first channel set. The transmitting unit 820 is configured to transmit first information to a second device, and the first information is associated with the first channel set.

[0164] In one possible implementation, the first channel set is determined based on a second channel set, the second channel set includes the plurality of channels on which the first device has accessed the channels.

[0165] In one possible implementation, the first channel set is the same as the second channel set, or the first channel set is a subset of the second channel set.

[0166] In one possible implementation, associating the first information with the first channel set includes associating the first information with the frequency hopping scheme of the second device in the first channel set.

[0167] In one possible implementation, the first information is used to indicate the first channel set, and the frequency hopping scheme is determined based on the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme and the first channel set.

[0168] In one possible implementation, the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme include one or more of the following: channel dwell time, channel switching time, and channel offset value.

[0169] In one possible implementation, the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme are either pre-set or indicated by the first information.

[0170] In one possible implementation, the first information is used to indicate that the second device will perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, and to specify one or more target channels for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set.

[0171] In one possible implementation, if the first information is used to indicate the target channel, the first information is used to indicate the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set, and the target channel is determined based on the index of the target channel corresponding to the second device and the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set.

[0172] In one possible implementation, if the first information is used to indicate a target channel for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, the first channel set is associated with a plurality of second devices, and the first information is used to indicate that the channel for some or all of the plurality of second devices to perform frequency hopping is the target channel.

[0173] In one possible implementation, the first information includes a bitmap, where different bits in the bitmap correspond to one of the plurality of second devices, and the channel for frequency hopping by the second device corresponding to the bit in the bitmap that takes a first value is the target channel.

[0174] In one possible implementation, the association of the first information with the first channel set includes the association of the first information with a TXOP within the first channel set.

[0175] In one possible implementation, the first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: a transmission opportunity (TXOP) in the first channel set, a second device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, a first device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, a service interval in the TXOP in the first channel set, and the wake-up time of the second device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set.

[0176] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned first information is conveyed via a control frame.

[0177] In one possible implementation, the first information is transmitted via a first channel, where the first channel is a predetermined channel or a channel corresponding to the second device.

[0178] In one possible implementation, the second device is a zero-power terminal.

[0179] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to another embodiment of the present application. The communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 may be a second device. The communication device 900 shown in Figure 9 includes a receiving unit 910.

[0180] The receiving unit 910 is configured to receive first information transmitted from the first device, and the first information is associated with a first channel set determined by channel access on multiple channels by the first device.

[0181] In one possible implementation, the first channel set is determined based on a second channel set, the second channel set includes the plurality of channels on which the first device has accessed the channels.

[0182] In one possible implementation, the first channel set is the same as the second channel set, or the first channel set is a subset of the second channel set.

[0183] In one possible implementation, associating the first information with the first channel set includes associating the first information with the frequency hopping scheme of the second device in the first channel set.

[0184] In one possible implementation, the first information is used to indicate the first channel set, and the frequency hopping scheme is determined based on the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme and the first channel set.

[0185] In one possible implementation, the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme include one or more of the following: channel dwell time, channel switching time, and channel offset value.

[0186] In one possible implementation, the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme are either pre-set or indicated by the first information.

[0187] In one possible implementation, the first information is used to indicate that the second device will perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, and to specify one or more target channels for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set.

[0188] In one possible implementation, if the first information is used to indicate the target channel, the first information is used to indicate the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set, and the target channel is determined based on the index of the target channel corresponding to the second device and the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set.

[0189] In one possible implementation, if the first information is used to indicate a target channel for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, the first channel set is associated with a plurality of second devices, and the first information is used to indicate that the channel for some or all of the plurality of second devices to perform frequency hopping is the target channel.

[0190] In one possible implementation, the first information includes a bitmap, where different bits in the bitmap correspond to one of the plurality of second devices, and the channel for frequency hopping by the second device corresponding to the bit in the bitmap that takes a first value is the target channel.

[0191] In one possible implementation, the association of the first information with the first channel set includes the association of the first information with a TXOP within the first channel set.

[0192] In one possible implementation, the first information is used to indicate one or more of the following: a transmission opportunity (TXOP) in the first channel set, a second device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, a first device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, a service interval in the TXOP in the first channel set, and the wake-up time of the second device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set.

[0193] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned first information is conveyed via a control frame.

[0194] In one possible implementation, the first information is transmitted via a first channel, where the first channel is a predetermined channel or a channel corresponding to the second device.

[0195] In one possible implementation, the second device is a zero-power terminal.

[0196] In alternative embodiments, the processing unit 810 may be a processor 1010, and the transmission unit 820 may be a transceiver 1030. The communication device 800 may also include a memory 1020, specifically as shown in Figure 10.

[0197] In an alternative embodiment, the receiving unit 910 may be a transceiver 1030. The communication device 900 may further include a processor 1010 and a memory 1020, specifically as shown in Figure 10.

[0198] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The dashed lines in Figure 10 indicate that the unit or module is optional. The device 1000 may be configured to implement the method described in the embodiment of the above method. The device 1000 may be a chip, terminal equipment, or network equipment.

[0199] The apparatus 1000 may include one or more processors 1010. The processors 1010 can support the apparatus 1000 in implementing the method described in the embodiments of the above method. The processors 1010 may be general-purpose processors or dedicated processors. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, and discrete hardware components. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0200] The device 1000 may further include one or more memories 1020. A program is stored in the memory 1020, and the program is executed by the processor 1010, thereby causing the processor 1010 to perform the method described in the embodiment of the above method. The memory 1020 may be independent of the processor 1010 or may be integrated with the processor 1010.

[0201] The device 1000 may further include a transceiver 1030. The processor 1010 can communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1030. For example, the processor 1010 can send and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1030.

[0202] Embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer-readable storage medium may be applied to a terminal or network device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the program causes a computer to perform the method performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0203] Embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product, which includes a program, which may be applied to a terminal or network device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and which causes a computer to perform the methods performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0204] Embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program which may be applied to a terminal or network device provided in the embodiments of the present application which causes a computer to perform the methods performed by the terminal or network device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0205] It should be understood that the terms “system” and “network” in this specification are always used interchangeably. Furthermore, the terms used in this application are solely for the purpose of describing the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are for the purpose of distinguishing different subjects and are not intended to describe a particular order. In addition, the terms “includes” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion.

[0206] The word "show" in the embodiments of this application may mean showing directly, showing indirectly, or showing in relation to each other. For example, A showing B can mean that A directly shows B, for example, that B can obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly shows B, for example, that A shows C and B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that A and B have a related relationship.

[0207] In the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and that B can be determined based on A. However, it should be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, but rather that B can be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0208] In the embodiments of this application, the term "corresponding" may mean that there is a direct or indirect corresponding relationship between the two, or that there is a related relationship between the two, or that there is a relationship such as indicating and being indicated, or composing and being composed.

[0209] In the embodiments of the present application, “predefined” or “preconfigured” may be achieved by pre-storing within a device (including, for example, terminal equipment and network equipment) a corresponding code, table, or other form that can be used to direct related information, and the present application does not limit the specific forms of such implementation. Predefined may mean “defined in a protocol.”

[0210] In the embodiments of this application, the “protocol” may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, and may include, for example, the LTE protocol, the NR protocol, and related protocols applicable to future communications systems, but is not limited thereto.

[0211] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" describes only the associated relationship and indicates that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: when A exists independently, when both A and B exist, and when B exists independently. Furthermore, the symbol " / " in this specification usually indicates that the relationship between the associated objects is "or".

[0212] In the various embodiments of the present application, the magnitude of the sequence numbers of the above processes does not indicate the execution order, and the execution order of each process should be determined according to its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0213] In some embodiments provided herein, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatus, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the embodiments of the apparatus described above are illustrative only, and the separation of units is merely the separation of logical functions; in actual implementation, there may be other methods of separation, such as integrating or integrating multiple units or components into another system, or ignoring or omitting some features. Furthermore, the mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection indicated or discussed may be implemented using several interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatus or units may be electrical, mechanical, or in other forms.

[0214] The units described as individual parts may or may not be physically separated, and the parts shown as units may or may not be physical units, and may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Depending on the actual needs, some or all of these units can be selected to achieve the objectives of the solution in this embodiment.

[0215] Furthermore, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit.

[0216] The embodiments described above can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded into a computer and executed, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are produced in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium and may be transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (infrared, radio, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible to the computer, or it may be a data storage device such as a server or data center integrated by one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state hard disks (SSDs)).

[0217] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, and the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any modification or substitution that a person skilled in the art could easily conceive within the technical scope disclosed herein should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Accordingly, the scope of protection of this application shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, The first device performs channel access on multiple channels and determines the first channel set, A wireless communication method comprising: the first device transmitting first information to a second device, wherein the first information is associated with the first channel set.

2. The first channel set is determined based on the second channel set, and the second channel set includes the plurality of channels on which the first device has accessed the channels. The wireless communication method according to claim 1.

3. The first channel set is the same as the second channel set, or the first channel set is a subset of the second channel set. The wireless communication method according to claim 2.

4. Associating the first information with the first channel set includes associating the first information with the frequency hopping scheme of the second device in the first channel set. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The first information is used to indicate the first channel set, and the frequency hopping scheme is determined based on the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme and the first channel set. The wireless communication method according to claim 4.

6. The parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme include one or more of the following: channel dwell time, channel switching time, and channel offset value. The wireless communication method according to claim 5.

7. The parameters associated with the frequency hopping method are either set in advance, or the parameters associated with the frequency hopping method are indicated by the first information. The wireless communication method according to claim 5 or 6.

8. The first piece of information mentioned above is, The second device performs frequency hopping within the first channel set. Used to indicate one or more target channels for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, The wireless communication method according to claim 4.

9. When the first information is used to indicate the target channel, the first information is used to indicate the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set, and the target channel is determined based on the index of the target channel corresponding to the second device and the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set. The wireless communication method according to claim 8.

10. If the first information is used to indicate a target channel for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, the first channel set is associated with a plurality of second devices, and the first information is used to indicate that the channel for which some or all of the plurality of second devices to perform frequency hopping is the target channel. The wireless communication method according to claim 8 or 9.

11. The first information includes a bitmap, where different bits in the bitmap correspond to one of the plurality of second devices, and the channel for frequency hopping by the second device corresponding to the bit in the bitmap that takes a first value is the target channel. The wireless communication method according to claim 10.

12. Associating the first information with the first channel set includes associating the first information with a transmission opportunity (TXOP) within the first channel set. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The first piece of information mentioned above is, Transmission opportunity (TXOP) within the first channel set, A second device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, The first device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, The service interval within the TXOP in the first channel set, Used to indicate one or more wake-up times for a second device corresponding to a TXOP in the first channel set, The wireless communication method according to claim 12.

14. The first information is conveyed in the control frame. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The first information is transmitted via a first channel, and the first channel is a predetermined channel or a channel corresponding to the second device. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The second device is a zero-power terminal. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A wireless communication method, A wireless communication method comprising a second device receiving first information transmitted from a first device, wherein the first information is associated with a first set of channels determined by channel access on a plurality of channels by the first device.

18. The first channel set is determined based on the second channel set, and the second channel set includes the plurality of channels on which the first device has accessed the channels. The wireless communication method according to claim 17.

19. The first channel set is the same as the second channel set, or the first channel set is a subset of the second channel set. The wireless communication method according to claim 18.

20. Associating the first information with the first channel set includes associating the first information with the frequency hopping scheme of the second device in the first channel set. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 17 to 19.

21. The first information is used to specify the first channel set, and the frequency hopping scheme is determined based on the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme and the first channel set. The wireless communication method according to claim 20.

22. The parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme include one or more of the following: channel dwell time, channel switching time, and channel offset value. The wireless communication method according to claim 21.

23. The parameters associated with the frequency hopping method are either set in advance, or the parameters associated with the frequency hopping method are indicated by the first information. The wireless communication method according to claim 21 or 22.

24. The first piece of information mentioned above is, The second device performs frequency hopping within the first channel set. Used to indicate one or more target channels for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, The wireless communication method according to claim 20.

25. When the first information is used to indicate the target channel, the first information is used to indicate the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set, and the target channel is determined based on the index of the target channel corresponding to the second device and the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set. The wireless communication method according to claim 24.

26. If the first information is used to indicate a target channel for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, the first channel set is associated with a plurality of second devices, and the first information is used to indicate that the channel for which some or all of the plurality of second devices to perform frequency hopping is the target channel. The wireless communication method according to claim 24 or 25.

27. The first information includes a bitmap, where different bits in the bitmap correspond to one of the plurality of second devices, and the channel for frequency hopping by the second device corresponding to the bit in the bitmap that takes a first value is the target channel. The wireless communication method according to claim 26.

28. Associating the first information with the first channel set includes associating the first information with a TXOP within the first channel set. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 17 to 27.

29. The first piece of information mentioned above is, Transmission opportunity (TXOP) within the first channel set, A second device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, The first device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, The service interval within the TXOP in the first channel set, Used to indicate one or more wake-up times for a second device corresponding to a TXOP in the first channel set, The wireless communication method according to claim 28.

30. The first information is conveyed in the control frame. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 17 to 29.

31. The first information is transmitted via a first channel, and the first channel is a predetermined channel or a channel corresponding to the second device. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 17 to 30.

32. The second device is a zero-power terminal. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 17 to 31.

33. A communication device, wherein the communication device is the first device, A processing unit configured to perform channel access on multiple channels and determine the first channel set, A communication device comprising: a transmitting unit configured to transmit first information to a second device, wherein the first information is associated with the first channel set.

34. The first channel set is determined based on the second channel set, and the second channel set includes the plurality of channels on which the first device has accessed the channels. The communication device according to claim 33.

35. The first channel set is the same as the second channel set, or the first channel set is a subset of the second channel set. The communication device according to claim 32.

36. Associating the first information with the first channel set includes associating the first information with the frequency hopping scheme of the second device in the first channel set. A communication device according to any one of claims 33 to 35.

37. The first information is used to specify the first channel set, and the frequency hopping scheme is determined based on the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme and the first channel set. The communication device according to claim 36.

38. The parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme include one or more of the following: channel dwell time, channel switching time, and channel offset value. The communication device according to claim 37.

39. The parameters associated with the frequency hopping method are either set in advance, or the parameters associated with the frequency hopping method are indicated by the first information. The communication device according to claim 37 or 38.

40. The first piece of information mentioned above is, The second device performs frequency hopping within the first channel set. Used to indicate one or more target channels for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, The communication device according to claim 36.

41. When the first information is used to indicate the target channel, the first information is used to indicate the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set, and the target channel is determined based on the index of the target channel corresponding to the second device and the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set. The communication device according to claim 40.

42. If the first information is used to indicate a target channel for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, the first channel set is associated with a plurality of second devices, and the first information is used to indicate that the channel for which some or all of the plurality of second devices to perform frequency hopping is the target channel. The communication device according to claim 40 or 41.

43. The first information includes a bitmap, where different bits in the bitmap correspond to one of the plurality of second devices, and the channel for frequency hopping by the second device corresponding to the bit in the bitmap that takes a first value is the target channel. The communication device according to claim 42.

44. Associating the first information with the first channel set includes associating the first information with a TXOP within the first channel set. A communication device according to any one of claims 33 to 43.

45. The first piece of information mentioned above is, Transmission opportunity (TXOP) within the first channel set, A second device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, The first device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, The service interval within the TXOP in the first channel set, Used to indicate one or more wake-up times for a second device corresponding to a TXOP in the first channel set, The communication device according to claim 44.

46. The first information is conveyed in the control frame. A communication device according to any one of claims 33 to 45.

47. The first information is transmitted via a first channel, and the first channel is a predetermined channel or a channel corresponding to the second device. A communication device according to any one of claims 33 to 46.

48. The second device is a zero-power terminal. A communication device according to any one of claims 33 to 47.

49. A communication device, wherein the communication device is a second device, A communication device comprising a receiving unit that receives first information transmitted from a first device, wherein the first information is associated with a first channel set determined by channel access on a plurality of channels by the first device.

50. The first channel set is determined based on the second channel set, and the second channel set includes the plurality of channels on which the first device has accessed the channels. The communication device according to claim 49.

51. The first channel set is the same as the second channel set, or the first channel set is a subset of the second channel set. The communication device according to claim 50.

52. Associating the first information with the first channel set includes associating the first information with the frequency hopping scheme of the second device in the first channel set. A communication device according to any one of claims 49 to 51.

53. The first information is used to specify the first channel set, and the frequency hopping scheme is determined based on the parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme and the first channel set. The communication device according to claim 52.

54. The parameters associated with the frequency hopping scheme include one or more of the following: channel dwell time, channel switching time, and channel offset value. The communication device according to claim 53.

55. The parameters associated with the frequency hopping method are either set in advance, or the parameters associated with the frequency hopping method are indicated by the first information. The communication device according to claim 53 or 54.

56. The first piece of information mentioned above is, The second device performs frequency hopping within the first channel set. Used to indicate one or more target channels for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, The communication device according to claim 52.

57. When the first information is used to indicate the target channel, the first information is used to indicate the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set, and the target channel is determined based on the index of the target channel corresponding to the second device and the index order corresponding to the channels in the first channel set. The communication device according to claim 56.

58. If the first information is used to indicate a target channel for the second device to perform frequency hopping within the first channel set, the first channel set is associated with a plurality of second devices, and the first information is used to indicate that the channel for which some or all of the plurality of second devices to perform frequency hopping is the target channel. The communication device according to claim 56 or 57.

59. The first information includes a bitmap, where different bits in the bitmap correspond to one of the plurality of second devices, and the channel for frequency hopping by the second device corresponding to the bit in the bitmap that takes a first value is the target channel. The communication device according to claim 58.

60. Associating the first information with the first channel set includes associating the first information with a TXOP within the first channel set. A communication device according to any one of claims 49 to 59.

61. The first piece of information mentioned above is, Transmission opportunity (TXOP) within the first channel set, A second device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, The first device corresponding to the TXOP in the first channel set, The service interval within the TXOP in the first channel set, Used to indicate one or more wake-up times for a second device corresponding to a TXOP in the first channel set, The communication device according to claim 60.

62. The first information is conveyed in the control frame. A communication device according to any one of claims 49 to 61.

63. The first information is transmitted via a first channel, and the first channel is a predetermined channel or a channel corresponding to the second device. A communication device according to any one of claims 49 to 62.

64. The second device is a zero-power terminal. A communication device according to any one of claims 49 to 63.

65. Communication equipment, A communication device comprising a transceiver, memory, and a processor, wherein the memory is configured to store a program, and the processor calls a program in the memory and controls the transceiver to receive or transmit a signal, thereby causing the terminal to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 32.

66. A device comprising a processor that calls a program from memory and causes the device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 32.

67. A chip comprising a processor that calls a program from memory and causes a device on which the chip is mounted to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 32.

68. A computer-readable storage medium in which a program is stored, wherein the program causes a computer to execute the method described in any one of claims 1 to 32.

69. A computer program product comprising a program, wherein the program causes a computer to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 32.

70. A computer program, wherein the computer program causes a computer to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 32.

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