Information instruction method and equipment

Abstract

Embodiments of this application propose an information instruction method and apparatus. The information instruction method includes the step of a terminal device receiving instructions from a network device for time information, wherein a time range corresponding to the time information is set by the network device. Embodiments of this application can achieve energy saving effects by reducing the power consumption caused by the terminal device receiving time information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to an information indication method and device.

Background Art

[0002] In a communication system, a terminal device needs to maintain an internal timer to enable normal communication. For example, a network device transmits time information (such as timestamp information) to the terminal device, and the terminal device adjusts its internal timer based on this time information. In the related art, when the network device transmits time information to the terminal device, this time information indicates the number of microseconds elapsed since the network started operating. For example, this time information corresponding to a time range of about 580,000 years can be carried or indicated by a 64-bit timestamp field. Such a long time range is clearly unnecessary for most terminal devices, and receiving 64-bit time information causes excessive power consumption in the terminal device, which is disadvantageous for energy conservation.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] Embodiments of this application provide an information indication method, device, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, and computer program.

[0004] Embodiments of this application provide an information indication method including a step in which a network device indicates time information to a terminal device, and a time range corresponding to the time information is set by the network device.

[0005] Embodiments of this application further provide an information indication method including a step in which a terminal device receives an indication of time information from a network device, and a time range corresponding to the time information is set by the network device.

[0006] The embodiments of this application are The present invention further provides a terminal device that includes a first receiving module for receiving instructions from a network device regarding time information, wherein the time range corresponding to the time information is set by the network device.

[0007] The embodiments of this application are The present invention further provides a network device that includes an instruction module for instructing terminal devices to provide time information, wherein the time range corresponding to the time information is set by the network device.

[0008] Embodiments of this application further provide a communication device including a processor, memory, and transceiver. The memory is for storing computer programs, and the processor is for calling and executing the computer programs stored in the memory and for controlling the transceiver in order to have the device perform the above method.

[0009] Embodiments of this application further provide chips for carrying out the above method. Specifically, the chip includes a processor that calls and executes a computer program from memory and causes a device equipped with the chip to perform the above method.

[0010] Embodiments of this application further provide a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that causes a device to perform the above method when the device is executed by the device.

[0011] Embodiments of this application further provide a computer program product that includes computer program instructions for causing a computer to execute the above method.

[0012] Embodiments of this application further provide a computer program that, when executed on a computer, causes a computer to perform the above method.

[0013] By employing the solution according to the embodiment of this application, a terminal device can receive instructions for time information from a network device, and the time range corresponding to the time information may be set by the network device. Since the time range can be set by the network device, the time range corresponding to the time information can match the time during which the terminal device operates continuously, and there is no need to use excessively long bits to indicate the time information, thus reducing the power consumption caused by the terminal device receiving the time information and achieving an energy-saving effect. The solution proposed by the embodiment of this application is particularly suitable for terminal devices such as zero-power consumption terminals and environmentally friendly energy-based Internet of Things (IoT) devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application scenario of the embodiment of this application. [Figure 2] This is a schematic flowchart of the information instruction method 200 according to the embodiment of this application. [Figure 3] This is a schematic flowchart of the information instruction method 300 according to the embodiment of this application. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the information instruction method according to an embodiment of this application, in which the time range corresponding to the time information includes multiple beacon transmission cycles. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the information indication method according to an embodiment of this application, in which the time range corresponding to the time information includes multiple TWT periods. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of the information instruction method according to an embodiment of this application, in which the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW file. [Figure 7] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the information indication method according to an embodiment of this application, in which the time range corresponding to the time information includes the maximum SP length. [Figure 8] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the information indication method according to an embodiment of this application, where the time range corresponding to the time information includes the maximum SP length. [Figure 9]This is a schematic configuration diagram of the terminal device 900 according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 10] This is a schematic configuration diagram of the terminal device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 11] This is a schematic configuration diagram of the network device 1100 according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 12] This is a schematic configuration diagram of the network device 1200 according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 13] This is a schematic configuration diagram of the communication device 1300 according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 14] This is a schematic configuration diagram of the chip 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, referring to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, the technical solution according to the embodiments of the present application will be described.

[0016] In the specification, claims, and the above drawings of the embodiments of the present application, terms such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily need to be used to explain a specific order or sequence, but are used to distinguish similar objects. At the same time, the objects described by "first" and "second" may be the same or different.

[0017] The technical solution of the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system, Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced long term evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, an evolved system of the NR system, LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) system, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), 5th-Generation (5G) system or other communication systems, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) system or other communication systems, etc.

[0018] FIG. 1 exemplarily shows an example of a communication system 100. The communication system 100 can include an access point (AP) 110 and a station (STA) 120 that accesses the network via the access point 110.

[0019] In some scenarios, AP is also called AP STA, and in a sense, AP is a type of STA.

[0020] In some scenarios, STA is referred to as non-AP STA.

[0021] The communication in the communication system 100 may be communication between an AP and a non-AP STA, communication between two non-AP STAs, or communication between an STA and a peer STA. Here, peer STA may refer to the device that communicates with the STA, and for example, peer STA may be an AP or a non-AP STA.

[0022] An AP (Access Point) is equivalent to a bridge connecting a wired network and a wireless network. Its main function is to connect each wireless network client to each other and to connect the wireless network to Ethernet. An AP device may be a terminal device with a WiFi chip (e.g., a mobile phone) or a network device (e.g., a router).

[0023] The role of an STA in a communication system is not absolute. For example, in some scenarios, when a mobile phone is connected to a router, the mobile phone is a non-AP STA, and when the mobile phone is a hotspot for other mobile phones, the mobile phone acts as an AP.

[0024] AP and non-AP STA may include devices applied to vehicle networks, IoT nodes and sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT), smart cameras, smart remotes, smart water meters in smart homes, and sensors in smart cities.

[0025] In some embodiments, non-AP STA can support the 802.11be standard. Non-AP STA can also support current and future 802.11 family WLAN standards, including 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

[0026] In some embodiments, the AP may be a device that supports the 802.11be standard. The AP may also be a device that supports current and future 802.11 family WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

[0027] In the embodiments of this application, STA may be a mobile phone, tablet, computer, virtual reality device, augmented reality device, wireless device in industrial control, set-top box, wireless device in self-driving, in-vehicle communication device, wireless device in remote medical, wireless device in smart grid, wireless device in transportation safety, wireless device in smart city, or wireless device in smart home, wireless communication chip / ASIC / system chip (SOC, system-on-a-chip), zero-power consumption device, environmentally friendly energy-based IoT device, etc., that supports WLAN / WiFi technology.

[0028] The frequency bands that WLAN technology can support may include, but are not limited to, low-frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz) and high-frequency bands (e.g., 60 GHz).

[0029] Figure 1 illustrates one AP STA and two non-AP STAs, and optionally, the communication system 100 may include multiple AP STAs and other numbers of non-AP STAs, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

[0030] It should be understood that the terms “system” and “network” are often used interchangeably within this specification. In this specification, the term “and / or” simply indicates a relationship to describe related objects, meaning that three relationships are possible. For example, A and / or B means that A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. In this specification, the letter “ / ” generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an “or” relationship.

[0031] It should be understood that the “instruction” referred to in the embodiments of this application may be direct instruction, indirect instruction, or may mean a relationship. For example, A instructing B may mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being obtainable by A; that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, such as B being obtainable by C; or that there is a correlation between A and B.

[0032] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" may mean that there is a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or that there is a related relationship between the two, or that there is a relationship such as instruction and instruction, setting and setting.

[0033] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions relating to the embodiments of this application, related technologies relating to the embodiments of this application are described below. As optional means, the following related technologies can be arbitrarily combined with the technical solutions relating to the embodiments of this application, and any of them fall within the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application.

[0034] 1. Cellular Passive IoT As the application of 5G in the industry increases, the types of connectable devices and application scenarios are also expanding, leading to higher demands on the price and power consumption of communication terminals. The application of battery-free, low-cost passive IoT devices will become a key technology for cellular IoT, enriching the types and number of terminals on 5G network links and realizing true interconnection of all things. In this context, passive IoT devices can be extended to be applied to cellular IoT based on existing zero-power consumption technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.

[0035] 2. Classification of zero-power consumption terminals Based on the energy source and usage method of zero-power consumption terminals, zero-power consumption terminals can be classified into the following types.

[0036] 1) Passive zero power consumption terminal Zero-power terminals do not require a built-in battery, and when a zero-power terminal approaches a network device (e.g., a reader / writer in an RFID system), the zero-power terminal is within a short-range range formed by the antenna radiation of the network device. Therefore, the zero-power terminal antenna generates an induced current through electromagnetic induction, and this induced current drives the low-power chip circuit of the zero-power terminal. This enables functions such as demodulation of forward link signals and modulation of reverse link signals. In the case of backscatter links, the zero-power terminal transmits signals using a backscattering mechanism.

[0037] Passive zero-power consumption terminals do not require an internal battery for operation, whether in a forward or reverse link, and are thus truly zero-power consumption terminals.

[0038] Passive zero-power consumption terminals do not require batteries, and both their radio frequency and baseband circuits are very simple. They do not require equipment such as low-noise power amplifiers (LNAs), power amplifiers (PAs), crystal oscillators, or analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), resulting in many advantages such as being small, lightweight, very inexpensive, and having a long service life.

[0039] 2) Semi-passive zero-power consumption terminal A semi-passive zero-power consumption terminal itself does not have a conventional battery, but it can collect environmental energy such as radio frequency signal energy using an energy collection module and store the collected energy in an energy storage unit (e.g., a capacitor). After the energy storage unit acquires energy, it can drive the low-power consumption chip circuit of the zero-power consumption terminal. This enables the demodulation of forward link signals and the modulation of reverse link signals. In the case of backscatter links, the zero-power consumption terminal can achieve signal transmission using either a backscattering method or an active transmission method.

[0040] The semi-passive zero-power consumption terminal does not require an internal battery for operation, whether it is a forward or reverse link, and uses energy stored in a capacitor during operation. However, this energy originates from environmental energy collected by an energy collection module, and therefore it is a true zero-power consumption terminal.

[0041] Semi-passive zero-power consumption terminals inherit many of the advantages of passive zero-power consumption terminals, and therefore have many advantages such as being small, lightweight, very inexpensive, and having a long service life.

[0042] 3) Active zero power consumption terminal Zero-power terminals used in some scenarios may be active zero-power terminals capable of incorporating a battery. The battery is used to power the low-power chip circuitry of the zero-power terminal, enabling functions such as demodulation of forward link signals and modulation of reverse link signals. However, in the case of backscatter links, the zero-power terminal achieves signal transmission using either a backscattering method or an active transmission method. Such active zero-power terminals, despite incorporating a battery, have very low power consumption and complexity, allowing for a small-capacity battery, thereby enabling lower cost and size. The integrated battery can be used as an energy storage unit to store ambient energy collected by the energy collection module, thereby achieving longer maintenance cycles and ultimately maintenance-free operation.

[0043] In active zero-power consumption terminals, the built-in battery provides power, increasing the communication range of the zero-power consumption terminal and improving communication reliability. Therefore, it is applied to scenarios with relatively high demands in terms of communication range, readout delay, etc.

[0044] 3. Cellular Passive IoT As the application of 5G in the industry increases, the types of connected devices and application scenarios are also becoming more diverse, and there are higher demands on the price and power consumption of communication terminals. The application of battery-free, low-cost passive IoT devices will become a key technology for cellular IoT, enriching the types and quantities of 5G network link terminals and realizing true interconnection of all things. In this context, passive IoT devices can be extended to be applied to cellular IoT based on existing zero-power consumption devices.

[0045] 4. Environmentally friendly energy-based equipment In NR and WiFi systems, the battery-free and low-cost nature of the devices can support low-cost, large-scale deployment and maintenance-free operation of, for example, IoT (Internet of Things) devices. Current standards are researching how to support ambient IoT (AMP IoT) devices, which are environmentally energy-based IoT devices, in NR and WiFi systems. This type of device is similar to passive or semi-passive devices in zero-power communications.

[0046] Ambient IoT devices can be broadly classified into the following three types, each possessing a corresponding level of complexity and communication capabilities. (1) Device A: It lacks energy storage capability and cannot transmit independent signals; in other words, it employs a transmission method that relies on backscattering. (2) Device B: It has the ability to store energy and cannot transmit independent signals, meaning it employs a transmission method that relies on backscattering, and can amplify the backscattered signal using the stored energy. (3) Device C: Has energy storage capability and can transmit independent signals, i.e., has active transmission capability. Of these, Device A has the lowest complexity and power consumption, with a low power consumption of 1 μW, but its communication range is limited, generally only a few meters. Device A requires network equipment to provide the carrier signal for backscattering transmission. Device C generally has a relatively large capacitor to store energy from the environment, can support power consumption of several hundred μW, can support active signal transmission, and has a long communication range. Because Device C can transmit actively, it does not require network equipment to provide the carrier signal. The complexity and power consumption of Device B fall between Device A and Device C.

[0047] In addition, the environmental energy harvesting supported by zero-power consumption terminals may include various types, such as radio frequency, solar energy, thermal energy, and mechanical energy. Here, zero-power consumption terminals based on radio frequency energy harvesting may require the provision of radio frequency energy supply signals via a network.

[0048] Based on an examination of application scenarios for Ambient IoT in related technologies, Ambient IoT can be used in at least the following four types of scenarios. Object recognition, for example, in logistics, production line product management, and supply chain management. Environmental monitoring, such as monitoring temperature, humidity, and hazardous gases in operating and natural environments. Positioning, such as indoor positioning, smart trackers, and production line item positioning. Smart control, for example, smart control of various electrical appliances in a smart home (turning air conditioners on / off, temperature adjustment), and smart control of various facilities in an agricultural greenhouse (automatic watering, fertilization).

[0049] V. Time synchronization mechanism in WiFi systems In a WiFi system, in addition to the station's internal timer, each station in the basic service set needs to maintain a timer, such as a timing synchronization function (TSF) timer, which is an internal timer synchronized with the TSF of all other stations (STAs) in the basic service set. The TSF timer measures in microseconds. To achieve temporal synchronization among stations in the basic service set, an access point (AP) indicates the number of microseconds that have elapsed since the network started operating using the timestamp field of the beacon frame. The timestamp field contains 8 bytes, 64 bits, and stations in the basic service set adjust their local timers using this timestamp.

[0050] The operation of AMP IoT devices is based on the collection of environmental energy such as radio frequency energy, solar energy, thermal energy, and mechanical energy. The stability of environmental energy acquisition is a challenge in ensuring the reliability of communication. Regarding time synchronization, AMP IoT devices need to receive timestamp information and maintain a local TSF timer. This requires that AMP IoT devices have a stable energy source to support continuous operation. In fact, the operation of AMP IoT devices depends on the results of environmental energy collection and the energy storage state. After several communication procedures have been performed, the energy storage of the AMP IoT device may not be able to support continuous operation, and energy collection may be required to obtain energy to support the next communication procedure. During energy collection, the AMP IoT device may not be able to reliably perform operations such as receiving timestamp information and updating the local TSF timer, and the AMP IoT device may lose time synchronization with the network. If the AMP IoT device has enough stored energy to operate again after time synchronization with the network is lost, it will not be able to know the target transmission time of the beacon frame, and therefore will not be able to resynchronize with the network in time. At the same time, receiving 64-bit long timestamp information itself consumes power in zero-power consumption devices, which is detrimental to energy saving.

[0051] In the embodiments of this application, the devices covered include terminal devices and network devices. Here, terminal devices may be zero-power consumption devices, and zero-power consumption devices may include environmentally energy-based devices such as AMP IoT (Ambient Powered IoT) devices and communication devices that can be used in WiFi or cellular networks. Here, environmental energy may include radio frequency energy, solar energy, thermal energy, mechanical energy, etc. From the viewpoint of energy harvesting, zero-power consumption devices may also be energy harvesting devices. Network devices are devices that communicate with terminal devices, such as devices that communicate with zero-power consumption devices, and may also be devices that provide wireless power to zero-power consumption devices, such as APs in WiFi or base stations in cellular networks.

[0052] The embodiments of this application provide a method for indicating time information. The main method involves a network device instructing a terminal device with time information, and this time information can be simplified timestamp information, i.e., timestamp information with a short time range. The embodiments of this application can be applied to WiFi systems and can also be applied to cellular network systems and the like.

[0053] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of the information indicating method 200 according to an embodiment of this application. This method is applicable to, but not limited to, the system shown in Figure 1. This method includes at least some of the following: S210, the network device instructs the terminal device to provide time information, and the network device sets a time range corresponding to the time information. Here, the time information may include timestamp information.

[0054] Since the time range corresponding to the time information instructed by network equipment can be set by the network equipment, for zero-power consumption equipment, the time during which the equipment operates for energy collection is intermittent, and maintaining synchronization over long periods does not make sense. Therefore, the time range corresponding to the timestamp information transmitted from network equipment can be reduced, meaning that network equipment can set time information with a shorter time range, thereby reducing power consumption when terminal equipment receives time information, while simultaneously meeting the time synchronization requirements within the operating time of the terminal equipment and reducing the redundancy of existing timers.

[0055] Furthermore, in some embodiments, time information indicated by network devices may be carried not only in beacon frames but also in other types of frames such as management frames, control frames, and data frames. Specifically, time information may be carried in beacon frames, synchronization frames, trigger frames, data frames, paging frames, etc. Accordingly, terminal devices can obtain timestamp information by beacon frames, and can also obtain timestamp information by other frames besides beacon frames, thereby enabling terminal devices to obtain timestamp information in a timely manner and avoiding the waiting time that occurs when timestamp information is obtained only by beacon frames.

[0056] As can be seen from the above, according to the embodiment of this application, the power consumption when the terminal device receives timestamp information can be reduced, the terminal device can acquire timestamp information in a timely manner, and the waiting time of the terminal device can be shortened. Therefore, the embodiment of this application can be applied in particular to zero-power consumption terminals.

[0057] In some embodiments, network devices can predetermine time ranges corresponding to time ranges and notify terminal devices of these ranges. For example, Network equipment receives information about the type and / or capabilities of terminal devices. Network equipment determines the time range corresponding to the time information based on this type and / or capability information. The network device transmits the time range corresponding to this time information to the terminal device. Here, terminal equipment type and / or capability information may include at least one of energy storage capacity, energy collection capacity, and energy collection method. These types and / or capabilities can determine the length of time a single operation of the terminal equipment continues.

[0058] For example, in the connection procedure, the network device receives an Association Request message from the terminal device, which carries information about the type and / or capabilities of the terminal device. Based on this information, the network device determines the time range of time information to instruct the terminal device to use. Finally, the network device sends an Association Response message to the terminal device, which carries the time range corresponding to the time information.

[0059] Alternatively, a network device may receive type and / or capability information of multiple terminal devices, uniformly determine a time range corresponding to time information based on this terminal device type and / or capability information, and broadcast the time range corresponding to the time information to the terminal devices. When determining the time range, the network device may determine the time range based on the terminal device with the highest capability among these terminal devices so that the time range satisfies the timing requirements of each terminal device.

[0060] In some embodiments, the time range corresponding to the time information may be a time range independent of existing time cycles; for example, a network device may set the time range corresponding to the time information to 100 milliseconds.

[0061] In some other embodiments, the time range corresponding to the time information may be a time range related to a time period in the relevant technology. For example, a network device may configure the time range corresponding to the time information to include at least one first time period, e.g., one, two, or more first time periods. What the specific time period is and whether the time range includes several first time periods may both be determined by the network device based on the type and / or capabilities of the terminal equipment. Here, the first time period may be the following time period. (1) Beacon frame transmission period (2)TWT period (3) RAW length (4) Length of SP

[0062] I will explain this in detail below. (1) The time range corresponding to the time information includes at least one beacon frame transmission period. The beacon frame transmission period can refer to the interval of the target beacon transmission times (TBTT) of the beacon frame, i.e., the beacon interval. Network devices transmit time information to terminal devices, and the time range corresponding to this time information may be an integer multiple (e.g., 1x, 2x, or multiple times) of the beacon frame transmission period. The units of this time information may include time units (TU), microseconds, or milliseconds, where a time unit (TU) may be equal to 1024 microseconds.

[0063] Network devices can transmit or indicate time information using beacon frames or other frames besides beacon frames.

[0064] If the time range corresponding to the time information is a single beacon interval, then when a beacon frame is transmitted at the beginning of the beacon interval in which it is located, network devices can implicitly indicate this time information. In other words, network devices do not need to carry bits of time information; they can simply transmit a single beacon frame at the beginning of the beacon interval (i.e., the beginning of the time range corresponding to the time information), implicitly indicating the time information as "time 0," and terminal devices can know that this time information is "time 0" when they receive this beacon frame.

[0065] In other words, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the beacon frame transmission cycle, the step of the network device instructing the terminal device on the time information may include the step of the network device transmitting a beacon frame at the beginning of the beacon frame transmission cycle to the terminal device.

[0066] If the time range corresponding to the time information is two or more beacon intervals, and the beacon frame is transmitted at the start of the beacon interval in which it is located, the network device implicitly indicates in the beacon frame that the time information is at the start of this beacon interval, without carrying specific time information. Accordingly, the terminal device that receives the beacon frame can determine the time information indicated by the network device based on which beacon interval the beacon frame is located in and the length of the pre-configured beacon interval. For example, if the length of a beacon interval is set to 102,400 microseconds, and the time range corresponding to the time information includes four beacon intervals (i.e., 409,600 microseconds, which is four times the length of 102,400 microseconds), the network device will transmit a beacon frame at the initial position of the second beacon interval, and this beacon frame will indicate that the current beacon interval is the second beacon interval within the entire time range. When the terminal device receives this beacon frame, it will determine that the time information it indicates is the starting position of the second beacon interval, and if the start time of the entire time range is set to 0 microseconds, then this time information will be 102,400 microseconds.

[0067] In other words, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes two or more beacon frame transmission cycles, the step of the network device instructing the terminal device to the time information is the step of the network device transmitting at least one beacon frame to the terminal device, wherein the beacon frame is located at the start position of the beacon frame transmission cycle, and the beacon frame carries or instructs time information indicating the position of the beacon frame transmission cycle in which the beacon frame is located within the time range corresponding to the time information.

[0068] If this time information is not indicated by the beacon frame, or if the beacon frame is not transmitted at the start of the beacon interval, specific time information can be carried. For example, if the time information is 102,400 microseconds, it may be indicated by 3 bytes or by 17 bits.

[0069] (2) The time range corresponding to the time information includes at least one TWT period (TWT interval). Taking a Wi-Fi system as an example, a schedule consisting of a Target Wake Time (TWT) period can be created between the access point (AP) and the service station (STA). The network equipment transmits time information to the terminal equipment that corresponds to a time range that may be an integer multiple of the TWT period (e.g., 1x, 2x, or multiple times). The units of this time information may include time units such as microseconds or milliseconds.

[0070] Network devices can transmit or indicate this time information using beacon frames or other frames besides beacon frames.

[0071] When network equipment uses a TWT trigger frame to carry or indicate time information, if the time range corresponding to the time information is one TWT period, the network equipment can implicitly indicate the time information when the TWT trigger frame is transmitted at the start of the TWT period in which it is located. In other words, the network equipment does not need to carry the bits of time information, but transmits a TWT trigger frame that implicitly indicates the time information as "time 0" at the start of the TWT period (i.e., the start of the time range corresponding to the time information), and when terminal equipment receives the TWT trigger frame, it can know that this time information is "time 0".

[0072] In other words, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the TWT period, the step of the network device instructing the terminal device on the time information includes the step of the network device sending a TWT trigger frame at the beginning of the TWT period to the terminal device.

[0073] If the time range corresponding to the time information is two or more TWT periods, and the TWT trigger frame is transmitted at the beginning of the TWT period in which it is located, the network device can indicate in the TWT trigger frame which TWT period it is located in, and implicitly indicate that the time information is at the beginning of that TWT period, without carrying specific time information. Accordingly, a terminal device that receives the TWT trigger frame can determine the time information indicated by the network device based on which TWT period the TWT trigger frame is located in and the length of the preset TWT period. For example, if the length of the TWT period is preset to 102,400 microseconds, and the time range corresponding to the time information includes three TWT periods (i.e., a length of three times 102,400 microseconds, i.e., 307,200 microseconds), the network device will transmit the TWT trigger frame at the beginning of the third TWT period, indicating in the TWT trigger frame that the TWT period in which it is located is the third TWT period within the entire time range. When the terminal device receives the TWT trigger frame, it determines that the time information it indicates is the start position of the third TWT period. If the start time of the entire time range is set to 0 microseconds, then the time information becomes 204800 microseconds.

[0074] In other words, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes two or more TWT periods, the step of a network device instructing a terminal device to the time information is the step of the network device transmitting to the terminal device at least one TWT trigger frame located at the start position of a TWT period, wherein the TWT trigger frame carries or instructs time information indicating the position of the TWT period in which the TWT trigger frame is located within the time range corresponding to the time information.

[0075] (3) The time range corresponding to the time information includes at least one RAW length. To reduce channel access conflicts, related technologies introduce a restricted access window (RAW), where each RAW allows access and transmission via channels only to certain STAs. Each RAW can be divided into one or more RAW slots, and STAs perform channel access only in their assigned RAW slots, thus reducing channel access conflicts.

[0076] In the embodiments of this application, the time range corresponding to the time information may include an integer multiple of the length of the RAW (e.g., 1), and for example, the time range corresponding to the timestamp information is the length of the RAW.

[0077] Network devices can transmit or indicate this time information using beacon frames or other frames besides beacon frames.

[0078] When network equipment uses synchronization frames to transmit or instruct the time information. In some embodiments, if a synchronization frame is transmitted at the beginning of the RAW, network equipment can implicitly indicate the time information. That is, the network equipment does not need to carry bits of time information, but transmits a synchronization frame at the beginning of the RAW (i.e., the beginning of the time range corresponding to the time information) that implicitly indicates the time information as "time 0". When terminal equipment receives the synchronization frame, it can know that the time information is "time 0".

[0079] In other words, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the step of the network device instructing the terminal device on the time information may include the network device sending a synchronization frame at the beginning of the RAW to the terminal device.

[0080] In some other embodiments, when a synchronization frame is transmitted at the beginning of a RAW slot in the RAW, the network device may implicitly indicate that the time information is at the beginning of a RAW slot by indicating which RAW slot the synchronization frame is located in, rather than carrying specific time information. Accordingly, a terminal device receiving the synchronization frame can determine the time information indicated by the network device based on which RAW slot the synchronization frame is located in and a preset length of the RAW. For example, if the length of the RAW is preset to 80,000 microseconds and the RAW contains four RAW slots, the network device transmits a synchronization frame at the initial position of the third RAW slot, indicating that the RAW slot located in the synchronization frame is the third RAW slot in the RAW range. Upon receiving the synchronization frame, the terminal device can then determine that the time information it indicates is at the beginning of the third RAW slot, and if the start time of the entire time range is 0 microseconds, the time information will be 40,000 microseconds.

[0081] In other words, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the step of a network device instructing a terminal device to the time information is the step of the network device transmitting to the terminal device at least one synchronization frame at the beginning of the slot in the RAW, wherein the synchronization frame carries or instructs the time information indicating the position of the slot in the RAW where the synchronization frame is located.

[0082] (4) The time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of SP. Automatic Power Save Delivery (APSD) is a power saving authentication protocol that can extend the battery life of WiFi devices. It incorporates the concept of Service Period (SP). After a node occupies a channel, it sets a service period, during which it can transmit multiple frames; in other words, it performs multiple transmissions for each conflict. APS In D, there are two specific operating modes: scheduling-based APSD (S-APSD, Scheduled APSD) and unscheduled APSD (U-APSD, Unscheduled APSD).

[0083] In U-APSD mode, the STA initiates the transmission procedure and first sends a trigger frame. This frame marks the start of the service period for the STA. The AP then provides feedback with an acknowledgment frame (ACK) and data frames. The STA then continues exchanging data with the AP within the service period. Once all of the AP's cache has been sent, the service period ends with the final data frame annotated with "End of Service Period (EOSP)". Simultaneously, there is an agreed-upon maximum service period length (Max SP Length) between the STA and the AP.

[0084] In S-APSD mode, the Service Provider (SP) is pre-scheduled. Shortly before the scheduled time arrives, the AP sends a trigger frame, and the STA also wakes up in advance to receive the frame and begin service time.

[0085] In the embodiments of this application, the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of SP, for example, the maximum SP length.

[0086] During the SP period, time information can be carried by data frames transmitted from the AP for time synchronization of the STA during the SP period. In addition to data frames, network devices may also carry or indicate this time information using beacon frames or other frames besides beacon frames.

[0087] (5) The time range corresponding to the time information is the length of the setting, and this length of the setting is independent of the existing time period. In the embodiments of this application, terminal devices can transmit or indicate time information using beacon frames or other frames besides beacon frames.

[0088] Embodiments of this application further provide a method for indicating time information. The main method involves a terminal device receiving instructions from a network device regarding time information, and the network device setting a time range corresponding to the time information. The time information can be simplified timestamp information, i.e., timestamp information with a short time range. Embodiments of this application can be applied to WiFi systems and also to cellular network systems, etc.

[0089] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of the information instruction method 300 according to an embodiment of this application, which is applicable to the system shown in Figure 1, but is not limited thereto. This method includes at least some of the following:

[0090] S 3 10. The terminal device receives instructions from the network device regarding time information, and the network device sets a time range corresponding to the time information. Here, the time information may include timestamp information.

[0091] Subsequently, the terminal device can adjust a timer, such as a TSF timer, based on instructions regarding time information.

[0092] Since the time range corresponding to the time information instructed by network equipment can be set by the network equipment, for zero-power consumption equipment, the time during which the equipment operates for energy collection is intermittent, and maintaining synchronization over long periods does not make sense. Therefore, the time range corresponding to the timestamp information transmitted from network equipment can be reduced, meaning that network equipment can set time information with a shorter time range, thereby reducing power consumption when terminal equipment receives time information, while simultaneously meeting the time synchronization requirements within the operating time of the terminal equipment and reducing the redundancy of existing timers.

[0093] Furthermore, in some embodiments, time information indicated by network devices may be carried not only in beacon frames but also in other types of frames such as management frames, control frames, and data frames. Specifically, time information may be carried in beacon frames, synchronization frames, trigger frames, data frames, paging frames, etc. Accordingly, terminal devices can obtain timestamp information by beacon frames, and can also obtain timestamp information by other frames besides beacon frames, thereby enabling terminal devices to obtain timestamp information in a timely manner and avoiding the waiting time that occurs when timestamp information is obtained only by beacon frames.

[0094] As can be seen from the above, according to the embodiment of this application, the power consumption when the terminal device receives timestamp information can be reduced, the terminal device can acquire timestamp information in a timely manner, and the waiting time of the terminal device can be shortened. Therefore, the embodiment of this application can be applied in particular to zero-power consumption terminals.

[0095] In some embodiments, terminal devices can pre-report their type and / or capability information to network devices. In this way, network devices determine the time range corresponding to the time information based on the type and / or capability information. For example, The aforementioned terminal device transmits information about the type and / or capabilities of the terminal device. The aforementioned terminal device receives the time range corresponding to the time information. Here, terminal equipment type and / or capability information may include at least one of energy storage capacity, energy collection capacity, and energy collection method. These types and / or capabilities can determine the length of time a single operation of the terminal equipment continues.

[0096] For example, in the connection procedure, the terminal device sends an Association Request message to the network device, which carries information about the type and / or capabilities of the terminal device. The network device determines the time range of time information to instruct the terminal device based on the type and / or capabilities of the terminal device. Finally, the terminal device receives an Association Response message from the network device, which carries the time range corresponding to the time information.

[0097] Alternatively, a network device may receive type and / or capability information of multiple terminal devices, uniformly determine a time range corresponding to time information based on this terminal device type and / or capability information, and broadcast the time range corresponding to the time information to the terminal devices. When determining the time range, the network device may determine the time range based on the terminal device with the highest capability among these terminal devices so that the time range satisfies the timing requirements of each terminal device.

[0098] In some embodiments, the time range corresponding to the time information may be a time range independent of existing time cycles; for example, a network device may set the time range corresponding to the time information to 100 milliseconds.

[0099] In some other embodiments, the time range corresponding to the time information may be a time range related to a time period in the relevant technology. For example, a network device may configure the time range corresponding to the time information to include at least one first time period, e.g., one, two, or more first time periods. What the specific time period is and whether the time range includes several first time periods may both be determined by the network device based on the type and / or capabilities of the terminal equipment. Here, the first time period may be the following time period. (1) Beacon frame transmission period (2)TWT period (3) RAW length (4) Length of SP

[0100] Various examples of time ranges corresponding to time information can be found in the related content mentioned above, and will not be explained here.

[0101] Several embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0102] Embodiments of this application provide a method for indicating time information. Network devices indicate simplified timestamp information. Using a WiFi system as an example, the following methods are included. Network devices can indicate timestamp information to terminal devices using one or more of the following methods.

[0103] Method 1: The time range corresponding to the timestamp information is an integer multiple of the transmission period of the beacon frame.

[0104] In conventional technology, the timestamp field within a beacon frame contains 8 bytes, 64 bits, and represents approximately 580,000 years. 64 Time can be measured in microseconds within a microsecond range. However, this measurement range is too long for zero-power consumption devices. Zero-power consumption devices generally cannot guarantee continuous long-term operation, and when power is lost, they cannot receive timestamp information or maintain the local TSF timer. At the same time, receiving 64-bit timestamp information itself consumes power in zero-power consumption devices, which is detrimental to energy saving.

[0105] This method simplifies timestamp information. Maintaining synchronization over long periods is pointless when zero-power consumption devices operate intermittently for energy collection. Therefore, this method reduces the time range corresponding to the timestamp information transmitted by network devices.

[0106] Specifically, the time range corresponding to the timestamp information may be the transmission period of the beacon frame, i.e., the beacon interval. In conventional technology, the interval of the target beacon transmission times (TBTT) of the beacon frame is the beacon interval. The beacon interval information is carried by the beacon frame. The beacon interval information is 2 bytes and indicates the number of time units (TUs), where one TU represents 1024 microseconds. For example, if the beacon interval is set to 100 TU, this corresponds to transmitting a beacon signal every 100 milliseconds, or every 0.1 seconds.

[0107] Specifically, the number of bits corresponding to the timestamp information corresponds to the length of the beacon interval. Here, the time unit indicated by the timestamp information is TU. For example, if the length of the beacon interval is 100 TU, the timestamp information can be 1 byte, 8 bits, and can represent the number of TUs in one beacon interval, indicating a range of 0 to 255 TU. The timestamp information can also be 7 bits. The time unit indicated by the timestamp information may be microseconds, the time length that the timestamp information can indicate is 102400 microseconds, and the timestamp information may require 3 bytes, 17 bits. If the time range corresponding to the timestamp information is one beacon interval, then assuming that the beacon frame is at the start of the beacon interval, the timestamp information can be implicitly indicated, in which case the beacon frame does not have to contain the timestamp information. Assume that the AP can specifically indicate time information within one beacon interval range when the timestamp information is carried or indicated to frames (e.g., beacon frames, or other types of frames) transmitted at other times within the beacon interval.

[0108] Furthermore, the time range corresponding to the timestamp information may be an integer multiple of the beacon interval. As shown in Figure 4, the timing range of the TSF timer is N beacon intervals. In this case, assuming that a beacon frame is at the start of a beacon interval, the timestamp information carried or indicated to each beacon frame can indicate which of the N beacon intervals the beacon interval in which the beacon frame is located is. The timestamp information carried or indicated to frames transmitted at other times (e.g., beacon frames, or other types of frames) can specifically indicate time information within the range of N beacon intervals.

[0109] Method 2: The time range corresponding to the timestamp information is an integer multiple of the TWT period. Related technologies include the introduction of Target Wake Time (TWT). In TWT, a schedule consisting of a TWT time period (a schedule agreed upon by the terminal and the AP) is created between the terminal and the AP. When the time period negotiated by the terminal and the AP arrives, the terminal wakes up, waits for a trigger frame sent from the AP, and performs one data exchange. Once this transfer is complete, it returns to sleep mode. Each terminal and AP conducts independent negotiations, and each terminal has its own individual TWT time period. The AP can also group terminals together based on the set TWT time periods and connect to multiple terminals at once to improve energy efficiency.

[0110] As shown in Figure 5, the STA and AP agree on a TWT time period in TWT mode. The STA operates in sleep mode by default to maintain low power consumption. When the TWT time period arrives, the AP sends a trigger frame to the terminal, the terminal wakes up and exchanges data with the AP, and once the data exchange is complete, the terminal returns to sleep mode. The period during which each TWT arrives and the STA wakes up to exchange data is called the TWT period (TWT SP, TWT service period).

[0111] In this scheme, the time range corresponding to the timestamp information may be a TWT period. Specifically, the time range corresponding to the timestamp information may be one or more TWT periods. If the time range corresponding to the timestamp information is a TWT interval, a TWT trigger frame can implicitly indicate the timestamp information when it is at the start of the TWT interval, in which case the TWT trigger frame does not need to contain the timestamp information. Timestamp information carried in frames (e.g., TWT trigger frames or other types of frames) sent from the AP at other times within the TWT interval can specifically indicate the time information within the TWT interval range. If the time range corresponding to the timestamp information is multiple TWT periods, when a TWT trigger frame is sent at the start of each TWT period, the TWT trigger frame can indicate which of the N TWT periods it is located in.

[0112] Method 3: The time range corresponding to the timestamp information is an integer multiple of the length of the RAW file. To reduce channel access collisions, related technologies introduce a restricted access window (RAW), where each RAW allows access and transmission through a channel only to certain STAs. Each RAW can be divided into one or more RAW slots, and STAs perform channel access only in their assigned RAW slots, thus reducing channel access collisions. As shown in Figure 6, a RAW contains four slots, and STAs transmit data in the slots to which they belong.

[0113] In this method, the time range corresponding to the timestamp information is an integer multiple of the RAW length; for example, the time range corresponding to the timestamp information is the length of the RAW. The RAW start position can carry timestamp information indicating the start time of the RAW in a single synchronization frame. After acquiring the timestamp information, the STA updates its local TSF to synchronize temporally with the AP and other STAs within the RAW range and to accurately determine its own slot position.

[0114] Specifically, if a synchronization frame is transmitted at the beginning of the RAW, it can implicitly indicate timestamp information, meaning that the RAW start time does not necessarily have to include timestamp information. An indication information can be added to the synchronization frame to show that the synchronization frame is located at the beginning of the RAW. If a synchronization frame is transmitted at the start time of a slot in the RAW, the timestamp information carried to it may indicate which of the N slots in the RAW the synchronization frame is located in, or it may indicate a specific time.

[0115] Method 4: The time range corresponding to the timestamp information is the length of the SP. In related technologies, APSD incorporates the concept of service time, or Service Period (SP). After a node occupies a channel, it sets a service time, during which it can transmit multiple frames; in other words, it can perform multiple transmissions for each conflict. APS In D, there are two specific operating modes: S-APSD and U-APSD.

[0116] In U-APSD mode, the STA initiates the transmission procedure and first sends a trigger frame. This frame marks the start of the service period for the STA. The AP then provides feedback with an ACK and data. The STA then continues exchanging data with the AP within the service period. Once all of the AP's cache has been sent, the service period ends with the final Data frame annotated with EOSP. Simultaneously, there is an agreed-upon maximum SP length between the STA and the AP.

[0117] In this method, the time range corresponding to the timestamp information can be the maximum SP length. During the SP period, as shown in Figure 7, the timestamp information may be carried by a data frame transmitted from the AP for time synchronization of the STA during the SP period.

[0118] In S-APSD mode, the SP is pre-scheduled, and as shown in Figure 8, shortly before the scheduled time arrives, the AP sends a trigger frame, and the STA also wakes up in advance to receive the frame and begin service time.

[0119] Method 5: The time range corresponding to the timestamp information is the length of the setting. In methods 1 to 4, the time range corresponding to the timestamp information is set based on an existing time period or time parameter such as beacon interval, TWT interval, or SP. In method 5, the AP and STA negotiate the time range; for example, during the connection procedure, the AP and STA negotiate the time range corresponding to the timestamp information, and at the same time, the number of bits / bytes of the timestamp information and the timing range of the STA local TSF timer are determined.

[0120] The time range corresponding to the timestamp information can be determined based on the type or capability of the STA serviced by the AP, such as the STA's energy storage capacity, energy collection capacity, or energy collection method, which allows the STA to determine the length of a single operation. Therefore, in the connection procedure, the STA can report capability information to the AP, and the AP can determine and specify the time range corresponding to the timestamp information.

[0121] As described above, in the embodiments of this application, the number of bits in the timestamp information and the corresponding time range are simplified to match the limited operating time of zero-power consumption equipment. The timestamp information may be carried by beacon frames, or by frames other than beacon frame types, such as trigger frames, synchronization frames, data frames, and NDP (null data PPDU) paging frames, which may be periodic or aperiodic. These frames may be directed to a specific STA or broadcast. These do not require the periodic transmission of timestamp information to the STA using only beacon frames to maintain continuous synchronization, and can trigger the transmission of timestamp information by the STA during communication for synchronization over a certain time range during communication. This timestamp information is for updating the STA's local TSF timer, but after the STA wakes up due to energy collection, the timestamp information can also be used to determine the current time and whether the target communication time for the STA, such as TWT, RAW, or SP, has arrived.

[0122] The embodiments of this application further propose terminal equipment. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of terminal equipment 900 according to the embodiments of this application, and terminal equipment 900 is A first receiving module 910 for receiving instructions from a network device regarding time information, the first receiving module 910 includes a time range corresponding to the time information that is set by the network device.

[0123] In some embodiments, the time range corresponding to the time information includes at least one first time period.

[0124] In some embodiments, the first time period is Beacon frame transmission period and TWT period and RAW length and It includes at least one of the lengths of SP.

[0125] In some embodiments, the time information is carried by at least one of the following: a beacon frame, a synchronization frame, a trigger frame, a data frame, and a paging frame.

[0126] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the terminal device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application. The terminal device 1000 includes one or more features of the embodiment of the terminal device 900 described above. In one possible embodiment, in the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device 1000 is A first transmission module 1020 for transmitting type and / or capability information of the terminal device, The system further includes a second receiving module 1030 for receiving a time range corresponding to the time information.

[0127] In some embodiments, the type and / or capability information includes at least one of energy storage capacity, energy collection capacity, and energy collection method.

[0128] In some embodiments, the units of time information include time units TU, microseconds, or milliseconds.

[0129] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the beacon frame transmission period, the first receiving module 910 receives a beacon frame at the start of the beacon frame transmission period.

[0130] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes two or more beacon frame transmission cycles, the first receiving module 910 receives a beacon frame at the start position of the beacon frame transmission cycle, and the beacon frame carries time information indicating the position of the beacon frame transmission cycle in which the beacon frame is located within the time range corresponding to the time information.

[0131] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the TWT period, the first receiving module 910 receives a TWT trigger frame at the beginning of the TWT period.

[0132] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes two or more TWT periods, the first receiving module 910 receives at least one TWT trigger frame at the start position of the TWT period, and the TWT trigger frame carries time information indicating the position of the TWT period in which the TWT trigger frame is located within the time range corresponding to the time information.

[0133] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the first receiving module 910 receives a synchronization frame at the beginning of the RAW.

[0134] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the first receiving module 910 receives at least one synchronization frame at the beginning of the slot in the RAW, and the synchronization frame carries time information indicating the position of the slot in the RAW where the synchronization frame is located.

[0135] In some embodiments, the network equipment includes an access point (AP) or access network equipment.

[0136] In some embodiments, the terminal equipment includes zero-power consumption equipment.

[0137] In some embodiments, zero-power consumption devices include environmentally friendly energy-based devices.

[0138] In some embodiments, the time information includes timestamp information.

[0139] In some embodiments, the adjustment module 1040 adjusts the timer based on instructions for time information.

[0140] In some embodiments, the timer includes a timing synchronization function TSF timer.

[0141] Please understand that the above-described and other operations and / or functions of the module in the terminal device according to the embodiment of this application are for the purpose of realizing the corresponding flow of the terminal device in Method 300 in Figure 3, respectively, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0142] The embodiments of this application further propose network equipment. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the network equipment 1100 according to the embodiments of this application, and the network equipment 1100 is An instruction module 1110 for instructing terminal equipment to provide time information, the instruction module 1110 includes a time range corresponding to the time information that is set by the network equipment.

[0143] In some embodiments, the time range corresponding to the time information includes at least one first time period.

[0144] In some embodiments, the first time period is Beacon frame transmission period and TWT period and RAW length and It includes at least one of the lengths of SP.

[0145] In some embodiments, the time information is carried by at least one of the following: a beacon frame, a synchronization frame, a trigger frame, a data frame, and a paging frame.

[0146] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a network device 1200 according to an embodiment of the present application. The network device 1200 includes one or more features of the embodiment of the network device 1200. In one possible embodiment, in the embodiment of the present application, the network device 1200 is A third receiving module 1220 for receiving type and / or capability information of the terminal device, The system further includes a determination module 1230 for determining a time range corresponding to the time information based on the type and / or capability information.

[0147] The second transmission module 1240 transmits a time range corresponding to the time information to the terminal device.

[0148] In some embodiments, the type and / or capability information includes at least one of energy storage capability, energy collection capability, and energy collection method.

[0149] In some embodiments, the units of time information include time units TU, microseconds, or milliseconds.

[0150] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the beacon frame transmission cycle, the instruction module 1110 transmits a beacon frame at the start of the beacon frame transmission cycle to the terminal device.

[0151] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes two or more beacon frame transmission cycles, the instruction module 1110 transmits at least one beacon frame at the start position of the beacon frame transmission cycle to the terminal device, and the time information indicating the position of the beacon frame transmission cycle in which the beacon frame is located within the time range corresponding to the time information is carried by the beacon frame.

[0152] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the TWT period, the instruction module 1110 transmits a TWT trigger frame at the start position of the TWT period to the terminal device.

[0153] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes two or more TWT periods, the instruction module 1110 transmits at least one TWT trigger frame at the start position of the TWT period to the terminal device, and the time information indicating the position of the TWT period in which the TWT trigger frame is located within the time range corresponding to the time information is carried by the TWT trigger frame.

[0154] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the instruction module 1110 transmits a synchronization frame at the beginning of the RAW to the terminal device.

[0155] In some embodiments, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the instruction module 1110 transmits at least one sync frame at the start position of the slot in the RAW to the terminal device, and the sync frame carries time information indicating the position of the slot in the RAW where the sync frame is located.

[0156] In some embodiments, the network equipment includes APs or access network equipment.

[0157] In some embodiments, the terminal equipment includes zero-power consumption equipment.

[0158] In some embodiments, zero-power consumption devices include environmentally friendly energy-based devices.

[0159] In some embodiments, the time information includes timestamp information.

[0160] Please understand that the above-described and other operations and / or functions of the modules in the network device according to the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of realizing the corresponding flow of the network device in Method 200 in Figure 2, respectively, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0161] Furthermore, the functions described for each module (submodule, unit, or component, etc.) in the communication device of the embodiment of this application may be implemented by different modules (submodules, units, or components, etc.) or by the same module (submodule, unit, or component, etc.). For example, the first receiving module and the second receiving module may be different modules or the same module, and in either case, the corresponding functions in the embodiment of this application can be implemented. In addition, the transmitting module and the receiving module in the embodiment of this application may be implemented by the transceiver of the device, and some or all of the remaining modules may be implemented by the processor of the device.

[0162] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the communication device 1300 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1300 shown in Figure 13 includes a processor 1310 that can call and execute a computer program from memory in order to implement the method in the embodiment of this application.

[0163] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 13, the communication device 1300 may further include a memory 1320. Here, the processor 1310 can call and execute a computer program from the memory 1320 to realize the communication device in the embodiment of this application. Here, the memory 1320 may be a separate device independent of the processor 1310, or it may be integrated into the processor 1310.

[0164] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 13, the communication device 1300 may further include a transceiver 1330 which is controlled by a processor 1310 and can communicate with other devices, specifically, it can transmit information or data to other devices or receive information or data transmitted from other devices. Here, the transceiver 1330 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 1330 may further include one or more antennas.

[0165] In some embodiments, the communication device 1300 may be the communication device of the embodiment of this application, and can realize the corresponding flow realized by the communication device in various ways of the embodiment of this application, which will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0166] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the chip 1400 according to an embodiment of this application. The chip 1400 shown in Figure 14 includes a processor 1410 that can call and execute a computer program from memory in order to implement the method in the embodiment of this application.

[0167] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 14, the chip 1400 may also include memory 1420. The processor 1410 can call and execute a computer program from memory 1420 to implement the method in the embodiments of this application. Here, the memory 1420 may be a separate device independent of the processor 1410, or it may be integrated into the processor 1410.

[0168] In some embodiments, the chip 1400 may further include an input interface 1430, which is controlled by the processor 1410 and can communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically can acquire information or data transmitted from other devices or chips.

[0169] In some embodiments, the chip 1400 may further include an output interface 1440, which is controlled by the processor 1410 and can communicate with other devices or chips, and specifically can output information or data to other devices or chips.

[0170] In some embodiments, the chip may be applied to a communication device in an embodiment of the present application, and the chip can implement the corresponding flow realized by the network device in various ways in an embodiment of the present application, which will not be repeated here for brevity.

[0171] Please understand that the chips referred to in the embodiments of this application may also be called system-level chips, system chips, chip systems, or system-on-a-chip.

[0172] The processor described above may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. Here, the general-purpose processor described above may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0173] The above-mentioned memory may be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Here, non-volatile memory may be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (Erasable PROM, EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (Electrically EPROM, EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory may be random access memory (RAM).

[0174] It should be understood that the above-mentioned memories are illustrative but not limiting. For example, the memories in the embodiments of this application may include static random access memory (Static RAM, SRAM), dynamic random access memory (Dynamic RAM, DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (Synchronous DRAM, SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (Double Data Rate SDRAM, DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (Enhanced SDRAM, ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (Synchlink DRAM, SLDRAM), and direct rambus random access memory (Direct Rambus RAM, DR RAM), etc. In other words, the memories in the embodiments of this application are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0175] 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 may be implemented in whole or in part as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded onto a computer and executed, all or part of the flow or function relating to the embodiments of this application is generated. 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 or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center by wire (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wirelessly (e.g., infrared, radio, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible to the computer, or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media. The usable media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., SSDs (solid state disks)).

[0176] In the various embodiments of this application, the magnitude of the number of each process does not indicate the execution order, and the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic. It should be understood that this does not intend to limit the implementation processes of the embodiments of this application in any way.

[0177] For the sake of convenience and brevity of explanation, the specific operating processes of the systems, apparatus, and units described above may be described by referring to the corresponding processes in the embodiments of the above methods, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such processes will not be repeated here.

[0178] 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 can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the technical scope disclosed herein is included within the scope of protection of this application. Accordingly, the scope of protection of this application shall be subject to the claims.

Claims

1. An information instruction method comprising the steps of: a terminal device receiving instructions from a network device regarding time information, wherein a time range corresponding to the time information is set by the network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time range corresponding to the time information includes at least one first time period.

3. The first time period is, Beacon frame transmission period and Target wake time TWT period, The length of the access restriction window RAW, The method according to claim 2, comprising at least one of the length of the service time SP.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the time information is conveyed by at least one of a beacon frame, a synchronization frame, a trigger frame, a data frame, and a paging frame.

5. The steps include: The terminal device transmits information about the type and / or capabilities of the terminal device; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the step of the terminal device receiving a time range corresponding to the time information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the type and / or capability information includes at least one of energy storage capacity, energy collection capacity, and energy collection method.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the unit of time information includes a time unit TU, a microsecond, or a millisecond.

8. If the time range corresponding to the aforementioned time information includes the beacon frame transmission period, the step of the terminal device receiving instructions from the network device regarding the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising the step of the terminal device receiving the beacon frame which is at the start position of the beacon frame transmission cycle.

9. If the time range corresponding to the aforementioned time information includes two or more beacon frame transmission cycles, the step of the terminal device receiving instructions from a network device regarding the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the step of a terminal device receiving a beacon frame at the start position of a beacon frame transmission cycle, wherein the time information indicating the position of the beacon frame in a beacon frame transmission cycle within a time range corresponding to the time information is carried or indicated by the beacon frame.

10. If the time range corresponding to the aforementioned time information includes the TWT period, the step of the terminal device receiving instructions from the network device regarding the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the step of the terminal device receiving a TWT trigger frame at the start position of the TWT cycle.

11. If the time range corresponding to the time information includes two or more TWT periods, the step of the terminal device receiving instructions from the network device regarding the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the step of the terminal device receiving at least one TWT trigger frame located at the start position of a TWT period, wherein the time information indicating the position of the TWT period in which the TWT trigger frame is located, within a time range corresponding to the time information, is carried or indicated by the TWT trigger frame.

12. If the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the step of the terminal device receiving instructions from the network device regarding the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising the step of receiving a synchronization frame at the start position of the RAW terminal device.

13. If the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the step of the terminal device receiving instructions from the network device regarding the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the step of the terminal device receiving at least one synchronization frame located at the start position of a slot in the RAW, the time information indicating the position of the slot in the RAW where the synchronization frame is located being carried or transmitted by the synchronization frame.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the network equipment includes an access point AP or an access network device.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the terminal equipment includes zero-power consumption equipment.

16. The method according to any one of claims 15, wherein the zero-power consumption equipment includes environmentally friendly energy-based equipment.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the time information includes timestamp information.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising the step of the terminal device adjusting a timer based on instructions for the time information.

19. The method according to any one of claims 18, wherein the timer includes a timing synchronization function TSF timer.

20. An information instruction method comprising the step of a network device instructing a terminal device to provide time information, the step of a time range corresponding to the time information being set by the network device.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the time range corresponding to the time information includes at least one first time period.

22. The first time period is, Beacon frame transmission period and TWT period and The length of the RAW file, The method according to claim 20, comprising at least one of the lengths of SP.

23. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 22, wherein the time information is carried by at least one of a beacon frame, a synchronization frame, a trigger frame, a data frame, and a paging frame.

24. The step of the network device receiving type and / or capability information of the terminal device, The steps include: the network device determining a time range corresponding to the time information based on the type and / or capability information; The method according to any one of claims 20 to 23, further comprising the step of the network device transmitting a time range corresponding to the time information to the terminal device.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the type and / or capability information includes at least one of energy storage capacity, energy collection capacity, and energy collection method.

26. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 25, wherein the unit of time information includes a time unit TU, a microsecond, or a millisecond.

27. If the time range corresponding to the aforementioned time information includes the beacon frame transmission period, the step of the network device instructing the terminal device on the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 20 to 26, further comprising the step of the network device transmitting a beacon frame at the start position of the beacon frame transmission cycle to a terminal device.

28. If the time range corresponding to the aforementioned time information includes two or more beacon frame transmission cycles, the step of the network device instructing the terminal device on the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 20 to 26, comprising the steps of: the network device transmitting to a terminal device at least one beacon frame located at the start position of a beacon frame transmission cycle, wherein the time information indicating the position of the beacon frame in a beacon frame transmission cycle within a time range corresponding to the time information is carried or indicated by the beacon frame.

29. If the time range corresponding to the aforementioned time information includes the TWT period, the step of the network device instructing the terminal device to provide the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 20 to 26, further comprising the step of the network device transmitting a TWT trigger frame at the start position of the TWT cycle to a terminal device.

30. If the time range corresponding to the aforementioned time information includes two or more TWT periods, the step of the network device instructing the terminal device on the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 20 to 26, comprising the step of the network device transmitting to a terminal device at least one TWT trigger frame located at the start position of a TWT cycle, wherein the time information indicating the position of the TWT cycle in which the TWT trigger frame is located, within a time range corresponding to the time information, is carried or indicated by the TWT trigger frame.

31. If the time range corresponding to the aforementioned time information includes the length of the RAW, the step of the network device instructing the terminal device on the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 20 to 26, further comprising the step of the network device transmitting a synchronization frame at the start position of the RAW to a terminal device.

32. If the time range corresponding to the aforementioned time information includes the length of the RAW, the step of the network device instructing the terminal device on the time information is: The method according to any one of claims 20 to 26, comprising the step of the network device transmitting to a terminal device at least one synchronization frame located at the start position of a slot in the RAW, wherein the time information indicating the position of the slot in the RAW where the synchronization frame is located is carried or indicated by the synchronization frame.

33. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 32, wherein the network equipment includes an AP or access network equipment.

34. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 33, wherein the terminal equipment includes zero-power consumption equipment.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the zero-power consumption equipment includes environmentally friendly energy-based equipment.

36. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 35, wherein the time information includes timestamp information.

37. A terminal device comprising a first receiving module for receiving instructions from a network device regarding time information, wherein the first receiving module includes a time range corresponding to the time information that is set by the network device.

38. The terminal device according to claim 37, wherein the time range corresponding to the time information includes at least one first time period.

39. The first time period is, Beacon frame transmission period and TWT period and The length of the RAW file, The terminal device according to claim 38, comprising at least one of the lengths of SP and the terminal device.

40. The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 39, wherein the time information is conveyed by at least one of a beacon frame, a synchronization frame, a trigger frame, a data frame, and a paging frame.

41. A first transmission module for transmitting type and / or capability information of the terminal device, The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 40, further comprising a second receiving module for receiving a time range corresponding to the aforementioned time information.

42. The terminal device according to claim 41, wherein the type and / or capability information includes at least one of energy storage capacity, energy collection capacity, and energy collection method.

43. The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 42, wherein the unit of time information includes a time unit TU, a microsecond, or a millisecond.

44. The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 43, wherein the time range corresponding to the time information includes the beacon frame transmission cycle, the first receiving module receives a beacon frame at the starting position of the beacon frame transmission cycle.

45. The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 43, wherein, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes two or more beacon frame transmission cycles, the first receiving module receives a beacon frame at the starting position of a beacon frame transmission cycle, and the time information indicating the position of the beacon frame transmission cycle in which the beacon frame is located within the time range corresponding to the time information is carried or indicated by the beacon frame.

46. The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 43, wherein the time range corresponding to the time information includes the TWT period, the first receiving module receives a TWT trigger frame at the starting position of the TWT period.

47. If the time range corresponding to the time information includes two or more TWT periods, the first receiving module receives at least one TWT trigger frame at the starting position of a TWT period, and the time information indicating the position of the TWT period in which the TWT trigger frame is located within the time range corresponding to the time information is carried or indicated by the TWT trigger frame, according to any one of claims 37 to 43.

48. The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 43, wherein the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the first receiving module receives a synchronization frame at the starting position of the RAW.

49. If the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the first receiving module receives at least one synchronization frame at the starting position of a slot in the RAW, and the time information indicating the position of the slot in the RAW where the synchronization frame is located is carried or indicated by the synchronization frame, the terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 43.

50. The terminal equipment according to any one of claims 37 to 49, wherein the network equipment includes an access point AP or access network equipment.

51. The terminal equipment is the terminal equipment according to any one of claims 37 to 50, including zero-power consumption equipment.

52. The terminal device according to claim 51, wherein the zero-power consumption device includes an environmentally friendly energy-based device.

53. The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 52, wherein the aforementioned time information includes timestamp information.

54. The terminal device according to any one of claims 37 to 53, further comprising an adjustment module for adjusting a timer based on instructions for the aforementioned time information.

55. The terminal device according to claim 54, wherein the timer includes a timing synchronization function TSF timer.

56. A network device comprising an instruction module for instructing terminal devices to provide time information, wherein the time range corresponding to the time information is set by the network device.

57. The network device according to claim 56, wherein the time range corresponding to the time information includes at least one first time period.

58. The first time period is, Beacon frame transmission period and TWT period and The length of the RAW file, The network device according to claim 57, comprising at least one of the lengths of SP.

59. The network device according to any one of claims 56 to 58, wherein the time information is carried by at least one of a beacon frame, a synchronization frame, a trigger frame, a data frame, and a paging frame.

60. A third receiving module for receiving type and / or capability information of the terminal equipment, A determination module for determining a time range corresponding to the time information based on the type and / or capability information, The network device according to any one of claims 56 to 59, further comprising a second transmission module for transmitting a time range corresponding to the aforementioned time information to the terminal device.

61. The network device according to claim 60, wherein the type and / or capability information includes at least one of energy storage capacity, energy collection capacity, and energy collection method.

62. The network device according to any one of claims 56 to 61, wherein the unit of time information includes a time unit TU, a microsecond, or a millisecond.

63. If the time range corresponding to the time information includes the beacon frame transmission cycle, the instruction module transmits a beacon frame at the start position of the beacon frame transmission cycle to a terminal device, according to any one of claims 56 to 62.

64. Network equipment according to any one of claims 56 to 62, wherein, if the time range corresponding to the time information includes two or more beacon frame transmission cycles, the instruction module transmits at least one beacon frame at the starting position of a beacon frame transmission cycle to a terminal device, and the time information indicating the position of the beacon frame transmission cycle in which the beacon frame is located within the time range corresponding to the time information is carried or indicated by the beacon frame.

65. If the time range corresponding to the time information includes a TWT period, the instruction module transmits a TWT trigger frame at the start position of the TWT period to a terminal device, according to any one of claims 56 to 62.

66. Network equipment according to any one of claims 56 to 62, wherein if the time range corresponding to the time information includes two or more TWT periods, the instruction module transmits at least one TWT trigger frame located at the start position of a TWT period to a terminal device, and the time information indicating the position of the TWT period in which the TWT trigger frame is located within the time range corresponding to the time information is carried or indicated by the TWT trigger frame.

67. If the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the instruction module transmits a synchronization frame at the start position of the RAW to the terminal device, according to any one of claims 56 to 62.

68. If the time range corresponding to the time information includes the length of the RAW, the instruction module transmits at least one synchronization frame at the starting position of a slot in the RAW to a terminal device, and the time information indicating the position of the slot in the RAW where the synchronization frame is located is carried or indicated by the synchronization frame, the network device according to any one of claims 56 to 62.

69. The network equipment is the network equipment according to any one of claims 56 to 68, which includes an AP or access network equipment.

70. The network equipment according to any one of claims 56 to 69, wherein the terminal equipment includes zero-power consumption equipment.

71. The network equipment according to claim 70, wherein the zero-power consumption equipment includes environmentally friendly energy-based equipment.

72. The network device according to any one of claims 56 to 71, wherein the aforementioned time information includes timestamp information.

73. A communication device including a processor, memory and transceiver, A communication device comprising: a memory for storing a computer program; a processor for calling and executing a computer program stored in the memory; and a processor for controlling the transceiver to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19 or 20 to 36.

74. It's a tip, A chip comprising a processor for calling and executing a computer program from memory in order to cause a device equipped with the chip to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19 or 20 to 36.

75. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that causes a computer to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 19 or 20 to 36.

76. A computer program product comprising a computer program instruction causing a computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19 or 20 to 36.

77. A computer program that causes a computer to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 19 or 20 to 36.

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