Cooperative communication method and apparatus

Abstract

This application provides a cooperative communication method and apparatus. The method comprises a first device receiving a first frame from a second device on a first link, wherein the first device uses a non-simultaneous transmit / receive NSTR link pair including a first link and a second link, the first link being the secondary link of the first device and the second link being the primary link of the first device, the first frame indicating that a first time-frequency resource is shared on the first link, and the time-domain position of the first time-frequency resource is within a first transmit opportunity TXOP of the second device on the first link. Based on the status of the first and second links, the first device decides whether or not to transmit a second frame to the second device on the first link, the second frame being an acknowledgment frame of the first frame. According to this method, coordination between multiple APs can be made easier and more efficient.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] This application claims the priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202310731838.7, titled "Coordinated Communication Method and Apparatus", filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on June 16, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Background Art

[0003] With the development of wireless networks and the continuous popularization of wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies, WLAN devices are becoming increasingly dense. Since wireless access points (APs) are easy to deploy, the high density of APs also causes an increase in BSS interference between basic service sets. In the current multi-AP networking scenario, the following channel selection rules exist: When the operating channels (bandwidths) of two APs overlap, the primary channels of the two APs need to be in the same position. According to the above rules, in order to reduce interference between BSSs, APs usually select small and non-overlapping bandwidths.

[0004] However, a small bandwidth results in a low peak rate during the communication of APs, and non-overlapping bandwidths limit the coordination between multiple APs, which is disadvantageous for improving the quality of user services. Therefore, on the premise of ensuring the quality of user services, how to improve the coordination efficiency between multiple APs is an urgent problem that needs to be solved currently.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a cooperative communication method and apparatus, which enables easier and more efficient cooperation among multiple access points (APs) while ensuring the quality of service for users.

[0006] According to a first embodiment, a cooperative communication method is provided. The method includes: a first device receiving a first frame from a second device on a first link, the first device using the first and second links, the first frame indicating that the second device shares a first time-frequency resource with the first device on the first link, and the time-domain position of the first time-frequency resource is the current first transmission opportunity (transmit opportunity, TXOP) Within the first TXOP is a transmission opportunity for the second device on the first link. When the first condition is met, the first device transmits a second frame to the second device on the first link, the second frame being an acknowledgment frame of the first frame, the first condition including the first device determining that the first link is currently idle, the first device determining that the second link is currently busy, or the first device being able to transmit data on the second link.

[0007] The first and second devices may be multi-link devices (MLDs). (Multi-link device, MLD) It may be an access point (AP) within the network, or the first and second devices may be multilink devices. ( MLD ) It should be understood that these may be internal stations (STA). This is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0008] It should be noted that the use of the first link and the second link by the first device can be understood as the establishment of the first link and the second link by the first device.

[0009] It should be noted that when the second device is an MLD, the first TXOP being a transmission opportunity for the second device on the first link can be understood as the first TXOP being a transmission opportunity for an AP or STA within the second device.

[0010] The second frame should be understood as indicating that the first device authorizes the use of the first time-frequency resource.

[0011] It should be understood that the specific method by which the first device determines that the first link is idle is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. For example, the first device may determine that the second link is idle through energy detection based on a clear channel assessment (CCA) mechanism.

[0012] Based on the aforementioned solution, the first device receives the first frame from the second device and, based on the status of the first and second links, decides whether or not to use the first time-frequency resource shared on the first link, thereby allowing multiple devices to share a TXOP on a single link. Thus, while ensuring the quality of service to the user, the efficiency of coordination between multiple devices is improved.

[0013] With respect to the first embodiment, in some implementations of the first embodiment, the second device uses the second link.

[0014] With respect to the first embodiment, in some implementations of the first embodiment, the first link and the second link are non-simultaneous transmission and reception. (non-simultaneous transmit and receive, NSTR) It belongs to a link pair.

[0015] With respect to the first embodiment, in some implementations of the first embodiment, the first link is a secondary link of the first device, the first link is a primary link of the second device, the second link is a primary link of the first device, and the second link is a secondary link of the second device.

[0016] Based on the aforementioned solution, the first device receives a first frame from the second device, and the first frame is used to share a first time-frequency resource on the first device's secondary link. Furthermore, the first device decides whether or not to use the first time-frequency resource based on the status of its secondary and primary links, thereby allowing the first device to use the first time-frequency resource when it shares the first time-frequency resource on the secondary link, provided that it ensures that transmission on the primary link is not interfered with. Thus, the efficiency of coordination between multiple devices is improved, provided that the quality of service to the user is ensured.

[0017] With respect to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first device determines that a non-basic service set BSS transmission is currently on the second link.

[0018] Based on the aforementioned solution, the first device determining the busy state of the second link specifically means that the first device determines that non-BSS intra-transmissions exist on the second link, thereby allowing the first time-frequency resource to be used, provided that it ensures that transmissions on the primary link are not interfered with.

[0019] With respect to the first embodiment, in some implementations of the first embodiment, the method further includes: the first device determines a first time, the first time being the end time of non-BSS intratransmission; before the first time, the first device stops using the first time frequency resource.

[0020] It should be understood that how the first time is determined is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. Rather than being limited, as an example, the first device determines the first time based on the duration of data packets on the first link.

[0021] As an example, and not an limitation, the first device implements virtual monitoring by using a Network Allocation Vector (NAV) and determines the first time based on the duration / ID field in the data packet.

[0022] Based on the aforementioned solution, after determining the first time the primary link of the first device will be busy, the first device may use the shared first time-frequency resources on the secondary link before the first time ends, provided that it ensures that the first time-frequency resources are not interfered with transmissions on the primary link.

[0023] With respect to the first aspect, in some embodiments of the first aspect, the ability of the first device to transmit data on the second link includes the first device completing a backoff on the second link or the second device sharing a second time-frequency resource on the second link with the first device, wherein the time-domain location of the second time-frequency resource is within a second TXOP, and the second TXOP is a transmit opportunity for the second device on the second link.

[0024] Based on the foregoing solution, when the first time-frequency resource on the secondary link is shared with the first device, the first device determines that data can be transmitted on the primary link of the first device. That is, the first device completes the backoff before receiving the first frame, or the second time-frequency resource is shared with the first device before the first device receives the first frame. Therefore, on the premise of ensuring that the transmission on the primary link is not interfered, both the primary link and the secondary link can be used for transmission, thereby improving the cooperation efficiency among multiple devices.

[0025] Regarding the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second device sharing the second time-frequency resource on the second link with the first device includes the following. The first device receives a third frame from the second device on the second link, and the third frame indicates that the second device shares the second time-frequency resource with the first device. When the first device determines that the second link is idle, the first device transmits a fourth frame to the second device on the second link, and the fourth frame is an acknowledgment frame of the third frame.

[0026] It should be understood that the fourth frame indicates that the first device approves the use of the second time-frequency resource.

[0027] Based on the foregoing solution, when the time-frequency resource on the primary link is shared with the first device, the first device determines that the primary link is in an idle state when the third frame is received. Therefore, on the premise of ensuring the quality of the user's service, the cooperation efficiency among multiple devices is improved.

[0028] Regarding the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first frame and the third frame are MU-RTS frames, and the second frame and the fourth frame are CTS frames.

[0029] Based on the foregoing solution, the first frame and the third frame may use a Multi-User Request to Send (MU-RTS) frame, and the second frame and the fourth frame may use a Clear to Send (CTS) frame, whereby the cooperative transmission method among multiple devices is more convenient.

[0030] According to a second aspect, a cooperative communication method is provided. The method includes the following. A second device obtains a first transmission opportunity ( TXOP ) on a first link. The second device transmits a first frame to a first device on the first link, and the first device uses a non-simultaneous transmission and reception ( NSTR ) link pair. The NSTR link pair includes a first link and a second link. The first link is a secondary link of the first device. The first frame indicates that the second device shares a first time-frequency resource with the first device on the first link, and the time-domain position of the first time-frequency resource is within the first TXOP. The second device receives a second frame from the first device on the first link, and the second frame is an acknowledgment frame of the first frame.

[0031] For the definitions of the first device and the second device, please refer to the first aspect for understanding. Details are not described again here.

[0032] It should be understood that the second frame indicates that the first device approves the use of the first time-frequency resource. [[ID=**]] [[ID=**]]

[0033] [[ID=**]] It should be noted that the first device using the NSTR link pair can be understood as the first device establishing the first link and the second link within the NSTR link pair.

[0034] Based on the aforementioned solution, after acquiring a transmission opportunity on the first link, the second device can share the time-frequency resources within the transmission opportunity with the first device by transmitting the first frame, and the link is the first device's secondary link. Correspondingly, the second device decides whether or not to use the first time-frequency resources based on the status of its secondary and primary links, and so on. When the first time-frequency resources on the secondary link are shared with the first device, the first device can use the first time-frequency resources, provided that it ensures that transmission on the primary link is not interfered with. Therefore, the efficiency of coordination between multiple devices is improved, provided that the quality of service to the user is ensured.

[0035] With respect to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second device uses an NSTR link pair, where the first link is the primary link of the second device, the second link is the secondary link of the second device, and the third link is the primary link of the first device.

[0036] With respect to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: The second device obtains a second TXOP on the second link. The second device sends a third frame to the first device on the second link, the third frame indicating that the second device shares a second time-frequency resource with the first device on the second link, the time-domain location of the second time-frequency resource is within the second TXOP. The second device receives a fourth frame from the first device on the second link, the fourth frame being an acknowledgment frame of the third frame.

[0037] It should be understood that the fourth frame indicates that the first device authorizes the use of the second time-frequency resource.

[0038] Based on the aforementioned solution, after obtaining the second TXOP on the second link, the second device can share the second time-frequency resource within the second TXOP with the first device by sending a third frame on the second link, where the second link is the second device's secondary link and the first device's primary link. Correspondingly, after receiving the third frame, the first device determines that the second link is idle and replies with a fourth frame to acknowledge the use of the second time-frequency resource. Thus, while ensuring the quality of service to the user, the efficiency of coordination between multiple devices is improved.

[0039] With respect to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes determining that a non-BSS intratransmission exists on the first link before the second device obtains a second TXOP on the second link.

[0040] Based on the aforementioned solution, the second device determining the busy state of the second link specifically means that the second device determines that non-BSS intra-transmissions are present on the second link, thereby allowing the second TXOP to be obtained, on the condition that transmissions on the primary link are not interfered with.

[0041] With respect to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: the second device determines a second time, which is the end time of the non-BSS intratransmission. Before the second time, the second device stops using the second TXOP.

[0042] It should be understood that how the second time is determined is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. For specific methods, see the first embodiment. Second period Please refer to the explanation for determining this. Further details will not be explained again here.

[0043] Based on the aforementioned solution, after determining the second time when the primary link of the second device becomes busy, the second device may acquire a second TXOP on the secondary link and use the second TXOP before sharing the second time-frequency resources within the second TXOP. Thus, assuming interference with transmission on the primary link is avoided, the coordination efficiency between multiple devices is improved.

[0044] With respect to the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first frame and the third frame are multi-user transmission requests. ( MU-RTS ) It is a frame, and the second and fourth frames are permission to transmit. ( CTS ) It is a frame.

[0045] Based on the aforementioned solution, the first and third frames may use MU-RTS frames, and the second and fourth frames may use CTS frames, thereby making the method for coordinated transmission between multiple devices more convenient.

[0046] According to a third aspect, a cooperative transmission method is provided. The method includes: a first device receiving a third frame from a second device on a second link, the second device using a non-simultaneous transmit / receive NSTR link pair, the NSTR link pair comprising a first link and a second link, the second link being a secondary link of the second device, the third frame indicating that the second device shares a second time-frequency resource with the first device on the second link, the time-domain location of the second time-frequency resource being within a second TXOP, the second TXOP being a transmit opportunity of the second device on the second link. When the first device determines that the second link is idle, the first device transmits a fourth frame to the second device on the second link, the fourth frame being an acknowledgment frame of the third frame.

[0047] The definitions of the first and second devices should be understood by referring to the first aspect. Further details will not be explained again here.

[0048] The second frame should be understood as indicating that the first device authorizes the use of the first time-frequency resource.

[0049] It should be noted that the use of an NSTR link pair by a second device can be understood as the second device establishing the first and second links within the NSTR link pair.

[0050] Based on the aforementioned solution, the first device receives a third frame from the second device, and the third frame is used to share the second time-frequency resource on the second link. Furthermore, the first device sends a fourth frame when it determines that its primary link is idle to authorize the use of the second time-frequency resource. Thus, while ensuring the quality of service to the user, the efficiency of coordination between multiple devices is improved.

[0051] With respect to the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the first device uses an NSTR link pair, and the second link is the primary link of the first device.

[0052] With respect to the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the third frame is a MU-RTS frame and the fourth frame is a CTS frame.

[0053] Based on the aforementioned solution, the third frame may use an MU-RTS frame, and the fourth frame may use a CTS frame, thereby making the method for coordinated transmission between multiple devices more convenient.

[0054] According to a fourth aspect, a cooperative transmission method is provided. The method includes: a second device determines that the first link is busy, and the second device performs non-simultaneous transmission and reception. ( NSTR ) A link pair is used, and the NSTR link pair includes a first link and a second link, with the first link being the primary link of the second device. The second device has a second transmission opportunity on the second link. ( TXOP ) The second link is a secondary link of the second device. The second device sends a third frame to the first device over the second link, and the third frame indicates that the second device shares a second time-frequency resource with the first device over the second link, and the time-domain location of the second time-frequency resource is within the second TXOP. The second device receives a fourth frame from the first device over the second link, and the fourth frame is an acknowledgment frame of the third frame.

[0055] The definitions of the first and second devices should be understood by referring to the first aspect. Further details will not be explained again here.

[0056] The second frame should be understood as indicating that the first device authorizes the use of the first time-frequency resource.

[0057] It should be noted that the use of an NSTR link pair by a second device can be understood as the second device establishing the first and second links within the NSTR link pair.

[0058] Based on the aforementioned solution, after determining that the primary link (i.e., the first link) of the second device is busy, the second device acquires a second TXOP on its secondary link (i.e., the second link) and shares the second time-frequency resource within the second TXOP with the first device by using a third frame. Correspondingly, after receiving the third frame, the first device determines that the second link is idle and sends a fourth frame to acknowledge the use of the second time-frequency resource. Thus, while ensuring the quality of service to the user, the efficiency of coordination between multiple devices is improved.

[0059] With respect to the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first device uses an NSTR link pair, and the first link is the primary link of the first device.

[0060] With respect to the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the second device determining that the first link is busy includes the first device determining that there is a non-BSS intra-transmission on the second link.

[0061] Based on the aforementioned solution, the second device determining the busy state of the second link specifically means that the second device determines that non-BSS intra-transmissions are present on the second link, thereby allowing the second TXOP to be obtained, on the condition that transmissions on the primary link are not interfered with.

[0062] With respect to the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the method further includes: the second device determines a second time, the second time being the end time of the non-BSS intratransmission; before the second time, the second device stops using the second TXOP.

[0063] It should be understood that how the second time is determined is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. For specific methods, see the first embodiment. Second period Please refer to the explanation for determining this. Further details will not be explained again here.

[0064] Based on the aforementioned solution, after determining the second time when the primary link of the second device becomes busy, the second device may acquire a second TXOP on the secondary link and use the second TXOP before sharing the second time-frequency resources within the second TXOP. Thus, assuming interference with transmission on the primary link is avoided, the coordination efficiency between multiple devices is improved.

[0065] With respect to the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the termination time of the second time-frequency resource is not earlier than the second time.

[0066] With respect to the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the termination time of the second time-frequency resource is earlier than the second time.

[0067] Based on the aforementioned solution, the relationship between the second time-frequency resource shared by the second device with the first device and the second time is not limited in this application. Therefore, the coordination efficiency between multiple devices is further improved.

[0068] Regarding the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the third frame is a MU-RTS frame and the fourth frame is a CTS frame.

[0069] Based on the solution described above, the third frame is a multi-user transmission request. ( MU-RTS ) Frames may be used, and the fourth frame is a transmission permission. ( CTS ) Frames may also be used, which makes the method for coordinated transmission between multiple devices more convenient.

[0070] According to a fifth aspect, a cooperative transmission method is provided. The method includes: a first device receiving a first frame from a second device on a first link, the first and second devices using the first and second links, the first frame indicating that the second device shares a first time-frequency resource with the first device on the first link, the time domain location of the first time-frequency resource is within a current first transmit opportunity TXOP, the first TXOP being the transmit opportunity of the second device on the first link; the first device receiving a third frame from the second device on a second link, the third frame indicating that the second device shares a second time-frequency resource with the first device on the second link, the time domain location of the second time-frequency resource is within a second TXOP, the second TXOP being the transmit opportunity of the second device on the second link. When the first device determines that the second link is idle, the first device sends a fourth frame to the second device over the second link, and the fourth frame is an acknowledgment frame for the third frame. In response to the first device sending the fourth frame, when the first device determines that the first link is currently idle, the first device sends a second frame to the second device over the first link, and the second frame is an acknowledgment frame for the first frame.

[0071] The definitions of the first and second devices should be understood by referring to the first aspect. Further details will not be explained again here.

[0072] It should be understood that the second frame indicates that the first device authorizes the use of the first time-frequency resource, and the fourth frame indicates that the first device authorizes the use of the second time-frequency resource.

[0073] Based on the aforementioned solution, after acquiring transmission opportunities on the first and second links, the second device can share the first and second time-frequency resources within the transmission opportunity with the first device by transmitting the first and third frames. Correspondingly, the second device decides whether or not to use the first and second time-frequency resources based on the status of the first and second links, i.e., whether the first and second links are idle or not. Thus, while ensuring the quality of service to the user, the efficiency of coordination between multiple devices is improved.

[0074] With respect to the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the first link and the second link are non-simultaneous transmission and reception. ( NSTR ) It belongs to a link pair.

[0075] With respect to the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the first link is a secondary link of the first device, the first link is a primary link of the second device, the second link is a primary link of the first device, and the second link is a secondary link of the second device.

[0076] Based on the aforementioned solution, after acquiring transmission opportunities on the primary and secondary links, the second device may share the first and second time-frequency resources within the transmission opportunity with the first device by transmitting a first frame. Correspondingly, the first and second time-frequency resources are shared with the second device on its primary and secondary links. The second device determines that its primary link is idle and transmits a fourth frame to authorize the use of the second time-frequency resource. Furthermore, based on the fact that the secondary link is idle, the second device transmits a second frame to authorize the use of the second time-frequency resource. Thus, while ensuring the quality of service to the user, the efficiency of coordination between multiple devices is improved.

[0077] With respect to the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the method further includes: When the first device determines that the second link is busy and the first link is idle, the first device sends a second frame to the second device over the first link.

[0078] Based on the aforementioned solution, when the first time-frequency resource is shared with the first device on the secondary link, and it is determined that the secondary link is idle and the primary link will be busy for a certain period of time, the first device may send a second frame to the second device and authorize the use of the second time-frequency resource, thereby allowing the first time-frequency resource to be used, provided that it is ensured that transmission on the primary link is not interfered with.

[0079] According to a sixth aspect, a cooperative transmission method is provided. The method includes: a second device acquires a first transmit opportunity TXOP on a first link and a second TXOP on a second link; the second device transmits a first frame to the first device on the first link, both the first and second devices using the first and second links, the first frame indicating that the second device shares a first time-frequency resource with the first device on the first link, the time-domain location of the first time-frequency resource is within the first TXOP; the second device transmits a third frame to the first device on the second link, the third frame indicating that the second device shares a second time-frequency resource with the first device on the second link, the time-domain location of the second time-frequency resource is within the second TXOP. The second device receives a second frame from the first device on the first link, and the second frame is an acknowledgment frame for the first frame. The second device receives a fourth frame from the first device on the second link, and the fourth frame is an acknowledgment frame for the third frame.

[0080] The definitions of the first and second devices should be understood by referring to the first aspect. Further details will not be explained again here.

[0081] It should be understood that the second frame indicates that the first device authorizes the use of the first time-frequency resource, and the fourth frame indicates that the first device authorizes the use of the second time-frequency resource.

[0082] Based on the aforementioned solution, after acquiring transmission opportunities on the first and second links, the second device can share the first and second time-frequency resources within the transmission opportunity with the first device by transmitting the first and third frames. Accordingly, the second device decides whether or not to use the first and second time-frequency resources based on the status of the first and second links. Thus, while ensuring the quality of service to the user, the efficiency of coordination between multiple devices is improved.

[0083] With respect to the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the first link and the second link are non-simultaneous transmission and reception. ( NSTR ) It belongs to a link pair.

[0084] With respect to the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the first link is a secondary link of the first device, the first link is a primary link of the second device, the second link is a primary link of the first device, and the second link is a secondary link of the second device.

[0085] Based on the aforementioned solution, after acquiring transmission opportunities on the primary and secondary links, the second device can share the first and second time-frequency resources within the transmission opportunity with the first device by transmitting the first frame. Correspondingly, the first and second time-frequency resources are shared with the second device on the second device's primary and secondary links. Furthermore, the second device decides whether or not to use the first and second time-frequency resources based on the status of its secondary and primary links. Thus, while ensuring the quality of service to the user, the efficiency of coordination between multiple devices is improved.

[0086] With respect to the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the first device may use the first TXOP before sending the first frame.

[0087] With respect to the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the first device may use a second TXOP before sending a third frame.

[0088] Based on the aforementioned solution, after acquiring a transmission opportunity, the second device can use the transmission opportunity, and after completing its use of the transmission opportunity, it can share the time-frequency resources within the transmission opportunity with the first device. Thus, the coordination efficiency between multiple devices is further improved.

[0089] With respect to the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the first and third frames are MU-RTS frames, and the second and fourth frames are CTS frames.

[0090] Based on the aforementioned solution, the first and third frames may use MU-RTS frames, and the second and fourth frames may use CTS frames, thereby making the method for coordinated transmission between multiple devices more convenient.

[0091] According to the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device is configured to perform a method according to any one of the first to sixth aspects. Specifically, the communication device may include a unit and / or module configured to perform a method according to any one of the first aspects or an implementation of the first aspect, a unit and / or module configured to perform a method according to any one of the second aspects or an implementation of the second aspect, a unit and / or module configured to perform a method according to any one of the third aspects or an implementation of the third aspect, a unit and / or module configured to perform a method according to any one of the fourth aspects or an implementation of the fourth aspect, a unit and / or module configured to perform a method according to any one of the fifth aspects or an implementation of the fifth aspect, or a unit and / or module configured to perform a method according to any one of the sixth aspects or an implementation of the sixth aspect, for example, a processing unit and / or a transceiver unit.

[0092] In one implementation, the communication device is either the first device or the second device. When the communication device is a device, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver or an input / output interface, and the processing unit may be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0093] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a first or second device. If the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a device, the transceiver unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or associated circuit in the chip, chip system, or circuit, and the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0094] According to the eighth aspect, a communication device is provided. The device includes a memory configured to store a program, and at least one processor configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in the memory to perform a method according to any one of the first aspect or an implementation of the first aspect, a method according to any one of the second aspect or an implementation of the second aspect, a method according to any one of the third aspect or an implementation of the third aspect, a method according to any one of the fourth aspect or an implementation of the fourth aspect, a method according to any one of the fifth aspect or an implementation of the fifth aspect, or a method according to any one of the sixth aspect or an implementation of the sixth aspect.

[0095] In one implementation, the communication device is either the first device or the second device.

[0096] In another implementation, the communication device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in the first or second device.

[0097] According to the ninth aspect, the present application provides a processor configured to carry out the method according to the preceding aspects.

[0098] Unless otherwise specified, or provided that the operation does not contradict the actual function or internal logic of the operation in the relevant description, operations such as the output and reception or input of the processor, or operations such as the transmission and reception performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas, may be understood as such. This is not limited to the present application.

[0099] According to the tenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. memoryThe medium stores program code to be executed by the device, and the program code includes instructions used to carry out a method according to any one of the first aspects or an implementation of the first aspect, instructions used to carry out a method according to any one of the second aspects or an implementation of the second aspect, instructions used to carry out a method according to any one of the third aspects or an implementation of the third aspect, instructions used to carry out a method according to any one of the fourth aspects or an implementation of the fourth aspect, instructions used to carry out a method according to any one of the fifth aspects or an implementation of the fifth aspect, or instructions used to carry out a method according to any one of the sixth aspects or an implementation of the sixth aspect.

[0100] According to the eleventh aspect, a computer program product including instructions is provided. When the computer program product operates on a computer, the computer enables the computer to implement one of the methods according to the first aspect or an implementation of the first aspect, one of the methods according to the second aspect or an implementation of the second aspect, one of the methods according to the third aspect or an implementation of the third aspect, one of the methods according to the fourth aspect or an implementation of the fourth aspect, one of the methods according to the fifth aspect or an implementation of the fifth aspect, or one of the methods according to the sixth aspect or an implementation of the sixth aspect.

[0101] According to the twelfth aspect, a chip is provided. The chip includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor reads instructions stored in memory through the communication interface and performs one of the following methods: the first aspect or an implementation of the first aspect, the second aspect or an implementation of the second aspect, the third aspect or an implementation of the third aspect, the fourth aspect or an implementation of the fourth aspect, the fifth aspect or an implementation of the fifth aspect, or the sixth aspect or an implementation of the sixth aspect.

[0102] Optionally, in one implementation, the chip further includes memory, the memory stores computer programs or instructions, and the processor is configured to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in memory. When a computer program or instruction is executed, the processor is configured to implement one of the following methods: the first embodiment or implementation of the first embodiment; the second embodiment or implementation of the second embodiment; the third embodiment or implementation of the third embodiment; the fourth embodiment or implementation of the fourth embodiment; the fifth embodiment or implementation of the fifth embodiment; or the sixth embodiment or implementation of the sixth embodiment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0103] [Figure 1] This is a diagram of a communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application. [Figure 2] This is a diagram of multilink communication. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating the channel selection method. [Figure 4] This is a diagram of a different channel selection method. [Figure 5] This diagram shows a channel selection method applicable to the embodiments of this application. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating a non-simultaneous transmission and reception scenario on two links. [Figure 7] This is a diagram of a cooperative communication method 100 according to one embodiment of this application. [Figure 8] This is a diagram of a cooperative communication method 200 according to one embodiment of this application. [Figure 9] This is a diagram illustrating a usage scenario of Solution A of Method 200 according to one embodiment of this application. [Figure 10] This is a diagram illustrating a usage scenario for Solution B of Method 200 according to one embodiment of this application. [Figure 11] This is a diagram illustrating a usage scenario of Solution C of Method 200 according to one embodiment of this application. [Figure 12]This is a block diagram of a device applied to cooperative communication according to one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 13] This is a diagram of a communication device 3000 according to one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 14] This is a block diagram of a communication device 4000 according to one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 15] This is a block diagram of a communication device 5000 according to one embodiment of the present application. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0104] The technical solutions provided in this application are applicable to wireless local area network (WLAN) scenarios. For example, the technical solutions in this application are applicable to IEEE 802.11 system standards, such as 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, or their next-generation standards, such as 802.11be, or even further next-generation standards.

[0105] While this application is primarily illustrated by using examples of networks to which the WLAN, particularly the IEEE 802.11 system standard, is applied, those skilled in the art will readily understand that various aspects of this application can be extended to other networks using various standards or protocols, such as Bluetooth® networks, high-performance radio local area networks (HIPERLAN), wide area networks (WANs), personal area networks (PANs), and other networks known or developed in the future. Thus, regardless of the coverage area and radio access protocol used, the various aspects provided in this application are applicable to any suitable radio network.

[0106] The technical solutions of this application are applicable to various communication systems, such as global systems for mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) systems, general packet radio service (GPRS) systems, long-term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, universal mobile telecommunication systems (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, 5th generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR) systems, 6th generation (6G) systems, and wireless local area network systems, such as the Internet of Things (Internet of Things). It can be further applied to IoT (Internet of Things) networks, or vehicle-to-X (V2X) networks, etc.

[0107] The communication systems applicable to this application are merely illustrative examples and are not limited thereto. A unified description is provided herein, and further details are not described again below.

[0108] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application will first be described in detail with reference to Figure 1.

[0109] Figure 1 shows a wireless communication system 100 applicable to the embodiments of this application. Diagram As shown in Figure 1, the technical solution in the embodiment of this application may be applied to a wireless local area network. The wireless communication system 100 may include at least two access point (AP) devices, such as AP111 and AP112 shown in Figure 1. The wireless communication system 100 may further include at least two station (STA) devices, such as STA121 and STA122 shown in Figure 1. For example, the APs may be multilink APs, or the STAs may be multilink STAs.

[0110] One or more STAs within a station device can communicate with one or more APs within an access point device after an association relationship has been established between the one or more STAs and one or more APs. For example, AP111 can communicate with STA121. For example, AP111 communicates with STA121 after an association relationship has been established between AP111 and STA121. AP112 can communicate with STA122. For example, AP112 communicates with STA122 after an association relationship has been established between AP112 and STA122.

[0111] In embodiments of this application, the first and second devices may be, for example, access point devices. For example, the first device may include AP111, and the second device may include AP112. Alternatively, the first and second devices may be, for example, station devices. For example, the first device may include STA121, and the second device may include STA122.

[0112] The communication system applicable to this application, as described with reference to Figure 1, is merely an example for illustrative purposes, and it should be understood that the communication systems applicable to this application are not limited thereto. For example, the communication system may include more access points (APs). As another example, the communication system may further include more access stations (STAs). As yet another example, embodiments of this application may be applied to multi-device cooperative scenarios, such as multi-AP (multiple access points) cooperative scenarios or multi-station cooperative scenarios.

[0113] The AP device in the embodiments of this application may be a device within a wireless network. The AP device may be a communication entity, such as a communication server, router, switch, or bridge, or the AP device may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, etc. Of course, the AP may alternatively be a chip, circuit, or processing system in various forms of devices to implement the methods and functions in the embodiments of this application. The AP device may be applied to several scenarios, such as sensor nodes in a smart city (e.g., smart water meters, smart electricity meters, or smart air sensing nodes), smart devices in a smart home (e.g., smart cameras, projectors, displays, televisions, speakers, refrigerators, or washing machines), nodes in the Internet of Things, entertainment terminals (e.g., wearable devices such as AR or VR devices), smart devices in a smart office (e.g., printers or projectors), Internet of Vehicle devices in the Internet of Vehicles, and some infrastructure in everyday life scenarios (e.g., vending machines, self-service guidance kiosks in shopping malls or supermarkets, self-service cash registers, and self-service food ordering machines).

[0114] The STA device in the embodiments of this application may be a device having wireless transceiver functionality, and may, for example, be a device that supports the 802.11 series protocol and can communicate with an AP or another STA. For example, an STA is any user communication device that enables a user to communicate with an AP and communicate with a WLAN. Examples of STA devices include user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), access terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, user equipment, etc.

[0115] The STA in the embodiments of this application may alternatively be a device that provides voice / data connectivity to the user, such as a handheld device or vehicle-mounted device having wireless connectivity. For example, STA includes mobile phones, tablet computers, notebook computers, palmtop computers, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals for industrial control, wireless terminals for self-driving, wireless terminals for remote medical surgery, wireless terminals for smart grids, wireless terminals for transportation safety, wireless terminals for smart cities, wireless terminals for smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal devices within 5G networks, or future advanced public land mobile networks (public land). This is a device for a mobile network (PLMN). This is not limited to the embodiments of this application.

[0116] As an example, and not an limitation, in the embodiments of this application, the STA device may alternatively be a wearable device. Wearable devices may also be called wearable intelligent devices and are a general term for wearable devices such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes, which are developed by applying wearable technology to intelligent designs for everyday wear. For example, smartwatches or smart glasses, and devices that focus on only one type of application function, need to work in conjunction with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bands or smart jewelry for monitoring bodily signs.

[0117] In addition, in the embodiments of this application, the STA device may alternatively be a terminal device within an Internet of Things (IoT) system. IoT is an important part of the future development of information technology, and its main technical feature is the use of communication technology to connect things to a network and to implement intelligent networks of human-machine interconnection and thing-to-thing interconnection. In the embodiments of this application, IoT technology can implement large-scale connectivity, deep coverage, and low power consumption of terminals by, for example, using narrowband (NB) technology.

[0118] In addition, in embodiments of this application, the STA device may be a device within the vehicle system's internet. Communication modes within the vehicle system's internet are collectively referred to as V2X (where X represents all things). For example, V2X communication includes vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, or vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication.

[0119] In addition, in embodiments of this application, the STA device may further include, for example, an intelligent printer, a train detector, or a sensor in a gas station. The main functions of the STA device include collecting data (by several terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data from AP devices, transmitting electromagnetic waves, and transmitting data to AP devices.

[0120] In addition, the AP device in the embodiments of this application may be a device configured to communicate with an STA device. The AP device may be a network device in a wireless local area network, and the AP device may be configured to communicate with an STA device through the wireless local area network.

[0121] It should be understood that the specific forms of the STA device and AP device are not particularly limited to those embodiments of this application and are merely examples for the purposes of this specification.

[0122] In embodiments of this application, the specific structure of an implement of the method provided in embodiments of this application is not particularly limited, provided that a program recording the code of the method provided in embodiments of this application is operable to perform communication in accordance with the method provided in embodiments of this application. For example, the method provided in embodiments of this application may be implemented by a device (e.g., an AP device or an STA device) that can call and execute a program, or by a module of a device (e.g., an AP device or an STA device).

[0123] In addition, the computer-readable media in this application may include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage components (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes), optical discs (e.g., compact discs (CDs) or digital versatile discs (DVDs)), and smart cards and flash memory components (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), cards, sticks, or key drives). Furthermore, the various storage media described herein may refer to one or more devices and / or other machine-readable media configured to store information. The term “machine-readable media” may include, but are not limited to, wireless channels, and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0124] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, some terms used in this application are briefly explained below.

[0125] 1. Multilink communication

[0126] The wireless communication system provided in the embodiments of this application may be a WLAN or a cellular network. The method may be implemented by a communication device within the wireless communication system, or by a chip or processor within the communication device. The communication device may be, for example, a wireless communication device that supports multi-link parallel transmission, called a multi-link device (MLD). Compared to a device that supports only single-link transmission, a multi-link device has higher transmission efficiency and higher throughput.

[0127] In one example, embodiments of the present application may also be applied to multilink communication scenarios. For example, the first device may be an access point multilink device 1, and the second device may be an access point multilink device 2. As shown in Figure 2, access point multilink device 2 includes AP21, AP22, ..., and AP2n, and access point multilink device 1 includes AP11, AP12, ..., and AP1n, where n is assumed to be an integer of 1 or more. For example, AP21 may communicate with AP11 on link 1. In another example, AP22 may communicate with AP12 on link 2 in Figure 2. In yet another example, AP2n may communicate with AP1n on link n in Figure 2.

[0128] In the multilink establishment (or multilink association) process, a station in a station multilink device may send an association request frame to an access point in an access point multilink device. The association request frame carries a multilink element (also called a multilink information element, MLE) to carry information about the station multilink device and information about another station in the device. Similarly, the association response frame returned to the station by the access point may also carry an MLE to carry information about the access point multilink device and information about another access point in the device.

[0129] It should be understood that the embodiments of this application are not limited to multilink communication. The embodiments of this application may be applied to any multi-device cooperation scenario, such as a multi-AP (multiple access points) cooperation scenario or a multi-station cooperation scenario.

[0130] 2. Multi-AP Adjustment Scenario

[0131] With the development of wireless networks and the continued proliferation of WLAN technology, WLAN devices are becoming increasingly densely populated. Because access points (APs) are easy to deploy, this high density of APs also leads to basic service set (BSS) interference. How to reduce BSS interference and improve user quality of service through coordination between APs is a problem that needs to be considered in next-generation Wi-Fi technology.

[0132] Forms of coordination between multiple access points (APs) may include, but are not limited to, coordinated time division multiple access (Co-TDMA), coordinated orthogonal frequency division multiple access (Co-OFDMA), and coordinated spatial reuse (Co-SR).

[0133] 2.1. Co-TDMA

[0134] When an AP acquires a Transmit Opportunity (TXOP) and attempts to transmit, if the AP is unable to fully utilize the Transmit Opportunity, the remaining time during the Transmit Opportunity may be allocated to another AP for transmission, thereby allowing the other AP to quickly Sending opportunity This allows us to obtain [something], thereby reducing communication delays.

[0135] 2.2. Co-OFDMA

[0136] OFDM is the fundamental transmission mode in current wireless communication and is widely applied to wireless communication systems such as LTE, WiMAX, and Wi-Fi. In addition, OFDM is further applied to fixed network transmission, such as transmission modes using optical fiber, twisted pair, and cable. The basic principle of OFDM is as follows: Subcarrier spacing is compressed to the minimum extent allowed by the orthogonality of subcarriers. This can ensure the formation of multiple parallel and non-interfering paths, improving the frequency utilization efficiency of the system. For example, with a large bandwidth, multiple access points (APs) can transmit independently on different channels using the OFDM method without interfering with each other.

[0137] Furthermore, because OFDM has the aforementioned characteristics, if multiple users are assigned OFDM subcarriers that do not interfere with each other, access or transmission for multiple users can be implemented using OFDM. This is OFDMA. OFDMA can be used to implement parallel transmission of data for multiple users and is an effective way to improve transmission simultaneity. In Co-OFDMA, when the traffic volume of an AP is low, i.e., when it is not necessary to use all the channel bandwidth for transmission, the AP can perform transmission together with another AP, and the AP's transmission is distributed over different channels or resource blocks in the OFDMA manner, thereby efficiently utilizing channel resources.

[0138] 2.3. Co-SR

[0139] When the distance between two access points (APs) is large, the two APs can transmit simultaneously on the same channel / resource block, and low interference between the two APs is ensured through power control and user selection to effectively utilize channel resources.

[0140] Typically, an AP that initiates multi-AP cooperative transmission may be called a sharing AP, and another AP that shares transmission resources or transmission opportunities may be called a shared AP.

[0141] 3. Channel Selection Rules

[0142] In a multi-AP networking scenario, the following channel selection rule exists: If the operating channels (bandwidth) of two APs overlap, the primary channels of the two APs must be in the same location.

[0143] Figure 3 is a diagram of the channel selection scheme. As shown in Figure 3, during bandwidth selection, AP1 and AP2 select a small bandwidth of 20 MHz to ensure that the operating channels of AP1 and AP2 do not overlap with all surrounding APs. However, when APs select channels in this scheme, in one aspect, a small bandwidth is selected, which causes a low peak rate during AP communication, and in another aspect, because the operating channels of multiple APs do not overlap, in other words, multiple APs operate independently, which does not promote coordination between multiple APs.

[0144] Figure 4 shows a diagram of another channel selection scheme. As shown in Figure 4, AP1 and AP2 use overlapping bandwidth and select the same channel position as the primary channel. Coordination between multiple APs can be implemented in this scheme, but when such APs perform Co-OFDMA transmission, some APs need to temporarily change their primary channel position, and the STAs connected to the APs also need to change accordingly. This leads to high operational complexity.

[0145] From this perspective, this application provides a method that enables AP MLD coordination to be implemented more easily and efficiently based on multilink multi-AP MLD coordination.

[0146] Figure 5 shows a channel selection method applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0147] An AP MLD can establish multiple links, and these multiple links may occupy adjacent bandwidth. The bandwidth of multiple links from multiple AP MLDs may overlap with each other.

[0148] As shown in Figure 5, because the frequency domain locations of Link 1 and Link 2 are very close, the same AP MLD cannot simultaneously implement receiving and transmitting on multiple links. For example, AP MLD1 cannot transmit on Link 1 while receiving on Link 2. This situation is typically called non-simultaneous transmit and receive (NSTR). Link 1 and Link 2 are called an NSTR link pair. Correspondingly, an AP MLD containing an NSTR pair is called an NSTR AP MLD. The multi-AP MLD coordination method provided in the embodiments of this application is applicable to NSTR AP MLDs.

[0149] Figure 6 illustrates a non-simultaneous transmission and reception scenario on two links. As shown in Figure 6, for multiple links established between an NSTR AP MLD and another multilink device, when the NSTR AP MLD needs to receive Physical Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) 1 and PPDU2 and correspondingly send Block Acknowledgements (BAs) 1 and BA2, the frequency gap between Link 1 and Link 2 is very small. If the time at which BA2 for PPDU2 is transmitted on Link 2 overlaps with the time at which PPDU1 is received on Link 1, the energy leaked during the transmission process of BA2 on Link 2 will block the reception of PPDU1, and as a result, the reception of PPDU1 will be affected.

[0150] Furthermore, in an NSTR pair, one link may be designated as the primary link and the other as the secondary link. As an example, and not an limitation, AP MLD1 may use link 1 as the primary link and link 2 as the secondary link. After the primary link is determined, to ensure that transmissions on the secondary link do not interfere with ongoing or to be performed transmissions on the primary link, AP MLDs may either perform transmissions independently on the primary link, or perform transmissions on both the primary and secondary links, but not independently on the secondary link. Similarly, to avoid interference from transmissions on the secondary link to transmissions on the primary link, if AP MLDs perform transmissions on both the primary and secondary links, the start times of transmissions on the primary link and on the secondary link must be exactly the same. The above rules are based on the definition of an NSTR soft AP MLD in the 802.11be standard.

[0151] Embodiments of this application provide a method different from the link usage rules described above. It may be understood that different primary links may be selected between AP MLDs in order to implement better coordination between AP MLDs. For example, in Figure 5, AP MLD1 selects link 1 as the primary link, and AP MLD2 selects link 2 as the primary link. Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a multi-AP MLD coordination method. The TXOP time-frequency resources of one or more AP MLDs on a link are shared with another AP MLD for use, thereby improving transmission efficiency.

[0152] The embodiments provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In one example, the devices of the following embodiments may be AP MLDs. For example, the first device is a first AP MLD, and the second device is a second AP MLD. In another example, the devices of the following embodiments may alternatively be non-AP MLDs (or STAs). For example, the second device is a first non-AP MLD, and the first device is a second non-AP MLD. In other words, the embodiments of this application may be applied to a multi-AP cooperative scenario or to a multi-station cooperative scenario.

[0153] Figure 7 shows a cooperative communication method 100 according to one embodiment of the present application. Method 100 may include the following steps.

[0154] 110: The second device determines time #A (i.e., second time), which is the end time the first link is busy, and the first link is the primary link of the second device.

[0155] It should be understood that how the second device determines time #A is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0156] In a possible implementation, the second device may determine time #A based on the duration of the received data packet.

[0157] In another possible implementation, the second device implements virtual monitoring by using a Network Allocation Vector (NAV) to determine time #A based on the duration / ID field in the data packet.

[0158] It should be understood that time #A may be the duration of a single data packet, or it may be the duration of multiple data packets. This is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0159] Optionally, before step 110, method 100 may further include step 101.

[0160] 101: The second device determines whether the transmission on the first link is an intra-BSS transmission.

[0161] The following describes step 101 separately using an example where the second device is an AP MLD and an example where the second device is not an AP MLD.

[0162] In a possible implementation, the second device is the AP MLD. When performing step 110, the AP MLD further determines whether the transmission on the primary link is an intra-BSS transmission, for example, whether the transmission on the primary link is an end-to-end (D2D) intra-BSS transmission. Since the AP MLD belongs to an NSTR link pair and cannot transmit and receive simultaneously, it is readily apparent that if the transmission on the AP MLD's first link is an intra-BSS transmission, the second link cannot be used for transmission.

[0163] In another possible implementation, the second device is a non-AP MLD (or STA). When performing S110 to determine the time #A that the primary link will be busy, the STA also needs to determine whether the transmission on the primary link is an intra-BSS transmission, or in other words, whether the AP in the BSS where the STA is located will perform a transmission with another STA. Similarly, if the transmission on the STA's first link is an intra-BSS transmission, the second link cannot be used for transmission.

[0164] It should be understood that how the second device determines whether a transmission on the first link is an intra-BSS transmission is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0165] In one example, the second device determines whether a transmission on the first link is an intra-BSS transmission based on whether the sender and / or receiver addresses of the transmission on the first link are addresses of stations within the serving BSS.

[0166] In another example, the second device determines whether a transmission on the first link is an intra-BSS transmission based on whether the BSS color field of the wireless frame transmitted on the first link corresponds to the BSS color of the serving BSS.

[0167] S120: The second device performs channel backoff on the second link and then transmits on the second link after the backoff is complete.

[0168] The second device acquires a transmit opportunity (TXOP) on the second link using a channel competition scheme and performs transmission on the second link after the backoff period has ended.

[0169] Since the second device belongs to an NSTR link pair and cannot transmit and receive simultaneously, it should be noted that, in order to avoid interference from the transmission of the second device on the second link to any transmission that may occur on the first link after time #A, method 100 specifies that the transmission of the second device on the second link must be completed before time #A. Specifically, the second device must terminate any TXOPs acquired on the second link before time #A.

[0170] It should be understood that the data transmitted by the second device over the second link is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. For example, the second device transmits data frames over the second link after the backoff has finished.

[0171] Based on the method 100 provided in this embodiment of the present application, after determining the time #A during which the first link is busy, the second device can use the second link separately for transmission, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0172] Based on Method 100, for a multi-AP MLD scenario, embodiments of the present application further provide a cooperative communication method 200.

[0173] Figure 8 is a diagram of the cooperative communication method 200 according to this embodiment of the present application. The method 200 may include the following steps:

[0174] 201: The second device obtains transmit opportunity #1 (i.e., the first TXOP) on the first link.

[0175] Optionally, the second device acquires transmission opportunity #2 (i.e., the second TXOP) on the second link.

[0176] It should be understood that how the second device acquires a transmission opportunity is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0177] In a possible implementation, the second device may acquire transmission opportunity #1 through a channel contention scheme.

[0178] It should be understood that the first and second devices establish at least one identical link. For example, the first device may establish the first and second links, the second device may establish the first link, or both the first and second devices may establish the first and second links. This is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. For illustrative purposes, the following example will use a case where the first device establishes both the first and second links.

[0179] In possible implementations, the first and second links belong to the same NSTR link pair. The first link is the primary link and secondary link of the second device, and the second link is the secondary link of the second device and the primary link of the first device.

[0180] When the second link is a secondary link for the second device, the specific method by which the second device obtains a transmission opportunity on the secondary link should be understood by referring to Method 100. Further details are not provided here.

[0181] 210: The second device transmits the first wireless frame (i.e., the first frame) over the first link. To the first device The first radio frame is transmitted, indicating that the time-frequency resource #1 of the second device is shared with the first device on the first link, and the time-domain location of time-frequency resource #1 is within transmission opportunity #1.

[0182] Optionally, step 210 may be replaced as follows: The second device transmits a second radio frame (i.e., a third frame) over the second link, the second radio frame indicating that the second device's time-frequency resource #2 is shared with the first device over the second link, and the time-domain location of time-frequency resource #2 is within transmission opportunity #2.

[0183] Optionally, step 210 may be replaced as follows: The second device transmits a first radio frame over the first link and a second radio frame over the second link, the first radio frame indicating that the second device's time-frequency resource #1 is shared with the first device over the first link, and the second radio frame indicating that the second device's time-frequency resource #2 is shared with the first device over the second link.

[0184] The first radio frame, the second radio frame, and the first acknowledgment frame (i.e., the second frame) and the second acknowledgment frame (i.e., the fourth frame) in the following description are all names used to distinguish different functions, and it should be understood that these names do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application. All names used to represent the same function in future protocols are applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0185] The second device can share time-frequency resources with the first device. In other words, the first device can use the time resources of the second device. In this embodiment of the present application, the devices cooperate with each other. For example, the devices can share time-frequency resources.

[0186] For the purposes of this explanation, for the sake of differentiation, a time-frequency resource shared (or allocated) by the second device on the first link will be referred to as time-frequency resource #1, in other words, a time-frequency resource shared by the second device with the first device on the first link will be referred to as time-frequency resource #1, and a time-frequency resource shared by the second device on the second link will be referred to as time-frequency resource #2, in other words, a time-frequency resource shared by the second device with the first device on the second link will be referred to as time-frequency resource #2.

[0187] In this application, it is mentioned multiple times that the first device shares or uses time-frequency resource #1, both indicating that the first device may use some of the time-frequency resources of the second device, or in other words, that the first device may use the time-frequency resources for transmission. Of course, the first device may, alternatively, use all of the time-frequency resources of the second device. This is not limited to that. It can be understood that time-frequency resource #1 may be some of the time-frequency resources of the second device in transmission opportunity #1, or all of the time-frequency resources of the second device in transmission opportunity #1. Similarly, time-frequency resource #2 may be some of the time-frequency resources of the second device in transmission opportunity #2, or all of the time-frequency resources of the second device in transmission opportunity #2. This is not limited to that. This will not be discussed again below.

[0188] In this application, the sharing device is referred to as the second device, in other words, the second device represents the sharing device, and the second device may be, for example, a shared AP, and the shared device is referred to as the first device, in other words, 1 The device in question represents a shared device, and the first device could be, for example, a shared access point (AP). This will not be explained again below.

[0189] It should be understood that in this embodiment of the present application, the opportunities for the second device to transmit the first radio frame and / or the second radio frame are not limited. The following uses the opportunity for the second device to transmit the first radio frame as an example for illustrative purposes.

[0190] In one example, a second device may transmit a first radio frame after acquiring transmission opportunity #1.

[0191] For example, after acquiring a TXOP on the first link through channel contention, the second device may transmit a first radio frame on the first link, and the first radio frame is used to share the TXOP with the first device on the first link. In other words, the second device may share the TXOP with the first device on the first link, thereby improving the coordination efficiency of the multi-AP MLD.

[0192] In another example, the second device could, alternatively, first perform the transmission after acquiring the time resources, and then transmit the first radio frame after the transmission is complete.

[0193] For example, after acquiring a TXOP on the first link through channel contention, the second device may first perform a transmission, and then, after the transmission is complete, transmit a first radio frame on the first link, which is then used to share the TXOP with the first device on the first link. In other words, the second device may share a TXOP that is not fully used on the first link with the first device, thereby ensuring the transmission of the second device, and allowing another device (i.e., the first device) to perform communication by using the unused resources. Thus, the coordination efficiency of the multi-AP MLD is improved.

[0194] It should be understood that the time resources shared by the second device are not limited to those in this embodiment of the present application.

[0195] 220: The first device, based on the status of the first and second links, sends a first acknowledgment frame (i.e., a second frame) On the first link The first acknowledgment frame determines whether to send to the second device, and indicates that the first device will use time resource #1.

[0196] Optionally, in response to the second radio frame, step 220 may be replaced as follows: The first device decides, based on the status of the second link, whether or not to send a second acknowledgment frame to the second device on the second link, the second acknowledgment frame indicating that the first device will use time resource #2.

[0197] Optionally, in response to the first and second radio frames, step 220 may be replaced as follows: The first device decides whether to send a first acknowledgment frame and a second acknowledgment frame to the second device based on the status of the first and second links, the first acknowledgment frame indicating that the first device will use time resource #1, and the second acknowledgment frame indicating that the first device will use time resource #2.

[0198] Please understand that the specific method by which the first device determines whether to send a first acknowledgment frame and / or a second acknowledgment frame based on the status of the first and second links will be described in detail below.

[0199] It should be understood that the time-frequency resources shared by the second device with the first device are not limited to this embodiment of the present application. For example, the second device may share only the time-frequency resources on the primary link, or only the time-frequency resources on the secondary link, or the second device may share time-frequency resources on both the primary and secondary links.

[0200] Method 200 provided in this embodiment of the present application may include the following three solutions based on specific time resources shared by the second device:

[0201] Solution A: The second device can share only the time-frequency resource #1 by using the first wireless frame.

[0202] Solution B: The second device may share only the time-frequency resource #2 by using the second wireless frame.

[0203] Solution C: The second device may share time-frequency resource #1 and time-frequency resource #2 by using the first and second radio frames. This is not limited to the first and second radio frames.

[0204] The following describes three possible solutions. First, let's discuss Solution A. Solution A may include the following steps.

[0205] A10: The second device transmits a first radio frame over the first link, and the first radio frame indicates that time-frequency resource #1 acquired by the second device over the first link is shared with the first device.

[0206] Optionally, before transmitting the first wireless frame, the second device may perform a transmission on the first link.

[0207] A20: When the first condition is met, the first device sends a first acknowledgment frame to the second device on the first link, the first acknowledgment frame is used to authorize the first device to use time-frequency resource #1, the first condition includes the first device determining that the first link is currently idle, and the first device determining that the second link is currently busy and not idle within the time domain range of the first TXOP, or that the first device is able to transmit data on the second link.

[0208] Note that the first link is the primary link and secondary link of the second device, and the second link is the secondary link of the second device and the primary link of the first device.

[0209] Since the first link is a secondary link for the first device, it can be understood that when the second device shares time resource #1 with the first device, the first device must ensure that transmissions on the second link do not affect transmissions on the first link.

[0210] Based on the principle of using secondary links individually as provided in the embodiments of this application, it may be understood that before transmitting a first acknowledgment frame, the first device needs to further determine whether the first and second links satisfy the first condition. Specifically, when determining that the first link is idle, the first device needs to further determine whether the second link will be busy for a period of time, or whether the first device can transmit data on the second link, in order to avoid any impact on transmissions on the primary link from transmissions on the secondary link.

[0211] In a possible implementation, the first device can send the first acknowledgment frame to the second device on the first link only when the first link is idle and the first device has completed backoff on the second link.

[0212] It should be understood that the specific manner in which the first device determines that the first link is idle is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0213] In one example, the first device determines that the first link is idle through energy detection based on a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) mechanism.

[0214] In another example, the first device uses NAV to determine that the first link is idle, thereby creating a virtual carrier monitoring We will implement this.

[0215] In this implementation, please understand that before receiving the first wireless frame, the first device completes the backoff on the second link (i.e., the backoff counter is 0).

[0216] In another possible implementation, the first device can send a first acknowledgment frame to the second device over the first link only when the first link is idle and the first device determines that the second link is busy, for example, that non-BSS intra-transmissions are on the second link. For specific methods, see Method 100. Further details are not described again here.

[0217] In this implementation, the first device determines the end time #B (i.e., the first time) for the second link to be busy, and before time #B, the first device stops using time resource #1. In other words, the first device must terminate transmission on the first link before time #B, when the second link is busy.

[0218] Please understand that the time indicated by the first device in the duration field of the first acknowledgment frame is earlier than time #B.

[0219] It should be understood that the first wireless frame and the first acknowledgment frame in this embodiment of the present application may reuse the current wireless frame or be used as a newly added wireless frame. This is not limited to this.

[0220] In one example, the first wireless frame is a MU-RTS (Multi-User Request to Send) frame, and the first acknowledgment frame is a CTS (Clear to Send) frame.

[0221] After sending the first acknowledgment frame, the first device may be understood to use time-frequency resource #1 on the first link.

[0222] It should be understood that the data transmitted by the first device over the first link is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. For example, a second device transmits a data frame over the first link after sending a first acknowledgment frame.

[0223] Figure 9 illustrates a usage scenario of Solution A of Method 200 according to one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9, after completing data transmission over Link 1, AP11 belonging to AP MLD1 (i.e., the second device) transmits a first radio frame to AP21 belonging to AP MLD2 (i.e., the first device). In response, after the aforementioned decision (as shown in the figure, AP22 belonging to AP MLD2 transmits data over Link 2), AP21 transmits a first acknowledgment frame to AP11 over Link 1, and then performs data transmission over Link 1.

[0224] The following describes Solution B. Solution B may include the following steps.

[0225] B10: The second device transmits a second radio frame over the second link, and the second radio frame indicates that the time-frequency resource #2 acquired by the second device over the second link is shared with the first device.

[0226] Note that the first link is the primary link and secondary link of the second device, and the second link is the secondary link of the second device and the primary link of the first device.

[0227] Since the second link is a secondary link for the second device, it can be understood that the second device must ensure that transmissions on the second link do not affect transmissions on the first link, regardless of whether the second device uses the second link independently for transmission (i.e., method 100) or whether the second device shares time-frequency resource #2 with the first device.

[0228] Based on the principle described above, before step B10, solution B further includes the following steps:

[0229] B01: The second device determines time #A, which is the end time the first link is busy. For specific details, see Method 100. Further details are not provided here.

[0230] B02: The second device performs channel backoff on the second link and determines time-frequency resource #2 after the backoff is complete. See step 201 for specific details. Further details will not be explained again here.

[0231] In possible implementations, the second device may perform transmission over the second link before transmitting the second wireless frame.

[0232] Please understand that the second device must terminate the transmission on the second link before time #A.

[0233] B20: The first device sends a second acknowledgment frame to the second device over the second link, and the second acknowledgment frame is used to authorize the first device to use time-frequency resource #2.

[0234] Since the second link is the primary link of the first device, it can be understood that after receiving the second radio frame and determining that the second link is idle, the first device can send a second acknowledgment frame.

[0235] It should be understood that the second wireless frame and the second acknowledgment frame in this embodiment of the present application may reuse the current wireless frame or be used as a newly added wireless frame. This is not limited to this.

[0236] In one example, the second wireless frame is a MU-RTS frame, and the second acknowledgment frame is a CTS frame.

[0237] B30: The first device uses time-frequency resource #2 on the second link.

[0238] It should be understood that the data transmitted by the first device over the first link is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. For example, a second device transmits a data frame over the first link after sending a first acknowledgment frame.

[0239] It should be understood that the specific end time at which the first device performs transmission using time-frequency resource #2 is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0240] Specifically, the end time of time-frequency resource #2, indicated by the second device in the second wireless frame, may be later than time #A.

[0241] In response to this, the first device may terminate transmission on the second link before time #A, or, if the termination time of time-frequency resource #2 shared by the second device is later than time #A, the first device may terminate transmission on the second link after time #A and before the termination time of time-frequency resource #2.

[0242] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating a usage scenario of Solution B of Method 200 according to one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 10, after completing channel preemption (not shown) and data transmission on Link 2, AP12 belonging to AP MLD1 (i.e., the second device) transmits a second radio frame to AP22 belonging to AP MLD2 (i.e., the first device). In response, after the aforementioned decision, AP22 transmits a second acknowledgment frame to AP12 on Link 2 and then performs data transmission on Link 2.

[0243] The following describes Solution C. Solution C may include the following steps.

[0244] C01: The second device obtains transmit opportunity #1 on the first link and transmit opportunity #2 on the second link.

[0245] For information on the second device obtaining transmission opportunity #2 on the second link, please refer to Method 100. Further details will not be explained again here.

[0246] C10: The second device transmits a first radio frame over the first link and a second radio frame over the second link, the first radio frame indicating that time-frequency resource #1 acquired by the second device over the first link is shared with the first device, and the second radio frame indicating that time-frequency resource #2 acquired by the second device over the second link is shared with the first device.

[0247] In a possible implementation, the second device transmits the first radio frame and the second radio frame simultaneously.

[0248] In possible implementations, the first and second wireless frames have the same length.

[0249] C20: The first device sends a first acknowledgment frame to the second device over the first link and a second acknowledgment frame to the second device over the second link, the first acknowledgment frame being used to authorize the first device to use time-frequency resource #1 and the second acknowledgment frame being used to authorize the first device to use time-frequency resource #2.

[0250] It should be understood that before the first device transmits the first and second acknowledgment frames, the first device must first determine that the first and second links are idle. Specifically, the conditions for the first device to respond with the first acknowledgment frame include that both the first and second links are idle, or that the first link is idle and non-BSS intra-transmission exists on the second link. The conditions for the first device to respond with the second acknowledgment frame include that the second link is idle. For a specific method by which the first device determines that the first and second links are idle, see Solution A. Further details are again not described herein.

[0251] Based on the principle of using secondary links individually provided in this embodiment of the present application, it should be understood that if the first device determines that the second link is busy and the first link is idle, the first device can send a first acknowledgment frame. In other words, the first device can use the time-frequency resource #1 on the secondary link individually, provided that it avoids the influence of transmissions on the secondary link on transmissions on the primary link.

[0252] It should be understood that the first wireless frame and the first acknowledgment frame in this embodiment of the present application may reuse the current wireless frame or be used as a newly added wireless frame. This is not limited to this.

[0253] In one example, the first wireless frame is a MU-RTS frame, and the first acknowledgment frame is a CTS frame.

[0254] C30: The first device uses time-frequency resource #1 on the first link and time-frequency resource #2 on the second link.

[0255] It should be understood that the data transmitted by the first device over the first and second links is not limited to this embodiment of the present application. For example, the second device transmits a data frame over the first link after transmitting a first acknowledgment frame, and transmits a control frame over the second link after transmitting a second acknowledgment frame.

[0256] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating a usage scenario of Solution C of Method 200 according to one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 11, after completing data transmission on Link 1, AP11 belonging to AP MLD1 (i.e., the second device) transmits a first radio frame to AP21 belonging to AP MLD2 (i.e., the first device), and after completing data transmission on Link 2, AP12 belonging to AP MLD1 transmits a second radio frame to AP22 belonging to AP MLD2. In response, after the aforementioned decision, AP22 transmits a first acknowledgment frame to AP11 on Link 1 and a second acknowledgment frame to AP12 on Link 2, and then performs data transmission on Link 1 and Link 2 separately.

[0257] The aforementioned links are used merely as examples to facilitate explanation, and it should be noted that scenarios in which coordinated transmission is performed between multiple AP MLDs are not limited to the embodiments of this application.

[0258] If a link can be optionally replaced with a channel, the primary link is the primary channel.

[0259] If, optionally, links can be replaced with frequency domain locations, the primary link is the frequency domain location where the primary channel is located, where the frequency domain location can represent intervals in the spectrum, e.g., [f1, f2].

[0260] Similarly, in embodiments of this application, the links within an NSTR link pair can be replaced with frequency domain locations, in other words, the device cannot transmit and receive simultaneously at two frequency domain locations.

[0261] Furthermore, Link 1 and Link 2 can be replaced by two frequency domain locations on the same link, with the frequency domain location where the primary channel is located being used as the primary link.

[0262] For example, a link may contain one or more anchor channels. When the primary channel on a link is busy, transmission can take place on another anchor channel. In this example, the primary channel on the link can be likened to the primary link, and the other channels can be likened to the secondary link.

[0263] The above description details the method provided in the embodiments of this application with reference to Figures 7 to 11. Below, the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail with reference to Figures 12 to 15. Please understand that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment. Therefore, for details not described in detail, please refer to the method embodiment described above. For brevity, further details will not be explained here.

[0264] The foregoing describes the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, primarily from the perspective of device-to-device interaction. To implement the aforementioned functions, it can be understood that devices, e.g., a second device and a first device, include corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for performing the functions. Those skilled in the art will recognize, by combining the example units and algorithmic steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, that this application can be implemented in hardware, or in combination of hardware and computer software. Whether the functions are performed by hardware or by hardware driven by computer software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art may use different methods to implement the functions described for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered to exceed the scope of protection of this application.

[0265] In embodiments of this application, the second and first devices may be divided into functional modules based on the examples of the methods described above. For example, each functional module may be obtained by division based on each corresponding function, or two or more functions may be integrated into a single processing module. The integrated module may be implemented in hardware form or in the form of a software functional module. It should be noted that in embodiments of this application, the division into modules is merely one example of a logical functional division, and other feasible division methods may be used in actual implementations. An example in which each functional module is obtained by division based on each corresponding function is used below for illustrative purposes.

[0266] Figure 12 is a block diagram of an apparatus applied to cooperative communication according to one embodiment of the present application. The apparatus 2000 includes a transceiver unit 2010 and a processing unit 2020. The transceiver unit 2010 may implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing unit 2010 is configured to process data. The transceiver unit 2010 may also be called a communication interface or communication unit.

[0267] Optionally, the device 2000 may further include a storage unit. The storage unit may be configured to store instructions and / or data, and the processing unit 2020 may read instructions and / or data from the device storage unit, thereby the device implements an embodiment of the method described above.

[0268] In the first design, the communication device 2000 may be the second device in the embodiments described above, or a component of the second device (e.g., a chip). The communication device 2000 may implement steps or procedures performed by the second device in the embodiments of the method described above. The transceiver unit 2010 may be configured to perform operations related to transmission and reception of the second device in the embodiments of the method described above. The processing unit 2020 may be configured to perform operations related to processing of the second device in the embodiments of the method described above.

[0269] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 2010 is configured to receive a first frame from a second device on a first link, the first device uses the first and second links, and the first frame indicates that the second device shares a first time-frequency resource with the first device on the first link, and the time-domain position of the first time-frequency resource is the current first transmission opportunity. ( TXOP ) The first TXOP is a transmission opportunity for the second device on the first link. When the first condition is met, the transceiver unit 2010 is further configured to transmit a second frame to the second device on the first link, the second frame being an acknowledgment frame of the first frame, the first condition including that the first link is currently idle and the second link is currently busy or capable of transmitting data on the second link.

[0270] In another possible implementation, the transceiver unit 2010 is configured to receive a third frame from a second device on a second link, and the second device performs non-simultaneous transmission and reception. ( NSTR ) Using a link pair, the NSTR link pair includes a first link and a second link, the second link being a secondary link for the second device, and the third frame indicating that the second device shares a second time-frequency resource with the first device on the second link, the time-domain location of the second time-frequency resource being within the second TXOP, and the second TXOP being a transmit opportunity for the second device on the second link. Processing unit 2020 is configured to determine that the second link is idle. Transceiver unit 2010 is further configured to send a fourth frame to the second device on the second link, the fourth frame being an acknowledgment frame for the third frame.

[0271] In the second design, the communication device 2000 may be the second device in the embodiments described above, or a component of the second device (e.g., a chip). The communication device 2000 may implement steps or procedures performed by the second device in the embodiments of the method described above. The transceiver unit 2010 may be configured to perform operations related to transmission and reception of the second device in the embodiments of the method described above. The processing unit 2020 may be configured to perform operations related to processing of the second device in the embodiments of the method described above.

[0272] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 2020 will receive the first transmission opportunity on the first link. ( TXOP ) The second device is configured to acquire and transmit non-simultaneously. ( NSTR )Use a link pair, where the NSTR link pair includes a first link and a second link, and the first link is the primary link of the second device. The transceiver unit 2010 is configured to transmit a first frame to a first device over the first link. The first device uses the NSTR link pair, and the first link is the secondary link of the first device. The first frame indicates that the second device shares a first time-frequency resource with the first device over the first link, and the time-domain position of the first time-frequency resource is within the first TXOP. The transceiver unit 2010 is further configured to receive a second frame from the first device over the first link, and the second frame is an acknowledgment frame of the first frame.

[0273] In another possible implementation, the processing unit 2020 is configured to determine that the first link is busy, and the second device uses non-simultaneous transmission and reception ( NSTR ) Use a link pair, where the NSTR link pair includes a first link and a second link, and the first link is the primary link of the second device. The processing unit 2020 is further configured to acquire a second TXOP on the second link, and the second link is the secondary link of the second device. The transceiver unit 2010 is configured to transmit a third frame to the first device over the second link. The third frame indicates that the second device shares a second time-frequency resource with the first device over the second link, and the time-domain position of the second time-frequency resource is within the second TXOP. The transceiver unit 2010 is further configured to transmit a fourth frame to the second device over the second link, and the fourth frame is an acknowledgment frame of the third frame.

[0274] It should be understood that the specific processes implemented by the units for the corresponding steps described above are detailed in the embodiments of the foregoing method. For the sake of brevity, the details are not described again here.

[0275] It should be further understood that the communication device 2000 described herein is embodied in the form of a functional unit. The term “module” can be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (e.g., a shared processor, a dedicated processor, or a group processor) configured to run one or more software or firmware programs, memory, merged logic circuits, and / or other suitable components that support the functions described. In an optional example, those skilled in the art will understand that the communication device 2000 may specifically be the second device in the embodiments described above and may be configured to perform the procedures and / or steps corresponding to the second device in the embodiments of the methods described above. Alternatively, the communication device 2000 may specifically be the first device in the embodiments described above and may be configured to perform the procedures and / or steps corresponding to the first device in the embodiments of the methods described above. To avoid repetition, further details are not described here again. The transceiver unit 2010 may alternatively be a transceiver circuit (e.g., including a receiver circuit and a transmitter circuit), and the processing unit 2020 may be a processing circuit.

[0276] The communication device 2000 in Figure 12 may be the device of the embodiment described above, or it may be a chip or chip system, such as a system on a chip (SoC). The transceiver unit may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface. The processor unit is a processor, a microprocessor, or an integrated circuit on a chip. This is not limited to the foregoing.

[0277] The communication device 2000 in the aforementioned solution has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the second or first device in the aforementioned method. This function may be implemented by hardware, or by hardware running the corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the aforementioned function. For example, a transceiver unit may be replaced by a transceiver machine (for example, a transmitting unit in a transceiver unit may be replaced by a transmitting machine, and a receiving unit in a transceiver unit may be replaced by a receiving machine), and another unit, for example, a processing unit, may be replaced by a processor, which independently performs the transmitting and receiving operations and related processing operations in the embodiment of the method.

[0278] Figure 13 is a diagram of a communication device 3000 according to one embodiment of the present application. The communication device 3000 includes a processor 3010. The processor 3010 is configured to read computer programs or instructions stored in memory 3020, or data or signaling stored in memory 3020, and to carry out the method in the embodiment of the method described above. Optionally, there may be one or more processors 3010.

[0279] Optionally, as shown in Figure 13, the communication device 3000 further includes a memory 3020, which is configured to record computer programs or instructions and / or data. The memory 3020 may be integrated with the processor 3010 or may be located separately. Optionally, one or more memories 3020 may be present.

[0280] Optionally, the communication device 3000 further includes a transceiver 3030, as shown in Figure 13. The transceiver 3030 is configured to receive and / or transmit signals. For example, the processor 3010 is configured to control the transceiver 3030 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0281] In the solution, the communication device 3000 is configured to implement the operations performed by the second device in the embodiment of the method described above.

[0282] For example, the processor 3010 is configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the memory 3020 and to implement the relevant operation of the second device in the embodiments of the described method, for example, the method performed by the second device in the embodiments shown in Figures 7 to 11.

[0283] In another solution, the communication device 3000 is configured to implement the operations performed by the first device in the embodiment of the method described above.

[0284] For example, the processor 3010 is configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the memory 3020 and implement the relevant operation of the second AP in the embodiment of the method described above, for example, the method performed by the first device in the embodiment shown in Figures 7 to 11.

[0285] It should be understood that the processor referred to in the embodiments of this application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or another general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, and the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0286] It should be further understood that the memories referred to in the embodiments of this application may be volatile and / or non-volatile memories. Non-volatile memories may be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory may be random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM may be used as an external cache. As an example, and not an exhaustive list, RAM includes several forms such as 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), synchlink dynamic random access memory (synchlink DRAM, SLDRAM), and direct rambus random access memory (direct rambus RAM, DRAM).

[0287] Note that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, memory (storage module) may be integrated into the processor.

[0288] It should be further noted that the memories described herein are intended to include, but are not limited to, these memories and any other suitable types of memories.

[0289] Figure 14 is a block diagram of a communication device 4000 according to one embodiment of the present application. The communication device 4000 may be an access point multilink device AP MLD (i.e., a second device or a first device) or a chip. The communication device 4000 may be configured to perform operations performed by the second device or the first device in embodiments of the method shown in Figures 7 to 11.

[0290] Communication device 4000 If the AP MLD is, for example, a base station, Figure 14 is a simplified diagram of the base station structure. The base station includes modules 4010, 4020, and 4030. Module 4010 is primarily configured to perform baseband processing, control the base station, etc. Module 4010 is typically the control center of the base station and may be called a processor, and is configured to control the base station and perform processing operations on the network device side in the embodiments of the method described above. Module 4020 is primarily configured to store computer program code and data. Module 4030 is primarily configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals and perform conversions between radio frequency signals and baseband signals. Module 4030 may be typically called a transceiver module, transceiver machine, transceiver circuit, transceiver, etc. The transceiver module within module 4030 may also be called a transceiver machine, transceiver, etc. The transceiver module includes an antenna 4033 and a radio frequency circuit (not shown in Figure 14). The radio frequency circuit is configured primarily to perform radio frequency processing. Optionally, in module 4030, components configured to implement receiving functionality may be considered receivers, and components configured to implement transmitting functionality may be considered transmitters. In other words, module 4030 includes receiver 4032 and transmitter 4031. Receivers may also be referred to as receiving modules, receivers, receiving circuits, etc., and transmitters may be referred to as transmitting modules, transmitters, transmitting circuits, etc.

[0291] Module 4010 and module 4020 may include one or more substrates, and each substrate may include one or more processors and one or more memories. The processor is configured to read and execute instructions in the memory, implement baseband processing functions, and control the base station. If there are multiple substrates, the substrates may be interconnected with each other to enhance processing capabilities. In an optional implementation, the multiple substrates may share one or more processors, the multiple substrates may share one or more memories, or the multiple substrates may share one or more processors simultaneously.

[0292] For example, in one implementation, the transceiver module of module 4030 is configured to perform receive / transmit related processes implemented by a second device in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 to 11. The processor of module 4010 is configured to perform processing related processes implemented by a second device in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 to 11.

[0293] In another implementation, the processor of module 4010 is configured to perform processing related processes implemented by a first device in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 to 11.

[0294] In another implementation, the transceiver module of module 4030 is configured to perform transmit / receive related processes implemented by a first device in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 to 11.

[0295] It should be understood that FIG. 14 is by way of example and not limitation, and a network device including a processor, a memory, and a transceiver may not depend on the structures shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.

[0296] When the communication device 1000 is a chip, the chip includes a transceiver, memory, and a processor. The transceiver may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface. The processor is a processor, a microprocessor, or an integrated circuit on the chip. The transmission operation performed by the network device in the embodiments of the above-described method may be understood as an output of the chip, and the reception operation performed by the network device in the embodiments of the above-described method may be understood as an input of the chip.

[0297] Figure 15 is a block diagram of a communication device 5000 according to one embodiment of the present application. The communication device 5000 may be a station multilink device non-AP MLD (i.e., a second device and a first device), a processor of the non-AP MLD, or a chip. The communication device 5000 may be configured to perform the operations performed by the second device and the first device in the embodiments of the method described above.

[0298] When the communication device 5000 is a non-AP MLD and the non-AP MLD is a terminal device, Figure 10 is a simplified diagram of the structure of the terminal device. As shown in Figure 15, the terminal device includes a processor 5010, memory 5020, and a transceiver 5030. The memory 5020 may store computer program code. The transceiver 5030 includes a transmitter 5031, a receiver 5032, a radio frequency circuit (not shown in Figure 15), an antenna 5033, and an input / output device (not shown in Figure 15).

[0299] The processor 5010 is configured primarily to process communication protocols and data, control terminal devices, execute software programs, and process data for software programs. The memory 5020 is configured primarily to store software programs and data. The radio frequency circuit is configured primarily to perform conversions between baseband signals and radio frequency signals and to process radio frequency signals. The antenna 5033 is configured primarily to receive and transmit radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input / output devices, such as touchscreens, displays, or keyboards, are configured primarily to receive data entered by the user and output data to the user. Note that some types of terminal devices may not have input / output devices.

[0300] When data needs to be transmitted, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to a radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then transmits the radio frequency signal externally in the form of electromagnetic waves through an antenna. When data is transmitted to a terminal device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal back into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor. The processor converts the baseband signal back into data and processes the data. For ease of explanation, Figure 15 simply shows one memory, one processor, and one transceiver. In actual terminal device products, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories. Memory may also be called a storage medium, storage device, etc. Memory may be located independently of the processor or may be integrated with the processor. This is not limited to this embodiment of the present application.

[0301] In this embodiment of the present application, an antenna and radio frequency circuit having transmitting and receiving functions may be considered as a transceiver module of a terminal device, and a processor having processing functions may be considered as a processing module of a terminal device.

[0302] As shown in Figure 15, the terminal device includes a processor 5010, memory 5020, and transceiver 5030. The processor 5010 may also be called a processing unit, processing board, processing module, or processing unit. The transceiver 5030 may also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver machine, or transceiver device.

[0303] Optionally, components configured to implement the receiving function within the transceiver 5030 may be considered receiving modules, and components configured to implement the transmitting function within the transceiver 5030 may be considered transmitting modules. In other words, the transceiver 5030 includes receivers and transmitters. A transceiver is sometimes also called a transceiver machine, transceiver module, or transceiver circuit. A receiver is sometimes also called a receiving machine, receiving module, or receiving circuit. A transmitter is sometimes also called a transmitting machine, transmitting module, or transmitting circuit.

[0304] For example, in one implementation, the processor 5010 is configured to perform the processing operations on the second device side in the embodiments shown in Figures 7 to 11, and the transceiver 5030 is configured to perform the transmit and receive operations on the second device side in Figures 7 to 11.

[0305] For example, in one implementation, the processor 5010 is configured to perform the processing operations on the first device side in the embodiments shown in Figures 7 to 11, and the transceiver 5030 is configured to perform the receiving and transmitting operations on the first device side in Figures 7 to 11.

[0306] Please note that Figure 15 is merely an example and not an exhaustive one, and that the terminal device, including the transceiver module and processing module, does not necessarily have to depend on the structure shown in Figures 12 and 13.

[0307] When the communication device 5000 is a chip, the chip includes a processor, memory, and a transceiver. The transceiver may be an input / output circuit or a communication interface. The processor may be a processing module, a microprocessor, or an integrated circuit on the chip. The transmission operation performed by the terminal device in the embodiment of the method described above may be understood as an output of the chip, and the reception operation performed by the terminal device in the embodiment of the method described above may be understood as an input of the chip.

[0308] One embodiment of the present application further provides a chip, which includes a processor configured to call and execute instructions stored in memory, so that a communication device on which the chip is mounted can carry out the method in the above example.

[0309] One embodiment of this application further provides another chip, which includes an input interface, an output interface, a processor, and memory. The input interface, output interface, processor, and memory are connected through an internal connection path. The processor is configured to execute code in memory. When the code is executed, the processor is configured to perform the method in the above example.

[0310] One embodiment of the present application further provides a processor configured to be coupled to memory and configured to perform methods and functions related to satellite or user equipment in any one of the embodiments described above.

[0311] In another embodiment of this application, a computer program product is provided. When the computer program product is run on a computer, the method in the above-described embodiment is implemented.

[0312] Another embodiment of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer programs. The method of the above-described embodiment is implemented when the computer program is executed by a computer.

[0313] In the description of embodiments of this application, “multiple” means two or more unless otherwise specified. “At least one of the following items (pieces)” or similar expressions mean any combination of these items, including a single item (piece) or any combination of multiple items (pieces). For example, at least one of a, b, or c may represent a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c, where a, b, and c may be singular or plural. In addition, to clearly illustrate the technical solutions in embodiments of this application, terms such as “first” and “second” are used in embodiments of this application to distinguish the same or similar items that provide essentially the same function and purpose. Those skilled in the art will understand that terms such as “first” and “second” do not limit the number or order of execution, and that terms such as “first” and “second” do not indicate a clear distinction. Furthermore, in embodiments of this application, terms such as “example” and “for example” are used to indicate an example, illustration, or explanation.

[0314] Any embodiment or design scheme described in “Example” or “For Example” in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being preferable or having more advantages than other embodiments or design schemes. More precisely, the use of terms such as “Example” and “For Example” is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner for ease of understanding.

[0315] Unless otherwise specified, the " / " in the description of embodiments of this application represents an "or" relationship between the related objects. For example, A / B may represent A or B. In this application, "and / or" represents only a relational relationship for describing related objects, indicating that three such relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent the following three cases: only A exists, both A and B exist, and only B exists. A and B may be singular or plural.

[0316] It should be understood that any “one embodiment” or “one embodiment” referred to herein means that specific features, structures, or characteristics related to an embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention.

[0317] Therefore, the terms "in one embodiment" or "in one embodiment" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. In embodiments of the present invention, the sequence numbers of the processes described above do not imply an execution order. The execution order of the processes should be determined based on the function and inherent logic of the processes and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation processes of embodiments of the present invention.

[0318] It can be understood that any “embodiments” referred to herein means that specific features, structures, or characteristics relating to an embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of this application.

[0319] Therefore, embodiments described throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, these particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. It should be understood that the sequence numbers of the processes described above do not imply the order of execution in the various embodiments of this application. The order of execution of the processes should be determined based on the function and inherent logic of the processes and should not constitute any limitation to the implementation processes of the embodiments of this application.

[0320] Those skilled in the art will recognize, in combination with the examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, that the steps of the units and algorithms may be implemented by electronic hardware or by a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether the functions are implemented by hardware or software depends on the specific application of the technical solution and the design constraints. Those skilled in the art may use different methods to implement the functions described for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0321] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the purpose of simple and concise explanation, detailed operating processes of the aforementioned systems, apparatus, and units should be referred to by the corresponding processes in the embodiments of the aforementioned methods, and that further details are not described herein. It should be understood that in the various embodiments provided in this application, the disclosed systems, apparatus, and methods may be implemented in other ways. For example, the embodiments of the described apparatus are merely examples. For example, the division into units is merely a logical division of function, and actual implementations may involve other divisions. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some functions may be ignored or not implemented.

[0322] In addition, the mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection described or discussed may be implemented through several interfaces. Indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be implemented electronically, mechanically, or in other forms.

[0323] Units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts shown as units may or may not be physical units; in other words, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected based on the actual requirements for achieving the objectives of the solution of the embodiment. In addition, the functional units in the embodiments of this application may be integrated into a single processing unit, each unit may exist physically independently, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit.

[0324] When a function is implemented in the form of a software function unit and sold or used as an independent product, the function may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the essence of the technical solution of this application, its contribution to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution may be implemented in the form of a software product. A computer software product is stored on a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for instructing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to perform all or some of the steps of the method in the embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes any medium capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a removable hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0325] The foregoing description merely provides a concrete implementation of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications or substitutions readily understood by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application shall be included within the scope of protection of this application. Accordingly, the scope of protection of this application shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A cooperative communication method, The first device receives a first frame from a second device on a first link, wherein the first device uses a non-simultaneous transmit / receive NSTR link pair, the NSTR link pair includes a first link and a second link, the first link being the secondary link of the first device, the second link being the primary link of the first device, the first frame indicating that the second device shares a first time-frequency resource with the first device on the first link, the time-domain location of the first time-frequency resource is within a current first transmit opportunity TXOP, the first TXOP being the transmit opportunity of the second device on the first link, and When the first condition is met, the first device transmits a second frame to the second device over the first link, wherein the second frame is an acknowledgment frame of the first frame, and the first condition is The first device determines that the first link is currently idle, and The first device determines that the second link is currently busy, or that the first device is able to transmit data over the second link, A cooperative communication method comprising the following features.

2. The first device determines that the second link is currently busy, The method according to claim 1, wherein the first device determines that a non-basic service set (BSS) transmission is currently present on the second link.

3. The aforementioned method, A step of determining a first time using the first device, wherein the first time is the end time of non-BSS intra-transmission, Before the first time, the first device stops using the first time-frequency resource; The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. The first device is capable of transmitting data over the second link. The first device completes backoff on the second link, or The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second device shares a second time-frequency resource with the first device on the second link, the second device uses the NSTR link pair, the second link is a secondary link for the second device, the time-domain location of the second time-frequency resource is within a second TXOP, and the second TXOP is a transmit opportunity for the second device on the second link.

5. The second device sharing the second time-frequency resource with the first device on the second link means that The first device receives a third frame from the second device on the second link, and the third frame indicates that the second device shares the second time-frequency resource with the first device. When the first device determines that the second link is idle, the first device transmits a fourth frame to the second device on the second link, the fourth frame being an acknowledgment frame of the third frame. The method according to claim 4, including the method described in claim 4.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first frame and the third frame are multi-user transmit request MU-RTS frames, and the second frame and the fourth frame are transmit permission CTS frames.

7. A cooperative communication method, The second device obtains a first transmission opportunity TXOP on the first link, The steps of transmitting a first frame to the first device on the first link by the second device, wherein the first device uses a non-simultaneous transmit / receive NSTR link pair, the NSTR link pair includes the first link and the second link, the first link being a secondary link of the first device, the first frame indicating that the second device shares a first time-frequency resource with the first device on the first link, and the time-domain location of the first time-frequency resource is within the first TXOP, The steps include: a second device receiving a second frame from the first device on a first link, wherein the second frame is an acknowledgment frame of the first frame; A cooperative communication method comprising the following features.

8. The second device uses the NSTR link pair, where the first link is the primary link of the second device, the second link is the secondary link of the second device, and the second link is the primary link of the first device. The aforementioned method, The second device obtains a second TXOP on the second link, The steps include: transmitting a third frame to the first device over the second link by the second device, wherein the third frame indicates that the second device shares a second time-frequency resource with the first device over the second link, and the time-domain location of the second time-frequency resource is within the second TXOP; The second device receives a fourth frame from the first device on the second link, wherein the fourth frame is an acknowledgment frame of the third frame. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

9. Prior to the step of obtaining the second TXOP on the second link by the second device, the method, The first device determines that non-BSS intra-transmission is currently present on the first link, The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

10. The aforementioned method, A step of determining a second time using the second device, wherein the second time is the end time of the non-BSS intra-transmission, Before the second time, the second device stops using the second TXOP, The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the first frame and the third frame are multi-user transmit request MU-RTS frames, and the second frame and the fourth frame are transmit permission CTS frames.

12. A cooperative communication method, A first device receives a third frame from a second device on a second link, wherein the second device uses a non-simultaneous transmit / receive NSTR link pair, the NSTR link pair includes a first link and a second link, the second link being a secondary link of the second device, the third frame indicating that the second device shares a second time-frequency resource with the first device on the second link, the time-domain location of the second time-frequency resource is within the second TXOP, the second TXOP being a transmit opportunity of the second device on the second link, and Steps include: when the first device determines that the second link is idle, the first device transmits a fourth frame to the second device on the second link, wherein the fourth frame is an acknowledgment frame of the third frame; A cooperative communication method comprising the following features.

13. A cooperative communication method, A step of determining that the first link is busy by a second device, wherein the second device uses a non-simultaneous transmit / receive NSTR link pair, the NSTR link pair includes the first link and the second link, and the first link is the primary link of the second device, The steps include: obtaining a second transmission opportunity TXOP on the second link by the second device, wherein the second link is a secondary link of the second device; The steps include: transmitting a third frame to the first device over the second link by the second device, wherein the third frame indicates that the second device shares a second time-frequency resource with the first device over the second link, and the time-domain location of the second time-frequency resource is within the second TXOP; The second device receives a fourth frame from the first device on the second link, wherein the fourth frame is an acknowledgment frame of the third frame. A cooperative communication method comprising the following features.

14. The step of determining that the first link is in the busy state by the second device is: The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of determining, by the first device, that non-BSS intra-transmissions are present on the second link.

15. The aforementioned method, A step of determining a second time using the second device, wherein the second time is the end time of the non-BSS intra-transmission, Before the second time, the second device stops using the second TXOP, The method according to claim 13 or 14, further comprising:

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the termination time of the second time-frequency resource is not earlier than the second time.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the third frame is a multi-user transmission request MU-RTS frame and the fourth frame is a transmission permission CTS frame.

18. A communication device comprising a unit configured to carry out the method described in any one of claims 1 to 6, a unit configured to carry out the method described in any one of claims 7 to 11, a unit configured to carry out the method described in claim 12, or a unit configured to carry out the method described in any one of claims 13 to 17.

19. A communication device comprising a processor configured to execute computer instructions stored in memory, enabling the communication device to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, any one of claims 7 to 11, the method according to claim 12, or the method according to any one of claims 13 to 17.

20. The communication device according to claim 19, further comprising the memory.

21. The communication device according to claim 19 or 20, further comprising a communication interface, the communication interface being coupled to the processor, and the communication interface being configured to input and / or output information.

22. A computer-readable storage medium configured to store computer programs, A computer-readable storage medium comprising a computer program including instructions used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, instructions used to implement the method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, instructions used to implement the method according to claim 12, or instructions used to implement the method according to any one of claims 13 to 17.

23. A computer program comprising instructions used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, instructions used to implement the method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, instructions used to implement the method according to claim 12, or instructions used to implement the method according to any one of claims 13 to 17.

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