DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT MULTI-LINK COMMUNICATION IN WIRELESS NETWORKS - Patent application

Abstract

The multilink wireless AP (110) is configured to exchange frames over multiple setup links with multiple multilink wireless non-AP stations (120) in the wireless communication network (100). The multilink wireless AP (110) includes a communication interface (113) configured to transmit a management frame to at least one of the multiple multilink wireless non-AP stations (120) operating on a first setup link, the management frame comprising information for at least one of the multiple multilink wireless non-AP stations (120) to identify a first setup link of the multiple setup links to be disabled. The multilink wireless AP (110) further includes a processing circuit (111) configured to, in response to receiving the management frame, disable at least the first setup link to reduce power required to operate the at least first setup link.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to devices and methods for energy-efficient wireless communications in IEEE-802.11 based wireless communications networks. [Background technology]

[0002] IEEE-802.11 based WLANs are becoming more and more popular at an unprecedented rate. WLANs support a variety of data transfer modes including (but not limited to) real-time applications such as file transfer, e-mail, web browsing, and audio and video applications. To efficiently support high throughput, a new feature called "multilink" is introduced in IEEE-802.11be. "Multilink" is based on the idea of ​​setting up and using two or more links between a wireless access point (AP) and one or more non-AP stations for frame exchange.

[0003] However, as the number of links between a multi-link wireless AP and one or more non-AP stations increases, the power consumption of the multi-link wireless AP increases, especially if the multi-link wireless AP can operate links with several multi-link wireless non-AP stations. One reason for the increased power consumption is that the multi-link wireless AP requires, for example, a larger number of power amplifiers to support communication over a larger number of links.

[0004] Power saving is a key issue for wireless devices in the consumer electronics market as well as the enterprise market. In the consumer electronics market, "power consumption level" certification can become virtually mandatory for any product. For example, as of 2022, AP power saving features will be mandatory for all products on the European market. Any new equipment sold in the EU must comply with certain total power consumption regulations when using the equipment.

[0005] In the enterprise market, APs often use Power Over Ethernet (POE), which limits the power consumption of the AP to between 15W and 75W (depending on the cable and POE type). This limit places strong constraints on the hardware of enterprise APs, such as the number of power amplifiers per AP, the number of radios, and the modem and antenna ports per radio. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide devices and methods for more energy efficient wireless communication in IEEE-802.11 based wireless communication networks.

[0007] These and other objects are achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further implementations are evident from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0008] According to a first aspect, a multi-link wireless access point AP is configured to exchange a plurality of frames, including management frames, control frames, and data frames, with a plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations in a wireless communication network via a plurality of setup links.

[0009] The multi-link wireless AP comprises a communication interface configured to transmit a link disable notification management frame to at least one of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations operating on a first of the multiple setup links, i.e., the same setup link. The link disable notification management frame comprises information, e.g., one or more information elements and fields, for at least one of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations to identify, e.g., at least a first setup link of the multiple setup links to be temporarily disabled by the multi-link wireless AP.

[0010] The multi-link wireless AP also comprises a processing circuit configured to, in response to transmitting the link disable notification management frame, temporarily disable at least the first setup link, i.e., block exchange of further frames over at least the first setup link to reduce power required to operate the at least the first setup link. The multi-link wireless non-AP station may remain associated with the multi-link wireless AP using a second setup link of the multiple setup links between the multi-link wireless AP and the multi-link wireless non-AP station while the first setup link is disabled.

[0011] In this manner, a more energy-efficient multi-link wireless AP is provided by its ability to suspend traffic activity entirely on any of its enabled links (i.e., in both DL and UL directions) while maintaining its operation by the associated multi-link wireless non-AP station(s) on the other enabled link. This disabled link operation is not limited to a fixed, pre-determined time interval, but may generally be for a limited time interval.

[0012] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the plurality of setup links comprises at least one disabled setup link, and the communication interface is further configured to transmit a further management frame (herein referred to as a "link enable notification management frame") to at least one of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations. Further, that is, the link enable notification management frame comprises information, e.g., one or more information elements and fields, for at least one of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations to identify at least one disabled link to be enabled by the multi-link wireless AP. The processing circuit of the multi-link wireless AP is further configured to (re)enable frame exchange on the at least one enabled link in response to transmitting the further management frame.

[0013] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the communication interface of the multi-link wireless AP is configured to transmit a link disable notification management frame via the first setup link that is disabled by the multi-link wireless AP to at least one of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations operating on the first setup link.

[0014] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the link disable notification management frame and / or the link enable notification management frame are unicast management frames transmitted to one multi-link wireless non-AP station among the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations. The communication interface of the multi-link wireless AP is configured to receive an acknowledgement frame, such as an ACK frame or a Block ACK frame, from the one multi-link wireless non-AP station in response to transmitting the link disable notification management frame and / or the link enable notification management frame to the one multi-link wireless non-AP station.

[0015] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the processing circuit is configured to send a link disable notification management frame to one multi-link wireless non-AP station and, in response to receiving an acknowledgement frame, e.g., an ACK frame or a Block ACK frame, from the multi-link wireless non-AP station, to temporarily disable the first setup link, i.e., block exchange of further frames over at least the first setup link to reduce power required to operate the first setup link.

[0016] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the link disable notification management frame is a broadcast management frame, and the processing circuitry is configured to temporarily disable, i.e., block, exchange of further frames over at least the first setup link to reduce power required to operate the first setup link in response to transmitting the link disable notification management frame to all multi-link wireless non-AP stations operating on the first setup link.

[0017] In a further possible implementation form of the first aspect, the link activation notification management frame is a broadcast management frame, and the processing circuit is configured to temporarily activate the at least one disabled setup link, i.e., enable exchange of further frames via the at least one disabled setup link, in response to transmitting the link activation notification management frame to all multi-link wireless non-AP stations operating on the at least one disabled setup link.

[0018] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the multiple frames comprise multiple data frames, each data frame comprising a respective transmission identifier TID (from a plurality of possible TIDs, up to eight TIDs), and the processing circuitry is configured to individually map each TID of the respective data frame to one or more of a plurality of setup links for each of the one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations.

[0019] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the communication interface is configured to transmit each data frame over a setup link to which the TID is mapped according to a TID corresponding to the data frame. The data frame may comprise one or more MSDUs.

[0020] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the link disable notification management frame comprises, for one or more of the multiple TIDs, a respective bitmap defining one or more of a plurality of multiple setup links to which each TID is mapped for at least one of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations (also referred to as TID-to-link mapping).

[0021] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the bitmap defining one or more of the multiple setup links to which each TID is mapped (i.e., the TID(s)-to-link mapping) is valid until the communication interface transmits a further link disable or enable notification management frame to at least one of the one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations, which may define the TID-to-link mapping.

[0022] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, for at least a first setup link that is disabled by the multi-link wireless AP, each respective bitmap defines that no TID is mapped to at least a first setup link that is disabled by the multi-link wireless AP. For example, if all the bitmap measurement bits are zero, the station may infer that the corresponding link is likely to be disabled.

[0023] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the plurality of TIDs comprises eight TIDs, and the bitmap of each TID comprises two octets.

[0024] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, a further management frame, i.e., a link activation notification management frame, comprises a default mapping indication to inform at least one of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations of a default TID-to-link mapping of the multiple TIDs to the multiple setup links, and when the default mapping indication is set, the default mapping defines that all of the multiple TIDs are mapped to all of the multiple setup links, i.e., all setup links are enabled.

[0025] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the link invalidation notification management frame further comprises information, e.g., a direction field, for defining whether the TID-to-link mapping defined by the one or more bitmaps is for a downlink DL communication direction or an uplink UL communication direction between a multi-link wireless AP and multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations.

[0026] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the link disable notification management frame further comprises information, e.g., a TID presence indicator field, for identifying one or more of the multiple TIDs, where one or more bitmaps included in the management frame define a TID-to-link mapping of each TID to one of the multiple setup links.

[0027] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the multiple bitmaps define, for one or more of the multiple TIDs and at least two of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations, one or more of the multiple setup links to which the TIDs are mapped for the respective multi-link wireless non-AP stations. The multiple bitmaps included in the management frame may comprise, for each of the at least two of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations, one or more bitmaps and information for associating the one or more bitmaps with each of the at least two of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations, in particular an association identifier (AID), each bitmap defining one or more of the multiple setup links to which the respective TIDs are mapped. Each AID may be associated with, for example, up to eight link bitmaps (each of the link bitmaps is for a specific TID of the respective multi-link wireless non-AP station).

[0028] In a further possible implementation of the first aspect, the multiple bitmaps included in the management frame comprise a single bitmap that, for each of one or more of the multiple TIDs, defines one or more of the multiple setup links to which the respective TID is mapped for all of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations.

[0029] According to a second aspect, there is provided a method of operating a multi-link wireless access point AP, the multi-link wireless AP being configured to exchange a plurality of frames, including management frames, control frames and data frames, over a plurality of setup links with a plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations in a wireless communication network. The method comprises: transmitting a link disable notification management frame to at least one of a plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations operating on a first setup link of the plurality of setup links, i.e., the same setup link, wherein the link disable notification management frame comprises information, e.g., one or more information elements, for at least one of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations to identify at least the first setup link of the plurality of setup links to be temporarily disabled by the multi-link wireless AP; in response to transmitting the link disable notification management frame, temporarily disabling at least a first setup link, i.e., blocking exchange of further frames over the at least first setup link to reduce power required to operate the at least first setup link, wherein at least one multi-link wireless non-AP station remains associated using a second setup link of the plurality of setup links while the at least first setup link is disabled; Includes.

[0030] In a further possible implementation form of the second aspect, the link disable notification management frame is a broadcast frame, and the step of disabling at least the first setup link includes a step of immediately disabling at least the first setup link in response to transmitting the broadcast management frame.

[0031] In a further possible implementation form of the second aspect, the link disable notification management frame is a unicast frame, and the method further includes a step of receiving a confirmation frame, and the step of disabling at least the first setup link includes a step of disabling at least the first setup link in response to sending the unicast management frame and receiving the confirmation frame.

[0032] In a further possible implementation of the second aspect, the plurality of setup links comprises at least one disabled setup link, and the method further comprises transmitting a further management frame (herein referred to as a link enablement notification management frame) to at least one of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations. The further management frame, i.e., the link enablement notification management frame, comprises information, e.g., one or more information elements, for at least one of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations to identify the at least one disabled setup link to be enabled by the multi-link wireless AP and to enable the at least one disabled setup link in response to transmitting the further management frame.

[0033] In a further possible implementation form of the second aspect, the link activation notification management frame is a broadcast management frame, and the step of enabling the at least one disabled setup link includes a step of immediately enabling the at least one disabled setup link in response to transmitting the link activation notification management frame.

[0034] In a further possible implementation form of the second aspect, the link activation notification management frame is a unicast management frame, and the method further includes a step of receiving a further confirmation frame, and the step of enabling the at least one disabled setup link includes a step of enabling the at least one disabled setup link in response to sending the link activation notification management frame and receiving the further confirmation frame.

[0035] The method according to the second aspect of the present disclosure can be performed by the multi-link wireless AP according to the first aspect of the present disclosure. Therefore, further features of the method according to the second aspect of the present disclosure result directly from the functions of the multi-link wireless AP according to the first aspect of the present disclosure and its different implementation forms described above and below.

[0036] According to a third aspect, a multi-link wireless non-access point non-AP station is provided, configured to exchange a plurality of frames, including management frames, control frames, and data frames, over a plurality of enabled setup links with a multi-link wireless AP in a wireless communication network. The multi-link wireless non-AP station comprises a communication interface for receiving a link disable notification management frame from the multi-link wireless AP. Furthermore, the multi-link wireless non-AP station comprises a processing circuit configured to extract, i.e., analyze, information, e.g., one or more information elements, from the link disable notification management frame to identify at least a first setup link of the plurality of setup links to be temporarily disabled by the multi-link wireless AP. The processing circuit is further configured to disable at least the first setup link, i.e., block further exchange of frames over the at least first setup link identified by the information extracted from the link disable notification management frame.

[0037] In a further possible implementation form of the third aspect, the link invalidation management frame is a unicast frame, and the communication interface is further configured to transmit an acknowledgement frame, e.g., an ACK frame or a Block ACK frame, to the multi-link wireless AP in response to receiving the individually addressed link invalidation notification management frame from the multi-link wireless AP.

[0038] In a further possible implementation of the third aspect, the plurality of setup links comprises at least one disabled setup link, and the communication interface is configured to receive a further management frame (herein referred to as a link activation notification management frame) from the multi-link wireless AP. The processing circuit is configured to extract, i.e. parse, further information, e.g. one or more further information elements from the further management frame, i.e. the link activation notification management frame, to identify at least one disabled setup link enabled by the multi-link wireless AP. The processing circuit is further configured to enable the at least one disabled setup link, i.e. enable exchange of further frames via the at least one disabled setup link identified by the further information extracted from the link activation notification management frame.

[0039] In a further possible implementation form of the third aspect, the link activation notification management frame is a unicast management frame, and the communication interface is further configured to transmit a further confirmation frame, such as a further ACK frame or a Block ACK frame, to the multi-link wireless AP in response to receiving the individually addressed link activation notification management frame from the multi-link wireless AP.

[0040] In a further possible implementation of the third aspect, the multiple frames comprise multiple data frames, each data frame comprising a corresponding transmission identifier TID of the multiple TIDs, and the processing circuitry is configured to map each TID to one or more of the multiple setup links.

[0041] In a further possible implementation form of the third aspect, the communication interface is configured to transmit each data frame via one or more setup links to which the TID is mapped depending on the TID of the data frame.

[0042] In a further possible implementation form of the third aspect, the information in the management frame comprises a bitmap that defines, for one or more of the multiple TIDs, one or more of the multiple setup links to which each TID is mapped.

[0043] In a further possible implementation form of the third aspect, the processing circuit is configured to identify the at least first setup link based on the multiple bitmaps by determining that, for at least a first setup link enabled by the multi-link wireless AP, each bitmap defines that none of the multiple TIDs are mapped to the at least first setup link disabled by the multi-link wireless AP.

[0044] In a further possible implementation form of the third aspect, the processing circuit is configured to identify the at least one disabled setup link based on the multiple bitmaps by determining, for at least one disabled setup link enabled by the multi-link radio AP, that at least one bitmap of the multiple bitmaps defines that at least one of the multiple TIDs is mapped to the at least one disabled setup link enabled by the multi-link radio.

[0045] In a further possible implementation of the third aspect, the management frame is a broadcast management frame, and the processing circuit is further configured to extract a multi-link wireless non-AP station association identifier from the broadcast management frame to identify a subset of the plurality of bitmaps for the multi-link wireless non-AP station, the subset of the plurality of bitmaps defining, for one or more of the plurality of TIDs, one or more of the plurality of setup links to which the TID is mapped.

[0046] In a further possible implementation of the third aspect, the processing circuit is configured to extract a subset of the multiple bitmaps from the broadcast management frame to identify at least a first setup link of the multiple setup links to be disabled when the broadcast management frame comprises an association identifier of a multi-link wireless non-AP station.

[0047] In a further embodiment of the third aspect, the multi-link wireless non-AP station further comprises a memory configured to hold a plurality of bitmaps defining one or more of a plurality of setup links to which each TID is mapped (i.e., TID-to-link mapping), and the processing circuit is configured to update the plurality of bitmaps stored in the memory based on a new bitmap included in the link disablement management frame and / or link enablement management frame, and to identify at least a first setup link of the plurality of setup links to be temporarily disabled by the multi-link wireless AP and / or at least one disabled setup link to be enabled by the multi-link wireless AP based on the plurality of bitmaps stored in the memory and the currently received link disablement management frame and / or link enablement management frame.

[0048] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a method of operating a multi-link wireless non-access point non-AP station configured to exchange a plurality of frames, including management frames, control frames, and data frames, over a plurality of enablement setup links with a multi-link wireless AP in a wireless communication network. The method according to the fourth aspect includes: receiving a link invalidation notification management frame from a multi-link wireless AP; extracting, i.e., parsing, information, e.g., one or more information elements, from the link disable notification management frame to identify at least a first setup link of a plurality of setup links to be temporarily disabled by the multi-link wireless AP; disabling at least the first set-up link, i.e., blocking further exchange of frames over at least the first set-up link identified by the information extracted from the link disable notification management frame; Includes.

[0049] In a further possible implementation form of the fourth aspect, the management frame is a broadcast management frame, and the step of disabling at least the first setup link includes a step of disabling at least the first setup link in response to receiving the broadcast management frame.

[0050] In a further possible implementation form of the fourth aspect, the management frame is a unicast management frame, and the method further includes a step of sending an acknowledgement frame to the multi-link wireless AP, and the step of disabling at least the first setup link includes a step of disabling at least the first setup link in response to receiving the unicast management frame and sending an acknowledgement frame to the multi-link wireless AP.

[0051] In a further possible implementation of the fourth aspect, the plurality of setup links comprises at least one invalidation setup link, and the method further comprises: receiving a further management frame (referred to herein as a link activation notification management frame) from the multi-link wireless AP; extracting, i.e. parsing, further information, i.e. one or more further information elements, from the further management frame, i.e. the link activation notification management frame, to identify at least one disabled setup link that is enabled by the multi-link wireless AP; activating at least one disabled setup link, i.e. enabling an exchange of further frames via the at least one disabled setup link identified by further information extracted from a further management frame, i.e. a link activation notification management frame; Further includes:

[0052] In a further possible implementation form of the fourth aspect, the further management frame is a broadcast management frame, and the step of enabling the at least one invalidation setup link includes a step of enabling the at least one invalidation setup link in response to receiving the broadcast management frame.

[0053] In a further possible implementation form of the fourth aspect, the further management frame is a unicast management frame, and the method further includes a step of transmitting a further confirmation frame to the multi-link wireless AP, and the step of enabling the at least one invalidation setup link includes a step of receiving the further management frame and enabling the at least one invalidation setup link in response to transmitting the further confirmation frame to the multi-link wireless AP.

[0054] The method according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure can be performed by a multi-link wireless non-AP station according to the third aspect of the present disclosure. Therefore, further features of the method according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure result directly from the functions of the multi-link wireless non-AP station according to the third aspect of the present disclosure and its different implementation forms described above and below.

[0055] According to a fifth aspect there is provided a computer program product comprising program code which, when executed by a computer or processor, causes the computer or processor to perform a method according to the second aspect or a method according to the fourth aspect.

[0056] The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.

[0057] The following embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures and drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0058] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a wireless communication system including a multi-link wireless AP according to one embodiment and a plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 illustrates a multi-link wireless AP according to one embodiment communicating with a multi-link wireless non-AP station according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is a flow diagram illustrating steps of a method for operating a multi-link wireless AP according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is a flow diagram illustrating steps in a method for operating a multi-link wireless non-AP station according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0059] Hereinafter, the same reference symbols refer to identical or at least functionally equivalent features.

[0060] In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this disclosure and show, by way of example, specific aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure or in which the embodiments of the present disclosure may be used. It is understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in other ways and may include structural or logical changes not shown in the drawings. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

[0061] For example, it should be understood that disclosure related to a described method can also apply to a corresponding device or system configured to perform the method, and vice versa. For example, where one or more particular method steps are described, the corresponding device can include one or more units, e.g., functional units, for performing the described one or more method steps (e.g., one unit performing one or more steps, or multiple units each performing one or more of the multiple steps), even if such one or more units are not explicitly described or illustrated in the drawings. On the other hand, for example, where a particular apparatus is described based on one or more units, e.g., functional units, the corresponding method can include one step for performing the function of one or more units (e.g., one step performing the function of one or more units, or multiple steps each performing the function of one or more of the multiple units), even if such one or more steps are not explicitly described or illustrated in the drawings. Furthermore, it is understood that features of various exemplary embodiments and / or aspects described herein may be combined with each other, unless otherwise specified.

[0062] Different embodiments of wireless devices, in particular wireless devices conforming to the family of IEEE 802.11 WLAN standards, are described below using one or more of the following abbreviations: DL Downlink UL Uplink BSS Basic Serving Set AP Access point CSA Channel Switch Notification DFS Dynamic Frequency Selection PHY physical layer MAC Media Access Control ML Multilink MLD Multilink Device MSDU MAC Service Data Unit MPDU MAC Protocol Data Unit PPDU PHY Protocol Data Unit POE Ethernet Power Supply STA stations (which in general can be either AP STAs or non-AP STAs) OFDMA Frequency Division Multiple Access TDMA Time Division Multiple Access TID Traffic Identifier; any of the identifiers usable by a higher layer entity to distinguish Media Access Control (MAC) Service Data Units (MSDUs) to a MAC entity that supports Quality of Service (QoS) in the MAC data service. TXOP Transmission Opportunity BA Block-ACK - In 802.11, a receiver is typically expected to acknowledge a data transmission by responding with an ACK; if multiple frames are transmitted within a single PPDU, each must be acknowledged.

[0063] FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 including a multi-link wireless AP 110 according to an embodiment and a plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 according to an embodiment. As described in more detail below, the multi-link wireless AP 110 is configured to exchange a plurality of frames, including management frames, control frames, and data frames, with a plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 in the wireless communication network 100 via a plurality of setup links. In an embodiment, the multi-link wireless AP 110 and the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 comply with one or more of the requirements defined by the family of IEEE 802.11 WLAN standards. The plurality of setup links between the multi-link wireless AP 110 and the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 may have been established by a preceding setup procedure.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-link wireless AP 110 includes a processing circuit 111 for processing data and a communication interface 113 for transmitting and receiving frames over multiple setup links. As will be understood, the communication interface 113 may include, for example, one or more antennas for wireless communication. The processing circuit 111 may be implemented in hardware and / or software. The hardware may include digital circuits, or both analog and digital circuits. The digital circuits may include components such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or general-purpose processors. The multi-link wireless AP 110 may further include a non-volatile memory 115, e.g., a flash memory 115, configured to store data and executable program codes that, when executed by the processing circuit 111, cause the multi-link wireless AP 110 to perform the functions and operations described herein.

[0065] Similarly, the multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 comprises a processing circuit 121 for processing data and a communication interface 123 for receiving and transmitting frames over one or more setup links from the multi-link wireless AP 110. In one embodiment, the communication interface 123 may comprise one or more antennas for wireless communication. The processing entity 121 may be implemented in hardware and / or software. The hardware may comprise digital circuits, or both analog and digital circuits. The digital circuits may comprise components such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or general purpose processors. The multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 may further comprise a non-volatile memory 125, e.g., a flash memory 125, configured to store data and executable program codes that, when executed by the processing circuit 121, cause the multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 to perform the functions and operations described herein.

[0066] The communication interface 113 of the multi-link wireless AP 110 is configured to transmit a management frame (referred to herein as a link disable notification management frame) to one or more of the multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 operating on the same link of the multiple setup links (also referred to herein as a “first setup link” of the multiple setup links to distinguish this setup link from the other setup links). As described in more detail below, the link disable notification management frame transmitted to the one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 comprises information, e.g., one or more information elements or information fields, for identifying the first setup link (as well as possibly other setup links) to be temporarily disabled by the multi-link wireless AP 110. In other words, the processing circuit 121 (i.e., the intended recipient of the frame) of each multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 that receives the link disable notification management frame from the multi-link wireless AP 110 is configured to extract, i.e., parse, this information from the link disable notification management frame to identify the first setup link (as well as possibly other setup links) to be temporarily disabled by the multi-link wireless AP 110.

[0067] The processing circuitry 111 of the multi-link wireless AP 110 is further configured to temporarily disable the first setup link (as well as possibly other setup links identified by the link disable notification management frame) in response to transmitting the link disable notification management frame to one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 by blocking exchange of any further frames over the first setup link (as well as possibly other setup links identified by the link disable notification management frame). Similarly, the processing circuitry 121 of each multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 that receives the link disable notification management frame from the multi-link wireless AP 110 is configured to disable, i.e., block, exchange of any further frames over the first setup link (as well as possibly other setup links identified by information extracted from the link disable notification management frame).

[0068] However, one or more multilink wireless non-AP stations 120 remain associated with the multilink wireless AP 110 using a further, i.e., a second, enabled setup link of the multiple setup links while the first setup link is disabled. In other words, while the first setup link is in a disabled state, the multilink wireless AP 110 can still exchange frames with one or more multilink wireless non-AP stations 120 using at least the second setup link that is still enabled. As will be appreciated, operating the first setup link (as well as possibly other setup links identified by the link disable notification management frame) in a disabled state results in a reduction in power consumption of the multilink wireless AP 110 as well as one or more multilink wireless non-AP stations 120.

[0069] FIG. 2 illustrates a multi-link wireless AP 110 according to an embodiment communicating with a multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 according to an embodiment. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the multi-link wireless AP 110 includes three "APs" (referred to as AP1, AP2, and AP3 in FIG. 2) belonging thereto. As an example, the multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 includes three "STAs" (referred to as STA1, STA2, and STA3 in FIG. 2) belonging thereto. The exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 illustrates a connection between the multi-link wireless AP 110 (also referred to as "AP MLD") and the multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 (also referred to as "non-AP MLD") via three setup links (referred to as link 1, link 2, and link 3 in FIG. 2). As an example, link 1 operates in the 2.4 GHz band, link 2 operates in the 5 GHz band, and link 3 operates in the 6 GHz band.

[0070] In one embodiment, the communication interface 113 of the multi-link wireless AP 110 is configured to transmit a link disable notification management frame to one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 operating on the first setup link via the first setup link that is disabled by the multi-link wireless AP 110. In a further embodiment, one or more additional enabling setup links may be used to transmit the link disable notification management frame to the one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 (provided that the one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 are also operating on these one or more additional enabling setup links).

[0071] In one embodiment, the link invalidation notification management frame may be a unicast management frame transmitted to a single individually addressed multi-link wireless non-AP Station 120 operating on the link, or a broadcast management frame transmitted to a group or all multi-link wireless non-AP Stations 120 operating on the link.

[0072] If the invalidation notification management frame is a unicast management frame, the communication interface 123 of the multilink wireless non-AP station 120 is further configured to transmit an acknowledgement frame, e.g., an ACK frame or a Block ACK frame, to the multilink wireless AP 110 in response to receiving an individually addressed link invalidation notification management frame from the multilink wireless AP 110. In this embodiment, the processing circuit 111 of the multilink wireless AP 110 may be configured to temporarily disable the first setup link, i.e., block exchange of further frames via the first setup link (as well as possibly other setup links identified by the link invalidation notification management frame), in response to transmitting a unicast link invalidation notification management frame to the individually addressed multilink wireless non-AP station 120 and receiving an acknowledgement frame from the multilink wireless non-AP station 120.

[0073] If the invalidation notification management frame is a broadcast management frame, the processing circuit 111 of the multi-link wireless AP 110 is configured to temporarily disable the first setup link (as well as possibly other setup links identified by the link invalidation notification management frame) in response to transmitting a broadcast link invalidation notification management frame to all of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 operating on the first setup link.

[0074] In the following, further embodiments of the multi-link wireless AP 110 and the multi-link wireless non-AP station(s) 120 that advantageously utilize a mechanism for mapping a transmission identifier (TID) corresponding to a data frame to one or more of a plurality of setup links will be described in more detail. More specifically, in one embodiment, each data frame comprises a respective TID to which it corresponds, and the processing circuit 111 of the multi-link wireless AP 110 is configured to individually map each TID to one or more of a plurality of setup links for each of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120. In other words, the multi-link wireless AP 110 can implement different TID-to-link mappings for each of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120. Based on the TID-to-link mappings defined for each of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120, the communication interface 113 of the multi-link wireless AP 110 is configured to transmit the respective data frame, in particular the MSDU, according to the TID of the data frame via the one or more setup links to which the TID is mapped.

[0075] In one embodiment, the link disable notification management frame comprises, for one or more of the plurality of TIDs, a respective bitmap defining one or more of the plurality of setup links to which each TID is mapped (for at least one of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120). In one embodiment, the bitmap defining one or more of the plurality of setup links to which each TID is mapped remains valid until the communication interface 113 of the multi-link wireless AP 110 transmits a further link disable notification management frame (or a further link enable notification management frame) to the one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120.

[0076] In one embodiment, the bitmaps included in the link disable notification management frame may define that for the first setup link (and possibly other setup links of the multiple links) to be disabled by the multi-link wireless AP 110, there are no TIDs mapped by the multi-link wireless AP 110 to the first setup link (and possibly other setup links of the multiple links). In one embodiment, the TIDs may comprise up to eight TIDs, and the bitmap for each TID comprises two octets, thereby allowing up to eight TIDs to be mapped to up to sixteen setup links. In one embodiment, to disable a link, all of the bitmaps for a particular non-AP multi-link station include zero bits in the positions corresponding to the setup links to be disabled.

[0077] In one embodiment, the link disablement notification management frame may further comprise a direction field to define whether the TID-to-link mapping defined by the one or more bitmaps is for a downlink DL communication direction or an uplink UL communication direction between the multi-link wireless AP 110 and the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120. In one embodiment, the link disablement notification management frame may further comprise a TID presence indicator field to identify the TIDs for which the one or more bitmaps define a mapping of the respective TIDs to one or more of the multiple setup links.

[0078] In one embodiment, the link invalidation notification management frame may comprise a plurality of bitmaps for each of the multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120, where for each of the multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120, the plurality of bitmaps define, for one or more of the plurality of TIDs, one or more of the plurality of setup links to which the TID is mapped for the respective multi-link wireless non-AP station 120. For example, in one embodiment, the link invalidation notification management frame comprises a plurality of bitmaps for each of the respective multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 (defining the TID-to-link mapping) and a tuple or group matching an identifier such as an AID. In a further embodiment, the link invalidation notification management frame may comprise only a single set of bitmaps defining the TID-to-link mapping for all of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 operating on the same set of setup links.

[0079] Thus, as will be appreciated, the embodiments disclosed herein "indirectly" advantageously utilize the TID-to-link mapping mechanism by not mapping a particular setup link to any of the TIDs, thereby essentially disabling the link, particularly to reduce power consumption of the multi-link wireless AP 110.

[0080] In one embodiment, the multiple setup links comprise at least one disabled setup link, such as a previously enabled setup link that has been disabled by the multi-link wireless AP 110 as described above. In such an embodiment, the communication interface 113 of the multi-link wireless AP 110 is configured to transmit a further management frame (herein referred to as a link enable notification) management frame to one or more of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120. The link enable notification management frame comprises information, e.g., one or more information elements or information fields, for the one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 to identify at least one disabled setup link to be immediately enabled by the multi-link wireless AP. The processing circuitry 121 of the one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 is configured to extract, i.e., parse, this information from the link enable notification management frame and, based thereon, identify at least one disabled setup link to be enabled by the multi-link wireless AP 110. In response to transmitting the link enable notification management frame to the one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120, the processing circuitry 111 of the multi-link wireless AP 110 is further configured to enable at least one disabled setup link.

[0081] In one embodiment, the link activation notification management frame may have the same format and structure as the link disable notification management frame. Also, the link activation notification management frame may comprise one or more of the information elements of the link disable notification management frame described above, such as a plurality of bitmaps for defining TID(s)-to-link mapping. In one embodiment, the link activation notification management frame may comprise a default mapping indication for informing one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 of a default mapping of a plurality of TIDs to a plurality of setup links, and when the default mapping indication is set, the default mapping defines that all of the plurality of TIDs are mapped to all of the plurality of setup links, i.e., all setup links are enabled.

[0082] In one embodiment, the processing circuit 121 of the multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 is configured to identify a first setup link (and possibly other setup links) to be temporarily disabled by the multi-link wireless AP 110 and / or at least one disabled setup link to be enabled by the multi-link wireless AP 110 based on the latest link disable / enable management frame and one or more previously received link disable / enable management frames. In one embodiment, the multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 may maintain TID-to-link mappings for all TIDs in its memory 125 and update these TID-to-link mappings based on the latest received link disable / enable management frame. For example, the latest received link disable / enable management frame may maintain TID-to-link mappings for only two of the eight TIDs, e.g., TID1 and TID3 (as also indicated in the TID presence indicator field already described above). In that case, processing circuit 121 of multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 may update the TID-to-link mapping for TID1 and TID3 in memory 125 and retain TID-to-link mappings for other TIDs (based on one or more previously received link disable / enable management frames). If multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 has not received any information regarding TID-to-link mappings for one or more TIDs, this corresponds to the default TID-to-link mappings for those TIDs.

[0083] The above-described embodiment for enabling the invalidation setup link can be advantageously used to improve Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS). As will be appreciated, DFS is primarily used in the 802.11 specification for radar detection on 5 GHz (UNII-2 band) channels. Using channels at 5 GHz is currently prohibited if radar is detected on these channels. The current standardized approach is to switch channels (the only solution in the case of a single link). Radar detection on a particular channel initiates the vacating of this channel in the BSS (using the CSA procedure), which is a relatively long procedure (3 to 10 beacon periods).

[0084] However, the embodiments disclosed herein may provide a very short recovery after radar detection on a 5 GHz channel by setting up some links on the "DFS Channels" while using only a subset of these setup links. Other unused links are disabled and are used only as "backup links" in case radar is detected on any of the operational enabled links. This aids in a fast transition of one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 to a "clean" backup link while the "DFS Channels" are disabled during the period when radar is detected.

[0085] FIG. 3 illustrates steps of a method 300 of operating a multi-link wireless AP 110 according to one embodiment.

[0086] The method 300 includes a first step 301 of transmitting a link disable notification management frame to one or more of a plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 operating on a first setup link of the plurality of setup links, the link disable notification management frame comprising information, e.g., one or more information elements and fields, for the one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 to identify the first setup link (and possibly other setup links of the plurality of setup links) to be temporarily disabled by the multi-link wireless AP 110.

[0087] Moreover, in response to transmitting the link disable notification management frame, the method 300 includes a further step 303 of temporarily disabling the first setup link, i.e., blocking exchange of further frames via the first setup link (and possibly other setup links identified by the link disable notification management frame), wherein one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 remain associated using one or more second setup links of the multiple setup links while the first setup link is disabled.

[0088] In one embodiment, the link disable notification management frame is a broadcast management frame, and disabling 303 at least the first setup link includes immediately disabling at least the first setup link in response to transmitting the broadcast management frame to one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 operating on the first setup link.

[0089] In a further embodiment, the link disable notification management frame may be a unicast management frame and the method 300 further includes receiving an acknowledgement frame from a multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 individually addressed by the unicast management frame. In this case, disabling 303 the at least first setup link includes transmitting a unicast management frame and disabling the at least first setup link in response to receiving an acknowledgement frame from a multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 individually addressed by the unicast management frame.

[0090] In one embodiment, if the multiple setup links comprise at least one disabled setup link, the method 300 further includes a step of transmitting a further management frame (referred to as a link activation notification management frame) to one or more of the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120, the link activation notification management frame comprising information, e.g., one or more information elements or fields, for the one or more multi-link wireless non-AP stations 120 to identify the at least one disabled setup link that is to be immediately activated by the multi-link wireless AP 110.

[0091] In one embodiment, the link activation notification management frame is a broadcast management frame, and the step of enabling the at least one disabled setup link includes the step of immediately enabling the at least one disabled setup link in response to transmitting the link activation notification management frame.

[0092] In a further embodiment, the management frame may be a unicast management frame, and the method 300 further includes receiving a further confirmation frame from a multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 individually addressed by the unicast management frame. In this case, enabling the at least one invalidation setup link includes transmitting a unicast management frame and enabling the at least one invalidation setup link in response to receiving a further confirmation frame from a multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 individually addressed by the unicast management frame.

[0093] Since the method 300 may be implemented by the multi-link wireless AP 110, further features of the method 300 result directly from the functionality of the multi-link wireless AP 110 and its different embodiments described above and below.

[0094] FIG. 4 illustrates steps of a method 400 of operating a multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 according to one embodiment.

[0095] The method 400 includes a first step 401 of receiving a link disable notification management frame from the multi-link wireless AP 110. The method 400 also includes a step 403 of extracting, i.e. parsing, information, e.g., one or more information elements or fields, from the link disable notification management frame to identify a first setup link (and possibly further setup links) of multiple setup links to be temporarily disabled by the multi-link wireless AP 110. The method 400 further includes a step 405 of disabling, i.e., blocking, the exchange of further frames over the first setup link (and possibly other setup links identified by the link disable notification management frame).

[0096] In one embodiment, the link disable notification management frame is a broadcast management frame, and disabling 405 the first setup link includes disabling at least the first setup link in response to receiving the link disable notification management frame.

[0097] In a further embodiment, the link disable notification management frame is a unicast management frame and the method 400 further includes transmitting an acknowledgement frame to the multi-link wireless AP 110. In this case, disabling 405 the at least first setup link includes disabling the at least first setup link in response to receiving the individually addressed link disable notification management frame and transmitting an acknowledgement frame to the multi-link wireless AP 110.

[0098] In one embodiment, when the multiple setup links comprise at least one disabled setup link, the method 400 further includes receiving a link activation notification management frame from the multi-link wireless AP 110 and extracting, i.e., parsing, further information, e.g., one or more further information elements or fields, from the link activation notification management frame to identify the at least one disabled setup link that is enabled by the multi-link wireless AP 110. The method 400 also includes enabling, i.e., enabling, an exchange of further frames over the at least one disabled setup link identified by the further information extracted from the link activation notification management frame.

[0099] In one embodiment, the link activation notification management frame is a broadcast management frame, and the step of enabling the at least one disabled setup link includes the step of enabling the at least one disabled setup link in response to receiving the link activation notification management frame.

[0100] In a further embodiment, the link activation notification management frame is a unicast management frame and the method 400 further includes transmitting a further confirmation frame to the multi-link wireless AP 110. In this case, enabling the at least one disabled setup link includes enabling the at least one disabled setup link in response to receiving the individually addressed link activation notification management frame and transmitting a further confirmation frame to the multi-link wireless AP 110.

[0101] Since the method 400 may be implemented by a multi-link wireless non-AP station 120, further features of the method 400 result directly from the functionality of the multi-link wireless non-AP station 120 and its different embodiments described above and below.

[0102] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the "blocks" ("units") of the various figures (method and apparatus) represent or describe functions of embodiments of the present disclosure (and not necessarily individual "units" of hardware or software), and thus equally describe functions or features of apparatus embodiments as well as method embodiments (units = steps).

[0103] In some embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device, and method may be realized in other ways. For example, the described device embodiment is merely an example. For example, the unit division is merely a logical functional division, and may be other divisions in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not implemented. In addition, the shown or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be implemented using some interfaces. Indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be implemented in electronic, mechanical, or other forms.

[0104] The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and the parts shown as units may or may not be physical units, and may be located in one location or distributed over multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the objectives of the solutions of the embodiments.

[0105] In addition, the functional units in the embodiments of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each of the units may exist physically independent, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 100 Wireless communication network 110 Multilink Wireless Access Point (AP) 111 Processing circuit 113 Communication Interface 115 Memory 120 Multilink wireless non-AP station 121 Processing circuit 123 Communication Interface 125 Memory

Claims

1. A multilink wireless access point (AP) (110) configured to exchange a plurality of frames over a plurality of setup links with a plurality of multilink wireless non-access point (AP) stations (120) in a wireless communication network (100), the multilink wireless AP (110) comprising: a communications interface (113) configured to transmit a management frame to at least one multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) operating on a first setup link of the plurality of setup links among the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations (120), the management frame comprising information for the at least one multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) to identify at least the first setup link to be disabled; a processing circuit (111) configured to disable at least the first setup link in response to transmitting the management frame; Equipped with The multi-link wireless AP (110), wherein the communication interface (113) is configured to transmit the management frame to the at least one multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) operating on the first setup link via the first setup link to be disabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110).

2. 2. The multi-link wireless AP of claim 1, wherein the plurality of setup links comprises at least one disabled setup link, the communication interface is further configured to transmit a further management frame to at least one of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations, the further management frame comprising information for the at least one multi-link wireless non-AP station to identify the at least one disabled setup link to be enabled, and the processing circuit is further configured to enable the at least one disabled setup link in response to transmitting the further management frame.

3. The multi-link wireless AP (110) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the management frame is a unicast management frame transmitted to one of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations (120), and the communication interface (113) is configured to receive an acknowledgement frame from the one multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) in response to transmitting the management frame to the one multi-link wireless non-AP station (120).

4. 4. The multi-link wireless AP (110) of claim 3, wherein the processing circuit (111) is configured to transmit the management frame to the one multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) and disable at least the first setup link in response to receiving the confirmation frame.

5. 3. The multi-link wireless AP (110) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the management frame is a broadcast management frame, and the processing circuit (111) is configured to disable at least the first setup link in response to transmitting the management frame to all of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations (120) operating on the first setup link.

6. 6. The multi-link wireless AP (110) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of frames comprises a plurality of data frames, each data frame comprising a transmission identifier (TID) corresponding to the respective data frame among a plurality of TIDs, and the processing circuit (111) is configured to map each TID to one or more of the plurality of setup links.

7. 7. The multi-link wireless AP of claim 6, wherein the communication interface is configured to transmit each data frame over the one or more setup links to which the TID is mapped in response to the TID of the data frame.

8. 8. The multi-link wireless AP (110) of claim 6 or 7, wherein the information in the management frame comprises a bitmap defining, for one or more of the plurality of TIDs, the one or more setup links to which each TID is mapped.

9. 10. The multi-link wireless AP (110) of claim 8, wherein the bitmap defining the one or more setup links to which each TID is mapped remains valid until the communication interface (113) transmits to the one or more of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations (120) a further management frame including the bitmap defining the one or more of the plurality of setup links to which each TID is mapped.

10. A multi-link wireless AP (110) as described in claim 8 or 9, wherein, for at least the first setup link to be disabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110), each bitmap defines that none of the multiple TIDs is mapped to at least the first setup link to be disabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110).

11. The multi-link wireless AP (110) of any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the plurality of TIDs comprises up to eight TIDs, and the bitmap for each TID comprises two octets.

12. 11. The multi-link wireless AP of claim 6, wherein the plurality of setup links comprises at least one invalidation setup link, and the communication interface is further configured to transmit a further management frame to at least one of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations, the further management frame comprising a default mapping indication for informing the at least one multi-link wireless non-AP station of a default mapping of the plurality of TIDs to the plurality of setup links, the default mapping defining that all of the plurality of TIDs are mapped to all of the plurality of setup links.

13. The multi-link wireless AP (110) of any one of claims 6 to 12, wherein the management frame further comprises information for defining whether the mapping defined by the one or more bitmaps is for a downlink DL communication direction or an uplink UL communication direction between the multi-link wireless AP (110) and the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations (120).

14. 14. The multi-link wireless AP (110) of claim 6, wherein the management frame further comprises information for identifying one or more of the plurality of TIDs, the one or more bitmaps defining the mapping of respective TIDs to one or more of the plurality of setup links.

15. 6. The multi-link wireless AP (110) of claim 5, wherein the information in the management frame comprises a plurality of bitmaps, the plurality of bitmaps defining, for one or more of a plurality of TIDs and for at least two of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations (120), the one or more setup links to which the TIDs are mapped, and the management frame further comprises information for associating the one or more bitmaps with each of the at least two multi-link wireless non-AP stations (120), each bitmap defining the one or more setup links to which a respective TID is mapped.

16. The multi-link wireless AP (110) of claim 15, wherein the multiple bitmaps comprise a single bitmap that, for each of the one or more TIDs, defines the one or more setup links to which the TID is mapped for the multiple multi-link wireless non-AP stations (120).

17. 1. A method (300) of operating a multi-link wireless access point (AP) (110) configured to exchange a plurality of frames over a plurality of setup links with a plurality of multi-link wireless non-access point (AP) stations (120) in a wireless communication network (100), the method (300) comprising: transmitting (301) a management frame to at least one multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations (120) operating on a first setup link of the plurality of setup links, the management frame comprising information for the at least one multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) to identify at least the first setup link to be disabled; in response to transmitting the management frame, disabling (303) at least the first setup link; Including, The method (300) includes transmitting the management frame to the at least one multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) operating on the first setup link via the first setup link to be disabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110).

18. 20. The method (300) of claim 17, wherein the management frame is a broadcast management frame, and disabling (303) at least the first setup link comprises immediately disabling (304) at least the first setup link in response to transmitting the broadcast management frame.

19. 20. The method (300) of claim 17, wherein the management frame is a unicast management frame, the method (300) further comprising the step of receiving an acknowledgement frame, and wherein disabling (303) at least the first setup link comprises the step of transmitting the unicast management frame and disabling at least the first setup link in response to receiving the acknowledgement frame.

20. 20. The method (300) of claim 17, wherein the plurality of setup links comprises at least one disabled setup link, and the method (300) further comprises a step of transmitting a further management frame to at least one of the plurality of multi-link wireless non-AP stations (120), the further management frame comprising information for identifying the at least one disabled setup link for which the at least one multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) is to be enabled in response to transmitting the further management frame and for enabling the at least one disabled setup link.

21. 21. The method (300) of claim 20, wherein the further management frame is a further broadcast management frame, and wherein enabling the at least one invalidation setup link comprises immediately enabling the at least one invalidation setup link in response to transmitting the broadcast management frame.

22. 21. The method (300) of claim 20, wherein the further management frame is a unicast management frame, the method (300) further comprising the step of receiving a further confirmation frame, and wherein enabling the at least one invalidation setup link comprises the step of enabling the at least one invalidation setup link in response to transmitting the unicast management frame and receiving the further confirmation frame.

23. A multilink wireless non-access point (AP) station (120) configured to exchange a plurality of frames over a plurality of setup links with a multilink wireless access point (AP) (110) in a wireless communication network (100), the multilink wireless non-AP station (120) comprising: a communications interface (123) for receiving management frames from the multi-link wireless AP (110); a processing circuit (121) configured to extract information from the management frame to identify at least a first setup link of the plurality of setup links that is to be disabled; The processing circuit (121) is further configured to disable at least the first setup link; A multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) transmits the management frame over the first setup link to be disabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110).

24. The multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) of claim 23, wherein the management frame is a unicast frame, and the communication interface (123) is further configured to transmit an acknowledgement frame to the multi-link wireless AP (110) in response to receiving an individually addressed unicast management frame from the multi-link wireless AP (110).

25. The multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) of claim 23 or 24, wherein the plurality of setup links comprises at least one disabled setup link, the communication interface (123) is configured to receive further management frames from the multi-link wireless AP (110), the processing circuit (121) is configured to extract further information from the further management frames to identify the at least one disabled setup link to be enabled, and the processing circuit (121) is further configured to enable the at least one disabled setup link.

26. The multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) of claim 25, wherein the further management frame is a unicast management frame, and the communication interface (123) is further configured to transmit a further confirmation frame to the multi-link wireless AP (110) in response to receiving a further management frame individually addressed from the multi-link wireless AP (110).

27. 27. The multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) of claim 23, wherein the plurality of frames comprises a plurality of data frames, each data frame having a corresponding one of a plurality of transmission identifiers (TIDs), and the processing circuit (121) is configured to map each TID to one or more of the plurality of setup links.

28. 28. The multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) of claim 27, wherein the communication interface (123) is configured to transmit each data frame over the one or more setup links to which the TID is mapped in response to the TID of the data frame.

29. 30. The multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) of claim 27 or 28, wherein the information in the management frame comprises a bitmap defining, for one or more of the plurality of TIDs, the one or more setup links to which each TID is mapped.

30. The multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) of claim 29, wherein the processing circuit (121) is configured to identify at least the first setup link based on a plurality of bitmaps by determining that, for at least the first setup link to be disabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110), each bitmap defines at least that none of the plurality of TIDs is mapped to the first setup link to be disabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110).

31. The multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) of claim 29 or 30, wherein the processing circuit (121) is configured to identify the at least one disabled setup link based on the plurality of bitmaps by determining, for at least one disabled setup link enabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110), that at least one bitmap of the plurality of bitmaps defines that at least one of the plurality of TIDs is mapped to the at least one disabled setup link enabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110).

32. 32. The multi-link wireless non-AP station (120) of claim 31, further comprising a memory (125) configured to hold a plurality of bitmaps defining the one or more setup links to which each TID is mapped, wherein the processing circuit (121) is configured to update the plurality of bitmaps stored in the memory based on the bitmaps included in a link disable management frame and / or a link enable management frame, and to identify at least the first setup link to be temporarily disabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110) and / or the at least one disabled setup link to be enabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110) based on the plurality of bitmaps stored in the memory (125).

33. 33. The multi-link wireless non-AP station of claim 29, wherein the management frame is a broadcast management frame, and the processing circuitry is further configured to extract an association identifier of the multi-link wireless non-AP station from the broadcast management frame to identify a subset of a plurality of bitmaps for the multi-link wireless non-AP station, the subset of the plurality of bitmaps defining, for one or more of the plurality of TIDs, the one or more setup links to which the TID is mapped.

34. 34. The multi-link wireless non-AP station of claim 33, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to extract the subset of the plurality of bitmaps from the broadcast management frame to identify at least the first setup link to be disabled when the broadcast management frame comprises the association identifier of the multi-link wireless non-AP station.

35. 1. A method (400) of operating a multilink wireless non-access point (AP) station (120) configured to exchange a plurality of frames over a plurality of setup links with a multilink wireless access point (AP) (110) in a wireless communication network (100), the method (400) comprising: receiving (401) a management frame from the multi-link wireless AP (110); extracting (403) information from the management frame to identify at least a first setup link of the plurality of setup links that is to be disabled; Disabling (405) at least the first setup link; Including, The method (400), wherein the management frame is transmitted over the first setup link to be disabled by the multi-link wireless AP (110).

36. 36. The method (400) of claim 35, wherein the management frame is a broadcast management frame, and disabling (405) at least the first setup link comprises disabling (405) at least the first setup link in response to receiving the broadcast management frame.

37. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the management frame is a unicast management frame, the method further comprising the step of transmitting an acknowledgement frame to the multi-link wireless AP, and wherein the step of disabling at least the first setup link comprises the step of disabling at least the first setup link in response to receiving the unicast management frame and transmitting the acknowledgement frame to the multi-link wireless AP.

38. The plurality of setup links comprises at least one invalid setup link, the method (400) comprising: receiving a further management frame from the multi-link wireless AP (110); extracting further information from said further management frame to identify said at least one disabled setup link to be enabled; enabling the at least one disabled setup link; 38. The method (400) of any one of claims 35 to 37, further comprising:

39. 39. The method (400) of claim 38, wherein the further management frame is a broadcast management frame, and wherein enabling the at least one invalidation setup link comprises enabling the at least one invalidation setup link in response to receiving the broadcast management frame.

40. 39. The method (400) of claim 38, wherein the further management frame is a unicast management frame, the method (400) further comprising the step of transmitting a further confirmation frame to the multi-link wireless AP (110), and wherein the step of enabling the at least one invalidation setup link comprises the step of enabling the at least one invalidation setup link in response to receiving the further management frame and transmitting the further confirmation frame to the multi-link wireless AP (110).

41. 23. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium for storing program code which, when executed by a computer or a processor, causes said computer or said processor to perform the method (300) of any one of claims 17 to 22 or the method (400) of any one of claims 35 to 40.

Images