Non-simultaneous transmission and reception function indication method, apparatus, and system

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of wireless fidelity Wi-Fi technology, and in particular to a non-simultaneous transmission and reception capability indication method, apparatus, and system. In the method, a first multi-link device MLD can sequentially transmit an association request frame and a management frame to a second MLD. In response, the second MLD can receive an association request frame and a management frame from the first MLD. The association request frame includes first information, the first information indicating a first NSTR capability between the first link and the second link. The management frame includes second information, the second information indicating a second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link. Based on this solution, the NSTR capability between the links can be updated, so that the first MLD and the second MLD have a consistent understanding of the NSTR capability between the links, thereby improving communication efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001]

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202110485829.5, titled "Non-simultaneous Transmitting and Receiving Function Instruction Method, Apparatus, and System", filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on April 30, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002]

[0002] Technical Field This application is related to the field of communications, and in particular, to a method, apparatus, and system for instructing non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving capabilities.

Background Art

[0003]

[0003] To achieve the technical goal of extremely high throughput, multi-link (ML) technology is used as one of the important technologies in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11be standard. A multi-link device (MLD) that supports ML has the ability to transmit and receive on multiple frequency bands to transmit data by using a larger bandwidth, thereby improving the throughput rate.

[0004]

[0004] As shown in FIG. 1, the MLD may include a plurality of stations, and each station may establish a link with one station in another MLD for communication. In other words, two MLD devices can communicate with each other via a plurality of links. Among the plurality of links, if the frequency interval between two links is small, transmitting a signal on one link may affect receiving a signal on the other link. Therefore, transmission and reception cannot be performed simultaneously on the two links, that is, non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (NSTR) exists between the two links.

[0005]

[0005] Currently, when a station in a non-access point (AP) MLD (i.e., non-AP MLD) initiates an association request to a station in an AP MLD, the NSTR capability information is carried in an association request frame, and it is possible to indicate whether NSTR exists between the link corresponding to the station and another link of the non-AP MLD.

Summary of the Invention

[0006]

[0006] This application provides a non-simultaneous transmission and reception capability indication method, apparatus, and system for updating the NSTR capability between links so that both ends of communication have a consistent understanding of the NSTR capability between links, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0007]

[0007] According to the first aspect, a non-simultaneous transmission and reception capability indication method is provided. The method may be executed by a first MLD, or may be executed by a component within the first MLD, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the first MLD, or may be implemented by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first MLD. In this application, an example where the first MLD executes the method is used for illustration. The method includes the first MLD transmitting an association request frame to a second MLD and transmitting a management frame to the second MLD. The association request frame includes first information, and the first information indicates a first non-simultaneous transmission and reception NSTR capability between a first link and a second link. The management frame includes second information, and the second information indicates a second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0008]

[0008] Based on this solution, the first MLD can report the first NSTR capability and the second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link to the second MLD. Specifically, the first MLD may report the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link to the second MLD multiple times, so that as a result, when the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link changes, the first MLD can timely notify the second MLD. In other words, the first MLD can indicate the updated NSTR capability between the first link and the second link to the second MLD. In this way, the first MLD and the second MLD can have a consistent understanding of the NSTR capability between the links, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0009]

[0009] In a possible design, the first MLD transmitting a management frame to the second MLD includes: when a channel switch occurs, the first MLD transmitting a management frame to the second MLD, and the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch.

[0010]

[0010] In a possible design, for the first MLD to send a management frame to the second MLD: when a channel switch occurs and the first condition is not satisfied, the first MLD sends a management frame to the second MLD, and the second NSTR capability includes the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch.

[0011]

[0011] Based on the above two possible designs, in a channel switch scenario, the second MLD can know the NSTR capability after the channel switch. As a result, the first MLD and the second MLD can have a consistent understanding of the NSTR capability between the links after the channel switch, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0012]

[0012] In a possible design, the first condition includes at least one of the following: after the channel switch, one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and the other is in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band; before the channel switch, STR exists between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switch, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger; or before the channel switch, NSTR exists between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switch, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller.

[0013]

[0013] Based on this possible design, the first condition in the above example is related to the frequency of the link. In the process of channel switching, the second MLD can know the target channel after switching. As a result, the determination of the first condition can also be executed by the second MLD. Therefore, when the first condition is satisfied, the second MLD can know the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after channel switching. In this scenario, the first MLD may not send a management frame, which can reduce the signaling overhead.

[0014]

[0014] In a possible design, for the frequency interval between the first link and the second link to remain unchanged or become larger after channel switching: After channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger, and the relative relationship between the frequencies of the first link and the second link remains unchanged. For the frequency interval between the first link and the second link to remain unchanged or become smaller after channel switching: After channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller, and the relative relationship between the frequencies of the first link and the second link remains unchanged.

[0015]

[0015] In a possible design, for the first MLD to send a management frame to the second MLD: After receiving the channel switching notification and before channel switching is executed, the first MLD sends a management frame to the second MLD, and the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after channel switching.

[0016]

[0016] Based on this possible design, the first MLD can indicate to the second MLD, before channel switching, the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after channel switching. As a result, the second MLD and the first MLD can communicate with each other as quickly as possible based on the NSTR capability after channel switching, thereby reducing communication delay.

[0017]

[0017] In a possible design, the management frame further includes third information, and the third information indicates that the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after channel switching.

[0018]

[0018] Based on a possible design, the second MLD can correctly understand the second NSTR capability. As a result, the second MLD does not understand the second NSTR capability as the NSTR capability before channel switching.

[0019]

[0019] In a possible design, before the first MLD sends a management frame to the second MLD, the method further includes: the first MLD sending first operation mode control information to the second MLD, and the first operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed, and the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0020]

[0020] In a possible design, after the first MLD sends a management frame to the second MLD, the method further includes: the first MLD sending second operation mode control information to the second MLD, and the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed, and the changed channel bandwidth is larger than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0021] Based on the above two possible designs, communication failures caused by the first MLD and the second MLD having different understandings of the NSTR capabilities between the first link and the second link can be avoided to the greatest extent possible.

[0022]

[0022] According to a second aspect, a non-simultaneous transmission and reception capability indication method is provided. The method may be executed by the second MLD, or may be executed by a component within the second MLD, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the second MLD, or may be implemented by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second MLD. In this application, an example where the 2 second MLD executes the method is used for illustration purposes. The method includes the second MLD receiving an association request frame from the first MLD and receiving a management frame from the first MLD. The association request frame includes first information, and the first information indicates a first non-simultaneous transmission and reception NSTR capability between the first link and the second link. The management frame includes second information, and the second information indicates a second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link. For the technical effects brought about by the second aspect, refer to the technical effects brought about by the first aspect. Details are not described again here.

[0023]

[0023] In a possible design, a channel switch occurs before the second MLD receives the management frame from the first MLD. The method further includes: the second MLD determines that it is NSTR between the first link and the second link in a first time interval, where the first time interval is the time interval from the time when the channel switch occurs to the time when the management frame is received; when a second condition is satisfied, the second MLD determines that it is STR between the first link and the second link in the first time interval; or when a third condition is satisfied, the second MLD determines that it is NSTR between the first link and the second link in the first time interval.

[0024]

[0024] In a possible design, the second condition includes at least one of the following: after the channel switch, one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is in the 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band and the other is in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band; or before the channel switch, it is STR between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switch, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger. The third condition includes: before the channel switch, it is NSTR between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switch, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller.

[0025]

[0025] In a possible design, for the frequency interval between the first link and the second link to remain unchanged or become larger after channel switching: after channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger, including that the relative relationship between the frequencies of the first link and the second link remains unchanged. For the frequency interval between the first link and the second link to remain unchanged or become smaller after channel switching: after channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller, including that the relative relationship between the frequencies of the first link and the second link remains unchanged.

[0026]

[0026] In a possible design, for the second MLD to receive a management frame from the first MLD: after the channel switching notification is sent and before the channel switching is executed, the second MLD receives a management frame from the first MLD, including that the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after channel switching.

[0027]

[0027] In a possible design, the management frame further includes third information, and the third information indicates that the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after channel switching.

[0028]

[0028] In a possible design, before the second MLD receives a management frame from the first MLD, the method further includes: the second MLD receives first operation mode control information from the first MLD, and the first operation mode control information indicates the channel bandwidth of the first link, including that the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0029]

[0029] In one possible design, after the second MLD receives the management frame from the first MLD, the method further includes: the second MLD receiving second operation mode control information from the first MLD, where the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed and the changed channel bandwidth is greater than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0030]

[0030] For the technical effects brought about by any possible design in the second aspect, refer to the technical effects brought about by the corresponding design in the first aspect. Details are not described again here.

[0031]

[0031] In relation to the first aspect or the second aspect, in one possible design, the management frame includes a multi-link element, the second information is carried by the multi-link element, and the multi-link element is a basic variant multi-link element or an update variant multi-link element.

[0032]

[0032] In relation to the first aspect or the second aspect, in one possible design, the multi-link element is a basic variant multi-link element, and the basic variant multi-link element includes a multi-link control field and a link information field.

[0033]

[0033] The multi-link control field includes a first field, the first field is set to 0, and the first field includes at least one of: a multi-link device media access control address presence field, a link identifier information presence field, a change sequence presence field, a multi-link device capability presence field, or an enhanced multi-link single radio frequency EMLSR capability presence field.

[0034]

[0034] The link information field includes an NSRT indication bitmap field. The second information is carried in the NSTR indication bitmap field. The link information field includes a second field. The second field is set to 0. The second field includes at least one of: a completion profile field, a media access control address presence field, a beacon interval presence field, or a delivery traffic indication map DTIM information presence field.

[0035]

[0035] In relation to the first or second aspect, in one possible design, the multi-link element is an update variant multi-link element, and the update variant multi-link element includes a multi-link control field and a link information field.

[0036]

[0036] The multi-link control field includes a type field. The type field is set to a first value. The multi-link control field does not include a first field. The first field includes at least one of: a multi-link device media access control address presence field, a link identifier information presence field, a change sequence presence field, a multi-link capability presence field, or an EMLSR capability presence field.

[0037]

[0037] The link information field includes an NSRT indication bitmap field. The second information is carried in the NSTR indication bitmap field. The link information field does not include a second field. The second field includes at least one of: a completion profile field, a station media access control address presence field, a beacon interval presence field, or a DTIM information presence field.

[0038]

[0038] In relation to the first or second aspect, in a possible design, the link information field further includes an NSTR link pair presence field and an NSTR bitmap size field. The NSTR link pair presence field indicates that the link information field includes an NSTR indication bitmap field, and the NSTR bitmap size field indicates the size of the NSTR indication bitmap field.

[0039]

[0039] In relation to the first or second aspect, in a possible design, the management frame includes a third field. When the value of the third field is the first value, it indicates that the management frame is used to update the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0040]

[0040] Based on this possible design, the function of the management frame can be shown in the second MLD. As a result, the second MLD can correctly interpret the management frame and obtain the second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0041]

[0041] According to the third aspect, a communication device for implementing the foregoing method is provided. The communication device may be the first MLD in the first aspect, a device including the first MLD, or a device included in the first MLD, such as a chip; or, the communication device may be the second MLD in the second aspect, a device including the second MLD, or a device included in the second MLD, such as a chip. The communication device includes corresponding modules, units, or means for implementing the foregoing method. The modules, units, or means may be implemented by hardware, software, or hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the foregoing functions.

[0042]

[0042] In one possible design, the communication device may include a transmission module and / or a reception module. Further, the communication device may include a processing module. The transmission module may be configured to implement a transmission type function in any one of the foregoing aspects and any one of the possible designs of the foregoing aspects. The reception module may be configured to implement a reception type function in any one of the foregoing aspects and any one of the possible designs of the foregoing aspects. The processing module may be configured to implement a processing function in any one of the foregoing aspects and any one of the possible designs of the foregoing aspects.

[0043]

[0043] According to a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided. The device includes a processor and a memory. The memory is configured to store computer instructions. When the processor executes the instructions, the communication device is capable of executing the method according to any one of the foregoing aspects. The communication device may be the first MLD in the first aspect, a device including the first MLD, or a device included in the first MLD, such as a chip; or, the communication device may be the second MLD in the second aspect, a device including the second MLD, or a device included in the second MLD, such as a chip.

[0044]

[0044] According to a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor and a communication interface. The communication interface is configured to communicate with modules other than the communication device. The processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions such that the communication device executes the method according to any one of the foregoing aspects. The communication device may be the first MLD in the first aspect, a device including the first MLD, or a device included in the first MLD, such as a chip; or, the communication device may be the second MLD in the second aspect, a device including the second MLD, or a device included in the second MLD, such as a chip.

[0045]

[0045] According to the sixth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a logic circuit and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to input information and / or output information. The logic circuit is configured to execute the method in any one of the foregoing aspects to process input information and / or generate output information. The communication device may be the first MLD in the first aspect, a device including the first MLD, or a device included in the first MLD, such as a chip; or the communication device may be the second MLD in the second aspect, a device including the second MLD, or a device included in the second MLD, such as a chip.

[0046]

[0046] Regarding the sixth aspect, in the implementation of the sixth aspect, the communication device may be configured to implement the function of the first MLD.

[0047]

[0047] In a possible design, the input information is an association request frame and a management frame. The association request frame includes first information, and the first information indicates the first NSTR capability between the first link and the second link. The management frame includes second information, and the second information indicates the second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0048]

[0048] In a possible design, the input information is first operation mode control information, and the first operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link changes, and the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0049]

[0049] In a possible design, the input information is second operation mode control information, and the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link changes, and the changed channel bandwidth is larger than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0050] Regarding the sixth aspect, in the implementation of the sixth aspect, the communication device may be configured to implement the function of the second MLD.

[0051] In a possible design, the output information is an association request frame and a management frame. The association request frame includes first information, and the first information indicates the first NSTR capability between the first link and the second link. The management frame includes second information, and the second information indicates the second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0052] In a possible design, the output information is first operation mode control information, and the first operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link changes and the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0053] In a possible design, the output information is second operation mode control information, and the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link changes and the changed channel bandwidth is larger than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0054]

[0054] According to a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes an interface circuit and a processor. The interface circuit is a code / data read / write interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive computer-executable instructions (the computer-executable instructions may be stored in a memory and read directly from the memory, or may be read through another component) and transmit the computer-executable instructions to the processor. The processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions, and as a result, the communication device executes the method according to any one of the foregoing aspects. The communication device may be the first MLD in the first aspect, a device including the first MLD, or a device included in the first MLD, such as a chip; or the communication device may be the second MLD in the second aspect, a device including the second MLD, or a device included in the second MLD, such as a chip.

[0055]

[0055] According to an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes at least one processor. The processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions so that the communication device executes the method according to any one of the foregoing aspects. The communication device may be the first MLD in the first aspect, a device including the first MLD, or a device included in the first MLD, such as a chip; or the communication device may be the second MLD in the second aspect, a device including the second MLD, or a device included in the second MLD, such as a chip.

[0056]

[0056] In a possible design, the communication device includes a memory, and the memory is configured to store the necessary computer program or necessary instructions. The memory may be coupled to the processor or may be independent of the processor.

[0057]

[0057] In one possible design, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system. When the device is a chip system, the chip system may include a chip, or may include a chip and another discrete device.

[0058]

[0058] According to a ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed by a processor, a method according to any one of the foregoing aspects is executed.

[0059]

[0059] According to a tenth aspect, a computer program product is provided. When the computer program product is executed by a processor, a method according to any one of the foregoing aspects is executed.

[0060]

[0060] It is to be understood that when the communication device according to any one of the third to tenth aspects is a chip, the operation / function of transmitting may be understood as outputting information, and the operation / function of receiving may be understood as inputting information.

[0061]

[0061] For the technical effects brought about by any one of the designs of the third to tenth aspects, reference may be made to the technical effects brought about by the various designs of the first or second aspect. Details are not described again here.

[0062]

[0062] According to an eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes a first MLD and a second MLD according to the foregoing aspect.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0063]

Figure 1

[0063] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a multi-link device communication scenario according to the present application.

Figure 2

[0064] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a two-link non-simultaneous transmission and reception communication scenario according to the present application.

Figure 3

[0065] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the frame structure of a basic variant multi-link element according to the present application.

Figure 4

[0066] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system according to the present application.

Figure 5

[0067] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a WLAN device according to the present application.

Figure 6

[0068] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a non-simultaneous transmission and reception capability indication method according to the present application.

Figure 7

[0069] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an action frame according to the present application.

Figure 8

[0070] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the frame structure of a multi-link element according to the present application.

Figure 9

[0071] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the frame structure of a multi-link element according to the present application.

Figure 10

[0072] Figure 10 is a schematic flowchart of a non-simultaneous transmission and reception capability indication method according to the present application.

Figure 11

[0073] Figure 11 is a schematic flowchart of a non-simultaneous transmission and reception capability indication method according to the present application.

Figure 12

[0074] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first MLD according to the present application.

Figure 13

[0075] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second MLD according to the present application.

Figure 14

[0076] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to the present application.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0064]

[0077] Unless otherwise stated, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, " / " represents an "or" relationship between related objects. For example, A / B may represent A or B. In the present application, "and / or" only describes the relevance relationship for explaining related objects, indicating that there may be three relationships. 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.

[0065]

[0078] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. At least one subsequent item (part) or similar expression refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item (part) or a plurality of items (parts). For example, at least one of a, b, or c may represent a, b, c, a - b, a - c, b - c, or a - b - c, where a, b, and c may be singular or plural.

[0066]

[0079] Furthermore, for the purpose of clearly explaining the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish between the same items or similar items that basically provide the same function or purpose. Those skilled in the art can understand that terms such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and terms such as "first" and "second" do not indicate a clear difference. Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, words such as "example" or "for example" are used to represent giving an example, illustration, or explanation. Any embodiment or design scheme described as an "example" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be described as being more preferable than another embodiment or design scheme, or having more advantages. Exactly, the use of words such as "example" or "for example" is intended to present relative concepts in a specific way for easier understanding.

[0067]

[0080] It can be understood that the "embodiments" referred to throughout the specification mean that specific features, structures, or characteristics related to the embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, the embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments by using any appropriate method. It can be understood that the order of the foregoing processes does not mean the execution order in various embodiments of this application. The execution order of the process should be determined based on the function and internal logic of the process, and should not be interpreted as any limitation to the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0068]

[0081] In this application, "in the case of" and "if" mean that the corresponding process is executed in an objective situation, are not intended to limit time, do not require an operation to be determined during implementation, and do not mean any other limitation, and it is possible to understand this.

[0069]

[0082] It is possible to understand that "predetermined" in this application may also be understood as "defining", "predetermining", "storing", "predetermining storage", "pre-negotiating", "pre-constructing", "incorporated", "pre-printed".

[0070]

[0083] In some scenarios, it is possible to understand that some optional features in the embodiments of this application can be implemented independently without depending on other features, for example, the solution on which the optional feature is currently based, in order to solve the corresponding technical problem and achieve the corresponding effect. Alternatively, in some scenarios, the optional features can be combined with other features based on requirements. Correspondingly, the devices provided in the embodiments of this application can also implement these features or functions accordingly. Details are not described here.

[0071]

[0084] In this application, unless otherwise stated, the same or similar parts of the embodiments should refer to each other. In the embodiments of this application and the implementation / implementation method in the embodiments, unless otherwise stated or there is no logical contradiction, the terms and / or descriptions are consistent and can be referred to each other between different embodiments and between the implementation / implementation method in the embodiments. The technical features in different embodiments and the implementation / implementation method in the embodiments can be combined according to their internal logical relationships to form new embodiments, implementations, or implementation methods. The following implementations of this application are not intended to limit the protection scope of this application.

[0072]

[0085] To facilitate the understanding of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, first, the technology related to this application is briefly described as follows:

[0086] 1. Multi-Link (ML):

[0087] The technical objectives of the development and evolution of cellular networks and wireless local area networks (WLANs) are to continuously increase throughput. The protocols of WLAN systems are mainly discussed in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standardization group. In standards such as 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax, the throughput rate of WLAN systems has been continuously improved. The next-generation standard IEEE 802.11be is called the extremely high throughput (EHT) standard, and its most important technical objective is to significantly improve the peak throughput rate.

[0073]

[0088] To achieve the technical objective of extremely high throughput, IEEE 802.11be uses ML as one of its important technologies. The core idea is that WLAN devices supporting the next-generation IEEE 802.11 standard have multi-band transmission and reception capabilities, and as a result, a wider bandwidth can be used for data transmission. This significantly improves throughput. The spatial path for performing access and data transmission in one frequency band may be referred to as a link. Therefore, access and transmission in multiple frequency bands are ML. Furthermore, multiple links lead to reduced latency and improved robustness.

[0074]

[0089] For example, the plurality of frequency bands may include, but are not limited to, the 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) frequency band, the 5 GHz Wi-Fi frequency band, and the 6 GHz Wi-Fi frequency band.

[0075]

[0090] Furthermore, the access frequency bands of different links may be the same, that is, different links may be located in the same frequency band. In this case, different links can access different channels in the same frequency band and perform data transmission on different channels.

[0076]

[0091] 2. Multi-link device (MLD)

[0092] A multi-link device may be a WLAN device that supports multiple links simultaneously. In other words, a multi-link device has the ability to transmit and receive on multiple frequency bands. Compared with a device that supports only single-link transmission, a multi-link device has higher transmission efficiency and higher throughput.

[0077]

[0093] It should be noted that a multi-link device may also be referred to as a multi-band device. Of course, a multi-link device may have another name. This is not particularly limited in this application.

[0078]

[0094] A multi-link device includes at least two affiliated stations. An affiliated station may be an access point station (AP STA) or a non-access point station (non-AP STA).

[0079]

[0095] For ease of explanation, in this application, a multi-link device whose affiliated station of the multi-link device is an AP STA is referred to as an AP multi-link device (AP MLD), a multi-link AP, or a multi-link AP device, and a multi-link device whose affiliated station of the multi-link device is a non-AP STA is referred to as a non-AP multi-link device (non-AP MLD), a multi-link STA, a multi-link STA device, or a STA multi-link device (STA MLD).

[0080]

[0096] The STA within a multi-link device may establish a link with an STA within another multi-link device for communication. Please refer to the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 1.

[0081]

[0097] A multi-link device can be classified into a simultaneous transmitting and receiving (STR) multi-link device (STR MLD) and a non-simultaneous transmitting and receiving (NSTR) multi-link device (non-STR MLD). A WLAN system including a non-STR MLD may be referred to as a non-STR multi-link system.

[0082]

[0098] At least two of the multiple links of the non-STR MLD cannot perform simultaneous transmission and reception. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, in the multiple links established between the non-STR MLD and another multi-link device, if the frequency interval between Link 1 and Link 2 is small, when the time for transmitting the block acknowledge (BA) 2 for the physical protocol data unit (PPDU) 2 in Link 2 overlaps with the time for receiving the PPDU 1 in Link 1, in the process of transmitting BA 2 in Link 2, the energy leaked to Link 1 will interfere with the reception of the PPDU 1 in Link 1. Therefore, the reception of the PPDU 1 is affected.

[0083]

[0099] 3. Association Request

[0100] When the non-AP MLD accesses the network, the stations in the non-AP MLD may initiate an association request to the AP MLD station in order to access the WLAN. In this process, the stations in the non-AP MLD may transmit an association request frame, where the association request frame includes a basic variant multi-link element, and the basic variant multi-link element may indicate whether simultaneous transmission and reception can be performed among the multiple links of the non-AP MLD.

[0084]

[0101] In one example, the frame structure of the basic variant multi-link element may be as shown in FIG. 3. See FIG. 3. The basic variant multi-link element includes an element identifier (element ID) field, a Length field, an Element ID Extension field, a Multi-Link Control field, a Common Info field, and a Link info field.

[0085]

[0102] The element identifier field and the element ID extension field are used to identify the basic variant multi-link element. The element identifier fields and the element ID extension fields of different basic variant multi-link elements are different. Usually, the element identifier field can be set to 255, and the element ID extension field is set to a value not used by another basic variant multi-link element. The length field indicates the length of the basic variant multi-link element.

[0086]

[0103] The multi-link control field carries multi-link control information and may include a Type field, a reserved field, and a Presence bitmap field. The Presence bitmap field may include one or more present fields. For example, the Presence bitmap field may include: a multi-link device media access control (MAC) address present (MLD MAC Address Present) field indicating whether the MLD MAC address field is present in the common info field; The Link ID Info Present field, which indicates whether a Link ID Info field exists in the common information field; The Change Sequence Present field, which indicates whether a Change Sequence field exists in the common information field; The MLD Capabilities Present field, which indicates whether a Multi-Link Device Capabilities field exists in the common information field, where the Multi-Link Device Capabilities field includes a Maximum Number Of Simultaneous Links field, a single response scheduling (SRS) Support field, and a reserved field; and The EMLSR Capabilities Present field, which indicates whether an EMLSR Capabilities field exists in the common information field, where the EMLSR Capabilities field includes an EMLSR Support field, an EMLSR Delay field, and a reserved field.

[0087]

[0104] In addition to the fields indicated by the existence fields, the common information field may further include a to be determined (TBD) field.

[0088]

[0105] The link information field conveys link information and may contain a per-STA Profile sub-element. The per-STA Profile sub-element may be in a one-to-one correspondence with the stations of a multi-link device. Optionally, the link information field may further contain vendor-specific sub-elements..

[0089]

[0106] The per-STA Profile sub-element may include a Subelement ID field, a Length field, a STA Control field, a STA Info field, and a STA Profile field. The STA Profile field may contain zero or a plurality of elements.

[0090]

[0107] The Subelement ID field identifies the per-STA Profile sub-element, and the Subelement ID field is usually set to 0. The Length field indicates the length of the per-STA Profile sub-element.

[0091]

[0108] The STA Control field may include the following: A Link Identifier (Link ID) field that identifies the link corresponding to the per-STA Profile sub-element that includes the STA Control field; A Complete Profile field that indicates whether the basic variant multi-link element contains complete information about the link corresponding to the per-STA Profile sub-element; A MAC Address Present that indicates whether the STA MAC Address field is present in the STA Info field; The Beacon Interval Present field, which indicates whether the Beacon Interval field exists in the station information field; The Delivery Traffic Indication Map (DTIM) Info Present field, which indicates whether the DTIM Count field and the DTIM Period field exist in the station information field; The NSTR Link Pair Present field, which indicates whether the NSTR Indication Bitmap field exists in the station information field, and the NSTR Indication Bitmap field can indicate whether simultaneous transmission and reception are possible in the link corresponding to the per-STA profile sub-element where the NSTR Indication Bitmap field is located and other links; and The NSTR Bitmap Size field, which indicates the size of the NSTR Indication Bitmap field when the NSTR Indication Bitmap field exists in the station information field, and the size of the NSTR Indication Bitmap field may be, for example, 8 bits or 16 bits.

[0092]

[0109] Regarding the aforementioned presence fields, when the presence field is set to 1, it usually indicates that the field indicated by the presence field exists; when the presence field is set to 0, it usually indicates that the field indicated by the presence field does not exist.

[0093]

[0110] The "Present Field" in this application may also be referred to as the "Presence Field", and it should be noted that the "Present Field" and the "Presence Field" may be used interchangeably. This is not particularly limited in this application.

[0094]

[0111] The above describes the frame structure of the basic variant multi-link element and the functions of several fields. For the description of other fields, refer to the definitions in the IEEE 802.11be standard. Details are not described here.

[0095]

[0112] 4. Channel Switch:

[0113] During the operation of a basic service set (BSS), the AP may initiate a channel switch due to some reason (e.g., strong interference in the original channel or discovery of a radar satellite channel).

[0096]

[0114] For example, the channel switch may include switching the link from a channel in one frequency band to a channel in another frequency band; or it may include switching the link from a channel in one frequency band to another channel in the same frequency band. In the case of a multi-link device, the channel switches of multiple stations included in the multi-link device are independent. For example, the channel switch may be executed for some stations of the multi-link device and not for other stations.

[0097]

[0115] In the process of starting channel switching, the AP usually sends a Channel Switch Announcement element or an Extended Channel Switch Announcement element to non-APs several DTIM Beacon cycles before, notifying the non-APs of the channel switching time and the target channel. The Channel Switch Announcement element or the Extended Channel Switch Announcement element may be carried in a Beacon frame. When the channel switching time arrives, the AP and the related non-APs switch to the target channel.

[0098]

[0116] 5. Operating mode (OM) control:

[0117] The IEEE 802.11ax standard defines an Operating Mode Control subfield, which may be used by a transmitting station to change operating parameters such as the channel bandwidth and the number of spatial streams of the transmitting station.

[0099]

[0118] Generally, when the transmitting station intends to change its operating parameters from high-capability parameters to low-capability parameters, the parameters change after the transmission opportunity (TXOP) during which the transmitting station receives an acknowledgment frame has ended. The acknowledgment frame is an acknowledgment frame corresponding to the frame carrying the Operating Mode Control subfield. In other words, the transmitting station changes its parameters after confirming that the acknowledgment frame corresponding to the Operating Mode Control subfield has been received.

[0100]

[0119] If the transmitting station is intended to change its operating parameters from low-capability parameters to high-capability parameters, the parameters change after the TXOP for transmitting the operation mode control subfield has ended. In other words, after the transmitting station has transmitted a frame carrying the operation mode control subfield, even if the transmitting station has not correctly received the acknowledgment frame for that frame, the transmitting station is required to change the parameters of the transmitting station after the TXOP for transmitting the operation mode control subfield has ended. The reason the transmitting station does not correctly receive the acknowledgment frame may be that the receiving station has transmitted the acknowledgment frame after receiving a frame carrying the operation mode control subfield, but the acknowledgment frame is not correctly received due to interference or another reason. In this case, since the receiving station may think that the transmitting station has changed the parameters of the transmitting station to high-capability parameters, the receiving station can communicate with the transmitting station by using the high-capability parameters. Since this case is conceivable, it is necessary for the parameters of the transmitting station to be changed after the TXOP for transmitting the operation mode control subfield has ended, regardless of whether the transmitting station has correctly received the acknowledgment frame.

[0101]

[0120] For example, the above parameters may be the bandwidth. The high-capability parameters may refer to a large bandwidth, and the low-capability parameters may refer to a small bandwidth. It will be understood that the large bandwidth and the small bandwidth in this case correspond to the bandwidths before and after the parameters change.

[0102]

[0121] As described in the background art, currently, when a non-AP MLD station starts an association request with an AP MLD station, the non-AP MLD station reports to the AP MLD whether simultaneous transmission and reception on the link is feasible. The reporting of the NSTR capabilities between links in another scenario has not been discussed.

[0103]

[0122] Based on this, the present application provides an information transmission and reception method. The method may be used to exchange non-simultaneous transmission and reception capabilities between links after the non-AP MLD accesses the network. As a result, the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD have a consistent understanding of the non-simultaneous transmission and reception capabilities between links, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0104]

[0123] The method provided in this application is applicable to WLAN scenarios, for example, to the standards of IEEE 802.11 systems, such as 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, or the next generation of 802.11ax, such as 802.11be or further next-generation standards. Alternatively, embodiments of this application are applicable to wireless local area network systems, such as the internet of things (IoT) network or the vehicle-to-X (V2X) system. It is clear that embodiments of this application are also applicable to other possible communication systems, such as the long term evolution (LTE) system, the LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, the LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, the universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), the worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, and future fifth-generation (5G) communication systems.

[0105]

[0124] The communication systems applicable to this application are merely examples for illustration, and the communication systems applicable to this application are not limited thereto. This is also described in this case and will not be described again in detail below.

[0106]

[0125] FIG. 4 is a WLAN communication system provided in this application to which embodiments of this application are applied. The WLAN communication system includes a first MLD 401 and a second MLD 402.

[0107]

[0126] A plurality of links are established between the first MLD 401 and the second MLD 402. In the following embodiments of this application, an example in which the plurality of links between the first MLD 401 and the second MLD 402 includes a first link and a second link is used for illustration.

[0108]

[0127] In a possible implementation, in this application, the first MLD 401 is a non-AP MLD, and the second MLD 402 is an AP MLD. In this scenario, the first MLD may be a non-AP MLD associated with the second MLD.

[0109]

[0128] In another possible implementation form, in this application, the first MLD 401 is a non-AP MLD, and the second MLD 402 is a non-AP MLD.

[0110]

[0129] The non-AP MLD in this application may be a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, or a wireless communication terminal. Examples of non-AP MLDs may be user terminals capable of Wi-Fi communication, user devices, access devices, subscriber stations, subscriber units, mobile stations, user agents, and user devices. User terminals may be handheld devices, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, computing devices, other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, and various forms of user equipment (UE), mobile stations (MS), terminals, terminal equipment, portable communication devices, handheld devices, portable computing devices, entertainment devices, game devices or systems, global positioning system devices, and any other suitable devices configured for network communication via a wireless medium, etc. Among various wireless communication-capable devices. Furthermore, the non-AP MLD may be capable of supporting the 802.11be standard or the next-generation WLAN standard of the 802.11be standard. Also, the non-AP MLD may also support multiple WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

[0111]

[0130] In an embodiment of the present application, the AP MLD may be a device deployed in a wireless communication network to provide a wireless communication function to a non-AP associated with the AP MLD. The AP MLD is mainly deployed in homes, inside buildings, and on campuses, and a typical coverage radius ranges from dozens of meters to hundreds of meters. Of course, the AP MLD may alternatively be deployed outdoors. The AP MLD is equivalent to a bridge that connects a wired network and a wireless network. The main function of the AP MLD is to connect various wireless network clients to each other and then connect the wireless network to Ethernet. Specifically, the AP MLD may be a communication device having a Wi-Fi chip, such as a base station, a router, a gateway, a repeater, a communication server, a switch, or a bridge. The base station may include various forms such as a macro base station, a micro base station, and a relay station. Further, the AP MLD may support the 802.11 be standard or the next-generation WLAN standard of the 802.11 be standard. Also, the AP MLD may support WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

[0112]

[0131] In some embodiments, the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD in the present application may be collectively referred to as a WLAN device. In a specific implementation, the WLAN device may use the organizational structure shown in FIG. 5 or may include the components shown in FIG. 5.

[0113]

[0132] Figure 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the WLAN device 500 according to the present application. The WLAN device 500 may be a non-AP MLD, a chip or a chip system (or referred to as a system-on-chip) within the non-AP MLD, or alternatively, an AP MLD, a chip or a chip system (or referred to as a system-on-chip) within the AP MLD. In an embodiment of the present application, the chip system may include a chip, or may include a chip and other discrete components.

[0114]

[0133] As shown in Figure 5, the WLAN device 500 includes a processor 501 and a transceiver 502. Further, the WLAN device 500 may further include a memory 504. The processor 501, the memory 504, and the transceiver 502 may be connected via a communication line 503.

[0115]

[0134] The processor 501 is a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. Alternatively, the processor 501 may be another device having a processing function, such as a circuit, a component, or a software module. This is not limited.

[0116]

[0135] The transceiver 502 is configured to communicate with another device or another communication network. The another communication network may be Ethernet, a radio access network (RAN), a WLAN, etc. The transceiver 502 may be a module, a circuit, a transceiver, or any device capable of performing communication.

[0117]

[0136] The communication line 503 is configured to transmit information among components included in the WLAN device 500.

[0118]

[0137] The memory 504 is configured to store a computer program or instructions.

[0119]

[0138] The memory 504 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or another type of static storage device capable of storing static information and / or instructions; it may be a random access memory (RAM) or another type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and / or instructions; or it may be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or another compact disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium, or another magnetic storage device, etc. This is not limiting.

[0120]

[0139] It should be noted that the memory 504 may be independent of the processor 501 or may be integrated with the processor 501. The memory 504 may be configured to store instructions, program code, some data, etc. The memory 504 may be disposed within the WLAN device 500 or may be disposed outside the WLAN device 500. This is not limiting. The processor 501 is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory 504 to implement the method provided in the following embodiments of the present application.

[0121]

[0140] In one example, the processor 501 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU 0 and CPU 1 in FIG. 5.

[0122]

[0141] In an optional implementation, the WLAN device 500 includes a plurality of processors. For example, in addition to the processor 501 in FIG. 5, the WLAN device 500 may further include a processor 507.

[0123]

[0142] In an optional implementation, the WLAN device 500 further includes an output device 505 and an input device 506. The input device 506 is a device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, or a joystick, and the output device 505 is a device such as a display screen or a speaker.

[0124]

[0143] It will be understood that the organizational structure shown in FIG. 5 does not constitute a limitation on the WLAN device. In addition to the components shown in FIG. 5, the WLAN device may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, combine some components, or have different component arrangements.

[0125]

[0144] The above describes the communication system and the WLAN device provided in the present application. Hereinafter, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0126]

[0145] It should be noted that in the following embodiments of the present application, the names of messages, parameter names, information names, etc. between devices are merely examples, and in other embodiments, they may have other names. This is not limited to the method provided in the present application.

[0127]

[0146] In the embodiments of the present application, it will be understood that the first MLD and / or the second MLD may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of the present application. These steps or operations are merely examples. In the embodiments of the present application, other operations or variations of various operations may further be performed. Further, the steps may be executed in an order different from the order presented in the embodiments of the present application, and it is not necessary for all the operations in the embodiments of the present application to be executed.

[0128]

[0147] FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart of a method for information transmission and reception according to an embodiment of the present application. In the following, an example in which the method provided in this embodiment of the present application is applied to the application scenario shown in FIG. 4 is used, and the link between the first MLD and the second MLD includes a first link and a second link. Naturally, the embodiments of the present application may be applied to other possible communication scenarios or communication systems. For example, in a scenario where the NSTR capabilities between links are reported, the reporting may be executed by using the method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0129]

[0148] In the following embodiments of this application, it should be noted that the interaction between the first MLD and the second MLD may actually be the interaction between the station associated with the first MLD and the station associated with the second MLD. The station may be a station corresponding to any enabled link operable between the first MLD and the second MLD. For example, the interaction between the first MLD and the second MLD may be the interaction between the station corresponding to the first link in the first MLD and the station corresponding to the first link in the second MLD. For ease of explanation, in the following embodiments of this application, the interaction between the first MLD and the second MLD is used as a way of explanation. In fact, the interaction may alternatively be the interaction between the station associated with the first MLD and the station associated with the second MLD.

[0130]

[0149] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the information transmission and reception method provided in this application includes the following steps.

[0131]

[0150] S601: The first MLD sends an association request frame to the second MLD. Correspondingly, the second MLD receives the association request frame from the first MLD.

[0132]

[0151] The association request frame contains first information, and the first information indicates the first NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0133]

[0152] For example, when the first MLD is a non-AP MLD and the second MLD is an AP MLD, the first NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link in the association process.

[0134]

[0153] In a possible implementation, the association request frame may include a basic variant multi-link element, and the first information may be carried in the NSTR indication bitmap field in the basic variant multi-link element. For the frame structure of the basic variant multi-link element, refer to FIG. 3 and the corresponding description of FIG. 3. Details are not described again here.

[0135]

[0154] S602: The first MLD sends a management frame to the second MLD. Correspondingly, the second MLD receives the management frame from the first MLD.

[0136]

[0155] The management frame includes second information, and the second information indicates the second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0137]

[0156] In a possible implementation, the second NSTR capability is used to replace or update the first NSTR capability. In other words, the second NSTR capability may be the latest NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0138]

[0157] In a specific example, when the first MLD is a non-AP MLD and the second MLD is an AP MLD, the non-AP MLD may send a management frame after the non-AP MLD is associated with the AP MLD. The second NSTR capability may be the latest NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the association.

[0139]

[0158] In a possible implementation, the NSTR capability may be used to indicate whether it is NSTR between two links. In other words, the NSTR capability may be used to indicate whether two links can perform simultaneous transmission and reception. For example, the NSTR capability may be true, indicating that it is NSTR between two links, that is, it is not possible to perform simultaneous transmission and reception on the two links; or the NSTR capability may be false, indicating that it is STR between two links, that is, it is possible to perform simultaneous transmission and reception on the two links.

[0140]

[0159] In one example, the inability to perform simultaneous transmission and reception on two links means: When a signal is received on one link, it is not possible to transmit a signal on the other link; or receiving a signal on one link may prevent transmitting a signal simultaneously on the other link. The ability to perform simultaneous transmission and reception on two links means: When a signal is received on one link, it is possible to transmit a signal on the other link; or receiving a signal on one link does not prevent transmitting a signal simultaneously on the other link.

[0141]

[0160] In some embodiments, the solution of this application may be appropriately changed. For example, the NSTR capability is changed to the STR capability, and the STR capability may indicate whether it is STR between two links. In other words, the STR capability may indicate whether two links can perform simultaneous transmission and reception. Therefore, the STR capability and the NSTR capability have the same function, but the interpretation of the STR capability is opposite to the interpretation of the NSTR capability. For example, when the NSTR capability is true, the STR capability is false; or when the NSTR capability may be false, the STR capability is true.

[0142]

[0161] Furthermore, the NSTR capabilities in this application may also be presented as NSTR / STR capabilities or referred to as NSTR capability status, and may be used interchangeably. This is not particularly limited in this application.

[0143]

[0162] In a possible implementation, the link pair formed by the first link and the second link may be referred to as the first link pair. Therefore, the NSTR capabilities between the first link and the second link may also be referred to as the NSTR capabilities of the first link pair.

[0144]

[0163] In some embodiments, it may also be understood that the first information indicating the first NSTR capabilities between the first link and the second link is as follows: the first information indicates the first transmission and reception relationship between the first link and the second link, and the first transmission and reception relationship includes NSTR and STR. When the first transmission and reception relationship is NSTR, the first NSTR capabilities may be considered true; or when the first transmission and reception relationship is STR, the first NSTR capabilities may be considered false.

[0145]

[0164] In some embodiments, it may be understood that the second information indicating the second NSTR capabilities between the first link and the second link is as follows: the second information indicates the second transmission and reception relationship between the first link and the second link, and the second transmission and reception relationship includes NSTR and STR. When the second transmission and reception relationship is NSTR, the second NSTR capabilities may be considered true; or when the second transmission and reception relationship is STR, the second NSTR capabilities may be considered false.

[0146]

[0165] It is possible to understand that the first MLD may generate an association request frame before the first MLD transmits the association request frame. Similarly, a management frame may be generated before the first MLD transmits the management frame.

[0147]

[0166] In some embodiments, the management frame may be an action frame. FIG. 7 shows the common frame structure of an action frame, and the action frame includes a Category field and an Action Details field. The Category field indicates the type of the action frame. For example, the action frame in the present application may be an EHT action frame. The Action Details field usually includes an Action field that indicates the format (or function) of the action frame indicated by the Category field. The EHT action frame is used as an example. The Action field may indicate the format (or function) of the EHT action frame. For example, when the Action field is set to 0, it indicates that the EHT action frame is used for EHT compressed beamforming.

[0148]

[0167] In some other embodiments, the management frame may be a new type of management frame. For the sake of easy explanation, the new type of management frame is referred to as the first management frame in the present application. The type of the first management frame may be indicated by using an Element ID field and / or an Element ID Extension field. For example, the type of the first management frame may be indicated by using a reserved element identifier value; or when the element identifier is equal to 255, the type of the first management frame may be indicated by using a reserved element identifier extension value.

[0149]

[0168] In this application, the management frame containing the second information may be referred to as an NSTR capability update frame. Naturally, the management frame may have another name, for example, an NSTR capability report frame. The name of the management frame is not particularly limited in this application.

[0150]

[0169] In some embodiments, after receiving the management frame, the second MLD may use the management frame. For example, the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link is determined based on the second information included in the management frame, and the first MLD is made to communicate with the second MLD in a manner consistent with the NSTR capability. Naturally, after receiving the management frame, the second MLD may further perform another operation. This is not particularly limited in this application.

[0151]

[0170] The above uses an example where the link between the first MLD and the second MLD includes the first link and the second link to describe the NSTR capability indication between the first link and the second link. In some implementation scenarios, in addition to the first link and the second link, the link between the first MLD and the second MLD may further include another link. In other words, in addition to the first link pair formed by the first link and the second link, another link pair may be further included.

[0152]

[0171] In this implementation scenario, in a possible implementation, in addition to the NSTR capability of the first link pair, the first MLD further reports the NSTR capability of another link pair in the management frame regardless of whether the NSTR capability of the other link pair changes.

[0153]

[0172] For example, the link between the first MLD and the second MLD further includes a third link. The link pair formed by the first link and the third link is the second link pair, and the link pair formed by the second link and the third link is the third link pair. If the NSTR capabilities of the first link pair change, the NSTR capabilities of the second link pair change, and the NSTR capabilities of the third link pair do not change, the management frame may indicate the NSTR capabilities of the first link pair, the NSTR capabilities of the second link pair, and the NSTR capabilities of the third link pair.

[0154]

[0173] In another possible implementation, the first MLD reports, in the management frame, the NSTR capabilities of the link pairs whose NSTR capabilities have changed. After receiving the management frame, the second MLD updates the NSTR capabilities of this part of the link pair. For the NSTR capabilities of the link pairs not reported in the management frame, the second MLD by default considers that the NSTR capabilities have not been changed.

[0155]

[0174] For example, the link between the first MLD and the second MLD further includes a third link. The link pair formed by the first link and the third link is the second link pair, and the link pair formed by the second link and the third link is the third link pair. If the NSTR capabilities of the first link pair change, the NSTR capabilities of the second link pair change, and the NSTR capabilities of the third link pair do not change, the management frame may indicate the NSTR capabilities of the first link pair and the NSTR capabilities of the second link pair.

[0156]

[0175] Furthermore, in some implementation scenarios, there may be a delay in switching the NSTR capabilities of a link pair. In these scenarios, when the NSTR capabilities of a link pair change from STR to NSTR, first a management frame can be sent to report the changed NSTR capabilities, and then the capability switch is executed. When the NSTR capabilities of a link pair change from NSTR to STR, the capability switch may be executed first, and then a management frame is sent to report the changed NSTR capabilities.

[0157]

[0176] In a specific example, when the NSTR capabilities of multiple link pairs change, for example, when the NSTR capability of a type-1 link pair changes from STR to NSTR and the NSTR capability of a type-2 link pair changes from NSTR to STR, the NSTR capability of the type-1 link pair may be reported in one management frame, and the NSTR capability of the type-2 link pair may be reported in another management frame.

[0158]

[0177] Based on this solution, the first MLD can report the first NSTR capability and the second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link to the second MLD. Specifically, the first MLD may report the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link to the second MLD multiple times, so that the first MLD can timely notify the second MLD when the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link changes. In this way, the first MLD and the second MLD can have a consistent understanding of the NSTR capability between the links, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0159]

[0178] Hereinafter, a method of transporting the second information in a management frame will be described.

[0160]

[0179] In some embodiments, the management frame may include a first bitmap, and the bits in the first bitmap have a one-to-one correspondence with the link pairs, and each bit indicates the NSTR capability of one link pair. In this way, the second information may be specified by using one bit in the first bitmap.

[0161]

[0180] Alternatively, the management frame may include a plurality of second bitmaps, and the plurality of second bitmaps have a one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of links of the first MLD. Each bit in the second bitmap indicates the NSTR capability between the link corresponding to the second bitmap and another link. It should be understood that the bit sequence of the second bitmap has a mapping relationship with the sequence of another link. For example, the bits from the most significant bit to the least significant bit in the second bitmap sequentially correspond to the links of the link identifiers in descending order; or, the bits from the most significant bit to the least significant bit in the second bitmap sequentially correspond to the links of the link identifiers in ascending order. In this way, the second information may be indicated by using one bit in the second bitmap corresponding to the first link.

[0162]

[0181] For example, the plurality of links of the first MLD include a first link, a second link, a third link, and a fourth link. The management frame may include a second bitmap A, a second bitmap B, a second bitmap C, and a second bitmap D, which respectively correspond to the first link, the second link, the third link, and the fourth link.

[0163] The second bitmap A may include four bits respectively corresponding to the NSTR capabilities between the first link and the first link, between the first link and the second link, between the first link and the third link, and between the first link and the fourth link. The bit indicating the NSTR capability between the first link and the first link is meaningless and may be used as a reserved bit.

[0164] Similarly, the second bitmap B may also include 4 bits corresponding to the NSTR capabilities between the second link and the first link, between the second link and the second link, between the second link and the third link, and between the second link and the fourth link, respectively. The bit indicating the NSTR capability between the second link and the second link is meaningless and may be used as a reserved bit.

[0165] The second bitmap C may also include 4 bits corresponding to the NSTR capabilities between the third link and the first link, between the third link and the second link, between the third link and the third link, and between the third link and the fourth link, respectively. The bit indicating the NSTR capability between the third link and the third link is meaningless and may be used as a reserved bit.

[0166] The second bitmap D may also include 4 bits corresponding to the NSTR capabilities between the fourth link and the first link, between the fourth link and the second link, between the fourth link and the third link, and between the fourth link and the fourth link, respectively. The bit indicating the NSTR capability between the fourth link and the fourth link is meaningless and may be used as a reserved bit.

[0167]

[0182] In some other embodiments, the management frame may include a multi-link element, and the second information may be carried in the multi-link element. The multi-link element may be implemented in the following two ways.

[0168]

[0183] Method 1: The multi-link element may be a basic variant multi-link element.

[0169]

[0184] In a possible implementation, the frame structure of the basic variant multi-link element may be as shown in FIG. 3. The basic variant multi-link element includes a multi-link control field and a link information field.

[0170]

[0185] When the basic variant multi-link element carries the second information, the second information may be carried in the NSTR indication bitmap field in the link information field. Further, the second information may be carried in the NSTR indication bitmap field within the per-STA profile field corresponding to the first link and included in the link information field.

[0171]

[0186] When the basic variant multi-link element carries the second information, the first field may be set to 0. The first field may include at least one of the following: the multi-link device media access control address presence field, the link identifier information presence field, the change sequence presence field, the multi-link device capability presence field, or the EMLSR capability presence field included in the multi-link control field. When the first field is set to 0, it may indicate that the common information field within the basic variant multi-link element does not include at least one of the following: the multi-link device media access control address field, the link identifier information field, the change sequence field, the multi-link device capability field, or the EMLSR capability field.

[0172]

[0187] It will be understood that the presence field included in the first field corresponds to the field not included in the common information field. For example, when the first field includes the link identifier information presence field, the common information field does not include the link identifier information field.

[0173]

[0188] When the basic variant multi-link element conveys second information, the second field included in the link information field may be set to 0. The second field may include at least one of the following: a full profile field, a media access control address presence field, a beacon interval presence field, or a DTIM information presence field. When the second field is set to 0, it may indicate that the basic variant multi-link element does not contain complete information of the first link, or that the station information field within the link information field does not contain a station media access control address field, a beacon interval field, a DTIM count field, or a DTIM period field..

[0174]

[0189] It will be understood that the presence field included in the second field corresponds to a field not included in the station information field. For example, when the second field includes a beacon interval presence field, the station information field does not include a beacon interval field.

[0175]

[0190] Further, when the basic variant multi-link element conveys second information, the basic variant multi-link element may not include a station profile field.

[0176]

[0191] The full profile field, the media access control address presence field, the beacon interval presence field, and the DTIM information presence field may be collectively referred to as the second field. The second field may be within the link information field and may be conveyed in the per-STA profile field corresponding to the first link.

[0177]

[0192] As a conclusion, when the basic variant multi-link element conveys the second information, in a specific example, the frame structure of the basic variant multi-link element and the settings of some fields may be those shown in FIG. 8.

[0178]

[0193] It should be noted that the basic variant multi-link element in Method 1 is designed based on the basic variant multi-link element in the current 802.11be standard. In the subsequent standardization progress process, if the frame structure of the basic variant multi-link element in the current 802.11be standard changes, Method 1 may also be appropriately changed so as to be applicable to the NSTR capability report in the evolved standard. For example, if the presence field is newly added to the basic variant multi-link element in the subsequent standard and the solution of this application is used, the newly added presence field may be set to 0 to indicate that there is no corresponding field for the presence field.

[0179]

[0194] Method 2: The multi-link element may be an update variant multi-link element.

[0180]

[0195] In a possible implementation form, the update variant multi-link element may include a multi-link control field and a link information field.

[0181]

[0196] In one example, the multi-link control field may include a Type field, and the Type field may be set to a first value, where the first value may be a type value not used by the basic variant multi-link element. For example, the first value is 2. Further, the multi-link control field does not include a first field. For the first field, refer to the description in Method 1. Details are not described again here.

[0182]

[0197] In one example, the link information field may include an NSTR indication bitmap field, and the second information may be carried in the NSTR indication bitmap field. In a specific example, one bit in the NSTR bitmap may correspond to one link pair, and the value of the bit may indicate the NSTR capability of the link pair corresponding to the bit. For example, the NSTR bitmap includes a bit corresponding to a first link pair formed by a first link and a second link, and the value of the bit may indicate the NSTR capability of the first link pair, that is, the bit may indicate the second information. Also, the link information field does not include a second field. For the second field, refer to the description in the aforementioned Method 2. Details are not described again here.

[0183]

[0198] As an option, the link information field may include a per-STA profile sub-element, and the per-STA profile sub-element has a one-to-one correspondence with the link of the first MLD. The per-STA profile field may include a Subelement ID field, a Length field, a STA Control field, and a STA Info field. For the functions of the Subelement ID field and the Length identifier field, refer to the description of the corresponding fields in the frame structure shown in FIG. 3. Details are not described again here. The STA Info field may include the aforementioned NSTR indication bitmap field.

[0184]

[0199] As an option, the STA Control field may include an NSTR link pair presence field and an NSTR bitmap size field. The NSTR link pair presence field indicates whether the link information field includes an NSTR indication bitmap field. The NSTR bitmap size field indicates the size of the NSTR indication bitmap field when the link information field includes an NSTR indication bitmap field.

[0185]

[0200] In a specific example, the NSTR link pair presence field indicates whether the STA Info field in the link information field includes an NSTR indication bitmap field. The NSTR bitmap size field indicates the size of the NSTR indication bitmap field when the STA Info field in the link information field includes an NSTR indication bitmap field. It will be understood that the present application is described by using an example in which the link information field includes an NSTR indication bitmap field.

[0186]

[0201] Further, the station control field may further include a link identifier field for identifying a link (e.g., a first link) corresponding to a per-STA profile sub-element including the station control field. Further, the station control field may further include a reserved field.

[0187]

[0202] Optionally, in addition to the multi-link control field and the link information field, the update-variant multi-link element may further include at least one of the following: an element identifier (element ID) field, a length field, or an element identifier extension field. The element identifier field and the element identifier extension field are used to identify the update-variant multi-link element, and the length field indicates the length of the update-variant multi-link element.

[0188]

[0203] In conclusion, the possible frame structure of the update-variant multi-link element provided by Method 2 may be as shown in FIG. 9.

[0189]

[0204] It should be noted that the update-variant multi-link element in the present application may also have another name, for example, an update-variant multi-link element. The name of the update-variant multi-link element is not particularly limited in the present application. Further, in the present application, each field or sub-element within the update-variant multi-link element may have another name. This is not particularly limited in the present application.

[0190]

[0205] In one embodiment, in addition to the multi-link element, the management frame may further include a third field. If the value of the third field is the second value, it may indicate that the management frame is used for updating the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0191]

[0206] In one example, when the management frame is an action frame, the third field may be an action field in the action detail field within the action frame, and the second value may be, for example, 1. Of course, the third field may alternatively be another field within the action frame. This is not particularly limited in the present application.

[0192]

[0207] Based on this solution, the function of the management frame can be notified to the second MLD, and as a result, the second MLD can correctly interpret the management frame and obtain the second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0193]

[0208] The above description explains the overall process of reporting the NSTR capability. Further, after channel switching, the frequency interval between the two links may change. The frequency interval is an important factor affecting the NSTR capability between the links. Therefore, the interaction of the NSTR capability in the channel switching scenario is further considered in the present application. Hereinafter, the procedure shown in FIG. 6 will be further described by using an example where the first MLD is a non-AP MLD and the second MLD is an AP MLD.

[0194]

[0209] Regarding the first MLD, the present application mainly provides conditions for transmitting the management frame. For example, in a channel switching scenario, the first MLD may transmit the management frame in the following two cases.

[0195]

[0210] Case 1: When a channel switch occurs, the first MLD sends a management frame to the second MLD.

[0196]

[0211] In a specific example, in Case 1, the second NSTR capability indicated by the second information included in the management frame is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch.

[0197]

[0212] In this case, the NSTR capability report is triggered by a channel switch. In other words, after a channel switch occurs, regardless of whether the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link changes, the first MLD may report the NSTR capability after the channel switch.

[0198]

[0213] Case 2: When a channel switch has occurred and the first condition is not satisfied, the first MLD sends a management frame to the second MLD.

[0199]

[0214] In a specific example, in Case 2, the second NSTR capability indicated by the second information included in the management frame is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch.

[0200]

[0215] In an implementation, the first condition includes at least one of the following:

[0216] (1) After the channel switch, one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is within the first frequency band, and the other is within the second frequency band.

[0201]

[0217] In one example, the first frequency band and the second frequency band may be specified in the protocol. For example, the first frequency band is the 2.4 GHz frequency band, and the other is the 5 GHz frequency band or the 6 GHz frequency band. In other words, after the channel switch, one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is within the 2.4 GHz frequency band, and the other is within the 5 GHz frequency band or the 6 GHz frequency band.

[0202]

[0218] In a possible implementation, in subsequent standard developments, if a new Wi-Fi frequency band is allocated, the first frequency band and the second frequency band may also change. For example, if a 7 GHz Wi-Fi frequency band is allocated later, condition (1) may be that one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is within the 2.4 GHz frequency band, and the other is within the 5 GHz, 6 GHz, or 7 GHz frequency band. Alternatively, condition (1) may be that one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is within the 5 GHz frequency band, and the other is within the 7 GHz frequency band.

[0203]

[0219] In a possible implementation, when one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is within the first frequency band and the other is within the second frequency band, the first link and the second link are STR.

[0204]

[0220] (2) After the channel switch, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link is equal to or greater than the first threshold.

[0205]

[0221] In a specific example, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link may be the difference between the closest frequency edges of the first link and the second link (the difference between the closest frequency edges of the two links), or may be the interval between the center frequencies of the first link and the second link.

[0206]

[0222] For example, the channel bandwidth of the first link is A, the channel bandwidth of the second link is B, the center frequency of the first link is A0, the center frequency of the second link is B0, and A0 is lower than B0. The closest frequency edges of the first link and the second link are BL and AH, where BL = B0 - B / 2; AH = A0 + A / 2.

[0207]

[0223] In a possible implementation, the first threshold may be determined by the first MLD. For example, the first threshold may be the threshold reported by the non-AP MLD to the AP MLD in the association process. For example, the non-AP MLD may report the parameter of Frequency Separation for STR, and that parameter indicates the first threshold.

[0208]

[0224] In another possible implementation, the first threshold may be predefined in the protocol, or may be set by the second MLD for the first MLD. This is not particularly limited in this application.

[0209]

[0225] In a possible implementation, when the frequency interval between the center frequency of the first frequency band and the center frequency of the second frequency band is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the first link and the second link are in STR.

[0210]

[0226] (3) Before channel switching, the first link and the second link are in STR. After channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger.

[0211]

[0227] In certain examples, for the frequency interval between the first link and the second link, refer to the relevant description in (2). Details are not elaborated here again.

[0212]

[0228] In a possible implementation, before channel switching, it is STR between the first link and the second link. After channel switching, if the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger, it is still STR between the first link and the second link.

[0213]

[0229] In certain examples, the fact that the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger after channel switching may include that: after channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger, and the relative relationship between the frequencies of the first link and the second link remains unchanged.

[0214]

[0230] For example, the relative relationship between the frequency of the first link and the frequency of the second link may refer to the relationship between the center frequency of the first link and the center frequency of the second link. The fact that the relative relationship between the frequencies of the first link and the second link remains unchanged may include that: before channel switching, the center frequency of the first link is greater than the center frequency of the second link, and after channel switching, the center frequency of the first link is still greater than the center frequency of the second link; or, before channel switching, the center frequency of the first link is less than the center frequency of the second link, and after channel switching, the center frequency of the first link is still less than the center frequency of the second link.

[0215]

[0231] (4) Before channel switching, it is NSTR between the first link and the second link. After channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller.

[0216]

[0232] In a specific example, for the frequency interval between the first link and the second link, refer to the relevant description in (2). Details are not explained here again.

[0217]

[0233] In a possible implementation, before channel switching, it is NSTR between the first link and the second link. After channel switching, when the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger, it is still NSTR between the first link and the second link.

[0218]

[0234] In a specific example, the situation where the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller after channel switching may include: after channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller, and the relative relationship between the frequencies of the first link and the second link remains unchanged. For the relative relationship between the frequencies of the first link and the second link, refer to the description in the aforementioned condition (3). Details are not explained here again.

[0219]

[0235] It will be understood that the change in the frequency interval between the first link and the second link in (3) and (4) is a comparison with the frequency interval between the first link and the second link before channel switching. For example, the increase in the frequency interval between the two links after channel switching is related to the frequency interval between the two links before channel switching.

[0220]

[0236] The first condition in the above example is related to the frequency of the link. In the process of channel switching, the AP MLD can know the target channel after switching. As a result, it is also possible for the determination of the first condition to be executed by the AP MLD side. Therefore, when the first condition is satisfied, the AP MLD can know the NSTR capabilities between the first link and the second link after channel switching. In this scenario, the non-AP MLD may not need to send a management frame.

[0221]

[0237] If the first condition is not satisfied, the AP MLD may not be able to determine the NSTR capabilities between the first link and the second link after channel switching. In this scenario, the non-AP MLD can send a management frame to the AP and report the NSTR capabilities between the first link and the second link after channel switching.

[0222]

[0238] In a specific example, the reason why the AP MLD cannot determine the NSTR capabilities between the first link and the second link after channel switching, while the non-AP MLD can, may be that the non-AP MLD knows more link information than the AP MLD.

[0223]

[0239] Case 3: After receiving the channel switching notification and before the channel switching is executed, the first MLD sends a management frame to the second MLD.

[0224]

[0240] In a specific example, in Case 3, the second NSTR capabilities indicated by the second information included in the management frame are the NSTR capabilities between the first link and the second link after channel switching.

[0225]

[0241] The channel switch notification indicates the channel switch time and the target channel. For example, the channel switch notification may be carried in a channel switch notification element or an extended channel switch notification element.

[0226]

[0242] In a possible implementation, the second MLD may pre - transmit the channel switch notification to the first MLD with several DTIM beacons. As a result, the first MLD determines the NSTR between the first link and the second link after the channel switch before the channel switch, and can send a management frame to the second MLD before the channel switch is executed to indicate the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch.

[0227]

[0243] Since the management frame is sent before the channel switch, for the second MLD, it may not be distinguishable whether the second NSTR capability indicated by that action is the NSTR capability before the channel switch or the NSTR capability after the channel switch.

[0228]

[0244] Therefore, in a possible implementation, the second MLD may use the NSTR capability indicated by the management frame received after the channel switch notification is sent as the NSTR capability after the channel switch..

[0229]

[0245] In another possible implementation, the management frame may further include third information, and the third information indicates that the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after channel switching. For example, the third information may be carried in the multi-link element. For example, 1 bit may be added to the multi-link element for indication, and the value of the bit indicates whether the NSTR capability is the NSTR capability before channel switching or the NSTR capability after channel switching. For example, if the bit is set to 0, it indicates that the NSTR capability indicated by the multi-link element is the NSTR capability before channel switching, and if the bit is set to 1, it indicates that the NSTR capability indicated by the multi-link element is the NSTR capability after channel switching. In a specific example, the 1-bit indication may be carried in the station control field in the per-STA profile field.

[0230]

[0246] When the first MLD reports the NSTR capability after channel switching, the first MLD may need to perform channel contention before transmitting the management frame. Therefore, there is a delay in the transmission and reception of the management frame. Therefore, with respect to the second MLD, the present application mainly provides a method for the second MLD to determine the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link in the first time interval. The first time interval is the time interval from the time when channel switching occurs to the time when the second MLD receives the management frame. For example, the second MLD may determine the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link in the time interval in at least one of the following three methods:

[0247] Method 1: The second MLD determines that it is NSTR between the first link and the second link in the first time interval.

[0231]

[0248] In this method 1, the second MLD can simply consider that it is NSTR between the first link and the second link, thereby reducing the complexity of the implementation of the second MLD. Furthermore, the second MLD determines that it is NSTR between the first link and the second link. Even if it is actually STR between the first link and the second link in the first time interval, the second MLD communicates with the first MLD by using parameters corresponding to NSTR. In this case, there are no major transmission errors.

[0232]

[0249] Method 2: When the second condition is satisfied, the second MLD determines that it is STR between the first link and the second link in the first time interval.

[0233]

[0250] In a possible implementation, the second condition includes at least one of the following:

[0251] (1) After channel switching, one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is in the first frequency band, and the other is in the second frequency band.

[0234]

[0252] For example, after channel switching, one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, and the other is in the 5 GHz frequency band or the 6 GHz frequency band.

[0235]

[0253] (2) After channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0236]

[0254] (3) Before channel switching, it is STR between the first link and the second link, and after channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger.

[0237]

[0255] For (1), (2), and (3) of the second condition, refer to the relevant explanations of (1), (2), and (3) of the first condition. Details will not be explained again here.

[0238]

[0256] Method 3: When the third condition is satisfied, the second MLD determines that the NSTR between the first link and the second link is in the first time interval.

[0239]

[0257] In a possible implementation, the third condition is: before channel switching, the NSTR between the first link and the second link is present, and after channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller. For details, refer to the relevant explanation of (4) of the first condition. Details will not be explained again here.

[0240]

[0258] In an actual application, it should be noted that the method for implementing the first MLD provided above and the method for implementing the second MLD may be used simultaneously. For example, the first MLD uses the transmission method in Case 1, and the second MLD uses the decision method provided in Method 1. Alternatively, the first MLD uses the transmission method in Case 1, and the second MLD uses the decision method provided in Method 2 or Method 3. Alternatively, the first MLD uses the transmission method in Case 2, and the second MLD uses the decision method provided in Method 1. Alternatively, the first MLD uses the transmission method in Case 2, and the second MLD uses the decision method provided in Method 2 or Method 3.

[0241]

[0259] Instead, in an actual application, the aforementioned implementation method for the first MLD provided above and the implementation method for the second MLD may be used separately. For example, the first MLD uses the transmission method in Case 1 or Case 2, and the second MLD uses another determination method other than the method provided above. This is not particularly limited in this application.

[0242]

[0260] Based on the aforementioned solution, in a channel switching scenario, the second MLD can know the NSTR capability after channel switching. As a result, the first MLD and the second MLD can have a consistent understanding of the NSTR capability between the links after channel switching, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0243]

[0261] In addition to channel switching, changes in the operating parameters of a station (e.g., bandwidth) can change the frequency interval between the links and thus may affect the NSTR capability between the links.

[0244]

[0262] For example, the operating parameter is the bandwidth. Before the bandwidth changes, it is assumed that there is NSTR between Link 1 and Link 2. When the bandwidth of Link 1 changes from 320 megahertz (MHz) to 80 MHz, i.e., when the bandwidth decreases, the frequency interval between Link 1 and Link 2 may become larger because the bandwidth of Link 1 decreases. Therefore, after the bandwidth changes, there may be STR between Link 1 and Link 2.

[0245]

[0263] Alternatively, before the bandwidth changes, it is assumed that there is STR between Link 1 and Link 2. When the bandwidth of Link 1 changes from 80 MHz to 320 MHz, i.e., when the bandwidth increases, the frequency interval between Link 1 and Link 2 may become smaller because the bandwidth of Link 1 increases. Therefore, after the bandwidth changes, there may be NSTR between Link 1 and Link 2.

[0246]

[0264] The following uses an example where the first MLD changes the channel bandwidth of the first link to explain the reporting of the NSTR capability in this scenario.

[0247]

[0265] If the update of the operation mode parameters does not change the NSTR capability, it will be understood that the first MLD may not need to send a management frame, or in other words, does not perform an NSTR capability update report.

[0248]

[0266] In some embodiments, when the first MLD reduces the channel bandwidth of the first link, the first MLD first sends a management frame to the second MLD to indicate the second NSTR capability, and then sends the first operation mode control information to the second MLD, indicating that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed and the changed channel bandwidth may be smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change. The second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed.

[0249]

[0267] In other words, as shown in FIG. 10, before step S602, the method may further include the following step S600:

[0268] S600: The first MLD sends the first operation mode control information to the second MLD. Correspondingly, the second MLD receives the first operation mode control information from the first MLD.

[0250]

[0269] The first operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed and the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0251]

[0270] Furthermore, the first MLD may first send a management frame to the second MLD to indicate the second NSTR capability, and after receiving the acknowledgment frame of the management frame, send the first operation mode control information to the second MLD.

[0252]

[0271] In a specific example, the first operation mode control information may be carried in the operation mode control subfield. Naturally, the information may alternatively be carried in another field. This is not particularly limited in the present application.

[0253]

[0272] For example, the channel bandwidth of the first link before the change is 320 MHz, and the channel bandwidth of the first link after the change is 80 MHz. If the first link and the second link are NSTR before the change, the first link and the second link may be STR after the change. Assuming that the first operation mode control information and the management frame are carried in the same PPDU (or MAC frame), the second MLD responds with an acknowledgment frame corresponding to the PPDU after receiving the PPDU. However, if the acknowledgment frame is not correctly received by the first MLD, according to the existing OM parameter update rule, because the first MLD has not received the acknowledgment frame, after the TXOP for transmitting the PPDU, the first MLD keeps the channel bandwidth of the first link unchanged at 320 MHz. In this case, NSTR is maintained between the first link and the second link. However, since the second MLD has received the PPDU, the first MLD may consider that the channel bandwidth of the first link has been adjusted to 80 MHz and that the first link and the second link are STR. Therefore, the second MLD may communicate with the first MLD by using the STR procedure. Finally, since the first MLD actually does not have the STR capability, communication failures may occur.

[0254]

[0273] Therefore, when the first MLD reduces the channel bandwidth of the first link, it is unreasonable to carry the first operation mode control information and the management frame for indicating the second NSTR capability in the same PPDU (or MAC frame). In other words, the first operation mode control information and the management frame for indicating the second NSTR capability are separately carried in different PPDUs (or MAC frames) for transmission. Also, the first operation mode control information may be transmitted first, and then the management frame for instructing the second NSTR capability is transmitted.

[0255]

[0274] After the first operation mode control information is successfully transmitted and the channel bandwidth of the first link is reduced, what is between the first link and the second link may change from NSTR to STR. In this case, since the management frame for instructing the second NSTR capability is transmitted after the first operation mode control information, there is a delay between the time when the second MLD receives the first operation mode control information and the time when the second MLD receives the management frame. During the delay, the second MLD may consider that it is still NSTR between the first link and the second link. By using the NSTR procedure during the delay, even if the second MLD communicates with the first MLD, no communication failure will occur. If the order of transmitting the first operation mode control information and the management frame is changed, a communication failure may occur caused by the two MLDs having different understandings about the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link..

[0256]

[0275] In other words, when the channel bandwidth of the link decreases, based on this solution, the communication failure caused by the first MLD and the second MLD having different understandings about the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link can be potentially avoided to the maximum extent.

[0257]

[0276] In some other embodiments, when the first MLD increases the channel bandwidth of the first link, the first MLD first sends the second operation mode control information to the second MLD, indicating that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed and the changed channel bandwidth may be greater than the channel bandwidth before the change. Then, the first MLD sends a management frame to the second MLD to indicate the second NSTR capability. The second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed.

[0258]

[0277] In other words, as shown in FIG. 11, after step S602, the method may further include the following step S603:

[0278] S603: The first MLD sends the second operation mode control information to the second MLD. Correspondingly, the second MLD receives the second operation mode control information from the first MLD.

[0259]

[0279] The second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed and the changed channel bandwidth is greater than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0260]

[0280] Furthermore, the first MLD can first send the second operation mode control information to the second MLD, and after receiving the acknowledgment of the second operation mode control information, send a management frame to the second MLD to indicate the second NSTR capability.

[0261]

[0281] In a specific example, the second operation mode control information may be carried in the operation mode control subfield. Of course, the information may alternatively be carried in another field. This is not particularly limited in this application.

[0262]

[0282] For example, the channel bandwidth of the first link before the change is 80 MHz, and the channel bandwidth of the first link after the change is 320 MHz. If the connection between the first link and the second link before the change is STR, there is a possibility that the connection between the first link and the second link after the change is NSTR. Assuming that the second operation mode control information and the management frame are carried in the same PPDU (or MAC frame), if the second MLD does not correctly receive the PPDU and thus does not respond with an acknowledgment frame corresponding to the PPDU, according to the existing OM parameter update rule, after the TXOP for transmitting the PPDU ends, the first MLD adjusts the channel bandwidth of the first link to 80 MHz. In this case, what is between the first link and the second link changes from STR to NSTR. However, since the second MLD has not received the PPDU, the second MLD may think that the channel bandwidth of the first link is still 80 MHz and the connection between the first link and the second link is still STR. Therefore, the second MLD may communicate with the first MLD by using the STR procedure, and ultimately, since the first MLD actually does not have STR capabilities, communication failures may occur.

[0263]

[0283] Therefore, when the first MLD increases the channel bandwidth of the first link, it is unreasonable to carry the second operation mode control information and the management frame for indicating the second NSTR capability in the same PPDU (or MAC frame). In other words, the second operation mode control information and the management frame for indicating the second NSTR capability are separately carried in different PPDUs (or MAC frames) for transmission. Furthermore, the management frame for indicating the second NSTR capability may be transmitted first, and then the 2 operation mode control information of the second is transmitted.

[0264]

[0284] When the management frame for indicating the second NSTR capability is successfully transmitted, the channel bandwidth of the first link remains 80 MHz, and the STR still exists between the first link and the second link. In this case, since the second MLD successfully receives the management frame, the second MLD may consider that the connection between the first link and the second link is NSTR. Therefore, the second MLD communicates with the first MLD by using the NSTR procedure. In this case, the first MLD and the second MLD have different understandings about the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link, but communication failures can be avoided to the greatest extent. When the order of transmitting the second operation mode control information and transmitting the management frame is changed, communication failures may occur due to the different understandings of the two MLDs about the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0265]

[0285] In other words, when the channel bandwidth of the link increases, based on this solution, communication failures caused by the different understandings of the first MLD and the second MLD about the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link may be avoided to the greatest extent.

[0266]

[0286] In the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood that the methods and / or steps implemented by the first MLD may also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) that may be used in the first MLD, and the methods and / or steps implemented by the second MLD may also be implemented by components (such as chips or circuits) that may be used in the second MLD.

[0267]

[0287] The above mainly explains the solution provided in this application from the perspective of the interaction between devices. Correspondingly, this application further provides a communication device, which is configured to implement the foregoing method. The communication device may be the first MLD, a device including the first MLD, or a component that may be used in the first MLD in the foregoing method embodiments. Alternatively, the communication device may be the second MLD, a device including the second MLD, or a component that may be used in the second MLD in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0268]

[0288] To implement the foregoing functions, it will be understood that the communication device includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should easily notice that in the combination of the specific examples of units and algorithm steps described in the embodiments disclosed in this specification, this application may be implemented by hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed 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 various methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but it should not be considered that such implementation goes beyond the scope of this application.

[0269]

[0289] In an embodiment of the present application, the communication device may be divided into functional modules based on the embodiment of the foregoing method. For example, each functional module may be obtained by division based on each corresponding function, or two or more functions may be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional module. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, module division is only an example and is merely a logical function division. Another division method may be used in actual implementation.

[0270]

[0290] In an implementation scenario, an example where the communication device is the first MLD in the embodiment of the foregoing method is used. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first MLD 120. The first MLD 120 includes a first transmission module 1201 and a second transmission module 1202. The first transmission module 1201 and the second transmission module 1202 may be collectively referred to as a transmission module.

[0271]

[0291] In some embodiments, the first MLD 120 may further include a processing module 1203.

[0272]

[0292] In some embodiments, the first MLD 120 may further include a receiving module 1204. The receiving module 1204 and the transmission module may be collectively referred to as a transceiver module.

[0273]

[0293] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1204 may alternatively be referred to as a receiving unit. The transmission module may alternatively be referred to as a transmission unit. The receiving module 1204 may include a receiver circuit, a receiver, a receiver machine, or a communication interface. The transmission module may include a transmitter circuit, a transmitter, a transmitter machine, or a communication interface.

[0274]

[0294] In some embodiments, the first MLD 120 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 12) configured to store a computer program or instructions.

[0275]

[0295] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1204 may be configured to perform the receiving steps executed by the first MLD in the embodiments of the foregoing method and / or may be configured to support another process of the technology described herein. The first transmitting module 1201 and the second transmitting module 1202 may be configured to perform the transmitting steps executed by the first MLD in the embodiments of the foregoing method and / or may be configured to support another process of the technology described herein. The processing module 1203 may be configured to perform the processing (e.g., generating and determining) steps executed by the first MLD in the embodiments of the foregoing method and / or may be configured to support another process of the technology described herein.

[0276]

[0296] In one example:

[0297] The first transmitting module 1201 is configured to transmit an association request frame to the second MLD, the association request frame includes first information, and the first information indicates a first non-simultaneous transmit and receive (NSTR) capability between the first link and the second link; and The second transmitting module 1202 is configured to transmit a management frame to the second MLD, the management frame includes second information, and the second information indicates a second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0277]

[0298] In a possible implementation, the second transmission module 1202 being configured to transmit a management frame to the second MLD includes: the second transmission module 1202 being configured to transmit the management frame to the second MLD when the processing module 1203 determines that a channel switch has occurred, where the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch.

[0278]

[0299] In a possible implementation, the second transmission module 1202 being configured to transmit a management frame to the second MLD includes: the second transmission module 1202 being configured to transmit the management frame to the second MLD when the processing module 1203 determines that a channel switch has occurred and the first condition is not satisfied, where the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch.

[0279]

[0300] In a possible implementation, the second transmission module 1202 being configured to transmit a management frame to the second MLD includes: the second transmission module 1202 being configured to transmit the management frame to the second MLD after the receiving module 1204 receives a channel switch notification and before the processing module 1203 executes the channel switch, where the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch.

[0280]

[0301] In a possible implementation, the second transmission module 1202 is further configured to transmit first operation mode control information to the second MLD, where the first operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed and the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0281]

[0302] In a possible implementation, the second transmission module 1202 is further configured to transmit second operation mode control information to the second MLD, where the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed and the changed channel bandwidth is larger than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0282]

[0303] All relevant content of the steps in the embodiments of the foregoing method can be cited in the function descriptions of the corresponding functional modules. Details are not described again here.

[0283]

[0304] In the present application, the first MLD 120 is presented in the form of functional modules obtained by splitting in a unified manner. The "module" in this case may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor, and a memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, an integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the foregoing functions.

[0284]

[0305] In some embodiments, in the case of hardware implementation, those skilled in the art can understand that the first MLD 120 may be in the form of the WLAN device 500 shown in FIG. 5.

[0285]

[0306] In one example, the function / implementation process of the processing module 1203 in FIG. 12 may be implemented by the processor 501 in the WLAN device 500 shown in FIG. 5 by calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 504, and the function / implementation process of the receiving module 1204, the first transmission module 1201, or the second transmission module 1202 in FIG. 12 may be implemented by using the transceiver 502 in the WLAN device 500 shown in FIG. 5.

[0286]

[0307] In some embodiments, when the first MLD 120 in FIG. 12 is a chip or a chip system, the function / implementation process of the receiving module 1204, the first transmitting module 1201, or the second transmitting module 1202 may be implemented by using the input / output interface (or communication interface) of the chip or the chip system, and the function / implementation process of the processing module 1203 may be implemented by using the processor (or processing circuit) of the chip or the chip system.

[0287]

[0308] The first MLD 120 provided in this embodiment is capable of executing the foregoing method. Therefore, for the technical effects achievable by the first MLD 120, refer to the embodiments of the foregoing method. Details are not described again here.

[0288]

[0309] In an implementation scenario, an example where the communication device is the second MLD in the embodiments of the foregoing method is used. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second MLD 130. The second MLD 130 includes a first receiving module 1301 and a second receiving module 1302. The first receiving module 1301 and the second receiving module 1302 may be collectively referred to as the receiving module.

[0289]

[0310] In some embodiments, the second MLD 130 may further include a processing module 1303.

[0290]

[0311] In some embodiments, the second MLD 130 may further include a transmitting module 1304. The transmitting module 1304 and the receiving module may be collectively referred to as the transceiver module.

[0291]

[0312] In some embodiments, the receiving module may alternatively be referred to as a receiving unit. The transmitting module may alternatively be referred to as a transmitting unit. The receiving module may include a receiver circuit, a receiver, a receiver machine, or a communication interface. The transmitting module may include a transmitter circuit, a transmitter, a transmitter machine, or a communication interface..

[0292]

[0313] In some embodiments, the second MLD 130 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 13) configured to store a computer program or instructions.

[0293]

[0314] In some embodiments, the first receiving module 1301 and the second receiving module 1302 may be configured to perform the receiving steps executed by the second MLD in the embodiments of the foregoing method and / or may be configured to support another process of the technology described herein. The transmitting module 1304 may be configured to perform the transmitting steps executed by the second MLD in the embodiments of the foregoing method and / or may be configured to support another process of the technology described herein. The processing module 1303 may be configured to perform the processing (e.g., usage) steps executed by the second MLD in the embodiments of the foregoing method and / or may be configured to support another process of the technology described herein.

[0294]

[0315] In one example:

[0316] The first receiving module 1301 is configured to receive an association request frame from the first MLD, the association request frame includes first information, and the first information indicates a first non-simultaneous transmit and receive NSTR capability between a first link and a second link; and The second receiving module 1302 is configured to receive a management frame from the first MLD, the management frame includes second information, and the second information indicates a second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0295]

[0317] In a possible implementation, the processing module 1303 is configured to determine that it is NSTR between the first link and the second link in a first time interval, where the first time interval is the time interval from the time when the channel switching occurs to the time when the management frame is received; or The processing module 1303 is configured to determine that it is STR between the first link and the second link in the first time interval when a second condition is satisfied; or The processing module 1303 is configured to determine that it is NSTR between the first link and the second link in the first time interval when a third condition is satisfied.

[0296]

[0318] In a possible implementation, the fact that the second receiving module 1302 is configured to receive a management frame from the first MLD is: after the transmitting module 1304 transmits a channel switching notification and before the processing module 1203 executes the channel switching, the second receiving module 1302 is configured to receive a management frame from the first MLD, and the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switching.

[0297]

[0319] In a possible implementation, the second receiving module 1302 is further configured to receive first operation mode control information from the first MLD, the first operation mode control information indicates the channel bandwidth of the first link, and the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0298]

[0320] In a possible implementation, the second receiving module 1302 is further configured to receive second operation mode control information from the first MLD, and the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link changes, and the changed channel bandwidth is greater than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0299]

[0321] All relevant contents of the steps in the foregoing method embodiments can be cited in the function descriptions of the corresponding function modules. Details are not described again here.

[0300]

[0322] In the present application, the second MLD 130 is presented in the form of function modules obtained by splitting in a unified manner. The "module" in this case may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor, and a memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, an integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the foregoing functions.

[0301]

[0323] In some embodiments, in the case of a hardware implementation form, those skilled in the art can understand that the second MLD 130 may be in the form of the WLAN device 500 shown in FIG. 5.

[0302]

[0324] In an example, the function / implementation process of the processing module 1303 in FIG. 13 may be implemented by the processor 501 in the WLAN device 500 shown in FIG. 5 by calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 504, and the function / implementation process of the transmission module 1304, the first receiving module 1301, or the second receiving module 1302 in FIG. 13 may be implemented by using the transceiver 502 in the WLAN device 500 shown in FIG. 5.

[0303]

[0325] In some embodiments, when the second MLD 130 of FIG. 13 is a chip or a chip system, the functional / implementation process of the transmission module 1304, the first reception module 1301, or the second reception module 1302 may be implemented by using the input / output interface (or communication interface) of the chip or the chip system, and the functional / implementation process of the processing module 1303 may be implemented by using the processor (or processing circuit) of the chip or the chip system.

[0304]

[0326] The second MLD 130 provided in this embodiment is capable of executing the foregoing method. Therefore, for the technical effects achievable by the second MLD 130, reference may be made to the embodiments of the foregoing method. Details are not described again here.

[0305]

[0327] In a possible product form, the first MLD and the second MLD in this embodiment of the present application may be further implemented by using one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, gate logics, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuits, or any combination of circuits capable of performing the various functions described in the present application.

[0306]

[0328] In some embodiments, the embodiments of the present application further provide a communication device. The communication device includes a processor configured to implement the method in any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0307]

[0329] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a memory. The memory is configured to store the required computer program or required instructions. The processor may call the computer program or instructions stored in the memory and instruct the communication device to execute the method in any of the foregoing method embodiments. Of course, the memory may alternatively not be within the communication device.

[0308]

[0330] In another possible implementation, the communication device further includes an interface circuit. The interface circuit is a code / data read / write interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive computer-executable instructions (the computer-executable instructions may be stored in the memory and read directly from the memory or read through another component) and transmit the computer-executable instructions to the processor.

[0309]

[0331] In yet another possible implementation, the communication device further includes a communication interface, and the communication interface is configured to communicate with modules other than the communication device.

[0310]

[0332] It will be understood that the communication device may be a chip or a chip system. When the communication device is a chip system, the chip system may include a chip or may include a chip and other discrete devices. This is not particularly limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0311]

[0333] In some embodiments, the embodiments of this application further provide a communication device. The communication device includes an interface circuit and a logic circuit. The interface circuit is configured to input information and / or output information. The logic circuit is configured to execute the method in any of the foregoing method embodiments to process the input information and / or generate the output information.

[0312]

[0334] In a possible implementation, when the communication device is configured to implement the function of the first MLD:

[0335] In a possible design, the input information is an association request frame and a management frame. The association request frame contains first information, and the first information indicates the first NSTR capability between the first link and the second link. The management frame contains second information, and the second information indicates the second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0313]

[0336] In a possible design, the input information is first operation mode control information, and the first operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link changes, and the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0314]

[0337] In a possible design, the input information is second operation mode control information, and the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link changes, and the changed channel bandwidth is larger than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0315]

[0338] In a possible implementation, when the communication device is configured to implement the function of the second MLD:

[0339] In a possible design, the output information is an association request frame and a management frame. The association request frame contains first information, and the first information indicates the first NSTR capability between the first link and the second link. The management frame contains second information, and the second information indicates the second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

[0316]

[0340] In a possible design, the output information is first operation mode control information, and the first operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link changes, and the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0317]

[0341] In a possible design, the output information is the second operation mode control information, and the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link changes, and the changed channel bandwidth is greater than the channel bandwidth before the change.

[0318]

[0342] In a possible product form, the first MLD and the second MLD in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by using a general bus architecture.

[0319]

[0343] For ease of explanation, please refer to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1400 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1400 includes a processor 1401 and a transceiver 1402. The communication device 1400 may be the first MLD or the second MLD, or a chip within the first MLD or the second MLD. FIG. 14 shows only the main components of the communication device 1400. In addition to the processor 1401 and the transceiver 1402, the communication device may further include a memory 1403 and an input / output device (not shown).

[0320]

[0344] The processor 1401 is mainly configured to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process data of software programs. The memory 1403 is mainly configured to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1402 may include a radio frequency circuit and an antenna. The radio frequency circuit is mainly configured to perform conversion between a baseband signal and a radio frequency signal and process the radio frequency signal. The antenna is mainly configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. An input / output device such as a touch screen, a display, or a keyboard is mainly configured to receive data input by a user and output data to the user.

[0321]

[0345] Processor 1401, transceiver 1402, and memory 1403 may be connected via a communication bus.

[0322]

[0346] After the communication device is powered on, processor 1401 may read the software program in memory 1403, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When it is necessary for the data to be transmitted wirelessly, processor 1401 performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted, and then outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal, and then transmits the radio frequency signal in the form of electromagnetic waves by using the antenna. When the data is transmitted to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal via the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to processor 1401. Processor 1401 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0323]

[0347] In another implementation, the radio frequency circuit and the antenna may be arranged independently of the processor that performs baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the radio frequency circuit and the antenna may be arranged independently away from the communication device.

[0324]

[0348] This application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, and the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions; when the computer program or instructions are executed by a processor, any one of the functions of the foregoing method embodiments is implemented.

[0325]

[0349] This application further provides a computer program product. When the computer program product is executed by a processor, any one of the functions of the foregoing method embodiments is implemented.

[0326]

[0350] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and simplicity of description, they may refer to the corresponding processes in the embodiments of the foregoing method for the detailed operation processes of the foregoing systems, apparatuses, and units. Details will not be described again here.

[0327]

[0351] It will be understood that the systems, apparatuses, and methods described in this application may alternatively be implemented in another manner. For example, the described embodiments of the apparatuses are merely examples. For example, the division into units 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 executed. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Further, the shown or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be implemented by using some interface. The indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be implemented in electronic, mechanical, or other forms.

[0328]

[0352] The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separated, that is, they may be arranged together in the same place, or may be distributed over multiple network units. The parts shown as units may or may not be physical units. Some or all of the units may be selected based on actual requirements to achieve the objectives of the solution of the embodiment.

[0329]

[0353] Furthermore, the functional units in the embodiments of this application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each of the units may physically exist alone, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0330]

[0354] All or part of the foregoing embodiments may be implemented by using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When a software program is used to implement an embodiment, the embodiment may be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the procedures or functions according to the embodiments of the present application occur entirely or partially. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted in a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, or microwave) manner from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center. The computer-readable storage medium may be any usable medium accessible by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more usable media. The usable media may be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)), etc. In the embodiments of the present application, the computer may include the above-described devices.

[0331]

[0355] This application is described with reference to embodiments, but those skilled in the art may understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by viewing the accompanying drawings, the disclosed content, and the appended claims in the process of implementing the present application for which protection is claimed. In the claims, "comprising" does not exclude other components or other steps, and "a" or "any" does not exclude a plurality of cases. A single processor or another unit may perform some of the functions listed in the claims. Although some means are described in different dependent claims, this does not mean that these means cannot be combined to produce better effects.

[0332]

[0356] This application is described with reference to its specific features and embodiments, but it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made to them without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Correspondingly, the specification and the accompanying drawings are merely exemplary descriptions of this application defined by the appended claims, and are considered any or all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents that cover the scope of this application. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. This application is intended to cover these modifications and variations provided that they fall within the scope of protection defined by the following claims and their equivalent technologies.

Claims

1. A non-simultaneous transmission and reception (NSTR) capability indication method, comprising: a step in which a first multi-link device (MLD) transmits an association request frame to a second MLD, the association request frame including first information indicating a first NSTR capability between a first link and a second link; and a step in which the first MLD transmits a management frame to the second MLD, the management frame including second information indicating a second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link; wherein the step in which the first MLD transmits a management frame to the second MLD includes: when a channel switch occurs, a step in which the first MLD transmits the management frame to the second MLD, the second NSTR capability being the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch; the management frame includes a multi-link element, the second information is carried by the multi-link element, and the multi-link element is a basic variant multi-link element or an update variant multi-link element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step in which the first MLD transmits a management frame to the second MLD includes: when a channel switch has occurred and a first condition is not satisfied, a step in which the first MLD transmits the management frame to the second MLD, the second NSTR capability being the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch.

3. In the method according to claim 2, the first condition is: after the channel switch, one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is in the 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band and the other is in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band; Before the channel switching, it is STR between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger; or Before the channel switching, it is NSTR between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller; A method including at least one of the above.

4. In the method according to claim 1, the step in which the first MLD transmits a management frame to the second MLD is: After receiving the channel switching notification and before the channel switching is executed, the step in which the first MLD transmits the management frame to the second MLD, wherein the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switching. The method includes this step.

5. In the method according to claim 1, before the step in which the first MLD transmits a management frame to the second MLD, the method further includes: The step in which the first MLD transmits first operation mode control information to the second MLD, wherein the first operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed and the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change. The method includes this step.

6. In the method according to claim 1, after the step in which the first MLD transmits a management frame to the second MLD, the method further includes: The step in which the first MLD transmits second operation mode control information to the second MLD, wherein the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed and the changed channel bandwidth is larger than the channel bandwidth before the change. The method includes this step.

7. A non-simultaneous transmission and reception capability indication method, comprising: The step in which a second multi - link device (MLD) receives an association request frame from a first MLD, wherein the association request frame includes first information, and the first information indicates a first non - simultaneous transmit - receive (NSTR) capability between a first link and a second link; and The step in which the second MLD receives a management frame from the first MLD, wherein the management frame includes second information, and the second information indicates a second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link; comprising, the step in which the second MLD receives a management frame from the first MLD is: When a channel switch occurs, the step in which the second MLD receives the management frame from the first MLD, wherein the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch, including the step; The management frame includes a multi - link element, the second information is carried by the multi - link element, and the multi - link element is a basic variant multi - link element or an update variant multi - link element, the method.

8. In the method according to claim 7, before the second MLD receives the management frame from the first MLD, a channel switch occurs, and the method further includes: The step in which the second MLD determines that it is NSTR between the first link and the second link in a first time interval, wherein the first time interval is the time interval from the time when the channel switch occurs to the time when the management frame is received; When a second condition is satisfied, the step in which the second MLD determines that it is STR between the first link and the second link in the first time interval; or When a third condition is satisfied, the step in which the second MLD determines that it is NSTR between the first link and the second link in the first time interval; The method including.

9. In the method according to claim 8, the second condition is: After the channel switching, one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is in the 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band, and the other is in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band; or Before the channel switching, it is STR between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger; including at least one of the above, and the third condition is: Before the channel switching, it is NSTR between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller; A method including the above.

10. In the method according to claim 7, the step in which the second MLD receives a management frame from the first MLD is: After a channel switching notification is sent and before the channel switching is executed, the step in which the second MLD receives the management frame from the first MLD, and the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switching. A method including the step.

11. Before the step in which the second MLD receives a management frame from the first MLD in the method according to claim 7, the method further includes: The step in which the second MLD receives first operation mode control information from the first MLD, and the first operation mode control information indicates the channel bandwidth of the first link, and the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change. A method including the step.

12. After the step in which the second MLD receives a management frame from the first MLD in the method according to claim 7, the method further includes: The step in which the second MLD receives second operation mode control information from the first MLD, and the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed, and the changed channel bandwidth is larger than the channel bandwidth before the change. A method including the step.

13. In a communication device including a first transmission module and a second transmission module: The first transmission module is configured to transmit an association request frame to a second MLD, the association request frame includes first information, and the first information indicates a first non-simultaneous transmit and receive (NSTR) capability between a first link and a second link; and The second transmission module is configured to transmit a management frame to the second MLD, the management frame includes second information, and the second information indicates a second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link; The second transmission module is configured to transmit the management frame to the second MLD when a channel switch occurs, and the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch; The management frame includes a multi-link element, the second information is carried by the multi-link element, and the multi-link element is a basic variant multi-link element or an update variant multi-link element, a communication device.

14. In the communication device according to claim 13, the fact that the second transmission module is configured to transmit a management frame to the second MLD is: When a channel switch has occurred and a first condition is not satisfied, the second transmission module is configured to transmit the management frame to the second MLD, and the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switch, a communication device.

15. In the communication device according to claim 14, the first condition is: After the channel switch, one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is in the 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band, and the other is in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band; Before the channel switch, STR exists between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switch, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger; or Before the channel switching, it is NSTR between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller; A communication device including at least one of the above.

16. In the communication device according to claim 13, the fact that the second transmission module is configured to transmit a management frame to the second MLD is: After receiving the channel switching notification and before the channel switching is executed, the second transmission module is configured to transmit the management frame to the second MLD, and the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switching. A communication device.

17. In the communication device according to claim 13, the second transmission module is further configured to transmit first operation mode control information to the second MLD, and the first operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed, and the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change. A communication device.

18. In the communication device according to claim 13, the second transmission module is further configured to transmit second operation mode control information to the second MLD, and the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed, and the changed channel bandwidth is larger than the channel bandwidth before the change. A communication device.

19. In a communication device including a first receiving module and a second receiving module: The first receiving module is configured to receive an association request frame from a first MLD, the association request frame includes first information, and the first information indicates a first non-simultaneous transmission and reception NSTR capability between a first link and a second link; and The second receiving module is configured to receive a management frame from the first MLD, the management frame includes second information, and the second information indicates a second NSTR capability between the first link and the second link. The second receiving module is configured to receive the management frame from the first MLD when channel switching occurs, and the second NSTR capability is the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switching. The management frame includes a multi-link element, the second information is carried by the multi-link element, and the multi-link element is a basic variant multi-link element or an update variant multi-link element, a communication device.

20. In the communication device according to claim 19, the communication device further includes a processing module. The processing module is configured to determine that it is NSTR between the first link and the second link in a first time interval, and the first time interval is the time interval from the time when channel switching occurs to the time when the management frame is received. The processing module is configured to determine that it is STR between the first link and the second link in the first time interval when a second condition is satisfied; or The processing module is configured to determine that it is NSTR between the first link and the second link in the first time interval when a third condition is satisfied, a communication device.

21. In the communication device according to claim 20, the second condition is: After the channel switching, one of the frequency bands accessed by the first link and the frequency band accessed by the second link is in the 2.4 gigahertz GHz frequency band, and the other is in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band; or Before the channel switching, it is STR between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes larger. including at least one of, and the third condition is: Before the channel switching, it is NSTR between the first link and the second link, and after the channel switching, the frequency interval between the first link and the second link remains unchanged or becomes smaller. including, a communication device.

22. In the communication device according to claim 19, the fact that the second receiving module is configured to receive a management frame from the first MLD is: After a channel switching notification is transmitted and before channel switching is executed, the second receiving module is configured to receive the management frame from the first MLD, and the second NSTR capability includes the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link after the channel switching. A communication device.

23. In the communication device according to claim 19, the second receiving module is further configured to receive first operation mode control information from the first MLD, and the first operation mode control information indicates the channel bandwidth of the first link. A communication device in which the changed channel bandwidth is smaller than the channel bandwidth before the change.

24. In the communication device according to claim 19, the second receiving module is further configured to receive second operation mode control information from the first MLD, and the second operation mode control information indicates that the channel bandwidth of the first link has changed. A communication device in which the changed channel bandwidth is larger than the channel bandwidth before the change.

25. In the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the management frame includes a multi-link element, the second information is carried by the multi-link element, and the multi-link element is a basic variant multi-link element or an update variant multi-link element. Method.

26. In the method according to claim 25, the multi-link element is a basic variant multi-link element, and the basic variant multi-link element includes a multi-link control field and a link information field; The multi-link control field includes a first field, the first field is set to 0, and the first field includes at least one of: a multi-link device media access control address presence field, a link identifier information presence field, a change sequence presence field, a multi-link device capability presence field, or an enhanced multi-link single radio frequency EMLSR capability presence field; and The link information field includes an NSRT indication bitmap field, the second information is carried in the NSTR indication bitmap field, the link information field includes a second field, the second field is set to 0, and the second field includes at least one of: a completion profile field, a media access control address presence field, a beacon interval presence field, or a delivery traffic indication map DTIM information presence field, a method. Claim 27 In the method according to claim 25, the multi-link element is an update variant multi-link element, and the update variant multi-link element includes a multi-link control field and a link information field; The multi-link control field includes a type field, the type field is set to a first value, the multi-link control field does not include a first field, and the first field includes at least one of: a multi-link device media access control address presence field, a link identifier information presence field, a change sequence presence field, a multi-link capability presence field, or an EMLSR capability presence field; and The link information field includes an NSRT indication bitmap field, the second information is carried in the NSTR indication bitmap field, the link information field does not include a second field, and the second field includes at least one of: a completion profile field, a station media access control address presence field, a beacon interval presence field, or a DTIM information presence field, a method. Claim 28 The method according to claim 27, wherein the link information field further includes an NSTR link pair presence field and an NSTR bitmap size field, the NSTR link pair presence field indicates that the link information field includes the NSTR indication bitmap field, and the NSTR bitmap size field indicates the size of the NSTR indication bitmap field.

29. In the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the management frame includes a third field, and when the value of the third field is a second value, it indicates that the management frame is used to update the NSTR capability between the first link and the second link.

30. A computer-readable storage medium including instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a communication device, the communication device can execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or the communication device can execute the method according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

31. In a communication device including a processor and a communication interface, the communication interface is configured to communicate with a module other than the communication device, and the processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or execute the method according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

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