Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

To provide a communication method and an apparatus that increase flexibility in breaking a target wake time (TWT) agreement for links of multi-link devices.SOLUTION: A method includes transmitting, by a second station in a second multilink device, a first frame requesting to break a TWT agreement for a first link, which is any link of one or more links for which the TWT agreement is set up between a first multilink device and the second multilink device to a first station in the first multilink device, and transmitting, by the first station, a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame. The first station may be any station and is not limited to a station requesting to set up the TWT agreement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technologies, and more particularly to communication methods and devices. [Background technology]

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202110452052.2, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus," filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on April 25, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] Multi-link cooperation techniques can aggregate multiple discontinuous links to provide ultra-high bandwidth. Stations in a multi-link device (MLD) can operate at one or more frequencies, such as sub-1 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. A target wake time agreement (TWT agreement) may be set up for one or more links between MLDs. The one or more links for which a TWT agreement is set up may share parameters in the TWT agreement, such as TWT.

[0004] In existing protocols, stations at two ends of a link must tear down TWT agreements that have been set up for one or more links, where the station that originally requested the TWT agreement to be set up is located on that link. The scheme for tearing down TWT agreements is not flexible.

[0005] In view of this, the present application requires improved flexibility in breaking link TWT agreements in multi-link devices. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus for improving the flexibility of breaking TWT agreements for links of a multi-link device.

[0007] According to a first aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a first station in a first multilink device. The method includes receiving a first frame from a second station in a second multilink device, the first frame being used to request the abandonment of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for a first link, the first frame including a link identifier of the first link, the first link being any of one or more links through which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device; and transmitting a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame. In this aspect, the received first frame carries the identifier of the first link, and the TWT agreement for the link can be uniquely determined based on the link identifier and the TWT flow identifier of the first link. Any station in the first multilink device and the second multilink device can request the abandonment of the TWT agreement for the first link, thereby improving flexibility in the abandonment of the TWT agreement.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the method further includes, based on the link identifier of the first link and the correspondence relationship, canceling the TWT agreement for the first link corresponding to the link identifier of the first link. In this implementation, the TWT agreement can be accurately identified based on the link identifier, and any station can cancel the TWT agreement, thereby improving the flexibility of canceling the TWT agreement.

[0009] According to a second aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a second station in a second multilink device. The method includes: transmitting a first frame to a first station in a first multilink device, the first frame being used to request the abandonment of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for a first link, the first frame including a link identifier of the first link, the first link being any of one or more links through which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device; and receiving a second frame from the first station, the second frame being a response to the first frame. In this aspect, the first frame carries the identifier of the first link, and the TWT agreement for the link can be uniquely determined based on the link identifier and the TWT flow identifier of the first link. Any station in the first multilink device and the second multilink device can request the abandonment of the TWT agreement for the first link, thereby improving flexibility in the abandonment of the TWT agreement.

[0010] With reference to the first aspect, the second aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect, in another possible implementation, the set up TWT agreement corresponds to one TWT flow identifier. In this implementation, one TWT flow identifier is used for one or more set up TWT agreements. To ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers set up between a station requesting to set up a TWT agreement and a station responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers set up between an MLD requesting to set up a TWT agreement and an MLD responding to the setup request.

[0011] With reference to the first aspect, the second aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation, there is a correspondence between the link identifier and the TWT flow identifier. In this implementation, since there is a correspondence between the link identifier and the TWT flow identifier, the TWT agreement can be accurately identified based on the link identifier and the TWT flow identifier.

[0012] Referring to the first aspect, the second aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the correspondence further includes at least one of the following information: medium access control (MAC) address information of a third station requesting to set up a TWT agreement, MAC address information of a fourth station responding to the setup request, MAC address information of the first multilink device, and MAC address information of the second multilink device. The third station belongs to the first multilink device, and the fourth station belongs to the second multilink device. Alternatively, the third station belongs to the second multilink device, and the fourth station belongs to the first multilink device. In this implementation, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers between the station requesting to set up a TWT agreement and the station responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers between the MLD requesting to set up the TWT agreement and the MLD responding to the setup request. The TWT agreement can be accurately identified by this correspondence.

[0013]

[0023] With reference to the first aspect, the second aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the first frame includes a TWT flow field, and the link identifier is included in the TWT flow field. In this implementation, the TWT flow field may be extended to include the link identifier provided herein.

[0014] According to a third aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a third station, comprising: receiving a third frame from a fourth station, the third frame being used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to a link between a first multilink device and a second multilink device, the third frame including a first field, the first field indicating whether a second field is present in the third frame, the second field indicating information about links for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established, the one or more TWT agreements corresponding to a TWT flow identifier; transmitting a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame; transmitting a fifth frame to the fourth station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be established have been accepted; and receiving a sixth frame from the fourth station, the sixth frame being a response to the fifth frame. In this aspect, the received third frame requesting to set up a TWT agreement indicates information about the link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up, so that the TWT agreements are associated with the link.

[0015] According to a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a fourth station, comprising: transmitting a third frame to the third station, the third frame being used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between a first multilink device and a second multilink device, the third frame including a first field indicating whether a second field is present in the third frame, the second field indicating information about links for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established; receiving a fourth frame from the third station, the fourth frame being a response to the third frame; receiving a fifth frame from the third station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be established have been accepted; and transmitting a sixth frame to the third station in response to the fifth frame. In this aspect, the third frame requesting to set up a TWT agreement indicates information about the link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up, so that the TWT agreements are associated with the link.

[0016] With reference to the third or fourth aspect, in a possible implementation, the first field is located in a control field in a TWT element. When the first field indicates that the second field is present in the third frame, the third frame further includes the second field being located in a TWT parameter information field of the TWT element. In this implementation, the control field and the TWT parameter information field may be extended. The control field includes the first field and indicates whether the second field is present in the third frame. If the second field is present in the third frame, the second field is located in the extended TWT parameter information field.

[0017]

[0023] With reference to the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the third or fourth aspect, in another possible implementation, the second field is a bitmap, in which information about links for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up can be accurately indicated with low overhead using the bitmap.

[0018]

[0023] With reference to the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the second field includes a link identifier of a link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up. In this implementation, the second field may carry the link identifier of the link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up. After obtaining the second field by parsing, the receiving device may clearly know the link identifier of the link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up.

[0019] With reference to the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the third or fourth aspect, in yet another possible implementation, there is a correspondence between a TWT flow identifier and a link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up. In this implementation, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers between a station requesting to set up a TWT agreement and a station responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers between an MLD requesting to set up a TWT agreement and an MLD responding to the setup request.

[0020] With reference to the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or any one of possible implementations of the third aspect or the fourth aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the correspondence further includes at least one of the following information: medium access control (MAC) address information of the third station, MAC address information of the fourth station, MAC address information of the first multilink device, and MAC address information of the second multilink device. The third station belongs to the first multilink device, and the fourth station belongs to the second multilink device. Alternatively, the third station belongs to the second multilink device, and the fourth station belongs to the first multilink device. In this implementation, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers between a station requesting to set up a TWT agreement and a station responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers between the MLD requesting to set up the TWT agreement and the MLD responding to the setup request. The TWT agreement can be accurately identified by this correspondence.

[0021] According to a fifth aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a first station in a first multilink device. The method comprises receiving a first frame from a second station in a second multilink device, the first frame being used to request the abandonment of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for the first link, the first frame including a flow identifier of the TWT agreement, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier; and transmitting a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame. In this aspect, the received frame requesting the abandonment of the TWT agreement for the first link carries the TWT flow identifier, and the TWT agreement for one link can be uniquely determined based on the TWT flow identifier. Flexibility in the abandonment of the TWT agreement can be improved by allowing any station in the third and fourth multilink devices to request the abandonment of the TWT agreement for the first link.

[0022] Referring to the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation, the method further includes, based on the TWT flow identifier, canceling the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier. In this implementation, the TWT agreement corresponds to one TWT flow identifier. The corresponding TWT agreement can be accurately canceled based on the TWT flow identifier. After obtaining the TWT flow identifier, any station can cancel the corresponding TWT agreement, which can improve the flexibility of canceling the TWT agreement.

[0023] According to a sixth aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a second station in a second multilink device. The method comprises: transmitting a first frame to a first station in a first multilink device, the first frame being used to request the abandonment of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for a first link, the first frame including a flow identifier of the TWT agreement, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier; and receiving a second frame from the first station, the second frame being a response to the first frame. In this aspect, the frame requesting the abandonment of the TWT agreement for the first link carries the TWT flow identifier, and the TWT agreement for a link can be uniquely determined based on the TWT flow identifier. Any station in the third and fourth multilink devices can request the abandonment of the TWT agreement for the first link, thereby improving flexibility in the abandonment of the TWT agreement.

[0024] Referring to the fifth aspect, the sixth aspect, or any one of possible implementations of the fifth aspect, in another possible implementation, the TWT flow identifier is included in the first parameter set. The first parameter set further includes at least one of the following information: a link identifier of the first link, medium access control (MAC) address information of a third station requesting to set up a TWT agreement, MAC address information of a fourth station responding to the request, MAC address information of the first multilink device, MAC address information of the second multilink device, MAC address information of the first station, and MAC address information of the second station. The third station belongs to the first multilink device, and the fourth station belongs to the second multilink device. Alternatively, the third station belongs to the second multilink device, and the fourth station belongs to the first multilink device. In this implementation, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers set up between a station requesting to set up a TWT agreement and a station responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up between an MLD requesting to set up a TWT agreement and an MLD responding to the setup request and / or set up based on link identifiers. Alternatively, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up between a station initiating TWT agreement discarding and a station responding to the TWT agreement discarding.

[0025] According to a seventh aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a third station. The method comprises: receiving a third frame from a fourth station, the third frame being used to request the setup of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements) on one or more links, each TWT agreement corresponding to a TWT flow identifier; transmitting a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame; transmitting a fifth frame to the fourth station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up have been accepted; and receiving a sixth frame from the fourth station, the sixth frame being a response to the fifth frame. In this aspect, the TWT agreement for a link can be uniquely determined based on the TWT flow identifier, thereby improving the accuracy of identifying the TWT agreement.

[0026] According to an eighth aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a fourth station. The method comprises: transmitting a third frame to the third station, the third frame being used to request the setup of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements) on one or more links, each TWT agreement corresponding to a TWT flow identifier; receiving a fourth frame from the third station, the fourth frame being a response to the third frame; receiving a fifth frame from the third station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up have been accepted; and transmitting a sixth frame to the fourth station in response to the fifth frame. In this aspect, the TWT agreement for a link can be uniquely determined based on the TWT flow identifier, thereby improving the accuracy of identifying the TWT agreement.

[0027] With reference to the seventh or eighth aspect, in a possible implementation, the third frame includes a first field. The first field indicates whether a second field is present in the third frame. The second field indicates information about links for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up. In this implementation, the control field may be extended, and the control field includes the first field.

[0028]

[0013] Referring to the seventh aspect, the eighth aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the seventh or eighth aspect, in another possible implementation, the first field is located in a control field in a TWT element. When the first field indicates that the second field is present in the third frame, the third frame further includes the second field being located in a TWT parameter information field of the TWT element. In this implementation, the TWT parameter information field may be extended. The control field includes the first field and indicates whether the second field is present in the third frame. When the second field is present in the third frame, the second field is located in the extended TWT parameter information field.

[0029]

[0023] With reference to the seventh aspect, the eighth aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the seventh aspect or the eighth aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the second field is a bitmap, in which information about links for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up can be accurately indicated with low overhead using the bitmap.

[0030]

[0023] With reference to the seventh aspect, the eighth aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the seventh or eighth aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the second field includes a link identifier of a link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up. In this implementation, the second field may carry the link identifier of the link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up. After parsing the second field, the receiving device may clearly know the link identifier of the link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up.

[0031] Referring to the seventh aspect, the eighth aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the seventh or eighth aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the TWT flow identifier is included in the first parameter set. The first parameter set further includes at least one of the following information: a link identifier of the first link, medium access control (MAC) address information of a third station requesting to set up a TWT agreement, MAC address information of a fourth station responding to the request, MAC address information of the first multilink device, MAC address information of the second multilink device, MAC address information of the first station, and MAC address information of the second station. The third station belongs to the first multilink device, and the fourth station belongs to the second multilink device. Alternatively, the third station belongs to the second multilink device, and the fourth station belongs to the first multilink device. In this implementation, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers set up between a station requesting to set up a TWT agreement and a station responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up between an MLD requesting to set up a TWT agreement and an MLD responding to the setup request and / or set up based on link identifiers. Alternatively, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up between a station initiating TWT agreement discarding and a station responding to the TWT agreement discarding.

[0032] According to a ninth aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the first aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to receive a first frame from a second station in a second multilink device, the first frame being used to request the termination of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for the first link, the first frame including a link identifier of the first link, the first link being any link among one or more links over which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame.

[0034] Further, the processing unit is configured to revoke the TWT agreement for the first link corresponding to the link identifier of the first link based on the link identifier of the first link and the correspondence relationship.

[0035] According to a tenth aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the second aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0036] In a possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to transmit a first frame to a first station in a first multilink device, the first frame being used to request the termination of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for the first link, the first frame including a link identifier of the first link, the first link being any link among one or more links over which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and a second multilink device. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second frame from the first station, the second frame being a response to the first frame.

[0037] According to an eleventh aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the third aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0038] In a possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to receive a third frame from a fourth station, the third frame being used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The third frame includes a first field, the first field indicating whether a second field is present in the third frame, the second field indicating information about the link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established, and the one or more TWT agreements corresponding to one TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a fifth frame to the fourth station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be established have been accepted. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a sixth frame from the fourth station, the sixth frame being a response to the fifth frame.

[0039] According to a twelfth aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the fourth aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0040] In a possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to transmit a third frame to a third station, the third frame being used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The third frame includes a first field, the first field indicating whether a second field is present in the third frame, the second field indicating information about the link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established, and the one or more TWT agreements corresponding to one TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a fourth frame from the third station, the fourth frame being a response to the third frame. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a fifth frame from the third station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be established have been accepted. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a sixth frame to the third station in response to the fifth frame.

[0041] According to a thirteenth aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the fifth aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to receive a first frame from a second station in a second multilink device, the first frame being used to request the termination of a target wake time agreement (TWT) agreement for the first link, the first frame including a flow identifier of the TWT agreement, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame.

[0043] Furthermore, the processing unit is configured to revoke, based on the TWT flow identifier, a TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier.

[0044] According to a fourteenth aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the sixth aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to transmit a first frame to a first station in a first multilink device, the first frame being used to request the abandonment of a target wake time agreement (TWT) agreement for the first link, the first frame including a flow identifier of the TWT agreement, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second frame from the first station, the second frame being a response to the first frame.

[0046] According to a fifteenth aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the seventh aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0047] In a possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to receive a third frame from a fourth station, the third frame being used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements) on one or more links, each TWT agreement corresponding to one TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a fifth frame to the fourth station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be established have been accepted. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a sixth frame from the fourth station, the sixth frame being a response to the fifth frame.

[0048] According to a sixteenth aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the eighth aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0049] In a possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to transmit a third frame to a third station, the third frame being used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements) on one or more links, each TWT agreement corresponding to one TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a fourth frame from the third station, the fourth frame being a response to the third frame. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a fifth frame from the third station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be established have been accepted. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a sixth frame to the fourth station in response to the fifth frame.

[0050] In a possible implementation, the communication device according to any one of the ninth to sixteenth aspects includes a processor coupled to a memory. The processor is configured to support the device in performing corresponding functions in the above-mentioned communication method. The memory is configured to be coupled to the processor and stores programs (instructions) and / or data required for the device. Optionally, the communication device may further include a communication interface configured to support communication between the device and another network element. Optionally, the memory may be located within the communication device or outside the communication device.

[0051] In another possible implementation, a communication device according to any one of the ninth to sixteenth aspects includes a processor and a transceiver device. The processor is coupled to the transceiver device. The processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions to control the transceiver device to receive and transmit information. When the processor executes the computer program or instructions, the processor is further configured to perform the above-mentioned method by using logic circuits or executing code instructions. The transceiver device may be a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or an input / output interface, and is configured to receive signals from a communication device other than the communication device and transmit the signals to the processor, or transmit signals from the processor to a communication device other than the communication device. When the communication device is a chip, the transceiver device is a transceiver circuit or an input / output interface.

[0052] When the communication device according to any one of the ninth to sixteenth aspects is a chip, the transmission unit may be an output unit, for example an output circuit or a communication interface, and the receiving unit may be an input unit, for example an input circuit or a communication interface. When the communication device is a terminal, the transmission unit may be a transmitter or a sending machine, and the receiving unit may be a receiver or a receiving machine.

[0053] According to a 17th aspect, there is provided a communication system including a communication device according to the 9th aspect or any one of the implementations of the 9th aspect, and a communication device according to the 10th aspect or any one of the implementations of the 10th aspect.

[0054] According to an 18th aspect, there is provided a communication system including a communication device according to the 11th aspect or any one of the implementations of the 11th aspect, and a communication device according to the 12th aspect or any one of the implementations of the 12th aspect.

[0055] According to a 19th aspect, there is provided a communication system including a communication device according to the 13th aspect or any one of the implementations of the 13th aspect, and a communication device according to the 14th aspect or any one of the implementations of the 14th aspect.

[0056] According to a twentieth aspect, there is provided a communication system including a communication device according to the fifteenth aspect or any one of the implementations of the fifteenth aspect, and a communication device according to the sixteenth aspect or any one of the implementations of the sixteenth aspect.

[0057] According to a twenty-first aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program which, when run on a computer, performs a method according to any one of the first to eighth aspects and implementations thereof.

[0058] According to a twenty-second aspect, there is provided a computer program product, which, when run on a computer, performs a method according to any one of the first to eighth aspects and implementations thereof.

[0059] According to a 23rd aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a first station in a first multilink device. The method comprises: receiving a first frame from a second station in a second multilink device, the first frame being used to request tearing down a target wake time agreement (TWT) for a first link, the first link being any link among one or more links through which a TWT agreement is set up between the first and second multilink devices; and transmitting a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame. This aspect may improve flexibility in tearing down a TWT agreement for a link by allowing any station to request tearing down the TWT agreement for the first link for TWT agreements set up between multilink devices.

[0060] According to a 24th aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a second station in a second multilink device. The method comprises: transmitting a first frame to a first station in a first multilink device, the first frame being used to request tearing down a target wake time agreement (TWT) for a first link, the first link being any link among one or more links through which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device; and receiving a second frame from the first station, the second frame being a response to the first frame. This aspect may improve flexibility in tearing down a TWT agreement for a link by allowing any station to request tearing down a TWT agreement for the first link for TWT agreements set up between multilink devices.

[0061]

[0042] With reference to the 23rd or 24th aspects, in a possible implementation, the first frame includes link identifier information of the first link. The link identifier information includes a link identifier or a link bitmap. In this implementation, the link identifier information is carried in the first frame, and the TWT agreement for the link can be successfully broken based on the link identifier information, thereby improving flexibility in breaking the TWT agreement for the link.

[0062]

[0042] With reference to the 23rd aspect, the 24th aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the 23rd aspect or the 24th aspect, in another possible implementation, there is a first correspondence between the TWT agreement for the first link and link identifier information of the first link. In this implementation, the TWT agreement for the link can be successfully broken based on the link identifier information, thereby improving the flexibility of breaking the TWT agreement for the link.

[0063] With reference to the 23rd aspect, the 24th aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the 23rd aspect or the 24th aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the first correspondence includes the following combination of information: a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, medium access control (MAC) address information of a third station requesting to set up the TWT agreement, MAC address information of a fourth station responding to the setup request, and a link identifier of the first link, or a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, MAC address information of the first multilink device, MAC address information of the second multilink device, and a link identifier of the first link. The TWT flow identifier identifies one or more TWT agreements set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. In this implementation, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers set up between the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement and the station responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers between an MLD requesting to set up a TWT agreement and an MLD responding to the setup request. According to this correspondence, the TWT agreement can be identified.

[0064]

[0033] With reference to the 23rd aspect, the 24th aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the 23rd aspect or the 24th aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the first frame includes a TWT flow field, and link identifier information is carried in the TWT flow field.

[0065]

[0033] With reference to the 23rd aspect, the 24th aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the 23rd aspect or the 24th aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the method further includes canceling a TWT agreement corresponding to link identifier information of the first link based on the first correspondence. In this implementation, the TWT agreement for the link can be successfully canceled based on the link identifier information, thereby improving flexibility in canceling the TWT agreement for the link.

[0066]

[0042] With reference to the 23rd aspect, the 24th aspect, or any one of possible implementations of the 23rd aspect or the 24th aspect, in yet another possible implementation, there is a second correspondence between the TWT agreement for the first link and MAC address information of the multilink device. The multilink device includes a first multilink device and / or a second multilink device. In this implementation, there is a second correspondence between the TWT agreement for the first link and MAC address information of the multilink device, and the TWT agreement can be successfully revoked.

[0067] With reference to the 23rd aspect, the 24th aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the 23rd aspect or the 24th aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the second correspondence includes the following combination of information: a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, medium access control MAC address information of the first multilink device, and MAC address information of the second multilink device, or a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, MAC address information of the second station, and MAC address information of the first station. The TWT flow identifier identifies the TWT agreement to be set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. In this implementation, to ensure that the specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up between the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement and the station responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up between an MLD requesting to set up a TWT agreement and an MLD responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a specified TWT agreement can be discarded based on a discard frame, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements set up between a station initiating TWT agreement discarding and a station responding to the TWT agreement discarding.

[0068]

[0033] With reference to the 23rd aspect, the 24th aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the 23rd aspect or the 24th aspect, in a further possible implementation, the method further includes canceling the TWT agreement corresponding to the MAC address information of the multi-link device based on a second correspondence relationship. In this implementation, a second correspondence relationship exists between the TWT agreement for the first link and the MAC address information of the multi-link device, and the TWT agreement can be successfully canceled.

[0069] According to a twenty-fifth aspect, a communication method is provided, applied to a third station, the method comprising: receiving a third frame from a fourth station, the third frame used to request setting up one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between a first multilink device and a second multilink device, the third frame including a first field, the first field indicating whether a second field is present in the third frame, the second field indicating link identifier information of a link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up; transmitting a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame; transmitting a fifth frame to the fourth station, the fifth frame used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up have been accepted; and receiving a sixth frame from the fourth station, the sixth frame being a response to the fifth frame.

[0070] According to a twenty-sixth aspect, a communication method is provided and applied to a fourth station. The method includes transmitting a third frame to a third station, the third frame being used to request the setting up of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between a first multilink device and a second multilink device, the third frame including a first field, the first field indicating whether a second field is present in the third frame, the second field indicating link identifier information of a link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up, the one or more TWT agreements corresponding to one TWT flow identifier; receiving a fourth frame from the third station, the fourth frame being a response to the third frame; receiving a fifth frame from the third station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up have been accepted; and transmitting a sixth frame to the third station in response to the fifth frame.

[0071] With reference to the 25th or 26th aspects, in a possible implementation, the first field is located in a control field in a TWT element. When the first field indicates that the second field is present in the third frame, the third frame further includes that the second field is located in a TWT parameter information field of the TWT element. In this aspect, the TWT parameter information field may be extended. The control field includes the first field and indicates whether the second field is present in the third frame. When the second field is present in the third frame, the second field is located in the extended TWT parameter information field.

[0072]

[0046] Referring to the 25th aspect, the 26th aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the 25th aspect or the 26th aspect, in another possible implementation, the second field is a bitmap, or the second field includes link identifiers of links for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up. In this implementation, information about links for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up can be accurately indicated with low overhead using a bitmap. Alternatively, the second field may carry link identifiers of links for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up. After parsing the second field, the receiving device can clearly know the link identifiers of links for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up.

[0073] With reference to the 25th aspect, the 26th aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the 25th aspect or the 26th aspect, in yet another possible implementation, there is a first correspondence between a TWT agreement for a first link and link identifier information of the first link, and the first link is any link among one or more links for which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device.

[0074] With reference to the 25th aspect, the 26th aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the 25th aspect or the 26th aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the first correspondence includes the following combination information: a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, medium access control MAC address information of a third station requesting to set up the TWT agreement, MAC address information of a fourth station responding to the setup request, and a link identifier of the first link, or a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, MAC address information of the first multilink device, MAC address information of the second multilink device, and a link identifier of the first link. The TWT flow identifier identifies one or more TWT agreements to be set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device.

[0075]

[0033] Referring to the 25th aspect, the 26th aspect, or any one of possible implementations of the 25th or 26th aspects, in yet another possible implementation, there is a second correspondence between the TWT agreement for the first link and MAC address information of the multilink device. The multilink device includes the first multilink device and / or the second multilink device. The first link is any link among one or more links between which the TWT agreement is set up.

[0076] With reference to the 25th aspect, the 26th aspect, or any one of the possible implementations of the 25th aspect or the 26th aspect, in yet another possible implementation, the second correspondence relationship includes the following combination information: a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, medium access control MAC address information of the first multilink device, and MAC address information of the second multilink device, or a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, MAC address information of the second station, and MAC address information of the first station. The TWT flow identifier identifies a TWT agreement set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device.

[0077] According to a 27th aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the 23rd aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0078] In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to receive a first frame from a second station in a second multilink device, the first frame being used to request the termination of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for a first link, the first link being any link among one or more links over which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame.

[0079] Further, the processing unit is configured to revoke the TWT agreement corresponding to the link identifier information of the first link based on the first correspondence relationship.

[0080] Further, the processing unit is configured to revoke the TWT agreement corresponding to the MAC address information of the multi-link device based on the second correspondence relationship.

[0081] According to a 28th aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the 24th aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0082] In a possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to transmit a first frame to a first station in a first multilink device, the first frame being used to request the termination of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for a first link, the first link being any link among one or more links over which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and a second multilink device. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second frame from the first station, the second frame being a response to the first frame.

[0083] According to a 29th aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the 25th aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0084] In a possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to receive a third frame from a fourth station, the third frame being used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The third frame includes a first field, the first field indicating whether a second field is present in the third frame, the second field indicating link identifier information of the link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a fifth frame to the fourth station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be established have been accepted. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a sixth frame from the fourth station, the sixth frame being a response to the fifth frame.

[0085] According to a 30th aspect, there is provided a communication device for implementing the communication method according to the 26th aspect. For example, the communication device may be a chip or a terminal. The method may be implemented by software, hardware, or hardware executing corresponding software.

[0086] In a possible implementation, the communication device may include a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is configured to transmit a third frame to a third station, the third frame being used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The third frame includes a first field, the first field indicating whether a second field is present in the third frame, the second field indicating link identifier information of the link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established, and the one or more TWT agreements corresponding to one TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a fourth frame from the third station, the fourth frame being a response to the third frame. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a fifth frame from the third station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be established have been accepted. The transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a sixth frame to the third station in response to the fifth frame.

[0087] In a possible implementation, the communication device according to any one of the twenty-seventh to thirtieth aspects includes a processor coupled to a memory. The processor is configured to support the device in performing corresponding functions in the above-mentioned communication method. The memory is configured to be coupled to the processor and stores programs (instructions) and / or data required for the device. Optionally, the communication device may further include a communication interface configured to support communication between the device and another network element. Optionally, the memory may be located within the communication device or outside the communication device.

[0088] In another possible implementation, a communication device according to any one of the twenty-seventh to thirty aspects includes a processor and a transceiver device. The processor is coupled to the transceiver device. The processor is configured to execute a computer program or instructions to control the transceiver device to receive and transmit information. When the processor executes the computer program or instructions, the processor is further configured to perform the above-mentioned method by using logic circuits or executing code instructions. The transceiver device may be a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or an input / output interface, and is configured to receive signals from a communication device other than the communication device and transmit the signals to the processor, or transmit signals from the processor to a communication device other than the communication device. When the communication device is a chip, the transceiver device is a transceiver circuit or an input / output interface.

[0089] When the communication device according to any one of the 27th to 30th aspects is a chip, the transmission unit may be an output unit, for example, an output circuit or a communication interface, and the receiving unit may be an input unit, for example, an input circuit or a communication interface. When the communication device is a terminal, the transmission unit may be a transmitter or a sending machine, and the receiving unit may be a receiver or a receiving machine.

[0090] According to a 31st aspect, there is provided a communication system including a communication device according to the 27th aspect or any one of the implementations of the 27th aspect, and a communication device according to the 28th aspect or any one of the implementations of the 28th aspect.

[0091] According to a 32nd aspect, there is provided a communication system including a communication device according to the 29th aspect or any one of the implementations of the 29th aspect, and a communication device according to the 30th aspect or any one of the implementations of the 30th aspect. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0092] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system to which the present application is applicable; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 3(a)] 1 is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 3(b)] 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an AP MLD and a STA MLD participating in communication according to an embodiment of the present application; FIG. [Figure 3(c)] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another AP MLD and another STA MLD participating in communication according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 4(a)] 1 is a schematic diagram of an MLD communicating with another device over multiple links in a wireless local area network according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 4(b)] FIG. 2 is another schematic diagram of an MLD communicating with other devices over multiple links in a wireless local area network according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of setting up a TWT agreement according to an example of the present application. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the format of a TWT element. [Figure 8(a)] 10 is a schematic diagram of the format of the TWT parameter information field when the negotiation type in the TWT element indicates a single-user TWT type. [Figure 8(b)] 10 is a schematic diagram of the format of the TWT parameter information field when the negotiation type in the TWT element indicates a broadcast TWT type. [Figure 9] 10 is a schematic diagram of the format of a request type field in a TWT parameter information field. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of a TWT service period on a link after a TWT agreement has been set up. [Figure 11] 3 is a schematic flow diagram of another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 12]FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the format of the TWT flow field in a TWT discard frame. [Figure 13] 10 is a schematic flow diagram of yet another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 14] 10 is a schematic flow diagram of yet another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 15] 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 16] 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device according to an embodiment of the present application; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0093] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0094] The solution of the present application is mainly applied to wireless local area networks, especially to multi-link transmission scenarios. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system to which the present application is applicable. The communication system 100 includes an MLD 11 and an MLD 12. The MLD 11 and the MLD 12 communicate with each other via N links, where N is a positive integer. When the MLD 11 is used as a transmitting device, the MLD 12 is a receiving device. When the MLD 12 is used as a transmitting device, the MLD 11 is a receiving device. The frequency band in which the MLD 11 / MLD 12 operate may be any one of the following frequency bands: sub-1 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, and all or part of the high frequency 60 GHz.

[0095] An MLD includes one or more served stations, which are logical stations. In the embodiments of the present application, the phrase "a multilink device includes served stations" can be shortened to "a multilink device includes stations." A served station may be an access point (AP) or a non-access point station (non-AP STA). For ease of explanation, in this application, a multilink device whose served station is an AP may be referred to as a multilink AP, a multilink AP device, or an AP multilink device (AP MLD). A multilink device whose served station is a non-AP STA may be referred to as a multilink STA, a multilink STA device, an STA multilink device (STA MLD), or a non-access point multilink device (non-AP MLD). As shown in FIG. 1, an MLD 11 may include one or more access points (APs) (e.g., AP1 to AP3), and the MLD 11 may be referred to as an AP MLD. The MLD 12 may include one or more stations (STAs) (for example, STA1 to STA3), and the MLD 12 may also be referred to as a non-AP MLD.

[0096] The MLD may communicate with another device using wireless communication that complies with an 802.11 series protocol, such as being compliant with extremely high throughput (EHT) or based on or compatible with 802.11be, etc. Of course, the other device may or may not be a multilink device.

[0097] Each logical station may operate on one link, but multiple logical stations can operate on the same link. A link identifier referred to below indicates one station operating on one link. In other words, if there are multiple logical stations on one link, multiple link identifiers are required to indicate those logical stations. Alternatively, a link identifier referred to below may indicate a station operating on that link. When data transmission is performed between a multilink device and another multilink device, the multilink device and the other multilink device may first negotiate or communicate with each other regarding the correspondence between the link identifier and the link or the station on the link before communication. Alternatively, an AP multilink device may indicate the correspondence between the link identifier and the link or the station on the link using a broadcast management frame, such as a beacon frame. Therefore, during data transmission, instead of transmitting a large amount of signaling information for indication, a link identifier is carried to indicate the link or the station on the link. This reduces signaling overhead and improves transmission efficiency.

[0098] The following description uses an example in which the above MLD is an AP MLD and the above another MLD is a STA MLD. For example, when the AP MLD sets up a BSS, a management frame, such as a beacon frame, transmitted by the AP MLD carries an element including multiple link identifier information fields. A correspondence between a link identifier and a station operating on the link can be established based on each link identifier information field. Each link identifier information field includes a link identifier and further includes one or more of an AP's media access control (MAC) address (also sometimes referred to as a basic service set identifier (BSSID)), an operating set, and a channel number. One, more, or all of the MAC address, operating set, and channel number may indicate a link. In another example, during the association process of a multi-link device, the AP MLD and the STA MLD negotiate multiple link identifier information fields. In subsequent communication, the link identifier is used by the AP MLD or the STA MLD to indicate the station in the MLD. The link identifier may further indicate one or more attributes of the station's MAC address, the operating set, and the channel number. Alternatively, the MAC address may be replaced by the AP MLD association identifier after association. Optionally, if multiple stations operate on a link, the link identifier (numeric identifier) ​​indicates not only the operating set and channel number on which the link is located, but also the identifiers of the stations operating on the link, such as the station's MAC address or association identifier (AID).

[0099] 2 is a diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. This application scenario includes station 101 and station 102, and may further include station 103. Station 101 may communicate with station 102, and station 101 may communicate with station 103 via multiple links to improve throughput. The communication between station 101 and station 102 is used as an example. Stations 101 / 102 may be MLDs or single-link devices. In one scenario, station 101 is an AP MLD, and station 102 is a STA MLD or station (e.g., a single-link station). In another scenario, station 101 is a STA MLD, and station 102 is an AP (e.g., a single-link AP) or AP MLD. In yet another scenario, station 101 is an AP MLD, and station 102 is an AP MLD or AP. In yet another scenario, station 101 is a STA MLD, and station 102 is a STA MLD or STA. Of course, the wireless local area network may include additional devices, and the number and types of devices shown in Figure 2 are merely examples.

[0100] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) are schematic diagrams of the AP MLD and STA MLD structures participating in communication. The 802.11 standard focuses on the 802.11 physical layer (PHY) and MAC layer of the AP MLD and STA MLD (such as mobile phones and laptop computers).

[0101] As shown in Fig. 3(a), multiple APs included in an AP MLD are independent of each other in the lower MAC (low MAC) layer and the PHY layer, and are also independent of each other in the upper MAC (high MAC) layer. Multiple STAs included in an STA MLD are independent of each other in the lower MAC layer and the PHY layer, and are also independent of each other in the upper MAC layer.

[0102] As shown in Fig. 3(b), multiple APs included in an AP MLD are independent of each other in the lower MAC and PHY layers, but share the upper MAC layer. Multiple STAs included in an STA MLD are independent of each other in the lower MAC and PHY layers, but share the upper MAC layer.

[0103] Of course, the STA MLD may use an independent structure at the upper MAC layer, and the AP MLD may use a shared structure at the upper MAC layer. Alternatively, the STA MLD may use a shared structure at the upper MAC layer, and the AP MLD may use an independent structure at the upper MAC layer. For example, the upper MAC layer or the lower MAC layer may be implemented by a single processor in the MLD's chip system, or by different processing modules in the chip system.

[0104] For example, the MLD in this embodiment of the present application may be a single-antenna device or a multi-antenna device. For example, the MLD may be a device with three or more antennas. The number of antennas included in the MLD is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. FIG. 3(c) shows an example in which the AP MLD has multiple antennas and the STA MLD has a single antenna. In this embodiment of the present application, the MLD may allow services of the same access type to be transmitted over different links, or may allow the same data packet to be transmitted over different links. Alternatively, the MLD may not allow services of the same access type to be transmitted over different links, but may allow services of different access types to be transmitted over different links.

[0105] The frequency bands in which the MLD operates may include, but are not limited to, sub-1 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, and high frequency 60 GHz. Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are two schematic diagrams of communication between an MLD and another device over multiple links in a wireless local area network.

[0106] 4(a) shows a scenario in which AP MLD 201 communicates with STA MLD 202. AP MLD 201 includes served AP 201-1 and served AP 201-2. STA MLD 202 includes served STA 202-1 and served STA 202-2. AP MLD 201 and STA MLD 202 communicate in parallel via link 1 and link 2.

[0107] 4(b) illustrates a scenario in which AP MLD 301 communicates with STA MLD 302, STA MLD 303, and STA 304. AP MLD 301 includes serving APs 301-1 to 301-3. STA MLD 302 includes serving STA 302-1 and STA 302-2. STA MLD 303 includes serving STA 303-1 and STA 303-2. STA 304 is a single-link device. AP MLD can separately communicate with STA MLD 302 via link 1 and link 3, with multi-link device 303 via link 2 and link 3, and with STA 304 via link 1. In one example, STA 304 operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. STA MLD 303 includes STA 303-1 and STA 303-2, with STA 303-1 operating in the 5 GHz frequency band and STA 303-2 operating in the 6 GHz frequency band. STA MLD 302 includes STA 302-1 and STA 302-2, with STA 302-1 operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and STA 302-2 operating in the 6 GHz frequency band. AP 301-1, which is within the AP MLD and operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, can perform uplink or downlink data transmission with STA 304 and STA 302-2 in STA MLD 302 via link 1. AP 301-2, which is within the AP MLD and operates in the 5 GHz frequency band, can perform uplink or downlink data transmission with STA 303-1, which is within the STA MLD 303 and operates in the 5 GHz frequency band, via link 2. AP301-3, which is in AP MLD301 and operates in the 6 GHz frequency band, may perform uplink or downlink data transmission with STA302-2, which is in STA MLD302 and operates in the 6 GHz frequency band, via link 3, and may further perform uplink or downlink data transmission with STA303-2 in the STA MLD via link 3.

[0108] Note that Figure 4(a) only shows that AP MLD supports two frequency bands. Figure 4(b) shows that AP MLD supports three frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz), each corresponding to one link. 3 This only shows an example in which 01 may operate on one or more links among link 1, link 2, or link 3. On the AP side or STA side, a link in this specification may also be understood as a station operating on that link. In actual applications, AP MLD and STA MLD may further support more or fewer frequency bands. In other words, AP MLD and STA MLD may operate on more or fewer links. This is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0109] For example, an MLD is a device with wireless communication capabilities. This device may be an entire device, or a chip or processing system installed within the entire device. A device with a chip or processing system installed may be controlled by the chip or processing system to perform the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application. For example, a multi-link STA in this embodiment of the present application may have wireless transceiver capabilities, support 802.11 series protocols, and communicate with a multi-link AP, another multi-link STA, or a single-link device. For example, a multi-link STA is any user communication device that allows a user to communicate with an AP and then communicate with a WLAN. For example, a multi-link STA may be a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, an ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), a handheld computer, a netbook, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a mobile phone, or a user equipment capable of connecting to the Internet, such as an Internet of Things node in the Internet of Things or an in-vehicle communication device in the Internet of Vehicles. The multilink STA may also be a chip and processing system in the above-mentioned terminal. The multilink AP in this embodiment of the present application is a device that provides services to the multilink STA and may support the 802.11 series protocol. For example, the multilink AP may be a communication entity such as a communication server, a router, a switch, or a network bridge. Alternatively, the multilink AP may include various types of macro base stations, micro base stations, or relay stations. Of course, the multilink AP may also be a chip and processing system in various types of devices that perform the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application. Furthermore, the MLD may support high-rate and low-latency transmission.As the application scenarios of wireless local area networks continue to evolve, MLD may be further applied to many more scenarios, such as sensor nodes in smart cities (e.g., smart meters, smart electricity meters, and smart air detection nodes), smart devices in smart homes (e.g., smart cameras, projectors, displays, TVs, stereos, refrigerators, and washing machines), nodes in the Internet of Things, entertainment terminals (e.g., wearable devices such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)), smart devices in smart offices (e.g., printers and projectors), Internet of Things devices in the Internet of Vehicles, and some infrastructures in everyday life scenarios (e.g., vending machines, self-service navigation stations in supermarkets, self-service cash register devices, and self-service ordering machines). The specific forms of the multi-link STA and the multi-link AP are not particularly limited in the embodiments of the present application and are merely examples for the purposes of explanation in this specification. The 802.11 series protocols may include 802.11be, 802.11ax, 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, and future Wi-Fi protocols.

[0110] In the existing 802.11 REVmd D5.0 protocol, the TWT protocol is restricted by three elements, namely <TWT flow identifier, medium access control address information of the TWT requesting station (MAC address of the TWT requesting STA), and medium access control address information of the TWT responding station (MAC address of the TWT responding STA)>. The TWT requesting station is the station that transmits the TWT protocol request (TWT request frame, which may also be called the TWT setup frame or TWT setup request frame), and the TWT responding station is the station that responds to the TWT protocol request (TWT response frame). The MAC address information includes the MAC address or AID. This is not limited in this application. In the TWT protocol set up by two single-link stations, if the TWT protocol for that link needs to be discarded, the single-link transmitting station transmits a TWT teardown frame to the single-link receiving station, and the TWT protocol may be directly discarded. However, in the TWT protocol set up between multi-link devices, in the operation of the multi-link device, the TWT protocol for Link 2 may be set up on another link (Link 1). According to the existing protocol, the MAC address of the TWT requesting station and the MAC address of the TWT responding station among the three elements of the TWT protocol are the MAC addresses of the two stations located on that other link (Link 1). According to the current specification, the TWT protocol for this link can only be successfully discarded when the three elements are satisfied, and the TWT protocol for Link 2 can only be discarded by the stations on Link 1. This lacks flexibility. For example, assume that the station on Link 1 sets up the TWT protocol for Link 2, and the transmitting station on Link 2 is required to transmit a teardown frame to the receiving station on Link 2 to discard the TWT protocol for Link 2.However, after the receiving station receives the discard frame, the MAC address information of the TWT requesting station defaults to the MAC address information of the transmitting station on link 2, rather than the MAC address information of the requesting station on link 1 that originally set up the TWT agreement. As a result, the station on link 2 cannot discard the TWT agreement set up for link 1. This method of discarding the TWT agreement is not flexible.

[0111] Based on the above architecture, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method. A fourth station (belonging to a multilink device) transmits a third frame to a third station (belonging to the multilink device). The third frame is used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements). Each TWT agreement corresponds to a link between a first multilink device and a second multilink device. The third frame includes a first field. The first field indicates whether a second field is present in the third frame. The second field indicates link identifier information of the link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established. The third station transmits a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame. In this embodiment of the present application, since the third frame requesting the establishment of TWT agreements indicates information about the link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established, the TWT agreements are associated with the link, thereby improving the accuracy of identifying the TWT agreement for the link.

[0112] 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application, which is a TWT negotiation setup procedure. The method may include the following steps:

[0113] S501: The fourth station transmits a third frame to the third station.

[0114] In response, the third station receives a third frame.

[0115] The third frame is used to request the setup of one or more TWT agreements. Each TWT agreement corresponds to one link between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The one or more TWT agreements correspond to one TWT flow identifier. In this application, the TWT agreement may also be referred to as a TWT agreement, a TWT contract, or a TWT compliance, etc. This is not limited herein.

[0116] The third station may be an AP, and the fourth station may be a non-AP STA. Alternatively, the third station may be a non-AP STA, and the fourth station may be an AP. This embodiment will be described using an example in which the first multilink device is a non-AP MLD, the second multilink device is an AP MLD, the fourth station is a non-AP STA, and the third station is an AP. In this case, the fourth station is located within the first multilink device, and the third station is located within the second multilink device. Of course, the first multilink device may include more APs, and the second multilink device may include more non-AP STAs.

[0117] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary TWT agreement setup. There are two MLDs in the figure: AP MLD and non-AP MLD. The AP MLD has three affiliated AP stations: AP1, AP2, and AP3, which operate at 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz, respectively. The non-AP MLD has three affiliated non-AP stations: STA1, STA2, and STA3. Three links are set up between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD: Link 1: Between AP1 and STA1, Link 2: Between AP2 and STA2, and Link 3: Between AP3 and STA3.

[0118] The two MLD stations may set up a TWT agreement by transmitting a third frame, such as a TWT setup frame, to each other, where the third frame includes a TWT element. The TWT element and parameter information of the TWT element are described below.

[0119] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the format of a TWT element. The TWT element includes an element number field, a length field, a control field, and a TWT parameter information field. The control field further includes fields such as a null data packet paging (NDP) indicator, a responder power save mode, a negotiation type, and TWT information frame usage prohibition. The negotiation type includes a single-user TWT type and a broadcast TWT type. When the negotiation type indicates a single-user TWT type, the format of the TWT parameter information field is as shown in Figure 8(a) and includes a request type, a target wake time, a TWT group assignment, a nominal minimum TWT wake duration, a TWT wake interval mantissa, a TWT channel, and null data packet paging. When the negotiation type indicates a broadcast TWT type, the format of the TWT parameter information field is as shown in Figure 8(b) and includes a request type, a target wake time, a nominal minimum TWT wake duration, a TWT wake interval mantissa, and a broadcast TWT channel. TWT Wake Interval = TWT Wake interval Mantissa x 2 (TWTウェイク間隔指数) is.

[0120] Furthermore, the request type of the TWT parameter information field includes several parameters related to TWT requests and responses, as shown in FIG. 9. Specifically, the request type includes TWT request, TWT setup command, trigger, implicit, flow type, TWT flow identifier, TWT wake interval index, and TWT protection. The TWT flow identifier uniquely identifies one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The TWT flow identifier may also be referred to as a TWT flow identifier. Each TWT agreement corresponds to one link, but the one or more TWT agreements correspond to one TWT flow identifier. In other words, one TWT element may be used to set up multiple TWT agreements.

[0121] The fourth station may perform TWT negotiation for the link on which the fourth station is located or another link by transmitting a third frame (including the TWT elements described above) over the link on which the fourth station is located to set up a TWT agreement. Each TWT agreement corresponds to one link between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The link for transmitting the TWT elements must be awake, and the other link may be awake or doze.

[0122] Further, see Figure 6. In one example, non-AP STA1 transmits a third frame over Link 1, and Link 1, Link 2, and Link 3 perform TWT negotiation. 5 Specifically, 01 includes the following steps:

[0123] The non-AP STA 1 transmits a management frame including a TWT element, such as a TWT Setup frame, to the AP 1. The TWT element has the following characteristics:

[0124] (a) The TWT element indicates that a TWT agreement is requested to be set up for the three links where AP1, AP2, and AP3 are located (the three links are Link 1, Link 2, and Link 3).

[0125] (b) The TWT element carries a value of Request TWT in the TWT Set Command field in the Request Type field.

[0126] (c) The value of the TWT Request field of the TWT element is equal to 1, indicating that the management frame is a Request frame.

[0127] (d) The TWT element indicates the target wake time and the nominal minimum TWT wake duration.

[0128] In this embodiment, the third frame further includes a first field, which indicates whether a second field is present in the third frame, and which indicates link identifier information of a link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up.

[0129] In a specific implementation, the first field is located in the control field of the TWT element. For example, the first field may be located in the reserved field of the control field shown in FIG. 7. The first field may include 1 bit. For example, when the first field is set to "1", it indicates that the second field is present in the third frame. When the first field is set to "0", it indicates that the second field is not present in the third frame. Alternatively, when the first field is set to "0", it indicates that the second field is present in the third frame. When the first field is set to "1", it indicates that the second field is not present in the third frame.

[0130] When the first field indicates that the second field is present in the third frame, the third frame further includes the second field. The second field may be located in a TWT parameter information field of the TWT element.

[0131] Specifically, in implementation, the second field may be a bitmap. Therefore, the first field may also be referred to as a link identifier bitmap presence field. For example, three links, namely, Link 1 to Link 3, are set up between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD shown in FIG. 6. Assume that a TWT agreement is requested to be set up for Link 2 and Link 3. In this case, the second field may be 011, which corresponds to Link 1 to Link 3, respectively, where "0" indicates that a TWT agreement is not set up and "1" indicates that a TWT agreement is set up. Alternatively, the second field may be 100, which corresponds to Link 1 to Link 3, respectively, where "1" indicates that a TWT agreement is not set up and "0" indicates that a TWT agreement is set up.

[0132] In another implementation, the second field may include a link identifier (link ID) of a link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up. Preferably, a link identifier field is used. For example, the second field is a link identifier field, and includes the link identifier of a link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up. Therefore, the first field may also be called a link identifier presence field. The link identifier identifies a combination of <operating class of the link, channel number, and basic service set identifier (BSSID) of the AP>. See also FIG. 6. Assume that a maximum of 16 links (link 0 to link 15) can be set up between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD. The 16 links may be indicated using 4 bits, where 0000 corresponds to link 0, 0001 corresponds to link 1, 0010 corresponds to link 2, etc. In this case, it is assumed that three links, namely, link 0 to link 3, are set up between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD in the association phase. Furthermore, it is assumed that a TWT setup frame is transmitted on link 1 to request link 21 to set up a TWT agreement. In this case, the second field includes an identifier of link 2, such as 0001. The 4-bit indicator provided in this specification is merely an example, and the correspondence between the number of bits and the link identifier is not limited in this specification. With the development of technology, the number of links that can be used in the communication process may increase, and the increase and change of the number of bits of the link identifier is not limited in this specification.

[0133] S502: The third station transmits a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame. In other words, the fourth frame is a response to the third frame, such as an acknowledgement frame Ack.

[0134] In response, the fourth station receives the fourth frame.

[0135] S503: The third station transmits a fifth frame to the fourth station.

[0136] In response, the fourth station receives the fifth frame.

[0137] The fifth frame indicates that one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up have been accepted.

[0138] Specifically, please further refer to Figure 6. Step S503 specifically includes: AP1 transmitting a management frame including a TWT element, such as a TWT setup frame, to non-AP STA1. The TWT element has the following characteristics:

[0139] (a) The TWT element carries the value of the Accept TWT field in the TWT Set Command field in the Request Type.

[0140] (b) The value of the TWT Request field of the TWT element is equal to 0, indicating a Response frame.

[0141] (c) The TWT element transmitted by AP1 confirms that the three TWT agreements that non-AP STA1 requests to set up have been accepted.

[0142] S504: The fourth station transmits a sixth frame to the third station in response to the fifth frame, that is, the sixth frame is a response to the fifth frame, such as an acknowledgement frame Ack.

[0143] In response, the third station receives the sixth frame.

[0144] After the above steps are successfully completed, the TWT agreements for Link 1, Link 2, and Link 3 are successfully set up.

[0145] In this case, as shown in Figure 10, there are three TWT service periods (SPs) for three links, which share TWT parameters such as target wake-up duration. T1 is the target wake-up time. The TWT wake interval is the duration between two adjacent SPs for the same link. TWT wake interval = TWT wake interval mantissa × 2 (TWTウェイク間隔指数) where the wake interval refers to a number field located within the request type field.

[0146] After one or more TWT agreements have been set up, the TWT flow identifier and the link for which one or more TWT agreements have been set up identifier In other words, there is a correspondence between the TWT flow identifiers and the links on which each TWT agreement is located. Specifically, when the second field includes link identifiers of links on which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up, there is a correspondence between the TWT flow identifiers and the link identifiers of the links on which each TWT agreement is located. When the second field is a bitmap, the link identifiers of links on which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up can be obtained, so there is a correspondence between the TWT flow identifiers and the link identifiers of the links on which each TWT agreement is set up.

[0147] Furthermore, this correspondence includes the following information: MAC address information of the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement (i.e., 4 MAC address information of the station responding to the setup request (i.e., the first 3The setup request may further include at least one of the following: MAC address information of the MLD requesting to set up the TWT agreement (i.e., MAC address information of the second multi-link device), MAC address information of the MLD responding to the setup request (i.e., MAC address information of the first multi-link device), and MAC address information of the two stations setting up the TWT agreement. The two stations setting up the TWT agreement are the stations at the two ends of any link on which one or more set-up TWT agreements are located. In other words, the MAC address information of the two stations setting up the TWT agreement is the MAC address information of Station 1 setting up the TWT agreement and the MAC address information of Station 2 setting up the TWT agreement. For example, if a TWT agreement is set up using the ninth and tenth frames for Link 1 and Link 2 (in this case, Link 1 and Link 2 are indicated by the link identifier information field), two TWT agreements are set up. In TWT agreement 1, the station corresponding to the MAC address information of station 1 setting up the TWT agreement is a station operating on link 1 that is under the umbrella of the MLD that is under the umbrella of the TWT requesting station (the fourth station in the first multilink device). The station corresponding to the MAC address information of station 2 setting up the TWT agreement is a station operating on link 1 that is under the umbrella of the MLD that is under the umbrella of the TWT responding station (the third station in the second multilink device). In TWT agreement 2, the station corresponding to the MAC address information of station 1 setting up the TWT agreement is a station operating on link 2 that is under the umbrella of the MLD that is under the umbrella of the TWT requesting station (the fourth station in the first multilink device).The station corresponding to the MAC address information of station 2 that sets up the TWT protocol is the station operating on link 2 that is under the umbrella of the MLD under which the TWT response-side station (the third station in the second multi-link device) is under the umbrella. The TWT request-side station and the TWT response-side station operate on the same link. Otherwise, the TWT request-side station and the TWT response-side station cannot directly receive the information transmitted to each other. Optionally, link 1 is not the link on which the fourth station and the third station operate. Optionally, link 1 is the link on which the fourth station and the third station operate. Optionally, link 2 is not the link on which the fourth station and the third station operate. Optionally, link 2 is the link on which the fourth station and the third station operate. In this case, the above correspondence may be one of the following. (1) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the station requesting to set up the TWT protocol, MAC address information of the station responding to the setup request, and link identifier>, (2) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the MLD requesting to set up the TWT protocol, MAC address information of the MLD responding to the setup request, and link identifier>, and (3) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of station 1 that sets up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of station 2 that sets up the TWT protocol>.

[0148] Optionally, correspondence 3 may be understood as <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the fifth station that sets up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of the sixth station that sets up the TWT protocol>. The fifth station and the sixth station are stations on the second link, and the second link is any one of one or more links on which the TWT protocol is set up between the first multi-link device and the second multi-link device. Optionally, correspondence 3 may further be understood as <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of the station that responds to the setup request>. In this case, the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol is no longer the station that transmits the third frame (TWT setup request frame, which may also be called a TWT setup frame, a TWT request frame, or a TWT protocol request), but becomes station 1 that sets up the TWT protocol. Station 1 and the TWT request-side station are under the umbrella of the same multi-link device and operate on the link indicated by the link identifier information field. The station that responds to the setup of the TWT protocol is no longer the station that transmits the fourth frame (TWT setup response frame or response to the TWT protocol request), but becomes station 2 that sets up the TWT protocol. Station 2 and the TWT response-side station are under the umbrella of the same multi-link device and operate on the link indicated by the link identifier information field.

[0149] It can be understood that the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol and the TWT request-side station are the same station, and the station that responds to the setup request and the TWT response-side station are the same station. These two expressions are applicable to all embodiments of the present invention. The names and terms representing stations in the embodiments of the present invention are merely examples, and the embodiments may be referenced and combined with each other.

[0150] According to the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the third frame requesting to set up a TWT agreement indicates information about the link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up, so that the TWT agreements are associated with the link.

[0151] After a TWT agreement on one or more links is set up, if the TWT agreement for the link needs to be torn down, the TWT agreement for the link can be requested to be torn down. An embodiment of the present application further provides a communication method. A second station in a second multilink device transmits a first frame to a first station in a first multilink device to request to torn down the TWT agreement for the first link. The first frame includes a link identifier information field for the first link, and the link identifier information field includes a link identifier or a link identifier bitmap. In the link identifier bitmap, a bit position corresponding to the first link is set to a first value, where the first value may be 0 or 1. The first link is any link among one or more links for which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The first station transmits a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame. The TWT agreement for the link can be uniquely determined based on the link identifier and the TWT flow identifier of the first link. The flexibility of breaking the TWT agreement may be increased by allowing any station in the first multilink device and the second multilink device to request breaking the TWT agreement for the first link.

[0152] 11 is a schematic flow chart of another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. The method includes the following steps:

[0153] S1101: A second station in a second multilink device transmits a first frame to a first station in a first multilink device.

[0154] In response, the first station receives the first frame.

[0155] In the above embodiment, a TWT agreement is set up for a first link or more links between a first multilink device and a second multilink device. In this embodiment, the TWT agreement for the first link needs to be torn down. The second station transmits a first frame to the first station. The first frame is used to request that the TWT agreement for the first link be torn down. The first link is any link among one or more links for which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device.

[0156] Alternatively, the first station may be an AP or a non-AP STA, and the second station may be a non-AP STA or an AP. The first station may be the same as the fourth station requesting to set up the TWT agreement in the above embodiment, or a different station from the fourth station, or the same as the third station in the above embodiment, or a different station from the third station. The second station may be the same as the fourth station requesting to set up the TWT agreement in the above embodiment, or a different station from the fourth station, or the same as the third station in the above embodiment, or a different station from the third station.

[0157] See Figure 6 further. Assume that the first multilink device is a non-AP MLD and the second multilink device is an AP MLD. A TWT agreement on Link 1 to Link 3 has been set up for Link 1, and the TWT agreement for Link 3 needs to be torn down. The first station can be any station among non-AP STA1 to non-AP STA3. Assume that the first station in this specification is non-AP STA2. The second station can be any station among AP1 to AP3. Assume that the second station in this specification is AP2.

[0158] In this embodiment, the first frame includes a link identifier information field for the first link that includes a link identifier or a link identifier bitmap, where the bit position corresponding to the first link is set to a first value, e.g., 0 or 1.

[0159] The first frame may be a TWT Teardown frame, the format of which is shown in Table 1 below.

[0160] [Table 1]

[0161] The TWT discard frame includes the following information: category, unprotected sub-1 GHz action, and TWT flow. The format of the TWT flow is shown in FIG. 12, and the TWT flow further includes a TWT flow identifier field, a reserved field, a negotiation field, and a teardown all TWT field. A link identifier may be located in the TWT flow field of the TWT discard frame. In existing protocols, the TWT flow identifier field occupies 3 bits. Optionally, the TWT flow identifier field is extended from 3 bits to more bits, such as 4 bits. This is not limited in this specification.

[0162] The TWT flow field further includes a link identifier information field, for example a 4-bit link identifier field.

[0163] After the TWT agreement is set up, there is a correspondence between the TWT flow identifier and the link for which one or more TWT agreements are required to be set up. Specifically, there is a correspondence between the TWT flow identifier and the link identifier of the link for which one or more TWT agreements are required to be set up. The set up TWT agreement corresponds to one TWT flow identifier.

[0164] Furthermore, this correspondence relationship may further include at least one of the following information, namely, the MAC address information of the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol (i.e., the MAC address information of the third station), the MAC address information of the station that responds to the setup request (i.e., the MAC address information of the fourth station), the MAC address information of the MLD that requests to set up the TWT protocol (i.e., the MAC address information of the second multi-link device), the MAC address information of the MLD that responds to the setup request (i.e., the MAC address information of the first multi-link device), the MAC address information of station 1 that sets up the TWT protocol, and the MAC address information of station 2 that sets up the TWT protocol.

[0165] In this case, the above correspondence relationship may be one of the following. (1) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol, MAC address information of the station that responds to the setup request, and link identifier>, (2) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the MLD that requests to set up the TWT protocol, MAC address information of the MLD that responds to the setup request, and link identifier>, and (3) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of station 1 that sets up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of station 2 that sets up the TWT protocol>.

[0166] Optionally, correspondence 3 may be understood as <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the fifth station that sets up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of the sixth station that sets up the TWT protocol>. The fifth station and the sixth station are stations on the second link, and the second link is any one of one or more links on which the TWT protocol is set up between the first multi-link device and the second multi-link device. Optionally, correspondence 3 may further be understood as <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of the station that responds to the setup request>. In this case, the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol becomes station 1 that sets up the TWT protocol instead of the station that transmits the third frame (TWT setup request frame, which may also be called a TWT setup frame, a TWT request frame, or a TWT protocol request). Station 1 and the TWT request-side station are under the umbrella of the same multi-link device and operate on the link indicated by the link identifier information field. The station that responds to the setup of the TWT protocol becomes station 2 that sets up the TWT protocol instead of the station that transmits the fourth frame (TWT setup response frame or response to the TWT protocol request). Station 2 and the TWT response-side station are under the umbrella of the same multi-link device and operate on the link indicated by the link identifier information field. Station 1 may be the same as or different from the TWT request-side station. Station 2 may be the same as or different from the TWT response-side station.

[0167] Because the above correspondence exists, after receiving the first frame, the first station may identify the TWT agreement requested to be discarded for the first link based on the link identifier of the first link and the above correspondence. To ensure that the discard frame can discard the specified TWT agreement, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements established based on link identifiers between the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement and the station responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that the discard frame can discard the specified TWT agreement, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement needs to be unique among multiple TWT agreements established based on link identifiers between the MLD requesting to set up the TWT agreement and the MLD responding to the setup request. Therefore, the first station may identify the link for which the TWT agreement is requested to be discarded based on the TWT flow identifier and the link identifier of the first link.

[0168] Therefore, in correspondence relationship (1), the TWT discard rule is as follows: when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier, the MAC address information of the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement, the MAC address information of the station responding to the setup request, and the link identifier in the TWT discard frame can be discarded (when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier field, the MAC address of the TWT requesting STA, the MAC address of the TWT responding STA, and the link ID of the TWT discard frame shall be deleted).

[0169] In correspondence relationship (2), the TWT discard rule is as follows: when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier in the TWT discard frame, the MAC address information of the MLD requesting to set up the TWT agreement, the MAC address information of the MLD responding to the setup request, and the link identifier can be discarded (when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier field, the MAC address of the TWT requesting MLD, the MAC address of the TWT responding MLD, and the link ID of the TWT discard frame shall be deleted).

[0170] In correspondence relationship (3), the TWT discard rule is as follows: when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier, the MAC address information of station 1 that sets up the TWT agreement, and the MAC address information of station 2 that sets up the TWT agreement can be discarded (when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreements corresponding to the TWT flow identifier field, the MAC address 1 of the TWT setup STA, and the MAC address 2 of the TWT setup STA shall be deleted).

[0171] In the above correspondence relationship (2), the MLD MAC address information is used to replace the STA MAC address information, avoiding the TWT agreement being unable to be identified by the above correspondence relationship (1) when the MAC address information of the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement becomes meaningless after the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement disassociates.

[0172] S1102: The first station transmits a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame.

[0173] In response, the second station receives the second frame.

[0174] In other words, the second frame is a response to the first frame, for example an acknowledgement frame Ack.

[0175] S1103: The first station, based on the link identifier of the first link and the correspondence, tears down the TWT agreement for the first link corresponding to the link identifier of the first link.

[0176] Optionally, the value of the unprotected sub-1 GHz action field in the TWT discard frame (see Table 2 below) is appended with a type of MLD TWT discard, e.g., a value selected from the reserved values ​​(12 to 255) indicates MLD TWT discard.

[0177] [Table 2]

[0178] Optionally, the TWT discard frame further includes a link identifier information field, such as a link identifier field including one or more link identifiers or a link identifier bitmap. In implementations, the link identifier information field may be an independent field and is not located in the TWT flow field.

[0179] Optionally, in a special manner, if the link identifier information field does not appear, it indicates that the TWT discard frame is used to discard all TWT agreements corresponding to the TWT flow.

[0180] The process of tearing down a TWT agreement between MLDs may be independent of the above-described process of setting up a TWT agreement between MLDs. In other words, there is no binding relationship between the process of tearing down a TWT agreement and the above-described process of setting up a TWT agreement between MLDs. Regardless of which mode is used to set up the MLDs, the methods described herein may be used in the TWT tearing process.

[0181] In the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the first frame carries an identifier of the first link, and the TWT agreement for the link can be uniquely determined based on the link identifier and the TWT flow identifier of the first link. Any station in the first multilink device and the second multilink device can request to cancel the TWT agreement for the first link, thereby improving the flexibility of the cancellation of the TWT agreement.

[0182] The embodiments of the present application further provide a communication method, wherein each TWT agreement corresponds to one TWT flow identifier, so that the TWT agreement for a link can be uniquely determined based on the TWT flow identifier, thereby improving the accuracy of identifying the TWT agreement.

[0183] 13 is a schematic flow chart of yet another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. The method includes the following steps:

[0184] S1301: An eighth station in a third multilink device transmits a ninth frame, such as a TWT setup frame, to a seventh station in a fourth multilink device.

[0185] In response, the seventh station receives the ninth frame.

[0186] The seventh station may be an AP, and the eighth station may be a non-AP STA. Alternatively, the seventh station may be a non-AP STA, and the eighth station may be an AP. This embodiment will be described using an example in which the third multilink device is a non-AP MLD, the fourth multilink device is an AP MLD, the eighth station is a non-AP STA, and the seventh station is an AP. In this case, the eighth station is located within the third multilink device, and the seventh station is located within the fourth multilink device. Of course, the third multilink device may include more APs, and the fourth multilink device may include more non-AP STAs.

[0187] The ninth frame is used to request the setup of N TWT agreements on M links. M may be equal to N. Specifically, one TWT agreement is set up for each link. Alternatively, M may be less than N, e.g., multiple TWT agreements are set up for the same link.

[0188] The process of setting up a TWT agreement in this embodiment is similar to that in the embodiment shown in Figure 5. The difference is that in this embodiment, each TWT flow identifier corresponds to only one TWT agreement. In other words, one TWT element can only be used to set up one TWT agreement. The ninth frame includes N TWT elements. The format of the TWT elements is the same as that described above. The N TWT elements may be partially or completely different. For example, the target wake times may be different.

[0189] Specifically, different from step S501 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the eighth station transmits a management frame including N TWT elements to the seventh station, indicating that the eighth station requests to set up a TWT agreement corresponding to the N TWT elements.

[0190] The ninth frame may further include a first field. 9 The first and second fields indicate whether a second field is present in the frame. The second field indicates information about the link(s) for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up. For specific formats of the first and second fields, please refer to the embodiment shown in Figure 5.

[0191] S1302: The seventh station transmits a tenth frame to the eighth station in response to the ninth frame.

[0192] In response, the eighth station receives the tenth frame.

[0193] S1303: The seventh station transmits the eleventh frame to the eighth station.

[0194] In response, the eighth station receives the eleventh frame.

[0195] The eleventh frame indicates that one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up have been accepted.

[0196] Step S in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 Unlike 03, the seventh station transmits a management frame including N TWT elements to the eighth station to indicate that the seventh station accepts the setup of a TWT agreement corresponding to the N TWT elements.

[0197] S1304: The eighth station transmits a twelfth frame to the seventh station in response to the eleventh frame. In other words, the twelfth frame is a response to the eleventh frame.

[0198] In response, the seventh station receives the twelfth frame.

[0199] After the above steps are successfully completed, a TWT agreement is successfully set up on one or more links.

[0200] After one or more TWT agreements have been set up, the TWT flow identifier is included in the first parameter set.

[0201] Furthermore, the first parameter set may further include at least one of the following information: a link identifier, MAC address information of the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement (i.e., the MAC address information of the eighth station), MAC address information of the station responding to the setup request (i.e., the MAC address information of the seventh station), MAC address information of the MLD requesting to set up the TWT agreement (i.e., the MAC address information of the third multilink device), MAC address information of the MLD responding to the setup request (i.e., the MAC address information of the fourth multilink device), MAC address information of the station initiating the TWT agreement cancellation, MAC address information of the station responding to the TWT agreement cancellation, and MAC address information of the two stations setting up the TWT agreement. The two stations setting up the TWT agreement are the stations at the two ends of any link where one or more TWT agreements are set up. In other words, the MAC address information of the two stations setting up the TWT agreement is the MAC address information of station 1 setting up the TWT agreement and station 2 setting up the TWT agreement. For example, if a TWT agreement is set up using the ninth and tenth frames on link 1 (link 1 is indicated by the link identifier information field in this case), the station corresponding to the MAC address information of station 1 setting up the TWT agreement is a station operating on link 1 that is affiliated with the MLD that the TWT requester station (the eighth station in the third multilink device) is affiliated with. The station corresponding to the MAC address information of station 2 setting up the TWT agreement is a station operating on link 1 that is affiliated with the MLD that the TWT responder station (the seventh station in the fourth multilink device) is affiliated with. The TWT requester station and the TWT responder station operate on the same link. Otherwise, they cannot directly receive information transmitted by each other.Optionally, Link 1 is not a link on which the eighth station and the seventh station operate. Optionally, Link 1 is a link on which the eighth station and the seventh station operate.

[0202] In this case, the first parameter set may be one of the following. (1) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the station requesting to set up the TWT protocol, MAC address information of the station responding to the setup request, and link identifier> (2) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the MLD requesting to set up the TWT protocol, MAC address information of the MLD responding to the setup request, and link identifier> (3) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the MLD requesting to set up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of the MLD responding to the setup request> (4) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the station starting the TWT protocol discard (MAC address of the TWT discard start side STA), and MAC address information of the station responding to the TWT protocol discard (MAC address of the TWT discard response side STA)>, and (5) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of Station 1 setting up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of Station 2 setting up the TWT protocol>.

[0203] Optionally, correspondence 5 may be understood as <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the fifth station that sets up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of the sixth station that sets up the TWT protocol>. The fifth station and the sixth station are stations on the second link, and the second link is any one of one or more links on which the TWT protocol is set up between the first multi-link device and the second multi-link device. Optionally, correspondence 5 may also be further understood as <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of the station that responds to the setup request>. In this case, the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol becomes station 1 that sets up the TWT protocol instead of the station that transmits the ninth frame (TWT setup request, which may also be called a TWT setup frame, a TWT request frame, or a TWT protocol request). Station 1 and the TWT request-side station are under the umbrella of the same multi-link device and operate on the link indicated by the link identifier information field. The station that responds to the setup of the TWT protocol becomes station 2 that sets up the TWT protocol instead of the station that transmits the tenth frame (TWT setup response frame or response to the TWT protocol request). Station 2 and the TWT response-side station are under the umbrella of the same multi-link device and operate on the link indicated by the link identifier information field. Station 1 may be the same as or different from the TWT request-side station. Station 2 may be the same as or different from the TWT response-side station.

[0204] For (3) and (4), the principle that the TWT flow identifier for each TWT agreement must be unique in the TWT requesting MLD and the TWT responding MLD is required. This principle is also applicable to (1) and (2). Furthermore, an alternative principle that is applicable to (1) and (2) is as follows: to ensure that a discard frame can discard a specified TWT agreement, the TWT flow identifier must be unique across multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers set up between the station requesting to set up a TWT agreement and the station responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a discard frame can discard a specified TWT agreement, the TWT flow identifier for each TWT agreement must be unique across multiple TWT agreements set up based on link identifiers set up between the MLD requesting to set up a TWT agreement and the MLD responding to the setup request.

[0205] According to the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the TWT agreement for a link can be uniquely determined based on the TWT flow identifier, thereby improving the accuracy of identifying the TWT agreement.

[0206] After the TWT agreement on one or more links is set up, if the TWT agreement for a link needs to be torn down, the TWT agreement for the link can be requested to be torn down. An embodiment of the present application further provides a communication method. A frame requesting the torn down of the TWT agreement for a first link carries a TWT flow identifier, and the TWT agreement for a link can be uniquely determined based on the TWT flow identifier. Any station in the third multilink device and the fourth multilink device can request the torn down of the TWT agreement for the first link, thereby improving the flexibility of the torn down of the TWT agreement.

[0207] 14 is a schematic flow chart of yet another communication method according to an embodiment of the present application. The method includes the following steps:

[0208] S1401: A sixth station in a fourth multilink device transmits a seventh frame to a fifth station in a third multilink device.

[0209] In response, the fifth station receives the seventh frame.

[0210] In the above embodiment, a TWT agreement has been set up for a first link or more links between a third multilink device and a fourth multilink device. In this embodiment, the TWT agreement for the first link needs to be torn down. The sixth station transmits a seventh frame to the fifth station. The seventh frame is used to request that the TWT agreement for the first link be torn down. The first link is any one of the one or more links for which a TWT agreement has been set up between the third multilink device and the fourth multilink device.

[0211] Alternatively, the fifth station may be an AP or a non-AP STA, and the sixth station may be a non-AP STA or an AP. The fifth station may be the same as the eighth station requesting to set up the TWT agreement in the above embodiment, or a different station from the eighth station, or the same as the seventh station in the above embodiment, or a different station from the seventh station. The sixth station may be the same as the eighth station requesting to set up the TWT agreement in the above embodiment, or a different station from the eighth station, or the same as the seventh station in the above embodiment, or a different station from the seventh station.

[0212] See Figure 6 further. Assume that the third multilink device is a non-AP MLD and the fourth multilink device is an AP MLD. A TWT agreement on Link 1 to Link 3 has been set up for Link 1, and the TWT agreement for Link 3 needs to be torn down. The fifth station can be any station among non-AP STA1 to non-AP STA3. Assume that the fifth station in this specification is non-AP STA2. The sixth station can be any station among AP1 to AP3. Assume that the sixth station in this specification is AP2.

[0213] In this embodiment, the seventh frame includes a TWT flow identifier of a TWT agreement, and each TWT agreement corresponds to a TWT flow identifier.

[0214] After the TWT agreement is set up, the TWT agreement for the link can be identified based on the TWT flow identifier, which is included in the first parameter set.

[0215] Furthermore, the first parameter set may further include at least one of the following information: a link identifier, MAC address information of the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol (i.e., MAC address information of the eighth station), MAC address information of the station that responds to the setup request (i.e., MAC address information of the seventh station), MAC address information of the MLD that requests to set up the TWT protocol (i.e., MAC address information of the third multi-link device), MAC address information of the MLD that responds to the setup request (i.e., MAC address information of the fourth multi-link device), MAC address information of the station that starts TWT protocol abandonment (i.e., MAC address information of the sixth station), MAC address information of the station that responds to the TWT protocol abandonment (i.e., MAC address information of the fifth station), MAC address information of station 1 that sets up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of station 2 that sets up the TWT protocol. In this case, the first parameter set may be one of the following. (1) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol, MAC address information of the station that responds to the setup request, and link identifier> (2) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the MLD that requests to set up the TWT protocol, MAC address information of the MLD that responds to the setup request, and link identifier> (3) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the MLD that requests to set up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of the MLD that responds to the setup request> (4) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the station that starts TWT protocol abandonment, and MAC address information of the station that responds to the TWT protocol abandonment>, and (5) <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of station 1 that sets up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of station 2 that sets up the TWT protocol>.

[0216] Optionally, the correspondence 5 may be understood as <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the fifth station that sets up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of the sixth station that sets up the TWT protocol>. The fifth station and the sixth station are stations on the second link, and the second link is any one of one or more links on which the TWT protocol is set up between the first multi-link device and the second multi-link device. Optionally, the correspondence 5 may also be further understood as <TWT flow identifier, MAC address information of the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol, and MAC address information of the station that responds to the setup request>. In this case, the station that requests to set up the TWT protocol is no longer the station that transmits the ninth frame (TWT setup request, which may also be called a TWT setup frame, a TWT request frame, or a TWT protocol request), but becomes the station 1 that sets up the TWT protocol. The station 1 and the TWT request-side station are under the umbrella of the same multi-link device and operate on the link indicated by the link identifier information field. The station that responds to the setup of the TWT protocol is no longer the station that transmits the tenth frame (TWT setup response frame or response to the TWT protocol request), but becomes the station 2 that sets up the TWT protocol. The station 2 and the TWT response-side station are under the umbrella of the same multi-link device and operate on the link indicated by the link identifier information field. The station 1 may be the same as or different from the TWT request-side station. The station 2 may be the same as or different from the TWT response-side station.

[0217] Because the above correspondence exists, after receiving the seventh frame, the fifth station can identify the TWT agreement requested to be discarded for the first link based on the TWT flow identifier and other information in the first parameter set. To ensure that a discard frame can discard the specified TWT agreement, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements established based on link identifiers between the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement and the station responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a discard frame can discard the specified TWT agreement, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements established based on link identifiers between the MLD requesting to set up the TWT agreement and the MLD responding to the setup request. Alternatively, to ensure that a discard frame can discard the specified TWT agreement, the TWT flow identifier in each TWT agreement must be unique among multiple TWT agreements established between the station initiating the TWT agreement discard and the station responding to the TWT agreement discard. Thus, the fifth station may identify the link over which the TWT agreement is requested to be broken based on the TWT flow identifier (and the link identifier of the first link).

[0218] Therefore, in the first parameter set (1), the TWT discard rule is as follows: when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier, the MAC address information of the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement, the MAC address information of the station responding to the setup request, and the link identifier in the TWT discard frame can be discarded (when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier field, the MAC address information of the TWT requesting STA, the MAC address information of the TWT responding STA, and the link ID of the TWT discard frame shall be deleted).

[0219] In the first parameter set (2), the TWT discard rule is as follows: when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier in the TWT discard frame, the MAC address information of the MLD requesting to set up the TWT agreement, the MAC address information of the MLD responding to the setup request, and the link identifier can be discarded (when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier field, the MAC address of the TWT requesting MLD, the MAC address of the TWT responding MLD, and the link ID of the TWT discard frame shall be deleted).

[0220] In the first parameter set (3), the TWT discard rule is as follows: when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier, the MAC address information of the MLD requesting to set up the TWT agreement, the MAC address information of the MLD responding to the setup request, and the link identifier in the TWT discard frame can be discarded (when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier field, the MAC address of the TWT requesting MLD, and the MAC address of the TWT responding MLD shall be deleted).

[0221] In the first parameter set (4), the TWT discard rule is as follows: when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier, the MAC address information of the station initiating the TWT agreement discard, and the MAC address information of the station responding to the TWT agreement discard can be discarded (when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier field, the MAC address of the TWT discard initiator STA, and the MAC address of the TWT discard responder STA shall be deleted).

[0222] In the first parameter set (5), the TWT discard rule is as follows: when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier, the MAC address information of station 1 that sets up the TWT agreement, and the MAC address information of station 2 that sets up the TWT agreement can be discarded (when a TWT discard frame is successfully transmitted or received, the TWT agreements corresponding to the TWT flow identifier field, the MAC address 1 of the TWT setup STA, and the MAC address 2 of the TWT setup STA shall be deleted).

[0223] In the above first parameter set (2) or (3), the MLD MAC address information is used to replace the STA MAC address information, to avoid the TWT agreement being unable to be identified by the above first parameter set (1) when the MAC address information of the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement becomes meaningless after the station requesting to set up the TWT agreement disassociates.

[0224] S1402: The fifth station transmits an eighth frame to the sixth station in response to the seventh frame.

[0225] In response, the sixth station receives the eighth frame.

[0226] In other words, the eighth frame is a response to the seventh frame and indicates that the seventh frame was successfully received.

[0227] The following steps may also be included:

[0228] S1403: The fifth station, based on the TWT flow identifier, cancels the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier.

[0229] Optionally, a type of MLD TWT discard is added to the value of the unprotected sub-1 GHz action field in the TWT discard frame (shown in Table 2 above), e.g., a value selected from the reserved values ​​indicates MLD TWT discard.

[0230] Optionally, the TWT discard frame further includes a link identifier information field, such as a link identifier field including one or more link identifiers or a link identifier bitmap. In implementations, the link identifier information field may be an independent field and is not located in the TWT flow field.

[0231] The process of tearing down a TWT agreement between MLDs may be independent from the above-mentioned process of setting up a TWT agreement between MLDs. In other words, there is no binding relationship between the process of tearing down a TWT agreement and the above-mentioned process of setting up a TWT agreement between MLDs. Regardless of which mode is used to set up an MLD, the method described in this application can be used in the TWT teardown process. According to the communication method provided in the embodiment of this application, a frame requesting the tearing down of a TWT agreement for a first link carries a TWT flow identifier, and the TWT agreement for one link can be uniquely determined based on the TWT flow identifier. Any station in the third multilink device and the fourth multilink device can request the tearing down of the TWT agreement for the first link, which can improve the flexibility of tearing down the TWT agreement.

[0232] The above describes the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. In the following, a communication device for implementing the above method is provided. It can be understood that to implement the method, the communication device includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for implementing the method. Those skilled in the art can recognize that the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0233] The communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application may be divided into functional modules based on the above method. For example, the communication device may correspond to a functional module of each step of the method, or two or more steps may be integrated into one functional module. The above functional modules may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware. It should be noted that the division into functional modules in the embodiments of the present application is an example and merely represents a logical division of functions. In actual implementation, other division styles may be used. The following description will be given using an example in which each step corresponds to one functional module.

[0234] 15 is a schematic diagram of a possible structure of a communication device 1500. The communication device 1500 includes a transceiver unit 151 and a processing unit 152.

[0235] In an embodiment, the communication device may be a first station in the first multilink device in the above embodiment. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to receive a first frame from a second station in a second multilink device, where the first frame is used to request the termination of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for the first link, the first frame including a link identifier of the first link, and the first link being any link among one or more links over which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to transmit a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame.

[0236] Further, the processing unit 152 is configured to, based on the link identifier of the first link and the correspondence, revoke the TWT agreement for the first link corresponding to the link identifier of the first link.

[0237] In another embodiment, the communication device may be a second station in the second multilink device in the above embodiment. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to transmit a first frame to a first station in the first multilink device, where the first frame is used to request the abandonment of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for the first link, and the first frame includes a link identifier of the first link, where the first link is any link among one or more links over which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a second frame from the first station, where the second frame is a response to the first frame.

[0238] In yet another embodiment, the communication device may be a third station in the second multilink device in the above embodiment. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to receive a third frame from a fourth station, where the third frame is used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between the first multilink device and the second multilink device, and the third frame includes a first field, where the first field indicates whether a second field is present in the third frame, and the second field indicates information about the link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established, where the one or more TWT agreements correspond to one TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to transmit a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to transmit a fifth frame to the fourth station, where the fifth frame is used to confirm that one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up have been accepted. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a sixth frame from the fourth station, where the sixth frame is a response to the fifth frame.

[0239] In yet another embodiment, the communication device may be a fourth station in the first multilink device in the above embodiment. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to transmit a third frame to the third station, where the third frame is used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between the first multilink device and the second multilink device, the third frame including a first field indicating whether a second field is present in the third frame, the second field indicating information about the link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established, the one or more TWT agreements corresponding to one TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a fourth frame from the third station, where the fourth frame is a response to the third frame. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a fifth frame from the fourth station, where the fifth frame is used to confirm that one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up have been accepted, and to transmit a sixth frame to the third station in response to the fifth frame.

[0240] In yet another embodiment, the communication device may be a first station in a first multilink device. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to receive a first frame from a second station in a second multilink device, where the first frame is used to request the abandonment of a target wake time agreement (TWT) agreement for the first link, the first frame including a flow identifier of the TWT agreement, and the TWT agreement corresponds to the TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to transmit a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame.

[0241] Furthermore, the processing unit 152 is configured to revoke the TWT agreement corresponding to the TWT flow identifier based on the TWT flow identifier.

[0242] In a further embodiment, the communication device may be a second station in a second multilink device. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to transmit a first frame to a first station in a first multilink device, where the first frame is used to request the abandonment of a target wake time agreement (TWT) agreement for the first link, the first frame including a flow identifier of the TWT agreement, and the TWT agreement corresponds to the TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a second frame from the first station, where the second frame is a response to the first frame.

[0243] In a further embodiment, the communication device may be a third station in a second multilink device. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to receive a third frame from a fourth station, where the third frame is used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements) on one or more links, each TWT agreement corresponding to one TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to transmit a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to transmit a fifth frame to the fourth station, where the fifth frame is used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be established have been accepted. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a sixth frame from the fourth station, where the sixth frame is a response to the fifth frame.

[0244] In a further embodiment, the communication device may be a fourth station in the first multilink device. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to transmit a third frame to the third station, where the third frame is used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements) on one or more links, each TWT agreement corresponding to one TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a fourth frame from the third station, where the fourth frame is a response to the third frame. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a fifth frame from the third station, where the fifth frame is used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be established have been accepted. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to transmit a sixth frame to the fourth station in response to the fifth frame.

[0245] In a further embodiment, the communication device may be a first station in a first multilink device. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to receive a first frame from a second station in a second multilink device, where the first frame is used to request the abandonment of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for the first link, the first link being any link among one or more links over which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to transmit a second frame to the second station in response to the first frame.

[0246] Further, the processing unit 152 is configured to revoke the TWT agreement corresponding to the link identifier information of the first link based on the first correspondence.

[0247] Further, the processing unit 152 is configured to revoke the TWT agreement corresponding to the MAC address information of the multi-link device based on the second correspondence relationship.

[0248] In yet another embodiment, the communication device may be a second station in the second multilink device in the above embodiment. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to transmit a first frame to a first station in the first multilink device, where the first frame is used to request the abandonment of a target wake time agreement (TWT) for the first link, and the first link is any link among one or more links between which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a second frame from the first station, where the second frame is a response to the first frame.

[0249] In another embodiment, the communication device may be a third station in a second multilink device. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to receive a third frame from a fourth station, where the third frame is used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between the first multilink device and the second multilink device, and the third frame includes a first field, where the first field indicates whether a second field is present in the third frame, and the second field indicates link identifier information of the link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to transmit a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to transmit a fifth frame to the fourth station, where the fifth frame is used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be established have been accepted. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a sixth frame from the fourth station, where the sixth frame is a response to the fifth frame.

[0250] In another embodiment, the communication device may be a fourth station in the first multilink device. The transceiver unit 151 is configured to transmit a third frame to the third station, where the third frame is used to request the establishment of one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between the first multilink device and the second multilink device. The third frame includes a first field, where the first field indicates whether a second field is present in the third frame, and the second field indicates link identifier information of the link for which one or more TWT agreements are requested to be established, where the one or more TWT agreements correspond to one TWT flow identifier. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a fourth frame from the third station, where the fourth frame is a response to the third frame. The transceiver unit 151 is further configured to receive a fifth frame from the third station, where the fifth frame is used to confirm that one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up have been accepted, and to transmit a sixth frame to the third station in response to the fifth frame.

[0251] For functions that can be implemented by the communication device 1500, please refer to any one of the specific implementations in the method embodiments of the present application, which are not limited in the present application and will not be described in detail again in this specification.

[0252] 16 is a diagram of a possible product form of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 16 is a specific form of the communication device shown in FIG.

[0253] In a possible product form, the communication device may be an information transmission device / board. The communication device includes a processor and a transceiver. Optionally, the communication device may further include a memory. The processor is configured to perform the method steps performed by the processing unit 152 of FIG. 15. The transceiver is configured to perform the method steps performed by the transceiver unit 151 of FIG. 15.

[0254] In another possible product form, the communication device may be a chip. The communication device includes a processing circuit and a communication interface. Optionally, the communication device may further include a storage medium. The processing circuit is configured to perform the method steps performed by the processing unit 152 of FIG. 15. The communication interface is configured to perform the method steps performed by the transceiver unit 151 of FIG. 15.

[0255] In another possible product form of the above embodiments, the communications device may alternatively be implemented using one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), controllers, state machines, logic gates, discrete hardware components, any other suitable circuitry, or any combination of circuitry capable of performing the various functions described herein.

[0256] A processor may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a transistor logic device, a hardware component, or any combination thereof. A processor may implement or execute the exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described with reference to the subject matter disclosed herein. Alternatively, a processor may be a combination of processors that implement computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, or a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor. A bus may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses may be categorized into address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, a bus is represented by a single bold line in Figure 14 or Figure 15, but this does not imply that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0257] Those skilled in the art may understand that all or part of the steps of the method embodiments may be implemented by hardware associated with program instructions. The program instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program instructions are executed, the steps of the method embodiments are performed. The above-mentioned storage medium includes any medium that can store program code, such as a USB flash drive, a removable hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0258] Meanwhile, an embodiment of the present application further provides a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed, a device (which may be a single-chip microcomputer, a chip, a controller, or the like) or a processor performs the functions provided in the present application. communicationIt becomes possible to carry out the steps of the method.

[0259] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. At least one processor of the device can read the computer-executable instructions from the computer-readable storage medium. When the at least one processor executes the computer-executable instructions, the device performs the functions provided in the present application. communication Execute the steps of the method.

[0260] For convenience and simplicity of description, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the detailed operation processes of the above systems, devices and units can be referred to the corresponding processes in the above method embodiments, and the details will not be described again in this specification.

[0261] In some embodiments provided herein, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods may be implemented in other ways. For example, division into units may merely be a logical division of functions, and may be a different division in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not implemented. Mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections shown or described may be implemented through some interfaces. Indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be implemented in electronic, mechanical, or other forms.

[0262] The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and the parts shown as units may or may not be physical units, in other words, located in one location or distributed over multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected based on actual requirements to achieve the objectives of the solutions of the embodiments.

[0263] All or part of the above embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When software is used to implement an embodiment, all or part of the embodiment may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded into a computer and executed, the procedures or functions according to the embodiments of the present application are generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or another programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored on or transmitted using a computer-readable storage medium. The computer instructions may be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired method (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) or a wireless method (e.g., infrared, radio, or microwave). The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer, or a data storage device, such as a server or data center, that integrates one or more available media. The usable medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), or a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or magnetic disk, or an optical medium, such as a digital versatile disc (DVD), or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid state disk (SSD).

Claims

1. A communication method applied to a third station, the method comprising: receiving a third frame from a fourth station, the third frame being used to request setting up one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between a first multilink device and a second multilink device, the third frame including a first field indicating whether a second field is present in the third frame, the second field indicating link identifier information of a link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up; transmitting a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame; transmitting a fifth frame to the fourth station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up have been accepted; receiving a sixth frame from the fourth station, the sixth frame being a response to the fifth frame; A communication method comprising:

2. The first field is located in a control field in a TWT element, and when the first field indicates that the second field is present in the third frame, the third frame is the second field is located in a TWT parameter information field of the TWT element; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second field is a bitmap or the second field includes a link identifier of the link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein a first correspondence exists between a TWT agreement for a first link and link identifier information of the first link, and the first link is any link among one or more links for which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device.

5. The first correspondence relationship is the following combination information: a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, medium access control MAC address information of the third station requesting to set up the TWT agreement, MAC address information of the fourth station responding to the setup request, and a link identifier of the first link; or a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, MAC address information of the first multilink device, MAC address information of the second multilink device, and a link identifier of the first link; Including, The method of claim 4 , wherein the TWT flow identifier identifies one or more TWT agreements set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a second correspondence exists between a TWT agreement for a first link and MAC address information of a multi-link device, the multi-link device including the first multi-link device and / or the second multi-link device, and the first link is any link among one or more links for which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multi-link device and the second multi-link device.

7. The second correspondence relationship is the following combination information: a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, medium access control MAC address information of the first multilink device, and MAC address information of the second multilink device; or a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, MAC address information of a second station, and MAC address information of a first station; Including, The method of claim 6 , wherein the TWT flow identifier identifies a TWT agreement set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device.

8. a third station, the third station comprising: a transceiver unit configured to receive a third frame from a fourth station, the third frame being used to request setting up one or more target wake time agreements (TWT agreements), each TWT agreement corresponding to one link between a first multilink device and a second multilink device; the third frame including a first field indicating whether a second field is present in the third frame, the second field indicating link identifier information of a link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up; the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a fourth frame to the fourth station in response to the third frame; the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a fifth frame to the fourth station, the fifth frame being used to confirm that the one or more TWT agreements requested to be set up have been accepted; A third station, wherein the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a sixth frame from the fourth station, the sixth frame being a response to the fifth frame.

9. The first field is located in a control field in a TWT element, and when the first field indicates that the second field is present in the third frame, the third frame is the second field is located in a TWT parameter information field of the TWT element; The third station of claim 8 further comprising:

10. 9. The third station of claim 8, wherein the second field is a bitmap, or the second field includes a link identifier of the link for which the one or more TWT agreements are requested to be set up.

11. 9. The third station of claim 8, wherein a first correspondence exists between a TWT agreement for a first link and link identifier information of the first link, and the first link is any link among one or more links for which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device.

12. The first correspondence relationship is the following combination information: a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, medium access control MAC address information of the third station requesting to set up the TWT agreement, MAC address information of the fourth station responding to the setup request, and a link identifier of the first link; or a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, MAC address information of the first multilink device, MAC address information of the second multilink device, and a link identifier of the first link; Including, 12. The third station of claim 11, wherein the TWT flow identifier identifies one or more TWT agreements set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device.

13. A third station as described in claim 8, wherein a second correspondence exists between a TWT agreement for a first link and MAC address information of a multi-link device, the multi-link device including the first multi-link device and / or the second multi-link device, and the first link is any link among one or more links for which a TWT agreement is set up between the first multi-link device and the second multi-link device.

14. The second correspondence relationship is the following combination information: a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, medium access control MAC address information of the first multilink device, and MAC address information of the second multilink device; or a TWT flow identifier of the TWT agreement, MAC address information of a second station, and MAC address information of a first station; Including, 14. The third station of claim 13, wherein the TWT flow identifier identifies a TWT agreement set up between the first multilink device and the second multilink device.

15. A communication device, comprising a unit adapted to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

16. A communications device comprising a processor, coupled to a memory, the processor configured to read instructions in the memory and to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 7 based on the instructions.

17. 8. A computer readable storage medium adapted to store a computer program, the computer program being adapted to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 7 when run on a computer.

18. A computer program which, when run on a computer, performs the method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

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