Wireless communication system, wireless communication method, and wireless communication device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, a wireless communication method, and a wireless communication device. The wireless communication system comprises a control engine and an MLD that has a plurality of APs and that uses a plurality of links to perform multi-link transmission. The wireless communication system includes the following functions. The control engine acquires MLD information that is information related to MLD control (function 1). The control engine compares the delay time requirement of each AP to set a delay condition (function 2). For all link combinations, the control engine determines whether the link combination can be put to sleep by comparing the delay condition and the total delay time (function 4). The control engine selects a link combination to put to sleep on the basis of the determination results (function 5). The control engine transmits sleep-related information that is information relating to the selected link combination to the MLD (function 6). The APs perform wireless communication on the basis of the sleep-related information (function 7).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, a wireless communication method, and a wireless communication device. [Background technology]

[0002] The wireless LAN communication standard IEEE 802.11be is equipped with a multi-link transmission function that allows multiple frequency bands to be used simultaneously. Multi-link transmission allows different data to be transmitted simultaneously over multiple frequency bands, thereby achieving higher speeds. In addition, each link used in multi-link transmission implements CSMA / CA. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] IEEE 802.11be standardization document, IEEE 802.11-20 / 1935r64, “Compendium of straw polls and potential changes to the Specification Framework Document”, “6 Multi-link operation” (https: / / mentor.ieee.org / 802.11 / dcn / 20 / 11-20-1935-64-00be-compendium-of-straw-polls-and-potential-changes-to-the-specification-framework-document-part-2.docx) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when CSMA / CA is implemented over multiple links, power consumption increases because carrier sensing and other operations must be performed constantly. In particular, when the amount of data being transmitted is small, constantly implementing CSMA / CA over multiple links not only increases power consumption but also reduces transmission efficiency. As described above, multi-link transmission has had issues with power consumption and transmission efficiency.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a wireless communication system, a wireless communication method, and a wireless communication device that can reduce power consumption and improve transmission efficiency by putting some links in some APs (access points) to sleep for a certain period of time through network control when there is little data or when data quality requirements are met. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a wireless communication system that includes a control engine and an MLD that has multiple APs and performs multi-link transmission using multiple links, wherein the control engine preferably has a function of acquiring MLD information, which is information related to the control of the MLD, a function of comparing the delay time requirements of each AP and determining delay conditions, a function of predicting the total delay time for all combinations of links to be put to sleep, a function of comparing the delay conditions with the total delay time for all combinations and determining whether or not the combination of links is capable of being put to sleep, a function of selecting a combination of links to be put to sleep based on the result of the determination, and a function of transmitting sleep-related information, which is information related to the selected combination of links, to the MLD, and the APs preferably have a function of performing wireless communication based on the sleep-related information.

[0007] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a wireless communication method performed by a wireless communication system having a control engine and an MLD that has multiple APs and performs multi-link transmission using multiple links, and the wireless communication method preferably includes the steps of: the control engine acquiring MLD information, which is information related to the control of the MLD; comparing the delay time requirements of each AP to determine delay conditions; predicting the total delay time for all combinations of links to be put to sleep; comparing the delay conditions and the total delay time for all combinations to determine whether or not the combination of links is capable of being put to sleep; selecting a combination of links to be put to sleep based on the determination results; transmitting sleep-related information, which is information related to the selected combination of links, to the MLD; and the AP performing wireless communication based on the sleep-related information.

[0008] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a wireless communication device that has multiple APs and is connected to an MLD that performs multi-link transmission using multiple links, and that is preferably equipped with a function to acquire MLD information, which is information related to the control of the MLD, a function to compare the delay time requirements of each AP and determine delay conditions, a function to predict the total delay time for all combinations of links to be put to sleep, a function to compare the delay conditions with the total delay time for all combinations and determine whether or not the combinations of links are capable of being put to sleep, and a function to select the combination of links to be put to sleep based on the results of the determination. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the first, second, and third aspects of the present disclosure, when there is little data or when data quality requirements are met, some links in some APs (Access Points) are put to sleep for a certain period of time by network control, thereby achieving reduction in power consumption and improvement in transmission efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates conventional multi-link transmission. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating multi-link transmission according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing a process in which a control engine determines a delay condition according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a process in which a control engine predicts a total delay time during link sleep according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which a control engine determines a link to put to sleep according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control engine according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a diagram showing conventional multi-link transmission. Multi-link 200 includes MLDs (Multi Link Devices) 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d. MLDs 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d each have a MAC (Multi Access Controller). MAC is a controller that controls communications and transmits information transmitted from a higher level to an AP. The AP converts the transmitted information into packets and transmits them to a receiving device via a link.

[0012] When transmitting information over the multi-link 200, different data is transmitted bidirectionally over multiple links. In other words, if each link uses a different frequency band, different data can be transmitted simultaneously over multiple frequency bands. This allows for faster transmission speeds.

[0013] However, conventional multi-link transmission has problems in terms of power consumption and transmission efficiency. Each of the multiple links used in multi-link transmission implements CSMA / CA. Implementing CSMA / CA on multiple links requires constant carrier sensing, etc., which increases power consumption. In particular, when the amount of transmission data is small, constantly implementing CSMA / CA on multiple links not only increases power consumption but also reduces transmission efficiency. The present disclosure solves the above problems.

[0014] 2 is a diagram illustrating multi-link transmission according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In the multi-link transmission according to the present embodiment, when there is little data or when the data quality requirements are satisfied, some links in some APs are put to sleep for a certain period of time under network control.

[0015] The multilink 100 according to the first embodiment includes MLDs 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d. The MLDs 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d are connected to a control engine 50. The control engine collects MLD information 52, which is information related to the control of the MLDs, from the MLDs 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d. Examples of the MLD information 52 include accommodated traffic information and per-link environment information.

[0016] The control engine 50 determines the link to be used by performing a predetermined process based on the MLD information 52. The details of the predetermined process will be described later. The control engine 50 then transmits sleep-related information 54, which is information about the link to be used, to the MLDs 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d. The MLDs 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d then perform multi-link transmission based on the sleep-related information 54.

[0017] 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process in which the control engine determines a delay condition according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The delay time is determined based on the delay time requirement unique to each AP.

[0018] First, in step 100, the control engine checks the delay time requirements. The multilink transmission to be controlled has a plurality of MLDs each having a plurality of APs. In step 100, the control engine checks the delay time requirements for all the APs accommodated.

[0019] Next, in step 102, the control engine determines the delay condition. Here, the most stringent delay time requirement among all APs is selected as the delay condition. This determines the delay condition for the target multi-link transmission.

[0020] 4 is a flow diagram showing a process in which the control engine predicts the total delay time when a link is put to sleep, according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. First, in step 104, the control engine predicts the total delay time d that will occur when a specific link is put to sleep. n Here, the total delay time d n , the transmission time T n and the queueing time Q n The transmission time T n is the channel usage time of the local station, and is determined by the MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme), etc. n is the waiting time due to the use of the channel by other stations, and is determined based on the degree of interference, etc.

[0021] This prediction is performed for all combinations of all links in the target multi-link. n As an example of how to predict the transmission time T n Let,be the transmission time T,of the non-sleeping link. n There is a way to add on to this.

[0022] 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a process in which the control engine determines which links to sleep according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. nIt is checked whether the delay condition is satisfied. This check is performed for one of the combinations of all links in the target multilink. If the condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step 108. If the condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step 110.

[0023] In step 108, the checked link combination is determined to be a combination that allows sleep and is stored, after which the process returns to step 106 to check the next link combination.

[0024] In step 110, the checked link combination is determined to be a combination that does not allow sleep and is stored, after which the process returns to step 106 to check the next link combination.

[0025] The checks in steps 106, 108, and 110 are carried out for all combinations of all links in the target multilink. When the checks are complete, the process proceeds to step 112.

[0026] In step 112, the link combination with the largest number of links is selected from among the link combinations that have been determined to be sleep-enabled combinations, and it is then determined that the link combination is to be put to sleep.

[0027] When there are multiple candidate link combinations, there are three methods for selecting the best one. n For example, the total delay time d n By selecting the combination of links with the shortest total delay time, the best multi-link transmission can be achieved. Note that depending on other requirements, the total delay time d n It is also possible to select a combination of links that results in an arbitrary ranking of lengths.

[0028] The second method is to select based on transmission efficiency. For example, by selecting the combination of links with the best transmission efficiency, it is possible to achieve the best multi-link transmission in terms of transmission efficiency. However, depending on other requirements, it is also possible to select a combination of links with any order of transmission efficiency.

[0029] The third method is to select based on the number of links used. For example, by selecting a link combination that uses the fewest links, the most terminals can be put to sleep, resulting in the most efficient multi-link transmission in terms of power consumption. Depending on other requirements, it is also possible to select a link combination that ranks the number of links used in any order.

[0030] Hereinafter, a specific example of the process of determining which links to put to sleep in this embodiment will be described. Here, we consider a multi-link transmission in which two APs each have three links. The total delay time d n shall be as shown in Table 1.

[0031] [Table 1]

[0032] First, the delay condition is determined. Here, it is assumed that the determined delay condition is 10 ms or less.

[0033] Next, we predict the total delay time during link sleep. Here, we predict the total delay time for all combinations of links.

[0034] First, let's consider putting AP1's link to sleep. There are six possible combinations of links that can be put to sleep. For all of these combinations, the total delay time when putting them to sleep is as shown in Table 2. Since the delay condition is 10 ms or less, the links that can be put to sleep are "link 1 only" or "link 2 only." In other words, combinations of multiple links cannot be put to sleep.

[0035] [Table 2]

[0036] Similarly, consider putting the AP2 link to sleep. There are six possible combinations of links to sleep. For all of these combinations, the total delay time when putting them to sleep is as shown in Table 3. Since the delay condition is 10 ms or less, the links that can be put to sleep are "Link 1 only," "Link 2 only," or "Link 3 only." In other words, combinations of multiple links cannot be put to sleep.

[0037] [Table 3]

[0038] Similarly, consider putting the links of AP1 and AP2 to sleep. Because there are many possible link combinations, Table 4 shows only the total delay time when putting two link combinations to sleep. Since the delay condition is 10 ms or less, the links that can be put to sleep are "AP1 Link 1 & AP2 Link 2," "AP1 Link 1 & AP2 Link 3," or "AP1 Link 2 & AP2 Link 3."

[0039] [Table 4]

[0040] Using the same procedure, the total delay time is predicted for all combinations of all links. Furthermore, the predicted total delay time is compared with the delay conditions to determine whether the combination of links is capable of sleep. In this embodiment, the three combinations of links that are capable of sleep, namely, "AP1 Link 1 & AP2 Link 2," "AP1 Link 1 & AP2 Link 3," and "AP1 Link 2 & AP2 Link 3," are determined to be capable of sleep. Therefore, a combination of links to be used is selected from these three combinations, and multi-link transmission is performed.

[0041] In the conventional example, multi-link transmission is performed using all links and traffic flows. That is, multi-link transmission is performed using two APs, each with three links. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as described above, multi-link transmission is performed by putting two links to sleep. This makes it possible to perform multi-link transmission with fewer transmitting and receiving circuits than in the conventional example. As a result, it is possible to achieve reduced power consumption and improved transmission efficiency.

[0042] 6 is a functional block diagram of a control engine according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The control engine 50 includes a controlled AP information collection function 56. The controlled AP information collection function 56 transmits MLD information 52 transmitted from each MLD to a controlled AP related various determination function 58.

[0043] The control target AP related various determination function 58 determines the links to be put to sleep by performing the predetermined processing described above. Then, information on the links to be put to sleep is transmitted to the control target AP various setting implementation function 60. The control target AP various setting implementation function 60 transmits information on the links to be put to sleep to the control target AP communication function 62.

[0044] The communication function 62 for communicating with the AP to be controlled transmits the sleep-related information 54 to the MLD having the AP to be controlled. The MLD that receives the sleep-related information 54 performs multi-link transmission based on this information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 50 Control Engine 52 MLD Information 54 Sleep-related information 100 Multilink 200 Multilink

Claims

1. A wireless communication system including a control engine and an MLD having a plurality of APs and performing multi-link transmission using a plurality of links, The control engine: A function of acquiring MLD information, which is information related to the control of the MLD; A function of comparing the delay time requirements of each of the APs and determining delay conditions; A function to predict the total delay time for all combinations of links to be put to sleep; a function of comparing the delay conditions with the total delay time for all of the combinations and determining whether or not the combinations are sleep-enabled; a function of selecting a combination of links to be put to sleep based on the result of the determination; A function of transmitting sleep-related information, which is information about the combination of selected links, to the MLD. The AP performs wireless communication based on the sleep-related information. A wireless communication system comprising:

2. The delay condition is determined to be the most stringent of the delay time requirements.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 1.

3. The total delay time is determined from the transmission time, which is the time the channel is used by the own station, and the queuing time, which is the waiting time due to the use of the channel by other stations.

3. The wireless communication system according to claim 1.

4. The total delay time is estimated by adding the transmission time of the sleeping link to the transmission time of the non-sleeping link.

4. The wireless communication system according to claim 3.

5. The selection is Based on at least one of the total delay time, transmission efficiency, or number of links used 10. The wireless communication system of claim 1.

6. A wireless communication method performed by a wireless communication system having a control engine and a plurality of APs and an MLD that performs multi-link transmission using a plurality of links, comprising: The control engine: acquiring MLD information, which is information relating to control of the MLD; comparing the delay time requirements of each of the APs to determine a delay condition; predicting a total delay time for all combinations of links to be put to sleep; a step of comparing the delay conditions with the total delay time for all the combinations and determining whether or not the combinations are sleep-enabled links; selecting a combination of links to be put to sleep based on the result of the determination; transmitting sleep-related information, which is information about the selected link combination, to the MLD; The AP performs wireless communication based on the sleep-related information. A wireless communication method comprising:

7. A wireless communication device connected to an MLD that has a plurality of APs and performs multi-link transmission using a plurality of links, A function of acquiring MLD information, which is information related to the control of the MLD; A function of comparing the delay time requirements of each of the APs and determining delay conditions; A function to predict the total delay time for all combinations of links to be put to sleep; a function of comparing the delay conditions with the total delay time for all of the combinations and determining whether or not the combinations are sleep-enabled; a function of selecting a combination of links to be put to sleep based on the result of the determination; A function of transmitting sleep-related information, which is information about the combination of selected links, to the MLD. A wireless communication device comprising:

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