Device identification and discovery

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus, a method, a device, and a computer-readable storage medium for apparatus identification and discovery. The apparatus transmits an MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD to a first AP in a second apparatus. In response to a second AP MLD being created in the second apparatus based on an association between the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD and a private SSID of the second AP MLD, the apparatus receives a private SSID from the second AP MLD. The apparatus then establishes a connection between the apparatus and the second AP MLD using at least the private SSID.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly, to apparatuses, methods, devices, and computer-readable storage media for device identification and discovery.

Background Art

[0002] Multi-Link Operation (MLO) is recognized as an important feature of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11be. MLO aims for efficient operation such as load distribution, multi-band aggregation, and simultaneous transmission of downlink and uplink in all available bands such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz.

[0003] In 802.11be, a Multi-Link Device (MLD) is a logical entity. An MLD can have multiple Stations (STAs), and can have a single Medium Access Control (MAC) for a single Logical Link Control (LLC) with a single MAC data service. The MLD MAC address may be used to identify the MLD entity. The MAC addresses of the Access Points (APs) affiliated with an AP MLD may be different from each other. If each AP affiliated with an AP MLD has a different MAC address, when a Non-AP MLD is associated with the AP MLD, each Non-AP STA affiliated with the Non-AP MLD has a different MAC address. In 802.11be, with MLO, a Non-AP MLD can discover, authenticate, associate with, and establish multiple links with an AP MLD.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved solution for device identification and discovery.

[0005] In a first embodiment, a device is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory for storing instructions. When an instruction is executed by at least one processor, the device is caused to at least: transmit the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD to a first AP in a second device; receive the private SSID from the second AP MLD in response to the creation of a second AP MLD in the second device based on the association between the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD and the private SSID of the second AP MLD; and establish a connection between the device and the second AP MLD using at least the private SSID.

[0006] In a second embodiment, a device is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory for storing instructions. When an instruction is executed by at least one processor, the device instructs a first AP within the device to receive the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD from a first device, create a second AP MLD according to the determination that the first device is affiliated with the non-AP MLD and that the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is associated with the private SSID of a second AP MLD, and send the private SSID to the first device in order to establish a connection between the first device and the second AP MLD.

[0007] In a third embodiment, a method is provided, which includes transmitting the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD from the device to a first AP in a second device, such that the device is associated with the non-AP MLD; receiving a private SSID from the second AP MLD in response to the creation of a second AP MLD in the second device based on the association between the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD and the private SSID of the second AP MLD; and establishing a connection between the device and the second AP MLD using at least the private SSID.

[0008] A fourth aspect provides a method, which includes: receiving the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD from the first device, the first device being associated with the non-AP MLD; creating a second AP MLD in accordance with the determination that the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is associated with the private SSID of a second AP MLD; and transmitting the private SSID to the first device in order to establish a connection between the first device and the second AP MLD.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided that includes a first device. The first device has means for transmitting the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD to a first AP in a second device, wherein the device is associated with the non-AP MLD; means for receiving a private SSID from a second AP MLD in response to the creation of a second AP MLD in the second device based on the association between the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD and the private SSID of the second AP MLD; and means for establishing a connection between the device and the second AP MLD using at least the private SSID.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus including a second device is provided. The second device includes means for receiving the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD from the first device to a first access point (AP) in the second device, wherein the first device is associated with the non-AP MLD; means for creating a second AP MLD in accordance with the determination that the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is associated with the private SSID of a second AP MLD in the second device; and means for transmitting the private SSID to the first device in order to establish a connection between the first device and the second AP MLD.

[0011] In the seventh aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided. The non-transient computer-readable medium comprises program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform the method according to the third aspect.

[0012] In the eighth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided. The non-transient computer-readable medium comprises program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform the method according to the fourth aspect.

[0013] It should be understood that the Summary of the Invention chapter is not intended to necessarily identify any important or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will be readily apparent through the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] Next, several embodiments will be described with reference to the attached drawings. [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an exemplary communication environment in which an embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows another exemplary communication environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a signaling chart illustrating the device identification and discovery process in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a signaling chart illustrating the device identification and discovery process in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows flowcharts of exemplary methods in some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementation in the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a block diagram of an example of a computer-readable medium in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Throughout the drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar reference figures represent the same or similar elements. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Next, the principles of this disclosure will be described with reference to several embodiments. These embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement this disclosure, without implying any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosures described herein may be implemented in various other forms than those described below.

[0016] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as they would be generally understood by an ordinary person skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0017] References in this disclosure to “one embodiment,” “embodiment,” “exemplary embodiment,” etc., indicate that the described embodiments may include certain features, structures, or characteristics, but not all embodiments are required to include such features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such expressions do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, if certain features, structures, or characteristics are described in relation to an embodiment, it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art that such features, structures, or characteristics will be affected in relation to other embodiments, whether or not they are explicitly stated.

[0018] In this specification, terms such as “first” and “second” may be used to describe various elements, but it should be understood that these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the enumerated terms.

[0019] The terms used in this embodiment are for the purpose of describing a specific embodiment and are not intended to limit the embodiment. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes", and / or "including" identify the presence of the described features, elements, and / or components, etc., but it will be further understood that they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0020] As used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more or all of the following. (a) Only hardware circuit implementation (such as implementation with only analog circuits and / or digital circuits) (b) Combination of hardware circuit and software (where applicable). (i) Combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware. (ii) Part(s) of a hardware processor with software (including digital signal processors), software, and memory that cooperate to perform various functions in a device such as a mobile phone or a server. (c) A hardware circuit or processor such as a microprocessor or part of a microprocessor that requires software (such as firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when not required for operation.

[0021] This definition of a circuit applies to all uses of this term in this application, including any patent claims. As a further example, in the usage in this embodiment, the term "circuit" encompasses simply a hardware circuit or a processor (or multiple processors) or a part of a hardware circuit or a processor, and the software and / or firmware implementations associated therewith. Also, the term "circuit" is applicable, for example, to a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network devices, if applicable to an element of a particular claim.

[0022] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, including but not limited to the 5th generation (5G) system, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA (registered trademark)), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), etc. Further, the communication between a terminal device and a network device in a communication network can be carried out in accordance with any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to the 1st generation (1G), 2nd generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, 3rd generation (3G), 4th generation (4G), 4.5G, 5th generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communication protocol, and / or other protocols known currently or developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Considering the rapid development of communication, of course, there will also be future communication technologies and systems in which the present disclosure can be implemented. The scope of the present disclosure should not be regarded as limited only to the aforementioned systems.

[0023] As used herein, the term “network equipment” refers to a node in a communications network from which terminal devices access and receive services. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, network equipment may refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), such as a node B (Node B or NB), an evolved node B (eNode B or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio header (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, a femto, a pico, or other low-power node. The RAN split architecture includes a gNB-CU (centralized unit, hosting RRC, SDAP, PDCP) that controls multiple gNB-DUs (distributed units, hosting RLC, MAC, PHY). A relay node corresponds to the DU portion of an IAB node.

[0024] The term "terminal equipment" refers to any terminal equipment capable of wireless communication. For example, rather than being limited, terminal equipment may also be called communication equipment, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), mobile subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, VoIP (Voice over IP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable devices, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture devices such as digital cameras, game consoles, music storage / playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearables such as watches, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronics devices, and devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks. Terminal devices may also correspond to the mobile termination (MT) portion of an Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) node (relay node). In the following explanation, the terms “terminal equipment,” “communication equipment,” “terminal,” “user equipment,” and “UE” may be used interchangeably.

[0025] Figure 1 shows an exemplary communication environment 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. As shown in Figure 1, the communication environment 100 includes a non-AP MLD 110 and an AP MLD 120. It will be understood that MLDs are logical entities. An MLD operating as an AP may be called an AP MLD, and an MLD operating as a non-AP may be called a non-AP MLD.

[0026] Non-AP MLD110 has partner non-AP STA111, 112, and 113. Hereafter, non-AP STA will also be referred to as STA for brevity. AP MLD120 has partner AP121, 122, and 123. AP121 operates in the 2.4GHz band, AP122 operates in the 5GHz band, and AP123 operates in the 6GHz band.

[0027] It should be understood that the number of non-AP STAs associated with non-AP MLD110 and the number of APs associated with AP MLD120, as shown in Figure 1, are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitations. The communication environment 100 may include any appropriate number of STAs associated with non-AP MLD110 and any appropriate number of APs associated with AP MLD120, adapted to carry out embodiments of this disclosure.

[0028] Non-AP MLD110 can perform MLO to discover, authenticate, associate, and configure multiple links with AP MLD120.

[0029] During the discovery phase, a non-AP MLD110 can send an (ML) probe request to scan an AP MLD120 via one of the STA111, 112, and 113 associated with the non-AP MLD110. Here, the term (ML) probe request should be understood to mean either a multilink probe request or a single-link probe request. The same definition applies to (ML) probe responses. Typically, the MAC address of the STA111 may be transmitted in place of the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD110 in the probe request. Furthermore, when the STA111 performs an active channel scan, the Service Set Identifier (SSID) of the AP MLD120 may be included in the probe request.

[0030] For AP MLD discovery, STA111 can send an ML probe request to discover APs, which may further include a probe request variable multilink element and an ultra-high throughput (EHT) capability element. The ML probe request allows STA111 to request one of APs 121, 122, and 123 to include a complete or partial set of the capabilities, parameters, and operational elements of other APs associated with AP MLD120. In response to STA111's probe request, AP MLD120 can send an (ML) probe response to STA111. In addition to the AP MLD120's SSID, the probe response may contain additional information including the basic variant multilink element, EHT capability element, and / or EHT operational element.

[0031] (ML) If the SSID of AP MLD120 transmitted in the probe response is the same as the SSID stored in STA111, STA111 can connect to AP MLD120 after authentication using the SSID and password (PWD) pair information of AP MLD120 stored in STA111.

[0032] After authentication, each link enables channel access and frame exchange between the non-AP MLD110 and AP MLD120 based on the supported capabilities exchanged during association. If the non-AP MLD110 attempts to perform a multilink (re)setup with AP MLD120, the non-AP MLD110 and AP MLD120 can exchange (re)association request / response frames. The exchange of association request / response frames is for multilink setup if both frames are carrying the basic multilink elements. Otherwise, the (re)association request / response frame exchange is not for multilink setup. An example of multilink setup is illustrated with reference to Figure 1. Here, the term (re)association should be understood to include, in some cases, both association and return to association after disassociation.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the non-AP MLD110 initiates the multilink setup procedure, and the non-AP STA111, which is associated with the non-AP MLD110, sends an Association Request frame to AP121, which is associated with AP MLD120. That is, the Sending Address (TA) field of the Association Request frame is set to the MAC address of the non-AP STA111, and the Receiving Address (RA) field of the Association Request frame is set to the MAC address of AP121. The Association Request frame may contain complete information for the associated STA111, 112, and 113 to request the setup of three links. That is, Link 1 is set up between AP121 and the non-AP STA111, Link 2 is set up between AP122 and the non-AP STA2, and Link 3 is set up between AP123 and the non-AP STA113.

[0034] Furthermore, the association request frame may also include a basic variant multilink element indicating the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD110. Next, AP MLD120 responds to the requested multilink setup, and AP121, which is associated with AP MLD120, sends an association response frame to the non-AP STA111, which is associated with the non-AP MLD110, to indicate the success of the multilink setup. For example, the TA field of the association response frame may be set to the MAC address of AP121, and the RA field of the association response frame may be set to the MAC address of the non-AP STA111.

[0035] Furthermore, the association response frame may include complete information on AP121, AP122, and AP123, as well as a basic variant multilink element indicating the MLD MAC address of AP MLD120. Upon successful multilink setup between the non-AP MLD110 and AP MLD120, three links are set up: Link 1 is set up between AP121 and the non-AP STA111, Link 2 is set up between AP122 and the non-AP STA2, and Link 3 is set up between AP123 and the non-AP STA113.

[0036] In some implementations, a communication device can provide a distributed system (DS). In other words, the DS operates on a wireless device. The DS can create access points (APs) with public SSIDs that restrict access permissions. Therefore, all legacy STAs and non-AP MLDs can discover and access APs. Hereafter, APs with public SSIDs will also be referred to as public APs. Similarly, AP MLDs with public SSIDs will also be referred to as public AP MLDs.

[0037] Furthermore, to provide a high-quality user experience for some non-AP MLDs and legacy STAs, DS may create AP MLDs with private, unique SSIDs. Hereafter, AP MLDs with private SSIDs will also be referred to as private AP MLDs. In this case, non-AP MLDs can access the private AP MLD using the private SSID and PWD pair information assigned by the DS.

[0038] When a multilink connection is established between a non-AP MLD and a private AP MLD, the DS obtains the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD and the MAC address of the non-AP STA associated with the non-AP MLD based on (re)association frame exchange. For example, the DS can obtain the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD and the MAC address of the non-AP STA associated with the non-AP MLD using the (re)association frame exchange procedure described with reference to Figure 1.

[0039] When a non-AP MLD disconnects from a private AP MLD (for example, when the non-AP MLD is outside its home network) and later needs to access the private AP MLD again (for example, when the non-AP MLD returns to its home network), the non-AP MLD sends a (ML) probe request frame to scan the channel through one STA associated with the non-AP MLD. Typically, the STA associated with the non-AP MLD is associated with the private AP MLD, and the STA's MAC address is stored in the DS. The private AP MLD identifies the non-AP MLD through the STA's MAC address, thereby allowing the non-AP MLD to automatically connect to the private AP MLD. To this end, the private AP MLD sends a (ML) probe response to the STA that includes the private SSID of the private AP MLD. Upon receiving the (ML) probe response, the STA can access the private AP MLD using the SSID and PWD pair information provided by the DS. In this embodiment, the private AP MLD can identify the non-AP MLD through the STA's MAC address during the discovery phase, which is beneficial for home automation, including arrival detection. A key function of a home automation system is to recognize when a resident arrives and "welcome" them by turning on lights, music, and other elements.

[0040] However, considering the buffer size of the non-AP MLD list stored in the DS, depending on the DS implementation, the DS may only store the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, and not the MAC address of the STA associated with the non-AP MLD. Furthermore, if the STA associated with the non-AP MLD has never been associated with a private AP MLD, the STA's MAC address will not be stored in the DS. In that case, the DS cannot identify the STA through its MAC address and will not send a probe response to the STA in response to an (ML) probe request from the STA. As a result, the non-AP MLD cannot discover the private AP MLD, and additional steps are required to establish a link with the private AP MLD, resulting in wasted resources and latency.

[0041] Furthermore, after a non-AP MLD disconnects from a private AP MLD, the DS typically discards the private AP MLD to reclaim its resources. In this case, the private AP MLD cannot monitor (ML) probe requests from the non-AP MLD, and therefore the non-AP MLD cannot discover the private AP MLD.

[0042] Therefore, DS may not be able to identify non-AP MLDs during the discovery phase and may not create a private AP MLD for a non-AP MLD for at least one reason, such as the MAC address of the STA associated with the non-AP MLD being unavailable, the resource being recycled, or the private AP MLD being released.

[0043] An exemplary embodiment of this disclosure provides a solution for device identification and discovery to solve one or more of the above-mentioned problems and other potential problems. According to this solution, the device transmits the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD to a first AP. If the first AP determines that the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is associated with the private SSID of a second AP MLD, the first AP creates a second AP MLD for the non-AP MLD. The second AP MLD then transmits its private SSID to the device for connection between the first device and the second AP MLD. In this way, the non-AP MLD can be identified during a discovery phase that is beneficial for automatic connection with an AP network or AP MLD network. Furthermore, this solution may facilitate the reuse and release of resources after the non-AP MLD has disconnected from the AP MLD. The principles of this disclosure are described below with reference to Figures 2 to 8.

[0044] Figure 2 shows another exemplary communication environment 200 in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. As shown in Figure 2, the communication environment 200 includes a first device 210 and a second device 220.

[0045] The first device 210 can be implemented as a communication device. In some implementations, the first device 210 can be implemented as a non-AP STA paired with a non-AP MLD 212. For example, the non-AP MLD 212 may be implemented as a non-AP MLD 110, and the first device 210 may be implemented as one of the non-AP STAs 111, 112, and 113, as shown in Figure 1.

[0046] The second device 220 can be implemented as a communication device. The second device 220 includes the first AP 221 and the second AP MLD 222. In some implementations, the first AP 221 can be implemented as a single-link AP device. Alternatively, the first AP 221 can be implemented as an AP paired with an AP MLD. For example, the first AP 221 can be implemented as AP 121 paired with AP MLD 120, as shown in Figure 1. In such an implementation, the first AP 221 can have multiple APs paired with the first AP 221, similar to AP MLD 120.

[0047] In some embodiments, the second AP MLD222 may have multiple APs associated with it. For example, the second AP MLD222 may have APs 222-1 and 222-2 associated with it. In some embodiments, each of APs 222-1 and 222-2 may operate similarly to any of APs 121, 122, and 124 in Figure 1.

[0048] For illustrative purposes only, and without implying any limitation on the scope of this disclosure, several embodiments are described in a context in which the first device 210 is implemented as a non-AP STA and the first AP 221 of the second device 220 is implemented as an AP MLD. Thus, the first device 110 may also be referred to as the non-AP STA 210.

[0049] In other embodiments, the first device 110 may be implemented as a communication device other than a non-AP STA, and the first AP221 of the second device 120 may be implemented as a single-link AP device.

[0050] Communication in communication environment 200 can comply with any appropriate standard for a wireless local area network or cellular network, including but not limited to Wi-Fi®, LTE, LTE Evolution, LTE-A, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA®), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and Mobile Communications Global System (GSM). Furthermore, communication can be performed in accordance with any generation of communication protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, Wi-Fi® 7, 1st generation (1G), 2nd generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, 3rd generation (3G), 4th generation (4G), 4.5G, 5th generation (5G), 5G-advanced, and 6th generation (6G) communication protocols.

[0051] The first device 210 transmits the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD212 to the first AP 221. If the first AP 221 determines that the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD212 is associated with the private SSID of the second AP MLD222, the first AP 221 creates the second AP MLD222 for the non-AP MLD212. The second AP MLD222 then transmits the private SSID to the first device 210 for connection between the first device 210 and the second AP MLD222. In some embodiments, the second AP MLD222 can instruct its affiliated AP to transmit the private SSID to the first device 210. For example, the second AP MLD222 can instruct its affiliated AP 222-1 to transmit the private SSID to the first device 210. In this way, the non-AP MLD212 can be identified during the discovery phase, which benefits from automatic connection with the AP(MLD) network. Furthermore, this solution facilitates the reuse and release of resources after a non-AP MLD disconnects from the AP MLD.

[0052] Figure 3 is a signaling chart showing a step 300 for identifying and discovering devices in some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Step 300 may include a first device 210 and a second device 220, as shown in Figure 2. Although step 300 is described in the communication environment 200 of Figure 2, the step may be similarly applied to other communication scenarios.

[0053] In step 300, it is assumed that the DS of the second device 220 creates a first AP MLD221 with a public SSID. In this case, legacy STAs and non-AP MLDs can discover and access the first AP MLD221 with specific access permissions managed by the DS. To provide a high-quality experience for the non-AP MLD212, the DS creates a second AP MLD222 with a private, unique SSID for the non-AP MLD212. After the non-AP MLD212 disconnects from the second AP MLD222 and needs to reconnect to the second AP MLD222 with the private SSID and PWD pair information stored in the non-AP MLD212, the non-AP MLD212 initiates step 300, allowing the DS to discover the non-AP MLD212 and create a second AP MLD222 for it.

[0054] As shown in Figure 3, the first device 210 transmits the MLD MAC address 310 of the non-AP MLD212 associated with the first device 210 to the first AP221 in the second device 220. Thus, the first AP221 receives the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD212.

[0055] In some embodiments, to connect to a second AP MLD222, a non-AP MLD212 can instruct a first device 210 associated with the non-AP MLD212 to perform a channel scan by sending an ML probe request. In some embodiments, the first device 210 can send an ML probe request in which the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD212 resides in the probe request variant multilink element.

[0056] In such an implementation, the first AP221 can assist the DS in monitoring ML probe requests from the first device 210 associated with the non-AP MLD212 in order to obtain the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD212.

[0057] When the DS obtains the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD212, it determines whether the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD212 is associated with the private SSID of the second AP MLD222.

[0058] In some embodiments, the DS may maintain a list consisting of mappings between the MLD MAC addresses of non-AP MLDs and the private SSIDs of associated AP MLDs. The DS can search the list for the MLD MAC address of non-AP MLD212 or the private SSID of second AP MLD222. If the MLD MAC address of non-AP MLD212 or the private SSID of second AP MLD222 is found in the list, the DS can determine that the MLD MAC address of non-AP MLD212 is associated with the private SSID of second AP MLD222.

[0059] Next, DS creates a second AP MLD222 with a private SSID for the non-AP MLD212.

[0060] In some embodiments, the DS can create a second AP MLD222 based on context information of the second AP MLD222 stored locally. In some embodiments, the context information of the second AP MLD222 may include per-link profiles and secure information of the associated non-AP MLDs.

[0061] When the second AP MLD222 is created, the second AP MLD222 transmits its private SSID 340 to the first device 210 in order to establish a connection between the first device 210 and the second AP MLD222.

[0062] In an embodiment where the first device 210 transmits an ML probe request consisting of the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD212, the second AP MLD222 can transmit an ML probe response consisting of the private SSID of the second AP MLD222 to the first device 210.

[0063] When the first device 210 receives the private SSID of the second AP MLD222 from the second AP MLD222, it establishes a connection 350 between the first device 210 and the second AP MLD222, using at least the private SSID.

[0064] In some embodiments, the DS can pre-assign a PWD associated with the private SSID of the second AP MLD222 for the first device 210. In this case, the first device 210 can locally store the PWD. Thus, the first device 210 can establish a connection between the first device 210 and the second AP MLD222 using the locally stored private SSID and PWD pair information.

[0065] Step 300 identifies the non-AP MLD via a frame during the discovery phase, which is favorable for automatic connection with the private AP MLD, even if the STA associated with the non-AP MLD has never been associated with a private AP MLD, or if the STA's MAC address is not buffered or stored in the private AP MLD.

[0066] Furthermore, step 300 can facilitate the reuse or release of resources after the non-AP MLD disconnects from the private AP MLD. For example, the private AP MLD can recycle or release resources by flushing the STA information or by releasing the private AP MLD.

[0067] In some embodiments, the first device 210 can receive a request from the first AP 221 for the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD 212. The first device 210 can then send a response to the request to the first AP 221. This response includes the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD 212. This will be illustrated with reference to Figure 4.

[0068] Figure 4 is a signaling chart showing step 400 for identifying and discovering devices in other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Step 400 may include a first device 210 and a second device 220, as shown in Figure 2. Step 400 may be considered an exemplary embodiment of step 300. Although step 400 is described in the communication environment 200 of Figure 2, this step may be similarly applied to other communication scenarios. It will be understood that the same assumptions described with reference to Figure 3 apply to step 400.

[0069] As shown in Figure 4, in order to connect to the second AP MLD222, the non-AP MLD212 can send a probe request 410 to the first device 210, which is associated with the non-AP MLD212, instructing it to perform a channel scan.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first device 210 can send a probe request with a broadcast destination address. In this case, the private SSID of the second AP MLD222 stored in the first device 210 is not transmitted in the probe request.

[0071] In another embodiment, the first device 210 can transmit a probe request frame in which the private SSID of the second AP MLD222 stored in the first device 210 is included in the probe request.

[0072] AP221 monitors probe requests 420 from the first device 210, which is linked to non-AP MLD212.

[0073] In some embodiments, the DS can instruct the first AP MLD221 to send a request for the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD212 to the first device 210 (430).

[0074] In some embodiments, the probe request may include capability information of the first device 210, the SSID and MAC address of the first device 210. In such embodiments, the first AP MLD 221 may send a request for the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD 212 in response to at least one of the following: Based on the capability information of the first device 210, it is determined that the first device 210 is affiliated with the non-AP MLD212. • The SSID for the probe request is associated with the second AP, MLD222. The MAC address of the first device 210 is not stored in the second device 220.

[0075] In some embodiments, the first AP MLD221 can optionally send a probe response to the first device 210. For example, if the RA in the probe request is a broadcast address, the first AP MLD221 can send a probe response to the first device 210.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first AP MLD221 may send a first frame to the first device 210 that includes a request for the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD212. For example, the first frame may be a newly defined action frame.

[0077] Upon receiving a request for the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD212 from the first AP221, the first device 210 can send a response 440 to the request to the first AP221. The response includes the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD212.

[0078] In some embodiments, the first device 210 may send a second frame to the first AP 221 containing the MAC address of a non-AP MLD. For example, the second frame may be a newly defined action frame.

[0079] Actions 320, 330, 340, and 350 in process 400 are identical to those in process 300. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, the details of these actions are omitted.

[0080] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method 500 performed in a first apparatus in some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, method 500 is described in terms of a first apparatus 210 with reference to Reference 2.

[0081] In block 510, the first device 210 transmits the MAC address of the non-AP MLD to the first AP of the second device.

[0082] In block 520, in response to the creation of the second AP MLD in the second device based on the association between the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD and the private SSID of the second AP MLD, the first device 210 receives the private SSID from the second AP MLD.

[0083] In block 530, the first device 210 establishes a connection between the device and the second AP MLD using at least a private SSID.

[0084] In some embodiments, transmitting the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD includes transmitting a response to a request from a first AP, in response to receiving a request from a first AP for the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD, the response including the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD.

[0085] In some embodiments, receiving a request for a non-AP MLD MLD MAC address includes receiving a first frame containing the request.

[0086] In some embodiments, transmitting the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD includes transmitting a second frame containing the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD.

[0087] In some embodiments, transmitting the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD is equivalent to transmitting a multilink probe request to a first AP, the multilink probe request comprising a probe request variable multilink element, the element comprising the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD.

[0088] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method 600 performed in a second apparatus in some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, method 600 is described in terms of the second apparatus 220 with reference to Reference 2.

[0089] In block 610, the second device 220 receives the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD from the first device at the first AP within the second device 220. The first device is in partnership with the non-AP MLD.

[0090] In block 620, the second device 220 determines whether the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is associated with the private SSID of the second AP MLD.

[0091] If the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is associated with the private SSID of the second AP MLD, the second device 220 creates the second AP MLD in block 630.

[0092] In block 640, the second device 220 transmits a private SSID to the first device in order to establish a connection between the first device and the second AP MLD.

[0093] In some embodiments, method 600 further includes sending a request for the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD to the first device. In such embodiments, receiving the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD includes receiving a response to the request from the first device, wherein the response includes the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD.

[0094] In some embodiments, sending a request to the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD includes sending a first frame containing the request.

[0095] In some embodiments, method 600 further includes receiving a probe request from a first device, the probe request including capability information, an SSID, and the MAC address of the first device. In such embodiments, sending a request for the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD includes sending the request in response to at least one of the following: determining, based on the capability information of the first device, that the first device is associated with a non-AP MLD; that the SSID of the probe request is associated with a second AP MLD; or that the MAC address of the first device is not stored in the second device.

[0096] In some embodiments, receiving a response to a request includes receiving a second frame containing the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD.

[0097] In some embodiments, receiving the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD includes receiving a multilink probe request from a first device, the multilink probe request includes a probe request variable multilink element, the element includes the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD.

[0098] In some embodiments, creating a second AP MLD includes creating a second AP MLD based on contextual information of the second AP MLD stored locally.

[0099] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, can also be applied to methods 500 and 600. Therefore, details of the exemplary embodiments are omitted.

[0100] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing any of the methods 500 (e.g., a first apparatus) may include means for performing each step of the method 500. The means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means can be implemented in a circuit or a software module, or a combination thereof.

[0101] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus comprises a first device, the first device having means for transmitting the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD to a first AP in a second device, wherein the apparatus is associated with the non-AP MLD; means for receiving a private SSID from a second AP MLD in response to the creation of a second AP MLD in the second device based on the association between the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD and the private SSID of the second AP MLD; and means for establishing a connection between the apparatus and the second AP MLD using at least the private SSID.

[0102] In some embodiments, the means for transmitting the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD includes means for transmitting a response to a request from a first AP in response to receiving a request for the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD from a first AP, wherein the response includes the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD.

[0103] In some embodiments, means for receiving a request for a non-AP MLD MLD MAC address includes means for receiving a first frame containing the request.

[0104] In some embodiments, the means for transmitting the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD includes means for transmitting a second frame containing the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD.

[0105] In some embodiments, the means for transmitting the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD includes means for transmitting a multilink probe request to a first AP, wherein the multilink probe request includes a probe request variable multilink element, the element includes the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD.

[0106] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing any of the methods 600 (e.g., a second apparatus) may include means for performing each step of the methods 600. The means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or software module, or a combination thereof.

[0107] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus comprises a second device. The second device includes means for receiving the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD from the first device to a first AP in the second device, wherein the first device is associated with the non-AP MLD; means for creating a second AP MLD according to the determination that the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is associated with the private SSID of a second AP MLD in the second device; and means for transmitting the private SSID to the first device in order to establish a connection between the first device and the second AP MLD.

[0108] In some embodiments, the device further includes means for sending a request for the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD to the first device. In such embodiments, the means for receiving the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD includes means for receiving a response to the request from the first device, wherein the response includes the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD.

[0109] In some embodiments, the means for sending a request to the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD includes means for sending a first frame containing the request.

[0110] In some embodiments, the device comprises means for receiving a probe request from a first device, the probe request comprising capability information, an SSID, and the MAC address of the first device. In such embodiments, means for transmitting a request for the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD comprises means for transmitting the request in response to at least one of the following: determining, based on the capability information of the first device, that the first device is associated with a non-AP MLD; that the SSID of the probe request is associated with a second AP MLD; or that the MAC address of the first device is not stored in the second device.

[0111] In some embodiments, the means for receiving a response to a request includes means for receiving a second frame containing the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD.

[0112] In some embodiments, means for receiving the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD is means for receiving a multilink probe request from a first device, wherein the multilink probe request includes a probe request variable multilink element, the element includes the MLD MAC address of a non-AP MLD, and the means for receiving this request.

[0113] In some embodiments, the means for creating the second AP MLD includes means for creating the second AP MLD based on locally stored context information of the second AP MLD.

[0114] Figure 7 is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for carrying out embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 700 may be provided for implementing a communication device such as a first device 110 or a second device 120 as shown in Figure 1, or a first device 210 or a second device 220 as shown in Figure 2. As shown, the device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to the processors 710, and one or more communication modules 740 coupled to the processors 710.

[0115] The communication module 740 is configured for bidirectional communication. The communication module 740 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements.

[0116] The processor 710 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and, in non-limiting examples, may include one or more of general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures. The device 700 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are temporally slaved to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0117] Memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash® memory, hard disks, compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs), and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random-access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist when the power is down.

[0118] The computer program 730 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 710. The program 730 can be stored in memory 720, for example, ROM 724. The processor 710 can perform any appropriate operations and processes by loading the program 730 into RAM 722.

[0119] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by program 730 so that device 700 can perform any step of the present disclosure, as described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0120] In some exemplary embodiments, program 730 may be explicitly contained in a computer-readable medium that may be contained in device 700 (such as in memory 720) or in other storage devices accessible by device 700. Device 700 can load program 730 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 722 and execute it. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile storage device, such as ROM, EPROM, flash® memory, hard disk, CD, or DVD. Figure 8 shows an example of computer-readable medium 800 in the form of a CD or DVD, which stores program 730.

[0121] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some embodiments may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Various embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or some other graphic representations, but it should be understood that any blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or any combination thereof, as non-limiting examples.

[0122] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product explicitly stored in a non-transient computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those contained in a program module, which are executed on the device on a target real processor or target virtual processor in order for the device to perform methods 500 and 600 as described above with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. The functions of the program modules can be combined or divided amongst the program modules as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules can be executed in a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program modules can be located on both local and remote storage media.

[0123] Program code for carrying out the methods of this disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, so that when the program code is executed by the processor or controller, specific functions / operations are performed on flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code may run entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a standalone software package, partially on the machine, partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0124] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, arithmetic unit, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, and the like.

[0125] Computer-readable media may be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash® memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0126] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in a specific order or sequentially, or that all illustrated operations be performed, in order to achieve the desired result. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be preferable. Similarly, although some specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any suitable subcombination in multiple embodiments.

[0127] While this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the attached claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for carrying out the claims. List of acronyms and abbreviations AP Access Point Non-AP MLD (Non-Access Point Multilink Device) DS distributed system LCC (Logical Link Control) MAC Media Access Control ML Multilink MLD Multilink Device MLO Multilink Operation PWD password QoS (Quality of Service) RCPI Receiver Channel Power Indicator RSSI Reference Signal Strength SAP Service Access Point SINR (Signal-to-Interference Ratio + Noise Ratio) SSID (Service Set Identifier) STA Station

Claims

1. It is a device, At least one processor, When executed by the at least one processor, the device has at least, Partnering with non-access point multilink devices (non-AP MLDs), The Multilink Device Medium Access Control (MLD MAC) address of the non-AP MLD is transmitted to the first access point (AP) of the second device. Based on the association between the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD and the private service set identifier (SSID) of the second AP MLD, in response to the creation of the second access point multilink device (AP MLD) in the second device, the private SSID is received from the second AP MLD. At least the private SSID is used to establish a connection between the device and the second AP MLD. At least one memory that stores instructions to perform an action, A device equipped with the following features.

2. In response to receiving a request from the first AP for the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, a response to the request is sent to the first AP, and the response includes the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD. The apparatus according to claim 1, configured as follows.

3. Receiving a first frame containing the aforementioned request, The apparatus according to claim 2, configured to receive the request for the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, configured to transmit a second frame containing the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD.

5. It is configured to send a multilink probe request to the preceding first AP, The multilink probe request includes a probe request variable multilink element, The element includes the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, The apparatus according to claim 1.

6. It is a device, At least one processor, When executed by the at least one processor, the device has at least, In the first access point (AP) within the aforementioned device, the first device receives the Multilink Device Medium Access Control (MLDMAC) address of a non-access point multilink device (non-AP MLD), and the first device is associated with the non-AP MLD and receives the address. The second AP MLD is created in accordance with the determination that the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is associated with the private service set identifier (SSID) of the second AP MLD in the device. In order to establish a connection between the first device and the second AP MLD, the private SSID is transmitted to the first device, At least one memory that stores instructions to execute, A device equipped with the following features.

7. The first device receives a request for the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, The first device receives a response to the request, and the response includes the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD. The apparatus according to claim 6, configured as described above.

8. Receiving a probe request from the first device, wherein the probe request includes capability information of the first device, the SSID and MAC address of the first device, Based on the capability information of the first device, it is determined that the first device is affiliated with the non-AP MLD. The SSID of the probe request is associated with the second AP MLD, or The MAC address of the first device is not stored in the second device. In response to at least one of the above, send the request for the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, The apparatus according to claim 7, configured to perform the following.

9. Receiving a second frame containing the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, The apparatus according to claim 7, configured to receive the response to the request by means of the above.

10. Receiving a multilink probe request from the first device, The multilink probe request includes a probe request variable multilink element, The element includes the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, To receive, The apparatus according to claim 7, configured to receive the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6, configured to create the second AP MLD based on context information of the second AP MLD stored locally.

12. The device transmits the Multilink Device Medium Access Control (MLDMAC) address of a non-access point multilink device (non-AP MLD) from the device to the first access point (AP) of the second device, wherein the device is in cooperation with the non-AP MLD and transmits the address. Based on the association between the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD and the private service set identifier (SSID) of the second access point multilink device (AP MLD), the private SSID is received from the second AP MLD in response to the creation of the second AP MLD in the second device, At least using the private SSID, establish a connection between the device and the second AP MLD, Methods that include...

13. Transmitting the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is, In response to receiving a request from the first AP for the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, the first AP transmits a response to the request, wherein the response includes the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD. The method according to claim 12, including the method described in claim 12.

14. Transmitting the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is, Sending a multilink probe request to the first AP, The multilink probe request includes a probe request variable multilink element, The element includes the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, Send, The method according to claim 12, including the method described in claim 12.

15. Transmitting the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is, To transmit a second frame containing the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, The method according to claim 13, including the method described in claim 13.

16. In a first access point (AP) within the device, the first device receives the multilink device medium access control (MLD MAC) address of a non-access point multilink device (non-AP MLD) from the first device, and the first device is associated with the non-AP MLD and receives the address. The second AP MLD is created based on the determination that the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD is associated with the private service set identifier (SSID) of the second access point multilink device (AP MLD), In order to establish a connection between the first device and the second AP MLD, the private SSID is transmitted to the first device, Methods that include...

17. The first device further includes sending a request for the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, Receiving the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD means that Receiving a response from the first device to the request, wherein the response includes the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD. The method according to claim 16, including the method described in claim 16.

18. Receiving the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD means that Receiving a multilink probe request from the first device, The multilink probe request includes a probe request variable multilink element, The element includes the MLD MAC address of the non-AP MLD, To receive, The method according to claim 16, including the method described in claim 16.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 12 to 15.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 16 to 18.

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