Communication device, communication method, and program

Abstract

To enable communication of information on communication via multiple Links established in multiple different frequency channels and conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standard by using an appropriate MAC frame with the other device.SOLUTION: A communication device 102 or a communication device 103 communicates a wireless frame conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standard with the other device, and a media access control (MAC) frame of the wireless frame includes information indicating a frequency channel as information on communication via multiple links conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standard established in a plurality of different frequency channels capable of performing wireless communication conforming to the IEEE 802.11 series standard between a device that has transmitted the wireless frame and the other device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the transmission and reception of information related to communication in wireless communication.

Background Art

[0002] As a WLAN communication standard formulated by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), the IEEE 802.11 series is known. Note that WLAN is an abbreviation for Wireless Local Area Network. The IEEE 802.11 series standards include standards such as IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses that in the IEEE 802.11ax standard, wireless communication by OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) is performed. In the IEEE 802.11ax standard, high peak throughput is realized by performing wireless communication by OFDMA.

[0004] The IEEE is considering formulating the IEEE 802.11be standard as a new standard for the IEEE 802.11 series in order to further improve throughput and frequency utilization efficiency. In the IEEE 802.11be standard, a technique in which one AP (Access Point) establishes and communicates with one STA (Station) through a plurality of different frequency channels and a plurality of links is being considered.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] Thus, the IEEE 802.11be standard considers multi-link communication, in which the AP and STA establish multiple links with different frequency channels and communicate in parallel. In order to perform multi-link communication, it is necessary to communicate information related to multi-link communication between the AP and STA, such as the AP's multi-link communication capability information. Traditionally, there was no MAC (Media Access Control) frame for properly communicating information related to multi-link communication.

[0007] In view of the above issues, the present invention aims to enable communication of information regarding communication via multiple links compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, established on multiple different frequency channels with a partner device, using appropriate MAC frames. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the communication device of the present invention is A communication device that functions as a wireless LAN router capable of performing wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard, comprising: a plurality of antennas including a first antenna used only for communication in the 5GHz band and a second antenna used only for communication in the 6GHz band; a transmission control means for transmitting a Beacon frame including a Multi-Link element on a first channel; and a reception control means for receiving a Probe Request frame from a first other communication device on the first channel, wherein the transmission control means further transmits a Probe Response frame including a Multi-Link element as a response to the Probe Request frame received by the reception control means; the reception control means further receives an Association Request frame including a Multi-Link element from the first other communication device on the first channel; the transmission control means further transmits an Association Response frame including a Multi-Link element including a Common Info field and a Link Info field as a response to the Association Request frame received by the reception control means; and the communication device and the first other communication device communicate via the first channel, the Association Request frame and the Association By communicating with the Response frame, the first link of the first channel, the second link of the second channel, and the third link of the third channel are set up between the communication device and the first other communication device. It is characterized by the following:

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the communication device of the present invention is a communication device that functions as a wireless LAN router capable of performing wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard, and comprises a plurality of antennas including a first antenna used only for communication in the 5GHz band, a transmission control means for transmitting a Beacon frame including a Multi-Link element on a first channel, and a reception control means for receiving a Probe Request frame from a first other communication device on the first channel, wherein the transmission control means further transmits a Probe Response frame including a Multi-Link element as a response to the Probe Request frame received by the reception control means, the reception control means further receives an Association Request frame including a Multi-Link element from the first other communication device on the first channel, the transmission control means further transmits an Association Response frame including a Common Info field and a Link Info field as a response to the Association Request frame received by the reception control means, and the communication device and the first other communication device communicate the Association Request frame and the Association The communication device is characterized by setting up a first link of the first channel and a second link of the second channel between the communication device and the first other communication device by communicating with a Response frame. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, information regarding communication via multiple links compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard, established with a partner device on multiple different frequency channels, can be communicated using appropriate MAC frames. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the network configuration to which the communication device 102 belongs. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the hardware configuration of the communication device 102. [Figure 3]This diagram shows the functional configuration of the communication device 102. [Figure 4] This sequence diagram shows an example of the process performed when communication device 102 and communication device 103 perform Multi-Link communication. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the frame format for the Multi-Link Capability Element. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the processes that the communication device 103 performs when performing multi-link communication. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the processes that the communication device 102 performs when performing multi-link communication. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the configurations shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated configurations.

[0013] Figure 1 shows the configuration of the network in which the communication device 102 according to this embodiment participates. The communication device 102 is an access point (AP) that plays a role in constructing network 101. Network 101 is a wireless network. In this embodiment, when the communication device 102 constructs multiple networks, the BSSID of each network is assumed to be the same. BSSID stands for Basic Service Set Identifier, and is an identifier used to identify a network. Furthermore, the SSID displayed by the communication device 102 in each network is also assumed to be the same. SSID stands for Service Set Identifier, and is an identifier used to identify an access point. In this embodiment, even when the communication device 102 establishes multiple connections, it uses one SSID.

[0014] Furthermore, communication device 103 is a station (STA) that participates in network 101. Each communication device complies with the IEEE 802.11be (EHT) standard and can perform wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard via network 101. IEEE stands for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. EHT stands for Extremely High Throughput. EHT may also be interpreted as an abbreviation for Extreme High Throughput. Each communication device can communicate in the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz frequency bands. The frequency band used by each communication device is not limited to these, and different frequency bands, such as the 60GHz band, may be used. Additionally, each communication device can communicate using bandwidths of 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, and 320MHz.

[0015] Communication devices 102 and 103 can implement multi-user (MU) communication by multiplexing signals from multiple users by performing OFDMA communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard. OFDMA stands for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access. In OFDMA communication, a portion of the divided frequency band (RU, Resource Unit) is allocated to each STA so as not to overlap, and the carrier waves allocated to each STA are orthogonal. Therefore, an AP can communicate with multiple STAs in parallel.

[0016] Furthermore, communication devices 102 and 103 perform Multi-Link communication by establishing a Link via multiple frequency channels. Here, a frequency channel refers to a frequency channel defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard that can perform wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard. The IEEE 802.11 series standard defines multiple frequency channels in each of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz frequency bands. The IEEE 802.11 series standard also defines the bandwidth of each frequency channel as 20MHz. However, by bonding with adjacent frequency channels, a bandwidth of 40MHz or more may be used in a single frequency channel. For example, communication device 102 can establish a first Link 104 with communication device 103 via a first frequency channel in the 2.4GHz band and a second Link 105 via a second frequency channel in the 5GHz band, and communicate via both Links. In this case, communication device 102 maintains a second Link 105 via a second frequency channel in parallel with the first Link 104 via a first frequency channel. In this way, communication device 102 can improve the throughput of communication with communication device 103 by establishing links via multiple frequency channels with communication device 103. Note that communication devices 102 and 103 may establish multiple links in different frequency bands in Multi-Link communication. For example, communication devices 102 and 103 may establish a first Link 104 in the 2.4GHz band, a second Link 105 in the 5GHz band, and a third Link in the 6GHz band. Alternatively, they may establish links via multiple different channels included in the same frequency band. For example, they may establish a first Link 104 via channel 1 in the 2.4GHz band and a second Link 105 via channel 5 in the 2.4GHz band. Note that links with the same frequency band and links with different frequency bands may be mixed.For example, in addition to the first Link 104 via channel 1 in the 2.4 GHz band and the second Link 105 via channel 5 in the 2.4 GHz band, the communication devices 102 and 103 may establish a third Link via channel 36 in the 5 GHz band. By establishing a plurality of connections with different frequency bands with the communication device 103, the communication device 102 can communicate with the communication device 103 in another band even when a certain band is congested, thus preventing a decrease in throughput in the communication with the communication device 103.

[0017] In Multi-Link communication, it is sufficient that at least the respective frequency channels of the plurality of Links established by the communication devices 102 and 103 are different. In Multi-Link communication, the channel interval of the frequency channels of the plurality of Links established by the communication devices 102 and 103 may be at least greater than 20 MHz. In this embodiment, the communication devices 102 and 103 are assumed to establish the first Link 104 and the second Link 105, but three or more Links may be established.

[0018] Communication devices 102 and 103 can perform communication in three modes as Multi-Link communication. One is Asynchronous Mode (Async Mode), in which communication via each link in Multi-Link communication is performed asynchronously. Specifically, communication via the first link and communication via the second link are performed at independent timings. Therefore, both the first and second links can perform communication at timings that are not affected by the timing of communication by the other link. In this case, if the channel spacing between the frequency channels (channels) used by each link is narrow, communication on one link will affect the communication on the other link. Specifically, if the frequency channels of the links are close, the other link will detect the communication taking place on one link using carrier sense, so communication on the other link cannot be performed while communication is taking place on one link. Therefore, in Async Mode, the channel spacing between links is widened. Another mode is Synchronous Mode (Sync Mode), in which communication via multiple links is performed synchronously. Specifically, the first and second links begin communication at the same time. In this case, since communication via each link starts simultaneously, the other link does not carrier sense the communication of the other link, so the channel spacing between the channels used by each link can be narrow. Another mode is Semi-Asynchronous Mode (Semi-Async Mode). In this mode, when data communication is performed via one link, if the frequency channel of the other link is free, the communication via both links is executed synchronously. For example, if the backoff counter of the first link becomes 0 and the frequency channel of the second link is free, communication via the first and second links will start at the same time. In this case, the backoff counter of the second link does not need to be 0.In addition, when the backoff counter of the first Link reaches 0 and the frequency channel of the second Link is not available, only the communication via the first Link is started, and the communication via the second Link is not started. In this mode, when performing communication via multiple Links in parallel, the communication via each Link is started simultaneously, so the interval between the channels used for each Link may be narrow. The communication devices 102 and 103 may select the mode used in the Multi-Link communication based on the channel interval of the established multiple Links.

[0019] When performing Multi-link communication, at least one of the communication devices 102 and 103 is a device that can simultaneously execute the transmission of data via one Link and the reception of data via another Link. Alternatively, at least one of the communication devices 102 and 103 may be a device that can simultaneously execute only the transmission of data via another Link when transmitting data via one Link. Alternatively, at least one of the communication devices 102 and 103 may be a device that can simultaneously execute only the reception of data via another Link when receiving data via one Link. Alternatively, at least one of the communication devices 102 and 103 may be a device that can maintain multiple Links simultaneously, but when performing communication of data via one Link, the communication of data via another Link cannot be executed simultaneously. Note that such a communication device is assumed not to support the Sync Mode or the Semi-Async Mode.

[0020] When performing multi-link communication, communication devices 102 and 103 divide a single piece of data and transmit it to the other device via multiple links. Alternatively, communication devices 102 and 103 may transmit the same data via each of the multiple links, so that communication via one link serves as a backup for communication via the other link. Specifically, suppose communication device 102 transmits the same data to communication device 103 via a first link via a first frequency channel and a second link via a second frequency channel. In this case, even if an error occurs in communication via the first link, for example, communication device 103 can receive the data transmitted from communication device 102 because the same data is being transmitted via the second link. Alternatively, communication devices 102 and 103 may use different links depending on the type of frame or data being communicated. For example, communication device 102 may transmit management frames via the first link and data frames containing data via the second link. Specifically, management frames refer to Beacon frames, Probe Request frames / Response frames, and Association Request frames / Response frames. In addition to these frames, Disassociation frames, Authentication frames, De-Authentication frames, and Action frames are also called management frames. Beacon frames are frames that broadcast network information. Probe Request frames are frames that request network information, and Probe Response frames are the responses that provide network information. Association Request frames are frames that request a connection, and Association Response frames are the responses that indicate whether the connection is permitted or an error occurs. Disassociation frames are frames that disconnect a connection.An Authentication frame is a frame used to authenticate the other device, while a De-Authentication frame is a frame used to interrupt the authentication of the other device and disconnect the connection. An Action frame is a frame used to perform additional functions other than those described above. Communication devices 102 and 103 send and receive management frames compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series standard. Alternatively, when communication device 102 transmits data related to an captured image, for example, metadata such as the date, parameters at the time of capture (aperture value and shutter speed), and location information may be transmitted via the first Link, and pixel information may be transmitted via the second Link.

[0021] Furthermore, communication devices 102 and 103 may perform MIMO (Multiple-Input And Multiple-Output) communication. In this case, communication devices 102 and 103 have multiple antennas, and one of them sends different signals from each antenna using the same frequency channel. The receiving side uses multiple antennas to simultaneously receive all signals arriving from multiple streams, separates the signals from each stream, and decodes them. By performing MIMO communication in this way, communication devices 102 and 103 can communicate more data in the same amount of time compared to when MIMO communication is not performed. In addition, when performing Multi-Link communication, communication devices 102 and 103 may perform MIMO communication on some links.

[0022] Although communication devices 102 and 103 are stated to be compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard, they may also be compliant with at least one of the legacy standards that precede the IEEE 802.11be standard. Legacy standards refer to the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards. In this embodiment, at least one of the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be standards is referred to as the IEEE 802.11 series standard. In addition to the IEEE 802.11 series standard, they may also be compliant with other communication standards such as Bluetooth®, NFC, UWB, Zigbee, and MBOA. UWB stands for Ultra Wide Band, MBOA stands for Multi Band OFDM Alliance, OFDM stands for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, and NFC stands for Near Field Communication. UWB includes wireless USB, wireless 1394, Winet, and others. It may also support wired communication standards such as wired LAN.

[0023] Specific examples of communication device 102 include, but are not limited to, wireless LAN routers and PCs. Communication device 102 can be any communication device capable of performing Multi-Link communication with other communication devices. Furthermore, communication device 102 may also be an information processing device such as a wireless chip capable of performing wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard. Similarly, specific examples of communication device 103 include, but are not limited to, cameras, tablets, smartphones, PCs, mobile phones, and video cameras. Communication device 103 can be any communication device capable of performing Multi-Link communication with other communication devices. Furthermore, communication device 103 may also be an information processing device such as a wireless chip capable of performing wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard. Also, while the network in Figure 1 consists of one AP and one STA, the number of APs and STAs is not limited to this. Note that the information processing device such as a wireless chip has an antenna for transmitting the generated signals.

[0024] Figure 2 shows the hardware configuration of the communication device 102 in this embodiment. The communication device 102 includes a storage unit 201, a control unit 202, a function unit 203, an input unit 204, an output unit 205, a communication unit 206, and an antenna 207.

[0025] The memory unit 201 is composed of one or more memories such as ROM and RAM, and stores various information such as computer programs for performing various operations described later, and communication parameters for wireless communication. ROM stands for Read Only Memory, and RAM stands for Random Access Memory. In addition to memories such as ROM and RAM, the memory unit 201 may also use storage media such as flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, and DVDs. Furthermore, the memory unit 201 may have multiple memories.

[0026] The control unit 202 is composed of one or more processors, such as a CPU and an MPU, and controls the entire communication device 102 by executing a computer program stored in the memory unit 201. Alternatively, the control unit 202 may control the entire communication device 102 in cooperation with the computer program stored in the memory unit 201 and the OS (Operating System). The control unit 202 also generates data and signals (wireless frames) to be transmitted in communication with other communication devices. Note that CPU stands for Central Processing Unit, and MPU stands for Micro Processing Unit. Furthermore, the control unit 202 may be equipped with multiple processors, such as a multi-core processor, and the entire communication device 102 may be controlled by these multiple processors.

[0027] Furthermore, the control unit 202 controls the functional unit 203 to perform predetermined processes such as wireless communication, imaging, printing, and projection. The functional unit 203 is the hardware that enables the communication device 102 to perform predetermined processes.

[0028] The input unit 204 receives various operations from the user. The output unit 205 provides various outputs to the user via a monitor screen or speaker. Here, the output from the output unit 205 may be a display on the monitor screen, audio output via a speaker, vibration output, etc. The input unit 204 and the output unit 205 may be implemented in a single module, such as a touch panel. The input unit 204 and the output unit 205 may be integrated with the communication device 102, or they may be separate units.

[0029] The communication unit 206 controls wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard. In addition to the IEEE 802.11be standard, the communication unit 206 may also control wireless communication compliant with other IEEE 802.11 series standards, or wired communication such as wired LAN. The communication unit 206 controls the antenna 207 to transmit and receive signals for wireless communication generated by the control unit 202. If the communication device 102 supports the NFC standard, Bluetooth standard, etc., in addition to the IEEE 802.11be standard, it may also control wireless communication compliant with these communication standards. Furthermore, if the communication device 102 can perform wireless communication compliant with multiple communication standards, it may be configured to have separate communication units and antennas corresponding to each communication standard. The communication device 102 communicates data such as image data, document data, and video data with the communication device 103 via the communication unit 206. The antenna 207 may be configured separately from the communication unit 206, or it may be configured as a single module together with the communication unit 206.

[0030] Antenna 207 is an antenna capable of communication in the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands. In this embodiment, the communication device 102 is assumed to have one antenna, but it may have different antennas for each frequency band. Also, if the communication device 102 has multiple antennas, it may have a communication unit 206 corresponding to each antenna.

[0031] Furthermore, communication device 103 has the same hardware configuration as communication device 102.

[0032] Figure 3 shows the functional configuration of the communication device 102 in this embodiment. The communication device 102 consists of a Multi-Link communication capability information generation unit 301, a Multi-Link communication operation information determination unit 302, and a connection processing unit 304. In addition to these, the communication device 102 also consists of a MAC (Media Access Control) frame generation unit 305 and a data transmission / reception unit 306.

[0033] The capability information generation unit 301 is a block that generates capability information related to Multi-Link communication of the communication device 102. The communication device 102 generates capability information to notify other communication devices of its own Multi-Link communication capabilities. The capability information related to Multi-Link communication will be explained in Figure 5 below. Regarding capability information, the communication device 102 may notify other communication devices of its own capability information, or it may simply receive capability information of the other device from other communication devices.

[0034] The operation information determination unit 302 is a block that determines operation information regarding Multi-Link communication with the other device based on the capability information regarding Multi-Link communication of the own device and the other device. Operation information regarding Multi-Link communication refers to the frequency channel and bandwidth used for communication performed as Multi-Link communication between communication devices 102 and 103. Details of the operation information regarding Multi-Link communication will be explained in Figure 5 below. The determined operation information may or may not be notified to the other device.

[0035] The connection processing unit 304 is a block that performs processing to allow communication device 103, which is an STA, to join the network 101 established by communication device 102. Specifically, the connection processing unit 304 causes communication device 102 to send an Association Response frame as a response to the Association Request, which is a connection request received from communication device 103. Communication device 102 has a connection processing unit 304 corresponding to each of the multiple links that it establishes.

[0036] The MAC frame generation unit 305 is a block that generates MAC frames containing information indicating capability information related to Multi-Link communication generated by the capability information generation unit 301 and operational information related to Multi-Link communication determined by the operational information determination unit 302. The MAC frames generated by the MAC frame generation unit 305 are transmitted in at least one of the wireless frames of Beacon, Probe Response, and Association Response. In addition to or instead of this, the generated MAC frames are transmitted in Reassociation Response. The capability information and operational information included in the MAC frames generated by the MAC frame generation unit 305 are indicated by the Elements shown in Figure 5, which will be described later.

[0037] The data transmission / reception unit 306 is a block that transmits and receives data frames in Multi-Link communication based on the operational information related to Multi-Link communication determined by the operational information determination unit 302. The data transmission / reception unit 306 may also transmit wireless frames including MAC frames generated by the MAC frame generation unit 305 and receive wireless frames from the other device.

[0038] Although the communication device 103 has the same functional configuration as the communication device 102, it differs in the following respects.

[0039] The communication device 103 has a request information determination unit 302 instead of an operation information determination unit 302. This unit determines request information regarding Multi-Link communication with the other device based on the capability information regarding Multi-Link communication of the device itself and the other device. Request information regarding Multi-Link communication refers to the frequency channel and bandwidth to be used in the communication to be performed as Multi-Link communication between the communication devices 102 and 103. Details of the request information regarding Multi-Link communication will be explained in Figure 5 below. The determined request information may or may not be notified to the other device.

[0040] The connection processing unit 304 is a block that processes the connection of the communication device 103 to join the network 101 established by the communication device 102, which is an AP. Specifically, the connection processing unit 304 causes the communication device 103 to send an Association Request, which is a connection request, to the communication device 102, and to receive an Association Response as a response from the communication device 102.

[0041] Furthermore, the MAC frame generation unit 305 is a block that generates MAC frames containing information indicating capability information related to Multi-Link communication generated by the capability information generation unit 301 and request information related to Multi-Link communication determined by the request information determination unit 302. The MAC frames generated by the MAC frame generation unit 305 are transmitted in at least one of the wireless frames: Probe Request, Association Request, and ReassociationRequest. The capability information and request information included in the MAC frames generated by the MAC frame generation unit 305 are indicated by the Elements shown in Figure 5, which will be described later.

[0042] Figure 4 shows a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the process performed when communication device 102 and communication device 103 perform Multi-Link communication.

[0043] Communication devices 102 and 103 internally have connection processing units 304 corresponding to each of the multiple links. AP1 of communication device 102 is the connection processing unit 304 for the first link, and AP2 is for the second link. Similarly, STA1 of communication device 103 is the connection processing unit 304 for the first link, and STA2 is for the connection processing unit 304 for the second link. STA1 and AP1 process communication via the first frequency channel (e.g., 1ch in the 2.4GHz band). STA2 and AP2 process communication via the second frequency channel (e.g., 36ch in the 5GHz band).

[0044] The processing of this sequence begins when the power to the communication devices 102 and 103 is turned on. Alternatively, at least one of the communication devices 102 and 103 may begin when instructed by the user or application to start Multi-Link communication. Alternatively, at least one of the communication devices 102 and 103 may begin when the amount of data to be communicated with the other device exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0045] First, the communication device 102 transmits a Beacon containing its own network information on the first frequency channel, thereby notifying surrounding STAs of the network information (S401). Specifically, the network information includes the transmission interval at which the communication device 102 transmits beacons and the SSID of the communication device 102. In addition, the communication device 102 may also notify information about its Multi-Link communication capabilities by including the Multi-Link Capability Element shown in Figure 5 (described later) as part of the network information in the Beacon.

[0046] When communication device 103 receives a Beacon from communication device 102 being transmitted on the first frequency channel, it sends a Probe Request on the first frequency channel to query the network information of communication device 102 (S402). The Probe Request includes the SSID of communication device 103. In addition, communication device 103 may also include the Multi-Link Capability Element shown in Figure 5 below in the Probe Request to notify communication device 103 of its Multi-Link communication capability information.

[0047] When communication device 102 receives a Probe Request, it sends a ProbeResponse to communication device 103 on the first frequency channel as a response (S403). If communication device 102 does not include the Multi-Link Capability Element shown in Figure 5 in the Beacon, it includes the Element in the Probe Response and sends it. Alternatively, communication device 102 may include only some of the information contained in the Multi-Link Capability Element shown in Figure 5 in the Beacon, and include the remaining information or all of the information in the Probe Response.

[0048] By performing the processes S401 to S403, communication devices 102 and 103 can exchange information regarding their respective Multi-Link communication capabilities.

[0049] Next, communication device 103 transmits an Association Request, which is a connection request, to communication device 102 on the first frequency channel. In this case, communication device 103 may notify communication device 103 of its Multi-Link communication capability information by including the Multi-Link Capability Element shown in Figure 5 in the Association Request. Communication device 103 may also determine the capability information to transmit in S404 based on the Multi-Link communication capability information of communication device 102 obtained in at least one of S401 or S403. For example, even if communication device 103 can combine links in the 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band in Multi-Link communication, communication device 102 may only support multiple links in the 2.4GHz band. In this case, communication device 103 may transmit only capability information regarding the establishment of multiple links in the 2.4GHz band as the capability information to transmit in this step. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the communication device 103 transmits capability information regarding its Multi-Link communication in S402, but it is not limited to this, and capability information may not be transmitted in S402, but only in this step. Alternatively, the communication device 103 may include the Multi-Link Capability Element shown in Figure 5 in the Association Request to transmit request information required when performing Multi-Link communication, rather than capability information. The request information requested by the communication device 103 may be shown by the Multi-Link Capability Element in Figure 5, or by another Element. Details of the request information will be explained in Figure 5 below.

[0050] When communication device 102 receives an Association Request, it sends an Association Response to communication device 103 on the first frequency channel as a response (S405). The Association Response sent here includes a Multi-Link Capability Element that indicates the operational information for performing Multi-Link communication with communication device 103, as determined by communication device 102. Note that the operational information may be indicated by an Element other than the Multi-Link Capability Element. Also, if communication device 103, which is the STA, sent an Association Request in S404 that included the operational information it requested, communication device 102 may send an Association Response that only includes whether or not it can respond to the request.

[0051] If communication device 103 is capable of performing Multi-Link communication based on the operational information included in the Association Response, communication devices 102 and 103 establish a Link via the first frequency channel and begin data communication (S406). In this case, if the operational information transmitted by communication device 102 includes operational information for a Link via the second frequency channel, communication devices 102 and 103 also establish a Link via the second frequency channel and begin data communication (S407).

[0052] Similarly, if communication device 102 indicates permission in S405 to the request information requested by communication device 103 in S404, the processing in S406 is performed. Also, if the request information transmitted by communication device 103 in S404 includes request information regarding a Link via a second frequency channel, the processing in S407 is performed.

[0053] In this embodiment, two links were established by transmitting and receiving frames on one frequency channel, but the invention is not limited to this, and three or more links may be established.

[0054] Furthermore, although this embodiment shows the case where Multi-Link communication is started from a state where a link has not yet been established between communication devices 102 and 103, it is not limited to this. Communication devices 102 and 103 may start Multi-Link communication by establishing a new link in addition to the links that have already been established. In this case, if communication device 103, which is an STA, has already acquired the capability information for Multi-Link communication of communication device 102, which is an AP, it may start from processing S404. Alternatively, if communication device 102 has already acquired the capability information for Multi-Link communication of communication device 103, it may send a signal to communication device 103 to send an Association Request, thereby enabling it to start from processing S404. Alternatively, communication devices 102 and 103 may establish a new link in addition to the multiple links that have already been established. In this case as well, the sequence in Figure 4 may start from S404.

[0055] Furthermore, although this embodiment shows a case where a Link is established via multiple frequency channels by transmitting and receiving frames on one frequency channel, it is not limited to this. When communication devices 102 and 103 perform Multi-Link communication, they may disconnect already established Links via multiple frequency channels by transmitting and receiving frames on one frequency channel. For example, suppose communication devices 102 and 103 have established a first Link via a first frequency channel and a second Link via a second frequency channel and are performing Multi-Link communication. In this case, suppose either communication device 102 or 103 sends a Disassociation, which is a Link disconnection request, to the other device via the first Link. If the transmitted Disassociation contains information about the second Link, communication devices 102 and 103 will disconnect not only the first Link but also the second Link. In this way, communication devices 102 and 103 may disconnect not only the Link to which the Disassociation was transmitted, but also other Links indicated by the information contained in the Disassociation, by transmitting and receiving a Disassociation. Furthermore, communication devices 102 and 103 may disconnect three or more links simultaneously. Also, if the Disassociation contains information about a different link than the one on which the Disassociation was sent or received, communication devices 102 and 103 may disconnect only that other link. In this case, communication devices 102 and 103 will not disconnect the link on which the Disassociation was sent or received.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4, communication devices 102 and 103 can control the establishment and disconnection of Links on other frequency channels by transmitting and receiving frames over a certain frequency channel (or Link). Furthermore, communication devices 102 and 103 can control the establishment and disconnection of Links on multiple frequency channels by transmitting and receiving frames over a certain frequency channel (or Link).

[0057] Figure 5 shows an example of the frame format of a Multi-Link Capability Element. In this embodiment, the element shown in Figure 5 is named "Multi-Link Capability Element," but it is not limited to this and may be named by other names, such as "Multi-Link Element."

[0058] Communication devices 102 and 103 can use the Multi-Link Capability Element shown in Figure 5 to notify the other device of capability information indicating their own capabilities in Multi-Link communication. Furthermore, communication device 102 can use the Multi-Link Capability Element shown in Figure 5 to notify the other device of operational information for Multi-Link communication, in addition to or instead of capability information. Similarly, communication device 103 can use the Multi-Link Capability Element shown in Figure 5 to notify the other device of request information for Multi-Link communication, in addition to or instead of capability information.

[0059] The Multi-Link Capability Element shown in Figure 5 consists of an Element ID 501, a Length 502, and ML (Multi-Link) Capabilities 503. Element ID 501 is an identifier for identifying an Information Element, and in this embodiment, it includes an identifier indicating a Multi-Link Capability Element. Length 502 is a field indicating the data length of the Element, and in this embodiment, it includes information indicating the data length of ML Capabilities 503. ML Capabilities 503 is information specific to the Multi-Link Capability Element and includes information related to Multi-Link communication. Details of the information included in ML Capabilities 503 will be described later.

[0060] Furthermore, communication devices 102 and 103 generate the Multi-Link Capability Elements shown in Figure 5, starting with Element ID 501, and transmit them to other communication devices. In this case, communication devices 102 and 103 generate all fields within the frame before transmitting. Specifically, communication devices 102 and 103 generate all of Element ID 501, Length 502, and ML Capabilities 503 before transmitting them to other communication devices. Alternatively, communication devices 102 and 103 may transmit fields in parallel with their generation. Specifically, communication devices 102 and 103 may, for example, transmit Length 502 in parallel with the transmission of the generated Element ID 501.

[0061] The AP (Access Point) communication device 102 transmits wireless frames such as Beacon and Probe Response with a MAC frame containing the Multi-Link Capability Element attached. In addition to these wireless frames, the communication device 102 can also attach a MAC frame containing this Element to wireless frames such as Association Response and Reassociation Response. The STA (Stand-Assisted Device) communication device 103 transmits wireless frames such as Probe Request and Association Request with a MAC frame containing the Multi-Link Capability Element attached. In addition to these wireless frames, the communication device 103 can also attach a MAC frame containing this Element to Reassociation Request.

[0062] ML Capabilities503 consists of Common Info511, Per Band Info512, and Per Link Info513. Common Info511 is a field that shows information common to all frequency bands and links. Per Band Info512 is a field that shows information common to all links included in a particular frequency band, and the information is shown for each frequency band. Per Link Info513 is a field that shows information for each link.

[0063] Common Info 511 consists of Primary Ch 521, Sync Mode Support 522, Async Mode Support 523, and Semi-Async Mode Support 528. Common Info 511 further consists of Total Max Link Number 524, Band Combination Info 525, and Per Band Info Number 526. Common Info 511 further consists of Per Link Info Number 527 and Device Type 529.

[0064] Primary CH521 is a field containing information indicating the frequency channel used for sending and receiving management frames related to Multi-Link communication. Primary CH refers to the frequency channel used when sending and receiving management frames when connecting or disconnecting links in Multi-Link communication. Specifically, it contains information indicating the frequency channel used for sending and receiving Beacons and other devices that include Multi-Link Capability Elements. Communication device 102, which is an AP, includes information indicating the frequency channel used when transmitting a Beacon that includes a Multi-Link Capability Element. Communication device 103, which is an STA, includes information indicating the frequency channel on which it receives a Beacon that includes a Multi-Link Capability Element (i.e., sends a Probe Request that includes the Element). In this embodiment, it includes information indicating the first frequency channel on which Beacons and Probe Requests / Responses were sent and received in Figure 4. If the frequency channel used for sending and receiving management frames changes after communication devices 102 and 103 have started Multi-Link communication, Primary CH521 will contain information on the frequency channel corresponding to the change. Furthermore, Primary CH521 includes information indicating the frequency channel on which management frames are transmitted and received, regardless of whether the element is displaying capability information, operational information, or request information.

[0065] Sync Mode Support 522 is a field containing capability information indicating whether the communication device 102 or 103 that transmits the Element supports Sync Mode for Multi-Link communication. For example, if this field contains 0, it indicates that the transmitting device of the Element does not support Sync Mode, and if it contains 1, it indicates that it supports Sync Mode.

[0066] Furthermore, when operational information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, the Sync Mode Support 522 may indicate whether or not to execute Sync Mode for Multi-Link communication. For example, when the communication device 102 sends an Association Response including this Element, this field indicates whether or not to execute Sync Mode in the communication of the Link established by the exchange of this association. In this case, for example, if this field contains 0, it indicates that Multi-Link communication in Sync Mode will not be executed, and if this field contains 1, it indicates that Multi-Link communication in Sync Mode will be executed.

[0067] Alternatively, when request information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, the Sync Mode Support 522 may indicate whether or not the execution of Sync Mode for Multi-Link communication is requested. For example, when a communication device 103, which is an STA, sends an Association Request including this Element, this field indicates whether or not the communication device 103 requests the execution of Sync Mode for Multi-Link communication. For example, if this field contains 0, it indicates that the execution of Multi-Link communication in Sync Mode is not requested, and if this field contains 1, it indicates that the execution of Multi-Link communication in Sync Mode is requested.

[0068] Async Mode Support 523 is a field containing capability information indicating whether the communication device 102 or 103 that transmits the Element supports Async Mode for Multi-Link communication. For example, if this field contains 0, it indicates that the transmitting device of the Element does not support Async Mode, and if this field contains 1, it indicates that it supports Async Mode.

[0069] Furthermore, when operational information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, the Async Mode Support 523 may indicate whether or not to execute Async Mode for Multi-Link communication. For example, when the communication device 102 sends an Association Response including this Element, this field indicates whether or not to execute Async Mode in the Link established by the exchange of this association. In this case, for example, if this field contains 0, it indicates that Multi-Link communication in Async Mode will not be executed, and if this field contains 1, it indicates that Multi-Link communication in Async Mode will be executed. Furthermore, when operational information is indicated by the Element, if the aforementioned Sync Mode Support 522 indicates that Sync Mode will be executed, this field should indicate that Async Mode will not be executed. Similarly, if the Sync Mode Support 522 indicates that Sync Mode will not be executed, Async Mode Support 523 should indicate that Async Mode will be executed.

[0070] Alternatively, when request information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, the Async Mode Support 523 may indicate whether or not the execution of Async Mode for Multi-Link communication is requested. For example, when a communication device 103, which is an STA, sends an Association Request including this Element, this field indicates whether or not the communication device 103 requests the execution of Async Mode for Multi-Link communication. For example, if this field contains 0, it indicates that the execution of Multi-Link communication in Async Mode is not requested, and if this field contains 1, it indicates that the execution of Multi-Link communication in Async Mode is requested.

[0071] The Semi-Async Mode Support 528 field contains capability information indicating whether the communication device 102 or 103 transmitting the Element supports Semi-Async Mode for Multi-Link communication. For example, if this field contains 0, it indicates that the transmitting device for the Element does not support Semi-Async Mode, and if it contains 1, it indicates that it supports Semi-Async Mode.

[0072] For example, when communication device 102 sends an Association Response, this field indicates whether or not to execute Semi-Async Mode in the communication of the Link established by this association exchange. For example, if this field contains 0, it indicates that Multi-Link communication in Semi-Async Mode will not be performed. For example, if this field contains 1, it indicates that Multi-Link communication in Semi-Async Mode will be performed.

[0073] Alternatively, when request information is indicated by a Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may indicate whether or not the execution of Semi-Async Mode for Multi-Link communication is requested. For example, when a communication device 103, which is an STA, sends an Association Request, this field indicates whether or not the communication device 103 requests the execution of Semi-Async Mode for Multi-Link communication. For example, if this field contains 0, it indicates that the execution of Multi-Link communication in Semi-Async Mode is not requested. Also, for example, if this field contains 1, it indicates that the execution of Multi-Link communication in Semi-Async Mode is requested.

[0074] Furthermore, if the choice of SyncMode, Async Mode, or Semi-Async Mode to be used when communication devices 102 and 103 perform multi-link communication is pre-configured, these fields may be omitted. Specifically, Sync Mode Support 522, Async Mode Support 523, and Semi-Async Mode Support 528 may be omitted.

[0075] The Total Max Link Number 524 is a field containing capability information indicating the maximum number of links that the communication device 102 or 103 transmitting the Element can support in Multi-Link communication. The maximum number of links refers to the maximum number of links that the Element's transmitting device can establish with a single peer device. For example, if this field contains the value 3, it indicates that the Element's transmitting device can establish up to 3 links with a single peer device. In this case, the Element's transmitting device may maintain 3 links with one peer device while simultaneously maintaining multiple additional links with another peer device. Alternatively, the maximum number of links may indicate the maximum number of links that the Element's transmitting device can establish in Multi-Link communication, regardless of the peer device. In this case, for example, if this field contains the value 3 and the Element's transmitting device has established 3 links with a peer device, the transmitting device cannot establish any more links, regardless of the peer device. The AP (Access Point) communication device 102 and the STA (Stand-Assistant) communication device 103 each include information in this field indicating the maximum number of links that they can simultaneously maintain in Multi-Link communication.

[0076] Furthermore, when operational information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may also include the number of links actually established in multi-link communication. For example, if communication device 102, which is an AP, sends an Association Response that includes this Element, this field will indicate the number of links established through this association exchange. Alternatively, it may include the maximum number of links that can be established in multi-link communication with communication device 103. In this case, Total Max Link Number 524 will contain a value less than or equal to the smaller of the maximum number of links that the local device can establish in multi-link communication and the maximum number of links that the other device can establish.

[0077] Alternatively, when request information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may include the number of links to be established in multi-link communication. For example, when communication device 103, which is an STA, sends an Association Request including this Element, this field indicates the number of links that communication device 103 requests communication device 102 to establish. Alternatively, it may include the maximum number of links that can be established in multi-link communication with communication device 102. Note that when operational information or request information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may be omitted.

[0078] Band Combination Info 525 is a field containing capability information indicating the frequency bands supported by the communication device 102 or 103 that transmits the Element during Multi-Link communication. Table 1 shows an example of the information indicated by each bit in this field. In Table 1, each bit indicates which frequency band or combination of frequency bands is supported. In this embodiment, if the bit contains 0, it indicates that Multi-Link communication in the manner indicated by that bit is not supported, and if it contains 1, it indicates that Multi-Link communication in the manner indicated by that bit is supported. For example, if the Band Combination Info 525 transmitted by communication device 102 contains 1 in bit 0, it indicates that communication device 102 supports Multi-Link communication on different channels in the 2.4GHz band. Also, for example, if the value of Band Combination Info 525 is 0000111000, it indicates that communication device 102 supports Multi-Link communication using multiple links with different frequency bands. In this case, it is indicated that the communication device 102 does not support multi-link communication using multiple links with the same frequency band. Alternatively, setting all bits of Band Combination Info 525 to 0 may indicate that the transmitter of the Multi-Link Capability Element does not support multi-link communication. Or, it may indicate that the transmitter of the Element is currently unable to perform multi-link communication. Note that the frequency bands supported by communication devices 102 and 103 for single-link communication and the frequency bands supported for multi-link communication may differ. For example, communication devices 102 and 103 may support all of 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz for single-link communication, but only support 5GHz and 6GHz for multi-link communication. Note that the correspondence between each bit of Band Combination Info 525 and its contents is not limited to that shown in Table 1.Furthermore, increasing the number of bits in Band Combination Info525 may allow for the indication of more frequency band combinations, or the possibility of establishing multiple links in different frequency bands.

[0079] [Table 1]

[0080] Furthermore, when operational information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may indicate the frequency band actually used in multi-link communication. For example, when communication device 102, which is an AP, sends an Association Response that includes this Element, this field includes information indicating the frequency band of the Link established by this association exchange. For example, if communication devices 102 and 103 establish a 2.4GHz Link and a 5GHz Link, the value of Band Combination Info 525 will be 00001000.

[0081] Alternatively, when request information is indicated by a Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may indicate the frequency band to be used in Multi-Link communication. For example, when a communication device 103, which is an STA, sends an Association Request including this Element, this field indicates the frequency band to which the communication device 103 requests the communication device 102 to perform Multi-Link communication. Even when the Element indicates operational information or request information, this field may also include capability information indicating the frequency bands supported by the transmitting device of the Element in Multi-Link communication.

[0082] Per Band Info Number 526 is a field that contains information indicating the number of Per Band Info entries included in Per Band Info 512, which is described below. Per Band Info 512 contains a set of Per Band Info entries for each frequency band supported in Multi-Link communication by the communication device 102 or 103 that transmits the Multi-Link Capability Element. Specifically, it contains information indicating the same number as the number of frequency bands shown in Band Combination Info 525. However, this does not apply if information for multiple frequency bands is shown in a common Per Band Info in Per Band Info 512, which is described below. Also, if Per Band Info 512 is omitted, this field is also omitted.

[0083] Per Link Info Number 527 is a field that contains information indicating the number of Per Link Info entries included in Per Link Info 513, which is described below. Per Link Info 513 contains a set of Per Link Info entries for each link supported in Multi-Link communication by the communication device 102 or 103 that transmits the Multi-Link Capability Element. If Per Link Info 513 is omitted, this field is also omitted.

[0084] Device Type 529 is a field containing capability information indicating what type of device the communication device 102 or 103 transmitting the Element is in multi-link communication. Specifically, it contains information indicating which of the following four types the transmitting device of the Element is: A first type of device is one that can simultaneously transmit data over one link and receive data over other links in multi-link communication. A second type of device is one that, when transmitting data over one link, can simultaneously transmit data over other links only. A third type of device is one that, when receiving data over one link, can simultaneously receive data over other links only. A fourth type of device is one that can maintain multiple links simultaneously, but when communicating data over one link, cannot simultaneously communicate data over other links.

[0085] Furthermore, when operational information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, Device Type 529 may indicate which type of device both devices will operate as in multi-link communication. For example, when communication device 102 sends an Association Response including this Element, this field indicates which type of device it will operate as in the communication of the Link established by the exchange of this association. For example, if information indicating the second type is sent as operational information, even if communication device 102 is a device that can operate as the first type, it will operate as the second type of device in the communication of the Link established by the exchange of this association.

[0086] Alternatively, when request information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, Device Type 529 may indicate which type of device the device requests to operate as in multi-link communication. For example, if communication device 103, which is an STA, sends an AssociationRequest including this Element, this field indicates which type of device communication device 103 wants to operate as in multi-link communication. For example, if this field contains information indicating a second type, it indicates that communication device 103 requests to operate as a second type of device in multi-link communication with communication device 102.

[0087] Per Band Info 512 is a field that includes Band ID 531, Supported Bandwidth 532, Supported CH 533, and Async Mode CH Distance 534. In addition to these fields, Per Band Info 512 also includes Max Link Number 535 and Supported Nss 536. The set of Per Band Info 512 is included in the Multi-Link Capability Element for each frequency indicated by Band ID 531, which is described below.

[0088] Band ID 531 is a field containing information that identifies the frequency band. Table 2 shows an example of the correspondence between the values ​​contained in Band ID 531 and the meaning they represent. For example, if Band ID 531 contains the value 0, then Per Band Info 512, which includes this Band ID 531, will indicate information common to the links in Multi-Link communication in the 2.4GHz band. Note that the correspondence between the values ​​contained in Band ID 531 and the meaning they represent is not limited to this example. Furthermore, increasing the number of bits in Band ID 531 may allow for the representation of more frequency bands.

[0089] [Table 2]

[0090] Supported Bandwidth532 is a field containing capability information indicating the bandwidth supported by the communication device 102 or 103 that transmitted the Element in the frequency band indicated by Band ID531. The bandwidth indicated here is information indicating the bandwidth supported per link when the transmitting device of the Element performs Multi-Link communication in the frequency band indicated by Band ID531. Table 3 shows an example of the correspondence between the values ​​included in Supported Bandwidth532 and what those values ​​indicate. For example, if Supported Bandwidth532 contains the value 0, it indicates that the transmitting device of the Element supports a bandwidth of 20 MHz in the frequency band indicated by Band ID531. If the value of Supported Bandwidth532 is 1 or greater, the transmitting device of the Element can support any bandwidth up to or below that value when establishing a Multi-Link communication link. For example, if the value of Supported Bandwidth532 is 2, the transmitting device supports 20 MHz, 40 MHz, and 80 MHz as link bandwidths. Note that communication devices 102 and 103 may support different bandwidths for single-link communication and multi-link communication. For example, communication devices 102 and 103 may support a bandwidth of 80 MHz at 5 GHz for single-link communication, but support a bandwidth of 20 MHz for multi-link communication. Note that the correspondence between the values ​​included in Supported Bandwidth532 and the content they represent is not limited to this. Furthermore, increasing the number of bits in Supported Bandwidth532 may allow for the representation of a wider range of frequency bands.

[0091] [Table 3]

[0092] Furthermore, when operational information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may indicate the bandwidth actually used in multi-link communication. For example, when communication device 102, which is an AP, sends an Association Response that includes this Element, this field includes information indicating the bandwidth of the link established by the exchange of this association. For example, when communication devices 102 and 103 establish a link with a bandwidth of 40 MHz at 2.4 GHz, the value of Supported Bandwidth 532 will be 1.

[0093] Alternatively, when request information is indicated by a Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may indicate the bandwidth requested for use in Multi-Link communication. When communication device 103, which is an STA, sends an Association Request including this Element, this field indicates the bandwidth that communication device 103 requests from communication device 102. Even when the Element indicates operational information or request information, this field may also include capability information indicating the bandwidth supported by the transmitting device of the Element in Multi-Link communication.

[0094] Supported CH533 is a field containing capability information indicating the channels supported by the communication device 102 or 103 that transmitted the Element in the frequency band indicated by Band ID 531. The channels indicated here are those on which the Element's transmitting device supports Multi-Link communication in the frequency band indicated by Band ID 531. Table 4 shows an example of the correspondence between each bit of SupportedCH533 and the channel indicated by that bit. For example, if a bit contains the value 0, it indicates that the Element's transmitting device does not support the channel indicated by that bit, and if it contains the value 1, it indicates that the channel indicated by that bit is supported. For example, if Supported CH533 contains the value 0000010010100, it indicates that the transmitting device in this field supports Multi-Link communication on channels 3, 5, and 8. Note that the channels supported by communication devices 102 and 103 in single-link communication and the channels supported in Multi-Link communication may differ. For example, communication devices 102 and 103 may support all channels 1 through 13 in single-link communication, but may support only some channels, such as channels 1 and 5, in multi-link communication. Note that the correspondence between each bit of Supported CH533 and its content is not limited to what is shown in Table 4. Furthermore, by increasing the number of bits in Supported CH533, it may be possible to indicate more channels. For example, Table 4 shows only channels at 2.4GHz as an example, but by increasing the number of bits, it may be possible to indicate channels at 5GHz and 6GHz from bit 13 onwards. Alternatively, if Band ID 531 contains information indicating 5GHz, the channels at 5GHz may be shown in ascending order starting from bit 0. Similarly, if Band ID 531 includes 6GHz, the channels at 6GHz may be shown in ascending order starting from bit 0.

[0095] [Table 4]

[0096] Furthermore, when operational information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may indicate the channel actually used in the Multi-Link communication. For example, when communication device 102, which is an AP, sends an Association Response that includes this Element, this field includes information indicating the channel of the Link established by the exchange of this association. For example, when communication devices 102 and 103 establish a Link on channels 1 and 4 at 2.4GHz, the value of Supported CH533 will be 0000000001001.

[0097] Alternatively, when request information is indicated by a Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may indicate the channel to be requested for use in Multi-Link communication. For example, when a communication device 103, which is an STA, sends an Association Request including this Element, this field indicates the channel on which the communication device 103 requests the establishment of a Link from the communication device 102. Even when the Element indicates operational information or request information, this field may also include capability information indicating the channels supported by the transmitting device of the Element in Multi-Link communication.

[0098] The Async Mode CH Distance 534 field contains capability information indicating the channel spacing required in Async Mode by the transmitting device that transmitted the Element in the frequency band indicated by Band ID 531. In Async Mode, communication between links is performed asynchronously, so if the channels used by each link are close together, there is a risk of communication interference. The distance between channels between links required for proper decoding of the signals from each link varies depending on the communication device, so this field is used to notify capability information. For example, if the value of Async Mode CH Distance 534 is 4, it indicates that the transmitting device of the Element requires a channel spacing of at least 4 channels or more in Async Mode. Note that if the aforementioned Async Mode Support 523 contains information indicating that Async Mode is not supported, this field may contain a value of 0, or this field may be omitted. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the required channel spacing in Async Mode is indicated for each frequency band indicated by Band ID 531, but this is not limited to this, and information common to all frequency bands may be used. Specifically, this field may be included in Common Info 511.

[0099] Furthermore, when operational information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may also include information indicating the channel spacing actually used in the Async Mode of Multi-Link communication. For example, when communication device 102, which is an AP, sends an Association Response that includes this Element, this field includes information indicating the channel spacing of the multiple links established by the exchange of this association.

[0100] Alternatively, when request information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may include information indicating the channel interval to be requested for use in the Async Mode of Multi-Link communication. It may also include information indicating the minimum channel interval supported in the Async Mode of Multi-Link communication with the partner device. When operational information is indicated by the Element, this field contains a value greater than or equal to the larger of the channel interval indicated by the communication device 102 as capability information and the channel interval indicated by the communication device 103 as capability information. Furthermore, if Async Mode Support 523 contains information indicating that Async Mode will not be executed, or if Async Mode Support 523 is omitted, this field may contain a value of 0. Alternatively, this field may be omitted. Alternatively, when the communication device 103, which is an STA, sends an Association Request including this Element, this field indicates the channel interval that the communication device 103 requests in Async Mode with the communication device 102. Note that if the communication device 103 does not request the execution of Async Mode, this field may contain a value of 0, or it may be omitted. Note that this field may be omitted when the Multi-Link Capability Element is used to indicate operational or request information.

[0101] Max Link Number 535 is a field containing capability information indicating the maximum number of links supported by the transmitting device that transmitted the Element when performing Multi-Link communication in the frequency band indicated by Band ID 531. If the Band Combination Info 525 mentioned above does not contain information indicating that Multi-Link communication is supported between links in the same frequency band, this field may contain a value of 0. Alternatively, this field may be omitted. Furthermore, although this embodiment allows for the maximum number of links to be indicated for each frequency band, it is not limited to this, and the maximum number of links may be indicated as information common to all frequency bands. Specifically, this field may be included in Common Info 511.

[0102] Furthermore, when operational information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may indicate the total number of links actually used in multi-link communication in the frequency band indicated by Band ID 531. For example, when communication device 102, which is an AP, sends an Association Response that includes this Element, this field contains information indicating the number of links (1 or more) established by the exchange of this association. For example, if communication devices 102 and 103 establish two links at 2.4 GHz, this field will contain the value 2.

[0103] Alternatively, when request information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may indicate the total number of links requested for use in the frequency band indicated by Band ID 531 during Multi-Link communication. For example, when communication device 103, which is an STA, sends an Association Request including this Element, this field indicates the number of links that communication device 103 requests communication device 102 to establish. Even when the Element indicates operational information or request information, this field may also include capability information indicating the maximum number of links that the transmitting device of the Element can handle in Multi-Link communication.

[0104] Supported Nss536 is a field containing capability information indicating the maximum number of (spatial) streams supported by the transmitting device that sent the Element when performing Multi-Link communication in the frequency band indicated by Band ID 531. Nss stands for Number of Special Streams. The number of streams indicated in this field is the number of streams in MIMO communication. If MIMO communication is not supported in Multi-Link communication in the frequency band indicated by Band ID 531, this field will contain a value of 0 or 1, or this field will be omitted. In this embodiment, the maximum number of streams can be indicated for each frequency band, but it is not limited to this, and the maximum number of streams may be indicated as information common to all frequency bands. Specifically, this field may be included in Common Info511.

[0105] When operational information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may also indicate the number of streams actually used in Multi-Link communication in the frequency band indicated by Band ID 531. For example, when communication device 102, which is an AP, sends an Association Response that includes this Element, this field includes information indicating the number of MIMO communication streams actually executed by the exchange of this association. For example, if communication devices 102 and 103 perform MIMO communication with 3 streams in a Link that performs Multi-Link communication at 2.4GHz, this field will contain the value 3. If MIMO communication is not performed, this field may contain the value 0 or 1, or this field may be omitted.

[0106] Alternatively, when request information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field may indicate the number of streams requested for use in the frequency band indicated by Band ID 531 in Multi-Link communication. When the communication device 103, which is an STA, sends an Association Request including this Element, this field indicates the number of streams that the communication device 103 requests for MIMO communication in Multi-Link communication. If the communication device 103 does not request MIMO communication, this field may contain a value of 0 or 1, or this field may be omitted. Furthermore, even when the Element indicates operational information or request information, this field may include capability information indicating the maximum number of streams that the transmitting device of the Element supports for MIMO communication in Multi-Link communication.

[0107] Per Link Info 513 is a field comprising the fields Link ID 541, Band ID 542, Bandwidth 543, CH 544, and Nss 545. When capability information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, Per Link Info 513 indicates information about the channels on which the Element's transmitter supports Multi-Link communication. In this case, the set of Per Link Info 513 will include the number of channels (Links) on which the Element's transmitter supports Multi-Link communication. Alternatively, when capability information is indicated by the Element and a Multi-Link communication Link has already been established, Per Link Info 513 indicates information about the already established Link. In this case, the set of Per Link Info 513 may include the number of already established Links. Also in this case, the Link on which communication device 102 indicates information by Per Link Info 513 is established with communication device 103 and at least one of the other communication devices. In this case, the Link that communication device 103 indicates by Per Link Info 513 is one that has been established with communication device 103 and at least one of other communication devices. Alternatively, if capability information is indicated by the Element, Per Link Info 513 may not be included. This is not limited to cases where operational information is indicated by a Multi-Link Capability Element and communication device 102, which is an AP, transmits an Association Response that includes the Element. In this case, Per Link Info 513 indicates information about the Link established by the exchange of this association. In this case, Per Link Info 513 will be included for each Link established by the exchange of this association.Furthermore, if the communication device 103 indicates the request information by sending an Association Request that includes the Element, the Per Link Info 513 indicates information about the Link that the communication device 103 requests to establish. In this case, the Per Link Info 513 will include as many entries as there are Links that the communication device 103 requests to establish.

[0108] Link ID 541 is a field containing an identifier for identifying the Link.

[0109] Band ID 542 is a field that contains information indicating the frequency band to which the Link indicated by Link ID 541 belongs. This field is shown in the same way as Band ID 531.

[0110] Bandwidth543 is a field containing information indicating the bandwidth of the link indicated by Link ID541. This field is displayed in the same way as Supported Bandwidth532. When capability information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field indicates the bandwidth supported by the link indicated by Link ID541. Furthermore, when communication device 102, which is an AP, indicates operational information by sending an Association Response that includes this Element, this field indicates the bandwidth used by the link indicated by Link ID541. Furthermore, when communication device 103, which is an STA, indicates request information by sending an Association Request that includes this Element, this field indicates the bandwidth requested by communication device 103 for the link indicated by Link ID541.

[0111] CH544 is a field containing information indicating the frequency channel of the Link indicated by Link ID 541. This field may contain the number of channels directly, or the channels may be indicated as shown in Table 4. When capability information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field indicates the channels supported by the Link indicated by Link ID 541. Furthermore, when communication device 102, which is an AP, indicates operational information by sending an Association Response that includes this Element, this field indicates the channels used by the Link indicated by Link ID 541. Furthermore, when communication device 103, which is an STA, indicates request information by sending an Association Request that includes this Element, this field indicates the channels requested by communication device 103 on the Link indicated by Link ID 541.

[0112] Furthermore, Nss545 is a field that contains information indicating the number of MIMO communication streams in the Link indicated by Link ID 541. If MIMO communication is not performed, this field may contain a value of 0 or 1, or this field may be omitted. When capability information is indicated by the Multi-Link Capability Element, this field indicates the maximum number of streams supported in the Link indicated by Link ID 541. When communication device 102, which is an AP, indicates operational information by sending an Association Response that includes this Element, this field indicates the number of streams used in the Link indicated by Link ID 541. When communication device 103 indicates request information by sending an Association Request that includes this Element, this field indicates the number of streams requested by communication device 103 in the Link indicated by Link ID 541.

[0113] By sending and receiving MAC frames that include the Multi-Link Capability Element described above, communication devices 102 and 103 exchange capability information, operational information, and request information for Multi-Link communication. In this embodiment, capability information, operational information, and request information for Multi-Link communication are shown by the same Multi-Link Capability Element, but this is not limited to this. Capability information and operational information, or capability information and request information, may each be shown by different Information Element. In this case, for example, capability information may be shown by an Element that includes Common Info 511 and Per Band Info 512. Operational information and request information may also be shown by an Element that includes Common Info 511 and Per Link Info 513. Furthermore, when capability information is shown by a Multi-Link Capability Element, some fields may show operational information or request information. Alternatively, when operational information or request information is shown by a Multi-Link Capability Element, some fields may show capability information.

[0114] In Figure 5, the Multi-Link Capability Element is assumed to include fields for Primary CH521, Supported CH533, and CH544 as information indicating the frequency channel. However, the Multi-Link Capability Element is not limited to these; it is sufficient for the Multi-Link Capability Element to include at least one of Primary CH521, Supported CH533, and CH544 as information indicating the frequency channel.

[0115] Furthermore, the names of each field, the number of fields, and the order of the fields are not limited to those shown in Figure 5. Any field may be included before or after any of the fields shown in Figure 5. Also, a field included in Common Info511 may be included in Per Band Info512 or Per Link Info513. Similarly, a field included in Per Band Info512 or Per Link Info513 may be included in the other field or in Common Info511. In addition, any of the fields shown in Figure 5 may be omitted.

[0116] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the process that is executed when the communication device 103 performs Multi-Link communication, by the control unit 202 reading and executing a computer program stored in the memory unit 201.

[0117] This flowchart starts when the power to the communication device 103 is turned on. Alternatively, the communication device 103 may start when the user or application instructs it to start Multi-Link communication. Alternatively, the communication device 103 may start when the amount of data to be transmitted to the communication device 102 exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0118] First, communication device 103 obtains capability information for Multi-Link communication from the other device (S601). Specifically, communication device 103 obtains capability information for communication device 102 by receiving a Beacon containing a Multi-Link Capability Element transmitted by communication device 102. Alternatively, communication device 103 may perform this step by receiving a Probe Response containing a Multi-Link Capability Element transmitted by communication device 102. In this case, the order of this step and S602 described later is reversed.

[0119] Next, the communication device 103 notifies the other device of its capabilities in Multi-Link communication (S602). Specifically, the communication device 103 notifies the other device of its capabilities in Multi-Link communication by sending a Probe Request that includes a Multi-Link Capability Element. If the capabilities information of the other device has been obtained before this step, the communication device 103 may determine the capabilities information to notify based on the capabilities information of the other device. Specifically, the communication device 103 may determine the capabilities information to notify in this step so as not to exceed the capabilities of the communication device 102. For example, consider a case where the communication device 103 supports Multi-Link communication at 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz, and the communication device 102 supports only 2.4GHz and 5GHz. In this case, the communication device 103 notifies in this step that it supports Multi-Link communication at 2.4GHz and 5GHz as capabilities information. Note that if the communication device 103 sends an Association Request to the communication device 102 in S603, which will be described later, the processing in this step may be omitted.

[0120] Next, the communication device 103 sends an Association Request containing information requesting Multi-Link communication (S603). The request information sent in this step indicates information regarding the Multi-Link communication that the communication device 103 requests to be performed. Note that in this step, the communication device 103 may also send an Association Request that does not include the request information.

[0121] The communication device 103 determines whether it has received an Association Response from the AP (Application Platform) communication device 102 (S604). If the communication device 103 has not received an Association Response, it determines No in this step and repeats the process in this step. If a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since sending the Association Request in S603 and it has not determined Yes in this step, the communication device 103 notifies the user of an error and terminates the processing of this flow. On the other hand, if the communication device 103 has received an Association Response, it determines Yes in this step and proceeds to the process in S605.

[0122] Communication device 103 initiates Multi-Link communication with communication device 102 (S605). If the Association Response received in S604 contains operational information for Multi-Link communication, it initiates Multi-Link communication based on that operational information. Alternatively, if request information was sent in S603 and an Association Response containing only permission information was received in S604, it initiates Multi-Link communication based on the request information sent in S603. After completing the process in S605, communication device 103 terminates the processing of this flow.

[0123] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the process that is executed when the communication device 102 performs Multi-Link communication, by the control unit 202 reading and executing a computer program stored in the memory unit 201.

[0124] This flowchart starts when the power to the communication device 102 is turned on. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may start when the user or application instructs it to start Multi-Link communication. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may start when the amount of data to be transmitted to the communication device 103 exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0125] First, the communication device 102 notifies the Multi-Link communication capability information of its own device (S701). Specifically, the communication device 102 notifies the Multi-Link communication capability information of its own device by transmitting a Beacon containing a Multi-Link Capability Element. Alternatively, the communication device 102 may perform this step by transmitting a Probe Response containing a Multi-Link Capability Element in response to receiving a Probe Response from the communication device 103. In this case, the order of this step and S702 described later is reversed.

[0126] Next, the communication device 102 obtains the capability information for Multi-Link communication from the other device (S702). Specifically, the communication device 102 obtains the capability information for Multi-Link communication from the other device by receiving a Probe Request that includes a Multi-Link Capability Element. If the communication device 102 does not receive a Probe Request that includes a Multi-Link Capability Element from the other device, this step may be omitted.

[0127] When communication device 102 receives a Probe Request from communication device 103, it returns a Probe Response as a response. In this case, if a Beacon containing a Multi-LinkCapability Element is being transmitted, the Probe Response does not need to include that Element.

[0128] The communication device 102 determines whether it has received an Association Request from the communication device 103 (S703). If the communication device 102 has not received an Association Request, it determines No in this step and repeats the process in this step. If a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since sending the Probe Response in S702 and the result is not Yes in this step, the communication device 102 notifies the user of an error and terminates the processing of this flow. On the other hand, if the communication device 102 has received an Association Request, it determines Yes in this step and proceeds to the process in S704.

[0129] Next, the communication device 102 sends an Association Response in response to the Association Request (S704). If the request information was not received from the communication device 103 in S703, the communication device 102 sends an Association Response that includes operational information for multi-link communication with the communication device 103. In this case, the communication device 102 decides what operational information to include in the Association Response based on the capabilities information of the communication device 103 for multi-link communication. The operational information that the communication device 102 includes in the Association Response indicates information about the multi-link communication actually conducted between the communication devices 102 and 103. Note that even if the Association Request received in S703 includes request information from the communication device 103, the communication device 102 may still send an Association Response that includes operational information. In this case, the communication device 102 decides what operational information to include in the Association Response based on the request information from the communication device 103 in the received Association Request. Alternatively, if S703 has received request information from communication device 103, communication device 102 may send an Association Response that includes only information indicating whether or not to permit Multi-Link communication.

[0130] Communication device 102 initiates Multi-Link communication with communication device 103 (S705). If the Association Response sent in S704 contains operational information for Multi-Link communication, it initiates Multi-Link communication based on that operational information. Alternatively, if it has received request information in S703 and sent an Association Response in S704 that contains only information indicating permission, it initiates Multi-Link communication based on the request information received in S703. After completing the process in S705, communication device 102 terminates the processing of this flow.

[0131] As described above, communication devices 102 and 103 can perform Multi-Link communication that takes each other's capabilities into account by including an element in the MAC frame that indicates capability information in Multi-Link communication.

[0132] Furthermore, at least part or all of the flowcharts for communication devices 103 and 102 shown in Figures 6 and 7 may be implemented in hardware. When implemented in hardware, for example, a dedicated circuit can be generated on an FPGA from a computer program to implement each step using a predetermined compiler, and this can then be utilized. FPGA stands for Field Programmable Gate Array. Alternatively, a Gate Array circuit may be formed in a similar manner to an FPGA and implemented as hardware. It may also be implemented using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0133] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 101 Network 102 Communication equipment (AP) 103 Communication equipment (STA) 104 The first Link 105 The second Link

Claims

1. A communication device that functions as a wireless LAN router capable of performing wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard, Multiple antennas, including a first antenna used only for communication in the 5 GHz band and a second antenna used only for communication in the 6 GHz band, A transmission control means that transmits a Beacon frame containing a Multi-Link element on a first channel, The system includes a receiving control means for receiving a Probe Request frame from another first communication device in the first channel, The transmission control means further transmits a Probe Response frame containing a Multi-Link element as a response to the Probe Request frame received by the reception control means. The receiving control means further receives an Association Request frame containing a Multi-Link element from the first other communication device on the first channel, The transmission control means further transmits an Association Response frame including a Multi-Link element including a Common Info field and a Link Info field as a response to the Association Request frame received by the reception control means. The communication device and the first other communication device communicate the Association Request frame and the Association Response frame on the first channel, thereby setting up a first link on the first channel, a second link on the second channel, and a third link on the third channel between the communication device and the first other communication device. A communication device characterized by the following features.

2. The aforementioned communication device is capable of communicating with the other communication device using a bandwidth of 320 MHz. The communication device according to feature 1.

3. The Beacon frame includes information indicating a Service Set Identifier (SSID) that is common to the first, second, and third links. A communication device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The Common Info field includes information common to the first link, the second link, and the third link. The Link Info field is a field that displays information for each link, and includes a Link ID field that displays an identifier for identifying the link. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The transmission control means transmits the Beacon frame in response to the power being turned on to the communication device. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The communication device communicates with the first other communication device using the first link, the second link, and the third link, based on the operational information contained in the Multi-Link element included in the Association Response frame. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the features described herein.

7. It further comprises a first control means that performs control for receiving various operations from the user via an external screen. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by...

8. The communication device further includes a second control means for controlling wired communication using a wired LAN. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by the features described herein.

9. The communication device is capable of performing OFDMA communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11be standard. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The first channel is a channel in the 2.4 GHz band, the second channel is a channel in the 5 GHz band, and the third channel is a channel in the 6 GHz band. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by the features described herein.

11. A communication device that functions as a wireless LAN router capable of performing wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard, Multiple antennas, including a first antenna used exclusively for communication in the 5GHz band, A transmission control means that transmits a Beacon frame containing a Multi-Link element on a first channel, The system includes a receiving control means for receiving a Probe Request frame from another first communication device in the first channel, The transmission control means further transmits a Probe Response frame containing a Multi-Link element as a response to the Probe Request frame received by the reception control means. The receiving control means further receives an Association Request frame containing a Multi-Link element from the first other communication device on the first channel, The transmission control means further transmits an Association Response frame including a Multi-Link element including a Common Info field and a Link Info field as a response to the Association Request frame received by the reception control means. The communication device and the first other communication device communicate the Association Request frame and the Association Response frame on the first channel, thereby setting up a first link on the first channel and a second link on the second channel between the communication device and the first other communication device. A communication device characterized by the following features.

12. The communication device is capable of communicating with the other communication device using a bandwidth of 160 MHz. The communication device according to feature 11.

13. The Beacon frame includes information indicating a Service Set Identifier (SSID) that is common to both the first and second links. The communication device according to claim 11 or 12.

14. The Common Info field contains information common to the first link and the second link. The Link Info field is a field that displays information for each link, and includes a Link ID field that displays an identifier for identifying the link. A communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

15. The transmission control means transmits the Beacon frame in response to the power being turned on to the communication device. A communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 14.

16. The communication device communicates with the first other communication device using the first link and the second link, based on the operational information contained in the Multi-Link element included in the Association Response frame. A communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized by the features described herein.

17. It further comprises a first control means that performs control for receiving various operations from the user via an external screen. A communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 16.

18. The communication device further includes a second control means for controlling wired communication using a wired LAN. A communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

19. The communication device is capable of performing OFDMA communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11be standard. A communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 18.

20. The first channel is a channel in the 2.4 GHz band, and the second channel is a channel in the 5 GHz band. A communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 19.

21. A control method for a communication device that functions as a wireless LAN router capable of performing wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard, having multiple antennas including a first antenna used only for communication in the 5 GHz band and a second antenna used only for communication in the 6 GHz band, A first transmission control step of transmitting a Beacon frame containing a Multi-Link element on a first channel, A first reception control step of receiving a Probe Request frame from a first other communication device in the first channel, A second transmission control step transmits a Probe Response frame including a Multi-Link element as a response to the Probe Request frame received by the first reception control step, A second receive control step of receiving an Association Request frame containing a Multi-Link element from the first other communication device in the first channel, The process includes a third transmission control step, which transmits an Association Response frame including a Multi-Link element including a Common Info field and a Link Info field as a response to the Association Request frame received by the second reception control step, The communication device and the first other communication device communicate the Association Request frame and the Association Response frame on the first channel, thereby setting up a first link on the first channel, a second link on the second channel, and a third link on the third channel between the communication device and the first other communication device. A method for controlling a communication device, characterized by the features described above.

22. A control method for a communication device that functions as a wireless LAN router capable of performing wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11be standard, having multiple antennas including a first antenna used only for communication in the 5 GHz band, A first transmission control step of transmitting a Beacon frame containing a Multi-Link element on a first channel, A first reception control step of receiving a Probe Request frame from a first other communication device in the first channel, A second transmission control step transmits a Probe Response frame including a Multi-Link element as a response to the Probe Request frame received by the first reception control step, A second receive control step of receiving an Association Request frame containing a Multi-Link element from the first other communication device in the first channel, The process includes a third transmission control step, which transmits an Association Response frame including a Multi-Link element including a Common Info field and a Link Info field as a response to the Association Request frame received by the second reception control step, The communication device and the first other communication device communicate the Association Request frame and the Association Response frame on the first channel, thereby setting up a first link on the first channel and a second link on the second channel between the communication device and the first other communication device. A method for controlling a communication device, characterized by the features described above.

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