COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT AND METHODS

Abstract

The invention relates to a communication device capable of performing communication with another communication device using a communication link composed of a first channel used to acquire the right of transmission and one or more second channels other than the first, notifying, using at least one of the ultra-high reliability (UHR) capability elements and UHR operational elements defined by the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, other communication devices of capability information indicating that operation to perform communication using one or more second channels and not using the first channel can be performed and transmitting data with another communication device using one or more channels including any of the first and second channels based on capability information.

Description

Communication device, communication method, and program

[0001] The disclosure in this specification relates to a data communication technology in a communication device capable of communication using a communication link configured by a plurality of channels.

[0002] In recent years, with the increase in the amount of data being communicated, development of communication technologies such as wireless LANs (Local Area Networks) has been progressing. The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard series is known as a major communication standard for wireless LANs. The IEEE 802.11 standard series includes IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be standards, etc. In order to further improve communication reliability, development of the IEEE 802.11bn standard is underway as a successor to the IEEE 802.11be standard. In the IEEE 802.11 Working Group (WG), which formulates the IEEE 802.11bn standard, the UHR SG will determine the goals and scope of the standard, and the TGbn will specify the detailed technical content to be included in the standard. UHR SG is an abbreviation for Ultra High Reliability Study Group. TGbn is an abbreviation for Task Group bn.

[0003] As one of the candidate technologies to be included in the IEEE 802.11bn standard, a technology for improving channel utilization efficiency in a communication method using a communication link consisting of multiple channels is being considered. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology for performing communication using another channel when a primary channel used to acquire a transmission right cannot be used.

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 1,169,6353

[0005] The disclosure herein provides techniques for improving channel utilization efficiency in communication systems that use communication links made up of multiple channels.

[0006] A communication device according to one aspect of the disclosure in this specification is capable of communicating with other communication devices using a communication link consisting of a first channel used to acquire a transmission right and one or more second channels different from the first channel, and includes: notification means for notifying the other communication devices of capability information indicating that the communication device is capable of operating to communicate using one or more of the second channels without using the first channel, using at least one of a UHR (Ultra High Reliability) Capabilities element or a UHR Operation element defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard; and communication means for communicating data with the other communication devices using one or more channels including either the first channel or the second channel based on the capability information.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the channel utilization efficiency in a communication system that uses a communication link made up of multiple channels.

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0009] The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description are used to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication system. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a UHR Capabilities element. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a UHR Capabilities element. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UHR Operation element. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a UHR Operation element. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a communication device. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a communication device. Figure 8 is an example of a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by a communication device. Figure 9 is an example of a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by a communication device. Figure 10 is an example of a sequence executed between communication devices.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] (System Configuration) FIG. 1 shows an example configuration of a wireless communication system according to this embodiment. The wireless communication system includes, for example, an access point (AP) 101 and a station (STA) 102. The AP 101 and the STA 102 are communication devices capable of performing wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. In this embodiment, the AP 101 and the STA 102 may be collectively referred to as a communication device 100. IEEE stands for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which the STA 102 participates in a network 103 established by the AP 101. While FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which there is one AP 101 and one STA 102, there may be multiple APs and multiple STAs. Furthermore, multiple STAs may be connected to one AP, and one STA may be connected to multiple APs.

[0012] In this embodiment, the AP 101 and the STA 102 are configured to be able to execute a communication method conforming to the IEEE 802.11bn standard. The IEEE 802.11bn standard is a successor to the IEEE 802.11be standard, which targets a maximum transmission speed of 46.08 Gbps (Giga bit per second). The main features of the IEEE 802.11bn standard are that it has functions to achieve highly reliable communication, low latency communication, and improved throughput when communication traffic is congested. The wireless frame used in the communication method conforming to this standard may be called a UHR (Ultra High Reliability) PPDU. PPDU stands for PLCP Protocol Data Unit, and PLCP stands for Physical Layer Convergence Protocol. It should be noted that names such as UHR and IEEE 802.11bn may be changed to other names when the standards are fully established. It should be noted that this specification and the claims attached hereto are applicable to communication devices using all successor standards to IEEE 802.11be. The communication device 100 may also be compatible with at least one legacy standard that predates the IEEE 802.11bn standard. Examples of legacy standards include the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be standards. The communication device 100 may also be compatible with other communication standards, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC, UWB, ZigBee, MBOA, etc. UWB stands for Ultra Wide Band, and MBOA stands for Multi Band OFDM Alliance. NFC stands for Near Field Communication. UWB includes wireless USB, wireless 1394, WiNET, etc. The communication device 100 may also be compatible with communication standards such as wired LAN. The AP 101 may be, for example, a wireless LAN router or a personal computer (PC), but is not limited to these. The AP 101 may also be an information processing device, such as a wireless chip, capable of performing wireless communication compatible with the IEEE 802.11bn standard, etc.The STA 102 is, for example, but not limited to, a camera, a tablet, a smartphone, a PC (personal computer), a mobile phone, a video camera, a headset, etc. The STA 102 may be an information processing device such as a wireless chip capable of performing wireless communication compatible with the IEEE 802.11bn standard or the like.

[0013] The communication device 100 may communicate using radio signals in frequency bands such as the 2.4 GHz band, the 3.6 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, the 6 GHz band, and the 45 GHz band and 60 GHz band, which are called millimeter waves. The frequency bands used by the communication device 100 are not limited to these and may be, for example, the Sub 1 GHz band. The communication device 100 may also communicate using bandwidths of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, 320 MHz, 540 MHz, 640 MHz, 1080 MHz, and 2160 MHz. The bandwidths used by the communication device 100 are not limited to these and may be, for example, 240 MHz, 4 MHz, etc. The IEEE 802.11 standard series specifies a frequency channel using a 20 MHz bandwidth as a basic channel in frequency bands such as the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. This standard also defines multiple available channels in each of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. This standard also allows a channel to be used in combination with an adjacent channel. In this embodiment, using a channel in combination with an adjacent channel is sometimes referred to as channel bonding. A bundle of channels formed by one or two or more adjacent channels is sometimes referred to as a communication link (link). That is, one link formed by two channels with a 20 MHz bandwidth uses a 40 MHz bandwidth. The AP 101 and the STA 102 may be an AP MLD (Multi-Link Device) and a STA MLD that support Multi-Link, which simultaneously establishes multiple links for communication.

[0014] A communication device 100 establishes one or more links between devices to communicate data with other communication devices. For example, a STA 102 executes a connection procedure with the AP 101 to establish a link with the AP 101. When the connection procedure between the STA 102 and the AP 101 is completed, a link is established between the devices. By establishing a link, the communication device 100 can access a wireless medium and communicate data, etc., with the other communication device. For example, when a link using a 160 MHz bandwidth is established between devices, the communication device 100 communicates using all or some of the channels that make up the link. A link using a 160 MHz bandwidth can be configured by bundling eight channels with a 20 MHz bandwidth.

[0015] Before transmitting data, the communication device 100 performs carrier sensing to determine whether or not to transmit. For example, the communication device 100 measures the strength of a signal received on a channel that the device intends to use for transmission (received signal strength), and if the received signal strength exceeds a predetermined threshold, determines that a signal is present on that channel. The communication device 100 also determines whether or not a signal is present based on information such as a Duration field included in the signal received on the channel. For example, the communication device 100 stores the period indicated by the Duration field included in the received signal as a Network Allocation Vector (NAV) within the device. The communication device 100 may treat the stored NAV as a period during which the device will not transmit. The operation of the communication device 100 to set a period during which the device will not transmit based on information such as the Duration field of the received signal is also referred to as setting the NAV. The communication device 100 may determine that transmission is not possible if it determines by carrier sense that a signal is present on the channel, or if the set NAV period has not expired. The channel state in this case may be called a busy state. On the other hand, a state in which no signal is detected on the channel by carrier sense and no NAV is set may be called an idle state. The communication device 100 may determine that transmission is possible when the channel is in an idle state. Note that, for example, when communicating using a 160 MHz bandwidth link, the communication device 100 may determine whether transmission is possible using only the Primary Channel (PCH). The PCH is one of eight 20 MHz bandwidth channels that make up the 160 MHz bandwidth link, and may be notified to the STA 102, for example, by a beacon frame periodically broadcast by the AP 101. For example, if the communication device 100 determines that transmission is possible as a result of performing carrier sensing on the PCH for a predetermined period of time, the communication device 100 may perform transmission by channel bonding using other channels included in the same link.Also, if the communication device 100 determines that transmission is not possible as a result of performing carrier sensing on the PCH, the communication device 100 may postpone transmission even if the other channels included in the same link are idle.Each channel other than the PCH that constitutes one link may be called a secondary channel (SCH), which may also be called a non-primary channel (NPCH).

[0016] When a communication device 100 receives a signal on a certain channel, if a signal is transmitted on another channel (e.g., an adjacent channel) located at a frequency close to the received channel, the received signal may not be properly received. For example, assume that the communication device 100 can simultaneously perform transmission and reception processes using different channels. If the communication device 100 receives a signal on a certain channel and then transmits on an adjacent channel, the power of the transmitted signal may leak into the channel of the received signal, causing interference with the received signal. Generally, the power of the transmitted signal leaking out is much greater than the received power of the received signal, resulting in improper reception of the received signal. To avoid this situation, the IEEE 802.11 series standards provide a PCH as a channel commonly used between communication devices to determine whether or not to transmit. In other words, while one communication device is transmitting on the PCH, the other communication device will not transmit, even if the other channel is idle. This can eliminate the problem of interference caused by power leakage between channels. However, when the PCH is busy, other idle channels (SCHs) are not used, reducing frequency utilization efficiency. For example, if communication device 100 transmits using only the 20 MHz PCH, even if the other seven SCHs are idle, the other communication device cannot transmit using those SCHs. Furthermore, if another network established by another AP (not shown) exists geographically near AP 101, the PCH may be determined to be busy due to the other network's use of the PCH. In this case, since AP 101 is not transmitting, even if STA 102 transmits to AP 101 using the SCH, AP 101 can properly receive the signal transmitted by STA 102. Thus, for example, if the 20 MHz PCH is used by another network, and the remaining 140 MHz of idle SCHs are not utilized, frequency resources cannot be utilized efficiently.In this embodiment, when a PCH is being used by another communication device, a function is provided for communicating between communication devices using an SCH (or NPCH) included in the same link as the PCH without using the PCH. As an example, when the PCH is busy between communication devices, a Secondary Primary Channel (SPCH) is set to determine whether transmission using the SCH (or NPCH) is possible. When the communication device 100 determines that the PCH is being used by another communication device, it subsequently determines whether transmission is possible on the SPCH, and if it determines that transmission is possible, it transmits using one or more SCHs including the SPCH. This channel access for transmitting using one or more channels including the SPCH without using the PCH can be called NPCH access (Non-Primary Channel Access, NPCA). In NPCH access, the transmitting communication device performs a transmission process to transmit a signal to the other communication device using one or more SCHs including the SPCH channel. On the other hand, the receiving communication device performs a receiving process to receive a signal transmitted from the other communication device using one or more SCHs including the SPCH channel. To perform NPCH access, the communication device 100 shares information with the other communication device in advance, such as whether or not the communication device has the capability to perform NPCH access, the channel to be set for the SPCH, etc. Below, an example of notification of capability information when connecting communication devices in this embodiment and an operation of channel access based on the capability information will be described.

[0017] (Operation when notifying capability information between communication devices) The AP 101 periodically broadcasts information necessary for other communication devices (such as the STA 102) to connect to the AP 101 using a beacon frame (beacon). By receiving the beacon, the STA 102 recognizes the AP 101 and initiates a wireless connection procedure. Note that if the AP 101 does not transmit a beacon or if the STA 102 fails to properly receive a beacon transmitted by the AP 101, the STA 102 may initiate a wireless connection procedure without receiving a beacon. For example, the STA 102 may initiate a wireless connection procedure using a service set identifier (SSID) or the like registered in advance by a user or the like. To connect to the AP 101, the STA 102 first transmits a probe request frame (probe request) to the AP 101. When the AP 101 receives the Probe Request, it transmits a Probe Response frame (Probe Response) addressed to the STA 102. When the STA 102 receives the Probe Response, it transmits an Authentication frame (Authentication) to the AP 101. When the AP 101 receives the Authentication, it transmits the Authentication to the STA 102. When the STA 102 receives the Authentication, it transmits an Association Request frame (Association Request). Upon receiving the Association Request, the AP 101 transmits an Association Response frame (Association Response). By executing the connection procedure between the AP 101 and the STA 102 in this manner, a link using a wireless medium is established between the AP 101 and the STA 102. After the above connection procedure, the AP 101 and the STA 102 may execute a 4-way handshake or the like to exchange security information. The AP 101 and the STA 102 may also execute the wireless connection procedure using a method other than the above.

[0018] During the wireless connection procedure, the AP 101 and the STA 102 share information with the other communication device that can identify the presence or absence of the capability to perform NPCH access, the channel to be used as the SPCH, etc. In this embodiment, information that identifies the functions that the communication device 100 has for performing wireless communication may be referred to as capability information. The capability information may include various information exchanged between the communication device 100 and another communication device to perform NPCH access. For example, the capability information may include information indicating that the communication device 100 can perform NPCH access, the number of channels that can be carrier sensed in parallel, information identifying the SPCH, and SPCH priority. The SPCH priority indicates which SPCH the communication device 100 will prioritize in performing carrier sense when multiple SPCHs are configured. The communication device 100 may notify the other communication device of capability information indicating that the communication device 100 can perform NPCH access. Furthermore, the communication device 100 may acquire capability information indicating that the other communication device can perform NPCH access from the other communication device. The capability to perform NPCH access may be either the capability to perform transmission processing in NPCH access or the capability to perform reception processing in NPCH access, or may be both. Furthermore, the communication device 100 may voluntarily notify the capability information of its own device, or may notify the capability information of its own device upon a request from a communication device of the other party.

[0019] In order to notify the capability information of the AP 101, the AP 101 may periodically broadcast a beacon including the capability information. By broadcasting using a beacon, the AP 101 may efficiently notify an unspecified number of STAs 102 of the capability information. Furthermore, by the STAs 102 grasping the capability information of the AP 101 before starting the connection procedure, the amount of information exchanged during the connection procedure can be reduced. Note that a FILS Discovery frame may be used instead of a beacon. The FILS Discovery frame may be used to broadcast only a portion of the information included in the beacon (such as SSID and channel information). Furthermore, the AP 101 may notify the STAs 102 of the capability information using a Probe Response or an Association Response transmitted to the STAs 102. The STA 102 can notify the AP 101 of its own capability information using a probe request or an association request.

[0020] The communication device 100 may passively acquire capability information by waiting for notification of capability information from the other communication device, or may actively acquire capability information by making a request to the other communication device. For example, the STA 102 may acquire the capability information of the AP 101 by receiving a beacon transmitted from the AP 101. The STA 102 may request capability information from the AP 101 using a probe request or an association request, and may acquire the capability information of the AP 101 using a probe response or an association response. The AP 101 may request notification of capability information from the STA 102 using the probe response or the association response.

[0021] As an example, the capability information may be notified using a UHR Capabilities element. The UHR Capabilities element may be included in the above-mentioned Beacon, Probe Request, Probe Response, Association Request, Association Response, etc. The UHR Capabilities element may also be included in a frame other than these. For example, the UHR Capabilities element may be included in an Action frame (Action). In this case, after a link between devices is established, it becomes possible to flexibly change the link settings. For example, it becomes possible to change the SCH set as the SPCH or change the priority of the SPCH depending on the surrounding environment. FIG. 2 shows an example of a UHR Capabilities element. The UHR Capabilities element includes an Element ID field 201, a Length field 202, and an Extended Element ID field 203. The UHR Capabilities element may also include a Secondary Transmit Capable (STC) field 204 and a Secondary Receive Capable (SRC) 1 field 205. The UHR Capabilities element may further include an SRC2 field 206, an SRC3 field 207, and an SRC4 field 208. The combination of the Element ID field 201 and the Extended Element ID field 203 indicates the type of the element. For example, an element in which the Element ID field 201 is set to 255 and the Extended Element ID field 203 is set to 138 is a UHR Capabilities element. The Length field 202 indicates the length of this element. The STC field 204 indicates whether the communication device 100 can perform transmission processing in NPCH access. The SRC1 field 205 indicates that the number of channels that the communication device can receive is 1 when the other communication device transmits using NPCH access.Similarly, the SRC2 field 206 indicates that when the other communication device transmits using NPCH access, the number of channels that the device can receive in parallel (the number of receivable channels) is two. The SRC3 field 207 indicates that the number of receivable channels is three. The SRC4 field 208 indicates that the number of receivable channels is four. For example, if only the SRC1 field 205 is set to 1 and the SRC2 field 206 to the SRC4 field 208 are each set to 0, this indicates that the number of receivable channels is one. Note that the STC field 204 and the SRC1 field 205 to the SRC4 field 208 can be combined into one field. In this case, one bit indicates that the device can perform both transmission and reception using NPCH access. The SRC1 field 205 to the SRC4 field 208 may also be combined into one field. In this case, one bit indicates that the device can perform reception processing using NPCH access. If the communication device 100 can simultaneously perform reception processing on five or more channels, an SRC5 field (not shown), an SRC6 field (not shown), or the like may be provided. In this case, it is possible to indicate to the other communication device that it is capable of simultaneous reception processing on more channels. The number of channels that the communication device 100 can simultaneously receive is, for example, the number of receiving circuits the communication device 100 has. By having each receiving circuit correspond to a respective channel (such as an SPCH), reception processing of signals received on multiple channels can be performed in parallel. The number of channels that the communication device 100 can simultaneously receive may also be the number of channels that the communication device 100 can carrier sense in parallel (the number of carrier-senseable channels). For example, if the communication device 100 has only one receiving circuit, it may perform carrier sense in parallel on multiple channels, select one channel from the channels on which a signal is detected, and perform reception processing of the received signal. Furthermore, the number of channels that the communication device 100 can simultaneously receive may also be the number of receiving antennas the communication device 100 has.When each antenna is associated with another antenna so that it can process signals of different channels, the communication device 100 can perform reception processing of signals received on each channel in parallel. Similarly, the communication device 100 may notify the other communication device of the number of carrier sense-enabled channels and the number of receivable channels using separate fields. In this case, it becomes easier to adjust the scheduling of NPCH access between the devices.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows another example of the UHR Capabilities element. In FIG. 3, a Secondary Receive Capable (SRC) field 301 is provided instead of the SRC1 field 205 to the SRC4 field 208 in FIG. 2. The SRC field 301 can be configured with, for example, two bits. As an example, if the communication device 100 cannot perform reception processing in NPCH access, the communication device 100 can set the value of the SRC field 301 to 0. Furthermore, if the number of receivable channels is 1, 2, or 4, the communication device 100 can set the value of the SRC field 301 to 1, 2, or 3, respectively. Note that if the number of receivable channels is 3, the communication device 100 may set the value of the SRC field 301 to 3. Furthermore, the communication device 100 may have an SRC field for indicating that the device itself can perform reception processing in NPCH access, and another field for indicating the number of receivable channels (a number of receivable channels field, not shown). When the SRC field indicates that the communication device 100 can perform reception processing in NPCH access, the number of receivable channels field may indicate the number of receivable channels.

[0023] The communication device 100 may notify the other communication device of its capability information using elements or fields other than the UHR Capabilities element. For example, the communication device 100 may notify the other communication device of its capability information using the Extended Capabilities field. In this case, the communication device 100 may exchange capability information with a communication device that does not comply with the IEEE 802.11bn standard but is capable of performing NPCH access. Furthermore, new elements or fields may be formulated for exchanging capability information related to NPCH access. By formulating new elements or fields, it becomes possible to flexibly exchange information required for NPCH access between communication devices.

[0024] (Operation for Setting an SPCH) When there are multiple SCHs, the communication device 100 can determine an SPCH from among them. There may be one SPCH or multiple SPCHs. The SPCH may be determined by one communication device and notified to the other communication device, or may be adjusted between the devices. For example, the AP 101 may determine an SPCH to be used commonly by all STAs connected to the device and notify the STAs using a beacon or the like. Furthermore, when the AP 101 individually sets an SPCH with each STA connected to the device, the AP 101 may adjust the SPCH during the connection procedure between each STA (such as exchanging an association request or an association response). As an example, the SPCH may be notified using a UHR Operation element. The UHR Operation element may be included in the above-mentioned Beacon, Probe Request, Probe Response, Association Request, Association Response, Action, etc. The UHR Operation element may also be included in other frames.

[0025] 4 shows an example of a UHR Operation element. The UHR Operation element includes an Element ID field 401, a Length field 402, and an Extended Element ID field 403. The UHR Operation element also includes a Secondary Channel Number field 404, a Secondary Channel field 405, and a Secondary Simultaneous field 406. The Element ID field 401 and the Extended Element ID field 403 are the same as the Element ID field 401 and the Extended Element ID field 403 in FIG. 2, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The Length field 402 indicates the length of this element. The Secondary Channel Number field 404 indicates the number of subsequent Secondary Channel (SC) fields 405. There are as many Secondary Channel (SC) fields 405 as the number of values ​​specified in the field 404. FIG. 4 illustrates a case where 2 is stored in 404 and there are two 405 fields (405-1 and 405-2). These SC fields 405 are fields that indicate the position of the SPCH on the frequency axis. The Secondary Channel Number field 404 may also be called a Secondary Primary Channel Number field. The Secondary Channel field 405 may also be referred to as a Secondary Primary Channel field. The communication device 100 may indicate the position of the SPCH on the frequency axis by storing the channel number of the SPCH in the SC field 405. For example, if a channel number is used to indicate the position of the SPCH, the SC field 405 may be configured with a field indicating the Operating Class of the SPCH and a field indicating the Channel. The Operating Class is an identifier that can uniquely identify a frequency band determined by the country or region in which the communication device 100 is used.Furthermore, Channel is an identifier that can uniquely identify each channel included in the frequency band identified by the Operating Class. Furthermore, the communication device 100 may indicate the position of the SPCH by storing the relative position of the SPCH on the frequency axis with respect to the PCH in the SC field 405. For example, assume that the communication device 100 uses a link with a bandwidth of 160 MHz in the 6 GHz band and sets channel 1 in that band as the PCH (20 MHz bandwidth). Also assume that the SCHs (20 MHz bandwidth) are channels 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, and 29, respectively. When the communication device 100 sets channel 21 as the SPCH, it sets the value of the SC field 405 to 20. That is, 20, which represents the relative distance on the frequency axis from channel 1 (the PCH) to channel 21 (the SPCH), may be set as the value of the SC field 405. Furthermore, the communication device 100 may assign consecutive identifiers (0, 1, 2, ...) in ascending order of frequency to the positions of the PCH and each SCH on the frequency axis (1ch, 5ch, 9ch, ...). For example, if the communication device 100 sets 21ch as the SPCH, it may set 5, another identifier of 21ch, as the value of the SC field. This may reduce the number of bits in the field used to notify the position of the SPCH on the frequency axis. The communication device 100 may also indicate the position of the SPCH on the frequency axis by storing the center frequency of the SPCH in the SC field 405. In this case, since the usable bandwidth is determined depending on the center frequency depending on the frequency band, the value of the SC field 405 may indicate the bandwidth in addition to the center frequency of the SPCH. For example, a value of 6065 in the SC field 405 may indicate that the SPCH is a channel with a center frequency of 6065 MHz and a bandwidth of 80 MHz at 6 GHz. The SC field 405 may also include information indicating the bandwidth of the SCH. For example, when the value of a field (not shown) indicating the bandwidth is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, it may indicate that the bandwidth of the SPCH is 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz, respectively.Furthermore, the communication device 100 can store a combination of two or more of the Operating Class, the channel number, the center frequency, and the bandwidth in the SC field 405 .

[0026] When configuring multiple SPCHs, the communication device 100 may notify the other communication device of the priority assigned to each SPCH. For example, the communication device 100 may assign a priority to each SPCH, indicating which SPCH should be used preferentially for carrier sensing in NPCH access. If the number of channels capable of carrier sensing in the communication device 100 is equal to or greater than the number of SPCHs, the communication device 100 may perform carrier sensing in parallel on each SPCH. On the other hand, if the number of SPCHs is greater than the number of channels capable of carrier sensing in the communication device 100, the communication device 100 may perform carrier sensing on each channel in order according to the priority assigned to each SPCH. The communication device 100 may include the priority assigned to each SPCH in the SC field 405. Furthermore, the communication device 100 may notify the SC field 405 corresponding to each SPCH by storing it in one UHR Operation element. At this time, the communication device 100 can arrange information of each SPCH in the UHR Operation element according to the priority of each SPCH. By arranging the information of the SPCH according to the priority assigned to each SPCH, the priority of each SPCH is implicitly indicated, so that the priority of the SPCH can be notified without increasing the number of bits in the SC field 405.

[0027] The Secondary Channel Simultaneous field 406 indicates the number of channels for which carrier sensing is possible by the communication device 100. The Secondary Channel Simultaneous field 406 may also be referred to as a Secondary Primary Channel Simultaneous field. When the number of channels for which carrier sensing is possible is 1, the communication device 100 may set the Secondary Channel Simultaneous field 406 to 0. In other words, by setting the Secondary Channel Simultaneous field 406 to 0, the communication device 100 may indicate that carrier sensing will be performed on each SPCH in order according to the priority assigned to the SPCHs. Furthermore, when the number of carrier sense capable channels is two, the communication device 100 may set the Secondary Channel Simultaneous field 406 to 1. In this case, when the communication device 100 detects that the PCH is busy, the communication device 100 performs carrier sensing on two SPCHs in parallel according to the priority levels assigned to the SPCHs. Note that the communication device 100 may indicate the number of receivable channels in the UHR Operation element by using the Secondary Channel Simultaneous field 406. Note that the communication device 100 may notify the number of carrier sense capable channels and the number of receivable channels using different fields.

[0028] Figure 5 shows another example of the UHR Operation element. The Element ID field 401, Length field 402, and Extended Element ID 403 are the same as those in Figure 4, and therefore their description will be omitted. In Figure 5, a Secondary Channel Bitmap field 501 and a Secondary Order field 502 are included instead of the Secondary Channel Number field 404 and the SC field 405. The Secondary Channel Bitmap field 501 may also be referred to as a Secondary Primary Channel Bitmap field. The Secondary Order field 502 may also be referred to as a Secondary Primary Channel Order field. The Secondary Channel Bitmap field 502 may indicate the position of the SPCH on the frequency axis in one link configured with the PCH and SCH. For example, if the communication device 100 uses a link with a bandwidth of 160 MHz configured with channels 1ch to 29ch in the 6 GHz band, each channel may be associated with a respective bit of the Secondary Channel Bitmap field 502. As an example, if the SPCH is 17ch, the fourth bit from the left end of the Secondary Channel Bitmap field 502 may be set to 1.

[0029] The Secondary Order field 502 indicates information for specifying the priority of each SPCH. The bandwidth available for NPCH access may vary depending on the arrangement of the PCH and SPCH on the frequency axis in the link used by the communication device 100 and the position on the frequency axis of the SPCH detected as idle. For example, if the PCH is set to 1ch in a 160 MHz link, NPCH access without using the PCH cannot transmit using the 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz bands including 1ch. Therefore, for example, if the SPCH is 5ch, any of 9ch to 13ch, or any of 17ch to 29ch, the maximum bandwidth available for NPCH access is 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 80 MHz, respectively. Therefore, the communication device 100 assigns a higher priority to SPCHs with larger bandwidths available for NPCH access, thereby increasing the amount of data that can be communicated via NPCH access. For example, when prioritizing SPCHs in descending order of bandwidth available for NPCH access, the communication device 100 may set the Secondary Order field 502 to 0. For example, if 1ch is the PCH and 5ch, 7ch, and 17ch are the SPCHs, setting the Secondary Order field 502 to 0 indicates that carrier sensing is performed in the order of 1ch, 17ch, 7ch, and 5ch. In this manner, the Secondary Order field 502 may allow devices to share the order of SCHs in which carrier sensing is performed when using NPCH access. Note that the method of prioritizing each SPCH is not limited to the above. For example, a higher priority may be assigned to an SPCH that is farther from the PCH on the frequency axis. This may reduce interference between communication using the PCH and communication using NPCH access. Furthermore, a higher priority may be assigned to an SPCH that is closer to the PCH on the frequency axis. When the PCH is busy, if many communication devices that execute NPCH access attempt to communicate using an SCH that is far from the PCH, the possibility of signal collision increases.Some communication devices may reduce the probability of signal collision by setting an SCH that is close to the PCH on the frequency axis as the SPCH. For example, a communication device that communicates a small amount of data may set one of the SCHs that is close to the PCH as the SPCH. The priority assigned to the SPCH may be determined by a combination of these methods. Furthermore, if the priority of the SPCH is predetermined in a communication standard, the Secondary Order field 502 may be deleted. Furthermore, the predetermined priority of the SPCH may be used between communication devices. In this case, the Secondary Order field 502 may also be deleted.

[0030] If the communication device 100 can separately configure the transmission SPCH and the reception SPCH, each field shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be provided with a separate field indicating information about the transmission SPCH and a separate field indicating information about the reception SPCH. This enables flexible transmission and reception control. Although the present embodiment describes an example in which the information contained in the UHR Capabilities element and the information contained in the UHR Operation element are notified by separate elements, these may also be notified by the same element. This allows for the collective exchange of information necessary for NPCH access. Note that, if the number of carrier sense capable channels of the communication device 100 is greater than the number of receivable channels of the other communication device, the communication device 100 may set the number of receivable channels of the other communication device as the number of channels on which the communication device 100 performs carrier sense in parallel. The number of channels on which the communication device 100 performs carrier sense in parallel may be referred to as the number of carrier sense execution channels. Furthermore, when the number of carrier sense capable channels of the communication device 100 is equal to or less than the number of receivable channels of the other device, the communication device 100 can set the number of carrier sense capable channels of the own device as the number of carrier sense execution channels. Note that in this embodiment, information notified using the UHR Capabilities element and the UHR Operation element can be included in the capability information. Furthermore, the information shown in Figures 4 and 5 may be included in the UHR Capabilities element, and the information shown in Figures 2 and 3 may be included in the UHR Operation element.

[0031] (Operations when a communication device transmits data) The operations of the communication device 100 in this embodiment when it performs channel access and transmits data will be described. When the communication device 100 detects that data has accumulated in its own transmission queue, it initiates a channel access procedure to transmit this data. First, the communication device 100 performs carrier sensing on the PCH. If a signal is detected during carrier sensing, the communication device 100 determines whether the signal has been transmitted from a communication device belonging to the network 103. A signal transmitted from a communication device belonging to the network 103 may be referred to as a signal from its own BSS (Basic Service Set). Furthermore, a signal transmitted from a communication device belonging to a network other than the network 103 may be referred to as a signal from an OBSS (Overlapping BSS). For example, the communication device 100 may determine whether a received signal is from its own BSS or from an OBSS based on whether the BSS Color field included in the received signal matches the BSS Color of its own BSS. Furthermore, the communication device 100 may determine whether the received signal is from its own BSS or from an OBSS based on whether the values ​​stored in the destination field, source field, etc. included in the received signal match parameters of its own BSS. Furthermore, the communication device 100 sets the NAV for the PCH using the duration indicated in the Duration field included in the received signal. The communication device 100 determines whether to perform NPCH access based on a signal detected on the PCH. For example, if the signal detected on the PCH is a signal from an OBSS, the communication device 100 may perform the following procedure to perform NPCH access. Furthermore, if the signal detected on the PCH is a signal from the own BSS, the communication device 100 may determine not to perform NPCH access. Note that there may be cases where a NAV has already been set for the PCH when it is detected that data has accumulated in a transmission queue provided in communication device 100. In this case, communication device 100 may determine whether to perform NPCH access by determining whether the signal received when the NAV was set was a signal from its own BSS or a signal from an OBSS.When the communication device 100 does not detect a signal on the PCH, it measures a backoff counter and determines whether the PCH is in an idle state. That is, when the communication device 100 does not detect a signal for a period determined by the backoff counter, it determines that the PCH is in an idle state. When it determines that the PCH is in an idle state, the communication device 100 transmits a signal using one or more channels including the PCH. Note that, after determining that the PCH is in an idle state, the communication device 100 may perform carrier sensing of the SCH for a predetermined period. Furthermore, the communication device 100 may perform carrier sensing of the SCH in parallel with carrier sensing of the PCH. The communication device 100 may determine a channel to use for transmission based on the results of carrier sensing performed on each of the PCH and the SCH, and transmit a signal. For example, the communication device 100 may transmit a signal using the PCH and one or more SCHs determined to be in an idle state.

[0032] When the communication device 100 detects a signal on the PCH and proceeds with the NPCH access procedure, it performs carrier sensing on the SPCH. If multiple SPCHs are configured between the communication devices, the communication device 100 performs carrier sensing on the SPCHs in descending order of priority. Furthermore, if the communication device 100 can perform carrier sensing on multiple SPCHs in parallel, it may perform carrier sensing on multiple SPCHs selected in descending order of priority. If the communication device 100 does not detect a signal on the SPCH, it measures a backoff counter in the same manner as carrier sensing on the PCH and determines whether the device is in an idle state. The backoff counter used for carrier sensing on the PCH and the backoff counter used for carrier sensing on the SPCH may be different. When the number of communication devices capable of performing NPCH access is small, the possibility of signal collision is relatively low, so the communication device 100 may set a shorter backoff counter compared to carrier sensing on the PCH. Furthermore, when multiple SPCHs are configured, the back-off counters used for carrier sensing of each SPCH may be different. The communication device 100 may start transmission using the SPCH that first acquires the transmission right among the SPCHs for which carrier sensing has been performed in parallel. The communication device 100 may use a single common back-off counter to perform carrier sensing for the PCH and the SPCH. In this case, the communication device 100 may perform carrier sensing for the SPCH using the remaining back-off counter after counting down during carrier sensing for the PCH. If the communication device 100 determines that any SPCH is idle, it transmits a signal using one or more SCHs, including that SPCH. After determining that an SPCH is idle, the communication device 100 may perform carrier sensing for other SCHs for a predetermined period of time. The communication device 100 may determine the channel to use for transmission based on the results of carrier sensing performed on the SPCH and the SCH, and transmit a signal. For example, the communication device 100 may transmit signals using one or more SPCHs and SCHs that are determined to be in an idle state.When the communication device 100 detects a signal on the SPCH, it determines whether the detected signal is a signal from its own BSS or a signal from the OBSS. If the detected signal is a signal from its own BSS, the communication device 100 may cancel NPCH access and postpone transmission until the NAV period set on the PCH expires. For example, if the AP 101 detects a signal from its own BSS on the SPCH, this signal is addressed to the AP 101. Therefore, if the AP 101 transmits on another SCH while receiving this signal, the signal may not be properly received. On the other hand, if the STA 102 detects a signal from its own BSS on the SPCH, and this signal is addressed to the STA 102, the signal may not be properly received if the STA 102 transmits on another SCH while receiving this signal. Furthermore, if this signal is addressed to the AP 101, and the STA 102 transmits a signal on another SCH while the AP 101 is receiving this signal, the AP 101 may not properly receive the other signal if it transmits a response to one of the signals. Therefore, if the communication device 100 detects a signal from its own BSS on the SPCH, it may cancel NPCH access. If the detected signal is a signal from an OBSS, the communication device 100 determines whether there are other SPCHs for which carrier sense is not being performed. If there are other SPCHs, the communication device 100 performs carrier sense in descending order of the priority assigned to the SPCHs. The communication device 100 performs carrier sense in descending order of the priority assigned to the SPCHs, and if all SPCHs are busy, it postpones transmission until the NAV period set on the PCH expires.

[0033] (Operations When Communication Device Receives Data) The operations of the communication device 100 in this embodiment when receiving data will be described. The communication device 100 monitors the presence or absence of a signal on the PCH while no data is accumulated in its transmission queue. When a signal is detected on the PCH, the communication device 100 determines whether the signal is from its own BSS or an OBSS. If the signal is from its own BSS, the communication device 100 determines whether the signal is addressed to the device. If the signal is addressed to the device, the reception process continues. If the signal is not addressed to the device, the reception process may be aborted. If the detected signal is a signal from an OBSS, the communication device 100 sets a NAV on the PCH. Furthermore, the communication device 100 monitors the presence or absence of a signal on the SPCH in preparation for receiving a signal via NPCH access. If multiple SPCHs are configured, the communication device 100 may monitor the presence or absence of a signal on each SPCH in parallel. When the communication device 100 detects a signal on an SPCH, it determines whether the signal is from its own BSS or an OBSS. If the signal is from its own BSS, the communication device 100 determines whether the signal is addressed to the device. If the signal is addressed to the device, it continues reception processing. If the signal is not addressed to the device, it may stop reception processing for that signal. If the detected signal is from an OBSS, the communication device 100 may stop reception processing for that signal. If priorities are assigned to the SPCHs, the communication device 100 may monitor signals on each SPCH according to the priorities. If the communication device 100 receives a signal from an OBSS on an SPCH with a high priority, it may stop carrier sensing on that SPCH and start carrier sensing on an SPCH with the next highest priority. If the communication device 100 does not detect a signal on an SPCH for a certain period of time, the other communication device may detect a signal on this SPCH and switch to the SPCH with the next highest priority to perform carrier sensing. Therefore, if the communication device 100 does not detect a signal on the SPCH for a predetermined period of time, it can change the target of monitoring to the SPCH with the next highest priority.The communication device 100 may use, as the predetermined period, a period longer than the maximum value of the carrier sense period (including the backoff counter) used for NPCH access. By monitoring signals on the SPCH for a period longer than the carrier sense period, the communication device 100 can confirm that the other communication device is unlikely to transmit on this SPCH, and then change to the next SPCH. The predetermined period may be determined based on the number of channels on which carrier sense is performed, or based on the NAV set on the PCH. The predetermined period may also be a period determined by a standard, such as the NAV minus the predetermined period, divided by the number of channels capable of carrier sense. Note that the communication device 100 may also receive signals on the PCH while monitoring signals on the SPCH in preparation for NPCH access. The communication device 100 may start monitoring signals on the PCH when the NAV set on the PCH expires or when the set NAV is canceled. The NAV set on the PCH can be cancelled, for example, when a signal indicating the completion of communication is received on the PCH.

[0034] 6 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the communication device 100. As an example of the hardware configuration, the communication device 100 has, for example, a storage unit 601, a control unit 602, a function unit 603, an input unit 604, an output unit 605, a communication unit 606, and an antenna 607. The communication device 100 may have multiple antennas.

[0035] The storage unit 601 is configured with one or more memories including ROM, RAM, etc., and may store various information such as control programs for each functional unit constituting the communication device 100 to perform various operations, and parameters for communication. ROM and RAM stand for Read Only Memory and Random Access Memory, respectively. The storage unit 601 may be configured to include, in addition to memories such as ROM and RAM, storage media such as a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, and a DVD.

[0036] The control unit 602 is configured with one or more processors including, for example, a CPU, an MPU, etc., and controls the entire communication device 100 by executing a control program stored in the storage unit 601. The control unit 602 may control the entire communication device 100 in cooperation with the control program stored in the storage unit 601 and an OS (Operating System). The CPU and MPU are abbreviations for Central Processing Unit and Micro Processing Unit, respectively. When the control unit 602 has multiple processors that can be implemented using a multi-core or the like, the entire communication device 100 may be configured to be controlled by the multiple processors.

[0037] The control unit 602 also controls the functional unit 603 to perform predetermined processes such as communication, image capture, printing, and projection. The functional unit 603 is hardware that enables the communication device 100 to perform the predetermined processes described above. For example, if the device is a camera, the functional unit 603 is an image capture unit that performs image capture processing. For example, if the device is a printer, the functional unit 603 is a print unit that performs print processing. For example, if the device is a projector, the functional unit 603 is a projection unit that performs projection processing.

[0038] The input unit 604 receives various operations from the user. The output unit 605 outputs various types of information to the user via a monitor screen or a speaker. The output from the output unit 605 may be a display on the monitor screen, an audio output from a speaker, a vibration output, or the like. The input unit 604 and the output unit 605 may both be implemented as a single module, such as a touch panel. The input unit 604 and the output unit 605 may be integrated into the communication device 100 or may be separate devices.

[0039] The communication unit 606 controls wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11bn standard. Furthermore, the communication unit 606 may control wireless communication compliant with other IEEE 802.11 standard series, such as legacy standards, in addition to the IEEE 802.11bn standard. The communication unit 606 controls the antenna 607 to transmit and receive signals for wireless communication generated by the control unit 602. The communication unit 606 is a so-called wireless chip and may itself include one or more processors and memories. Note that if the communication device 100 supports other wireless communication standards, such as the NFC standard or the Bluetooth standard, or wired communication such as a wired LAN, in addition to the IEEE 802.11bn standard, the communication unit 606 may control communication compliant with these communication standards. Furthermore, if the communication device 100 can perform wireless communication compliant with multiple communication standards, the communication device 100 may be configured to have separate communication units and antennas corresponding to each communication standard. Communication device 100 communicates data with a communication device on the other end via communication unit 606. Antenna 607 may be configured as a separate unit from communication unit 606, or may be configured as a single module together with communication unit 606. Communication device 100 may include as many communication units 606 as necessary to set up multiple SPCHs.

[0040] Antenna 607 is an antenna capable of communication in, for example, the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, the 6 GHz band, millimeter waves, etc. Although Fig. 6 shows a configuration in which communication device 100 has two antennas 607, communication device 100 may have one or three or more antennas, or may have one or more antennas for each frequency band that the device can use. Furthermore, if communication device 100 has multiple antennas, communication device 100 may have a communication unit 606 for each antenna.

[0041] 7 shows an example of the functional configuration of the communication device 100. The functional configuration in this embodiment is an example of a functional configuration realized, for example, by one or more processors executing programs stored in one or more memories. The communication device 100 includes a frame control unit 701, a NAV detection unit 702, a wireless communication control unit 703, and an SPCH control unit 704.

[0042] The frame control unit 701 generates and analyzes signals (frames) when communicating with a partner communication device. The frame control unit 701 generates, for example, management frames for the communication device 100 to execute a connection procedure. Management frames include a beacon, a probe request, a probe response, an association request, and an association response. The management frames generated by the frame control unit 701 are not limited to these, and may include, for example, an authentication frame and an action frame. The frame control unit 701 may also generate control frames, data frames, etc. The frame control unit 701 may generate a UHR Capabilities element and a UHR Operation element (hereinafter, referred to as a UHR Capabilities element, etc.) defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard series. The UHR Capabilities element, etc. may include capability information such as whether the communication device 100 has the capability to perform NPCH access. The capability to perform NPCH access means, for example, the ability to perform communication using an NPCH (second channel) without using a PCH (first channel). Furthermore, the capability to perform NPCH access may include either or both of a transmission capability and a reception capability. There may be one or more NPCHs. The frame control unit 701 may generate the above management frame including a UHR Capabilities element, etc. The UHR Capabilities element, etc., may include the number of channels on which the communication device 100 can perform carrier sensing in parallel. The UHR Capabilities element, etc., may also include specific information for identifying the SPCH. The SPCH may be called a third channel in that it is included in the NPCH and is used to acquire the transmission right when the PCH is unavailable. The SPCH may be identified by a channel number defined by a standard, etc. The SPCH may also be identified by its relative position on the frequency axis with respect to the PCH.When there are multiple SPCHs, the frame control unit 701 may include a priority indicating which of the SPCHs is to be given priority for performing carrier sensing in the UHR Capabilities element, etc. The frame control unit 701 may generate a frame including the UHR Capabilities element, etc., based on a request from the other communication device. The frame control unit 701 may also acquire the UHR Capabilities element, etc., by analyzing a frame received from the other communication device. The frame control unit 701 may acquire a Duration value by analyzing the received frame, and notify the NAV detection unit 702 of the value.

[0043] The NAV detection unit 702 sets the NAV for each channel based on the Duration value extracted by the frame control unit 701. The wireless communication control unit 703 performs transmission processing for each frame generated by the frame control unit 701. The wireless communication control unit 703 also notifies the frame control unit 701 of frames received via the antenna 607. For example, the wireless communication control unit 703 may transmit or receive data frames (data) using one or more channels including at least one of the PCH and the NPCH. As an example, the wireless communication control unit 703 performs carrier sensing of the PCH when transmitting a data frame. If the wireless communication control unit 703 detects a signal on the PCH or if the NAV detection unit 702 has set a NAV on the PCH, the wireless communication control unit 703 performs carrier sensing of the SPCH to perform NPCH access. For example, if the wireless communication control unit 703 does not detect a signal on the SPCH and the NAV detection unit 702 has not set a NAV on the SPCH, the wireless communication control unit 703 transmits the data frame using one or more NPCHs including the SPCH. The SPCH control unit 704 performs settings and control for performing NPCH access. The SPCH control unit 704 determines an SPCH from among multiple NPCHs included in the link. The SPCH can be determined based on a UHR Capabilities element included in a beacon broadcast by the AP 101. The SPCH can also be determined based on the exchange of capability information between the devices during the connection procedure between the AP 101 and the STA 102. The SPCH control unit 704 can control the wireless communication control unit 703 so that NPCH access is completed before the NAV period set by the NAV detection unit 702 expires.

[0044] (Processing Flow) In this embodiment, the processing flow executed by the AP 101 and STA 102 configured as described above will be described. Figures 8A and 8B are flowcharts showing the operation of the communication device 100 (AP 101 or STA 102). Note that this operation flow is processed by the AP 101 or STA 102 reading and executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 601 by the control unit 602 according to a connection procedure with the other communication device. Hereinafter, the operation of the AP 101 will be described, but the STA 102 also operates in the same manner.

[0045] The AP 101 executes a procedure for establishing a wireless connection with the STA 102 (S801). If the Association Request or the like received from the STA 102 does not include a UHR Capabilities element, the AP 101 determines that the STA 102 does not support NPCH access (NO in S802). The AP 101 can also determine that the STA 102 does not support NPCH access if the UHR Capabilities element includes capability information indicating that the STA 102 does not support NPCH access. In these cases, the AP 101 executes a normal processing flow (S817). The normal processing flow is, for example, a processing flow in which, when the PCH is busy, the AP 101 does not execute NPCH access, but waits for transmission until the PCH becomes idle, or performs power-saving operation without supplying power to the antenna during that period. If the AP 101 determines that the STA 102 supports NPCH access based on the UHR Capabilities element (YES in S802), it stores the support for NPCH access as an attribute of the STA 102 (S803). Furthermore, in the connection procedure with the STA 102, the AP 101 may share the number of channels on which carrier sense is performed simultaneously in NPCH access (number of carrier sense execution channels) and the priority assigned to the SPCH and each SPCH. When the AP 101 detects that data has accumulated in the transmission queue (YES in S804), it performs carrier sense on the PCH. If the AP 101 determines that the PCH is idle because, for example, NAV is not set on the PCH (NO in S805), it transmits data using the PCH (S806). The AP 101 may transmit data using this PCH and an idle SCH. When the NAV is set in the PCH by the signal received from the OBSS (YES in S805), the AP 101 performs carrier sensing on the SPCH. When multiple SPCHs are set, carrier sensing can be performed in parallel on the same number of SPCHs as the number of channels on which carrier sensing is performed, starting with the SPCH with the highest priority.If the AP 101 determines that the SPCH is idle because no NAV is set on the SPCH (NO in S807), it transmits data via an NPCH access including this SPCH (S808). On the other hand, if a NAV is set on the SPCH based on a signal received from the OBSS (YES in S807), it checks whether there is an SPCH with the next highest priority. If there is an SPCH with the next highest priority (YES in S809), the AP 101 returns to S807 and performs carrier sensing on that SPCH. If there are no other SPCHs set, the AP 101 waits until the NAV of the PCH is completed (S810). When the NAV of the PCH is completed, the AP 101 returns to S805 and continues processing.

[0046] If no data is stored in the transmission queue (NO in S804), the AP 101 monitors whether or not there is a signal on the PCH. If the NAV is set based on a signal from the OBSS detected on the PCH (YES in S811), the AP 101 monitors whether or not there is a signal on the SPCH. If multiple SPCHs are set, the AP 101 monitors whether or not there is a signal on the SPCHs equal in number to the number of channels on which carrier sense is performed, starting with the SPCH with the highest priority. On the other hand, if no signal is received on the PCH (NO in S811 and NO in S812), the AP 101 returns to S804 and continues processing. Also, if the AP 101 receives a signal addressed to the AP 101 before the NAV is set on the PCH (NO in S811 and YES in S812), it executes reception processing for that signal (S816). If the NAV is set based on a signal detected on the SPCH (YES in S813), the AP 101 checks whether or not there is an SPCH with the next highest priority. If there is an SPCH with the next highest priority (YES in S815), the AP 101 returns to S813 and monitors the presence or absence of a signal on that SPCH. On the other hand, if the AP 101 receives a signal addressed to the AP 101 before the NAV is set on the SPCH (NO in S813 and YES in S814), it executes reception processing for that signal (S816). Furthermore, if a predetermined period of time has elapsed without detecting a signal on the SPCH, the AP 101 checks whether there is an SPCH with the next highest priority. If there is an SPCH with the next highest priority (YES in S815), the AP 101 returns to S813 and monitors the presence or absence of a signal on that SPCH. If there is no other SPCH set (NO in S815), the AP 101 returns to S804. Note that if a NAV is not set on the SPCH with the highest priority, the AP 101 may monitor the presence or absence of a signal on that SPCH until the NAV set on the SPCH expires. Even if data occurs in the STA 102 during the period in which the NAV is set in the PCH and the STA 102 starts NPCH access, the AP 101 can properly receive the signal.

[0047] 9 shows an example of a sequence between the AP 101 and the STA 102 in this embodiment. First, the AP 101 and the STA 102 execute a connection procedure (F901, F902). For example, an Association Request and an Association Response are exchanged between the devices. Capability information related to NPCH access can be shared by the UHR Capabilities element and the UHR Operation element included in the Association Request and the Association Response. The AP 101 and the STA 102 transmit and receive data based on the NPCH access capability information notified or acquired from each other (F903, F904). For example, when NAV is set on the PCH, carrier sensing is performed on the SPCH, which is assigned a higher priority, and then NPCH access is performed.

[0048] As described above, according to the present embodiment, capability information regarding NPCH access and an SPCH on which carrier sense should be performed in NPCH access are shared between communication devices. Furthermore, in a wireless communication system that performs communication using a link formed by a PCH and one or more SCHs, even if NAV is set on the PCH, data can be transmitted and received using the NPCH. This improves the frequency utilization efficiency of the link used for communication between these communication devices. While the present embodiment illustrates communication using NPCH access between the AP 101 and the STA 102, the present technology can also be applied between multiple STAs. Furthermore, the present embodiment illustrates communication using a link with a bandwidth of 160 MHz, the present technology can also be applied to any communication using two or more channels. While the present embodiment illustrates a case in which a CH for determining whether or not to transmit using an SCH (or NPCH) is referred to as an SPCH for convenience, the present technology is not limited thereto. Among multiple secondary channels, the PSCH may be referred to as a Primary Secondary Channel (PSCH) since it is a channel with a high priority for determining whether transmission is possible. Regardless of which term is used, it means that the PSCH is a channel that should be used to determine whether transmission using the SCH (or NPCH) is possible.

[0049] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more of the functions.

[0050] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention.

[0051] According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to improve the channel utilization efficiency in a communication system that uses a communication link made up of a plurality of channels.

[0052] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-166224, filed on September 27, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A communications device capable of communicating with another communications device using a single communications link consisting of a first channel used to acquire a transmission right and one or more second channels different from the first channel, the communications device comprising: notification means for notifying the other communications device of capability information indicating that the communications device is capable of performing operations for communicating using one or more of the second channels without using the first channel, using at least one of a UHR (Ultra High Reliability) Capabilities element or a UHR Operation element defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard; and communication means for communicating data with the other communications device using one or more channels including either the first channel or the second channel, based on the capability information.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said notification means notifies, as said capability information, that at least one of data transmission and reception is possible in one or more of said second channels without using said first channel.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said notification means notifies said other communication device of said capability information based on a request from said other communication device.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein said notification means notifies, as said capability information, the number of channels on which carrier sense can be performed in parallel.

5. A communication device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the notification means notifies the capability information including specific information for identifying a third channel which is a channel included in the second channel and is used to acquire the transmission right when the first channel is unavailable.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein said notification means notifies, as said specific information, information capable of identifying a channel number of said third channel.

7. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein said notification means notifies, as said specific information, information capable of identifying a relative position on the frequency axis of said third channel with respect to said first channel.

8. A communication device as described in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the notification means notifies the other communication device of the capability information including a priority order indicating which of the third channels should be given priority for performing carrier sensing when there are multiple third channels.

9. A communications device capable of communicating with another communications device using a single communications link consisting of a first channel used to acquire a transmission right and one or more second channels different from the first channel, the communications device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring from the other communications device capability information indicating that the communications device is capable of performing operations for communicating using one or more of the second channels without using the first channel, the capability information being included in at least one of a UHR (Ultra High Reliability) Capabilities element or a UHR Operation element defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard; and a communications means for communicating data with the other communications device using one or more channels including either the first channel or the second channel based on the capability information.

10. The communication device according to claim 9, wherein said acquisition means acquires as said capability information information that said other communication device is capable of at least one of transmitting and receiving data in one or more of said second channels without using said first channel.

11. The communication device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said acquisition means requests said other communication device to notify said capability information.

12. The communication device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein said acquisition means acquires, as said capability information, the number of channels on which said other communication device can perform carrier sensing in parallel.

13. A communication device as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the acquisition means acquires the capability information including specific information for identifying a third channel which is a channel included in the second channel and is used to acquire the transmission right when the first channel cannot be used.

14. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein said acquiring means acquires, as said identification information, information capable of identifying a channel number of said third channel.

15. The communication device according to claim 13, wherein said acquisition means notifies, as said specific information, information capable of identifying a relative position on the frequency axis of said third channel with respect to said first channel.

16. A communication device as described in any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the acquisition means acquires the capability information including a priority indicating which of the third channels the other communication device will give priority to when performing carrier sensing when there are multiple third channels.

17. The communication device according to claim 1 or 16, wherein the UHR Capabilities element or the UHR Operation element is included in a Beacon frame, a Probe Request frame, a Probe Response frame, an Association Request frame, an Association Response frame, or an Action frame defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard.

18. A communication method executed by a communication device capable of communicating with another communication device using a single communication link consisting of a first channel used to acquire a transmission right and one or more second channels different from the first channel, the method comprising: a notification step of notifying the other communication device of capability information indicating that the device is capable of performing operations for communicating using one or more of the second channels without using the first channel, using at least one of a UHR (Ultra High Reliability) Capabilities element or a UHR Operation element defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard; and a communication step of communicating data with the other communication device using one or more channels including either the first channel or the second channel based on the capability information.

19. A communication method executed by a communication device capable of communicating with another communication device using a single communication link consisting of a first channel used to acquire a transmission right and one or more second channels different from the first channel, the method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring capability information from the other communication device, the capability information indicating that the device is capable of performing operations for communicating using one or more of the second channels without using the first channel, the capability information being included in at least one of a UHR (Ultra High Reliability) Capabilities element or a UHR Operation element defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard; and a communication step of communicating data with the other communication device using one or more channels including either the first channel or the second channel based on the capability information.

20. A program for causing a computer installed in a communication device to execute the communication method according to claim 18 or 19.

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