Information transmission method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of wireless communications, and provides an information transmission method and apparatus, for achieving a multi-link station device with a plurality of links not performing BSS transition in a link disabling scenario. In the method, a multi-link station device can receive a BTM request frame, wherein the BTM request frame comprises first information, and the first information is used for instructing not to perform BSS transition; and the multi-link station device can, in response to the BTM request frame, ignore the BTM request frame or execute a link disabling operation. On the basis of the solution, according to a BTM request frame broadcast by an AP for link disabling, a multi-link station device with a plurality of links can determine, on the basis of first information, not to perform BSS transition, thereby preventing the multi-link station device from incorrectly performing BSS transition.

Description

Information transmission method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on June 26, 2023, with application number 202310757945.7 and application name "A Method and Device for Information Transmission", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to an information transmission method and device. Background Art

[0004] Currently, in a link disabling scenario, an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) can indicate that a link is disabled at a certain time by carrying a service identifier to link mapping element in the beacon frame. The disabled link cannot be used for any transmission. However, since a legacy station (STA) has only one link, link disabling is not supported. Therefore, before disabling the link, the legacy STA must perform a BSS transfer. To this end, the AP MLD needs to broadcast a basic service set transition management (BTM) request frame on the corresponding link to instruct the legacy STA to perform a BSS transfer.

[0005] However, the multi-link station device (non-AP MLD) on the corresponding link will also receive the BTM request frame broadcast by the AP MLD and perform a BSS transfer. However, if the multi-link station device has multiple links established, BSS transfer is not necessary. The BSS corresponding to the disabled link will be suspended.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides an information transmission method and apparatus, so as to establish a multi-link site device with multiple links without performing BSS transfer in a link disabling scenario.

[0008] In a first aspect, an information transmission method is provided. This method can be performed by a multi-link site device, or by a chip / chip system. The multi-link site device involved in this application can be a site device that establishes multiple links. In this method, a BTM request frame is received, the BTM request frame including first information indicating that a BSS transfer is not to be performed. In response to the BTM request frame, the BSS transfer request corresponding to the BTM request frame is ignored or a link disabling operation is performed.

[0009] Based on the above solution, in the BTM request frame broadcast by the AP for link disabling, the multi-link station device can determine not to perform BSS transfer based on the first information, thereby preventing the multi-link station device from erroneously performing BSS transfer.

[0010] In one possible implementation, after ignoring the BTM request frame, a service identifier-to-link mapping element is received. Based on the service identifier-to-link mapping element, a link disabling operation is performed. Based on the above solution, since the BTM request frame is broadcast for link disabling, the multi-link site device can ignore the BTM request frame and receive the service identifier-to-link mapping element to perform the link disabling operation.

[0011] In one possible implementation, a service identifier-to-link mapping element is received, where the service identifier-to-link mapping element includes an association between a service identifier and a link mapping, wherein a first link in the association is not associated with any service. Based on the above solution, when performing a link disabling operation, the multi-link site device can perform the link disabling operation based on the service identifier-to-link mapping element.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the BSS corresponding to the link containing the BTM request frame is terminated at the time indicated by the BSS termination time contained in the BTM request frame. Based on this solution, a multi-link site device can obtain the information required to disable the link based on the BTM request frame and perform the link disable operation without receiving the beacon frame and parsing the service identifier to link mapping element carried in the beacon frame, thus meeting the requirement of self-contained information.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the BTM request frame also includes a termination duration, which indicates the duration of the BSS termination. Based on this solution, a multi-link station device can determine the BSS termination duration based on the BTM request frame without receiving a beacon frame and parsing the service identifier-to-link mapping element carried in the beacon frame, thus meeting the self-contained information requirement.

[0014] In one possible implementation, disassociation frames broadcast on the link are ignored. For example, disassociation frames broadcast on the link within the target beacon transform time (TBTT) indicated by the disassociation time indicated by the BTM request frame are ignored.

[0015] Based on the above solution, the AP may send a disassociation frame to disassociate with the traditional AP on the link. Since the multi-link site device can perform link disabling operations based on the BTM request frame, the multi-link site device may also receive the disassociation frame and be mistakenly disassociated. Therefore, ignoring the disassociation frame broadcast on the link can prevent the multi-link site device from being mistakenly disassociated.

[0016] In a second aspect, an information transmission method is provided. This method can be performed by a multi-link site device, or a chip / chip system. In this method, a BTM request frame is received, the BTM request frame including second information indicating link removal. At the time indicated by the BSS termination time included in the BTM request frame, the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame is terminated.

[0017] Based on the above solution, the multi-link site device can obtain the information required for link removal based on the BTM request frame, thereby performing the link removal operation without receiving the beacon frame and parsing the multi-link reconfiguration element carried in the beacon frame, meeting the information self-contained requirement.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the disassociation frames broadcast on the link are ignored. For example, the disassociation frames broadcast on the link within the TBTT time range indicated by the disassociation time included in the BTM request frame are ignored.

[0019] Based on the above solution, the AP may send a disassociation frame to disassociate with the traditional AP on the link. Since the multi-link site device can perform link disabling operations based on the BTM request frame, the multi-link site device may also receive the disassociation frame and be mistakenly disassociated. Therefore, it is necessary to ignore the disassociation frame broadcast on the link to avoid the multi-link site device being mistakenly disassociated.

[0020] In a third aspect, an information transmission method is provided. This method can be performed by a multi-link site device, or a chip / chip system. In this method, a BTM request frame is received, the BTM request frame containing third information. The third information may indicate a BSS transfer, and the BSS transfer is performed. Alternatively, the third information may indicate link removal, and the link removal operation is performed. Alternatively, the third information may indicate link disabling, and the link disabling operation is performed. Alternatively, the third information may indicate link disabling, and the BTM request frame is ignored.

[0021] Based on the above scheme, the third information can jointly indicate the link disabling operation, link removal operation or BSS transfer operation, so that an extra reserved value can be used for other operations in the subsequent evolution process, avoiding the frequent addition of new fields in the BTM request frame during the evolution process.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the method for executing link disabling may be implemented with reference to the first aspect.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the method for performing link removal may be implemented with reference to the second aspect.

[0024] In a possible implementation, after ignoring the BTM request frame, a link disabling operation may be performed with reference to the implementation of the first aspect.

[0025] In a fourth aspect, an information transmission method is provided. This method can be performed by an AP or a chip / chip system. In this method, a BTM request frame is sent, the BTM request frame including first information, where the first information is used to indicate that a BSS transfer is not to be performed. The first information is used by a multi-link station device to perform a link disabling operation.

[0026] In a possible implementation, a service identifier is sent to a link mapping element, where the service identifier to link mapping element includes a mapping relationship between the service identifier and the link, and the first link in the association relationship is not associated with any service.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the BTM request frame includes a BSS termination time, where the BSS termination time indicates a termination time of a corresponding BSS.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the BTM request frame further includes a termination duration, where the termination duration is used to indicate a duration for terminating the BSS.

[0029] In a fifth aspect, an information transmission method is provided. This method can be performed by an AP or a chip / chip system. In this method, a BTM request frame is sent, and the BTM request frame includes third information. The third information indicates a BSS transfer, or indicates link removal, or indicates link disabling.

[0030] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processing unit and a transceiver unit;

[0031] The transceiver unit is configured to receive a BTM request frame, the BTM request frame including first information, the first information being used to indicate not to perform BSS transfer. The processing unit is configured to respond to the BTM request frame, ignore the BTM request frame, or perform a link disabling operation.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a service identifier-to-link mapping element, and the processing unit is further configured to perform a link disabling operation based on the service identifier-to-link mapping element.

[0033] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a service identifier to link mapping element, where the service identifier to link mapping element includes an association relationship between services and links, wherein the first link in the association relationship is not associated with any service.

[0034] In a possible implementation manner, the processing unit is specifically configured to terminate the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame at a time indicated by the BSS termination time included in the BTM request frame.

[0035] In a possible implementation, the BTM request frame further includes a termination duration, where the termination duration is used to indicate a duration for terminating the BSS.

[0036] In a possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to ignore disassociation frames broadcast on the link, for example, ignore disassociation frames broadcast on the link within the TBTT time range indicated by the disassociation time indicated by the BTM request frame.

[0037] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processing unit and a transceiver unit.

[0038] The transceiver unit is configured to receive a BTM request frame containing second information, the second information being used to indicate link removal. The processing unit is configured to terminate the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame at a time indicated by a BSS termination time contained in the BTM request frame.

[0039] In a possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to ignore disassociation frames broadcast on the link, for example, ignore disassociation frames broadcast on the link within a time range indicated by the disassociation time included in the BTM request frame.

[0040] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processing unit and a transceiver unit.

[0041] The transceiver unit is configured to receive a BTM request frame containing third information. The third information may indicate a BSS transfer, and the processing unit may be configured to perform the BSS transfer. Alternatively, the third information may indicate link removal, and the processing unit may be configured to perform the link removal operation. Alternatively, the third information may indicate link disabling, and the processing unit may be configured to perform the link disabling operation. Alternatively, the third information may indicate link disabling, and the processing unit may be configured to ignore the BTM request frame.

[0042] In a possible implementation, the method for executing link disabling may be implemented with reference to the first aspect.

[0043] In a possible implementation, the method for performing link removal may be implemented with reference to the second aspect.

[0044] In a possible implementation, after ignoring the BTM request frame, a link disabling operation may be performed with reference to the implementation of the first aspect.

[0045] In a ninth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processing unit and a transceiver unit.

[0046] The processing unit is configured to generate a BTM request frame. The transceiver unit is configured to send the BTM request frame, wherein the BTM request frame includes first information, wherein the first information is used to indicate that a BSS transfer is not to be performed. The first information is used by the multi-link site device to perform a link disabling operation.

[0047] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to send a service identifier to a link mapping element, where the service identifier to link mapping element includes an association relationship between a service and a link, wherein the first link in the association relationship is not associated with any service.

[0048] In a possible implementation, the BTM request frame includes a BSS termination time, where the BSS termination time indicates a time when the multi-link station device terminates the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame.

[0049] In a possible implementation, the BTM request frame further includes a termination duration, where the termination duration is used to indicate a duration for terminating the BSS.

[0050] In a tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processing unit and a transceiver unit.

[0051] The processing unit is configured to generate a BTM request frame. The transceiver unit is configured to send the BTM request frame, wherein the BTM request frame includes third information. The third information may indicate a BSS transfer, a link removal, or a link disabling.

[0052] In an eleventh aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device may be a communication device in any possible implementation of aspects 6 to 10 of the above embodiments, or a chip provided in a communication device in any aspect 6 to 10. The communication device includes a communication interface and a processor, and optionally, a memory. The memory is used to store computer programs, instructions, or data, and the processor is coupled to the memory and the communication interface. When the processor reads the computer program, instructions, or data, the communication device executes the method executed by the communication device in any possible implementation of aspects 1 to 9.

[0053] It should be understood that the communication interface can be implemented by an antenna, a feeder, a codec, etc. in the communication device, or, if the communication device is a chip provided in the communication device, the communication interface can be an input / output interface of the chip, such as an input / output pin, etc. The communication device may further include a transceiver for communicating between the communication device and other devices.

[0054] In a twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a processor and may also include a memory, for implementing the method performed by the communication device in any possible implementation of aspects 1 to 9. In one possible implementation, the chip system also includes a memory for storing program instructions and / or data. The chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0055] In a thirteenth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed, the method performed by the multi-link site device and the AP in the above aspects is implemented.

[0056] In a fourteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising: computer program code or instructions, which, when executed, causes the methods performed by the multi-link site device and the AP in the above aspects to be executed.

[0057] In a fifteenth aspect, a communication device is provided, which includes a unit or module for executing the above-mentioned methods.

[0058] In a sixteenth aspect, a chip system is provided, comprising a logic circuit and an input / output interface. The logic circuit is configured to execute the method executed by the multi-link station device and the AP. The input / output interface is configured to communicate with other devices.

[0059] In a seventeenth aspect, a system is provided, comprising at least one multi-link site device that executes the method described in any possible implementation of the above aspects and at least one AP that executes the method described in any possible implementation of the above aspects.

[0060] The beneficial effects of the above-mentioned fourth to seventeenth aspects and their implementation methods can refer to the description of the beneficial effects of the methods of the first to third aspects and their implementation methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a MAC address of an MLD;

[0062] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the format of a multi-link reconfiguration element provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a BTM process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the format of a BTM request frame provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the format of a BSS termination duration sub-element provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the format of a BTM response frame provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a format of a service identifier to link mapping element provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG9 is an exemplary flow chart of an information transmission method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] In order to facilitate the description of the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms involved in the embodiments of the present application are explained and illustrated below.

[0075] 1) A multi-link device (MLD) is a device that has multiple RF modules operating on different frequency bands / channels. When the channel spacing between two RF modules within a device is large enough, they can operate independently without interfering with each other. If any two links can transmit on one link while receiving on the other link, we call the two links supporting simultaneous transmit and receive (STR) capability; otherwise, the two links are non-STR. In addition to each link having its own media access control (MAC) address, each AP MLD also has an MLD MAC address, as shown in Figure 1.

[0076] 2) A basic service set (BSS) is the fundamental component of a network, describing a group of mobile devices that communicate with each other. There are two types of BSSs: an independent BSS (IBSS) is a temporary network consisting of a small number of stations for a specific purpose. Because of its short duration, small size, and specific purpose, it is sometimes called an ad hoc BSS or ad hoc network. In an IBSS, stations can communicate directly with each other, but the distance between them must be within the range for direct communication. The other type is an infrastructure BSS, which consists of an AP and several mobile stations. Each BSS has a unique identifier, called a basic service set identifier (BSSID).

[0077] 3) Link removal: AP MLD can indicate that the affiliated AP on a certain link is completely removed at a given time, the corresponding BSS is shut down, and the relevant information of the link, such as capability information and operating parameters, is completely deleted.

[0078] 4) Link disabling: AP MLD can indicate that a link is disabled at a given time by carrying a task identifier (TID-to-link Mapping element) in the beacon frame. This means that the link cannot be used for any transmission, but the relevant information of the link is retained. After disabling a link, AP MLD can re-enable the link and use it for transmission immediately without re-establishing the link or negotiating related parameters. In one case, when no task identifier (TID) is mapped to a link, the link is said to be disabled.

[0079] The following describes the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0080] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to WLAN scenarios, for example, they can be applied to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 system standards, such as 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax standards, or their next generations, such as 802.11be standard, Wi-Fi 7 or extremely high throughput (EHT), 802.11ad, 802.11ay, 802.11bf, and the next generation of 802.11be, such as Wi-Fi 8 or the next generation standard. Alternatively, the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to wireless local area network systems such as Internet of Things (IoT) networks or Vehicle to X (V2X) networks. Of course, the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to other possible communication systems, such as LTE system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD), universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, 5G communication system, and future 6G communication system.

[0081] The following uses the scenario in which the embodiments of the present application can be applied to WLAN as an example. It should be understood that WLAN started with the 802.11a / g standard and has gone through 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, and the 802.11be currently under discussion. 802.11n can also be referred to as high throughput (HT); 802.11ac can also be referred to as very high throughput (VHT); 802.11ax can also be referred to as high efficiency (HE) or Wi-Fi 6; 802.11be can also be referred to as EHT or Wi-Fi 7. Standards prior to HT, such as 802.11a / b / g, can be collectively referred to as non-HT.

[0082] Refer to Figure 2, which shows a network architecture diagram of a WLAN applicable to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 takes the WLAN as an example, including one wireless access point (AP) and two stations (STA). These two stations may include a multi-link station device (non-AP MLD). The STA associated with the AP can receive wireless frames sent by the AP and can also send wireless frames to the AP. In addition, the embodiment of the present application is also applicable to communication between APs. For example, each AP can communicate with each other through a distributed system (DS), and the embodiment of the present application is also applicable to communication between STAs. It should be understood that the number of APs and STAs in Figure 2 is only an example, and can be more or less.

[0083] An access point is a point that allows terminal devices (such as mobile phones) to access a wired (or wireless) network. It is primarily deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. It can also be deployed outdoors. An access point acts as a bridge between wired and wireless networks, connecting wireless network clients and then connecting the wireless network to the Ethernet. Specifically, an access point can be a terminal device (such as a mobile phone) or network device (such as a router) equipped with a Wi-Fi chip. It can also be a wireless communication chip, wireless sensor, or wireless communication terminal with access point functionality. An access point can be a device that supports the 802.11be standard. Alternatively, an access point can support various wireless local area network (WLAN) standards within the 802.11 family, including 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, and the next generation of 802.11be.

[0084] A station can be a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, or a wireless communication terminal, and can also be referred to as a user. For example, a station can be a mobile phone that supports Wi-Fi communication, a tablet that supports Wi-Fi communication, a set-top box that supports Wi-Fi communication, a smart TV that supports Wi-Fi communication, a smart wearable device that supports Wi-Fi communication, an in-vehicle communication device that supports Wi-Fi communication, or a computer that supports Wi-Fi communication, etc. Optionally, the station can support the 802.11be standard. The station can also support various wireless local area network (WLAN) standards in the 802.11 family, such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, and the next generation of 802.11be.

[0085] For example, access points and sites can be devices used in the Internet of Vehicles, IoT nodes and sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT), smart cameras and remote controls in smart homes, smart water and electricity meters, and sensors in smart cities.

[0086] The AP and STA involved in the embodiments of the present application may be APs and STAs applicable to the IEEE 802.11 system standard. An AP is a device deployed in a wireless communication network to provide wireless communication functions for its associated STAs. The AP can be used as the hub of the communication system, and is typically a network-side product that supports the MAC and PHY of the 802.11 system standard. For example, it may be a base station, router, gateway, repeater, communication server, switch or bridge and other communication equipment, wherein the base station may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, etc. Here, for the sake of convenience of description, the above-mentioned devices are collectively referred to as APs. A STA is typically a terminal product that supports the media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) of the 802.11 system standard, such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, etc.

[0087] Currently, MLD has multiple communication links, allowing data transmission over multiple links. MLD also supports link removal, where a removed link is no longer used for any transmission. For example, the AP associated with a link can broadcast a Reconfiguration Multi-link element (RMLE) in a beacon frame to indicate the link removal.

[0088] Referring to Figure 3, the multi-link reconfiguration element may include at least one of the following fields: element ID, length, element ID extension, multi-link control, common information length, MLD MAC address, and single STA configuration. Exemplarily, the multi-link control field includes type, presence bitmap, and reservation. Exemplarily, the single STA configuration includes sub-elements ID, length, STA control (STA control) and STA information (STA info). Among them, the STA control field may include link ID, complete profile, STA MAC address present (STA MAC address present), AP removal timer present (AP removal timer present), operation parameters present (operation parameters present), and reservation. The STA information field includes STA information length, STA MAC address, AP removal timer, and operation parameter subfields.

[0089] The link removal operation mainly involves the following two fields:

[0090] 1. The AP Removal Timer Present subfield is used to indicate whether the AP Removal Timer field appears.

[0091] 2. The AP Removal Timer subfield is used to indicate the number of target beacon transform times (TBTT) after which the AP is removed.

[0092] Through the AP Removal Timer subfield, the STAs on this link can determine when the AP is removed, that is, when the link is removed.

[0093] However, legacy STAs, which have only one link, do not support link removal. Therefore, before link removal can be performed, the legacy STAs on the link must be instructed to perform a BSS transfer. To this end, the AP on the link being removed must broadcast a BTM request frame to request the legacy STA to perform a BSS transfer. The BTM process is described below with reference to Figure 4. The AP can use this process to request a BSS transfer for the legacy STAs on the link.

[0094] S1: The AP sends a BTM request frame.

[0095] For example, the AP may broadcast a BTM request frame. STAs on the link may receive the BTM request frame broadcast by the AP. Among them, traditional STAs may also receive the BTM request frame broadcast by the AP.

[0096] For example, as shown in FIG5 , the BTM request frame may include the following fields: category, radio network management operation, session token, request mode, disassociation timer, validity interval, BSS termination duration, session information URL, and BSS transfer candidate list. The BSS transfer candidate list is optional.

[0097] The validity interval field is used to indicate how many beacon periods the BSS transfer candidate list is valid for.

[0098] The disassociation timer field is used to indicate how long it will take for the AP to send a disassociation frame, in units of TBTT.

[0099] The BSS termination duration field carries a BSS termination duration subelement, the format of which is shown in Figure 6.

[0100] The BSS Termination TSF field carries the value of the TSF timer, which indicates the time when the BSS is terminated.

[0101] The Duration field indicates the duration of the BSS termination, in minutes. 0 indicates that this field is reserved.

[0102] The Request Mode field is used to indicate the specific request mode. The Request Mode field may include the following fields: whether to carry a preferred candidate list (preferred candidate list include), bridge (abridge), disassociation imminent (disassociation imminent), whether BSS termination (BSS termination included), extended service set (ESS) disassociation imminent (ESS disassociation imminent), link removal imminent (Link Removal imminent), and reserved bits. The reserved bits are 2 bits.

[0103] The field "whether to carry a preferred candidate list (preferred candidate list include)" is used to indicate whether to carry a preferred candidate list.

[0104] Purpose of the abridge field: If the AP does not recommend or prohibits the STA from switching to a BSS that does not appear in the preferred candidate list include, the abridge field is set to 0. If the AP sets the preference value of a BSS that does not appear in the preferred candidate list include to 0, the abridge field is set to 1.

[0105] Purpose of the Disassociation Imminent field: When the Disassociation Imminent field is set to 1, it indicates that the AP will send a Disassociation frame to disassociate the STA. When the Disassociation Imminent field is set to 0, it indicates that the AP will not send a Disassociation frame to disassociate the STA.

[0106] The BSS termination included field is used to indicate whether the BSS on the link will be shut down.

[0107] The ESS disassociation imminent field is used to indicate whether the STA will be disassociated from the entire ESS.

[0108] S2: The STA sends a response (ACK) of the BTM request frame to the AP.

[0109] In response, the AP receives an ACK from the STA.

[0110] The ACK of the BTM request frame may be used to inform the AP that the STA has received the BTM request frame.

[0111] S3: The STA sends a BTM response frame to the AP.

[0112] Correspondingly, the AP receives the BTM response frame from the STA.

[0113] For example, as shown in Figure 7, the BTM response frame may include the following fields: Category, Radio Network Management Operation, Session Token, BTM Status Code, BSS Termination Delay, Target BSSID, and BSS Transfer Alternative List. The Target BSSID and BSS Transfer Alternative List are optional. Currently, in related art, when the BTM Status Code value is 0, the BTM response frame includes the Target BSSID field.

[0114] The BTM status code indicates whether the BSS transfer request is accepted. The BSS termination delay indicates the duration of the time period from the current time to the termination of the BSS.

[0115] For example, the BTM status code may refer to Table 1.

[0116] Table 1: Example of a BTM status code

[0117] S4: The AP sends an ACK for the BTM response frame.

[0118] For example, the AP may broadcast the ACK of the BTM response frame, or the AP may unicast or multicast the ACK of the BTM response frame. The ACK of the BTM response frame may be used to inform the STA that the AP has received the BTM response frame.

[0119] Based on the process shown in Figure 3, a traditional STA on a link can perform a BSS transfer. The AP on the link can then remove the link by including a multilink reconfiguration element in its beacon frame. However, during this BSS transfer, a multilink station device (non-AP MLD) on the link will also receive the BTM request frame broadcast by the AP, thus performing a BSS transfer. However, a multilink station device has multiple links, so in the link removal scenario, the multilink station device does not need to perform a BSS transfer, and the BSS on the removed link is terminated.

[0120] In view of this, the related art adds a link removal imminent field to the BTM request frame. When the AP broadcasts a BTM request frame due to link removal, the link removal imminent field needs to be set to 1, the aforementioned BSS termination (BSS Termination Included) field is also set to 1, and the disassociation imminent field is also set to 1. In this way, when a traditional STA receives the broadcast BTM request frame, the traditional STA needs to perform a BSS transfer, and the AP will send a disassociation frame to disassociate all traditional STAs, and the corresponding BSS will also be terminated. However, for multi-link site devices, after receiving the broadcast BTM request frame, it does not need to perform a BSS transfer, and the BSS will be terminated.

[0121] The above solution describes a scenario where a multi-link station does not need to perform a BSS transfer in a link removal scenario. Related technologies introduce link disabling. In this scenario, the disabled link cannot be used for any transmission, but the relevant information about the link is retained. This allows the AP to re-enable the link and immediately use it for transmission without having to re-establish the link or re-negotiate related parameters.

[0122] For example, the AP may carry a TID-to-link Mapping element in the beacon frame. The format of the TID-to-link Mapping element is shown in FIG8 , and the meaning of each field is as follows.

[0123] The format of the TID-To-Link Mapping Control field and the meaning of each subfield are as follows:

[0124] When the Direction subfield is set to 0, it indicates that the service identifier to link mapping element is used for downlink service identifier to link mapping indication; when it is set to 1, it indicates that the service identifier to link mapping element is used for uplink service identifier to link mapping indication; when it is set to 2, it indicates that the service identifier to link mapping element is used for uplink and downlink service identifier to link mapping indication.

[0125] The Default Link Mapping subfield is set to 1 to indicate the default service identifier to link mapping, that is, all service identifiers are mapped to all links; otherwise, it is set to 0.

[0126] Mapping Switch Time Present is used to indicate whether the Mapping Switch Time field is present. Setting this to 1 indicates that the Mapping Switch Time field is present; setting this to 0 indicates that the Mapping Switch Time field is not present.

[0127] The Expected Duration Present subfield is used to indicate whether the Expected Duration field is present. If set to 1, the Expected Duration field is present; if set to 0, the Expected Duration field is not present.

[0128] The Link Mapping Size subfield is used to indicate the length of the Link Mapping field of TID#n. If it is set to 0, it means that the length of the Link Mapping field of TID#n is 2; if it is set to 1, it means that the length of the Link Mapping field of TID#n is 1.

[0129] The Link Mapping Presence Indicator subfield is used to indicate whether the Link Mapping Presence Indicator for the corresponding TID is present. When the nth bit is set to 1, it indicates that the Link Mapping Presence Indicator for TID#n is present; when the nth bit is set to 0, it indicates that the Link Mapping Presence Indicator for TID#n is not present.

[0130] The Mapping Switch Time field indicates the time it takes to establish the service identifier and link mapping element, measured in time units (TUs). One TU equals 1024 (= 2^10) microseconds. Therefore, the Mapping Switch Time value corresponds to bits 10 to 25 of the Timing Synchronization Function (TSF).

[0131] The Expected Duration field is used to indicate the duration of validity of the service identifier and the service identifier to link mapping element, with the unit being TU.

[0132] The Link Mapping of TID#n field is used to indicate which links TID#n is mapped to. When no TID is mapped to a link, the link is said to be disabled.

[0133] Using the service identifier-to-link mapping elements described above, the AP can disable a specific link. Since legacy STAs also do not support link disabling, the AP can broadcast a BTM request frame before disabling the link, allowing the legacy STA to perform a BSS transfer. However, multi-link stations on the link will also receive the BTM request frame broadcast by the AP and perform a BSS transfer. However, multi-link stations have multiple links, so in the link removal scenario, they do not need to perform a BSS transfer, and the BSS on the disabled link will be suspended.

[0134] In view of this, embodiments of the present application provide an information transmission method. In this method, an AP may broadcast a BTM request frame, which may include first information that instructs a multi-link station device not to perform a BSS transfer. In this way, the multi-link station device may ignore the BTM request frame, or perform a link disabling operation or a link removal operation. Thus, if the AP wishes to remove or disable a link, the multi-link station may not perform a BSS transfer based on the first information.

[0135] Referring to FIG. 9 , which is an exemplary flowchart of an information transmission method provided in an embodiment of the present application, the method may include the following operations.

[0136] S901: The AP sends a BTM request frame.

[0137] For example, the AP may broadcast a BTM request frame, and STAs on the link, such as traditional STAs and multi-link station devices, may receive the BTM request frame.

[0138] In one possible implementation, the BTM request frame may include first information that may indicate that the multi-link station device will not perform a BSS transfer. For example, the first information may indicate that a link is about to be removed or that a link is about to be disabled. It is understood that a BTM request frame broadcast by an AP during link removal may indicate that the link is about to be removed, and a BTM request frame broadcast by an AP during link disablement may indicate that the link is about to be disabled.

[0139] It can be understood that the content indicated by the first information is only shown as an example, and its purpose is to enable the multi-link station device to determine not to perform BSS transfer based on the first information.

[0140] S902: The multi-link site device ignores the BTM request frame and performs a link disabling operation or a link removal operation.

[0141] For example, if the first information indicates that link removal is about to occur, the multi-link site device may perform a link removal operation. For another example, if the first information indicates that link disabling is about to occur, the multi-link site device may ignore the BTM request frame or perform a link disabling operation.

[0142] The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is described in detail below through scenario 1 and scenario 2.

[0143] Case 1: Link disabled.

[0144] In scenario 1, the AP wants to disable a link, but because legacy STAs do not support link disabling, the AP can broadcast a BTM request frame before disabling the link to allow the legacy STAs on the link to perform a BSS transfer. Because there may be multiple link stations on the link, to prevent multiple link stations from incorrectly performing BSS transfers, the BTM request frame broadcast by the AP can carry the first information.

[0145] The first information can be used by a multi-link site device to determine whether to perform a BSS transfer. For example, the first information can indicate that a BSS transfer will not be performed, or the first information can indicate that link disabling is about to occur. In one possible scenario, the first information can be a newly added field in the BTM request frame, such as adding a new field at any position in the BTM request frame shown in Figure 5 to carry the first information. In another possible scenario, the first information can reuse an existing field in the BTM request frame, such as the request mode field. In yet another possible scenario, the first information can reuse a reserved field in the BTM request frame to carry the first information.

[0146] Taking the example of the first information being 1-bit information, when the value of the first information is 0, it can indicate that the first information is empty, or it can indicate that the BTM request frame is not broadcast for link disabling, that is, link disabling will not occur. When the value of the first information is 1, it can indicate that BSS transfer is not performed, or it can indicate that the BTM request frame is broadcast for link disabling, that is, link disabling is about to occur. Conversely, when the value of the first information is 1, it can indicate that the first information is empty, or it can indicate that the BTM request frame is not broadcast for link disabling, that is, link disabling will not occur. When the value of the first information is 0, it can indicate that BSS transfer is not performed, or it can indicate that the BTM request frame is broadcast for link disabling, that is, link disabling is about to occur.

[0147] When a multi-link station device receives the BTM request frame, it can ignore the BTM request frame or perform a link disabling operation in response to the BTM request frame. The following explains and describes the operations performed by the multi-link station device using Case 1 and Case 2.

[0148] Case 1: The multi-link site device ignores the BTM request frame.

[0149] In case 1, the multi-link station device may determine that link disabling is about to occur based on the first information, or may determine not to perform BSS transfer based on the first information. Since the BTM request frame is used to indicate BSS transfer, the multi-link station device may ignore the BTM request frame.

[0150] Optionally, the BTM request frame may also indicate that link disabling is imminent, or the BTM request frame may also indicate that the BSS is about to terminate. For example, if the BSS termination included field in the BTM request frame is set to 1, it indicates that the BSS is terminated, if the disassociation imminent field is set to 1, it indicates that disassociation is about to occur, and if the link removal imminent field is set to 0, it indicates that link removal will not occur.

[0151] In one possible implementation, a multi-link site device can receive a beacon frame. For example, after ignoring a BTM request frame, the multi-link site device receives a beacon frame. The beacon frame can carry a service identifier to link mapping element as shown in FIG8 . As mentioned earlier, the service identifier to link mapping element can carry a correspondence between a service identifier and a link identifier, so that the multi-link site device can map the service to the corresponding link and perform the corresponding service, such as transmitting service data, through the mapped link. In the service identifier to link mapping element, if there is a link to which no service identifier is mapped, the link is disabled. The multi-link site device can perform a link disabling operation through the service identifier to link mapping element.

[0152] Based on the above situation 1, the multi-link station device can determine not to perform BSS transfer based on the first information, thereby preventing the multi-link station device from erroneously performing BSS transfer when a link is disabled.

[0153] Case 2: The multi-link site device performs a link disabling operation.

[0154] In case 2, the multi-link station device may determine that link disabling is about to occur based on the first information, or may determine not to perform BSS transfer based on the first information. Since the BTM request frame is broadcast for link disabling, the multi-link station device may perform the link disabling operation.

[0155] In one possible implementation, a multi-link station device may receive a beacon frame that may carry a service identifier-to-link mapping element as shown in FIG8 . The multi-link station device may perform a link disabling operation based on the method described in Case 1.

[0156] In another possible implementation, the BTM request frame may include a BSS termination time. The multi-link site device may terminate the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame within the time range indicated by the BSS termination time. For example, the BTM request frame may include a BSS termination duration subelement (BSS Termination Duration subelement). This subelement may include a BSS termination timing synchronization function (BSS Termination TSF). The BSS termination timing synchronization function may indicate the termination time of the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame. The multi-link site device may terminate the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame at the time indicated by the BSS termination timing synchronization function.

[0157] It can be understood that the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame can be understood as the BSS to which the operation indicated by the broadcast sending of the BTM request frame is directed.

[0158] Optionally, the BTM request frame may also include a BTM termination duration. The BTM termination duration may indicate the termination duration of the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame. For example, the BTM request frame may include a BSS termination duration subelement. This subelement may include a duration field, which may indicate the termination duration of the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame.

[0159] In a possible example, the mapping switch time field included in the service identifier to link mapping element (TID-to-link Mapping element) indicates one or more bits of the BSS termination timing synchronization function (BSS Termination TSF) starting from the least significant bit, for example, bit 0 to bit 23 of the BSS termination timing synchronization function (BSS Termination TSF).

[0160] Optionally, the BSS termination duration may be the same duration as that indicated by the Expect duration field contained in the TID-to-link Mapping element, and the unit of the duration indicated by the Expect duration will be changed from TU to minutes, and the length will be changed to 2 bytes. That is, the duration indicated by the duration field contained in the BSS Termination Duration subelement is the same as the duration indicated by the Expect duration field, and the units are the same. Optionally, if the Expect duration field is not included in the TID-to-link Mapping element, the duration field contained in the BSS Termination Duration subelement may be set to 0.

[0161] Based on case 2, the multi-link site device can obtain the information required for link disabling based on the BTM request frame, thereby performing the link disabling operation without receiving the beacon frame and parsing the service identifier carried in the beacon frame to the link mapping element, meeting the information self-contained requirement.

[0162] However, since an AP can broadcast a disassociation frame to disassociate all traditional STAs. However, since a multi-link station device has multiple links, it does not need to be disassociated when disabling a certain link. However, the AP broadcasting a disassociation frame may cause the multi-link station device to be wrongly disassociated. Therefore, in the related art, a sequential operation is defined, that is, first establish the mapping relationship between the service identifier and the link (that is, set the mapping switch time (Mapping Switch Time) field to T0), then send a disassociation frame (that is, set the disassociation timer field to T1, and T0 <= T1), and finally terminate the corresponding BSS (that is, set the BSS termination timing synchronization function field to T2, and T1 < T2). This sequential operation method avoids the multi-link station device receiving a disassociation frame. However, this method of sequential operation is not flexible enough. To disable and terminate a certain AP, it takes a relatively long time to wait, and forcibly divides the AP removal timer and BSS termination into two independent operations.

[0163] However, in the above case 2, setting the BSS termination time and the link switching time field to the same time may cause the multi-link station device to be wrongly disassociated. In view of this, in the above case 2, it can be stipulated that the multi-link station device needs to ignore the broadcast disassociation frames received on the link where it is located, such as the disabled link. For example, the multi-link station device can ignore the broadcast disassociation frames on the link where it is located within the TBTT time range indicated by the disassociation timer indicated in the BTM request frame. In this way, the multi-link station device can be prevented from being wrongly disassociated.

[0164] Based on the above scenario 1, a technical solution for the multi-link station device not performing BSS transfer in the link disable scenario is introduced. Next, a technical solution for the multi-link station device not performing BSS transfer in the link removal scenario is introduced through scenario 2.

[0165] Scenario 2: Link removal scenario.

[0166] In scenario 2, an AP wants to remove a certain link. However, since traditional STAs do not support link removal, before removing the link, the corresponding AP can broadcast a BTM request frame to let the traditional STAs on that link perform BSS transfer. Since there may be multi-link station devices on that link, to avoid the multi-link station devices wrongly performing BSS transfer, the BTM request frame broadcast by the AP can carry the first information.

[0167] The first information may indicate that link removal is about to occur. For example, the first information may be a Link Removal Imminent field in the BTM request frame shown in FIG8 .

[0168] Optionally, the BTM request frame can also indicate that the BSS is about to terminate. For example, if the BSS termination included field in the BTM request frame is set to 1, it indicates that the BSS is terminating; if the disassociation imminent field is set to 1, it indicates that disassociation is about to occur; and if the link removal imminent field is set to 1, it indicates that link removal is about to occur. Upon receiving the aforementioned BTM request frame, the multi-link station device performs a link removal operation. The following describes how a multi-link station device performs a link removal operation using Methods 1 and 2.

[0169] Method 1: A multi-link station device may receive a beacon frame. The beacon frame may carry a multi-link reconfiguration element as shown in Figure 3. The multi-link reconfiguration element may include an AP Removal Timer subfield. The AP Removal Timer subfield indicates the time at which the AP is removed. At the time indicated by the AP Removal Timer subfield, the AP is removed, thereby removing the link.

[0170] Method 2: The BTM request frame may include a BSS termination time. The multi-link site device may terminate the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame at the time indicated by the BSS termination time. For example, the BTM request frame may include a BSS termination duration subelement (BSS Termination Duration subelement). This subelement may include a BSS termination timing synchronization function (BSS Termination TSF). The BSS termination timing synchronization function may indicate the termination time for terminating the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame. The multi-link site device may terminate the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame at the time indicated by the BSS termination timing synchronization function.

[0171] In a possible example, the AP removal timer included in the multilink reconfiguration element is in microseconds and is set to a portion of the BSS Termination TSF starting from the least significant bit, for example, to bits 0 to 23 of the BSS Termination TSF.

[0172] Based on Method 2, the multi-link station device can obtain the information required for link removal based on the BTM request frame, so as to perform the link removal operation, without receiving the beacon frame and parsing the multi-link reconfiguration element carried in the beacon frame, meeting the self - contained requirement of information.

[0173] However, since the AP can broadcast a Disassociation frame to disassociate all traditional STAs. However, due to link removal, the multi - link station device does not need to be disassociated. The Disassociation frame broadcast by the AP will cause the multi - link station device to be wrongly disassociated. Therefore, a sequential operation is defined in the related art, that is, first remove the AP (that is, set the AP removal timer field to T0), then send a Disassociation frame (that is, set the disassociation timer field to T1, and T0 <= T1), and finally terminate the corresponding BSS (that is, set the BSS termination timing synchronization function field to T2, and T1 < T2). This sequential operation method ensures that the multi - link station device will not receive the Disassociation frame.

[0174] However, this sequential operation method is not flexible enough. To close and terminate a certain AP, it takes a relatively long time, and the AP removal timer and BSS termination are forced to be divided into two independent operations. Based on Method 2, although the time indicated by the BSS termination timing synchronization function is the same as the time indicated by the AP removal timer, it may cause the multi - link station device to be wrongly disassociated due to receiving the broadcast Disassociation frame. In view of this, in Method 2, it can be stipulated that the multi - link station device can ignore the broadcast Disassociation frames received on the link where it is located, such as the disabled link. For example, the multi - link station device can ignore the broadcast Disassociation frames on the link where it is located within the TBTT time range indicated by the disassociation timer indicated in the BTM request frame. In this way, the multi - link station device can be prevented from being wrongly disassociated.

[0175] Based on the above Scenario 2, a technical solution for the multi - link station device not to perform BSS transition in the link removal scenario is introduced. In the link removal scenario, the multi - link station device can not perform BSS transition based on the first information, and can obtain all the information required for link removal through the BTM request frame, meeting the information self - contained requirement.

[0176] Embodiments of the present application also provide another information transmission method. In this method, the first information in the link disabling scenario and the first information in the link removal scenario can be jointly encoded. For ease of description, the first information in the link removal scenario, that is, the Link Remove Imminent field, is referred to as the second information.

[0177] In one possible implementation, the first information and the second information can be jointly encoded and named a new field, such as an operation type field. It is understood that the operation type field is merely an example of a naming convention for a jointly encoded field. Those skilled in the art can design naming conventions for jointly encoded fields by combining relevant technologies.

[0178] Refer to Table 2 for information on the different values ​​of the Operation Type field.

[0179] Table 2: Example of an operation type field

[0180] As shown in Table 2, after jointly encoding the first and second information, multiple meanings, such as BSS transfer, link removal, and link disabling, can be used to enable multi-link station devices to perform corresponding operations. Furthermore, after jointly encoding the first and second information, a reserved field exists for use in subsequent evolution, avoiding the frequent addition of new fields to the BTM request frame during evolution.

[0181] It will be appreciated that the above-mentioned operation type uses 2 bits as an example. Those skilled in the art can design the number of bits of the operation type field in combination with relevant technologies, such as 3 bits, 4 bits, etc. When the operation type has 2 bits, there is one reserved field. When the operation type has 3 bits, there are 5 reserved fields. The more bits the operation type has, the more reserved fields there are.

[0182] It should be noted that the Operation Type field shown in Table 2 can be implemented in conjunction with the embodiment shown in FIG9 . For example, if the Operation Type field indicates link removal, the multi-link station device can perform the link removal operation using the link removal method described in Scenario 2. For another example, if the Operation Type field indicates link disabling, the multi-link station device can ignore the BTM request frame or perform the link disabling operation as described in Scenario 1. This description will not be repeated below.

[0183] The following describes the communication device used to implement the above method in the embodiment of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the above contents can be used in subsequent embodiments, and repeated contents will not be repeated.

[0184] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1000 can implement the functions or steps implemented by the multi-link site device or AP in the above-mentioned various method embodiments. The communication device may include a processing unit 1010 and a transceiver unit 1020. Optionally, it may also include a storage unit, which can be used to store instructions (code or program) and / or data. The processing unit 1010 and the transceiver unit 1020 can be coupled to the storage unit. For example, the processing unit 1010 can read the instructions (code or program) and / or data in the storage unit to implement the corresponding method. The above-mentioned units can be set independently or partially or fully integrated.

[0185] Optionally, the transceiver unit 1020 may include a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, wherein the transmitting unit may be used to perform all transmitting operations performed by the communication device 1000, and the receiving unit may be used to perform all receiving operations performed by the communication device 1000.

[0186] In some possible implementations, the communication device 1000 can implement the corresponding behaviors and functions of the multi-link station device, etc. in the above-mentioned method embodiments. For example, the communication device 1000 can be a multi-link station device, or a component (such as a chip or circuit) used in a multi-link station device. The transceiver unit 1020 can be used to perform all receiving or transmitting operations performed by the multi-link station device in the embodiment shown in Figure 9. For example, S901 in the embodiment shown in Figure 9, and / or other processes used to support the technology described herein; wherein the processing unit 1010 is used to perform all operations performed by the multi-link station device in the embodiment shown in Figure 9 except for the receiving and transmitting operations. For example, S902 in the embodiment shown in Figure 9, and / or other processes used to support the technology described herein.

[0187] For example, the transceiver unit 1020 is configured to receive a BTM request frame including first information indicating that BSS transfer is not to be performed. The processing unit 1010 is configured to respond to the BTM request frame and ignore the BTM request frame or link disabling operation.

[0188] For another example, the transceiver unit 1020 is configured to receive a BTM request frame including second information indicating link removal. The processing unit 1010 is configured to terminate the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame at a time indicated by a BSS termination time included in the BTM request frame.

[0189] For another example, the transceiver unit 1020 is configured to receive a BTM request frame containing third information. The third information indicates a BSS transfer, and the processing unit 1010 is configured to perform the BSS transfer. Alternatively, the third information indicates link removal, and the processing unit 1010 is configured to perform the link removal operation. Alternatively, the third information indicates link disabling, and the processing unit 1010 is configured to perform the link disabling operation. Alternatively, the third information indicates link disabling, and the processing unit 1010 is configured to ignore the BTM request frame.

[0190] In some possible implementations, the communication device 1000 can implement the behaviors and functions of the AP in the above-described method embodiments. For example, the communication device 1000 can be an AP, or a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) used in an AP. The transceiver unit 1020 can be used to perform all receiving or transmitting operations performed by the AP in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 . For example, S901 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 , and / or other processes used to support the technology described herein; wherein the processing unit 1010 is used to perform all operations performed by the AP in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 , except for the transmitting and receiving operations.

[0191] For example, the processing unit 1010 is configured to generate a BTM request frame. The transceiver unit 1020 is configured to send the BTM request frame, where the BTM request frame includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate that the BSS transfer is not to be performed. The first information is used by the multi-link station device to perform a link disabling operation.

[0192] For another example, processing unit 1010 is configured to generate a BTM request frame. Transceiver unit 1020 is configured to send the BTM request frame, where the BTM request frame includes third information. The third information may indicate a BSS transfer, link removal, or link disabling.

[0193] For the operations performed by the processing unit 1010 and the transceiver unit 1020, reference may be made to the relevant description of the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0194] It should be understood that the processing unit 1010 in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by a processor or a processor-related circuit component, and the transceiver unit 1020 can be implemented by a transceiver or a transceiver-related circuit component or a communication interface.

[0195] Based on the same concept, as shown in FIG11 , an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device 1100. The communication device 1100 includes a processor 1110. Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a memory 1120 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1110, or storing input data required by the processor 1110 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 1110 executes instructions. The processor 1110 can implement the method shown in the above method embodiment using the instructions stored in the memory 1120.

[0196] Based on the same concept, as shown in Figure 12, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device 1200, which can be a chip or a chip system. Optionally, in the embodiment of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0197] The communication device 1200 may include at least one processor 1210, which is coupled to a memory. Optionally, the memory may be located within or outside the device. For example, the communication device 1200 may also include at least one memory 1220. The memory 1220 stores the necessary computer programs, configuration information, computer programs or instructions, and / or data for implementing any of the above-described embodiments. The processor 1210 may execute the computer programs stored in the memory 1220 to perform the method in any of the above-described embodiments.

[0198] The coupling in the embodiments of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, and is used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 1210 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1220. The specific connection medium between the transceiver 1230, the processor 1210, and the memory 1220 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0199] The communication device 1200 may also include a transceiver 1230, and the communication device 1200 can exchange information with other devices through the transceiver 1230. The transceiver 1230 can be a circuit, a bus, a transceiver or any other device that can be used for information exchange, or is called a signal transceiver unit. As shown in Figure 12, the transceiver 1230 includes a transmitter 1231, a receiver 1232 and an antenna 1233. In addition, when the communication device 1200 is a chip-type device or circuit, the transceiver in the communication device 1200 can also be an input and output circuit and / or a communication interface, which can input data (or receive data) and output data (or send data). The processor is an integrated processor or microprocessor or integrated circuit, and the processor can determine the output data based on the input data.

[0200] In one possible implementation, the communication device 1200 can be applied to a multi-link site device. Specifically, the communication device 1200 can be a multi-link site device, or a device capable of supporting the multi-link site device in implementing the functions of the multi-link site device in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The memory 1220 stores the necessary computer programs, computer programs, instructions, and / or data to implement the functions of the communication device in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The processor 1210 can execute the computer programs stored in the memory 1220 to perform the method performed by the multi-link site device in any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0201] In one possible implementation, the communication device 1200 can be applied to an AP. Specifically, the communication device 1200 can be an AP or a device capable of supporting the AP in implementing the functions of the AP in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The memory 1220 stores the necessary computer programs, computer programs, instructions, and / or data for implementing the functions of the AP in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The processor 1210 can execute the computer programs stored in the memory 1220 to perform the method performed by the AP in any of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0202] Since the communication device 1200 provided in this embodiment can be applied to a multi-link station device to implement the method performed by the multi-link station device, or can be applied to an AP to implement the method performed by the AP, the technical effects achieved can be referred to the above method embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0203] In the embodiments of the present application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component, and may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of the present application may be directly implemented as being executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor.

[0204] In an embodiment of the present application, the memory may be a non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), etc., or a volatile memory (volatile memory), such as a random-access memory (RAM). The memory may also be any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in an embodiment of the present application may also be a circuit or any other device that can implement a storage function, for storing computer programs, computer programs or instructions and / or data.

[0205] Based on the above embodiments, referring to FIG13 , an embodiment of the present application further provides another communication device 1300, including: an input / output interface 1310 and a logic circuit 1320; the input / output interface 1310 is used to receive code instructions and transmit them to the logic circuit 1320; the logic circuit 1320 is used to run the code instructions to execute the method executed by the multi-link site device or AP in any of the above embodiments.

[0206] Alternatively, the input / output interface 1310 may be an interface on a chip, and the logic circuit 1320 may be one or more processors. Alternatively, the one or more processors may be located within the device or outside the device.

[0207] The following describes in detail the operations performed by the communication apparatus when applied to a multi-link station device or an AP.

[0208] In an optional implementation, the communication apparatus 1300 may be applied to a multi-link site device to execute the method executed by the multi-link site device described above, for example, the method executed by the multi-link site device in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 .

[0209] For example, the input / output interface 1310 is configured to receive a BTM request frame including first information indicating that BSS transfer is not to be performed. The logic circuit 1320 is configured to respond to the BTM request frame and ignore the BTM request frame or link disabling operation.

[0210] For another example, the input / output interface 1310 is configured to receive a BTM request frame including second information indicating link removal, and the logic circuit 1320 is configured to terminate the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame at a time indicated by a BSS termination time included in the BTM request frame.

[0211] For another example, input / output interface 1310 is configured to receive a BTM request frame containing third information. The third information may indicate a BSS transfer, and logic circuit 1320 may be configured to perform the BSS transfer. Alternatively, the third information may indicate link removal, and logic circuit 1320 may be configured to perform the link removal operation. Alternatively, the third information may indicate link disabling, and logic circuit 1320 may be configured to perform the link disabling operation. Alternatively, the third information may indicate link disabling, and logic circuit 1320 may be configured to ignore the BTM request frame.

[0212] Since the communication device 1300 provided in this embodiment can be applied to a multi-link site device to implement the method performed by the multi-link site device, the technical effects that can be achieved can be referred to the above method embodiment and will not be described in detail here.

[0213] In an optional implementation, the communication device 1300 may be applied to an AP to execute the method executed by the aforementioned AP, for example, the method executed by the AP in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 .

[0214] The logic circuit 1320 is configured to generate a BTM request frame. The input / output interface 1310 is configured to send the BTM request frame, which includes first information indicating that the BSS transfer is not to be performed. The first information is used by the multi-link station device to perform a link disabling operation.

[0215] Logic circuit 1320 is configured to generate a BTM request frame. Input / output interface 1310 is configured to send the BTM request frame, where the BTM request frame includes third information. The third information may indicate a BSS transfer, link removal, or link disabling.

[0216] Since the communication device 1300 provided in this embodiment can be applied to an AP to implement the above-mentioned method executed by the AP, the technical effects that can be obtained can be referred to the above-mentioned method embodiment and will not be described in detail here.

[0217] Based on the above embodiments, embodiments of the present application further provide a communication system. The communication system includes at least one communication device for a multi-link site device and at least one communication device for an AP. The technical effects achieved can be referenced to the above method embodiments and will not be further described here.

[0218] Based on the above embodiments, the present application also provides a system. The communication system includes at least one AP and a multi-link station device.

[0219] Based on the above embodiments, embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions. When the instructions are executed, the method performed by the multi-link station device or the method performed by the AP in any of the above embodiments is implemented. The computer-readable storage medium may include various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard drive, a read-only memory, a random access memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0220] To implement the functions of the communication device shown in Figures 10 to 13 above, embodiments of the present application further provide a chip including a processor for supporting the communication device in implementing the functions of the multi-link station device or AP in the above method embodiments. In one possible design, the chip is connected to or includes a memory, which is used to store computer programs, instructions, and data necessary for the communication device.

[0221] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present application can adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) that contain computer-usable program code.

[0222] The present application is described with reference to the flow chart and / or block diagram of the method, device (system) and computer program product according to the embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that each flow process and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram and the combination of the flow process and / or box in the flow chart and / or block diagram can be realized by a computer program or instruction. These computer programs or instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processing machine or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for realizing the function specified in one flow chart flow or multiple flows and / or one box or multiple boxes of the block diagram.

[0223] These computer programs or instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce a manufactured product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0224] These computer programs or instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, whereby the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0225] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the embodiments of the present application without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the embodiments of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An information transmission method, characterized in that: include: Receiving a basic service set transfer management BTM request frame, wherein the BTM request frame includes first information, and the first information is used to indicate that BSS transfer is not to be performed; In response to the BTM request frame, the BSS transfer request corresponding to the BTM request frame is ignored or a link disabling operation is performed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After ignoring the BTM request frame, the method further includes: Receive a service identifier to link mapping element; Based on the service identifier to link mapping element, a link disabling operation is performed.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The performing link disabling operation includes: A service identifier-to-link mapping element is received, wherein the service identifier-to-link mapping element includes an association relationship between services and links, wherein the first link is not associated with any service.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The performing link disabling operation includes: At the time indicated by the BSS termination time included in the BTM request frame, the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame is terminated from sending.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The BTM request frame further includes a termination duration, where the termination duration is used to indicate a duration for terminating the BSS.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: Also includes: Ignore disassociation frames broadcast on the link.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The ignoring the disassociation frame broadcasted on the link includes: Ignore the disassociation frames broadcast on the link within the time range indicated by the disassociation time indicated by the BTM request frame.

8. An information transmission method, characterized in that: include: Sending a basic service set transfer management BTM request frame, where the BTM request frame includes first information, where the first information is used to indicate that BSS transfer is not to be performed; The first information is used by the multi-link site device to perform a link disabling operation.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that Also includes: A service identifier-to-link mapping element is sent, wherein the service identifier-to-link mapping element includes an association relationship between services and links, wherein the first link is not associated with any service.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The BTM request frame includes a BSS termination time, and the BSS termination time indicates a time when the multi-link site device stops sending the BSS corresponding to the BTM request frame.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The BTM request frame further includes a termination duration, where the termination duration is used to indicate a duration for terminating the BSS.

12. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

13. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 8 to 11.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when called by an electronic device, enable the electronic device to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, or enable the electronic device to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11.

15. A communication system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a device for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and a device for executing the method according to any one of claims 8 to 11.

16. A chip system, characterized in that: The chip system comprises: Communication interface; A processor, used to call and run the instruction through the communication interface, so that the device equipped with the chip system executes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or the device equipped with the chip system executes the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 11.

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