Communication method, apparatus and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of communications. Provided are a communication method, an apparatus and a computer-readable storage medium, which can be applied to ultra-bandwidth (UWB)-based wireless personal area network systems, comprising 802.15 series protocols such as 802.15.4a protocol, 802.15.4z protocol or 802.15.4ab protocol, can be applied to wireless local area network systems that support IEEE 802.11 series protocols such as 802.11ax next-generation WiFi protocols, e.g. 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7 or EHT, and 802.11be next-generation, i.e. Wi-Fi 8, and also can be applied to sensing systems, etc. The method comprises: a first device identifying that the first device itself and a second device are mutually two-hop devices; and according to the size of a BSSID of the first device and the size of a BSSID of the second device, the first device adjusting its R-TWT SP to be aligned with an R-TWT SP of the second device. The embodiments of the present application can achieve the alignment of R-TWT SPs of a plurality of two-hop devices, thus saving scheduling resources.

Description

Communication method, device and computer-readable storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on June 29, 2023, with application number 202310791574.4, and priority to the Chinese patent application entitled “A communication method, device and computer-readable storage medium”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technologies, and in particular to a communication method, device, and computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0003] Target wake time (TWT) is a technology defined by Wi-Fi 6 for energy saving. It means that the station (STA) and access point (AP) can agree on a service period (SP) and remain active and communicate during the service period, so that they can sleep outside the service period to achieve the purpose of energy saving.

[0004] When there are multiple APs, two APs separated by a communicating AP and unable to hear each other's wireless signals are called two-hop APs. For example, if AP1 and AP2 are in overlapping basic service sets (OBSS), and AP2 and AP3 are in OBSS, and AP1 and AP3 cannot hear each other's wireless signals, then AP1 and AP3 are two-hop APs.

[0005] Multiple APs can each establish a TWT SP. Since APs that are two-hop APs cannot hear each other's wireless signals, the restricted target wakeup time (R-TWT) service period (SP) of the APs that are two-hop APs can be aligned. Since the APs that are two-hop APs do not interfere with each other, their alignment does not affect concurrent transmissions within the same period, thereby saving scheduling resources.

[0006] However, due to the lack of a coordination mechanism, APs that are two hops apart cannot determine which AP should adjust the R-TWT SP to align with the other device. For example, if both APs adjust simultaneously, their R-TWT SPs will swap positions, failing to achieve alignment. Therefore, if there are multiple APs that are two hops apart, aligning their R-TWT SPs is difficult without coordination. Therefore, how to achieve R-TWT SP alignment for multiple APs that are two hops apart is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium, which can achieve R-TWT SP alignment of multiple devices that are two-hop devices to each other, thereby saving scheduling resources.

[0009] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a first device, or to a module (for example, a chip or a processor) in the first device, or to a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first device. The following description is given using the first device as an example in which the execution subject is an example. The communication method includes: the first device recognizes that itself and the second device are two-hop devices; the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the basic service set identifier (BSSID) of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device.

[0010] In the embodiment of the present application, through predefined rules, two or more two-hop devices can adjust their own R-TWT SP to align with each other's R-TWT SP according to the size of the BSSID, thereby avoiding the ping-pong effect caused by two or more devices adjusting the R-TWT SP at the same time, thereby saving scheduling resources.

[0011] A possible implementation method is that the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device, including: when the BSSID of the first device is smaller than the BSSID of the second device, the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device.

[0012] In the embodiment of the present application, the device in the two-hop device with the smaller BSSID can adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the other party's R-TWT SP, avoiding the ping-pong effect caused by two or more devices adjusting the R-TWT SP at the same time, thereby saving scheduling resources.

[0013] A possible implementation method is that the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device, including: when the BSSID of the first device is larger than the BSSID of the second device, the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device.

[0014] In the embodiment of the present application, the device in the two-hop device with a larger BSSID can adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the other party's R-TWT SP, avoiding the ping-pong effect caused by two or more devices adjusting the R-TWT SP at the same time, thereby saving scheduling resources.

[0015] In one possible implementation, if the second device includes multiple devices, the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device, including: the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the device with the largest BSSID among the second devices.

[0016] A possible implementation method is that the first device recognizes that itself and the second device are two-hop devices, including: when the first device cannot receive the first frame from the second device, receiving the second frame from the third device, the second frame including the R-TWT information of the second device; the first device recognizes that itself and the second device are two-hop devices based on the R-TWT information of the second device.

[0017] In a possible implementation manner, the first frame and the second frame are beacon frames.

[0018] On the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a first device, or to a module (for example, a chip or processor) in the first device, or to a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first device. The following description is given using the first device as an example in which the execution subject is an example. The communication method includes: the first device receives broadcast target wakeup time (TWT) information from a third device, and the broadcast TWT information of the third device includes a first preset R-TWT SP; the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the first preset R-TWT SP.

[0019] The embodiment of the present application can broadcast a preset R-TWT SP to clarify that the devices in multiple two-hop devices adjust their own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of each other, avoiding the ping-pong effect caused by multiple devices adjusting the R-TWT SP at the same time, thereby saving scheduling resources.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first preset R-TWT SP is determined by the broadcast TWT identifier in the broadcast TWT information subfield.

[0021] In a possible implementation, the first preset R-TWT SP is indicated by a first element, where the first element includes a next SP start time, an SP duration, and an interval between two adjacent SPs.

[0022] One possible implementation method is that the next SP start time is carried in the target wake-up time field in the first element, the SP duration is carried in the minimum TWT wake-up duration field in the first element, and the interval between two adjacent SPs is carried in the TWT wake-up interval field in the first element.

[0023] On the third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a third device, or to a module (for example, a chip or processor) in the third device, or to a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the third device. The following description is made by taking the execution subject as the third device as an example. The communication method includes: the third device receives broadcast TWT information from the first device and broadcast TWT information from the second device, the broadcast TWT information of the first device includes a second preset R-TWT SP, the broadcast TWT information of the second device includes a third preset R-TWT SP, and the first device and the second device are two-hop devices to each other;

[0024] If the third preset R-TWT SP overlaps with the R-TWT SP of the first device, the third device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the second preset R-TWT SP; or if the second preset R-TWT SP overlaps with the R-TWT SP of the second device, the third device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the third preset R-TWT SP.

[0025] The embodiment of the present application can broadcast a preset R-TWT SP to clarify that the devices in multiple two-hop devices adjust their own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of each other, avoiding the ping-pong effect caused by multiple devices adjusting the R-TWT SP at the same time, thereby saving scheduling resources.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the preset R-TWT SP is determined by the broadcast TWT identifier in the broadcast TWT information subfield.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the preset R-TWT SP is indicated by a first element, which includes a next SP start time, an SP duration, and an interval between two adjacent SPs.

[0028] One possible implementation method is that the next SP start time is carried in the target wake-up time field in the first element, the SP duration is carried in the minimum TWT wake-up duration field in the first element, and the interval between two adjacent SPs is carried in the TWT wake-up interval field in the first element.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication device. The communication device can be applied to a first device, a module (e.g., a chip or processor) in the first device, or a logic module or software that implements all or part of the functions of the first device.

[0030] The beneficial effects can be found in the description of the first aspect and will not be repeated here. The communication device has the function of implementing the behavior in the method example of the first aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes:

[0032] a processing unit, configured to identify that the processing unit and the second device are two-hop devices;

[0033] The processing unit is further configured to adjust the alignment of its own R-TWT SP with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device.

[0034] In one possible implementation method, the processing unit adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device. Specifically, when the BSSID of the first device is smaller than the BSSID of the second device, the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device.

[0035] In one possible implementation method, the processing unit adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device. Specifically, when the BSSID of the first device is larger than the BSSID of the second device, the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device.

[0036] One possible implementation method is that if the second device includes multiple devices, the processing unit adjusts the R-TWT SP of the first device to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device, specifically for: adjusting the R-TWT SP of the first device to align with the R-TWT SP of the device with the largest BSSID among the second devices.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the communication device further includes:

[0038] a transceiver unit, configured to receive a second frame from a third device when the first device is unable to receive the first frame from the second device, the second frame including the R-TWT information of the second device;

[0039] The processing unit identifies that the first device and the second device are two-hop devices, and is specifically used to: identify that itself and the second device are two-hop devices based on the R-TWT information of the second device.

[0040] In a possible implementation manner, the first frame and the second frame are beacon frames.

[0041] In a fifth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication device. The communication device can be applied to a first device, a module (e.g., a chip or processor) in the first device, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first device.

[0042] The beneficial effects can be found in the description of the second aspect and will not be repeated here. The communication device has the function of implementing the behavior in the method example of the second aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes:

[0044] a transceiver unit, configured to receive broadcast TWT information from a third device, wherein the broadcast TWT information of the third device includes a first preset R-TWT SP;

[0045] The processing unit is configured to adjust its own R-TWT SP to be aligned with the first preset R-TWT SP.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the first preset R-TWT SP is determined by the broadcast TWT identifier in the broadcast TWT information subfield.

[0047] In a possible implementation, the first preset R-TWT SP is indicated by a first element, where the first element includes a next SP start time, an SP duration, and an interval between two adjacent SPs.

[0048] One possible implementation method is that the next SP start time is carried in the target wake-up time field in the first element, the SP duration is carried in the minimum TWT wake-up duration field in the first element, and the interval between the two adjacent SPs is carried in the TWT wake-up interval field in the first element.

[0049] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication device. The communication device can be applied to a third device, a module (e.g., a chip or processor) in the third device, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the third device.

[0050] The beneficial effects can be found in the description of the third aspect and will not be repeated here. The communication device has the function of implementing the behavior in the method example of the third aspect. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0051] In one possible implementation, the communication device includes:

[0052] A transceiver unit, configured to receive broadcast TWT information from a first device and broadcast TWT information from a second device, wherein the broadcast TWT information of the first device includes a second preset R-TWT SP, the broadcast TWT information of the second device includes a third preset R-TWT SP, and the first device and the second device are two-hop devices to each other;

[0053] a processing unit, configured to adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the second preset R-TWT SP if the third preset R-TWT SP overlaps with the R-TWT SP of the first device; or to adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the third preset R-TWT SP if the second preset R-TWT SP overlaps with the R-TWT SP of the third device.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the preset R-TWT SP is determined by the broadcast TWT identifier in the broadcast TWT information subfield.

[0055] In a possible implementation, the preset R-TWT SP is indicated by a first element, which includes a next SP start time, an SP duration, and an interval between two adjacent SPs.

[0056] One possible implementation method is that the next SP start time is carried in the target wake-up time field in the first element, the SP duration is carried in the minimum TWT wake-up duration field in the first element, and the interval between two adjacent SPs is carried in the TWT wake-up interval field in the first element.

[0057] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device may be the first device in the above-mentioned method embodiment, or a chip or processor provided in the first device. The communication device may include a processor coupled to a memory, the memory being configured to store programs or instructions. When the program or instructions are executed by the processor, the communication device executes the method performed by the first device, or the chip or processor in the first device, in the above-mentioned method embodiment.

[0058] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device may be the third device in the above-mentioned method embodiment, or a chip or processor provided in the third device. The communication device may include a processor coupled to a memory, the memory being configured to store programs or instructions. When the program or instructions are executed by the processor, the communication device executes the method performed by the third device, or the chip or processor in the third device, in the above-mentioned method embodiment.

[0059] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the method of the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation method of the first aspect.

[0060] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the method of the above-mentioned second aspect or any possible implementation method of the second aspect.

[0061] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the method of the above-mentioned third aspect or any possible implementation method of the third aspect.

[0062] In a twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising program instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0063] In a thirteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising program instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the above-mentioned second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0064] In the fourteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising program instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method of the third aspect or any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0065] In a fifteenth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a chip system comprising a processor for implementing the functions of each of the above methods. In one possible implementation, the chip system may further comprise a memory for storing program instructions and / or data. The chip system may be composed of a chip alone, or may include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0066] In the sixteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes the first device provided by the first aspect or the second aspect or the third device provided by the third aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0067] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0068] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an R-TWT principle provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a TWT element provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an AP adjusting an R-TWT SP according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG5 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of another AP adjusting the R-TWT SP provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG7 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of another AP adjusting the R-TWT SP provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of another AP adjusting the R-TWT SP provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG10 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of an AP adjusting an R-TWT SP according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of an AP adjusting an R-TWT SP according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG15 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] The scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0085] The present application provides a communication method that can be applied to a wireless communication system, such as a cellular network or a wireless local area network system. Referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1 , the network architecture 100 includes an access point AP 101 and one or more stations (STAs 102 to 103). The access point and stations support the wireless local area network (WLAN) communication protocol. The communication protocol may include IEEE 802.11be (or Wi-Fi 7, EHT protocol), and may also include IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ax, IEEE 802.11ac and other protocols, wherein the name of the 802.11n standard can also be called high throughput (HT), the name of the 802.11ac standard can also be called very high throughput (VHT), the name of the 802.11ax standard can also be called high efficiency (HE), and the name of the 802.11be standard can also be called extremely high throughput (EHT). Of course, with the continuous evolution and development of communication technology, the communication protocol may also include the next generation protocol of IEEE802.11be, etc. Taking WLAN as an example, the device for implementing the method of the present application may be an access point or station in the WLAN, or a chip or processing system installed in the access point or station.

[0086] An access point (e.g., AP101) is a device with wireless communication capabilities that supports communication using the WLAN protocol and has the ability to communicate with other devices in the WLAN network (e.g., stations or other access points). Of course, it can also have the ability to communicate with other devices. In a WLAN system, an access point can be called an access point station (AP STA). The device can be a complete device, or it can be a chip or processing system installed in the complete device. The device installed with these chips or processing systems can implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application under the control of the chip or processing system. The AP in the embodiments of the present application can be a device that provides services for STAs and can support the 802.11 series of protocols. For example, the AP can be a communication entity such as a communication server, router, switch, bridge, etc.; the AP can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, etc. Of course, the AP can also be a chip and processing system in these various forms of devices, thereby implementing the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0087] A station is a device with wireless communication capabilities that supports communication using the WLAN protocol and has the ability to communicate with other stations or access points in the WLAN network. In a WLAN system, a station can be referred to as a non-access point station (non-AP STA). For example, a STA is any user communication device that allows a user to communicate with an AP and, in turn, with a WLAN. The device can be a complete device, or a chip or processing system installed in the complete device. Devices installed with these chips or processing systems can implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application under the control of the chip or processing system. For example, a STA can be a user device that can be connected to the Internet, such as a tablet computer, desktop, laptop, notebook computer, ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), handheld computer, netbook, personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, or an IoT node in the Internet of Things, or an in-vehicle communication device or entertainment device, gaming device or system, or global positioning system device in the Internet of Vehicles. A STA can also be a chip and processing system in these terminals.

[0088] WLAN systems can provide high-speed, low-latency transmission. As WLAN application scenarios continue to evolve, they will be applied to a wider range of scenarios and industries, including the Internet of Things (IoT), the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), the banking industry, corporate offices, stadiums and exhibition halls, concert halls, hotel rooms, dormitories, hospital wards, classrooms, supermarkets, plazas, streets, production workshops, and warehouses. Devices supporting WLAN communication (e.g., access points or stations) can include sensor nodes in smart cities (e.g., smart water meters, smart electricity meters, and smart air quality monitoring nodes), smart devices in smart homes (e.g., smart cameras, projectors, displays, TVs, speakers, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), nodes in the Internet of Things (IoT), entertainment terminals (e.g., wearable devices such as AR and VR), smart devices in smart offices (e.g., printers, projectors, speakers, and audio systems), IoV devices, infrastructure in daily life (e.g., vending machines, self-service kiosks in supermarkets, self-service checkout machines, and self-service ordering kiosks), and equipment in large sports and music venues. There is no special limitation on the specific forms of STA and AP in the embodiments of the present application, which are only illustrative here.

[0089] To facilitate understanding of this application, the following first introduces the relevant technical knowledge involved in the embodiments of this application. The terms used in the implementation methods of this application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0090] 1. TWT

[0091] TWT is a technology defined by Wi-Fi 6 for energy conservation. The core idea is to set periodic time periods so that certain devices only need to remain active during these TWT service periods (TWT SPs) and can sleep during other times, thereby achieving energy conservation.

[0092] TWT is divided into unicast TWT (individual TWT) and broadcast TWT (broadcast TWT). In unicast TWT, each STA can establish a TWT protocol with the AP individually, so each STA can have its own active time period and sleep time period; in broadcast TWT, the AP can establish a common TWT protocol for a group of STAs, and multiple STAs work in the same active time period and sleep in other time periods.

[0093] Unicast TWT: Unicast TWT means that the TWT requesting site (requesting) sends a TWT request message to the TWT responding site (responding), requesting to set a wake-up time. After receiving the TWT request message, the responding site sends a TWT response message to the requesting site. After the interaction is successful, a TWT protocol is established between the requesting site and the responding site. When the TWT protocol is reached, both the requesting site and the responding site should remain active during the agreed time period in order to send and receive data. Outside the above time period, the site can go into sleep mode to achieve the purpose of energy saving. Generally speaking, the STA sends a TWT protocol establishment request to the AP, that is, the STA is the requesting site and the AP is the responding site. Of course, the AP can also initiate a TWT protocol establishment request to the site. After the TWT protocol is established, the agreed active time period is called the TWT service phase.

[0094] Broadcast TWT: Unlike unicast TWT, broadcast TWT provides a "batch management" mechanism whereby the AP can establish a series of periodic TWT service phases with multiple STAs. During the TWT service phase, the multiple STAs must remain active to communicate with the AP.

[0095] The AP can carry information about one or more broadcast TWTs in a beacon frame. Each broadcast TWT is represented by a broadcast TWT identifier and the AP's media access control (MAC) address. After receiving the beacon frame, if the STA is willing to join the broadcast TWT, it can send a broadcast TWT establishment request message to the AP to join the broadcast TWT. When establishing a broadcast TWT, it is necessary to specify a broadcast TWT identifier to request to join a specific broadcast TWT. After joining the broadcast TWT, the STA can wake up according to the service phase indicated by the TWT parameter set to communicate with the AP. It should be noted that if the STA supports broadcast TWT but does not explicitly join a broadcast TWT ID, it will participate in the broadcast TWT with broadcast TWT ID = 0 by default.

[0096] Similar to unicast TWT, the parameter set for broadcast TWT also specifies the period during which TWT service phases occur and the duration of each TWT service phase. In addition, the broadcast TWT parameters also include the lifecycle of the broadcast TWT, which is expressed in beacon frame intervals and represents the duration of the established broadcast TWT.

[0097] 2. Two-hop device

[0098] The first device and the second device are OBSS, and the second device and the third device are OBSS. The first device and the third device cannot hear each other's wireless signals, that is, the first device and the third device are two-hop devices.

[0099] 3. Low-latency communication

[0100] With the development of wireless networks and the continuous upgrade of wireless local area network (WLAN) technology, Wi-Fi is carrying an increasing amount of application traffic. At the same time, the ever-increasing number of mobile applications is placing increasingly stringent demands on WLAN latency performance. For example, applications such as wireless video, voice, gaming, and augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) have very high communication latency requirements.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of an R-TWT principle provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, R-TWT is a new mechanism for ensuring low-latency services derived from the existing broadcast TWT of IEEE 802.11ax. Under the 802.11be standard, non-AP EHT STA (hereinafter referred to as EHT STA) has many real-time applications (RTA), and the traffic of these applications has very strict latency requirements. Based on this, the R-TWT mechanism is proposed, which indicates that the AP broadcasts one or more R-TWT SPs through beacon frames or probe response frames. When the EHT STA in the BSS receives any R-TWT SP information broadcast by the AP, if the STA's dot11RestrictedTWTOptionImplemented is set to true, then the EHT STA needs to end its transmission opportunity (TXOP) before the start time of the r-TWT SP. In addition, the AP can set a quiet interval (quiet interval) in the beacon frame or the probe response frame that is aligned with the start time of the R-TWT SP, with a duration of 1 millisecond (ms). It is required that the EHT STAs belonging to this R-TWT SP group (grouped by broadcast TWT ID) can ignore the above quiet interval and then compete for the channel after the R-TWT SP starts. Other EHT STAs need to remain silent according to the quiet interval, which will reduce the number of STAs competing for the channel in the BSS and increase the probability of EHT STAs with low-latency services getting the channel.

[0102] The R-TWT information can be indicated in the TWT element field, please refer to Figure 3, which is a structural diagram of a TWT element provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 3, for a broadcast TWT, the TWT parameter information may include multiple broadcast TWT parameter sets. The broadcast TWT recommendation subfield (broadcast TWT recommendation) in the request type field (request type) of each broadcast TWT parameter set is used to indicate the TWT type specified by the broadcast TWT parameter set. Its value is 4, indicating that this broadcast TWT parameter set corresponds to an R-TWT. This request type was introduced by IEEE 802.11be, so legacy STA cannot understand it. If a broadcast TWT parameter set corresponds to an R-TWT, then the broadcast TWT information subfield (broadcast TWT Info) in the TWT element field contains a one-bit R-TWT traffic information subfield existence indication subfield (restricted TWT traffic Info present). The value of this bit is 1, indicating that the TWT element field contains the R-TWT traffic information subfield (restricted TWT traffic Info) shown in Figure 3, and the value of this bit is 0, indicating that the TWT element field does not contain the R-TWT traffic information subfield (restricted TWT traffic Info) shown in Figure 3. The broadcast TWT indication (broadcast TWT ID) subfield indicates the identification number of the TWT group.

[0103] First, in order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, the technical problems to be specifically solved by the present application are further analyzed and proposed. Currently, there are multiple technical solutions for implementing the R-TWT SP adjustment of the AP, which are exemplified below.

[0104] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of an AP adjusting R-TWT SP provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4 (a), there are three APs, namely AP1, AP2 and AP3. AP1 and AP3 are OBSS, and AP2 and AP3 are OBSS. AP1 and AP2 cannot hear each other's wireless signals, that is, they recognize each other as two-hop APs. As shown in Figure 4 (b), the three APs each establish a TWT SP without coordination, that is, AP1 establishes a TWT SP as SP11, AP2 establishes a TWT SP as SP21, and AP3 establishes a TWT SP as SP31. Since SP11 and SP21 have been used by AP1 and AP2, it is not good for AP3 to use SP11 and SP21 as TWT SP. If it is recommended that the APs that recognize each other as two-hop APs can perform R-TWT SP alignment, as shown in Figure 4 (c), after AP1 and AP2 align their R-TWT SPs, the time period originally containing SP21 can be used by the three APs to schedule other services. Since AP1 and AP2 do not interfere with each other, their alignment does not affect concurrent transmissions in the same time period.

[0105] Due to the lack of a coordination mechanism, two APs that are two hops apart cannot determine which AP should adjust its R-TWT SP to align with the other. If both APs adjust simultaneously, their R-TWT SPs will swap positions, failing to achieve alignment. If there are multiple two-hop APs, without a coordination mechanism, it will be difficult for them to align their R-TWT SPs.

[0106] Based on the fact that it is difficult for multiple two-hop devices to align their R-TWT SPs with each other in the absence of a coordination mechanism, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can clearly adjust the R-TWT SPs of multiple two-hop devices to align with each other's R-TWT SPs through pre-defined rules or broadcasting preset R-TWT SPs, thereby avoiding the ping-pong effect caused by multiple devices adjusting their R-TWT SPs at the same time, thereby saving scheduling resources.

[0107] Please refer to Figure 5, which is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. In Figure 5, the method is illustrated by taking the first device as the execution subject of the flow chart as an example, but the present application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction chart. For example, the first device in this embodiment can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the first device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first device; the second device can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the second device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the second device; the third device can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the third device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the third device. The first device, the second device, and the third device can be APs, STAs, or other devices. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the types of the first device, the second device, and the third device. As shown in Figure 5, the communication method includes but is not limited to the following steps.

[0108] S501: A first device recognizes that itself and a second device are two-hop devices.

[0109] The first device can identify itself and the second device as two-hop devices. In one possible implementation, each device can broadcast the R-TWT information of itself and the OBSS device. When the first device cannot receive the first frame from the second device, it receives the second frame from the third device. The second frame includes the R-TWT information of the second device. The first device can identify itself and the second device as two-hop devices based on the R-TWT information of the second device. It can be understood that this implementation is only an example, and other methods that can identify two-hop devices are also applicable to the embodiments of the present application. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the identification method of two-hop devices.

[0110] The first frame and the second frame may be beacon frames. It is understood that the first frame and the second frame may also be other frames that can realize the functions of the first frame and the second frame. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the types of the first frame and the second frame, and the types of the first frame and the second frame may be the same or different.

[0111] For example, the first and second frames are beacon frames, the first device is AP1, the second device is AP2, and the third device is AP3. For example, as shown in FIG4(a), there are three APs, namely AP1, AP2, and AP3. Each AP can broadcast its own R-TWT information and that of the OBSS AP. AP1 receives the beacon frame sent by AP3 and obtains AP2's R-TWT information from it. If AP1 cannot receive the beacon frame from AP2, AP1 can identify itself and AP2 as two-hop APs.

[0112] S502: The first device adjusts its R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device.

[0113] In the embodiment of the present application, the two-hop devices can determine which device to adjust its own R-TWT SP according to the order of the size of their BSSIDs. The following is an example of the first device adjusting its own R-TWT SP.

[0114] The first device adjusts its R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device, which may meet one or more of the following possible implementations:

[0115] A possible implementation method is that when the BSSID of the first device is smaller than the BSSID of the second device, the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device. Specifically, when the first device recognizes that itself and the second device are two-hop devices, if its own BSSID is smaller than the other party's BSSID, it can adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the other party's R-TWT SP. Otherwise, its own R-TWT SP will not be adjusted. For example, please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of another AP adjusting R-TWT SP provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, AP1 and AP2 are two-hop APs. Since the BSSID of AP1 is smaller than the BSSID of AP2, AP1 will adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of AP2.

[0116] In one possible implementation, when the BSSID of the first device is greater than the BSSID of the second device, the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device. Specifically, when the first device recognizes that it and the second device are two-hop devices, if its own BSSID is greater than the BSSID of the other device, it can adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the other device. Otherwise, its own R-TWT SP will not be adjusted.

[0117] In one possible implementation, if the second device includes multiple devices, the first device adjusts its R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the device with the largest BSSID among the second devices. Specifically, if the first device identifies two or more two-hop devices and its own BSSID is smaller than the BSSIDs of the two or more two-hop devices, it preferentially chooses to align the R-TWT SP with the device with the largest BSSID.

[0118] In one possible implementation, if the second device includes multiple devices, the first device adjusts its R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the device with the smallest BSSID among the second devices. Specifically, if the first device identifies two or more two-hop devices and its own BSSID is greater than the BSSIDs of the two or more two-hop devices, it preferentially chooses to align the R-TWT SP with the device with the smallest BSSID.

[0119] It is understandable that the above multiple possible implementation methods may be stipulated by the protocol, or the settings may be negotiated to determine which rule to use.

[0120] It should be noted that as long as multiple devices are two-hop devices between each other, the above possible implementation methods are applicable. Ultimately, all devices will align their R-TWT SPs with the R-TWT SPs of the device with the largest or smallest BSSID.

[0121] The embodiment of the present application can use predefined rules to clarify which device among two or more two-hop devices will adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the other party's R-TWT SP, avoiding the ping-pong effect caused by two or more devices adjusting the R-TWT SP at the same time, thereby saving scheduling resources.

[0122] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a process interaction diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 uses the first device and the third device as an example to illustrate the method, but the present application does not limit the execution subject of the interaction diagram. For example, the first device in this embodiment can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the first device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first device; the second device can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the second device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the second device; the third device can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the third device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the third device. The first device, the second device, and the third device can be APs, STAs, or other devices. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the types of the first device, the second device, and the third device. As shown in Figure 7, the communication method includes but is not limited to the following steps.

[0123] S701: The third device sends broadcast TWT information including a first preset R-TWT SP to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the broadcast TWT information from the third device.

[0124] In this embodiment of the present application, each device can send the location information of a preset R-TWT SP to the device in the OBSS with it. The device in the OBSS with it aligns its own R-TWT SP with the preset R-TWT SP, thereby achieving the effect of aligning the R-TWT SPs of the two hop devices. The following description takes the first device adjusting its own R-TWT SP as an example.

[0125] The third device may broadcast TWT information, where the broadcast TWT information includes the first preset R-TWT SP. The first preset R-TWT SP may also be understood as location information of the first preset R-TWT SP.

[0126] The first preset R-TWT SP can be determined by the broadcast TWT identifier in the broadcast TWT information subfield. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the broadcast TWT information (broadcast TWT Info) subfield may include a restricted TWT traffic Info present field, a reserved field, a broadcast TWT identifier (broadcast TWT ID) field, and a broadcast TWT persistence field. The corresponding broadcast TWT information can be indicated by setting the broadcast TWT identifier field to one or more specific values ​​to indicate the first preset R-TWT SP. Exemplarily, the broadcast TWT identifier field is 5 bits, and can also be one or more of 31, 30, 29, 0, 1 or 2. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific value, as long as it is agreed in advance.

[0127] The first preset R-TWT SP may also be indicated by a new element, for example, by a first element, which may include the next SP start time, the SP duration, and the interval between two adjacent SPs. In one embodiment, the next SP start time may be carried in the target wake time field in the first element, the SP duration may be carried in the nominal minimum TWT wake duration field in the first element, and the interval between two adjacent SPs may be carried in the TWT wake interval field in the first element.

[0128] S702: The first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with a first preset R-TWT SP.

[0129] After the first device receives the broadcast TWT information from the third device, it can adjust its own R-TWT SP according to the first preset R-TWT SP carried in the broadcast TWT information, that is, the first device can adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the first preset R-TWT SP.

[0130] For example, the first device is AP1, the second device is AP2, and the third device is AP3. For example, as shown in FIG4 (a), there are three APs, namely AP1, AP2, and AP3. AP1 and AP3 are OBSS, AP2 and AP3 are OBSS, and AP1 and AP2 cannot hear each other's wireless signals, that is, they are recognized as two-hop APs. Please refer to FIG8, which is a schematic diagram of another AP adjustment R-TWT SP provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG8, AP3 broadcasts its first preset R-TWT SP information. After hearing the first preset R-TWT SP information broadcast by AP3, AP1 adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the first preset R-TWT SP.

[0131] Furthermore, the first device and the second device are two-hop devices to each other, and the third device broadcasts broadcast TWT information including the first preset R-TWT SP. The second device can also receive the first preset R-TWT SP and adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the first preset R-TWT SP. The first device and the second device respectively adjust their respective R-TWT SPs to align with the first preset R-TWT SP, thereby achieving the effect of R-TWT SP alignment of the two-hop devices.

[0132] For example, please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of another AP adjusting R-TWT SP according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9, AP3 broadcasts its first preset R-TWT SP information. After hearing the first preset R-TWT SP information broadcast by AP3, AP1 and AP2 each adjust their own R-TWT SP to align with the first preset R-TWT SP. Because AP1 and AP2 are two-hop APs, R-TWT SP alignment can be achieved between the two-hop devices.

[0133] It should be noted that the first preset R-TWT SP can be used to align the R-TWT SP of two-hop devices, but the two-hop device alignment can be loosely coupled. For example, when the first device has only one OBSS, the first preset R-TWT SP can also be used to suggest that the OBSS adjust its R-TWT SP to align with the first preset R-TWT SP to facilitate the first device to arrange its scheduling.

[0134] The embodiment of the present application can broadcast a preset R-TWT SP to clarify that the devices in multiple two-hop devices adjust their own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of each other, avoiding the ping-pong effect caused by multiple devices adjusting the R-TWT SP at the same time, thereby saving scheduling resources.

[0135] Please refer to Figure 10, which is a process interaction diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 10 uses the first device, the second device, and the third device as examples to illustrate the method, but the present application does not limit the execution subjects of the interaction diagram. For example, the first device in this embodiment can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the first device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first device; the second device can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the second device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the second device; the third device can also be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the third device to implement the method, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the third device. The first device, the second device, and the third device can be APs, STAs, or other devices. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the types of the first device, the second device, and the third device. As shown in Figure 10, the communication method includes but is not limited to the following steps.

[0136] S1001. A first device sends broadcast TWT information including a second preset R-TWT SP to a third device. Correspondingly, the third device receives the broadcast TWT information from the first device.

[0137] The first device may send broadcast TWT information to the third device, where the broadcast TWT information includes a second preset R-TWT SP. The second preset R-TWT SP may also be understood as location information of the second preset R-TWT SP. The implementation of the second preset R-TWT SP may refer to the detailed description of the first preset R-TWT SP in step S701 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0138] S1002: The second device sends broadcast TWT information including a third preset R-TWT SP to the third device. Correspondingly, the third device receives the broadcast TWT information from the second device.

[0139] The second device may send broadcast TWT information to the third device, where the broadcast TWT information includes a third preset R-TWT SP. The third preset R-TWT SP may also be understood as location information of the third preset R-TWT SP. The implementation of the third preset R-TWT SP may refer to the detailed description of the first preset R-TWT SP in step S701 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0140] S1003. If the third preset R-TWT SP overlaps with the R-TWT SP of the first device, the third device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the second preset R-TWT SP; or if the second preset R-TWT SP overlaps with the R-TWT SP of the second device, the third device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the third preset R-TWT SP.

[0141] After receiving the broadcast TWT information from the first device and the broadcast TWT information from the second device, the third device can adjust its own R-TWT SP according to the second preset R-TWT SP and the third preset R-TWT SP.

[0142] A possible implementation method is that if the third preset R-TWT SP overlaps with the R-TWT SP of the first device, the third device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the second preset R-TWT SP. For example, take the first device as AP1, the second device as AP2, and the third device as AP3 as an example. For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 4, there are three APs, namely AP1, AP2, and AP3. AP1 and AP3 are OBSS, AP2 and AP3 are OBSS, and AP1 and AP2 cannot hear each other's wireless signals, that is, they recognize each other as two-hop APs. Please refer to Figure 11, which is a schematic diagram of an AP adjusting R-TWT SP provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 11, AP1 and AP2 broadcast the preset R-TWT SP respectively, that is, AP1 broadcasts the second preset R-TWT SP, and AP2 broadcasts the third preset R-TWT SP. AP3 receives the second and third preset R-TWT SPs of AP1 and AP3, and determines that AP2's third preset R-TWT SP overlaps with AP1's R-TWT SP. If AP3 adjusts its own R-TWT SP according to AP2's third preset R-TWT SP, it will overlap with AP1's R-TWT SP. Since AP1 and AP3 are OBSS, overlapping R-TWT SPs will cause serious interference. Therefore, making adjustments based on AP2's third preset R-TWT SP is not a good option. Therefore, in this case, AP3 can adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with AP1's second preset R-TWT SP.

[0143] A possible implementation method is that if the second preset R-TWT SP overlaps with the R-TWT SP of the second device, the third device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the third preset R-TWT SP. For example, take the first device as AP1, the second device as AP2, and the third device as AP3 as an example. For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 4, there are three APs, namely AP1, AP2, and AP3. AP1 and AP3 are OBSS, and AP2 and AP3 are OBSS. AP1 and AP2 cannot hear each other's wireless signals, that is, they recognize each other as two-hop APs. Please refer to Figure 12, which is a schematic diagram of an AP adjusting R-TWT SP provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 12, AP1 and AP2 broadcast the preset R-TWT SP respectively, that is, AP1 broadcasts the second preset R-TWT SP, and AP2 broadcasts the third preset R-TWT SP. AP3 receives the second and third preset R-TWT SPs of AP1 and AP3, and determines that AP1's second preset R-TWT SP overlaps with AP2's R-TWT SP. If AP3 adjusts its own R-TWT SP according to AP1's second preset R-TWT SP, it will overlap with AP2's R-TWT SP. AP2 and AP3 are OBSS, and overlapping R-TWT SPs will cause serious interference. Therefore, making adjustments based on AP1's second preset R-TWT SP is not a good option. Therefore, in this case, AP3 can adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with AP2's third preset R-TWT SP.

[0144] It should be understood that in various embodiments of the present application, the order of execution of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution. For example, step S1002 may be executed before step S1001, or step S1001 and step S1002 may be executed simultaneously. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0145] The embodiment of the present application can broadcast a preset R-TWT SP to clarify that the devices in multiple two-hop devices adjust their own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of each other, avoiding the ping-pong effect caused by multiple devices adjusting the R-TWT SP at the same time, thereby saving scheduling resources.

[0146] The above content elaborates on the method provided by the present application. In order to facilitate better implementation of the above scheme of the embodiment of the present application, the embodiment of the present application also provides a corresponding device.

[0147] In the embodiment of the present application, the functional modules of the communication device can be divided according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0148] Please refer to Figure 13, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device can be a first device, a module (e.g., a chip or processor) in the first device, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first device. As shown in Figure 13, the communication device 1300 includes at least: a processing unit 1301 and a transceiver unit 1302; wherein:

[0149] The processing unit 1301 is configured to identify that the processing unit 1301 and the second device are two-hop devices.

[0150] The processing unit 1301 is further configured to adjust the alignment of its own R-TWT SP with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device.

[0151] In one embodiment, the processing unit 1301 adjusts the alignment of its own R-TWT SP with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device, specifically configured to:

[0152] In a case where the BSSID of the first device is smaller than the BSSID of the second device, the first device adjusts its R-TWT SP to be aligned with the R-TWT SP of the second device.

[0153] In one embodiment, the processing unit 1301 adjusts the alignment of its own R-TWT SP with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device, specifically configured to:

[0154] In a case where the BSSID of the first device is greater than the BSSID of the second device, the first device adjusts its R-TWT SP to be aligned with the R-TWT SP of the second device.

[0155] In one embodiment, if the second device includes multiple devices, the processing unit 1301 adjusts the alignment of the R-TWT SP of the first device and the R-TWT SP of the second device, specifically to:

[0156] The R-TWT SP of the first device is adjusted to align with the R-TWT SP of the device with the largest BSSID among the second devices.

[0157] In one embodiment, the transceiver unit 1302 is configured to receive a second frame from a third device when the first device is unable to receive the first frame from the second device, where the second frame includes the R-TWT information of the second device;

[0158] The processing unit 1301 identifies that the first device and the second device are two-hop devices, and is specifically used to: identify that itself and the second device are two-hop devices based on the R-TWT information of the second device.

[0159] In one embodiment, the first frame and the second frame are beacon frames.

[0160] For a more detailed description of the processing unit 1301 and the transceiver unit 1302 , reference may be made to the relevant description of the first device in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 , which will not be repeated here.

[0161] Please refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device can be a first device, a module (e.g., a chip or processor) in the first device, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first device. As shown in Figure 14, the communication device 1400 includes at least: a transceiver unit 1401 and a processing unit 1402; wherein:

[0162] The transceiver unit 1401 is configured to receive broadcast TWT information from a third device, where the broadcast TWT information of the third device includes a first preset R-TWT SP;

[0163] The processing unit 1402 is configured to adjust its own R-TWT SP to be aligned with the first preset R-TWT SP.

[0164] In one embodiment, the first preset R-TWT SP is determined by the broadcast TWT identifier in the broadcast TWT information subfield.

[0165] In one embodiment, the first preset R-TWT SP is indicated by a first element, which includes a next SP start time, an SP duration, and an interval between two adjacent SPs.

[0166] In one embodiment, the next SP start time is carried in the target wake-up time field in the first element, the SP duration is carried in the minimum TWT wake-up duration field in the first element, and the interval between the two adjacent SPs is carried in the TWT wake-up interval field in the first element.

[0167] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 1401 and the processing unit 1402 , reference may be made to the relevant description of the first device in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 9 , which will not be repeated here.

[0168] Please refer to Figure 15, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device can be a third device, a module (e.g., a chip or processor) in a third device, or a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the third device. As shown in Figure 15, the communication device 1500 includes at least: a transceiver unit 1501 and a processing unit 1502; wherein:

[0169] The transceiver unit 1501 is configured to receive broadcast TWT information from a first device and broadcast TWT information from a second device, where the broadcast TWT information of the first device includes a second preset R-TWT SP, and the broadcast TWT information of the second device includes a third preset R-TWT SP, and the first device and the second device are two-hop devices to each other;

[0170] Processing unit 1502 is used to adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the second preset R-TWT SP if the third preset R-TWT SP overlaps with the R-TWT SP of the first device; or to adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the third preset R-TWT SP if the second preset R-TWT SP overlaps with the R-TWT SP of the third device.

[0171] In one embodiment, the preset R-TWT SP is determined by the broadcast TWT identifier in the broadcast TWT information subfield.

[0172] In one embodiment, the preset R-TWT SP is indicated by a first element, which includes a next SP start time, an SP duration, and an interval between two adjacent SPs.

[0173] In one embodiment, the next SP start time is carried in the target wake-up time field in the first element, the SP duration is carried in the minimum TWT wake-up duration field in the first element, and the interval between two adjacent SPs is carried in the TWT wake-up interval field in the first element.

[0174] For a more detailed description of the transceiver unit 1501 and the processing unit 1502 , please refer to the relevant description of the third device in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 10 to FIG. 12 , which will not be repeated here.

[0175] Please refer to Figure 16, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 16, the device 1600 may include one or more processors 1601, which may also be referred to as processing units, and may implement certain control functions. Processor 1601 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor.

[0176] In an optional design, the processor 1601 may also store instructions 1603 and / or data, and the instructions 1603 and / or data can be executed by the processor so that the device 1600 performs the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0177] In another optional design, processor 1601 may include a transceiver unit for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, an interface circuit, or a communication interface. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit for implementing the receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be used for reading and writing code / data, or the transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be used for transmitting or delivering signals.

[0178] In another possible design, the apparatus 1600 may include a circuit that can implement the functions of sending, receiving, or communicating in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0179] Optionally, the device 1600 may include one or more memories 1602, on which instructions 1604 may be stored. The instructions may be executed on the processor, causing the device 1600 to perform the method described in the above method embodiment. Optionally, the memory may also store data. Optionally, the processor may also store instructions and / or data. The processor and memory may be provided separately or integrated together. For example, the corresponding relationship described in the above method embodiment may be stored in the memory or in the processor.

[0180] Optionally, the apparatus 1600 may further include a transceiver 1605 and / or an antenna 1606. The processor 1601 may be referred to as a processing unit, which controls the apparatus 1600. The transceiver 1605 may be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, a transceiver device, or a transceiver module, etc., which is configured to implement transceiver functions.

[0181] Optionally, the device 1600 in the embodiment of the present application can be used to execute the method described in Figures 5 to 12 in the embodiment of the present application.

[0182] In one embodiment, the communication device 1600 can be applied to a first device, or to a module (e.g., a chip or processor) in the first device, or to a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first device. When the computer program instructions stored in the memory 1602 are executed, the processor 1601 is used to control the processing unit 1301 and the processing unit 1402 to perform the operations performed in the above-mentioned embodiments, the transceiver 1605 is used to perform the operations performed by the transceiver unit 1302 and the transceiver unit 1401 in the above-mentioned embodiments, and the transceiver 1605 is also used to send information to other communication devices outside the communication device. The above-mentioned first device or the module within the first device can also be used to execute the various methods executed by the first device in the method embodiments of Figures 5 to 9 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0183] In one embodiment, the communication device 1600 can be applied to a third device, or to a module (e.g., a chip or processor) in a third device, or to a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of a third device. When the computer program instructions stored in the memory 1602 are executed, the processor 1601 is used to control the processing unit 1502 to perform the operations performed in the above-mentioned embodiment, the transceiver 1605 is used to perform the operations performed by the transceiver unit 1501 in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the transceiver 1605 is also used to send information to other communication devices outside the communication device. The above-mentioned third device or the module within the third device can also be used to execute the various methods executed by the third device in the method embodiments of Figures 10-12 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0184] The processor and transceiver described in this application can be implemented on an integrated circuit (IC), an analog IC, a radio frequency interface chip (RFIC), a mixed-signal IC, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic device, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS), P-type metal oxide semiconductor (positive channel metal oxide semiconductor, PMOS), bipolar junction transistor (BJT), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0185] The apparatus described in the above embodiments may be a first terminal device or a second terminal device, but the scope of the apparatus described in this application is not limited thereto, and the structure of the apparatus may not be limited to FIG16 . The apparatus may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the apparatus may be:

[0186] (1) An independent integrated circuit (IC), or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0187] (2) having a set of one or more ICs, optionally including a storage component for storing data and / or instructions;

[0188] (3) ASIC, such as modem (MSM);

[0189] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices;

[0190] (5) Receivers, terminals, smart terminals, cellular phones, wireless devices, handheld devices, mobile units, vehicle-mounted devices, network devices, cloud devices, artificial intelligence devices, machine devices, home devices, medical devices, industrial equipment, etc.;

[0191] (6)Others, etc.

[0192] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the program is executed by a processor, the program can implement the process related to the first device in the communication method provided in the above method embodiment.

[0193] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the program is executed by a processor, the process related to the third device in the communication method provided in the above method embodiment can be implemented.

[0194] The present application also provides a computer program product that, when executed on a computer or processor, causes the computer or processor to perform one or more steps of any of the aforementioned communication methods. If the various components of the aforementioned devices are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they may be stored in the computer-readable storage medium.

[0195] The present application also provides a chip system, including at least one processor and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface and the at least one processor are interconnected via a line, and the at least one processor is configured to execute a computer program or instruction to perform some or all of the steps described in any of the method embodiments corresponding to Figures 5-12 above. The chip system can be composed of a chip or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0196] An embodiment of the present application further discloses a communication system, which includes a first device, a second device, and a third device. For a specific description, reference may be made to the communication method shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 12 .

[0197] It should be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM) and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). Memory is any other medium that can be used to carry or store a desired program code with an instruction or data structure form and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiment of the present application can also be a circuit or other arbitrarily capable of implementing a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0198] It should also be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0199] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) is integrated into the processor.

[0200] It should be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but not be limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0201] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0202] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments provided herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0203] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0204] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0205] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0206] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0207] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the technology or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0208] The steps in the method of the embodiment of the present application can be adjusted in order, combined and deleted according to actual needs.

[0209] The modules / units in the device of the embodiment of the present application can be merged, divided and deleted according to actual needs.

[0210] As described above, the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: The first device recognizes that itself and the second device are two-hop devices; The first device adjusts its own defined target wake-up time service period R-TWT SP to be aligned with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the basic service set identifier BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first device adjusting its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device includes: When the BSSID of the first device is smaller than the BSSID of the second device, the first device adjusts its R-TWT SP to be aligned with the R-TWT SP of the second device.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first device adjusting its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device includes: When the BSSID of the first device is greater than the BSSID of the second device, the first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to be aligned with the R-TWT SP of the second device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: If the second device includes multiple devices, the first device adjusting its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device includes: The first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the device with the largest BSSID among the second devices.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first device identifying itself and the second device as two-hop devices comprises: In a case where the first device cannot receive the first frame from the second device, receiving a second frame from a third device, wherein the second frame includes R-TWT information of the second device; The first device identifies that itself and the second device are two-hop devices based on the R-TWT information of the second device.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The first frame and the second frame are beacon frames.

7. A communication method, characterized in that: include: The first device receives broadcast target wake-up time TWT information from a third device, wherein the broadcast TWT information of the third device includes a first preset limited target wake-up time service period R-TWT SP; The first device adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the first preset R-TWT SP.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The first preset R-TWT SP is determined by the broadcast TWT identifier in the broadcast TWT information subfield.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first preset R-TWT SP is indicated by a first element, which includes a next SP start time, an SP duration, and an interval between two adjacent SPs.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The next SP start time is carried in the target wake-up time field in the first element, the SP duration is carried in the minimum TWT wake-up duration field in the first element, and the interval between two adjacent SPs is carried in the TWT wake-up interval field in the first element.

11. A communication device, characterized in that: The device is applied to a first device and includes: A processing unit, configured to identify that the processing unit and the second device are two-hop devices; The processing unit is further configured to adjust its own limited target wake-up time service period R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the basic service set identifier BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device.

12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that The processing unit adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device, specifically for: When the BSSID of the first device is smaller than the BSSID of the second device, the R-TWT SP of the first device is adjusted to be aligned with the R-TWT SP of the second device.

13. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that The processing unit adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device according to the size of the BSSID of the first device and the size of the BSSID of the second device, specifically for: When the BSSID of the first device is greater than or equal to the BSSID of the second device, the R-TWT SP of the first device is adjusted to be aligned with the R-TWT SP of the second device.

14. The device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that: If the second device includes multiple devices, the processing unit adjusts its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the second device, specifically for: Adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the R-TWT SP of the device with the largest BSSID among the second devices.

15. The device according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that: The device also includes: a transceiver unit, configured to receive a second frame from a third device when the first device cannot receive the first frame from the second device, wherein the second frame includes the R-TWT information of the second device; The processing unit identifies that the processing unit and the second device are two-hop devices, and is specifically configured to: According to the R-TWT information of the second device, it is identified that itself and the second device are two-hop devices.

16. The device according to claim 15, characterized in that The first frame and the second frame are beacon frames.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: The device is applied to a first device and includes: A transceiver unit, configured to receive broadcast target wake-up time TWT information from a third device, wherein the broadcast TWT information of the third device includes a first preset limited target wake-up time service period R-TWT SP; The processing unit is configured to adjust its own R-TWT SP to align with the first preset R-TWT SP.

18. The device according to claim 17, characterized in that The first preset R-TWT SP is determined by the broadcast TWT identifier in the broadcast TWT information subfield.

19. The device according to claim 17, characterized in that The first preset R-TWT SP is indicated by a first element, which includes a next SP start time, an SP duration, and an interval between two adjacent SPs.

20. The device according to claim 19, characterized in that The next SP start time is carried in the target wake-up time field in the first element, the SP duration is carried in the minimum TWT wake-up duration field in the first element, and the interval between two adjacent SPs is carried in the TWT wake-up interval field in the first element.

21. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a processor, a memory, an input interface and an output interface, the input interface is used to receive information from other communication devices outside the communication device, and the output interface is used to output information to other communication devices outside the communication device. When the stored computer program stored in the memory is called by the processor, the device executes the method described in any one of claims 1-6 or 7-10.

22. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or a computer instruction. When the computer program or the computer instruction is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 or 7 to 10 is implemented.

23. A computer program product comprising program instructions, which implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 or 7 to 10 when the program instructions are executed on a computer.

24. A chip system, characterized in that: It includes at least one processor, a memory and an interface circuit, wherein the memory, the interface circuit and the at least one processor are interconnected via lines, and instructions are stored in the at least one memory; when the instructions are executed by the processor, the method described in any one of claims 1-6 or 7-10 is implemented.

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