Communication method, and access point device and communication system

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, and an access point device and a communication system. The communication method comprises: a first access point (AP) device determining a first radio frame, wherein the first radio frame comprises first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information of multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling; and sending the first radio frame. After negotiation of multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling is completed, in a corresponding duration, it is unnecessary to repeatedly perform negotiation of a multi-AP coordinated operation between APs at each obtained transmission occasion, so as to reduce interference in multi-AP communication, thereby achieving the aim of reducing interference between cells, ensuring the quality of service for a user, improving a network communication rate, reducing latency, etc. A more rational communication resource configuration is realized by means of multi-AP coordinated cooperation, so as to improve access efficiency while ensuring communication quality, thereby realizing a better network performance.

Description

Communication method, access point device and communication system Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, an access point device, and a communication system. Background Art

[0002] Currently, Wi-Fi technology research focuses on Ultra High Reliability (UHR), with the goal of improving the reliability of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) connections, reducing latency, improving manageability, increasing throughput at different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels, and reducing device-level power consumption.

[0003] In UHR, the multi-AP (multiple AP, M-AP or multi AP) coordination mechanism will be further enhanced to ensure the latency requirements of low-latency services.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, an access point device, and a communication system to further enhance the M-AP coordination mechanism.

[0006] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, the method comprising:

[0007] The first access point device AP determines a first wireless frame; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information of multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0008] The first radio frame is sent.

[0009] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a communication method, the method comprising:

[0010] The second access point device AP receives a first wireless frame sent by the first AP; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information on multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0011] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device, wherein the access point device is a first access point device, and the access point device includes:

[0012] A determination module is configured to determine a first radio frame; wherein the first radio frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information on multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0013] A sending module is used to send the first wireless frame.

[0014] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device, wherein the access point device is a second access point device, and the access point device includes:

[0015] A first receiving module, configured to receive a first wireless frame;

[0016] The first radio frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information of multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0017] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device, wherein the access point device is a first access point device and includes:

[0018] one or more processors;

[0019] The access point device is used to implement the communication method described in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device, where the access point device is a second access point device and includes:

[0021] one or more processors;

[0022] The access point device is used to implement the communication method described in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a communication system, including a first access point device and a second access point device; wherein the first access point device and the second access point device are respectively configured to implement the communication method described in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a storage medium storing instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the communication method described in the embodiment of the present disclosure, or executes the communication method described in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] In the disclosed embodiment, a first access point device transmits one or more multi-AP coordinated transmission schedules via a first radio frame. After receiving the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule information, a second access point device can join the intended schedule based on its own information. After completing the negotiation of the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule, the APs do not need to negotiate multi-AP coordinated operations again for each acquired transmission opportunity within the corresponding duration. This reduces interference in multi-AP communications, thereby reducing inter-cell interference, ensuring user service quality, improving network communication rates, and reducing latency. Through collaborative cooperation between multiple APs, communication resources are more rationally allocated, ensuring communication quality while improving access efficiency and achieving better network performance.

[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be given in part in the following description, which will become apparent from the following description or be learned through practice of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following drawings required for describing the embodiments are introduced. The following drawings are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG1 is an exemplary schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG2 is one of exemplary interaction diagrams of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG3 is a third exemplary interaction diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG4 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG5 is a second flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a first access point device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a second access point device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, an access point device, and a communication system.

[0038] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, the method comprising:

[0039] The first access point device AP determines a first wireless frame; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information of multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0040] The first radio frame is sent.

[0041] In the above embodiment, a first access point device transmits one or more multi-AP coordinated transmission schedules to a second access point device supporting multi-AP coordinated operation via a first radio frame. After receiving the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule information, the second access point device can join the intended schedule based on its own information. After completing the negotiation of the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule, the APs do not need to negotiate multi-AP coordinated operation again for each acquired transmission opportunity within the corresponding duration. This reduces interference in multi-AP communications, thereby reducing inter-cell interference, ensuring user service quality, improving network communication speeds, and reducing latency. Through collaborative cooperation between multiple APs, communication resources are more rationally allocated, ensuring communication quality while improving access efficiency and achieving better network performance.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first identification information includes a first field, and the first field includes at least one of the following:

[0043] The first subfield identifies the identifier of the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule, which is used to uniquely identify the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule to distinguish it from other multi-AP coordinated transmission schedules sent by the first access point device;

[0044] The second subfield identifies the transmission start time of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling, which is used to identify the execution start time of the multi-AP coordinated transmission operation of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0045] The third subfield identifies the transmission duration of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling, and is used to identify the execution duration of the multi-AP coordinated transmission operation of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0046] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first identification information includes a second field, and the second field identifies one or more coordinated transmission strategies supported by the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the second field is used to identify one or more multi-AP coordinated transmission strategies supported by the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0048] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first identification information includes a third field, and the third field identifies a transmission strategy parameter of the coordinated transmission strategy.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the byte length of the third field can be a variable, which is determined by the transmission policy parameters it contains; for example, it sequentially contains the parameter fields of the coordinated transmission policy with the bit in the second field set to 1. Specifically, when the second field indicates that the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling only supports Co-FDMA, the third field contains the Co-FDMA parameter field and the Co-SR parameter field, and does not contain the transmission policy parameters of other coordinated transmission policies.

[0050] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first radio frame is an action frame, and the first identification information is carried in an action field of the first radio frame;

[0051] The action field also includes at least one of the following:

[0052] Category subfield, Ultra High Reliability (UHR) action subfield, and Dialog Token subfield;

[0053] The category subfield identifies the first radio frame as a UHR action frame, so as to identify the category of the first radio frame;

[0054] The UHR action subfield is set to a first parameter value to indicate that the first radio frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling notification frame;

[0055] The conversation token subfield identifies this session to distinguish it from other sessions.

[0056] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, after sending the first radio frame, the method includes:

[0057] Receive a second wireless frame sent by a second AP; wherein the second wireless frame includes second identification information, and the second identification information identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that the second AP intends to join.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the first access point device receives a second radio frame sent by the second access point device, and from the start time of the target multi-AP collaborative transmission scheduling identifier contained in the second radio frame to the end of the duration, the first AP and the second AP perform corresponding multi-AP coordination operations according to the information carried by the second radio frame.

[0059] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second identification information includes a fourth field, and the fourth field includes the media access control layer MAC address of the first AP and the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling identifier.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the fourth field is used to identify the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that the second access point device intends to join. Optionally, the receiving address (RA) of the second wireless frame is set to the MAC address of the first access point device corresponding to the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that it intends to join.

[0061] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second identification information includes a fifth field, and the fifth field identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy supported and accepted by the second AP.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the fifth field is used to identify the multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy supported and accepted by the second access point device. Optionally, the fifth field can be a byte length; each bit is set to 1, which indicates that a specific coordinated transmission strategy is supported. For example, when the lower 4 bits of the fifth field are set to 1, it indicates that the target multi-AP coordinated scheduling supports Co-FDMA, Co-SR, Co-BF and J) strategies respectively; the upper 4 bits are reserved, and when each bit is set to 1, it can indicate that other potential multi-AP coordinated transmission strategies are supported. When the corresponding position is set to 0, it indicates that the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling does not support the coordinated transmission strategy corresponding to each bit.

[0063] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second radio frame is an action frame, and the second identification information is carried in an action field of the second radio frame;

[0064] The action field also includes at least one of the following:

[0065] Category subfield, UHR action subfield, conversation token subfield;

[0066] The category subfield identifies the second radio frame as a UHR action frame, so as to identify the category of the second radio frame;

[0067] The UHR action subfield is set to a second parameter value to identify that the second radio frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling request frame or a multi-AP coordinated scheduling confirmation frame;

[0068] The conversation token subfield identifies that the current session and the first radio frame are the same session, so that the first access point device 101 can receive the second radio frame.

[0069] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, after receiving the second radio frame sent by the second AP, the method further includes:

[0070] During a period between the transmission start time and the end of the transmission duration of the target multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule, a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation is performed with the second AP according to the target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy.

[0071] In the above embodiment, after the first access point device receives the second wireless frame sent by the second access point device, if the first access point device 101 obtains a transmission opportunity, the first access point device 101 sends a first multi-AP coordination trigger frame to one or more of the second access point devices 102 to trigger a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation.

[0072] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, performing a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation with the second AP includes at least one of the following:

[0073] The first AP obtains a transmission opportunity and sends a first multi-AP coordination trigger frame to one or more second APs; and after receiving a response frame from one or more second APs to the first multi-AP coordination trigger frame, performs a multi-AP coordination operation with the responding second AP according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy;

[0074] Receive the second multi-AP coordination trigger frame sent by the second AP, send a response frame to the second multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the second AP, and perform a multi-AP coordination operation according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy.

[0075] In the above embodiment, during the period between the transmission start time and the end of the transmission duration of the target multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule, the first access point device and the second access point device 102 perform a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation according to the target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy.

[0076] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, the method comprising:

[0077] The second access point device AP receives a first wireless frame sent by the first AP; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information on multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0078] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first identification information includes a first field, and the first field includes at least one of the following:

[0079] The first subfield is an identifier for identifying the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0080] The second subfield identifies the transmission start time of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0081] The third subfield identifies the transmission duration of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0082] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first identification information includes a second field, and the second field identifies one or more coordinated transmission strategies supported by the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0083] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first identification information includes a third field, and the third field identifies a transmission strategy parameter of the coordinated transmission strategy.

[0084] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first radio frame is an action frame, and the first identification information is carried in an action field of the first radio frame;

[0085] The action field also includes at least one of the following:

[0086] Category subfield, Ultra High Reliability (UHR) action subfield, and Dialog Token subfield;

[0087] The category subfield identifies the first radio frame as a UHR action frame;

[0088] The UHR action subfield is set to a first parameter value to indicate that the first radio frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling notification frame;

[0089] The conversation token subfield identifies this conversation.

[0090] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, after receiving the first radio frame sent by the first AP, the method includes:

[0091] A second radio frame is sent to the first AP; wherein the second radio frame includes second identification information, and the second identification information identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that the second AP intends to join.

[0092] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second identification information includes a fourth field, and the fourth field includes the media access control layer MAC address of the first AP and the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling identifier.

[0093] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second identification information includes a fifth field, and the fifth field identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy supported and accepted by the second AP.

[0094] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second radio frame is an action frame, and the second identification information is carried in an action field of the second radio frame;

[0095] The action field also includes at least one of the following:

[0096] Category subfield, UHR action subfield, conversation token subfield;

[0097] The category subfield identifies the second radio frame as a UHR action frame;

[0098] The UHR action subfield is set to a second parameter value to identify that the second radio frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling request frame or a multi-AP coordinated scheduling confirmation frame;

[0099] The conversation token subfield indicates that the current session and the first radio frame are the same session.

[0100] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, after sending the second radio frame to the first AP, the method further includes:

[0101] During a period between a transmission start time and a transmission duration of the target multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule, a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation is performed with the first AP according to the target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy.

[0102] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, performing a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation with the first AP includes at least one of the following:

[0103] Receiving a first multi-AP coordination trigger frame sent by the first AP, sending a response frame to the first multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the first AP, and performing a multi-AP coordination operation according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy;

[0104] The second AP obtains a transmission opportunity and sends a second multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the first AP; and after receiving a response frame from the first AP to the second multi-AP coordination trigger frame, performs a multi-AP coordination operation according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy.

[0105] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device, which is a first access point device. The access point device includes at least one of a determination module and a sending module; wherein the access point device is configured to execute an optional implementation of the first aspect.

[0106] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device, which is a second access point device and includes: a first receiving module; wherein the above-mentioned access point device is used to perform the optional implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0107] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device, where the access point device is a first access point device and includes:

[0108] one or more processors;

[0109] The access point device is used to execute the optional implementation of the first aspect.

[0110] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device, where the access point device is a second access point device and includes:

[0111] one or more processors;

[0112] The access point device is used to perform the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0113] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a communication system, comprising a first access point device and a second access point device; wherein the first access point device is configured to perform the optional implementation method described in the first aspect, and the second access point device is configured to perform the optional implementation method described in the second aspect.

[0114] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the optional implementation methods described in the first and second aspects.

[0115] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a program product. When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0116] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0117] In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a chip or a chip system, wherein the chip or chip system includes a processing circuit configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects above.

[0118] It is understandable that the aforementioned access point devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here.

[0119] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, an access point device, and a communication system. In some embodiments, the terms communication method, signal transmission method, wireless frame transmission method, etc. can be used interchangeably, and the terms information processing system, communication system, etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0120] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0121] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or provided for by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0122] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0123] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0124] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one," "one or more," "a plurality of," "multiple," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0125] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "A in one case, B in another case," or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0126] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0127] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0128] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0129] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0130] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0131] In some embodiments, devices and equipment can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they can also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "subject", etc.

[0132] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in the network, such as access network equipment, core network equipment, etc.

[0133] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0134] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0135] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0136] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0137] As shown in FIG1 , a communication system 100 includes a first access point device (AP) 101 and a second access point device 102 .

[0138] In some embodiments, the first access point device 101 and the second access point device 102 can be access points for mobile terminals to enter a wired network. The AP is equivalent to a bridge connecting a wired network and a wireless network. Its main function is to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet. Specifically, the AP can be a terminal device or a network device with a wireless fidelity chip. Optionally, the AP can support multiple WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11bn, 802.11bf and 802.11a, as well as support the next generation 802.11 protocol, but is not limited to this.

[0139] In some embodiments, the communication system 100 further includes a plurality of station devices (STAs), which may include, for example, wireless communication chips, wireless sensors, or wireless communication terminals that support WiFi communication functions. Optionally, the wireless communication terminals may include, but are not limited to, at least one of a mobile phone, a wearable device, an IoT device that supports WiFi communication functions, a car with WiFi communication functions, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver functions, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device used in industrial control, a wireless terminal device used in self-driving, a wireless terminal device used in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device used in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device used in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device used in a smart city, and a wireless terminal device used in a smart home.

[0140] Specifically, the site device may be a terminal device or network device with a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) chip. Optionally, the site device may support multiple WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11bn, 802.11bf, and 802.11a, as well as support the next generation 802.11 protocol, but is not limited thereto.

[0141] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP and STA may be devices supporting multiple connections, for example, they may be represented as a multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) and a multi-connection site device (Non-Access Point Multi-Link Device, Non-AP MLD), respectively; the AP MLD may represent an access point supporting multi-connection communication functions, and the non-AP MLD may represent a site supporting multi-connection communication functions.

[0142] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0143] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1 , or a portion thereof, but are not limited thereto. The entities shown in FIG1 are illustrative only. The communication system may include all or part of the entities shown in FIG1 , or may include other entities outside of FIG1 . The number and form of the entities are arbitrary, and the entities may be physical or virtual. The connection relationships between the entities are illustrative only. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0144] The various embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as those using the 802.11 series of protocols. In a WLAN, a Basic Service Set (BSS) is a fundamental component of a WLAN. A BSS network consists of station devices with some association within a specific coverage area. One scenario of association is that stations communicate directly with each other in an ad hoc network, which is called an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). Another more common scenario is that in a BSS network, there is only one central station dedicated to managing the BSS, called an access point, and all other STAs in the network are associated with it. Other stations in the BSS network that are not the central station are called terminals, also called non-AP STAs. Terminals and non-AP STAs are collectively referred to as STAs. When describing STAs, there is no need to distinguish between APs and non-AP STAs. In the same BSS network, due to distance, transmission power, and other factors, a STA cannot detect other STAs that are farther away from it, and the two STAs are each other's hidden nodes.

[0145] FIG2 is one of the interactive schematic diagrams of the communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2 , the method includes:

[0146] Step 201: The first access point device 101 determines a first radio frame; wherein the first radio frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information of multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0147] With the increasing frequency bands supported by Wi-Fi devices, the trend toward higher frequencies, and the diversification of communication service demands, WLAN device deployments are becoming increasingly dense. This increasing density of APs leads to increased inter-cell interference and increases the risk of access conflicts. To further improve user service quality and overall network performance, while pursuing improvements in communication rates, latency, and reliability within a single BSS, it is necessary to further enhance the M-AP coordination mechanism.

[0148] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first access point device 101 determines a first radio frame and carries first identification information in the first radio frame. The first identification information identifies information regarding multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling. Optionally, the first access point device 101 may be an AP with coordination capabilities. The first access point device 101 coordinates with its neighboring APs (neighboring APs supporting M-AP coordination, illustrated by the second access point device 102 in this embodiment) through M-AP Coordination Operation (M-APCO) to implement coordinated transmission modes such as time-frequency resource sharing, spatial multiplexing, or joint transmission.

[0149] Information about the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule, such as the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule identifier and transmission start time, is used by one or more second access point devices 102 to determine whether to join the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule based on this information. Alternatively, if the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule includes multiple APs, the second access point device 102 selects a target multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule based on its own information and joins it. In this way, multi-AP coordinated transmission negotiation is established between multiple APs by sending a first radio frame, thereby establishing efficient coordinated transmission. This avoids the situation where a single AP repeatedly negotiates for multi-AP coordinated transmission each time it obtains a transmission opportunity, which would occupy a large number of transmission opportunities and thus increase transmission latency and reduce network throughput. Therefore, a multi-AP coordinated transmission negotiation method is proposed.

[0150] The first radio frame may be a newly defined radio frame or a defined action frame.

[0151] Step 202 : The first access point device 101 sends the first radio frame to the second access point device 102 .

[0152] The first access point device 101 sends the first radio frame to the second access point device 102, and cooperates with the second access point device 101 through the coordinated transmission mode, thereby realizing coordinated transmission modes such as time-frequency resource sharing, spatial multiplexing or joint transmission.

[0153] In the disclosed embodiment, a first access point device 101 transmits one or more multi-AP coordinated transmission schedules to a second access point device 102 supporting multi-AP coordinated operation via a first radio frame. Upon receiving the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule information, the second access point device 102 can join the intended schedule based on its own information. After completing the negotiation of the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule, the APs do not need to negotiate multi-AP coordinated operation again for each acquired transmission opportunity within the corresponding duration. This reduces interference in multi-AP communications, thereby reducing inter-cell interference, ensuring user service quality, improving network communication rates, and reducing latency. Through collaborative cooperation between multiple APs, communication resources are more rationally allocated, ensuring communication quality while improving access efficiency and achieving better network performance.

[0154] Step 203: The second access point device 102 receives the first radio frame.

[0155] The second access point device 102 receives the first wireless frame and determines whether to join the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling according to the multi-coordinated transmission scheduling information; or, in the case where the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling includes multiple, the second access point device 102 selects a target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling according to its own information and joins.

[0156] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2 , the first identification information includes a first field, and the first field includes at least one of the following:

[0157] The first subfield identifies the identifier of the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule, which is used to uniquely identify the multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule to distinguish it from other multi-AP coordinated transmission schedules sent by the first access point device 101;

[0158] The second subfield identifies the transmission start time of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling, which is used to identify the execution start time of the multi-AP coordinated transmission operation of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0159] The third subfield identifies the transmission duration of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling, and is used to identify the execution duration of the multi-AP coordinated transmission operation of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0160] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2 , the first identification information includes a second field, and the second field identifies one or more coordinated transmission strategies supported by the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0161] The second field is used to identify one or more multi-AP coordinated transmission strategies supported by the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0162] Optionally, the second field can be a byte in length; when each bit is set to 1, it indicates that a specific coordinated transmission strategy is supported. For example, when the lower 4 bits of the second field are set to 1, it indicates that the multi-AP collaborative scheduling supports coordinated orthogonal frequency division multiple access (Co-FDMA), coordinated spatial reuse (Co-SR), coordinated beamforming (Co-BF) and joint transmission (JT) strategies; the upper 4 bits are reserved, and when each bit is set to 1, it can indicate support for other potential multi-AP coordinated transmission strategies. When the corresponding position is set to 0, it indicates that the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling does not support the coordinated transmission strategy corresponding to each bit.

[0163] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2 , the first identification information includes a third field, and the third field identifies a transmission strategy parameter of the coordinated transmission strategy.

[0164] The byte length of the third field may be a variable, determined by the transmission policy parameters it contains; for example, it sequentially contains the parameter fields of the coordinated transmission policy with the bit in the second field set to 1. Specifically, when the second field indicates that the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling only supports Co-FDMA, the third field contains the Co-FDMA parameter field and the Co-SR parameter field, and does not contain the transmission policy parameters of other coordinated transmission policies.

[0165] In some embodiments, the first radio frame is an action frame, and the first identification information is carried in an action field of the first radio frame;

[0166] The action field also includes at least one of the following:

[0167] Category subfield, Ultra High Reliability (UHR) action subfield, and Dialog Token subfield;

[0168] The category subfield identifies the first radio frame as a UHR action frame, so as to identify the category of the first radio frame;

[0169] The UHR action subfield is set to a first parameter value to indicate that the first radio frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling notification frame;

[0170] The conversation token subfield identifies this session to distinguish it from other sessions.

[0171] Step 204 : The second access point device 102 sends a second radio frame; wherein the second radio frame includes second identification information, and the second identification information identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that the second AP intends to join.

[0172] After receiving the first radio frame sent by one or more first access point devices 101, the second access point device 102 determines whether to participate in the specific multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling based on its own capabilities. For example, if participating, the second AP sends a second radio frame to the corresponding first AP, and the second radio frame carries second identification information, which is used to identify the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that the second AP intends to join.

[0173] Step 205 : The first access point device 101 receives a second radio frame sent by the second access point device 102 .

[0174] The first access point device 101 receives a second radio frame sent by the second access point device 102. From the start time of the target multi-AP cooperative transmission scheduling identifier contained in the second radio frame to the end of the duration, the first AP and the second AP perform corresponding multi-AP coordination operations according to the information carried by the second radio frame.

[0175] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2, the second identification information includes a fourth field, the fourth field including the media access control layer (MAC) address of the first AP and the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling identifier, the fourth field is used to identify the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that the second access point device 102 intends to join. Optionally, the receiving address (RA) of the second wireless frame is set to the MAC address of the first access point device 101 corresponding to the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that it intends to join.

[0176] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2 , the second identification information includes a fifth field, where the fifth field identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy supported and accepted by the second AP.

[0177] Among them, the fifth field is used to identify the multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy supported and accepted by the second access point device 102. Optionally, the fifth field can be a byte length; each bit is set to 1, which indicates that a specific coordinated transmission strategy is supported. For example, when the lower 4 bits of the fifth field are set to 1, it indicates that the target multi-AP coordinated scheduling supports Co-FDMA, Co-SR, Co-BF and J) strategies respectively; the upper 4 bits are reserved, and when each bit is set to 1, it can indicate that other potential multi-AP coordinated transmission strategies are supported. When the corresponding position is set to 0, it indicates that the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling does not support the coordinated transmission strategy corresponding to each bit.

[0178] Optionally, the supported transmission strategies identified by the fifth field should be included in the supported transmission strategies identified by the second field.

[0179] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2 , the second radio frame is an action frame, and the second identification information is carried in an action field of the second radio frame;

[0180] The action field also includes at least one of the following:

[0181] Category subfield, UHR action subfield, conversation token subfield;

[0182] The category subfield identifies the second radio frame as a UHR action frame, so as to identify the category of the second radio frame;

[0183] The UHR action subfield is set to a second parameter value to identify that the second radio frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling request frame or a multi-AP coordinated scheduling confirmation frame;

[0184] The conversation token subfield identifies that the current session and the first radio frame are the same session, so that the first access point device 101 can receive the second radio frame.

[0185] Step 206: The first access point device 101 sends a first multi-AP coordination trigger frame to one or more of the second APs.

[0186] Among them, after the first access point device 101 receives the second wireless frame sent by the second access point device 102, if the first access point device 101 obtains a transmission opportunity, the first access point device 101 sends a first multi-AP coordination trigger frame to one or more of the second access point devices 102 to trigger a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation.

[0187] Step 207 : The second access point device 102 sends a response frame to the first multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the first access point device 101 .

[0188] If the second access point device 102 participates in the multi-AP coordinated transmission operation, it sends a response frame to the first multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the first access point device 101.

[0189] Step 208: Perform a multi-AP coordination operation according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy.

[0190] Among them, within the time between the transmission start time and the end of the transmission duration of the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling, the first access point device 101 and the second access point device 102 perform a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation according to the target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy.

[0191] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the aforementioned steps and embodiments. For example, step 201 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 202 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 203 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 204 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 205 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 206 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 207 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 208 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; the combination of step 201 and step 202 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of step 204 and step 205 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of step 206 and step 207 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of step 206, step 207 and step 208 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0192] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2 .

[0193] Figure 3 is a second interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, steps 301 to 305 correspond to steps 201 to 205 in Figure 2, and are not described in detail here.

[0194] Step 306 : The second access point device 102 sends a second multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the first access point device 101 .

[0195] When the second access point device 102 obtains a transmission opportunity, it sends a multi-AP coordination trigger frame, a second multi-AP coordination trigger frame, to the first access point device 101 to trigger a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation.

[0196] Step 307: The first access point device 101 sends a response frame to the second multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the second access point device 102.

[0197] If the first access point device 101 participates in the multi-AP coordinated transmission operation, it sends a response frame to the second multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the second access point device 102 .

[0198] Step 308: Perform a multi-AP coordination operation according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy.

[0199] Among them, within the time between the transmission start time and the end of the transmission duration of the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling, the first access point device 101 and the second access point device 102 perform a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation according to the target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy.

[0200] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the aforementioned steps and embodiments. For example, step 301 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 302 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 303 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 304 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 305 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 306 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 307 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 308 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; the combination of step 301 and step 302 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of step 304 and step 305 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of step 306 and step 307 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of step 306, step 307 and step 308 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0201] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 3 .

[0202] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc. are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0203] In some embodiments, terms such as "moment", "time point", "time", and "time position" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "duration", "period", "time window", "window", and "time" can be replaced with each other.

[0204] In some embodiments, terms such as wireless access scheme and waveform may be used interchangeably.

[0205] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain", "preset", "preset", "setting", "indicated", "a certain", "any", and "first" can be interchangeable. "Specific A", "preset A", "preset A", "setting A", "indicated A", "a certain A", "any A", and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-specified in a protocol, etc., or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or indication, etc., or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, etc., but not limited to this.

[0206] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be performed by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (Boolean value) represented by true or false, or by comparison of numerical values ​​(for example, comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0207] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the recipient to respond to the content sent.

[0208] FIG4 is a flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0209] As shown in FIG4 , the above method may be applied to a first access point device 101, and the above method includes:

[0210] Step 401: A first access point device (AP) determines a first radio frame; wherein the first radio frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information of multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0211] Step 402: Send the first wireless frame.

[0212] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first identification information includes a first field, and the first field includes at least one of the following:

[0213] The first subfield is an identifier for identifying the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0214] The second subfield identifies the transmission start time of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0215] The third subfield identifies the transmission duration of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0216] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first identification information includes a second field, and the second field identifies one or more coordinated transmission strategies supported by the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0217] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first identification information includes a third field, and the third field identifies a transmission strategy parameter of the coordinated transmission strategy.

[0218] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first radio frame is an action frame, and the first identification information is carried in an action field of the first radio frame;

[0219] The action field also includes at least one of the following:

[0220] Category subfield, Ultra High Reliability (UHR) action subfield, and Dialog Token subfield;

[0221] The category subfield identifies the first radio frame as a UHR action frame;

[0222] The UHR action subfield is set to a first parameter value to indicate that the first radio frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling notification frame;

[0223] The conversation token subfield identifies this conversation.

[0224] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, after sending the first radio frame, the method includes:

[0225] Step 405: Receive a second radio frame sent by the second AP; wherein the second radio frame includes second identification information, and the second identification information identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that the second AP intends to join.

[0226] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second identification information includes a fourth field, and the fourth field includes a media access control layer MAC address of the first AP and the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling identifier.

[0227] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second identification information includes a fifth field, and the fifth field identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy supported and accepted by the second AP.

[0228] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second radio frame is an action frame, and the second identification information is carried in an action field of the second radio frame;

[0229] The action field also includes at least one of the following:

[0230] Category subfield, UHR action subfield, conversation token subfield;

[0231] The category subfield identifies the second radio frame as a UHR action frame;

[0232] The UHR action subfield is set to a second parameter value to identify that the second radio frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling request frame or a multi-AP coordinated scheduling confirmation frame;

[0233] The conversation token subfield indicates that the current session and the first radio frame are the same session.

[0234] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, after receiving the second wireless frame sent by the second AP, the method further includes:

[0235] Step 408: Perform a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation with the second AP according to the target multi-AP coordinated transmission policy within a period from the transmission start time to the end of the transmission duration of the target multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule.

[0236] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, performing a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation with the second AP includes at least one of the following:

[0237] Step 406: The first AP obtains a transmission opportunity and sends a first multi-AP coordination trigger frame to one or more second APs; and after receiving a response frame from one or more second APs to the first multi-AP coordination trigger frame, the first AP performs a multi-AP coordination operation with the responding second AP according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy;

[0238] Step 407: receiving the second multi-AP coordination trigger frame sent by the second AP, sending a response frame to the second multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the second AP, and performing a multi-AP coordination operation according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy.

[0239] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the aforementioned steps and embodiments. For example, step 401 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 402 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 405 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 406 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 407 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 408 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; the combination of step 401 and step 402 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of step 406 and step 474 can be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0240] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 4 .

[0241] FIG5 is a second flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0242] As shown in FIG5 , the above method may be applied to the second access point device 102, and the above method includes:

[0243] Step 501: A second access point device AP receives a first radio frame sent by a first AP; wherein the first radio frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information of multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0244] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first identification information includes a first field, and the first field includes at least one of the following:

[0245] The first subfield is an identifier for identifying the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0246] The second subfield identifies the transmission start time of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling;

[0247] The third subfield identifies the transmission duration of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0248] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first identification information includes a second field, and the second field identifies one or more coordinated transmission strategies supported by the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0249] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first identification information includes a third field, and the third field identifies a transmission strategy parameter of the coordinated transmission strategy.

[0250] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first radio frame is an action frame, and the first identification information is carried in an action field of the first radio frame;

[0251] The action field also includes at least one of the following:

[0252] Category subfield, Ultra High Reliability (UHR) action subfield, and Dialog Token subfield;

[0253] The category subfield identifies the first radio frame as a UHR action frame;

[0254] The UHR action subfield is set to a first parameter value to indicate that the first radio frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling notification frame;

[0255] The conversation token subfield identifies this conversation.

[0256] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, after receiving the first wireless frame sent by the first AP, the method includes:

[0257] Step 504: Send a second radio frame to the first AP; wherein the second radio frame includes second identification information, and the second identification information identifies the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that the second AP intends to join.

[0258] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second identification information includes a fourth field, and the fourth field includes a media access control layer MAC address of the first AP and the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling identifier.

[0259] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second identification information includes a fifth field, and the fifth field identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy supported and accepted by the second AP.

[0260] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second radio frame is an action frame, and the second identification information is carried in an action field of the second radio frame;

[0261] The action field also includes at least one of the following:

[0262] Category subfield, UHR action subfield, conversation token subfield;

[0263] The category subfield identifies the second radio frame as a UHR action frame;

[0264] The UHR action subfield is set to a second parameter value to identify that the second radio frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling request frame or a multi-AP coordinated scheduling confirmation frame;

[0265] The conversation token subfield indicates that the current session and the first radio frame are the same session.

[0266] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, after sending the second radio frame to the first AP, the method further includes:

[0267] Step 508: Perform a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation with the first AP according to the target multi-AP coordinated transmission policy within a period from the transmission start time to the end of the transmission duration of the target multi-AP coordinated transmission schedule.

[0268] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, performing a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation with the first AP includes at least one of the following:

[0269] Step 506: receiving a first multi-AP coordination trigger frame sent by the first AP, sending a response frame to the first multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the first AP, and performing a multi-AP coordination operation according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy;

[0270] In step 507, the second AP obtains a transmission opportunity and sends a second multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the first AP; and after receiving a response frame from the first AP to the second multi-AP coordination trigger frame, performs a multi-AP coordination operation according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy.

[0271] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the aforementioned steps and embodiments. For example, step 501 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 504 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 508 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 506 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 507 may be implemented as an independent embodiment; the combination of step 506 and step 507 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0272] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 5 .

[0273] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network function node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0274] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above device, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0275] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capability. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capability, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP); in another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the hardware circuit, and the logical relationship of the above hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable, such as a hardware circuit implemented by a processor as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and implementing the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0276] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access point device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG6 , the access point device is a first access point device, and the access point device 600 may include at least one of a determining module 601 and a sending module 602 .

[0277] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned determination module 601 is used to determine a first wireless frame; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies: information on multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling; the sending module 602 is used to send the first wireless frame.

[0278] Optionally, the determining module 601 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., step 201, step 301, and step 401, but not limited thereto) performed by the first access point device 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here. The sending module 602 is configured to execute steps 202, 302, and 402.

[0279] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access point device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG7 , the access point device is a second access point device, and the access point device 700 may include: a first receiving module 701 .

[0280] In some embodiments, the first receiving module 701 is configured to receive a first radio frame;

[0281] The first radio frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information of multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

[0282] Optionally, the first receiving module 701 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps (eg, step 203, step 303, step 501, but not limited thereto) executed by the second access point device 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail herein.

[0283] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal 800 (e.g., user equipment) proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Terminal 800 can be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a network device implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a terminal implementing any of the above methods. Terminal 800 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0284] As shown in Figure 8, terminal 800 includes one or more processors 801. Processor 801 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control communication devices (such as base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Terminal 800 is used to perform any of the above methods.

[0285] In some embodiments, the terminal 800 further includes one or more memories 802 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 802 may be located outside the terminal 800.

[0286] In some embodiments, the terminal 800 further includes one or more transceivers 804. When the terminal 800 includes one or more transceivers 804, the transceiver 804 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, step 202, step 203, step 204, step 205, step 206, step 207, step 302, step 303, step 304, step 305, step 306, step 307, step 401, step 402, step 405, step 406, step 407, step 501, step 504, step 506, step 507, but not limited thereto), and the processor 801 performs at least one of the other steps (for example, step 201, step 208, step 301, step 308, step 408, step 508, but not limited thereto).

[0287] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter. The receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, and transceiver circuit may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0288] In some embodiments, terminal 800 may include one or more interface circuits 803. Optionally, interface circuit 803 is connected to memory 802. Interface circuit 803 may be configured to receive signals from memory 802 or other devices, and may be configured to send signals to memory 802 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 803 may read instructions stored in memory 802 and send the instructions to processor 801.

[0289] The terminal 800 described in the above embodiment may be a communication device such as a user device, but the scope of the terminal 800 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the terminal 800 may not be limited by FIG8 . The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0290] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 900 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the terminal 800 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 900 shown in FIG9 , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0291] The chip 900 includes one or more processors 901 , and the chip 900 is configured to execute any of the above methods.

[0292] In some embodiments, chip 900 further includes one or more 903. Optionally, interface circuit 903 is connected to memory 902. Interface circuit 903 can be used to receive signals from memory 902 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to memory 902 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 903 can read instructions stored in memory 902 and send the instructions to processor 901.

[0293] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 903 executes at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, step 202, step 203, step 204, step 205, step 206, step 207, step 302, step 303, step 304, step 305, step 306, step 307, step 401, step 402, step 405, step 406, step 407, step 501, step 504, step 506, step 507, but not limited to these), and the processor 901 executes at least one of the other steps (for example, step 201, step 208, step 301, step 308, step 408, step 508, but not limited to these).

[0294] In some embodiments, terms such as interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver may be used interchangeably.

[0295] In some embodiments, the chip 900 further includes one or more memories 902 for storing instructions. Alternatively, all or part of the memory 902 may be external to the chip 900.

[0296] The present disclosure also provides a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on the terminal 800, the terminal 800 executes any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a transient storage medium.

[0297] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the terminal 800, enables the terminal 800 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0298] The present disclosure also proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any one of the above methods.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The first access point device AP determines a first wireless frame; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information of multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling; The first radio frame is sent.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first identification information includes a first field, and the first field includes at least one of the following: The first subfield is used to identify the identifier of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling; The second subfield identifies the transmission start time of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling; The third subfield identifies the transmission duration of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

3. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first identification information includes a second field, and the second field identifies one or more coordinated transmission strategies supported by the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

4. The communication method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first identification information includes a third field, and the third field identifies a transmission strategy parameter of the coordinated transmission strategy.

5. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first radio frame is an action frame, and the first identification information is carried in an action field of the first radio frame; The action field also includes at least one of the following: Category subfield, Ultra High Reliability (UHR) action subfield, Dialog Token subfield; The category subfield identifies the first radio frame as a UHR action frame; The UHR action subfield is set to a first parameter value to indicate that the first wireless frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling notification frame; The dialog token subfield identifies the current session.

6. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that: After sending the first radio frame, the method includes: A second wireless frame is received and sent by a second AP; wherein the second wireless frame includes second identification information, and the second identification information identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that the second AP intends to join.

7. The communication method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second identification information includes a fourth field, and the fourth field includes a medium access control layer MAC address of the first AP and the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling identifier.

8. The communication method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second identification information includes a fifth field, and the fifth field identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy supported and accepted by the second AP.

9. The communication method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The second radio frame is an action frame, and the second identification information is carried in an action field of the second radio frame; The action field also includes at least one of the following: Category subfield, UHR action subfield, conversation token subfield; The category subfield identifies the second radio frame as a UHR action frame; The UHR action subfield is set to a second parameter value to identify that the second wireless frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling request frame or a multi-AP coordinated scheduling confirmation frame; The conversation token subfield identifies that this session and the first radio frame are the same session.

10. The communication method according to claim 7, characterized in that: After receiving the second wireless frame sent by the second AP, the method further includes: During a period between the transmission start time and the end of the transmission duration of the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling, a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation is performed with the second AP according to the target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy.

11. The communication method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The performing a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation with the second AP includes at least one of the following: The first AP obtains a transmission opportunity and sends a first multi-AP coordination trigger frame to one or more of the second APs; And receiving After receiving a response frame from one or more of the second APs to the first multi-AP coordination trigger frame, a multi-AP coordination operation is performed between the second APs that respond according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy; A second multi-AP coordination trigger frame sent by the second AP is received, a response frame to the second multi-AP coordination trigger frame is sent to the second AP, and a multi-AP coordination operation is performed according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The second access point device AP receives a first wireless frame sent by the first AP; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information on multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

13. The communication method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The first identification information includes a first field, and the first field includes at least one of the following: The first subfield is used to identify the identifier of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling; The second subfield identifies the transmission start time of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling; The third subfield identifies the transmission duration of the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

14. The communication method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The first identification information includes a second field, and the second field identifies one or more coordinated transmission strategies supported by the multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

15. The communication method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The first identification information includes a third field, and the third field identifies a transmission strategy parameter of the coordinated transmission strategy.

16. The communication method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that: The first radio frame is an action frame, and the first identification information is carried in an action field of the first radio frame; The action field also includes at least one of the following: Category subfield, Ultra High Reliability (UHR) action subfield, Dialog Token subfield; The category subfield identifies the first radio frame as a UHR action frame; The UHR action subfield is set to a first parameter value to indicate that the first wireless frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling notification frame; The dialog token subfield identifies the current session.

17. The communication method according to claim 12, characterized in that: After receiving the first wireless frame sent by the first AP, the method includes: A second wireless frame is sent to the first AP; wherein the second wireless frame includes second identification information, and the second identification information identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling that the second AP intends to join.

18. The communication method according to claim 17, characterized in that: The second identification information includes a fourth field, and the fourth field includes a medium access control layer MAC address of the first AP and the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling identifier.

19. The communication method according to claim 17, characterized in that: The second identification information includes a fifth field, and the fifth field identifies a target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy supported and accepted by the second AP.

20. The communication method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that: The second radio frame is an action frame, and the second identification information is carried in an action field of the second radio frame; The action field also includes at least one of the following: Category subfield, UHR action subfield, conversation token subfield; The category subfield identifies the second radio frame as a UHR action frame; The UHR action subfield is set to a second parameter value to identify that the second wireless frame is a multi-AP coordinated scheduling request frame or a multi-AP coordinated scheduling confirmation frame; The conversation token subfield identifies that this session and the first radio frame are the same session.

21. The communication method according to claim 19, characterized in that: After sending the second wireless frame to the first AP, the method further includes: During a period between the transmission start time of the target multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling and the end of the transmission duration, a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation is performed with the first AP according to the target multi-AP coordinated transmission strategy.

22. The communication method according to claim 21, characterized in that: The performing a multi-AP coordinated transmission operation with the first AP includes at least one of the following: Receiving a first multi-AP coordination trigger frame sent by the first AP, sending a response frame to the first multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the first AP, and performing a multi-AP coordination operation according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy; The second AP obtains a transmission opportunity and sends a second multi-AP coordination trigger frame to the first AP; After receiving a response frame from the first AP to the second multi-AP coordination trigger frame, a multi-AP coordination operation is performed according to the transmission strategy parameters of the target multi-AP coordination transmission strategy.

23. An access point device, the access point device being a first access point device, characterized in that: The access point device comprises: A determination module, configured to determine a first wireless frame; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information on multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling; A sending module is used to send the first wireless frame.

24. An access point device, the access point device being a second access point device, characterized in that: The access point device comprises: A first receiving module, configured to receive a first wireless frame; The first wireless frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies information of multi-AP coordinated transmission scheduling.

25. An access point device, the access point device being a first access point device or a second access point device, characterized in that: include: one or more processors; The access point device is used to execute the communication method described in any one of claims 1 to 11 or 12 to 22.

26. A communication system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a first access point device and a second access point device; wherein the access point device is configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and the access point device is configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

27. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that: When the instruction is executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or execute the communication method according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

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