Communication device, control method, and program

Abstract

This communication device, which is capable of communicating with another communication device by using a plurality of links, specifies characteristics of each of the plurality of links, and on the basis of the characteristics, allocates one or more of the plurality of links to each of one or more types of data to be communicated to the other communication device.

Description

Communication device, control method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a data communication technique in a communication device that can use multiple links in parallel.

[0002] The IEEE 802.11be standard defines multi-link communication as one of its new functions (see Patent Document 1). In multi-link communication, a communication device called a multi-link device (MLD) uses multiple links in parallel by linking and coordinating multiple communication interfaces. IEEE stands for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The IEEE 802.11be standard is also known as Wi-Fi 7 or EHT (Extremely High Throughput).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-190722

[0004] The present invention provides a technique for improving communication efficiency in a system in which multi-link communication is performed.

[0005] A communication device according to one aspect of the present invention has a communication means capable of communicating with other communication devices using a plurality of links, an identification means for identifying the characteristics of each of the plurality of links, and an allocation means for assigning one or more of the plurality of links to each of one or more types of data communicated with the other communication devices based on the characteristics.

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve communication efficiency in a system in which multi-link communication is performed.

[0007] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0008] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description are used to explain the principles of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication system. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a communication device. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the association between TIDs and access categories. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a communication device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence when a communication device establishes multi-link communication with an information communication terminal. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a TID-To-Link Mapping Element. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart for link allocation to a TID for image data. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart for link allocation to a TID for non-image data. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence when a communication device establishes multi-link communication with an information communication terminal.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) (System Configuration) FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a wireless communication system according to this embodiment. This wireless communication system includes, for example, a communication device 200 and an information communication terminal 300. The communication device 200 and the information communication terminal 300 are each wireless communication devices capable of performing wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 series standard. In this embodiment, the communication device 200 operates as an access point (AP), and the information communication terminal 300 operates as a station (STA). IEEE stands for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. While FIG. 1 shows a state in which one AP and one STA exist, multiple APs and STAs may exist. Furthermore, multiple STAs may be connected to one AP, and one STA may be connected to multiple APs. The communication device 200 and the information communication terminal 300 may be any electronic device such as a smartphone, a tablet, a PC, a video camera, a printer, a display, etc. In the present embodiment, as an example, the communication device 200 is an imaging device such as a camera having an imaging function and a communication function, and the information communication terminal 300 is a smartphone.

[0011] In this embodiment, the communication device 200 and the information communication terminal 300 are capable of performing wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11be standard. Multilink is one of the new features of the IEEE 802.11be standard. In this embodiment, the communication device 200 and the information communication terminal 300 are configured to perform multilink communication using multiple links in the network 100. The example of FIG. 1 shows that three wireless links (links 101, 102, and 103) are established between the communication device 200 and the information communication terminal 300. Note that the following embodiment describes a case where multilink communication is performed using the IEEE 802.11be standard, but is not limited to this. For example, the following discussion can also be applied to multilink communication in accordance with other wireless communication standards or multilink communication using multiple wired links.

[0012] A communication device capable of multi-link communication is called a multi-link device (MLD). A communication device that operates as an AP or STA conforming to the IEEE 802.11be standard and has the function to operate as an MLD is called an AP MLD or a STA MLD, respectively. A STA MLD may also be called a non-AP MLD. In an AP MLD or a STA MLD, the communication interface (I / F) constituting each link may also be called an Affiliated AP or an Affiliated STA, respectively. An Affiliated STA may also be called an Affiliated non-AP STA.

[0013] The links 101, 102, and 103 use frequency bands such as the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, the 6 GHz band, and millimeter wave bands (45 GHz band, 60 GHz band, etc.). Furthermore, at least some of these links may use frequency bands higher than millimeter waves, such as the terahertz band. The same frequency band may be used for two or more of the established links. When the same frequency band is used for two or more links, different channels may be used. In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the links 101, 102, and 103 use the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band, respectively. Furthermore, the links 101 to 103 may use any of the frequency bandwidths of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, and 320 MHz specified in the IEEE 802.11 series standards. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and at least one of the links 101 to 103 may use a frequency bandwidth different from the above example, such as 240 MHz or 4 MHz.

[0014] In the IEEE 802.11be standard, multiple links are established in parallel. However, it does not specify which link is assigned to transmit data. The IEEE 802.11be standard specifies that all data can use all links as a default setting when a multilink is established. However, if different frequency bands are used for each link, link characteristics such as communication speed may differ. Therefore, if a link with characteristics unsuitable for a type of data is used to communicate that data, it is possible that sufficient communication efficiency will not be achieved. Furthermore, if a link unsuitable for communicating high-priority data is used in communication related to a specific service, the quality of that service will also be insufficient.

[0015] The IEEE 802.11 series of standards prescribes a TID as an identifier for classifying data, and the TID is used to determine the priority of frames when transmitting. Furthermore, the IEEE 802.11be standard provides for multi-link, which generates a TID-to-Link Mapping that associates a TID with a link when the link is established, and prescribes a function for establishing multiple links. However, it does not prescribe how to associate a TID with a link based on the type of data or the characteristics of each link, and it is still possible that a link that is not suitable for the type of data will be assigned to communicate that data.

[0016] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a technique for more efficiently using multiple links by allocating links having appropriate characteristics according to the type of data for frame transmission.

[0017] (Device Configuration) Fig. 2 shows an example of the functional configuration of communication device 200. Communication device 200 includes, as its functions, a communication unit 201, a TID allocation unit 202, a communication I / F allocation unit 203, a multi-link information generation unit 204, a display unit 205, an operation unit 206, an imaging unit 207, a storage unit 208, and a control unit 209. Note that the configuration of Fig. 2 is merely an example, and some or all of the functional blocks may be replaced with other functional blocks that perform similar functions, some functional blocks may be omitted, or additional functional blocks may be added. Furthermore, one functional block described below may be divided into multiple functional blocks, or multiple functional blocks may be integrated into one functional block.

[0018] The communication unit 201 performs communication processing for communicating with other communication devices such as the information communication terminal 300. In one example, the communication unit 201 performs wireless communication processing in accordance with the IEEE 802.11be standard. The communication unit 201 may be compatible with at least one of the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax standards (legacy standards), which are standards that predate the IEEE 802.11be standard. Furthermore, the communication unit 201 may be compatible with other communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC, UWB, ZigBee, and MBOA in addition to the IEEE 802.11 series standards. Note that NFC stands for Near Field Communication. UWB stands for Ultra Wide Band. MBOA is an abbreviation for Multi Band OFDM Alliance, where OFDM is an abbreviation for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing. UWB includes wireless USB, wireless 1394, WiNET, etc. The communication unit 201 may also be compatible with a communication standard for wired communication such as a wired LAN.

[0019] The communication unit 201 may include multiple communication I / Fs so that the communication device 200 can perform multi-link communication. Each communication I / F may use a different frequency band, such as the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band, or some communication I / Fs may use different frequency channels in the same frequency band. The communication unit 201 may perform multi-link communication using multiple communication I / Fs that comply only with legacy standards. In this embodiment, the communication unit 201 includes three communication I / Fs, and the respective communication I / Fs constitute the links 101 to 103 in FIG. 1 .

[0020] The TID assignment unit 202 associates a data type with a traffic indicator (TID). The TID is an identifier for classifying data. Examples of data types include still image data, video data, data related to the control of the communication device 200 (control data), and audio data. The association between the data type and the TID may be specified by an application installed on the communication device 200 or the information communication terminal 300. The TID assignment unit 202 may estimate the data type based on the amount of input data or the input period, and associate the data type with the TID. The association between the data type and the TID may be performed when the communication device establishes multilink communication with another communication device, or after establishing multilink communication with another communication device. The TID assignment unit 202 notifies the control unit 209 of the association between the data type and the TID.

[0021] Each TID is assigned a priority for transmitting associated data, and is defined in descending order of priority as TID7, TID6, TID5, TID4, TID3, TID0, TID2, and TID1. Furthermore, each TID is associated with one of four Access Categories (ACs) according to its intended use. ACs are defined in descending order of priority as Voice, Video, Best Effort, and Background. Figure 3 shows an example of the association between TIDs and ACs. TID7 and TID6 are associated with the AC Voice, TID5 and TID4 with Video, TID3 and TID0 with Best Effort, and TID2 and TID1 with Background. In this embodiment, still image and video data recorded by the communication device 200 are associated with TID5, TID4, or AC Video. Video data may be associated with TID5, and still image data may be associated with TID4. For example, when the data to be associated is still image and video data generated by the imaging unit 207 and recorded in the storage unit 208, they may be associated with TID4 and TID5, respectively. By associating still image and video data that require high-speed communication with TIDs that have a high priority for data transmission, it becomes possible to preferentially assign appropriate links to these TIDs. On the other hand, control data and other data are associated with TID2, TID1, or AC Background. Control data may be associated with TID2, and other data may be associated with TID1. Control data may be associated with TID3, TID0, or AC Best Effort. For example, if the data to be associated is control data for controlling the communication device 200 that is generated by an application installed on the information communication terminal 300, the control data may be associated with any of TIDs TID0 to TID3. By associating control data that has a relatively low need for high-speed communication with a TID that has a low priority for transmitting data, a link that allows high-speed communication can be reserved for still image and video data.In this embodiment, a TID associated with still image data and video data is called an image data TID, and a TID associated with other data is called a non-image data TID. In this embodiment, the term "image data" includes both still image data and video data unless otherwise specified. Non-image data includes control data, etc. An access category may also be used as an identifier associated with a data type. By using an access category with fewer categories than a TID as an identifier associated with a data type, it is possible to simplify the process of associating data types with identifiers and notifications between devices.

[0022] Furthermore, the TID allocation unit 202 may assign a priority to each identifier different from that shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows the priority of each TID and each AC defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard, but this is not limiting and other priorities may be used. For example, a table recording the priority of each identifier may be recorded in the storage unit 208, and the TID allocation unit 202 may read this table and assign a priority to each identifier.

[0023] The communication I / F allocation unit 203 identifies the characteristics of each link configured by each communication I / F and allocates one or more communication I / Fs to an identifier associated with a data type. In this embodiment, a TID is used as the identifier associated with the data type. The characteristics of each link include the frequency band used in each link, the received power of a signal from the information communication terminal 300 in each link, the frequency bandwidth available in each link, the interference power in each link, the usage rate of each link, and the wireless resource usage rate. The link usage rate is the proportion of time that the link is used for communication per unit time. The wireless resource usage rate is the proportion of wireless resources used for communication among all wireless resources available in the link. An example of a wireless resource is a resource unit defined in the IEEE 802.11ax standard. The communication I / F allocation unit 203 may identify the frequency band and frequency bandwidth used in each link by acquiring them from the storage unit 208. Furthermore, the communication I / F allocation unit 203 may identify each link by having the communication unit 201 measure the received power, interference power, channel utilization rate, etc. of the signal from the information communication terminal 300 on each link. Here, allocating a communication I / F to each TID is the same as allocating a link configured using this communication I / F to each TID. For example, when multiple links are established using one communication I / F, the communication I / F allocation unit 203 may allocate each TID on a link-by-link basis, rather than on a communication I / F-by-communication I / F basis. In this embodiment, the process by which the communication I / F allocation unit 203 allocates links to each TID is referred to as link allocation. Furthermore, allocation information indicating the allocation of multiple links to each TID generated as a result of link allocation is referred to as TID-To-Link Mapping. The TID-To-Link Mapping is expressed, for example, as a bitmap indicating whether each link is allocated for each TID. For example, if there are three links, three bits per TID are used to indicate the link to which each TID is assigned. As an example, the first bit corresponds to link 101, the second bit corresponds to link 102, and the third bit corresponds to link 103.Here, a bitmap representation of "010" for a certain TID indicates that link 102 is assigned to that TID. When link 103 is assigned to TID5, "001," in which the bit corresponding to link 103 is set to 1 and the bits corresponding to other links are set to 0, is set as the bitmap in the TID-To-Link Mapping corresponding to TID5. When communication device 200 performs multi-link communication with multiple remote terminals using the same TID-To-Link Mapping, communication I / F allocation unit 203 may statically assign links to each TID in advance. Such static TID-To-Link Mapping can be generated before communication device 200 establishes a multi-link with another communication device. Communication I / F allocation unit 203 notifies control unit 209 of the generated TID-To-Link Mapping.

[0024] The multilink information generating unit 204 generates information necessary to establish a multilink with another communication device. Examples of information necessary to establish a multilink include information about the network, such as an ESSID, information about multilink communication, such as the number of multilinks that MLD can use in parallel, and information about each link, such as the frequency band and channel used in each link. This information may be recorded as information for communication in the storage unit 208. An ESSID (Extended Service Set Identifier) ​​is an identifier for uniquely identifying a network, and in this embodiment, is used to identify the network 100 configured by the communication device 200.

[0025] The multilink information generation unit 204 may use the generated information to generate information elements including information to be notified to other communication devices in order to establish a multilink. Hereinafter, information elements may be referred to as "IEs." Examples of IEs include a Basic Multi-Link (Basic ML) Element, a Reduced Neighbor Report (RNR) Element, and an SSID Element. For example, a Basic ML Element may include information such as the number of multilinks that the MLD can use in parallel, the addresses of each Affiliated STA, and the links to be used. The information included in these Basic ML Elements may be used when determining whether to perform multilink communication between communication devices. An RNR Element may include information such as the frequency bands and channels used in each link. The SSID Element may include the ESSID of the network configured by the communication device. In addition, the multi-link information generating unit 204 may generate the TID-To-Link Mapping Element using information such as the TID-To-Link Mapping generated by the communication I / F allocating unit 203.

[0026] The display unit 205 displays a viewfinder image for the user to take still images or videos using the communication device 200, which is an imaging device, displays captured image data, displays characters for interactive operation, etc. The display unit 205 may present information to the user by displaying a lamp that is on / blinking / off.

[0027] The operation unit 206 is used to receive instructions from the user for the communication device 200. The operation unit 206 includes a power button used by the user to instruct the communication device 200 to start or shut down, a release button used to instruct the communication device 200 to capture still images or videos, and a playback button used to instruct the communication device 200 to play back captured image data. The operation unit 206 may also include an operation member such as a connection button used by the communication device 200 to start communication with another communication device via the communication unit 201. The operation unit 206 may also include a touch panel configured by the display unit 205.

[0028] The imaging unit 207 generates still image and video data that the communication device 200, which is an imaging device, transmits to other communication devices. The imaging unit 207 is composed of, for example, an optical system that controls an optical lens unit, aperture, zoom, focus, etc., and an imaging element that converts light (image) introduced through the optical lens unit into an electrical video signal. As the imaging element, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) or a charge coupled device (CCD) is generally used. The data generated by the imaging unit 207 is output to the storage unit 208.

[0029] The storage unit 208 stores a control program executed by the control unit 209, information for communication, TIDs, link IDs, etc. The storage unit 208 may record the association between data types and TIDs by the TID allocation unit 202, TID-to-link mapping generated by the communication I / F allocation unit 203, etc.

[0030] The control unit 209 controls each functional unit of the communication device 200 in accordance with signals input from each functional unit of the communication device 200 and control programs stored in the storage unit 208. For example, the control unit 209 may control the TID allocation unit 202 to associate a TID with each data type. The control unit 209 may also control the communication I / F allocation unit 203 to perform link allocation and generate TID-To-Link Mapping. The control unit 209 may assign one or more links to each data type by associating a TID with a data type and assigning a link to each TID. The control unit 209 may also execute control related to MLD, such as signal processing for establishing a multilink. Furthermore, the control unit 209 may control the multilink information generation unit 204 to generate information and information elements necessary to establish a multilink with another communication device. Note that multiple hardware components may operate as the control unit 209 by sharing and cooperating in the processing for controlling each functional unit of the communication device 200.

[0031] The information communication terminal 300 has the same configuration as the communication device 200. The communication unit 301, TID allocation unit 302, and communication I / F allocation unit 303 of the information communication terminal 300 are respectively the same as the communication unit 201, TID allocation unit 202, and communication I / F allocation unit 203 of the communication device 200. The multi-link information generation unit 304, display unit 305, operation unit 306, and imaging unit 307 of the information communication terminal 300 are respectively the same as the multi-link information generation unit 204, display unit 205, operation unit 206, and imaging unit 207 of the communication device 200. The storage unit 308 and control unit 309 of the information communication terminal 300 are respectively the same as the storage unit 208 and control unit 209 of the communication device 200.

[0032] The display unit 305 and the operation unit 306 may be integrated into a touch panel or the like. For example, an application may be started by the user touching an application icon displayed on the display unit. Such an application operation by the user on the touch panel may be notified to the communication device 200 as a wireless signal, thereby downloading image data stored in the communication device 200. Similarly, the communication device 200 may be controlled by a user operation.

[0033] 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the communication device 200. The communication device 200 has, as an example of its hardware configuration, a storage unit 401, a control unit 402, a function unit 403, an input unit 404, an output unit 405, a communication unit 406, and an antenna 407. The communication device 200 may have multiple antennas. In this embodiment, the information communication terminal 300 has the same hardware configuration as the communication device 200, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0034] The storage unit 401 is configured with one or more memories including ROM, RAM, etc., and may store various information such as control programs for each functional unit constituting the communication device 200 to perform various operations, and parameters for communication. ROM and RAM stand for Read Only Memory and Random Access Memory, respectively. The storage unit 401 may be configured to include, in addition to memories such as ROM and RAM, storage media such as a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, and a DVD.

[0035] The control unit 402 is configured with one or more processors including, for example, a CPU, an MPU, etc., and controls the entire communication device 200 by executing a control program stored in the storage unit 401. The control unit 402 may control the entire communication device 200 in cooperation with the control program stored in the storage unit 401 and an OS (Operating System). The control unit 402 also generates signals for establishing multi-links with other communication devices and data (wireless frames) for multi-link communication. The terms CPU and MPU stand for Central Processing Unit and Micro Processing Unit, respectively. When the control unit 402 has multiple processors that can be implemented using a multi-core processor, the entire communication device 200 may be configured to be controlled by the multiple processors.

[0036] The control unit 402 also controls the functional unit 403 to perform predetermined processes such as communication, image capture, printing, and projection. The functional unit 403 is hardware that enables the communication device 200 to perform the predetermined processes described above. For example, if the device is a camera, the functional unit 403 is an image capture unit that performs image capture processing. For example, if the device is a printer, the functional unit 403 is a print unit that performs print processing. For example, if the device is a projector, the functional unit 403 is a projection unit that performs projection processing.

[0037] The input unit 404 receives various operations from the user. The output unit 405 outputs various types of information to the user via a monitor screen or a speaker. The output from the output unit 405 may be a display on the monitor screen, an audio output from a speaker, a vibration output, or the like. The input unit 404 and the output unit 405 may both be implemented as a single module, such as a touch panel. The input unit 404 and the output unit 405 may be integrated with the communication device 200 or may be separate devices.

[0038] The communication unit 406 controls wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11be standard. Furthermore, the communication unit 406 may control wireless communication compliant with other IEEE 802.11 series standards, such as legacy standards, in addition to the IEEE 802.11be standard. The communication unit 406 controls the antenna 407 to transmit and receive signals for wireless communication generated by the control unit 402. The communication unit 406 is a so-called wireless chip and may itself include one or more processors and memories. Note that if the communication device 200 supports other wireless communication standards, such as the NFC standard or the Bluetooth standard, or wired communication such as a wired LAN, in addition to the IEEE 802.11be standard, the communication unit 406 may control communication compliant with these communication standards. Furthermore, if the communication device 200 can perform wireless communication compliant with multiple communication standards, the communication device 200 may be configured to have separate communication units and antennas corresponding to each communication standard. The communication device 200 communicates data such as image data, control data, and document data with the information communication terminal 300 via the communication unit 406. The antenna 407 may be configured as a separate unit from the communication unit 406, or may be configured together with the communication unit 406 as a single module.

[0039] Antenna 407 is an antenna capable of communication in, for example, the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, the 6 GHz band, millimeter waves, etc. Although Fig. 4 shows a configuration in which communication device 200 has two antennas 407, communication device 200 may have one or three or more antennas, or may have one or more antennas for each frequency band that the device can use. Furthermore, if communication device 200 has multiple antennas, communication device 200 may have a communication unit 406 for each antenna.

[0040] (Flow of Multi-Link Establishment) Figure 5 shows an example of a sequence when communication device 200 establishes a multi-link with information communication terminal 300. Note that communication device 200 operates as an AP MLD by a control program executed by control unit 209, and information communication terminal 300 operates as a STA MLD by a control program executed by control unit 309. Here, as described above, communication unit 201 of communication device 200 has three communication I / Fs, and in Figure 5, these communication I / Fs are respectively shown as AP 501, AP 502, and AP 503. APs 501 to 503 may be referred to as Affiliated APs without being distinguished from one another. Information communication terminal 300 also has communication unit 301 having three communication I / Fs, and in Figure 5, these communication I / Fs are respectively shown as STA 511, STA 512, and STA 513. The STAs 511 to 513 may be referred to as Affiliated STAs without distinction.

[0041] The control unit 209 periodically broadcasts a beacon frame (hereinafter referred to as a beacon) using each Affiliated AP. Prior to broadcasting the beacon, the control unit 209 instructs the multilink information generation unit 204 to generate a Basic ML Element, an RNR Element, an SSID Element, etc. The multilink information generation unit 204 generates a Basic ML Element, etc. (S521) and notifies the control unit 209. The control unit 209 instructs the communication unit 201 to transmit a beacon including a Basic ML Element, etc. The communication unit 201 transmits a beacon using each of the APs 501 to 503 (S522). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the STA 511 of the information communication terminal 300 receives the beacon from the communication device 200 first, and the subsequent sequence will be described.

[0042] When the STA 511 receives the Beacon transmitted by the AP 501, it notifies the control unit 309 of the Basic ML Element and the like included in the Beacon. The control unit 309 confirms from the Basic ML Element and the like that the source of the Beacon supports multi-link communication, and acquires information necessary for establishing a multi-link (S523). The control unit 309 also acquires the ESSID from the SSID Element as an identifier of the network configured by the communication device 200.

[0043] The control unit 309 instructs the STA 511 to transmit a Probe Request frame (hereinafter, Probe Request) including an SSID Element generated based on the ESSID of the communication device 200. The STA 511 transmits the Probe Request to the AP 501 (S524). Upon receiving the Probe Request, the AP 501 notifies the control unit 209 of the ESSID Element and the like included in the Probe Request. If the ESSID included in the ESSID Element matches its own ESSID, the control unit 209 instructs the AP 501 to transmit a Probe Response frame (hereinafter, Probe Response) to the STA 511. The AP 501 transmits a probe response to the STA 511 (S525). Upon receiving the probe response from the AP 501, the STA 511 notifies the control unit 309. Upon receiving the probe response, the control unit 309 starts the next step, which is authentication.

[0044] The control unit 309 instructs the STA 511, which has received the Probe Response, to transmit an Authentication frame (hereinafter, "Authentication") to the AP 501. The STA 511 transmits the Authentication to the AP 501 (S526). Upon receiving the Authentication from the STA 511, the AP 501 notifies the control unit 209. The control unit 209 determines whether the authentication was successful based on the received Authentication, and instructs the AP 501 to transmit an Authentication including the determination result to the STA 511. The AP 501 transmits the Authentication to the STA 511 (S527). When the STA 511 receives the authentication from the AP 501, it notifies the control unit 309. The authentication is completed when the control unit 309 receives the authentication. Note that the authentication method may be, but is not limited to, common key authentication, open authentication, 802.1X authentication, etc. In addition to the authentication determination, the control unit 209 and the control unit 309 may perform a process to mutually confirm that the other device is an MLD.

[0045] The control unit 309 instructs the STA 511 to transmit an Association Request frame (hereinafter, Association Request) to the AP 501. The Association Request is also called a connection request. The Association Request includes a Basic ML Element including profile information of each Affiliated STA. The profile information may include the address of each Affiliated STA, information on the link to be used, etc. The STA 511 transmits the Association Request to the AP 501 (S528). Upon receiving the Association Request from the AP 501, the STA 511 notifies the control unit 209. The control unit 209 acquires profile information of each Affiliated STA from the received Association Request, thereby identifying links and the like that are targets of multi-link communication.

[0046] Upon receiving the Association Request, the control unit 209 assigns one or more links to the data type to be communicated (S529). By assigning appropriate data types and links upon receiving the Association Request, flexible and efficient frequency resource utilization can be achieved according to the link usage status at the time the request is made. First, the control unit 209 instructs the TID assignment unit 202 to associate TIDs with still image data, video data, and other data, respectively. For example, video data is assigned to TID5, still image data to TID4, and other data to TID1. In this case, the TIDs for image data are TID4 and TID5, and the TID for non-image data is TID1. If there is no data to be communicated upon receiving the Association Request, each data type may be associated with a TID after the multi-link is established.

[0047] Next, the control unit 209 instructs the communication I / F allocation unit 203 to allocate one or more of the links 101 to 103 to each of the image data TID and the non-image data TID. The communication I / F allocation unit 203 allocates one or more of the links 101 to 103 to each of the image data TID and the non-image data TID. For example, the link 103 using the 6 GHz band is allocated to the image data TID, and the link 101 using the 2.4 GHz band is allocated to the non-image data TID. The communication I / F allocation unit 203 generates TID-To-Link Mapping and notifies the control unit 209.

[0048] Control unit 209 instructs multilink information generation unit 204 to create a TID-To-Link Mapping Element based on the notified TID-To-Link Mapping. Information generation unit 204 creates a TID-To-Link Mapping Element based on the notified TID-To-Link Mapping and notifies control unit 209. Control unit 209 instructs AP 501 to transmit an Association Response (hereinafter, Association Response) including the TID-To-Link Mapping Element to STA 511. The AP 501 transmits an Association Response to the STA 511 (S530). Upon receiving the Association Response, the STA 511 notifies the control unit 309 of the TID-To-Link Mapping Element included in the Association Response.

[0049] When the control unit 309 acquires the TID-To-Link Mapping Element, it reflects the TID-To-Link Mapping set by the control unit 209 in the TID-To-Link Mapping in the storage unit 208 (S531). As a result, a multi-link is established between the control units 209 and 309, and the allocation of TIDs and links between the control units 209 and 309 is completed. After this, an encryption key is acquired between the control units 209 and 309 by a 4-way handshake, but a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] The TID-To-Link Mapping Element may be notified by a Beacon or a Probe Request. In this case, the AP MLD may generate the TID-To-Link Mapping before the establishment of the multi-link. When multi-link communication is performed using the same TID-To-Link Mapping with multiple counterpart devices, individual processing between the communication devices can be omitted by assigning a link to each TID in advance. In addition, the TID-To-Link Mapping may be notified using new wireless frames such as a TID-To-Link Mapping Request and a TID-To-Link Mapping Response. If a TID-To-Link Mapping is not created when establishing multi-link communication, the TID-To-Link Mapping can be notified by using a new radio frame. Also, if it becomes necessary to change the TID-To-Link Mapping due to a change in the communication environment, the TID-To-Link Mapping can be updated by using a new radio frame.

[0051] 6 shows an example of the configuration of a TID-To-Link Mapping Element according to this embodiment. The TID-To-Link Mapping Element is included in an Association Request or an Association Response. The TID-To-Link Mapping Element may also be included in a Reassociation Request or a Reassociation Response. The TID-To-Link Mapping Element may also be included in a Beacon, Probe Request, Probe Response, Authentication, etc. The TID-To-Link Mapping Element may be included in new radio frames such as a TID-To-Link Mapping Request frame and a TID-To-Link Mapping Response frame. The TID-To-Link Mapping Element does not need to be included in all radio frames, and multiple TID-To-Link Mapping Elements may be included in one radio frame. For example, one radio frame may include a TID-To-Link Mapping Element for downlink data and a TID-To-Link Mapping Element for uplink data. The downlink is a link through which data is transmitted from the AP to the STA, and the uplink is a link through which data is transmitted from the STA to the AP.

[0052] The TID-To-Link Mapping Element includes an Element ID field 601, a Length field 602, and an Element ID Extension field 603. Furthermore, the TID-To-Link Mapping Element may include a TID-To-Link Mapping Control field 604 and a Link Mapping Of TID n field 605-n.

[0053] A value indicating that this IE is a TID-To-Link Mapping Element is stored in the Element ID field 601 and the Element ID Extension field 603. For example, the values ​​of the Element ID field 601 and the Element ID Extension field 603 are set to 255 and 109, respectively. The Length field 602 indicates the length of the entire IE.

[0054] The TID-To-Link Mapping Control field 604 includes a Direction field 611, a Default Link Mapping field 612, and a Link Mapping Size field 613. The TID-To-Link Mapping Control field 604 further includes a Link Mapping Presence Indicator field 614.

[0055] The Direction field 611 indicates the direction of communication to which this IE applies. If this IE applies only to downlink communication, 0 is stored. If this IE applies only to uplink communication, 1 is stored. If this IE applies to both, 2 is stored. The Default Link Mapping field 612 is a field for indicating whether the TID-To-Link Mapping is a default value. If the Default Link Mapping field 612 is 1, the default value is applied to the TID-To-Link Mapping. Here, the default value indicates that all links are assigned to each TID. In other words, if the TID-To-Link Mapping is the default value, data associated with each TID can be communicated using all links. On the other hand, for example, if a certain link is to be made unavailable for some TIDs, the Default Link Mapping field 612 is set to 0. In this embodiment, different links are assigned to the image data TIDs and the non-image data TIDs, and therefore the Default Link Mapping field 612 is set to 0.

[0056] The Link Mapping Size field 613 indicates the length of the following Link Mapping Of TID n field 605. If the length of the Link Mapping Of TID n field 605 is 1 octet, the Link Mapping Size field 613 is set to 1. If the length of the Link Mapping Of TID n field 605 is 2 octets, the Link Mapping Size field 613 is set to 0.

[0057] The Link Mapping Presence Indicator field 614 indicates, by bitmap, whether or not a corresponding field exists for each TID in the Link Mapping Of TID n field 605-n. For example, if the first bit of the Link Mapping Presence Indicator field 614 is 1, this indicates that a Link Mapping Of TID 0 field 605-0 corresponding to TID 0 exists. In this embodiment, if TID4 and TID5 are used as image data TIDs and TID1 is used as non-image data TID, the first, fourth, and fifth bits corresponding to these TIDs are set to 1. Note that if the Default Link Mapping field 612 is 1, the Link Mapping Of TID n field 605-n does not exist.

[0058] The Link Mapping Of TID n field 605-n expresses the TID-to-Link Mapping in bitmap format. The value of n ranges from 0 to 7, and corresponds to each TID. For example, TID4 and TID5, which are TIDs for image data, correspond to the Link Mapping Of TID 4 field 605-4 and the Link Mapping Of TID 5 field 605-5, respectively. Furthermore, TID1, which is a TID for non-image data, corresponds to the Link Mapping Of TID 1 field 605-1.

[0059] Each Link Mapping Of TID n field 605-n is composed of 8 bits. The position of each bit is associated with the link corresponding to that position. For example, link 101 corresponds to the first bit of each Link Mapping Of TID n field 605-n with LINK ID = 1. Link 102 corresponds to the second bit of each Link Mapping Of TID n field 605-n with LINK ID = 2. Link 103 corresponds to the third bit of each Link Mapping Of TID n field 605-n with LINK ID = 3. In this embodiment, since there are three links formed by the communication unit 201, the fourth and subsequent bits of each Link Mapping Of TID n field 605-n are set to 0.

[0060] For example, suppose that link 103 in the 6 GHz band is assigned to the image data TID, and link 101 in the 2.4 GHz band is assigned to the non-image data TID. In this case, the third bit of the Link Mapping Of TID 4 field 605-4 and the Link Mapping Of TID 5 field 605-5, which each correspond to the image data TID, is set to 1. Also, the first bit of the Link Mapping Of TID 1 field 605-1, which corresponds to the non-image data TID, is set to 1. The information communication terminal 300 that has received the TID-To-Link Mapping Element can acquire the TID-To-Link Mapping in the communication device 200 using the Link Mapping Of TID n field 605-n.

[0061] FIG. 7 shows an example flowchart of link allocation for image data TIDs according to this embodiment. The communication device 200 assigns a priority for communication speed to each link based on the characteristics of each link, and assigns links such that the higher the transmission priority of a TID, the higher the link assigned a priority indicating a higher communication speed. In the example of FIG. 7 , the link characteristics are based on the frequency band used for each link, with higher priorities assigned to links using higher frequency bands. This is because higher frequency bands have a wider available frequency bandwidth and a larger number of available frequency channels, so links using higher frequency bands are more likely to be able to perform high-speed communication. In this way, by assigning links to identifiers associated with data identifiers while taking into account the characteristics of the links, appropriate links can be assigned for the type of data.

[0062] The communication I / F allocation unit 203 obtains the number of links (unassigned links) that are not assigned to any TID, and determines whether the number of links is two or more (S701). The communication I / F allocation unit 203 can calculate the number of unassigned links by, for example, identifying links that have already been assigned to any TID based on the TID-To-Link Mapping recorded in the storage unit 208. Furthermore, when the control unit 209 requests the communication I / F allocation unit 203 to assign a link, the control unit 209 may notify the communication I / F allocation unit 203 of the unassigned links.

[0063] If the number of unassigned links is two or more (YES in S701), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 determines whether the signal reception strength of the unassigned links using the 6 GHz band exceeds a threshold (S702). The signal reception strength is the strength of the signal received by the communication device 200 from the information communication terminal 300, and may be calculated using, for example, the power of the signal received by the communication unit 201. If there is one or more unassigned 6 GHz links whose signal reception strength exceeds the threshold (YES in S702), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 assigns the link with the highest signal reception strength to the image data TID (S703). If there are multiple unassigned links, a link that can perform faster communication can be assigned to the image data TID. Note that if there are multiple links whose signal reception strength exceeds a predetermined value, any of the multiple links may be assigned to the image data TID randomly or based on a predetermined rule. Thereafter, the communication I / F allocation unit 203 determines whether to further allocate other unallocated links to the image data TID (S704). For example, when the amount of image data to be communicated is large or when the image data is to be communicated in a short period of time, the time required for communication can be reduced by allocating multiple links to the image data TID. If multiple links are to be allocated to the image data TID (YES in S704), the process returns to step S701. If no other unallocated links are to be allocated (NO in S704), the process ends.

[0064] If the number of unassigned links is less than two (NO in S701), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 terminates the allocation process. For example, if multi-link communication is not possible because there are not multiple unassigned links or if multiple links cannot be assigned to the image data TID, the communication I / F allocation unit 203 may terminate the allocation process. Note that if the number of unassigned links is less than two, the communication I / F allocation unit 203 may assign the same link to both the image data TID and the non-image data TID.

[0065] If there are no unassigned 6 GHz links whose signal reception strength exceeds the threshold (NO in S702), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 determines whether the signal reception strength of unassigned 5 GHz links exceeds the threshold (S705). If there is one or more unassigned 5 GHz links whose signal reception strength exceeds the threshold (YES in S705), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 assigns the link with the highest signal reception strength to the image data TID (S706). Note that if there are multiple links whose signal reception strength exceeds a predetermined value, any of the multiple links may be assigned to the image data TID randomly or based on a predetermined rule. Subsequent processing is the same as in step S704.

[0066] If there are no unassigned 5 GHz links whose signal reception strength exceeds the threshold (NO in S705), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 determines whether the signal reception strength of unassigned links using the 2.4 GHz band exceeds the threshold (S707). If there is one or more unassigned 2.4 GHz links whose signal reception strength exceeds the threshold (YES in S707), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 assigns the link with the highest signal reception strength to the image data TID (S708). Note that if there are multiple links whose signal reception strength exceeds a predetermined value, any of the multiple links may be assigned to the image data TID randomly or based on a predetermined rule. Subsequent processing is the same as in step S704. Subsequent processing is the same as in step S704.

[0067] If there are no unassigned links at 2.4 GHz whose signal reception strength exceeds the threshold (NO in S707), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 targets all links and assigns higher priority to links with stronger signal reception strength. In this case, the communication I / F allocation unit 203 assigns the link with the highest signal reception strength among all unassigned links to the image data TID, regardless of the frequency band used by each unassigned link (S709). Note that this is just one example; if there are multiple links whose signal reception strength exceeds a predetermined value, any of the multiple links may be assigned to the image data TID randomly or based on a predetermined rule. Subsequent processing is similar to step S704. Even if there are no unassigned links with sufficient signal reception strength, it is possible to assign a link to the image TID.

[0068] The communication I / F allocation unit 203 may perform link allocation using interference power instead of signal reception strength. The communication I / F allocation unit 203 may assign a higher priority to links with lower interference power. Furthermore, the communication I / F allocation unit 203 may assign links with interference power smaller than a threshold to each TID. The interference power is the reception strength of an interference signal generated when another communication device uses a frequency used in each link, or the proportion of a period occupied by an interference signal in a certain period. The interference power can be calculated using the power of a signal received by the communication unit 201. By using the interference power in link allocation, link allocation can be performed taking into account periods when a link cannot be used due to interference.

[0069] The communication I / F allocation unit 203 may allocate links using the frequency bandwidth used by each link instead of the frequency band used by each link as the link characteristics. In this case, the wider the frequency bandwidth used by each link, the higher the priority assigned to the link. For example, if link 101 uses a 20 MHz frequency band, link 102 uses an 80 MHz frequency band, and link 103 uses a 40 MHz frequency band, the presence or absence of unassigned links may be determined in the order of link 102, link 103, and link 102. When links use different frequency bandwidths, the link using a wider frequency bandwidth can be assigned to the image TID. Note that using a narrow frequency band can relatively increase the received power strength of the signal per bandwidth. Therefore, the narrower the bandwidth, the more reliable the communication. If the priority of reliable communication is high, the link using a narrower frequency bandwidth may be assigned a higher priority.

[0070] The communication I / F allocation unit 203 may determine the priority to be assigned to each link based on the reception strength of the signal from the information communication terminal 300 on each link as a link characteristic, regardless of the frequency band used by each link. As an example, a higher priority may be assigned to a link with a higher reception strength. Furthermore, since the higher the frequency, the shorter the distance a signal travels, when the distance between devices is large, a link using a lower frequency band may obtain a higher reception strength than a link using a higher frequency band, resulting in a higher communication speed. Therefore, a higher priority may be assigned to a link with a lower frequency band. Furthermore, the communication I / F allocation unit 203 may use the interference power of each link as a link characteristic. Since a high communication speed may not be achieved on a link with high interference power, a higher priority may be assigned to a link with low interference power.

[0071] Figure 8 shows an example flowchart of link allocation for non-image data TIDs according to this embodiment. The communication device 200 assigns a priority level for each link in terms of communication speed, and assigns links such that the lower the transmission priority level of a TID, the lower the link assigned a priority level indicating a lower communication speed. In this embodiment, based on the frequency band used by each link, links using lower frequency bands are assigned lower priorities. Note that in this flowchart, the same processes as those in the flowchart of Figure 7 can be applied, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0072] The communication I / F allocation unit 203 acquires the number of unallocated links and determines whether the number is 1 (S801). If the number of unallocated links is 1 (YES in S801), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 allocates this unallocated link to a non-image data TID (S802) and ends the process.

[0073] If the number of unassigned links is two or more (NO in S801), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 determines whether the signal reception strength of the unassigned links using the 2.4 GHz band exceeds a threshold (S803). If there is one or more unassigned links using the 2.4 GHz band whose signal reception strength exceeds the threshold (YES in S803), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 assigns the link with the highest signal reception strength to the non-image data TID (S804) and terminates processing. Note that if there are multiple links whose signal reception strength exceeds a predetermined value, any of the multiple links may be assigned to the non-image data TID randomly or based on a predetermined rule. Subsequent processing is the same as in step S704. In link assignment to non-image data TIDs, unlike link assignment to image data TIDs, links using the 2.4 GHz band are evaluated first. This is because non-image data has a lower priority than image data and its data size is small, so there is relatively little need to use links in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz band, which enable high-speed communication. Even if a link is assigned to a non-image data TID before an image data TID, if a link using the 2.4 GHz band is assigned to the non-image data TID, a link capable of high-speed communication can be assigned to the image data TID thereafter.

[0074] If there are no unassigned links in the 2.4 GHz band whose signal reception strength exceeds the threshold (NO in S803), the communication I / F allocation unit 203 assigns the link with the highest signal reception strength among all unassigned links, regardless of the frequency band used, to the non-image data TID (S805). Note that if there are multiple links whose signal reception strength exceeds a predetermined value, any of the multiple links may be assigned to the image data TID randomly or based on a predetermined rule. Subsequent processing is the same as in step S704. The communication I / F allocation unit 203 terminates processing after performing the assignment.

[0075] The communication I / F allocation unit 203 may allocate links to non-image data IDs using the frequency bandwidth used by each link instead of the frequency band used by each link. For example, if link 101 uses a frequency band of 20 MHz, link 102 uses a frequency band of 80 MHz, and link 103 uses a frequency band of 40 MHz, the presence or absence of unallocated links may be determined in the order of link 101, link 103, and link 102. Even when a link is allocated to a non-image data TID before an image data TID, if a link using a narrow frequency bandwidth is allocated to the non-image data TID, a link capable of high-speed communication can be allocated to the image data TID.

[0076] As described above, according to this embodiment, when establishing multi-link communication between the communication device 200 and the information communication terminal 300, the higher the priority of the data type, the more links using frequency bands that enable high-speed communication are assigned. Specifically, links in the 6 GHz band or 5 GHz band are assigned to image data associated with a high-priority TID, and links in the 2.4 GHz band are assigned to control data and other data. This allows links with appropriate characteristics to be assigned according to the type of data, allowing for more efficient use of the multi-link.

[0077] In this embodiment, still image data and video data are treated equally as image data, but still image data and video data may be distinguished and different links assigned to each data type. For example, if higher priority is assigned to video, still image, and other data, TID 4 may be assigned to still image data and TID 5 to video data, with a link using the 6 GHz band assigned to TID 5 and a link using the 5 GHz band assigned to TID 4. This can mitigate any impact caused by communication of either still image data or video data overloading the communication of the other. Furthermore, two links using the 6 GHz band and one using the 5 GHz band may be assigned to the image data TID. Allocating more resources to image data can shorten the time required for communication. In this way, assigning multiple links to a specific type of data allows for high-speed communication of that type of data. In these cases, the bits corresponding to Link IDs 2 and 3 in the Link Mapping Of TID n field 605-n corresponding to each TID are set to 1.

[0078] Although the present embodiment has been described using image data, the data type may also be audio data. In this case, according to Figure 3, audio data is associated with TID 6 or TID 7, and is assigned a link with a higher priority than image data. In this way, by assigning TIDs to data to be transmitted and received, it becomes possible to flexibly control the links assigned for communication of each type of data.

[0079] (Embodiment 2) In this embodiment, the information communication terminal 300 operates as an AP, and the communication device 200 operates as an STA. In embodiment 1, the communication device 200 operating as an AP performed link allocation for data types, but in this embodiment, the communication device 200, which is an STA, performs link allocation for data types. Therefore, the system configuration, the configuration of each device, the link allocation flowchart, etc. are the same as in embodiment 1, but the sequence for establishing a multi-link between devices is different.

[0080] 9 shows an example of a sequence when communication device 200 establishes multilink communication with information communication terminal 300. Communication device 200 operates as a STA MLD, and information communication terminal 300 operates as an AP MLD. Here, communication device 200 has a communication unit 201 with three communication I / Fs, which are shown in FIG. 9 as STA 911, STA 912, and STA 913, respectively. STAs 911 to 913 may be referred to as Affiliated STAs without distinction. Information communication terminal 300 also has a communication unit 301 with three communication I / Fs, which are shown in FIG. 9 as AP 901, AP 902, and AP 903, respectively. APs 901 to 903 may be referred to as Affiliated APs without distinction. The processing of S921 to S927 in FIG. 9 is the same as S521 to S527 in FIG. 5, and the only difference is that the roles of the communication device 200 as an AP and the information communication terminal 300 as an STA are interchanged, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] When authentication is complete, the control unit 209 generates TID-To-Link Mapping (S929), as in the first embodiment. Note that in the first embodiment, the control unit 209 operating as an AP generated TID-To-Link Mapping when it received an Association Request. In this embodiment, the control unit 209 operating as an STA generates TID-To-Link Mapping before transmitting an Association Request. The target links for multi-link communication are identified from the Basic ML Element and RNR Element included in the Beacon. The control unit 209 creates a TID-To-Link Mapping Element based on the TID-To-Link Mapping, and instructs the STA 911 to include it in an Association Request and transmit it to the AP 901. The STA 911 transmits an Association Request including the TID-To-Link Mapping Element to the AP 901 (S928).

[0082] When the AP 901 receives the Association Request, it notifies the control unit 309 of the TID-To-Link Mapping Element included in this Association Request. When the control unit 309 acquires the TID-To-Link Mapping Element, it reflects the TID-To-Link Mapping set by the control unit 209 in the TID-To-Link Mapping in the storage unit 308 (S931).

[0083] The control unit 309 instructs the AP 901 to transmit an Association Response to the STA 911. The AP 901 transmits the Association Response to the STA 911 (S930). Upon receiving the Association Response, the STA 911 notifies the control unit 209. The control unit 209 confirms that the reflection of the TID-To-Link Mapping in the control unit 309 has been completed based on a success code or the like included in the Association Response. As a result, multi-link communication between the control units 209 and 309 is established, and the allocation of TIDs and links between the control units 209 and 309 is completed.

[0084] According to this embodiment, even when the communication device 200 operates as a STA MLD and the information communication terminal 300 operates as an AP MLD, similar to the first embodiment, the higher the priority of the data type, the more links using frequency bands that enable high-speed communication are assigned. This allows links with appropriate characteristics to be assigned according to the data type, enabling more efficient use of multilinks. Furthermore, by having the STA side perform link assignment, it becomes possible to perform link assignment taking into account interference that cannot be detected on the AP side.

[0085] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more of the functions.

[0086] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention.

[0087] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-128669, filed on August 7, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A communications device having: a communications means for communicating with other communications devices using a plurality of links; an identification means for identifying characteristics of each of the plurality of links; and an allocation means for allocating one or more of the plurality of links to each of one or more types of data communicated with the other communications devices based on the characteristics.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said allocation means allocates one or more of said plurality of links to an identifier associated with said data type.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the identifier is a Traffic Identifier (TID) defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, further comprising an assignment means for associating 4 or 5 as the TID when the type of data is still image data or video data, and for associating any one of 0 to 3 as the TID when the type of data is data relating to the control of the other communication device.

5. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the identifier is an Access Category (AC) defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, further comprising an assigning means for associating "Video" as the AC when the type of the data is still image data or video data, and for associating "Best Effort" or "Background" as the AC when the type of the data is data related to control of the other communication device.

7. A communication device as described in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein a first priority regarding transmission priority is assigned to the identifier, a second priority regarding communication speed is assigned to each link included in the plurality of links based on the characteristics, and the allocation means allocates links to which the second priority indicating a higher communication speed is assigned to the identifier to which the first priority indicating a higher transmission priority is assigned.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the characteristic is a frequency band used in each of the plurality of links, and a higher priority is assigned as the second priority to a link that uses a higher frequency band.

9. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the characteristic is the reception strength of a signal from the other communication device in each of the plurality of links, and a higher priority is assigned as the second priority to a link having a stronger reception strength of the signal from the other communication device.

10. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the characteristic is a frequency bandwidth available for each of the plurality of links, and a higher priority is assigned as the second priority to a link having a wider available frequency bandwidth.

11. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the characteristic is an interference power in each of the plurality of links, and a higher priority is assigned as the second priority to a link having a smaller interference power.

12. A communication device according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the allocation means allocates to the identifier, among the plurality of links, a link in which the reception strength of a signal from the other communication device is greater than a predetermined threshold or a link in which the interference power is less than a predetermined threshold, based on the second priority.

13. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the plurality of links includes two or more links using the same frequency band.

14. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein each link included in the plurality of links uses one of the following frequency bands: 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 6 GHz band, or millimeter wave band.

15. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein said allocation means allocates one or more of the multiple links to the type of data when establishing the multiple links with said other communication device.

16. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the communication device operates as an access point defined in the IEEE 802.11 series of standards.

17. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein said allocation means allocates one or more of the plurality of links to the type of data when a connection request for establishing the plurality of links is received from said other communication device.

18. A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the communication device operates as a station as defined in the IEEE 802.11 series of standards.

19. The communication device according to claim 18, wherein said allocation means performs link allocation before transmitting a connection request for establishing a plurality of links from said other communication device.

20. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein said allocation means notifies said other communication device of allocation information indicating the allocation of said multiple links using a Beacon frame, a Probe Request frame, a Probe Response frame, an Association Request frame, an Association Response frame, a Re-Association Request frame, or a Re-Association Response frame defined in the IEEE 802.11 series standard, or a new frame for notifying said allocation information.

21. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the allocation means executes a process for establishing a multi-link as defined in the IEEE 802.11be standard.

22. A control method executed by a communication device capable of communicating with other communication devices using multiple links, comprising: an identification process for identifying characteristics of each of the multiple links; and an allocation process for allocating one or more of the multiple links to each of one or more types of data communicated with the other communication devices based on the characteristics.

23. A program for causing a computer to function as a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

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