Communication method and apparatus, storage medium, and chip system

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, a storage medium, and a chip system, relating to the technical field of communications, and for use in adding indication information in TWT information, so that a non-AP STA identifies a TWT established between an AP in an OBSS and the on-AP STA associated with the AP. The present application is applied to wireless local area network systems supporting next-generation Wi-Fi protocols of IEEE 802.11ax (e.g., 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7 or EHT), or next-generation Wi-Fi protocols of IEEE 802.11be (e.g., Wi-Fi 8, UHR, and 11bn), or Wi-Fi AI, or millimeter waves (mmWave), or ultra-wideband (UWB), or sensing. In the present application, a first AP can send first TWT information. The first TWT information can indicate a TWT established between an AP in an OBSS and a non-AP STA associated with the AP. The first TWT information can carry first indication information, so that the first non-AP STA identifies that the TWT is established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP, so as to assist the non-AP STA in performing communication on the basis of a TWT mechanism.

Description

Communication method, device, storage medium and chip system

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on August 21, 2023, with application number 202311057882.0 and application name “A communication method, device, storage medium and chip system”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, device, storage medium, and chip system. Background Art

[0004] Many wireless devices (especially terminal devices) are battery-powered, so energy-saving features are particularly important. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ah introduced target wakeup time (TWT) technology in the Internet of Things (IoT). TWT requesting stations can remain dormant outside of the TWT service period (SP) to reduce energy consumption.

[0005] A communication system can include multiple basic service sets (BSSs). A BSS is a fundamental component of an 802.11 local area network (LAN). A BSS consists of stations (STAs) that form a certain connection within a certain coverage area.

[0006] For example, in the infrastructure basic service set (BSS), there is a STA with special functions that serves as the access point for all stations within the BSS to access the distributed system (DS). This special station is the access point (AP) of this BSS and is responsible for managing this BSS. When a non-AP STA needs to access the DS, the non-AP STA needs to associate with the AP and access the DS through the associated AP. Each BSS managed by an AP entity may include at least one non-AP STA, and the multiple non-AP STAs are associated with the AP entity corresponding to the BSS. A TWT or r-TWT can be established between each AP and the non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present application provides a communication method, device, storage medium and chip system for adding indication information in TWT information so that the non-AP STA can identify the TWT established between the AP in the overlapping basic service set (overlapping BSS, OBSS) of the AP and the non-AP STA associated with the AP, thereby assisting the non-AP STA to communicate based on the TWT mechanism.

[0009] The present application provides a possible implementation method, in which the first AP sends TWT information, and the TWT indicated by the TWT information is the TWT established between the AP of the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP. The TWT information can carry first indication information so that the first non-AP STA can identify the TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0010] In another possible implementation, the first non-AP STA and the first AP may communicate using the switched primary channel during the SP period of a TWT established between an AP in the OBSS and a non-AP STA associated with the AP. Because the switched primary channel may be different from the primary channel in the OBSS, the probability that the switched primary channel is busy during the SP period of a TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and a non-AP STA associated with the AP is low. Consequently, the first non-AP STA communicating using the switched primary channel can improve communication efficiency.

[0011] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method that can be applied to a first non-AP STA. The first non-AP STA can be, for example, a non-AP STA device or a unit, module, or chip (system) within the non-AP STA device.

[0012] In this method, a first non-AP STA receives first TWT information from a first AP. The first non-AP STA is associated with the first AP, and the first TWT information includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is a TWT established between an AP in an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) of the first AP and a non-AP STA associated with the AP. Based on the first indication information, the first non-AP STA determines that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is a TWT established between an AP in the OBSS and a non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0013] Since the first TWT information includes the first indication information, the first non-AP STA can distinguish the AP in the OBSS and establish a TWT between the non-AP STA associated with the AP. This solution can assist the non-AP STA to communicate based on the TWT mechanism.

[0014] In a possible implementation manner, the first TWT information is carried in the first TWT element. The first indication information is carried in a reserved field B7 in a control field in the first TWT element.

[0015] In this embodiment, since the first indication information can occupy the reserved field in the first TWT element, this embodiment makes fewer changes to the existing TWT element, thereby being more compatible with existing technologies. Moreover, the scheme does not increase the number of bits of the TWT element due to the first indication information, thereby saving resource overhead.

[0016] In one possible embodiment, the first non-AP STA receives a second TWT information from the first AP, the second TWT information includes a second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the TWT indicated by the second TWT information is a TWT established between the first AP and the non-AP STA associated with the first AP.

[0017] Since the second TWT information includes the second indication information, the first non-AP STA can identify whether the TWT indicated by the received TWT information is the TWT established between the AP in the BSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP, and then enable the first non-AP STA to communicate with the first AP based on the TWT established between the identified AP in the BSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the second TWT information is carried in the second TWT element, and the second indication information is carried in the reserved field B7 in the control field in the second TWT element.

[0019] In this embodiment, since the second indication information can occupy the reserved field in the first TWT element, this embodiment makes fewer changes to the existing TWT element, thereby being more compatible with existing technologies. Moreover, the scheme does not increase the number of bits of the TWT element due to the second indication information, thereby saving resource overhead.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the first TWT information may include third indication information or fourth indication information.

[0021] The third indication information is used to instruct the first non-AP STA to communicate with the first AP using the switched main channel. The third indication information can also be used to instruct the first AP to communicate with the first non-AP STA using the switched main channel. In this way, when the first non-AP STA determines that the third indication information exists in the first TWT information, regardless of whether the first channel originally serving as the main channel is idle or busy, the first non-AP STA will switch the main channel, such as switching the main channel from the first channel to the second channel, and communicating with the first AP using the second channel as the main channel. The third indication information can enable the first non-AP STA to determine the conditions for switching the main channel, so that the first AP and the first non-AP STA can make the same choice based on the same conditions, thereby achieving the effect of both switching the main channel.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the first TWT information is carried in the first TWT element, and the third indication information is carried in the TWT parameter information field in the first TWT element.

[0023] The third indication information can be carried in a newly added field in the TWT parameter information field. Since the third indication information can also be regarded as TWT parameter information, it is more reasonable to carry the third indication information in the TWT parameter information field, and it can be more compatible with existing technologies.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that, when the first channel is busy, the first non-AP STA communicates with the first AP using the switched primary channel. The fourth indication information is used to indicate that, when the first channel is busy, the first AP communicates with the first non-AP STA using the switched primary channel.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the fourth indication information is further used to indicate that, when the first channel is idle, the first non-AP STA communicates with the first AP using the first channel as the primary channel. The fourth indication information is further used to indicate that, when the first channel is idle, the first AP communicates with the first non-AP STA using the first channel as the primary channel.

[0026] In this way, when the first non-AP STA determines that the fourth indication information exists in the first TWT information, the first non-AP STA will first detect the first channel, which was originally the main channel. If the first channel is idle, the first non-AP STA does not need to switch to the main channel. If the first channel is busy, the first non-AP STA switches the main channel, for example, switching the main channel from the first channel to the second channel, and communicating with the first AP using the second channel as the main channel. The fourth indication information enables the first non-AP STA to determine the conditions for switching the main channel, so that the first AP and the first non-AP STA can make the same choice based on the same conditions, thereby achieving the effect of both switching or neither switching the main channel.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the first indication information is also used to indicate that the third indication information or the fourth indication information exists in the first TWT information. It can also be understood that when the first indication information exists in the first TWT information, it can also be considered that the third indication information or the fourth indication information exists in the first TWT information.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the first TWT information is carried in the first TWT element. The fourth indication information is carried in the TWT parameter information field in the first TWT element. The fourth indication information can be carried in a newly added field in the TWT parameter information field. Since the fourth indication information can also be regarded as TWT parameter information, it is more reasonable to carry the fourth indication information in the TWT parameter information field, and it can be more compatible with existing technologies.

[0029] In one possible implementation, or another possible implementation, the first non-AP STA switches the main channel from the first channel to the second channel according to the first TWT information, and communicates with the first AP using the second channel as the main channel.

[0030] In one example, the first non-AP STA communicates with the first AP in the second TWT, and the main channel is the first channel. During the non-second TWT time, the first non-AP STA needs to communicate with the first AP using a conventional scheme, that is, the first non-AP STA monitors the main channel (first channel). When the first channel is busy, a backoff is performed, and when the first channel is idle, the first channel is used as the main channel to communicate with the first AP. However, the first channel may also be the main channel of the second AP in the OBSS. The second AP establishes a first TWT with its associated non-AP STA. There is a high possibility that the first channel is busy during the SP of the first TWT, which results in low communication efficiency of the first non-AP STA during the first TWT time.

[0031] In a possible implementation, the first non-AP STA switches the main channel from the first channel to the second channel within the SP time of the first TWT, thereby reducing the probability of the main channel being busy. Then, the first non-AP STA transmits using the second channel as the main channel within the SP of the first TWT, and communication efficiency can be improved.

[0032] In one possible embodiment, the start time of switching the main channel from the first channel to the second channel is at the SP start time of the first TWT, or is before the SP start time of the first TWT. In one possible embodiment, the completion time of switching the main channel from the first channel to the second channel is at the SP start time of the first TWT, or is before the SP start time of the first TWT.

[0033] By limiting the start time and / or completion time of switching the main channel to the second channel, the first AP and the first non-AP STA can complete the switching of the main channel as much as possible before or within a short period of time after the SP start time of the first TWT, so that the first AP and the first non-AP STA can communicate based on the switched main channel for a longer period of time during the SP period of the first TWT, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the first non-AP STA switches the primary channel from the second channel to the first channel, and communicates with the first AP using the first channel as the primary channel. The start time of switching the primary channel from the second channel to the first channel is at or after the SP end time of the first TWT. In one possible implementation, the completion time of switching the primary channel from the second channel to the first channel is at or after the SP end time of the first TWT.

[0035] By limiting the start time and / or completion time of switching the main channel back to the first channel, the first AP and the first non-AP STA can return to the original main channel as soon as possible before or within a short period of time after the SP end time of the first TWT, so that the first AP and the first non-AP STA can communicate using the originally configured main channel.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the first non-AP STA obtains indication information of the second channel. In this manner, the first non-AP STA can determine the primary channel after switching based on the obtained indication information of the second channel. The first non-AP STA can obtain the indication information of the second channel by pre-configuration or by receiving an instruction from another device.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the second channel indication information includes a first value and a second value. The first value corresponds to the position of the first channel. The relationship between the first value and the second value indicates the relative position of the first channel and the second channel. Workstations with different bandwidths may number primary channels differently. This embodiment of the present application does not rely on absolute channel numbers, but instead uses relative positions to indicate the used channels, thus avoiding ambiguity and simplifying implementation.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the second channel indication information is carried in the Anchor Channel Information field of an action frame or a management frame. The first value is carried in the Primary Channel field of the Anchor Channel Information field. The second value is carried in the Anchor Channel field of the Anchor Channel Information field. This configuration is more reasonable and more compatible with existing technologies.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the frame carrying the indication information of the second channel further includes information indicating the presence of the indication information of the second channel in the frame. In this way, the first non-AP STA can determine whether the frame contains the indication information of the second channel based on this information. If the frame does not contain the indication information of the second channel, the first non-AP STA does not parse the indication information field in the frame carrying the indication information of the second channel, thereby reducing the workload of the first non-AP STA and lowering its power consumption.

[0040] In one possible embodiment, the first non-AP STA sends information to the first AP to indicate a request to enter the first mode. Or, the first non-AP STA receives information from the first AP to indicate a request to enter the first mode. The first mode indicates that the non-AP STA and / or AP entering the first mode is allowed to switch the main channel according to the first TWT information. It can also be understood that the first mode includes some rules, and the non-AP STA and / or AP entering the first mode needs to abide by the rules of the first mode. The rules of the first mode may include: allowing the non-AP STA and / or AP to switch the main channel when it is necessary to switch the main channel. For the relevant content of the main channel switching, please refer to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0041] Since the first non-AP STA and the first AP can transmit information indicating a request to enter the first mode, the first non-AP STA and the first AP can negotiate whether to enter the first mode. After both parties agree to enter the first mode, they can be allowed to switch the primary channel when necessary. If both parties do not enter the first mode, they are not subject to the rules of the first mode. For example, they may not be allowed to switch the primary channel, such as not being allowed to switch the primary channel during the SP phase of the first TWT information.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the first non-AP STA sends information to the first AP indicating successful entry into the first mode. Alternatively, the first non-AP STA receives information from the first AP indicating successful entry into the first mode. Because the first non-AP STA and the first AP can transmit information indicating successful entry into the first mode, the first non-AP STA or the first AP can confirm whether the other party has successfully entered the first mode through this signaling.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the first non-AP STA sends information to the first AP indicating the termination of the first mode. Alternatively, the first non-AP STA receives information from the first AP indicating the termination of the first mode. Since the first non-AP STA and the first AP can transmit information indicating the termination of the first mode, the first non-AP STA or the first AP can exit the first mode through this signaling.

[0044] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applicable to a first AP. The first AP can be, for example, an AP device or a unit, module, or chip (system) inside the AP device.

[0045] In this method, a first AP sends a first TWT message. A first non-AP STA is associated with the first AP. The first TWT message includes first indication information, where the first indication information is used to indicate that the TWT indicated by the first TWT message is a TWT established between an AP in an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) of the first AP and a non-AP STA associated with the AP. The first AP sends the first TWT message.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the first AP sends second TWT information.

[0047] In one possible implementation, the first AP switches the primary channel from the first channel to the second channel based on the first TWT information, and communicates with the first non-AP STA using the second channel as the primary channel. The start time of switching the primary channel from the first channel to the second channel is at or before the SP start time of the first TWT. In one possible implementation, the completion time of switching the primary channel from the first channel to the second channel is at or before the SP start time of the first TWT.

[0048] In one possible implementation, the first AP switches the main channel from the first channel to the second channel based on the first TWT information, and after communicating with the first non-AP STA using the second channel as the main channel, the first AP switches the main channel from the second channel to the first channel, and communicates with the first non-AP STA using the first channel as the main channel. The start time of switching the main channel from the second channel to the first channel is at or after the SP end time of the first TWT. In one possible implementation, the completion time of switching the main channel from the second channel to the first channel is at or after the SP end time of the first TWT.

[0049] In a possible implementation, the first AP sends indication information of the second channel.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the first AP sends information indicating a request to enter the first mode. Alternatively, the first AP receives information indicating a request to enter the first mode. The first mode indicates that a non-AP STA and / or AP entering the first mode is allowed to switch a primary channel according to the first TWT information.

[0051] In a possible implementation, the first AP sends information indicating that the first mode has been successfully entered, or receives information indicating that the first mode has been successfully entered.

[0052] In a possible implementation, the first AP sends information indicating the termination of the first mode, or receives information indicating the termination of the first mode.

[0053] The relevant content and beneficial effects of the first indication information, the second indication information, the third indication information, the fourth indication information, the second channel indication information, and the information used to indicate the presence of the second channel indication information in the frame, as well as the relevant description and beneficial effects of the above content can be found in the description of the first aspect above and will not be repeated here.

[0054] In a third aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method that can be applied to a first non-AP STA. The first non-AP STA can be, for example, a non-AP STA device or a unit, module, or chip (system) within the non-AP STA device.

[0055] In the method, a first non-AP STA receives indication information of a second channel, switches a primary channel from the first channel to the second channel, and communicates with the first AP using the second channel as the primary channel.

[0056] In this way, the first non-AP STA can determine the primary channel after switching based on the acquired indication information of the second channel. The first non-AP STA can acquire the indication information of the second channel by pre-configuration or receiving an indication from another device.

[0057] In a possible implementation, the indication information of the second channel includes: a first value and a second value, wherein the first value corresponds to the position of the first channel, and the relationship between the first value and the second value is used to indicate the relative position relationship between the first channel and the second channel.

[0058] The relevant content and beneficial effects of the second channel indication information, and the information used to indicate the presence of the second channel indication information in the frame, as well as the relevant description and beneficial effects of the above content can be found in the description of the first aspect above and will not be repeated here.

[0059] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a first AP. The first AP can be, for example, an AP device or a unit, module, or chip (system) inside the AP device.

[0060] In the method, the first AP sends indication information of the second channel, switches the primary channel from the first channel to the second channel, and communicates with the first non-AP STA using the second channel as the primary channel.

[0061] The indication information of the second channel includes: a first value and a second value. The first value corresponds to the position of the first channel. The relationship between the first value and the second value is used to indicate the relative position relationship between the first channel and the second channel.

[0062] The relevant content and beneficial effects of the second channel indication information, and the information used to indicate the presence of the second channel indication information in the frame, as well as the relevant description and beneficial effects of the above content can be found in the description of the first aspect above and will not be repeated here.

[0063] In a fifth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method that can be applied to a first non-AP STA. The first non-AP STA can be, for example, a non-AP STA device or a unit, module, or chip (system) within the non-AP STA device.

[0064] In this method, a first non-AP STA sends information to a first AP indicating a request to enter a first mode. Alternatively, the first non-AP STA receives information from the first AP indicating a request to enter a first mode. The first mode indicates that the non-AP STA and / or the AP entering the first mode is allowed to switch a primary channel according to first TWT information.

[0065] Since information indicating a request to enter the first mode can be transmitted between the first non-AP STA and the first AP, the first non-AP STA and the first AP can negotiate whether to enter the first mode. After both parties agree to enter the first mode, both parties can be allowed to switch the main channel when necessary.

[0066] In a possible implementation, the first non-AP STA sends information indicating successful entry into the first mode to the first AP. Alternatively, the first non-AP STA receives information indicating successful entry into the first mode from the first AP.

[0067] In a possible implementation, the first non-AP STA sends information to the first AP for instructing to terminate the first mode. Alternatively, the first non-AP STA receives information from the first AP for instructing to terminate the first mode.

[0068] For related contents and beneficial effects, please refer to the description of the first aspect above and will not be repeated here.

[0069] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applicable to a first AP. The first AP can be, for example, an AP device or a unit, module, or chip (system) inside the AP device.

[0070] In the method, the first AP sends information indicating a request to enter a first mode. Alternatively, the first AP receives information indicating a request to enter a first mode. The first mode indicates that a non-AP STA and / or AP entering the first mode is allowed to switch a primary channel according to first TWT information.

[0071] In a possible implementation, the first AP sends information indicating that the first mode has been successfully entered, or receives information indicating that the first mode has been successfully entered.

[0072] In a possible implementation, the first AP sends information indicating the termination of the first mode, or receives information indicating the termination of the first mode.

[0073] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be the aforementioned first non-AP STA or first AP. The communication device may include a communication unit and a processing unit to perform any of the aforementioned aspects from the first to the sixth, or any possible implementation of the aspects from the first to the sixth. The communication unit is configured to perform functions related to sending and receiving. Optionally, the communication unit includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. In one design, the communication device is a communication chip, the processing unit may be one or more processors or processor cores, and the communication unit may be an input / output circuit or port of the communication chip.

[0074] In another design, the communication unit may be a transmitter and a receiver, or the communication unit may be a transmitter and a receiver.

[0075] Optionally, the communication device further includes modules that can be used to execute any one of the first to sixth aspects above, or execute any possible implementation of the first to sixth aspects.

[0076] In an eighth aspect, a communication device is provided, which may be the aforementioned first non-AP STA or first AP. The communication device may include a processor and a memory to perform any of the aforementioned aspects from the first to the sixth aspect, or any possible implementation of the aforementioned aspects from the first to the sixth aspect. Optionally, the device further includes a transceiver, the memory being configured to store a computer program or instruction, and the processor being configured to retrieve and execute the computer program or instruction from the memory. When the processor executes the computer program or instruction in the memory, the communication device performs any of the aforementioned aspects from the first to the sixth aspect, or any possible implementation of the aforementioned aspects from the first to the sixth aspect.

[0077] Optionally, there are one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0078] Optionally, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be provided separately from the processor.

[0079] Optionally, the transceiver may include a transmitter (transmitter) and a receiver (receiver).

[0080] In a ninth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device may be the aforementioned first non-AP STA or the first AP. The communication device may include a processor to perform any of the aforementioned aspects 1 to 6, or any possible implementation of the aforementioned aspects 1 to 6. The processor is coupled to a memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes a memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0081] In one implementation, when the communication device is a first non-AP STA or a first AP, the communication interface may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Alternatively, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit. Alternatively, the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0082] In another implementation, when the communication device is a chip or a chip system, the communication interface may be an input / output interface, an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin, or related circuits on the chip or chip system. The processor may also be embodied as a processing circuit or a logic circuit.

[0083] In a tenth aspect, a system is provided, comprising the first non-AP STA.

[0084] In a possible implementation, the system may further include a first AP.

[0085] In the eleventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes: a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions), which, when run, enables the computer to execute any one of the above-mentioned aspects 1 to 6, or any possible implementation of the aspects 1 to 6.

[0086] In the twelfth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program (also referred to as code, or instructions). When the computer program is run on a computer, the computer executes any one of the above-mentioned aspects 1 to 6, or executes any possible implementation of the aspects 1 to 6.

[0087] In the thirteenth aspect, a chip system is provided, which may include a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and may be used to perform any of the above-mentioned aspects from the first to the sixth aspect, or to perform any possible implementation of the first to the sixth aspect. Optionally, the chip system also includes a memory. The memory is used to store a computer program (also referred to as code, or instruction). The processor is used to call and run the computer program from the memory so that the device equipped with the chip system performs any of the above-mentioned aspects from the first to the sixth aspect, or to perform any possible implementation of the first to the sixth aspect.

[0088] In a fourteenth aspect, a processing device is provided, comprising: an interface circuit and a processing circuit. The interface circuit may include an input circuit and an output circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive signals via the input circuit and transmit signals via the output circuit, thereby implementing any of the first to sixth aspects, or any possible implementation of the first to sixth aspects.

[0089] In a specific implementation, the processing device may be a chip, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the processing circuit may be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, or various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit may be, for example, but not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. The input circuit and the output circuit may be the same circuit, which functions as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0090] In one implementation, when the communication device is a first non-AP STA or a first AP, the interface circuit may be a radio frequency processing chip in the first non-AP STA or the first AP, and the processing circuit may be a baseband processing chip in the first non-AP STA or the first AP.

[0091] In another implementation, the communication device may be a component of the first non-AP STA or the first AP, such as an integrated circuit product such as a system-on-chip (SoC) or a communication chip. The interface circuit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip or chip system. The processing circuit may be a logic circuit on the chip. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0092] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided by the present application;

[0093] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a specific structure of an AP or non-AP STA provided in this application;

[0094] FIG3 is a possible schematic diagram of a communication method provided by the present application;

[0095] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a possible structure of a frame format provided by the present application;

[0096] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a possible structure of a frame format provided by the present application;

[0097] FIG6 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0098] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a possible structure of a frame format provided by the present application;

[0099] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a possible structure of a frame format provided by the present application;

[0100] FIG9 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0101] FIG10 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0102] FIG11 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0103] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a possible structure of a frame format provided by the present application;

[0104] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a possible structure of a frame format provided by the present application;

[0105] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0106] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0107] The communication method provided in the present application can be applied to various communication systems. For example, the communication method provided in the present application can be applicable to wireless local area network (WLAN) scenarios. For example, it can be applicable to IEEE 802.11 system standards, such as 802.11a / b / g standards, 802.11n standards, 802.11ac standards, 802.11ax standards, or their next generations, such as 802.11be standards, wireless fidelity (wireless fidelity, Wi-Fi) 7 or extremely high throughput (extremely high throughput, EHT), such as 802.11be next-generation Wi-Fi protocols (such as Wi-Fi 8, ultra-high reliability (UHR), 11bn), or Wi-Fi artificial intelligence (AI), or millimeter wave (mmWave). The present application can also be applied to wireless personal area network systems based on ultra-bandwidth (UWB), sensing systems. The embodiments of the present application may also be applicable to wireless local area network systems such as the Internet of Things (IoT) network or the Vehicle to X (V2X) network. Of course, the embodiments of the present application may also be applicable to other possible communication systems, such as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), the fifth generation (5G) communication system, and the future sixth generation (6G) communication system.

[0108] Although the embodiments of the present application are mainly described using a WLAN network, in particular a network using the IEEE 802.11 system standard, as an example, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the various aspects of the present application can be extended to other networks using various standards or protocols, such as Bluetooth, high-performance radio local area network (HIPERLAN) (a wireless standard similar to the IEEE 802.11 standard, primarily used in Europe), and wide area network (WAN), personal area network (PAN), or other networks now known or developed in the future. Therefore, regardless of the coverage area and wireless access protocol used, the various aspects provided in the present application can be applied to any suitable wireless network.

[0109] The above-mentioned communication system applicable to the present application is only an example, and the communication system applicable to the present application is not limited to this. It is described uniformly here and will not be repeated below.

[0110] For example, Figure 1 illustrates the architecture of a possible communication system to which the communication method provided herein is applicable. The communication system architecture may include at least one BSS, such as BSS#1 and BSS#2 in Figure 1 . BSSs that overlap with the coverage of this BSS may be referred to as OBSSs. For example, the OBSS of BSS#1 may include BSS#2, and the OBSS of BSS#2 may include BSS#1. A BSS may include one or more OBSSs, with two BSSs used as an example in Figure 1 .

[0111] A BSS can include at least one AP and at least one non-AP STA. For example, in Figure 1, BSS#1 includes AP#1, non-AP STA#11, and non-AP STA#12, and BSS#2 includes AP#2, non-AP STA#21, and non-AP STA#22.

[0112] An AP is an access point that allows terminal devices (such as mobile phones) to access a wired (or wireless) network. It is primarily deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. It can also be deployed outdoors. An AP acts as a bridge between wired and wireless networks, connecting wireless network clients and then connecting the wireless network to the DS. Specifically, an AP can be a terminal device (such as a mobile phone) or a network device (such as a router) equipped with a Wi-Fi chip. An AP can support 802.11be. It can also support various wireless local area network (WLAN) standards within the 802.11 family, including 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 8, or their successors. The access point in this application may be a high efficiency (HE) AP or an extremely high throughput (EHT) AP, and may also be an access point applicable to a future generation of Wi-Fi standards.

[0113] A non-AP STA can be a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, or a wireless communication terminal, etc., and can also be called a user or a non-AP STA. For example, a non-AP STA can be a mobile phone that supports Wi-Fi communication, a tablet that supports Wi-Fi communication, a set-top box that supports Wi-Fi communication, a smart TV that supports Wi-Fi communication, a smart wearable device that supports Wi-Fi communication, an in-vehicle communication device that supports Wi-Fi communication, and a computer that supports Wi-Fi communication, etc. Optionally, a non-AP STA can support the 802.11be standard. A non-AP STA can also support various wireless local area network (WLAN) standards of the 802.11 family, such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 8, or its next generation.

[0114] The Non-AP STA in this application may be a high efficiency (HE) non-AP STA or an extremely high throughput (EHT) non-AP STA, or may be a non-AP STA applicable to a future generation of Wi-Fi standards.

[0115] For example, APs and non-AP STAs can be sensor nodes in smart cities (such as smart water meters, smart electricity meters, and smart air detection nodes), smart devices in smart homes (such as smart cameras, projectors, displays, TVs, speakers, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), nodes in the Internet of Things (IoT), entertainment terminals (such as wearable devices such as AR and VR), smart devices in smart offices (such as printers and projectors), Internet of Vehicles devices in the Internet of Vehicles, and some infrastructure in daily life scenarios (such as vending machines, self-service navigation kiosks in supermarkets, self-service checkout devices, and self-service ordering machines).

[0116] For example, the specific structure of an AP or non-AP STA may be as shown in the structural diagram of FIG2 , and may include a processor. Optionally, the specific structure of an AP or non-AP STA may also include one or more of the following: a memory, a transmitter, a receiver, a signal detector, or a digital signal processor, and may optionally include a user interface. The transmitter and receiver may also be combined into a transceiver, which is not limited in this application.

[0117] The names of the devices shown in FIG1 are merely examples, and there may be other names in future communication systems. The number of devices in FIG1 is merely an example, and more or fewer devices may be included, and this application does not limit this.

[0118] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to a variety of scenarios, such as data communication between an AP and one or more non-AP STAs, and can also be used in scenarios involving sub-channel selection similar to TWT mechanisms and main channel status in other technologies. This application does not limit this.

[0119] The following first introduces some nouns or terms involved in the embodiments of the present application.

[0120] (1) TWT.

[0121] When "TWT" is mentioned, it generally refers to TWT technology or the TWT operation established after successful negotiation. TWT technology is a technology introduced by WiFi 6 for site energy saving. Specifically, the TWT requester (TWT requester) will initiate a request to "establish TWT" to the TWT responder (TWT responder), and the TWT responder will determine all parameters involved in the TWT operation, such as "whether the TWT operation is successfully established", the start time of the first TWT SP, the cycle of the TWT SP (if necessary) and other information. After both parties successfully establish TWT, the TWT requester can enter the doze state of the Power Save mode until the first TWT SP starts. Within the TWT SP, the TWT requester and the TWT responder exchange data. It can be seen that the TWT requester and the TWT responder negotiate a time and transmit data within the negotiated time range. In this way, the TWT requester can enter the doze state outside the negotiation range to achieve energy saving.

[0122] There are two types of TWT establishment: individual TWT negotiation and broadcast TWT agreement. WiFi 7 introduces a new technology based on the broadcast TWT agreement, Restricted TWT (R-TWT). From the establishment form to the usage process, R-TWT is a special case of TWT. However, unlike the purpose of using TWT, the purpose of establishing R-TWT is to give priority to low-latency service services. Because R-TWT stipulates that within the R-TWT SP, sites with low-latency services must be sent first, and low-latency service data must be sent first.

[0123] In the embodiment of the present application, R-TWT technology is also a type of TWT technology. The TWT involved in the embodiment of the present application may include the current TWT, R-TWT technology, or future technology developed based on TWT technology.

[0124] (2)BSS and OBSS.

[0125] BSS is a basic component of the local area network (LAN) 802.11.

[0126] A special station (STA) within a BSS serves as the access point for all stations within the BSS to access the distributed system (DS). This special station is the BSS's access point (AP) and is responsible for managing the BSS. When a non-AP STA needs to access the DS, it associates with the AP and accesses the DS through the associated AP. Each BSS managed by an AP entity can include at least one non-AP STA, and these multiple non-AP STAs are associated with the AP entity corresponding to the BSS.

[0127] As AP deployment density increases, obsolete backup systems (OBSSs) may exist near BSSs. OBSSs are BSSs whose coverage overlaps with that of BSSs. Communications within the BSS and the OBSS may affect each other.

[0128] (3) Main channel.

[0129] The primary channel is the channel used by the transmitter and receiver (e.g., an AP and a non-AP STA) for synchronization. For example, in one possible implementation, both the AP and the non-AP STA know a 20 MHz channel as the primary channel. The AP and non-AP STA synchronize on this channel (this synchronization is also called physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) synchronization). After synchronization is complete, the AP and non-AP STA begin receiving and decoding the PPDU, allowing the receiver to extract the information transmitted by the transmitter.

[0130] In the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, the primary channel can be agreed upon between the AP and the non-AP STA, and the primary channel can also be switched between the non-AP STA and the AP.

[0131] Based on the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the other contents described above, Figure 3 exemplarily illustrates a possible flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The first non-AP STA involved in Figure 3 can be the non-AP STA shown in Figures 1 and 2 above or a module (such as a chip) used in a non-AP STA, and the first AP and the second AP involved in Figure 3 can be the access points shown in Figures 1 or 2 above or modules (such as chips) in the access points. The first AP and the second AP can be APs in two BSSs, such as AP#1 in BSS#1 and AP#2 in BSS#2. The BSS where the second AP is located can be called the OBSS of the first AP, and the BSS where the first AP is located can also be called the OBSS of the second AP. In the embodiment of the present application, the first AP can have one or more OBSSs, and the embodiment of the present application takes one OBSS of the first AP as an example for description.

[0132] As shown in FIG3 , the method includes:

[0133] Step 301: The first AP sends the first TWT information.

[0134] Correspondingly, the first non-AP STA receives the first TWT information from the first AP.

[0135] The first non-AP STA is associated with the first AP, which can also be understood as the first non-AP STA being a non-AP STA associated with the first AP.

[0136] In an embodiment of the present application, the first AP may send one or more TWT messages. The TWT messages sent by the first AP may be broadcast. The first non-AP STA may receive the first TWT messages broadcast by the first AP. The TWT messages sent by the first AP may also be multicast or unicast.

[0137] The TWT information sent by the first AP can indicate TWT, for example, the TWT information can indicate relevant information of the SP of the TWT, for example, the TWT information can indicate information such as the start time and end time of the SP. In one possible implementation, the TWT information sent by the first AP is TWT information. The TWT information sent by the first AP includes the first TWT information involved in the embodiment of the present application, and the first TWT information is used to indicate the TWT established between the second AP and the non-AP STA associated with the second AP. The second AP is the AP of the OBSS of the first AP. It can also be understood that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is the TWT established between the AP in the OBSS of the first AP and the non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0138] In another possible implementation, the TWT information sent by the first AP may also include second TWT information. For example, the first AP sends the second TWT information. Correspondingly, the first non-AP STA receives the second TWT information from the first AP. The TWT indicated by the second TWT information is the TWT established between the first AP and the non-AP STA associated with the first AP. It can also be understood that the TWT indicated by the second TWT information is the TWT established between the AP in the BSS of the first non-AP STA and the non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0139] The first TWT information and the second TWT information can be carried in the same frame, or carried in two frames respectively.

[0140] Step 302: The first non-AP STA processes the first TWT information.

[0141] Step 302 can be understood as: the first non-AP STA processes (such as parses) the message used to carry the first TWT information, thereby obtaining the first TWT information.

[0142] When the first non-AP STA also receives the second TWT information, it may also process the second TWT information, such as parsing the message carrying the second TWT information, to obtain the second TWT information. In another possible implementation, the first non-AP STA and the first AP may communicate based on the TWT mechanism during the SP phase of the second TWT information, such as using the first channel as the primary channel during the SP phase of the second TWT information.

[0143] Since the first TWT information includes the first indication information, the first non-AP STA can identify the TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP, thereby assisting the non-AP STA to communicate based on the TWT mechanism.

[0144] In the embodiment of the present application, the TWT information (such as the first TWT information and / or the second TWT information) sent by the first AP may include a message for indicating whether the TWT indicated by the TWT information is a TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP. When the TWT indicated by a TWT information sent by the first AP is a TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP, the TWT indicated by the TWT information is not a TWT established between the AP in the BSS where the first AP is located and the non-AP STA associated with the AP. When the TWT indicated by a TWT information sent by the first AP is a TWT established between the AP in the BSS where the first AP is located and the non-AP STA associated with the AP, the TWT indicated by the TWT information is not a TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP. Based on this, it can also be understood that the information used to indicate whether the TWT information is a TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP can be replaced by: information used to indicate whether the TWT information is a TWT established between the AP in the BSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0145] In another possible implementation, the TWT information (such as the first TWT information and / or the second TWT information) sent by the first AP may also include information for indicating whether the SP phase of the TWT indicated by the TWT information must switch the main channel. One or more of these indication information may be added to the TWT information so that the first non-AP STA performs subsequent operations based on this information. This information enables the first AP and the first non-AP STA to determine whether the main channel needs to be switched based on the same conditions, thereby achieving the effect of enabling the first AP and the first non-AP STA to make the same choice based on the same conditions, that is, the first AP and the first non-AP STA may both switch or not switch the main channel.

[0146] A TWT information defined in an embodiment of the present application (such as the first TWT information or the second TWT information) can be carried in a message and can be sent through multiple messages, and each message can carry part of the information in a TWT information.

[0147] In an embodiment of the present application, the indication information included in a TWT information (such as the first TWT information and / or the second TWT information) can be carried in one or more bits or fields in the frame of the TWT information. For example, TWT information (such as the first TWT information and / or the second TWT information) can be carried in a TWT element (TWT element). In an embodiment of the present application, TWT information can also be a TWT element, such as the first TWT information is the first TWT element, and the second TWT information is the second TWT element. One or more TWT information (such as the first TWT information and / or the second TWT information) can be carried in the same beacon frame (beacon) or in multiple different beacon frames. The TWT information (such as the first TWT information and / or the second TWT information) in the embodiment of the present application can also be carried in other frame structures. In the embodiment of the present application, the TWT information (such as the first TWT information and / or the second TWT information) carried in the TWT element is used as an example for introduction.

[0148] In the embodiment of the present application, a TWT element may include an OBSS indication field and / or a forced switching field. The information carried by the OBSS indication field is used to indicate whether the TWT indicated by the TWT information in the TWT element is a TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP. The information carried by the forced switching field is used to indicate whether the SP phase of the TWT indicated by the TWT element must switch the main channel. The two fields are introduced below through implementation mode A1 and implementation mode A2. The field names of the OBSS indication field and the forced switching field in the embodiment of the present application are only examples. In actual applications, the names of the fields can be replaced with other names.

[0149] In implementation A1, the TWT element includes an OBSS indication field.

[0150] The information carried by the OBSS indication field is used to indicate whether the TWT indicated by the TWT information in the TWT element is the TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP. For example, if the value carried by the OBSS indication field is 1, it means that the TWT indicated by the TWT information in the TWT element is the TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP. If the value carried by the OBSS indication field is 0, it means that the TWT indicated by the TWT information in the TWT element is not the TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP, but the TWT established between the AP in the BSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP. The value carried by the OBSS indication field in this example is an example. In actual applications, the value carried by this field can be flexibly set.

[0151] In an embodiment of the present application, the first TWT information may include first indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is a TWT established between an AP in the OBSS of the first AP and a non-AP STA associated with the AP. Based on the first indication information, the first non-AP STA determines that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is a TWT established between an AP in the OBSS and a non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0152] The first TWT information may be carried in the first TWT element. The first indication information may be understood as information carried by bits in the OBSS indication field in the first TWT element. For example, the first indication information may be equivalent to the value 1 carried by the OBSS indication field in the above example.

[0153] In another possible implementation, the second TWT information includes second indication information. The second indication information is used to indicate that the TWT indicated by the second TWT information is a TWT established between the first AP and the non-AP STA associated with the first AP. Since the second TWT information includes the second indication information, the first non-AP STA can identify whether the TWT indicated by the received TWT information is established between the AP in the BSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP, and then enable the first non-AP STA to communicate with the first AP based on the TWT established between the identified AP in the BSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP. For example, the first non-AP STA and the first AP communicate with each other within the SP of the second TWT using the first channel as the main channel.

[0154] In one possible implementation, the second TWT information is carried in a second TWT element. The second indication information can be understood as information carried by the bits in the OBSS indication field in the second TWT element. For example, the second indication information can be equivalent to the value 0 carried by the OBSS indication field in the above example. The second TWT element and the first TWT element can be carried in the same beacon frame. Or the second TWT element and the first TWT element are respectively carried in two different beacon frames.

[0155] In one possible implementation, the bits in the OBSS indication field may be bits in the reserved field B7 in the control field in the TWT element. For example, the first indication information is carried in the reserved field B7 in the control field in the first TWT element. For another example, the second indication information is carried in the reserved field B7 in the control field in the second TWT element. In this solution, the information carried by the OBSS indication field (which can also be understood as the first indication information) uses the reserved bits in the existing TWT element. This solution can be better compatible with existing technologies and will not bring about large additional resource overhead.

[0156] FIG4 exemplarily shows a structural diagram of TWT information sent by a first AP.

[0157] 4 , the TWT information may be carried in a TWT element (or a TWT element field). The control field of the TWT element may include an OBSS indication field.

[0158] The OBSS indication field may occupy reserved bits in the control field of the beacon frame. After the bits in the reserved field are appropriated, the field may be given a new name, such as the OBSS indication field in the embodiments of the present application, or another name, which is not limited by the embodiments of the present application. The information carried by the OBSS indication field is described above and will not be repeated here.

[0159] As shown in FIG4 , the TWT element includes the following fields: element ID, length, control, and TWT parameter information.

[0160] Among them, the control field may also include the following: No Data Frame Paging Indicator (NDP Paging Indicator), Responder PM Mode (Responder PM Mode), Negotiation Type (Negotiation Type), TWT Information Frame Disabled (TWT Information Frame Disabled), Wake Duration Unit (Wake Duration Unit), Link ID Bitmap Present (Link ID Bitmap Present). The specific meaning of the information shown in Figure 4 can also be referred to the description in the IEEE 802.11 series of protocols.

[0161] In implementation A2, the TWT element includes a forced switching field.

[0162] The information carried by the forced switching field is used to indicate whether the main channel must be switched during the SP phase of the TWT indicated by the TWT element. For example, if the value carried by the forced switching field is 1, it means that the main channel must be switched during the SP phase of the TWT indicated by the TWT element. For another example, if the value carried by the forced switching field is 0, it means that the main channel does not have to be switched during the SP phase of the TWT indicated by the TWT element. The value carried by the forced switching field in this example is an example. In actual applications, the value carried by this field can be flexibly set.

[0163] For example, when the value carried by the forced switching field is 0, the first non-AP STA can detect the current main channel and determine whether to switch the main channel according to the current main channel status (such as busy state or idle state). For example, when the current main channel is in a busy state, the first non-AP STA and the first AP switch the main channel in the SP phase of the TWT indicated by the TWT element. For another example, when the current main channel is in an idle state, the first non-AP STA and the first AP do not switch the main channel in the SP phase of the TWT indicated by the TWT element. In the embodiment of the present application, the first non-AP STA communicates with the first AP. If the first non-AP STA switches the main channel, the first AP will also switch the main channel.

[0164] In the embodiment of the present application, the first TWT information may include third indication information or fourth indication information. The third indication information is used to instruct the first non-AP STA to communicate with the first AP using the switched main channel. In this way, when the first non-AP STA determines that the third indication information exists in the first TWT information, regardless of whether the first channel originally serving as the main channel is idle or busy, the first non-AP STA will switch the main channel, such as switching the main channel from the first channel to the second channel, and communicating with the first AP using the second channel as the main channel. The third indication information can enable the first non-AP STA to determine the conditions for switching the main channel, so that the first AP and the first non-AP STA can make the same choice based on the same conditions, thereby achieving the effect of both switching the main channel.

[0165] The fourth indication information is used to instruct the first non-AP STA to communicate with the first AP using the switched primary channel if the first channel is busy. The fourth indication information is also used to instruct the first non-AP STA to communicate with the first AP using the first channel as the primary channel if the first channel is idle. In this manner, upon determining the presence of the fourth indication information in the first TWT information, the first non-AP STA first checks the first channel, which was previously the primary channel. If the first channel is idle, the first non-AP STA does not need to switch to the primary channel. If the first channel is busy, the first non-AP STA switches the primary channel, for example, from the first channel to the second channel, and communicates with the first AP using the second channel as the primary channel. The fourth indication information enables the first non-AP STA to determine the conditions for switching to the primary channel, allowing the first AP and the first non-AP STA to make the same selection based on the same conditions, thereby achieving the effect of either both switching to the primary channel or neither switching to the primary channel.

[0166] The first TWT information can be carried in the first TWT element. The third indication information and the fourth indication information can be understood as information carried by the bits in the forced switching field in the first TWT element. For example, the third indication information can be equivalent to the value 1 carried by the forced switching field in the above example. For another example, the fourth indication information can be equivalent to the value 0 carried by the forced switching field in the above example.

[0167] In another possible implementation, the information carried by the OBSS indication field can be used to indicate whether the TWT information includes the forced switching field. Alternatively, the information carried by the OBSS indication field is used to indicate whether the forced switching field of the TWT information carries a valid value.

[0168] For example, if the information carried by the OBSS indication field indicates that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is a TWT established between an AP in the OBSS and a non-AP STA associated with the AP (i.e., the first TWT information includes the first indication information), then the first TWT information includes the third indication information or the fourth indication information. It can also be understood that the first indication information is used to indicate that the first TWT information contains the third indication information or the fourth indication information.

[0169] For another example, if the information carried by the OBSS indication field indicates that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is the TWT established between the AP in the BSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP, then the TWT information carrying the OBSS indication field does not include the third indication information and the fourth indication information.

[0170] In a possible implementation, the bits in the forced switching field may be the TWT parameter information field in the TWT element. The forced switching field may be a newly added field in the TWT parameter information field in the TWT element. It can also be understood as: the third indication information or the fourth indication information is carried in the TWT parameter information field in the first TWT element. In this solution, the information carried by the forced switching field (which can also be understood as the third indication information or the fourth indication information) is located in the TWT parameter information field, and this solution can be better compatible with existing technologies.

[0171] FIG5 exemplarily shows a structural diagram of TWT information sent by a first AP.

[0172] Please refer to Figure 5 , TWT information can be carried in a TWT element (or TWT element field). Figure 5 shows an example in which the control field of the TWT element can include an OBSS indication field.

[0173] As shown in Figure 5, the TWT parameter information may include one or more broadcast TWT parameter sets (Broadcast TWT Parameter Set) (such as Broadcast TWT Parameter Set 1 and Broadcast TWT Parameter Set 2 in Figure 4). One (or each) broadcast TWT parameter set includes the following: request type (Request Type), target wake time (Target Wake Time), minimum TWT wake duration (Nominal Minimum TWT Wake Duration), TWT wake interval mantissa (TWT Wake Interval Mantissa), broadcast TWT information (Broadcast TWT Info) and restricted TWT traffic information (optional) (Restricted TWT Traffic Info (optional)) and OBSS information field (OBSS info), OBSS information is an optional field. In the embodiment of the present application, info is an abbreviation for information (information, info).

[0174] The OBSS information field can be carried in the broadcast TWT parameter set in the TWT parameter information and can be a newly added field.

[0175] The OBSS information field may include a mandatory switch field. The information carried by the mandatory switch field can be used to indicate whether the SP phase of the TWT indicated by the TWT parameter set must switch the main channel. For related content, please refer to the aforementioned description of the information carried in the mandatory switch field.

[0176] The OBSS information may also include a reserved field, which may be reserved for future use or other information that needs to be transmitted.

[0177] For the specific meaning of the information shown in FIG. 5 , reference may also be made to FIG. 4 and the description in the IEEE 802.11 series protocols.

[0178] In the embodiments of the present application, the first non-AP STA can perform certain operations based on the first TWT information, which are exemplified below by Implementation B1 and Implementation B2. In Implementation B1, the first non-AP STA switches the primary channel based on the first TWT information. In Implementation B2, the first non-AP STA determines whether to switch the primary channel based on the first TWT information and the current state of the primary channel.

[0179] In implementation mode B1, the first non-AP STA switches the main channel according to the first TWT information.

[0180] In implementation B1, the first non-AP STA switches the main channel from the first channel to the second channel based on the first TWT information (e.g., information about the SP of the TWT indicated by the first TWT information and the first indication information), and communicates with the first AP using the second channel as the main channel. The first AP switches the main channel from the first channel to the second channel based on the first TWT information (e.g., information about the SP of the TWT indicated by the first TWT information and the first indication information), and communicates with the first non-AP STA using the second channel as the main channel.

[0181] For example, the first non-AP STA (and / or the first AP) determines, based on the first indication information in the first TWT information, that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is the TWT established between the AP and the non-AP STA in the OBSS, and then determines, based on the SP information of the TWT indicated by the first TWT information, the start time of switching the main channel from the first channel to the second channel, and switches the main channel from the first channel to the second channel at the start time.

[0182] In the embodiments of the present application, the first non-AP STA and the first AP can switch primary channels. For example, the primary channel between the first non-AP STA and the first AP before the switch is the first channel, and the primary channel after the switch is the second channel. In the embodiments of the present application, the primary channel after the switch can also be referred to as an anchor channel, anchor channel, or backup primary channel.

[0183] In one possible implementation, the first non-AP STA communicates with the first AP in the second TWT, and the main channel is the first channel. During the non-second TWT time, the first non-AP STA needs to communicate with the first AP using a conventional scheme, that is, the first non-AP STA monitors the main channel (first channel). When the first channel is busy, a backoff is performed, and when the first channel is idle, the first channel is used as the main channel to communicate with the first AP. However, the first channel may also be the main channel of the second AP in the OBSS. The second AP establishes a first TWT with its associated non-AP STA. There is a high possibility that the first channel is busy during the SP of the first TWT, which results in low communication efficiency of the first non-AP STA during the first TWT time.

[0184] In the above example, the first non-AP STA switches the main channel from the first channel to the second channel within the SP time of the first TWT, thereby reducing the probability of the main channel being busy. Then, the first non-AP STA uses the second channel as the main channel for transmission within the SP of the first TWT, and the communication efficiency can be improved.

[0185] In one possible implementation, the start time of the main channel switching from the first channel to the second channel is at the SP start time of the first TWT, or the start time of the main channel switching from the first channel to the second channel is before the SP start time of the first TWT.

[0186] In another possible embodiment, the completion time of the main channel switching from the first channel to the second channel is located at the SP start time of the first TWT. Alternatively, the completion time of the main channel switching from the first channel to the second channel is located before the SP start time of the first TWT. Alternatively, the completion time of the main channel switching from the first channel to the second channel is located within a preset time period after the SP start time of the first TWT.

[0187] By limiting the start time and / or completion time of switching the main channel to the second channel, the first AP and the first non-AP STA can complete the switching of the main channel as much as possible before or within a short period of time after the SP start time of the first TWT, so that the first AP and the first non-AP STA can communicate based on the switched main channel for a longer period of time during the SP period of the first TWT, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0188] In implementation mode B2, the first non-AP STA determines whether to switch the primary channel based on the first TWT information and the status of the current primary channel.

[0189] In implementation B2, the first non-AP STA (and / or the first AP) may detect the current primary channel and, based on the detection result, determine whether to switch the primary channel. For example, if the current primary channel is busy, the first non-AP STA and the first AP switch the primary channel during the SP phase of the first TWT. For example, the first non-AP STA switches the primary channel from the first channel to the second channel and communicates with the first AP using the second channel as the primary channel. Correspondingly, the first AP switches the primary channel from the first channel to the second channel and communicates with the first non-AP STA using the second channel as the primary channel.

[0190] For another example, if the current primary channel is idle, the first non-AP STA and the first AP do not switch the primary channel during the SP phase of the first TWT. For example, the first non-AP STA communicates with the first AP using the first channel as the primary channel. Correspondingly, the first AP communicates with the first non-AP STA using the first channel as the primary channel.

[0191] In a possible implementation, the start time of the channel detection is at the SP start time of the first TWT, or the start time of the channel detection is before the SP start time of the first TWT.

[0192] In another possible embodiment, the completion time of the channel detection is at the SP start time of the first TWT. Or the completion time of the channel detection is before the SP start time of the first TWT. Or, the completion time of the channel detection is within a preset time period after the SP start time of the first TWT.

[0193] By limiting the start time and / or completion time of the channel detection as mentioned above, the first AP and the first non-AP STA can complete the detection of the main channel as soon as possible before the SP start time of the first TWT or within a short period of time after the start time, and then determine earlier whether it is necessary to switch the main channel. Furthermore, if it is necessary to switch the main channel, the main channel can be switched as early as possible, so that the first AP and the first non-AP STA can communicate based on the switched main channel for a longer period of time during the SP period of the first TWT, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0194] The first non-AP STA (and / or the first AP) detects the primary channel. The start time of the channel detection may be before the start time of the primary channel switching, and the completion time of the channel detection may be before the start time of the primary channel switching. For example, if the start time of the channel detection is at the SP start time of the first TWT, the start time of the primary channel switching is likely to be after the SP start time of the first TWT.

[0195] In one possible implementation, the first non-AP STA may initiate a primary channel switch within a preset duration after determining that the current primary channel is busy. This preset duration can be understood as the time from the completion of channel detection to the start of the primary channel switch. This preset duration can be a relatively short value to enable the first AP and the first non-AP STA to complete the switch as quickly as possible, thereby further improving communication efficiency.

[0196] Implementation B1 and Implementation B2 of the present application may not be combined with Implementation A2. For example, Implementation B1 and Implementation B2 may be pre-agreed upon by the first AP and the first non-AP STA, and the first AP and the first non-AP STA may perform the corresponding operations of Implementation B1 or Implementation B2 according to the pre-agreed upon rules. Implementation B1 and Implementation B2 may also be combined with Implementation A2. For example, the first non-AP STA may select Implementation B1 or Implementation B2 based on the forced handover field in the solution provided in Implementation A2.

[0197] Implementation B1 and Implementation B2 of the present application may be combined with Implementation A1 or not. For example, the first AP and the first non-AP STA may identify, by other means, whether the TWT indicated by the TWT information is a TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0198] In one possible implementation, when the above-mentioned implementation B1 or implementation B2 is adopted, after the first non-AP STA switches the main channel from the first channel to the second channel according to the first TWT information, and communicates with the first AP using the second channel as the main channel, the first non-AP STA switches the main channel from the second channel to the first channel, and communicates with the first AP using the first channel as the main channel.

[0199] In one possible implementation, the start time of switching the main channel from the second channel to the first channel is at the SP end time of the first TWT, or is after the SP end time of the first TWT.

[0200] In another possible implementation manner, the completion time of switching the main channel from the second channel to the first channel is at the SP end time of the first TWT, or is after the SP end time of the first TWT.

[0201] By limiting the start time and / or completion time of switching the main channel back to the first channel, the first AP and the first non-AP STA can return to the original main channel as soon as possible before or within a short period of time after the SP end time of the first TWT, so that the first AP and the first non-AP STA can communicate using the originally configured main channel. It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, the main channel is temporarily switched between the first AP and the first non-AP STA, and the time for communication using the switched main channel may not be too long. Therefore, many parameters related to the main channel can also be left unchanged, thereby reducing the complexity of the solution.

[0202] Based on the embodiments shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, as well as the other contents described above, Figure 6 illustrates a possible flow diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The description of the first non-AP STA, the first AP, and the second AP involved in Figure 6 is similar to that of Figure 3 and is not repeated here.

[0203] As shown in FIG6 , the method includes:

[0204] Step 601: The first AP sends indication information of the second channel.

[0205] Correspondingly, the first non-AP STA receives the indication information of the second channel.

[0206] In step 602, the first non-AP STA switches the primary channel from the first channel to the second channel.

[0207] Step 603: The first AP switches the primary channel from the first channel to the second channel.

[0208] Step 604: The first AP communicates with the first non-AP STA using the second channel as the primary channel.

[0209] In this embodiment, the first AP may send indication information of the second channel so that the first non-AP STA can learn the backup primary channel (ie, the second primary channel), and then the first AP and the first non-AP STA may switch to the backup primary channel for communication.

[0210] The embodiment shown in FIG6 can be implemented independently or in combination with the embodiment shown in FIG3 . For example, the first AP can send indication information of the second channel to the first non-AP STA through the solution provided in FIG6 , and then the first non-AP STA switches the main channel to the second channel according to the indication information of the second channel when determining that the main channel needs to be switched. The embodiment of FIG3 can also be not combined with the embodiment of FIG6 . In this case, the first non-AP STA can obtain the indication information of the second channel through other means, such as through pre-configuration or receiving the indication information of the second channel from other devices (devices other than the first AP).

[0211] In one possible implementation, the indication information of the second channel may include an identifier of the second channel or an index of the second channel. Alternatively, the indication information of the second channel may include a first value and a second value. The first value corresponds to the position of the first channel. The relationship between the first value and the second value indicates the relative position of the first channel and the second channel.

[0212] For example, the identifier of a subchannel (e.g., a subchannel with a bandwidth of 20 MHz) can be indicated by a value in the range [0, 15]. The first value can be any value in [0, 15]. The first value corresponds to the position of the first channel. The first AP and the first non-AP STA pre-agreed on a primary channel (i.e., the first channel). For example, the first channel can be pre-agreed to be a primary 20 MHz subchannel. For example, the first value is 3 and the second value is 5. Since the difference between the second value and the first value is 2, it can be determined that the second subchannel corresponding to the second value is a second 20 MHz subchannel located at a higher frequency than the first subchannel corresponding to the first value.

[0213] On the other hand, workstations with different bandwidths may have different numbers for the main channels. The embodiment of the present application does not rely on the absolute number of the channels, but relies on the relative position to indicate the used channels, which avoids ambiguity and is simple to implement.

[0214] For example, a 160MHz BSS is associated with a 20MHz workstation, an 80MHz workstation, and a 160MHz workstation. The 20MHz workstation only uses the main channel and does not need to number the main channel. The 80MHz workstation numbers the main channels in the range of 0 to 3 (because the channel is divided in units of 20MHz, 4 sub-channels can be divided, and the main channel is one of them. The 160MHz workstation numbers the main channels in the range of 0 to 15. If the indication information of the second channel is a sub-channel index with an absolute number of 10, then since the 10th sub-channel does not exist in both 20MHz and 80MHz, the two workstations cannot understand this information. In an embodiment of the present application, if the first value is 2 and the second value is 10, both the 20MHz site and the 80MHz site can understand the information and find the second main channel based on this.

[0215] In another possible implementation, the frame for carrying the indication information of the second channel further includes: information for indicating whether the indication information of the second channel exists in the frame. For example, the frame for carrying the indication information of the second channel includes: information for indicating whether the indication information of the second channel exists in the frame. The first non-AP STA then continues to parse the indication information field for carrying the second channel in the frame. For another example, if the frame for carrying the indication information of the second channel includes information for indicating that the indication information of the second channel does not exist in the frame, the first non-AP STA no longer parses the indication information field for carrying the second channel in the frame, thereby reducing the workload of the first non-AP STA and reducing the power consumption of the first non-AP STA.

[0216] FIG7 exemplarily shows a possible schematic diagram of a frame structure for carrying indication information of a second channel.

[0217] Please refer to FIG. 7 , the frame is an action frame or a management frame.

[0218] As shown in FIG7 , the frame includes fields such as category, dialog token, control, and anchor channel (AnCH) information (Info).

[0219] The Category field can be assigned a new Category value. The Dialog Token field can be used to identify the process to which the frame corresponds (for example, a negotiation process). The Dialog Token field of frames in the same process can carry the same value, allowing the first AP and the first non-AP STA to determine which process each frame belongs to. The Control field is used to carry control information.

[0220] The control field may include anchor channel information present (AnCH Info present). This field may carry information indicating whether there is indication information of a second channel in the frame. For example, if the bit value carried by this field is 1, it indicates that indication information of a second channel exists in the frame. For another example, if the bit value carried by this field is 0, it indicates that there is no indication information of a second channel in the frame. In the embodiment of the present application, the control field may also include other fields, and may also include a reserved field. In actual applications, it can be set as needed.

[0221] The Anchor Channel Information (AnCH Info) field can carry information indicating the secondary channel. For example, the Anchor Channel Information (AnCH Info) field includes the Primary Channel (Primary) and Anchor Channel (AnCH) fields. The Primary Channel (Primary) field carries the first value, and the Anchor Channel (AnCH) field carries the second value. This configuration is more reasonable and more compatible with existing technologies.

[0222] For the specific meaning of the information shown in FIG. 7 , please refer to the description in the IEEE 802.11 series protocols.

[0223] FIG8 exemplarily shows another possible schematic diagram of a frame structure for carrying indication information of a second channel.

[0224] FIG8 shows element fields in an action frame or a management frame.

[0225] As shown in FIG8 , the element includes fields such as element ID, length, element ID extension, control, and anchor channel information (AnCH Info).

[0226] The Element ID field and the Element ID Extension field jointly indicate the current element domain. The values ​​carried by the Element ID field and the Element ID Extension field can be newly defined values. The Length field indicates the length of the current element domain.

[0227] If the embodiment shown in FIG6 is used in combination with the embodiment of FIG3, FIG3 provides a possible implementation scheme in which, because the first non-AP STA can automatically switch the primary channel, the scheme implemented by the first non-AP STA can also be referred to as an automatic subchannel selection (ASS) scheme. The element domain can also be referred to as an ASS element domain. In this case, the element ID field and the element ID extension field jointly indicate that the current element domain is an ASS element domain.

[0228] For control and anchor channel information (AnCH Info), please refer to the description of FIG7 , which will not be repeated here. For the specific meaning of the information shown in FIG8 , please refer to the description in the IEEE 802.11 series of protocols.

[0229] The fields involved in the embodiments of the present application (such as the anchor channel information field and the OBSS information field) can be designed as optional fields or non-fixed fields. That is, the transmitter of the frame can determine whether to include these fields in the transmitted frame based on actual conditions. This can improve the flexibility of the solution and reduce the bit overhead in the frame payload.

[0230] Based on the embodiments shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, as well as the other contents described above, Figure 9 exemplarily illustrates a possible flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. For the description of the first non-AP STA, the first AP, and the second AP involved in Figure 9, refer to the description of Figure 3 above and are not repeated here.

[0231] As shown in FIG9 , the method includes:

[0232] Step 901: A first non-AP STA and a first AP transmit information indicating a request to enter a first mode.

[0233] Step 902: The first non-AP STA and the first AP transmit information indicating successful entry into the first mode.

[0234] In the embodiment of the present application, a first mode is defined, which may also be referred to as an ASS mode.

[0235] It can also be understood that the first mode includes certain rules, and non-AP STAs and / or APs entering the first mode must comply with the rules of the first mode. The rules of the first mode may include allowing non-AP STAs and / or APs to switch the primary channel when necessary.

[0236] For example, the first mode indicates that a non-AP STA and / or AP entering the first mode is permitted to switch the primary channel. That is, if the first non-AP STA and the first AP successfully enter the first mode through signaling negotiation, the first non-AP STA is permitted to switch the primary channel when determining that the primary channel needs to be switched, such as by switching the primary channel based on the first TWT information. The method for the first non-AP STA to determine whether the primary channel needs to be switched can be found in the aforementioned related embodiments and will not be further described.

[0237] The embodiments shown in Figures 9, 3, and 6 can be implemented separately or in combination. For example, if the embodiments of Figures 9 and 3 are combined, then in the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the method for determining whether to switch the primary channel after the first AP and the first non-AP STA enter the first mode can be referred to in the aforementioned Figure 3 and will not be repeated here. Examples of related combinations can also be found in the partial description of Figure 9.

[0238] In step 901, multiple implementation methods may be included, such as the following implementation method C1 and implementation method C2. In implementation method C1, the first AP sends information for indicating a request to enter the first mode. Correspondingly, the first non-AP STA receives information for indicating a request to enter the first mode from the first AP. In implementation method C2, the first non-AP STA sends information for indicating a request to enter the first mode to the first AP. In step 902, the first non-AP STA sends information for indicating successful entry into the first mode to the first AP. The first AP may also send information for indicating successful entry into the first mode. Correspondingly, the first non-AP STA receives information for indicating successful entry into the first mode from the first AP. The following is a detailed introduction through implementation methods C1 and implementation method C2.

[0239] In implementation mode C1, the first AP sends information indicating a request to enter the first mode.

[0240] In implementation C1, a possible flow chart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application is exemplified in Figure 10. The description of the first non-AP STA, the first AP, and the second AP involved in Figure 10 is similar to that of Figure 3 above and will not be repeated here.

[0241] As shown in FIG10 , the method includes:

[0242] Step 1001: A first AP sends a first frame.

[0243] Correspondingly, the first non-AP STA receives the first frame.

[0244] The first frame may include information indicating a request to enter the first mode.

[0245] The first frame may also have other names, such as an ASS initiation frame. The ASS initiation frame may include parameters required by the first mode (such as all parameters).

[0246] The embodiment provided in FIG9 can also be used in conjunction with the embodiment of FIG6 . In this case, the ASS initiation frame (e.g., the first frame) can include indication information for the second channel. The parameters required for the first mode can include indication information for the second channel. The parameters required for the first mode can be carried in the anchor channel information field of FIG7 or FIG8 . In one possible implementation, the indication information for the second channel can be understood as all parameters required for the first mode.

[0247] Step 1002: Whether the first non-AP STA agrees to enter the first mode;

[0248] If yes, go to step 1003;

[0249] If not agreed, execute step 1004.

[0250] Step 1003: The first non-AP STA sends a second frame.

[0251] Correspondingly, the first AP receives the second frame. The information in the second frame may indicate that the first non-AP STA has entered the first mode, or that the first non-AP STA has successfully entered the first mode, or that the first non-AP STA has agreed to enter (or successfully entered) the first mode based on the parameters in the first frame.

[0252] The second frame may also have other names, for example, it may be called an ASS follow-up frame.

[0253] Step 1004: The first non-AP STA sends a third frame.

[0254] Correspondingly, the first AP receives the third frame. The information in the third frame may indicate that the first non-AP STA refuses to enter the first mode, or indicates that the first non-AP STA fails to enter the first mode, or indicates that the first non-AP STA does not agree to enter the first mode based on the parameters in the first frame.

[0255] The third frame may also have other names, for example, it may also be called an ASS follow-up frame.

[0256] In implementation C2, the first non-AP STA sends information indicating a request to enter the first mode to the first AP.

[0257] In implementation C2, a possible flow chart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application is exemplified in Figure 11. The description of the first non-AP STA, the first AP, and the second AP involved in Figure 11 is similar to that of Figure 3 above and will not be repeated here.

[0258] As shown in FIG11 , the method includes:

[0259] Step 1101: The first non-AP STA sends a fourth frame.

[0260] Correspondingly, the first AP receives the fourth frame.

[0261] The fourth frame may include information indicating a request to enter the first mode.

[0262] The fourth frame may also have other names, such as the ASS initiation frame. The ASS initiation frame may include parameters required for the first mode (e.g., all parameters, such as the indication information for the second channel). The relevant content of the fourth frame can be found in the introduction to the first frame above and will not be repeated here.

[0263] Step 1102: Whether the first AP agrees to enter the first mode;

[0264] If yes, go to step 1103;

[0265] If not agreed, execute step 1104.

[0266] Step 1103: The first AP sends the fifth frame.

[0267] Correspondingly, the first non-AP STA receives the fifth frame. The information in the fifth frame may indicate that the first AP enters the first mode, or indicates that the first AP successfully enters the first mode, or indicates that the first AP agrees to enter (or successfully enters) the first mode based on the parameters in the first frame.

[0268] The fifth frame may also have other names, for example, it may be called an ASS follow-up frame.

[0269] Step 1104: The first AP sends a sixth frame.

[0270] Correspondingly, the first AP receives the sixth frame. Information in the sixth frame may indicate that the first AP does not agree to enter the first mode based on the parameters in the fourth frame.

[0271] The sixth frame may also have other names, for example, it may also be called an ASS follow-up frame.

[0272] In another possible implementation, the sixth frame also includes parameters required for the first mode recommended by the first AP (such as information about the anchor channel). In this case, the flowchart shown in FIG11 may further include the following steps:

[0273] Step 1105: Whether the first non-AP STA agrees to enter the first mode based on the parameters required by the first mode in the sixth frame;

[0274] If yes, execute step 1106;

[0275] If not agreed, execute step 1107.

[0276] Step 1106: The first non-AP STA sends the seventh frame.

[0277] Correspondingly, the first AP receives the seventh frame. The information in the seventh frame may indicate that the first non-AP STA has entered the first mode, or that the first non-AP STA has successfully entered the first mode, or that the first non-AP STA has agreed to enter (or successfully entered) the first mode based on the parameters in the sixth frame.

[0278] The seventh frame may also have other names, such as an ASS follow-up frame.

[0279] Step 1107: The first non-AP STA sends the eighth frame.

[0280] Correspondingly, the first AP receives the eighth frame. The information in the eighth frame may indicate that the first non-AP STA refuses to enter the first mode, or indicates that the first non-AP STA fails to enter the first mode, or indicates that the first non-AP STA does not agree to enter the first mode based on the parameters in the sixth frame.

[0281] The eighth frame may also have other names, for example, it may also be called an ASS follow-up frame.

[0282] After step 902, the first AP and the first non-AP STA successfully enter the first mode. After successfully entering the first mode, the first AP may send (e.g., broadcast) information (e.g., first TWT information) of a TWT established between an AP in one or more OBSSs and a non-AP STA associated with the AP. The first non-AP STA may process the received information (e.g., first TWT information) of a TWT established between an AP in an OBSS and a non-AP STA associated with the AP. For example, the first non-AP STA and the first AP may determine whether the SP phase of the TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP is based on the main channel after the switch. This embodiment can refer to the relevant embodiment of FIG3 above and will not be described in detail. The first TWT information may be sent after the first AP and the first non-AP STA successfully enter the first mode, or may be sent before entering the first mode.

[0283] In another possible implementation, the first AP and the first non-AP STA may switch the main channel back to the first channel at the SP end time or a period of time before and after the end time of the TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0284] For example, suppose the first AP broadcasts TWT#1 of OBSS#1 and TWT#2 of OBSS#2. SP#1 of TWT#1 precedes SP#2 of TWT#2. The first non-AP STA and the first AP can switch the primary channel from the first channel to the second channel at or before the SP start time of TWT#1 of OBSS#1, and communicate using the second channel as the primary channel. The first AP and the first non-AP STA can switch the primary channel back to the first channel at or before the SP end time of TWT#1 of OBSS#1. Thereafter, the first non-AP STA and the first AP can switch the primary channel from the first channel to the second channel at or before the SP start time of TWT#2 of OBSS#2, and communicate using the second channel as the primary channel. The first AP and the first non-AP STA can switch the primary channel back to the first channel at or before the SP end time of TWT#2 of OBSS#2.

[0285] In one possible implementation, after successfully entering the first mode, the first AP and the first non-AP STA may also update parameters required for the first mode (e.g., anchor channel information). For example, after entering the first mode, the first AP and the first non-AP STA may update the anchor channel to the third channel. Thereafter, when the first non-AP STA determines that a primary channel switch is required, it may switch the primary channel from the first channel to the third channel. Frames used to update the parameters required for the first mode may include an ASS initiation frame and an ASS follow-up frame. The ASS initiation frame may include the updated parameters required for the first mode, and the ASS follow-up frame may indicate whether to proceed with a subsequent primary channel switch based on the updated parameters required for the first mode. The ASS initiation frame may be sent by the first AP or the first non-AP STA, and the ASS follow-up frame may be fed back by the first non-AP STA or the first AP based on the ASS initiation frame. The parameter update process can also be described in the aforementioned Figures 10 and 11 and will not be further described.

[0286] Step 903: The first non-AP STA and the first AP transmit information indicating the end of the first mode.

[0287] In step 903, when either the first AP or the first non-AP STA needs to exit the first mode, information indicating the end of the first mode may be sent. The information indicating the end of the first mode may be carried in a frame, which may be an ASS teardown frame.

[0288] For example, the first non-AP STA sends information to the first AP indicating the end of the first mode. Correspondingly, the first AP receives information from the first non-AP STA indicating the end of the first mode. The first AP may also send an acknowledgment (ACK) frame to indicate that the first AP confirms the exit from the first mode.

[0289] For another example, the first AP may send information indicating the termination of the first mode. Correspondingly, the first non-AP STA receives the information indicating the termination of the first mode from the first AP. The first non-AP STA may also send an acknowledgment frame indicating that the first non-AP STA has confirmed its exit from the first mode.

[0290] After the first non-AP STA and the first AP exit the first mode, that is, after they are no longer in the first mode, they are no longer subject to the rules of the first mode. For example, when the first non-AP STA and the first AP are no longer in the first mode, even during the SP phase of a TWT established between an AP in the first AP's OBSS and a non-AP STA associated with the AP, the first non-AP STA does not switch the primary channel and continues to communicate with the first AP using the first channel as the primary channel.

[0291] In the embodiment shown in FIG9 , all or part of the steps may be executed. For example, any one or more of step 901, step 902, or step 903 may not be executed. For example, step 903 may not be executed, thereby acknowledging that the two devices do not exit the first mode, or the duration of the first mode may be set. For another example, step 902 may be executed, thereby acknowledging that the device receiving the information in step 901 enters the first mode. For another example, step 901 may not be executed, thereby acknowledging that the two devices enter the first mode.

[0292] The message format used to carry the information involved in Figures 9, 10 and 11 of the embodiments of the present application (such as information indicating a request to enter the first mode, information indicating successful entry into the first mode, or at least one of information indicating the end of the first mode) has multiple structures, such as an action frame or a management frame.

[0293] In one possible implementation, the information involved in Figures 9, 10, and 11 may be carried in an ASS initiation frame, an ASS follow-up frame, and an ASS teardown frame. Figures 12 and 13 exemplify several possible schematic diagrams of frame formats.

[0294] Please refer to FIG. 12 , the frame is an action frame or a management frame.

[0295] As shown in FIG12 , the frame includes fields such as category, dialog token, control, and anchor channel information (AnCH Info).

[0296] The category field can be assigned a new category value. The dialog token field can be used to identify the process to which the frame corresponds (for example, a negotiation process). The dialog token field of frames in the same process can carry the same value. For example, the dialog tokens in the ASS initiation frame, ASS follow-up frame, and ASS teardown frame in the same process can carry the same value. This allows the first AP and the first non-AP STA to determine which process each frame belongs to. The control field is used to carry control information.

[0297] The control field may include teardown, initiation, success, and AnCH ​​Info present.

[0298] The value carried in the Initiation field of this frame indicates whether the frame is an Initiation frame. The value carried in the Success field of this frame indicates whether the frame is a Success frame. The value carried in the Teardown field of this frame indicates whether the frame is a Teardown frame.

[0299] For example, if the frame is an initiation frame, the value carried in the initiation field of the frame can be set to 1. The success field can be considered a reserved field, and the value carried by the field is irrelevant to the receiver. The teardown field can be set to 0.

[0300] For another example, if the frame is an ASS follow-up frame and is used to indicate successful entry into the first mode, the value carried in the success field in the frame may be set to 1. The values ​​carried in the teardown field and the initiation field may be set to 0. The anchor channel information (AnCH Info present) field may be set to 0 or 1. Whether the anchor channel information (AnCH Info) field exists depends on the anchor channel information (AnCH Info present) field. For example, when the anchor channel information (AnCH Info present) field is 0, the anchor channel information (AnCH Info) field may not appear in the frame. For example, when the anchor channel information (AnCH Info present) field is 1, the anchor channel information (AnCH Info) field may appear in the frame.

[0301] For example, if the frame is a teardown frame, the value carried in the teardown field in the frame can be set to 1. The success field and the initiation field can be considered reserved bits, and the receiver does not care about the values ​​carried in these fields. In this example, the remaining subfields of the control field can be reserved, and the anchor channel information (AnCH Info) field can be omitted from the frame. The dialog token field can also be reserved.

[0302] The content of the AnCH ​​Info present field can be found in the related content of FIG. 7 , which will not be described in detail. The specific meaning of the information shown in FIG. 12 can also be found in the description of the IEEE 802.11 series of protocols.

[0303] FIG. 13 shows element fields in an action frame or a management frame.

[0304] As shown in FIG13 , the element includes fields such as element ID, length, element ID extension, control, and anchor channel information (AnCH Info).

[0305] For details about control and anchor channel information (AnCH Info), please refer to the description of FIG12 . Detailed meanings of the information shown in FIG13 may also be found in FIG8 and the description of the IEEE 802.11 series of protocols.

[0306] It is understood that to implement the functions described in the above embodiments, the first AP and the first non-AP STA include hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the respective functions. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, in conjunction with the various exemplary units and method steps described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or in a hardware-driven manner by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0307] Figures 14 and 15 are schematic diagrams of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of the first non-AP STA or the first AP in the above-described method embodiments, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above-described method embodiments. In embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be a non-AP STA as shown in Figure 1, an AP as shown in Figure 1, or a module (e.g., a chip) applied to a non-AP STA or AP.

[0308] As shown in Figure 14, the communication device 1300 includes a processing unit 1310 and a transceiver unit 1320. The communication device 1300 is used to implement the functions of the first non-AP STA or the first AP in the method embodiments shown in Figures 3, 6, 9, 10 or 11 above.

[0309] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first non-AP STA in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 :

[0310] The processing unit 1310 is used to: receive the first TWT information from the first AP through the transceiver unit 1320, and determine, based on the first indication information, that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is the TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0311] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first non-AP STA in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3: the processing unit 1310 is used to receive the second TWT information from the first AP through the transceiver unit 1320.

[0312] In one possible embodiment, when the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first non-AP STA in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3: the processing unit 1310 is used to: switch the main channel from the first channel to the second channel according to the first TWT information, and communicate with the first AP using the second channel as the main channel.

[0313] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first non-AP STA in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3: the processing unit 1310 is used to: switch the main channel from the second channel to the first channel, and communicate with the first AP using the first channel as the main channel.

[0314] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first non-AP STA in the method embodiment shown in Figure 6: the processing unit 1310 is used to: receive the indication information of the second channel through the transceiver unit 1320, switch the main channel from the first channel to the second channel, and communicate with the first AP using the second channel as the main channel.

[0315] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first non-AP STA in the method embodiment shown in Figure 9, Figure 10 or Figure 11: the processing unit 1310 is used to: send information indicating a request to enter the first mode to the first AP through the transceiver unit 1320; or, receive information from the first AP indicating a request to enter the first mode.

[0316] In one possible embodiment, when the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first non-AP STA in the method embodiment shown in Figure 9, Figure 10 or Figure 11: the processing unit 1310 is used to send information indicating successful entry into the first mode to the first AP through the transceiver unit 1320; or, receive information from the first AP indicating successful entry into the first mode.

[0317] In one possible embodiment, when the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first non-AP STA in the method embodiment shown in Figure 9, Figure 10 or Figure 11: the processing unit 1310 is used to send information indicating the end of the first mode to the first AP through the transceiver unit 1320; or, receive information from the first AP indicating the end of the first mode.

[0318] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first AP in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3: the processing unit 1310 is used to: obtain the first TWT information, and send the first TWT information through the transceiver unit 1320.

[0319] In a possible implementation, when the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first AP in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3: the processing unit 1310 is used to send the second TWT information through the transceiver unit 1320.

[0320] In one possible embodiment, when the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first AP in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3: the processing unit 1310 is used to: switch the main channel from the first channel to the second channel according to the first TWT information, and communicate with the first non-AP STA using the second channel as the main channel.

[0321] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first AP in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3: the processing unit 1310 is used to: switch the main channel from the second channel to the first channel, and communicate with the first non-AP STA using the first channel as the main channel.

[0322] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first AP in the method embodiment shown in Figure 6: the processing unit 1310 is used to: send indication information of the second channel through the transceiver unit 1320, switch the main channel from the first channel to the second channel, and communicate with the first non-AP STA using the second channel as the main channel.

[0323] When the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first AP in the method embodiment shown in Figure 9, Figure 10 or Figure 11: the processing unit 1310 is used to send information indicating a request to enter the first mode through the transceiver unit 1320; or, receive information indicating a request to enter the first mode.

[0324] In one possible embodiment, when the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first AP in the method embodiment shown in Figure 9, Figure 10 or Figure 11: the processing unit 1310 is used to send information indicating successful entry into the first mode through the transceiver unit 1320; or, receive information indicating successful entry into the first mode.

[0325] In one possible embodiment, when the communication device 1300 is used to implement the function of the first AP in the method embodiment shown in Figure 9, Figure 10 or Figure 11: the processing unit 1310 is used to send information indicating the end of the first mode through the transceiver unit 1320; or, receive information indicating the end of the first mode.

[0326] For a more detailed description of the processing unit 1310 and the transceiver unit 1320 , please refer to the relevant description in the method embodiments shown in FIG. 3 , FIG. 6 , FIG. 9 , FIG. 10 or FIG. 11 .

[0327] As shown in Figure 15, communication device 1400 includes a processor 1410 and an interface circuit 1420. Processor 1410 and interface circuit 1420 are coupled to each other. It is understood that interface circuit 1420 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 1400 may also include a memory 1430 for storing instructions executed by processor 1410, input data required by processor 1410 to execute instructions, or data generated after processor 1410 executes instructions.

[0328] When the communication device 1400 is used to implement the method shown in Figure 3, Figure 6, Figure 9, Figure 10 or Figure 11, the processor 1410 is used to implement the functions of the above-mentioned processing unit 1310, and the interface circuit 1420 is used to implement the functions of the above-mentioned transceiver unit 1320.

[0329] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip used for a first non-AP STA, the first non-AP STA chip implements the functions of the first non-AP STA device in the aforementioned method embodiment. When the first non-AP STA chip receives information from the first AP, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) within the first non-AP STA and then transmitted to the first non-AP STA chip by these modules. When the first non-AP STA chip sends information to the first AP, it can be understood that the information is first transmitted to other modules (such as a radio frequency module or antenna) within the first non-AP STA and then transmitted to the first AP by these modules.

[0330] When the communication device is a chip used in a first AP, the first AP chip implements the functions of the network device in the above-described method embodiment. When the first AP chip receives information from the first non-AP STA, it can be understood that the information is first received by other modules in the first AP (e.g., a radio frequency module or antenna) and then transmitted to the first AP chip by these modules. When the first AP chip sends information to the first non-AP STA, it can be understood that the information is transmitted to other modules in the first AP (e.g., a radio frequency module or antenna) and then transmitted to the first non-AP STA by these modules.

[0331] In this application, when entity A sends information to entity B, A may send it directly to B or indirectly to B through another entity. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, entity B may receive the information sent by entity A directly or indirectly through another entity. Entities A and B herein may be a first AP or a first non-AP STA, or modules within the first AP or the first non-AP STA. The sending and receiving of information may be information exchange between the first AP and the first non-AP STA, for example, between the first AP and the first non-AP STA; the sending and receiving of information may also be information exchange between two first APs, for example, between a CU and a DU; or the sending and receiving of information may be information exchange between different modules within a device, for example, between a first non-AP STA chip and other modules of the first non-AP STA, or between a first AP chip and other modules within the first AP.

[0332] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0333] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in the first AP or the first non-AP STA. The processor and the storage medium can also exist as discrete components in the first AP or the first non-AP STA.

[0334] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions of the embodiments of the present application are performed. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media, such as floppy disks, hard disks, or magnetic tapes; optical media, such as digital video disks; or semiconductor media, such as solid-state drives. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0335] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0336] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship; in the formula of this application, the character " / " indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in a "division" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0337] It is understood that the various numbers involved in the embodiments of this application (such as the numerical numbers "first" and "second", and the letter numbers "parameter A", "parameter B", "parameter C", etc.) are only for the convenience of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: A first non-access point station non-AP STA receives first target wake-up time TWT information from a first access point AP, the first non-AP STA is associated with the first AP, the first TWT information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is a TWT established between an AP in an overlapping basic service set OBSS of the first AP and a non-AP STA associated with the AP; The first non-AP STA determines, based on the first indication information, that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is a TWT established between the AP in the OBSS and the non-AP STA associated with the AP.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first TWT information is carried in a first TWT element, and the first indication information is carried in a reserved field B7 in a control field in the first TWT element.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first TWT information also includes third indication information; The third indication information is used to instruct the first non-AP STA to communicate with the first AP using the switched primary channel.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first TWT information is carried in a first TWT element, and the third indication information is carried in a TWT parameter information field in the first TWT element.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first TWT information also includes fourth indication information; The fourth indication information is used to indicate that, when the state of the first channel includes a busy state, the first non-AP STA communicates with the first AP using the switched primary channel.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The first TWT information is carried in a first TWT element; The fourth indication information is carried in the TWT parameter information field in the first TWT element.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first non-AP STA switches a main channel from a first channel to a second channel according to the first TWT information, and communicates with the first AP using the second channel as a main channel; Wherein, the start time of switching the main channel from the first channel to the second channel is located at the SP start time of the first TWT, or is located before the SP start time of the first TWT; and / or; The completion time of switching the main channel from the first channel to the second channel is located at the SP start time of the first TWT, or is located before the SP start time of the first TWT.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that After the first non-AP STA switches a main channel from a first channel to a second channel according to the first TWT information and communicates with the first AP using the second channel as the main channel, the method further includes: The first non-AP STA switches a main channel from the second channel to the first channel, and communicates with the first AP using the first channel as the main channel; Wherein, the start time of switching the main channel from the second channel to the first channel is located at the SP end time of the first TWT, or is located after the SP end time of the first TWT; and / or, The completion time of switching the main channel from the second channel to the first channel is located at the SP end time of the first TWT, or is located after the SP end time of the first TWT.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first non-AP STA obtains indication information of the second channel.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first non-AP STA sends information indicating a request to enter the first mode to the first AP; or, The first non-AP STA receives information from the first AP indicating a request to enter the first mode; The first mode indicates that the non-AP STA and / or AP entering the first mode is allowed to switch the main channel according to the first TWT information.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first non-AP STA sends information indicating successful entry into the first mode to the first AP; or, The first non-AP STA receives information from the first AP indicating successful entry into the first mode.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first non-AP STA sends information for indicating to end the first mode to the first AP; or, The first non-AP STA receives information from the first AP indicating that the first mode is to be ended.

13. A communication method, characterized in that: include: The first access point AP acquires first target wake-up time TWT information, a first non-access point station non-AP STA is associated with the first AP, the first TWT information includes first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate that the TWT indicated by the first TWT information is a TWT established between an AP in an overlapping basic service set OBSS of the first AP and a non-AP STA associated with the AP; The first AP sends the first TWT information.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The first TWT information is carried in the first TWT element, The first indication information is carried in the reserved field B7 in the control field in the first TWT element.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The first TWT information also includes third indication information; The third indication information is used to instruct the first AP to communicate with the first non-AP STA using the switched primary channel.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The first TWT information is carried in the first TWT element, The third indication information is carried in the TWT parameter information field in the first TWT element.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that: The first TWT information also includes fourth indication information; The fourth indication information is used to indicate that: when the state of the first channel includes a busy state, the first AP communicates with the first non-AP STA using the switched primary channel.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The first TWT information is carried in a first TWT element; The fourth indication information is carried in the TWT parameter information field in the first TWT element.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first AP switches a main channel from a first channel to a second channel according to the first TWT information, and communicates with the first non-AP STA using the second channel as the main channel; Wherein, the start time of switching the main channel from the first channel to the second channel is located at the SP start time of the first TWT, or is located before the SP start time of the first TWT; and / or; The completion time of switching the main channel from the first channel to the second channel is located at the SP start time of the first TWT, or is located before the SP start time of the first TWT.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein: After the first AP switches a main channel from a first channel to a second channel according to the first TWT information and communicates with the first non-AP STA using the second channel as the main channel, the method further includes: The first AP switches a main channel from the second channel to the first channel, and communicates with the first non-AP STA using the first channel as the main channel; Wherein, the start time of switching the main channel from the second channel to the first channel is located at the SP end time of the first TWT, or is located after the SP end time of the first TWT; and / or, The completion time of switching the main channel from the second channel to the first channel is located at the SP end time of the first TWT, or is located after the SP end time of the first TWT.

21. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first AP sends indication information of the second channel.

22. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first AP sends information indicating a request to enter the first mode; or, The first AP receives information indicating a request to enter the first mode; The first mode indicates that the non-AP STA and / or AP entering the first mode is allowed to switch the main channel according to the first TWT information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein: The method further comprises: The first AP sends information indicating successful entry into the first mode; or, The first AP receives information indicating successful entry into the first mode.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first AP sends information for indicating the end of the first mode; or, The first AP receives information indicating the end of the first mode.

25. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, or comprises a module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 24.

26. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices, and the processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 12 or the method as described in any one of claims 13 to 24 through a logic circuit or executing code instructions.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores a computer program or an instruction. When the computer program or the instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24 is implemented.

28. A chip system, characterized in that: The chip system includes at least one processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit and the at least one processor are interconnected via lines, and the processor executes the method described in any one of claims 1 to 12 or any one of claims 13 to 24 by running instructions.

29. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product stores a computer program, wherein the computer program includes program instructions, and when the program instructions are executed by a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24.

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