Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. The method comprises: receiving first information, the first information indicating a first time period, and the first time period being a duration that can be used for high power consumption transmission; and when there is a low-latency service, entering a high power consumption mode within the first time period, or when there is no low-latency service, entering a low power consumption mode or a high power consumption mode within the first time period. According to the solution, the working mode of a terminal device can be switched between a high power consumption mode and a low power consumption mode, preventing the terminal device from being in the high power consumption mode for a long time, and reducing the power consumption of the terminal device.

Description

Communication method and communication device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on August 31, 2023, with application number 202311135687.5 and application name “A Communication Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0004] Reducing device power consumption is one of the primary goals of the next-generation Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) protocol (Wi-Fi 8). However, in current low-latency service preemptive transmission solutions, terminal devices remain in a high-power mode to detect whether they can preemptively transmit uplink low-latency service frames or receive downlink low-latency service frames. This approach results in relatively high power consumption for terminal devices.

[0005] How to reduce the power consumption of terminal equipment remains to be solved.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication device to reduce the power consumption of a terminal device.

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method that can be performed by a terminal device or a module (such as a chip) in the terminal device. The method includes: receiving first information, the first information indicating a first time period, the first time period being a time period that can be used for high-power transmission; in the presence of a low-latency service, entering a high-power mode within the first time period; or, in the absence of a low-latency service, entering a low-power mode or a high-power mode within the first time period.

[0009] In the above solution, the working mode of the terminal device can be switched between high power consumption mode and low power consumption mode, which prevents the terminal device from being in high power consumption mode for a long time and helps to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0010] In a possible implementation method, the method further includes: entering a high power consumption mode within a second time period after the first time period ends.

[0011] In a possible implementation method, the method further includes: entering a low power consumption mode when a non-low-latency service frame is detected within the second time period.

[0012] In a possible implementation method, the method further includes: entering a high power consumption mode after the transmission of the non-low-latency service frame is completed.

[0013] In a possible implementation method, the method further includes: maintaining a high power consumption mode when a trigger frame is detected within the second time period and there is a low-latency service, wherein the trigger frame is used to indicate uplink transmission resources.

[0014] In one possible implementation method, the method also includes: detecting a trigger frame within the second time period, the trigger frame being used to indicate uplink transmission resources; in the presence of a low-latency service but the uplink transmission resources indicated by the trigger frame do not include its own uplink transmission resources and do not include associated users competing for uplink transmission resources, entering a low power consumption mode and continuing for a first period of time; or, in the absence of a low-latency service, entering a low power consumption mode and continuing for a first period of time.

[0015] In a possible implementation method, the first duration is indicated by the trigger frame.

[0016] In a possible implementation method, the method further includes: determining the first duration based on at least one of the transmission duration of the uplink low-latency service, the inter-frame interval, and the duration of the confirmation frame.

[0017] In a possible implementation method, after entering the low power consumption mode and maintaining it for a first period of time, the method further includes: entering a high power consumption mode and detecting a downlink low-latency service frame.

[0018] In one possible implementation method, after entering the high power consumption mode and detecting the downlink low-latency service frame, it also includes: maintaining the high power consumption mode when a downlink low-latency service frame is detected and the downlink low-latency service frame contains its own downlink low-latency service; or, entering the low power consumption mode when a downlink low-latency service frame is detected and the downlink low-latency service frame does not contain its own downlink low-latency service; or, entering the low power consumption mode when no downlink low-latency service frame is detected.

[0019] In one possible implementation method, the method also includes: detecting a trigger frame within the second time period, the trigger frame being used to indicate uplink transmission resources; in the presence of low-latency services but the uplink transmission resources indicated by the trigger frame do not include their own uplink transmission resources but include associated users competing for uplink transmission resources, maintaining a high power consumption mode and competing to use the associated users competing for uplink transmission resources to transmit low-latency services.

[0020] In a possible implementation method, the method further includes: maintaining the high power consumption mode when a downlink low-latency service frame is detected within the second time period and the downlink low-latency service frame contains its own downlink low-latency service.

[0021] In one possible implementation method, the method further includes: when a downlink low-latency service frame is detected within the second time period and the downlink low-latency service frame does not contain its own downlink low-latency service, entering a low power consumption mode and maintaining the second duration.

[0022] In one possible implementation method, the second duration is determined by the remaining transmission duration and inter-frame interval of the downlink low-latency service frame.

[0023] In a possible implementation method, the method further includes: entering a high power consumption mode before a non-low-latency service frame arrives.

[0024] In a possible implementation method, the method further includes: if a non-low-latency service frame is detected and the transmission duration of the non-low-latency service frame is lower than a first threshold, maintaining the high power consumption mode.

[0025] In one possible implementation method, the durations of different downlink non-low-latency service frames are equal.

[0026] In a possible implementation method, each downlink non-low-latency service frame carries a counting indication, and the counting indication is used to determine the starting time of the first time period.

[0027] In one possible implementation method, the method also includes: in the presence of low-latency services, if the starting time of the first time period is unknown, entering a high power consumption mode, detecting a non-low-latency service frame, determining the starting time of the first time period based on the non-low-latency service frame, and entering a low power consumption mode or maintaining a high power consumption mode; entering a high power consumption mode at the starting time of the first time period or before the starting time of the first time period.

[0028] In one possible implementation method, the method also includes: in the presence of low-latency services, if the starting time of the first time period is known, entering a low power consumption mode, and entering a high power consumption mode at the starting time of the first time period or before the starting time of the first time period.

[0029] In one possible implementation method, the method also includes: in the presence of a low-latency service, entering a high-power consumption mode and detecting a non-low-latency service frame; after the transmission of the non-low-latency service frame is completed, seizing the channel to transmit a low-latency service frame; and entering a low-power consumption mode after receiving a confirmation frame for the low-latency service frame.

[0030] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which can be a terminal device or a module (such as a chip) in the terminal device. The device has the function of implementing any implementation method of the first aspect described above. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0031] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which may be a network device or a module (such as a chip) in a network device. The device has the function of implementing any implementation method of the fourth aspect described above. The function may be implemented by hardware or by executing corresponding software implementations in hardware. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0032] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, comprising a unit or means for executing each step of any implementation method in the above-mentioned first aspect.

[0033] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, comprising a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with other devices via the interface circuit and execute any implementation method of the first aspect. The processor comprises one or more.

[0034] Optionally, the communication device may further include a memory for storing computer instructions, the memory being coupled to a processor, and the processor executing the computer instructions stored in the memory so that the device executes any implementation method in the above-mentioned first aspect.

[0035] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are run by a communication device, any implementation method in the above-mentioned first aspect is executed.

[0036] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, which, when run on a communication device, enables any implementation method in the above-mentioned first aspect to be executed.

[0037] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a chip system, comprising: a processor for executing any implementation method in the above-mentioned first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG2 is an example diagram of a method for preemptive transmission of a low-latency service in a single-user scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the RPD scheme;

[0042] FIG5 is another schematic diagram of the RPD scheme;

[0043] FIG6 is another schematic diagram of the RPD scheme;

[0044] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a low-power equal-interval preemptive transmission scheme;

[0045] FIG8 is another schematic diagram of a low-power equal-interval preemptive transmission scheme;

[0046] FIG9 is another schematic diagram of a low-power equal-interval preemptive transmission scheme;

[0047] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a low-power unequal-interval preemptive transmission scheme;

[0048] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system used in an embodiment of the present application. The communication system 1000 shown in Figure 1 includes a wireless access network 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 also includes the Internet 300. The wireless access network 100 may include at least one network device (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1) and may also include at least one terminal device (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1). The terminal device is wirelessly connected to the network device, and the network device is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network. The core network device and the network device may be independent, distinct physical devices, or the core network device's functions and the network device's logical functions may be integrated into the same physical device, or a single physical device may integrate some of the core network device's functions and some of the network device's functions. Terminal devices and network devices may be interconnected via wired or wireless connections. Figure 1 is merely a schematic diagram. The communication system may also include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figure 1.

[0051] A network device is an access device that a terminal device uses to access a communication system via a wired or wireless method. A network device may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB) in a fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next generation base station in a sixth generation (6G) mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access point (AP) in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system; it may also be a module or unit that performs some of the functions of a base station, for example, a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). A network device may be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG1 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG1 ), a relay node or a donor node, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the network device.

[0052] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can send signals to or receive signals from a network device. Terminal devices include, but are not limited to, terminal devices, terminals, user equipment (UE), mobile stations, mobile terminals, stations (STA), etc. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal device can specifically be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable device, vehicle, aircraft, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the terminal device.

[0053] Network devices and terminal devices can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; they can also be deployed on aircraft, balloons, and artificial satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of network devices and terminal devices.

[0054] The roles of network devices and terminal devices can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile network device. To terminal devices 120j accessing the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal device 120i is a network device. However, to network device 110a, 120i is a terminal device, meaning that communication between 110a and 120i occurs via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, communication between 110a and 120i can also occur via an interface protocol between network devices. In this case, 120i is also a network device relative to 110a. Therefore, both network devices and terminal devices can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with network device functionality, while 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with terminal device functionality.

[0055] Network devices and terminal devices, network devices and network devices, and terminal devices and terminal devices can communicate through authorized spectrum, unauthorized spectrum, or both; can communicate through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz simultaneously. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communications.

[0056] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the network device may also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the network device, or by a control subsystem that includes the network device functions. The control subsystem that includes the network device functions here may be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, smart transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal device may also be performed by a module (such as a chip or a modem) in the terminal device, or by a device that includes the terminal device functions.

[0057] In this application, a network device sends downlink signals or downlink information to a terminal device, and the downlink information is carried on a downlink channel. A terminal device sends uplink signals or uplink information to a network device, and the uplink information is carried on an uplink channel. To communicate with a network device, a terminal device needs to establish a wireless connection with a cell controlled by the network device. The cell with which a terminal device has established a wireless connection is called the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0058] For ease of explanation, this application will subsequently use STA and AP as examples of terminal devices and network devices, respectively. That is, the STA and AP that appear subsequently can be replaced by terminal devices and network devices, respectively.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present application, a non-AP device used to transmit low latency traffic (LLT) is called an LLT STA, and a non-AP device used to transmit non-low latency traffic is called a non-LLT STA.

[0060] The communication frame sent by the LLT STA to the AP carries data for uplink low-latency services and is also referred to as an uplink low-latency service frame. The communication frame sent by the AP to the LLT STA carries data for downlink low-latency services and is also referred to as a downlink low-latency service frame. For example, when the communication frame is a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the communication frame may also be referred to as an LLT PPDU.

[0061] Reducing device power consumption is one of the main goals of the next generation WiFi protocol (i.e., WIFI 8). Figure 2 is an example diagram of a preemptive transmission method for low-latency services in a single-user scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application. STA1 only transmits non-low-latency services (non-LLT), and STA2 transmits low-latency services (LLT), that is, STA1 is a non-LLT STA, and STA2 is a LLT STA. Within the transmission opportunity (TXOP) window, non-LLT data is transmitted between the AP and STA1. Within this TXOP, even if there is high-priority LLT data to be sent, the AP cannot transmit the LLT to STA2 in time, and must wait for the end of STA1's non-LLTPPDU transmission. Therefore, if STA1's non-LLT PPDU lasts too long, the LLT transmission delay will increase significantly. To reduce LLT transmission latency, the AP splits STA1's long non-LLT PPDU into multiple short non-LLT PPDUs, the short PPDUs shown in Figure 2. It also introduces a new interframe space (i.e., xIFS) to allow STA2 to preempt the channel for LLT transmission within the xIFS of the short non-LLT PPDUs. As shown in Figure 2, after buffering the LLT data, the AP pauses transmission of the short non-LLT PPDUs to STA1 and, after the xIFS, transmits the LLT PPDU to STA2. Furthermore, to reduce acknowledgment frame overhead, STA1 only responds with an acknowledgment frame after receiving all the short non-LLT PPDUs, significantly increasing acknowledgment frame response latency. Furthermore, STA2 also responds with an acknowledgment frame after receiving an LLT PPDU. The acknowledgment frame can be either a block acknowledgment (BA) or an ACK frame. In Figure 2, SIFS stands for short interframe space, RTS stands for request to send, and CTS stands for clear to send.

[0062] In the above LLT preemptive transmission method, how to reduce the power consumption of STA remains to be solved.

[0063] To solve the above problems, this application proposes a low-latency preemptive transmission solution that can solve the above problems.

[0064] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. This method is performed by a terminal device (e.g., an LLT STA) or a module (e.g., a chip) for a terminal device, and a network device (e.g., an AP) or a module (e.g., a chip) for a network device. For ease of explanation, the following description uses an AP and an LLT STA as an example to illustrate this method.

[0065] In step 301, an LLT STA receives first information, where the first information indicates a first time period, which is a time period that can be used for high power (HP) transmission.

[0066] The first information may be the first time period, or may be information used to determine the first time period.

[0067] Step 302: When there is a low-latency service, enter a high power consumption mode within a first time period; or, when there is no low-latency service, enter a low power (LP) mode or a high power consumption mode within a first time period.

[0068] Among them, low power mode refers to an operating mode in which power consumption is less than a power consumption threshold, such as power saving (PS) mode or doze state. Among them, the operating parameters of different low power modes may be different. High power mode refers to an operating mode in which power consumption is greater than or equal to the power consumption threshold, such as active mode or awake state. Among them, the operating parameters of different high power modes may be different.

[0069] In the above solution, the working mode of LLT STA can be switched between high power mode and low power mode, which prevents LLT STA from being in high power mode for a long time and helps reduce device power consumption.

[0070] In the embodiment of the present application, switching between low power consumption mode and high power consumption mode requires switching time. Therefore, when the low power consumption mode is about to end, the LLT STA should start switching in advance according to its own switching time to ensure that it is in high power consumption mode within the target time period. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the switching time between low power consumption mode and high power consumption mode, and the specific switching start time can be determined by each manufacturer.

[0071] In the embodiments of the present application, the switching time between low-power mode and high-power mode varies depending on the operating parameters. For example, if low-power mode is defined as single-antenna reception and high-power mode is defined as multi-antenna reception, the switching time may be in the nanosecond (ns level); if switching between energy-saving mode and active mode, the switching time may be 100 to 200 microseconds (us); if switching between low-power mode and high-power mode involves bandwidth (BW) switching, the switching time may be in the millisecond (ms) level.

[0072] In one possible implementation method, in the presence of low-latency services, if the starting time of the first time period is unknown, the LLT STA enters a high-power consumption mode, detects non-low-latency service frames, determines the starting time of the first time period based on the non-low-latency service frames, and enters a low-power consumption mode or remains in a high-power consumption mode; enters a high-power consumption mode at the starting time of the first time period or before the starting time of the first time period.

[0073] In one possible implementation method, in the presence of low-latency services, if the start time of the first time period is known, the LLT STA enters a low power consumption mode and enters a high power consumption mode at or before the start time of the first time period.

[0074] In one possible implementation method, when there is a low-latency service, the LLT STA enters a high-power consumption mode and detects a non-low-latency service frame; after the transmission of the non-low-latency service frame is completed, the channel is seized to transmit a low-latency service frame; after receiving a confirmation frame for the low-latency service frame, the LLT STA enters a low-power consumption mode.

[0075] In one possible implementation, an LLT STA enters a high-power consumption mode within a second time period after the first time period to detect whether there are non-low-latency service frames, downlink low-latency service frames, or trigger frames. The trigger frame indicates uplink transmission resources, and the LLT STA can use the uplink transmission resources to send uplink low-latency service frames or buffer status report (BSR) frames. The uplink low-latency service frames carry uplink low-latency services, and the data volume of the uplink low-latency services is less than a data volume threshold. The BSR frames indicate uplink low-latency services to be transmitted, and the data volume of the uplink low-latency services to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the data volume threshold. The following describes different scenarios.

[0076] In case 1, when the LLT STA detects a non-low-latency service frame in the second time period, it enters the low power consumption mode because the LLT STA does not need to receive the non-low-latency service frame.

[0077] In one possible implementation method, after the transmission of the non-low-latency service frame is completed, the LLT STA enters a high power consumption mode to detect whether there is a downlink low-latency service frame or a trigger frame. The trigger frame is used to indicate the uplink transmission resource. The LLT STA can use the uplink transmission resource to send an uplink low-latency service frame or a BSR frame.

[0078] In case 2, if a trigger frame is detected in the second time period and the LLT STA has a low-latency service, the LLT STA maintains a high power consumption mode to facilitate sending an uplink low-latency service frame or a BSR frame on the uplink transmission resource indicated by the trigger frame.

[0079] Scenario 3: In the second time period, a trigger frame is detected and the LLT STA has a low-latency service (that is, data of the uplink low-latency service is cached), but the uplink transmission resources indicated by the trigger frame do not include its own uplink transmission resources and do not include uplink transmission resources with AID=0. Then, the LLT STA enters low power consumption mode and lasts for the first duration.

[0080] The uplink transmission resource with AID=0 refers to an uplink transmission resource that can be competed for by multiple associated STAs, which is called an associated user competitive uplink transmission resource or a shared uplink transmission resource.

[0081] In this scenario 3, although the LLT STA has an uplink low-latency service that needs to be transmitted to the AP, the AP does not allocate uplink transmission resources for itself in the trigger frame and does not include uplink transmission resources with AID=0. Therefore, the LLT STA cannot transmit the uplink low-latency service frame, and the LLT STA can enter low-power mode to save power. The duration for which the LLT STA maintains the low-power mode is a first duration, which can be indicated by the trigger frame, or the LLT STA determines the first duration based on at least one of the transmission duration of the uplink low-latency service, the interframe interval, and the duration of the confirmation frame. The transmission duration of the uplink low-latency service refers to the transmission duration for the AP to receive the uplink low-latency service, which can be indicated by the AP to the LLT STA, and the duration of the confirmation frame refers to the transmission duration for the AP to receive the confirmation frame, which can be indicated by the AP to the LLT STA.

[0082] In this scenario 3, after the LLT STA enters the low power consumption mode and maintains it for the first duration, it can enter the high power consumption mode and detect downlink low-latency service frames. In the case where a downlink low-latency service frame is detected and the downlink low-latency service frame contains its own downlink low-latency service, the LLT STA maintains the high power consumption mode to facilitate receiving the downlink low-latency service from the AP. Alternatively, when a downlink low-latency service frame is detected and the downlink low-latency service frame does not contain its own downlink low-latency service, the LLT STA enters the low power consumption mode. Alternatively, when no downlink low-latency service frame is detected, the LLT STA also enters the low power consumption mode.

[0083] In case 4, a trigger frame is detected within the second time period, but there is no low-latency service, and the low power consumption mode is entered and lasts for the first time period.

[0084] The trigger frame is used to indicate uplink transmission resources. For the meaning of the first duration, reference may be made to the above description.

[0085] Since the LLT STA does not have an uplink low-latency service, even if it detects that a trigger frame has allocated uplink transmission resources to itself, it does not need to send an uplink low-latency service, so it can enter the low power consumption mode and maintain the first duration.

[0086] In case 5, a trigger frame is detected in the second time period, and the LLT STA has a low-latency service (that is, data of the uplink low-latency service is cached), but the uplink transmission resources indicated by the trigger frame do not include its own uplink transmission resources, but include uplink transmission resources with AID=0. In this case, the LLT STA maintains a high power consumption mode and competes for uplink transmission resources with associated users to transmit low-latency services.

[0087] The uplink transmission resource with AID=0 refers to an uplink transmission resource that can be competed for by multiple associated STAs, which is called an associated user competitive uplink transmission resource or a shared uplink transmission resource.

[0088] If an LLT STA competes for uplink transmission resources with an associated user, it sends an uplink low-latency service frame. If it does not compete for uplink transmission resources with an associated user, it does not send an uplink low-latency service frame.

[0089] In case 6, when a downlink low-latency service frame is detected in the second time period and the downlink low-latency service frame contains its own downlink low-latency service, the LLT STA maintains the high power consumption mode to receive the downlink low-latency service frame.

[0090] In case 7, when a downlink low-latency service frame is detected within the second time period and the downlink low-latency service frame does not contain its own downlink low-latency service, the LLT STA enters the low power consumption mode and maintains the second duration.

[0091] Among them, the LLT STA can determine the second duration according to the remaining transmission duration of the downlink low-latency service frame and the inter-frame interval.

[0092] In one possible implementation, the LLT STA enters a high power consumption mode before a non-low-latency service frame arrives. If a non-low-latency service frame is detected and the transmission duration of the non-low-latency service frame is less than a first threshold, the LLT STA may remain in the high power consumption mode.

[0093] In one possible implementation method, different downlink non-low-latency service frames (such as non-LLT PPDU) have the same duration.

[0094] In one possible implementation, each downlink non-low-latency service frame (e.g., a non-LLT PPDU) carries a count indicator, which is used to determine the start time of the aforementioned first time period. For example, if a first time period occurs after a fixed number of non-LLT PPDUs, then upon detecting a non-LLT PPDU, an LLT STA can determine the start time of the next first time period based on the count indicator in the non-LLT PPDU.

[0095] In the embodiment of the present application, preemptive transmission may or may not be supported within a TXOP, and it is necessary to determine whether the TXOP supports preemptive transmission based on dynamic indication. The following introduces four different implementation methods for the AP to notify whether the TXOP supports preemptive transmission.

[0096] Implementation method 1: The AP sends a beacon frame, and a new preemptive transmission enable / support indication is added to the Beacon frame, such as a 1-bit Preemption Support subfield, which is used to indicate whether the TXOP enables / supports low-latency service preemptive transmission. For example, if Preemption Support is configured to 1, it indicates that all TXOPs in the current basic service set (BSS) or TXOPs initiated by the AP support preemptive transmission. Alternatively, if Preemption Support is configured to 1, it indicates that the current AP supports low-latency service preemptive transmission. If the preemptive transmission function needs to be enabled, it needs to be indicated through additional signaling.

[0097] Implementation method 2: Within a TXOP, the TXOP initiator and the receiver exchange management frames to negotiate support / rejection of low-latency service preemptive transmission within the current TXOP.

[0098] Implementation method three: Within a TXOP, the TXOP initiator sends a control frame or management frame, such as an RTS frame, carrying a preemptive transmission indication to notify the current TXOP of support / rejection of preemptive transmission of low-latency services, and can also be used to notify preemptive transmission parameters.

[0099] Implementation Method 4: Outside a TXOP, the AP sends a management frame to notify the user of preemptive transmission. Alternatively, within a TXOP, the TXOP initiator sends a management frame to notify the user of support or rejection of preemptive transmission for the current TXOP. If preemptive transmission is enabled, all TXOPs within the current BSS or TXOPs initiated by the AP support preemptive transmission until the AP notifies the user of the disabled feature. This management frame can also be used to notify the user of preemptive transmission parameters, such as the PSP parameters. If the management frame is individually or group-addressed, the receiver must respond with a response frame. If the management frame is a broadcast frame, the receiver does not need to respond with a response frame.

[0100] The embodiment of Figure 3 is explained below with reference to specific examples. In the examples of Figures 4 to 10 below, T1 and T2 are specific examples of the first and second durations in the embodiment of Figure 3, respectively. The LLT PPDU sent by the AP is a specific example of a downlink low-latency service frame in the embodiment of Figure 3. The LLT PPDU sent by the LLT STA is a specific example of an uplink low-latency service frame in the embodiment of Figure 3. The non-LLT PPDU sent by the AP is a specific example of a non-low-latency service frame in the embodiment of Figure 3. The short preemption window (SPW), long preemption window (LPW), or preemption service period (PSP) are specific examples of the first and second time periods in the embodiment of Figure 3. In the examples of Figures 4 to 10 below, STA1 is a non-LLT STA, and STA2 to STA4 are all LLT STAs. The operating modes of STA2 to STA4 can be switched between high power mode and low power mode. In the TXOP, the long non-LLT PPDU sent by the AP to STA1 is divided into multiple short non-LLT PPDUs for transmission. The interframe interval can be SIFS or other newly defined interframe intervals (such as modified interframe space (MIFS) or slot 1, etc.).

[0101] The following description is divided into three parts. The first part includes a low-power restricted preemption delivery (RPD) scheme, which involves Figures 4 to 6; the second part includes a low-power equal-interval preemption delivery scheme, which involves Figures 7 to 9; and the third part includes an unequal-interval preemption delivery scheme, which involves Figure 10. It should be noted that the following three parts can be implemented independently or in combination.

[0102] Part 1: Low-power RPD transmission solution

[0103] In the RPD scheme, a TXOP may or may not support preemptive transmission. Whether a TXOP supports preemptive transmission must be determined based on dynamic indications. The following describes four different implementations of how the AP notifies a TXOP of whether preemptive transmission is supported.

[0104] In one implementation method, an LLT STA with LP mode receives DL LLT only within the PSP and can preemptively transmit UL LLT within a time interval after the end of any PPDU transmission that allows preemptive transmission.

[0105] In one implementation, within the PSP, the AP sends a Trigger frame to confirm whether the target device (i.e., a LLT STA in LP mode) has awakened. If the target device is awake, after receiving the Trigger frame, it responds with a control frame (such as a PS-Poll frame), a management frame (such as a bandwidth query report (BQR) frame, a buffer status report (BSR) frame, an action frame, etc.), or a data frame (such as a QS-Null frame) after a SIFS interval. Based on the received response frame, the AP confirms that the target device has awakened and then sends a DL LLT PPDU carrying the target device's DL LLT data.

[0106] In one implementation method, outside the PSP, if the LLT STA with LP mode has no UL LLT data, the LLT STA with LP mode is in LP mode.

[0107] In one implementation method, outside of a TXOP, the AP sends a beacon frame or a management frame to an LLT STA in LP mode to notify the next wake-up time.

[0108] In one implementation method, within a TXOP, the TXOP initiator uses control frames (such as RTS and Trigger frames) and management frames to carry indication information to notify the start time of the next PSP.

[0109] In one implementation, the AP may use beacon frames, management frames, or other means to notify LLT STAs of one or more PSP parameter sets. Each PSP parameter set may indicate the parameters of a periodic PSP. When a PSP parameter set indicates a periodic PSP, it may include indication information for indicating the duration of the periodic PSP, such as the number of PSPs using the current PSP parameter set.

[0110] The following, combined with Figures 4 through 6, illustrates the RPD scheme, which applies to both periodic and aperiodic PSPs. LLT STA2 is an LLT STA that does not support LP mode. This means that LLT STA2 can transmit low-latency services but remains in HP mode. LLT STA3 through LLT STA4 are LLT STAs that support LP mode. This means that LLT STA3 through LLT STA4 can transmit low-latency services and can switch between LP and HP modes.

[0111] Figure 4 illustrates an RPD scheme. LLT STAs capable of LP mode receive DL LLT only within the PSP. LLT STAs not capable of LP mode can preempt DL LLT transmission within the first interval after the completion of transmission of preemption-enabled PPDUs. All LLT STAs can preempt UL LLT transmission within the second interval after the completion of transmission of preemption-enabled PPDUs. For example, if the second interval is slot 1 and slot 1 is SIFS, and the first interval is MIFS, the second interval is smaller than the first interval.

[0112] When an LLT STA in LP mode does not cache UL LLT data, it maintains LP mode outside the PSP, as shown by LLT STA4 in Figure 4. If an LLT STA in LP mode caches UL LLT, it may switch from LP mode to HP mode outside the PSP to preemptively transmit UL LLT data, as shown by LLT STA3 in Figure 4.

[0113] If an LLT STA in LP mode needs to receive DLLLT data within the PSP, it remains in HP mode until it receives the DLLLT PDU and responds to the BA. If an LLT STA in LP mode does not need to receive DLLLT data within the PSP, it can switch to LP mode after receiving the Trigger frame and remain in LP mode until the next PSP starts.

[0114] In one implementation, the AP uses Beacon frames, control frames (such as RTS and Trigger frames), and management frames to carry indication information to notify the next wake-up time, such as the start time of the PSP or the start time of the Beacon frame. In a periodic PSP, the next wake-up time is fixed, so no separate notification is required. In an aperiodic PSP, the AP uses a Trigger frame to notify the next wake-up time within the PSP, or uses a management frame to notify the next wake-up time at the end of the TXOP.

[0115] At the start of a PSP, the AP sends a Trigger frame to notify PSP parameters (such as the next PSP start time) and request to receive DL LLT data (such as adding a 1-bit indication). An LLT STA capable of LP mode receives the Trigger frame and determines whether to receive DL LLT data within the current PSP. If so, it maintains HP mode, as shown by LLT STA3 in Figure 4. Otherwise, it switches to LP mode and maintains this mode, as shown by LLT STA4 in Figure 4.

[0116] In addition, the PPDU may include indication information, such as a 1-bit Preemption Indication subfield, which, when configured as 1, indicates that uplink or downlink preemption transmission is allowed within a specified interval after the current PPDU transmission.

[0117] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the RPD scheme. The UL / DL LLT of an LLT STA with LP mode is only transmitted within the PSP, and the LLT STA with LP mode is in LP mode outside the PSP. The UL / DL LLT of an LLT STA without LP mode is allowed to preempt channel transmission outside the PSP. For example, after the transmission of the PPDU with Preemption Indication = 0 is completed, the LLT STA without LP mode is allowed to perform UL / DL preemptive transmission within a specified interval. Compared with the example in Figure 4, the example in Figure 5 only allows the UL LLT of an LLT STA with LP mode to be transmitted within the PSP, that is, the LLT STA receives the Trigger frame sent by the AP, and reports the low-latency service report frame or transmits UL LLT data according to the transmission resources allocated by the AP.

[0118] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the RPD scheme. The UL / DL LLT of all LLT STAs is transmitted only within the PSP, and only one non-LLT PPDU needs to be transmitted between PSPs, thus saving preamble symbol overhead. As shown in Figure 6, within the first PSP, the AP sends a Trigger frame, requesting the LLT STA to report a low-latency service report frame and notifying LLT STA2 and LLT STA3 to prepare to receive the downlink LLT PPDU. An indicator bit is added to the Trigger frame to notify the LLT STA whether there is DL LLT data to be received within the current PSP; if so, the LLT STA in LP mode must remain in HP mode; otherwise, the LLT STA in LP mode can switch to LP mode. In addition, the LLT STA in LP mode that does not need to send / receive LLT PPDUs within the PSP can switch to LP mode after replying to the low-latency service report frame.

[0119] Part 2: Low-power equidistant transmission scheme

[0120] The following illustrates a low-power, equally spaced transmission scheme with reference to Figures 7 to 9. LLT STA2 to LLT STA4 are all LLT STAs capable of LP mode, meaning they can transmit low-latency services and switch between LP mode and HP mode.

[0121] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a low-power, equally spaced preemptive transmission scheme. A specified number of non-LLT PPDUs are inserted into a PSP per interval. A specified number of non-LLT PPDUs are inserted between adjacent PSPs. The interval between adjacent PSPs (e.g., the number of non-LLT PPDUs in the interval) and the duration of each PSP can be flexibly configured by the user or specified by the protocol (i.e., statically configured).

[0122] Optionally, each PSP includes two time periods, namely SPW and LPW.

[0123] The SPW is used to transmit an uplink low-latency service frame with a small data volume (e.g., less than a data volume threshold), or is used to transmit a low-latency service report frame, which indicates the data volume of the low-latency service to be transmitted, and the data volume of the low-latency service to be transmitted is greater than or equal to the data volume threshold. Exemplarily, the low-latency service report frame may be a BSR frame.

[0124] The length of an LPW is not fixed. The AP inserts an LPW based on needs. For example, when the AP needs to send a downlink low-latency service frame to an LLT STA, it can insert an LPW. Alternatively, when an LLT STA needs to send an uplink low-latency service frame with a large data volume (for example, greater than or equal to the data volume threshold), the AP can insert an LPW. The LPW is larger than the SPW.

[0125] A trigger frame may be sent at the start of each PSP, SPW, or LPW. The trigger frame is used to allocate uplink transmission resources.

[0126] The following description uses the example of PSP including SPW and LPW.

[0127] If an LLT STA does not cache the uplink low latency service (UL LLT), the LLT STA decides whether to switch to HP mode before the SPW start time. There are two ways to do this:

[0128] In method 1, the LLT STA maintains the LP mode within the SPW. Then, the LLT STA switches to the HP mode within a specified interval after the SPW ends and detects the signal to determine whether there is an LPW. The specified interval is usually SIFS.

[0129] Method 2: The LLT STA switches to the HP mode before the SPW starts. The LLT STA can report a BSR frame within the SPW and maintain the HP mode after the SPW ends to detect the signal to determine whether there is an LPW.

[0130] When the LLT STA has cached the uplink low latency service (UL LLT), it switches to HP mode before the start time of the SPW and reports the low latency service report frame (such as BSR frame, BQR frame, etc.) or transmits the UL LLT frame within the SPW. The details are as follows:

[0131] 1) If the UL LLT data volume is small, for example, the UL LLT data volume is less than the data volume threshold, the LLT STA uses the transmission resources specified by the trigger frame to send the LLT PPDU within the SPW, and maintains the HP mode after the SPW ends to detect the signal to determine whether there is an LPW.

[0132] Taking LLT STA2 in Figure 7 as an example, LLT STA2 caches an uplink low-latency service before the SPW in the second PSP. The data volume of the uplink low-latency service is small, so it switches to HP mode before the SPW, maintains HP mode within the SPW and sends LLT PPDU.

[0133] 2) If the UL LLT data volume is large, for example, the UL LLT data volume is greater than or equal to the data volume threshold, the LLT STA reports a BSR frame within the SPW. The BSR frame is used to indicate the amount of UL LLT data to be uploaded, and maintains the HP mode after the SPW ends. In the LPW after the SPW, the LLT PPDU is sent according to the transmission resources specified by the trigger frame.

[0134] Taking LLT STA3 in Figure 7 as an example, LLT STA3 caches an uplink low-latency service before the SPW in the second PSP. The data volume of this uplink low-latency service is large, so it switches to HP mode before the SPW, maintains HP mode within the SPW and sends BSR frames, receives the trigger frame in the LPW after the SPW, and sends the LLT PPDU on the transmission resources specified by the trigger frame.

[0135] The following describes how the LLT STA determines whether an LPW exists after the SPW.

[0136] In scenario 1, after the SPW ends, the LLT STA detects a non-LLT PPDU after a specified interval (such as SIFS), and determines that there is no LPW after the SPW.

[0137] If it is determined that there is no LPW, the LLT STA switches to LP mode and maintains LP mode for the remaining transmission time of the non-LLT PPDU, and switches to HP mode before the start time of the next non-LLT PPDU.

[0138] In one possible implementation, a 1-bit indicator may be added to the SIG field of the PPDU to distinguish between non-LLT PPDU and LLT PPDU.

[0139] In the second scenario, after the SPW ends, if the LLT STA detects a trigger frame or a DL LLT PPDU after a specified interval (such as SIFS), it is determined that there is an LPW after the SPW.

[0140] In one implementation method, a new LPWDuration field may be added to the trigger frame to indicate the LPW duration, or a new ULPreemptionDuration subfield may be added to indicate the uplink preemption transmission duration, which may include the BA frame duration.

[0141] The following describes the detection of a trigger frame and a DL LLT PPDU.

[0142] Scenario 1: Within the LPW, the LLT STA detects a trigger frame.

[0143] If the trigger frame does not allocate transmission resources to the LLT STA, the LLT STA switches to LP mode after detecting the trigger frame. After a duration of T1, the LLT STA switches to HP mode within a specified interval to detect whether a DL LLT PPDU is present. After T1, if the LLT STA detects a non-LLT PPDU, it determines that the LPW has ended, switches to LP mode and remains in it, switching to HP mode before the start of the next non-LLT PPDU. For example, referring to LLT STA2 in Figure 7, it remains in LP mode for a duration of T1 after the trigger frame within the LPW, and switches to HP mode within a specified interval after T1 to detect whether a DL LLT PPDU is present.

[0144] In one implementation method, if the trigger frame indicates the uplink preemption transmission duration, T1 is equal to the uplink preemption transmission duration.

[0145] In another implementation, if the trigger frame does not indicate the uplink preemption transmission duration, the LLT STA determines T1 based on the UL LLT PPDU duration, the interframe space, and the BA frame duration. The UL LLT PPDU duration and BA frame duration can both be indicated by the trigger frame.

[0146] In scenario 2, within the LPW, an LLT STA detects a DL LLT PPDU.

[0147] If the DL LLT PPDU does not contain downlink low-latency service data sent to itself, for example, the DL LLT PPDU does not contain user fields that match its own STA-ID, the LLT STA switches to LP mode. After T2, it switches to HP mode within a specified interval to detect non-LLT PPDUs. If the BA frame duration is unknown, T2 can be determined by the remaining DL LLT PPDU time, the interframe space, and the minimum BA frame duration. If the BA duration is known, the LPW ends after T2, and T2 = remaining DL LLT PPDU time + interframe space + BA frame duration. Referring to LLT STA4 in Figure 7, an example of T2 is given.

[0148] If the DL LLT PPDU contains downlink low-latency service data destined for it, for example, if the DL LLT PPDU contains user fields that match its own STA-ID, the LLT STA remains in HP mode, receives the DL LLT PPDU, and responds with a BA frame whose end time is aligned with the LPW end time. After the LPW ends, the STA switches to LP mode. For example, LLT STA2 and LLT STA3 in Figure 7 both received DL LLT PPDUs destined for them.

[0149] In one implementation method, if the LLT STA knows the LPW end time, after the LPW ends, the LLT STA does not need to detect non-LLT PPDU again, and can maintain the LP mode until the UL LLT data is buffered and then switch to the HP mode before the next SPW start time.

[0150] During the above detection process, the LLT STA ignores PPDUs from non-associated APs or non-cooperative APs (e.g., APs that do not belong to the cooperative AP set). The LLT STA can use the following methods to determine the associated / cooperative AP:

[0151] Method 1: Detect the BSS Color subfield in the SIG field of the PPDU to determine whether it is a PPDU transmitted by an associated AP or a collaborative AP.

[0152] Optionally, the BSS Color can be configured as the last 6 bits of the AP's medium access control (MAC) address to reduce the probability of collision between adjacent basic service sets (BSSs).

[0153] Method 2: Detect whether the transmission address (TA) / receiving address (RA) of the PPDU is the MAC address of the associated AP or an AP in the AP cooperation set.

[0154] In one implementation method, the duration of the non-LLT PPDU within the TXOP can be configured to be the same and of equal length, and the number of non-LLT PPDUs between two adjacent SPWs is fixed. Figure 8 is another schematic diagram of a low-power equal-interval preemptive transmission scheme. In this example, different non-LLT PPDUs are of equal length, and the number of non-LLT PPDUs between two adjacent PSPs is 2. When the LLT STA detects the first non-LLT PPDU in the interval between any two PSPs, it can switch to LP mode and maintain it until the start of the next PSP. Before the start of the next PSP, if the LLT STA has not cached the UL LLT, it will maintain the LP mode until the end of the next PSP. For example, in Figure 8, if LLT STA2 has no UL LLT to send in the first PSP, it will maintain the LP mode. Before the next PSP starts, if the LLT STA has buffered a UL LLT, it switches to HP mode before the PSP starts, reports a BSR frame or transmits a UL LLT frame within the PSP, and remains in HP mode after the PSP ends. For example, in Figure 8, LLT STA4 has a UL LLT to send within the first PSP and switches to HP mode before the PSP. This approach can extend the time the LLT STA remains in LP mode, further reducing power consumption.

[0155] In one implementation, a count indicator can be added to the non-LLT PPDU. Figure 9 shows another schematic diagram of the low-power, equal-interval preemptive transmission scheme. In this example, a count indicator is added to each non-LLT PPDU.

[0156] By adding an incrementing / decrementing count indicator to non-LLT PPDUs (for example, within the SIG field), an LLT STA can determine the start time of the next PSP by detecting any non-LLT PPDU within the PSP interval. Specifically, the duration of a non-LLT PPDU is required to be fixed, and the number of non-LLT PPDUs between two adjacent PSPs is required to be fixed. When an LLT STA detects that the incrementing / decrementing count indicator of any non-LLT PPDU reaches a specified threshold, the start time of the next PSP is determined to be the end time of the non-LLT PPDU transmission + the interframe gap.

[0157] Taking countdown as an example, the initial value of the counter is set to N-1, and the threshold is specified to 0, where N is the number of non-LLT PPDUs between two adjacent PSPs. Referring to Figure 9, N = 2, when the LLT STA detects that the count indicator (count) in the non-LLT PPDU = 0, it indicates that the non-LLT PPDU is the last non-LLT PPDU between the two adjacent PSPs. Therefore, it can be determined that the start time of the next PSP is equal to the sum of the non-LLT PPDU transmission end time and the interframe interval.

[0158] In one implementation method, within a TXOP, an LLT STA that only performs preemptive transmission of uplink low-latency services and does not receive downlink low-latency services wakes up only after caching the UL LLT. After waking up and detecting any non-LLT PPDU, the LLT STA independently chooses whether to switch to LP mode and remain in this mode until the next PSP start time. For example, when the duration of a non-LLT PPDU is short, the LLT STA can remain in HP mode until the next PSP start time. After the LLT STA completes sending UL LLT data using designated transmission resources within the PSP, it switches to LP mode and remains in this mode until the next UL LLT data arrives. For example, LLT STA2 in Figure 9 wakes up and enters HP mode after the LLT arrives, and detects non-LLT PPDUs. After detecting any non-LLT PPDU, it can determine the next PSP start time based on the count indication in the non-LLT PPDU, and then remains in LP mode until the next PSP start time. If an LLT STA wakes up after caching a UL LLT and does not detect a non-LLT PPDU after waking up, it can detect a trigger frame within the SPW and report a BSR frame or UL LLT PPDU according to the transmission resources indicated by the trigger frame. If a BSR frame is reported in the SPW within the PSP, it is necessary to detect the trigger frame sent down within the LPW and send an LLT PPDU according to the uplink low-latency service transmission resources indicated by the trigger frame. After receiving a BA frame for the LLT PPDU, the LLT STA enters LP mode and remains in LP mode until the next UL LLT arrives. For example, LLT STA3 in Figure 9 wakes up and enters HP mode after the LLT arrives. It does not detect a non-LLT PPDU but detects a trigger frame within the SPW. It can then send a BSR frame within the SPW and, after sending the BSR frame, send an LLT PPDU within the LPW.

[0159] Part III: Low-power unequal-interval preemptive transmission scheme

[0160] In one implementation method, to reduce the air interface overhead of PSPs, a low-power unequal-interval preemptive transmission scheme can be designed. This means that the AP is not required to insert a PSP after sending a specified number of non-LLT PPDUs. Instead, the LLT STA inserts a PSP when it needs to send an LLT PPDU or BSR frame. Therefore, the number of non-LLT PPDUs between two adjacent PSPs can be variable. This scheme reduces the number of PSPs and can further reduce the signaling overhead of preemptive transmission. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the low-power unequal-interval preemptive transmission scheme. Among them, LLT STA2 to LLT STA4 are all LLT STAs capable of LP mode, meaning that LLT STA2 to LLT STA4 can transmit low-latency services and can switch between LP mode and HP mode.

[0161] In this example, the AP sends a management frame (such as a trigger frame) outside the TXOP or at the start of the TXOP to inform the STA of the uplink transmission resources that can be used within the PSP, and no trigger frame is sent within the PSP. A PSP may be inserted after any non-LLT PPDU and PSP. The inter-frame interval between the non-LLT PPDU and the PSP, and the inter-frame interval within the PSP are both slot1. Usually slot1 is set to SIFS. The figure uses slot1 = SIFS as an example. The inter-frame interval between two consecutive non-LLT PPDUs is MIFS = slot1 + slot2, where the values ​​of slot1 and slot2 can be flexibly configured, and MIFS is not less than the AP transceiver switching time twice. Among them, the AP switches to the receiving state to monitor whether there is a PSP.

[0162] In a TXOP, only UL LLT exists. LLT STAs that do not need to receive LLT PPDUs do not need to detect PSPs and only wake up and enter HP mode after buffering the UL LLT. The following uses LLT STA2 and LLT STA3 in Figure 10 as examples to illustrate this.

[0163] After LLT STA2 buffers the UL LLT, LLT STA2 wakes up (i.e., switches from LP mode to HP mode) and detects non-LLT PPDU. After LLT STA2 detects the non-LLT PPDU, it chooses whether to switch to LP mode and maintain it until the next PSP start time. For example, when the duration of the non-LLT PPDU is short, LLT STA can maintain HP mode until the next PSP start time. Alternatively, LLT STA enters LP mode before the next PSP start time. Within the PSP, if the amount of UL LLT data is large, LLT STA2 reports a BSR frame and reports the LLT PPDU within the LPW of the PSP, as shown in Figure 10. One possible implementation method is that if the amount of UL LLT data is small, LLT STA2 uses the allocated uplink transmission resources within the SPW of the PSP to transmit the UL LLT, without requesting the AP to allocate an LPW for UL LLT preemptive transmission. After LLT STA2 completes transmission of the UL LLT within the SPW, it can go into sleep mode, that is, switch from HP mode to LP mode.

[0164] After LLT STA3 buffers UL LLT data, it wakes up and detects non-LLT PPDUs, but may not detect any. If LLT STA3 detects a trigger frame, it can use the uplink transmission resources allocated to it by the trigger frame, or compete for the uplink transmission resources of the associated user's random access (i.e., the uplink transmission resources corresponding to AID = 0, which LLT STA3 needs to compete for) to transmit the UL LLT. To ensure timely transmission of the UL LLT, for LLT STAs that did not report a BSR frame in the previous PSP, such as LLT STA3, the AP can allocate a small amount of uplink transmission resources in the PSP trigger frame to ensure that LLT STAs that missed the previous PSP can transmit the UL LLT in a timely manner. If LLT STA3 has not transmitted all of its buffered UL LLT within the PSP, it remains in HP mode, continues to detect non-LLT PPDUs to determine the start time of the next PSP, and preemptively transmits the UL LLT or reports a BSR frame in the next PSP. After LLT STA3 finishes transmitting the buffered UL LLT data, LLT STA3 switches to LP mode.

[0165] Within a TXOP, an LLT STA that preemptively transmits uplink low-latency services and receives downlink low-latency services (such as LLT STA4 in Figure 10) not only needs to enter HP mode after buffering the ULLLT and detect non-LLT PPDUs to determine the PSP start time, but also needs to detect trigger frames or DLLLT PPDUs to determine whether LPW exists. During non-LLT PPDU transmission, LLT STAs are allowed to switch to LP mode, but they need to wake up before slot 1 after the end of non-LLT PPDU transmission and detect trigger frames or DLLLT PPDUs to determine whether LPW exists.

[0166] In one implementation method, in an embodiment of the present application, in order to distinguish non-LLT PPDU from LLT PPDU, a 1-bit indicator bit can be added to the SIG field of the PPDU frame format to indicate the type of PPDU, i.e., non-LLT PPDU or LLT PPDU.

[0167] It is understood that in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the terminal device or network device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. It should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that, in combination with the units and method steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a manner driven by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0168] Figures 11 and 12 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 terminal device or network device in the above method embodiments, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be a terminal device or a network device, or a module (such as a chip) applied to the terminal device or the network device.

[0169] The communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11 includes a processing unit 1110 and a transceiver unit 1120. The communication device 1100 is used to implement the functions of the terminal device or network device in the above method embodiment.

[0170] When the communication device 1100 is used to implement the function of the terminal device in the above method embodiment, the transceiver unit 1120 is used to receive first information, where the first information indicates a first time period, and the first time period is a time that can be used for high-power transmission; the processing unit 1110 is used to enter a high-power mode within the first time period when there is a low-latency service; or, enter a low-power mode or a high-power mode within the first time period when there is no low-latency service.

[0171] In a possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is further configured to enter a high power consumption mode within a second time period after the first time period ends.

[0172] In a possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is further configured to enter a low power consumption mode when a non-low-latency service frame is detected within the second time period.

[0173] In a possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is further configured to enter a high power consumption mode after the transmission of the non-low-latency service frame is completed.

[0174] In one possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is further configured to maintain a high power consumption mode when a trigger frame is detected within the second time period and when there is a low-latency service, wherein the trigger frame is used to indicate uplink transmission resources.

[0175] In one possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is further used to detect a trigger frame within the second time period, where the trigger frame is used to indicate uplink transmission resources; when there is a low-latency service but the uplink transmission resources indicated by the trigger frame do not include its own uplink transmission resources and do not include associated users competing for uplink transmission resources, enter a low-power consumption mode and last for a first period of time; or, when there is no low-latency service, enter a low-power consumption mode and last for a first period of time.

[0176] In a possible implementation method, the first duration is indicated by the trigger frame.

[0177] In a possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is further configured to determine the first duration based on at least one of the transmission duration of the uplink low-latency service, the inter-frame interval, and the duration of the confirmation frame.

[0178] In a possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is further configured to enter a low power consumption mode and, after continuing in the low power consumption mode for a first period of time, enter a high power consumption mode and detect downlink low-latency service frames.

[0179] In one possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is also used to enter the high power consumption mode and detect the downlink low-latency service frame, and then maintain the high power consumption mode when a downlink low-latency service frame is detected and the downlink low-latency service frame contains its own downlink low-latency service; or, enter the low power consumption mode when a downlink low-latency service frame is detected and the downlink low-latency service frame does not contain its own downlink low-latency service; or, enter the low power consumption mode when no downlink low-latency service frame is detected.

[0180] In one possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is also used to detect a trigger frame within the second time period, where the trigger frame is used to indicate uplink transmission resources; when there is a low-latency service but the uplink transmission resources indicated by the trigger frame do not include its own uplink transmission resources but include associated users competing for uplink transmission resources, maintain a high power consumption mode and compete to use the associated users competing for uplink transmission resources to transmit the low-latency service.

[0181] In a possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is further configured to maintain a high power consumption mode when a downlink low-latency service frame is detected within the second time period and the downlink low-latency service frame includes its own downlink low-latency service.

[0182] In one possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is also used to enter the low power consumption mode and maintain the second duration when a downlink low-latency service frame is detected within the second time period and the downlink low-latency service frame does not contain its own downlink low-latency service.

[0183] In one possible implementation method, the second duration is determined by the remaining transmission duration and inter-frame interval of the downlink low-latency service frame.

[0184] In a possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is further configured to enter a high power consumption mode before a non-low-latency service frame arrives.

[0185] In a possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is further configured to maintain the high power consumption mode if a non-low-latency service frame is detected and the transmission duration of the non-low-latency service frame is lower than a first threshold.

[0186] In one possible implementation method, the durations of different downlink non-low-latency service frames are equal.

[0187] In a possible implementation method, each downlink non-low-latency service frame carries a counting indication, and the counting indication is used to determine the starting time of the first time period.

[0188] In one possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is also used to, in the presence of a low-latency service, if the starting time of the first time period is unknown, enter a high power consumption mode, detect a non-low-latency service frame, determine the starting time of the first time period based on the non-low-latency service frame, and enter a low power consumption mode or remain in a high power consumption mode; enter a high power consumption mode at the starting time of the first time period or before the starting time of the first time period.

[0189] In one possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is also used to enter a low power consumption mode when there is a low-latency service and enter a high power consumption mode at the start time of the first time period or before the start time of the first time period if the start time of the first time period is known.

[0190] In one possible implementation method, the processing unit 1110 is also used to enter a high power consumption mode and detect non-low-latency service frames in the presence of low-latency services; after the transmission of the non-low-latency service frames is completed, seize the channel to transmit low-latency service frames; and enter a low power consumption mode after receiving a confirmation frame for the low-latency service frame.

[0191] For a more detailed description of the processing unit 1110 and the transceiver unit 1120 , reference can be made to the relevant description in the above method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0192] The communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 includes a processor 1210 and an interface circuit 1220. The processor 1210 and the interface circuit 1220 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the interface circuit 1220 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the communication device 1200 may also include a memory 1230 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1210, or storing input data required by the processor 1210 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 1210 executes instructions.

[0193] When the communication device 1200 is used to implement the above method embodiment, the processor 1210 is used to implement the functions of the above processing unit 1110 , and the interface circuit 1220 is used to implement the functions of the above transceiver unit 1120 .

[0194] 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.

[0195] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules 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 disks, mobile hard disks, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or any other form of storage medium well 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. Of course, the storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a terminal device or a network device. Of course, the processor and storage medium can also exist as discrete components in an access network device or a terminal.

[0196] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. A computer program refers to a set of instructions that instruct an electronic computer or other device with message processing capabilities to perform each step of the action, usually written in a certain programming language and running on a certain target architecture. When the computer program or instruction is loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is executed in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network or other programmable device. The computer program or instruction can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer program or instruction can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center by wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can 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 medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or non-volatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and non-volatile types of storage media.

[0197] 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.

[0198] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can 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 related objects are in an "or" relationship; in the formulas of this application, the character " / " indicates that the previous and next related objects are in a "division" relationship.

[0199] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease 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 necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: A terminal device applied to a wireless fidelity WiFi system, the method comprising: receiving first information, where the first information indicates a first time period, where the first time period is a time period that can be used for high power consumption transmission; In the case of a low-latency service, entering a high power consumption mode during the first time period; or, In the absence of low-latency services, a low power consumption mode or a high power consumption mode is entered during the first time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: The high power consumption mode is entered in a second time period after the first time period ends.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: When a non-low-latency service frame is detected within the second time period, a low power consumption mode is entered.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: Entering a high power consumption mode after the transmission of the non-low-latency service frame is completed.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: When a trigger frame is detected in the second time period and there is a low-latency service, the high power consumption mode is maintained, and the trigger frame is used to indicate uplink transmission resources.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: detecting a trigger frame within the second time period, the trigger frame being used to indicate an uplink transmission resource; In the case where there is a low-latency service but the uplink transmission resources indicated by the trigger frame do not include its own uplink transmission resources and do not include uplink transmission resources for which associated users compete, enter a low power consumption mode for a first duration; or, In the absence of low-latency services, the low power consumption mode is entered and lasts for a first period of time.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The first duration is indicated by the trigger frame.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first duration is determined according to at least one of the transmission duration of the uplink low-latency service, the inter-frame interval and the duration of the confirmation frame.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that After the low power consumption mode is entered and lasts for a first period of time, the method further includes: Enter high power consumption mode and detect downlink low latency service frames.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that After entering the high power consumption mode and detecting the downlink low latency service frame, the method further includes: When a downlink low-latency service frame is detected and the downlink low-latency service frame contains its own downlink low-latency service, maintaining a high power consumption mode; or, Entering a low power consumption mode when a downlink low latency service frame is detected and the downlink low latency service frame does not contain its own downlink low latency service; or, If no downlink low-latency service frame is detected, the low power consumption mode is entered.

11. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: detecting a trigger frame within the second time period, the trigger frame being used to indicate an uplink transmission resource; In the case where there is a low-latency service but the uplink transmission resources indicated by the trigger frame do not include its own uplink transmission resources but include associated user competitive uplink transmission resources, maintain a high power consumption mode and compete to use the associated user competitive uplink transmission resources to transmit the low-latency service.

12. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: When a downlink low-latency service frame is detected in the second time period and the downlink low-latency service frame contains its own downlink low-latency service, the high power consumption mode is maintained.

13. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: When a downlink low-latency service frame is detected in the second time period and the downlink low-latency service frame does not contain its own downlink low-latency service, enter the low power consumption mode and maintain the second duration.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The second duration is determined by the remaining transmission duration of the downlink low-latency service frame and the inter-frame interval.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises: Before the non-low-latency service frame arrives, the high power consumption mode is entered.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The method further comprises: If a non-low-latency service frame is detected and the transmission duration of the non-low-latency service frame is lower than a first threshold, the high power consumption mode is maintained.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that The durations of different downlink non-low-latency service frames are equal.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that Each downlink non-low-latency service frame carries a counting indication, and the counting indication is used to determine the starting time of the first time period.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises: In the presence of a low-latency service, if the start time of the first time period is unknown, enter a high power consumption mode, detect a non-low-latency service frame, determine the start time of the first time period according to the non-low-latency service frame, and enter a low power consumption mode or remain in a high power consumption mode; Entering the high power consumption mode at or before the start time of the first time period.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises: In the presence of a low-latency service, if the start time of the first time period is known, the low power consumption mode is entered, and the high power consumption mode is entered at the start time of the first time period or before the start time of the first time period.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises: In the presence of low-latency services, enter high-power consumption mode and detect non-low-latency service frames; After the transmission of the non-low-latency service frame is completed, the channel is seized to transmit the low-latency service frame; After receiving the confirmation frame for the low-latency service frame, enter the low power consumption mode.

22. A communication device, characterized in that: Comprising modules for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices through the interface circuit and execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

24. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises instructions, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

25. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores a computer program or instruction, and when the computer program or instruction is executed by the communication device, the method described in any one of claims 1 to 21 is implemented.

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