Sensing method and apparatus

Abstract

A sensing method and apparatus, which can be applied to wireless local area network systems of 802.11 series protocols. The sensing method comprises: a second access point receiving a first request message from a first access point, sending a response message of the first request message to the first access point, and sending a second request message to a station associated with the second access point, wherein the first request message is used for requesting the second access point to assist the first access point in performing sensing measurement, and the second request message is used for requesting the station associated with the second access point to participate in a sensing measurement session initiated by the first access point. By means of the method, a non-access-point station can clearly know, by means of an access point associated with the non-access-point station itself, whether there is an access point searching for a sensing response end, so as to assist the access point in establishing sensing, which access point searches for the sensing response end.

Description

A sensing method and 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 202311138235.2 and application name “A Perception Method and Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of wireless local area network (WLAN), and in particular to a sensing method and device. Background Art

[0004] Signals emitted by wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) devices are typically reflected, diffracted, and scattered by various obstacles before they are received. By analyzing the characteristics of wireless signals affected by these obstacles, the surrounding environment can be inferred and perceived, leading to the development of wireless local area network (WLAN) sensing technology.

[0005] The IEEE 802.11bf protocol supports the establishment of awareness between access points and non-AP stations. Currently, non-AP stations determine whether an access point is seeking awareness responders (e.g., non-AP stations) based solely on the access point's probe response. If a non-AP station does not send a probe request, it cannot determine whether the access point is seeking awareness responders, preventing it from participating in awareness measurements.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a sensing method and apparatus, which can solve the problem that non-access point sites cannot participate in sensing measurements.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a sensing method that can be performed by a first communication device. The first communication device can be an access point, or a component used to implement the functionality of an access point. For example, the first communication device can be a unit / module, circuit, or chip within the access point. The method provided in the first aspect is described below using the example of the first communication device being a second access point. In the first aspect, a non-access point station is associated with the second access point and is not associated with the first access point.

[0010] The sensing method includes: a second access point receiving a first request message from a first access point, sending a response message to the first access point in response to the first request message, and sending a second request message to a station associated with the second access point. The first request message is used to request the second access point to assist the first access point in performing a sensing measurement. The second request message is used to request the station associated with the second access point to participate in a sensing measurement session initiated by the first access point.

[0011] In this solution, a first access point requests a second access point to assist the first access point in performing perception measurements. In response to the first access point's request, the second access point may request stations associated with the second access point to participate in the perception measurement session initiated by the first access point. To the first access point, the stations associated with the second access point are unassociated non-access point stations. Through this method, the non-access point stations can clearly understand, through their associated second access point, that the unassociated first access point requires a perception responder. Consequently, they can subsequently participate in the perception measurement session initiated by the first access point, assisting the first access point in establishing perception.

[0012] In one implementation, the first request message includes first time information, where the first time information is used to indicate time information when the first access point sends the awareness measurement request message or initiates the awareness measurement session.

[0013] When a first access point sends a perception measurement request message, it can be considered that the first access point has initiated a perception measurement session. The first access point notifies the second access point through the first request message of the time it sent the perception measurement request message, thereby assisting the second access point in instructing a non-access point station to send a perception measurement query message before the first access point sends the perception measurement request message. This solution ensures that the first access point receives the perception measurement query message before initiating the perception measurement session. The first access point can then obtain the perception capability information and perception time window information of the non-access station from the perception measurement query message, thereby assisting the first access point in establishing a perception measurement session with the non-access station.

[0014] In one implementation, the first time information is the first moment, which reduces processing complexity.

[0015] In one implementation, the first time information is a first duration, which is a duration between a first starting moment and a moment when the first access point sends a perception measurement request message, wherein the first starting moment is a moment when the first request message is sent.

[0016] In one implementation, the first request message also includes time window information for the first access point to perform sensing measurements. This time window information helps the second access point select a suitable site to assist the first access point in establishing sensing, minimizing the need for inappropriate sites to assist the first access point in establishing sensing, thereby improving the success rate and efficiency of establishing sensing.

[0017] In one implementation, the first request message also includes a perception measurement parameter, which is used by the first access point to establish a perception measurement session with a site. Based on the perception measurement parameter, all sites selected by the second access point can participate in the perception measurement of the first access point, thereby improving the success rate of establishing perception between the first access point and non-access point sites.

[0018] In one implementation, the first request message also includes the number of sites requested by the first access point. Based on the number of sites requested by the first access point, the second access point can select an appropriate number of sites to reduce unnecessary non-access point sites assisting the first access point in establishing awareness, thereby saving resources.

[0019] In one implementation, the response message to the first request message includes the number of sites provided by the second access point. This solution helps the first access point determine whether to request assistance from other access points in performing sensing measurements to meet the first access point's sensing requirements. For example, if the sites provided by the second access point are insufficient to meet the first access point's sensing requirements, the first access point may request assistance from other access points in establishing sensing.

[0020] In one implementation, the first request message includes indication information, where the indication information is used to request the second access point to provide identification information of stations participating in the perception measurement initiated by the first access point.

[0021] In one implementation, the response message to the first request message includes identification information of the site provided by the second access point.

[0022] Based on the instruction information, the second access point provides the first access point with the identification information of the stations participating in the perception measurement initiated by the first access point. The first access point can then identify the stations participating in establishing perception and initiate a perception measurement session with them without waiting for a perception measurement query message from the stations. This solution reduces the signaling overhead of perception measurement query messages and improves the efficiency of the first access point in initiating perception measurement sessions.

[0023] In one implementation, the second request message includes second time information and identification information of the first access point; the second time information is used to indicate the time when the station sent the perception measurement query message; or the second time information is used to indicate the time when the first access point sent the perception measurement request. This solution enables a non-access point station to decide when to send the perception measurement query message to the first access point, thereby notifying the first access point of the presence of the non-access point station in advance, providing the first access point with the non-access point station's perception capability information and perception time window information, and reducing the likelihood of failures caused by the non-access point station assisting in establishing perception.

[0024] In one implementation, the second time information is a second moment; or, the second time information is a second duration, wherein the second duration is the duration between the second starting moment and the first moment, and the second starting moment is the time when the second request message is sent.

[0025] In one implementation, the response message to the first request message further includes third time information, where the third time information is used to indicate the time when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message.

[0026] The third time information may be provided by the second access point to the first access point to prevent the first access point from sending the perception measurement request message too early, causing the non-access point station to miss the perception measurement request message.

[0027] In one implementation, the third time information is a third moment or a third duration, where the third duration is the duration between the third starting moment and the moment when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message, and the third starting moment includes the moment when the response message to the first request message is sent.

[0028] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a sensing method that can be performed by a second communication device. The second communication device can be an access point, or a component used to implement the functionality of an access point. For example, the second communication device can be a unit / module, circuit, or chip within the access point. The method provided in the second aspect is described below using the second communication device as the first access point itself as an example. In the first aspect, the non-access point station is associated with the second access point and is not associated with the first access point.

[0029] The sensing method includes: a first access point sending a first request message to a second access point, receiving a response message to the first request message sent by the second access point, and sending a sensing measurement request message to a station that assists the first access point in performing sensing measurements, wherein the first request message is used to request the second access point to assist the first access point in performing sensing measurements.

[0030] In one implementation, the first request message includes first time information, where the first time information is used to indicate time information when the first access point sends the awareness measurement request message or initiates the awareness measurement session.

[0031] In one implementation, the first time information is a first moment; or, the first time information is a first duration, the first duration being the duration between a first starting moment and a moment when the first access point sends a perception measurement request message, wherein the first starting moment is a moment when the first request message is sent.

[0032] In one implementation, the first request message further includes time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement.

[0033] In one implementation, the first request message further includes a perception measurement parameter, where the perception measurement parameter is used for the first access point to establish a perception measurement session with the station.

[0034] In one implementation, the first request message further includes the number of sites requested by the first access point.

[0035] In one implementation, the response message to the first request message includes the number of sites provided by the second access point.

[0036] In one implementation, the first request message includes indication information, where the indication information is used to request the second access point to provide identification information of stations participating in the perception measurement initiated by the first access point.

[0037] In one implementation, the response message to the first request message includes identification information of the site provided by the second access point.

[0038] In one implementation, the second request message includes second time information and identification information of the first access point; wherein the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the station sends the perception measurement query message; or, the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the first access point sends the perception measurement request.

[0039] In one implementation, the second time information is a second moment; or, the second time information is a second duration, wherein the second duration is the duration between the second starting moment and the first moment, and the second starting moment is the time when the second request message is sent.

[0040] In one implementation, before sending the perception measurement request message to the station assisting the first access point in performing perception measurement, the method further includes: the first access point receiving a perception measurement query message sent by the station, the perception measurement query message including identification information of the second access point.

[0041] In one implementation, the response message to the first request message includes identification information of the site; the first access point sends the perception measurement request message to the site that assists the first access point in performing perception measurement, including: the first access point sends the perception measurement request message to the site that assists the first access point in performing perception measurement according to the identification information.

[0042] In one implementation, the response message to the first request message further includes third time information, where the third time information is used to indicate the time when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message.

[0043] In one implementation, the third time information is a third moment or a third duration, where the third duration is the duration between the third starting moment and the moment when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message, and the third starting moment includes the moment when the response message to the first request message is sent.

[0044] In one implementation, the first access point sends a perception measurement request message to a station that assists the first access point in performing perception measurement, including: the first access point sends the perception measurement request message to the station that assists the first access point in performing perception measurement according to the identification information of the station and the third time information included in a response message to the first request message.

[0045] Regarding the beneficial effects of the second aspect and each implementation method, reference may be made to the beneficial effects of the first aspect and each implementation method of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0046] In a third aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a sensing method that can be performed by a third communication device. The third communication device can be a station, or a component used to implement the functions of the station. For example, the third communication device can be a unit / module, circuit, or chip within the station. The method provided in the third aspect is described below using the example of a non-access point station as the third communication device. The non-access point station is associated with the second access point and is not associated with the first access point.

[0047] The sensing method includes: a non-access point station receiving a second request message from a second access point, sending a sensing measurement query message to a first access point, or receiving a sensing measurement request message sent by the first access point. The second request message requests a station associated with the second access point (i.e., a non-access point station) to participate in a sensing measurement session initiated by the first access point. The sensing measurement query message includes identification information of the second access point.

[0048] In one implementation, the second request message includes second time information and identification information of the first access point; wherein the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the non-access point station sends the perception measurement query message; or the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message.

[0049] In an implementation, the second time information is a second moment, and the non-access point station sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point includes: the non-access point station sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point at the second moment.

[0050] In one implementation, the second time information is a second duration, and the non-access point station sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point includes: the non-access point station sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point within the second duration starting from a second starting time, where the second starting time is a time when the second request message is sent.

[0051] In one implementation, the second time information is a second moment, and the non-access point station does not enter a dormant state before the first access point sends the perception measurement request message. Alternatively, the second time information is a second duration, and the non-access point station does not enter a dormant state during the second duration starting from a second starting moment, where the second starting moment is the moment when the second request message is sent.

[0052] Regarding the beneficial effects of the third aspect and each implementation method, reference may be made to the beneficial effects of the first aspect and each implementation method of the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0053] In a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a sensing method that can be performed by a third communication device. The third communication device can be a station, or a component used to implement the functions of a station. For example, the third communication device can be a unit / module, circuit, or chip within the station. The method provided in the third aspect is described below using an example in which the third communication device is a non-access point station (e.g., the first station). The non-access point station is associated with the second access point and is not associated with the first access point.

[0054] The sensing method includes: a first station receiving a probe response message from at least one access point, and sending a sensing measurement query message to a first access point among the at least one access point. The probe response message of each access point includes time window information for performing sensing measurements by the access point. The time window information of the first station matches the time window for performing sensing measurements by the first access point.

[0055] In this solution, a station can decide which access point to assist in establishing perception based on the time window information of the perception measurements performed by multiple access points, so as to maximize the success rate of establishing perception.

[0056] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which has the function of implementing the behavior in the method example of any aspect of the first to fourth aspects above. The beneficial effects can be found in the relevant description of the first to fourth aspects and will not be repeated here. For example, the communication device can be the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point site or the first site in any aspect of the first to fourth aspects. For another example, the communication device can be a device that can support the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point site or the first site to implement the functions required by the method provided in any aspect of the first to fourth aspects. For example, the communication device can be a chip or chip system in the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point site or the first site.

[0057] In one possible design, the communication device includes a baseband device and a radio frequency device.

[0058] In one possible design, the communication device includes corresponding means (means) or modules for executing the methods of the first aspect to the fourth aspect. For example, the communication device: includes a processing unit (sometimes also referred to as a processing module or processor) and / or a transceiver unit (sometimes also referred to as a transceiver module or transceiver). The transceiver unit can realize the sending function and the receiving function. When the transceiver unit realizes the sending function, it can be called a sending unit (sometimes also referred to as a sending module). When the transceiver unit realizes the receiving function, it can be called a receiving unit (sometimes also referred to as a receiving module). The sending unit and the receiving unit can be the same functional unit, which is called a transceiver unit, and the functional unit can realize the sending function and the receiving function; or, the sending unit and the receiving unit can be different functional units, and the transceiver unit is a general term for these functional units. These units (modules) can perform the corresponding functions in the method examples of any aspect of the first aspect to the fourth aspect above. Please refer to the detailed description in the method example for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0059] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which may be the communication device of the fifth aspect of the above-mentioned embodiment, or a chip or chip system provided in the communication device of the fifth aspect. The communication device includes a communication interface and a processor, and the processor is configured to execute the method performed by the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point site, or the first site in the above-mentioned method embodiment. For example, the communication device may be the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point site, or the first site, and the communication device may also be a functional module in the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point site, or the first site, such as a processing chip and a radio frequency chip.

[0060] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication device, which may be the communication device described in the fifth aspect of the aforementioned embodiments, or a chip or chip system provided in the communication device described in the fifth aspect. The communication device includes a processor and a memory, the memory being configured to store computer programs, instructions, or data, the processor being coupled to the memory. When the processor reads the computer program, instructions, or data, the communication device executes the method performed by the first access point, the second access point, the non-access point station, or the first station in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0061] In one implementation, the memory is located outside the communication device.

[0062] In one implementation, the memory is located within the communication device.

[0063] In one implementation, the processor and memory are integrated together.

[0064] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a processor and may also include a communication interface for implementing the method described in any aspect from the first aspect to the fourth aspect.

[0065] In one implementation, the chip system also includes a memory. The memory is used to store computer programs (also referred to as codes, or instructions). The processor is used to call and run the computer program from the memory, so that the device equipped with the chip system executes the method in the first aspect and any one of its implementations, or the device equipped with the chip system executes the method in the second aspect and any one of its implementations, or the device equipped with the chip system executes the method in the third aspect and any one of its implementations, or the device equipped with the chip system executes the method in the fourth aspect and any one of its implementations. The chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0066] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a communication device comprising an input / output interface and a logic circuit. The input / output interface is used to input and / or output information. The input / output interface can be an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin, or related circuits. The logic circuit is used to execute the method described in any of aspects 1 to 4.

[0067] In a specific implementation, the communication device may be a chip, the input circuit may be an input pin, the output circuit may be an output pin, and the logic 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, respectively, at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the input and output interfaces and logic circuits.

[0068] In one implementation, when the communication device is a wireless communication device, the wireless communication device may be a station such as a mobile phone. The interface circuit may be a radio frequency processing chip in the wireless communication device, and the processing circuit may be a baseband processing chip in the wireless communication device. Alternatively, the wireless communication device may be an access point such as a router. The interface circuit may be a radio frequency processing chip in the wireless communication device, and the processing circuit may be a processing chip in the wireless communication device.

[0069] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes a terminal device and a network device, wherein the terminal device is used to implement the functions of the method described in any aspect from the first aspect to the fourth aspect.

[0070] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which is used to store computer programs or instructions. When the computer-readable storage medium is executed, the method described in the first aspect and any one of its implementations is implemented, or the method described in the second aspect and any one of its implementations is implemented, or the method described in the third aspect and any one of its implementations is implemented, or the method described in the fourth aspect and any one of its implementations is implemented.

[0071] In the twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when run on a computer, enables the method described in the above-mentioned first aspect and any one of its implementations to be implemented, or enables the method described in the above-mentioned second aspect and any one of its implementations to be implemented, or enables the method described in the above-mentioned third aspect and any one of its implementations to be implemented, or enables the method described in the above-mentioned fourth aspect and any one of its implementations to be implemented.

[0072] The beneficial effects of the above-mentioned fifth to twelfth aspects and their implementation methods can refer to the description of the beneficial effects of any aspect of the first to fourth aspects and any implementation method thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0073] FIG1 is a diagram of a network architecture applicable to an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG2 is a flowchart of an AP unicasting a probe response frame and a non-AP STA establishing awareness with the AP according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG3 is a flowchart of establishing awareness between a non-AP STA and an AP when an AP broadcasts a probe response frame according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of a sensing method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a management frame in the 802.11 protocol provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a first frame structure of a first request message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a second frame structure of a first request message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a third frame structure of a first request message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a fourth frame structure of a first request message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a first frame structure of a first response message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a second frame structure of a first response message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0084] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a third frame structure of a first response message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0085] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a first frame structure of a second request message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0086] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of a second frame structure of a second request message provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0087] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of the frame structure of an MSDU provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] FIG17 is another structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0090] The embodiments of the present application can be applicable to wireless local area network (WLAN) scenarios, can be applicable to IEEE 802.11 system standards (such as the 802.11ax standard), and can also be applicable to the next generation of the 802.11ax standard, such as the 802.11be standard (Wi-Fi 7 or extremely high throughput (EHT)), 802.11ad, 802.11ay, 802.11bf. The embodiments of the present application can also be applied to WLAN systems such as the Internet of Things (IoT) network or the Vehicle to X (V2X) network. Of course, the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to other possible communication systems, such as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the New Radio (NR) system, and future cellular communication systems, such as the sixth generation mobile communication technology (6G).

[0091] For example, please refer to Figure 1, which shows a network architecture diagram of a WLAN applicable to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 takes the WLAN as an example, including two wireless access points (APs) (AP1 and AP2) and five non-AP stations (non-AP STAs) (STA11, STA12, STA13, STA21, and STA22). Among them, STA11, STA12, and STA13 are associated with AP1, and STA21 and STA22 are associated with AP2. The association of a STA with an AP means that the STA accesses the basic service set (BSS) where the AP is located. The AP can perform network configuration and management on the STA, so that the STA can communicate with other STAs in the BSS through the AP. In contrast, a STA that is not associated or non-associated with an AP cannot use the network services provided by the AP, and thus cannot communicate with the STAs in the BSS where the AP is located. A STA associated with an AP can be referred to as an associated STA. The STA can establish an association with the AP through the association process. A STA that is not associated with an AP may be referred to as an unassociated non-AP STA.

[0092] In Figure 1, since STA21 and STA22 are associated with AP1 and not with AP2, in order to distinguish, in Figure 1, solid lines are used to indicate the association between AP1 and STA11, STA12, and STA13, respectively, and dotted lines are used to indicate the non-association between AP1 and STA21 and STA22, respectively. It should be noted that the number of APs and STAs in Figure 1 is only an example and can be more or less. For example, the STAs associated with AP1 can include other STAs in addition to STA11, STA12, and STA13, and the STAs associated with AP2 can include other STAs in addition to STA21 and STA22. For another example, the WLAN shown in Figure 1 can also include more APs. The embodiments of the present application are also applicable to communication between APs, for example, each AP can communicate with each other through a distributed system (DS). Through the DS, the AP can communicate with its associated STAs and / or unassociated STAs. The embodiments of the present application are also applicable to communication between STAs.

[0093] An AP is a device deployed in a wireless communication network that provides wireless communication capabilities to its associated STAs. For example, an AP can be an access point for a STA (such as a mobile phone) to enter a wired (or wireless) network. It is mainly deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. Of course, it can also be deployed outdoors. An AP is equivalent to a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks. Its main function is to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet. The AP involved in the embodiments of the present application can be an AP applicable to the IEEE 802.11 system standard. For example, the AP can be a device that supports the 802.11be standard, or it can be a device that supports multiple WLAN standards in the 802.11 family, such as 802.11ay, 802.11ad, 802.11ax, and the next generation of 802.11be. The access point in this application can be a highly efficient (HE) AP or an extremely high throughput (EHT) AP, or it can be an access point applicable to a future generation of Wi-Fi standards. An AP is generally a network-side product that supports the MAC and PHY of the 802.11 system standard. For example, an AP can be a communication device such as a base station, router, gateway, repeater, communication server, switch, or bridge. A base station can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, and relay stations. For another example, an AP can be a terminal device (such as a mobile phone) or a network device (such as a router) equipped with a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) chip.

[0094] STA is usually a terminal product that supports the media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) of the 802.11 system standard. It can be a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, or a wireless communication terminal, etc., and can also be called a user. For example, STA can be a mobile phone that supports Wi-Fi communication function, a tablet computer that supports Wi-Fi communication function, a set-top box that supports Wi-Fi communication function, a smart TV that supports Wi-Fi communication function, a smart wearable device that supports Wi-Fi communication function, a car communication device that supports Wi-Fi communication function, and a computer that supports Wi-Fi communication function, etc. In one implementation, STA supports the 802.11be standard; alternatively, STA can also support multiple WLAN standards of the 802.11 family, such as 802.11ay, 802.11ad, 802.11ax, and the next generation of 802.11be. The STA in this application may be a directional multi-gigabit (DMG) STA, an enhanced directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) STA, a HE STA, or an EHT STA, and may also be a STA applicable to a future generation of Wi-Fi standards.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present application, AP and STA can be devices used in the Internet of Vehicles, IoT nodes and sensors in the IoT, smart cameras in smart homes, smart remote controls, smart water and electricity meters, and sensors in smart cities.

[0096] The 802.11bf protocol supports establishing sensing sessions and performing sensing measurements between APs and non-AP STAs, enabling non-AP STAs to sense an unassociated AP without having to associate with it. Sensing measurements are also referred to as wireless sensing or WLAN sensing. In the embodiments of this application, sensing can be WLAN sensing, Wi-Fi sensing, or DMG sensing. For ease of understanding, this article first introduces the relevant aspects of sensing technology.

[0097] Perception measurement refers to the transmission of signals between the transmitter and receiver to achieve the purpose of discovering a target or determining the target's status. WLAN perception refers to a STA with WLAN perception capabilities using received WLAN signals to detect characteristic information of an expected target in a given environment. For example, characteristic information includes one or more of distance, speed, angle, motion, presence or proximity, gestures, etc. Targets include one or more of objects, people, animals, etc. Environments include one or more of rooms, houses, vehicles, businesses, etc. For example, the transmitter can send a signal for perception measurement to the receiver, and the receiver can measure the signal to obtain a channel estimation result, such as CSI. The receiver can perform perception based on the CSI. Alternatively, the receiver can send the channel estimation result to the transmitter, and the transmitter can perform target perception or target status perception based on the channel estimation result. For example, the receiver or transmitter can process the CSI to determine whether there is a moving target in the environment.

[0098] During the perception measurement process, the devices involved in perception mainly have the following roles:

[0099] Sensing initiator: A device that initiates a sensing measurement process and sends a sensing measurement request. For non-DMG devices, the sensing initiator refers to the device that sends a sensing measurement request frame. For DMG devices, the sensing initiator refers to the device that sends a DMG sensing measurement session request frame. The sensing initiator can be an AP. For example, the AP initiates the sensing measurement process as a sensing initiator, and one or more non-AP STAs participate in the sensing measurement process as sensing responders. The sensing initiator can be a non-AP STA. For example, a non-AP STA initiates the sensing measurement process as a sensing initiator, and the AP participates in the sensing measurement process as a sensing responder. The sensing measurement process initiated by the AP as the sensing initiator is also called a trigger-based (TB) sensing measurement process; the sensing measurement process initiated by the non-AP STA as the sensing initiator is also called a trigger-based (non-trigger based, non-TB) sensing measurement process.

[0100] Sensing responder: A device that responds to a sensing process initiated by a sensing initiator and sends a sensing measurement response. For non-DMG devices, a sensing responder is the device that sends a sensing measurement response frame. For DMG devices, a sensing responder is the device that sends a DMG sensing measurement session response frame.

[0101] Sensing transmitter: A device that transmits a sensing signal. A sensing signal may be a signal used for sensing measurements, such as a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU).

[0102] Sensing receiver: A device that receives the sensing signal sent by the sensing transmitter.

[0103] Sensing measurement generally includes the following four stages: sensing capabilities exchange; sensing measurement session; sensing measurement exchange; and sensing measurement session termination.

[0104] During the sensing capability exchange phase, the sensing initiator and sensing responder exchange their respective sensing capability information. For example, the AP acts as the sensing initiator and one or more STAs act as sensing responders. One or more STAs can send sensing capability information to the AP, and the AP can also send sensing capability information to one or more STAs.

[0105] During the perception measurement session, the perception initiator and the perception responder can negotiate configuration parameters for the perception measurement, such as the role of the perception responder (e.g., perception sender or perception receiver), the bandwidth of null data packets (NDPs), the time window for perception measurement, the period of perception measurement, and so on.

[0106] In the sensing measurement interaction phase, the sensing transmitter sends an NDP to the sensing receiver, which performs measurements and estimates channel state information (CSI).

[0107] Termination of a perception measurement session refers to the termination of one or more perception measurement sessions by a perception initiator or a perception responder.

[0108] STAs need to associate with an AP before they can communicate. Association between a STA and an AP can also be understood as the STA joining a basic service set (BSS). Typically, a BSS includes one AP. Association is initiated by the STA. For example, the STA sends an association request to the AP. If the AP accepts the STA, the AP responds with an association response. Capability information can be exchanged between the STA and the AP based on the association request and association response. The AP can also inform the STA of the operating parameters of the BSS in which the AP is located through the association response. After joining the BSS, the STA can communicate with other members of the BSS through the AP.

[0109] In a possible scenario, a certain AP needs to establish a perception session or perform perception measurement. Taking AP1 as an example, when the devices associated with AP1 are not sufficient to meet the perception measurement requirements, and there is no other STA associated with AP1 that can participate in perception, given that the IEEE 802.11bf protocol supports AP and unassociated non-AP STA to establish a perception measurement session and perform perception measurement, so that non-AP STA can perceive with unassociated AP, AP1 can request unassociated non-AP STA to perform perception measurement with AP1. Unless otherwise specified, non-AP STA in the following text refers to unassociated non-AP STA. For the convenience of description, unassociated non-AP STA is referred to as unassociated station.

[0110] Currently, the AP carries a sensing capabilities element in the probe response frame. The sensing capabilities element carries sensing capability information. If the AP requires an unassociated non-AP STA to participate in the sensing measurement session as a sensing responder, the value of the responder needed field included in the sensing capabilities element is set to 1.

[0111] As shown in Figure 2, when a non-AP STA actively scans for wireless networks, for example, it sends a probe request frame to the AP, and the AP responds with a probe response frame. The non-AP STA can determine whether the AP is looking for a sensor responder based on the value of the responder needed field in the probe response frame. The STA in Figure 2 refers to a non-AP STA.

[0112] Even if a non-AP STA is not associated with an AP, it can still provide sensing services to the AP. For example, a non-AP STA may be associated with another AP. Although it appears to the AP as an unassociated non-AP STA, it can still provide sensing services to the AP. For example, the non-AP STA may send a sensing measurement query frame to the AP. The sensing measurement query frame includes the non-AP STA's sensing capability information and time window information. The time window information indicates a time window, which is the sensing availability window for sensing. The non-AP STA's time window information indicates that the non-AP STA can perform sensing measurements within the time window. The time window is periodic. In addition, the sensing measurement query frame can also inform the AP of the presence of the non-AP STA. This is because if the non-AP STA appears to the AP as a non-AP STA and does not send a probe request frame to the AP, the AP may not be aware of the non-AP STA's presence. Based on the non-AP STA's sensing capability information, the AP determines that the non-AP STA meets the AP's sensing measurement requirements. The AP then sends a sensing measurement request frame to the non-AP STA to initiate the establishment of a sensing measurement session. The sensing measurement request frame includes a sensing measurement parameters element, which is used to set sensing measurement configuration parameters for the sensing responder (e.g., the non-AP STA). In response to the sensing measurement request frame, the non-AP STA sends a sensing measurement response frame, indicating acceptance or rejection of the request to establish a sensing measurement session.

[0113] Figure 2 uses an AP unicasting a probe response frame as an example. In certain scenarios, the AP can also broadcast probe response frames, as shown in Figure 3. If the AP broadcasts probe response frames, non-AP STAs can determine whether the AP is searching for a sensing responder, even if they haven't sent a probe request frame to the AP. For example, if other non-AP STAs send probe request frames to the AP and the AP broadcasts a probe response frame in reply, the non-AP STAs can receive the probe response frame from the AP and determine whether the AP is searching for a sensing responder.

[0114] As shown in the process flow in Figure 2, if a non-AP STA does not associate with an AP and does not actively send a Probe Request frame to the AP, the non-AP STA will not receive a Probe Response frame from the AP and will not know whether the AP is seeking a Sensing Responder. As shown in the process flow in Figure 3, if the AP unicasts a Probe Response frame to the non-AP STA, the non-AP STA will not receive a Probe Response frame from the AP and will not know whether the AP is seeking a Sensing Responder. Therefore, since the non-AP STA does not know whether the AP is seeking a Sensing Responder, even if the non-AP STA can serve as the AP's Sensing Responder, it will not send a Sensing Measurement Query frame to the AP, and the subsequent Sensing Measurement process will not occur, resulting in the inability to establish a Sensing Measurement session between the AP and the non-AP STA. Furthermore, if the non-AP STA does not send a Sensing Measurement Query frame to the AP, the AP will not be aware of the non-AP STA's existence and the subsequent Sensing Measurement process will not occur, resulting in the inability to establish a Sensing Measurement session between the AP and the non-AP STA.

[0115] To address the above technical issues, a technical solution according to an embodiment of the present application is provided. In this embodiment, an AP (e.g., AP1) can request another AP (e.g., AP2) to assist AP1 in performing perception measurements, thereby enabling AP2 to request non-AP STAs associated with AP2 to participate in the perception measurement session initiated by AP1. For AP1, the STAs associated with AP2 are unassociated non-AP STAs. Therefore, the non-AP STAs can clearly understand through their associated AP2 that AP1 requires a perception responder, thereby participating in the perception measurement session initiated by AP1 and assisting AP1 in establishing perception.

[0116] Among them, AP2 and AP1 can detect each other's information. For example, AP1 and AP2 belong to an overlapping basic service set (OBSS). OBSS refers to two or more BSSs operating in the same channel and being close enough to each other that they can physically detect information from each other. For example, a STA or AP belonging to one BSS can receive information frames sent by a STA or AP in another BSS. Alternatively, the basic service area of ​​one BSS (for example, the first BSS) overlaps with the basic service area of ​​another BSS (for example, the second BSS). The first BSS can be called the OBSS of the second BSS, and the second BSS can also be called the OBSS of the first BSS. Among them, the basic service area refers to the area containing members of the basic service set, which may include members of other BSSs. The overlap between the basic service area of ​​one BSS and the basic service area of ​​another BSS can be a partial overlap of the basic service areas of one BSS and another BSS, or the basic service area of ​​one BSS falls within the basic service area of ​​another BSS.

[0117] Continuing with the example of Figure 1, Figure 1 takes BSS1 and BSS2 as an example. Figure 1 takes the shape of the basic service areas of BSS1 and BSS2 as a circle as an example. It can be understood that the basic service area of ​​the BSS can also be rectangular, elliptical or other regular or irregular shapes. Here, only the circle is used as an example for explanation. In Figure 1, AP1, STA11, STA12 and STA13 belong to BSS1, and STA11, STA12 and STA13 are all associated with AP1; AP2, STA21 and STA22 belong to BSS2, and STA21 and STA22 are all associated with AP2. In Figure 1, the basic service area of ​​BSS1 overlaps with the basic service area where BSS2 is located, so BSS1 can be called the OBSS of BSS2, and BSS2 can also be called the OBSS of BSS1.

[0118] Figure 1 illustrates the example of two BSSs being OBSSs to each other. If two or more BSSs overlap, they can also be referred to as OBSSs of other BSSs. When multiple BSSs are OBSSs, an AP or STA in any of the multiple BSSs can also perform the methods described in any of the embodiments of this application. For details, please refer to the description of the embodiments of this application and will not be repeated here.

[0119] STAs need to associate with an AP to communicate. Typically, a BSS includes an AP. If a STA needs to communicate, it must join a BSS. A STA joining a BSS can also be understood as associating with an AP. Association is initiated by the STA. For example, the STA sends an association request to the AP. If the AP accepts the STA, the AP responds with an association response. Capability information can be exchanged between the STA and the AP based on the association request and association response. The AP can also inform the STA of the operating parameters of the BSS in which the AP is located through the association response. After joining a BSS, the STA can communicate with other members of the BSS through the AP.

[0120] The solution provided by the embodiments of the present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0121] In the embodiments of the present application, the "messages" transmitted between AP and AP, and between AP and STA are also referred to as "frames". For example, "perception measurement request message" and "perception measurement request frame" are interchangeable, "perception measurement response message" and "perception measurement response frame" are interchangeable, "perception measurement query message" and "perception measurement query frame" are interchangeable, "perception measurement request message" and "perception measurement request frame" are interchangeable, and so on. "When...", "if" and "if" all mean that the device will make corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. It is not a time limit, and does not require that the device must have a judgment action when it is implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations. Unless otherwise specified, "if" and "if" are interchangeable, and "when..." and "in the case of..." are interchangeable. "When..." and "if" / "if" are interchangeable.

[0122] For the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, it means "singular or plural nouns", that is, "one or more". "Multiple" means two or more. In view of this, in the embodiments of the present application, "multiple" can also be understood as "at least two". "At least one" can be one or more, for example, at least one can be one, two or more. For example, including at least one means including one, two or more, and there is no limit on which ones are included. For example, including at least one of A, B and C, then the included ones can be A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C. Similarly, the understanding of descriptions such as "at least one" is also similar. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, "at least one of A, B and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated 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. In addition, the character “ / ”, unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an “or” relationship.

[0123] Unless otherwise specified, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to define the order, timing, priority, or importance of the multiple objects. Furthermore, the descriptions of "first" and "second" do not necessarily define the objects as being different. For example, the phrases "first request message" and "second request message" represent two request messages, but do not define the priority or importance of the two request messages.

[0124] In the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the steps performed by the access point can be implemented by the access point itself, or by a component in the access point (such as a chip, or other processing unit or processor module). For example, the access point can be AP1 or AP2 in 1, or it can be the chip (system) in AP1 or AP2 in Figure 1. The steps performed by the station can be implemented by the station itself, or by a component in the station (such as a chip, processing unit, or processor module). The station can be STA21 or STA22 shown in Figure 1, or it can be the chip (system) in STA21 or STA22 in Figure 1.

[0125] In the following, the perception method involved in the embodiment of the present application is taken as an example, which is performed by a first access point, a second access point, and a non-access point site. The method is described from the perspective of the interaction between the first access point, the second access point, and the non-access point site. It should be understood that the perception method involved in the embodiment of the present application can also be implemented by other devices, such as a chip or a communication device with communication functions. Among them, the first access point is the access point that needs to perform perception measurement, and the BSS where the second access point is located and the BSS where the first access point is located are OBSSs to each other. The non-access point site is associated with the second access point and is not associated with the first access point. The perception provided by the embodiment of the present application is applied to the scenario shown in Figure 1. The first access point can be AP1, the second access point is AP2, and the non-access point site is STA21 or STA22. In the embodiment of the present application, the first access point and the second access point have been time synchronized in advance.

[0126] Please refer to Figure 4, which shows a schematic flow chart of the sensing method provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, the sensing method includes the following steps.

[0127] S401: A first access point sends a first request message to a second access point. The first request message is used to request the second access point to assist the first access point in performing perception measurement.

[0128] Accordingly, the second access point receives a first request message from the first access point. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific name of the first request message. For example, the first request message may be called a sensing assistance request message or a sensing assistance request frame. The first request message is used to request the second access point to assist the first access point in performing sensing measurements. Alternatively, the first request message may be used to request the second access point to assist the first access point in establishing sensing; or the first request message is used to request the second access point to provide a non-access point site to participate in a sensing measurement session initiated by the first access point; or the first request message is used to request the second access point to provide a non-access point site to assist the first access point in establishing sensing.

[0129] The content included in the first request message may vary depending on the requirements of the first access point. For example, the first request message may include one or more of the following information. The content included in the first request message is described in sequence below.

[0130] 1) The first request message includes time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement.

[0131] The time window information may indicate a time window (availability window) in which the first access point can perform sensing measurements. The time window available for performing sensing measurements may also be referred to as a sensing time window. The sensing time window may be periodic. The time window information may indicate a time interval and a period for performing sensing measurements by the first access point.

[0132] There may be multiple stations associated with the second access point, and only some of these stations may be able to assist the first access point in establishing awareness. For example, only some of these stations may be used for awareness within the availability window for the first access point to perform awareness measurements. Alternatively, the communication times of some of these stations may conflict with the availability window for the first access point to perform awareness measurements. For example, the multiple stations include station 1 and station 2. Station 1's communication time is not within the availability window of the first access point. If station 1 assists the first access point in establishing awareness, normal communication with station 1 will not be impacted. Conversely, if station 2's communication time partially or completely overlaps with the availability window of the first access point, then assisting station 2 in establishing awareness will impact normal communication with station 2. Alternatively, the awareness time window of station 1 or station 2 may not meet the time window requirement of the first access point. In this case, station 1 or station 2 cannot assist the first access point in establishing awareness. For example, station 1 and station 2 have already established awareness with the second access point. The second access point can obtain the sensing time window information of each of site 1 and site 2. If the sensing time window information of site 1 meets the time window requirements of the first access point, it can assist the first access point in establishing sensing. If site 2 does not meet the time window requirements of the first access point, it cannot assist the first access point in establishing sensing. It is important to note that multiple sensing measurements can be performed within a sensing time window. If the sensing time window of the first access point and the sensing time window of the second access point overlap, the first and second access points can use a collaborative method, such as multi-AP coordination, to take turns performing sensing measurements within the same sensing time window.

[0133] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement carried in the first request message is used to enable the second access point to determine that site 1 can assist the first access point in establishing perception, and site 2 cannot assist the first access point in establishing perception. This enables the second access point to select a suitable site to assist the first access point in establishing perception, which helps to improve the success rate and efficiency of establishing perception.

[0134] In one implementation, the first request message may not carry the time window information for the first access point to perform awareness measurements. In this case, the embodiment of the present application does not limit how the second access point selects a site from among its associated sites to assist the first access point in establishing awareness. For example, the second access point may request all associated sites to assist the first access point in establishing awareness.

[0135] 2) The first request message includes first time information.

[0136] The first time information may be used to indicate the time when the first access point sends a sensing measurement request message. The first access point sending the sensing measurement request message is the first stage of the first access point initiating a sensing measurement session. Therefore, the first time information may also be used to indicate the time when the first access point initiates the sensing measurement session. The sensing measurement request message may also be referred to as a sensing measurement request frame.

[0137] It is understandable that if the non-access point station does not send a perception measurement query message to the first access point, the first access point will not be aware of the existence of the non-access point station, will not be able to obtain the perception capability information and perception time window information of the non-access point station, and will therefore not be able to initiate a perception measurement session with the non-access point station. Therefore, in order to enable the non-access point station to send a perception measurement query message to the first access point before the first access point sends a perception measurement request message, so that the first access point can initiate a perception measurement session with the non-access point station based on the perception capability and perception time window of the non-access point station, the first request message carries first time information. In this way, the second access point can instruct the non-access point station on the timing to send the perception measurement query message based on the first time information, thereby ensuring that the first access point obtains the perception capability information and perception time window information of the non-access point station before initiating the perception measurement session, thereby assisting the first access point in establishing a perception measurement session with the non-access point station.

[0138] The first time information may be a first moment, which is the moment when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message, as shown in Figure 4. Thus, the second access point may instruct the non-access point station to send the perception measurement query message before the first moment based on the first moment.

[0139] Alternatively, the first time information may be a first duration, where the first duration is the duration between the first start time and the time when the first access point sends the awareness measurement request message. In this way, the second access point may determine the time when the first access point sends the awareness measurement request message based on the first start time and the first duration, thereby instructing the non-access point station to send the awareness measurement query message before the time when the first access point sends the awareness measurement request message.

[0140] The first start time may be the time at which the first request message is sent. In this case, the first request message may include the first start time and the first duration. After the first access point sends the first request message, the timer begins (using this as an example in FIG. 4 ), and when the first duration is reached, the perception measurement request message is sent. For example, after sending the first request message, the first access point starts a timer with the first duration set. When the timer reaches the first duration, the perception measurement request message is sent. Alternatively, the protocol may define the first start time as the time at which the second access point receives the first request message, where the first request message includes the first duration. The time at which the second access point receives the first request message may be considered the time at which the first access point completes sending the first request message. The time at which the first access point completes sending the first request message may be determined based on the time at which the first access point sends the first request message and the transmission delay of the first request message. In this case, the timer begins after the first access point sends the first request message, and when the first duration is reached, the perception measurement request message is sent. Alternatively, the protocol may define the first start time as the time at which the first access point receives a response message to the first request message. In this case, the timer begins after the first access point receives the response message to the first request message, and when the first duration is reached, the perception measurement request message is sent.

[0141] 3) The first request message includes the number of sites requested by the first access point.

[0142] Depending on the sensing requirements, the number of non-AP sites required by the first access point may vary. If the first access point requires a large number of non-AP sites, but the second access point's associated sites are limited in number and can assist the first access point in establishing sensing, then even if all sites associated with the second access point that can assist the first access point in establishing sensing participate in the sensing measurement session sent by the first access point, the first access point's sensing requirements cannot be met. If the first access point requires a small number of non-AP sites, but the second access point provides it with a larger number of non-AP sites, this would be a waste of resources. To this end, the first request message may include the number of sites requested by the first access point, allowing the second access point to select an appropriate number of non-AP sites to assist the first access point in establishing sensing, minimizing unnecessary participation of non-AP sites and conserving resources. It is understood that if the non-AP sites provided by the second access point are insufficient to meet the first access point's sensing requirements, the first access point may request other access points to assist it in establishing sensing.

[0143] In one implementation, the first request message may not include the number of sites requested by the first access point. In this case, the embodiment of the present application does not limit how the second access point selects the number of non-access point sites to assist the first access point in establishing awareness. For example, the second access point may decide to provide all non-access point sites that can assist the first access point in establishing awareness. Alternatively, the protocol stipulates that the second access point provide all non-access point sites that can assist the first access point in establishing awareness.

[0144] 4) The first request message includes a perception measurement parameter, which is used by the first access point to establish a perception measurement session with the non-access point station.

[0145] As mentioned above, the perception measurement parameters may include the availability window for the first access point to perform perception measurements, the perception measurement period, the bandwidth of the NDP, and the like. Among the sites associated with the second access point, the perception capabilities of some sites may not support the perception measurement parameters of the first access point. In this case, even if the second access point selects a non-access point site based on the availability window for the first access point to perform perception measurements, the selected one or more non-access point sites may still be unable to assist the first access point in establishing perception, resulting in a failure in perception establishment. In order to reduce unnecessary signaling overhead and improve the success rate of perception establishment between the first access point and each non-access point site, the first request message may include the perception measurement parameters. In this way, the second access point determines the non-access point site that can assist the first access point in establishing perception based on the perception measurement parameters, which helps to improve the success rate and efficiency of establishing perception.

[0146] In one implementation, the first request message may not carry the perception measurement parameter.

[0147] 5) The first request message includes indication information, where the indication information is used to request the second access point to provide identification information of non-access point sites participating in the perception measurement initiated by the first access point.

[0148] As previously mentioned, if the non-access point site does not send a perception measurement query message to the first access point, the first access point is unaware of the non-access point site and, therefore, will not initiate a perception measurement session with the non-access point site. To this end, the first access point can request the second access point to provide identification information of the non-access point site. This allows the first access point to identify the non-access point site without the non-access point site sending a perception measurement query message, and thus initiate a perception measurement session with the non-access point. Since the non-access point site does not need to send a perception measurement query message, signaling overhead is reduced, improving the efficiency of the first access point in initiating a perception measurement session. Furthermore, the second access point providing the identification information of the non-access point site allows the first access point to clearly define its perception range and associate it with the non-access point site.

[0149] The identification information of the non-access point station may be media access control (MAC) address information of the non-access point station or other information that may uniquely identify the non-access point station.

[0150] The indication information may be an indication field. If the first request message includes the indication field, the first request message further requests the second access point to provide identification information of non-access point sites participating in the perception measurement initiated by the first access point. Alternatively, the indication information may be a value of the indication field. If the first request message includes the indication field and the value of the indication field is a first value (e.g., 1), the first request message further requests the second access point to provide identification information of non-access point sites participating in the perception measurement initiated by the first access point.

[0151] In one implementation, the first request message may not include indication information.

[0152] It should be noted that the first request message may include one or more combinations of the above 1)-5). For example, the first request message may include the first time information and the time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement. Alternatively, the first request message may include the first time information and the number of non-access point sites that the first access point needs to request. Alternatively, the first request message may include the first time information and the time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement, as well as the number of non-access point sites that the first access point needs to request. Alternatively, the first request message may include the first time information and indication information. Alternatively, the first request message may include the first time information and the time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement, as well as indication information. Alternatively, the first request message may include the first time information and the time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement, as well as the number of non-access point sites that the first access point needs to request, as well as indication information. Examples are not given one by one here.

[0153] S402: The second access point sends a response message to the first request message to the first access point.

[0154] Accordingly, the first access point receives a response message to the first request message from the second access point. For ease of description, in this embodiment of the present application, the response message to the first request message is referred to as a first response message. This embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific name of the first response message; for example, the first response message may be referred to as a sensing assistance response message or a sensing assistance response frame. The first response message may indicate whether the second access point accepts the first request message.

[0155] For example, there is no site among the sites associated with the second access point that can assist the first access point in establishing awareness. In this case, the first response message may indicate that the first request message is not accepted or rejected, indicating that the second access point cannot provide a site that assists the first access point in establishing awareness.

[0156] For another example, one of the sites associated with the second access point can assist the first access point in establishing awareness, but this site may already have established an awareness measurement session with another access point. If this site assists the first access point in establishing awareness, it will need to terminate the established awareness measurement session, which will affect the awareness of other sites. In this case, the first response message may also indicate that the first request message is not accepted or rejected, indicating that the second access point cannot provide a site to assist the first access point in establishing awareness.

[0157] Alternatively, among the sites associated with the second access point, there are sites that can assist the first access point in establishing awareness, and the first response message may indicate acceptance of the first request message, indicating that the second access point can provide sites that can assist the first access point in establishing awareness.

[0158] Depending on the content included in the first request message, the content included in the first response message may also vary. For example, the first request message includes the number of sites for which the first access point performs perception measurements, and the first response message may include the number of sites provided by the second access point. Based on the number included in the first response message, the first access point may determine whether it needs to request other access points to assist in performing perception measurements to meet the actual perception needs of the first access point. For example, if the number included in the first response message is less than the number included in the first request message, the first access point may request other access points to assist in performing perception measurements. If the number included in the first response message is greater than or equal to the number included in the first request message, the first access point does not need to request other access points to assist in performing perception measurements.

[0159] For example, if the first request message includes indication information and the second access point determines that there is a non-access point site that can assist the first access point in establishing awareness, the first response message may include identification information of the non-access point site provided by the second access point. Alternatively, the first response message may include identification information of the non-access point site that participates in / assists the awareness measurement initiated by the first access point. In this case, the first access point may explicitly assist the first access point in establishing awareness of the non-access point site based on the first response message, thereby initiating an awareness measurement session with the non-access point site.

[0160] It is understandable that the process of the second access point requesting the non-access point station to assist the first access point in establishing awareness through the second request message requires a certain amount of processing time. To avoid the situation where the first access point has already sent the measurement awareness request message before the interaction between the second access point and the non-access point station is completed, resulting in some non-access point stations not being able to receive the measurement awareness request message, the second access point may also inform the first access point of the time when the awareness measurement request message was sent.

[0161] For example, the first response message further includes third time information, and the third time information may indicate the time when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message.

[0162] In one implementation, the third time information is a third duration, which is the duration between the third start time and the time at which the first access point sends the perception measurement request message. The third start time may be the time at which the second access point sends the first response message, or the third start time may be the time at which the second access point completes sending the first response message. The time at which the second access point completes sending the first response message may be determined based on the time at which the second access point sends the first response message and the transmission time of the first response message. The first access point begins timing upon receiving the first response message and may send the measurement perception request message upon reaching the third duration.

[0163] In one implementation, the third time information is a third moment, which can be determined according to the processing time required for interaction between the second access point and the non-access point station when the second request message is sent / the first response message is sent.

[0164] The content included in the aforementioned first response message is merely exemplary. When the first request message includes one or more of 1)-5) above, the first response message may also include the number and / or identification information of sites provided by the second access point. It will be appreciated that when the first response message includes the number and identification information of sites provided by the second access point, the number of identification information and the number of sites are the same. Alternatively, the first response message may include the identification information of the sites provided by the second access point and the third time information. Alternatively, the first response message includes the number of sites provided by the second access point, the identification information of the sites provided by the second access point, and the third time information.

[0165] It should be noted that the first access point and the second access point may belong to the same DS, that is, the first request message and the first response message may be transmitted through the communication line between the first access point and the second access point.

[0166] S403: The second access point sends a second request message to the non-access point station, where the second request message is used to request the non-access point station to participate in the perception measurement session initiated by the first access point.

[0167] Accordingly, the non-access point station receives the second request message from the second access point. It should be understood that the non-access point station is a station associated with the second access point. If there is a non-access point station among the stations associated with the second access point that can assist the first access point in establishing perception, the second access point can request the non-access point station to participate in the perception measurement session initiated by the first access point. For example, the second access point sends a second request message to the non-access point station, where the second request message is used to request the non-access point station to participate in the perception measurement session initiated by the first access point. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific name of the second request message. For example, the second request message can be called an unassociated sensing assistance request message / unassociated sensing assistance request frame.

[0168] If the non-access point station can assist the first access point in establishing awareness, the non-access point station may send an awareness measurement query message to the first access point to inform the first access point of the presence of the non-access point station. From this perspective, the second request message may also be used to request the non-access point station to send an awareness measurement query message to the first access point.

[0169] Accordingly, the second request message may include identification information of the first access point and second time information. The identification information of the first access point may be the BSSID of the BSS in which the first access point is located or the MAC address information of the first access point. The non-access point station receives the second request message and, based on the identification information of the first access point, determines when to send a perception measurement query message to the first access point. The second time information indicates the time when the non-access point station sends the perception measurement query message to the first access point. The non-access point station may determine the timing of sending the perception measurement query message based on the second time information. Since the non-access point station needs to send the perception measurement query message to the first access point before the first access point sends the perception measurement request message, if the non-access point station knows the time when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message, it may also decide when to send the perception measurement query message to the first access point. From this perspective, the second time information may also be used to indicate the time when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message.

[0170] It is understood that if the first response message sent by the second access point to the first access point includes identification information of a non-access point station participating in the perception measurement performed by the first access point, then the non-access point station does not need to send a perception measurement query message to the first access point. In this case, the second time information may instruct the non-access point station to wait for receipt of the perception measurement request message from the first access point before the time indicated by the second time information.

[0171] The second time information may be a second moment, and the second moment may be the same as the aforementioned first moment, or may be earlier than the first moment ( FIG. 4 takes this as an example).

[0172] The second time information may also be a second duration, where the second duration is the duration between the second starting time and the first time. The second starting time may be the time when the second request message is received (using this as an example in FIG. 4 ), or the second starting time may be the time when the second request message is sent. For example, the second access point may determine the time (e.g., the first time) when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message based on the first time information in the first request message. The second access point may then determine the second duration based on the second starting time and the first time.

[0173] The second access point may unicast the second request message, that is, the second access point sends the second request message to non-access point stations that can assist the first access point in establishing awareness. Alternatively, the second access point may multicast or unicast the second request message. In this case, the non-access point stations that intercept the second request message may decide whether to assist the first access point in establishing awareness based on their own circumstances. If the non-access point station that receives the second request message decides to assist the first access point in establishing awareness, it sends an awareness measurement query message to the first access point, thereby notifying the first access point of the existence of the non-access point station and initiating an awareness measurement session with the non-access point station.

[0174] S404: The non-access point station sends a perception measurement query message to the first access point.

[0175] Accordingly, the first access point receives the perception measurement query message from the non-access point station. The non-access point station sends the perception measurement query message to the first access point before the second moment based on the second time information, or the non-access point station sends the perception measurement query message to the first access point within the second duration after receiving the second request message based on the second time information.

[0176] The perception measurement query message includes the identification information of the second access point, and the identification information of the second access point may be the BSSID of the BSS where the second access point is located. In this way, the first access point can clearly identify which access point the non-access point station comes from.

[0177] If the first response message sent by the second access point to the first access point includes identification information of a non-access point site of the second access point, the first access point may directly initiate a perception measurement session with the non-access point site indicated in the first response message, or initiate a perception measurement request message to the non-access point site indicated in the first response message. In this case, the non-access point site does not need to send a perception measurement query message to the first access point. Therefore, step S404 is not required and is indicated by a dashed line in FIG4 .

[0178] After the non-access point station sends the perception measurement query message, the non-access point station does not enter the dormant state or remain in the active state before the first access point sends the perception measurement request message (i.e., at the first moment), so as to minimize missing the perception measurement request message from the first access point. Similarly, the second time information is a second duration. After the non-access point station sends the perception measurement query message, the non-access point station does not enter the dormant state or remain in the active state within the second duration.

[0179] S405: The first access point initiates a perception measurement session to a non-access point site.

[0180] The first access point knows a non-access point site that can assist the first access point in establishing awareness, and initiates an awareness measurement session with the non-access point site. For example, the first access point sends an awareness measurement request message to the non-access point site, and the non-access point site responds to the awareness measurement request message by sending an awareness measurement response message to the first access point. It is understood that if the first response message sent by the second access point to the first access point includes identification information of the non-access point site that participates in the first access point's awareness measurement, the first access point sends the awareness measurement request message to the non-access point site that assists the first access point in performing the awareness measurement based on the identification information.

[0181] Regarding the initiation of a perception measurement session from the first access point to the non-access point site, reference may be made to the current process of initiating a perception measurement session from an access point, which will not be described in detail here.

[0182] In the sensing method, the first access point requests assistance from the second access point in performing sensing measurements, so that the stations associated with the second access point can clearly know through the second access point that the first access point needs to sense the responding end, thereby assisting the first access point in establishing sensing.

[0183] In a possible scenario, a station (e.g., a first station) may receive probe response messages from multiple access points, each of which includes time window information for the access point to perform perception measurements. The first station is capable of assisting one or more of these multiple access points in establishing perception. In this case, the first station can determine which access point to assist in establishing perception based on the time window information carried in the probe response message from each access point. For example, if the first station is capable of assisting the first access point among these multiple access points in establishing perception, the time window information of the first station matches the time window for the first access point to perform perception measurements. In other words, if the time window of the first station meets the time window requirement for the first access point to perform perception measurements, the first station can send a perception measurement query message to the first access point.

[0184] The following describes possible frame structures of a first request message, a first response message, a second request message, and a perception measurement query message involved in embodiments of the present application.

[0185] In the embodiments of the present application, information exchanged between access points can be carried in management frames in the 802.11 protocol. Of course, it can also be carried in other possible frame structures, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. The following uses the example of information exchanged between access points carried in management frames in the 802.11 protocol to describe possible frame structures of the aforementioned first request message and first response message.

[0186] Please refer to Figure 5, which shows the structure of a management frame in the 802.11 protocol. This management frame includes a frame control field, a duration field, an address 1 field, an address 2 field, an address 3 field, a sequence control field, a high throughput control (HT control) field, a frame body field, and a frame check sequence (FCS) field. For the meaning and bit / byte size of each field in the management frame, please refer to the 802.11 protocol and will not be repeated here.

[0187] In an embodiment of the present application, the first request message may include a first field, where the first field is used to carry the first time information. Alternatively, the first request message may include a first field and a second field, where the first field is used to carry the first time information, and the second field is used to carry the time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurements. Alternatively, the first request message may include a first field, a second field, and a third field, where the value of the third field is the first value. If the first request message includes the third field, and the value of the third field is the second value, then the first request message does not include the second field.

[0188] In one implementation, the first request message may further include a fourth field, where the fourth field is used to carry the number of sites that the first access point needs to request.

[0189] In one implementation, the first request message further includes a fifth field, and the fifth field finally carries indication information.

[0190] In a possible implementation, the frame structure of the first request message may be as shown in Figure 6. The first request message includes a category, a public action / protected dual of public action, a dialog token, a sensing assistance control, and an RSTA availability window element. The category field may be used to indicate the message type; the public action / protected dual of public action field may be used to indicate the function of the message; and the dialog token may be used to identify a dialog; for example, a corresponding request and response pair may have the same dialog token. The number of bits and bytes occupied by each field in Figure 6 is for illustration only and is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0191] The RSTA available window element field is the second field, which may be the RSTA Availability Window element in the 802.11bf protocol and will not be described in detail here.

[0192] In one implementation, the first request message may not include the RSTA available window field, that is, the structure shown in FIG6 may not include the RSTA available window element field.

[0193] In one implementation, the first request message also includes a third field. That is, the structure shown in FIG6 may also include a third field (not shown in FIG6 ). When the value of the third field is the first value, the structure shown in FIG6 includes the RSTA Available Window Elements field. When the value of the third field is the second value, the structure shown in FIG6 does not include the RSTA Available Window Elements field. The third field may be located after the Awareness Assistance Control field.

[0194] The first field is used to carry the first time information and may be referred to as the Unassociated STA Pre-Query Index field. The present embodiment does not limit the specific name of the first field. The first field may be included in the Perception Assistance field. For example, in Figure 6, the Perception Assistance Control field includes the Unassociated STA Pre-Query Index field and a Reserved field.

[0195] In one implementation, the third field is any bit in the reserved field in Figure 6. The frame structure of the first request message shown in Figure 6 is merely an example. For example, the first request message may be a frame structure obtained by replacing the content of Figure 6 with the frame body field in Figure 5. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific location of the various fields in Figure 6. For example, the Sensing Assistance Control field may be located before or after the RSTA Available Window field element.

[0196] The fourth field is used to carry the number of sites that the first access point needs to request, and can be called the number of requested sensing responders field. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific name of the fourth field. As shown in Figure 7, the sensing assistance control field includes a field for the number of requested sensing responders, an index field before the unassociated STA query, and a reserved field. Among them, the specific positions of the multiple fields included in the sensing assistance control field are not limited in the embodiment of the present application. In addition, the number of bits and bytes occupied by each field included in the sensing assistance control field in Figure 7 is only for illustration, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of bits and bytes occupied by each field included in the sensing assistance control field in Figure 7.

[0197] As previously mentioned, the first request message may include the perception measurement parameter. Since the perception measurement parameter includes the time window information for performing the perception measurement, in this case, the first request message may include the perception measurement parameter and may not include the second field. For example, referring to FIG8 , the first request message may include a category, a public action / protected dual of public action, a dialog token, a sensing assistance control, and a sensing measurement parameters element.

[0198] In this case, the first request message may also include indication information. The fifth field is used to carry indication information, and may also be referred to as a sensing responders address requested field. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific name of the fifth field. As shown in Figure 8, the sensing assistance control field includes a sensing responders address request field, an unassociated STA pre-query index field, and a reserved field. Among them, the specific positions of the multiple fields included in the sensing assistance control field are not limited in the embodiment of the present application. In addition, the number of bits and bytes occupied by each field included in the sensing assistance control field in Figure 8 is only for illustration, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of bits and bytes occupied by each field included in the sensing assistance control field in Figure 8.

[0199] In one implementation, as shown in Figure 9, the Sensing Assistance Control field includes a field for the number of requested sensing responders, a field for the sensing responder address request, a field for the unassociated STA query pre-index, and a reserved field. The specific locations of the multiple fields included in the Sensing Assistance Control field are not limited in this embodiment of the application. Furthermore, the number of bits and bytes occupied by each field included in the Sensing Assistance Control field in Figure 9 is for illustration only and is not limited in this embodiment of the application.

[0200] As shown in Figure 10, the first response message may include fields such as a category, a public action / protected dual of public action, a dialog token, and a status code. The status code field may indicate whether the second access point accepts the first request message. For example, if the status code field is set to SUCCESS, it indicates that the second access point accepts the first request message; if the status code field is set to REQUEST_DECLINED, it indicates that the second access point rejects the first request message.

[0201] In a possible scenario, the first response message includes the number of non-AP sites provided by the second access point. Accordingly, the first response message includes a sixth field, which is used to carry the number of non-AP sites provided by the second access point. This embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific name of the sixth field. For example, the sixth field can be called the number of sensing responders field. In this case, the first response message may also include a sensing assistance control field, with the sixth field included in the sensing assistance control field. For example, see Figure 11, which is a schematic diagram of a first response message structure. Compared to Figure 10, the first response message also includes a sensing assistance control field, which includes a number of sensing responders field and a reserved field. The specific locations of the multiple fields included in the sensing assistance control field are not limited in this embodiment of the present application. Furthermore, the number of bits and bytes occupied by each field included in the sensing assistance control field in Figure 11 is for illustration only and is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0202] In one implementation, the first response message may further include identification information of the non-associated site provided by the second access point. Accordingly, the first response message may further include a seventh field, which is used to carry the identification information of the non-associated site provided by the second access point. This embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific name of the seventh field. For example, the seventh field may be referred to as a perception response end address field. For example, see Figure 12, which is another schematic diagram of the structure of the first response message. Compared to Figure 11, the first response message also includes a perception response end address field.

[0203] In one implementation, the first response message also includes an eighth field, which is used to indicate whether the seventh field exists. The eighth field can be referred to as a sensing responder address existence field, as shown in Figure 12. When the value of the eighth field is the first value, the first response message includes the seventh field; when the value of the eighth field is the second value, the first response message does not include the seventh field.

[0204] In one implementation, the first response message also includes third time information. Accordingly, the first response message may also include a ninth field, which is used to carry the third time information. This embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific name of the ninth field. For example, the ninth field can be called a non-associated site request post-index field, as shown in Figure 12. The number of bits and bytes occupied by each field in Figure 12 is for illustration only. This embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of bits and bytes occupied by each field in Figure 12.

[0205] The possible frame structures of the aforementioned second request message and perception measurement query message are introduced.

[0206] The second request message may include a first field and a second field, wherein the first field is used to carry the second time information, and the second field is used to carry the identification information of the first access point. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific names of the first field and the second field. For example, the first field may be called the non-associated STA query pre-index field. The second field is called the requested BSSID field.

[0207] For example, see Figure 13, which shows a structure of the second request message. As shown in Figure 13, the second request message may include fields such as category, public action / protected dual of public action, requested BSSID, and perception assistance control. Among them, the perception assistance control field may include a non-associated STA query pre-index field and a reserved field. The number of bits and bytes occupied by each field in Figure 13 is only for illustration, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of bits and bytes occupied by each field in Figure 13.

[0208] The perception measurement query message may include an access point identification field, which is used to carry identification information of the second access point. In a possible implementation, a field, such as an assisting BSSID field, may be added to the structure of the perception measurement query frame specified in the 802.11bf protocol to serve as the access point identification field, indicating the identification information of the second access point. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific name of the access point identification field; for example, the access point identification field may be referred to as an assisting BSSID field.

[0209] For example, see Figure 14, which illustrates a structure of a perception measurement query message. As shown in Figure 14, the perception measurement query message may include fields such as category, public action / protected dual of public action, sensing capabilities element, assisting BSSID, and ISTA availability window element. The number of bits and bytes occupied by each field in Figure 14 is for illustration only and is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0210] In the foregoing, the information exchanged between access points follows the management frame structure specified in the 802.11bf protocol. The information exchanged between access points and stations also follows the management frame format. In possible implementations, the information exchanged between access points and between access points and stations can follow the frame format specified in the 802.11 series of protocols for communication between transmitters and receivers. For example, this frame format can be the MAC service data unit (MSDU) frame format.

[0211] Please refer to Figure 15, which shows a schematic diagram of the MSDU frame structure. The MSDU may include fields such as the Logical Link Control (LCC), Sub-Network Access Protocol (SNAP), Payload Type, and Payload. The LLC field indicates that the data carried by the MSDU is applied to the data link layer. The SNAP field is used to encapsulate the data carried by the MSDU. The Payload Type field indicates the type of data carried by the MSDU. The Payload field is used to carry the data carried by the MSDU.

[0212] The content included in the aforementioned first request message and first response message can be carried in the payload field. Accordingly, a new payload type, such as a perception type, can be added, and the perception type can be indicated by the payload type field. For example, if the payload type field has a third value, the payload type is a perception type. For example, the third value can be 5 or 6, or other possible values.

[0213] For example, one or more of the first time information, the time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement, the number of sites required by the first access point, indication information, or perception measurement parameters may be carried in the Payload field. For another example, the number or identification information of sites participating in the perception measurement performed by the first access point, provided by the second access point, may also be carried in the Payload field.

[0214] It should be noted that the frame structure in Figure 15 can add a payload type field to indicate the type of the payload field. For example, if the payload type field is the first value, then the payload field carries perception-related information.

[0215] The above description describes the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of the interactions between a first access point, a second access point, and a non-access point site. The steps performed by the first access point can be implemented by different functional entities that comprise the first access point. The steps performed by the second access point can be implemented by different functional entities that comprise the second access point. The steps performed by the non-access point site can be implemented by different functional entities that comprise the non-access point site. To implement the various functions of the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device and the network device may include hardware structures and / or software modules, and implement the aforementioned functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether any of the aforementioned functions is implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0216] The following describes the communication device used to implement the above method in the embodiment of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the above contents can be used in subsequent embodiments, and repeated contents will not be repeated.

[0217] Figure 16 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1600 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Communication device 1600 may be the first access point, second access point, or non-access point station in the above-described embodiments. For example, communication device 1600 may be the access point or station in Figure 1; alternatively, communication device 1600 may be a chip (system) in the first access point, a chip (system) in the second access point, or a chip (system) in the non-access point station; alternatively, communication device 1600 may be a software module of the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point station. Communication device 1600 may implement the functions or steps implemented by the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point station in the above-described various method embodiments. Communication device 1600 may include a processing module 1610 and a transceiver module 1620. Optionally, it may also include a storage module, which may be used to store instructions (code or programs) and / or data. The storage module may be, for example, a memory. Processing module 1610 and transceiver module 1620 may be coupled to the storage module. For example, the processing module 1610 can read instructions (code or program) and / or data in the storage module to implement the corresponding method. When the communication device 1600 is a chip in the first access point, the second access point, or a non-access point station, the storage module can be a storage module within the chip, such as a register, a cache, etc. For example, the storage module can also be a storage module located outside the chip within the network device / terminal device, such as a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM), etc. The above-mentioned units can be set independently or partially or fully integrated.

[0218] In one possible implementation, the processing module 1610 may be a processor or controller, such as a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processing (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the disclosure of this application. The processor may also be a combination that implements computing functions, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, and the like. The transceiver module 1620 is a transceiver, an interface circuit, a bus, a pin, or other possible communication interface for receiving signals from other devices. For example, when the device is implemented in the form of a chip, the transceiver module 1620 is an interface circuit for the chip to receive signals from other chips or devices, or an interface circuit for the chip to send signals to other chips or devices.

[0219] In some possible implementations, the communication device 1600 can implement the corresponding behaviors and functions of the first access point in the above-described method embodiments, for example, implementing the method performed by the first access point in the perception method. The communication device 1600 can be the first access point, or a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) used in the first access point, or a chip or chipset in the first access point, or a portion of the chip used to perform the functions of the relevant method, or a software module capable of implementing the method performed by the first access point in the perception method, without limitation.

[0220] For example, the processing module 1610 may be configured to determine a first request message. The transceiver module 1620 may be configured to send the first request message to a second access point, receive a response message to the first request message, and send a perception measurement request message to a station that assists the communication device 1600 in performing perception measurements. The first request message is used to request the second access point to assist the communication device 1600 in performing perception measurements.

[0221] As an optional implementation manner, the first request message includes first time information, where the first time information is used to indicate time information when the communication apparatus 1600 sends the perception measurement request message or time information when the perception measurement session is initiated.

[0222] As an optional implementation, the first time information is a first moment; or the first time information is a first duration, where the first duration is the duration between the first start moment and the moment when the communication device 1600 sends the perception measurement request message. The first start moment is the moment when the first request message is sent.

[0223] As an optional implementation manner, the first request message also includes time window information for the communication device 1600 to perform perception measurement.

[0224] As an optional implementation manner, the first request message further includes a perception measurement parameter, and the perception measurement parameter is used for the communication device 1600 to establish a perception measurement session with the site.

[0225] As an optional implementation manner, the first request message further includes the number of sites requested by the communication device 1600 .

[0226] As an optional implementation manner, the response message to the first request message includes the number of sites provided by the second access point.

[0227] As an optional implementation manner, the first request message includes indication information, where the indication information is used to request the second access point to provide identification information of the site of the perception measurement initiated by the communication device 1600.

[0228] As an optional implementation manner, the response message to the first request message includes identification information of the site provided by the second access point.

[0229] As an optional implementation method, the second request message includes second time information and identification information of the first access point; wherein the second time information is used to indicate the time information of the site sending the perception measurement query message; or, the second time information is used to indicate the time information of sending the perception measurement request as an optional implementation method.

[0230] As an optional implementation method, the second time information is the second moment; or, the second time information is the second duration, the second duration is the duration between the second starting moment and the first moment, and the second starting moment is the time when the second request message is sent.

[0231] As an optional implementation manner, the response message to the first request message further includes third time information, where the third time information is used to indicate the time when the communication apparatus 1600 sends the perception measurement request message.

[0232] As an optional implementation method, the third time information is a third moment or a third duration, and the third duration is the duration between the third starting moment and the moment when the communication device 1600 sends the perception measurement request message. The third starting moment includes the moment when the response message of the first request message is sent.

[0233] As an optional implementation manner, the transceiver module 1620 is specifically configured to send a perception measurement request message to the station that assists the first access point in performing perception measurement according to the station identification information and the third time information included in the response message to the first request message.

[0234] As an optional implementation method, before the transceiver module 1620 sends a perception measurement request message to the site that assists the communication device 1600 in performing perception measurement, the transceiver module 1620 is also used to: receive a perception measurement query message sent by the site, and the perception measurement query message includes identification information of the second access point.

[0235] As an optional implementation method, the response message of the first request message includes the identification information of the site; the transceiver module 1620 sends a perception measurement request message to the site that assists the communication device in performing perception measurement, including: the transceiver module 1620 sends a perception measurement request message to the site that assists the communication device 1600 in performing perception measurement according to the identification information.

[0236] It should be understood that the communication device 1600 can be used to implement the steps performed by the first access point in the sensing method. The relevant features can be referred to the various embodiments above and will not be repeated here.

[0237] In some possible implementations, the communication device 1600 can implement the corresponding behaviors and functions of the second access point in the above-described method embodiments, for example, implementing the method performed by the second access point in the perception method. The communication device 1600 can be a second access point, or a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) used in the second access point, or a chip or chipset in the second access point, or a portion of the chip used to perform the functions of the relevant method, or a software module capable of implementing the method performed by the second access point in the perception method, without limitation.

[0238] For example, transceiver module 1620 is configured to receive a first request message from a first access point, send a response message to the first request message, and send a second request message to a station associated with a second access point. The first request message is used to request communication device 1600 to assist the first access point in performing perception measurements. The second request message is used to request the station associated with communication device 1600 to participate in the perception measurement session initiated by the first access point.

[0239] As an optional implementation manner, the first request message includes first time information, where the first time information is used to indicate time information when the communication apparatus 1600 sends the perception measurement request message or time information when the perception measurement session is initiated.

[0240] As an optional implementation, the first time information is a first moment; or the first time information is a first duration, where the first duration is a duration between a first start moment and a moment when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message. The first start moment is a moment when the first request message is sent.

[0241] As an optional implementation manner, the first request message further includes time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement.

[0242] As an optional implementation manner, the first request message further includes a perception measurement parameter, and the perception measurement parameter is used for the communication device 1600 to establish a perception measurement session with the site.

[0243] As an optional implementation manner, the first request message further includes the number of sites requested by the first access point.

[0244] As an optional implementation manner, the response message to the first request message includes the number of sites provided by the communication device 1600.

[0245] As an optional implementation manner, the first request message includes indication information, where the indication information is used to request the communication device 1600 to provide identification information of sites participating in the perception measurement initiated by the first access point.

[0246] As an optional implementation manner, the response message to the first request message includes identification information of the site provided by the communication device 1600.

[0247] As an optional implementation method, the second request message includes second time information and identification information of the first access point; wherein the second time information is used to indicate the time information of the site sending the perception measurement query message; or, the second time information is used to indicate the time information of sending the perception measurement request as an optional implementation method.

[0248] As an optional implementation method, the second time information is the second moment; or, the second time information is the second duration, the second duration is the duration between the second starting moment and the first moment, and the second starting moment is the time when the second request message is sent.

[0249] As an optional implementation manner, the response message to the first request message further includes third time information, where the third time information is used to indicate the time when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message.

[0250] As an optional implementation method, the third time information is a third moment or a third duration, and the third duration is the duration between the third starting moment and the moment when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message, and the third starting moment includes the moment when the response message of the first request message is sent.

[0251] It should be understood that the communication device 1600 can be used to implement the steps performed by the second access point in the sensing method. The relevant features can be referred to the various embodiments above and will not be repeated here.

[0252] In some possible implementations, the communication device 1600 can implement the corresponding behaviors and functions of the non-access point station in the above-described method embodiments, such as implementing the method performed by the non-access point station in the perception method. The communication device 1600 can be a non-access point station, or a component (e.g., a chip or circuit) used in a non-access point station, or a chip or chipset in a non-access point station, or a portion of a chip used to perform the functions of the relevant method, or a software module capable of implementing the method performed by the non-access point station in the perception method, without limitation.

[0253] For example, the transceiver module 1620 may be configured to receive a second request message from a second access point, send a perception measurement query message to the first access point, or receive a perception measurement request message sent by the first access point. The second request message requests a station associated with the second access point to participate in a perception measurement session initiated by the first access point. The perception measurement query message includes identification information of the second access point.

[0254] As an optional implementation method, the second request message includes second time information and identification information of the first access point; wherein the second time information is used to indicate the time information of the site sending the perception measurement query message; or, the second time information is used to indicate the time information of the first access point sending the perception measurement request message.

[0255] As an optional implementation manner, the second time information is the second moment, and the transceiver module 1620 sends the perception measurement query message to the first access point includes: the transceiver module 1620 sends the perception measurement query message to the first access point at the second moment.

[0256] As an optional implementation method, the second time information is a second duration, and the transceiver module 1620 sends a perception measurement query message to the first access point, including: the transceiver module 1620 sends a perception measurement query message to the first access point at an interval of the second duration starting from the second starting moment, wherein the second starting moment is the sending moment of the second request message.

[0257] As an optional implementation method, the second time information is a second moment, and the first access point does not enter the sleep state before sending a perception measurement request message; or, the second time information is a second duration, and the first access point does not enter the sleep state within the second duration, wherein the second starting moment is the moment of receiving the second request message.

[0258] For another example, the transceiver module 1620 is configured to receive a probe response message from at least one access point and send a perception measurement query message to a first access point among the at least one access point. The probe response message of each access point includes time window information for performing perception measurements on the access point. The time window of the communication device 1600 matches the time window information of the first access point. Alternatively, the first access point is determined by the first station based on the time windows of each access point.

[0259] It should be understood that the communication device 1600 can be used to implement the steps performed by the non-access point station in the sensing method. The relevant features can be referred to the various embodiments above and will not be repeated here.

[0260] When the communication device 1600 is a chip-type device or circuit, the transceiver module may be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface; the processing module may be an integrated processor or microprocessor or integrated circuit.

[0261] Figure 17 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 1700 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1700 can be a network device or a terminal device in the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the communication device 1700 can be the access point or station in Figure 1; or the communication device 1700 is a chip (system) in the access point or station. In the embodiment of the present application, the chip system can be composed of a chip, or it can include a chip and other discrete devices. For specific functions, please refer to the description in the above-mentioned method embodiment.

[0262] Communication device 1700 includes one or more processors 1701, configured to implement or support the communication device 1700 in implementing the functions of the first access point, second access point, or non-access point station in the sensing method provided in the embodiments of the present application. For details, please refer to the detailed description in the sensing method example and are not further elaborated here. Processor 1701, which may also be referred to as a processing unit or processing module, may implement certain control functions. Processor 1701 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, it may include: a baseband processor, a central processing unit, an application processor, a modem processor, a graphics processor, an image signal processor, a digital signal processor, a video codec processor, a controller, a memory, and / or a neural network processor. The baseband processor may be configured to process communication protocols and communication data. The central processing unit may be configured to control communication device 1700 (e.g., the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point station), execute software programs, and / or process data. Different processors may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors, for example, integrated into one or more application-specific integrated circuits.

[0263] In one design, the processor 1701 may include a program 1703 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which may be executed on the processor 1701 to cause the communication device 1700 to perform the methods described in the following embodiments. In another possible design, the communication device 1700 includes circuitry (not shown in FIG. 17 ) configured to implement the functionality of the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point station in the above embodiments.

[0264] In one design, the communication device 1700 may include one or more memories 1702, on which a program 1704 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions) is stored. The program 1704 can be run on the processor 1701, so that the communication device 1700 performs the method described in the above method embodiment, such as the process shown in Figure 4.

[0265] In one design, the processor 1701 and / or the memory 1702 may include an artificial intelligence (AI) module 1707 and an AI module 1708, each configured to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​module may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. For example, the AI ​​module may include a RAN intelligent controller (RIC) module. For example, the AI ​​module may be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0266] In a possible design, data may also be stored in the processor 1701 and / or the memory 1702. The processor and the memory may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0267] In one possible design, the communication device 1700 may further include a transceiver 1705 and / or an antenna 1706. The processor 1701 may also be sometimes referred to as a processing unit, and controls the communication device 1700. The transceiver 1705 may also be sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver, and is configured to implement the transceiver function of the communication device through the antenna 1706.

[0268] In one possible design, the communication device 1700 may further include one or more of the following components: a wireless communication module, an audio module, an external memory interface, an internal memory, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a power management module, an antenna, a speaker, a microphone, an input / output module, a sensor module, a motor, a camera, or a display screen, etc. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the communication device 1700 may include more or fewer components, or some components may be integrated or separated. These components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0269] The communication device in the above embodiments may be an access point or station, or a chip used in an access point or station, or other combined devices or components having the above access point. When the communication device is an access point or station, the transceiver module may be a transceiver, which may include an antenna and a radio frequency circuit, and the processing module may be a processor, such as a CPU. When the communication device is a component having the above access point or station functions, the transceiver module may be a radio frequency unit, and the processing module may be a processor. When the communication device is a system-on-chip, it may be an FPGA, a dedicated ASIC, a system-on-chip (SoC), a CPU, a network processor (NP), a DSP, a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated circuit. The processing module may be the processor of the system-on-chip. The transceiver module or communication interface may be the input / output interface or interface circuit of the system-on-chip. For example, the interface circuit may be a code / data read / write interface circuit. The interface circuit can be used to receive code instructions (the code instructions are stored in a memory and can be read directly from the memory or read from the memory via another device) and transmit them to the processor; the processor can be used to execute the code instructions to perform the method in the above method embodiment. For example, the interface circuit can also be a signal transmission interface circuit between a communication processor and a transceiver.

[0270] Embodiments of the present application also provide a communication system. Specifically, the communication system includes multiple access points and at least one station. Exemplarily, the communication system includes access points for implementing the access point-related functions in the aforementioned sensing method and stations for implementing the non-access point station-related functions in the aforementioned sensing method. For details, please refer to the relevant description in the aforementioned method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0271] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method performed by the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point station in the perception method.

[0272] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to execute the method performed by the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point station in the perception method.

[0273] An embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a processor and may also include a memory, for implementing the functions of the first access point, the second access point, or the non-access point station in the aforementioned method. The chip system can be composed of a chip or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0274] To implement the functions of the communication device shown in Figures 16 and 17 , embodiments of the present application further provide a chip including a processor for supporting the communication device in implementing the functions of the first access point, second access point, or non-access point station described in the method embodiments. In one possible design, the chip is connected to or includes a memory for storing computer programs, instructions, and data necessary for the communication device.

[0275] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0276] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0277] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0278] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0279] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0280] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the part that essentially contributes to the technical solution of the present application or the part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a RAM, a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

Claims

1. A sensing method, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving a first request message from a first access point, where the first request message is used to request a second access point to assist the first access point in performing perception measurement; Sending a response message to the first request message; A second request message is sent to a station associated with the second access point, where the second request message is used to request the station to participate in the perception measurement session initiated by the first access point.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first request message includes first time information, where the first time information is used to indicate time information when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message or time information when the perception measurement session is initiated.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The first time information is a first moment; or, The first time information is a first duration, the first duration is a duration from a first starting moment to a moment when the first access point sends a perception measurement request message, and the first starting moment is a moment when the first request message is sent.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first request message also includes time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first request message further includes a perception measurement parameter, where the perception measurement parameter is used by the first access point to establish a perception measurement session with the station.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The first request message also includes the number of sites requested by the first access point.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The response message to the first request message includes the number of sites provided by the second access point.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that: The first request message includes indication information, where the indication information is used to request the second access point to provide identification information of sites participating in the perception measurement initiated by the first access point.

9. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that: The response message to the first request message includes identification information of the site provided by the second access point.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The second request message includes second time information and identification information of the first access point; wherein the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the site sends the perception measurement query message; or, the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The second time information is a second moment; or, the second time information is a second duration, the second duration is a duration between a second starting moment and the first moment, and the second starting moment is a time when the second request message is sent.

12. A sensing method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Sending a first request message to the second access point, where the first request message is used to request the second access point to assist the first access point in performing perception measurement; receiving a response message to the first request message; Sending a perception measurement request message to a station that assists the first access point in performing the perception measurement.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The first request message includes first time information, where the first time information is used to indicate time information when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message or time information when the perception measurement session is initiated.

14. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 13, characterized in that: The first time information is a first moment; or, The first time information is a first duration, the first duration is a duration from a first starting moment to a moment when the first access point sends a perception measurement request message, and the first starting moment is a moment when the first request message is sent.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that: The first request message also includes time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that: The first request message further includes a perception measurement parameter, where the perception measurement parameter is used by the first access point to establish a perception measurement session with the station.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that: The first request message also includes the number of sites requested by the first access point.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The response message to the first request message includes the number of sites provided by the second access point.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that: The first request message includes indication information, where the indication information is used to request the second access point to provide identification information of sites participating in the perception measurement initiated by the first access point.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that: The response message to the first request message includes identification information of the site provided by the second access point.

21. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 20, characterized in that: The second request message includes second time information and identification information of the first access point; wherein the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the station sends the perception measurement query message; or, the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the first access point sends the perception measurement request.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The second time information is a second moment; or, the second time information is a second duration, the second duration is a duration between a second starting moment and the first moment, and the second starting moment is a time when the second request message is sent.

23. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 22, characterized in that: Before sending the perception measurement request message to the station that assists the first access point in performing the perception measurement, the method further includes: A perception measurement query message sent by the station is received, where the perception measurement query message includes identification information of the second access point.

24. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 22, characterized in that: The response message of the first request message includes the identification information of the site; sending a perception measurement request message to the site that assists the first access point in performing perception measurement includes: sending a perception measurement request message to the site that assists the first access point in performing perception measurement according to the identification information.

25. A sensing method, characterized in that: include: receiving a second request message from a second access point, wherein the second request message requests a station associated with the second access point to participate in a perception measurement session initiated by the first access point; Sending a perception measurement query message to the first access point, where the perception measurement query message includes identification information of the second access point; or receiving a perception measurement request message sent by the first access point.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein: The second request message includes second time information and identification information of the first access point; wherein the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the site sends the perception measurement query message; or, the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein: The second time information is a second moment, and sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point includes: sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point at the second moment; or, The second time information is a second duration, and sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point includes: sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point within a second duration starting from a second starting time, wherein the second starting time is the sending time of the second request message.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein: The second time information is a second moment, and the first access point does not enter the sleep state before sending the perception measurement request message; or, the second time information is a second duration, and the sleep state does not enter the sleep state within the second duration, wherein the second start moment is the sending moment of the second request message.

29. A sensing method, characterized in that: include: The first station receives a probe response message from at least one access point, wherein the probe response message of each access point includes time window information for the access point to perform perception measurement; The first station sends a perception measurement query message to a first access point among the at least one access point, and the time window information of the first station matches a time window for the first access point to perform perception measurement.

30. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises: a transceiver module, configured to receive a first request message from a first access point, send a response message to the first request message, and send a second request message to a station associated with the communication device, wherein the first request message is used to request the communication device to assist the first access point in performing perception measurement, and the second request message is used to request the station to participate in a perception measurement session initiated by the first access point; The processing module is used to determine the second request message.

31. The device according to claim 30, characterized in that The first request message includes first time information, where the first time information is used to indicate time information when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message or time information when the perception measurement session is initiated.

32. The device according to any one of claims 30 to 31, characterized in that The first time information is a first moment; or, The first time information is a first duration, the first duration is a duration from a first starting moment to a moment when the first access point sends a perception measurement request message, and the first starting moment is a moment when the first request message is sent.

33. The device according to any one of claims 30 to 32, characterized in that The first request message also includes time window information for the first access point to perform perception measurement.

34. The device according to any one of claims 30 to 33, characterized in that The first request message further includes a perception measurement parameter, where the perception measurement parameter is used by the first access point to establish a perception measurement session with the station.

35. The device according to any one of claims 30 to 34, characterized in that The first request message also includes the number of sites requested by the first access point.

36. The device according to claim 35, characterized in that The response message to the first request message includes the number of sites provided by the communication device.

37. The device according to any one of claims 34 to 36, characterized in that The first request message includes indication information, where the indication information is used to request the communication device to provide identification information of a station participating in the perception measurement initiated by the first access point.

38. The device according to any one of claims 34 to 37, characterized in that The response message to the first request message includes identification information of the site provided by the communication device.

39. The device according to any one of claims 30 to 38, characterized in that The second request message includes second time information and identification information of the first access point; wherein the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the site sends the perception measurement query message; or, the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message.

40. The device according to claim 39, characterized in that The second time information is a second moment; or, the second time information is a second duration, the second duration is a duration between a second starting moment and the first moment, and the second starting moment is a time when the second request message is sent.

41. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises: The transceiver module is used to: send a first request message to a second access point, receive a response message to the first request message, and send a perception measurement request message to a site that assists the communication device in performing perception measurement. The first request message is used to request the second access point to assist the communication device in performing perception measurement; A processing module is used to determine the first request message.

42. The device according to claim 41, characterized in that The first request message includes first time information, where the first time information is used to indicate time information when the communication device sends the awareness measurement request message or time information when a awareness measurement session is initiated.

43. The device according to any one of claims 41 to 42, characterized in that The first time information is a first moment; or, The first time information is a first duration, the first duration is the duration between a first starting moment and a moment when the communication device sends a perception measurement request message, and the first starting moment is a moment when the first request message is sent.

44. The device according to any one of claims 41 to 43, characterized in that The first request message also includes time window information for the communication device to perform perception measurement.

45. The device according to any one of claims 41 to 44, characterized in that The first request message further includes a perception measurement parameter, where the perception measurement parameter is used by the communication device to establish a perception measurement session with the station.

46. ​​The device according to any one of claims 41 to 45, characterized in that The first request message also includes the number of sites requested by the communication device.

47. The device according to claim 46, characterized in that The response message to the first request message includes the number of sites provided by the second access point.

48. The device according to any one of claims 44 to 47, characterized in that The first request message includes indication information, where the indication information is used to request the second access point to provide identification information of sites participating in the perception measurement initiated by the communication device.

49. The device according to any one of claims 44 to 48, characterized in that The response message to the first request message includes identification information of the site provided by the second access point.

50. The device according to any one of claims 41 to 49, characterized in that The second request message includes second time information and identification information of the communication device; wherein the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the site sends the perception measurement query message; or, the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the communication device sends the perception measurement request.

51. The device according to claim 50, characterized in that The second time information is a second moment; or, the second time information is a second duration, the second duration is a duration between a second starting moment and the first moment, and the second starting moment is a time when the second request message is sent.

52. The device according to any one of claims 41 to 51, characterized in that Before sending a perception measurement request message to a station that assists the communication device in performing perception measurement, the transceiver module is further used to: A perception measurement query message sent by the station is received, where the perception measurement query message includes identification information of the second access point.

53. The device according to any one of claims 41 to 51, characterized in that The response message of the first request message includes the identification information of the site; sending a perception measurement request message to the site that assists the communication device in performing perception measurement includes: sending a perception measurement request message to the site that assists the communication device in performing perception measurement according to the identification information.

54. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a transceiver module, configured to receive a second request message from a second access point, send a perception measurement query message to the first access point, or receive a perception measurement request message sent by the first access point, wherein the second request message requests a station associated with the second access point to participate in a perception measurement session initiated by the first access point, and the perception measurement query message includes identification information of the second access point; The processing module is configured to determine the perception measurement query message.

55. The device according to claim 54, characterized in that The second request message includes second time information and identification information of the first access point; wherein the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the communication device sends the perception measurement query message; or, the second time information is used to indicate the time information when the first access point sends the perception measurement request message.

56. The device according to claim 55, characterized in that The second time information is a second moment, and sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point includes: sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point at the second moment; or, The second time information is a second duration, and sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point includes: sending the perception measurement query message to the first access point within a second duration starting from a second starting time, wherein the second starting time is the sending time of the second request message.

57. The device of claim 54, wherein: The second time information is a second moment, and the first access point does not enter the sleep state before sending the perception measurement request message; or, the second time information is a second duration, and the sleep state does not enter the sleep state within the second duration, wherein the second start moment is the sending moment of the second request message.

58. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a transceiver module, configured to receive a probe response message from at least one access point, and send a perception measurement query message to a first access point among the at least one access point, wherein the probe response message of each access point includes time window information for the access point to perform perception measurement, and the time window information of the communication device matches the time window for the first access point to perform perception measurement; The processing module is configured to determine the perception measurement query message.

59. A communication device, characterized in that: A module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, or a module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 24, or a module for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 28, or a module for executing the method as claimed in claim 29.

60. A communication device, characterized in that: comprising a processor for executing one or more computer programs or instructions so that the communication device performs the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, or the communication device performs the method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 24, or the communication device performs the method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 28, or the communication device performs the method as claimed in claim 29.

61. A communication system, characterized in that: The method comprises a first communication device, a second communication device and a third communication device, wherein the first communication device is used to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, the second communication device is used to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 24, and the third communication device is used to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 28.

62. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A computer program or instruction is stored, the computer program or instruction being used to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, or to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 24, or to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 28, or to implement the method as claimed in claim 29.

63. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, or causes the computer to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 24, or causes the computer to execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 28, or causes the computer to execute the method as claimed in claim 29.

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