Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and a related apparatus. The method can be applied to a wireless local area network system that supports IEEE 802.11ax next-generation WiFi protocols such as 802.11be, WiFi 7 or EHT, and 802.11 series protocols such as 802.11be next generation or WiFi 8, and can also be applied to a UWB-based wireless personal area network system and a sensing system. The method comprises: a first device receiving, on a first channel, first information from a second device, wherein the first information is used for triggering the first device to send second information; the first device sending the second information, wherein the second information is used for indicating that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel; and the first device communicating with a third device on the second channel, wherein the third device is a device associated with the first device. The solution provided in the embodiments of the present application facilitates an improvement in the communication performance.

Description

Communication method and related device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on December 22, 2023, with application number 202311793422.4 and application name “Communication Methods and Related Devices”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and related devices. Background Art

[0003] The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 is one of the mainstream wireless access standards and has achieved extremely widespread adoption. The IEEE 802.11a standard only supports 20 MHz bandwidth, but the bandwidth has been continuously increased during subsequent standard evolution. The 802.11n standard supports a maximum bandwidth of 40 MHz, and the 802.11ac / ax standard supports a maximum bandwidth of 160 (80 + 80) MHz. To ensure backward compatibility during standard evolution, a single primary 20 MHz channel is used regardless of bandwidth, and this channel must be included when transmitting data using any bandwidth. This leads to a problem: when this single primary 20 MHz channel is busy, all other idle secondary channels (or secondary channels) become unusable, resulting in reduced system efficiency. To address this issue, related technologies have proposed switching from the primary channel to a secondary channel for channel access when the primary channel is busy. However, this solution may result in inconsistent recognition of the primary and secondary channels between the access point (AP) and the station (STA). For example, assume that STA1 is the transmission target user of AP1, and STA1 is the hidden node of AP2 (that is, STA1 cannot receive AP2's transmission). Therefore, only AP1 can detect that the main channel is busy and switch to the slave channel, while STA1 cannot detect that the main channel is busy, so it cannot be triggered to switch to the slave channel, resulting in the transmission between AP1 and STA1 being missed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and related devices, which are conducive to improving communication performance.

[0005] The present application is introduced below from different aspects. It should be understood that the implementation methods and beneficial effects of the following different aspects can be referenced to each other.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a first device, which may be the first device itself, or a module or chip in the first device. For example, the first device may be AP1. The method includes:

[0007] receiving first information from a second device on a first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information;

[0008] Sending the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap;

[0009] Communicate with a third device on the second channel, where the third device is a device associated with the first device.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present application, the second device that successfully seizes the channel provides the first device with an opportunity to declare that it has a second channel (i.e., secondary channel) transmission requirement (i.e., provides the first device with an opportunity to send second information), so that the third device associated with the first device can switch to the second channel for transmission synchronously with the first device based on the received second information, thereby solving the problem of inconsistent cognition of channel switching on the first and third device sides, which is conducive to improving communication reliability / communication performance.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes information indicating the first channel. That is, the second device may further declare the channel it uses, namely, the first channel, to the surrounding devices.

[0012] In a possible implementation, sending the second information includes:

[0013] sending the second information on the first channel and the second channel; or,

[0014] The second information is sent on the second channel and the second link of a first link, where the first link and the second link are included in a plurality of links between the first device and the third device.

[0015] In this implementation, the first device can specifically send the second information on the first channel and the second channel, or, for a first device with multi-link capability, it can also send the second information on the second channel of the first link and the second link to declare that it has a transmission requirement on the second channel (i.e., the secondary channel), so that a third device that receives the second information can switch to the second channel for transmission synchronously with the first device based on the received second information, and also has the function of notifying other devices unrelated to the first device not to preempt the second channel.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0017] The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel.

[0018] In this implementation, the first device can also specify a designated channel, a designated time, and / or a designated transmission participant through the second information. For example, if the second information also specifies a designated channel, a designated time, and a designated transmission participant, this allows only the designated transmission participant to communicate with the first device on the designated channel at the designated time, thereby increasing the flexibility of the solution.

[0019] In a possible implementation, one or more items of information including identification information of the second channel, channel occupancy time of the second channel, or transmission participants corresponding to the second channel are predefined by a protocol.

[0020] In this implementation, the specified channel, specified time and / or specified transmission participants may not be indicated by the second information, but may be predefined by the protocol, or may be preconfigured and not limited, which helps save transmission overhead.

[0021] In a possible implementation, before receiving the first information from the second device on the first channel, the method further includes:

[0022] Sending third information to the second device, where the third information is used to indicate a capability of the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0023] In this implementation mode, the first device may also send to the second device in advance that it has the ability to switch from the first channel to the second channel for transmission, so that if the second device successfully seizes the channel later, the second device can send the first information before the end of its TXOP, and the first information is used to trigger the first device to send the second information.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the third information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0025] at least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or time information at which the first device supports switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0026] In this implementation, the first device can also inform the second device of one or more second channels it supports, and / or the time information for supporting channel switching for transmission, so that the second device can send the first information when it determines that there is sufficient time and / or sufficient bandwidth, which helps save transmission overhead.

[0027] In a possible implementation, sending the second information includes:

[0028] After receiving the first information, the second information is sent after waiting for a short frame interval SIFS.

[0029] In this implementation, after receiving the first information, the first device waits for a SIFS period and then sends the second information to continue the information frame interaction process, thereby effectively avoiding conflicts.

[0030] In a possible implementation, communicating with the third device on the second channel includes:

[0031] Switch from the first channel to the second channel to communicate with the third device.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0033] Send fourth information to the second device, where the fourth information is used to trigger the second device to send the first information.

[0034] Optionally, the frame type used to carry the first information / second information / third information / fourth information can be a request to send (RTS) frame, a clear to send (CTS) frame, a trigger frame, a multi-AP trigger frame, or other types of frames in the 802.11 protocol. Optionally, taking the second information as an example, the frame header of the frame used to carry the second information can include an identifier of the first device and the channel occupancy time of the first device on the second channel. The channel occupancy time of the first device on the second channel can be the same as the remaining time of the channel occupancy time of the second device on the first channel. Alternatively, the channel occupancy time of the first device on the second channel can also be less than or equal to the remaining time of the channel occupancy time of the second device on the first channel. Optionally, the channel occupancy time can be represented by a network allocation vector (NAV).

[0035] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a second device, which may be the second device itself, or a module or chip in the second device. For example, the second device may be AP2. The method includes:

[0036] determining first information;

[0037] The first information is sent to a first device on a first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0039] The second information is received, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0041] In a case where the second information is not received within a point coordination function interframe space PIFS after sending the first information, communicating with a fourth device on the first channel, the fourth device being a device associated with the second device.

[0042] In this implementation, after sending the first message, the second device reserves a maximum of PIFS for the first device to send the second message. If the second device does not receive the second message from the first device within the PIFS, it can communicate with the fourth device on the first channel, which improves system efficiency.

[0043] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes information indicating the first channel.

[0044] In a possible implementation, the receiving the second information includes:

[0045] The second information is received on the first channel.

[0046] In a possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0047] The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel.

[0048] In a possible implementation, one or more items of information including identification information of the second channel, channel occupancy time of the second channel, or transmission participants corresponding to the second channel are predefined by a protocol.

[0049] In a possible implementation, before sending the first information to the first device on the first channel, the method further includes:

[0050] Receive third information from the first device, where the third information is used to indicate a capability of the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0051] In a possible implementation, the third information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0052] at least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or time information at which the first device supports switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0053] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0054] Receive fourth information from the first device, where the fourth information is used to trigger the second device to send the first information.

[0055] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a first device or a module or chip in the first device. The communication device includes:

[0056] a transceiver unit, configured to receive first information from a second device on a first channel, wherein the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information;

[0057] The transceiver unit is configured to send the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap;

[0058] The transceiver unit is configured to communicate with a third device on the second channel, where the third device is a device associated with the first device.

[0059] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes information indicating the first channel.

[0060] In a possible implementation, when sending the second information, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to:

[0061] sending the second information on the first channel and the second channel; or,

[0062] The second information is sent on the second channel and the second link of a first link, where the first link and the second link are included in a plurality of links between the first device and the third device.

[0063] In a possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0064] The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel.

[0065] In a possible implementation, one or more items of information including identification information of the second channel, channel occupancy time of the second channel, or transmission participants corresponding to the second channel are predefined by a protocol.

[0066] In a possible implementation, before receiving the first information from the second device on the first channel, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0067] Sending third information to the second device, where the third information is used to indicate a capability of the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0068] In a possible implementation, the third information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0069] at least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or time information at which the first device supports switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0070] In a possible implementation, when sending the second information, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to:

[0071] After receiving the first information, the second information is sent after waiting for a short frame interval SIFS.

[0072] In a possible implementation, when communicating with the third device on the second channel, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to:

[0073] Switch from the first channel to the second channel to communicate with the third device.

[0074] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0075] Send fourth information to the second device, where the fourth information is used to trigger the second device to send the first information.

[0076] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a second device, or a module or chip in the second device. The communication device includes:

[0077] a processing unit, configured to determine first information;

[0078] The transceiver unit is configured to send the first information to the first device on a first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send the second information.

[0079] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0080] The second information is received, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap.

[0081] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0082] In a case where the second information is not received within a point coordination function interframe space PIFS after sending the first information, communicating with a fourth device on the first channel, the fourth device being a device associated with the second device.

[0083] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes information indicating the first channel.

[0084] In a possible implementation, when receiving the second information, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to:

[0085] The second information is received on the first channel.

[0086] In a possible implementation, the second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0087] The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel.

[0088] In a possible implementation, one or more items of information including identification information of the second channel, channel occupancy time of the second channel, or transmission participants corresponding to the second channel are predefined by a protocol.

[0089] In a possible implementation, before sending the first information to the first device on the first channel, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0090] Receive third information from the first device, where the third information is used to indicate a capability of the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0091] In a possible implementation, the third information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information:

[0092] at least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or time information at which the first device supports switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0093] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0094] Receive fourth information from the first device, where the fourth information is used to trigger the second device to send the first information.

[0095] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising a processor configured to execute any of the methods described in the first or second aspects, or any possible implementation of any of the aspects. Alternatively, the processor is configured to execute a program stored in a memory, and when the program is executed, the method described in the first or second aspects, or any possible implementation of any of the aspects, is executed.

[0096] In combination with the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation, the memory is located outside the above-mentioned communication device.

[0097] In combination with the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation, the memory is located within the above-mentioned communication device.

[0098] In the present application, the processor and the memory may also be integrated into one device, that is, the processor and the memory may also be integrated together.

[0099] In combination with the fifth aspect, in a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver, and the transceiver is used to send or receive information.

[0100] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which can be implemented in the form of a chip. The communication device includes a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor uses logic circuits or executes code instructions to implement any method as shown in the first aspect or the second aspect, or any possible implementation of any aspect therein.

[0101] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed by a computer, it implements the method shown in any method in the first aspect or the second aspect, or any possible implementation of any aspect therein.

[0102] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which, when read and executed by a computer, enables the computer to execute any method in the first aspect or the second aspect, or a method shown in any possible implementation of any aspect.

[0103] In a ninth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which may include a first device and a second device. The first device is configured to execute the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the second device is configured to execute the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0104] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a wireless local area network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0105] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of another system architecture of a wireless local area network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0106] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of an access point provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0107] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a site provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0108] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a 320 MHz channel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0109] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a scenario in which the AP and STA sides have inconsistent understandings of master and slave channel switching according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0110] FIG7 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0111] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0112] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of another common scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0113] FIG10 is another flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0114] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of another common scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0115] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0116] FIG13 is another schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0117] FIG14 is another structural diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0118] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0119] In the description of this application, "first" and "second" etc. are only used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, unless otherwise specified, " / " means "or", for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this article is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, 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, "at least one" means one or more, and "plurality" means two or more. "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, or c can mean: a, b, c; a and b; a and c; b and c; or a and b and c. Among them, a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0120] The terms "comprise," "include," "have," and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or elements is not limited to the listed steps or elements but may optionally include steps or elements not listed, or may optionally include other steps or elements inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0121] In this application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary," "for example," or "for example" should not be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of words such as "exemplary," "for example," or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete way.

[0122] It can be understood that in this application, "when", "if" and "if" all mean that the device will perform corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, and do not limit the time. It does not require that the device must perform a judgment action when it is implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0123] Elements used in the singular herein are intended to mean "one or more" rather than "one and only one" unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0124] It is understood that in each embodiment of the present application, "A corresponds to B" means that there is a corresponding relationship between A and B, and B can be determined according to A. Determining B according to A does not mean determining B only according to A, and B can also be determined according to A and / or other information.

[0125] To better understand the embodiments of the present application, the following first introduces the system architecture involved in the embodiments of the present application:

[0126] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: long term evolution (LTE) system, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) system, LTE time division duplex (TDD) system, new radio (NR) and other fifth generation (5G) systems, sixth generation (6G) systems and other systems evolved after 5G, wireless local area network (WALN), and can also be applied to wireless personal area network (WPAN) system based on ultra-wide band (UWB), sensing system, etc., without limitation. For ease of understanding, the following text mainly briefly describes the system architecture of the wireless local area network provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0127] For example, please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a system architecture of a wireless local area network provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the wireless local area network may include an AP (such as AP1 in Figure 1) and one or more stations (such as STA11, STA12 and STA13 in Figure 1). The AP can access the Internet via wired or wireless means, and the AP (such as AP1 in Figure 1) can be associated with multiple STAs (such as STA11, STA12 and STA13 in Figure 1). The AP and the associated multiple STAs can communicate uplink and downlink via the 802.11 protocol. Among them, the 802.11 protocol may include IEEE802.11be (or Wi-Fi 7, EHT protocol), and may also include IEEE 802.11ax, IEEE 802.11ac and other protocols. Of course, with the continuous evolution and development of communication technology, the 802.11 protocol may also include the next generation protocol of IEEE 802.11be, etc. In a wireless local area network, the device for implementing the method of the present application may be an access point or station in the WLAN, or a chip or processing system installed in the access point or station.

[0128] For example, please refer to Figure 2, which is another system architecture diagram of a wireless local area network provided in an embodiment of the present application. Generally speaking, the network architecture of a wireless local area network may also include multiple basic service sets (BSSs). For example, Figure 2 shows two BSSs, namely BSS#1 and BSS#2. A BSS consists of an AP and multiple STAs associated with the AP. Usually, STAs within the wireless signal coverage range of the AP are associated with the AP. In actual applications, it is common for multiple BSSs to overlap in coverage area, thereby forming an overlapping BSS (OBSS). For example, the overlapping coverage area of ​​the two BSSs in Figure 2 is the OBSS.

[0129] As shown in Figure 2, BSS#1 includes AP1, STA11, STA12, and STA13, while BSS#2 includes AP2, STA21, STA22, and STA23. STA11, STA12, STA22, and STA23 are the overlapping portions of the two BSSs. Each BSS consists of an AP and multiple STAs. Within a BSS, data can be transmitted between the AP and each STA, and multiple STAs can also transmit data among themselves. Communication between AP1 and AP2 is also possible, as are communication between the STAs within the two BSSs.

[0130] It should be understood that Figures 1 and 2 above are merely exemplary and should not limit the network architecture of the wireless local area network to which this application applies. For example, the network architecture may include more BSSs, each BSS may include more STAs, or some BSSs may not include APs. The overlapping areas of multiple BSSs may also include more STAs, etc., and this is not limited in the embodiments of this application.

[0131] The access point (AP) and non-access point station (non-AP STA) involved in this application are briefly described below.

[0132] In this document, unless otherwise specified, a non-AP STA is also referred to as a station (STA), and the two can be used interchangeably. Alternatively, a station can also be a general term for both APs and non-AP STAs.

[0133] An access point (such as AP1 in FIG1 ) is a device with wireless communication capabilities, supports communication using the WLAN protocol, and has the capability to communicate with other devices in the WLAN network (such as stations or other access points). Of course, it can also have the capability to communicate with other devices. In a WLAN system, an access point can be referred to as an access point station (AP STA). The device with wireless communication capabilities can be a complete device, or it can be a chip or processing system installed in the complete device. The device in which these chips or processing systems are installed can implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application under the control of the chip or processing system. The AP in the embodiments of the present application is a device that provides services for STAs and can support the 802.11 series of protocols. For example, the AP can be a communication entity such as a communication server, a router, a switch, or a bridge; the AP can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, etc. Of course, the AP can also be a chip and processing system in these various forms of devices, thereby implementing the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0134] A station (such as STA11, STA12, and STA13 in FIG1 ) is a device with wireless communication capabilities that supports communication using the WLAN protocol and has the ability to communicate with other stations or access points in the WLAN network. In a WLAN system, a station can be referred to as a non-access point station (non-AP STA). For example, a STA is any user communication device that allows a user to communicate with an AP and, in turn, with a WLAN. The device with wireless communication capabilities can be a complete device, or a chip or processing system installed in the complete device. Devices installed with these chips or processing systems can implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application under the control of the chip or processing system. For example, a STA can be a user device that can be connected to the Internet, such as a tablet computer, desktop, laptop, notebook computer, ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), handheld computer, netbook, personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, or an IoT node in the Internet of Things, or an in-vehicle communication device in the Internet of Vehicles, or an entertainment device, gaming device or system, or a global positioning system device. A STA can also be a chip and processing system in these terminals.

[0135] WLAN systems can provide high-speed and low-latency transmission. As WLAN application scenarios continue to evolve, WLAN systems will be applied to more scenarios or industries, such as the Internet of Things industry, the Internet of Vehicles industry, the banking industry, corporate offices, sports stadiums and exhibition halls, concert halls, hotel rooms, dormitories, wards, classrooms, supermarkets, squares, streets, production workshops and warehouses, etc. Of course, devices supporting WLAN communication (such as access points or sites) can be sensor nodes in smart cities (such as smart water meters, smart electricity meters, and smart air detection nodes), smart devices in smart homes (such as smart cameras, projectors, displays, televisions, speakers, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), nodes in the Internet of Things, entertainment terminals (such as wearable devices such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)), smart devices in smart offices (such as printers, projectors, loudspeakers, speakers, etc.), Internet of Vehicles devices in the Internet of Vehicles, infrastructure in daily life scenarios (such as vending machines, self-service navigation counters in supermarkets, self-service cash registers, self-service ordering machines, etc.), and equipment in large sports and music venues, etc. The specific forms of sites and access points in the embodiments of the present application are not limited and are only illustrative.

[0136] It should be understood that the 802.11 standard focuses on the physical layer (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) layer. In one example, see Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the access point provided in an embodiment of the present application. The AP can be multi-antenna / multi-radio or a single antenna / single radio, and the antenna / radio is used to send / receive data packets (data packets may also be referred to as physical layer protocol data units (PHY protocol data units, PPDUs) in this article). In one implementation, the antenna or radio portion of the AP can be separated from the main body of the AP, forming a remote layout structure. In Figure 3, the AP may include a physical layer processing circuit and a medium access control processing circuit. The physical layer processing circuit can be used to process physical layer signals, and the MAC layer processing circuit can be used to process MAC layer signals. In another example, see Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a site provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the STA structure with a single antenna / single radio. In actual scenarios, the STA can also be multi-antenna / multi-radio, and can be a device with more than two antennas, and the antenna / radio is used to send / receive data packets. In one implementation, the antenna or radio frequency portion of the STA can be separated from the main body of the STA, forming a remote layout. In Figure 4, the STA can include a PHY processing circuit and a MAC processing circuit. The physical layer processing circuit can be used to process physical layer signals, and the MAC layer processing circuit can be used to process MAC layer signals.

[0137] In WLANs, channels are typically divided into primary and secondary channels, where a secondary channel can contain one or more sub-channels. In one example, if the division is based on a 20MHz bandwidth unit, when the channel bandwidth is 20MHz, there is only one primary channel with a bandwidth of 20MHz. When the channel bandwidth is greater than 20MHz, one channel with a bandwidth of 20MHz is the primary channel, and the remaining one or more 20MHz channels are secondary channels. For example, Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a 320MHz channel. As shown in Figure 5, the 320MHz channel includes a 160MHz primary channel and a 160MHz secondary channel. The 320MHz channels are numbered from 1 to 16, each representing a 20MHz channel. Channel 1 represents a primary 20MHz channel (P20), channel 2 represents a secondary 20MHz channel (S20), a 40MHz secondary 40MHz channel (S40) contains two 20MHz sub-channels, channels 3 and 4, and an 80MHz secondary 80MHz channel (S80) contains four 20MHz sub-channels, channels 5, 6, 7, and 8, with channels 5 and 6, 6 and 7, and 7 and 8 adjacent. A 160MHz primary channel includes channels 1 through 8, and a 160MHz secondary channel includes channels 9 through 16. It should be understood that a 160MHz secondary channel means that the bandwidth of the secondary channel is 160MHz, and a 160MHz primary channel means that the bandwidth of the primary channel is 160MHz. In the embodiment of the present application, the slave channel can also be called a secondary channel, and the 160MHz slave channel can also be called a slave 160MHz channel. The main channel is a public operating channel for stations that are members of a basic service set (for example, stations here can refer to APs and non-AP STAs), or the main channel is a public operating channel for stations that are legacy members of a basic service set (or old version stations, or stations that do not support multi-main channel capabilities, or stations that do not support secondary channel access capabilities, where stations can refer to APs and non-AP STAs). The access points or stations in the basic service set can compete for channels on the main channel to seize channel resources. As shown in Figure 2, AP1, STA11, STA12 and STA13 in BSS#1 and AP2, STA21, STA22 and STA23 in BSS#2 can compete for channels on channel 1 to seize channel resources.

[0138] In one example, the arrangement of channels 1 to 16 can be as shown in FIG5 , or in many other ways, which are not limited in this application. For the sake of convenience, in all embodiments of this application, channel 1 is used as the main channel for the division of channels in WLAN. It should be noted that the 802.11 system supports channel bandwidths of various sizes, and the channel can be a continuous bandwidth of 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, or a non-continuous bandwidth of 80MHz+80MHz, or 320MHz, 240MHz+80MHz, 160MHz+160MHz, etc. In the next generation 802.11 standard, the channel bandwidth can also be other bandwidths. Optionally, the channel division method can be similar to the above-mentioned 320MHz channel, which will not be repeated here.

[0139] Optionally, in other examples, channel division can be performed with a basic bandwidth unit greater than 20 MHz. For example, the main channel can be 40 MHz, 80 MHz, or 160 MHz, etc., without limitation. For ease of understanding, this application mainly uses 20 MHz as the basic bandwidth unit for channel division as an example for schematic illustration.

[0140] Currently, in order to ensure backward compatibility during the standard evolution process, no matter how large the bandwidth is, there is a unique main 20MHz channel, and this main 20MHz channel must be included when sending data using any bandwidth. One problem caused by this is that when this unique main 20MHz channel is busy, all other idle slave channels cannot be used, resulting in reduced system efficiency. Based on this, the relevant technology proposes a solution that can switch from the main channel to the slave channel for channel access when the main channel is busy. As shown in Figure 6, when the main channel is occupied by AP2, that is, when AP2 transmits on the main channel, STA21, STA22 and STA23 associated with AP2 listen on the main channel. When AP1, STA11, and STA12 detect that the main channel is occupied by AP2, AP1, STA11, and STA12 will use the slave channel for transmission, thereby improving the utilization rate of the slave channel. However, this solution may cause inconsistent recognition of master and slave channel switching between the AP and STA sides. Please refer to Figure 6. If the target user STA13 of AP1's transmission on the slave channel is a hidden node of AP2, that is, STA13 cannot receive AP2's transmission, then only AP1, STA11, and STA12 can detect that the master channel is busy and switch to the slave channel. STA13 cannot detect that the master channel is busy and therefore cannot be triggered to switch to the slave channel, resulting in the transmission between AP1 and STA13 being missed.

[0141] Based on this, the present application proposes a communication method that can solve the problem of inconsistent cognition between the AP and STA sides regarding master and slave channel switching, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of communication.

[0142] The technical solution provided by this application will be described in detail below with reference to more drawings.

[0143] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments or implementation methods can refer to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in each embodiment, if there is no special explanation and logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in each embodiment are consistent and can be referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in each embodiment can be combined to form new embodiments, implementation methods, implementation methods, or implementation methods according to their inherent logical relationships. The following implementation methods of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0144] It should be noted that the message name introduced in this application, or the name of each parameter / field in the message, is only an example. Other names may also be used in specific implementations, and the embodiments of this application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0145] It should be noted that the first device involved in the embodiments of the present application may be an AP, or may be an STA; the second device may be an AP, or may be an STA. For ease of understanding, the following text mainly takes the example of the first device and the second device being both APs for understanding. For example, the first device may be AP1, the second device may be AP2, the third device associated with the first device may be an STA, and the fourth device associated with the second device may also be an STA. Taking the scenario shown in Figure 2 as an example, it is assumed that the first device is AP1 shown in Figure 2, and the second device is AP2 shown in Figure 2, wherein the STAs associated with AP1 are STA11, STA12, and STA13, and the STAs associated with AP2 are STA21, STA22, and STA23. Optionally, the BSS to which the second device belongs in the present application is the OBSS of the BSS to which the first device belongs, that is, the second device is a neighbor device / adjacent device of the first device, or the first device is adjacent to the second device.

[0146] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a flow chart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 7, the communication method includes the following steps S701 to S703. It should be understood that the scenario to which the present application is applicable is a scenario in which the main channel used by the first device is occupied by other devices (such as the second device), or a scenario in which the first device and the second device have the same main (20MHz) channel and the second device successfully seizes the channel first. It should be noted that Figure 7 is a schematic flow chart of an embodiment of the method of the present application, showing the detailed communication steps or operations of the method, but these steps or operations are only examples, and the embodiment of the present application can also perform other operations or variations of the various operations in Figure 7. In addition, the various steps in Figure 7 can be performed in a different order from that presented in Figure 7, and it is possible that not all operations in Figure 7 need to be performed.

[0147] in:

[0148] S701: A second device sends first information to a first device on a first channel. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first information from the second device on the first channel.

[0149] It can be understood that the first information is used to trigger the first device to send the second information, or is described as the first information being used to inquire whether the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, or is described as the first information being used to inquire whether the first device has a use / occupancy requirement for the second channel. Optionally, the first information also includes information indicating the first channel, or includes information declaring the use of the first channel. Exemplarily, the first information can be carried in a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) for transmission. Optionally, the frame type used to carry the first information can be an RTS frame, a CTS frame, a trigger frame, a multi-AP trigger frame, or other types of frames in the 802.11 protocol, which is not limited in this application. It should be understood that a PPDU can include one frame or multiple frames.

[0150] Optionally, the first channel involved in this application may also be referred to as a primary channel, and the second channel may also be referred to as a slave channel, or a secondary channel, or an auxiliary primary channel, or a candidate primary channel, etc., and this application is not limited to this. It should be understood that the primary channel involved in this application may refer to a primary 20 MHz channel, or may also refer to a set of multiple 20 MHz channels including the primary 20 MHz channel, such as a primary 40 MHz channel (or a 40 MHz primary channel), a primary 80 MHz channel (or an 80 MHz primary channel), etc., which are not listed here one by one.

[0151] Optionally, in this application, the second device may send the first information via broadcast, multicast, or unicast, and this application does not limit this. It should be understood that when sending via multicast, the multicast destination address includes the address of the first device; when sending the first information via unicast, the destination address included in the PPDU used to carry the first information is the address of the first device.

[0152] Optionally, the header of the PPDU used to carry the first information in this application may also include an indication information (hereinafter referred to as the second indication information for the convenience of description), and the second indication information is used to indicate that the PPDU can be received by devices in other BSSs other than the BSS to which the first device belongs (for example, the first BSS).

[0153] Optionally, in some feasible implementations, if the first device and the second device have negotiated in advance. For example, the first device can inform the second device in advance of its capabilities, or its expected channel occupancy requirements, so that the second device can send the first information to the first device when it is determined that the capabilities / requirements of the first device are met. For example, the second device can send the first information to the first device when it is determined that the time for the first device to switch to the second channel for transmission is less than the remaining time of the second device's channel occupancy time on the first channel. For another example, the second device can send the first information to the first device when it is determined that the channel bandwidth that the first device expects to occupy is less than or equal to the idle channel bandwidth. For another example, the second device can send the first information to the first device when it is determined that there is a second channel that the first device expects to occupy in the idle second channel. Optionally, the various conditions listed above can also be combined with each other, and this application is not limited to this. That is, the second device can send the first information to the first device when it meets some or all of the requirements of the first device.

[0154] S702: The first device sends second information.

[0155] In some feasible implementations, if the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, the first device may send the second information; if the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel, the first device may not send the second information. Generally speaking, if there is a transmission requirement on the second channel, the first device may wait for a very short period of time after receiving the first information before sending the second information. For example, after receiving the first information, the first device may wait for a short interframe space (SIFS) duration before sending the second information. This embodiment is mainly illustrated by taking the example of the first device having a transmission requirement on the second channel as an example.

[0156] In one possible implementation, the first device may send the second information on the first channel and the second channel. Here, the first channel and the second channel may be a set of basic channels, such as a broadband channel composed of multiple 20MHz channels. Accordingly, the third device associated with the first device may receive the second information from the first device, and the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, so the third device may switch to the second channel to communicate with the first device based on the received second information. The reception of the second information by the third device includes but is not limited to the following situations: 1. The third device receives the second information on the first channel, that is, the third device only listens on the first channel; 2. The third device may also receive the second information on the first channel and the second channel, that is, the third device may listen on a multi-channel combination including the first channel; 3. If the third device supports multi-channel parallel reception, the third device may also receive the second information in parallel on the first channel or the second channel; 4. For the third device that has switched to the second channel, the third device may receive the second information on the second channel. Taking the scenario shown in Figure 2 as an example, assuming that the first device is AP1 shown in Figure 2, and the STAs associated with AP1 are STA11, STA12, and STA13, if AP1 sends second information on the first channel and the second channel, then STA11, STA12, and STA13 can receive the second information from the first device on the first channel and / or the second channel. For ease of understanding, the following description mainly uses STA13 as the third device as an example.

[0157] Optionally, the second device may also receive the second information from the first device. Exemplarily, the second device may receive the second information from the first device on the first channel.

[0158] For example, as shown in Figure 8, assume that AP1 utilizes the frequency more effectively when transmitting on the 80 MHz primary channel (i.e., P80, which includes P40 and a 40 MHz secondary channel (i.e., S40)). If AP2 seizes the channel first and transmits on the 40 MHz primary channel (i.e., P40), after successfully seizing the channel, AP2 will send a first message on P40 before its transmission opportunity (TXOP) ends. This first message triggers an AP capable of transmitting on a secondary channel to send a second message in response. Accordingly, after AP1 receives the first message on P40, if AP1 requires secondary channel transmission, it can first send a second message on a channel that includes the primary channel and the target secondary channel (e.g., P80), and then transmit to the served user on the secondary channel. After STA13 receives the second message, STA13 can receive and listen on the designated secondary channel (e.g., S40) at the specified time. Optionally, if AP2 subsequently successfully seizes the channel, AP1 can continue to transmit on P80. Optionally, STA13 can receive the second information on P40, or STA13 can receive the second information on P20, or STA13 can receive the second information on P80, etc., without limitation.

[0159] In another possible embodiment, the first device may send the second information on the second channel and the second link of the first link. Here, the first link (for example, an optical link) and the second link (for example, Bluetooth) are included in multiple links between the first device and the third device. That is to say, for the first device with multi-link capability, the first device may declare on the second link that the first device has a transmission requirement from the channel on the first link. Accordingly, after receiving the declaration, the third device with multi-link capability may communicate with the first device on the second channel. Optionally, in the case where the second device is a multi-link device, the second device may also receive the second information from the first device on the second link, and determine that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel based on the received information.

[0160] For example, as shown in Figure 9, assuming the first link is Link 1 and the second link is Link 2, assume that AP1 utilizes the frequency more effectively when transmitting on P80 on Link 1. If AP2 first seizes the channel on Link 1 and transmits on P40 on Link 1, it should be understood that after successfully seizing the channel, AP2 will send a first message on P40 before the end of its TXOP. This first message triggers an AP capable of secondary channel transmission to send a second message in response. Accordingly, after AP1 receives the first message on P40, if AP1 requires secondary channel transmission, it can send a second message on Link 2 and S40 on Link 1. Furthermore, AP1 transmits to the served user on the secondary channel. Accordingly, after STA13 receives the second message on Link 2, STA13 can receive and listen on the designated secondary channel (e.g., S40) at the designated time. Optionally, if AP2 subsequently successfully seizes the channel on link 1, then AP1 can continue to transmit on P80 on link 1.

[0161] It should be noted that in the present application, the first device needs to send the second information on the second channel to declare that it has a transmission demand on the second channel, thereby preventing other devices from occupying the second channel.

[0162] Optionally, in addition to indicating that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, the second information involved in this application may also be used to indicate one or more of the following information: identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel, etc. In other words, the second information may also be used to specify information such as the channel, the time, and / or the transmission participant. For example, the second information may instruct a specified transmission participant to communicate / transmit on a specified channel at a specified time.

[0163] Optionally, the identification information of the second channel may be the channel frequency, channel number, or channel index of the second channel, which is not limited in this application. Optionally, the identification information of the second channel may be specifically indicated by a bitmap.

[0164] Optionally, the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel may be indicated by a direct indication or an indirect indication. For example, the direct indication may be that the second information includes a list of devices that are allowed / able to communicate with the first device on the second channel (hereinafter referred to as device list 1). Therefore, the receiver can determine whether the decoded device list 1 contains its own device identification based on the received second information. Generally speaking, if the device list 1 does not contain its own device identification, the receiver ignores the second information; if the device list 1 contains its own device identification, the receiver can switch to the second channel to communicate with the first device.

[0165] For another example, the indirect indication may be that the second information includes a list of devices that are not allowed / cannot communicate with the first device on the second channel (hereinafter referred to as Device List 2). Therefore, the recipient can determine whether its own device identification is included in the decoded Device List 2 based on the received second information. Generally speaking, if the device list 2 includes its own device identification, the recipient ignores the second information; if the device list 2 does not include its own device identification, the recipient can switch to the second channel to communicate with the first device.

[0166] It should be understood that the above-mentioned second information can be carried in one PPDU. Optionally, the second information can also be carried in two PPDUs respectively. That is, the second information involved in this application may include second information 1 and second information 2, wherein second information 1 is carried in one PPDU and second information 2 is carried in another PPDU. Exemplarily, second information 1 is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, and second information 2 is used to indicate one or more of the following information: identification information of the second channel, channel occupancy time of the second channel, transmission participants corresponding to the second channel, etc. This application is not limited to this.

[0167] Optionally, the frame type used to carry the second information may specifically be an RTS frame, a CTS frame, a trigger frame, a multi-AP trigger frame, or other types of frames in the 802.11 protocol, which is not limited in this application. Optionally, when the second information may include second information 1 and second information 2, the second information 1 and the second information 2 may also be carried in two frames of a PPDU, or the second information 1 and the second information 2 may also be carried in one frame of a PPDU.

[0168] Optionally, the second information may not have the function of indicating the identification information of the above-mentioned second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel and other information, that is, the identification information of the above-mentioned second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel and other information may not be indicated by the first device through the second information, but may be predefined or preconfigured by the protocol. For the convenience of description, the following text mainly uses the protocol predefinition as an example for illustrative explanation. For example, the protocol may predefine the second channel as a specific channel. When there is a need for transmission on the slave channel, the first device and the third device switch to the specific second channel by default for transmission. For another example, the protocol may also predefine multiple second channels and specify channel selection rules. Therefore, when there is a need for transmission on the slave channel, the first device and the third device may select a second channel from multiple second channels based on the agreed channel selection rules and communicate on the same selected second channel.

[0169] Similarly, the channel occupancy time of the second channel may also be predefined by the protocol. For example, the protocol may predefine the channel occupancy time of the second channel to start at a certain time before the end of the TXOP of the second device and end at the end of the TXOP. Similarly, the protocol may predefine that second devices with certain characteristics or belonging to a certain specific type can serve as transmission participants corresponding to the second channel. In other words, only second devices with certain characteristics or belonging to a certain specific type are allowed to switch to the second channel to communicate with the first device. This is not limited in this application.

[0170] S703: The first device communicates with the third device on the second channel.

[0171] Generally speaking, when the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, the first device can switch to the designated second channel at a designated time after sending the second information. Correspondingly, when the third device learns that the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, the third device can also switch to the designated second channel at a designated time. Therefore, the first device and the third device can communicate on the second channel.

[0172] In one possible implementation, the first device communicating with the third device on the second channel can be understood as: the first device switching from the first device's primary channel to the second channel (i.e., the slave channel) to communicate with the third device, or described as the first device switching from the first channel to the second channel to communicate with the third device. It should be understood that the first device communicating with the third device on the second channel can be: the first device sending data to the third device on the second channel, and the third device correspondingly receiving data from the first device on the second channel (or the third device listening on the second channel); or the third device sending data to the first device on the second channel, and the first device correspondingly receiving data from the third device on the second channel (or the first device listening on the second channel).

[0173] Optionally, after the channel occupation time of the second channel ends, the first device and the third device can also synchronously switch from the second channel to the first channel (or the main channel) to continue communication, or it can be described as that after the channel occupation time of the second channel ends, the first device and the third device switch to the first channel (or the main channel) within a specified time to continue communication. Generally speaking, the specified time is related to the end time of the first device occupying the second channel, or the specified time is related to the end time of the second device occupying the first channel. For example, the specified time starts from the end time of the first device occupying the second channel (or the end time of the second device occupying the first channel) and ends at the switching time agreed upon in the capability negotiation, completing the switch to the first channel.

[0174] Optionally, before the aforementioned step S701, the following step S7001 and / or step S7002 (not shown in FIG. 7 ) may be further included:

[0175] S7001: A first device sends third information to a second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the third information from the first device.

[0176] Understandably, the third information is used to indicate that the first device supports the ability to switch from the first channel to the second channel for transmission, or is described as the third information indicating that the first device supports the ability to switch from the main channel to the slave channel for transmission, or is described as the third information indicating that the first device supports the ability to transmit on a slave channel other than the main channel, or is described as the third information indicating that the first device supports the ability to transmit on multiple channels, or is described as the third information indicating that the first device supports the ability to transmit on an auxiliary main channel, or is described as the third information indicating that the first device supports the ability to transmit on a candidate main channel. The first channel and the second channel do not overlap. Exemplarily, the third information can be indicated by 1 bit, for example, when the 1 bit is 1, it indicates that the first device supports the ability to switch from the first channel to the second channel for transmission, and when the 1 bit is 0, it indicates that the first device does not support the ability to switch from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

[0177] Optionally, the third information may also indicate one or more of the following information: an identifier of the first device, at least one second channel supported by the first device, time information when the first device supports switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission, channel bandwidth supported by the first device, number of spatial streams supported by the first device when transmitting on the second channel, etc. The time information when the first device supports switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission may include the channel occupancy time of the second channel (e.g., the time for data transmission on the second channel). Optionally, the time information when the first device supports switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission may also include the switching time from the first channel to the second channel, etc., which is not limited in this application. Optionally, the time information when the first device supports switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission may also refer to the sum of the channel occupancy time of the second channel and the switching time for channel switching, i.e., the total duration of the secondary channel concession. Optionally, the duration of the switching time may be 0 (i.e., no additional switching time is required), or the duration of the switching time may be greater than 0. For example, the specific duration of the switching time may be determined by the device capabilities and is not limited in this application.

[0178] For example, for a first device and a second device with multi-link capabilities (i.e., when the first device and the second device are multi-link devices), assuming that the first channel and the second channel are channels on a link (e.g., a first link, such as an optical link), then: in one implementation, the first device can send the third information to the second device on the channel of the first link (e.g., the first channel). In another implementation, the first device can send the third information to the second device via another link (e.g., a second link, such as Bluetooth).

[0179] Optionally, the frame type used to carry the third information may specifically be an RTS frame, a CTS frame, a trigger frame, a multi-AP trigger frame, or other types of frames in the 802.11 protocol, which is not limited in this application.

[0180] S7002: The first device sends fourth information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the fourth information from the first device.

[0181] The fourth information is used to trigger the second device to send the first information, or the fourth information is used to request the second device to send the first information. Optionally, the fourth information may also indicate one or more of the following information: the second channel that the first device expects to occupy, the channel occupancy time that the first device expects to occupy, the channel bandwidth that the first device expects to occupy, or the number of spatial streams that the first device expects when transmitting on the second channel. Generally speaking, the second channel that the first device expects to occupy as indicated by the fourth information is a subset of at least one second channel supported by the first device as indicated by the third information. Similarly, the channel occupancy time that the first device expects as indicated by the fourth information is a subset of the channel occupancy time supported by the first device as indicated by the third information, the channel bandwidth that the first device expects as indicated by the fourth information is a subset of the channel bandwidth supported by the first device as indicated by the third information, and the number of spatial streams that the first device expects when transmitting on the second channel as indicated by the fourth information is a subset of the number of spatial streams supported by the first device when transmitting on the second channel as indicated by the third information.

[0182] Optionally, after the second device receives the fourth information, the second device may send the first information to the first device on the first channel if it determines that one or more of the following conditions are met. For example, the conditions include: 1. The remaining time of the second device's channel occupation time on the first channel is greater than or equal to the first device's expected channel occupation time; 2. The remaining / idle channel bandwidth is greater than or equal to the first device's expected channel bandwidth; 3. There is a second channel that the first device expects to occupy among the idle second channels.

[0183] Optionally, the frame type used to carry the fourth information may specifically be an RTS frame, a CTS frame, a trigger frame, a multi-AP trigger frame, or other types of frames in the 802.11 protocol, which is not limited in this application.

[0184] Optionally, in order to achieve rapid information interaction and secondary channel sharing, the third information and the fourth information in steps S7001 and S7002 in this application can be carried in one PPDU or one frame, or the third information and the fourth information can also be carried in two PPDUs or two frames respectively. This application is not limited to this.

[0185] Specifically, in a possible implementation, the present application may include three stages, namely, the interactive capability stage (i.e., step S7001), the demand negotiation stage (i.e., step S7002), and the secondary channel access execution stage (i.e., steps S701 to S703). A specific implementation method may be: after learning through the interactive capability stage that the first device and the second device have the ability to support secondary channel access, if the first device determines that the first device has a secondary channel transmission requirement based on the service load requirement, or the secondary channel interference situation, or the channel status of the associated STA to be served, the first device may send a fourth message to the second device. After the second device receives the fourth message, if the second device successfully seizes the channel, the second device may, under certain conditions, send the first message to the first device on the first channel to provide the first device with a secondary channel access opportunity. For example, the conditions met include that the remaining time of the second device's channel occupancy time on the first channel is greater than or equal to the channel occupancy time expected by the first device, etc., which will not be elaborated here.

[0186] In another possible implementation, the present application may also include two phases, namely, an interactive capability phase (i.e., step S7001) and a secondary channel access execution phase (i.e., steps S701 to S703). A specific implementation method may be: after learning through the interactive capability phase that the first device and the second device have the ability to support secondary channel access, if the second device successfully seizes the channel, the second device may send a first message to the first device on the first channel to provide the first device with a secondary channel access opportunity.

[0187] In an embodiment of the present application, by allowing the second device occupying the main channel to provide the first device with an opportunity to declare that it has a transmission demand from the slave channel, the third device associated with the first device can switch to the slave channel for transmission synchronously with the first device based on the received declaration of the first device (i.e., the second information), thereby solving the problem of inconsistent cognition of the master and slave channel switching on the side of the first device and the third device associated with the first device, which is conducive to improving the reliability of communication. For example, taking the first device as AP1 in Figure 6, the second device as AP2 in Figure 6, and the third device as STA13 in Figure 6 as an example, after AP2 successfully seizes the channel, AP2 provides AP1 with a transmission opportunity to send the second information, so that STA13 originally residing on the main channel can switch to the secondary channel for listening based on the second information, thereby improving the reliability of communication.

[0188] Please refer to Figure 10, which is another flow chart of the communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 10, the communication method includes the following steps S1001 to S1006. It should be understood that the scenario to which the present application is applicable is a scenario in which the main channel used by the first device is occupied by other devices (such as the second device), or a scenario in which the first device and the second device have the same main (20MHz) channel and the second device successfully seizes the channel first. It should be noted that Figure 10 is a schematic flow chart of an embodiment of the method of the present application, showing the detailed communication steps or operations of the method, but these steps or operations are only examples, and the embodiment of the present application can also perform other operations or variations of the various operations in Figure 10. In addition, the various steps in Figure 10 can be performed in a different order from that presented in Figure 10, and it is possible that not all operations in Figure 10 need to be performed. Among them:

[0189] S1001: A first device sends third information to a second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the third information from the first device.

[0190] Here, step S1001 is an optional step. For understanding of step S1001, reference may be made to the relevant description in the aforementioned step S7001, which will not be repeated here.

[0191] S1002: The first device sends fourth information to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the fourth information from the first device.

[0192] Here, step S1002 is an optional step. For understanding of step S1002, reference may be made to the relevant description in the aforementioned step S7002, which will not be repeated here.

[0193] S1003: The second device sends first information to the first device on the first channel. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first information from the second device on the first channel.

[0194] For understanding of step S1003, please refer to the relevant description in the aforementioned step S701, which will not be repeated here.

[0195] It should be understood that after the first device receives the first information on the first channel, if the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, the first device can send the second information; if the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel, the first device may not send the second information. Correspondingly, for the second device, after the second device sends the first information, the second device can reserve a certain time (for example, a first time interval) to provide a transmission opportunity for the first device to send the second information. For example, the first time interval can be a point coordination function interframe space (PIFS), a priority interframe space (PIFS), or an additional time specified by the SIFS+ protocol, etc., which is not limited in this application. For the convenience of description, the following text mainly uses the first time interval as PISF as an example for schematic explanation. The following schematically illustrates the case where the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel and the case where the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel.

[0196] In the first branch, the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel:

[0197] S1004: After receiving the first information, the first device waits for a SIFS period and then sends the second information.

[0198] Generally speaking, if the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, then after receiving the first information, the first device may wait for a SIFS period before sending the second information. It should be understood that SIFS is shorter than PIFS, or PIFS is longer than SIFS. Here, for a detailed understanding of the first device sending the second information in step S1004, please refer to the relevant description in the aforementioned step S702, and will not be repeated here.

[0199] Optionally, for the second device, if the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, the second device may, after sending the first information, wait for a second time interval before communicating with the fourth device on the first channel. The fourth device is a device associated with the second device, or the fourth device is associated with the second device. The first time interval and the second time interval are different. Generally speaking, the first time interval is greater than / longer than the second time interval. Exemplarily, the second time interval may be equal to the sum of twice the SIFS duration and the time it takes the first device to send the second information.

[0200] S1005: The first device communicates with the third device on the second channel.

[0201] It should be understood that when the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel, after the first device sends the second information, the first device and the third device that has received the second information can communicate on the second channel. Here, the specific understanding of step S1005 can refer to the relevant description of the aforementioned step S703, and will not be repeated here.

[0202] Second branch, the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel:

[0203] S1006: If the second device does not receive the second information within PIFS after sending the first information, the second device communicates with the fourth device on the first channel.

[0204] Generally speaking, if the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel, then the first device will not send the second information. Accordingly, the second device can wait for PIFS. If it does not listen / monitor / receive the second information within PIFS after sending the first information, then the second device can communicate with the fourth device on the first channel. Optionally, the second device's failure to receive the second information within PIFS after sending the first information can also be replaced by: the second device detects that the channel is busy within PIFS after sending the first information, or does not detect the start of the second information, or does not detect the start of the PPDU.

[0205] It should be understood that for a fourth device associated with a second device, after the fourth device receives the first information on the first channel, there may be two situations: Situation 1 is that after receiving the first information, the fourth device waits for a first time interval (e.g., PIFS) and then begins detecting transmissions from the second device, as shown in Figure 11 (a). It should be understood that this situation 1 corresponds to a scenario where the first device does not have a transmission requirement on the second channel; Situation 2 is that after receiving the first information, the fourth device waits for a second time interval and then begins detecting transmissions from the second device, as shown in Figure 11 (b). It should be understood that this situation 2 corresponds to a scenario where the first device has a transmission requirement on the second channel.

[0206] Optionally, in case 2, for the first device, the start time of the first device communicating with the third device on the second channel can be aligned with the start time of the second device communicating with the fourth device on the first channel (that is, the start time of the first device communicating with the third device on the second channel is equal to the start time of the second device communicating with the fourth device on the first channel), as shown in (c) in Figure 11. This is because if the first device or the third device has a strong ability to switch channels, it can complete the channel switching within the SIFS period after sending or receiving the second information, that is, the switching time is less than or equal to SIFS.

[0207] Optionally, in case 2, the start time of the first device communicating with the third device on the second channel may also be later than the start time of the second device communicating with the fourth device on the first channel, as shown in (d) in Figure 11. This is because if the first device or the third device has weak channel switching capabilities, the channel switching time may be greater than SIFS.

[0208] Optionally, the end time of communication between the first device and the third device on the second channel may be earlier than the end time of communication between the second device and the fourth device on the first channel, or the end time of communication between the first device and the third device on the second channel may be equal to the end time of communication between the second device and the fourth device on the first channel (that is, the end time of communication between the first device and the third device on the second channel is aligned with the end time of communication between the second device and the fourth device on the first channel). The specific time is determined according to the communication requirements between the first device and the third device and is not limited here. The aforementioned Figures 8, 9, and 11 mainly show the situation where the end time of communication between the first device and the third device on the second channel is equal to the end time of communication between the second device and the fourth device on the first channel.

[0209] It should be noted that when this embodiment adopts the default method of reserving a first time interval (for example, PIFS) to provide the first device with a transmission opportunity to send the second information (i.e., declaring a transmission requirement on the second channel), the transmission between the second device and the fourth device may have the aforementioned two situations. Optionally, whether to use the reserved PIFS time to provide the first device with a transmission opportunity to send the second information can also be flexibly configured. For example, the second device can send a first indication information on the first channel, and the first indication information indicates whether to enable the PIFS-based transmission scheme. After the fourth device receives the first indication information on the first channel, it can listen on the first channel based on the first indication information. Generally speaking, when the first indication information indicates that the PIFS-based transmission scheme is enabled, the fourth device's listening to the first channel may have the aforementioned two situations; when the first indication information indicates that the PIFS-based transmission scheme is not enabled, the fourth device's listening to the first channel may be the aforementioned situation 2, which will not be repeated here. Exemplarily, the first indication information and the first information can be carried in the same PPDU for transmission.

[0210] In an embodiment of the present application, a scheme is proposed in which, after the second device sends the first information, it reserves a first time interval for the first device at most, so that the first device can send the second information (or so that the first device can declare that it has a transmission requirement on the secondary channel). This is conducive to improving system efficiency.

[0211] The above content elaborates on the method of the present application in detail. In order to facilitate better implementation of the above scheme of the embodiment of the present application, the embodiment of the present application also provides corresponding devices or equipment.

[0212] The present application divides the functional modules of the first device and the second device according to the above-mentioned method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided corresponding to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above-mentioned integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in this application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. The communication device of the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 12 to 14.

[0213] Please refer to Figure 12, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 12, the communication device includes: a transceiver unit 10 and a processing unit 20.

[0214] In some embodiments of the present application, the communication device may be the first device (e.g., AP1) shown above or a chip therein, such as a Wi-Fi chip, etc. That is, the communication device shown in FIG12 may be used to execute the steps or functions performed by the first device (e.g., AP1) in the above method embodiments.

[0215] A design, a transceiver unit 10 is used to receive first information from a second device on a first channel, the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information; the transceiver unit 10 is used to send the second information, the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap; the transceiver unit 10 is used to communicate with a third device on the second channel, and the third device is a device associated with the first device.

[0216] The processing unit 20 is used to process information received by the transceiver unit 10, such as first information, and generate information to be sent by the transceiver unit 10, such as second information, etc., which is not limited.

[0217] For detailed descriptions of the first information, the second information, etc., please refer to the method embodiments shown above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0218] It can be understood that the specific description of the transceiver unit and the processing unit shown in the embodiment of the present application is only an example. For the specific functions or execution steps of the transceiver unit and the processing unit, please refer to the relevant description in the above method embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0219] Reusing Figure 12 , in some other embodiments of the present application, the communication device may be the second device (e.g., AP2) shown above, or a chip therein, such as a Wi-Fi chip. That is, the communication device shown in Figure 12 may be used to execute the steps or functions performed by the second device (e.g., AP2) in the above method embodiments.

[0220] A design includes a processing unit 20 for determining first information and a transceiver unit 10 for sending first information to a first device on a first channel, wherein the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information.

[0221] Optionally, the transceiver unit 10 is further configured to receive the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap.

[0222] The processing unit 20 is used to generate information that needs to be sent through the transceiver unit 10, such as first information, and process information received through the transceiver unit 10, such as second information, etc., which is not limited.

[0223] For detailed descriptions of the first information, the second information, etc., please refer to the method embodiments shown above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0224] It can be understood that the specific description of the transceiver unit and the processing unit shown in the embodiment of the present application is only an example. For the specific functions or execution steps of the transceiver unit and the processing unit, please refer to the relevant description in the above method embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0225] The above describes the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application. The following describes possible product forms of the communication device. It should be understood that any product having the functions of the communication device described in FIG. 12 falls within the scope of protection of the embodiment of the present application. It should also be understood that the following description is merely illustrative and does not limit the product forms of the communication device according to the embodiment of the present application to these examples.

[0226] In one possible implementation, in the communication device shown in Figure 12, the processing unit 20 can be one or more processors, the transceiver unit 10 can be a transceiver, or the transceiver unit 10 can also be a sending unit and a receiving unit, the sending unit can be a transmitter, the receiving unit can be a receiver, and the sending unit and the receiving unit are integrated into one device, such as a transceiver. In the embodiment of the present application, the processor and the transceiver can be coupled, etc., and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the connection method between the processor and the transceiver. In the process of executing the above method, the process of sending information (such as sending various frames or elements) in the above method can be understood as the process of the processor outputting the above information. When outputting the above information, the processor outputs the above information to the transceiver so that it is transmitted by the transceiver. After being output by the processor, the above information may also need to undergo other processing before reaching the transceiver. Similarly, the process of receiving information (such as receiving various frames or elements) in the above method can be understood as the process of the processor receiving the input information. When the processor receives the input information, the transceiver receives the above information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the above information, the above information may need to be processed further before being input into the processor.

[0227] Please refer to Figure 13, which is another schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device can be: a first device, a second device, or a chip therein. Figure 13 only shows the main components of the communication device. In addition to the processor 1301 and the transceiver 1302, the communication device may further include a memory 1303 and an input / output device (not shown in the figure).

[0228] The processor 1301 is primarily used to process communication protocols and communication data, control the entire communication device, execute software programs, and process software program data. The memory 1303 is primarily used to store software programs and data. The transceiver 1302 may include a control circuit and an antenna. The control circuit is primarily used to convert baseband signals into radio frequency signals and process radio frequency signals. The antenna is primarily used to transmit and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input and output devices, such as a touch screen, display, and keyboard, are primarily used to receive user input and output data to the user.

[0229] When the communication device is powered on, the processor 1301 can read the software program in the memory 1303, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be sent wirelessly, the processor 1301 performs baseband processing on the data to be sent and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency circuit. The radio frequency circuit performs radio frequency processing on the baseband signal and then transmits the radio frequency signal to the outside in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the radio frequency circuit receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, converts the radio frequency signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1301. The processor 1301 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0230] In another implementation, the RF circuit and antenna may be provided independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuit and antenna may be remotely arranged independent of the communication device.

[0231] The transceiver 1302 may include a receiver and a transmitter, wherein the receiver is configured to perform a receiving function (or operation) and the transmitter is configured to perform a transmitting function (or operation), and the transceiver is configured to communicate with other devices / apparatuses via a transmission medium.

[0232] The processor 1301 , the transceiver 1302 , and the memory 1303 may be connected via a communication bus.

[0233] Exemplarily, when the communication device is used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the first device:

[0234] The transceiver 1302 is configured to receive first information from a second device on a first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information;

[0235] The transceiver 1302 is configured to send the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap;

[0236] The transceiver 1302 is configured to communicate with a third device on the second channel, where the third device is a device associated with the first device.

[0237] Optionally, the processor 1301 is used to process information received through the transceiver 1302, such as the first information, and generate information that needs to be sent through the transceiver 1302, such as the second information, etc., which is not limited.

[0238] Exemplarily, when the communication device is used to execute the steps, methods, or functions performed by the second device:

[0239] The transceiver 1302 is configured to send first information to a first device on a first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information;

[0240] The transceiver 1302 is configured to receive the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap.

[0241] Optionally, the processor 1301 is used to generate information that needs to be sent through the transceiver 1302, such as first information, and process information received through the transceiver 1302, such as second information, etc., which is not limited.

[0242] In the embodiment of the present application, the description of the first information and the second information, etc. can refer to the description in the above method embodiment, and will not be described in detail here. It is understood that the specific description of the processor and the transceiver can also refer to the description of the processing unit and the transceiver unit shown in Figure 12, and will not be repeated here.

[0243] Optionally, the processor 1301 may store instructions, which may be computer programs. The computer programs run on the processor 1301 to enable the communication device to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The computer programs may be fixed in the processor 1301. In this case, the processor 1301 may be implemented by hardware.

[0244] In one implementation, the communication device may include a circuit that can implement the functions of sending, receiving, or communicating in the aforementioned method embodiment. The processor and transceiver described in this application can be implemented in an integrated circuit (IC), an analog IC, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), a mixed signal IC, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic device, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), N-type metal oxide semiconductor (nMetal-oxide-semiconductor, NMOS), P-type metal oxide semiconductor (positive channel metal oxide semiconductor, PMOS), bipolar junction transistor (bipolar junction transistor, BJT), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0245] It is understood that the communication device shown in the embodiment of the present application may also have more components than those in Figure 13, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. The method performed by the processor and transceiver shown above is only an example. For the specific steps performed by the processor and transceiver, please refer to the introduction of the method embodiment above.

[0246] In another possible implementation, in the communication device shown in FIG12 , the processing unit 20 may be one or more logic circuits, and the transceiver unit 10 may be an input / output interface, also referred to as a communication interface, an interface circuit, an interface, etc. Alternatively, the transceiver unit 10 may be a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, the transmitting unit may be an output interface, the receiving unit may be an input interface, and the transmitting unit and the receiving unit may be integrated into one unit, such as an input / output interface.

[0247] Please refer to Figure 14, which is another structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 14, the communication device shown in Figure 14 includes a logic circuit 1401 and an interface 1402. That is, the above-mentioned processing unit 20 can be implemented with a logic circuit 1401, and the transceiver unit 10 can be implemented with an interface 1402. Among them, the logic circuit 1401 can be a chip, a processing circuit, an integrated circuit or a system on chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface 1402 can be a communication interface, an input and output interface, a pin, etc. Exemplarily, Figure 14 is shown as an example of a chip as the above-mentioned communication device, and the chip includes a logic circuit 1401 and an interface 1402.

[0248] In the embodiment of the present application, the logic circuit and the interface may also be coupled to each other. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific connection method between the logic circuit and the interface.

[0249] Exemplarily, when the communication device is used to execute the steps, methods, or functions executed by the first device, the interface 1402 is used to receive the first information and send the second information. Optionally, the logic circuit 1401 is used to process the first information and generate the second information.

[0250] Exemplarily, when the communication device is used to execute the steps, methods, or functions executed by the second device, the interface 1402 is used to send the first information and receive the second information. Optionally, the logic circuit 1401 is used to generate the first information and process the second information.

[0251] In the embodiments of the present application, the description of the first information, the second information, the first device, the second device, etc. can be referred to the description in the above method embodiment, and will not be described in detail here. It is understood that the specific description of the logic circuit 1401 and the interface 1402 can also refer to the description of the processing unit and the transceiver unit shown in Figure 12, and will not be repeated here.

[0252] It can be understood that the communication device shown in the embodiment of the present application can implement the method provided in the embodiment of the present application in the form of hardware, or can implement the method provided in the embodiment of the present application in the form of software, etc., and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0253] For the specific implementation methods of the various embodiments shown in Figure 14, you can also refer to the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0254] The present application also provides a wireless communication system, comprising a first device and a second device, wherein the first device and the second device can be used to perform the method in the aforementioned method embodiment. Optionally, the wireless communication system may further include a third device associated with the first device, and / or a fourth device associated with the second device. For the specific implementation of the third device and the fourth device, reference may be made to the description of the third device and the fourth device in the aforementioned embodiment, and no further details will be given here.

[0255] In addition, the present application also provides a computer program, which is used to implement the operations and / or processing performed by the first device in the method provided by the present application.

[0256] The present application also provides a computer program, which is used to implement the operations and / or processing performed by the second device in the method provided by the present application.

[0257] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer code. When the computer code runs on a computer, the computer executes the operations and / or processing performed by the first device in the method provided by the present application.

[0258] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer code. When the computer code runs on a computer, the computer executes the operations and / or processing performed by the second device in the method provided by the present application.

[0259] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or computer program. When the computer code or computer program runs on a computer, the operations and / or processing performed by the first device in the method provided by the present application are executed.

[0260] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer code or computer program. When the computer code or computer program runs on a computer, the operations and / or processing performed by the second device in the method provided by the present application are executed.

[0261] 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 only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only 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. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, or can be electrical, mechanical or other forms of connection.

[0262] 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 the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0263] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0264] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium, including a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned readable 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 random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0265] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first device, comprising: receiving first information from a second device on a first channel, wherein the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information; sending the second information, where the second information is used to indicate that the first device has a transmission requirement on a second channel, and the first channel and the second channel do not overlap; Communicate with a third device on the second channel, where the third device is a device associated with the first device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first information further includes information indicating the first channel.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The sending of the second information comprises: sending the second information on the first channel and the second channel; or, The second information is sent on the second channel of a first link and a second link, wherein the first link and the second link are included in a plurality of links between the first device and the third device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or one or more of the transmission participants corresponding to the second channel are predefined by the protocol.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: Before receiving the first information from the second device on the first channel, the method further includes: Sending third information to the second device, where the third information is used to indicate a capability of the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The third information is also used to indicate one or more of the following information: At least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or time information at which the first device supports switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

8. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to the second device, comprising: determining first information; The first information is sent to a first device on a first channel, where the first information is used to trigger the first device to send second information.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: In a case where the second information is not received within a point coordination function interframe space PIFS after sending the first information, communicating with a fourth device on the first channel, the fourth device being a device associated with the second device.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The first information further includes information indicating the first channel.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that: The receiving of the second information comprises: The second information is received on the first channel.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that: The second information is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or the transmission participant corresponding to the second channel.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that: The identification information of the second channel, the channel occupancy time of the second channel, or one or more of the transmission participants corresponding to the second channel are predefined by the protocol.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that: Before sending the first information to the first device on the first channel, the method further includes: Receive third information from the first device, where the third information is used to indicate a capability of the first device to support switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The third information is also used to indicate one or more of the following information: At least one of the second channels supported by the first device, or time information at which the first device supports switching from the first channel to the second channel for transmission.

16. A communication device, comprising a unit or module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or comprising a unit or module for executing the method according to any one of claims 8 to 15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, and the processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 through a logic circuit or execute code instructions, or to implement the method as described in any one of claims 8 to 15.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores a computer program or an instruction. When the computer program or the instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 8 to 15 is implemented.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises a computer program code, and when the computer program code is executed on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 8 to 15 is implemented.

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