Communication control method and terminal

Abstract

A communication control method and a terminal. In the method, when a wireless access point (AP) (such as a router) uses a transmit beamforming (TxBF) function to send information to a terminal, causing the network speed to slow down, the AP is determined as a faulty AP, and the TxBF function between the faulty AP and a STA is disabled, so that the faulty AP does not use the TxBF technology when sending information to the terminal, thereby ensuring that the terminal can receive information normally.

Description

Communication control method and terminal

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on January 3, 2024, with application number 202410010111.4 and application name “Method and electronic device for controlling function shutdown” and the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on March 15, 2024, with application number 202410318496.0 and application name “Communication control method and terminal”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of terminals and communication technologies, and in particular to a communication control method and a terminal. Background Art

[0003] Beamforming is a technology that utilizes antenna arrays to improve the transmission quality of wireless signals. In traditional wireless transmission, signals are radiated uniformly, effectively transmitting in all directions. Beamforming, however, coordinates signals between the transmitter and receiver to concentrate and focus the signal energy in a specific direction, improving signal strength and focus. By forming an array of multiple antennas, Beamforming adjusts the transmission timing and phase relationship between the antennas to accurately focus the signal in a specific direction. This allows the receiver to better receive the signal from the transmitter and reduces interference and attenuation along the transmission path. Beamforming increases signal transmission distance and data transmission rates.

[0004] Beamforming is a general technology that can be applied to both the transmitter and / or receiver. Beamforming that specifies both the transmitter and receiver is called transmit beamforming (TxBF). TxBF involves the transmitter using multiple antennas and corresponding algorithms to adjust the direction and power distribution of the transmitted signal to maximize the received signal strength and quality. TxBF aims to optimize the transmission performance of the transmitter's signals, thereby improving the strength and quality of the received signals at the receiver. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication control method and a terminal to optimize the use of TxBF technology.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present application, when it is determined that a wireless access point AP (e.g., a router) is a faulty AP that uses transmit beamforming (TxBF) technology to send information to a terminal, which will result in a slow network speed, the TxBF function of the faulty AP and / or STA (e.g., a terminal) is turned off so that the faulty AP does not use TxBF technology to send information to the terminal, thereby ensuring that the terminal can receive the information normally.

[0007] Beamforming is a signal precoding technology based on omnidirectional antennas. It uses the principle of signal superposition to adjust the phase of signals transmitted by multiple antennas to control the direction and energy intensity of signal propagation ("directional beamforming"), thereby improving the demodulation signal-to-noise ratio at the receiving end.

[0008] In beamforming, multiple wave sources (i.e., antenna arrays) carefully control the relative phase and amplitude of the waves transmitted and received by the wave sources to ensure that the electromagnetic wave radiation and reception gain are concentrated in a single direction (i.e., the location of the receiver / transmitter), while the electromagnetic wave radiation and reception gain are minimal elsewhere (thus minimizing interference with other receivers and the chance of interference from other transmitters). Take a receiving antenna array as an example. For electromagnetic waves propagating in the desired direction, the wavefront arrives at each antenna in the antenna array at a different time (phase). A specific phase delay is added to each antenna to compensate for the difference in the wavefront's arrival phase. After this phase delay, the signals received by each antenna are aligned in phase, resulting in a larger amplitude after summing the desired signals received by different antennas. On the other hand, when interfering signals propagating in other directions reach the antenna array, the delays corresponding to each antenna do not match the arrival time difference of the signals, so the amplitude does not increase after summing. In this way, the antenna array can effectively create a directional antenna by combining multiple ordinary antennas with specific delays. Based on the principle of antenna reciprocity, the same architecture can be used in a transmitting antenna array to create a highly directional antenna. Furthermore, the direction of antenna radiation can be adjusted by varying the relative delay and amplitude between the wave sources, making it easy to track changes in the relative position of the transmitter and receiver.

[0009] Beamforming technology is widely used in wireless communication systems, particularly in wireless local area networks (WLANs) and mobile communications. By optimizing signal transmission direction and strength, beamforming improves signal coverage, interference immunity, and network capacity, providing more reliable and efficient wireless connections. By controlling the beam direction, the coverage distance and signal strength toward STAs can be enhanced.

[0010] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication control method, which is applied to a terminal, wherein the terminal supports a preset bandwidth and supports transmit beamforming TxBF technology, the method comprising: the terminal receiving a probe response frame sent by a router, the probe response frame carrying the organizational unique identifier OUI of the router and the bandwidth supported by the router being a first bandwidth; the router supports the preset bandwidth and supports TxBF technology; when the OUI is the preset OUI and the first bandwidth is equal to the preset bandwidth, the terminal sends a first association request frame to the router; the terminal receives a first association response frame sent by the router to respond to the first association request frame; the first association request frame carries first indication information, the first indication information is used to indicate: the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth, and the terminal does not support the TxBF technology; or, the first indication information is used to indicate: the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the second bandwidth, and the terminal supports the TxBF technology; wherein the second bandwidth is less than the preset bandwidth.

[0011] In the above embodiment, when using TxBF technology for data transmission, for example, the sending end is a router and the receiving end is a terminal. The preset OUI is the OUI corresponding to the manufacturer of the faulty AP. If a router that supports a preset bandwidth (e.g., 160 Mbps) and TxBF technology has the preset OUI and notifies the terminal that it supports the preset bandwidth (e.g., 160 Mbps), the router may be a faulty AP that cannot properly use TxBF technology at 160 Mbps. To avoid the problem scenario where TxBF technology fails at 160 Mbps, a terminal that supports both TxBF and 160 Mbps can falsely report that it does not support TxBF or 160 Mbps during link establishment via an association request frame (a first association request frame). This will instruct the router not to use TxBF and 160 Mbps simultaneously if it learns from the first association request frame that the terminal does not support both. This prevents the problem scenario and allows process optimization during the link establishment phase to prevent future issues.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first association response frame carries second indication information; when the first indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth, and indicates that the terminal does not support the TxBF technology, the second indication information is used to indicate: the maximum bandwidth supported by the router is the preset bandwidth, and the router does not support the TxBF technology; or, when the first indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the second bandwidth, and indicates that the terminal supports the TxBF technology, the second indication information is used to indicate: the maximum bandwidth supported by the router is the second bandwidth, and the router supports the TxBF technology.

[0013] In the above embodiment, when the router learns from the first association request frame that the terminal does not support both TxBF and 160 Mbps bandwidth, it will not use both TxBF and 160 Mbps bandwidth simultaneously. The router responds to the terminal with an association response frame (first association response frame), controlling the negotiated bandwidth to the same bandwidth as indicated by the terminal in the first association request frame, and also maintaining the negotiated TxBF capability consistent with the TxBF capability indicated by the terminal in the first association request frame. In this way, in subsequent communications, normal data transmission can be achieved based on the negotiated bandwidth and TxBF capability.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in some embodiments, before the terminal sends the first association request frame to the router, the method further includes: the terminal determining that the probe response frame also carries information indicating that the router supports the TxBF technology.

[0015] In the above embodiment, once the probe response frame carries information indicating that the router supports TxBF technology, it can be further determined that the router is a faulty AP. However, the probe response frame may not carry information indicating that the router supports TxBF technology. However, even if it does not carry information indicating whether the router supports 160M, the communication control method provided in the embodiment of the present application can still be used. Even if the router is an AP that does not support TxBF technology, implementing the communication control method provided in the embodiment of the present application will not result in negative benefits.

[0016] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication control method, wherein the terminal supports a preset bandwidth and supports transmit beamforming TxBF technology, the method comprising: the terminal establishing a first connection with the router; the router supports the preset bandwidth and supports TxBF technology, and when the terminal receives data sent by the router through the first connection, the TxBF technology of the terminal is in an on state and the maximum bandwidth used by the terminal is the preset bandwidth; when a first condition is met, the terminal sends a first reassociation request frame to the router; the first condition includes that the communication quality between the terminal and the router is lower than a preset level; the terminal receives a first reassociation response frame sent by the router to respond to the first reassociation request frame; the first reassociation request frame carries third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate: the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth, and the terminal does not support the TxBF technology; or, the third indication information is used to indicate: the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is a second bandwidth, and the terminal supports the TxBF technology; wherein the second bandwidth is less than the preset bandwidth.

[0017] In the above embodiment, as in the first aspect, when using TxBF technology for data transmission, for example, the sending end is a router and the receiving end is a terminal. The difference from the first aspect is that in the second aspect, during the communication process, the terminal finds that the network speed is slow (it can be understood that the terminal has entered the problem scenario), and reasonably suspects that the router is a faulty AP, and then renegotiates the TxBF capability and maximum bandwidth based on the reassociation process to enable the terminal to exit the problem scenario. The negotiation method is that the terminal falsely reports that it does not support TxBF or does not support 160M bandwidth through a reassociation request frame (a first reassociation request frame), and then guides the router not to continue to use TxBF and 160M bandwidth at the same time when it learns through the first reassociation request frame that the terminal does not support TxBF and 160M bandwidth at the same time.

[0018] In combination with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first reassociation response frame carries fourth indication information; when the third indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth, and indicates that the terminal does not support the TxBF technology, the fourth indication information is used to indicate: the maximum bandwidth supported by the router is the preset bandwidth, and the router does not support the TxBF technology; or, when the third indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the second bandwidth, and indicates that the terminal supports the TxBF technology, the fourth indication information is used to indicate: the maximum bandwidth supported by the router is the second bandwidth, and the router supports the TxBF technology.

[0019] In the above embodiment, if the router learns from the first reassociation request frame that the terminal does not support both TxBF and 160 Mbps bandwidth, it will not use both TxBF and 160 Mbps simultaneously. It responds to the terminal with a reassociation response frame (the first reassociation response frame), controlling the negotiated bandwidth to the same bandwidth and maintaining the same TxBF capability. This allows for normal data transmission during subsequent communications based on the negotiated bandwidth and TxBF capability.

[0020] In combination with the second aspect, in some embodiments, after the terminal receives the first reassociation response frame sent by the router, the method also includes: the terminal establishes a second connection with the router; when the third indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth, and indicates that the terminal does not support the TxBF technology, when receiving data sent by the router through the second connection, the TxBF function of the terminal is in an off state and the terminal uses the maximum bandwidth as the preset bandwidth, or, when the third indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the second bandwidth, and indicates that the terminal supports the TxBF technology, when receiving data sent by the router through the second connection, the TxBF function of the terminal is in an on state and the terminal uses the maximum bandwidth as the second bandwidth.

[0021] In combination with the second aspect, in some embodiments, before the terminal establishes a first connection with the router, the method also includes: the terminal receives a probe response frame sent by the router, the probe response frame carries the organizational unique identifier OUI of the router and the bandwidth supported by the router is the first bandwidth; the terminal sends a second association request frame to the router; the terminal receives a second association response frame sent by the router to respond to the second association request frame; the second association request frame carries fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate: the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth, and the terminal supports the TxBF technology.

[0022] In the above embodiment, the problem scenario between the terminal and the router is caused by the router being a faulty AP, but negotiating bandwidth to use both TxBF and 160M bandwidth. It should be noted that this is not the only reason presented here and that other reasons are possible. For example, the router may be a faulty AP that the terminal has not yet identified, but may negotiate to use both TxBF and 160M bandwidth during reassociation due to reasons other than slow network speeds. This then leads to a problem scenario where the network speed is slow and the terminal identifies it as a faulty AP. Therefore, reassociation negotiation may be performed again, excluding the simultaneous use of TxBF and 160M bandwidth.

[0023] In combination with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first condition further includes that the OUI of the router is a preset OUI and the first bandwidth is equal to the preset bandwidth.

[0024] In the above embodiment, the first condition, in addition to slow network speed, may also include more information to further determine that the router is a faulty AP, such as whether the router is produced by a preset manufacturer and supports a preset bandwidth.

[0025] In combination with the second aspect, in some embodiments, before the first condition is met, the method also includes: when it is determined based on the probe response frame that the OUI of the router is a preset OUI and the first bandwidth is equal to the preset bandwidth, the terminal performs network detection according to the first frequency after establishing the first connection, and determines that the communication quality between the terminal and the router is lower than the preset level; the first frequency is greater than the second frequency, and the second frequency is the frequency at which the terminal performs network detection before receiving the probe response frame.

[0026] In combination with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method also includes: before determining that the first condition is met, the terminal receives a request to send frame sent by the router through the first connection, and the request to send frame is used to request to use the preset bandwidth to send the first data packet to the terminal; the terminal sends a permission to send frame to the router through the first connection, and the permission to send frame is used to notify the router to use the second bandwidth to send the first data packet.

[0027] In the above embodiment, one cause of the problem scenario includes: after the terminal and the router establish the first connection, the bandwidth for transmitting data packets is modified from the negotiated maximum bandwidth to a bandwidth less than the negotiated bandwidth through RTS (Request to Send) and CTS (Clear to Send) frames (see Figures 2B and 2A and their related descriptions). When this occurs, it is sufficient to indicate that the router is the faulty AP.

[0028] In combination with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the communication quality between the terminal and the router is lower than a preset level, specifically including: after the terminal sends a permission to send frame to the router, the terminal does not receive the first data packet within a preset time.

[0029] In the above embodiment, if there is a request-to-send frame and a permission-to-send frame for sending the first data packet, and the negotiated bandwidth for transmitting the first data packet is not the negotiated maximum bandwidth, but a bandwidth smaller than the maximum bandwidth, then if the first data packet is not received for a long time, it can be more fully demonstrated that the router is a faulty AP.

[0030] In combination with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the communication quality between the terminal and the router is lower than a preset level, specifically including: the terminal determines that the packet loss rate of the second data packet is greater than the preset packet loss rate; the second data packet is a data packet received by the terminal through the first connection.

[0031] In combination with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the preset bandwidth is 160M bandwidth.

[0032] In combination with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second bandwidth is one of 80M bandwidth, 40M bandwidth, or 20M bandwidth.

[0033] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication control method. In some embodiments, the method includes: when the organization unique identifier OUI of the router to which the terminal (such as a mobile phone) is connected is a preset OUI and the bandwidth of the router is a preset bandwidth (for example, when the terminal determines that the organization unique identifier OUI of the connected router is a preset OUI and the bandwidth of the router is a preset bandwidth, it determines that the router is a faulty router), the terminal turns off the transmission beamforming TxBF function supported under the preset bandwidth, and sends a first message to the router through a first method; the first method does not use the transmission beamforming TxBF technology supported under the preset bandwidth to send the first message; the terminal receives a response to the first message sent by the router; the response to the first message is sent through the first method supported by the router.

[0034] In the above embodiments, some routers may use TxBF technology at a preset bandwidth to send messages (packets) to terminals, which may cause problems, such as messages not being delivered to the terminal. To solve this problem, the terminal's TxBF function at the preset bandwidth can be disabled. Using the first method (TxBF technology at a non-preset bandwidth) will cause the router to also disable TxBF at the preset bandwidth. This prevents the terminal and router from interacting without using TxBF technology at the preset bandwidth, thus preventing the problem of receiving messages.

[0035] Some routers and mobile phones may experience communication issues, preventing users from accessing the internet. In some embodiments, the mobile phone can dynamically disable the TxBF feature when it identifies a specific router, bandwidth, and / or protocol type. During the connection process, if the mobile phone notifies the router that the phone does not support TxBF technology, the router will disable TxBF, preventing communication issues between the two parties.

[0036] In combination with the third aspect, in some embodiments, sending the first message to the router in a first manner specifically includes: sending the first message using the TxBF technology supported by the first bandwidth.

[0037] In combination with the third aspect, in some embodiments, sending the first message to the router in a first manner specifically includes: sending the first message to the router, and not adjusting the first message using the TxBF technology when sending.

[0038] In combination with the third aspect, in some embodiments, before determining that the router is a faulty router, the method further includes: the terminal determining, based on a preset rule, that the network speed of the router is slow.

[0039] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some embodiments, the preset rule includes: the terminal sends a second message to the router, and does not receive a response to the second message sent by the router within a first preset time.

[0040] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some embodiments, the preset rule includes: after the terminal sends at least one message to the router, the terminal does not receive a message sent by the router within a second preset time.

[0041] In combination with the third aspect, in some embodiments, there is packet loss in the message sent by the router and received by the terminal.

[0042] In combination with the third aspect, in some embodiments, the preset bandwidth is 160M bandwidth.

[0043] In combination with the third aspect, in some embodiments, the first bandwidth is one of 80M bandwidth, 40M bandwidth, or 20M bandwidth.

[0044] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a terminal comprising: one or more processors and a memory; the memory is coupled to the one or more processors, the memory being used to store computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer instructions, the one or more processors calling the computer instructions to enable the terminal to execute the method implemented in the first aspect.

[0045] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed on a terminal, causes the terminal to execute the method implemented in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect.

[0046] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which is applied to a terminal, and the chip system includes one or more processors, which are used to call computer instructions to enable the terminal to execute the method implemented in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect. The chip system can be a SoC (system-on-chip). The processor can include a modem processor (also known as a modem or baseband chip).

[0047] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a terminal, enables the terminal to execute the method implemented in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect.

[0048] It is understandable that the terminal provided in the fourth aspect, the computer storage medium provided in the fifth aspect, the chip system provided in the sixth aspect, and the computer program product provided in the seventh aspect are all used to execute the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application. Therefore, other beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of spatial holes and beamforming technology when propagating signals;

[0050] FIG2A is a schematic diagram of a normal process of an AP using the TxBF function to complete signal transmission;

[0051] FIG2B is a schematic diagram of an abnormal process of completing signal transmission using the TxBF function;

[0052] FIG3A shows a flowchart of link establishment between an AP and a STA;

[0053] FIG3B shows a schematic diagram of the reassociation process;

[0054] FIG4 is a schematic diagram showing how to disable the TxBF function based on the association phase in Mode 1;

[0055] FIG5 is a schematic diagram showing a method of closing 160M bandwidth based on the association phase in mode 2;

[0056] FIG6 is a schematic diagram showing how the TxBF function is disabled based on the reassociation phase in Mode 3;

[0057] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of closing 160M bandwidth based on the reassociation phase in Mode 4;

[0058] FIG8 shows an exemplary flow chart related to Mode 1;

[0059] FIG9 shows an exemplary data transmission process after the TxBF function is disabled;

[0060] FIG10 shows an exemplary flow chart related to Mode 2;

[0061] FIG11A shows an exemplary data transmission process after closing the 160M bandwidth;

[0062] FIG11B shows another exemplary data transmission process after closing the 160M bandwidth;

[0063] FIG12A shows an exemplary flow chart related to Mode 3;

[0064] FIG12B shows an exemplary data transmission process after the TxBF function is disabled based on reassociation;

[0065] FIG13A shows an exemplary flow chart related to Mode 4;

[0066] FIG13B shows an exemplary data transmission process after closing the 160M bandwidth based on reassociation;

[0067] FIG14 shows an exemplary structural block diagram of a terminal;

[0068] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0069] In one solution, an access point (AP) (such as a WiFi device like a router) uses an omnidirectional antenna. In theory, it transmits signals evenly in all directions, centered around the antenna. However, in practice, due to multipath, scattering, and diffraction caused by obstacles, the strength of the WiFi signal transmitted by the AP varies in all directions. The purpose of using beamforming technology in an AP is to calculate the steering matrix coefficients through interaction between the AP and the STA (such as a mobile phone or other terminal device). This allows the AP to control the strength and phase of the signals transmitted by different antennas through the steering matrix, thereby enhancing the WiFi signal and improving the strength and quality of the WiFi signal received by the STA.

[0070] Referring to Figure 1 , beamforming technology can reduce signal attenuation (e.g., WiFi signal) caused by spatial voids and increase signal strength and quality.

[0071] Spatial holes refer to the phenomenon where signal strength is weak or unreachable in certain areas or directions during signal propagation. Spatial holes can be caused by factors such as multipath propagation, attenuation, and obstruction. Spatial holes can lead to degraded signal quality and even cause transmission interruptions or signal loss.

[0072] When an AP transmits signals, spatial holes directly affect the signal's coverage and transmission distance. If a large number of spatial holes exist in a WiFi network, signal transmission within these areas will be affected, and STAs may not be able to receive a stable signal. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the AP uses antennas A and B to transmit WiFi signals to STAs. The larger the spatial holes, the worse the signal quality (severe attenuation) or even no signal at all.

[0073] However, using beamforming technology to transmit this signal can improve its transmission range and quality. By focusing the signal's energy in the desired direction, it can reduce signal diffusion and attenuation in space, improve signal reception sensitivity and coverage, and thus enhance wireless connection speed and stability. For example, as shown in Figure 1, when the AP uses antennas A and B to transmit a beamformed signal to a STA, it can adjust the signal's phase and amplitude to form a directional beam, concentrating the signal's energy on the STA.

[0074] It should be noted that beamforming is a general technology that can be applied to the transmitter and / or receiver. Beamforming technology that specifies both the transmitter and receiver is called transmit beamforming (TxBF).

[0075] When a STA supports beamforming, the AP can use it to transmit signals to the STA, indicating that the AP supports TxBF. If the STA can correctly receive and process signals sent by the AP using beamforming, it also supports TxBF. Alternatively, beamforming used by the transmitter can be referred to as TxBF. The transmitter (e.g., the AP) uses TxBF to send signals to the receiver (e.g., the STA), improving signal transmission strength and quality. The receiver (e.g., the STA) must support TxBF to correctly receive and process TxBF signals.

[0076] Here, when using TxBF technology for data transmission mentioned later, the AP is the transmitter, which can also be called a beamformer, and the STA is the receiver, which can also be called a beamformee.

[0077] Originally, using TxBF between APs and STAs, which both support TxBF, can improve transmission quality. However, in actual use, a faulty AP was found. Due to an internal bug, this AP experienced slow network speeds when using TxBF to send information to STAs, resulting in poor or no signal reception at all.

[0078] The reasons for slow internet speed may include the following.

[0079] During the connection establishment process, the STA and AP negotiate the maximum bandwidth supported by both parties for data transmission and whether TxBF is supported during data transmission. During the connection establishment process, if it is negotiated to use TxBF for data transmission, both parties will use TxBF for data transmission. The maximum bandwidth supported by both parties means that the bandwidth used for data transmission must be less than or equal to the maximum bandwidth. Generally speaking, the bandwidth used for data transmission (transmission bandwidth) is the negotiated maximum bandwidth. However, the maximum bandwidth does not necessarily have to be used for data transmission, because after the connection is established, a method is provided to change the transmission bandwidth from the maximum bandwidth to another bandwidth (less than the maximum bandwidth) to enable data transmission using other bandwidths. Methods for changing the bandwidth include: the STA further determines whether to change the bandwidth based on factors such as channel quality and usage.

[0080] If the available bandwidth is changed, the AP is notified of the changed available bandwidth (less than the negotiated maximum bandwidth) via a Clear to Send (CTS) frame. If the negotiated maximum bandwidth is available, the AP and STA can use this maximum bandwidth for data transmission. After the STA and AP establish a connection, if the AP wishes to send data to the STA using the maximum bandwidth and TxBF, the AP sends a Request to Send (RTS) frame to the STA, requesting that the STA use TxBF to send data at the maximum bandwidth. After receiving the RTS frame, the STA checks whether a channel with the maximum bandwidth is available. If not, it checks for available channels. Based on the result, it determines the available bandwidth for this data transmission. The available bandwidth is then fed back to the AP in a Clear to Send (CTS) frame. The AP parses the available bandwidth from the CTS frame and then sends data to the STA on a channel with this available bandwidth for successful data transmission. However, if the maximum bandwidth is the preset bandwidth (e.g., 160 Mbps), the AP uses a Request to Send frame to request that the STA use TxBF to send a signal (e.g., a data packet) on a channel with the preset bandwidth. The STA detects that the channel with the preset bandwidth is unavailable and determines that the available bandwidth is a non-preset bandwidth (e.g., 80 Mbps). The STA then sends a Clear to Send frame (notifying the AP to use TxBF technology to send signals on a channel with a non-preset bandwidth). However, due to an internal bug, the AP is unable to respond to the Clear to Send frame, resulting in abnormal data transmission. A detailed description of this process can be found in Figure 2B below.

[0081] Transmitting a signal using TxBF on a channel with a preset bandwidth means transmitting a signal processed using TxBF on a channel with a preset bandwidth. This can also be understood as transmitting data using the preset bandwidth and TxBF.

[0082] The default bandwidth is the bandwidth that causes the problem scenario, typically 160 Mbps. It's not limited to 160 Mbps. For example, if 80 Mbps also causes the problem scenario, 80 Mbps can also be the default bandwidth.

[0083] The following description uses a preset bandwidth of 160 Mbps as an example. For an explanation of the slow network speed issue when the AP uses TxBF technology to send information to STAs due to an internal bug, refer to Figures 2A and 2B. Figures 2A and 2B illustrate the data transmission process. It should be noted that a connection must be established before data transmission can begin. The bandwidth and TxBF negotiation process during connection establishment can be referenced in the following description of Figure 3A. Figures 2A and 2B illustrate the slow network speed issue using a negotiated maximum bandwidth of 160 Mbps and TxBF support as an example.

[0084] Figure 2A illustrates the normal process for an AP to complete message transmission using TxBF technology. Acting as a beamformer, the AP sends a NULL data packet (NDP) on a 160 Mbps channel for the STA, acting as the beamformee (beamformee), to perform channel measurements. This NDP also informs the STA that the AP will use TxBF technology to transmit signals on a 160 Mbps channel. This NDP is referred to as a 160MNDP. After receiving the 160MNDP, the STA, acting as the beamformee, measures the 160 Mbps channel, calculates the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and steering matrix coefficients for the 160 Mbps channel, and carries these values ​​in a compressed feedback (CFB) frame. The CFB is then sent to the AP on the 160 Mbps channel. Subsequently, the AP receives the CFB feedback from the STA and adjusts the strength and phase of the transmitted signal. The AP sends a dynamic RTS (Request To Send) to the STA. Dynamic means that the channel used by the AP to send the RTS to the STA can be dynamically adjusted based on the channel quality. This means that the AP can send the RTS to the STA on a channel with better quality rather than on the channel with the maximum bandwidth.

[0085] Continuing with Figure 2A, after receiving the Dynamic RTS, the STA begins channel detection. The detection results show that the STA detects that the 160 Mbps channel is unavailable, but the 80 Mbps channel is available. The STA then responds with an 80 Mbps CTS (Clear To Send) to the AP on the 80 Mbps channel. This 80 Mbps CTS notifies the AP to use Transmit-Boundary Forwarding (TxBF) technology to transmit signals on the 80 Mbps channel. The AP discovers that the STA's supported bandwidth is not the negotiated maximum of 160 Mbps, but rather 80 Mbps. It resends an Undelivered Data Transfer Protocol (NDP) on the 80 Mbps channel for the beamformee to perform channel measurements. The 80 Mbps NDP also notifies the STA that the AP will use TxBF technology to transmit signals on the 80 Mbps channel. After receiving the 80 Mbps NDP, the STA measures the 80 Mbps channel, calculates the SNR and pointing matrix coefficients for the 80 Mbps channel, and sends these SNR and pointing matrix coefficients to the AP on the 80 Mbps channel via CFB. The AP receives the CFB signal from the STA and uses TxBF to adjust the strength and phase of the transmitted signal (data packet). It then sends the adjusted signal to the STA over an 80 Mbps channel. After receiving the data packet, the STA sends an acknowledgment (ACK) message to the AP over the same 80 Mbps channel. At this point, the beamformer and beamformee complete a data transmission using TxBF.

[0086] Referring to Figure 2A, it can be concluded that when the negotiated maximum bandwidth is 160M, if the AP needs to send a data packet to the STA on a channel with a 160M bandwidth, it must first receive the pointing matrix coefficients for the channel with a 160M bandwidth through CFB, and then receive a CTS allowing data to be sent on the channel with a 160M bandwidth. Only then can the STA use TxBF to send data packets on the channel with a 160M bandwidth. If the CTS indicates that the available bandwidth is bandwidth 1 other than 160M (for example, 80M), the pointing matrix coefficients for the channel with a 160M bandwidth will be unavailable. The AP must re-obtain the pointing matrix coefficients for the channel with bandwidth 1 through NDP and receive a CTS allowing data to be sent on the channel with bandwidth 1 before it can use TxBF to send data packets on the channel with bandwidth 1. The maximum bandwidth is not limited to 160M; the same applies to other bandwidths (for example, 80M).

[0087] Figure 2B illustrates the abnormal process for message transmission using TxBF. Similar to the normal process shown in Figure 2A, the STA sends an 80M CTS on an 80M channel, reducing the available bandwidth from the negotiated maximum of 160M to 80M. The process of increasing the bandwidth from 160M to 80M involves the AP, acting as a beamformer, sending a 160M NDP for the beamformee to perform channel measurement. This 160M NDP also informs the STA that the AP will use TxBF to transmit signals on a 160M channel. After receiving the 160M NDP, the STA, acting as a beamformee, measures the 160M channel and calculates the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and steering matrix coefficients for the 160M channel. The SNR and steering matrix coefficients are carried in a compressed feedback (CFB) message, which is sent to the AP on the 160M channel. After receiving the CFB from the STA, the AP adjusts the strength and phase of the transmitted signal. The AP then sends a dynamic RTS. After receiving the Dynamic RTS, the STA begins channel detection. The detection results show that the STA detects that the 160 Mbps channel is unavailable, but the 80 Mbps channel is available. The STA then responds with an 80 Mbps CTS to the AP on the 80 Mbps channel. This 80 Mbps CTS informs the AP to use TxBF technology to transmit signals on the 80 Mbps channel. Compared to the normal process in Figure 2A, the AP does not take any further action after the STA sends the 80 Mbps CTS. Therefore, no message (e.g., data packet) is transmitted.

[0088] Referring to the aforementioned reasons for slow network speed, the reason for no subsequent specific action here may be that the AP has an internal fault. After the STA changes the available bandwidth from the negotiated maximum bandwidth to another bandwidth through a CTS, the STA cannot process the CTS sent by the STA.

[0089] When the abnormal process shown in FIG2B occurs, the TxBF technology cannot be successfully used to transmit messages (eg, data packets), thereby causing the AP to be unable to use the TxBF technology to send data packets to the STA, resulting in a slow network speed problem for the STA.

[0090] It should be noted that Figures 2A and 2B describe the data transmission process. Before implementing the data transmission shown in Figures 2A or 2B, the STA and AP must perform the connection establishment process shown in Figure 3A below. The maximum bandwidth (e.g., 160M) and TxBF technology supported by both the STA and AP during data transmission are negotiated during the connection establishment process (abbreviated as link establishment, also referred to as connection establishment). For details about the link establishment process, please refer to the description of Figure 3A below.

[0091] Once the maximum bandwidth and the use of TxBF technology are negotiated during the link establishment process, after the connection is established, referring to the aforementioned description of Figure 2A, the AP can obtain the pointing matrix coefficients of the maximum bandwidth channel through DNP and obtain permission to send data on the maximum bandwidth channel through RTS, and then the AP will use the maximum bandwidth and TxBF to transmit data to the STA. If the maximum bandwidth is not used, the bandwidth can be changed from the maximum bandwidth to other available bandwidths smaller than the maximum bandwidth when sending CTS, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B above, or the bandwidth can be renegotiated when reassociation is performed. Whether to enable TxBF technology can also be renegotiated when reassociation is performed. For information about reassociation, please refer to the following description of Figure 3B, which will not be repeated here.

[0092] The negotiation of bandwidth and whether to enable TxBF technology during link establishment may refer to the following description of FIG. 3A .

[0093] The link establishment process consists of six phases: scanning, network selection, authentication, association, four-step handshake, and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). Each phase is described below.

[0094] Phase 1: Scanning phase. This phase is used by STAs to discover surrounding APs and obtain basic AP information.

[0095] A STA (e.g., a mobile phone) sends a Probe Request frame. The STA sends a Probe Request frame to search for nearby available wireless network devices. The Probe Request frame contains the STA's wireless network requirements and parameters.

[0096] The AP (e.g., a router) sends a Probe Response frame to the STA. After receiving the Probe Request frame, the AP sends a Probe Response frame to the STA, which contains basic AP information. This basic information includes the maximum bandwidth supported by the AP and whether the AP supports TxBF.

[0097] It should be noted that STAs scan for surrounding APs when they are triggered by the user: When a Wi-Fi connection is detected, the STA begins scanning for surrounding APs. Alternatively, when the STA detects a change in location, it triggers active scanning to obtain APs around the new location.

[0098] The second stage: network selection stage.

[0099] Based on the received Probe response frame, the STA selects a target AP to connect to, usually based on factors such as signal strength and quality.

[0100] The third phase is the authentication phase, which is used to authenticate the STA.

[0101] The STA sends an Authentication Request (Auth Request) frame to the selected STA. The STA sends an Auth Request frame to the selected AP for identity authentication. The Auth Request frame contains the STA's authentication request and related parameters.

[0102] The selected AP sends an authentication response (Auth response) frame to the STA. After receiving the Auth request frame, the AP sends an Auth response frame to the STA to confirm the STA's identity and authority.

[0103] The fourth stage is the association stage.

[0104] The STA sends an Association Request (Assoc request) frame to the selected AP. The Assoc request frame contains the STA's identity and connection parameters. These parameters may include the STA's supported bandwidth and whether TxBF is supported.

[0105] The selected AP sends an Association Response (Assoc Response) frame to the STA. After receiving the Assoc Request frame, the AP sends an Assoc Response frame to the STA to confirm the establishment of the association. The Assoc Request frame may include the AP's connection parameters, such as the bandwidth supported by the STA and whether TxBF is supported.

[0106] It should be noted that in the Assoc request frame and the Assoc response frame, information about bandwidth and TxBF is recorded in the HT Capabilities field.

[0107] The fifth phase, the Four-Way Handshake, is used to establish a secure encrypted session.

[0108] This process uses the EAPOL (Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN) protocol, including EAPOL1-EAPOL4.

[0109] EAPOL1 (EAPOL-Key 1 of 4): The AP sends an EAPOL-Key 1 message to the STA (selected), which contains a random number used to establish an encrypted session.

[0110] EAPOL2 (EAPOL-Key 2 of 4): The STA sends an EAPOL-Key 2 message to the AP, which contains the result of processing the random number sent by the AP.

[0111] EAPOL3 (EAPOL-Key 3 of 4): The AP sends an EAPOL-Key 3 message to the STA, which contains the random number used to generate the session key and the result of processing the random number sent by the STA.

[0112] EAPOL4 (EAPOL-Key 4 of 4): The STA and AP perform final confirmation and authentication through EAPOL-Key 4 messages to ensure that the encrypted session is successfully established.

[0113] The sixth phase, the DHCP phase, is used by the STA to obtain the IP address and other network configuration information assigned by the AP. The process includes DHCP discovery (Discover), DHCP offer (Offer), DHCP request (Request), and DHCP acknowledgment (ACK).

[0114] DHCP Discover: STAs broadcast DHCP Discover messages to discover available DHCP servers.

[0115] DHCP Offer: After receiving the DHCP Discover message, the AP sends a DHCP Offer message to the STA, which contains the available IP address and configuration information.

[0116] DHCP Request: A STA sends a DHCP Request message to the AP, requesting the allocation of a specific IP address and configuration information.

[0117] DHCP ACK: The AP sends a DHCP Acknowledgement message to the STA to confirm the IP address and configuration information assigned to the STA.

[0118] Based on the above content, it can be seen that after the STA and AP follow the link establishment process shown in Figure 3A, a connection is established and data transmission can be carried out. A scenario of successful data transmission can refer to the content shown in Figure 2A. During the link establishment process, the association phase is the main stage for negotiating bandwidth and TxBF capabilities. The HT Capabilities field is used to understand the support status of both parties and adapt. For example, when a STA accesses an AP, it declares the STA's beamforming (TxBF) capability through the Transmit Beamforming capabilities field in the HT Capability (high throughput capability). When both the AP and the STA support Beamforming (TxBF), this function will be enabled.

[0119] If the AP supports TxBF and the STA also supports TxBF, and both parties reach an agreement during the association phase (both support), then TxBF can be enabled during subsequent data transmission. The same applies to other capabilities negotiated by both parties. For example, if the AP supports bandwidth 1 and the STA also supports bandwidth 1, and both parties reach an agreement during the association phase (both support), then bandwidth 1 can be enabled during subsequent data transmission.

[0120] It should be noted that if negotiated capabilities (such as bandwidth and TxBF) need to be changed after link establishment, reassociation can be performed to achieve this. As shown in Figure 3B, during the reassociation phase, the STA can send a Reassoc Request frame to the AP to renegotiate capabilities such as bandwidth and TxBF. After receiving the Reassoc Request frame from the STA, the AP can send a Reassoc Response frame to the AP.

[0121] Information about bandwidth and TxBF in the Reassoc request frame and the ReAssoc response frame is also recorded in the HT Capabilities field.

[0122] Among them, the content of the negotiation capability in the Reassoc request frame is the same as that in the aforementioned Assoc request frame, and the content of the negotiation capability in the Reassoc response frame is the same as that in the aforementioned Assoc response frame. Please refer to the aforementioned related content and will not be repeated here.

[0123] In some cases, before entering the reassociation phase, reauthentication is required to ensure legal use of the network: the STA sends a Reauth request frame to the AP. After receiving the Reauth request frame, the AP sends a Reauth response frame to the STA to complete the reauthentication.

[0124] A communication control method is proposed for the faulty AP in the aforementioned solution. This method determines that a wireless access point (AP) (e.g., a router) may be using TxBF technology to send information to a STA (e.g., a mobile phone), resulting in slow network speeds. The TxBF function is disabled for both the faulty AP and the STA. This prevents the AP from using TxBF when sending information to the STA, ensuring that the terminal can receive the information normally.

[0125] Disabling the AP's TxBF function means that, as a transmitter, the AP does not use TxBF when sending information to STAs. Disabling the STA's TxBF function means that, as a receiver, the STA does not use TxBF when receiving information sent by the AP.

[0126] However, this method does not limit whether to use the TxBF function when the STA acts as a transmitter and the AP acts as a receiver.

[0127] In some possible cases, for a faulty AP, the STA needs to circumvent it by disabling the TxBF function on its own first to trigger the remote AP to also disable the TxBF function.

[0128] In other possible scenarios, the problem occurs when TxBF is used at the preset bandwidth for the faulty AP. To mitigate this issue, the STA can choose not to disable TxBF and instead use the preset bandwidth.

[0129] In summary, the circumvention methods include but are not limited to the following methods 1 to 4.

[0130] Method 1: During link establishment, if the STA identifies that the AP selected for connection may be a faulty AP and the AP has enabled 160M, the STA can directly disable the TxBF function on the STA side.

[0131] The fact that 160 Mbps has been enabled means that the AP notifies the STA during bandwidth negotiation that the AP supports 160 Mbps. The fact that the STA identifies that the AP selected for connection may be a faulty AP includes: the STA determines that the manufacturer of the AP has produced a faulty AP.

[0132] Referring to FIG4 (a), for a faulty AP and STA configured with the TxBF function and supporting a maximum bandwidth of 160M, implementation method 1 can be implemented during link establishment. The implementation process of implementation method 1 includes the following.

[0133] As shown in (1), the AP notifies the STA through the Probe response frame that the AP supports 160M and is produced by manufacturer A. Here, the STA can determine whether the AP is a faulty AP based on the information about the STA in the Probe response frame.

[0134] When the AP is faulty, as shown in (2a), the STA selects to connect to the AP through a Probe response frame and sends an Assoc request frame to the AP. The Assoc request frame is used to inform the AP that the STA supports a maximum of 160M and does not support TxBF as a receiver. Referring to (3a), the AP responds to the Assoc request frame and sends an Assoc response frame to the STA. Here, the Assoc response frame is used to inform the STA that the AP supports a maximum of 160M and does not support TxBF as a transmitter.

[0135] At (2a) in Figure 4, the STA notifies the AP that it does not support TxBF as a receiver. This causes the AP, which supports TxBF, to also notify the STA that it does not support TxBF as a transmitter. The reasons for this include: After the AP determines that the STA does not support TxBF as a receiver, it will no longer use TxBF to send data to the STA. This will prevent the STA, which does not support TxBF, from correctly receiving data sent using TxBF. To avoid this, if the STA, as a receiver, does not support TxBF, the AP should also not enable TxBF.

[0136] Subsequently, the STA and the AP complete the remaining steps of link building to establish a connection. After being connected, the AP can use a channel with a bandwidth of 160M to send data to the STA, and the TxBF function is not enabled when sending data. The STA can receive data sent by the AP on a channel with a bandwidth of 160M, and the TxBF function is in a closed state when receiving data, that is, the STA does not use the TxBF function to receive data. Compared with the aforementioned Figure 2B, when the AP is a faulty AP that uses 160M bandwidth and TxBF technology and has a slow network speed problem, using the communication control method provided in the embodiment of the present application will make the maximum bandwidth negotiated by the AP and STA during the link building process 160M, but TxBF is not supported. Since TxBF is not supported during data transmission, the problem scenario in Figure 2B will not occur.

[0137] It should be noted that both STA and AP support TxBF and 160M bandwidth. If the communication control method provided in the embodiment of the present application is not used, the STA and AP will usually negotiate that the maximum bandwidth supported during data transmission is 160M and supports TxBF. However, it is found in practice that if the faulty AP negotiates that the maximum bandwidth supported during data transmission is 160M and supports TxBF when establishing a link, then the problem scenario shown in Figure 2B will occur during data transmission, and TxBF cannot be used normally for data transmission. Therefore, in order to avoid entering the problem scenario described in Figure 2B, at (2a) in Figure 4, the STA that originally supports TxBF falsely reports to the AP that the STA does not support TxBF as the receiving end.

[0138] It should also be noted that the way in which the STA determines whether the AP is a faulty AP based on the information about the STA in the Probe response frame includes: the organization unique identifier (OUI) in the Probe response frame indicates that the AP is produced by manufacturer A. The OUI (preset OUI) of the manufacturer that produced the faulty AP is recorded in the STA. When the OUI in the Probe response frame is the same as the preset OUI and the AP supports 160M, the AP is determined to be a faulty AP. Alternatively, it includes: in addition to carrying the OUI of the AP and information on whether the AP supports 160M, the Probe response frame also carries information indicating whether the AP supports TxBF. When the OUI in the Probe response frame is the same as the preset OUI, the AP supports 160M, and the AP supports TXBF, the AP is determined to be a faulty AP.

[0139] It's also important to note that if the Probe Response frame carries information indicating that the AP doesn't support TxBF, there's no need to perform a false alarm. Normal bandwidth and TxBF negotiation can proceed. As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the aforementioned slow network speed issue won't occur if the AP doesn't support TxBF.

[0140] It should also be noted that even if the Probe Response frame does not carry information indicating whether the AP supports 160M, the communication control method provided in the embodiments of the present application can still be used. This is because even if the AP does not support TxBF technology, implementing the communication control method provided in the embodiments of the present application will not result in negative benefits.

[0141] If the AP is determined to be a normal AP based on the Probe response frame. At this time, the AP and STA can negotiate bandwidth and use TxBF as shown in (1), (2b) and (3b) in Figure 4 (b). For a faulty AP and STA that are configured with the TxBF function and support a maximum bandwidth of 160M, after they are connected, the AP can use a 160M bandwidth channel to send data to the STA, and the TxBF function is enabled when sending data. The STA can receive data sent by the AP on the 160M bandwidth channel, and the TxBF function is enabled when receiving data, that is, the STA uses the TxBF function to receive data.

[0142] Among them, the contents at (2b) and (3b) shown in FIG4 (b) are similar to the contents at (2a) and (3a) shown in FIG4 (a). You can refer to the relevant contents and will not repeat them here.

[0143] Method 2: During link establishment, the STA identifies that the AP it is connecting to may be a faulty AP and that the AP supports 160 Mbps bandwidth. The STA disables the 160 Mbps bandwidth.

[0144] It should be noted that in method 2, if the 160M bandwidth is turned off, TxBF will not be used under the 160M bandwidth, and thus the problem scenario shown in the aforementioned FIG. 2B will not occur.

[0145] As shown in FIG5 , for a faulty AP and STA configured with the TxBF function and supporting a maximum bandwidth of 160 Mbps, method 2 can be implemented during link establishment. The implementation process of method 2 includes the following:

[0146] As shown in (1), the AP notifies the STA through a Probe Response frame that the AP supports 160M and is manufactured by Manufacturer A. Here, the STA can determine whether the AP is a faulty AP based on the information about the STA in the Probe Response frame. The process of determining whether the AP is a faulty AP can be referred to the relevant content of determining whether the AP is a faulty AP in Method 1 above and will not be repeated here.

[0147] When the AP is faulty, as shown in (2), the STA selects to connect to the AP through a Probe response frame and sends an Assoc request frame to the AP. The Assoc request frame is used to inform the AP that the STA supports a maximum of 80M and supports TxBF as a receiver. Referring to (3), the AP responds to the Assoc request frame and sends an Assoc response frame to the STA. Here, the Assoc response frame is used to inform the STA that the AP supports a maximum of 80M and supports TxBF as a transmitter.

[0148] Here, at (2) in Figure 5, after the STA notifies the AP that it supports a maximum bandwidth of 80M, the AP, which originally supports a maximum bandwidth of 160M, will also notify the STA that it supports a maximum bandwidth of 80M. The reasons include: when transmitting data, the maximum bandwidth supported by the STA and the AP should be the same. If they are different, it will at least lead to data loss or bandwidth resource waste: when the AP, as the transmitter, uses bandwidth A to send data to the STA, as the receiver, if the bandwidth used by the STA, as the receiver, is less than bandwidth A, the STA will not be able to receive the data in time, resulting in data loss. If it is greater than bandwidth A, it will lead to bandwidth resource waste.

[0149] Subsequently, the STA and the AP complete the remaining steps of link building to establish a connection. After being connected, the AP can use a channel with an 80M bandwidth to send data to the STA, and enable the TxBF function when sending data. The STA can receive data sent by the AP on a channel with an 80M bandwidth, and the TxBF function is on when receiving data, that is, the STA uses the TxBF function to receive data. Compared with the aforementioned Figure 2B, when the AP is a faulty AP that uses 160M bandwidth and TxBF technology and has a slow network speed problem, using the communication control method provided in the embodiment of the present application will make the maximum bandwidth negotiated by the AP and STA during the link building process 80M, supporting TxBF. Since the 160M bandwidth is not used during data transmission, the problem scenario in Figure 2B will not occur.

[0150] It should be noted that both STA and AP support TxBF and 160M bandwidth. If the communication control method provided in the embodiment of the present application is not used, the STA and AP will usually negotiate that the maximum bandwidth supported during data transmission is 160M and supports TxBF. However, in practice, it is found that if the faulty AP negotiates that the maximum bandwidth supported during data transmission is 160M and supports TxBF when establishing a link, then the problem scenario shown in Figure 2B will occur during data transmission, and TxBF cannot be used normally for data transmission. Therefore, in order to avoid entering the problem scenario described in Figure 2B, at (2) in Figure 5, the STA that originally supports a maximum bandwidth of 160M falsely reports to the AP that the STA supports a maximum of 80M.

[0151] It should also be noted that, in mode 2, the relevant contents involved when the AP is a normal AP can be referred to the aforementioned description of (b) in Figure 4, and will not be repeated here.

[0152] Method 3. During the link establishment process, 160M bandwidth is negotiated and TxBF technology is enabled. After the STA and AP establish a connection, they identify that the Internet access is slow, and then determine whether the connected AP is produced by the manufacturer that caused the faulty AP. If so, the TxBF function on the STA side is turned off. The slow Internet access here includes scenarios such as slow AP data transmission or no data transmission. Referring to Figure 6, for the faulty AP and STA configured with the TxBF function and supporting a maximum bandwidth of 160M, during the link establishment process, for example, referring to the processes shown in (1), (2) and (3), the use of 160M bandwidth and TxBF function is negotiated based on the Probe response frame in the scanning phase, the Assoc request frame and the Assoc response frame involved in the association process, respectively. After the link is established, reassociation can be performed according to method 3. The implementation process of Method 3 includes the following. For details on the negotiation process, please refer to the aforementioned description of the content shown in Figure 3A, which will not be repeated here.

[0153] When the STA and AP are already connected, see (4). When the AP uses TxBF technology to transmit data on a 160M bandwidth channel, if the negotiated bandwidth shown in Figure 2B changes, the AP data transmission will be slow or no data transmission. At this time, the STA determines that the Internet access is slow and the AP is produced by the preset manufacturer, that is, manufacturer A is the preset manufacturer. Then, reassociation is performed to turn off the TxBF function: see (5a). The STA sends a Reassoc request frame to the connected AP. The Reassoc request frame is used to notify the AP that the STA supports a maximum of 160M and does not support TxBF as the receiving end. Referring to (6a), the AP responds to the Reassoc request frame and sends a Reassoc response frame to the STA. Here, the Reassoc response frame is used to notify the STA that the AP supports a maximum of 160M and does not support TxBF as the sending end. Subsequently, the STA and the AP establish a new connection. After being connected, the AP can use a 160M bandwidth channel to send data to the STA, and the TxBF function is not enabled when sending data. A STA can receive data sent by an AP on a 160 Mbps channel. TxBF is disabled when receiving data. That is, the STA does not use TxBF to receive data.

[0154] It should be noted that the reason for the slow Internet access in Method 3 can be referred to Figure 2B above. Compared with Methods 1 and 2 above, Method 3 is equivalent to reconnecting when the Internet slowness problem occurs. During the reconnection process, the AP and STA renegotiate the maximum bandwidth and TXBF capability for data transmission. The negotiation result is that TxBF is no longer used, but both parties still support 160M bandwidth. The negotiation result in Method 3 can prevent the AP from continuing to use TxBF to send data to the STA in the 160M bandwidth channel, thereby continuing to have slow Internet access. Here, as to why it is necessary to negotiate to support a maximum of 160M but not TxBF during reconnection, please refer to the aforementioned description of the negotiation of bandwidth and TxBF during the link establishment process in Method 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0155] Method 4: During link establishment, 160 Mbps bandwidth is negotiated and TxBF is enabled. After the STA and AP establish a connection, if they detect slow Internet access, they determine whether the connected AP is manufactured by the same manufacturer as the faulty AP. If so, they disable the 160 Mbps bandwidth on the STA side.

[0156] As shown in FIG7 , for a faulty AP and STA configured with the TxBF function and supporting a maximum bandwidth of 160M, during the link establishment process, for example, referring to the processes shown in (1), (2) and (3), the use of 160M bandwidth and TxBF function is negotiated based on the Probe response frame in the scanning phase, the Assoc request frame and the Assoc response frame involved in the association process, respectively. After the link is established, reassociation can be performed according to embodiment 4. The implementation process of embodiment 4 includes the following. For details of the negotiation process, please refer to the aforementioned description of the content shown in FIG3A and will not be repeated here.

[0157] When the STA and AP are already connected, see (4). When the AP uses TxBF technology to transmit data on a 160M bandwidth channel, if the negotiated bandwidth shown in Figure 2B changes, the AP data transmission will be slow or no data transmission. At this time, the STA determines that the Internet access is slow and the AP is produced by the preset manufacturer, that is, manufacturer A is the preset manufacturer. Then, reassociation is performed to close the 160M bandwidth: see (5b). The STA sends a Reassoc request frame to the connected AP. The Reassoc request frame is used to notify the AP that the STA supports a maximum of 80M and supports TxBF as a transmitter. Referring to (6b), the AP responds to the Reassoc request frame and sends a Reassoc response frame to the STA. Here, the Reassoc response frame is used to notify the STA that the AP supports a maximum of 80M and supports TxBF as a transmitter.

[0158] Subsequently, the STA and AP establish a new connection. After the connection is established, the AP can send data to the STA using an 80 Mbps channel with TxBF enabled. The STA can receive data from the AP on the 80 Mbps channel with TxBF enabled.

[0159] It should be noted that the process of determining manufacturer A in Methods 2 to 4 is the same as that in Method 1 and will not be repeated here.

[0160] It should be noted that the reason for the slow Internet access in Method 4 can be referred to Figure 2B above. Compared with Methods 1 and 2 above, Method 4 is equivalent to reconnecting when a slow Internet access problem occurs. During the reconnection process, the AP and STA renegotiate the maximum bandwidth and TXBF capability for data transmission. The negotiation result is that the maximum bandwidth is supported is 80M, but both parties still support TxBF. The negotiation result in Method 4 can prevent the AP from continuing to use TxBF to send data to the STA in a channel with 160M bandwidth, thereby causing continued slow Internet access. Here, as to why the maximum support of 80M and TxBF should be negotiated during reconnection, please refer to the description of the negotiation of bandwidth and TxBF during the link establishment process in Method 2, which will not be repeated here.

[0161] In Methods 3 and 4, slow internet access refers to the STA's slow network speed, indicating that the communication quality between the STA and the AP falls below a preset level. The conditions for reassociation with the TxBF function disabled in Method 3 and reassociation with the 160 Mbps bandwidth disabled in Method 4 can be referred to as the first condition. This first condition can include slow internet access or can also include slow internet access and the AP being manufactured by a preset manufacturer. Here, reassociation involves the STA sending a reassociation request frame to the AP, and the AP sending a reassociation response frame to the STA.

[0162] It should also be noted that in Method 2 and Method 4, turning off the 160M bandwidth means enabling other bandwidths besides 160M. Here, 80M bandwidth is used as an example for explanation, and it can be adjusted according to actual conditions. For example, it can also be 40M bandwidth or 20M bandwidth. This embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0163] Method 1 is further described below with reference to FIG. 8 .

[0164] In Method 1, the STA sends a Probe Request frame, and the AP responds with a Probe Response frame. This message (Probe Response frame) retrieves router information (Organization Unique Identifier (OUI)) and negotiated bandwidth. After the STA verifies that the OUI for the currently selected AP is the manufacturer's OUI for the faulty AP and that the bandwidth is 160 Mbps, it disables TxBF. After a successful connection, the AP's TxBF function is also disabled. This process is described in steps S101-S110 in Figure 8.

[0165] FIG8 is an example in which the STA is a terminal and the AP is a router.

[0166] S101. Scanning surrounding devices, the terminal receives a probe response frame 1 sent by router 1 (router 1 supports a maximum of 160M and is produced by manufacturer 1).

[0167] Step S101 corresponds to the scanning phase shown in FIG3A . When the terminal scans for surrounding devices by sending Probe Request frames to them, it receives Probe Response frames from these devices. The terminal's surrounding devices include Router 1, which also sends Probe Response Frame 1 to the terminal. Probe Response Frame 1 informs the terminal that Router 1 supports a maximum of 160 Mbps and is manufactured by Manufacturer 1.

[0168] S102 . Determine based on the probe response frame 1 whether to select router 1 for connection.

[0169] Step S102 corresponds to the network selection stage shown in Figure 3A . The terminal compares the signal strength and quality factors carried in the received probe response frames (including probe response frame 1 ) and selects the best router (router 1 ) for connection.

[0170] S103. Authentication passed.

[0171] Step S103 corresponds to the authentication phase shown in FIG3A . For details on the authentication process, please refer to the description of FIG3A , which will not be repeated here. After authentication is passed, the association phase in step S104 is entered.

[0172] S104. When manufacturer 1 is the manufacturer that produced the faulty AP and the maximum bandwidth supported by router 1 is the preset bandwidth, an association request frame 1 is sent to router 1 to notify router 1 that the maximum supported bandwidth is 160M and that TxBF is not supported as a receiving end.

[0173] The fact that the transmitting end does not support TxBF means that the terminal does not support the TxBF technology and cannot correctly receive and process signals sent using the TxBF technology.

[0174] Step S104 corresponds to the content involved in sending the Assoc request frame in FIG. 3A .

[0175] Here, step S104 is performed to disable the TxBF function on the terminal side, but the function of the terminal using the 160M bandwidth is not disabled.

[0176] After receiving the association request frame 1, router 1 can determine based on the association request frame 1 that the terminal does not support TxBF when acting as the transmitter. Router 1 will then negotiate to disable TxBF and enable 160M. Subsequently, router 1 will also disable TxBF when sending data to the terminal. For details, see the description of step S105 below.

[0177] After executing step S104, the terminal's TxBF is in a closed state. Scenarios in which the terminal's TxBF is closed include, but are not limited to: if the terminal's TxBF was closed before executing step S104, then it remains closed. Alternatively, if the terminal's TxBF was open before executing step S104, then the terminal may first close TxBF before executing step S104.

[0178] S105. Send an association response frame 1 to the terminal, confirm the establishment of the association and inform the terminal: the maximum supported is 160M, and the sending end does not support TxBF.

[0179] Step S105 corresponds to the content involved in sending the Assoc response frame in FIG. 3A .

[0180] In this way, during the association process, both parties have agreed that they do not support TxBF and support 160M bandwidth. This means that in the connection established during this association phase, Router 1 will send data to the AP on a channel with 160M bandwidth and will not use TxBF when sending data.

[0181] S106. Complete the four-step handshake to establish an encrypted session.

[0182] Step S106 corresponds to the four-step handshake phase in Figure 3A , and can be referred to the description of the related content above, which will not be repeated here.

[0183] S107: Send a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol request to the router to obtain information such as the IP address during data transmission.

[0184] Step S107 corresponds to the DHCP phase in Figure 3A , and can be referred to the description of the related content above, which will not be repeated here.

[0185] Based on the aforementioned steps S101 to S107, a connection A1 is established between the terminal and router 1. The terminal and router 1 can communicate via this connection A1. For details on how router 1 sends data (e.g., a data packet) to the terminal via this connection A1, see steps S108 to S110 below.

[0186] S108. Router 1 sends a message requesting to send data to the terminal.

[0187] The message requesting to send data may be the aforementioned Dynamic RTS.

[0188] As shown in Figure 9, although both the terminal and Router 1 (a faulty AP) are configured with TxBF and support a maximum bandwidth of 160 Mbps, to prevent the problematic scenario shown in Figure 2B, the terminal and Router 1 negotiate a maximum bandwidth of 160 Mbps during the association process, but do not support TxBF. After establishing the link, Router 1, acting as a beamformer, sends a dynamic RTS (Request To Send) message to the terminal, acting as a beamformee (beamformee), requesting data transmission on a 160 Mbps bandwidth channel.

[0189] S109. The terminal uses a 160M bandwidth channel to send a message to router 1 allowing data to be sent.

[0190] The message allowing data to be sent may be the CTS mentioned above.

[0191] 9 , the terminal detects that a channel with 160M bandwidth is available, and then replies with a 160M CTS (Clear To Send) message to the router 1 to notify the router 1 to send data on the channel with 160M bandwidth.

[0192] S110. Router 1 uses a 160M bandwidth channel to send data packet 1 to the terminal. TxBF technology is not enabled when sending data packet 1.

[0193] Referring again to Figure 9, Router 1 sends data (packet) to the terminal on a 160M bandwidth channel. After receiving the packet, the terminal sends an acknowledgment message (ACK) to Router 1 on a 160M bandwidth channel. At this point, Router 1 and the terminal have completed a data transmission.

[0194] Note that in Figure 9, because the terminal and router negotiated a maximum bandwidth of 16 Mbps during association, TxBF is not supported. Therefore, Router 1 uses 160 Mbps when sending data packets to the terminal, but does not use TxBF. TxBF is disabled on the terminal when receiving data packets.

[0195] It should be noted that the data transmission shown in steps S108-S110 is only an example. In practice, the bandwidth negotiated during the association phase is only the maximum bandwidth. If a 160 Mbps channel is unavailable, the terminal can also change the bandwidth through a CTS. For details, please refer to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0196] Method 2 is further described below with reference to FIG. 10 .

[0197] In method 2, the STA sends a Probe Request frame, and the AP responds with a Probe Response frame. This message (Probe Response frame) retrieves the router's OUI and negotiated bandwidth. After the STA verifies that the currently selected AP's OUI is the vendor's OUI for the faulty AP and that the bandwidth is 160 Mbps, it disables the 160 Mbps bandwidth. After a successful connection, the AP's TxBF function is enabled. This process is described in steps S201 through S212 in Figure 10.

[0198] FIG10 is an example in which the STA is a terminal and the AP is a router.

[0199] S201. Scan surrounding devices, and the terminal receives the probe response frame 1 sent by router 1.

[0200] S202 . Determine to select router 1 for connection based on the probe response frame 1 , where the probe response frame 1 includes that the maximum bandwidth supported by router 1 is 160M and that it is produced by manufacturer 1 .

[0201] S203. Authentication passed.

[0202] The contents involved in steps S201 to S203 are the same as those in the aforementioned steps S101 to S103. Please refer to the description of the aforementioned related contents and will not be repeated here.

[0203] S204. When manufacturer 1 is the manufacturer that produced the faulty AP and the maximum bandwidth supported by router 1 is the preset bandwidth, an association request frame 2 is sent to router 1 to notify router 1 that the maximum supported bandwidth is 80M and that the receiving end supports TxBF.

[0204] Among them, supporting 80M means that the terminal does not support 160M bandwidth.

[0205] Step S204 corresponds to the content involved in sending the Assoc request frame in FIG. 3A .

[0206] Here, step S204 is performed to disable the 160M bandwidth on the terminal side. However, the TxBF function of the terminal is not disabled and is in the enabled state.

[0207] After executing step S204, the terminal's TxBF is in the enabled state. Scenarios in which the terminal's TxBF is enabled include, but are not limited to: if the terminal's TxBF was enabled before executing step S204, then it remains enabled. Alternatively, if the terminal's TxBF was disabled before executing step S204, then the terminal may enable TxBF before executing step S204.

[0208] Subsequently, after receiving the association request frame 2, router 1 can determine based on the association request frame 2 that the terminal supports TxBF and 80M when acting as the transmitter. Router 1 will then negotiate to enable TxBF and 80M. Subsequently, router 1 will also enable TxBF when sending data to the terminal. For details, see the description of step S205 below.

[0209] S205. Send an association response frame 2 to the terminal, confirm the establishment of the association and inform the terminal that the router supports a maximum of 80M and supports TxBF as a transmitter.

[0210] Step S205 corresponds to the content involved in sending the Assoc response frame in FIG. 3A .

[0211] In this way, during the association process, both parties have negotiated that they support TxBF and 80M bandwidth. This means that in the connection established during this association phase, Router 1 will send data to the AP on a channel with 80M bandwidth and will use TxBF when sending data.

[0212] S206. Complete the four-step handshake to establish an encrypted session.

[0213] Step S206 corresponds to the four-step handshake phase in Figure 3A , and can be referred to the description of the related content above, which will not be repeated here.

[0214] S207: Send a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol request to the router to obtain information such as the IP address during data transmission.

[0215] Step S207 corresponds to the DHCP phase in Figure 3A , and can be referred to the description of the related content above, which will not be repeated here.

[0216] Based on steps S201 through S207, a connection A2 is established between the terminal and router 1. Communication between the terminal and router 1 is possible via this connection A2. For details on how router 1 sends data (e.g., a data packet) to the terminal via this connection A2, see steps S208 through S212.

[0217] S208. Router 1 sends an empty data packet 1 to the terminal, which is used by the terminal to measure the 80M bandwidth channel and calculate the matrix coefficients for implementing TxBF.

[0218] Referring to Figure 11A, although both the terminal and router 1 (a faulty AP) are configured with the TxBF function and support a maximum bandwidth of 160M, in order to prevent the problem scenario shown in Figure 2B from occurring, the terminal and router 1 negotiate during the association process to support a maximum bandwidth of 8M and support TxBF. After the link is established, router 1, as a beamformer, can send an empty data packet 1 to the terminal, which is a beamformee (beamforming receiver), on a channel with an 80M bandwidth. The empty data packet 1 can be 80MNDP. For the relevant content of the 80MNDP, please refer to the description of the 80MNDP in Figure 2A above, which will not be repeated here.

[0219] S209. The terminal sends feedback information 1 to router 1 using a channel with 80M bandwidth.

[0220] Continuing with Figure 11A , feedback information 1 is 80M CFB. The terminal can return information about the 80M bandwidth channel (e.g., SNR) and the pointing matrix coefficients to router 1 via feedback information 1. Regarding 80M CFB, refer to the description of 160M CFB above, replacing 160M with 80M. This description is omitted here.

[0221] S210. Router 1 sends a message requesting to send data to the terminal.

[0222] Referring to FIG. 11A , the message requesting to send data is the aforementioned Dynamic RTS.

[0223] S211. The terminal uses a channel with 80M bandwidth to send a message to router 1 allowing data to be sent.

[0224] 11A , the terminal performs channel detection and determines that a channel with 80M bandwidth is available. The terminal may notify the router 1 through 80MCTS that data may be sent on the channel with 80M bandwidth.

[0225] S212. In the 80M bandwidth channel, router 1 uses feedback information 1 to calculate the TxBF parameter, and then sends data packet 1 to the terminal using the TxBF parameter.

[0226] Subsequently, the terminal can receive data packet 1 on the 80M bandwidth channel. When receiving data packet 1, the TxBF function of the terminal is enabled.

[0227] It should be understood that steps S208-S212 illustrate the case where 80 Mbps bandwidth is available. In practice, in step S211, the terminal may detect that the 80 Mbps channel is unavailable, and then switch to another available channel through a CTS, for example, a 40 Mbps channel. This process is similar to that shown in Figure 2A, with 160 Mbps replaced by 80 Mbps and 80 Mbps replaced by 40 Mbps. This will not be further described here.

[0228] Based on Figures 11A and 11B, it can be seen that when TxBF is used for data transmission on a channel with a non-preset bandwidth (for example, 80M) without using the preset bandwidth (160M), regardless of whether the bandwidth used is the negotiated maximum bandwidth or is less than the maximum bandwidth, the problem scenario shown in Figure 2B will not occur when using TxBF for data transmission.

[0229] Method 3 is further described below in conjunction with FIG. 12A .

[0230] In method 3, after establishing a connection, the kernel analyzes packets to identify whether the application is experiencing slow internet access. The kernel then assesses the slow internet access based on latency, packet loss, and other factors, along with the Quality of Experience (QoS). If slow internet access is detected and the connected AP is from the manufacturer that caused the fault, the STA's TxBF function is disabled. For details on this process, refer to the description of steps S301 through S310 below.

[0231] FIG12A is an example in which the STA is a terminal and the AP is a router.

[0232] S301. Router 1 sends an empty data packet to the terminal, which is used by the terminal to measure the 160M bandwidth channel and calculate the matrix coefficients for implementing TxBF.

[0233] After the connection A3 is established, the terminal and the router 1 can communicate through the connection A3.

[0234] It should be noted that during the establishment of connection A3, the terminal and router negotiated a bandwidth of 160M and both parties supported TxBF when the terminal was the sender and router 1 was the receiver. The details of establishing connection A3 can be found in the description of FIG3A above and will not be repeated here.

[0235] S302. The terminal sends feedback information 2 to router 1 using a channel with 160M bandwidth.

[0236] The feedback information 2 is the aforementioned 160M CFB. The terminal can return the information of the 160M bandwidth channel (eg, SNR) and the pointing matrix coefficients to the router 1 through the feedback information 2.

[0237] S303. Router 1 sends a message requesting to send data to the terminal.

[0238] The message requesting to send data may be the aforementioned Dynamic RTS.

[0239] S304. The terminal uses the 80M bandwidth channel to send a message to router 1 allowing data to be sent.

[0240] The message allowing data to be sent is the 80MCTS mentioned above.

[0241] When the terminal detects the channel and determines that the channel with 160M bandwidth is unavailable, it can notify router 1 through CTS that it can send data on the channel with 80M bandwidth.

[0242] However, referring to the content shown in the aforementioned FIG. 2B , since the negotiated bandwidth is changed, the router cannot correctly process the 80MCTS sent in step S304 , and the data transmission of router 1 is slow or no data is transmitted.

[0243] S305. The terminal determines that the Internet access is slow and Router 1 is produced by a preset manufacturer.

[0244] It should be noted that determining that Router 1 is manufactured by the preset manufacturer in step S305 is optional. Step S305 can be changed to the terminal determining that the network speed is slow. Because there are many manufacturers of faulty APs, it is impossible to list them all. However, the fact that the terminal and Router 1 use TxBF technology and 160M bandwidth and experience slow network speeds is sufficient to indicate that Router 1 is a faulty AP.

[0245] The terminal receives the probe response frame 1 sent by router 1 and can record the OUI therein. When the OUI of router 1 is determined to be the preset OUI, it is determined that router 1 is produced by the preset manufacturer. In step S305, the terminal determines that the network is slow in the following ways, including but not limited to.

[0246] Determination method 1: When the terminal determines that there is only uplink data but no downlink data within a preset time, the terminal can determine that the Internet access is slow.

[0247] Determination method 2: The kernel parses the message. If the message delay is greater than the preset delay and the packet loss rate is greater than the preset packet loss rate, the terminal can determine that the network is slow.

[0248] Determination method 3: when the terminal does not receive the data requested to be sent by the router in step S303 within a preset time, the terminal may determine that the Internet access is slow.

[0249] Determination method 4: When the user quality of experience (QoE) is lower than a preset value, the terminal can determine that the Internet access is slow.

[0250] Subsequently, the terminal executes the reassociation process involved in the following steps S306 and S307 to disable the TxBF function to solve the problem of slow Internet access.

[0251] As shown in Figure 12B , a terminal configured with TxBF and supporting a maximum bandwidth of 160 Mbps and Router 1 (a faulty AP) negotiate during the association process that both parties support a maximum bandwidth of 160 Mbps and support TxBF. After the link is established, during data transmission, the problem scenario shown in Figure 2B occurs, resulting in slow network speeds. Steps S306 and S307 can then be performed to reassociate and renegotiate the maximum bandwidth and TxBF capabilities. The negotiation results in a maximum bandwidth of 160 Mbps and no TxBF support.

[0252] S306. The terminal sends a reassociation request frame 1 to router 1 to inform router 1 that the maximum supported rate is 160M and that the receiving end does not support TxBF.

[0253] S307. Router 1 sends a reassociation response frame 1 to the terminal, confirming the re-establishment of the association and notifying the terminal: the maximum supported speed is 160M, and as the sender, TxBF is not supported.

[0254] Continuing with Figure 12B , the negotiation results in steps S306 and S307 indicate that both parties support a maximum bandwidth of 160 Mbps and do not support TxBF. Consequently, during subsequent data transmission, Router 1 no longer uses TxBF to send data to the terminal, restoring normal network speed. The data transmission process after reassociation can be found in the description of steps S308-S310 below.

[0255] For the relevant contents involved in step S306 and step S307, reference may be made to the description of the re-association in FIG6 , which will not be repeated here.

[0256] It should be noted that reassociation is different from reconnecting after disconnection. The user is unaware of the reassociation process, and the WiFi indicator displayed on the terminal can remain displayed. After reassociation, the terminal and router 1 can perform the following steps S308-S310 to achieve data transmission.

[0257] S308. Router 1 sends a message requesting to send data to the terminal.

[0258] The message requesting to send data in step S308 can be regarded as the Dynamic RTS in FIG12B .

[0259] As shown in FIG12B , after reassociation, router 1 as a beamformer sends a dynamic RTS (Request To Send) to the terminal as a beamformee (beamforming receiving end) to request data to be sent on a channel with a bandwidth of 160 Mbps.

[0260] S309. The terminal uses a 160M bandwidth channel to send a message to Router 1 allowing data to be sent.

[0261] The message allowing data to be sent in step S309 may be 160CTS in FIG. 12B .

[0262] Continuing to refer to FIG. 12B , the terminal detects that a channel with a bandwidth of 160M is available, and then replies with a 160M CTS (Clear To Send) message to the router 1 to notify the router 1 to send data on the channel with a bandwidth of 160M.

[0263] S310. Router 1 uses a 160M bandwidth channel to send data packet 1 to the terminal. TxBF is not enabled when sending data packet 1.

[0264] 12B , router 1 sends data (packet) to the terminal on a 160M bandwidth channel. After receiving the packet, the terminal sends an acknowledgment message (ACK) to router 1 on a 160M bandwidth channel. At this point, router 1 and the terminal have completed a data transmission.

[0265] Note that in Figure 12B , because the terminal and router negotiated a maximum bandwidth of 16 Mbps during reassociation, TxBF is not supported. Therefore, Router 1 uses 160 Mbps bandwidth when sending data (packets) to the terminal, but does not use TxBF. TxBF is disabled on the terminal when receiving data (packets).

[0266] Steps S308 to S310 are respectively the same as the aforementioned steps S108 to S110 , and reference may be made to the aforementioned description of steps S108 to S110 , which will not be repeated here.

[0267] It should be noted that the contents involved in the aforementioned steps S301-S304 are the same as those involved in sending the NDP, CFB, RTS, and CTS in Figures 2A and 2B. Please refer to the aforementioned description of the relevant contents in Figures 2A and 2B and will not be repeated here. The 80M involved in the aforementioned step S304 is an example. If a channel with a 160M bandwidth is unavailable, the terminal will re-detect an available channel. It can be any of 80M, 40M, 20M, etc., and this embodiment of the application is not limited to this.

[0268] Method 4 is further described below in conjunction with FIG. 13A .

[0269] In mode 4, after establishing a connection, if it is detected that the Internet access is slow and the connected AP is manufactured by the manufacturer that caused the faulty AP, the 160M bandwidth on the STA side is closed. For details about this process, please refer to the description of steps S401 to S412 below.

[0270] FIG13A is an example in which the STA is a terminal and the AP is a router.

[0271] S401. Send an empty data packet to the terminal, so that the terminal can measure the 160M bandwidth channel and calculate the matrix coefficients for implementing TxBF.

[0272] S402. Send feedback information 1 to router 1 using a channel with 160M bandwidth.

[0273] S403: Send a message requesting to send data to the terminal.

[0274] S404: Use the 80M bandwidth channel to send a message to Router 1 allowing data to be sent.

[0275] S405. Determine that the Internet access is slow and that Router 1 is produced by the default manufacturer.

[0276] Steps S401 to S405 are respectively the same as the aforementioned steps S301 to S305 , and reference may be made to the aforementioned related contents, which will not be repeated here.

[0277] Subsequently, the terminal executes the reassociation process involved in the following steps S406 and S407 to close the 160M bandwidth to solve the problem of slow Internet access.

[0278] As shown in Figure 13B , a terminal configured with TxBF and supporting a maximum bandwidth of 160 Mbps and Router 1 (a faulty AP) negotiate during the association process that both parties support a maximum bandwidth of 160 Mbps and TxBF. After establishing the link, during data transmission, the problem scenario shown in Figure 2B occurs, resulting in slow network speeds. Steps S406 and S407 can then be performed to reassociate and renegotiate the maximum bandwidth and TxBF capabilities. The negotiated result in this case is a maximum bandwidth of 80 Mbps and TxBF support.

[0279] S406. Send a reassociation request frame 2 to router 1 to inform router 1 that the maximum supported rate is 80M and that the receiving end supports TxBF.

[0280] S407. Send a reassociation response frame 2 to the terminal, confirm the re-establishment of the association and inform the terminal: the maximum supported is 80M, and the sending end supports TxBF.

[0281] Continuing with Figure 13B , the negotiation results in steps S406 and S407 indicate that both parties support a maximum bandwidth of 160 Mbps and do not support TxBF. Therefore, during subsequent data transmission, Router 1 no longer uses TxBF to send data to the terminal over the 160 Mbps bandwidth channel, restoring normal network speed. The data transmission process after reassociation can be found in the description of steps S408-S412 below.

[0282] For the relevant contents involved in step S406 and step S407, reference may be made to the description of the re-association in FIG7 , which will not be repeated here.

[0283] S408. Send an empty data packet 1 to the terminal, so that the terminal can measure the 80M bandwidth channel and calculate the matrix coefficients for implementing TxBF.

[0284] Referring to Figure 13B , during the reassociation process, the terminal and router 1 negotiate a maximum supported bandwidth of 8 Mbps and support for TxBF. After reassociation, router 1, acting as a beamformer, can send Null Data Packet 1 (NDP) to the terminal, acting as a beamformee, over an 80 Mbps bandwidth channel. This Null Data Packet 1 can be an 80MNDP. For details about this 80MNDP, please refer to the description of the 80MNDP in Figure 2A above and will not be repeated here.

[0285] S409. Feedback information 1 is sent to Router 1 using an 80 Mbps channel. Continuing with Figure 13B , this feedback information 1 is 80MCFB. The terminal can return information about the 80 Mbps channel (e.g., SNR) and the pointing matrix coefficients to Router 1 via this feedback information 1. Regarding 80MCFB, refer to the description of 160CFB above, replacing 160 Mbps with 80 Mbps. This description is omitted here.

[0286] S410. Send a message requesting to send data to the terminal.

[0287] Referring to FIG. 13B , the message requesting to send data is the aforementioned Dynamic RTS.

[0288] S411. Use the 80M bandwidth channel to send a message to Router 1 allowing data to be sent.

[0289] 13B , the terminal performs channel detection and determines that a channel with 80M bandwidth is available. The terminal may notify the router 1 through 80MCTS that data may be sent on the channel with 80M bandwidth.

[0290] S412. In the 80M bandwidth channel, use feedback information 1 to calculate the TxBF parameter, and then send data packet 1 to the terminal using the TxBF parameter.

[0291] Subsequently, the terminal can receive data packet 1 on the 80M bandwidth channel. When receiving data packet 1, the TxBF function of the terminal is enabled.

[0292] Steps S408 to S412 are respectively the same as the aforementioned steps S208 to S212. Please refer to the aforementioned description of steps S208 to S212 and will not be repeated here.

[0293] It should be noted here that the reason for the slow network speed in the aforementioned steps S305 and S405 is that the maximum supported bandwidth is negotiated to the preset bandwidth (160M bandwidth) during the link establishment process and both parties are negotiated to support TxBF, so the slow network speed scenario shown in Figure 2B occurs. However, in actual situations, it is not limited to the negotiation of the maximum supported bandwidth to the preset bandwidth (160M bandwidth) and the negotiation of both parties to support TxBF during the link establishment process. It may also be negotiated during the reassociation process. Therefore, the new reassociation shown in Figure 12A or Figure 13A is used for renegotiation.

[0294] In the above content, the Assoc request frame is used to notify the AP: the STA supports a maximum of 160M and does not support TxBF as a receiving end. It can be understood that the Assoc request frame carries indication information, and the indication information is used to indicate: the STA supports a maximum of 160M and does not support TxBF as a receiving end. Other frames that serve as notifications (including the Assoc response frame, the Reassoc response frame and the Reassoc response frame involved below) can also be described in this way. For example, the Assoc response frame is used to notify the STA: the AP supports a maximum of 160M and does not support TxBF as a sending end. It can be understood that the Assoc response frame carries indication information, and the indication information is used to indicate: the AP supports a maximum of 160M and does not support TxBF as a sending end. Maximum support of 160M can also be described as support for 160M. Support for 160M also means that bandwidth less than 160M can also be used.

[0295] In the above embodiment, the association request frame 1 and the association request frame 2 may be referred to as first association request frames. The association response frame 1 and the association response frame 2 may be referred to as first association response frames. The reassociation request frame 1 and the reassociation request frame 2 may be referred to as first reassociation request frames. The reassociation response frame 1 and the reassociation response frame 2 may be referred to as first reassociation response frames.

[0296] The following is an exemplary structural block diagram of the terminal in an embodiment of the present application.

[0297] As shown in Figure 14, the terminal includes software and hardware layers. A layered architecture divides the software into several layers, each with distinct roles and responsibilities. Layers communicate with each other via software interfaces. In some embodiments, the software system is divided into three layers: the application layer (application program layer), the application framework layer, and the kernel layer, from top to bottom.

[0298] The application layer may include a series of application packages, such as a WiFi setting module.

[0299] The WiFi setting module can provide settings related to the WiFi network. For example, turning the WiFi network on or off. The communication control method can be applied when the WiFi network is turned on.

[0300] The application framework layer provides an application programming interface (API) and programming framework for applications in the application layer. The application framework layer includes some predefined functions.

[0301] The application framework layer may include a WiFi framework layer (not shown). The WiFi framework layer may include a WiFi service module and a WiFi API.

[0302] The WiFi framework layer can be used to implement the aforementioned link establishment process and reassociation process.

[0303] It can also be used to implement signal transmission between the router and the underlying WiFi driver (Wi-Fi driver) and WiFi firmware (Wi-Fi firmware) after the link is established, including the transmission of the aforementioned NDP, RTS, data packet and other signals.

[0304] The kernel layer is the layer between hardware and software. The kernel layer contains at least the WiFi driver.

[0305] After receiving the instruction from the upper layer to send and receive data, the WiFi driver can drive the WiFi firmware to send and receive data. The WiFi firmware can also be called a WiFi chip.

[0306] The following describes an exemplary terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0307] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0308] The following embodiment is specifically described using a terminal as an example. It should be understood that the terminal may have more or fewer components than those shown in FIG15 , may combine two or more components, or may have different component configurations. The various components shown in FIG15 may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software, including one or more signal processing and / or application-specific integrated circuits.

[0309] The terminal may include: a processor 110, an external memory interface 120, an internal memory 121, a universal serial bus (USB) interface 130, a charging management module 140, a power management module 141, a battery 142, an antenna 1, an antenna 2, a mobile communication module 150, a wireless communication module 160, an audio module 170, a speaker 170A, a receiver 170B, a microphone 170C, an earphone interface 170D, a sensor module 180, a button 190, a motor 191, an indicator 192, a camera 193, a display screen 194, and a subscriber identification module (SIM) card interface 195, etc. The sensor module 180 may include a pressure sensor 180A, a gyroscope sensor 180B, an air pressure sensor 180C, a magnetic sensor 180D, an acceleration sensor 180E, a distance sensor 180F, a proximity sensor 180G, a fingerprint sensor 180H, a temperature sensor 180J, a touch sensor 180K, an ambient light sensor 180L, a bone conduction sensor 180M, etc. The processor may include an application processor (AP) and a modem processor (also called a baseband processor).

[0310] The wireless communication module 160 may provide wireless local area networks (WLAN) (such as wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks) applied on the terminal. The WLAN is implemented by the aforementioned WiFi firmware.

[0311] It is understood that the structures illustrated in the embodiments of the present application do not constitute specific limitations on the terminal. In other embodiments of the present application, the terminal may include more or fewer components than shown, or may combine or separate certain components, or arrange the components differently. The illustrated components may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0312] In the embodiment of the present application, the processor 110 can call the computer instructions stored in the internal memory 121 to enable the terminal to execute the method in the embodiment of the present application.

[0313] The present application also provides a chip system, which includes at least one processor for implementing the functions involved in the method executed by the terminal in any of the above embodiments.

[0314] In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory, which is used to store program instructions and data, and the memory is located inside or outside the processor.

[0315] The chip system can be composed of chips, or can include chips and other discrete devices.

[0316] Optionally, there may be one or more processors in the chip system. The processor may be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor may be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, etc. When implemented in software, the processor may be a general-purpose processor implemented by reading software code stored in a memory.

[0317] Optionally, the memory in the chip system may be one or more. The memory may be integrated with the processor or may be separated from the processor, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0318] Exemplarily, the memory can be a non-transient processor, such as a read-only memory ROM, which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or can be set on different chips respectively. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit the type of memory and the setting method of the memory and the processor.

[0319] Exemplarily, the chip system may be a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on chip (SoC), a central processor unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD) or other integrated chips.

[0320] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program (also referred to as code, or instruction), which, when executed, enables a computer to execute the terminal execution method in any of the above embodiments.

[0321] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (also referred to as code or instruction). When the computer program is executed, the computer executes the method executed by the terminal in any of the above embodiments.

[0322] As described above, the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0323] As used in the above embodiments, the term “when…” may be interpreted to mean “if…” or “after…” or “in response to determining…” or “in response to detecting…”, depending on the context. Similarly, the phrases “upon determining…” or “if (stated condition or event) is detected” may be interpreted to mean “if determining…” or “in response to determining…” or “upon detecting (stated condition or event)” or “in response to detecting (stated condition or event)”, depending on the context.

[0324] The terms used in the embodiments of the present application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present application. As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the singular expressions "a," "an," "said," "above," "the," and "this" are intended to include plural expressions as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used in this application refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the listed items.

[0325] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to imply or suggest relative importance or implicitly indicate the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0326] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state hard disk).

[0327] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the process steps in the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing the relevant hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, the program can include the process steps in the above-described method embodiments. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as ROM or random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

Claims

1. A communication control method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal, the terminal supports a preset bandwidth and supports transmission beamforming (TxBF) technology. The method includes: The terminal receives a probe response frame sent by a router. The probe response frame carries the organizationally unique identifier (OUI) of the router and the bandwidth supported by the router is a first bandwidth. The router supports the preset bandwidth and supports TxBF technology. When the OUI is a preset OUI and the first bandwidth is equal to the preset bandwidth, the terminal sends a first association request frame to the router. The terminal receives a first association response frame sent by the router in response to the first association request frame. The first association request frame carries first indication information, and the first indication information is used to indicate that: the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth, and the terminal does not support the TxBF technology. Alternatively, the first indication information is used to indicate that: the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is a second bandwidth, and the terminal supports the TxBF technology. Wherein, the second bandwidth is less than the preset bandwidth.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first association response frame carries second indication information. When the first indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth and indicates that the terminal does not support the TxBF technology, the second indication information is used to indicate that: the maximum bandwidth supported by the router is the preset bandwidth, and the router does not support the TxBF technology. Alternatively, when the first indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is a second bandwidth and indicates that the terminal supports the TxBF technology, the second indication information is used to indicate that: the maximum bandwidth supported by the router is the second bandwidth, and the router supports the TxBF technology.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before the terminal sends the first association request frame to the router, the method further includes: The terminal determines that the probe response frame further carries information indicating that the router supports the TxBF technology.

4. A communication control method, characterized in that, Applied to a terminal, the terminal supports a preset bandwidth and supports transmission beamforming (TxBF) technology. The method includes: The terminal establishes a first connection with the router. The router supports the preset bandwidth and supports TxBF technology. When the terminal receives data sent by the router through the first connection, the TxBF technology of the terminal is in an enabled state and the maximum bandwidth used by the terminal is the preset bandwidth. When a first condition is met, the terminal sends a first re-association request frame to the router. The first condition includes that the communication quality between the terminal and the router is lower than a preset level. The terminal receives a first re-association response frame sent by the router in response to the first re-association request frame. The first re-association request frame carries third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate that: the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth, and the terminal does not support the TxBF technology. Alternatively, the third indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is a second bandwidth, and the terminal supports the TxBF technology; wherein, the second bandwidth is less than the preset bandwidth.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first re-association response frame carries fourth indication information; In a case where the third indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth and indicates that the terminal does not support the TxBF technology, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the router is the preset bandwidth and the router does not support the TxBF technology; Alternatively, in a case where the third indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the second bandwidth and indicates that the terminal supports the TxBF technology, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the router is the second bandwidth and the router supports the TxBF technology.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, After the terminal receives the first re-association response frame sent by the router, the method further includes: The terminal establishes a second connection with the router; In a case where the third indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth and indicates that the terminal does not support the TxBF technology, when receiving data sent by the router through the second connection, the TxBF function of the terminal is in a closed state and the maximum bandwidth used by the terminal is the preset bandwidth, or In a case where the third indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the second bandwidth and indicates that the terminal supports the TxBF technology, when receiving data sent by the router through the second connection, the TxBF function of the terminal is in an open state and the maximum bandwidth used by the terminal is the second bandwidth.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that Before the terminal establishes a first connection with the router, the method further includes: The terminal receives a probe response frame sent by the router, and the probe response frame carries the organization unique identifier (OUI) of the router and the bandwidth supported by the router is a first bandwidth; The terminal sends a second association request frame to the router; The terminal receives a second association response frame sent by the router for responding to the second association request frame; The second association request frame carries fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the maximum bandwidth supported by the terminal is the preset bandwidth and the terminal supports the TxBF technology.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The first condition further includes that the OUI of the router is the preset OUI and the first bandwidth is equal to the preset bandwidth.

9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that The method further includes: Before determining that the first condition is satisfied, the terminal receives a request-to-send frame sent by the router through the first connection, and the request-to-send frame is used to request to use the preset bandwidth to send the first data packet to the terminal; The terminal sends a clear-to-send frame to the router through the first connection, and the clear-to-send frame is used to notify the router to send the first data packet using the second bandwidth.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein The communication quality between the terminal and the router is lower than a preset level, specifically including: After the terminal sends an allow - send frame to the router, the terminal does not receive the first data packet within a preset time.

11. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 10, characterized in that, The communication quality between the terminal and the router is lower than a preset level, specifically including: The terminal determines that the packet loss rate of the second data packet is greater than a preset packet loss rate; the second data packet is a data packet received by the terminal through the first connection.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The preset bandwidth is 160M bandwidth.

13. The method according to any one of claims 2-12, characterized in that, The second bandwidth is one of 80 bandwidth, 40M bandwidth, or 20M bandwidth.

14. A terminal, characterized in that, Including: One or more processors and a memory; the memory is coupled to the one or more processors, the memory is used to store computer program code, the computer program code includes computer instructions, and the one or more processors call the computer instructions to enable the terminal to execute the method described in any one of claims 1 - 13.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions, characterized in that, When the computer instructions run on the terminal, the terminal is enabled to execute the method described in any one of claims 1 - 13.

16. A chip system, which is applied to a terminal, characterized in that The chip system includes one or more processors, and the processors are used to call computer instructions to enable the terminal to execute the method described in any one of claims 1 - 13.

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