Multi-access point transmission method, access point device, and computer medium

Abstract

Provided in the present application is a multi-access point transmission method. The method comprises: in response to a trigger frame of a first access point, a second access point together with the first access point executing coordinated multi-access-point transmission; and after the second access point executes the coordinated multi-access-point transmission and confirms that the transmission has been successful, updating a channel contention parameter of the second access point, so as to reduce the probability of the second access point accessing a channel again, wherein the channel contention parameter is used for performing contention to obtain channel resources. Further provided in the present application are an access point device and a computer-readable storage medium.

Description

Multi-access point transmission method, access point device and computer medium Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular, to a multi-access point transmission method, an access point device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Multi-AP collaboration technology provides improved coverage, capacity, and performance through the cooperation and coordination of multiple access points (APs). Traditional deployments of single APs can face issues such as limited coverage and signal interference. By connecting multiple APs to the same wireless network and enabling them to collaborate, multi-AP collaboration can address issues such as heavy network loads and significant network overlap.

[0003] However, in current multi-AP collaboration technology, access points can access channels without using the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA) mechanism. This severely impacts channel access fairness for traditional access points or other access points that don't utilize multi-AP collaboration. Currently, no solution has been proposed to address the issue of channel access fairness between access points in related technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure aims to provide a multi-access point transmission method, an access point device, and a computer-readable storage medium to solve the problem of channel access fairness between access points.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a multi-access point transmission method, comprising: in response to a trigger frame of a first access point, a second access point performing multi-access point coordinated transmission together with the first access point; and after the second access point performs the multi-access point coordinated transmission and confirms that the transmission is successful, updating a channel contention parameter of the second access point to reduce a probability of the second access point accessing a channel again, wherein the channel contention parameter is used to compete for channel resources.

[0006] The present disclosure further provides an access point device, comprising: a communication unit, a processor, and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor implements the multi-access point transmission method according to the present disclosure.

[0007] The present disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor is enabled to implement the multi-access point transmission method according to the present disclosure.

[0008] According to the multi-access point transmission method, access point device, and computer-readable storage medium provided in the present disclosure, after an access point sends data using a cooperative transmission technology, a penalty mechanism is used to update the access point's channel contention parameters, thereby ensuring channel access fairness between traditional access points or other access points that do not adopt the cooperative transmission technology and access points that adopt the cooperative transmission technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following specific embodiments, they are used to explain the technical solutions of the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings:

[0010] FIG1 schematically shows a schematic diagram of a WLAN network;

[0011] FIG2 schematically illustrates the CSMA / CA method used by a node to access a channel;

[0012] FIG3 schematically shows a schematic diagram of multi-access point cooperative transmission;

[0013] Figure 4 shows the main steps performed by a conventional 802.11 device when it receives data to be sent at the MAC layer;

[0014] FIG5 shows a flowchart of a multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG6 shows another flow chart of a multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG7 shows another flow chart of a multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG8 shows another flow chart of a multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG9 shows another flow chart of a multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG10 shows another flow chart of a multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG11 shows another flow chart of a multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG12 shows another flow chart of a multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG13 shows another flow chart of a multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG14 shows another flow chart of a multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG15 shows a block diagram of an access point device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0025] FIG16 shows a block diagram of components of a computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure, example embodiments will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. The purpose of providing these examples is to make this disclosure thorough and complete and to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of this disclosure. It should be recognized that the drawings are only used to describe the embodiments of the present invention, and the sizes of the various elements or parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0027] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to limit the claimed subject matter. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising..." are used in this specification, they specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0029] It will be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" are used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or part from another element, component, region, layer or part. Therefore, the first element, first component, first region, first layer or first part discussed below may be referred to as the second element, second component, second region, second layer or second part without departing from the teachings disclosed herein. In addition, the first element, first component, first region, first layer or first part in one embodiment may be different from the first element, first component, first region, first layer or first part in another embodiment.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art in the art to which the subject matter disclosed herein belongs. It will also be understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner unless such definition is explicitly made herein.

[0031] It should also be understood that, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the description of the features or aspects within each exemplary embodiment should generally be considered to be applicable to other similar features or aspects in other exemplary embodiments. In the absence of conflict, the various embodiments of the present disclosure and the various features in the various embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0032] In recent years, with the rapid development of computers and the internet, wireless local area network (WLAN) technology has gained increasing attention. WLAN technology, based on short-range wireless communication, allows mobile devices such as smartphones, smart computers, laptops, and multimedia players to wirelessly access the internet within a home, office, or specific service area.

[0033] WLANs utilize technologies defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series of standards, including media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) protocols. IEEE 802.11 has commercialized or developed various technical standards to meet growing network demands. However, with the explosive growth of WLAN applications, WLAN deployments are becoming increasingly dense, increasing network loads and exacerbating network overlap. Traditional frequency reuse-based network deployment technologies are no longer sufficient, and WLAN network efficiency is declining significantly.

[0034] FIG1 schematically shows a schematic diagram of a WLAN network.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, a WLAN network includes one or more Basic Service Sets (BSSs), which represent a group of devices that successfully associate and communicate with each other. Different BSSs can be distinguished by BSS identification information. BSS identification information includes the BSSID carried in the MAC frame header and the BSS Color carried in the PHY frame header. As shown in Figure 1, the BSS includes one or more stations STA1, STA2, STA3, STA4, and STA5, personal BSS control points / access points (PCP / AP) PCP / AP-1 and PCP / AP-2 that provide access services, and a distribution system (DS) that connects multiple PCP / APs.

[0036] Stations (e.g., STA1 through STA5) are devices that comply with the IEEE 802.11 standard. Stations can be wireless end devices, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, or other devices that support wireless connectivity. Stations can be clients or access points in a wireless network. In the 802.11 standard, stations communicate over wireless channels, enabling operations such as data transmission, receiving broadcast messages, and roaming. Each station has a unique physical address, called a MAC address, which is used for identification and addressing within a wireless network.

[0037] PCP / AP (for example, PCP / AP-1 and PCP / AP-2) acts as an entity for the stations associated with it to access the DS. In BSS mode, the station searches for and connects to a nearby PCP / AP by scanning the wireless channel. Non-AP stations communicate with other stations through PCP / AP, and can also access wired network resources through PCP / AP. In addition to BSS mode, PCP / AP can also be used in ad-hoc mode, where multiple stations can directly communicate point-to-point or many-to-many to form a self-organized wireless network. PCP / AP can be used as a personal BSS control point (PCP) concept. In the context of this application, PCP / AP broadly includes AP, base station, and evolved Node B (eNodeB). In addition, PCP / AP can also include various types of wireless communication terminals, which perform the allocation of wireless resources and the scheduling of multiple wireless communication terminals.

[0038] The 802.11 MAC layer protocol uses the Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) and relies on CSMA / CA. CSMA / CA requires devices to monitor the channel before sending data. Based on the monitoring results, they decide whether to send data or perform a backoff operation. If the channel is found to be occupied, the device waits for a random period of time before attempting to send data again. This random waiting period is called the backoff time. The backoff time is calculated using an exponential backoff algorithm, which ensures fair channel access between devices and reduces the probability of conflicts.

[0039] FIG2 schematically shows the CSMA / CA method used by a node to access a channel.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, before sending data, the wireless device first monitors the wireless channel to detect whether other devices are sending data. When the perceived signal strength is greater than a predetermined strength threshold, the channel is considered busy and the wireless device should delay channel access. This process is called Clear Channel Assessment (CCA), and the predetermined strength threshold is called the CCA threshold. If no signal is sensed or the signal strength is less than the CCA threshold, the channel is considered idle.

[0041] When the channel is idle, the wireless device performs a backoff process, waiting for the channel to remain idle for a certain period of time. This period is called the DCF Inter-Frame Space (IFS) or, alternatively, the Arbitration Inter-Frame Space (AIFS). The minimum AIFS can be equal to the Point Coordination Function (PCF) Inter-Frame Space (PIFS). The backoff process consists of a random number of backoff slots. In each slot, the wireless device continuously monitors the channel for idleness and transmits data on the corresponding channel when the backoff slot count reaches 0. However, a collision occurs when a wireless device and another device attempt to access the channel simultaneously. The conflicting devices are assigned a new number of backoff slots and repeat the above process. The new number of backoff slots is randomly selected from the backoff window [0, CW]. If a collision occurs, the contention window (CW) is doubled to [0, 2*CW]. Through the above-mentioned CSMA / CA mechanism, when wireless devices transmit data on a shared wireless channel, collisions can be avoided, transmission efficiency can be improved, and multiple devices can be ensured to share wireless resources fairly.

[0042] Multi-AP collaboration technology provides improved coverage, capacity, and performance through the cooperation and coordination of multiple APs. Traditional single-AP deployments can face issues such as limited coverage and signal interference. By connecting multiple APs to the same wireless network and enabling them to collaborate, multi-AP collaboration can address issues such as heavy network loads and severe network overlap.

[0043] Multi-access point coordinated transmission technology refers to a technology in which multiple access points form a coordinated transmission set to cooperate and transmit data. Multi-access point coordinated transmission technology can be divided into coordinated transmission and joint transmission. Coordinated transmission refers to multiple access points sharing wireless resources such as frequency, space, or time, using technologies such as coordinated beamforming (C-BF), coordinated spatial reuse (C-SR), coordinated orthogonal frequency division multiple access (C-OFDMA), and coordinated time division multiple access (C-TDMA) to send data to multiple stations separately. Joint transmission refers to multiple access points sharing wireless resources such as frequency, space, or time, using technologies such as joint beamforming (J-BF) or joint multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (J-MUMIMO) to send data to the same station simultaneously. The station combines the data received from multiple access points into the final received data using specific strategies.

[0044] FIG3 schematically shows a schematic diagram of multi-access point coordinated transmission.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, multiple access points can be divided into two main categories: primary APs (also known as master APs or sharing APs) and secondary APs (also known as slave APs or shared APs). A primary AP is responsible for coordinating and controlling other APs in multi-AP coordinated transmission. The primary AP acts as a coordinator, scheduling transmissions for other APs and ensuring collaboration and interoperability among them. Secondary APs are controlled and scheduled by the primary AP (sharing AP) in multi-AP coordinated transmission. These APs receive instructions from the primary AP and transmit accordingly. Secondary APs (shared APs) coordinate with each other through the primary AP to avoid collisions and improve transmission efficiency. When transmitting data, secondary APs may perform operations such as time slot allocation, power control, and transmission time adjustment based on instructions from the primary AP to ensure smooth multi-AP coordinated transmission.

[0046] Typically, the primary and secondary AP roles are determined based on initial negotiation during the coordinated transmission set, or based on factors such as network topology, AP processing capabilities, AP location, and coverage. Alternatively, the first AP to complete the backoff process and attempt to access the channel in the CSMA / CA mechanism can serve as the primary AP. In the former approach, the primary and secondary AP roles are typically permanent or semi-permanent (relative to the network lifecycle), while in the latter approach, the primary and secondary AP roles change dynamically.

[0047] As shown in Figure 3, the primary AP accesses the channel using the CSMA / CA mechanism and sends a trigger frame (TF). Typically, this trigger frame carries instructions for the secondary APs (i.e., shared AP1 and shared AP2 in Figure 3). The primary and secondary APs then simultaneously access the channel for multi-AP coordinated transmission. Specifically, the primary and secondary APs each send data (DATA) and receive acknowledgment messages (ACK).

[0048] The 802.11n protocol introduces the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) mechanism, which defines traffic priorities and four corresponding access categories (ACs). Devices are given channel access opportunities based on their respective priorities. Higher-priority traffic has a shorter backoff window and longer transmission opportunities, resulting in faster channel access and lower latency.

[0049] EDCA is used to extend or enhance DCF functionality. It differentiates traffic flows of different priorities and provides corresponding channel access priorities. EDCA is the primary channel access mechanism in IEEE 802.11, featuring distributed and easy deployment. EDCA supports four ACs, each with independent data buffer queues and a set of channel contention parameters whose values ​​are tied to the AC's priority.

[0050] Each AC can function as an independent DCF contention entity, including an independent backoff entity. Therefore, each AC's backoff entity is associated with its corresponding data buffer queue and calculates its own queue backoff value to obtain data transmission opportunities on at least one channel. ACs within the same node compete for transmission opportunities.

[0051] By setting different channel contention parameters between ACs, such as different contention windows [CWmin, CWmax], different AIFS, and different Transmission Opportunity (TXOP) durations, the quality of service between different ACs can be differentiated.

[0052] Figure 4 shows the main steps performed by a conventional 802.11 device when receiving data to be sent at the MAC layer. As shown in Figure 4, the main steps performed include the following steps S401 to S404.

[0053] In step S401, the AC queue corresponding to the transmitted data is determined.

[0054] Each AC corresponds to an AC queue. When data to be sent reaches the MAC layer, it needs to determine which AC queue the data belongs to. In 802.11 nodes, this is typically determined by checking the data's user priority (UP).

[0055] In step S402, the data is buffered in the corresponding AC queue.

[0056] In step S403, if the AC queue is empty before step S402, a new backoff value is calculated for the corresponding backoff counter.

[0057] Each AC queue corresponds to a backoff counter. When an AC queue is empty, the corresponding backoff counter is inactive. When data is buffered in the AC queue, the backoff counter transitions to active, and a new backoff value is calculated for the backoff counter. The new backoff value is determined by selecting a random value in the range [0, CW], where CW is the contention window of the current AC. CW selects the congestion window value in the range [CWmin, CWmax].

[0058] In step S404, when the backoff value of the backoff counter is 0, data is sent.

[0059] When the backoff value of the backoff counter reaches 0, the corresponding AC can try to access the channel to send data.

[0060] As described above, multi-access point cooperative transmission can be performed in a wireless network. The main AP can trigger one or more secondary APs to perform multi-access point cooperative transmission. The main AP accesses the channel through the CSMA / CA or EDCA mechanism and sends a trigger frame to trigger multi-access point cooperative transmission. Each secondary AP can access the channel through the CSMA / CA or EDCA mechanism to send corresponding data. If multi-access point cooperative transmission is triggered during the process of the corresponding secondary AP accessing the channel alone, the secondary AP can suspend the independent access process and perform multi-access point cooperative transmission. Therefore, compared with traditional terminals, the secondary AP in multi-access point cooperative transmission has a higher competitive advantage because it has access opportunities for independent transmission and multi-access point cooperative transmission opportunities triggered by the main AP.

[0061] Traditional access points use the CSMA / CA mechanism to access channels, avoiding collisions by monitoring channel activity and ensuring fair sharing of channel resources. However, in current multi-AP collaborative technologies, some access points (e.g., secondary APs) can bypass the CSMA / CA mechanism and directly access the channel (e.g., by responding to trigger frames from the primary AP and performing multi-AP collaborative transmission). This severely impacts channel access fairness for traditional access points or other access points that don't employ collaborative technologies.

[0062] This unfairness can have serious consequences within the network. Traditional access points, or those not using cooperative technology, rely on the CSMA / CA mechanism to achieve fair channel sharing. However, access points that bypass this mechanism may dominate the channel resources, resulting in reduced transmission rates, increased latency, and even degraded service quality for other access points. This not only impacts the user experience but also limits the throughput and capacity of the entire network. Currently, no clear solution has been proposed to address this issue of channel access fairness between access points.

[0063] To address the aforementioned issues, this application proposes using a penalty mechanism to update the access point's channel contention parameters, such as a backoff counter, after the access point sends data using multi-access point coordinated transmission. Therefore, the backoff counter with the penalty mechanism applied can reduce the probability of the access point re-accessing the channel.

[0064] FIG5 shows a flowchart of a multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] As shown in FIG5 , the multi-access point transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the following steps S501 to S502 .

[0066] In step S501 , in response to a trigger frame from a first access point, a second access point performs multi-access point coordinated transmission together with the first access point.

[0067] In step S502, after the second access point performs multi-access point coordinated transmission and confirms that the transmission is successful, the channel contention parameter of the second access point is updated to reduce the probability of the second access point accessing the channel again, wherein the channel contention parameter is used to compete for channel resources.

[0068] According to the multi-access point transmission method of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a second access point (i.e., a secondary AP in multi-access point coordinated transmission) responds to a trigger frame from a first access point (i.e., a primary AP in multi-access point coordinated transmission) and performs multi-access point coordinated transmission together with the first access point. After confirming that the transmission is successful, the channel contention parameters of the second access point are updated, thereby reducing the probability of the second access point accessing the channel again, thereby ensuring channel access fairness between traditional APs or other APs that do not adopt the coordinated transmission technology and APs that adopt the coordinated transmission technology.

[0069] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second access point is a DCF contention entity and has a data cache queue, and the second access point and the first access point perform multi-access point coordinated transmission (ie, step S501 ) including: transmitting data cached in the data cache queue of the second access point.

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the channel contention parameters may include: a contention window; and a backoff value randomly selected according to the contention window.

[0071] It should be appreciated that the channel contention parameters of an AP are not limited to the contention window (CW) and the backoff value randomly selected according to the CW, but may also include other parameters such as arbitration interframe space (AIFS) and transmission opportunity (TXOP) duration.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 6 , updating the channel contention parameter of the second access point (ie, step S502 ) includes the following steps S5021 to S5023 .

[0073] In step S5021, a penalty value is determined.

[0074] In step S5022, a backoff value is randomly selected according to the CW.

[0075] In step S5023, the penalty value is added to the selected backoff value as an updated backoff value.

[0076] According to the multi-access point transmission method of the present disclosure, a penalty mechanism can be implemented by setting a penalty value. After the second access point (i.e., the secondary AP in multi-access point coordinated transmission) completes the multi-access point coordinated transmission, a backoff value can be randomly selected for the second access point based on the CW of the second access point, allowing the second access point to access the channel the next time. By setting a penalty value and updating the backoff value by adding the penalty value to the backoff value, the time it takes for the second access point to access the channel again can be reasonably extended, thereby ensuring channel access fairness between traditional APs or other APs that do not adopt coordinated transmission technology and APs that do adopt coordinated transmission technology.

[0077] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the penalty value is determined by one of the following methods: determining the backoff value remaining before the second access point performs multi-access point coordinated transmission as the penalty value; determining the penalty value according to the priority of the second access point; determining the penalty value according to an indication in a trigger frame of the first access point; or determining the penalty value according to a beacon frame.

[0078] Before the second access point performs multi-access coordinated transmission in response to the trigger frame of the first access point, the second access point is in a backoff state and waits for channel access. The backoff value of the second access point's backoff counter at this time is used as a penalty value for the second access point's subsequent channel access after completing multi-access point coordinated transmission. This can reasonably extend the time it takes to access the channel again, thereby ensuring channel access fairness between traditional APs or other APs that do not adopt coordinated transmission technology and APs that do adopt coordinated transmission technology.

[0079] In addition, a penalty value may be pre-set for each access point according to the priority of each access point, so that when a penalty value needs to be determined, the corresponding penalty value may be determined according to the priority of the access point.

[0080] A penalty value for the second access point may also be determined based on a trigger frame from the first access point initiating multi-access point coordinated transmission (i.e., the primary AP in the multi-access point coordinated transmission). The trigger frame sent by the first access point may carry not only indication information for each AP that requires multi-access point coordinated transmission (i.e., the secondary AP in the multi-access point coordinated transmission), but also indication information for the penalty value of each AP after the multi-access point coordinated transmission is completed.

[0081] Additionally, the penalty value can be determined using beacon frames. The AP periodically sends beacon frames at regular intervals to notify the outside world of the existence of the wireless network. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first access point and the second access point can negotiate using their respective beacon frames to determine the penalty value; or the second access point can receive beacon frames from the master access point among all access points participating in the collaborative transmission and determine the penalty value based on the instructions in the master access point's beacon frames.

[0082] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the APs performing multi-AP coordinated transmission can be in a peer-to-peer relationship. That is, for a first access point initiating multi-AP coordinated transmission and a second access point performing multi-AP coordinated transmission in response to a trigger frame from the first access point, although the first access point acts as the master AP during this round of multi-AP coordinated transmission, responsible for scheduling transmissions from other secondary APs to ensure coordination and interoperability between them, the relationship between the first access point and the second access point can be a peer-to-peer relationship. This is because the current second access point can also act as the master AP in the next round of multi-AP coordinated transmission. Therefore, the first access point and the second access point can negotiate through their respective beacon frames to determine their respective penalty values.

[0083] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a master AP may exist between the APs performing multi-AP coordinated transmission to manage the other APs performing multi-AP coordinated transmission. Therefore, the second access point may receive a beacon frame from the master AP and determine a penalty value based on an indication in the beacon frame from the master AP.

[0084] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 7 , updating the channel contention parameter of the second access point (ie, step S502 ) includes the following step S5024 .

[0085] In step S5024, the CW is updated so that the updated CW is twice the CW before the update.

[0086] According to the multi-access point transmission method of the present disclosure, a penalty mechanism can be implemented by doubling the contention window. After the second access point (i.e., the secondary AP in multi-access point coordinated transmission) completes multi-access point coordinated transmission, the CW of the second access point is updated to twice the original value. A backoff value is randomly selected for the second access point based on the updated CW to reasonably extend the time it takes for the second access point to re-access the channel. This ensures channel access fairness between traditional APs or other APs that do not adopt coordinated transmission technology and APs that do adopt coordinated transmission technology.

[0087] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after the second access point completes the multi-access point coordinated transmission, the second access point may back off using the backoff value remaining before the multi-access point coordinated transmission. After the second access point accesses the channel again, a new backoff value is randomly selected for the second access point based on the updated CW.

[0088] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, after the second access point completes the multi-access point coordinated transmission and before the second access point accesses the channel again, a new backoff value is randomly selected for the second access point according to the updated CW.

[0089] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide two opportunities for selecting a backoff value for a second access point using a doubled CW. One opportunity is to continue using the remaining backoff value for backoff after the second access point completes multi-access point coordinated transmission (i.e., no penalty is immediately applied), and to wait until the second access point re-accesses the channel before selecting a backoff value for the second access point using the doubled CW. The other opportunity is to select a backoff value for the second access point using the doubled CW after the second access point completes multi-access point coordinated transmission and before the second access point re-accesses the channel (i.e., penalty is immediately applied), and to no longer continue using the remaining backoff value of the second access point before performing multi-access point coordinated transmission.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second access point may be an AP that supports the EDCA mechanism. Therefore, the second access point may include multiple access categories (ACs), each of which has an independent data cache queue and can serve as an independent DCF contention entity, including an independent backoff entity. Therefore, the backoff entity of each AC is associated with the corresponding data cache queue and calculates its own queue backoff value, thereby obtaining a data transmission opportunity on at least one channel. In this case, the second access point performs multi-access point coordinated transmission together with the first access point (i.e., step S501), including: the second access point selects an AC for multi-access point coordinated transmission; and transmits data cached in the data cache queue of the AC selected for multi-access point coordinated transmission.

[0091] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second access point may select an AC for multi-access point cooperative transmission in one of the following ways: randomly selecting an AC with a non-empty data cache queue; selecting an AC according to an indication in a trigger frame; selecting an AC with a minimum backoff value; or selecting an AC with the highest priority.

[0092] It should be appreciated that the method for selecting an AC for multi-access point coordinated transmission is not limited thereto, and other methods for selecting an AC may be adopted according to specific practical requirements.

[0093] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each AC has a set of channel contention parameters, the values ​​of which are related to the priority of the AC, and the channel contention parameters may include: a contention window; and a backoff value randomly selected according to the contention window.

[0094] It should be appreciated that the channel contention parameters of an AC are not limited to the contention window (CW) and the backoff value randomly selected according to the CW, but may also include other parameters, such as AIFS and TXOP duration.

[0095] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 8 , updating the channel contention parameter of the second access point (ie, step S502 ) includes the following steps S502 ′.

[0096] In step S502', the channel contention parameter of the AC selected for multi-access point coordinated transmission is updated.

[0097] Updating the channel contention parameters of the AC may be similar to updating the channel contention parameters of the second access point described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Repetitive detailed descriptions will be omitted below.

[0098] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 9 , updating the channel contention parameters of the AC selected for multi-access point coordinated transmission (ie, step S502 ′) includes the following steps S5021 ′ to S5023 ′.

[0099] In step S5021', a penalty value is determined.

[0100] In step S5022', a backoff value is randomly selected according to the CW of the AC selected for multi-AP cooperative transmission.

[0101] In step S5023', the penalty value is added to the selected backoff value as an updated backoff value.

[0102] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the penalty value is determined by one of the following methods: determining the backoff value remaining before the AC selected for multi-access point coordinated transmission performs the multi-access point coordinated transmission as the penalty value; determining the penalty value according to the priority of the AC selected for multi-access point coordinated transmission; determining the penalty value according to an indication in a trigger frame of the first access point; and determining the penalty value according to a beacon frame.

[0103] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first access point and the second access point may negotiate through their respective beacon frames to determine the penalty value; or the second access point may receive a beacon frame from a master access point among all access points performing cooperative transmission, and determine the penalty value according to an indication in the beacon frame of the master access point.

[0104] The AC can act as an independent competing entity but not an independent interacting entity, so beacon frame interaction and negotiation need to be completed between APs.

[0105] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 10 , updating the channel contention parameters of the AC selected for multi-access point coordinated transmission (ie, step S502 ′) includes the following steps S5024 ′.

[0106] In step S5024', the CW of the AC selected for multi-access point coordinated transmission is updated so that the updated CW is twice the CW before the update.

[0107] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after the AC selected for multi-access point coordinated transmission completes the multi-access point coordinated transmission, the AC selected for multi-access point coordinated transmission uses the backoff value remaining before the multi-access point coordinated transmission to perform a backoff, and after the AC accesses the channel again, a new backoff value is randomly selected for the AC based on the updated CW.

[0108] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, after an AC selected for multi-access point coordinated transmission completes the multi-access point coordinated transmission and before the AC accesses a channel again, a new backoff value is randomly selected for the AC according to the updated CW.

[0109] According to the multi-access point transmission method of an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the second access point is an AP that supports the EDCA mechanism, the AC selected by the second access point for multi-access point cooperative transmission can be penalized, thereby reducing the probability of the AC accessing the channel again, thereby ensuring channel access fairness between traditional APs or other APs that do not adopt cooperative transmission technology and APs that adopt cooperative transmission technology.

[0110] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, when the second access point is an AP that supports the EDCA mechanism, the second access point selects an AC for multi-access point coordinated transmission in response to a trigger frame from the first access point and performs multi-access point coordinated transmission together with the first access point. After confirming that the transmission is successful, all ACs of the second access point may be penalized.

[0111] 11 , updating the channel contention parameter of the second access point (ie, step S502 ) includes the following steps: S502 .

[0112] In step S502 ″, the channel contention parameters of all ACs of the second access point are updated.

[0113] Updating the channel contention parameters of all ACs may be similar to updating the channel contention parameters of ACs used for multi-access point coordinated transmission as described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Repetitive detailed descriptions will be omitted below.

[0114] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 12 , updating the channel contention parameters of all ACs of the second access point (ie, step S502 ”) includes the following steps S5021 ” to S5023 ”.

[0115] In step S5021 ”, a penalty value is determined.

[0116] In step S5022, the backoff values ​​of all ACs are obtained.

[0117] In step S5023, the penalty value is added to the backoff value of each AC as the updated backoff value.

[0118] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the penalty value is determined by one of the following methods: determining the backoff value remaining before the AC selected for multi-access point coordinated transmission performs the multi-access point coordinated transmission as the penalty value; determining the penalty value corresponding to each AC based on the priority of each AC; determining the penalty value based on an indication in a trigger frame of the first access point; and determining the penalty value based on a beacon frame.

[0119] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first access point and the second access point may negotiate through their respective beacon frames to determine the penalty value; or the second access point may receive a beacon frame from a master access point among all access points performing cooperative transmission, and determine the penalty value according to an indication in the beacon frame of the master access point.

[0120] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to FIG. 13 , updating the channel contention parameters of all ACs of the second access point (ie, step S502 ″) includes the following steps S5024 ″.

[0121] In step S5024, the CWs of all ACs are updated so that the updated CW of each AC is twice the CW before the update.

[0122] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after the CW of each AC is updated, each AC uses the current backoff value to back off, and after each AC accesses the channel, a new backoff value is randomly selected for each AC based on the updated CW.

[0123] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, after the CW of each AC is updated and before each AC accesses a channel, a new backoff value is randomly selected for each AC according to the updated CW.

[0124] According to the multi-access point transmission method of an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the second access point is an AP that supports the EDCA mechanism, all ACs of the second access point can be penalized so that the second access point ultimately experiences the full backoff time on average, thereby ensuring channel access fairness between traditional APs or other APs that do not adopt cooperative transmission technology and APs that adopt cooperative transmission technology.

[0125] 14 , the multi-access point transmission method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure further includes the following steps S503 to S504 .

[0126] In step S503, the second access point accesses the channel again according to the updated channel contention parameters.

[0127] In step S504, after the second access point accesses the channel again, the channel contention parameters of the second access point are restored.

[0128] The second access point can access the channel using the updated channel contention parameters through the CSMA / CA mechanism or the EDCA mechanism. When the channel becomes idle during the backoff slot or AIFS period, the backoff value of the backoff counter is decremented by 1. Whether the backoff of the second access point (or one or more ACs of the second access point) has ended is determined by whether the backoff value of the backoff counter reaches 0. If the backoff value of the backoff counter does not reach 0, the second access point waits for the next backoff slot and checks whether the channel is idle. If the backoff of the second access point (or at least one AC of the second access point) has ended, the second access point accesses the channel, or the second access point selects the AC with the highest priority among the ACs that have ended backoff to access the channel.

[0129] The second access point accesses the channel again using the updated channel contention parameters, that is, the penalty on the second access point is completed. Therefore, after the second access point accesses the channel again, the channel contention parameters of the second access point can be restored. That is, when the second access point is an AP that supports the EDCA mechanism, the channel contention parameters of one or more ACs of the second access point are restored.

[0130] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device, comprising: a communication unit, a processor, and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor implements the multi-access point transmission method according to the present disclosure.

[0131] 15 , an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device, which includes: a communication unit 1510 , a processor 1520 ; and a memory 1530 on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by the processor 1520 , the processor 1520 implements the multi-access point transmission method according to each embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0132] The communication unit 1510 may be the hardware, software, firmware, or other component of the access point that is used to send and receive wireless signals. The communication unit 1510 includes one or more communication modules for different frequency bands (such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz). The communication unit 1510 may operate only one communication module at a time or operate multiple communication modules together. Multiple communication modules may be integrated into a single chip. In addition, the communication module may also include a radio frequency module for processing radio frequency signals. The communication unit 1510 may also provide an 802.3 Ethernet interface, enabling the access point to communicate with traditional Ethernet-based computer networks.

[0133] The processor 1520 is used to execute various commands or programs and process data sent or received. In addition, the processor 1520 controls the data transmission and reception of each module, such as the communication unit 1510. The processor 1520 can be a modem for modulating wireless signals sent to the communication unit 1510 and demodulating wireless signals received from the communication unit 1510. The processor 1520 can be implemented as a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any combination thereof for performing the functions described herein.

[0134] Memory 1530 stores control programs and various data used in the AP. Memory 1530 can be implemented as random access memory (RAM, more specifically, SDRAM, DDR, etc.), flash memory (FLASH), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, a hard disk (HD), a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Memory 1530 can be coupled to processor 1520 so that processor 1520 can read information from and write information to memory 1530. In some embodiments, memory 1530 may include a cache for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed by processor 1520. Memory 1530 may also include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor 1520. After the access point device is powered on, one or more programs stored on the hard disk or read-only memory are transferred to the RAM and registers for storing variables and parameters required by the present invention.

[0135] 16 , an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor implements the multi-access point transmission method according to the present disclosure.

[0136] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that all or some of the steps, systems, and functional modules / units in the methods disclosed above may be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, and appropriate combinations thereof. In hardware implementations, the division between the functional modules / units mentioned in the above description does not necessarily correspond to the division of physical components; for example, a physical component may have multiple functions, or a function or step may be performed by several physical components in cooperation. Some or all physical components may be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, or a microprocessor, or implemented as hardware, or implemented as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit. Such software may be distributed on a computer-readable medium, which may include a computer storage medium (or non-transitory medium) and a communication medium (or temporary medium). As is well known to those skilled in the art, the term computer storage medium includes volatile and non-volatile, removable, and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information (such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data). Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and can be accessed by a computer. In addition, it is well known to those skilled in the art that communication media generally embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and may include any information delivery media.

[0137] Example embodiments have been disclosed herein, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and should be interpreted only in a general illustrative sense and not for purposes of limitation. In some instances, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise expressly indicated, features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with a particular embodiment may be used alone or in combination with features, characteristics, and / or elements described in conjunction with other embodiments. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi - access point transmission method, comprising: In response to a trigger frame of a first access point, a second access point performs multi - access point cooperative transmission together with the first access point; And After the second access point performs multi - access point cooperative transmission and confirms successful transmission, update the channel contention parameters of the second access point to reduce the probability of the second access point accessing the channel again, where the channel contention parameters are used to compete for channel resources.

2. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 1, wherein, The second access point is a distributed coordination function (DCF) contention entity and has a data buffer queue, and the second access point performing multi - access point cooperative transmission together with the first access point includes: Transmitting the data cached in the data buffer queue of the second access point.

3. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 2, wherein, The channel contention parameters include: a contention window (CW); and a backoff value randomly selected according to the CW.

4. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 3, wherein, Updating the channel contention parameters of the second access point includes: Determining a penalty value; Randomly selecting a backoff value according to the CW; and Adding the penalty value to the selected backoff value as the updated backoff value.

5. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 4, wherein, Determine the penalty value in one of the following ways: Determine the remaining backoff value of the second access point before performing multi - access point cooperative transmission as the penalty value; Determine the penalty value according to the priority of the second access point; Determine the penalty value according to the indication in the trigger frame; Determine the penalty value according to the beacon frame.

6. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 5, wherein, The first access point and the second access point negotiate through their respective beacon frames to determine the penalty value, or The second access point receives the beacon frame of the master access point among all access points performing cooperative transmission, and determines the penalty value according to the indication in the beacon frame of the master access point.

7. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 3, wherein, Updating the channel contention parameters of the second access point includes: Updating the CW such that the updated CW is twice the CW before update.

8. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 7, wherein, After the second access point completes multi - access point cooperative transmission, the second access point performs backoff using the remaining backoff value before performing multi - access point cooperative transmission, and after the second access point accesses the channel again, randomly selects a new backoff value for the second access point according to the updated CW.

9. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 7, wherein, After the second access point completes multi - access point cooperative transmission and before the second access point accesses the channel again, randomly selects a new backoff value for the second access point according to the updated CW.

10. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 1, wherein, The second access point includes multiple access categories (ACs), each AC is an independent distributed coordination function (DCF) contention entity and has an independent data buffer queue, and the second access point performing multi - access point cooperative transmission together with the first access point includes: The second access point selects an AC for multi - access point cooperative transmission; and Transmitting the data cached in the data buffer queue of the selected AC for multi - access point cooperative transmission.

11. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 10, wherein, The second access point selects an AC for multi - access point cooperative transmission in one of the following ways: Randomly select an AC with a non - empty data buffer queue; Select an AC according to the indication in the trigger frame; Select the AC with the smallest backoff value; Select the AC with the highest priority.

12. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 10, wherein, Each AC has a set of channel contention parameters, and the channel contention parameters include: a contention window CW; and a backoff value randomly selected according to the CW.

13. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 12, wherein, Updating the channel contention parameters of the second access point includes: Updating the channel contention parameters of the AC selected for multi-access point cooperative transmission.

14. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 13, wherein, Updating the channel contention parameters of the AC selected for multi-access point cooperative transmission includes: Determining a penalty value; Randomly selecting a backoff value according to the CW of the AC selected for multi-access point cooperative transmission; and Adding the penalty value to the selected backoff value as the updated backoff value.

15. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 14, wherein, The penalty value is determined by one of the following methods: Determining the remaining backoff value of the AC selected for multi-access point cooperative transmission before multi-access point cooperative transmission as the penalty value; Determining the penalty value according to the priority of the AC selected for multi-access point cooperative transmission; Determining the penalty value according to the indication in the trigger frame; Determining the penalty value according to the beacon frame.

16. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 15, wherein, The first access point and the second access point negotiate through their respective beacon frames to determine the penalty value, or The second access point receives the beacon frame of the master access point among all the access points for cooperative transmission, and determines the penalty value according to the indication in the beacon frame of the master access point.

17. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 13, wherein, Updating the channel contention parameters of the AC selected for multi-access point cooperative transmission includes: Updating the CW of the AC selected for multi-access point cooperative transmission so that the updated CW is twice the CW before update.

18. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 17, wherein, After the AC selected for multi-access point cooperative transmission completes multi-access point cooperative transmission, the AC selected for multi-access point cooperative transmission uses the remaining backoff value before multi-access point cooperative transmission for backoff, and after the AC accesses the channel again, a new backoff value is randomly selected for the AC according to the updated CW.

19. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 17, wherein, After the AC selected for multi-access point cooperative transmission completes multi-access point cooperative transmission and before the AC accesses the channel again, a new backoff value is randomly selected for the AC according to the updated CW.

20. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 12, wherein, Updating the channel contention parameters of the second access point includes: Updating the channel contention parameters of all ACs of the second access point.

21. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 20, wherein, Updating the channel contention parameters of all ACs of the second access point includes: Determining a penalty value; Obtaining the backoff values of all ACs respectively; and Adding the penalty value to the backoff values of all ACs respectively as the updated backoff values.

22. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 21, wherein, The penalty value is determined by one of the following methods: Determining the remaining backoff value of the AC selected for multi-access point cooperative transmission before multi-access point cooperative transmission as the penalty value; Determining the penalty value corresponding to each AC according to the priority of each AC; Determining the penalty value according to the indication in the trigger frame; Determining the penalty value according to the beacon frame.

23. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 22, wherein, The first access point and the second access point negotiate through their respective beacon frames to determine the penalty value, or The second access point receives a beacon frame of a master access point among all access points performing cooperative transmission, and determines the penalty value according to an indication in the beacon frame of the master access point.

24. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 20, wherein, Updating the channel contention parameters of all ACs of the second access point includes: Updating the CWs of all ACs such that the updated CW of each AC is twice the CW before update.

25. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 24, wherein, After the CWs of each AC are updated, each AC performs backoff using the current backoff value, and after each AC accesses the channel, a new backoff value is randomly selected for each AC according to the updated CW.

26. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 24, wherein, After the CWs of each AC are updated and before each AC accesses the channel, a new backoff value is randomly selected for each AC according to the updated CW.

27. The multi-access point transmission method according to claim 1, further comprising: The second access point re-accesses the channel according to the updated channel contention parameters; and After the second access point re-accesses the channel, the channel contention parameters of the second access point are restored.

28. An access point, comprising: A communication unit, a processor, and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor is caused to implement the multi-access point transmission method according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor is caused to implement the multi-access point transmission method according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

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