Data sending method, primary network device, secondary network device, and medium

Abstract

Provided in the present application is a data sending method, which is executed by a primary network device. The method comprises: completing a first backoff procedure in a target channel; determining a waiting time; and after the waiting time, performing coordinated data transmission with a secondary network device in the target channel. Further provided in the present application are a data sending method for a secondary network device, a primary network device, a secondary network device, and a computer-readable medium.

Description

Data transmission method, main network device, auxiliary network device, and medium

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202410051471.9 filed on January 12, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of channel contention technology, and in particular to a data transmission method, a primary network device, a secondary network device, and a computer-readable medium. Background Art

[0004] Network devices such as access points (APs) can compete for channel usage through Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA).

[0005] However, in some cases, network devices with data collaborative transmission capabilities may have a higher chance of using channels, undermining the fairness of channel access, resulting in lower transmission rates, increased latency, and decreased service quality for other network devices, affecting user experience and reducing the throughput and capacity of the entire network. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a data transmission method, a primary network device, a secondary network device, and a computer-readable medium.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for sending data, which is executed by a primary network device, and the method includes: completing a first backoff process in a target channel; determining a waiting time; and after the waiting time, performing collaborative data transmission with a secondary network device in the target channel.

[0008] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for sending data, which is executed by a secondary network device, and the method includes: receiving synchronization information sent by a primary network device during a second backoff process; the synchronization information is used to indicate a data collaborative transmission process in a target channel; in response to the second backoff process not being completed after a waiting time, performing data collaborative transmission with the primary network device in the target channel; in response to the second backoff process being completed before the waiting time, sending data.

[0009] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a main network device, which includes a communication unit, a memory, and a processor; the communication unit is used to transmit data in a channel, and the memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements any one of the data sending methods of the embodiments of the present application.

[0010] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an auxiliary network device, which includes a communication unit, a memory, and a processor; the communication unit is used to transmit data in a channel, and the memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements any one of the data sending methods of the embodiments of the present application.

[0011] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements any data sending method of the embodiment of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present application:

[0013] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless network provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] FIG2 is a flow chart of a method for sending data to a master network device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] FIG3 is a flowchart of another method for sending data for a master network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] FIG4 is a flow chart of a method for sending data to a secondary network device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] FIG5 is a flowchart of another method for sending data to a secondary network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] FIG6 is a block diagram of a main network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] FIG7 is a block diagram of a secondary network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG8 is a block diagram of a computer-readable medium according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a CSMA / CA backoff process in a related art;

[0022] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a data collaborative transmission process in another related art;

[0023] FIG11 is a process diagram of another method for sending data provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG12 is a process diagram of another method for sending data provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG13 is a process diagram of another method for sending data provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG14 is a process diagram of another method for sending data provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG15 is a process diagram of another data sending method provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the data sending method, primary network device, secondary network device, and computer-readable medium provided in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] The present application will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the illustrated embodiments may be embodied in different forms, and the present application should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth below. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make this application thorough and complete and to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of this application.

[0030] The accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present application are intended to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the detailed embodiments, they are used to explain the present application and do not constitute a limitation of the present application. The above and other features and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by describing the detailed embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] The present application may be described with reference to plan views and / or cross-sectional views by way of ideal schematic views of the present application. Therefore, the exemplary illustrations may be modified according to manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances.

[0032] In the absence of conflict, the various embodiments of the present application and the various features therein may be combined with each other.

[0033] The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. As used in this application, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more related enumerated items. As used in this application, the singular forms "a" and "the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used in this application, the terms "comprising" and "made of" specify the presence of the features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. 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 this application, and will not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning unless expressly defined in this application.

[0035] The present application is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but includes modifications of the configurations formed based on the manufacturing process. Therefore, the regions illustrated in the drawings are schematic in nature, and the shapes of the regions shown in the drawings illustrate the specific shapes of the regions of the elements, but are not intended to be limiting.

[0036] With the rapid development of computers and the Internet, wireless local area network (WLAN) technology has received increasing attention. WLAN is based on short-range wireless communication technology and allows terminal devices such as smartphones, personal computers, laptops, tablets, multimedia players, etc. to access wireless networks (such as home networks, company networks, and the Internet in a specific service area).

[0037] Referring to Figure 1, a wireless network may include one or more basic service sets (BSSs). Each BSS represents a group of devices that are interconnected and capable of communicating. Multiple BSSs constitute an extended service set (ESS). Different BSSs in an ESS can be distinguished by BSS identification information. The BSS identification information can be the BSS ID (identifier) ​​carried in the media access control address (MAC) frame header, or the BSS Color (coloring) carried in the port physical layer (PHY) frame header.

[0038] Referring to Figure 1 , each BSS may include one or more network devices. A network device is a device that can connect via a distributed system (DS) and allow other terminal devices to access it. This device can be in the form of an access point (AP) serving as a personal coordination point (PCP), such as a router or a mobile terminal with a hotspot enabled. Alternatively, the network device can be in other forms, such as a base station (e.g., eNodeB). Each BSS may also include one or more terminal devices. These devices are devices that can wirelessly connect to nearby network devices (e.g., APs), such as stations (STAs), which can specifically be smartphones, personal computers, laptops, tablets, etc.

[0039] Alternatively, network devices (such as APs) and terminal devices (such as stations) can also form an ad-hoc network (Ad-hoc Mode), that is, they together form a self-organizing wireless network, and can directly communicate with each other in point-to-point or many-to-many manner.

[0040] Among them, data needs to be transmitted between network devices (such as APs) and terminal devices (such as stations) through channels (wireless channels), and the carrying capacity of each channel is limited. Therefore, when multiple network devices need to use the same channel (shared channel), they must compete for the right to use the channel in a certain way.

[0041] For example, the 802.11 series of standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) are about WLAN technology. The 802.11 MAC standard stipulates that the distributed coordination function (DCF) of channel contention can be implemented through carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA / CA).

[0042] In some related technologies, referring to FIG9 , according to CSMA / CA, when a network device (such as an AP) wants to send data through a channel (such as to a terminal device), it needs to compete for the right to use the channel through a backoff process, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0043] (1) The network device continuously monitors the channel to determine whether the channel status is idle or busy.

[0044] For example, the network device can perform a clear channel assessment (CCA), that is, the network device detects the strength of the existing signal in the channel. If the signal strength is greater than a predetermined strength threshold (CCA threshold), the channel is considered busy (the channel is fully occupied). If no signal is sensed or the signal strength is less than the CCA threshold, the channel is considered idle (the channel is not fully occupied).

[0045] (2) When the channel state is continuously idle in the interframe space (IFS, InterFrame Space, or xIFS), the network device randomly determines the initial backoff time (or backoff value) in the contention window (CW, Contention Window).

[0046] The contention window is the time range of (0, CW), and CW is the predetermined upper limit of the contention window. That is, the network device generates a random value within the range of (0, CW) according to the backoff algorithm as the initial backoff time, which is the total time of its backoff process.

[0047] For example, CW can be represented by a certain number of time slots, so the selected initial backoff time is also a certain number of time slots. For example, referring to FIG. 9 , CW is 8 time slots, and the selected initial backoff time is 5 time slots.

[0048] (3) The network device continuously monitors the channel. When the channel status is idle within a certain period of time, the time is subtracted from the initial backoff time to obtain the remaining backoff time.

[0049] For example, the network device can detect the channel status in each time slot, and for each time slot where the channel status is idle, the number of time slots of the remaining backoff time is reduced by 1. For example, if the channel status is detected to be idle in 3 time slots in total, the remaining backoff time is reduced from 5 time slots (i.e., the initial backoff time) to 2 time slots.

[0050] (4) When the remaining backoff time is reduced to 0 (eg, 0 time slots), the network device uses the channel to send data.

[0051] (4-1) If the data is sent successfully, the network device restarts the backoff process when it is about to send the next frame of data.

[0052] (4-2) If data transmission is unsuccessful (e.g., a conflict occurs because other network devices start sending data using the channel at the same time), the network device restarts the backoff process, but its contention window is (0, 2*CW), that is, the upper limit time of the contention window is doubled.

[0053] It can be seen that according to the CSMA / CA backoff process, the time when each network device starts using the channel is randomly determined by the backoff algorithm, thereby ensuring fairness among different network devices, achieving fair sharing of channel resources, and reducing the probability of conflicts.

[0054] In other related technologies, network devices can also perform collaborative data transmission.

[0055] The 802.11n standard introduces Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA), which is implemented through multi-access point cooperative transmission technology. Multiple APs in a wireless network (such as a WLAN) can form a cooperative transmission set. The APs in the cooperative transmission set can cooperate and coordinate to provide better coverage, capacity, and performance, addressing problems such as heavy network load and severe network overlap.

[0056] The multiple network devices in the cooperative transmission set can be divided into primary network devices and secondary network devices.

[0057] Among them, the main network device is responsible for scheduling the work of other network devices to avoid collisions and improve transmission efficiency. It can be in the form of a main AP (sharing AP or master AP); while the auxiliary network device works under the scheduling of the main network device. It can be in the form of an auxiliary AP (shared AP or slave AP).

[0058] Referring to Figure 10, after the primary network device accesses the channel through the CSMA / CA backoff process, it can send a trigger frame (TF, Trigger Frame) to other secondary network devices that are in the backoff process. The trigger frame carries instruction information for the secondary network device, instructing the secondary network device how to perform time slot allocation, power control, transmission time adjustment, etc. to ensure the smooth progress of collaborative transmission.

[0059] Therefore, when the primary network device uses the channel to send data (DATA), the primary network device and the secondary network device can jointly transmit data in the channel by sharing frequency, space, time, etc., and jointly acknowledge (ACK). Specific methods of collaborative transmission include collaborative beamforming (C-BF), collaborative spatial multiplexing (C-SR), collaborative orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (C-OFDMA), collaborative time division multiplexing (C-TDMA), beamforming (J-SUMIMO), joint multi-user multiple input multiple output (J-MUMIMO), etc.

[0060] It can be seen that the auxiliary network device can compete for the channel usage right through its own backoff process, and after other main network devices compete for the channel, the auxiliary network device directly uses the channel through data cooperative transmission.

[0061] Therefore, compared with other traditional network devices, network devices with data collaborative transmission capabilities are equivalent to obtaining more opportunities to use channels, thereby destroying the fairness of channel access, resulting in reduced transmission rates, increased latency, and decreased service quality for other network devices, affecting user experience and reducing the throughput and capacity of the entire network.

[0062] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for sending data, which is executed by a primary network device.

[0063] The embodiment of the present application is used to enable a primary network device (such as a sharing AP) and a secondary network device (such as a shared AP) to transmit data together in a wireless network (such as a WLAN), and is specifically executed by the primary network device.

[0064] 1 , the wireless network to which the embodiment of the present application is applicable may include multiple network devices (such as APs), different network devices are interconnected (such as through DSs), and each network device may also be connected to one or more terminal devices (such as stations).

[0065] As one embodiment of the present application, the roles of the primary network device and the secondary network device can be determined based on the initialization negotiation of the collaborative transmission set, or can be determined based on factors such as the network topology, network device processing capabilities, network device location, and network device coverage. According to this method, relative to the network life cycle, the primary network device and the secondary network device are permanent or semi-permanent.

[0066] Alternatively, as another embodiment of the present application, the primary network device may be the network device that first completes the CSMA / CA backoff process each time (i.e., obtains the channel use right first), and correspondingly, the other network devices in the collaborative transmission set are secondary network devices; according to this method, the primary network device and the secondary network device are dynamically changed, for example, a network device may be the primary network device in one data transmission, and become the secondary network device in the next data transmission.

[0067] It can be seen from this that "the method of the embodiment of the present application is executed by the main network device" only means that the network device acts as the main network device when executing the method of the embodiment of the present application, and does not mean that the main network device and the auxiliary network device are two different devices.

[0068] 2 , the data transmission method according to an embodiment of the present application includes:

[0069] S101: Complete a first backoff process in a target channel.

[0070] S102: Determine the waiting time.

[0071] S103: After the waiting time, perform data collaborative transmission with the auxiliary network device in the target channel.

[0072] When a network device wants to send data in a channel (target channel, such as a wireless channel between a terminal device), it must compete for the right to use the channel through the CSMA / CA backoff process (first backoff process); when the network device first completes the first backoff process and competes for the right to use the target channel, it can act as a main network device to execute the method of the embodiment of the present application.

[0073] According to an embodiment of the present application, after the master network device completes the first backoff process, it does not transmit data immediately, but first determines a "waiting time".

[0074] The specific forms of the waiting time are various, such as a certain number of time slots or a specific duration.

[0075] 11 , after the primary network device completes the backoff process, it enters the "waiting state (Wait)", in which it does not send data, and the waiting state lasts for the waiting time; thus, after the waiting state ends (that is, after the waiting time), the primary network device begins to share the channel and collaboratively transmit data (DATA) with the secondary network device in the target channel.

[0076] When the master network device is in the waiting state, in addition to not using the target channel to send data, it should not set the network allocation vector (NAV) or perform other actions to occupy the target channel to allow other network devices, terminal devices, etc. to compete for the target channel.

[0077] In an embodiment of the present application, the primary network device must wait for a period of time after competing for the channel before starting data collaborative transmission, so that the time used by the secondary network device through data collaborative transmission will also be "delayed" accordingly, which is equivalent to reducing the opportunity for the secondary network device to use the channel, improving the fairness of channel access, and improving the transmission rate, delay, service quality, etc. of other network devices without data collaborative transmission capabilities, thereby enhancing user experience and increasing the throughput and capacity of the entire network.

[0078] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 3 , between “completing the first backoff process in the target channel ( S101 )” and “determining the waiting time ( S102 )”, the following steps are further included:

[0079] S101A1. Send synchronization information to a preset candidate network device.

[0080] The synchronization information is used to indicate the data cooperative transmission process in the target channel.

[0081] S101A2. Receive response information sent by at least some of the candidate network devices.

[0082] S101A3. Determine, based on the response information, at least some of the candidate network devices as auxiliary network devices.

[0083] In order to complete the data collaborative transmission process, the primary network device and the secondary network device need to be "synchronized" in advance, including determining which network devices need to serve as secondary network devices (for example, some network devices do not need to send data, so naturally there is no need for them to serve as network devices), and instructing the secondary network devices on how to perform time slot allocation, power control, transmission time adjustment, etc.

[0084] Therefore, referring to Figure 12, after a network device completes the backoff process and determines that it can serve as the main network device, it sends synchronization information to candidate network devices that may serve as auxiliary network devices (such as other network devices in a collaborative transmission set), and determines which candidate network devices should be used as auxiliary network devices based on the response information replied by each candidate network device.

[0085] The specific forms of the synchronization information and the response information are various. For example, the synchronization information may be in the form of a trigger frame (TF) or a synchronization frame, and the response information may be in the form of a response frame (RESP).

[0086] Among them, when there are multiple candidate network devices, in order to avoid conflicts in response information, the synchronization information may also contain the transmission parameters of the response information. For example, the synchronization information sent to each candidate network device may contain the RU (resource unit) position of its reply response information (such as a response frame), and the candidate network device uses the PPDU (protocol data unit) of the OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) standard to send the response information at the indicated RU position.

[0087] The synchronization information may exist independently, that is, referring to FIG11 , after the primary network device sends the synchronization information, the secondary network device may not send any response information.

[0088] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 3 , determining the waiting time ( S102 ) includes:

[0089] S1021. Obtain the remaining secondary device backoff time of the secondary network device.

[0090] The remaining backoff time of the secondary device is the remaining backoff time of the second backoff process being performed by the secondary network device.

[0091] S1022: Determine a waiting time according to the remaining backoff time of the auxiliary device.

[0092] As one method of an embodiment of the present application, before performing data collaborative transmission, the auxiliary network devices are also performing their own CSMA / CA backoff processes (second backoff processes), and the backoff processes of each auxiliary network device have their own remaining backoff time (auxiliary device remaining backoff time); thus, after the main network device competes for the channel, it can obtain the remaining backoff time of the auxiliary network device and determine the waiting time based on the time, that is, the waiting time is determined based on the time that the auxiliary network device "originally (assuming that the main network device does not exist)" still needs to use the channel, so as to more accurately ensure the fairness of channel access.

[0093] It is also possible to use a preset time as the waiting time, or to generate the waiting time through a random algorithm.

[0094] In some embodiments, obtaining the remaining backoff time of the secondary network device (S1021) includes:

[0095] S1021A: Obtain the remaining secondary device backoff time of the secondary network device whose channel status is idle.

[0096] As one embodiment of the present application, the primary network device may further obtain the channel status of the secondary network device, and obtain its remaining backoff time (secondary device remaining backoff time) only when the channel status of the secondary network device is idle.

[0097] In some embodiments, obtaining the remaining secondary device backoff time of the secondary network device (S1021) includes at least one of the following:

[0098] S1021BA: Obtain the auxiliary device remaining backoff time of the auxiliary network device through the wired backhaul.

[0099] S1021BB: Obtain the remaining backoff time of the auxiliary device of the auxiliary network device through idle channel evaluation.

[0100] S1021BC: Send backoff query information to the secondary network device, and determine the secondary device remaining backoff time of the secondary network device according to the backoff feedback information sent by the secondary network device.

[0101] In the embodiment of the present application, there are various specific ways for the primary network device to obtain the channel status and remaining backoff time of the secondary network device.

[0102] For example, the primary network device may obtain the channel status of the secondary network device through a wired backhaul.

[0103] For another example, if the working channels of the primary network device and the secondary network device include each other, the primary network device can also indirectly obtain the channel status of the secondary network device by checking the CCA of the working channel of the secondary network device, where the channel status is busy or idle which can be indicated by the local CCA and NAV of the secondary network device, and in the idle state, the channel status can also include the remaining backoff time of the secondary network device (remaining backoff time of the secondary device).

[0104] For example, the primary network device may also send (e.g., via the air interface) a backoff query message, and the secondary network device adds its own remaining backoff time to the backoff feedback information based on the backoff query message, and sends it to (e.g., via the air interface) the primary network device, so that the primary network device can obtain the remaining backoff time of the secondary device.

[0105] The above backoff query information and backoff feedback information can be separate information or other information at the same time; for example, the synchronization information (such as TF) sent by the primary network device can also serve as the backoff query information at the same time, and the response information (such as RESP) sent by the secondary network device can carry the remaining backoff time and serve as the backoff feedback information at the same time.

[0106] In some embodiments, the secondary network device includes multiple ports, each port having a port remaining backoff time; obtaining the secondary device remaining backoff time of the secondary network device (S1021) includes:

[0107] S1021C: Obtain the minimum remaining backoff time of the port of the secondary network device as the remaining backoff time of the secondary device of the secondary network device.

[0108] As one embodiment of the present application, each auxiliary network device may have multiple ports, and each port independently competes for a channel through the CSMA / CA backoff process, so that each port has its own backoff counter, that is, its own remaining backoff time (port remaining backoff time); thus, the main network device can use the minimum value of the remaining backoff time of each port of the auxiliary network device as the remaining backoff time of the auxiliary network device as a whole, and subsequently perform data collaborative transmission with the port of the auxiliary network device.

[0109] For example, according to EDCA, each secondary network device includes four access categories (ACs), which can be used as four ports respectively, and each AC has its own backoff counter to record the remaining backoff time of the port. Therefore, the primary network device can only obtain the minimum value of the four backoff counters as the remaining backoff time of the secondary network device.

[0110] It is also feasible if the primary network device simultaneously obtains the remaining backoff time of multiple ports of the secondary network device.

[0111] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 3 , determining the waiting time according to the remaining backoff time of the slave device ( S1022 ) includes:

[0112] S1022A: Determine the maximum remaining backoff time of the auxiliary device as the waiting time.

[0113] As one method of an embodiment of the present application, the “maximum value” of the remaining backoff time of the secondary network device may be used as the waiting time.

[0114] For example, referring to Figure 11, when the backoff process (first backoff process) of the primary network device ends, the remaining backoff time of the secondary network device is 4 time slots. Since there is only one secondary network device at this time, the maximum remaining backoff time of the secondary network device is also 4 time slots. Therefore, the waiting time can be determined to be 4 time slots.

[0115] Referring to Figure 11, according to the above method, for the auxiliary network device with the largest remaining backoff time, the moment it starts data collaborative transmission is the moment its backoff process is completed, that is, the moment it can use the channel through the normal backoff process. Therefore, it is equivalent to the auxiliary network device not getting any additional opportunities for channel occupation, which can best ensure the fairness of channel access.

[0116] If the waiting time is not the maximum remaining backoff time of the secondary device, then when the secondary network device starts collaborative data transmission, its backoff process may not be completed or may have been completed for a certain time, and this approach is also feasible.

[0117] In some embodiments, after the waiting time has elapsed, collaborative data transmission is performed with the auxiliary network device in the target channel (S1031), including:

[0118] S103A: Send backoff adjustment information to the secondary network device.

[0119] The backoff adjustment information is used to instruct the secondary network device to set the remaining backoff time of the secondary device to be equal to the waiting time.

[0120] As one embodiment of the present application, for the auxiliary network device participating in the collaborative data transmission, it is expected that its backoff process and waiting time are completed simultaneously, rather than in advance or after, so as to reduce unnecessary channel usage.

[0121] To this end, the primary network device can send backoff adjustment information to the secondary network device to "inform" the waiting time, so that the secondary network device can adjust the remaining backoff time of its own backoff process (second backoff process) to the waiting time, so that the second backoff process ends at the same time as the waiting time.

[0122] It is also feasible if the auxiliary network device obtains the waiting time by itself through other means such as wired backhaul (for example, when the maximum auxiliary device remaining backoff time is selected as the waiting time, the auxiliary network device can obtain the remaining backoff time of all auxiliary devices through wired backhaul and set its own remaining waiting time to the maximum value among them).

[0123] In some embodiments, obtaining the remaining backoff time of the secondary network device (S1021) includes:

[0124] S1021D. Obtain the remaining backoff time of the auxiliary devices of the plurality of auxiliary network devices.

[0125] Determining a waiting time according to the remaining backoff time of the secondary device (S1022) includes:

[0126] S1022B: Determine at least some of the secondary network devices as target secondary network devices according to the remaining secondary device backoff time of the target secondary network devices, and determine a waiting time according to the remaining secondary device backoff time of the target secondary network devices.

[0127] Performing data collaborative transmission with the auxiliary network device in the target channel (S103), including:

[0128] S103B: Perform data collaborative transmission with the target auxiliary network device in the target channel.

[0129] As one embodiment of the present application, referring to Figure 12, when there are multiple secondary network devices, the primary network device can select some or all of them as "target secondary network devices" based on their remaining backoff time; and subsequently, the waiting time is determined only based on the remaining backoff time of these target secondary network devices, and data collaborative transmission is only performed with the target secondary network devices; and other secondary network devices (if not all of the selected ones) that are not selected as target network devices continue to send data independently through the conventional CSMA / CA backoff process.

[0130] The above process of selecting the target auxiliary network device can be combined with other processes.

[0131] For example, after the main network device sends synchronization information to multiple candidate network devices and receives response information, it can directly select some of the candidate network devices as auxiliary network devices based on the remaining backoff time of the auxiliary devices in each response information, and also as target auxiliary network devices, and then determine the waiting time based on the remaining backoff time of these target auxiliary network devices, and perform data collaborative transmission.

[0132] In some embodiments, determining at least some of the secondary network devices as target secondary network devices based on the remaining secondary device backoff time, and determining the waiting time based on the remaining secondary device backoff time of the target secondary network devices (S1022B1) includes:

[0133] S1022B11. Determine the secondary network device with the smallest secondary device remaining backoff time as the target secondary network device, and determine the secondary device remaining backoff time of the target secondary network device as the waiting time.

[0134] As one embodiment of the present application, referring to FIG12 , a secondary network device with the smallest remaining backoff time (such as 4 time slots) may be selected as the target secondary network device, and its remaining backoff time may be directly used as the waiting time.

[0135] In this way, while preventing the auxiliary network device from obtaining unfair channel access opportunities, the waiting time can be shortened as much as possible, the probability of conflict caused by the target channel being occupied during the waiting time can be reduced, and the channel access opportunities of the main network device and the auxiliary network device can be avoided to be at a disadvantage.

[0136] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 3 , after the waiting time, collaborative data transmission ( S103 ) is performed with the auxiliary network device in the target channel, including:

[0137] S103C1. Start the third backoff process.

[0138] The initial backoff time of the third backoff process is equal to the waiting time.

[0139] S103C2: After the third backoff process is completed, perform data collaborative transmission with the auxiliary network device in the target channel.

[0140] As one embodiment of the present application, referring to Figure 13, after determining the waiting time (such as being equal to the maximum remaining backoff time of the auxiliary device), the main network device can start a new backoff process (the third backoff process), and the initial backoff time of the third backoff process is equal to the waiting time. Therefore, when the third backoff process ends, that is, when the waiting time is completed, data collaborative transmission can be started directly.

[0141] In the above manner, the master network device is equivalent to achieving "waiting" through the conventional CSMA / CA backoff process, so it has good compatibility with related technologies.

[0142] If a separate control process is used, it is also feasible to make the master network device start data cooperative transmission after a waiting time; for example, in the waiting state, the backoff counter of the master network device can be temporarily set to 0.

[0143] In some embodiments, the interframe interval before the third backoff process satisfies at least one of the following: equal to the arbitration interframe interval; less than the arbitration interframe interval; equal to the distributed coordination interframe interval; less than the distributed coordination interframe interval.

[0144] As a method of an embodiment of the present application, referring to Figure 13, an inter-frame space (xIFS) must be passed before the backoff process, and the specific length of the inter-frame space before the third backoff process performed by the main network device can be the arbitration inter-frame space (AIFS) or the distributed coordination inter-frame space (DIFS, DCF IFS). Since AIFS and DIFS are both optional methods of xIFS specified in the 802.11 standard, using them can ensure good compatibility.

[0145] Alternatively, the xIFS of the third backoff process may also be greater than AIFS or DIFS to shorten the overall waiting process.

[0146] As long as the primary network device and the secondary network device actually implement the method of the embodiment of the present application, it is feasible, and the specific execution steps can be understood differently from different perspectives.

[0147] For example, since the primary network device and the secondary network device must be synchronized, when the primary network device executes the third backoff process, it can be considered that the secondary network device also starts a new backoff process after xIFS.

[0148] Alternatively, if the waiting time is equal to the remaining backoff time of the secondary network device, it can also be understood that the secondary network device "continues" the original backoff process (the second backoff process) after xIFS.

[0149] Alternatively, the third backoff process can also be understood as the master network device "increasing" the remaining backoff time, which was originally 0, to the waiting time after xIFS, and "continuing" the original backoff process (the first backoff process).

[0150] In some embodiments, after determining the waiting time (S102), the method further includes:

[0151] S102A: In response to the channel status of the primary network device and / or the channel status of the secondary network device being changed to busy before the waiting time elapses, start a fourth backoff process.

[0152] The contention window upper limit time of the fourth backoff process is equal to the contention window upper limit time of the first backoff process.

[0153] As one embodiment of the present application, the channel of the primary network device or the secondary network device may become busy again during the waiting time. At this time, even if the waiting process continues, the collaborative data transmission cannot be completed. Therefore, the primary network device can restart the backoff process (the fourth backoff process), but the contention window upper limit time (CW) of the fourth backoff process should not be changed.

[0154] For example, referring to Figure 14, if the channel of the primary network device (target channel) becomes busy during the waiting time, the primary network device can no longer use the target channel, so it should restart the fourth backoff process, and the initial backoff time of the fourth backoff process is still selected within the range of (0, CW); accordingly, the secondary network device continues its own backoff process (second backoff process).

[0155] For another example, referring to Figure 15, if the channel of the auxiliary network device becomes busy during the waiting time, the main network device loses the "object" of collaborative data transmission, so it should restart the fourth backoff process, and the initial backoff time of the fourth backoff process is still selected within the range of (0, CW); accordingly, the auxiliary network device can continue the second backoff process after the busy state of the channel ends.

[0156] The channel status of the primary network device and the secondary network device may be obtained through a wired backhaul or indirectly through a local CCA / NAV, which will not be described in detail here.

[0157] After the new backoff process (fourth backoff process) of the above-mentioned master network device and the backoff process (second backoff process) of the slave network device are completed, since collaborative data transmission is no longer performed, the master network device and the slave network device can independently send data in the same manner as when the conventional backoff process is completed; or, the original master network device and the slave network device can also become the "new" master network device after the backoff process is completed; or, if other network devices complete the backoff process and become the "new" master network device during the above backoff process, the original master network device and the slave network device may also become the "new" slave network device.

[0158] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for sending data, which is performed by a secondary network device.

[0159] The embodiment of the present application is used to enable a primary network device (such as a sharing AP) and a secondary network device (such as a shared AP) to transmit data together in a wireless network (such as a WLAN), and is specifically executed by the primary network device.

[0160] 1 , the wireless network to which the embodiment of the present application is applicable may include multiple network devices (such as APs), different network devices are interconnected (such as through DSs), and each network device may also be connected to one or more terminal devices (such as stations).

[0161] As one embodiment of the present application, the roles of the primary network device and the secondary network device can be determined based on the initialization negotiation of the collaborative transmission set, or can be determined based on factors such as the network topology, network device processing capabilities, network device location, and network device coverage. According to this method, relative to the network life cycle, the primary network device and the secondary network device are permanent or semi-permanent.

[0162] Alternatively, as another embodiment of the present application, the primary network device may be the network device that first completes the CSMA / CA backoff process each time (i.e., obtains the channel use right first), and correspondingly, the other network devices in the collaborative transmission set are secondary network devices; according to this method, the primary network device and the secondary network device are dynamically changed, for example, a network device may be the primary network device in one data transmission, and become the secondary network device in the next data transmission.

[0163] It can be seen from this that "the method of the embodiment of the present application is executed by the auxiliary network device" only means that the network device acts as an auxiliary network device when executing the method of the embodiment of the present application, and does not mean that the main network device and the auxiliary network device are two different devices.

[0164] 4 , the data transmission method according to an embodiment of the present application includes:

[0165] S201: In a second backoff process, receive synchronization information sent by a master network device.

[0166] The synchronization information is used to indicate the data cooperative transmission process in the target channel.

[0167] S202A: In response to the second backoff process not being completed after the waiting time, perform collaborative data transmission with the primary network device in the target channel.

[0168] S202B: In response to the second backoff process being completed before the waiting time elapses, send data.

[0169] When the primary network device sends data in the above manner, the secondary network device that is in its own backoff process (second backoff process) will receive the synchronization information sent by the primary network device, such as the form of a trigger frame (TF). Thus:

[0170] (1) After the waiting time, if the backoff process of the auxiliary network device itself is still not completed, it will no longer continue the backoff process, but will perform data collaborative transmission (channel sharing) with the primary network device in the target channel.

[0171] (2) If the backoff process of the auxiliary network device itself is completed before the waiting time is over, the auxiliary network device directly sends data in the channel (not necessarily the target channel) through the CSMA / CA backoff process without performing data cooperative transmission.

[0172] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 5 , receiving synchronization information sent by a master network device ( S201 ) includes:

[0173] S2011. Receive backoff query information sent by the primary network device.

[0174] S2012. Send backoff feedback information to the primary network device.

[0175] The backoff feedback information includes the remaining backoff time of the second backoff process.

[0176] As one embodiment of the present application, the auxiliary network device may also send backoff feedback information (such as the above response information) based on the backoff feedback information sent by the main network device (such as the above synchronization information at the same time), and add its own remaining backoff time to the backoff feedback information to notify the main network device.

[0177] In some embodiments, after receiving the synchronization information sent by the master network device (S201), the method further includes:

[0178] S201A1. Obtain waiting time.

[0179] S201A2. Set the remaining backoff time of the second backoff process to be equal to the waiting time.

[0180] As one method of an embodiment of the present application, the auxiliary network device can also obtain the waiting time, and set the remaining backoff time of its own backoff process (second backoff process) as the waiting time, and then continue the second backoff process, thereby avoiding the situation where the remaining backoff time of the second backoff process is short and completed before the waiting time.

[0181] The auxiliary network device may obtain the waiting time by receiving an instruction from the primary network device via an air interface, or may obtain the waiting time through a wired backhaul or other methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0182] In the third aspect, referring to Figure 6, an embodiment of the present application provides a main network device, which includes a communication unit, a memory, and a processor; the communication unit is used to transmit data in a channel, and the memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements any one of the data sending methods of the embodiment of the present application.

[0183] In some embodiments, the master network device comprises an access point; and the target channel comprises a channel between the access point and the station.

[0184] As one embodiment of the present application, the main network device can be in the form of an AP (sharing AP), such as a router, a mobile terminal with a hotspot turned on, etc., and the target channel for sending data is the channel between the AP and the site.

[0185] In the fourth aspect, referring to Figure 7, an embodiment of the present application provides an auxiliary network device, which includes a communication unit, a memory, and a processor; the communication unit is used to transmit data in a channel, and the memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements any one of the data sending methods of the embodiment of the present application.

[0186] In some embodiments, the secondary network device includes an access point; and the target channel includes a channel between the access point and the station.

[0187] As one embodiment of the present application, the auxiliary network device can be in the form of an AP (sharing AP), such as a router, a mobile terminal with a hotspot turned on, etc., and the target channel for sending data is the channel between the AP and the site.

[0188] It should be understood that the primary network device and the secondary network device in the embodiments of the present application are not necessarily two different devices; for example, a network device may serve as a primary network device or a secondary network device in different situations.

[0189] In the primary network device and the secondary network device of the embodiment of the present application, the communication unit, the memory, and the processor should be coupled and interconnected with each other through a structure such as a bus, so that information interaction can be achieved.

[0190] In the embodiment of the present application, the communication unit may generally be a structure capable of wireless communication, such as it may include one or more communication modules for sending and receiving wireless signals in different frequency bands (such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz, etc.), and multiple communication modules may be integrated into one device (such as a chip); in addition, the communication unit also includes a radio frequency module for processing radio frequency signals, an 802.3 standard Ethernet interface, etc.

[0191] In the embodiment of the present application, the processor is a device with data processing capabilities, which may include hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and may also include corresponding software.

[0192] In the embodiment of the present application, the memory is a device with data storage capability, which may include random access memory (RAM, more specifically SDRAM, DDR, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory (FLASH) and other hardware, and may also include corresponding software.

[0193] In the fifth aspect, referring to Figure 8, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, any data sending method of the embodiment of the present application is implemented.

[0194] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or some of the steps, systems, and functional modules / units in the apparatus disclosed above may be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, or a suitable combination thereof.

[0195] In hardware implementations, the division between functional modules / units mentioned in the above description does not necessarily correspond to the division of physical components; for example, one physical component may have multiple functions, or one function or step may be performed by several physical components in cooperation.

[0196] Some or all of the physical components may be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor, or a microprocessor, or as hardware, or 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, random access memory (RAM, more specifically SDRAM, DDR, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory (FLASH) or other disk storage; compact disc (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical disc storage; magnetic cassettes, tapes, disk storage or other magnetic storage; any other medium that can be used to store desired information and can be accessed by a computer. Furthermore, as is well known to those skilled in the art, communication media typically 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.

[0197] This application has disclosed example embodiments, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and should be interpreted only in a general illustrative sense and not for limiting purposes. 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 application as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for data transmission, which is executed by a main network device, wherein, The method includes: Completing a first backoff process in the target channel; Determining a waiting time; After the waiting time has elapsed, performing data cooperative transmission with the secondary network device in the target channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The determining the waiting time includes: Obtaining the remaining backoff time of the secondary device of the secondary network device; the remaining backoff time of the secondary device is the remaining backoff time in the second backoff process being performed by the secondary network device; Determining the waiting time according to the remaining backoff time of the secondary device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The obtaining the remaining backoff time of the secondary device of the secondary network device includes: Obtaining the remaining backoff time of the secondary device of the secondary network device with the channel status being idle.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein The obtaining the remaining backoff time of the secondary device of the secondary network device includes at least one of the following: Obtaining the remaining backoff time of the secondary device of the secondary network device through a wired backhaul; Obtaining the remaining backoff time of the secondary device of the secondary network device through an idle channel assessment; Sending backoff query information to the secondary network device, and determining the remaining backoff time of the secondary device of the secondary network device according to the backoff feedback information sent by the secondary network device.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein The secondary network device includes multiple ports, and each port has a remaining backoff time of the port; The obtaining the remaining backoff time of the secondary device of the secondary network device includes: Obtaining the minimum remaining backoff time of the ports of the secondary network device as the remaining backoff time of the secondary device of the secondary network device.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The determining the waiting time according to the remaining backoff time of the secondary device includes: Determining the maximum remaining backoff time of the secondary device as the waiting time.

7. According to the method of claim 2, wherein, The obtaining the remaining backoff time of the secondary device of the secondary network device includes: obtaining the remaining backoff time of multiple secondary network devices; The determining the waiting time according to the remaining backoff time of the secondary device includes: according to the remaining backoff time of the secondary device, determining at least some of the secondary network devices as target secondary network devices, and determining the waiting time according to the remaining backoff time of the target secondary network devices; The performing data cooperative transmission with the secondary network device in the target channel includes: performing data cooperative transmission with the target secondary network device in the target channel.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The determining at least some of the secondary network devices as target secondary network devices according to the remaining backoff time of the secondary device, and determining the waiting time according to the remaining backoff time of the target secondary network devices includes: Determining the secondary network device with the minimum remaining backoff time of the secondary device as the target secondary network device, and determining the remaining backoff time of the target secondary network device as the waiting time.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein The performing data cooperative transmission with the secondary network device in the target channel after the waiting time has elapsed includes: Starting a third backoff process; the initial backoff time of the third backoff process is equal to the waiting time; After the third backoff process is completed, performing data cooperative transmission with the secondary network device in the target channel.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the inter-frame interval before the third backoff process satisfies at least one of the following: Equal to the arbitration inter-frame interval; Less than the arbitration inter-frame interval; Equal to the distributed coordination inter-frame interval; Less than the distributed coordination inter-frame interval.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, After the waiting time, performing data cooperative transmission with the secondary network device in the target channel, including: Sending backoff adjustment information to the secondary network device; the backoff adjustment information is used to instruct the secondary network device to set its remaining backoff time of the secondary device equal to the waiting time.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Between completing the first backoff process in the target channel and determining the waiting time, further including: Sending synchronization information to a preset candidate network device; the synchronization information is used to indicate the data cooperative transmission process in the target channel; Receiving response information sent by at least part of the candidate network devices; Determining at least part of the candidate network devices as the secondary network device according to the response information.

13. The method according to claim 1, after determining the waiting time, further including: In response to the channel state of the primary network device and / or the channel state of the secondary network device changing to busy before the waiting time, starting a fourth backoff process; The upper limit time of the contention window of the fourth backoff process is equal to the upper limit time of the contention window of the first backoff process.

14. A data sending method, executed by a secondary network device, the method including: Receiving synchronization information sent by a primary network device during a second backoff process; The synchronization information is used to indicate the data cooperative transmission process in the target channel; In response to the second backoff process not being completed after the waiting time, performing data cooperative transmission with the primary network device in the target channel; In response to the second backoff process being completed before the waiting time, sending data.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein The receiving the synchronization information sent by the primary network device includes: Receiving the backoff query information sent by the primary network device; Sending backoff feedback information to the primary network device; the backoff feedback information includes the remaining backoff time of the second backoff process.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein, After receiving the synchronization information sent by the primary network device, further including: Obtaining the waiting time; Setting the remaining backoff time of the second backoff process equal to the waiting time.

17. A primary network device, including a communication unit, a memory, and a processor; the communication unit is used to transmit data in a channel, the memory stores a computer program executable by the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the data sending method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

18. The primary network device according to claim 17, wherein The primary network device includes an access point; The target channel includes the channel between the access point and the station.

19. A secondary network device, comprising a communication unit, a memory, and a processor; the communication unit is configured to transmit data in a channel, the memory stores a computer program executable by the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the data transmission method according to any one of claims 14 to 16.

20. The secondary network device according to claim 19, wherein, the secondary network device includes an access point; the target channel includes the channel between the access point and the station.

21. A computer-readable medium, having stored thereon a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the data transmission method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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