Communication method, access point device, and communication system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, an access point device (AP), and a communication system. The communication method comprises: a first AP determining a first trigger frame, wherein the first trigger frame comprises first identifier information, and the first identifier information identifies the type of the first trigger frame as a spatial reuse (SR) trigger frame; and transmitting the first trigger frame to a second AP, so that the second AP executes an SR operation in response to the SR trigger frame. In the execution process of the SR operation, the first AP shares, via the first trigger frame, a TXOP occupied by the first AP to the second AP, so that the second AP performs communication within the time period in which the SR operation is executed. By adaptively adjusting the transmission power, devices in an overlapping basic service set can perform transmission simultaneously, thereby solving the problem of co-channel interference, achieving the effect of SR, and improving the transmission efficiency. The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a coordination mechanism for a multi-AP to use the SR, so as to reduce the time delay of a service and improve the regional throughput, thereby meeting the UHR requirements.

Description

Communication method, access point device and communication system Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, an access point device, and a communication system. Background Art

[0002] Currently, Wi-Fi technology research focuses on Ultra High Reliability (UHR), with the goal of improving the reliability of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) connections, reducing latency, improving manageability, increasing throughput at different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels, and reducing device-level power consumption.

[0003] In UHR, the multi-AP (multiple AP, M-AP or multi-AP) coordination mechanism will be further enhanced to ensure the latency requirements of low-latency services.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, an access point device, and a communication system to further enhance the M-AP coordination mechanism.

[0006] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, the method comprising:

[0007] The first access point device AP determines a first trigger frame; wherein the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the type of the first trigger frame according to the first identification information is a spatial multiplexing SR trigger frame;

[0008] Send the first trigger frame to the second AP.

[0009] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a communication method, the method comprising:

[0010] The second AP receives a first trigger frame sent by the first AP of the sharing device; wherein the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the type of the first trigger frame according to the first identification information is a spatial multiplexing SR trigger frame.

[0011] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device AP, wherein the AP is a first AP, and the first AP includes:

[0012] A determination module, configured to determine a first trigger frame; wherein the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the type of the first identification information first trigger frame is a spatial multiplexing (SR) trigger frame;

[0013] A sending module is configured to send the first trigger frame to the second AP.

[0014] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device AP, wherein the AP is a second AP, and the second AP includes:

[0015] A first receiving module, configured to receive a first trigger frame;

[0016] The first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information indicates that the type of the first trigger frame is a spatial multiplexing (SR) trigger frame.

[0017] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device AP, wherein the AP is a first AP, including:

[0018] one or more processors;

[0019] The first AP is used to implement the communication method described in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device AP, which is a second AP and includes:

[0021] one or more processors;

[0022] The second AP is used to execute the communication method described in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a communication system, including a first AP and a second AP; wherein the first AP is configured to implement the communication method described in the embodiment of the present disclosure, and the second AP is configured to implement the communication method described in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a storage medium storing instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the communication method as described in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first AP determines a first trigger frame, and carries first identification information in the first trigger frame. The first identification information identifies that the type of the first trigger frame is an SR trigger frame, and the SR trigger frame is used for the second AP to respond to the SR trigger frame and perform an SR operation. During the execution of the SR operation, the first AP shares its occupied TXOP with the second AP through the first trigger frame, so that the second AP communicates during the time period of the SR operation, and adaptively adjusts the transmission power so that devices in overlapping basic service sets can transmit simultaneously, solving the problem of co-channel interference, so as to achieve the effect of spatial reuse and improve transmission efficiency. The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a coordination mechanism for multiple APs to use SR to reduce service latency and improve regional throughput, thereby meeting UHR requirements.

[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be given in part in the following description, which will become apparent from the following description or be learned through practice of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following drawings required for describing the embodiments are introduced. The following drawings are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG1 is an exemplary schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG2 is one of exemplary interaction diagrams of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG3 is a second exemplary interaction diagram of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG4 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG5 is a second flow chart of the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a first AP proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a second AP proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, an access point device, and a communication system.

[0038] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, the method comprising:

[0039] The first access point device AP determines a first trigger frame; wherein the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the type of the first trigger frame according to the first identification information is a spatial multiplexing SR trigger frame;

[0040] Send the first trigger frame to the second AP.

[0041] In the above embodiment, during the execution of the SR operation, the first AP shares its occupied TXOP with the second AP through the first trigger frame, so that the second AP communicates during the time period of the SR operation. By adaptively adjusting the transmission power, devices in the overlapping basic service set can transmit simultaneously, solving the problem of co-channel interference, achieving the effect of spatial reuse, and improving transmission efficiency.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first trigger frame includes at least one of the following parameters:

[0043] Duration information, identifying duration information of uplink communication, downlink communication and / or P2P communication of the second AP;

[0044] Communication type information, identifying whether the communication performed by the second AP is uplink communication, downlink communication, and / or point-to-point (P2P) communication;

[0045] The second identification information identifies whether the second AP participates in the SR operation triggered by the first trigger frame.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the M-AP coordination mechanism is improved by carrying the parameters of the SR operation process in the first trigger frame.

[0047] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second identification information includes a dialog token identifier or a newly added identification bit in the common info field of the first trigger frame.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the specific carrying position of the second identification information in the first radio frame is provided.

[0049] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the user information user info field of the first trigger frame includes third identification information of the second AP;

[0050] The third identification information includes at least one of an association identifier AID, a media access control layer MAC address, or a basic service set color BSS color value.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the identity information of the second AP is identified by the third identification information.

[0052] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first trigger frame instructs the second AP to use maximum transmit power during communication.

[0053] In the above embodiment, in order to improve transmission efficiency, the first trigger frame instructs the second AP to use maximum transmit power for transmission during communication.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0055] The first AP determines path loss information; wherein the path loss information includes at least one of the following: first path loss information between the first AP and the second AP, second path loss information between the second AP and an associated station device STA, and third path loss information between the second AP and another second AP;

[0056] The first AP schedules the second AP, whose path loss information in the overlapping basic service set (OBSS) is lower than a preset path loss threshold, to perform an SR operation.

[0057] In the above embodiment, to improve transmission efficiency, the first AP refers to the path loss information between various devices during the scheduling of the second AP, so that devices in the OBSS that do not interfere with each other or whose interference is within an allowable range can communicate.

[0058] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the path loss information is calculated by the first AP, for example, the second AP or the associated STA reports a signal strength indication (Received Signal Strength Indicator, RSSI), and the first AP determines the path loss information based on the RSSI.

[0059] Or it may be reported directly by a device, such as the second AP or the associated STA.

[0060] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication method, the method comprising:

[0061] The second AP receives a first trigger frame sent by the first AP of the sharing device; wherein the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the type of the first trigger frame according to the first identification information is a spatial multiplexing SR trigger frame.

[0062] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first trigger frame includes at least one of the following parameters:

[0063] Duration information, identifying duration information of uplink communication, downlink communication and / or P2P communication of the second AP;

[0064] Communication type information, identifying whether the communication performed by the second AP is uplink communication, downlink communication, and / or P2P communication;

[0065] The second identification information identifies whether the second AP participates in the SR operation triggered by the first trigger frame.

[0066] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second identification information includes a dialog token identifier or a newly added identification bit in the common info field of the first trigger frame.

[0067] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the user info field of the first trigger frame includes third identification information of the second AP;

[0068] The third identification information includes at least one of an AID, a MAC address, or a BSS color value.

[0069] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first trigger frame instructs the second AP to use maximum transmit power during communication.

[0070] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0071] Reporting the path loss information to the first AP, instructing the first AP to schedule the second AP whose path loss information in the OBSS is lower than a preset path loss threshold to perform an SR operation;

[0072] The path loss information includes at least one of the following: first path loss information between the first AP and the second AP, second path loss information between the second AP and an associated STA, and third path loss information between the second AP and other second APs.

[0073] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device AP, which is a first AP. The first AP includes at least one of a determination module and a sending module; wherein the first AP is used to execute an optional implementation method of the first aspect.

[0074] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device AP, which is a second AP and includes: a first receiving module; wherein the above-mentioned second AP is used to execute the optional implementation method of the second aspect.

[0075] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device AP, where the AP is a first AP, including:

[0076] one or more processors;

[0077] The first AP is used to execute an optional implementation of the first aspect.

[0078] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an access point device AP, where the AP is a second AP, including:

[0079] one or more processors;

[0080] The second AP is used to execute an optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0081] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a communication system, including a first AP and a second AP; wherein the first AP is configured to perform the optional implementation method as described in the first aspect, and the second AP is configured to perform the optional implementation method as described in the second aspect.

[0082] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the optional implementation methods described in the first and second aspects.

[0083] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a program product. When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0084] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0085] In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a chip or a chip system, wherein the chip or chip system includes a processing circuit configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects above.

[0086] It is understandable that the first AP, second AP, communication system, storage medium, program product, computer program, chip, or chip system described above are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referenced to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here.

[0087] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication method, an access point device, and a communication system. In some embodiments, the terms communication method, signal transmission method, wireless frame transmission method, etc. can be used interchangeably, and the terms information processing system, communication system, etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0088] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0089] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or provided for by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0090] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0091] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0092] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one," "one or more," "a plurality of," "multiple," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0093] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "A in one case, B in another case," or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0094] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0095] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0096] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0097] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0098] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0099] In some embodiments, devices and equipment can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they can also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "subject", etc.

[0100] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0101] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0102] In addition, each element, each row, or each column in the table of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of any elements, any rows, and any columns can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0103] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0104] As shown in FIG1 , a communication system 100 includes a station device (STA) 101 , a first access point device (AP) 102 , and a second AP 103 ; wherein the station device 101 is an associated STA of the second AP 103 .

[0105] In some embodiments, the site device 101 includes, for example, a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, or a wireless communication terminal that supports WiFi communication. Optionally, the wireless communication terminal includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device that supports WiFi communication, a car with WiFi communication, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device used in industrial control, a wireless terminal device used in self-driving, a wireless terminal device used in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device used in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device used in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device used in a smart city, and a wireless terminal device used in a smart home.

[0106] Specifically, the station device 101 may be a terminal device or network device equipped with a wireless fidelity (WiFi) chip. Optionally, the station device 101 may support multiple WLAN standards, such as 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11bf, and 802.11bn, as well as the next generation 802.11 protocol, but is not limited thereto.

[0107] In some embodiments, the access point device 102 can be an access point for a mobile terminal to enter a wired network. The AP is equivalent to a bridge connecting a wired network and a wireless network. Its main function is to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet. Specifically, the AP can be a terminal device or a network device with a wireless fidelity chip. Optionally, the AP can support multiple WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b and 802.11a, 802.11bf, 802.11bn, and support the next generation 802.11 protocol, but is not limited to this.

[0108] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the AP and STA may be devices supporting multiple connections, for example, they may be represented as a multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) and a multi-connection site device (Non-Access Point Multi-Link Device, Non-AP MLD), respectively; the AP MLD may represent an access point supporting multi-connection communication functions, and the non-AP MLD may represent a site supporting multi-connection communication functions.

[0109] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0110] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1 , or a portion thereof, but are not limited thereto. The entities shown in FIG1 are illustrative only. The communication system may include all or part of the entities shown in FIG1 , or may include other entities outside of FIG1 . The number and form of the entities are arbitrary, and the entities may be physical or virtual. The connection relationships between the entities are illustrative only. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0111] The various embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as those using the 802.11 series of protocols. In a WLAN, a Basic Service Set (BSS) is a fundamental component of a WLAN. A BSS network consists of station devices with some association within a specific coverage area. One scenario of association is that stations communicate directly with each other in an ad hoc network, which is called an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). Another more common scenario is that in a BSS network, there is only one central station dedicated to managing the BSS, called an access point, and all other STAs in the network are associated with it. Other stations in the BSS network that are not the central station are called terminals, also called non-AP STAs. Terminals and non-AP STAs are collectively referred to as STAs. When describing STAs, there is no need to distinguish between APs and non-AP STAs. In the same BSS network, due to distance, transmission power, and other factors, a STA cannot detect other STAs that are farther away from it, and the two STAs are each other's hidden nodes.

[0112] FIG2 is an interactive diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2 , the method includes:

[0113] Step 201: The first AP determines a first trigger frame; wherein the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies that the type of the first trigger frame is a spatial multiplexing (SR) trigger frame.

[0114] With the increasing frequency bands supported by Wi-Fi devices, the trend toward higher frequencies, and the diversification of communication service demands, WLAN device deployments are becoming increasingly dense. This increasing density of APs leads to increased inter-cell interference and increases the risk of access conflicts. To further improve user service quality and overall network performance, while pursuing improvements in communication rates, latency, and reliability within a single BSS, it is necessary to further enhance the M-AP coordination mechanism.

[0115] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first AP determines a first trigger frame, and carries first identification information in the first trigger frame. The first identification information identifies that the type of the first trigger frame is a spatial reuse (SR) trigger frame, and the SR trigger frame is used for other APs (i.e., second APs) to respond to the SR trigger frame and perform an SR operation. During the execution of the SR operation, the first AP shares its occupied transmission opportunity (TXOP) with the second AP (shared AP) through the first trigger frame, which may include multiple second APs, so that the second AP communicates within the time period of the SR operation.

[0116] Optionally, the first trigger frame may also include resource scheduling information for scheduling one or more second APs to send a trigger-based data packet (triggerbased physical layer PHY frame, TB PPDU for short), that is, a transmission triggered by the first AP; and when the second AP receives a trigger frame from other cells, it can transmit within the time period of the aforementioned triggered data packet (TXOP shared by the first AP) through appropriate power control. In other words, spatial multiplexing is a method of multi-cell parallel transmission.

[0117] Optionally, within the SR operation time period, the communication type of the second AP may be duration information of uplink communication, downlink communication and / or point-to-point (P2P) communication.

[0118] Step 202: Send the first trigger frame to the second AP.

[0119] The first AP sends the first trigger frame to the second AP to trigger the second AP to participate in the SR operation. By adaptively adjusting the transmit power, devices in overlapping basic service sets can transmit simultaneously, resolving co-channel interference issues, achieving spatial reuse, and improving transmission efficiency. The disclosed embodiments provide a coordination mechanism for multiple APs using SR to reduce service latency and improve regional throughput, thereby meeting UHR requirements.

[0120] Step 203: The second AP receives the first trigger frame.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first trigger frame includes at least one of the following parameters:

[0122] Duration information, identifying duration information of uplink communication, downlink communication and / or P2P communication of the second AP;

[0123] Communication type information, identifying whether the communication performed by the second AP is uplink communication, downlink communication, and / or point-to-point (P2P) communication;

[0124] The second identification information identifies whether the second AP participates in the SR operation triggered by the first trigger frame.

[0125] The duration information identifies the transmission duration information shared by the first AP to the second AP, for example, including duration information shared with the second AP for uplink communication, downlink communication and / or P2P communication by the second AP.

[0126] The communication type information identifies the specific communication type of the communication performed by the second AP during the transmission duration shared by the first AP to the second AP.

[0127] The second identification information, such as a dialog token or a special identifier, is used to identify whether the shared AP participates in the trigger SR operation because a shared AP may be scheduled multiple times by the same sharing AP.

[0128] Optionally, one or more of the duration information, the communication type information, and the second identification information may be carried in the common info field of the first trigger frame.

[0129] In some embodiments, the second identification information includes a dialog token identifier or a newly added identification bit in the common information (common info) field of the first trigger frame; for example, the dialog identifier of the SR operation in which the second AP participates is identified by the dialog token; the second identification information can also be a newly added identification bit in the common info field, for example, the newly added identification bit is set to "1", indicating that the second AP participates in the SR operation triggered by the first trigger frame; or, the newly added identification bit is set to "0", indicating that the second AP does not participate in the SR operation triggered by the first trigger frame.

[0130] In some embodiments, the user information user info field of the first trigger frame includes third identification information of the second AP;

[0131] The third identification information includes at least one of an association identifier (AID), a media access control layer (MAC) address, or a basic service set color (BSS) color value.

[0132] There may be one or more second APs triggered by the first trigger frame, and the identity information of the second AP can be identified by third identification information, such as at least one of AID, MAC address or BSS color value.

[0133] Optionally, the third identification information may be carried in a user information user info field of the first trigger frame.

[0134] In addition, if the first AP schedules only one second AP, the RA (receiver address) of the first trigger frame is a unicast address, such as the MAC address of the second AP; if the first AP schedules multiple second APs, the RA address of the first trigger frame is a broadcast address.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first trigger frame instructs the second AP to use maximum transmit power when communicating.

[0136] When transmitting via SR within the TXOP shared by the first AP, in order to improve transmission efficiency, the first trigger frame instructs the second AP to use maximum transmit power for transmission during communication.

[0137] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , the method further includes:

[0138] Step 301: The first AP determines path loss information; wherein the path loss information includes at least one of the following: first path loss information between the first AP and the second AP, second path loss information between the second AP and an associated station device (STA), and third path loss information between the second AP and another second AP.

[0139] Path loss information refers to path loss information, i.e., attenuation information during signal transmission. To improve transmission efficiency, the first AP refers to the path loss information between devices when scheduling the second AP, enabling devices in the OBSS to communicate without interfering with each other or with interference within an allowable range.

[0140] In some embodiments, the path loss information is calculated by the first AP, for example, the second AP or the associated STA reports a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), and the first AP determines the path loss information according to the RSSI.

[0141] Or it may be reported directly by a device, such as reported by the second AP or reported by the associated STA.

[0142] Step 302: The first AP schedules the second AP, whose path loss information in the overlapping basic service set (OBSS) is lower than a preset path loss threshold, to perform an SR operation.

[0143] In the process of scheduling the second AP, the first AP refers to the path loss information between the devices, so that the devices in the OBSS that do not interfere with each other or whose interference is lower than a preset path loss threshold can communicate.

[0144] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first AP determines a first trigger frame, and carries first identification information in the first trigger frame. The first identification information identifies that the type of the first trigger frame is an SR trigger frame, and the SR trigger frame is used for the second AP to respond to the SR trigger frame and perform an SR operation. During the execution of the SR operation, the first AP shares its occupied TXOP with the second AP through the first trigger frame, so that the second AP communicates during the time period of the SR operation, and adaptively adjusts the transmission power so that devices in overlapping basic service sets can transmit simultaneously, solving the problem of co-channel interference, so as to achieve the effect of spatial reuse and improve transmission efficiency. An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a coordination mechanism for multiple APs to use SR to reduce service latency and improve regional throughput, thereby meeting UHR requirements.

[0145] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc. are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0146] In some embodiments, terms such as "moment", "time point", "time", and "time position" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "duration", "period", "time window", "window", and "time" can be replaced with each other.

[0147] In some embodiments, terms such as wireless access scheme and waveform may be used interchangeably.

[0148] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain", "preset", "preset", "setting", "indicated", "a certain", "any", and "first" can be interchangeable. "Specific A", "preset A", "preset A", "setting A", "indicated A", "a certain A", "any A", and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-specified in a protocol, etc., or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or indication, etc., or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, etc., but not limited to this.

[0149] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be performed by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (Boolean value) represented by true or false, or by comparison of numerical values ​​(for example, comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0150] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the recipient to respond to the content sent.

[0151] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the aforementioned steps and embodiments. For example, step 201 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 202 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 203 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 301 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 302 can be implemented as an independent embodiment; the combination of step 201 and step 202 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, the combination of step 202 and step 203 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of step 301 and step 302 can be implemented as an independent embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0152] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 .

[0153] FIG4 is a flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0154] As shown in FIG4 , the above method may be applied to the first AP 101 , and includes:

[0155] Step 401: A first access point device AP determines a first trigger frame; wherein the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies that the type of the first trigger frame is a spatial multiplexing (SR) trigger frame.

[0156] Step 402: Send the first trigger frame to the second AP.

[0157] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first trigger frame includes at least one of the following parameters:

[0158] Duration information, identifying duration information of uplink communication, downlink communication and / or P2P communication of the second AP;

[0159] Communication type information, identifying whether the communication performed by the second AP is uplink communication, downlink communication, and / or point-to-point (P2P) communication;

[0160] The second identification information identifies whether the second AP participates in the SR operation triggered by the first trigger frame.

[0161] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second identification information includes a dialog token identifier or a newly added identification bit in a common info field of the first trigger frame.

[0162] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the user information user info field of the first trigger frame includes third identification information of the second AP;

[0163] The third identification information includes at least one of an association identifier AID, a media access control layer MAC address, or a basic service set color BSS color value.

[0164] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first trigger frame instructs the second AP to use maximum transmit power during communication.

[0165] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes:

[0166] The first AP determines path loss information; wherein the path loss information includes at least one of the following: first path loss information between the first AP and the second AP, second path loss information between the second AP and an associated station device STA, and third path loss information between the second AP and another second AP;

[0167] The first AP schedules the second AP, whose path loss information in the overlapping basic service set (OBSS) is lower than a preset path loss threshold, to perform an SR operation.

[0168] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the path loss information is calculated by the first AP, or reported by the second AP, or reported by the associated STA.

[0169] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the aforementioned steps and embodiments. For example, step 401 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 402 may be implemented as an independent embodiment; the combination of step 401 and step 402 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0170] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 4 .

[0171] FIG5 is a flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0172] As shown in FIG5 , the above method may be applied to a second AP, and the above method includes:

[0173] Step 501: The second AP receives a first trigger frame sent by a first AP of a sharing device; wherein the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information indicates that the type of the first trigger frame is a spatial multiplexing (SR) trigger frame.

[0174] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first trigger frame includes at least one of the following parameters:

[0175] Duration information, identifying duration information of uplink communication, downlink communication and / or P2P communication of the second AP;

[0176] Communication type information, identifying whether the communication performed by the second AP is uplink communication, downlink communication, and / or P2P communication;

[0177] The second identification information identifies whether the second AP participates in the SR operation triggered by the first trigger frame.

[0178] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second identification information includes a dialog token identifier or a newly added identification bit in the common info field of the first trigger frame.

[0179] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the user info field of the first trigger frame includes third identification information of the second AP;

[0180] The third identification information includes at least one of an AID, a MAC address, or a BSS color value.

[0181] Optionally, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first trigger frame instructs the second AP to use maximum transmit power during communication.

[0182] Optionally, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes:

[0183] Reporting the path loss information to the first AP, instructing the first AP to schedule the second AP whose path loss information in the OBSS is lower than a preset path loss threshold to perform an SR operation;

[0184] The path loss information includes at least one of the following: first path loss information between the first AP and the second AP, second path loss information between the second AP and an associated STA, and third path loss information between the second AP and other second APs.

[0185] The communication method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the aforementioned steps and embodiments.

[0186] In some embodiments, reference may be made to other optional implementations described before or after the description corresponding to FIG. 5 .

[0187] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. For another example, another apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network function node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0188] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above device, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0189] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capability. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capability, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP); in another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the hardware circuit, and the logical relationship of the above hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable, such as a hardware circuit implemented by a processor as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and implementing the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0190] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first AP proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 6 , the first AP 600 may include at least one of a determining module 601 and a sending module 602 .

[0191] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned determination module 601 is used to determine a first trigger frame; wherein, the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information indicates that the type of the first trigger frame is a spatial multiplexing SR trigger frame; the sending module 602 is used to send the first trigger frame to the second AP.

[0192] Optionally, the determining module 601 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., step 201 and step 401, but not limited thereto) executed by the first AP 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here. The sending module 602 is configured to execute at least one of steps 202 and 402.

[0193] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second AP proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG7 , the second AP 700 may include: a first receiving module 701 .

[0194] In some embodiments, the first receiving module 701 is configured to receive a first trigger frame;

[0195] The first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information indicates that the type of the first trigger frame is a spatial multiplexing (SR) trigger frame.

[0196] Optionally, the first receiving module 701 is configured to execute at least one of the communication steps (eg, step 203, step 501, but not limited thereto) executed by the second AP 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0197] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal 800 (e.g., user equipment) proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Terminal 800 can be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a network device implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a terminal implementing any of the above methods. Terminal 800 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0198] As shown in Figure 8, terminal 800 includes one or more processors 801. Processor 801 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control communication devices (such as base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Terminal 800 is used to perform any of the above methods.

[0199] In some embodiments, the terminal 800 further includes one or more memories 802 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 802 may be located outside the terminal 800.

[0200] In some embodiments, the terminal 800 further includes one or more transceivers 804. When the terminal 800 includes one or more transceivers 804, the transceiver 804 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, step 201, step 202, step 204, step 205, step 206, step 302, step 305, step 401, step 402, step 501, but not limited thereto), and the processor 801 performs at least one of the other steps (for example, step 301, step 303, step 304, but not limited thereto).

[0201] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter. The receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, and transceiver circuit may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0202] In some embodiments, terminal 800 may include one or more interface circuits 803. Optionally, interface circuit 803 is connected to memory 802. Interface circuit 803 may be configured to receive signals from memory 802 or other devices, and may be configured to send signals to memory 802 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 803 may read instructions stored in memory 802 and send the instructions to processor 801.

[0203] The terminal 800 described in the above embodiment may be a communication device such as a user device, but the scope of the terminal 800 described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the terminal 800 may not be limited by FIG8 . The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0204] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 900 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the terminal 800 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 900 shown in FIG9 , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0205] The chip 900 includes one or more processors 901 , and the chip 900 is configured to execute any of the above methods.

[0206] In some embodiments, chip 900 further includes one or more 903. Optionally, interface circuit 903 is connected to memory 902. Interface circuit 903 can be used to receive signals from memory 902 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to memory 902 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 903 can read instructions stored in memory 902 and send the instructions to processor 901.

[0207] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 903 executes at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, step 201, step 202, step 204, step 205, step 206, step 302, step 305, step 401, step 402, step 501, but not limited to these), and the processor 901 executes at least one of the other steps (for example, step 301, step 303, step 304, but not limited to these).

[0208] In some embodiments, terms such as interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver may be used interchangeably.

[0209] In some embodiments, the chip 900 further includes one or more memories 902 for storing instructions. Alternatively, all or part of the memory 902 may be external to the chip 900.

[0210] The present disclosure also provides a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on the terminal 800, the terminal 800 executes any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a transient storage medium.

[0211] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the terminal 800, enables the terminal 800 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0212] The present disclosure also proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any one of the above methods.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The first access point device AP determines a first trigger frame; wherein, the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies the type of the first trigger frame as a spatial reuse SR trigger frame; Sending the first trigger frame to a second AP.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein The first trigger frame includes at least one of the following parameters: Duration information, which identifies the duration information of the uplink communication, downlink communication, and / or P2P communication of the second AP; Communication type information, which identifies that the communication performed by the second AP is uplink communication, downlink communication, and / or peer-to-peer P2P communication; Second identification information, which identifies whether the second AP participates in the SR operation triggered by the first trigger frame.

3. The communication method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second identification information includes a dialog token identifier or a new identification bit in the common info field of the first trigger frame.

4. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein The user info field of the first trigger frame includes third identification information of the second AP; The third identification information includes at least one of an association identifier AID, a media access control layer MAC address, or a basic service set color BSS color value.

5. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein The first trigger frame instructs the second AP to use the maximum transmission power during communication.

6. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first AP determines path loss information; wherein, the path loss information includes at least one of the following: first path loss information between the first AP and the second AP, second path loss information between the second AP and an associated station device STA, and third path loss information between the second AP and other second APs; The first AP schedules the second APs with path loss information lower than a preset path loss threshold in an overlapping basic service set OBSS to perform SR operations.

7. The communication method according to claim 6, wherein The path loss information is calculated by the first AP, or reported by the second AP, or reported by the associated STA.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The second AP receives the first trigger frame sent by the sharing device first AP; wherein, the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies the type of the first trigger frame as an SR trigger frame.

9. The communication method according to claim 8, wherein The first trigger frame includes at least one of the following parameters: Duration information, which identifies the duration information of the uplink communication, downlink communication, and / or P2P communication of the second AP; Communication type information, which identifies that the communication performed by the second AP is uplink communication, downlink communication, and / or P2P communication; Second identification information, which identifies whether the second AP participates in the SR operation triggered by the first trigger frame.

10. The communication method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The second identification information includes a dialog token identifier or a new identification bit in the common info field of the first trigger frame.

11. The communication method according to claim 8, wherein The user info field of the first trigger frame includes third identification information of the second AP; The third identification information includes at least one of an AID, a MAC address, or a BSS color value.

12. The communication method according to claim 8, wherein The first trigger frame instructs the second AP to use the maximum transmission power during communication.

13. The communication method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Report the path loss information to the first AP, and instruct the first AP to schedule the OBSS with path loss information lower than the preset path loss threshold The second AP performs the SR operation; Wherein, the path loss information includes at least one of the following: the first path loss information between the first AP and the second AP, the second path loss information between the second AP and the associated STA, and the third path loss information between the second AP and other second APs.

14. An access point device AP, where the AP is a first AP, characterized in that, The first AP includes: A determination module, configured to determine a first trigger frame; wherein, the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies the type of the first trigger frame as a spatial multiplexing SR trigger frame; A sending module, configured to send the first trigger frame to the second AP.

15. An access point device AP, where the AP is a second AP, characterized in that, The second AP includes: A first receiving module, configured to receive the first trigger frame; Wherein, the first trigger frame includes first identification information, and the first identification information identifies the type of the first trigger frame as a spatial multiplexing SR trigger frame.

16. An access point device AP, where the AP is the first AP, characterized in that, Includes: One or more processors; Wherein, the first AP is configured to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

17. An access point device AP, where the AP is a second AP, characterized in that, Includes: One or more processors; Wherein, the second AP is configured to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 8 to 13.

18. A communication system, characterized in that, Includes a first AP and a second AP; wherein, the first AP is configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and the second AP is configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 8 to 13.

19. A storage medium, the storage medium stores instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction runs on the communication device, the communication device is caused to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or execute the communication method according to any one of claims 8 to 13.

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