Communication device, communication method, and program

Abstract

This communication device is capable of performing communication with another communication device, using a plurality of resource units obtained by dividing a channel along a frequency axis on the basis of an IEEE 802.11 standard series. The communication device transmits a wireless frame using a first resource unit, which includes data to be transmitted to the other communication device, and a second resource unit, which includes the same data as the data included in the first resource unit, and notifies the other communication device that the same data is included in the wireless frame.

Description

Communication device, communication method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for efficiently notifying information associated with a copy in a communication method in which duplicated data is transmitted in parallel on a frequency axis.

[0002] The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard series is known as a communication standard for wireless LANs (Local Area Networks). The IEEE 802.11 standard series includes standards such as IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be. In formulating the IEEE 802.11be standard and its successor standards, it has been considered to improve communication efficiency and throughput and reduce delays by having multiple access point (AP) devices operate cooperatively.

[0003] In particular, for the IEEE 802.11bn standard, which is being considered as a successor to the IEEE 802.11be standard, discussions are underway on techniques for improving communication reliability. The IEEE 802.11bn standard may also be referred to as the Ultra High Reliability (UHR) standard. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for duplicating data and transmitting it in parallel on the frequency axis as one technique for improving communication reliability.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-50133

[0005] The present invention provides a technology for efficiently notifying information associated with replicated data in a communication method in which replicated data is transmitted in parallel on the frequency axis.

[0006] A communication device according to one aspect of the present invention is a communication device capable of communicating with other communication devices using multiple resource units obtained by dividing a channel on a frequency axis based on the IEEE 802.11 standard series, and has a transmitting means for transmitting a radio frame using a first resource unit containing data to be transmitted to the other communication device and a second resource unit containing data identical to the first resource unit, and a notifying means for notifying the other communication device that the radio frame contains the same data.

[0007] According to the present invention, in a communication method in which duplicated data is transmitted in parallel on the frequency axis, information associated with the duplicates can be efficiently notified.

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0009] The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and are used to explain the principles of the present invention together with the description.

[0023] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication system. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a communication device. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a communication device. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a PPDU frame format. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a PPDU frame format. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of an AP when transmitting a PPDU. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of an STA when receiving a PPDU. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a User Field. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a User Field. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of MCS setting. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of MCS setting.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] (System Configuration) Fig. 1 shows an example configuration of a wireless communication system according to this embodiment. This wireless communication system includes, for example, one access point (AP) 101 and one station (STA) 102. A network 110 formed by the AP 101 indicates the range in which the AP 101 and the STA 102 can communicate. That is, within the range of the network 110, the STA 102 can receive signals transmitted by the AP 101, and signals transmitted by the STA 102 can be received by the AP 101. The AP 101 and the STA 102 are wireless communication devices capable of wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11 series of standards, including the IEEE 802.11bn standard. Note that IEEE stands for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The IEEE 802.11bn standard is a successor to the IEEE 802.11be standard, which targets a maximum transmission speed of 46.08 Gbps. The IEEE 802.11bn standard lists high-reliability communication, low-latency communication, and improved throughput during congestion as its main features. The IEEE 802.11bn standard may also be referred to as the UHR standard. UHR may be an abbreviation for Ultra High Reliability. Wireless frames communicated according to the IEEE 802.11bn standard may be referred to as UHR (Ultra High Reliability) PPDUs. PPDU stands for PLCP Protocol Data Unit, and PLCP stands for Physical Layer Convergence Protocol. In this embodiment, a wireless frame communicated based on the IEEE 802.11 standard series may be referred to as a PPDU. A PPDU may include a UHR-PPDU. The names IEEE 802.11bn standard and UHR standard were chosen for convenience, taking into account the goals to be achieved when developing these standards and the main features of their development. Therefore, these standards may be given different names once the development of the standards is complete. This specification and the accompanying claims are essentially applicable to all standards that may succeed the IEEE 802.11be standard.

[0012] The IEEE 802.11 standard series may include IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be standards. These standards may be referred to as legacy standards. That is, the AP 101 and the STA 102 may support one or more legacy standards in addition to the IEEE 802.11bn standard. Note that the AP 101 and the STA 102 may also support other communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC, UWB, ZigBee, and MBOA in addition to the IEEE 802.11 standard series. Note that UWB stands for Ultra Wide Band, and MBOA stands for Multi Band OFDM Alliance. Also, NFC stands for Near Field Communication. UWB includes wireless USB, wireless 1394, WiNET, etc. The AP 101 and the STA 102 may also be compatible with a communication standard for wired communication such as a wired LAN.

[0013] Although FIG. 1 illustrates a state in which one AP 101 and one STA 102 exist, multiple APs 101 and multiple STAs 102 may exist. Furthermore, multiple STAs 102 may be connected to one AP 101, or one STA 102 may be connected to multiple APs 101. The AP 101 may be, but is not limited to, a wireless LAN router or a personal computer (PC). The STA 102 may be, but is not limited to, any electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet, mobile phone, PC, video camera, headset, printer, or display. The AP 101 and the STA 102 may be information processing devices such as wireless chips capable of performing wireless communication compliant with the IEEE 802.11bn standard. In this embodiment, the AP 101 and the STA 102 may be referred to as communication devices 100 without distinction.

[0014] The communication device 100 may communicate using radio signals in frequency bands such as the 2.4 GHz band, the 3.6 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, the 6 GHz band, and the 45 GHz band and 60 GHz band, which are called millimeter waves. The frequency bands used by the communication device 100 are not limited to these and may be, for example, the Sub 1 GHz band. The communication device 100 may also communicate using bandwidths of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, 320 MHz, 540 MHz, 640 MHz, 1080 MHz, and 2160 MHz. The bandwidths used by the communication device 100 are not limited to these and may be, for example, 240 MHz, 4 MHz, etc. The IEEE 802.11 standard series specifies a frequency channel using a 20 MHz bandwidth as a basic channel in frequency bands such as the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. This standard also defines multiple available channels in each of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. This standard allows the communication device 100 to use a channel in combination with an adjacent channel. This use of a channel in combination with an adjacent channel may be referred to as channel bonding.

[0015] The IEEE 802.11 standard series defines an OFDMA function that divides a channel into multiple resource units on the frequency axis and enables multiple access. OFDMA is an abbreviation for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access. For example, when multiple STAs 102 are connected to the AP 101, the AP 101 divides a channel used by the AP 101 into multiple resource units and assigns them to each STA 102. As an example, when two STAs 102 are connected to the AP 101, the AP 101 transmits one PPDU using one 20 MHz channel. In this case, the AP 101 arranges two different resource units in one PPDU on the frequency axis. Each resource unit may have a bandwidth of 10 MHz. Furthermore, the resource units may be arranged so as not to overlap with each other on the frequency axis. The AP 101 transmits downlink data to each STA 102 using the resource units allocated to each STA 102. The STA 102 receives data transmitted to the STA 102 in the resource units allocated to the STA 102. For example, the STA 102 can identify the resource units allocated to the STA 102 by referring to information regarding the allocation and assignment of resource units stored in the header of the PPDU. In this way, by using the OFDMA function, the AP 101 can transmit data to multiple STAs 102 in parallel. Note that when the STA 102 transmits uplink data to the AP 101, the AP 101 first transmits a trigger frame. The trigger frame can indicate information regarding the allocation and assignment of resource units for uplink transmission. In other words, the STA 102 can identify the resource units to be used by the STA 102 for uplink transmission by referring to the trigger frame, and can transmit uplink data using the resource units.

[0016] In the formulation of the IEEE 802.11bn standard, the idea of ​​duplicating data and transmitting it in parallel on the frequency axis in a single PPDU is being considered. For example, in a single PPDU, multiple resource units may be assigned to a single STA 102, and data included in some of the multiple resource units may be copies of data included in other resource units. The original data from which the copies are made may be referred to as the original data. In this case, when multiple resource units are transmitted in parallel using OFDMA functionality, reception using resource units allocated in some frequency bands may be prone to failure. As an example, assume that an interference source transmitting an interfering signal in some frequency bands exists around the STA 102 receiving using resource units. In this case, if the frequency band in which the resource units assigned to the STA 102 are allocated is the same as the frequency band in which the interfering signal exists, the STA 102 is likely to fail to receive the data included in the resource units. In this case, the AP 101 retransmits the data that was not successfully received. However, if multiple transmissions are required until the data is successfully received, delays may increase. The IEEE 802.11bn standard is expected to avoid or suppress such delays in order to support low-latency communications. To avoid or suppress such delays, the data included in the resource unit is duplicated in advance and transmitted in parallel in the same PPDU, thereby increasing the probability of successful reception without delay. However, constantly duplicating and transmitting the data included in the resource unit reduces the utilization efficiency of frequency resources. On the other hand, if the AP 101 duplicates and transmits the data included in the resource unit depending on the situation, the STA 102 may not be able to recognize that duplication has occurred, which may result in inappropriate reception processing. Similarly, the STA 102 may not be able to recognize which resource unit contains the data duplicated, which may result in inappropriate reception processing.

[0017] In consideration of these circumstances, the communication device 100 in this embodiment, when duplicating and transmitting data according to the communication situation, notifies the other communication device that a radio frame contains a duplicate. For example, when transmitting a radio frame including a first resource unit containing data to be transmitted and a second resource unit containing a duplicate of the data contained in the first resource unit, the communication device 100 notifies the other communication device that a duplicate is contained. As an example, the communication device 100 may include specific information indicating that a duplicate is contained in the Physical Layer (PHY) header of the radio frame. The communication device 100 may notify the specific information using a UHR (Ultra High Reliability)-SIG field in the PHY header. Furthermore, the communication device 100 may associate the arrangement pattern of resource units included in the radio frame on the frequency axis with the presence or absence of a duplicate. In this case, the communication device 100 may notify the other communication device that a duplicate is included by arranging the first resource unit and the second resource unit according to the allocation pattern. Meanwhile, the receiving communication device 100 determines whether a duplicate is included in the radio frame and decodes the resource unit allocated to the device based on the result. For example, when the communication device 100 determines that a duplicate is included in the radio frame, it decodes the data using one or more of the data included in the first resource unit and the data included in the second resource unit. There may be multiple second resource units. For example, the communication device 100 may combine the data included in the multiple received resource units and decode the data using the combined data. Furthermore, the communication device 100 may combine the multiple received resource units after weighting them based on their respective received powers. Note that the communication device 100 does not necessarily need to use the data included in all of the received first resource units and second resource units to decode the data. For example, the communication device 100 may measure the received power or the like for each piece of data included in the received resource units, and perform synthesis using the data included in the resource units that exceed a predetermined threshold.As described above, according to the present embodiment, when transmitting in parallel using multiple resource units, including a resource unit containing duplicated data, a means for notifying and identifying information indicating that duplication has occurred is provided. Furthermore, information indicating which resource unit the data contained in has been duplicated and in which resource unit it has been arranged may also be provided. This allows the communication device 100 to flexibly increase reliability by using duplicates of data contained in resource units, depending on the communication situation, etc.

[0018] (Device Configuration) FIG. 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the AP 101 and the STA 102 in this embodiment. The AP 101 has a storage unit 201, a control unit 202, a function unit 203, an input unit 204, an output unit 205, a communication unit 206, and an antenna 207. Note that there may be multiple antennas. The storage unit 201 is configured with one or more memories such as ROM and RAM, and stores various information such as computer programs for performing various operations described below and communication parameters for wireless communication. ROM and RAM are abbreviations for Read Only Memory and Random Access Memory, respectively. Note that the storage unit 201 may be a memory such as a ROM, RAM, or other storage medium such as a flexible disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, magnetic tape, non-volatile memory card, or DVD. The storage unit 201 may also be equipped with multiple memories.

[0019] The control unit 202 is configured with one or more processors, such as a CPU or MPU, and controls the entire AP 101 or STA 102 by executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 201. The control unit 202 may also control the entire AP 101 or STA 102 in cooperation with the computer program stored in the storage unit 201 and an OS (Operating System). The control unit 202 also generates data and signals (wireless frames) to be transmitted in communications with other communication devices. The CPU stands for Central Processing Unit, and the MPU stands for Micro Processing Unit. The control unit 202 may also include multiple processors, such as multi-core processors, and the multiple processors may control the entire AP 101 or STA 102. The control unit 202 also controls the function unit 203 to perform predetermined processes, such as wireless communication, image capture, printing, and projection. The functional unit 203 is hardware that enables the AP 101 or the STA 102 to execute predetermined processing.

[0020] The input unit 204 receives various operations from the user. The output unit 205 outputs various types of information to the user via a monitor screen or a speaker. Here, the output from the output unit 205 may be a display on a monitor screen, an audio output from a speaker, a vibration output, or the like. Note that both the input unit 204 and the output unit 205 may be implemented in a single module, such as a touch panel. The input unit 204 and the output unit 205 may be integrated with the AP 101 or the STA 102, respectively, or may be separate units.

[0021] The communication unit 206 controls wireless communications compliant with the IEEE 802.11bn standard. The communication unit 206 may also control wireless communications compliant with other IEEE 802.11 standard series in addition to the IEEE 802.11bn standard, or wired communications such as a wired LAN. The communication unit 206 controls the antenna 207 to transmit and receive signals for wireless communications generated by the control unit 202. If the AP 101 or the STA 102 supports the NFC standard, Bluetooth standard, or other standards in addition to the IEEE 802.11bn standard, the communication unit 206 may control wireless communications compliant with these communication standards. If the AP 101 or the STA 102 can perform wireless communications compliant with multiple communication standards, the communication unit 206 may be configured to have separate communication units and antennas compatible with each communication standard. The communication device communicates data such as image data, document data, and video data with a partner communication device via the communication unit 206. The antenna 207 may be configured as a separate unit from the communication unit 206, or may be configured together with the communication unit 206 as a single module.

[0022] The antenna 207 is an antenna capable of communication in the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, 6 GHz band, etc. In this embodiment, there may be two or more antennas, and if the communication unit 206 is configured with multiple communication units, there may be an antenna corresponding to each communication unit. Alternatively, there may be a different antenna for each frequency band.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the functional configuration of the communication device 100 (AP 101 and STA 102) according to this embodiment. The communication device 100 may include a wireless LAN control unit 301, a frame generation unit 302, a frame analysis unit 303, a UI control unit 304, and a storage unit 305. The wireless LAN control unit 301 controls the communication unit 206 and the antenna 207 for transmitting and receiving wireless signals with other wireless LAN devices. For example, the wireless LAN control unit 301 cooperates with the frame generation unit 302 and the frame processing unit 303 to perform communication control of wireless frames in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. Note that when the wireless LAN control unit 301 is implemented by the control unit 202, the wireless LAN control unit 301 may determine whether or not data included in a resource unit needs to be replicated, the number of replications of data included in the resource unit, and the allocation pattern of the data on the frequency axis. The wireless LAN control unit 301 may also notify the frame generation unit 302 of information regarding duplication of data included in the determined resource unit and instruct the frame generation unit 302 to generate a wireless frame based on that information. The wireless LAN control unit 301 may also perform control to notify the other communication device of specific information that enables the other communication device to identify the presence or absence of duplication, the location of the duplication, etc. The specific information regarding duplication may be, for example, information that the wireless frame includes duplications, the number of duplications included, the total number including the original, and information that identifies each duplication.

[0024] The frame generation unit 302 generates wireless frames including MAC frames such as management frames, control frames, and data frames (PPDUs). A wireless frame is composed of a preamble field and a data field. The data field stores MAC frames such as management frames, control frames, and data frames. The content of wireless control by each MAC frame generated by the frame generation unit 302 may be restricted by settings stored in the storage unit 305. The frame generation unit 302 may accept settings from a user via the UI control unit 304. The wireless frames generated by the frame generation unit 302 are sent to the wireless LAN control unit 301 and may be transmitted to the outside via the communication unit 206 or the antenna 207.

[0025] The frame analysis unit 303 analyzes a frame received through cooperation between the communication unit 206, the antenna 207, and the wireless LAN control unit 301. When analyzing a frame, the frame analysis unit 303 can determine the analysis method based on the settings stored in the storage unit 305. The frame analysis unit 303 can analyze the preamble field of the received frame and the allocation pattern of the resource units, and can determine whether or not the resource units allocated to its own device include duplicates, identify the number of duplicates, identify each resource unit, and so on.

[0026] The UI control unit 304 is configured to include hardware related to a user interface, such as a touch panel or buttons, for accepting operations by a user (not shown) on the AP 101 or the STA 102, and a program for controlling these. The UI control unit 304 also has a function for presenting information, such as displaying images or outputting audio, to the user.

[0027] The storage unit 305 is a storage device that can be configured with a ROM, a RAM, etc., for storing programs and data that the communication device operates on.

[0028] (Frame Format) Fig. 4A shows an example of a frame format of a PPDU used by communication device 100 in this embodiment. This PPDU may be a UHR MU PPDU. MU is an abbreviation for Multi-user. The PPDU may include an L-STF 401, an L-LTF 402, and an L-SIG 403. L-STF and L-LTF are abbreviations for Legacy-Short Training Field and Legacy-Long Training Field, respectively. Furthermore, L-SIG is an abbreviation for Legacy-Signal Field. L-STF 401, L-LTF 402, and L-SIG 403 are fields arranged at the beginning of a PPDU and used to ensure backward compatibility with IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ax / be standards, etc. For example, L-STF 401 and L-LTF 402 may be training fields, and L-SIG 403 may be a signal field. L-STF 401 is used for PPDU detection, automatic gain control (AGC), timing detection, etc. L-LTF 402 is used for high-precision synchronization of frequency and time, acquisition of propagation channel information (Channel State Information, CSI), etc. L-SIG 403 is used to notify control information including information on the data rate and PPDU frame length. That is, the receiving communication device 100 can determine the timing when transmission or reception of the PPDU is completed using the notified data rate and PPDU frame length information. Devices operating in accordance with the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ax / be standards, as well as devices operating in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard or its successor standards (including the UHR standard), can decode these fields (legacy fields). Placing a legacy field at the beginning of the PPDU in this way allows devices operating in accordance with legacy standards to receive and decode the PPDU, thereby preventing a PPDU containing subsequent new fields from being regarded as an interference signal. The legacy field may be referred to as a legacy preamble. The PPDU may also include an RL-SIG 404.RL-SIG is an abbreviation for Repeated L-SIG, i.e., RL-SIG 404 may be a repetition of L-SIG 403, and indicates that the PPDU conforms to the format used in the IEEE 802.11ax standard and later standards.

[0029] The PPDU may include a U-SIG 405. U-SIG is an abbreviation for Universal Signal Field. The U-SIG 405 may be a field for reporting control information commonly used in standards subsequent to the IEEE 802.11be standard. The control information included in the U-SIG 405 may differ depending on the standard. For example, the U-SIG 405 may include fields such as a PHY Version Identifier indicating the version of the PHY and a BSS Color indicating a color code used to determine the BSS. For example, a value of 1 in the PHY Version Identifier may indicate that the PPDU is a UHR MU PPDU. The U-SIG 405 may be located immediately after the legacy preamble or the RL-SIG 404.

[0030] The PPDU may include UHR-SIG 406. UHR-SIG is an abbreviation for Ultra High Reliability Signal Field. UHR-SIG 406 may include control information that is not placed in U-SIG 405 and control information that should be individually notified to each user when performing multi-user transmission. Multi-user transmission is a transmission method that uses, for example, OFDMA to transmit data in parallel to multiple communication devices. Multi-user transmission may be performed using multi-user MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) or the like. UHR-SIG 406 may be placed immediately after U-SIG 405.

[0031] The PPDU may include UHR-STF 407 and UHR-LTF 408. UHR-STF and UHR-LTF are abbreviations for Ultra High Reliability Short Training Field and Ultra High Reliability Long Training Field, respectively. UHR-LTF 408 is a training field used for estimating channel information when MIMO or beamforming is used. Multiple UHR-LTFs 408 may be arranged in one PPDU. The number of UHR-LTFs 408 to be arranged may be determined based on, for example, the number of antennas used for MIMO and whether beamforming is implemented. For example, up to eight UHR-LTFs 408 may be arranged in a PPDU. The UHR-STF 407 and the UHR-LTF 408 may be placed after the UHR-SIG 406 .

[0032] The PPDU may include Data 409 and PE 410. PE is an abbreviation for Packet Extension. Data 409 and PE 410 may be arranged after the above-mentioned fields L-STF 401 to UHR-LTF 408. L-STF 401 to UHR-LTF 408 may be referred to as a PHY preamble. The PHY preamble is a field for control information.

[0033] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the communication device 100 notifies the other communication device of information regarding data duplication using UHR-SIG 406. Note that information regarding data duplication may be notified using other information elements or fields. UHR-SIG 406 may include zero or more UHR-SIG content channels. Each UHR-SIG content channel may be configured with a Common Field 411 and a User Specific Field 412. Each UHR-SIG content channel may include other components or fields. The Common Field 411 may include a subfield such as RU Allocation. RU Allocation indicates the configuration of resource units in the PPDU. The User Specific Field 412 may include multiple User encoding blocks 413. Each User encoding block 413 corresponds, in order, to a resource unit included in the PPDU. Information regarding duplication of data included in a resource unit may be signaled using the User Field included in the User encoding block 413. Figure 4B shows an example of the configuration of the User encoding block 413. The User Field includes user-specific information shown in Figure 4C. One or two User Fields may be stored in one User encoding block 413. The CRC is used to verify that information has been received correctly using a cyclic redundancy check. Tails is a field that indicates the end by being set to a value of 0. The User Field is configured to include subfields of STA-ID, MCS, NSS, Beamformed, Coding, and Number of Replication. STA-ID indicates an identifier that identifies each STA 102. MCS is an abbreviation for Modulation and Coding Scheme, and indicates the MCS used in communication. NSS is an abbreviation for Number of Spatial Streams, and indicates the number of spatial streams used in MIMO.Beamformed indicates whether a beamforming steering matrix is ​​used. Coding indicates whether BCC (Block Convolutional Code) or LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) is used. Number of Replication indicates the number of copies of data included in the PPDU. For example, a value of 3 for Number of Replication indicates that the PPDU contains three copies. That is, in this case, the PPDU contains a total of four resource units containing the same data: a resource unit containing the original (source) data and a resource unit containing the copy data. Note that the contents of the User Specific Field 412 and the like are merely examples and are not limited thereto. For example, the MCS may be 5 bits or more. 4B and 4C may include subfields that are not included in the table, and some subfields may be missing. The Number of Replication field may be included in another field, such as the Common Field 411.

[0034] (Processing Flow) Next, the processing flow executed by the AP 101 and the STA 102 as described above will be described using Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows an example of the operation when the AP 101 transmits a PPDU including a duplicate of data. Figure 6 shows an example of the operation when the STA 102 receives a PPDU including a duplicate of data. Each process shown in the flowcharts of Figures 5 and 6 is executed by the processor of the control unit 202 of the AP 101 or the STA 102 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 201. Some of the processing in Figures 5 and 6, such as transmission, modulation, reception, and decoding, is realized by the processor of the control unit 202 of each communication device, the communication unit 206, and the ASIC, DSP, FPGA, etc. of the control unit 202 in cooperation with each other. Note that when clearly indicating the subject of processing, the functional unit described in Figures 2 and 3 will be used as the subject.

[0035] First, the transmission operation of the AP 101 will be described using FIG. 5 . For example, the control unit 202 in the AP 101 performs the transmission operation in cooperation with other functional units. The AP 101 first sets interference properties (S501). The interference properties may be, for example, information that quantifies the effect of interference on the frequency axis. As an example, the interference properties may be the received strength of an interfering signal estimated for each predetermined unit frequency bandwidth on the frequency axis. For example, the predetermined unit frequency bandwidth may be the frequency bandwidth of the smallest resource unit when transmitting a PPDU using OFDMA, or the frequency bandwidth of a reference resource unit. Furthermore, the predetermined unit frequency bandwidth may correspond to each subcarrier in transmitting the PPDU, or may be a bundle of a predetermined number of subcarriers. For example, the AP 101 may measure interference power from other communication systems, etc. for each predetermined unit frequency bandwidth, and use the average value of the interference power corresponding to each frequency band as the interference property. The method of setting the interference properties is not limited to this, and any method may be used as long as it can evaluate the communication quality of each frequency band when the channel used for PPDU communication is divided into multiple frequency bands. Note that, instead of or in addition to the interference property, the received power (Received Signal Strength Indicator, RSSI) from each STA 102 for each predetermined unit frequency band may be used. For example, the AP 101 may estimate the received power using the RSSI acquired in past communications with each of the STAs 102 to set the interference property. In this case, the AP 101 may measure the RSSI of the signal received from the STA 102 for each predetermined unit frequency band.

[0036] Next, the AP 101 determines whether to perform data duplication (S502). For example, if the interference power exceeds a predetermined threshold or the RSSI is below a predetermined threshold in each frequency band in the interference property, the AP 101 may determine to perform duplication of data to be transmitted using a resource unit corresponding to that frequency band. For example, the AP 101 may use the interference power measured in past communications or the received power from the STA 102, or may estimate and use the interference power in future communications or the received power from the STA 102. As an example, the AP 101 may estimate the interference power when transmitting a PPDU in the future based on the measurement results of the interference power in past communications. For example, the AP 101 may estimate the probability that the interference power will be equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold and determine whether to perform data duplication based on the estimated probability. In estimating the interference power in future communications, the measured interference power can be input into a trained model acquired by learning using known supervised learning, deep learning, or the like, to obtain an inferred result of the probability of interference occurrence. In this case, the AP 101 can determine whether or not data needs to be replicated and the number of replicated data items to be created based on the probability obtained as the inference result.

[0037] When the AP 101 determines to perform data duplication (YES in S502), it determines the number of data duplications included in the PPDU and the allocation of resource units containing each data duplication (S503). For example, the AP 101 may determine the number of data duplications included in the resource units so that the probability of success when decoding using multiple resource units exceeds a predetermined threshold. As an example, the AP 101 estimates the SINR when the STA 102, the destination of the PPDU, receives the PPDU using the interference power in each frequency band calculated in the interference property setting and the transmission power in this frequency band of the PPDU transmitted by the AP 101. SINR is an abbreviation for Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio. The AP 101 then determines the number of duplications required to make the SINR exceed a predetermined threshold. The AP 101 may obtain the reception power and interference power of each frequency band at the STA 102 from the STA 102 and use this to calculate the SINR. The method by which the AP 101 determines the number of copies of data included in a resource unit is not limited to this. For example, the AP 101 may calculate the RSSI in each frequency band using the received signal from the STA 102, and determine the number of copies required to make the total RSSI exceed a predetermined threshold.

[0038] The AP 101 then determines the placement of resource units containing original data and resource units containing duplicated data. For example, the AP 101 may arrange the resource units containing original data and the resource units containing duplicated data so that they are contiguous on the frequency axis. Note that, if there are multiple resource units containing duplicated data, they may be arranged contiguously on the frequency axis. Since the resource units are contiguous on the frequency axis, the STA 102 receiving data using the resource units can receive the data using the multiple resource units without requiring a wideband filter. The AP 101 may also arrange the original data and the duplicated data at a desired frequency interval. By providing a predetermined frequency interval, the possibility of multiple resource units being affected by the same interference source may be reduced. If there are multiple resource units containing duplicated data, the AP 101 may arrange them at the same frequency interval or at different frequency intervals. Furthermore, the AP 101 may arrange the resource units containing original data and the resource units containing duplicated data at a distance equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. By arranging the resource units as far apart as possible, the impact of the same interference source can be reduced. Also, the AP 101 can arrange the resource units containing the original data and the resource units containing the duplicated data closer than a predetermined threshold. By arranging the resource units as close as possible, the need for a wideband filter at the STA receiving the PPDU can be avoided.

[0039] The AP 101 uses the frame generation unit 302 to generate a PPDU including information indicating the number of data copies and the allocation of resource units (S504). The AP 101 may include information indicating the allocation of resource units in the PPDU using the Common Field 411 and User Specific Field 412 of the UHR-SIG in FIG. 4A. For example, the resource unit configuration may be stored in the RU Allocation subfield. As an example, assume that a value of "00000000" in the RU Allocation subfield, which is composed of 8 bits B0 to B7, indicates that nine resource units, each composed of 26 tones, are configured in the PPDU. In this case, the AP 101 may allocate each of the nine resource units to each of the STAs 102. The STA 102 to which each resource unit is allocated may be indicated by a User Specific Field 412 following the Common Field 411. For example, a Used Field corresponding to each resource unit may be included in the User Specific Field 412. When each User Field corresponds to each resource unit in turn, the STA-ID included in each User Field may indicate the STA 102 to which that resource unit is allocated.

[0040] On the other hand, AP 101 can indicate the number of replications using the Number of Replication included in the User Field. For example, by setting bits B21-B23 indicating the Number of Replication to "011", the number of replications can be indicated as 3. In this case, one PPDU will contain four resource units containing the same data, including the resource unit containing the original data. For example, AP 101 sets the STA-ID in the User Field of the second to fifth user encoding blocks to the STA-ID of STA 102 to which the resource units are assigned. Then, AP 101 can indicate the number of replications of the data contained in the resource units and the arrangement of the resource units by setting the Number of Replication of each of these user encoding blocks to 3. If a PPDU contains a resource unit with different content that is assigned to the same STA 102 as these resource units, the Number of Replication in the User Field corresponding to that resource unit can be set to 0.

[0041] The method of indicating the number of copies of data included in a PPDU and the arrangement of resource units containing each copy of data can also be applied to other resource unit configurations. For example, if the value of the RU Allocation subfield is "00001100," this indicates that two resource units, each consisting of 52 tones, and five resource units, each consisting of 26 tones, are configured in one PPDU. In this case, the STA-ID and Number of Replication of the seven user encoding blocks corresponding to each resource unit in turn can indicate the number of copies of data included in the PPDU and the arrangement of the resource units containing each copy of data. For example, it is assumed that the data included in the second 52-tone resource unit is a copy of the data included in the first 52-tone resource unit. In this case, the STA-ID of the STA 102 to which the PPDU is assigned is set in the STA-ID of the first and second User Fields in the PPDU, and a value of 1 is set in each Number of Replication.

[0042] On the other hand, if it is determined in S502 that replication is not to be performed (NO in S502), AP 101 allocates each resource unit in the PPDU without duplicating the data (S506). Then, similar to the above, AP 101 uses frame generation unit 302 to store information specifying the allocation of resource units in the Common Field 411 and User Field of the PPDU, and generates a PPDU. At this time, the value of the Number of Replication included in each User Field is set to 0. Then, AP 101 uses communication unit 206 to transmit the generated PPDU (S505).

[0043] Next, the receiving operation of the STA 102 will be described using FIG. 6 . For example, the control unit 202 in the STA 102 performs the receiving operation in cooperation with other functional units. The STA 102 receives a PPDU via the communication unit 206 and acquires resource units addressed to the STA 102 from the received PPDU using the frame analysis unit 303 (S601). For example, the STA 102 may identify resource units addressed to the STA 102 by referencing the STA-ID of each User Field included in the received PPDU. The STA 102 then determines whether the data included in the acquired resource units is subject to duplication in the PPDU (S602). For example, the STA 102 may determine whether the data included in the resource units is subject to duplication based on whether the Number of Replication in the User Field corresponding to the resource units is 1 or greater.

[0044] If the data included in the resource unit is to be copied (YES in S602), the STA 102 performs a process for decoding using the data included in each of the multiple resource units. First, the STA 102 determines the reception quality of the acquired resource unit (S603). For example, the STA 102 measures the RSSI and SINR of the resource unit using the frame analysis unit 303, and may determine that the reception quality is acceptable if the measurement result is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If the reception quality of the resource unit is acceptable (YES in S603), the STA 102 stores the data included in the resource unit as a combination target in the storage unit 305 (S604). On the other hand, if the reception quality of the resource unit is unacceptable (NO in S603), the STA 102 does not include the data included in the resource unit as a combination target (S605). In this case, the data included in the resource unit is not stored in the storage unit 305. The STA 102 may discard the data included in the resource unit. If there are other resource units acquired (YES in S607), the STA 102 returns to S602 and continues processing. On the other hand, if there are no other resource units acquired (NO in S607), the STA 102 decodes the data using the data included in the resource units stored in the storage unit 305 (S608). For example, the STA 102 may combine data included in multiple resource units and decode the data using the combined data. The STA 102 may also combine the data included in the multiple received resource units after weighting them based on the respective received powers. Note that if a single PPDU contains multiple different original data and their respective copies, the STA 102 performs a decoding process for each combination of the original data and its copies. For example, the STA 102 may identify that a single PPDU contains multiple copies of different original data by including a Number of Replication with a value of 1 or greater that is different from each other.Then, STA 102 combines and decodes data contained in multiple resource units having the same Number of Replication value. Note that, if a single PPDU contains multiple different original data and their copies, a separate identifier may be provided to identify each original data. On the other hand, if the data contained in the resource unit is not subject to duplication in S602 (NO in S602), STA 102 determines to decode the resource unit alone (S606) and stores it in the storage unit 305. In this way, even if a single PPDU contains a mixture of resource units containing multiple original data and resource units containing data that are copies of the original data, STA 102 can perform decoding for each combination.

[0045] In S603 to S605, instead of including resource units with unacceptable reception quality in the combination, STA 102 may store each resource unit together with its reception quality in storage unit 305. Then, in S608, the data included in each resource unit stored in storage unit 305 may be subjected to processing such as weighting based on the reception quality and interference cancellation, and then used for combining. By performing processing based on the reception quality and then using the data included in each resource unit for decoding processing, it becomes possible to effectively utilize the received signal.

[0046] As described above, in this embodiment, the AP 101 determines whether to replicate data included in a resource unit and the number of replications based on the interference status in the channel used by the AP 101. The AP 101 then transmits a PPDU to the STA 102, which includes a resource unit containing the replicated data based on the determination and a PHY header including a Number of Replication field for notifying the number of replications. The STA 102 determines whether the resource unit allocated to the AP 102 contains replicated data based on the Number of Replication field in the PHY header of the received PPDU. The STA 102 then decodes the data using the data included in the resource unit. This allows the AP 101 to flexibly transmit radio frames including replicas of data included in the resource unit based on the communication environment, such as the received signal from the STA 102 and interference signals, and the STA 102 can use the replicas to decode the data with a higher probability.

[0047] (Variation 1) In addition to notifying the STA 102 of the number of copies of data included in a resource unit, the AP 101 may also notify the STA 102 of information identifying the resource unit containing the replicated data. Figure 7A shows an example configuration of a User Field used when the AP 101 notifies the STA 102 of the number of copies of data included in a resource unit and information identifying each copy. In Figure 7A, the configuration of the User Field in Figure 4C is the same as that in Figure 4C except for the Replication ID, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. The Replication ID is identification information for uniquely identifying a resource unit corresponding to that User Field among one or more resource units containing data replicated from the same original data. For example, a value of 0 may be stored in the Replication ID of a User Field corresponding to a resource unit containing original data. Furthermore, a value of N may be stored in the Replication ID of a User Field corresponding to the Nth copy, where N is an integer equal to or greater than 1. The Replication ID may be associated with the order in which the copies are generated, as described above, or may be associated with another criterion. For example, the Replication ID may be assigned based on the position of the corresponding resource unit on the frequency axis. As an example, a smaller value may be set for a resource unit using a lower frequency, or a smaller value may be set for a resource unit using a higher frequency. The Replication ID may be used to manage the resource units used for reception in the reception operation of the STA 102. For example, the STA 102 may store the Replication ID of the resource unit used for reception in association with the reception quality. Then, when decoding data using data included in multiple resource units, the STA 102 may identify the data to be used based on the identifier. For example, the STA 102 may separately store each resource unit used for reception and its reception quality, and create a table that associates the identifier of each resource unit with its reception quality.When decoding a resource unit, the STA 102 may identify, based on the table, a resource unit corresponding to a reception quality equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold and the data received using that resource unit. This configuration may improve the efficiency of management and decoding of resource units stored in the STA 102. Furthermore, the Replication ID may be used as feedback from the STA 102 to the AP 101 to determine whether the AP 101 will perform data replication. For example, when transmitting replicated data to the STA 102, the AP 101 stores the Replication IDs of the resource units containing the original data and the replicated data in association with the frequency bands in which they were transmitted. Note that, if there is information identifying the location of the resource unit on the frequency axis, the AP 101 may reuse this information. After receiving using each resource unit and determining the reception quality of each, the STA 102 notifies the AP 101 of the combination of the Replication ID and reception quality corresponding to each resource unit as feedback. The AP 101 may then generate interference properties using feedback from the STA 102. As an example, the AP 101 identifies the frequency band used for transmission using the corresponding resource unit based on the Replication ID included in the feedback received from the STA 102. The AP 101 generates interference properties by associating the frequency band with the reception quality of the resource unit. The generated interference properties may be used to determine the allocation of resource units and the number of copies when transmitting the next PPDU. This configuration allows the AP 101 to select a frequency band for transmitting original data or a replica, taking into account the interference and reception conditions at the STA 102. This enables transmission using highly reliable resource units in a frequency band with better communication quality.

[0048] Note that AP 101 may transmit a PPDU including a copy of data by performing operations similar to those described above in the description of FIG. 5. This example differs from FIG. 5 in that AP 101 determines identification information for each copy in addition to the number of copies (S503) and generates a PPDU including a Replication ID in addition to the Number of Replication (S504), as described above. Furthermore, STA 102 may obtain each resource unit including a copy from the received PPDU and decode the data by performing operations similar to those described above in the description of FIG. 6. This example differs from FIG. 6 in that STA 102 uses a Replication ID to manage the resource units used for reception (S604 and S605) and may use the Replication ID to notify AP 101 of an interference situation, as described above. In this way, by notifying STA102 of identification information that can distinguish between the original data and the copy, the management of resource units in STA102 and the selection of frequency bands to transmit using each resource unit in AP101 can be made more efficient.

[0049] (Variation 2) Instead of notifying the number of copies, AP 101 may notify STA 102 that each resource unit contains replicated data. Figure 7B shows an example of the configuration of a User Field used when AP 101 notifies STA 102 whether each resource unit contains a copy. In Figure 7B, the configuration of the User Field in Figure 4C is the same as that of the Replication subfield, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The Replication subfield indicates that the resource unit corresponding to that User Field is a resource unit containing replicated data. For example, when the value of the Replication subfield is 1, this indicates that the data of the resource unit corresponding to the Use Field containing that Replication subfield is a copy. Furthermore, when the value of the Replication subfield is 0, this indicates that the data of the resource unit corresponding to the Use Field containing that Replication subfield is original. For example, this notification method can be applied when the resource units transmitted to a specific STA 102 in one PPDU are only a resource unit containing one original piece of data and a resource unit containing a duplicate thereof. This notification method may also be applied when the resource units transmitted to a specific STA 102 in one PPDU are only resource units containing multiple original pieces of data without duplicates. In this case, all of the Replication subfields corresponding to the resource units containing the original data transmitted in one PPDU are set to 0. In this way, by only notifying the STA 102 of information that can identify duplicates, it is possible to notify the STA 102 of information necessary for processing the resource units containing duplicated data, while reducing the amount of information required for notification from the AP 101 to the STA 102.

[0050] Note that AP 101 may transmit a PPDU including a copy of data by performing operations similar to those described above in the description of FIG. 5. This example differs from FIG. 5 in that AP 101 generates a PPDU including a Replication subfield instead of the Number of Replication subfield (S504), as described above. Furthermore, STA 102 may obtain each resource unit including a copy from the received PPDU by performing operations similar to those described above in the description of FIG. 6, and decode the data. In this case, when STA 102 detects a User Field that includes its own device's STD-ID and has a Replication subfield value of 1, it may combine the data included in all resource units allocated to its own device in that wireless frame and decode the data.

[0051] (Variation 3) Instead of notifying of duplication using the Number of Replication or the like, the AP 101 may notify of duplication using the MCS subfield. FIG. 8A shows an example of the configuration of the MCS subfield used when the AP 101 notifies the STA 102 of the resource unit to be duplicated using the MCS subfield. Generally, the MCS subfield is used to notify the combination of the modulation scheme and coding rate used in communication. In FIG. 8A, in addition to the modulation scheme and coding rate, an index (UHR-MCS index) is set to indicate whether the data included in the resource unit is a duplicate. For example, in FIG. 8A, if the UHR-MCS index is 16 or 17, it indicates that the resource unit corresponding to the User Field including this MCS subfield is a duplicate. When the UHR-MCS index is 16 or 17, it also indicates that the modulation method is BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying), the coding rate (Ru) is 1 / 2, etc. As shown in FIG. 8A , some of the parameters notified may differ between when the UHR-MCS index is 16 and when it is 17. This makes it possible to perform communication using different parameter sets for each user. For example, a single PPDU may be configured to set the UHR-MCS index to 16 for one user and the UHR-MCS index to 17 for the other user.

[0052] Furthermore, the AP 101 may notify information indicating the number of duplications using the MCS subfield. FIG. 8B shows an example of notifying the number of duplications of data using the MCS subfield. For example, in FIG. 8B, when the UHR-MCS index is 17 or 18, it is indicated that the resource unit corresponding to the User Field including this MCS subfield includes one of two or three duplications, respectively. Note that, as in FIG. 8A, by providing multiple UHR-MCS indices associated with the same duplication number, different parameter sets can be used with the same duplication number. For example, in FIG. 8B, when the UHR-MCS index is 17 or 24, it is indicated that the resource unit corresponding to the User Field including this MCS subfield is one of two duplications. Furthermore, some of the notified parameters may differ between the cases where the UHR-MCS index is 17 and 24. 8A and 8B are merely examples, and are not limited thereto. For example, a parameter set different from the parameter set shown in FIG. 8A or 8B may be associated with each UHR-MCS index shown in FIG. 8A or 8B. In this way, information about the duplicated resource unit is notified to STA 102 using the MCS subfield, so that information necessary for processing the resource unit including the duplicated data can be notified to STA 102 without changing the previous frame format.

[0053] The AP 101 may transmit a PPDU including duplicated data by performing operations similar to those described above in the description of Fig. 5. This example differs from Fig. 5 in that the AP 101 generates a PPDU (S504) in which the corresponding resource unit includes duplicated data, or includes a UHR-MCS index indicating the number of duplications, instead of the Number of Replication. The STA 102 may obtain each resource unit including duplicates from the received PPDU by performing operations similar to those described above in the description of Fig. 6, and decode the data. When the STA 102 detects that the value indicated by the UHR-MCS index indicates the presence of duplicates, it may combine the data included in the multiple resource units corresponding to the same UHR-MCS index and decode the data.

[0054] 8B may be interpreted by the AP 101 and the STA 102 in a manner different from that described above. For example, the AP 101 further divides the resource unit into two or three on the frequency axis. If the UHR-MCS index is 16, the STA 102 may be informed that the resource unit corresponding to the User Field including this MCS subfield is divided into two, each of which transmits one of the original data and the duplicated data. Similarly, if the UHR-MCS index is 17, the STA 102 may be informed that the resource unit corresponding to the User Field including this MCS subfield is divided into three, each of which transmits one of the original data and the duplicated data.

[0055] (Variation 4) Instead of notifying the STA 102 of duplication using the PHY header (preamble), the AP 101 may implicitly notify the STA 102 that a resource unit contains duplicated data by using a resource unit allocation pattern for the specific STA 102. For example, as described above in S503 of FIG. 5 , the AP 101 allocates resource units containing original data and resource units containing duplicated data on the frequency axis. In this case, the AP 101 predetermines the association between the allocation pattern of multiple resource units and whether the allocated resource units contain duplicated data or the original data. Then, when the AP 101 duplicates and transmits the data contained in the resource units, it allocates the resource units according to this allocation pattern. For example, the AP 101 may indicate that duplicates are included by arranging multiple resource units allocated to the specific STA 102 so that they are contiguous on the frequency axis. Furthermore, the AP 101 may indicate that duplicates are included by arranging multiple resource units allocated to the specific STA 102 at predetermined frequency intervals. Furthermore, the AP 101 may indicate the presence of duplicates by arranging multiple resource units allocated to a specific STA 102 at a distance greater than a predetermined threshold on the frequency axis. The AP 101 may also indicate the presence of duplicates by arranging multiple resource units allocated to a specific STA 102 closer together on the frequency axis than a predetermined threshold. When a received PPDU contains multiple resource units allocated to the STA 102, the STA 102 may determine whether the resource units contain duplicates based on the allocation pattern of the resource units. For example, the STA 102 may be notified in advance by the AP 101 of the allocation pattern of the multiple resource units and an association between whether the allocated resource units contain duplicate data or the original data. In this case, the STA 102 stores the notified association. Then, upon receiving the PPDU, the STA 102 may check whether multiple resource units are allocated to the STA 102, and if multiple resource units are allocated, compare the allocation pattern with the notified allocation pattern to determine whether duplicates are contained.The STA 102 can determine whether each resource unit is assigned to the STA 102 by referring to the value of the STA-ID in the User Field corresponding to each resource unit. In this way, information about the resource unit including the duplicated data is displayed using a predetermined arrangement pattern, so that the STA 102 can be notified of information necessary for processing the resource unit including the duplicated data without changing the previous frame format.

[0056] The AP 101 may transmit a PPDU containing a duplicate of data by performing operations similar to those described above in the description of FIG. 5 . This example differs from FIG. 5 in that the AP 101 generates a PPDU by allocating resource units containing both the duplicate and the original data to a specific STA 102 by referring to a predetermined allocation pattern without using the User Field (S504). That is, information such as whether or not the data is duplicated is notified based on whether or not the resource unit allocation pattern is followed. The STA 102 may also obtain each resource unit containing a duplicate from the received PPDU by performing operations similar to those described above in the description of FIG. 6 and decode the data. In this case, the STA 102 refers to the value of the User Field in the received PPDU to identify the resource units assigned to the STA 102, and if the allocation matches the predetermined allocation pattern, decodes the data using the data contained in each resource unit.

[0057] (Variation 5) In the above embodiment, an example in which the AP 101 transmits downlink data to the STA 102 has been described. However, this technique can also be applied to a case in which the STA 102 transmits uplink data to the AP 101. For example, when the AP 101 allocates resource units to each STA 102 using a trigger frame, the AP 101 specifies a frequency band to be used for transmitting the duplicates. The STA 102 duplicates the data included in the resource units and transmits each duplicate using the resource units corresponding to the specified frequency band. If the trigger frame contains information elements and fields similar to those in the above embodiment, the AP 101 can use these to notify the STA 102. The method by which the AP 101 notifies the STA 102 of the frequency band to transmit the duplicates is not limited to this. The present technology can be applied when available information elements and fields are available. Furthermore, when the STA 102 transmits uplink data, the STA 102 can duplicate the data included in the resource units and notify the STA 102 that the duplicates are transmitted using the PHY header of the radio frame. In this case, the STA 102 can perform the same operation as that shown in FIG. 5. The AP 101 can also decode data from the received wireless frame by performing the same operation as in FIG.

[0058] As described above, in this embodiment, the AP 101 notifies the STA 102 that a radio frame contains a data copy, in order to perform communication by copying data according to the communication conditions. Furthermore, the STA 102 determines whether a resource unit in the radio frame contains a data copy, and based on the result, decodes the data contained in the resource unit allocated to the AP 102. With this configuration, the AP 101 can transmit a radio frame containing a resource unit containing copied data as needed, while determining whether to copy data based on the communication environment, such as interference in the channel being used. This enables the communication device to flexibly use data copies according to the communication conditions, etc., to improve communication reliability. Note that in this embodiment, when one resource unit corresponds one-to-one to one original data or one copy of data, the terms "resource unit" and "data" in each piece of information related to copying in the PPDU can be interpreted interchangeably. For example, information indicating the number of data copies may be interpreted as information indicating the number of resource units containing each copy of data, and information uniquely identifying each copy of resource unit may be interpreted as information uniquely identifying each copy of data. The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0059] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention.

[0060] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-018844, filed February 9, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A communications device capable of communicating with other communications devices using multiple resource units obtained by dividing a channel on the frequency axis based on the IEEE 802.11 standard series, the communications device comprising: a transmitting means for transmitting a wireless frame using a first resource unit containing data to be transmitted to the other communications device and a second resource unit containing the same data; and a notifying means for notifying the other communications device that the same data is contained in the wireless frame.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the notification means performs the notification by including, in a Physical Layer (PHY) header of the wireless frame, specific information indicating that the wireless frame contains the same data.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein, when there is one or more second resource units used to transmit the radio frame, the specific information further includes information indicating the number of the second resource units, or information indicating the sum of the number of the first resource units and the number of the second resource units.

4. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein, when there is one or more second resource units used for transmitting the radio frame, the specific information further includes information that uniquely identifies each of the second resource units.

5. The communication device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the notification means notifies the specific information using a UHR (Ultra High Reliability)-SIG field in the PHY header.

6. The communication device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the notification means notifies the specific information using an MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme) field of the PHY header.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein an allocation pattern of a plurality of resource units on a frequency axis is associated with the inclusion of the same data in the radio frame, and the notification means performs the notification by arranging the first resource unit and the second resource unit according to the allocation pattern.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the allocation pattern is to allocate the plurality of resource units at predetermined frequency intervals.

9. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the allocation pattern is to allocate the plurality of resource units contiguously on the frequency axis.

10. A communications device capable of communicating with other communications devices using multiple resource units obtained by dividing a channel on the frequency axis based on the IEEE 802.11 standard series, comprising: a receiving means for receiving a radio frame using a first resource unit containing data to be received by the communications device and a second resource unit containing the same data; a determining means for determining whether the radio frame contains the same data; and a decoding means for decoding the data using one or more of the first resource unit and the second resource unit based on the result of the determining means.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein a Physical Layer (PHY) header of the wireless frame includes identification information indicating that the wireless frame includes the same data, and the identification means performs the identification by referring to the identification information.

12. The communication device described in claim 11, wherein, when there are one or more second resource units used to transmit the radio frame, the specific information further includes information indicating the number of the second resource units, or information indicating the sum of the number of the first resource units and the number of the second resource units.

13. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein, when there is one or more second resource units used in transmitting the radio frame, the specific information further includes information that uniquely identifies each of the second resource units.

14. The communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the specifying means refers to the specifying information using a UHR (Ultra High Reliability)-SIG field in the PHY header.

15. The communication device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the specifying means refers to the specifying information using an MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme) field of the PHY header.

16. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein an allocation pattern of a plurality of resource units on a frequency axis is associated with the inclusion of the same data in the radio frame, and the identification means performs the identification based on whether the first resource unit and the second resource unit are allocated according to the allocation pattern.

17. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein the allocation pattern is to allocate the plurality of resource units at predetermined frequency intervals.

18. The communication device according to claim 16, wherein the allocation pattern is to allocate the plurality of resource units contiguously on the frequency axis.

19. A communication method executed by a communication device capable of communicating with another communication device using multiple resource units obtained by dividing a channel on the frequency axis based on the IEEE 802.11 standard series, the method comprising: transmitting a radio frame using a first resource unit containing data to be transmitted to the other communication device and a second resource unit containing the same data; and notifying the other communication device that the same data is contained in the radio frame.

20. A communication method executed by a communication device capable of communicating with other communication devices using multiple resource units obtained by dividing a channel on the frequency axis based on the IEEE 802.11 standard series, the method comprising: receiving a radio frame using a first resource unit containing data to be received by the communication device and a second resource unit containing the same data; determining whether the radio frame contains the same data; and decoding the data using one or more of the first resource unit and the second resource unit based on the result of the determination.

21. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means possessed by the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

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