Information processing device and radio communication control method

Abstract

[Problem] To improve communication opportunities in P2P communication by using the eMLMR mode. [Solution] An information processing device comprising a control unit that performs control to: perform channel scanning of a first link using a first antenna; perform channel scanning of a second link using a second antenna; communicate with a second wireless communication device on the basis of the first link using at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna; set the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device, the cooperative control suppressing interference caused by the first link to the second link used by the first wireless communication device in communication with a third wireless communication device; and perform data transmission with the second wireless communication device on the basis of the first link that has been set.

Description

Information processing device and wireless communication control method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and a wireless communication control method.

[0002] In response to the recent increase in data traffic demand, wireless LANs (WLANs) are required to expand data capacity and improve peak throughput. Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which simultaneously utilizes multiple frequency bands for communication, has attracted attention as one method to achieve this, and is expected to be standardized in the next generation of IEEE 802.11. One MLO configuration method being considered is the enhanced Multi-Link Multiple Radio (eMLMR) mode for wireless terminals (STAs). In this mode, the STA uses the radio frequency (RF) units associated with each link during channel scanning, and when communicating with an access point (AP), the link that acquires the transmission right reuses the RF unit associated with the other link. This mode enables more advanced MIMO (Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output) communication by increasing the number of transmit antennas. Even if the STA does not have multiple RF units, it can satisfy both the improvement of communication opportunities and the improvement of MIMO transmission quality by appropriately switching between the RF unit and the PHY (Physical layer) unit.

[0003] For example, a technology has been proposed in which, after an AP has completed data transmission and reception over a link used in eMLMR communication, the AP notifies the STA whether or not a frequency channel corresponding to a link not used in eMLMR communication can be used, thereby eliminating the waiting period depending on the situation and enabling efficient communication using multiple spatial streams (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] JP 2023-90495 A

[0005] In recent use cases, there has been an increase in cases where a STA performs P2P (Peer to Peer) communication with another STA, and it is conceivable that a STA configured with MLO will be configured to communicate with another STA using one of the links. In this case, there is a concern that communication opportunities will decrease due to competition for resources with communications from an AP to other STAs. The disclosure of Patent Document 1 is limited to a method of using eMLMR mode between an AP and a STA, and does not disclose a method of improving communication opportunities using eMLMR mode in P2P communication.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure provides an information processing device and a wireless communication control method that can improve communication opportunities in P2P communication by using the eMLMR mode.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, according to the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing device including a control unit that performs a channel scan of a first link using a first antenna, a channel scan of a second link using a second antenna, communicates with a second wireless communication device based on the first link using at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna, sets the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference from the first link on the second link used by the first wireless communication device in communication with a third wireless communication device, and performs data transmission with the second wireless communication device based on the set first link.

[0008] The second link has a second frequency band, the first link can be set to a first frequency band or a third frequency band which is a wider version of the first frequency band and which partially overlaps with the second frequency band, and the control unit may perform either a first control of transmitting data to the second wireless communication device via the first antenna in the first frequency band, or a second control of transmitting data to the second wireless communication device via the first antenna and the second antenna in the third frequency band, depending on the result of the cooperative control.

[0009] The second control may include control of transmitting data with the second wireless communication device by generating a beam pattern that suppresses interference with the second link using the first antenna and the second antenna in the first link of the third frequency band.

[0010] The first frequency band may include a primary channel of the first link, and when performing the first control, the control unit may perform control to instruct the first wireless communication device to set the second link to a frequency band that does not include the primary channel of the first link.

[0011] The second control may include switching control for switching the second antenna to correspond to the first link, and the control unit may perform control so that the first link maintains an idle state during a period of the switching control.

[0012] In the second control, if the first wireless communication device has not acquired the transmission right for the first link, the control unit may perform control to acquire the transmission right for the first link within the period of the switching control or before the switching control.

[0013] The cooperative control may include an estimation of whether at least one of the first wireless communication device or the control unit can acquire the transmission right for the first link during the period of the switching control or before the switching control, and if it is estimated that the transmission right for the first link cannot be acquired during the period of the switching control or before the switching control, the first control may be performed.

[0014] The control unit may control the first wireless communication device to confirm whether it has data that needs to be transmitted to the control unit during the second control period and the switching control period, or whether there is a possibility that the data will be generated.

[0015] When the first wireless communication device has the data or there is a possibility that the data will be generated, the control unit may check whether communication with the first wireless communication device via a third link is possible using a third antenna, and if communication is possible, may perform control to receive the data using the third antenna.

[0016] The control unit may perform and control a sounding process to determine calculation parameters for communication with the second wireless communication device based on information about the first antenna and the second antenna and information about an antenna possessed by the second wireless communication device, and in the sounding process, the control unit may also perform control to transmit a first signal requesting information about the calculation parameters in a fourth frequency band including a primary channel of the first link and a primary channel of the second link.

[0017] The control unit may control the first wireless communication device to check whether it has data that needs to be transmitted to the control unit during the sounding process, or whether there is a possibility that such data will be generated.

[0018] In the second control, the control unit may use the first antenna and the second antenna to control an operation corresponding to enhanced Multi-Link Multiple Radio (eMLMR) and an operation corresponding to Coordinated Beamforming.

[0019] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a wireless communication control method, comprising: a first step of performing a channel scan of a first link using a first antenna and a channel scan of a second link using a second antenna; and a second step of communicating with a second wireless communication device based on the first link using at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein the second step comprises: a third step of setting the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference caused by the first link on the second link used by the first wireless communication device in communication with a third wireless communication device; and a fourth step of transmitting data with the second wireless communication device based on the set first link.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing device including a control unit that controls a first wireless communication device having a switching unit that switches between using a first antenna for communication of a first link and a second antenna for communication of a second link, or using the first antenna and the second antenna for communication of the first link, wherein the control unit sets the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference from the first link on the second link used in communication with a third wireless communication device based on the time required for the switching unit to switch, and controls the first wireless communication device to transmit data with a second wireless communication device based on the set first link.

[0021] The second link has a second frequency band, the first link can be set to a first frequency band or a third frequency band which is a wider version of the first frequency band and which partially overlaps with the second frequency band, and the control unit may perform either a first control to cause the first wireless communication device to perform the data transmission with the second wireless communication device via the first antenna in the first frequency band, or a second control to cause the first wireless communication device to perform the data transmission with the second wireless communication device via the first antenna and the second antenna in the third frequency band, depending on the result of the cooperative control.

[0022] The second control may include control of performing the data transmission with the third wireless communication device by generating a beam pattern in the second link that suppresses interference with the first link.

[0023] The control unit may perform control such that, before switching of the switching unit, if there is traffic data that needs to be transmitted to the first wireless communication device during the switching period, or if there is a possibility that the traffic data will be generated, the control unit does not allow the switching of the switching unit.

[0024] Before switching the switching unit, the control unit may check whether it is possible to communicate with the first wireless communication device using a third link if there is traffic data that needs to be transmitted to the first wireless communication device during the switching period, or if there is a possibility that such traffic data will be generated.

[0025] The control unit may determine whether or not the first link needs to be put into an idle state during the switching period of the switching unit depending on the time required for the switching, and if the first link needs to be put into an idle state, at least one of the control unit or the first wireless communication device may check whether or not it is possible to acquire the transmission right for the first link, and if it is possible to acquire the transmission right for the first link, may perform control such that it instructs the first wireless communication device to perform the second control.

[0026] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a wireless communication control method, comprising: a first step of controlling a first wireless communication device having a switching unit that switches between using a first antenna for communication of a first link and using a second antenna for communication of a second link, or using the first antenna and the second antenna for communication of the first link, wherein the first step comprises: a second step of setting the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference from the first link on the second link used in communication with a third wireless communication device, based on the time required for the switching unit to switch; and a third step of causing the first wireless communication device to transmit data with a second wireless communication device based on the set first link.

[0027] Either the control unit or the first wireless communication device may control to receive from or transmit to the first wireless communication device a second signal including first information indicating whether it is necessary to acquire the transmission right for the first link, and second information indicating the acquisition status of the transmission right for the first link or estimated information on whether it can be acquired by the other of the control unit or the first wireless communication device.

[0028] The control may be performed by receiving or transmitting a third signal including third information indicating whether the first control is possible from the first wireless communication device or to the first wireless communication device.

[0029] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a wireless communication system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an AP_MLD including an information processing device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an STAa_MLD including an information processing device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication unit of the STAa_MLD. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication unit of the STAa_MLD during channel scanning. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication unit of the STAa_MLD during data transmission and reception on Link_1. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication unit of the STAa_MLD during data transmission and reception on Link_2. FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining a problem in wideband transmission. FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining cooperative operation of a wireless communication system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is an overall sequence diagram of a wireless communication system for realizing cooperative operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing a sounding phase according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing sounding implementation determination according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing a first example of a DATA Tx phase according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing cooperation determination on the AP_MLD side in the first example of the DATA Tx phase. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing collaboration determination on the STAa_MLD side in a first example of a DATA Tx Phase. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing a second example of a DATA Tx Phase according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing a third example of a DATA Tx Phase according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing collaboration determination on the AP_MLD side in a third example of a DATA Tx Phase. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a frame format of a Coordination Request Frame. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a frame format of a Coordination Response Frame. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a wireless communication system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing collaboration determination on the AP_MLD side according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that executes a series of processes according to this embodiment by a program. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a smartphone to which this embodiment is applied.1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle device to which the present embodiment is applied;FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a wireless AP to which the present embodiment is applied;FIG.

[0030] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an information processing device and a wireless communication control method will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description will focus on the main components of the information processing device and the wireless communication control method, but the information processing device and the wireless communication control method may include components and functions that are not shown or described. The following description does not exclude components and functions that are not shown or described.

[0031] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a wireless communication system 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The wireless communication system 10 in FIG. 1 includes a wireless communication device 100, a wireless communication device 1, a wireless communication device 2, and a wireless communication device 3.

[0032] In this specification, the wireless communication devices 2 and 3 are also referred to as the third wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device, respectively. The wireless communication device 100 seen from the wireless communication device 1 is also referred to as the first wireless communication device. Alternatively, the wireless communication device 1 seen from the wireless communication device 100 is also referred to as the first wireless communication device.

[0033] The wireless communication device 100 corresponds to a base station (AP), and the wireless communication devices 1, 2, and 3 correspond to terminals (STAs) located within the radio wave coverage area (cell) of the wireless communication device 100. The wireless communication devices 100 and 1 each have a multi-link device (MLD) configuration. While FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the wireless communication devices 2 and 3 have an MLD configuration, the wireless communication devices 2 and 3 may also have a single-link device (SLD) configuration. In this specification, the wireless communication device 100 may be referred to as an AP_MLD. The wireless communication devices 1, 2, and 3 may be referred to as STAa_MLD, STAb_MLD, and STAc_MLD, respectively.

[0034] The wireless communication device 100, wireless communication device 1, wireless communication device 2, and wireless communication device 3 in FIG. 1 have completed connection processing via two links, Link_1 (second link) and Link_2 (first link).

[0035] In this specification, an entity that performs processing related to Link_1 within AP_MLD is called AP_1 (affiliated with AP_MLD), and an entity that performs processing related to Link_2 within AP_MLD is called AP_2 (affiliated with AP_MLD).

[0036] Furthermore, in this specification, an entity that performs processing related to Link_1 in STAx_MLD (x is a, b, or c) is referred to as STAx_1 (affiliated with STAx_MLD). Also, an entity that performs processing related to Link_2 in STAx_MLD is referred to as STAx_2 (affiliated with STAx_MLD). In the example of Figure 1, STAa_MLD has STAa_1 and STAa_2 that perform processing related to Link_1 and Link_2, respectively. STAb_MLD has STAb_1 that performs processing related to Link_1. STAc_MLD has STAc_2 that performs processing related to Link_2.

[0037] Disabled entities are not shown in Fig. 1. The STAb_MLD and STAc_MLD have an MLD configuration, but only one link is enabled in the example of Fig. 1. Furthermore, the AP_MLD, STAa_MLD, STAb_MLD, and STAc_MLD may be connected by three or more links, and may have three or more entities corresponding to the three or more links.

[0038] STAa_2 and STAc_2 perform P2P communication. The P2P communication is set up using, for example, TDLS (Tunneled Direct Link Setup) that establishes a P2P connection via AP_MLD.

[0039] 1 use different primary channels, but are configured to overlap during broadband transmission. That is, Link_1 and Link_2 can be used in parallel when transmitting control signals such as beacons, but there is a risk that only one of them will be usable during data transmission requiring a high transmission rate.

[0040] The system configuration in question is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1; it is sufficient that there are multiple communication devices with established connections, and that there are communication devices around each communication device, and the locational relationship does not matter as long as the above conditions are met.

[0041] In addition to the operations described in this embodiment, the wireless communication devices 100, 1, 2, and 3 may also operate as base stations and terminals of a wireless LAN conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard, such as IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ad / ax / ay / be / bn and their successor standards. For example, the wireless communication devices 100, 1, 2, and 3 may operate based on CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) as an access method, and the wireless communication device 100 may transmit a Beacon signal at regular time intervals (periodically).

[0042] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a wireless communication device 100 including an information processing device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The information processing device according to the present disclosure is also referred to as a wireless communication control device because it has a function of controlling wireless communication. The information processing device according to the present disclosure may be realized, for example, as a semiconductor chip having a wireless communication control function. Furthermore, the information processing device according to the present disclosure may be realized as a smartphone, a personal computer, an in-vehicle device, an unmanned vehicle such as a drone, an industrial robot, or the like, which has a screen display function, a user interface, and the like in addition to the wireless communication control function. The wireless communication device 100 broadly includes a communication unit 110, a control unit 130, and a memory unit 140. The communication unit 110 includes a communication control unit 111, a communication memory unit 112, a common data processing unit 113, an AP 101, and an AP 102.

[0043] Each of the APs 101 and 102 includes an individual data processing unit 121, a signal processing unit 122, one or more wireless interface units 123, one or more amplifier units 124, and one or more antennas 150. In other words, the individual data processing unit 121, the signal processing unit 122, the wireless interface unit 123, the amplifier unit 124, and the antenna 150 form a single set to constitute an AP. In particular, the set of the individual data processing unit 121 and the signal processing unit 122 in each AP is also called an AP Entity. As described above, the wireless communication device 100 has an MLD configuration with two or more APs as components.

[0044] 2 each have two sets of wireless interface units 123, amplifier units 124, and antennas 150. This configuration is also called a 2x2 MIMO configuration. Note that the APs 101 and 102 may have a configuration that includes more wireless interface units 123, amplifier units 124, and antennas 150, enabling high-dimensional MIMO transmission and reception processing.

[0045] AP 101 performs processing related to Link_1 within wireless communication device 100, and AP 102 performs processing related to Link_2 within wireless communication device 100. That is, the individual data processing unit 121 and the signal processing unit 122 within AP 101 correspond to AP_1 in Fig. 1, and the individual data processing unit 121 and the signal processing unit 122 within AP 102 correspond to AP_2 in Fig. 1.

[0046] The communication control unit 111 controls the operation of each unit and the transmission of information between each unit. It also controls the transfer of control information and management information to be notified to other wireless communication devices to the common data processing unit 113, AP 101, and AP 102. The communication control unit 111 is also called an MLD Management Entity.

[0047] The communication storage unit 112 stores information used by the communication control unit 111. The communication storage unit 112 also stores data packets to be transmitted and received data packets. A transmission buffer that stores data packets to be transmitted is included in the communication storage unit 112.

[0048] During transmission, the common data processing unit 113 performs sequence management of the data stored in the communication storage unit 112 and the control information and management information received from the communication control unit 111, performs encryption processing, etc., and passes the virtual data frame to the individual data processing unit 121 of the AP that has acquired the transmission right. During reception, the common data processing unit 113 performs data decryption processing and reordering processing. In this specification, the common data processing unit 113 may be referred to as the Upper_MAC unit.

[0049] During transmission, the individual data processing unit 121 adds a MAC (Media Access Control) header and an error detection code to the virtual data frame received from the common data processing unit 113 to generate a data frame, and also performs processing to concatenate multiple data frames. During reception, the individual data processing unit 121 performs processing to deconcatenate the MAC header of the received data frame, analyzes it, and detects errors, and then passes it to the common data processing unit 113. In this specification, the individual data processing unit 121 may be referred to as a Lower_MAC unit.

[0050] The operations of the common data processing unit 113 and each individual data processing unit 121 are not limited to those described above, and for example, one may perform the operation of the other.

[0051] During transmission, the signal processing unit 122 performs encoding, interleaving, modulation, etc. on the data frame, adds a PHY header, and generates a symbol stream. During reception, the signal processing unit 122 analyzes the PHY header, and performs demodulation, deinterleaving, decoding, etc. on the symbol stream to generate a data frame. The signal processing unit 122 also estimates complex channel characteristics and performs spatial separation processing as necessary. In this specification, the signal processing unit 122 may be referred to as a PHY unit.

[0052] During transmission, the radio interface unit 123 performs digital-to-analog signal conversion, filtering, up-conversion, and phase control on the symbol stream to generate a transmission signal. During reception, the radio interface unit 123 performs down-conversion, filtering, and analog-to-digital signal conversion on the received signal to generate a symbol stream.

[0053] The amplifier unit 124 of each AP amplifies a signal input from the wireless interface unit 123 or the antenna 150. A part of the amplifier unit 124 may be a component outside the communication unit 110. Alternatively, a part of the amplifier unit 124 may be included in the wireless interface unit 123.

[0054] In this specification, the wireless interface unit 123 and the amplifier unit 124 may be collectively referred to as an RF unit.

[0055] The control unit 130 controls the communication unit 110 and the communication control unit 111. The control unit 130 may also perform some of the operations of the communication control unit 111. The communication control unit 111 and the control unit 130 may be configured as a single block. The control unit of the information processing device according to the present disclosure corresponds to the communication control unit 111, for example, or corresponds to at least one of the communication unit 110 and the communication control unit 111. The information processing device according to the present disclosure may include the communication control unit 111, for example, and may also include other components, for example, at least one of the AP 101 and the AP 102.

[0056] 2, the WAN communication unit decodes the packets received from the backhaul and passes them to the communication unit 110 via the control unit 130. The format of the packets passed here may be one in which the IP header remains intact (access point mode), or one in which the IP header has been decoded and removed by the WAN communication unit (router mode).

[0057] The communication unit 110 in FIG. 2 is configured, for example, from a single semiconductor chip. However, the semiconductor chip configuration of the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the communication unit 110, control unit 130, and memory unit 140, as well as the communication control unit 111, communication memory unit 112, common data processing unit 113, AP 101 and AP 102 included in the communication unit 110, and the individual data processing unit 121, signal processing unit 122, wireless interface unit 123, and amplifier unit 124 included in the APs 101 and 102, may all be implemented on a single semiconductor chip or by combining multiple semiconductor chips. Furthermore, all or some of these units do not necessarily have to be implemented in a hardware configuration in which each unit is physically distinguishable, but may be configured as a logical unit. For example, a set of one or more processors may be configured to realize the functions of each unit.

[0058] 3 is a block diagram of a wireless communication device 1 including an information processing device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The information processing device according to the present disclosure is also referred to as a wireless communication control device because it has a function of controlling wireless communication. The information processing device according to the present disclosure may be realized, for example, as a semiconductor chip having a wireless communication control function. Furthermore, the information processing device according to the present disclosure may be realized as a smartphone, a personal computer, an in-vehicle device, an unmanned mobile object such as a drone, an industrial robot, or the like, which has a screen display function, a user interface, and the like in addition to the wireless communication control function.

[0059] The wireless communication device 1 mainly includes a communication unit 210, a control unit 230, and a storage unit 240. The communication unit 210 includes a communication control unit 211, a communication storage unit 212, a common data processing unit 213, STAs 201 and 202, and a switching unit 260. The STAs 201 and 202 each include an individual data processing unit 221, a signal processing unit 222, a wireless interface unit 223, an amplifier unit 224, and an antenna 250.

[0060] 2 , the wireless communication device 1 is different from the wireless communication device 100 in that a switching unit 260 can flexibly switch between the signal processing unit 222 and the wireless interface unit 223. In this specification, the switching unit 260 may be referred to as SW.

[0061] 3, an STA is configured as a set of an individual data processing unit 221, a signal processing unit 222, a radio interface unit 223, an amplifier unit 224, and an antenna 250. In particular, the set of the individual data processing unit 221 and the signal processing unit 222 in each STA is also called an STA Entity. As described above, the wireless communication device 1 has an MLD configuration with two or more STAs as components.

[0062] STA201 performs processing related to Link_1 within the wireless communication device 1, and STA202 performs processing related to Link_2 within the wireless communication device 1. That is, the individual data processing unit 221 and the signal processing unit 222 within STA201 correspond to STAa_1 in FIG. 1 , and the individual data processing unit 221 and the signal processing unit 222 within STA202 correspond to STAa_2 in FIG. 1 .

[0063] The communication control unit 211 controls the operation of each unit and the transmission of information between each unit. It also controls the transfer of control information and management information to be notified to other wireless communication devices to the common data processing unit 213, STA 201, and STA 202. The communication control unit 211 is also called an MLD Management Entity.

[0064] The communication storage unit 212 stores information used by the communication control unit 211. The communication storage unit 212 also stores data packets to be transmitted and received data packets. A transmission buffer that stores data packets to be transmitted is included in the communication storage unit 212.

[0065] During transmission, the common data processing unit 213 performs sequence management of the data stored in the communication storage unit 212 and the control information and management information received from the communication control unit 211, performs encryption processing, etc., and passes the virtual data frame to the individual data processing unit 221 of the STA that has acquired the right to transmit. During reception, the common data processing unit 213 performs data decryption processing and reordering processing. In this specification, the common data processing unit 213 may be referred to as an Upper_MAC unit.

[0066] During transmission, the individual data processing unit 221 adds a MAC header and an error detection code to the virtual data frame received from the common data processing unit 213 to generate a data frame, and also performs processing to concatenate multiple data frames. During reception, the individual data processing unit 221 performs processing to deconcatenate the MAC header of the received data frame, analyzes it, and detects errors, and passes it to the common data processing unit 213. In this specification, the individual data processing unit 221 may be referred to as a Lower_MAC unit.

[0067] The operations of the common data processing unit 213 and each individual data processing unit 221 are not limited to those described above, and for example, one may perform the operation of the other.

[0068] During transmission, the signal processing unit 222 performs encoding, interleaving, modulation, etc. on the data frame, adds a PHY header, and generates a symbol stream. During reception, the signal processing unit 222 analyzes the PHY header and performs demodulation, deinterleaving, decoding, etc. on the symbol stream to generate a data frame. The signal processing unit 222 also estimates complex channel characteristics and performs spatial separation processing as necessary. In this specification, the signal processing unit 222 may be referred to as a PHY unit.

[0069] During transmission, the radio interface unit 223 performs digital-to-analog signal conversion, filtering, up-conversion, and phase control on the symbol stream to generate a transmission signal. During reception, the radio interface unit 223 performs down-conversion, filtering, and analog-to-digital signal conversion on the received signal to generate a symbol stream.

[0070] The amplifier unit 224 of each STA amplifies a signal input from the wireless interface unit 223 or the antenna 250. A part of the amplifier unit 224 may be a component outside the communication unit 210. Alternatively, a part of the amplifier unit 224 may be included in the wireless interface unit 223.

[0071] In this specification, the wireless interface unit 223 and the amplifier unit 224 may be collectively referred to as an RF unit.

[0072] The control unit 230 controls the communication unit 210 and the communication control unit 211. The control unit 230 may also perform some of the operations of the communication control unit 211. The communication control unit 211 and the control unit 230 may be configured as a single block. The control unit of the information processing device according to the present disclosure corresponds to the communication control unit 211, for example, or corresponds to at least one of the communication unit 210 and the communication control unit 211. The information processing device according to the present disclosure may include the communication control unit 211, for example, and may also include other components, for example, at least one of the STA201 and the STA202.

[0073] The switching unit 260 is configured, for example, by a switch. This switch may be, for example, a logical switch configured to switch the code executed by the processor or the data accessed by the processor, or may be a physical switch in which the flow of signals is switched by hardware such as a transistor.

[0074] The communication unit 210 in FIG. 3 is configured, for example, from a single semiconductor chip. However, the semiconductor chip configuration of the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the communication unit 210, the control unit 230, the memory unit 240, and the switching unit 260, as well as the communication control unit 211, communication memory unit 212, common data processing unit 213, STA 201 and STA 202, and the individual data processing unit 221, signal processing unit 222, wireless interface unit 223, and amplifier unit 224 included in the communication unit 210, may all be implemented on a single semiconductor chip or by combining multiple semiconductor chips. Furthermore, all or some of these units do not necessarily have to be implemented in a hardware configuration in which each unit is physically distinguishable, but may be configured as a logical unit. For example, a set of one or more processors may be configured to realize the functions of each unit. The communication unit 210 may also include a WAN communication unit.

[0075] The configurations of the wireless communication devices 2 and 3 are the same as that of the wireless communication device 1. Note that the wireless communication devices 2 and 3 can omit the switching unit 260. Furthermore, the wireless communication devices 2 and 3 may have an SLD configuration by omitting the individual data processing unit 221 and the signal processing unit 222 of either the STA 201 or 202.

[0076] The following describes the eMLMR operation of the wireless communication device 1 using the switching unit 260. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the communication unit 210 of the STAa_MLD. As described above, the RF unit and the PHY unit are connected together within the STAa_MLD by the switching unit 260.

[0077] In FIG. 4, the PHY unit (i.e., signal processing unit 222) belonging to STA 201 is called PHY unit 222a, and the PHY unit belonging to STA 202 is called PHY unit 222b.

[0078] 4 shows an example in which the wireless communication device 1 has an antenna (second antenna) 250a and an antenna (first antenna) 250b. The RF section (i.e., the wireless interface section 223 and the amplifier section 224) corresponding to the antenna 250a is referred to as an RF section 270a, and the RF section corresponding to the antenna 250b is referred to as an RF section 270b.

[0079] 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the communication unit 210 of the STAa_MLD during channel scanning. Here, the STAa_MLD is configured to scan signals on both Link_1 and Link_2. In this case, the STAs 201 and 202 are connected to different RF units (and antennas). Specifically, the PHY unit 222a is connected to the RF unit 270a and the antenna 250a, and the PHY unit 222b is connected to the RF unit 270b and the antenna 250b. As a result, the antenna 250a monitors Link_1, and the antenna 250b monitors Link_2.

[0080] The channel scan in FIG. 5 also includes backoff processing that is performed when the STAa_MLD wants to perform uplink transmission.

[0081] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of the communication unit 210 of the STAa_MLD during data transmission and reception. FIG. 6A shows an example in which the STAa_MLD transmits and receives data over Link_1. When the STAa_MLD receives an MU-RTS signal from the AP_MLD or acquires the right to transmit over Link_1, the STAa_MLD switches the SW between the RF unit and the PHY unit. Specifically, the PHY unit 222a is connected to the RF unit 270a and the antenna 250a, and also to the RF unit 270b and the antenna 250b. As a result, Link_1 transmits data using both the antennas 250a and 250b.

[0082] 6B shows an example in which STAa_MLD transmits and receives data via Link_2. In FIG. 6B, PHY unit 222b is connected to RF unit 270a and antenna 250a, and also to RF unit 270b and antenna 250b. As a result, Link_2 transmits and receives data using both antennas 250a and 250b.

[0083] 5, 6A, and 6B, in the wireless communication device 1, during channel scanning, both Link_1 and Link_2 are used to improve transmission and reception opportunities, and during data transmission and reception, one of Link_1 or Link_2 transmits and receives data using multiple antennas, thereby enabling advanced MIMO transmission. The above operation is being considered for standardization as eMLMR operation in IEEE802.11be.

[0084] The fact that the STAa_MLD can adopt the eMLMR configuration is transmitted to the AP_MLD as Capability information. Furthermore, it is expected that switching between the RF unit and the PHY unit by the SW will require a time on the order of several microseconds. The STAa_MLD notifies the AP_MLD of the SW switching time. When transmitting an MU-RTS signal to the STAa_MLD, the AP_MLD must extend the MU-RTS transmission time in consideration of the SW switching time.

[0085] 7 illustrates a problem in broadband transmission. In the example of FIG. 7, AP_1 attempts broadband transmission to STAb_1, and STAa_2 attempts broadband transmission to STAc_2. Although Link_1 and Link_2 use different primary channels, some channels overlap when broadband transmission is performed. In this case, while either AP_1 or STAa_2 is transmitting data, the other is forced to wait, resulting in increased transmission delay.

[0086] Under these circumstances, several methods for data transmission between AP_1 and STAa_2 have been discussed, but among them, Coordinated BF (Beamforming), which allows both to use the same band and transmit simultaneously, is effective. In Coordinated BF, each sender uses MIMO technology to form a beam to the data transmission destination while suppressing interference (also known as forming a NULL) with the terminal to which the other sender is transmitting data, allowing data transmission without interference between multiple terminals even when transmitting simultaneously in overlapping bands. By using Coordinated BF, there is no need for bandwidth restrictions, and significant improvements in throughput are expected.

[0087] In this specification, the operation of multiple senders transmitting data in parallel over a wide bandwidth while preventing interference with each other by transmitting data using Coordinated BFs is also referred to as cooperative operation.

[0088] However, a condition for enabling Coordinated BF is that the sender must have a sufficient number of antennas. The AP side usually has a sufficient number of antennas. Therefore, AP_MLD can simultaneously perform beamforming to STAb_1 and interference suppression for STAc_2.

[0089] On the other hand, on the STA side, the number of antennas (also referred to as antenna degrees of freedom) that can be used for forming a beam pattern of Coordinated BF (hereinafter simply referred to as forming Coordinated BF) may be limited due to device constraints. As a result, STAa_2 does not have enough antenna degrees of freedom and is unable to sufficiently suppress interference with AP_1 and STAb_1. In such a case, even if both AP_1 and STAa_2 perform Coordinated BF, data transmission from AP_1 to STAb_1 is likely to fail due to high interference. The STAa_MLD according to the present disclosure is characterized by being able to solve such problems.

[0090] 8 is a diagram illustrating a cooperative operation of the wireless communication system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, the eMLMR operation of the STAa_MLD shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is also applied to P2P communication.

[0091] In the example of Fig. 7, only antenna 250b is used for data transmission on Link_2, i.e., a Coordinated BF is formed using only antenna 250b. In contrast, in Fig. 8, antennas 250a and 250b are used for data transmission on Link_2 using the eMLMR operation similar to that of Fig. 6B, and a Coordinated BF is formed using antennas 250a and 250b. This allows STAa_2 to simultaneously perform beamforming to STAc_2 and suppress interference to STAb_1.

[0092] That is, when the STAa_MLD according to the present disclosure communicates with the STAc_MLD using Link_2, which partially overlaps with Link_1 used by the AP_MLD, the switching unit 260 switches the antennas 250a and 250b to use Link_2. Also, the antennas 250a and 250b transmit data in a first direction X, which is the direction in which the STAc_MLD is located, and suppress interference in a second direction Y, in which the AP_MLD and the STAb_MLD are located. Meanwhile, the antenna 150 of the AP_MLD also transmits data in the direction in which the STAb_MLD is located, and suppresses interference in the direction in which the STAa_MLD and the STAc_MLD are located.

[0093] At this time, the composite wave of the radio waves emitted by antenna 250a and the radio waves emitted by antenna 250b is controlled to be strong in the first direction X and weak in the second direction Y. By operating in cooperation with AP_MLD, STAa_MLD widens the channel (first frequency band) of Link_2, and can transmit data on a channel (also called a third frequency band or wideband) that includes a channel (second frequency band) that overlaps with Link_1.

[0094] As shown in Fig. 8, by using eMLMR operation in P2P communication, a sufficient number of antennas can be secured to form a Coordinated BF. This allows the STA side to simultaneously suppress interference with other devices and perform beamforming.

[0095] 8, two problems arise. The first problem is that STAa_MLD is using antennas 250a and 250b for Link_2, and therefore communication on Link_1 becomes impossible. For example, even if there is data to be transmitted from AP_MLD to STAa_MLD during cooperative operation, STAa_MLD cannot receive this data.

[0096] The second problem is that the state of Link_2 may switch between Idle and Busy during the switching period between the RF unit and the PHY unit. When cooperative operation is performed, the cooperating STA returns a response signal, checking whether the link it uses for data transmission is Idle or Busy, and responding whether cooperative operation is possible. This is based on the premise that the period from transmitting the response signal to starting cooperative transmission is short.

[0097] In the present disclosure, after STAa_MLD responds that it can cooperate with AP_MLD, it switches the antenna 250a and RF unit 270a used on Link_1 to Link_2. This switching period is considered to be, for example, a maximum of approximately 256 μs. This switching period is a period during which the Idle or Busy state of Link_2 can change sufficiently. Even if Link_2 is Idle at the time of STAa_MLD's response, if Link_2 becomes Busy after switching the antenna 250a and RF unit 270a, STAa_MLD cannot participate in cooperative operation. Since the AP_MLD side cannot recognize that STAa_MLD is not participating in cooperative operation, it may form unnecessary Coordinated BFs, resulting in wasting antenna flexibility.

[0098] To address the first issue, the AP_MLD and the STAa_MLD according to the present disclosure check in advance whether there is data that needs to be transmitted during the period in which they are cooperating, thereby preventing data transmission from the AP_MLD to the STAa_MLD during the cooperating operation.

[0099] To address the second problem, the present disclosure adds a condition to the determination of whether cooperative operation is possible (hereinafter also referred to as cooperative determination) that the transmission right for Link_2 must be acquired before cooperative operation. It is sufficient that either AP_MLD or STAa_MLD can acquire the transmission right for Link_2. This prevents Link_2 from switching from Idle to Busy during the switching period of the antenna 250a and the RF unit 270a. Furthermore, to prevent Link_1 from switching from Idle to Busy during the switching period, AP_MLD acquires the transmission right for Link_1 before cooperative operation.

[0100] When cooperative operation is possible, STAa_MLD performs control (second control) of forming a Coordinated BF shown in Fig. 8. On the other hand, when cooperative operation is not possible, STAa_MLD performs control (first control) of preventing interference with Link_1 by transmitting data to STAc_MLD on a channel (i.e., a first frequency band or a narrow band) that does not include a channel that overlaps with Link_1 among the channels that Link_2 has.

[0101] 9 is an overall sequence diagram of the wireless communication system 10 for realizing the cooperative operation of the present disclosure. First, the wireless communication system 10 sets up each communication (step S1; Association Phase). Specifically, AP_1, STAa_1, and STAb_1 set up Link_1, including capability exchange, authentication processing, and connection processing, through several frame exchanges. Similarly, AP_2, STAa_2, and STAc_2 set up Link_2. Note that, between AP_MLD and STAa_MLD, frame exchange on either Link_1 or Link_2 can complete the setup of the other. Furthermore, TDLS setup (including P2P communication capability exchange, authentication processing, and connection processing) is performed between STAa_2 and STAc_2 via AP1.

[0102] Next, AP_1, STAa_1, STAa_2, etc. perform channel estimation to determine calculation parameters when performing MIMO communication (step S2; Sounding Phase). Specifically, AP_1 transmits test data (NDP; Null Data Packet) and obtains feedback information based on the channel estimation results from STAb_1 and STAc_2. This disclosure is characterized in that STAa_1 and STAa_2 cooperate to transmit NDP and obtain feedback information based on the channel estimation results from STAb_1 and STAc_2. Note that this phase may be performed at intervals determined by the implementer.

[0103] Next, the wireless communication system 10 performs a cooperative decision and data transmission (step S3; DATA Tx Phase). In step S3, AP_1 transmits data to STAb_1 and STAa_2 transmits data to STAc_2 through the cooperative operation shown in FIG.

[0104] 10 is a sequence diagram showing a sounding phase according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In the sounding phase of FIG. 10, channel estimation (hereinafter also referred to as sounding implementation or sounding processing) is performed to determine calculation parameters to be used for MIMO communication in the DATA Tx phase. At this time, calculation parameters are required when the STAa_MLD forms a Coordinated BF using antennas 250a and 250b. That is, even in the sounding phase according to the present disclosure, the STAa_MLD performs channel estimation using antennas 250a and 250b through eMLMR operation.

[0105] First, STAa_2 acquires a transmission right (step S11) and exchanges RTS / CTS signals. Next, STAa_2 transmits a Coordination Request Frame (second signal) to AP_2, which is a signal requesting that AP_2 perform a Sounding operation (step S12). This frame informs AP_2 that STAa_2 will perform eMLMR operation and that STAa_MLD will be unable to use Link_1.

[0106] After receiving the Coordination Request Frame, AP_2 determines whether to perform Sounding based on the information in its own buffer and the traffic situation (step S13). AP_2 also notifies STAa_2 of the result of the Sounding performance determination using a Coordination Response Frame (third signal) (step S14). Details of the Coordination Request Frame and the Coordination Response Frame will be described later.

[0107] 11 is a flowchart showing a sounding execution determination according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The AP_MLD determines whether or not it is necessary to transmit data to the STAa_MLD (STAa_1) during the sounding execution period (and during a link switching time, which will be described later) (step S21).

[0108] As a criterion for the determination in step S21, for example, when the following (1) and (2) are simultaneously satisfied, the AP_MLD determines that it is necessary to perform data communication with the STAa_MLD.

[0109] (1) There is one or more packets addressed to STAa_MLD in the buffer of AP_MLD, or traffic addressed to STAa_MLD is expected to occur during the Sounding period.

[0110] (2) Due to the nature of the traffic, it is necessary to transmit it during the sounding period.

[0111] While the STAa_MLD is performing sounding in eMLMR operation, the AP_MLD completely loses access to the STAa_MLD. Therefore, if there are already packets to be transmitted during the sounding period or if there are expected to be packets to be transmitted in the future, the AP_MLD must instruct the STAa_MLD to make Link_1 available. Therefore, in this case, the sounding is not performed (step S22) and the STAa_MLD's eMLMR operation is not permitted. On the other hand, if either (1) or (2) is not satisfied, the sounding is performed (step S23).

[0112] The decision to perform sounding is not limited to the above. For example, if it is known that AP_1 will not be able to reliably acquire the transmission right during the sounding period, sounding may be allowed even if both of the above conditions are met.

[0113] Hereinafter, the operation after AP_2 determines that the implementation of Sounding is OK will be described with reference to FIG.

[0114] Upon receiving the Coordination Response Frame, STAa_MLD transmits an NDP-A (NDP Announcement) Frame to the surrounding STAs (STAb_1 and STAc_2 in FIG. 10) requesting channel estimation (step S15). This frame stores information such as the STA's identification information and the number of antennas used when transmitting the NDP. While FIG. 10 illustrates an operation in which both STAa_1 and STAa_2 transmit the NDP-A Frame using the primary channel, if STAa_1 is unable to transmit, only STAa_2 may transmit the NDP-A Frame. In this case, STAa_2 needs to generate a wideband signal including the primary channel of Link_1.

[0115] Next, STAa_MLD performs link switching (step S16). That is, the RF unit 270a and antenna 250a used by STAa_1 are switched to those of STAa_2. As a result, the antennas 250a and 250b are used for Link_2, and STAa_MLD becomes unable to use Link_1.

[0116] Furthermore, it is expected that a certain amount of time will be required to complete the link switching, and STAa_2 must wait until the link switching is completed (step S17). During the waiting period of step S17, STAa_1 is unable to transmit or receive any data until the link switching is completed again.

[0117] When the link switching is completed, STAa_2 transmits an NDP (first signal) to the surrounding STAs (STAb_1 and STAc_2 in FIG. 10) using the eMLMR operation (step S18). This NDP is transmitted as a wideband (fourth frequency band) signal including the primary channel of Link_1 and the primary channel of Link_2.

[0118] In the sounding process, the wireless communication system 10 determines calculation parameters for communication with the STAc_MLD based on information on the antennas 250a and 250b and information on the antennas that the STAc_MLD has.

[0119] More specifically, STAb_1 and STAc_2, which have acquired the NDP, perform channel estimation from the NDP and notify STAa_2 of feedback information based on the estimation result as a BF Report (step S19). This feedback information may be information representing the estimated channel itself or indirect information representing parameter information required for beamforming. Furthermore, before each STA notifies the BF Report, STAa_2 may transmit a Trigger Frame to each STA, inducing each STA to simultaneously transmit a BF Report using resources specified in the Trigger Frame.

[0120] The DATA Tx Phase according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 17. As shown in FIG. 8, data transmission is performed using Link_1 and Link_2 during the DATA Tx Phase, and therefore the wireless communication system 10 must acquire the transmission right for each of Link_1 and Link_2. Furthermore, as described above, whether or not the transmission right for Link_1 and Link_2 can be acquired before cooperative operation is also a condition for cooperative determination. In the wireless communication system 10 according to the present disclosure, AP_1 acquires the transmission right for Link_1, but either AP_2 or STAa_2 may acquire the transmission right for Link_2. In other words, during the DATA Tx Phase, operations such as cooperative determination change depending on whether AP_2 or STAa_2 acquires the transmission right for Link_2.

[0121] Furthermore, when STAa_2 acquires the transmission right for Link_2, the requester of the cooperation decision changes depending on whether AP_1 acquires the transmission right for Link_1 first or AP_1 acquires the transmission right for Link_1 first. Specifically, if AP_1 acquires the transmission right for Link_1 first, AP_MLD requests STAa_MLD to make a cooperation decision. If STAa_2 acquires the transmission right for Link_2 first, STAa_MLD requests AP_MLD to make a cooperation decision.

[0122] That is, in the DATA Tx Phase according to the present disclosure, there are three patterns: (1) a pattern in which AP_2 acquires the transmission right for Link_2, (2) a pattern in which STAa_2 acquires the transmission right for Link_2 after AP_1 acquires the transmission right for Link_1, and (3) a pattern in which STAa_2 acquires the transmission right for Link_2 before AP_1 acquires the transmission right for Link_1. Below, we will explain the patterns in the order of (2), (1), and (3).

[0123] Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram showing a first example of the DATA Tx Phase according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing a collaboration decision on the AP_MLD side in the first example of the DATA Tx Phase. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing a collaboration decision on the STAa_MLD side in the first example of the DATA Tx Phase. Fig. 12 illustrates an example in which STAa_2 acquires the transmission right for Link_2 after AP_1 acquires the transmission right for Link_1. First, AP_1 acquires the transmission right for Link_1 (step S31) and performs RTS / CTS exchange.

[0124] Next, AP_1 performs a cooperation determination (step S32). In the cooperation determination on the AP_MLD side shown in Fig. 13, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to transmit data to STAa_MLD during the subsequent cooperation operation period (and during the Link switching time) (step S51).

[0125] As a criterion for the determination in step S51, for example, when the following (1) and (2) are simultaneously satisfied, the AP_MLD determines that it is necessary to perform data communication with the STAa_MLD.

[0126] (1) There is one or more packets destined for STAa_MLD in the buffer of AP_MLD, or traffic destined for STAa_MLD is expected to occur during the cooperative operation period.

[0127] (2) The nature of the traffic requires that it be transmitted during a cooperative operation period.

[0128] While STAa_MLD is cooperating in eMLMR operation, AP_MLD completely loses access to STAa_MLD. Therefore, if there is already one or more packets to be transmitted during the cooperative operation period or if there is expected to be more packets to be transmitted in the future, AP_MLD must instruct STAa_MLD to make Link_1 available. Therefore, in this case, AP_MLD determines that cooperative operation is not possible, does not permit STAa_MLD to operate in eMLMR, and starts transmitting data to STAb_1 (step S52).

[0129] On the other hand, if either (1) or (2) is not satisfied, the AP_MLD transmits a Coordination Request Frame to the STAa_1 (step S33). This frame notifies the STAa_MLD to confirm whether or not to perform eMLMR operation and coordinate with the AP_1.

[0130] The Coordination Request Frame includes information on whether or not it is necessary to acquire the transmission right for Link_2 before cooperative operation. The AP_MLD determines whether or not it is necessary to acquire the transmission right for Link_2 before cooperative operation, for example, based on information on the link switching time of the STAa_MLD acquired in the association phase.

[0131] For example, if it is determined that the link switching time of STAa_MLD is sufficiently short and there is no risk of the idle or busy state of Link_2 changing during link switching, there is no need to acquire the transmission right for Link_2 before cooperative operation.

[0132] 12, upon receiving the Coordination Request Frame, the STAa_1 makes a coordination decision (step S34). The STAa_1 notifies the AP_1 of the result of the coordination decision by using a Coordination Response Frame (step S35).

[0133] In the cooperative determination on the STAa_MLD side shown in Fig. 14, the STAa_MLD determines whether or not it is necessary for STAa_2 to transmit data to STAc_2 while AP_1 is transmitting data to STAb_1 (step S61). The determination criterion of step S61 may be the same as the determination criterion of step S51 in Fig. 13.

[0134] If data transmission to STAc_2 is not required during the data transmission period of AP_1, it is determined that coordination is not required (step S62), and STAa_MLD notifies AP_1 of this fact by a Coordination Response Frame.

[0135] If data transmission to STAc_2 is necessary during the data transmission period of AP_1, STAa_MLD then checks whether it is necessary to acquire a transmission opportunity (TXOP) for Link_2 before cooperative operation (step S63).Whether it is necessary to acquire a transmission opportunity before cooperative operation can be checked by flag information stored in the previously acquired Coordination Request Frame.

[0136] If it is necessary to acquire the transmission right before cooperative operation, it is determined whether either AP_2 or STAa_2 can acquire the transmission right (step S64).

[0137] Whether AP_2 can acquire the transmission right can be determined based on the information about each link status stored in the Coordination Request Frame: "Transmission right already acquired," "Transmission right is expected to be acquired within a certain period of time," or "Transmission right cannot be acquired."

[0138] The STAa_2 side can estimate that it can acquire the transmission right if, for example, at least one of the following (1) or (2) is satisfied.

[0139] (1) The NAV (Network Allocation Vector) and the estimated time of expiration of the backoff period are earlier than the expected time of start of data transmission.

[0140] (2) The continuous busy time of Link_2 is equal to or greater than a threshold (the threshold may be determined on the STAa_2 side).

[0141] As described above, if either AP_2 or STAa_2 has already acquired the transmission right or is able to acquire the transmission right, STAa_2 determines that it is capable of cooperative operation with AP_1 (step S65) and notifies STAa_2 of this fact via a Coordination Response Frame.

[0142] When neither AP_2 nor STAa_2 can acquire the transmission right for Link_2, they notify AP_1 that coordination is not possible using a Coordination Response Frame. If coordination is not possible, data transmission between STAa_2 and STAc_2 is performed using a narrowband on Link_2 that does not include the channel used by AP_1. At this time, STAa_2 may simultaneously request AP_1 to narrowband Link_1 and set it to a frequency band that does not include the primary channel of Link_2 (step S66).

[0143] If it is determined in step S63 that acquisition of the transmission right is not necessary, STAa_2 determines whether data transmission to STAc_2 is reliably impossible at the start of cooperative transmission (step S67). For example, if it is determined that STAa_2 continues to receive interference signals above the Energy Detect threshold and that this will continue until the start of cooperative transmission, STAa_2 reliably determines that data transmission to STAc_2 is reliably impossible at the start of cooperative transmission. In this case, STAa_2 determines that cooperative operation is impossible, and if necessary, requests AP_1 to narrow the signal bandwidth (step S66). Otherwise, STAa_2 determines that cooperative operation with AP_1 is possible (step S65).

[0144] Next, STAa_MLD performs link switching (step S36). That is, the RF unit 270a and antenna 250a used by STAa_1 are switched to those of STAa_2. As a result, the antennas 250a and 250b are used for Link_2, and STAa_MLD becomes unable to use Link_1.

[0145] Furthermore, it is expected that a certain amount of time will be required to complete the link switching, and STAa_2 must wait until the link switching is completed (step S37). During the waiting period of step S37, STAa_1 is unable to transmit or receive any data until the link switching is completed again.

[0146] During or before this link switching, STAa_2 acquires the transmission right (step S38) and exchanges RTS / CTS with AP_2. This operation prevents Link_2 from switching from Idle to Busy, even if a certain amount of time is required from the acquisition of the Coordination Response Frame to the start of coordinated operation, and enables AP_1 to confirm that STAa_2 is reliably in a state where data transmission is possible.

[0147] AP_1 makes a coordination determination (step S39). If it determines in step S39 that coordination is possible, it transmits a Coordination Trigger Frame to STAa_2 (step S40) and sets up coordination during data transmission. AP_1 transmits the Coordination Trigger Frame as a wideband signal including the primary channels of Link_1 and Link_2.

[0148] In the coordination determination on the AP_MLD side shown in Fig. 13, AP_1 determines whether or not a coordination request has been received from STAa_MLD based on the Coordination Response Frame transmitted from STAa_1 (step S53). If there is no coordination request from STAa_1 (steps S62 and S66 in Fig. 14), or if a Coordination Response Frame cannot be obtained from STAa_1 for a certain period of time, AP_MLD determines that coordination is not possible and starts data transmission to STAb_1 (step S52). If coordination is not possible, Link_2 is set to the first frequency band.

[0149] When a cooperative operation request is received from STAa_1 (step S65 in FIG. 14), it is confirmed whether or not acquisition of the transmission right for Link_2 is necessary (step S54). If acquisition of the transmission right is not necessary, a Coordination Trigger Frame is transmitted to STAa_2 to instruct it to start cooperative operation (step S40).

[0150] If acquisition of the transmission right for Link_2 is necessary, AP_MLD determines whether either AP_2 or STAa_2 has completed acquisition of the transmission right for Link_2 before transmitting the Coordination Trigger Frame. If acquisition of the transmission right has not been completed, AP_MLD determines that coordination is not possible and starts data transmission to STAb_1 (step S52). If acquisition of the transmission right for Link_2 has been completed, AP_MLD transmits a Coordination Trigger Frame to STAa_2 to instruct it to start coordination (step S40).

[0151] In Fig. 12, after transmitting and receiving a Coordination Trigger Frame, coordinated operation is initiated (step S41). When coordinated operation is possible, Link_2 is set to a third frequency band, which is a broadened version of the first frequency band. In step S41, AP_1 initiates data transmission to STAb_1, and STAa_2 initiates data transmission to STAc_2 via eMLMR operation. At this time, AP_1 and STAa_2 each perform beamforming to suppress interference with the other receiving terminal, thereby enabling simultaneous data transmission even when using overlapping broadband frequency resources.

[0152] Fig. 15 is a sequence diagram showing a second example of the DATA Tx Phase according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 15 differs from Fig. 12 in that AP_2 acquires the transmission right for Link_2 (step S71). Note that the cooperation determinations in steps S32, S34, and S39 in Fig. 15 are the same as those shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

[0153] In FIG. 15, AP_2 may notify STAa_2 that it is ready to transmit data using a Trigger Frame instead of the usual RTS / CTS (step S72).

[0154] Furthermore, the Coordination Trigger Frame is transmitted from AP_2 to STAa_2 via Link_2 (step S73). In Fig. 15, since AP_2 can transmit the Coordination Trigger Frame, it is possible to transmit a narrowband signal including only the primary channel of Link_2, instead of a wideband signal including both the primary channels of Link_1 and Link_2.

[0155] 16 is a sequence diagram illustrating a third example of the DATA Tx Phase according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 16, an example is described in which STAa_2 acquires the transmission right for Link_2 before AP_1 acquires the transmission right. First, STAa_2 acquires the transmission right for Link_2 (step S81) and performs RTS / CTS exchange.

[0156] Next, STAa_2 transmits a Coordination Request Frame to AP_2 (step S82). This frame notifies AP_MLD to perform eMLMR operation and to confirm whether or not to perform cooperative operation with AP_1.

[0157] Upon receiving the Coordination Request Frame, AP_2 makes a coordination decision (step S83). AP_2 notifies STAa_2 of the result of the coordination decision by using a Coordination Response Frame (step S84).

[0158] 17 is a flowchart showing the AP_MLD's cooperative decision in the third example of the DATA Tx Phase. First, the AP_MLD decides whether or not it is necessary to transmit data to another STA (e.g., STAb_1) while STAa_2 is transmitting data to STAc_2 (step S91). The decision criteria in step S91 are the same as those in step S51 in FIG. 13.

[0159] If data transmission to other STAs is not required during the data transmission period of STAa_2, it is determined that coordination is not required (step S92), and this is notified to STAa_2 by a Coordination Response Frame.

[0160] If data transmission from another STA is necessary, similar to step S51 in FIG. 13, it is determined whether data transmission to STAa_MLD will be necessary during the subsequent cooperative operation period (and during the link switching time) (step S93).

[0161] When it becomes necessary to transmit data to STAa_MLD, STAa_2 is notified by a Coordination Response Frame that cooperative operation is not possible, and a request is made to STAa_2 to narrow the band of Link_2 and set it to a frequency band that does not include the primary channel of Link_1 (step S94).

[0162] If there is no need to transmit data to STAa_MLD, AP_MLD determines whether AP_1 needs to acquire the transmission right for Link_1 before cooperative operation (step S95). Note that STAa_2 may determine whether it is necessary for AP_1 to acquire the transmission right and instruct AP_MLD to do so in a Coordination Request Frame.

[0163] If it is necessary to acquire the transmission right before cooperative operation, AP_1 determines whether it can acquire the transmission right (step S96). The determination criteria in step S96 are the same as the determination criteria in step S64 of Fig. 14. If AP_1 cannot acquire the transmission right, cooperative operation is impossible (step S94).

[0164] If acquisition of the transmission right is not required before cooperative operation, AP_1 determines whether data transmission to STAb_1 is reliably impossible at the start of cooperative transmission (step S97). The determination criteria in step S97 are the same as those in step S67 in Fig. 14. If AP_1 is reliably unable to transmit at the start of cooperative transmission, cooperative operation is impossible (step S94).

[0165] If the transmission right has already been acquired or can be acquired in step S96, or if AP_1 is not definitely unable to transmit at the start of cooperative transmission, AP_1 determines that cooperative operation with STAa_2 is possible (step S98) and notifies STAa_2 of this fact using a Coordination Response Frame.

[0166] 16 performs link switching, switching the RF unit 270a and antenna 250a used by STAa_1 to STAa_2 (step S85). It is expected that a certain amount of time will be required to complete the link switching, and STAa_2 must wait until the link switching is completed (step S86). At this time, STAa_1 will be unable to transmit or receive any data until the link switching is completed again.

[0167] During or before this link switching, AP_1 acquires the transmission right (step S87) and exchanges MU-RTS / CTS with STAa_2. This operation allows STAa_2 to confirm that AP_1 is in a state where data transmission is possible, even if a certain amount of time is required from the time of acquiring the Coordination Response Frame to the time of starting data transmission. The reason why MU-RTS is used here is because AP_1 must transmit a wideband signal including the primary channel of Link_2 to STAa_2.

[0168] Once the link switching is complete, STAa_2 transmits a Coordination Trigger Frame to AP_1 (step S88) to set up cooperative operation during data transmission. This Coordination Trigger Frame is transmitted as a wideband signal including the primary channels of Link_1 and Link_2. After transmitting and receiving the Coordination Trigger Frame, cooperative operation is initiated (step S89). In step S89, AP_1 initiates data transmission to STAb_1, and STAa_2 initiates data transmission to STAc_2 using eMLMR operation. At this time, AP_1 and STAa_2 each perform beamforming to suppress interference with the other receiving terminal, thereby enabling simultaneous data transmission even when using overlapping wideband frequency resources.

[0169] 18 is a diagram showing the frame format of a Coordination Request Frame. The Coordination Request Frame is a frame transmitted by either the AP_MLD or the STAa_MLD to the other. The Coordination Request Frame requests a sounding implementation decision (step S13 in FIG. 10) or a coordination decision (step S34 in FIG. 12, etc.). The frame shown in FIG. 18 is composed of Frame Control 301, Duration 302, RA (Receiver Address) 303, TA (Transmitter Address) 304, Frame Body 305, and FCS (Frame Check Sequence) 306.

[0170] Frame control 301 stores information about the settings of this frame. Duration 302 stores information about the length of this frame. RA 303 stores information about the receiving address. TA 304 stores information about the sending address. Body information 305 stores information about sounding operation or cooperative operation. FCS 306 stores information about error detection.

[0171] The main body information 305 includes category information (Category) 311, signal type information (MAP Action) 312, method type information (Negotiation Category) 313, destination information (Rx STA AID) 314, expected data transmission start time information (Expected Data Tx Time) 315, data transmission duration information (Expected Data Tx Duration) 316, transmission right required / unrequired flag (TXOP Required flag) 317, and link information (Status for each link) 318.

[0172] The category information 311 stores information indicating the type of this frame, specifically, information indicating that this frame is a MAP (Multi-AP) Action Frame. The signal type information 312 stores information indicating the signal type of this frame (MAP Action Frame), for example, information indicating that this frame is a Coordination Request Frame or a Coordination Response Frame. The method type information 313 stores information indicating the content to be set in this frame and the type of coordination method, for example, information indicating that this frame is used to determine whether or not a sounding implementation decision, a coordination decision, or an eMLMR operation is involved. The destination information 314 stores identification information of the destination STA or AP to which the coordination requester wishes to transmit. The information stored in the destination information 314 may be an AID (Association ID), address information, or other identification information. The scheduled data transmission start time information 315 stores information on the scheduled data transmission start time when coordinated transmission is being performed. The data transmission start time information 315 stores information including, for example, the time required for subsequent frame exchange (such as a Coordination Response Frame and a Coordination Trigger Frame) and the time required for link switching by the STAa_MLD. The data transmission period information 316 stores data transmission period information when cooperative transmission is being performed. The transmission right required / unrequired flag 317 stores flag information indicating whether or not acquisition of the transmission right for a link (Link_2 or Link_1) other than the link (Link_1 or Link_2) that has acquired the transmission right is required when cooperative transmission is performed in eMLMR operation. The transmission right required / unrequired flag 317 stores, for example, True if the time required for link switching by the STAa_MLD is long, and False if the time required for link switching is short. The link information 318 stores information indicating the status of each link on the sender side of the Coordination Request Frame, and stores, for example, information such as "transmission right acquired," "transmission right expected to be acquired within a certain period," or "transmission right not acquired" as the status of each link.In the case of "expected acquisition of transmission rights within a certain period of time," the link information 318 may store numerical information on the time required to acquire the transmission rights. In other words, the link information 318 indicates the acquisition status of the transmission rights for the link (Link_2 or Link_1) or estimated information on whether or not they can be acquired. Tables 1 and 2 below show examples of information stored in the signal type information 312 and the method type information 313, respectively.

[0173]

[0174]

[0175] 18 shows an example in which the Coordination Request Frame is configured based on the Action Frame of IEEE 802.11. Note that the configuration of the Coordination Request Frame is not limited to this, and it may be a frame that includes at least category information 311, signal type information 312, method type information 313, destination information 314, scheduled data transmission start time information 315, data transmission period information 316, transmission right required / unrequired flag 317, and part of link information 318. Furthermore, although the Coordination Request Frame in FIG. 18 is assumed to be transmitted as a MAC Frame, it is not limited thereto and may also be transmitted as a TCP / IP Frame, or may be transmitted wirelessly in accordance with another wireless standard, or may be transmitted via a wired connection.

[0176] In this specification, the transmission right required / unrequired flag 317 and link information 318 are also referred to as first information and second information, respectively. As shown in Figures 12, 15, and 16, if STAa_MLD obtains the transmission right for Link_2 before AP_MLD obtains the transmission right for Link_1, STAa_MLD transmits a Coordination Request Frame to AP_MLD; otherwise, AP_MLD transmits a Coordination Request Frame to STAa_MLD. Link information 318 stores the sender's acquisition status of the transmission right for Link_2 (and Link_1). The receiver of the Coordination Request Frame makes a coordination decision based on the transmission right required / unrequired flag 317 and link information 318.

[0177] 19 is a diagram showing the frame format of a Coordination Response Frame. The Coordination Response Frame is a frame transmitted by either the STAa_MLD or AP_MLD that has received the Coordination Request Frame to the other. The Coordination Response Frame is a response to a request for sounding implementation determination (step S13 in FIG. 10) or a response to a request for coordination determination (step S34 in FIG. 12, etc.). The frame shown in FIG. 19 is composed of frame control 301, duration 302, RA 303, TA 304, main information (Frame Body) 305a, and FCS 306, just like in FIG. 18.

[0178] The main body information 305a is composed of category information 311, signal type information 312, method type information 313, a permission flag (Coordination Flag) 321, and destination information 314. The category information 311, signal type information 312, method type information 313, and destination information 314 store the same information as in Fig. 18. The permission flag 321 stores information on whether or not to permit a sounding implementation determination or whether or not to permit a coordination determination.

[0179] 19 shows an example in which the Coordination Response Frame is configured based on the Action Frame of IEEE 802.11. Note that the configuration of the Coordination Response Frame is not limited to this, and it may be a frame that includes at least the category information 311, the signal type information 312, the method type information 313, the permission flag 321, and part of the destination information 314. Furthermore, although the Coordination Response Frame in FIG. 19 is assumed to be transmitted as a MAC Frame, it may also be transmitted as a TCP / IP Frame, or may be transmitted wirelessly in accordance with another wireless standard, or may be transmitted via a wired connection.

[0180] In this specification, the permission flag 321 is also referred to as third information. As shown in Figures 12, 15, and 16, the side that received the Coordination Request Frame (STAa_MLD or AP_MLD) transmits the Coordination Response Frame to the side that transmitted the Coordination Request Frame (AP_MLD or STAa_MLD). The sender of the Coordination Response Frame stores the result of the coordination decision in the permission flag 321, and the receiver of the Coordination Response Frame determines whether to perform coordination based on the permission flag 321.

[0181] In this way, the STAa_MLD according to the present disclosure can transmit data to other STAs via Link_2, and suppress interference with Link_1 by cooperative operation or narrowband data transmission. In cooperative operation, by forming a Coordinated BF in both the AP_MLD and the STAa_MLD, it is possible to prevent interference with each other and perform parallel data transmission over a wideband, thereby improving throughput.

[0182] By operating in eMLMR, the STAa_MLD can use antennas that were used for another link to form a Coordinated BF, and can achieve sufficient interference suppression through Coordinated BF even when the number of antennas is limited due to device constraints.

[0183] In addition, before STAa_MLD performs link switching through eMLMR operation, AP_MLD checks whether there is data that needs to be transmitted to STAa_MLD or whether there is a possibility that such data will occur, thereby preventing data transmission from AP_MLD to STAa_MLD during cooperative operation.

[0184] Furthermore, AP_MLD or STAa_MLD acquires the transmission right for Link_2, and AP_MLD acquires the transmission right for Link_1, thereby maintaining the idle states of Link_1 and Link_2 during link switching of STAa_MLD. This ensures that both AP_MLD and STAa_MLD can participate in cooperative operation, and prevents the waste of antenna freedom caused by only one of them forming a Coordinated BF.

[0185] As described above, the wireless communication system 10 according to the present disclosure can improve communication opportunities in P2P communication by utilizing eMLMR operations.

[0186] Second Embodiment Fig. 20 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a wireless communication system 10a according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. This system differs from the wireless communication system 10 of Fig. 1 in that new entities, STAa_3 and AP_3, are arranged in the wireless communication device (STAa_MLD) 1a and the wireless communication device (AP_MLD) 100a, respectively. STAa_3 and AP_3 are entities that perform processing related to Link_3 (third link). STAa_MLD also has an antenna (third antenna) 250c and an RF unit 270c corresponding to the antenna 250c. STAa_3 has a PHY unit 222c.

[0187] In the wireless communication system 10 of Fig. 1, when antennas 250a and 250b are used on Link_2 due to eMLMR operation and used for data transmission with STAc_MLD, data transmission between AP_MLD and STAa_MLD becomes impossible. In contrast, in the wireless communication system 10a of Fig. 20, even when antennas 250a and 250b are used on Link_2, data transmission between AP_MLD and STAa_MLD can continue by using antenna 250c on Link_3.

[0188] That is, the wireless communication system 10a in Fig. 20 is capable of both cooperative operation of the STAa_MLD and the AP_MLD and data transmission between the STAa_MLD and the AP_MLD. Note that the AP_MLD and the STAa_MLD may have a configuration including four or more Links and four or more Entities and antennas corresponding thereto.

[0189] 21 is a flowchart showing a coordination determination on the AP_MLD side according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 21 corresponds to the coordination determination in the first example of the DATA Tx Phase shown in FIG. 13. In FIG. 21, when it is determined in step S51 that data transmission to STAa_MLD is necessary, it is determined whether communication with STAa_MLD is possible via another link (e.g., Link_3) (step S101). If communication with STAa_MLD is possible via another link, coordination between STAa_MLD and AP_MLD is possible, and AP_MLD transmits a Coordination Request Frame to STAa_1 (step S33). If communication with STAa_MLD is not possible via another link, AP_MLD determines that coordination is not possible and starts data transmission to STAb_1 (step S52).

[0190] Similarly, even if it is determined in step S93 of FIG. 17 that data transmission to STAa_MLD is necessary, if communication with STAa_MLD is possible via another link, it can be determined that cooperative operation between STAa_MLD and AP_MLD is possible.

[0191] In this way, the wireless communication system 10a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure can achieve both cooperative operation by the eMLMR operation of the STAa_MLD and data transmission between the STAa_MLD and the AP_MLD by connecting the STAa_MLD and the AP_MLD with three links, thereby further improving communication opportunities in P2P communication.

[0192] <Example of Computer Configuration> The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. When the series of processes is executed by software, the program constituting the software is installed from a program recording medium into a computer incorporated in dedicated hardware, or into a general-purpose personal computer, etc.

[0193] FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that executes the above-described series of processes by a program.

[0194] A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 801 , a ROM (Read Only Memory) 802 , and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 803 are interconnected by a bus 804 .

[0195] An input / output interface 805 is further connected to the bus 804. An input unit 806 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc., and an output unit 807 including a display, a speaker, etc., are connected to the input / output interface 805. Information related to the present technology, such as information about links used for communication and information about eMLMR operation, may be output or displayed from the output unit 807. Information related to the present technology, such as information about links used for communication and information about eMLMR operation, may be input from the input unit 806, and confirmation or a response to the information output or displayed on the output unit 807 may be input. In addition, a storage unit 808 including a hard disk, nonvolatile memory, etc., a communication unit 809 including a network interface, etc., and a drive 810 that drives removable media 811 are connected to the input / output interface 805.

[0196] In the computer configured as above, the CPU 801 performs the above-described series of processes by, for example, loading a program stored in the storage unit 808 into the RAM 803 via the input / output interface 805 and the bus 804 and executing the program. For example, the CPU 801 may execute processing programs corresponding to the flowcharts of Figures 11, 13, 14, 17, and 21 of the present technology.

[0197] The program executed by the CPU 801 is provided, for example, by being recorded on a removable medium 811 or via a wired or wireless transmission medium such as a local area network, the Internet, or digital broadcasting, and is installed in the storage unit 808.

[0198] The program executed by the computer may be a program that processes in chronological order according to the order described in this specification, or may be a program that processes in parallel or at the required timing, such as when called.

[0199] <Application Examples> The present technology can be applied to various products. For example, the wireless communication device 100 in FIG. 2 and the wireless communication device 1 in FIG. 3 may be realized as mobile terminals such as smartphones, smartwatches, tablet PCs (Personal Computers), notebook PCs, portable game consoles, or digital cameras; fixed terminals such as television sets, projectors, desktop PCs, printers, digital scanners, or network storage; or in-vehicle terminals such as car navigation systems and drive recorders. The wireless communication device 100 and the wireless communication device 1 may also be realized as machine-to-machine communication (M2M) terminals such as industrial robots, smart meters, vending machines, remote monitoring devices, or point-of-sale (POS) terminals, or Internet of Things (IoT) terminals. The wireless communication device 100 and the wireless communication device 1 may also be realized as autonomous mobile terminals such as land robots, aerial robots, underwater robots, and drones. Furthermore, the wireless communication device 100 and the wireless communication device 1 may be wireless communication modules (e.g., integrated circuit modules configured on a single die) mounted on these terminals.

[0200] On the other hand, for example, the wireless communication device 100 and the wireless communication device 1 may be realized as a wireless LAN AP (wireless base station) with or without a router function. The wireless communication device 100 and the wireless communication device 1 may also be realized as a mobile wireless LAN router. The wireless communication device 100 and the wireless communication device 1 may also be realized as a cellular communication base station and a femtocell. Furthermore, the wireless communication device 100 and the wireless communication device 1 may be wireless communication modules (for example, integrated circuit modules configured on a single die) mounted on these devices.

[0201] <Configuration example of smartphone> Fig. 23 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a smartphone to which the present technology is applied. Fig. 23 is described as a configuration example of a smartphone 900, but is not limited to this, and may be a configuration example of the various devices and functions described above.

[0202] The smartphone 900 includes a processor 901, a memory 902, a storage 903, an external connection interface 904, a camera 906, a sensor 907, a microphone 908, an input device 909, and a display device 910. The smartphone 900 also includes a speaker 911, a wireless communication interface 913, an antenna switch 914, an antenna 915, a bus 917, a battery 918, and an auxiliary controller 919. The smartphone 900 may include all or some of the above.

[0203] The processor 901 may be, for example, a CPU or a SoC (System on Chip), and controls the functions of the application layer and other layers of the smartphone 900.

[0204] The memory 902 includes RAM and ROM, and stores programs and data executed by the processor 901 .

[0205] The storage 903 includes a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk.

[0206] The external connection interface 904 is an interface for connecting an external device such as a memory card or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device to the smartphone 900 .

[0207] The camera 906 has an imaging element such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and generates a captured image.

[0208] The sensor 907 includes a group of sensors such as a positioning sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and an acceleration sensor.

[0209] The microphone 908 converts the sound input to the smartphone 900 into an audio signal.

[0210] The input device 909 includes, for example, a touch sensor that detects a touch on the screen of the display device 910, a keypad, a keyboard, a button, or a switch, and accepts operations or information input from the user.

[0211] The display device 910 has a screen such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or a quantum dot (QD) display, and converts the audio signal output from the smartphone 900 into audio.

[0212] The wireless communication interface 913 supports one or more wireless LAN standards such as IEEE802.11a, 11b, 11g, 11n, 11ac, 11ad, 11ax, 11ay, 11be, 11bn, and successor standards thereof, and performs wireless communication.

[0213] The wireless communication interface 913 communicates with other devices via a wireless LAN AP in infrastructure mode, and directly with other devices in ad hoc mode or a direct communication mode such as Wi-Fi Direct.

[0214] Unlike ad hoc mode, in Wi-Fi Direct, one of the two terminals acts as an AP, but communication is carried out directly between the terminals.

[0215] The wireless communication interface 913 typically includes a baseband processor, an RF (Radio Frequency) circuit, a power amplifier, etc. The wireless communication interface 913 may be a one-chip module that integrates a memory that stores a communication control program, a processor that executes the program, and related circuits.

[0216] The wireless communication interface 913 may support other types of wireless communication methods in addition to the wireless LAN method, such as a short-range wireless communication method such as Bluetooth, a proximity wireless communication method such as NFC, or a 3GPP cellular communication method such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and 6G. The wireless communication interface 913 may be a one-chip module that supports multiple wireless communication methods, or may be a combination of modules that support some of the wireless communication methods.

[0217] The antenna switch 914 switches the connection destination of the antenna 915 between multiple circuits included in the wireless communication interface 913 (for example, circuits for different wireless communication methods, or transmission system circuits and reception system circuits).

[0218] The antenna 915 has a single or multiple antenna elements (for example, multiple antenna elements constituting a MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antenna, or multiple antenna elements constituting an array antenna) and is used for transmitting and receiving radio signals via the wireless communication interface 913.

[0219] 23, the smartphone 900 may include multiple antennas (for example, an antenna for wireless LAN, an antenna for a close-proximity wireless communication system, and an antenna for a cellular communication system). In this case, the antenna switch 914 may be omitted from the configuration of the smartphone 900.

[0220] The bus 917 connects the processor 901, memory 902, storage 903, external connection interface 904, camera 906, sensor 907, microphone 908, input device 909, display device 910, speaker 911, wireless communication interface 913, and auxiliary controller 919 to each other.

[0221] The battery 918 supplies power to each block of the smartphone 900 shown in FIG. 23 via a power supply line partially indicated by a dashed line in the figure. The auxiliary controller 919 operates the minimum necessary functions of the smartphone 900, for example, in sleep mode. The battery 918 may also be charged via the external connection interface 904. The battery 918 may also have a function that allows it to read information regarding the remaining amount of power, the cumulative power-on time, or the cumulative amount of power supply, and the processor 901, the wireless communication interface 913, or the auxiliary controller 919 may control any of the functions of the above-described embodiments based on the information read from the battery 918.

[0222] In the smartphone 900 shown in Fig. 23 , for example, the wireless communication device 100 in Fig. 2 and the wireless communication device 1 in Fig. 3 may be implemented in the wireless communication interface 913. For example, processing programs corresponding to the flowcharts in Fig. 11 , 13 , 14 , 17 , and 21 may be executed in the wireless communication interface 913. Furthermore, at least some of these functions may be implemented in the processor 901 or the auxiliary controller 919.

[0223] The smartphone 900 may operate as a wireless AP (software AP) by the processor 901 executing an AP function at the application level. The wireless communication interface 913 may have a wireless AP function. The processor 901 or the wireless communication interface 913 may have a tethering function that uses a wireless LAN system and a cellular communication system, and may transmit payload data received via the cellular communication system via the wireless LAN system, or may transmit payload data received via the wireless LAN system via the cellular communication system. The smartphone 900 may have a tethering function enabled by user input.

[0224] Furthermore, the smartphone 900 may be provided with a biometric authentication unit (fingerprint authentication, palm shape authentication, voice authentication, blood vessel authentication, face authentication, iris authentication, retina authentication). In this case, the wireless communication interface 913 in which the wireless communication device 100 in Fig. 2 or the wireless communication device 1 in Fig. 3 is implemented is configured to receive power supply from the same battery 918 as the display device 910, the speaker 911, and at least one of the biometric authentication unit.

[0225] Furthermore, in the smartphone 900, information is displayed on at least one of the display device 910 and the speaker 911 based on communication with an external device via the wireless communication interface 913. At this time, information related to the present technology, for example, information related to a link used for communication and information related to eMLMR operation, may be output from at least one of the display device 910 and the speaker 911. Furthermore, the input device 909 may be configured to input a confirmation or response to the information output from at least one of the display device 910 and the speaker 911.

[0226] <Configuration example of in-vehicle device> Fig. 24 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle device 920 to which the present technology is applied. Fig. 24 is described as an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device 920, but the configuration is not limited to this and may be an example of the configuration of the various devices and functions described above.

[0227] The in-vehicle device 920 is configured to include a processor 921, a memory 922, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) module 924, a sensor 925, a data interface 926, a content player 927, and a storage medium interface 928. The in-vehicle device 920 is also configured to include an input device 929, a display device 930, a speaker 931, a wireless communication interface 933, an antenna switch 934, an antenna 935, and a battery 938. The in-vehicle device 920 may be configured to include all or some of the above.

[0228] The processor 921 may be, for example, a CPU or an SoC, and controls the navigation function and other functions of the in-vehicle device 920. The processor 921 can also control the vehicle's driving system, such as the brake, accelerator, or steering, based on information obtained through communication based on the present technology.

[0229] The memory 922 includes RAM and ROM, and stores programs and data executed by the processor 921 .

[0230] The GNSS module 924 measures the position (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the in-vehicle device 920 using GNSS signals received from GNSS satellites.

[0231] The sensor 925 includes a group of sensors such as a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, a camera (an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS), and a barometric pressure sensor.

[0232] The data interface 926 is connected to an in-vehicle network 941 via a terminal (not shown), for example, and acquires data generated on the vehicle side, such as vehicle-side data.

[0233] The content player 927 plays content stored on a storage medium (for example, a CD or DVD) inserted into the storage medium interface 928, or content received via the wireless communication interface 933, etc.

[0234] The input device 929 includes, for example, a touch sensor, a button, or a switch that detects a touch on the screen of the display device 930, and accepts operations or information input from the user. For example, the input device 929 may be configured to input a confirmation or response to information output from at least one of the display device 930 and the speaker 931.

[0235] The display device 930 has a screen such as an LCD or OLED display, and displays images of navigation functions or content being played, or information related to the technology, such as information about links used for communication and information about eMLMR operation.

[0236] The speaker 931 outputs the audio of the navigation function or the content being played, or information related to the present technology, such as information about the link used for communication and information about eMLMR operation.

[0237] Note that the navigation function and the function of the content player 927 are optional in the in-vehicle device 920. The navigation function and the content player 927 may be removed from the configuration of the in-vehicle device 920.

[0238] The wireless communication interface 933 supports one or more wireless LAN standards, such as IEEE 802.11a, 11b, 11g, 11n, 11ac, 11ad, 11ax, 11ay, 11be, 11bn, and their successor standards, and performs wireless communication. In infrastructure mode, the wireless communication interface 933 communicates with other devices via a wireless LAN AP. In ad hoc mode or a direct communication mode such as Wi-Fi Direct, the wireless communication interface 933 communicates directly with other devices. Note that, unlike ad hoc mode, in Wi-Fi Direct, one of two terminals operates as an AP, but communication is performed directly between the terminals.

[0239] The wireless communication interface 933 typically includes a baseband processor, an RF circuit, a power amplifier, and the like. The wireless communication interface 933 may be a one-chip module integrating a memory for storing a communication control program, a processor for executing the program, and related circuits. In addition to the WLAN system, the wireless communication interface 933 may support other types of wireless communication systems, such as a short-range wireless communication system such as Bluetooth, a proximity wireless communication system such as NFC, or 3GPP cellular communication systems such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and 6G. The wireless communication interface 933 may be a one-chip module that supports multiple wireless communication systems, or a combination of modules that support some of the wireless communication systems.

[0240] The antenna switch 934 switches the connection destination of the antenna 935 between multiple circuits included in the wireless communication interface 933 (for example, circuits for different wireless communication methods, or transmission system circuits and reception system circuits).

[0241] The antenna 935 has a single or multiple antenna elements (e.g., multiple antenna elements constituting a MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antenna, or multiple antenna elements constituting an array antenna) and is used for transmitting and receiving radio signals via the wireless communication interface 933.

[0242] 24 , the in-vehicle device 920 may include a plurality of antennas 935 (for example, an antenna for wireless LAN, an antenna for a close-proximity wireless communication system, and an antenna for a cellular communication system). In this case, the antenna switch 934 may be omitted from the configuration of the in-vehicle device 920.

[0243] The battery 938 supplies power to each block of the in-vehicle device 920 shown in Fig. 24 via a power supply line partially indicated by a dashed line in the figure. The battery 938 may also store power supplied from the vehicle side. Alternatively, the in-vehicle device 920 may not be equipped with a battery and may use power supplied from the vehicle side via a voltage regulator or a capacitor.

[0244] In the in-vehicle device 920 shown in Fig. 24 , for example, the wireless communication device 100 in Fig. 2 and the wireless communication device 1 in Fig. 3 may be implemented in the wireless communication interface 933. For example, processing programs corresponding to the flowcharts in Fig. 11 , 13 , 14 , 17 , and 21 may be executed in the wireless communication interface 933. Furthermore, at least some of these functions may be implemented in the processor 921.

[0245] The wireless communication interface 933 may also operate as the wireless communication device 100 or the wireless communication device 1 described above and provide a wireless connection to a terminal owned by a user in the vehicle. For example, the wireless communication interface 933 may connect the in-vehicle device 920 to other peripheral devices, and the in-vehicle device 920 may use CarPlay (registered trademark) or Android Auto (registered trademark). Note that the wireless communication interface 933 may also connect the in-vehicle device 920 to other peripheral devices using a short-range wireless communication method, infrastructure mode, or a wireless LAN method using Wi-Fi Direct.

[0246] The in-vehicle device 920 may operate as a wireless AP (software AP) by the processor 921 executing an AP function at the application level. The wireless communication interface 933 may have a wireless AP function. The processor 921 or the wireless communication interface 933 may have a tethering function that uses a wireless LAN system and a cellular communication system, and may transmit payload data received via the cellular communication system via the wireless LAN system, or may transmit payload data received via the wireless LAN system via the cellular communication system. The in-vehicle device 920 may have the tethering function enabled by user input.

[0247] Furthermore, the present technology may be realized as an in-vehicle system (or vehicle) 940 including one or more blocks of the above-described in-vehicle device 920, an in-vehicle network 941, and a vehicle-side module 942. The vehicle-side module 942 may generate vehicle-side data such as vehicle speed information, engine rotation speed information, information about the vehicle-side battery, or malfunction information, and output the generated data to the in-vehicle network 941, and the processor 921 or the wireless communication interface 933 may control any of the functions of the above-described embodiments based on the vehicle-side data acquired via the in-vehicle network 941.

[0248] <Configuration example of wireless AP> Fig. 25 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a wireless AP 950 to which the present technology is applied. Fig. 25 is described as an example of the configuration of the wireless AP 950, but is not limited to this and may be an example of the configuration of the various devices and functions described above.

[0249] The wireless AP 950 includes a controller 951, a memory 952, an input device 954, a display device 955, a network interface 957, a wireless communication interface 963, an antenna switch 964, and an antenna 965. The wireless AP 950 may include all or some of the above.

[0250] The controller 951 may be, for example, a CPU or a DSP (Digital Signal processor) and operates various functions of the IP (Internet Protocol) layer and higher layers of the wireless AP 950 (e.g., access restriction, routing, encryption, firewall, and log management).

[0251] The memory 952 includes RAM and ROM, and stores programs executed by the controller 951 and various control information (for example, a terminal list, a routing table, an encryption key, security settings, and logs).

[0252] The input device 954 includes, for example, buttons and switches, and receives operations from the user. For example, the input device 954 may input a confirmation or response to information output from the display device 955. The input device 954 may also input, by user operation, switching the wireless function on / off and switching between the router function and the access point function.

[0253] The display device 955 includes an LED lamp or the like and displays the operational status of the wireless AP 950. The display device 955 may display information related to the present technology, such as information about the link used for communication and information about eMLMR operation.

[0254] The network interface 957 is a wired communication interface for connecting the wireless AP 950 to a wired communication network 958. The network interface 957 may have multiple connection terminals. The network interface 957 may output payload data included in a wireless signal input from the wireless communication interface 963 as a wired signal, or may receive payload data output as a wireless signal from the wireless communication interface 963 as a wired signal. The network interface 957 may input and output wired signals in parallel with or independently of the wireless communication interface 963 inputting and outputting wireless signals. The wired communication network 958 may be a LAN such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or a WAN (Wide Area Network).

[0255] The wireless communication interface 963 supports one or more wireless LAN standards such as IEEE 802.11a, 11b, 11g, 11n, 11ac, 11ad, 11ax, 11ay, 11be, 11bn, and their successor standards, and provides wireless connection to nearby terminals as an AP. When the wireless AP 950 is installed in a cellular communication base station or a femtocell, the wireless communication interface 963 may support other types of wireless communication systems, such as 3GPP cellular communication systems such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and 6G, in addition to the wireless LAN system. The wireless communication interface 963 may be a one-chip module that supports multiple wireless communication systems, or a combination of modules that support some of the wireless communication systems.

[0256] The wireless communication interface 963 typically includes a baseband processor, an RF circuit, a power amplifier, and the like.

[0257] The wireless communication interface 963 may be a one-chip module that integrates a memory that stores a communication control program, a processor that executes the program, or related circuits.

[0258] The antenna switch 964 switches the connection destination of the antenna 965 between multiple circuits (e.g., circuits for different wireless communication methods, or transmission circuits and reception circuits) included in the wireless communication interface 963. The antenna 965 has a single antenna element or multiple antenna elements (e.g., multiple antenna elements constituting a MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antenna, or multiple antenna elements constituting an array antenna), and is used for transmitting and receiving wireless signals via the wireless communication interface 963.

[0259] In the wireless AP 950 shown in Fig. 25 , for example, the wireless communication device 100 in Fig. 2 and the wireless communication device 1 in Fig. 3 may also be implemented in the wireless communication interface 963. For example, processing programs corresponding to the flowcharts in Fig. 11 , 13 , 14 , 17 , and 21 may be executed in the wireless communication interface 963. Furthermore, at least some of these functions may be implemented in the controller 951.

[0260] The above-described embodiment shows an example for realizing the present technology, and the matters in the embodiment correspond to the matters specifying the invention in the claims. Similarly, the matters specifying the invention in the claims correspond to the matters in the embodiment of the present technology having the same title. However, the present technology is not limited to the embodiment, and can be realized by applying various modifications to the embodiment without departing from the gist of the present technology.

[0261] Furthermore, part or all of the information processing device described in the above embodiments may be realized, for example, as a semiconductor chip (IC (Integrated Circuit)) having a wireless communication control function. Also, it may be realized by a single semiconductor chip equipped with multiple functions, such as a SoC (System on Chip), or by combining multiple semiconductor chips each having a single function, such as a processor. Furthermore, it may be realized by combining multiple SoCs, or by combining a semiconductor chip with a single function and a SoC. It may also be realized by a semiconductor chip such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) dedicated to realizing each unit, or by a combination of a general-purpose processor with software or firmware, or by a semiconductor chip such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0262] Furthermore, the processing procedures described in the above embodiments may be regarded as a method having a series of these procedures, or as a program for causing this computer to execute these procedures or a recording medium for storing the program.

[0263] Examples of the recording medium that can be used include a CD (Compact Disc), an MD (MiniDisc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a memory card, and a Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc.

[0264] In this specification, a system refers to a collection of multiple components (devices, modules (components), etc.), regardless of whether all of the components are contained in the same housing. Therefore, multiple devices housed in separate housings and connected via a network, and a single device housed in a single housing with multiple modules, are both systems.

[0265] Furthermore, the effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be present.

[0266] The embodiments of the present technology are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present technology.

[0267] For example, the present technology can be configured as a cloud computing system in which a single function is shared and processed collaboratively by a plurality of devices via a network.

[0268] Furthermore, each step described in the above flowchart can be executed by one device, or can be shared and executed by a plurality of devices.

[0269] Furthermore, when one step includes multiple processes, the multiple processes included in that one step can be executed by one device or can be shared and executed by multiple devices.

[0270] The present technology may be configured as follows: (1) An information processing device including a control unit that performs a control to perform a channel scan of a first link using a first antenna, a channel scan of a second link using a second antenna, communicate with a second wireless communication device based on the first link using at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna, set the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference from the first link on the second link used by the first wireless communication device for communication with a third wireless communication device, and transmit data to the second wireless communication device based on the set first link. (2) The information processing device according to (1), wherein the second link has a second frequency band, the first link can be set to the first frequency band or a third frequency band that is a broader version of the first frequency band and partially overlaps with the second frequency band, and the control unit performs either a first control of performing the data transmission with the second wireless communication device via the first antenna in the first frequency band or a second control of performing the data transmission with the second wireless communication device via the first antenna and the second antenna in the third frequency band, depending on a result of the cooperative control. (3) The information processing device according to (2), wherein the second control includes control of performing the data transmission with the second wireless communication device by generating a beam pattern that suppresses interference with the second link using the first antenna and the second antenna in the first link in the third frequency band. (4) The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein the first frequency band includes a primary channel of the first link, and the control unit, when performing the first control, performs control to instruct the first wireless communication device to set the second link to a frequency band that does not include the primary channel of the first link. (5) The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein the second control includes switching control to switch the second antenna to correspond to the first link, and the control unit performs control to maintain the first link in an idle state during a period of the switching control.(6) The information processing device according to any one of (5) to (7), wherein the control unit performs control to acquire the transmission right for the first link during the period of the switching control or before the switching control if the first wireless communication device has not acquired the transmission right for the first link during the second control. (7) The information processing device according to (5) or (6), wherein the cooperative control includes estimation of whether at least one of the first wireless communication device or the control unit can acquire the transmission right for the first link during the period of the switching control or before the switching control, and performs the first control if it is estimated that the transmission right for the first link cannot be acquired during the period of the switching control or before the switching control. (8) The information processing device according to any one of (5) to (7), wherein the control unit performs control to confirm with the first wireless communication device whether it has data that needs to be transmitted to the control unit or whether there is a possibility that the data will be generated during the period of the second control and the period of the switching control. (9) The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (9), wherein, when the first wireless communication device has the data or there is a possibility that the data will be generated, the control unit checks whether communication with the first wireless communication device is possible via a third link using a third antenna, and if communication is possible, receives the data using the third antenna. (10) The control unit controls performing a sounding process to determine calculation parameters for communication with the second wireless communication device based on information about the first antenna and the second antenna and information about an antenna possessed by the second wireless communication device, and controls, in the sounding process, the control unit to transmit a first signal requesting information about the calculation parameters in a fourth frequency band including a primary channel of the first link and a primary channel of the second link. (11) The information processing device according to (10), wherein the control unit controls confirming with the first wireless communication device whether the first wireless communication device has data that needs to be transmitted to the control unit or whether there is a possibility that the data will be generated during the sounding process.(12) The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (11), wherein the control unit, in the second control, controls an operation corresponding to eMLMR (enhanced Multi-Link Multiple Radio) and an operation corresponding to Coordinated Beamforming using the first antenna and the second antenna. (13) A wireless communication control method, comprising: a first step of performing a channel scan of a first link using a first antenna and a channel scan of a second link using a second antenna; and a second step of communicating with a second wireless communication device based on the first link using at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein the second step comprises: a third step of setting the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference from the first link on the second link used by the first wireless communication device for communication with a third wireless communication device; and a fourth step of transmitting data with the second wireless communication device based on the set first link. (14) An information processing device comprising: a control unit that controls a first wireless communication device having a switching unit that switches between using a first antenna for communication of a first link and a second antenna for communication of a second link, or using the first antenna and the second antenna for communication of the first link, wherein the control unit sets the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference from the first link on the second link used in communication with a third wireless communication device based on the time required for the switching unit to switch, and controls the first wireless communication device to transmit data with a second wireless communication device based on the set first link.(15) The information processing device according to (14), wherein the second link has a second frequency band, the first link is settable to the first frequency band or a third frequency band which is a broader version of the first frequency band and which partially overlaps with the second frequency band, and the control unit performs, according to a result of the cooperative control, either a first control of causing the first wireless communication device to perform the data transmission with the second wireless communication device via the first antenna in the first frequency band, or a second control of causing the first wireless communication device to perform the data transmission with the second wireless communication device via the first antenna and the second antenna in the third frequency band. (16) The information processing device according to (15), wherein the second control includes control of performing the data transmission with the third wireless communication device by generating a beam pattern in the second link that suppresses interference with the first link. (17) The information processing device according to (15) or (16), wherein, before switching of the switching unit, the control unit performs control to not permit switching of the switching unit if there is traffic data that needs to be transmitted to the first wireless communication device during the switching period or there is a possibility that the traffic data will be generated. (18) The information processing device according to (15) or (16), wherein, before switching of the switching unit, the control unit confirms whether communication with the first wireless communication device is possible using a third link if there is traffic data that needs to be transmitted to the first wireless communication device during the switching period or there is a possibility that the traffic data will be generated. (19) The control unit determines whether the first link needs to be put into an idle state during the switching period of the switching unit depending on the time required for the switching, and if the first link needs to be put into an idle state, at least one of the control unit or the first wireless communication device checks whether it can acquire the transmission right for the first link, and if it can acquire the transmission right for the first link, performs control to instruct the first wireless communication device to perform the second control. An information processing device described in any one of (15) to (18).(20) A wireless communication control method including a first step of controlling a first wireless communication device having a switching unit that switches between using a first antenna for communication of a first link and using a second antenna for communication of a second link, or using the first antenna and the second antenna for communication of the first link, wherein the first step includes: a second step of setting the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference from the first link on the second link used in communication with a third wireless communication device, based on a time required for switching by the switching unit; and a third step of causing the first wireless communication device to transmit data with a second wireless communication device based on the set first link. (21) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (12), which is a terminal device within a radio wave reach of an access point device. (22) The wireless communication control method according to (13), which is a control method for a terminal device within a radio wave reach of an access point device. (23) The information processing device according to any one of (14) to (19), which is an access point device. (24) The wireless communication control method according to (20), which is a control method for an access point device. (25) The information processing device according to (2) to (12), (15) to (19), (21), or (23), wherein either the control unit or the first wireless communication device controls to receive from the first wireless communication device or transmit to the first wireless communication device a second signal including first information indicating whether acquisition of the transmission right for the first link is necessary and second information indicating an acquisition status of the transmission right for the first link or estimated information whether acquisition is possible for the other of the control unit or the first wireless communication device. (26) The information processing device according to (2) to (12), (15) to (19), (21), (23), or (25), wherein (27) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (26), which supports one or more of IEEE802.11a, 11b, 11g, 11n, 11ac, 11ad, 11ax, 11ay, 11be, 11bn, or successor standards thereof.(28) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (27), which supports at least one of a wireless LAN system or a 3GPP cellular communication system. (29) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (28), which is configured with one or more semiconductor chips. (30) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (29), which is a terminal of a smartphone, a smart watch, a tablet PC, a notebook PC, a portable game terminal, a digital camera, a desktop PC, a television receiver, a projector, a printer, a digital scanner, a network storage, a car navigation device, a drive recorder device, an industrial robot, a smart meter, a vending machine, a remote monitoring device, a POS terminal, an IoT terminal, a land robot, an aerial robot, an underwater robot, or a drone, or which is a wireless communication module configured with one or more semiconductor chips mounted on the terminal.

[0271] The aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the individual embodiments described above, but include various modifications that may be conceived by those skilled in the art, and the effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described contents. In other words, various additions, modifications, and partial deletions are possible within the scope of the conceptual idea and spirit of the present disclosure, which is derived from the contents defined in the claims and their equivalents.

[0272] 1, 1a, 2, 3, 100, 100a Wireless communication device, 10, 10a Wireless communication system, 101, 102 AP, 110, 210 Communication unit, 111, 211 Communication control unit, 112, 212 Communication storage unit, 113, 213 Common data processing unit, 121, 221 Individual data processing unit, 122, 222 Signal processing unit, 123, 223 Wireless interface unit, 124, 224 Amplification unit, 130, 230 Control unit, 140, 240 Storage unit, 150, 250, 250a, 250b, 250c Antenna, 201, 202 STA, 222a, 222b, 222c PHY unit, 260 Switching unit, 270a, 270b, 270c RF unit, 301 Frame control, 302 Duration, 305 main body information, 305a main body information, 311 category information, 312 signal type information, 313 method type information, 314 destination information, 315 scheduled data transmission start time information, 316 data transmission period information, 317 transmission right required / unrequired flag, 318 link information, 321 permission flag

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising a control unit that performs a channel scan of a first link using a first antenna, a channel scan of a second link using a second antenna, communicates with a second wireless communication device based on the first link using at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna, sets the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference from the first link on the second link used by the first wireless communication device in communication with a third wireless communication device, and transmits data with the second wireless communication device based on the set first link.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second link has a second frequency band, the first link can be set to the first frequency band or a third frequency band which is a wider version of the first frequency band and which partially overlaps with the second frequency band, and the control unit performs either a first control of transmitting data to the second wireless communication device via the first antenna in the first frequency band, or a second control of transmitting data to the second wireless communication device via the first antenna and the second antenna in the third frequency band, depending on the result of the cooperative control.

3. The information processing device described in claim 2, wherein the second control includes control of transmitting data with the second wireless communication device by generating a beam pattern that suppresses interference with the second link using the first antenna and the second antenna in the first link of the third frequency band.

4. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the first frequency band includes the primary channel of the first link, and when the control unit performs the first control, the control unit performs control to instruct the first wireless communication device to set the second link to a frequency band that does not include the primary channel of the first link.

5. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the second control includes switching control for switching the second antenna to correspond to the first link, and the control unit controls the first link to maintain an idle state during the period of the switching control.

6. The information processing device according to claim 5, wherein, in the second control, if the first wireless communication device has not acquired the transmission right for the first link, the control unit controls the device to acquire the transmission right for the first link within the period of the switching control or before the switching control.

7. The information processing device described in claim 5, wherein the cooperative control includes an estimation of whether at least one of the first wireless communication device or the control unit can acquire the transmission right for the first link during the period of the switching control or before the switching control, and when it is estimated that the transmission right for the first link cannot be acquired during the period of the switching control or before the switching control, the first control is performed.

8. The information processing device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the first wireless communication device to confirm whether it has data that needs to be transmitted to the control unit during the second control period and the switching control period, or whether there is a possibility that such data will be generated.

9. The information processing device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit, when the first wireless communication device has the data or there is a possibility that the data will be generated, checks whether communication with the first wireless communication device via a third link is possible using a third antenna, and, if communication is possible, controls to receive the data using the third antenna.

10. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein the control unit performs control to perform a sounding process to determine calculation parameters for communication with the second wireless communication device based on information about the first antenna and the second antenna and information about an antenna possessed by the second wireless communication device, and wherein in the sounding process the control unit performs control to transmit a first signal requesting information about the calculation parameters in a fourth frequency band including the primary channel of the first link and the primary channel of the second link.

11. The information processing device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit controls the first wireless communication device to check whether it has data that needs to be transmitted to the control unit during the sounding process, or whether there is a possibility that such data will be generated.

12. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit, in the second control, uses the first antenna and the second antenna to control an operation corresponding to eMLMR (enhanced Multi-Link Multiple Radio) and an operation corresponding to Coordinated Beamforming.

13. A wireless communication control method comprising: a first step of performing a channel scan of a first link using a first antenna and a channel scan of a second link using a second antenna; and a second step of communicating with a second wireless communication device based on the first link using at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna, wherein the second step comprises: a third step of setting the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference from the first link on the second link used by the first wireless communication device for communication with a third wireless communication device; and a fourth step of transmitting data with the second wireless communication device based on the set first link.

14. An information processing device comprising: a control unit that controls a first wireless communication device having a switching unit that switches between using a first antenna for communication of a first link and a second antenna for communication of a second link, or using the first antenna and the second antenna for communication of the first link, wherein the control unit sets the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference from the first link on the second link used in communication with a third wireless communication device based on the time required for the switching unit to switch, and controls the first wireless communication device to transmit data with a second wireless communication device based on the set first link.

15. The information processing device according to claim 14, wherein the second link has a second frequency band, the first link can be set to the first frequency band or a third frequency band which is a wider version of the first frequency band and which partially overlaps with the second frequency band, and the control unit performs either a first control that causes the first wireless communication device to perform the data transmission with the second wireless communication device via the first antenna in the first frequency band, or a second control that causes the first wireless communication device to perform the data transmission with the second wireless communication device via the first antenna and the second antenna in the third frequency band, depending on the result of the cooperative control.

16. The information processing device according to claim 15, wherein the second control includes control of transmitting the data with the third wireless communication device by generating a beam pattern in the second link that suppresses interference with the first link.

17. The information processing device according to claim 15, wherein the control unit performs control such that, before the switching of the switching unit, if there is traffic data that needs to be transmitted to the first wireless communication device during the switching period, or if there is a possibility that such traffic data will occur, the control unit does not permit the switching of the switching unit.

18. An information processing device as described in claim 15, wherein, before switching of the switching unit, the control unit checks whether communication with the first wireless communication device is possible using a third link if there is traffic data that needs to be transmitted to the first wireless communication device during the switching period, or if there is a possibility that such traffic data will be generated.

19. The information processing device described in claim 15, wherein the control unit determines whether or not it is necessary to put the first link into an idle state during the switching period of the switching unit depending on the time required for the switching, and if it is necessary to put the first link into an idle state, at least one of the control unit and the first wireless communication device checks whether it can acquire the transmission right for the first link, and if it can acquire the transmission right for the first link, performs control by instructing the first wireless communication device to perform the second control.

20. A wireless communication control method comprising: a first step of controlling a first wireless communication device having a switching unit that switches between using a first antenna for communication of a first link and using a second antenna for communication of a second link, or using the first antenna and the second antenna for communication of the first link, wherein the first step comprises: a second step of setting the first link by performing cooperative control with the first wireless communication device to suppress interference from the first link on the second link used for communication with a third wireless communication device, based on the time required for the switching unit to switch; and a third step of causing the first wireless communication device to transmit data with a second wireless communication device based on the set first link.

21. An information processing device as described in claim 2, wherein either the control unit or the first wireless communication device controls to receive from or transmit to the first wireless communication device a second signal including first information indicating whether it is necessary to acquire the transmission right for the first link, and second information indicating the acquisition status of the transmission right for the first link or estimated information on whether it can be acquired by the other of the control unit or the first wireless communication device.

22. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein a third signal including third information indicating whether the first control is possible is received from the first wireless communication device or transmitted to the first wireless communication device, thereby performing control.

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