Communication control device and communication control method

Abstract

[PROBLEM] Provided are a communication control device and a communication control method for achieving efficient communication relay. [SOLUTION] A communication control device according to the present disclosure controls relay communication for relaying between a first wireless communication device, connected to a third wireless communication device via a plurality of first links, and a second wireless communication device, connected to the third wireless communication device via a plurality of second links, through the third wireless communication device. The communication control device includes a control unit that determines the method of relay communication between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device on the basis of first information based on the state of the channels of the plurality of second links.

Description

Communication control device and communication control method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication control device and a communication control method.

[0002] In recent years, Home Mesh AP products, which aim to extend the coverage of wireless LANs (Local Area Networks) in home environments, have been attracting attention. Home Mesh APs can be operated in a variety of ways. Typically, one AP acts as a source node that connects to the Internet, while the remaining APs act as relay nodes that transmit signals to subordinate devices via wireless communication. Relay communication in such environments with multiple APs is expected to become more common in offices and factories in the future.

[0003] In the future, relay communication is expected to be required to support various applications, and various performance improvements such as low latency and high reliability, as well as high throughput, are expected. IEEE802.11 also proposes a method to perform relay communication with as low latency as possible by omitting processes such as encryption / decryption and reordering buffers at the relay node (see Non-Patent Document 1).

[0004] However, there are several options for relaying methods assuming multi-link operation. For example, there are Intra-Link Relay (Non-Patent Document 2), which performs relay communication independently for each link, and Cross-Link Relay (Non-Patent Document 3), which divides links into backhaul and fronthaul sides at the relay node, enabling simultaneous transmission and reception. The performance of these methods varies depending on the status of acquisition of transmission rights for each link and the buffer status of the relay node, so it is desirable to select the optimal method for each communication.

[0005] 2023 / 1969r0, “Consideration on UHR Relay Architecture,” Kosuke Aio (SONY)2023 / 1175r0, “UHR relay follow up,” Kiseon Ryu (NXP)2023 / 1899r0, ”Relay Operation for 11bn,” Guogang Huang (Huawei)

[0006] The present disclosure provides a communication control device and a communication control method that realize efficient communication relay.

[0007] The communication control device of the present disclosure is a communication control device that controls relay communication between a first wireless communication device connected to a third wireless communication device via a plurality of first links and a second wireless communication device connected to the third wireless communication device via a plurality of second links, and is equipped with a control unit that determines a method of relay communication between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device based on first information based on the channel states of the plurality of second links.

[0008] 1 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of AP MLD as a wireless communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of STA MLD as a wireless communication device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of relay communication in which data transmission is completed using one link of the same channel in the backhaul and the fronthaul, respectively. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of relay communication in which data transmission is completed using multiple links in the backhaul and the fronthaul, each of which is a link of a different channel in the backhaul and the fronthaul. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a first example sequence according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second example sequence according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a third example sequence according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a Relay Negotiation Request frame. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a Relay Negotiation Response frame. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a data frame including relay data transmitted from a source device to a relay device. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a Block Ack (BA), which is a delivery confirmation transmitted from a relay device to a source device. A flowchart of an example operation of a source device. A flowchart of an example operation of a relay device. A block diagram showing an example configuration of hardware for a computer that executes a series of processes according to the present disclosure using a program. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a smartphone to which the technology of the present disclosure is applied, a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle device to which the technology of the present disclosure is applied, and a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a wireless AP to which the technology of the present disclosure is applied.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description will focus on the main components of the present disclosure, but components and functions that are not shown or described may exist. The following description does not exclude components and functions that are not shown or described.

[0010] [System Configuration] Fig. 1 shows an example configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication system in Fig. 1 includes a source device 100, a relay device 300, and an STA (STAtion, child device) device 300. The source device 100 may be an AP (Access Point, base station) device or an STA device, but hereinafter, the source device 100 will be referred to as an AP device. Similarly, the relay device 300 may be an AP device or an STA device, but hereinafter, the relay device 300 will be referred to as an STA device.

[0011] In this embodiment, the communication link between the source device 100 and the relay device 300 is called a backhaul link, and the communication link between the relay device 300 and the STA device 200 is called a fronthaul link. The links correspond to wireless propagation paths for communication.

[0012] Link 1 and Link 2 are available as multiple backhaul links between the source device 100 and the relay device 300. Link 1 and Link 2 are also available as multiple fronthaul links between the relay device 300 and the STA device 200. Backhaul link 1 and front link 1 use the same frequency channel (hereinafter referred to as channel), and backhaul link 2 and front link 2 use the same channel.

[0013] The source device 100, relay device 300, and STA device 200 each have a multi-link device (MLD) configuration. It is assumed that connection processing has been completed between the source device 100 and relay device 300 via at least one of the multiple backhaul links. It is assumed that connection processing has been completed between the relay device 300 and STA device 200 via at least one of the multiple fronthaul links.

[0014] The backhaul link corresponds to a first link, for example, and the source device 100 and the relay device 300 can communicate with each other using at least one of the first links. The fronthaul link corresponds to a second link, for example, and the relay device 300 and the STA device 200 can communicate with each other using at least one of the second links.

[0015] Hereinafter, the source device 100 may be referred to as AP MLD 100, the relay device 300 as STAr MLD 200, and the STA device 200 as STAs MLD 300.

[0016] The entity that performs processing related to link 1 (backhaul link 1) within AP MLD 100 is referred to as AP1 (affiliated with AP MLD), and the entity that performs processing related to link 2 (backhaul link 2) within AP MLD 100 is referred to as AP2 (affiliated with AP MLD).

[0017] An entity within STAr MLD 200 that performs processing related to link 1 (backhaul link 1 and fronthaul link 1) is referred to as STAr1 (affiliated with STAr1 MLD), and an entity within STAr MLD 200 that performs processing related to link 2 (backhaul link 2 and fronthaul link 2) is referred to as STAr2 (affiliated with STAr MLD).

[0018] An entity within STAs MLD 300 that performs processing related to link 1 (fronthaul link 1) is referred to as STAs1 (affiliated with STAs MLD), and an entity within STAs MLD 300 that performs processing related to link 2 (fronthaul link 2) is referred to as STAs2 (affiliated with STAs MLD).

[0019] Link 1 (backhaul link 1, fronthaul link 1) and link 2 (backhaul link 2, fronthaul link 2) operate on different frequencies (or channels). That is, link 1 and link 2 can communicate completely independently unless otherwise specified.

[0020] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the STA device (STA MLD) 300 is already connected to the source device (AP MLD) 100. If the STA device (STA MLD) 300 can barely communicate directly with the source device (AP MLD) 100 (even with low communication quality), it performs direct connection processing (association) and configures relay communication so that communication is via the relay device 300 only when data transmission requires a high transmission rate. If the STA device 200 cannot communicate directly with the source device 100 even with low communication quality, the connection processing may also be performed via the relay device 300.

[0021] In this embodiment, the retransmission process may be performed independently on the backhaul link and the fronthaul link, or may be performed integrally between the source device 100 and the STA device 200. In the former case, the STA device requires a new initial setting process as in Non-Patent Document 1. In the latter case, it may be necessary to define and introduce a new frame such as an End-to-End (E2E) Ack to be transmitted from the STA device 200 to the source device 100 as in Non-Patent Document 2.

[0022] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described scenario, and may include, for example, three or more links in each of the backhaul and fronthaul, or two or more relay devices. Application examples for these cases will be described at the end of the description of this embodiment.

[0023] [Configuration of AP MLD] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of an AP MLD 400 as a wireless communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As described above, in this embodiment, the source device 100 is the AP MLD and has the configuration of the AP MLD 400 shown in Fig. 2. However, the relay device 300 may also have the configuration of the AP MLD 400 shown in Fig. 2. The source device 100 corresponds to a first wireless communication device connected to the relay device 300 via multiple first links (backhaul links).

[0024] The AP MLD 400 includes a wireless communication unit 110, a control unit 130, a storage unit 140, a plurality of antennas 150, and a WAN communication unit 160. The wireless communication unit 110 includes a communication control unit 111, a communication storage unit 112, a common data processing unit 113, AP1, and AP2.

[0025] AP1 and AP2 each perform processing for each link. AP1 and AP2 each include an individual data processing unit 121, a signal processing unit 122, a wireless interface unit 123, and an amplifier unit 124. AP1 and AP2 each have two sets of amplifier units 124 and antennas 150 as a 2x2 MIMO configuration. However, a configuration may be adopted in which more sets of antennas and amplifier units are provided to enable advanced MIMO transmission and reception processing, or a configuration in which each has one set of antenna and amplifier unit to perform SISO transmission and reception processing.

[0026] The communication control unit 111 controls the operation of each unit and the transmission of information between each unit, and also controls the transfer of control information and management information to be notified to other wireless communication devices to each common data processing unit 113 and each individual data processing unit 121.

[0027] The communication storage unit 112 stores information used by the communication control unit 111. The communication storage unit 112 also stores data or data packets to be transmitted and received data or data packets. A transmission buffer that stores data or data packets to be transmitted is included in the communication storage unit 112.

[0028] During transmission, the common data processing unit 113 manages the sequence of the information to be transmitted. The information to be transmitted includes data stored in the communication storage unit 112, and control information and management information received from the communication control unit 111. The common data processing unit 113 performs processing such as encryption on the information to be transmitted, and passes the processed data to the individual data processing unit 121 of either AP1 or AP2 that has acquired the transmission right. During reception, the common data processing unit 113 performs processing such as decryption and reordering of the data received from the individual data processing unit 121. The common data processing unit 113 is also called the Upper MAC unit.

[0029] If the AP MLD 400 operates as the relay device 300, the AP MLD 400 may omit some or all of the processing (e.g., encryption / decryption and reordering) performed on acquired data in the common data processing unit 113. For example, when data acquired by AP1 is to be transmitted again from AP1 or AP2, the data may be stored as is in the communication storage unit 112, and when AP1 or AP2 acquires the transmission right, the data may be transmitted from the individual data processing unit 121. By omitting some processing in this way during relay communication, it is possible to expect effects such as reducing transmission delays and preventing degradation of throughput when packet loss occurs in the backhaul link.

[0030] During transmission, the individual data processing unit 121 adds a MAC (Media Access Control) header and an error detection code to data received from the common data processing unit 113 to generate a frame. It also performs processing to concatenate multiple frames. During reception, it performs processing such as MAC header concatenation cancellation, analysis, and error detection for the received frame, and passes the processed data to the common data processing unit 121. The individual data processing unit 121 is also called a Lower MAC unit.

[0031] During transmission, the signal processing unit 122 performs encoding, interleaving, modulation, etc. on frames, adds a physical header, and generates a symbol stream. During reception, the signal processing unit 122 analyzes the physical header, and performs demodulation, deinterleaving, decoding, etc. on the symbol stream to generate a frame. The signal processing unit 122 also measures complex channel characteristics and performs spatial separation processing as necessary. The signal processing unit 122 is also called a PHY unit.

[0032] 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.

[0033] The amplifier 124 amplifies a signal input from the wireless interface 123 or the antenna 150. A part of the amplifier 124 may be a component outside the communication unit. Alternatively, a part of the amplifier 124 may be included in the wireless interface 123.

[0034] The wireless interface unit 123 and the amplifier unit 124 are collectively referred to as an RF unit.

[0035] The control unit 130 controls the wireless communication unit 110 and the communication control unit 111. The control unit 130 may also perform part of the operations of the communication control unit 111. The communication control unit 130 and the control unit 111 may also be configured as a single block.

[0036] The storage unit 140 holds information used by the control unit 130 and the wireless communication unit 110. The storage unit 140 may also perform part of the operations of the communication storage unit 112. The storage unit 140 and the communication storage unit 112 may be configured as a single block.

[0037] The WAN communication unit 160 receives packets from the Internet line, decodes the received packets, and passes them to the wireless communication unit 110 via the control unit 130. The format of the packets passed here may be in a state where the IP header remains intact (access point mode), or in a state where the IP header has been decoded and removed by the WAN communication unit 160 (router mode).

[0038] Although the wireless communication unit 110 is assumed to be configured as a single IC in the figure, the configuration of the wireless communication unit 110 is not limited to this. For example, the wireless interface unit 123 may be mounted as a separate IC.

[0039] The communication control device that controls the source device 100 of the present disclosure may be realized in hardware by one or more integrated circuits including at least one of the control unit 130 and the communication control unit 111, or may be realized in software by having a processor that executes a program that realizes the functions of at least one of the control unit 130 and the communication control unit 111 execute the program. The communication control device in the source device 100 includes a control unit that controls the wireless communication unit 110 that communicates with the relay device 300, and this control unit corresponds to at least one of the control unit 130 and the communication control unit 111.

[0040] [Configuration of STA MLD] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a STA MLD 500 as a wireless communication device according to this embodiment. As described above, in this embodiment, the relay device 300 and the STA device 200 are STA MLDs, and have the configuration of the STA MLD 500 shown in Fig. 3. However, the source device 100 may also have the configuration of the STA MLD 500 shown in Fig. 3. The STA device 200 corresponds to a second wireless communication device connected to the relay device 300 via multiple second links (fronthaul links), and the relay device 300 corresponds to a third wireless communication device connected to the source device 100 via multiple first links (backhaul links) and connected to the STA device 200 via multiple second links.

[0041] The STA MLD 500 includes a wireless communication unit 210, a control unit 230, a storage unit 240, and a plurality of antennas 250. The wireless communication unit 210 includes a communication control unit 211, a communication storage unit 212, a common data processing unit 213, STAx1, and STAx2.

[0042] When the STA MLD 500 is the relay device 300, STAx1 and STAx2 are represented as STAr1 and STAr2, and when the STA MLD 500 is the STA device 200, STAx1 and STAx2 are represented as STAs1 and STAs2.

[0043] STAx1 and STAx2 each perform processing for each link. STAx1 and STAx2 each include an individual data processing unit 221, a signal processing unit 222, a radio interface unit 223, and an amplifier unit 224. STAx1 and STAx2 each have two sets of amplifier units 224 and antennas 250 as a 2x2 MIMO configuration. However, a configuration with more sets of antennas and amplifier units that enables advanced MIMO transmission and reception processing, or a configuration with each having one set of antenna and amplifier unit that performs SISO transmission and reception processing, may also be used.

[0044] The communication control unit 211 controls the operation of each unit and the transmission of information between each unit, and also controls the transfer of control information and management information to be notified to other wireless communication devices to each common data processing unit 213 and each individual data processing unit 221.

[0045] The communication storage unit 212 stores information used by the communication control unit 211. The communication storage unit 212 also stores data or data packets to be transmitted and received data or data packets. A transmission buffer that stores data or data packets to be transmitted is included in the communication storage unit 212.

[0046] During transmission, the common data processing unit 213 manages the sequence of the information to be transmitted. The information to be transmitted includes data stored in the communication storage unit 212, and control information and management information received from the communication control unit 211. The common data processing unit 213 performs processing such as encryption on the information to be transmitted, and passes the processed data to the individual data processing unit 221 of either STA1 or STA2 that has acquired the right to transmit. During reception, the common data processing unit 213 performs processing such as decryption and reordering of the data received from the individual data processing unit 221. The common data processing unit 213 is also called the Upper MAC unit.

[0047] When the STA MLD 500 operates as a relay device, some or all of the processing (e.g., encryption / decryption and reordering processing) in the common data processing unit 113 for acquired data may be omitted, as in Non-Patent Document 1. For example, when data acquired by STA1 is to be transmitted again from STA1 or STA2, the data may be stored as is in the communication storage unit 112, and when STA1 or STA2 acquires the right to transmit, the frame may be started to be transmitted from the individual data processing unit 121. By omitting some processing in this way during relay communication, it is possible to expect the effects of reducing transmission delays and preventing degradation of throughput when packet loss occurs in the backhaul link.

[0048] During transmission, the individual data processing unit 221 adds a MAC (Media Access Control) header and an error detection code to data received from the common data processing unit 213 to generate a frame. It also performs processing to concatenate multiple frames. During reception, it performs processing such as MAC header deconcatenation, analysis, and error detection for the received frame, and passes the processed data to the common data processing unit 221. The individual data processing unit 221 is also called the Lower MAC unit.

[0049] During transmission, the signal processing unit 222 performs encoding, interleaving, modulation, etc. on frames, adds a physical header, and generates a symbol stream. During reception, the signal processing unit 222 analyzes the physical header, and performs demodulation, deinterleaving, decoding, etc. on the symbol stream to generate a frame. The signal processing unit 222 also measures complex channel characteristics and performs spatial separation processing as necessary. The signal processing unit 222 is also referred to as a PHY unit.

[0050] 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.

[0051] The amplifier 224 amplifies a signal input from the wireless interface 223 or the antenna 250. A part of the amplifier 224 may be a component outside the communication unit. Alternatively, a part of the amplifier 224 may be included in the wireless interface 223.

[0052] The wireless interface unit 223 and the amplifier unit 224 are collectively referred to as an RF unit.

[0053] The control unit 230 controls the wireless communication unit 210 and the communication control unit 211. The control unit 230 may also perform part of the operations of the communication control unit 211. The communication control unit 230 and the control unit 211 may also be configured as a single block.

[0054] The storage unit 240 holds information used by the control unit 230 and the wireless communication unit 210. The storage unit 240 may also perform part of the operations of the communication storage unit 212. The storage unit 240 and the communication storage unit 212 may be configured as a single block.

[0055] In the figure, it is assumed that the wireless communication unit 210 is configured as a single IC, but the configuration of the wireless communication unit 110 is not limited to this. For example, the wireless interface unit 223 may be mounted as a separate IC.

[0056] The communication control device that controls the relay device 300 of the present disclosure may be realized in hardware by one or more integrated circuits including at least one of the control unit 230 and the communication control unit 211, or may be realized in software by having a processor execute a program that implements the functions of at least one of the control unit 230 and the communication control unit 211. The communication control device in the relay device 300 includes a control unit that controls the wireless communication unit 110 that communicates with the source device 100 and the STA device 300, and this control unit corresponds to at least one of the control unit 130 and the communication control unit 111.

[0057] As described in the description of FIGS. 2 and 3 , the communication control device of the present disclosure can be realized as a control unit that controls the source device 100 or the relay device 300. Alternatively, the communication control device may be configured as a separate device independent of the source device 100 and the relay device 300. In this case, the communication control device communicates with at least one of the source device 100 and the relay device 300 via a wired or wireless connection, and the control unit of the communication control device controls relay communication between the source device 100 and the STA device 200 via the relay device 300. For example, the control unit of the communication control device may acquire information (first information) based on the channel state of the fronthaul link (second link) from the source device 100 or the relay device 300, and determine a method of relay communication between the source device 100 and the STA device 200 based on the acquired information. The control unit may notify the source device 100 or the relay device 300 of information indicating the determined method of relay communication.

[0058] [Challenges in the Background Technology] Standard technologies (e.g., 11s Mesh, 11ah Relay) that realize relay communication using wireless LANs have been put into practical use, and existing products (Home Mesh APs) also exist. However, these technologies and products are all premised on multi-band operation, which controls multiple links (bands) completely independently. On the other hand, multi-link operation standardized by Task Group BE (TGbe) enables flexible adjustment between links, which is expected to improve the efficiency of relay communication. Furthermore, a future extension of the TXOP (Transmission Opportunity) Sharing function standardized by TGbe has been proposed, which will grant transmission opportunities (TXOP) acquired by source devices to relay devices, thereby achieving low-latency relay communication.

[0059] Below, three relay communication methods will be introduced based on the existing relay communication and the proposed relay communication described above.

[0060] 4 shows an example of relay communication in which data transmission is completed using only one link of the same frequency for both the backhaul and fronthaul. This relay communication method corresponds to the first relay method and is referred to as "Single Intra-Link Relay" for convenience in this specification. In this case, the link used for the backhaul and fronthaul is a single link of the same channel.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 4 , after AP1 of the AP MLD (source device) 100 acquires a transmission right on link 1 (one of the multiple first links, a third link), it transmits a relay communication data signal (hereinafter, relay data) to STAr1 of the STAr MLD (relay device) 300 (S110). Upon receiving a BA (Block Ack) as a delivery confirmation (S120), AP1 transmits a trigger frame for TXOP sharing to STAr1, thereby instructing STAr1 to transmit the relay data received in step S110 to STAs1 (S130). The trigger frame is a frame instructing STAr1 to transmit relay data to STAs1 of the STAs MLD (STA device) 200. AP1 can cause the relay device 300 to use the transmission right for the period (first period) of the acquired TXOP to transmit the relay data (i.e., the TXOP acquired by the AP MLD device 100 can be shared with the relay device 300). STAr1 transmits relay data via link 1 (the fifth link, which is one of the multiple second links and has the same channel as AP1's link) by sharing the TXOP (S140). Upon receiving the relay data from STAr1, STAr1 transmits a BA (Block Ack) to STAr1 (S150).

[0062] The advantages of this method include high reliability of relay communication, since AP1 can transmit relay data to STAs1 simply by acquiring the transmission right. Also, even if the relay device 300 is holding other packets, TXOP Sharing can be used to control STAs1 of the relay device 300 to prioritize the transmission of relay data. On the other hand, the disadvantage is that the required transmission time is longer because the same data signal must be sent twice.

[0063] 5 shows an example of relay communication in which multiple links are used in the backhaul and fronthaul, and data transmission is completed for each link of the same frequency. This relay communication method corresponds to the second relay method, and for convenience, is referred to as "Multi Intra-Link Relay" in this specification.

[0064] 5, AP1 and AP2 in AP MLD (source device) 100 both acquire the transmission right at approximately the same time or within a certain time period, and transmit relay data to STAr1 and STAr2 in STAr MLD (relay device) 300 using their respective links (S210, S211). Upon receiving a BA (Block Ack) as a delivery confirmation (S220, S221), AP1 and AP2 transmit a trigger frame for TXOP sharing to STAr1 and STAr2, respectively, thereby instructing STAr1 and STAr2 to transmit the relay data received in step S210 to STAs1 and STAs2 (S230, S231). Upon receiving the relay data from STAr1 and STAr2 (S240, S241), STAs1 and STAs2 transmit a BA to STAr1 and STAr2 (S250, S251).

[0065] The advantage of this method is that by using multiple links at once, the relay data length for each link can be shortened, significantly reducing the required transmission time. However, there is a requirement that AP1 and AP2 must be able to start transmission at approximately the same time or within a certain time period. For example, if AP1 acquires the transmission right first, but AP2 continues to be unable to acquire the transmission right for a long period of time, it may be necessary to delay the start of AP1's relay data transmission, which may result in the expected reduction in the required transmission time being lost (or even worse). Furthermore, this operation cannot be applied when the STA device 200 is configured in such a way that it cannot simultaneously transmit and receive data using both links (e.g., an enhanced Multi-Link Single-Radio (eMLSR) configuration).

[0066] 6 shows an example of relay communication in which data transmission is completed using separate channel links in the backhaul and fronthaul. This relay communication method corresponds to the third relay method, and for convenience, is referred to as "Multi Cross-Link Relay" in this specification.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 6 , after AP1 of AP MLD (source device) 100 acquires the transmission right on link 1 (a third link, one of multiple first links), it transmits a relay communication data signal (hereinafter, relay data) to STAr1 of STAr MLD (relay device) 300 (S310). When STAr1 begins receiving the relay data, STAr2 of STAr MLD (relay device) 300 simultaneously performs backoff processing to acquire the transmission right on link 2 (a fourth link, one of multiple second links, having a different channel from AP1's link 1 (third link)) (S320), and transmits the relay data received by STAr1 (obtained via the backhaul link) to STAs2 (S330). Upon completing reception of the relay data from AP1, STAr1 transmits a BA (Block Ack) to AP1, which is a delivery confirmation (S340). Upon receiving the relay data from STAr2, STAs2 transmits the BA to STAr2 (S350).

[0068] An advantage of this method is that by operating the backhaul and fronthaul in parallel, it is expected to significantly reduce the required transmission time, similar to the second relay method (see Figure 5). Furthermore, because the STA device 200 uses only one link at a time, there is no need to consider restrictions on whether the STA device 200 can use multiple links. On the other hand, there is a restriction that STAr2 must acquire the transmission right at the latest before the relay data transmission from AP1 over the backhaul link is completed. Even if STAr2 does acquire the transmission right, if the relay device 300 is holding another packet, it may start transmitting that packet first, resulting in a delay in the start of relay data transmission. In other words, a potential drawback is that it is less reliable than the aforementioned Single Intra-Link Relay and Multi Intra-Link Relay.

[0069] [Solution] As described above, each of the first to third relay methods has advantages and disadvantages, and which method is optimal varies for each transmission depending on the channel access status of each device or each link. Furthermore, for the first relay method (Single Intra-Link Relay) and the second relay method (Multi Intra-Link Relay), the source device 100 can determine which method is optimal based on its own device status, but for the third relay method (Multi Cross-Link Relay), it is difficult to determine which method is optimal without checking the status of both the source device 100 and the relay device 300.

[0070] Therefore, in this embodiment, a method is proposed for selectively using the first relay method (Single Intra-Link Relay), the second relay method (Multi Intra-Link Relay), and the third relay method (Multi Cross-Link Relay) using pre-negotiation before the start of relay communication and relay device information after transmission confirmation in the backhaul.

[0071] Hereinafter, an embodiment that can realize the above-mentioned solution will be introduced.

[0072] [First Example of Sequence (When Multi-Cross Link is Used)] FIG. 7 shows a first example of a sequence (when Multi-Cross Link is used) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] First, AP1 of the AP MLD (source device) 100 performs relay negotiation with STAr1 of the relay device 300 (S410). More specifically, after AP1 acquires the transmission right, it transmits a Relay Negotiation Request frame to the relay device 300 using link 1 (AP1). This request frame includes information such as the MAC address of the final destination STA device 200, data length information, and traffic identifier information. The detailed structure of this request frame will be described later (see FIG. 10). Upon receiving the Relay Negotiation Request frame, the relay device 300 transmits a Relay Negotiation Response frame to the source device 100 using link 1 (STAr1). This response frame includes information indicating whether or not Cross-Link Relay is currently executable. Additionally, this response frame may include estimated transmission rate information for each link (link 1 and link 2) in the fronthaul and the buffer status of the relay device 300 as additional information. The detailed structure of the frame will be described later (see FIG. 11).

[0074] Here, one criterion for determining whether the relay device 300 is currently capable of performing cross-link relaying is based on the channel status of link 2 (fourth link) of the fronthaul used when performing cross-link relaying. As an example, cross-link relaying may be currently capable of being performed when all of the following conditions (A) to (D) are satisfied:

[0075] (A) When STAr2 has already acquired the transmission right, or when STAr2 is in an idle state (e.g., during backoff), or when it is predicted that it will be able to acquire the transmission right within a certain period of time. Predicting whether it will be able to acquire the transmission right within a certain period of time may be done, for example, by predicting the remaining busy time from the busy duration, and determining that it will be able to acquire the transmission right within the certain period of time if the remaining busy time is equal to or less than a threshold. Furthermore, it is also possible to predict whether it will be able to acquire the transmission right within a certain period of time using AI (Artificial Intelligence) / ML (Machine Learning) technology.

[0076] (B) When there is no problem with STAr2 preferentially transmitting relay data (for example, when there are no other packets in the queue that should be given priority to the relay device 300).

[0077] (C) When the transmission rate of fronthaul link 2 is not significantly lower than the transmission rate of backhaul link 1. Whether the transmission rate is significantly lower may be determined based on, for example, the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of each link, the available modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of each link, the available bandwidth of each link, etc.

[0078] (D) When the relay device 300 is capable of simultaneous transmission and reception on backhaul link 1 and fronthaul link 2 (i.e., operating in Simultaneous Tx / Rx Mode).

[0079] It may be determined that cross-link relay is currently possible when at least one, two, or three of (A) to (D) are satisfied, rather than all of them. For example, it may be determined that cross-link relay is currently possible when (A) is satisfied.

[0080] When AP1 receives the Relay Negotiation Response frame and recognizes that the relay device 300 has determined that cross-link relay is currently possible, it transmits a data signal including relay data (S420). At this time, information indicating the relay method to be used, in this case flag information requesting cross-link relay, may be set in a control field included in the data signal (details will be described later using FIG. 12). Furthermore, when STAr1 transmits a BA (Block Ack) in response to the data signal, AP1 may set flag information in the data signal requesting that a Relay Confirm bit be included in the BA. The Relay Confirm Bit is information indicating whether the relay device 300 has started relay data transmission on another link (here, link 2 or STAr2) at the time of transmitting the BA (details will be described later using FIG. 13).

[0081] The data signal transmitted by AP1 may not be a single data packet (or frame) but may be multiple data packets transmitted intermittently (for example, in bursts at SIFS intervals). The frame may be, for example, an MPDU (MAC Protocol Data Unit) or an A-MPDU (Aggregation-MPDU).

[0082] The relay device 300 starts receiving a data signal from AP1 in STAr1 while simultaneously performing backoff processing in STAr2 (S430). Once the transmission right is acquired, STAr2 starts transmitting relay data to STAs2 via fronthaul link 2 (S440). Meanwhile, when STAr1 completes receiving the relay data via backhaul link 1, it transmits a BA (Block Ack) including a Relay Confirm Bit to AP1 of the source device 100 (S450). The Relay Confirm Bit does not necessarily have to be stored in the BA signal or frame, and may be transmitted separately from the BA. For example, the Relay Confirm Bit may be transmitted in response to a request frame transmitted from the source device 100.

[0083] [Second Example of Sequence (Single Intra-Link Use 1)] FIG. 8 illustrates a second example of a sequence (Single Intra-Link Use 1) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. This example illustrates the operation performed when, during relay negotiation (S510), the relay device 300 returns a Relay Negotiation Response frame containing information indicating that cross-link relaying is not possible. In the illustrated example, the relay device 300 determines that cross-link relaying is not possible because STAr2 (link 2) has been in a busy state for a long period of time and is unlikely to return to an idle state within a certain period of time. However, the relay device 300 may also determine that cross-link relaying is not possible for other reasons described above. If it is determined that cross-link relaying is not possible during relay negotiation (S510), the relay device 300 performs single intra-link relaying (steps S520 to S560) in the same manner as in the example of FIG. 4 described above. Steps S520 to S560 in FIG. 8 are similar to steps S110 to S150 in FIG. 4, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0084] [Third Example of Sequence (When Single Intra-Link is Used 2)] FIG. 9 shows a third example of a sequence (When Single Intra-Link is Used 2) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] As in the example of Fig. 7, in the Relay Negotiation (S610), the relay device 300 returns a Relay Negotiation Response frame containing information indicating that Cross-Link Relay is executable, and AP1 transmits a data signal (S620). However, the subsequent operation differs from the example of Fig. 7. The Relay Confirm bit included in the BA (Block Ack) transmitted from STAr1, which received the data signal, indicates that STAr2 has not yet started relay data transmission (S630). This is because the channel access status of STAr2 (link 2) has changed since the time of Relay Negotiation (S620) and has become busy.

[0086] In this case, as in the example of Fig. 4, the source device 100 switches the relaying method to Single Intra-Link Relay and uses AP1 to transmit a trigger frame (TXOP Sharing Trigger) to STAr1 (S640). That is, TXOP Sharing is used to acquire the transmission right for the channel of fronthaul link 1. STAr1 uses this transmission right to transmit relay data to STAs1 (S650), and STAs1 transmits a BA (Block Ack) to STAr1 (S660).

[0087] [Frame Format] Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of a Relay Negotiation Request frame. Here, the description is based on the IEEE802.11 Action frame, but in this embodiment, the frame configuration is not limited to this one, and it is sufficient if at least some of the information below is included. Also, this frame has a MAC frame configuration, but it may have a TCP / IP frame configuration as long as it includes at least some of the information below.

[0088] Relay Action: Information indicating the type of this Relay Action Frame. For example, 0: Relay Negotiation Request, 1: Relay Negotiation Response, etc.

[0089] Relay Sequence Number: Identification number for relay transmission. It is set by the requester (in this example, the source device 100). The responder (in this example, the relay device 300) uses the value specified by the requester as it is. The identification number for relay transmission is set, for example, in units of the data signal that the requester requests to transmit (the unit of processing until all data signals are sent).

[0090] Destination Address: Destination address information. Information indicating the STA that is the final destination is included. It can be a MAC address or other identification information.

[0091] TID: Traffic identifier information.

[0092] AC: Access category information.

[0093] Backhaul Link Status: A group of information regarding the backhaul link formed by the source node (in this example, the source device 100). As an example, Link Status is essential, and Link Data Rate may be optional. - Link Mapping Bitmap: Information indicating which link information is to be notified. - Link Status: Information indicating the channel status of the link. * For example, idle, busy, having acquired the transmission right, etc. * In the case of idle, the remaining backoff time (the remaining carrier sense time) may be notified. * In the case of busy, the reason and (if known or predictable) the busy end time may be notified. The busy end time indicates the remaining time until the end of the busy state or the busy end time. - Link Data Rate: Estimated data rate information for each link. * The numerical value in Bps (Bits Per Second) may be used as it is, or index information selected from a table defined by the standard may be used. * Instead of information regarding the data rate value itself, information regarding parameters necessary to determine the data rate, such as MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme), the number of transmission streams, and the guard interval length, may be stored.

[0094] DATA Length: The length of the data you want to send.

[0095] Number of Packets: The total number of data packets (MPDUs) you want to send.

[0096] Figure 11 shows an example of the structure of a Relay Negotiation Response frame. Here, the description is based on the IEEE802.11 Action frame, but in this embodiment, the frame structure is not limited to this one, and it is sufficient if it contains at least some of the information below. Also, this frame has a MAC frame structure, but it may have a TCP / IP frame structure as long as it contains at least some of the information below.

[0097] Relay Action: Information indicating the type of this Relay Action Frame. For example, 0: Relay Negotiation Request, 1: Relay Negotiation Response, etc.

[0098] Relay Sequence Number: Identification number of relay transmission. Set by the requester (source device 100 in this example). The responder (relay device 300 in this example) uses the value specified by the requester as is. The identification number of relay transmission is set, for example, in units of data signals that the requester requests to be transmitted (units of processing until all data signals are sent).

[0099] Cross-Link Relay flag (Success Flag): Flag information indicating whether or not Cross-Link Relay is currently possible to execute. For example, 0: FAIL, 1: SUCCESS, etc. The Cross-Link Relay flag, together with the Fronthaul Link Status described below, corresponds to an example of first information based on the channel status of multiple fronthaul links (second links).

[0100] Reason Code: Information indicating the reason if Cross-Link Relay cannot be executed at the current time. This information is a value associated with the reason, and the combination of value and reason is predefined.

[0101] Fronthaul Link Status: A group of information related to the fronthaul link formed by the relay node (relay device 300 in this example). Fronthaul Link Status corresponds to an example of first information based on the channel status of multiple fronthaul links (second links). Information on at least one link (e.g., a link that can be used in Cross-Link Relay) may be stored instead of all links. Link selection can be performed using the Link Mapping Bitmap. Link Mapping Bitmap: Information indicating which link information is to be notified. Link Status: Information indicating the channel status of the link. *For example, idle, busy, transmission right acquired, etc. *If idle, the remaining backoff time (remaining carrier sense time) may be notified. *If busy, the reason and the busy end time (if known or predictable) may be notified. The busy end time indicates the remaining time until the busy end or the busy end time. *Link Data Rate: Estimated data rate information for each link. *It can be the Bps (Bits Per Second) value itself, or index information selected from a table defined by the standard. *Instead of information about the data rate value itself, it can also be information about parameters required to determine the data rate, such as MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme), number of transmission streams, and guard interval length.

[0102] Buffer Status: Information indicating the availability of a buffer held by a relay node (relay device 300 in this example). This may be information on the number of packets that the relay node can store in its buffer, or flag information indicating whether the buffer can store all of the number of packets predicted to be transmitted by the source node (source device 100 in this example). The predicted number of packets may be, for example, the average number of packets calculated from the history of past transmissions, or a value predicted by another method.

[0103] FIG. 12 shows an example of the structure of a data frame including relay data transmitted from the source device 100 to the relay device 300.

[0104] Here, it is assumed that the necessary parameters are stored in the HT Control field in the IEEE802.11 MAC header, but this embodiment is not limited to this frame configuration, and it is sufficient that at least part of the information below is included in any field in the data frame (including the preamble). Also, although this frame is a MAC frame configuration, it may be a TCP / IP frame configuration as long as it includes at least part of the information below.

[0105] Furthermore, when multiple data packets (each individual data packet within a data frame may also be called a data frame) are concatenated within a data frame, all data packets will basically have the configuration shown in Figure 12, but it is also acceptable for only the first data packet to include at least some of the information below.

[0106] Control ID: Information indicating that the following information group is information group regarding relay transmission.

[0107] Relay Sequence Number: Identification number for relay transmission. The value set in the Relay Negotiation Request frame during relay negotiation is used as is.

[0108] Number of Packets: Information indicating the number of data packets or data frames (MPDUs) you want to send via relay communication.

[0109] DATA Length: Information indicating the length of data you want relayed (for example, if you are sending multiple data packets, the total length of the data stored in the body of these data packets).

[0110] Cross-Link Relay Indication: Instruction information requesting a relay node to perform cross-link relay. ・A relay node that is requested to perform cross-link relay by this instruction information adds a Relay Confirm bit (described later) to the BA (Block Ack). ・Link information specifying the link on which cross-link relay is to be performed may be included in the instruction information. ・Indication information requesting a relay method other than cross-link relay (for example, single intra-link relay) may also be stored.

[0111] FIG. 13 shows an example of the structure of a Block Ack (BA), which is a delivery confirmation sent from the relay device 300 to the source device 100.

[0112] Here, a configuration is shown in which one field, Relay Confirm, below is added as information to the IEEE802.11 Block Ack. However, this embodiment is not limited to this frame configuration, and the Relay Confirm below may be added to a frame separate from the Block Ack. Also, this frame has a MAC frame configuration, but it may also have a TCP / IP frame configuration as long as it includes a Relay Confirm.

[0113] Relay Confirm: Flag information that notifies whether or not relay data transmission has started on a link other than the link on which this BA is transmitted when this BA is transmitted.

[0114] 14 shows a flowchart of an example of the operation of the source device 100. As described above, the case where AP1 of the source device 100 acquires the transmission right will be described here, but the same operation will be performed when AP2 of the source device 100 acquires the transmission right first.

[0115] First, when AP1 acquires a transmission right (TXOP) (S711), it determines whether AP2 is likely to acquire the transmission right within a certain period of time (S712). For example, it may determine this possibility if the remaining backoff time is equal to or less than a threshold, or it may be determined using AI / ML. The certain period of time may be a value determined by the source device 100 itself, a value determined by the user, or a value defined by a standard. If it determines that AP2 is likely to acquire the transmission right within the certain period of time, it determines whether the STA device 200 is configured as an enhanced multi-link single radio (eMLSR) based on information acquired in advance (e.g., information acquired at the time of association) (S713). If the STA device 200 is not configured as an eMLSR, AP1 and AP2 initiate multi-intra-link relay (see FIG. 5) (S714). AP1 may initiate multi-intra-link relay after confirming that AP2 has acquired the transmission right, or AP2 may initiate multi-intra-link relay first during backoff.

[0116] If there is a high possibility that AP2 will not be able to obtain the transmission right within a certain period of time, or if the STA device 200 has an eMLSR configuration, AP1 starts relay negotiation by transmitting a Relay Negotiation Request frame to STAr1 of the relay device 300 (S715). The source device 100 determines whether it has received a Relay Negotiation Response frame from the relay device 300 that includes information indicating that cross-link relaying is possible (Cross-Link Relay flag = Y) (S716). If it has not received such a frame, i.e., if it has received a Relay Negotiation Response frame that includes information indicating that cross-link relaying is not possible (Cross-Link Relay flag = N), AP1 of the source device 100 decides to perform single intra-link relaying. AP1 transmits relay data to STAr1 of relay device 300 (S717), and then transmits a TXOP Sharing trigger frame, i.e., information (third information) instructing the STA device 200 to transmit the relay data using the TXOP (transmission right) shared with source device 100 (S718). The operations of steps S7171 and S718 correspond to the operations of steps S520 to S540 in FIG. 8 described above.

[0117] When the source device 100 receives a Relay Negotiation Response frame from the relay device 300 including information indicating that cross-link relay is possible (Cross-Link Relay flag = Y), AP1 of the source device 100 transmits relay data to STAr1 of the relay device 300 (S719). AP1 then receives a Block Ack transmitted from STAr1 and checks the flag information (Relay Confirm bit) included in the Block Ack (S720). If this flag information indicates that transmission of relay data from STAr2 of the relay device 300 to STAs2 of the STA device 200 has already begun, AP1 determines that cross-link relay has begun and terminates the processing of AP1 of the source device 100 (S721). The operations in steps S719 to S721 correspond to the operations in steps S420 and S450 of FIG. 7 .

[0118] If the flag information indicates that relay data transmission has not started in step S720, AP1 determines that cross-link relay has not started, and performs TXOP sharing with STAr1 to cause STAr1 to start single intra-link relay (S718). The operations in steps S720 and S718 correspond to the operation in step S640 in FIG. 9.

[0119] In the operation example of this flowchart, the source device 100 determines whether or not to perform cross-link relay based on a response from the relay device 300 (see S716), but the final decision may be made by the source device 100. For example, the source device 100 may obtain information from the relay device 300, such as the availability of the buffer in the relay device 300, or the transmission rates and channel status of link 1 and link 2 of the fronthaul, and determine whether or not to perform cross-link relay based on the obtained information.

[0120] For example, if the buffer availability is equal to or greater than the amount of data desired to be transmitted from the source device 100, it may be determined that Cross-Link Relay is feasible, and if it is less than the amount of data, it may be determined that Cross-Link Relay is not feasible. Also, if the transmission rate of fronthaul link 2 is lower than the value obtained by subtracting a margin width from the transmission rate of backhaul link 1, it may be determined that Cross-Link Relay is not feasible, and if not, it may be determined that Cross-Link Relay is feasible. Also, if the channel status of fronthaul link 2 is busy or is not expected to clear within a certain period of time, it may be determined that Cross-Link Relay is not feasible, and if not, it may be determined that Cross-Link Relay is feasible. Other methods (for example, the same method as the method used by the relay device 300 for determination) may also be used for the determination.

[0121] Furthermore, whether or not Cross-Link Relay can be implemented may be determined by a device different from the source device 100 and the relay device 300. This device may be called a server, a control device, or an information processing device. This device is connected to at least one of the source device 100 and the relay device 300 via a wired or wireless connection, receives information necessary for determining whether or not Cross-Link Relay can be implemented from the source device 100 and the relay device 300, and returns the result of the determination to at least one of the source device 100 and the relay device 300. The method of determination may be the same as that when the relay device 300 or the source device 100 makes the determination.

[0122] 15 shows a flowchart of an example of the operation of the relay device 300. Note that, as described above, a case will be described in which STAr1 (link 1) of STAr1 and STAr2 of the relay device 300 receives a Relay Negotiation Request frame, but the same applies when STAr2 (link 2) receives this frame.

[0123] First, the relay device 300 receives a Relay Negotiation Request frame from AP1 of the source device 100 in STAr1 (S811) and determines whether Cross-Link Relay is feasible (S812). If Cross-Link Relay is not feasible, it transmits a Relay Negotiation Response frame to AP1 with information indicating that Cross-Link Relay is not feasible (Cross-Link Relay flag = N) set (S820). STAr1 then receives relay data transmitted from AP1 (S821) and further receives a TXOP Sharing trigger frame from AP1, thereby acquiring the transmission right and transmitting the relay data to STAs1 (S819). Note that if STAr1 becomes feasible after transmitting the information indicating that Cross-Link Relay is not feasible, a configuration in which STAr1 receives relay data transmitted from AP1 while simultaneously transmitting relay data from STAr2 to STAs2 is not excluded.

[0124] If the relay device 300 determines that cross-link relay is possible, it transmits a Relay Negotiation Response frame to AP1, with information indicating that cross-link relay is possible (Cross-Link Relay flag = Y) set (S813). Thereafter, STAr1 receives relay data transmitted from AP1 (S814), and STAr1 monitors whether transmission of relay data from STAr2 to STAs2 of the STA device 200 has begun (S815). If transmission of relay data from STAr2 has already begun, STAr1 transmits a Block Ack to AP1 after completing reception of the relay data from AP1, including flag information indicating that transmission has already begun (Relay Confirm bit = 1 (or Y)) (S816). This flag information indicating that transmission has already begun corresponds to an example of information indicating whether transmission has already begun (second information). Then, STAr2 continues transmitting relay data to STAs2 of the STA device 200 via cross-link relay (S817). If it is determined in step S815 that transmission of relay data from STAr2 has not started, STAr1 transmits a Block Ack including flag information (Relay Confirm bit = 0 (or N)) indicating that transmission has not started to AP1 (S818). This flag information indicating that transmission has not started corresponds to an example of information (second information) indicating whether transmission has started or not. STAr1 receives a TXOP Sharing trigger frame (information (third information) instructing the STA device 200 to transmit relay data using a TXOP (transmission right) shared with the source device 100) from the source device 100, acquires the transmission right, and transmits the relay data to STAr1 (S819). In this case, even if the relay device 300 can acquire the transmission right on link 2 of the fronthaul between transmitting the Block Ack and receiving the TXOP Sharing trigger frame, it does not need to transmit the relay data from STAr2 (link 2).

[0125] [Application Examples] (Example 1) In the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the source device 100 first acquires the transmission right at the beginning of the sequence, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, after the relay device 300 acquires the transmission right, control may be performed to prompt the source device 100 to perform relay communication. In this case, at least a portion of the information (e.g., Cross Link Relay Flag, Reason Code, Fronthaul Link Status, Buffer Status) included in and transmitted in the above-mentioned Relay Negotiation Response frame (see FIG. 11 ) may be transmitted first from the relay device 300 to the source device 100 as a relay communication request signal.

[0126] (Example 2) The source device 100 has an AP MLD configuration, but it may also have a STA MLD configuration. In this case, if the TXOP Sharing function is available even in the STA MLD configuration, the control described in the explanation of this embodiment is possible. On the other hand, if the source device 100 has the STA MLD configuration but cannot use the TXOP Sharing function, the source device 100 may not follow the operation of the flowchart in Figure 14 and may determine to perform Cross-Link Relay except when Multi Intra-Link Relay is to be performed.

[0127] (Example 3) A system configuration may include multiple relay devices, forming a multi-hop network or a mesh network. In this case, the source device 100 may check the link status of each relay device using the relay negotiation described in this embodiment and determine the optimal communication path and link to be used. Furthermore, before transmitting relay data after relay negotiation, the source device 100 may transmit a control frame notifying the previously determined link to be used and route information.

[0128] (Example 4) In a system configuration, the source device, relay device, and STA device may each form links using three or more links. Also, some backhaul links and some fronthaul links may be different. For example, one of the fronthaul links may be a link with a different channel than any of the backhaul links. In this case, the source device may control the relay data transmission to prioritize a link with the highest possible transmission rate that is shared between the backhaul and fronthaul links. By prioritizing in this way, the relay device can appropriately use Intra-Link Relay (Multi or Single) and Cross-Link Relay.

[0129] (Example 5) The relay operation of this embodiment may not be applied to all data transmissions, but may be controlled to be applied only to high-priority traffic that requires a high transmission rate or low-latency transmission. The source device may determine the selection of this high-priority traffic and whether to enable or disable relay communication for each traffic (for example, if the amount of data in high-priority traffic is small, it may be more efficient to transmit directly from the source device to the STA device without relay communication, in which case relay communication operation may be disabled). Alternatively, the selection of high-priority traffic and whether to enable or disable relay communication for each traffic may be determined by an external device that can communicate with the source device, or by user settings.

[0130] (Example 6) The source device 100 may confirm whether the relay device 300 can perform cross-link relay or information on the internal processing delay time of the relay device 300 when performing cross-link relay, by exchanging capability information when connecting with the relay device 300. If the source device 100 determines that the relay device 300 does not support cross-link relay or that the internal processing time of the relay device 300 is long, it may decide to perform relay communication using only intra-link relay.

[0131] (Example 7) The operation of this embodiment may be turned on or off in response to a user operation. The setting is made for the source device 100 or the relay device 300. A user operation is accepted via an operation device (external terminal such as a PC) connected to the source device 100 or the relay device 300 to turn the function on or off. If the source device 100 or the relay device 300 is equipped with an operation unit, the user operation may be accepted via the operation unit. When OFF is set for the source device 100, one or more of the following combinations may be performed: - A relay negotiation request frame is not sent. - Control is performed so that a data frame in the format of FIG. 12 is not sent. - The process in the flow of FIG. 14 is not performed. When OFF is set for the relay device 300, one or more of the following combinations may be performed: - A relay negotiation response frame is not sent. - Control is performed so that an Ack frame in the format of FIG. 13 is not sent. - The process in the flow of FIG. 15 is not performed.

[0132] (Example 8) In response to a user operation, control is performed so that a specific relay operation among the relay operations of this embodiment (Single Intra-Link, Multi Intra-Link, Multi-Cross Link) is not performed. This narrows down the candidate relay operations to be performed to, for example, two. There are cases where the setting is made for the source device 100 and cases where the setting is made for the relay device 300. The method of accepting a user operation is the same as in Example 7 above. For example, the following On / Off settings are made for each of the relay operations. In this case, for example, two relay operations to be turned On may be selected and the remaining one may be turned Off. Single Intra-Link (On / Off) Multi Intra-Link (On / Off) Multi-Cross Link (On / Off) In this case, even if the operation is included in the relay operation that has been turned Off, it is necessary to control so that the operation included in the relay operation that has been turned On is performed.

[0133] (Example 9) Notify the user of the selected relay operation (single intra-link, multi intra-link, multi-cross link). The device that selected or decided on the relay operation to be performed transmits information including the judgment result (selected relay operation) to another device (a connected operation device (external terminal such as a PC) or STA device 200 (relay destination device)). The other device that received the information including the judgment result controls the display or output (image display, LED blinking, audio output) based on this information so that the user can recognize the selected relay operation. If the selected relay operation is determined not to satisfy the desired requirements (for example, delay amount or transmission capacity), a message to that effect may be displayed or output.

[0134] [Effects of this embodiment] This embodiment appropriately uses Intra-Link Relay, which reliably completes relay communication using a single link with the same frequency in both the backhaul and fronthaul, and Cross-Link Relay, which completes relay communication at high speed by simultaneously using links with different frequencies in both the backhaul and fronthaul in parallel. This is expected to improve average throughput without deteriorating the communication success rate.

[0135] Before starting relay communication, the source device 100 collects information that is likely to change dynamically, such as the status of the fronthaul link of the relay device 300, the status of the buffer in the relay device 300, and the radio wave conditions of each link, and aims to perform relay communication using cross-link relay if possible. Even if cross-link relay is determined to be feasible during relay negotiation but subsequently becomes unfeasible, the source device 100 rechecks the status of the relay device 300 after completing transmission of relay data over the backhaul link. This allows the relay method to immediately return to intra-link relay depending on the results of the check, thereby completing relay communication without degrading communication reliability. Because the operation of this embodiment is independent of the standard (IEEE 802.11 series) supported by the STA device 200, it is expected that a wide range of STA devices (terminals) will benefit from this embodiment.

[0136] <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.

[0137] FIG. 16 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.

[0138] 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 .

[0139] 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, for example, at least a portion of the information included in at least one of a Relay Negotiation Request frame, a Relay Negotiation Response frame, a data frame, and a Block Ack frame, or information indicating an executed relay operation, may be output or displayed from the output unit 807. Information related to the present technology, for example, at least a portion of the information included in at least one of a Relay Negotiation Request frame, a Relay Negotiation Response frame, a data frame, and a Block Ack frame, or information indicating an executed relay operation, may be input from the input unit 806, and a confirmation or 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 or nonvolatile memory, 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.

[0140] 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 a processing program corresponding to the flowcharts of Figs. 14 and 15 of the present technology.

[0141] 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 installed in the storage unit 808.

[0142] 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.

[0143] <Application Examples> The present technology can be applied to various products. For example, the wireless communication devices 400 and 500 (the source device 100, the relay device 300, and the STA device 200) may be realized as mobile devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs (Personal Computers), notebook PCs, portable game consoles, and digital cameras; fixed devices such as television sets, projectors, printers, digital scanners, and network storage; or in-vehicle devices such as car navigation devices and drive recorders. Furthermore, the wireless communication devices 400 and 500 (the source device 100, the relay device 300, and the STA device 200) may be realized as machine-to-machine communication (M2M) terminals such as smart meters, vending machines, remote monitoring devices, and point-of-sale (POS) terminals, or as intranet of things (IoT) terminals. Furthermore, the wireless communication devices 400 and 500 (the source device 100, the relay device 300, and the STA device 200) may be wireless communication modules (for example, integrated circuit modules configured on a single die) mounted on these terminals.

[0144] On the other hand, for example, the wireless communication devices 400 and 500 (source device 100, relay device 300, and STA device 200) may be realized as wireless LAN APs (wireless base stations) with or without router functionality. The wireless communication devices 400 and 500 (source device 100, relay device 300, and STA device 200) may also be realized as mobile wireless LAN routers. The wireless communication devices 400 and 500 (source device 100, relay device 300, and STA device 200) may also be realized as cellular communication base stations and femtocells. Furthermore, the wireless communication devices 400 and 500 (source device 100, relay device 300, and STA device 200) may also be wireless communication modules (e.g., integrated circuit modules configured on a single die) mounted on these devices.

[0145] <Configuration example of smartphone> Fig. 17 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a smartphone 900 to which the present technology is applied. Fig. 17 is described as a configuration example of the smartphone 900, but the present technology is not limited to this, and may be a configuration example of the various devices and functions described above.

[0146] 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.

[0147] 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.

[0148] The memory 902 includes RAM and ROM, and stores programs and data executed by the processor 901 .

[0149] The storage 903 includes a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk.

[0150] 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 .

[0151] 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.

[0152] The sensor 907 includes a group of sensors such as a positioning sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and an acceleration sensor.

[0153] The microphone 908 converts the sound input to the smartphone 900 into an audio signal.

[0154] 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.

[0155] 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 displays the output image of the smartphone 900.

[0156] The speaker 911 converts the audio signal output from the smartphone 900 into sound.

[0157] The wireless communication interface 913 supports one or more wireless LAN standards such as IEEE802.11a, 11b, 11g, 11ac, 11ad, 11ax, 11ay, 11be, and 11bn, and performs wireless communication.

[0158] 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.

[0159] 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.

[0160] 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.

[0161] 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.

[0162] 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).

[0163] The antenna 915 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 913.

[0164] 17 , the smartphone 900 may include multiple antennas (for example, a wireless LAN antenna, a proximity wireless communication antenna, and a cellular communication antenna). In this case, the antenna switch 914 may be omitted from the configuration of the smartphone 900.

[0165] 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.

[0166] The battery 918 supplies power to each block of the smartphone 900 shown in FIG. 17 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 reading 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.

[0167] In the smartphone 900 shown in Fig. 17 , for example, the communication control unit 111 or the control unit 130 in Fig. 2 or the communication control unit 211 or the control unit 230 in Fig. 3 may be implemented in the wireless communication interface 913. For example, processing programs corresponding to the flowcharts in Fig. 14 and 15 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.

[0168] The smartphone 900 may operate as a wireless AP (software AP) by having the processor 901 execute an AP function at the application level. The wireless communication interface 913 may also have a wireless AP function. The processor 901 or the wireless communication interface 913 may also have a tethering function that uses a wireless LAN system and a cellular communication system.

[0169] 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 communication control unit 111 or the control unit 130 in Fig. 2 or the communication control unit 211 or the control unit 230 in Fig. 3 is implemented is configured to receive power supply from the same battery 918 as at least one of the display device 910, the speaker 911, and the biometric authentication unit.

[0170] 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 relating to the present technology (e.g., information relating to at least a portion of information included in at least one of a Relay Negotiation Request frame, a Relay Negotiation Response frame, a data frame, and a Block Ack frame, or information indicating an executed relay 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 a response to the information output from at least one of the display device 910 and the speaker 911.

[0171] <Configuration example of in-vehicle device> Fig. 18 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. 18 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.

[0172] 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.

[0173] 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.

[0174] The memory 922 includes RAM and ROM, and stores programs and data executed by the processor 921 .

[0175] 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.

[0176] 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.

[0177] 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 in-vehicle data.

[0178] The content player 927 plays content stored on a storage medium (e.g., a CD or DVD) inserted into the storage medium interface 928 or content received via the wireless communication interface 933 .

[0179] 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.

[0180] The display device 930 has a screen such as an LCD, OLED display, or QD display, and displays images of navigation functions or content being played, as well as information related to the present technology (e.g., information related to at least a portion of the information contained in at least one of a Relay Negotiation Request frame, a Relay Negotiation Response frame, a data frame, or a Block Ack frame, or information indicating the relay operation that has been performed).

[0181] The speaker 931 outputs navigation functions, audio of the content being played, or information related to the present technology (e.g., information related to at least a portion of the information contained in at least one of a Relay Negotiation Request frame, a Relay Negotiation Response frame, a data frame, or a Block Ack frame, or information indicating the relay operation that has been performed).

[0182] 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.

[0183] The wireless communication interface 933 supports one or more wireless LAN standards such as IEEE802.11a, 11b, 11g, 11n, 11ac, 11ad, 11ax, 11ay, 11be, and 11bn, and performs wireless communication.

[0184] The wireless communication interface 933 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.

[0185] 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.

[0186] The wireless communication interface 933 typically includes a baseband processor, an RF circuit, a power amplifier, etc. The wireless communication interface 933 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.

[0187] The wireless communication interface 933 may support other types of wireless communication methods in addition to the WLAN 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 933 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.

[0188] 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).

[0189] 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.

[0190] 18, the in-vehicle device 920 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 934 may be omitted from the configuration of the in-vehicle device 920.

[0191] The battery 938 supplies power to each block of the in-vehicle device 920 shown in Fig. 18 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.

[0192] In the in-vehicle device 920 shown in Fig. 18, for example, the communication control unit 111 or the control unit 130 in Fig. 2 or the communication control unit 211 or the control unit 230 in Fig. 3 may be implemented in the wireless communication interface 933. For example, processing programs corresponding to the flowcharts in Fig. 14 and 15 may be executed in the wireless communication interface 933. Furthermore, at least some of these functions may be implemented in the processor 921.

[0193] The wireless communication interface 933 may operate as the communication control unit 111 or the control unit 130 in FIG. 2 or the communication control unit 211 or the control unit 230 in FIG. 3 described above, and may 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). The wireless communication interface 933 may 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.

[0194] 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 also have a wireless AP function. The processor 921 or the wireless communication interface 933 may also have a tethering function that uses a wireless LAN system and a cellular communication system.

[0195] 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 information acquired via the in-vehicle network 941.

[0196] <Configuration example of wireless AP> Fig. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a wireless AP 950 to which the present technology is applied. Fig. 19 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.

[0197] 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.

[0198] The controller 951 may be, for example, a CPU or a DSP (Digital Signal processor) and operates various functions of the IP (Intranet Protocol) layer and higher layers of the wireless AP 950 (e.g., access restriction, routing, encryption, firewall, and log management).

[0199] 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).

[0200] The input device 954 includes, for example, buttons, switches, etc., and receives operations from the user. For example, the input device 954 may be configured to input a confirmation or response to information output from the display device 955.

[0201] The display device 955 includes an LED lamp or the like and displays the operation status of the wireless AP 950. The display device 955 may display information related to the present technology (e.g., information related to at least a portion of information included in at least one of a Relay Negotiation Request frame, a Relay Negotiation Response frame, a data frame, and a Block Ack frame, or information indicating an executed relay operation).

[0202] 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 input and output wireless signals input and output by the wireless communication interface 963 as wired signals, or may input and output wired signals by operating 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 may be a WAN (Wide Area Network).

[0203] 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, and 11bn, 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.

[0204] The wireless communication interface 963 typically includes a baseband processor, an RF circuit, a power amplifier, and the like.

[0205] 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.

[0206] The antenna switch 964 switches the connection destination of the antenna 965 between multiple circuits included in the wireless communication interface 963 (for example, circuits for different wireless communication methods, or transmission system circuits and reception system circuits).

[0207] The antenna 965 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 963.

[0208] In the wireless AP 950 shown in Fig. 19 , for example, the communication control unit 111 or the control unit 130 in Fig. 2 or the communication control unit 211 or the control unit 230 in Fig. 3 may be implemented in the wireless communication interface 963. For example, processing programs corresponding to Figs. 4 and 17 may be executed in the wireless communication interface 963. Furthermore, at least some of these functions may be implemented in the controller 951.

[0209] 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.

[0210] 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.

[0211] 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.

[0212] 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.

[0213] Furthermore, the effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be present.

[0214] 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.

[0215] 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.

[0216] 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.

[0217] 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.

[0218] The above-described embodiment shows an example for realizing the present disclosure, and the present disclosure can be implemented in various other forms. For example, various modifications, substitutions, omissions, or combinations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Such modifications, substitutions, omissions, etc. are also included within the scope of the present disclosure, as well as within the scope of the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0219] Furthermore, the effects of the present disclosure described in this specification are merely examples, and other effects may also be present.

[0220] The present disclosure may also have the following configurations. [Item 1] A communication control device that performs control related to relay communication relayed via a third wireless communication device between a first wireless communication device connected to a third wireless communication device via a plurality of first links and a second wireless communication device connected to the third wireless communication device via a plurality of second links, the communication control device comprising: a control unit that determines a method of relay communication between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device based on first information based on channel states of the plurality of second links. [Item 2] The communication control device according to Item 1, wherein the control unit controls a wireless communication unit of the first wireless communication device, and the control unit controls acquisition of the first information from the third wireless communication device. [Item 3] The communication control device according to Item 1, wherein the control unit controls a wireless communication unit of the third wireless communication device, and the control unit acquires the first information based on channel states of the plurality of second links. [Item 4] The communication control device according to item 2, wherein the control unit acquires the first information by transmitting a request from the wireless communication unit of the first wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device, requesting acquisition of the first information, and controlling the wireless communication unit to receive a response including the first information from the third wireless communication device. [Item 5] The communication control device according to any one of items 1 to 4, wherein the control unit determines whether a first relay mode is feasible as the relay communication mode, and the first relay mode is a mode in which data is transmitted from the first wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device via a third link that is one of the plurality of first links, and, before the data transmission is completed, the third wireless communication device starts transmitting the data to the second wireless communication device via a fourth link that is one of the plurality of second links and is a channel different from the channel of the third link, thereby transmitting the data from the first wireless communication device via the third link and transmitting the data from the third wireless communication device via the fourth link in parallel. [Item 6] The communication control device according to item 5, wherein the first information includes information indicating a channel state of at least the fourth link among the plurality of second links.[Item 7] The communication control device according to item 6, wherein the state of the channel of the fourth link includes any one of an idle state, a busy state, and a state in which the transmission right has been acquired. [Item 8] The communication control device according to item 7, wherein, when the state of the channel of the fourth link is the idle state, the first information further includes a back-off time that is a remaining carrier sense time until the transmission right is acquired for the channel of the fourth link. [Item 9] The communication control device according to item 7 or 8, wherein, when the state of the channel of the fourth link is the busy state, the first information includes at least one of information indicating a reason why the channel of the fourth link is in the busy state and information regarding an end time of the busy state. [Item 10] The communication control device according to any one of items 6 to 9, wherein the first information further includes information for specifying a data rate of the fourth link. [Item 11] The communication control device according to any one of items 6 to 10, wherein the first information further includes information indicating an availability status of a buffer in which the third wireless communication device temporarily stores data received from the first wireless communication device. [Item 12] The communication control device according to any one of items 5 to 11, wherein the control unit controls a wireless communication unit of the first wireless communication device, the control unit performs control to acquire the first information from the third wireless communication device, and when the control unit has determined the first relay method, the control unit performs control to transmit to the third wireless communication device one or more data frames including data addressed to the second wireless communication device that is to be the target of the relay communication, and at least one of the one or more data frames includes information instructing that the data included in the one or more data frames be relayed to the second wireless communication device by the first relay method. [Item 13] The communication control device according to item 12, wherein the at least one data frame includes information regarding a total number of the data frames to be transmitted or a total data length of the data included in the one or more data frames.[Item 14] The communication control device according to any one of items 5 to 13, wherein the control unit controls a wireless communication unit of the first wireless communication device, wherein the control unit controls to acquire the first information from the third wireless communication device, wherein the control unit controls to transmit to the third wireless communication device one or more data frames including data addressed to the second wireless communication device that is a target of the relay communication, and at least one of the one or more data frames includes information instructing to relay the data included in the one or more data frames to the second wireless communication device using the determined relay communication method. [Item 15] The communication control device according to any one of items 5 to 14, wherein the control unit controls to control to acquire the first information from the third wireless communication device, and when the control unit has determined the first relay method, the control unit controls to transmit the data from the wireless communication unit to the third wireless communication device via the third link, and after completion of the data transmission, to receive second information from the third wireless communication device indicating whether transmission of the data to the second wireless communication device has started. [Item 16] The communication control device according to Item 15, wherein a fifth link among the plurality of second links has the same channel as the third link, and the control unit changes the relay communication method from the first relay method to a second relay method when the second information indicates that transmission of the data has not started, the second relay method being a method in which the first wireless communication device acquires a transmission right to exclusively use a wireless medium for a first period for the channel of the third link, shares the transmission right with the third wireless communication device, and transmits the data from the third wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device via the fifth link on the same channel as the third link during the first period, and the control unit controls to transmit third information to the third wireless communication device instructing it to transmit the data to the second wireless communication device via the fifth link based on the transmission right during the first period. [Item 17] The communication control device according to Item 15 or 16, wherein the control unit controls to receive a delivery confirmation of the data after transmission of the data is completed, and the delivery confirmation includes the second information.[Item 18] The communication control device according to any one of items 5 to 17, wherein a fifth link among the plurality of second links has the same channel as the third link, and the control unit determines a second relay method when the first relay method is not feasible as the method of the relay communication, the second relay method being a method in which the first wireless communication device acquires a transmission right to exclusively use a wireless medium for a first period for the channel of the third link, shares the transmission right with the third wireless communication device, and transmits the data from the third wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device via the fifth link during the first period. [Item 19] The communication control device according to item 18, wherein the control unit controls a wireless communication unit of the first wireless communication device, and the control unit performs control to acquire the first information from the third wireless communication device, and when the control unit has determined the second relay method, determines an amount of data that can be transmitted from the third wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device via the fifth link during the first period, and performs control to transmit data equal to or less than the data amount to the third wireless communication device.[Item 20] The control unit performs at least one of acquiring the first information and acquiring channel states of the plurality of first links, and the control unit determines one of a first relay method, a second relay method, and a third relay method as the method of the relay communication based on the first information or the channel states of the plurality of first links, and the first relay method is a method in which data is transmitted from the first wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device via a third link that is one of the plurality of first links, and before completing the data transmission, the third wireless communication device starts transmitting the data received from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device via a fourth link that is one of the plurality of second links, thereby transmitting the data from the first wireless communication device via the third link and transmitting the data from the third wireless communication device via the fourth link in parallel, and the channel of the third link is different from the channel of the fourth link, 20. The communication control device according to any one of items 1 to 19, wherein the second relay method is a method of transmitting data from the first wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device via the third link, acquiring a transmission right to exclusively use a wireless medium for the third link for a first period after completing the data transmission, sharing the transmission right with the third wireless communication device, and transmitting the data from the third wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device via a fifth link that uses the same channel as the third link among the plurality of second links during the first period; and the third relay method is a method of transmitting data to the third wireless communication device using at least two first links among the plurality of first links simultaneously for at least a partial period, and the third wireless communication device transmitting the received data to the second wireless communication device using at least two second links among the plurality of second links simultaneously for at least a partial period.[Item 21] A communication control method for controlling relay communication relayed via a third wireless communication device between a first wireless communication device connected to a third wireless communication device via a plurality of first links and a second wireless communication device connected to the third wireless communication device via a plurality of second links, the communication control method determining a method of relay communication between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device based on first information based on channel states of the plurality of second links.

[0221] 100 Source device 110 Wireless communication unit 111 Communication control unit 111 Control unit 112 Communication storage unit 113 Common data processing unit 121 Common data processing unit 121 Individual data processing unit 122 Signal processing unit 123 Wireless interface unit 124 Amplification unit 130 Communication control unit 130 Control unit 140 Storage unit 150 Antenna 160 WAN communication unit 200 STA device 210 Wireless communication unit 211 Communication control unit 211 Control unit 212 Communication storage unit 213 Common data processing unit 221 Common data processing unit 221 Individual data processing unit 222 Signal processing unit 223 Wireless interface unit 224 Amplification unit 230 Communication control unit 230 Control unit 240 Storage unit 250 Antenna 300 Relay device 400 Wireless communication device (AP MLD) 500 Wireless communication device (STA MLD) 804 Bus 805 Input / output interface 806 Input unit 807 Output unit 808 Storage unit 809 Communication unit 810 Drive 811 Removable media 900 Smartphone 901 Processor 902 Memory 903 Storage 904 External connection interface 906 Camera 907 Sensor 908 Microphone 909 Input device 910 Display device 911 Speaker 913 Wireless communication interface 914 Antenna switch 915 Antenna 917 Bus 918 Battery 919 Auxiliary controller 920 In-vehicle device 920 In-vehicle equipment 921 Processor 922 Memory924 GNSS module 925 Sensor 926 Data interface 927 Content player 928 Storage medium interface 929 Input device 930 Display device 931 Speaker 933 Wireless communication interface 934 Antenna switch 935 Antenna 938 Battery 940 In-vehicle system (or vehicle) 941 In-vehicle network 942 Vehicle-side module 951 Controller 952 Memory 954 Input device 955 Display device 957 Network interface 958 Wired communication network 963 Wireless communication interface 964 Antenna switch 965 Antenna

Claims

1. A communication control device that controls relay communication between a first wireless communication device connected to a third wireless communication device via multiple first links and a second wireless communication device connected to the third wireless communication device via multiple second links, the communication control device comprising: a control unit that determines a method of relay communication between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device based on first information based on the channel states of the multiple second links.

2. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls a wireless communication unit of the first wireless communication device, and the control unit controls acquisition of the first information from the third wireless communication device.

3. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the wireless communication unit of the third wireless communication device and acquires the first information based on the channel states of the plurality of second links.

4. The communication control device described in claim 2, wherein the control unit acquires the first information by transmitting a request from the wireless communication unit of the first wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device requesting acquisition of the first information, and controlling the wireless communication unit to receive a response including the first information from the third wireless communication device.

5. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether a first relay method is feasible as the method of the relay communication, and the first relay method is a method in which data is transmitted from the first wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device via a third link that is one of the plurality of first links, and before the transmission of the data is completed, the third wireless communication device starts transmitting the data to the second wireless communication device via a fourth link that is one of the plurality of second links and is a channel different from the channel of the third link, thereby transmitting the data from the first wireless communication device via the third link and transmitting the data from the third wireless communication device via the fourth link in parallel.

6. The communication control device according to claim 5, wherein the first information includes information indicating a channel state of at least the fourth link among the plurality of second links.

7. The communication control device according to claim 6, wherein the channel state of the fourth link includes any one of an idle state, a busy state, and a state in which the transmission right has been acquired.

8. A communication control device according to claim 7, wherein, when the state of the channel of the fourth link is the idle state, the first information further includes a back-off time, which is the remaining carrier sense time until the transmission right is acquired for the channel of the fourth link.

9. A communication control device according to claim 7, wherein, when the state of the channel of the fourth link is the busy state, the first information includes at least one of information indicating the reason why the channel of the fourth link is in the busy state and information regarding the end time of the busy state.

10. The communication control device according to claim 6, wherein the first information further includes information for specifying a data rate of the fourth link.

11. The communication control device according to claim 6, wherein the first information further includes information indicating the availability of a buffer in which the third wireless communication device temporarily stores data received from the first wireless communication device.

12. The communication control device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the wireless communication unit of the first wireless communication device, the control unit performs control to acquire the first information from the third wireless communication device, and when the control unit determines the first relay method, the control unit performs control to transmit to the third wireless communication device one or more data frames including data addressed to the second wireless communication device that is the target of the relay communication, and at least one of the one or more data frames includes information instructing that the data included in the one or more data frames be relayed to the second wireless communication device using the first relay method.

13. The communication control device according to claim 12, wherein the at least one data frame includes information regarding the total number of data frames to be transmitted or the total data length of the data included in the one or more data frames.

14. The communication control device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the wireless communication unit of the first wireless communication device, the control unit controls the acquisition of the first information from the third wireless communication device, the control unit controls the transmission of one or more data frames to the third wireless communication device, the data including data addressed to the second wireless communication device that is the target of the relay communication, and at least one of the one or more data frames includes information instructing the relay of the data included in the one or more data frames to the second wireless communication device using the determined method of relay communication.

15. The communication control device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the wireless communication unit of the first wireless communication device, the control unit controls to acquire the first information from the third wireless communication device, and when the first relay method is determined, the control unit controls to transmit the data from the wireless communication unit to the third wireless communication device via the third link, and after the transmission of the data is completed, receives second information from the third wireless communication device indicating whether transmission of the data to the second wireless communication device has started.

16. The communication control device according to claim 15, wherein a fifth link among the plurality of second links has the same channel as the third link, and the control unit, when the second information indicates that transmission of the data has not started, changes the relay communication method from the first relay method to the second relay method, and the second relay method is a method in which the first wireless communication device acquires a transmission right to exclusively use a wireless medium for a first period for the channel of the third link, shares the transmission right with the third wireless communication device, and transmits the data from the third wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device over the fifth link, which has the same channel as the third link, during the first period, and the control unit controls to transmit third information to the third wireless communication device, instructing it to transmit the data to the second wireless communication device over the fifth link based on the transmission right during the first period.

17. The communication control device according to claim 15, wherein the control unit controls to receive a delivery confirmation of the data after the transmission of the data is completed, and the delivery confirmation includes the second information.

18. The communication control device according to claim 5, wherein one fifth link among the plurality of second links has the same channel as the third link, and the control unit determines a second relay method if the first relay method is not feasible as the method of relay communication, and the second relay method is a method in which the first wireless communication device acquires a transmission right to exclusively use a wireless medium for the channel of the third link for a first period, shares the transmission right with the third wireless communication device, and transmits the data from the third wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device over the fifth link during the first period.

19. The communication control device according to claim 18, wherein the control unit controls the wireless communication unit of the first wireless communication device, the control unit performs control to acquire the first information from the third wireless communication device, and when the control unit determines the second relay method, determines the amount of data that can be transmitted from the third wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device via the fifth link during the first period, and performs control to transmit data less than or equal to the amount of data to the third wireless communication device.

20. The control unit performs at least one of acquiring the first information and acquiring channel states of the plurality of first links, and the control unit determines one of a first relay method, a second relay method, and a third relay method as the relay communication method based on the first information or the channel states of the plurality of first links, and the first relay method is a method in which data is transmitted from the first wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device via a third link that is one of the plurality of first links, and before completing the data transmission, the third wireless communication device starts transmitting the data received from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device via a fourth link that is one of the plurality of second links, thereby transmitting the data from the first wireless communication device via the third link and transmitting the data from the third wireless communication device via the fourth link in parallel, and the channel of the third link is different from the channel of the fourth link, 2. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the second relay method is a method of transmitting data from the first wireless communication device to the third wireless communication device via the third link, acquiring a transmission right to exclusively use a wireless medium for the third link for a first period after completing the data transmission, sharing the transmission right with the third wireless communication device, and transmitting the data from the third wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device via a fifth link that uses the same channel as the third link among the plurality of second links during the first period; and the third relay method is a method of transmitting data to the third wireless communication device using at least two first links among the plurality of first links simultaneously for at least a partial period, and the third wireless communication device transmitting the received data to the second wireless communication device using at least two second links among the plurality of second links simultaneously for at least a partial period.

21. A communication control method for controlling relay communication relayed via a third wireless communication device between a first wireless communication device connected to a third wireless communication device via multiple first links and a second wireless communication device connected to the third wireless communication device via multiple second links, the method determining a method of relay communication between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device based on first information based on the channel states of the multiple second links.

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