Wireless communication method and communication device

Abstract

Provided are a wireless communication method and a communication device. The method comprises: a first device sending first information to a second device via a first link, wherein the first link is a sub-7 GHz link; the first information is used for indicating that the first device switches from a first state to a second state on a second link, or the first device maintains the first state on the second link; the second link is a millimeter-wave link; and the first state and the second state are both states related to power management. By means of the first information transmitted via the first link, the second device can learn the switching condition, on the second link, of power management-related states of the first device. That is to say, by means of a sub-7 GHz link, the switching condition of power management-related states on a millimeter-wave link can be indicated. Therefore, in the present application, the sub-7 GHz link can assist the power management of the millimeter-wave link under a multi-link condition, and thus the millimeter-wave link can be in a state where the power consumption is relatively low, thereby facilitating the energy saving of the millimeter-wave link.

Description

Wireless communication method and communication device Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a wireless communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] Millimeter waves offer many attractive advantages, including abundant spectrum in most regions. Furthermore, their directional transmission and low propagation loss result in low interference levels and greater reuse opportunities. Consequently, research on millimeter waves is growing. Recent research has focused in particular on integrated millimeter waves (IMMW). However, the relevant technologies for reducing power consumption using millimeter waves, particularly IMW, have not yet provided detailed information.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a wireless communication method and a communication device. The following introduces various aspects involved in the present application.

[0005] In a first aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, comprising: a first device sending first information to a second device via a first link; wherein the first link is a sub-7 GHz link, and the first information is used to indicate: the first device switches from a first state to a second state on the second link; or, the first device maintains the first state on the second link, the second link is a millimeter wave link, and both the first state and the second state are states related to power management.

[0006] In a second aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, the method comprising: a second device receiving first information sent by a first device through a first link; wherein the first link is a sub-7 GHz link, and the first information is used to indicate: the first device switches from a first state to a second state on the second link; or, the first device maintains the first state on the second link, the second link is a millimeter wave link, and both the first state and the second state are states related to power management.

[0007] According to a third aspect, a communication device is provided, which is a first device and includes: a first sending unit for sending first information to a second device via a first link; wherein the first link is a sub-7 GHz link, and the first information is used to indicate: the first device switches from a first state to a second state on the second link; or, the first device maintains the first state on the second link, and the second link is a millimeter wave link, and both the first state and the second state are states related to power management.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, which is a second device and includes: a second receiving unit, used to receive first information sent by a first device through a first link; wherein the first link is a sub-7GHz link, and the first information is used to indicate: the first device switches from a first state to a second state on the second link; or, the first device maintains the first state on the second link, the second link is a millimeter wave link, and both the first state and the second state are states related to power management.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to call the computer program in the memory to enable the communication device to perform some or all of the steps in the above-mentioned various aspects of the method.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes the above-mentioned communication device. In another possible design, the system may also include other devices that interact with the communication device in the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program, and the computer program enables a communication device to execute part or all of the steps in the methods of the above aspects.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is operable to cause a communication device to perform some or all of the steps of the methods described in each of the above aspects. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the processor can call and run a computer program from the memory to implement some or all of the steps described in the methods of the above aspects.

[0014] Through the first information transmitted by the first link, the second device can be informed of the switching status of the power management-related state of the first device in the second link. In other words, the switching status of the power management-related state of the millimeter wave link can be indicated through the sub-7GHz link. Therefore, the present application can realize the power management of the sub-7GHz link-assisted millimeter wave link under multiple links, so that the millimeter wave link can be in a state with lower power consumption, which is beneficial to the energy saving of the millimeter wave link. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system used in an embodiment of the present application.

[0016] FIG2 is an example diagram of a medium access control (MAC) frame.

[0017] FIG3A is a diagram showing an example format of an aggregated control (A-control) field.

[0018] FIG. 3B is a diagram showing an example format of a control subfield.

[0019] FIG4 is a schematic diagram showing the format of the action field.

[0020] FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the format of an A-control field provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the format of a first request frame provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] FIG8A is a schematic diagram of the format of a first response frame provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] FIG8B is a schematic diagram of the format of another first response frame provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 9 is an example diagram of the format of a single TWT parameter set field (individual TWT parameter set field) that can be applied in an embodiment of the present application.

[0026] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the communication process of Example 1.

[0027] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the communication process of Example 2.

[0028] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the communication process of Example 3.

[0029] FIG13 is a schematic flowchart of another wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0030] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the format of a first PPDU provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of the format of another first PPDU provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0032] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of the format of another first PPDU provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of the format of another first PPDU provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of the format of another first PPDU provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of the format of another first PPDU provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] Figure 20 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Figure 21 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Figure 22 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Figure 23 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure 24 is a schematic structural diagram of a device for communication provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Communication System

[0043] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless local area networks (WLAN), wireless fidelity (WiFi), high performance radio local area networks (HIPELAN), wide area networks (WAN), cellular networks, or other communication systems. For another example, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to communication systems that adopt the 802.11 standard. For example, the 802.11 standard includes, but is not limited to, the 802.11ax standard, the 802.11be standard, and the next generation 802.11 standard.

[0044] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to embodiments of the present application. Referring to FIG1 , the communication devices in the communication system 100 may include access points (APs) 111 and 112, and stations (STAs) 121 and 122. STA 121 may access the network through AP 111, and STA 122 may access the network through AP 112.

[0045] In some implementations, a STA may establish an association with one or more APs, after which the associated STAs and APs may communicate. For example, as shown in FIG1 , AP 111 and STA 121 may communicate after establishing an association, and AP 112 and STA 122 may communicate after establishing an association.

[0046] In some implementations, the communication in the communication system 100 may be communication between an AP and a non-AP STA, communication between a non-AP STA and a non-AP STA, or communication between a STA and a peer STA, where a peer STA may refer to a device that communicates with the STA peer, for example, the peer STA may be an AP or a non-AP STA.

[0047] It should be understood that FIG1 exemplarily shows two AP STAs and two non-AP STAs, and the communication system 100 may also include a larger number of AP STAs, or the communication system 100 may include other numbers of non-AP STAs, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0048] In addition, the above communication system can be applied to scenarios of multi-device collaboration, such as multi-AP (multiple access points, multi-AP) collaboration, or multi-site collaboration.

[0049] In the embodiments of this application, the names of AP and / or STA are not limited. In some scenarios, AP can also be called AP STA, that is, in a sense, AP is also a type of STA. In other scenarios, STA can also be called non-AP STA.

[0050] In some scenarios, the aforementioned communication device may also be a "multi-link device (MLD)," i.e., a device that can communicate via multiple communication links, where the multiple communication links may include communication links in different frequency bands, such as millimeter wave bands and / or low-frequency bands. Generally, if the multi-link device is an AP, the AP may also be referred to as a "multi-link AP." If the multi-link device is a STA, the STA may also be referred to as a "multi-link STA."

[0051] In the embodiment of the present application, the AP can be a device in a wireless network. The AP can be a communication entity such as a communication server, a router, a switch, a bridge, or the AP can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, etc. Of course, the AP can also be a chip or circuit or processing system in these various forms of devices, thereby realizing the method and function of the embodiment of the present application. The AP can be applied to a variety of scenarios, such as sensor nodes in smart cities (such as smart water meters, smart electricity meters, smart air detection nodes), smart devices in smart homes (such as smart cameras, projectors, displays, TVs, speakers, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), nodes in the Internet of Things, entertainment terminals (such as wearable devices such as AR and VR), smart devices in smart offices (such as printers, projectors, etc.), Internet of Vehicles devices in the Internet of Vehicles, and some infrastructure in daily life scenarios (such as vending machines, self-service navigation counters in supermarkets, self-service checkout devices, self-service ordering machines), etc.

[0052] In some implementations, the role of a STA in a communication system is not absolute; in some scenarios, a STA can function as an AP. For example, when a mobile phone is connected to a router, it can be a non-AP STA, while when it is acting as a hotspot for other phones, it functions as an AP.

[0053] In the embodiments of the present application, a STA in the embodiments of the present application may be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, such as a device that supports the 802.11 series of protocols and can communicate with an AP or other STAs. For example, a STA is any user communication device that allows a user to communicate with an AP and, in turn, with a WLAN. Examples of STAs include user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), access terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device.

[0054] The STA in the embodiment of the present application may also be a device that provides voice / data connectivity to users, such as a handheld device or vehicle-mounted device with wireless connection function. Examples include: mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to wireless modems, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks or future-evolved public land mobile communication networks. The terminal equipment in the network (PLMN), etc., is not limited to this in the embodiments of the present application.

[0055] By way of example and not limitation, in the embodiments of this application, the STA may also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for wearable devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop wearable devices for everyday wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Examples include smart watches or smart glasses, as well as devices that focus on a specific application function and require integration with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0056] In addition, in the embodiments of the present application, a STA can also be a terminal device in the Internet of Things (IoT) system. The IoT is an important component of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network that interconnects people and machines and things. In the embodiments of the present application, IoT technology can achieve massive connections, deep coverage, and terminal power saving through narrowband (NB) technology, for example.

[0057] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present application, a STA may be a device in a connected vehicle system. The communication methods in a connected vehicle system are collectively referred to as V2X (where X represents everything). For example, V2X communication includes vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, and vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication.

[0058] In addition, in the embodiment of the present application, STA may also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, gas stations, etc., whose main functions include collecting data (part of the terminal equipment), receiving AP control information and downlink data, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit data to the AP.

[0059] In addition, the AP in the embodiment of the present application may be a device for communicating with a STA. The AP may be a network device in a wireless local area network. The AP may be used to communicate with the STA through the wireless local area network.

[0060] From the perspective of the communication standards supported by the AP, in some implementations, the AP can be a device that supports the 802.11be standard. The AP can also be a device that supports various current and future 802.11 family WLAN standards, such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

[0061] From the perspective of STA-supported communication standards, in some implementations, non-AP STAs can support the 802.11be standard. Non-AP STAs can also support various current and future 802.11 family wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, including 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

[0062] In the embodiments of the present application, there is no limitation on the frequency bands supported by WLAN technology. In some implementations, the frequency bands supported by WLAN technology may include, but are not limited to, low frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz) and high frequency bands (e.g., 45 GHz, 60 GHz).

[0063] It should be understood that the specific forms of STA and AP in the embodiments of the present application are not particularly limited and are merely illustrative.

[0064] The following are some examples of the fields involved in this application.

[0065] A-control field

[0066] The A-control field may be a high throughput (HT) control field. To facilitate understanding of the A-control field, the HT control field is first introduced.

[0067] The HT Control field can be included in Quality of Service (QoS) data frames, QoS null frames, and management frames. The presence of the HT Control field is controlled by the +HTC subfield in the Frame Control field.

[0068] Figure 2 is an example diagram of a MAC frame. Figure 2 illustrates the possible location of the HT Control field in a MAC frame. As shown in Figure 2, the HT Control field is located within the MAC header. A MAC frame may also include one or more of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration / ID, Address 1 (address1), Address 2 (address2), Address 3 (address3), Sequence Control (sequence control), Address 4 (address4), QoS Control (QoS control), Frame Body (frame body), and Frame Check Sequence (FCS).

[0069] Table 1 shows an example of the format of the HT control field. As shown in Table 1, the A-control field may be an HT control field when both B0 and B1 are 1.

[0070] Table 1

[0071] Figure 3A is a diagram showing an example format of an A-control field. As shown in Figure 3 , the A-control field may include one or more of the following fields: a control list and padding.

[0072] The control list field may include one or more control subfields. Figure 3B illustrates an example format of a control subfield. As shown in Figure 3B, the control subfield may include one or more of the following subfields: control ID and control information. The control ID subfield may indicate the type of the specific A-control subfield. Table 2 illustrates exemplary values ​​and meanings of the control ID subfield.

[0073] Table 2

[0074] Action field

[0075] As shown in Figure 2, the Frame Body field of a MAC frame is a variable-length field. The minimum length of the Frame Body is 0 bytes. The Frame Body field can contain information specific to each frame type and subtype.

[0076] Related technologies have proposed technical solutions for managing and extending frame body components. The action field provides a mechanism for specifying extended management actions.

[0077] Figure 4 illustrates the format of the action field. As shown in Figure 4, the action field can include the following fields: Category and Action Details. Setting the Category field to different values ​​can represent different action frames. The Action Details field can contain detailed information about the action field.

[0078] For example, a value of 4 in the category field may indicate a public action frame.

[0079] The definition of public action frames allows the following: (1) inter-basic service set (inter-BSS) AP and non-associated STA communication; (2) intra-BSS communication; and (3) generic advertisement service.

[0080] The public action field in the byte immediately following the classification field distinguishes the public action frame format. In the related art, the values ​​51-255 of the public action field are reserved values.

[0081] Power management

[0082] The power management modes that a STA can adopt include active mode and power save (PS) mode, which are described below.

[0083] In active mode, when a STA is awake, it can receive and transmit frames at any time. When a STA is unavailable, it cannot receive physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs). For example, a non-HE STA can remain awake. A HE STA can remain awake unless it is unavailable. The intra-PPDU power save technique described below allows a STA to become unavailable.

[0084] In PS mode, the STA can enter the awake state to receive or transmit frames. Alternatively, the STA can remain in the doze state. In the awake state, the STA is fully powered. In the doze state, the STA does not transmit or receive non-wake-up radio PPDUs (non-WUR PPDUs). When the STA is in the doze state, the STA's power consumption is extremely low.

[0085] Intra-PPDU power save

[0086] Energy saving within a PPDU refers to an energy saving mechanism in which a STA, after receiving a PPDU identified as intra-BSS, enters a dormant state or an unavailable state until the received PPDU is complete. The STA can enter the dormant state when in PS mode and the unavailable state when in active mode.

[0087] In some embodiments, only a non-AP HE STA with the dot11IntraPPDUPowerSaveOptionActivated value set to true can operate in the intra-PPDU power saving mode.

[0088] The following takes a non-AP HE STA as an example to illustrate the behavior of a STA in the energy-saving mode within a PPDU.

[0089] If any of the following conditions 1 to 3 is met, a non-AP HE STA in power saving mode within a PPDU may enter a dormant state or an unavailable state until the currently received PPDU ends.

[0090] Condition 1: The PPDU is a high-efficiency multi-user (HE MU) PPDU, wherein the receive vector (RXVECTOR) parameter BSS color (BSS_COLOR) is the BSS color of the BSS associated with the STA; the RXVECTOR parameter uplink flag (UPLINK_FLAG) is 0; the RXVECTOR parameter STA identifier (STA_ID) does not include the STA identifier or the broadcast identifier for the STA, and the BSS color disabled subfield in the HE operation element (HE operation element) most recently received from the AP associated with the STA is 0. It will be understood that condition 1 includes: the PPDU is a local BSS DL MU PPDU, and the STA ID does not match.

[0091] Condition 2: The PPDU is a HE MU PPDU, HE SU PPDU, or HE ER SU PPDU, and meets the following condition 2.1 or condition 2.2.

[0092] Condition 2.1: The RXVECTOR parameter BSS_COLOR is the BSS color of the BSS associated with the STA; the RXVECTOR parameter UPLINK_FLAG is 1; and the BSS Color Disable subfield in the HE Operation element most recently received from the AP associated with the STA is 0. It will be understood that condition 2.1 includes: the PPDU is an uplink non-trigger based (UL non-TB) PPDU in the current BSS.

[0093] Condition 2.2: The RXVECTOR parameter BSS_COLOR is the BSS color of the BSS associated with the STA, the RXVECTOR parameter UPLINK_FLAG is 0, the PHYRXEND.indication(UnsupportedRate) primitive is received, and the BSS Color Disable subfield in the HE Operation element most recently received from the associated AP is 0. It will be understood that Condition 2.2 includes: the PPDU is a local BSS DL PPDU, and an unsupported mode is detected.

[0094] Condition 3: The PPDU is a HE TB PPDU, wherein the RXVECTOR parameter BSS_COLOR is the BSS color of the BSS associated with the STA, and the BSS Color Disable subfield in the HE Operation element most recently received from the AP associated with the STA is 0. It will be understood that Condition 3 includes: the PPDU is a current BSS UL TB PPDU.

[0095] millimeter wave

[0096] Millimeter waves offer many attractive advantages. For example, they have abundant spectrum in most regions. Furthermore, their directional transmission and low propagation loss result in low interference levels and greater reuse opportunities. Consequently, research on millimeter waves is growing. Recent research has focused on integrated millimeter waves (IMMW), in particular.

[0097] Many vendors within the IMMW research group have prioritized reducing power consumption as a design priority for IMMW. For example, some have proposed using the TWT framework to improve energy conservation and scheduling. Another example is the definition of an effective power management protocol.

[0098] The key areas of focus of the IMMW project include: (1) integrating IMMW links with sub-7 GHz links to overcome challenges in coverage, mobility, and reliability; (2) utilizing the PHY design of sub-7 GHz links in IMMW links and minimizing the complexity and additional cost of sub-7 GHz link support; and (3) enhancing the robustness and low latency performance of IMMW links.

[0099] Regarding orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) parameters, an IMMW link can reuse a sub-7 GHz link and perform upclocking. Table 3A shows the OFDM parameters for the sub-7 GHz link. Table 3B shows the OFDM parameters for the IMMW link obtained by multiplying the parameters shown in Table 3A by 8.

[0100] Table 3A

[0101] Table 3B

[0102] Regarding how millimeter waves (especially IMMW) can reduce power consumption, the relevant technologies do not provide specific explanations.

[0103] Figure 5 is a schematic flow chart of a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in Figure 5 can be performed by a first device and a second device. Both the first device and the second device can be the communication devices described above. For example, the first device can include a non-AP STA, and the second device can include an AP or a non-AP STA. Both the first device and the second device can be devices that support millimeter wave link transmission. For example, the first device can be an IMMW STA. In another example, the second device can be an IMMW STA.

[0104] The method shown in FIG. 5 may include step S510 .

[0105] Step S510: The first device sends first information to the second device through the first link.

[0106] For example, the first link may be a sub-7 GHz link (i.e., the first link uses a sub-7 GHz frequency band). The sub-7 GHz frequency band may refer to a frequency range with a frequency lower than that of millimeter waves. Therefore, the sub-7 GHz frequency band may also be referred to as a low-frequency band, and the first link may also be referred to as a low-frequency link. Exemplarily, the first link may operate in a sub-7 GHz frequency band. For example, the first link may operate in one or more of the following frequency bands: 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz, 6 GHz, etc.

[0107] The first information is related to the second link. The second link may be a millimeter wave link. For example, the second link may be a millimeter wave link. For another example, the second link may be a 45 / 60 GHz link. In some embodiments, the millimeter wave link and the 45 / 60 GHz link may be equivalent.

[0108] Both the first device and the second device may have at least a first link and a second link. Therefore, both the first device and the second device may be MLDs. For example, the first device may be a non-AP MLD. The second device may be an AP MLD or a non-AP MLD. Both the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD may have at least a first link and a second link. For example, both the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD may have at least one sub-7 GHz link and one 45 / 60 GHz link.

[0109] The first information may be used to indicate a switching condition of a power management-related state of the first device on the second link.

[0110] The states related to power management may include a first state and a second state. The switching conditions of the states related to power management of the first device on the second link may include: the first device may switch from the first state to the second state, switch from the second state to the first state, maintain the first state (i.e., not switch the states related to power management), or maintain the second state (i.e., not switch the states related to power management). For example, the first information may indicate that the first device switches from the first state to the second state on the second link. Alternatively, the first information may indicate that the first device maintains the first state on the second link.

[0111] When the first device is in the first state on the second link, the first device cannot receive and / or send any signal on the second link, or the first device cannot receive and / or send part of the signal on the second link, or the first device uses transmission parameters with lower energy consumption (for example, including one or more of bandwidth, MCS, and number of spatial streams) on the second link to receive and / or send signals. For example, when the first device is in the first state on the second link, the first device does not transmit or receive non-WUR PPDU on the second link. Exemplarily, the first state may include one or more of the following: unavailable state, sleep state, and low-energy listening state.

[0112] Optionally, when the first device is in active mode on the second link, the first state may be an unavailable state. That is, when in the first state, the first device does not receive PPDU on the second link.

[0113] Optionally, when the first device is in PS mode on the second link, the first state may be a sleep state. That is, when in the first state, the first device does not transmit or receive PPDU on the second link.

[0114] Optionally, when the first state includes a low power listening state, the first device uses only a minimum bandwidth, a lower MCS, and a single spatial stream to receive the PPDU in the second link.

[0115] In some embodiments, when the first device is in the second state on the second link, the first device can receive and / or transmit all signals on the second link, or the first device can receive and / or transmit most signals on the second link, or the first device can receive and / or transmit signals on the second link using transmission parameters with higher energy consumption (for example, including one or more of bandwidth, MCS, and number of spatial streams). For example, when the first device is in the second state on the second link, the first device can transmit and / or receive any PPDU on the second link. Exemplarily, the second state can include one or more of the following: an available state, an awake state, a high-energy transmission state, and a high-energy reception state.

[0116] Optionally, when the first device is in active mode on the second link, the second state may be an awake state. That is, when in the second state, the first device receives a PPDU on the second link.

[0117] Optionally, when the first device is in PS mode on the second link, the second state may be an awake state. That is, when in the second state, the first device transmits or receives a PPDU on the second link.

[0118] Optionally, when the second state includes a high energy consumption transmission state, the first device can use a larger bandwidth, a higher MCS, or multiple spatial streams to send the PPDU in the second link.

[0119] Therefore, it can be seen that the first state can be an energy-saving state (or energy-saving mode), and the second state can be a non-energy-saving state (or non-energy-saving mode). Therefore, the switching of power management-related states can also be understood as the switching between energy-saving state and non-energy-saving state.

[0120] Through the first information transmitted by the first link, the second device can be informed of the switching status of the power management-related state of the first device in the second link. That is to say, through the sub-7GHz link, the switching status of the power management-related state of the millimeter wave link can be indicated or the millimeter wave link can be power managed. Therefore, the present application can realize the power management of the sub-7Ghz link assisting the millimeter wave link under multiple links, so that the millimeter wave link can be in a state with lower power consumption, which is beneficial to the energy saving of the millimeter wave link.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first link may be used to transmit one or more of the following: a management frame, a control frame, and a data frame.The second link may be in the first state in most cases.

[0122] In some embodiments, the second device may perform corresponding operations on the second link according to instructions of the first information.

[0123] Optionally, in response to the first device completing the switch from the first state to the second state on the second link, the second device may compete for the channel on the second link. In the case of successful competition for the channel, the second device may exchange information with the first device through the second link. For example, when the sub-7GHz link is transmitting data, if there is a large amount of data and the millimeter wave link has the transmission conditions, the second device responds to the first information indicating that the first device has switched to the second state on the millimeter wave link, and the second device may compete for the channel on the millimeter wave link and transmit data. The millimeter wave link having the transmission conditions may include: the first device has completed beamforming training on the millimeter wave link.

[0124] Optionally, the first information may be determined by the type of the frame carrying the first information. For example, when the frame carrying the first information is a first response frame, the first response frame carries the first information.

[0125] Optionally, the first information may be indicated by one or more fields. This embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0126] In some embodiments, the second device may send second information to the first device via the first link. The second information may be used to request the first device to switch from the first state to the second state on the second link. In response to the request in the second information, the first device may send the first information. In other words, the sending of the first information may be request-based. In this case, the exchange of the first information may be referred to as a request-based second link wake-up procedure.

[0127] The transmission of the first information may not be based on the request of the second information, that is, the first device may actively report the first information. In this case, the interaction process of the first information can be called an unsolicited second link wake-up process.

[0128] In the request-based second link wake-up process, the first device may be referred to as a responder or a target STA, and the second device may be referred to as a requester.

[0129] If the second device sends second information to the first device via the first link and the first information indicates that the first device has switched from the first state to the second state on the second link, the request for the second information is successful. That is, the first information can be used to confirm that the second information was received and that the first device successfully responded to the request for the second information. If the second device sends second information to the first device via the first link and the first information indicates that the first device maintains the first state on the second link, the request for the second information fails, and the first information can be used to confirm that the second information was received and that the first device did not respond to the request for the second information.

[0130] Optionally, upon receiving the second information, if the first device is willing to switch the second link to the second state, it may transmit the first information immediately after a short interframe space (SIFS) (the first information may instruct the first device to switch the second link to the second state) and perform state switching. If the first device is unwilling to switch the second link to the second state, it may not transmit the first information, or may transmit the first information immediately after the SIFS (the first information may instruct the first device to maintain the first state on the second link).

[0131] Optionally, the first device may be in a first state on the second link and may switch from the first state to the second state only upon receiving the second information. Therefore, the first device is in an energy-saving state on the second link most of the time, thereby facilitating energy saving for the first device on the second link.

[0132] Optionally, the second information can be determined by the type of the frame carrying the second information. For example, when the frame carrying the second information is the first request frame, the first request frame carries the second information.

[0133] In some embodiments, the second information may be carried in a first frame. The first frame may be, for example, a MAC frame. Therefore, the first frame may also be referred to as a first MAC frame.

[0134] In some embodiments, the first frame may include a first field. The first field may be used to indicate whether the transmission of the first information is based on a request for the second information. Exemplarily, the first field may indicate whether the communication process is based on a requested second link wake-up process or an unsolicited second link wake-up process. Optionally, the first field may also be referred to as an unsolicited IMMW link awake field.

[0135] The first field can be represented by 1 bit. For example, a value of 1 in the first field can indicate an unsolicited second link wakeup procedure; a value of 0 in the first field can indicate a requested second link wakeup procedure. Alternatively, a value of 0 in the first field can indicate an unsolicited second link wakeup procedure; a value of 1 in the first field can indicate a requested second link wakeup procedure.

[0136] Exemplarily, when the first field indicates that the communication process is based on an unsolicited second link wake-up process, the first field may also indicate the first information, that is, the first field may indicate the first information based on the unsolicited second link wake-up process.

[0137] In some embodiments, the first frame may include a second field. The second field may be used to indicate whether the first frame is used to request the first information, or the second field may be used to indicate whether the first frame is used to respond to a request for the second information. In other words, the second field may be used to indicate whether the frame carrying the second field carries the first information or the second information. For example, the second field may be used to indicate whether the first frame is used to request the awakening of the second link or to respond to the awakening of the second link. Optionally, the second field may also be referred to as an IMMW link awake request field.

[0138] For example, if the second field indicates that the first frame is used to request the first information, the second field can carry the second information, that is, the second field can be used to request state switching. If the second field indicates that the first frame is used to indicate a request for a response to the second information, the second field can carry the first information, that is, the second field can be used to indicate the first information.

[0139] It should be noted that, if the transmission of the first information is not based on a request from the second information (i.e., the first information is proactively reported by the first device), the second field can be reserved. If the transmission of the first information is based on a request from the second information, different values ​​of the second field can represent different meanings.

[0140] The second field can be represented by 1 bit. For example, a value of 0 in the second field can indicate that the first frame is used to request waking up the second link; a value of 1 in the second field can indicate that the first frame is used to respond to waking up the second link. For another example, a value of 1 in the second field can indicate that the first frame is used to request waking up the second link; a value of 0 in the second field can indicate that the first frame is used to respond to waking up the second link.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first device may receive third information via the first link. The third information may be used to indicate one or more of the following: the second device requests the first device to communicate on the second link for a time; the second device requests the first device to be in the second state for a time.

[0142] The first device may determine the time in which the second link is in the second state based on the third information. For example, the time in which the second link is in the second state determined by the first device may be less than or equal to the time indicated by the third information.

[0143] The third information may be carried in a third field. The third field may also be called an IMMW link timeout field or an IMMW link duration field. The third field may be represented by, for example, 4 bits.

[0144] For example, when the value of the third field is n, the time indicated by the third field may be (n+1)*TU. TU may represent a time unit (TU). One TU may be equal to 1024 μs. For another example, when the value of the third field is n, the time indicated by the third field may be (n+1) milliseconds.

[0145] It should be noted that the time when the first device is actually in the second state on the second link may be the same as or different from the time indicated by the third information.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first device may send fourth information to the second device via the first link. The fourth information may be used to indicate the time during which the first device was in the second state on the second link. In other words, the fourth information may be used to indicate the time during which the first device was actually in the second state on the second link.

[0147] For example, if the first device does not receive the third information, the first device may indicate the time when the first device was in the second state on the second link through the fourth information. For another example, if the first device receives the third information, the first device may respond to the third information through the fourth information. The fact that the time indicated by the fourth information is the same as the time indicated by the third information may indicate that the first device confirms the request for the third information. If the time indicated by the fourth information is different from the time indicated by the third information, the second device may use the time indicated by the fourth information as the basis (i.e., the second device may determine the time when the first device was in the second state on the second link according to the fourth information and ignore the third information).

[0148] The fourth information may be carried in the fourth field. The fourth field may be represented by, for example, 4 bits.

[0149] For example, if the value of the fourth field is n, the time indicated by the fourth field may be (n+1)*TU. TU may represent a time unit. One TU may be equal to 1024 μs. For another example, if the value of the fourth field is n, the time indicated by the fourth field may be (n+1) milliseconds.

[0150] The third field and the fourth field can be the same field. That is, the third information and the fourth information can be carried in the same field. Taking the third field as an example, when the first frame is used to carry the first information, the third field in the first frame can be used to indicate the fourth information; when the first frame is used to carry the second information, the third field in the first frame can be used to indicate the third information.

[0151] In some embodiments, the time when the first device sends the first information may be the first time, or the time when the second device receives the first information may be the first time. The time when the first device completes switching from the first state to the second state on the second link is the second time.

[0152] Optionally, the first moment can be earlier than the second moment. In other words, the first device can indicate that the first device is about to switch from the first state to the second state on the second link. For example, in a request-based second link wake-up process, the first moment can be earlier than the second moment. In other words, the first device completes the switch from the first state to the second state only after sending the first message in response to receiving the second message.

[0153] Optionally, the first moment can be later than the second moment. In other words, the first device can indicate to the second device that it has switched from the first state to the second state on the second link. That is, the first device will not send the first information until the first device has completed the switch from the first state to the second state on the second link. For example, in an unsolicited second link wake-up process, the first moment can be later than the second moment. In other words, the first device will not proactively notify the second device of the first information until the first device has completed the switch from the first state to the second state on the second link.

[0154] The time difference between the first moment and the second moment can be the first duration. Alternatively, it can be said that the switching time required for the first device to switch from the first state to the second state on the second link can be the first duration. Based on this, the first duration can also be called the switching time or switching duration. The relevant information of the first duration can meet one or more of the following: pre-setting, pre-definition, pre-negotiation, indication by the first device, configuration by the network device, etc. For example, the relevant information of the first duration can be determined by negotiation between the first device and the second device before the first information is sent. For another example, the relevant information of the first duration can be reported in the same frame as the first information. It should be noted that the relevant information of the first duration may include one or more of the following: the specific value of the first duration, the maximum value of the first duration, etc.

[0155] In some embodiments, the first information may be carried in the A-control field. Similarly, one or more of the second information, the third information, and the fourth information may be carried in the A-control field.

[0156] Optionally, the A-control field proposed in this application can be used to transmit the first information or the second information. That is, the A-control field can be used to request the transmission of the first information or to respond to a request for the second information. Alternatively, the A-control field can be used to proactively report the first information.

[0157] It should be noted that this application does not limit the frame type in which the A-control field is located. For example, the A-control field may appear in a QoS data frame, a QoS null frame, or a management frame.

[0158] The A-control field proposed in this application may be a new A-control field defined in the frame header of a MAC frame. The new A-control field may also be called an IMW link awake A-control field.

[0159] The A-control field provided in the embodiment of the present application is described below in conjunction with Figure 6.

[0160] As shown in Figure 6, the A-control field may include a control ID and a control information field. The control information field may include one or more of the following fields: a first field, a second field, and a third field. The first field, the second field, and the third field are described above and are not repeated here.

[0161] The control identification field may indicate a variant type of A-control. For the A-control field provided in the embodiment of the present application, the value of the control identification field is any integer between 10 and 14. For example, a value of 10 in the control identification field may indicate a variant type of the IMMW link wake-up A-control field.

[0162] In some embodiments, the first information may be carried in a management frame. Similarly, one or more of the second information, the third information, and the fourth information may be carried in a management frame.

[0163] The management frame may be, for example, a public action frame, i.e., the category field is set to 4. The public action frame may be, for example, a newly defined frame. For example, the first information may be carried in a first response frame. The first response frame may be a newly defined public action frame. In another example, the second information may be carried in a first request frame. The first request frame may be a newly defined public action frame.

[0164] The first response frame may be, for example, an IMW link awake response management frame. The first request frame may be, for example, an IMW link awake request management frame.

[0165] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the format of a first request frame provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 7, the first request frame may include one or more of the following fields: classification, public behavior, dialog token, and IMMW link duration field.

[0166] For the first request frame, the value of the public action field may be a reserved value in the related art. For example, the value of the public action field may be one of 51-255. For example, the value of the public action field of the first request frame may be 51.

[0167] The Dialog Token field is an integer value. This field helps STAs group management frames sent or received at different times as part of the same dialog. The algorithm for selecting the dialog integer value can be implementation-specific.

[0168] The IMMW link duration field indicates the duration during which the initiator will exchange IMMW PPDUs on the second link (or the IMMW link duration field indicates the working time during which the initiator will work on the second link).

[0169] Figure 8A is a schematic diagram of the format of a first response frame provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8A, the first response frame may include one or more of the following fields: category, public behavior, and conversation token. The category field and conversation token field are as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0170] For the first response frame, the value of the public action field may be a reserved value in the related art. For example, the value of the public action field may be one of 51-255. For example, the value of the public action field of the first response frame may be 52.

[0171] As described above, the information related to the first duration can be reported in the same frame as the first information. The following takes the first response frame as an example to illustrate how the first response frame indicates the first duration (ie, the switching time).

[0172] FIG8B is a schematic diagram of the format of another first response frame provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG8B , the first response frame may include a fourth field. The fourth field may be used to indicate a switching time. The fourth field may be, for example, an IMMW link switching delay field.

[0173] It should be noted that the fourth field can also be carried in the A-control field, which will not be described in detail in this application.

[0174] In some embodiments, the second information may be carried in a target wake time (TWT) element of a single TWT parameter set field.

[0175] Figure 9 is an example diagram of the format of a single TWT parameter set field that can be applied in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9, a single TWT parameter set field includes one or more of the following fields: request type, target wake time, TWT group assignment, nominal minimum TWT wake duration, TWT wake interval mantissa, TWT channel, NDP paging (optional), link ID bitmap, and aligned TWT link bitmap. Some of the fields are explained below.

[0176] The request type can be used to indicate whether the STA sending the TWT element is a TWT requesting STA, a TWT scheduled STA, a TWT responding STA, or a TWT scheduling STA. For example, when the value of the request type field is equal to 1, the STA sending the TWT element is a TWT requesting STA or a TWT scheduled STA. For another example, when the value of the request type field is not equal to 1, the STA sending the TWT element is a TWT responding STA or a TWT scheduling STA.

[0177] The link identification bitmap field can indicate the link to which the TWT element sent by the MLD affiliated STA applies. If the i-th bit of the link identification bitmap field is 1, it can indicate that the TWT element sent by the MLD affiliated STA is applicable to the link with link identification i; if the i-th bit of the link identification bitmap field is 0, it can indicate that the TWT element sent by the MLD affiliated STA is not applicable to the link with link identification i.

[0178] In the present application, the requesting end may set the link identification bitmap field to point to the second link to request the responding end to open the 45 / 60 GHz link within the negotiated time.

[0179] For ease of understanding, the present application is described below with reference to Examples 1 to 3.

[0180] Example 1

[0181] In Example 1, the first link is a sub-7 GHz link, and the second link is a 45 / 60 GHz link. The first device is a non-AP MLD (i.e., the target STA), and the second device is an AP MLD. The first state is energy-saving mode, and the second state is non-energy-saving mode. Example 1 illustrates the request-based second link wake-up process.

[0182] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the communication process of embodiment 1. The method shown in Fig. 10 may include steps S1010 to S1030.

[0183] Before step S1010 , the AP MLD obtains in advance the time required for the non-AP MLD's 45 / 60 GHz link to switch from the energy-saving mode to the non-energy-saving mode.

[0184] Step S1010: The AP MLD sends PPDU1-1 to the non-AP MLD via the sub-7 GHz link.

[0185] PPDU1-1 can indicate a request for the non-AP MLD to switch the 45 / 60 GHz link from energy-saving mode to non-energy-saving mode. This means waking up the IMW link. The Unrequested IMW Link Wakeup field in the A-control field is set to 0, and the IMW Link Wakeup Request field is set to 1. Furthermore, the IMW Link Timeout field in PPDU1-1 can indicate the communication time with the target STA on the 45 / 60 GHz link.

[0186] Step S1020: The non-AP MLD sends PPDU1-2 to the AP MLD via the sub-7 GHz link.

[0187] After receiving PPDU1-1, non-AP MLD is willing to switch 45 / 60GHz link2 to non-energy-saving mode, and immediately responds in PPDU 1-2 after SIFS that the 45 / 60GHz link enters non-energy-saving mode, that is, the non-requested IMMW link wakeup field in the IMMW link wakeup A-control field is set to 0, and the IMMW link wakeup request field is set to 0.

[0188] In step S1030, after receiving PPDU 1-2 on the sub-7 GHz link, the AP MLD starts competing for a channel on the 45 / 60 GHz link after a switching time, and transmits PPDU 2-1 on the 45 / 60 GHz link. PPDU 2-1 may be a 1 / 2 GHz PPDU.

[0189] During the duration indicated by the IMMW Link Timeout field, the 45 / 60 GHz link is in non-energy-saving mode. That is, AP MLD and non-AP MLD can exchange PPDUs on both the sub-7 GHz link and the 45 / 60 GHz link.

[0190] Example 2

[0191] In Example 2, the first link is a sub-7 GHz link, and the second link is a 45 / 60 GHz link. The first device is a non-AP MLD (i.e., the target STA), and the second device is an AP MLD. The first state is energy-saving mode, and the second state is non-energy-saving mode. Example 2 illustrates the unsolicited second link wake-up process.

[0192] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of a communication process according to embodiment 2. The method shown in Fig. 11 may include steps S1110 to S1120.

[0193] Before step S1110 , the AP MLD obtains in advance the time required for the non-AP MLD's 45 / 60 GHz link to switch from the energy-saving mode to the non-energy-saving mode.

[0194] Step S1110 : The non-AP MLD sends PPDU 1 - 2 to the AP MLD via the sub-7 GHz link.

[0195] The non-AP MLD proactively reports the 45 / 60 GHz link status to the AP MLD via PPDU1-2. In PPDU1-2 transmitted over the sub-7 GHz link, the non-AP MLD indicates that the 45 / 60 GHz link is in non-energy-saving mode, waking up the IMW link. The Unsolicited IMW Link Wakeup field in the A-control field is set to 1. Furthermore, in PPDU1-2, the IMW Link Timeout field indicates the duration of the 45 / 60 GHz link remaining in non-energy-saving mode.

[0196] In step S1120 , after receiving PPDU 1 - 2 on the sub-7 GHz link, the AP MLD starts to contend for a channel on the 45 / 60 GHz link and transmits PPDU 2 - 1 .

[0197] During the duration indicated by the IMMW Link Timeout field, the 45 / 60 GHz link is in non-energy-saving mode. That is, AP MLD and non-AP MLD can exchange PPDUs on both the sub-7 GHz link and the 45 / 60 GHz link.

[0198] Example 3

[0199] In Example 3, the first link is a sub-7 GHz link, and the second link is a 45 / 60 GHz link. The first device is a non-AP MLD (i.e., the target STA), and the second device is an AP MLD. The first state is energy-saving mode, and the second state is non-energy-saving mode. Example 3 illustrates the request-based second link wake-up process.

[0200] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of the communication process of embodiment 3. The method shown in Fig. 12 may include steps S1210 to S1220.

[0201] Before step S1210 , the AP MLD obtains in advance the time required for the non-AP MLD's 45 / 60 GHz link to switch from the energy-saving mode to the non-energy-saving mode.

[0202] Step S1210: The AP MLD sends PPDU1-1 to the non-AP MLD via the sub-7 GHz link.

[0203] The AP MLD indicates in PPDU1-1 that it requests the non-AP MLD to switch the 45 / 60 GHz link from the energy-saving mode to the non-energy-saving mode, that is, to transmit an IMMW link wake-up request frame.

[0204] In step S1220, after receiving PPDU1-1, the non-AP MLD is willing to switch the 45 / 60GHz link to the non-energy-saving mode and immediately responds in PPDU1-2, that is, transmits an IMMW link wake-up response frame.

[0205] Optionally, the switching time may be indicated in PPDU 1-2.

[0206] In step S1230, after receiving PPDU 1-2 on the sub-7 GHz link, the AP MLD starts competing for a channel on the 45 / 60 GHz link after a switching time, and transmits PPDU 2-1, where PPDU 2-1 may be a 1 / 2 GHz PPDU.

[0207] Figure 13 is a schematic flowchart of another wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method shown in Figure 13 can be performed by the first device and the second device described above. It should be noted that in the method shown in Figure 13, the first device may or may not be an MLD; and the second device may or may not be an MLD.

[0208] It should be noted that the method shown in FIG13 and the method shown in FIG5 can be implemented in combination or separately.

[0209] The method shown in FIG. 13 may include step S1310 .

[0210] Step S1310: The first device receives a first PPDU sent by the second device.

[0211] Optionally, the first PPDU can be transmitted on the second link. When the second link is IMMW, the first PPDU can be called an IMMW PPDU. That is, the PPDU transmitted on the IMMW link needs to meet the design scheme of the first PPDU proposed in this application.

[0212] The first PPDU may be used to indicate fifth information. The fifth information may include one or more of the following: the BSS to which the first PPDU belongs; an identifier of the target recipient of the first PPDU; whether the first PPDU is an uplink PPDU; whether the first PPDU is a downlink PPDU; or the length of the first PPDU.

[0213] The BSS to which the first PPDU belongs can be indicated by the BSS color field. The BSS color field can indicate the BSS color of the BSS to which the first PPDU belongs. The BSS color field can be set to the TXVECTOR parameter BSS_COLOR. The BSS color field can be indicated by 6 bits.

[0214] An uplink PPDU may refer to a PPDU whose address is assigned to an AP. A downlink PPDU may refer to a PPDU whose address is assigned to a non-AP STA. Whether the first PPDU is an uplink PPDU or a downlink PPDU may be indicated by the uplink (UL) / downlink (DL) field. The UL / DL field may be used to indicate whether the first PPDU is an uplink PPDU or a downlink PPDU, i.e., whether the first PPDU is transmitted in the uplink or downlink mode. The UL / DL field may be set to the TXVECTOR parameter UPLINK_FLAG.

[0215] Optionally, the UL / DL field can be identified by 1 bit. For example, a value of 1 in the UL / DL field may indicate that the PPDU address containing the UL / DL field is assigned to the AP (i.e., the PPDU is an uplink PPDU); a value of 0 in the UL / DL field may indicate that the PPDU address points to a non-AP STA (i.e., the PPDU is a downlink PPDU). For another example, a value of 0 in the UL / DL field may indicate that the PPDU address containing the UL / DL field is assigned to the AP (i.e., the PPDU is an uplink PPDU); a value of 1 in the UL / DL field may indicate that the PPDU address points to a non-AP STA (i.e., the PPDU is a downlink PPDU).

[0216] The identifier of the target receiver of the first PPDU can be indicated by the STA identification (STA-ID) field. The STA-ID field can be set to the TXVECTOR parameter STA-ID. The STA-ID field can be indicated by 11 bits.

[0217] The length of the first PPDU may be indicated by a length field.

[0218] Based on this, the first PPDU may include one or more of the following fields to indicate the fifth information: BSS color, UL / DL, STA-ID, length.

[0219] Based on the fifth information, the first device may determine whether the state of the first device on the second link is the first state. For example, based on the fifth information, the first device may switch the first device on the second link from the second state to the first state. For example, based on the fifth information, the first device may determine whether the intended recipient of the received first PPDU is the first device, thereby determining whether to perform energy-saving operations within the duration of the first PPDU. Energy-saving operations may, for example, include energy saving within the PPDU.

[0220] Optionally, the first device may determine, based on the BSS color field, whether the BSS color of the received first PPDU is consistent with the color of the BSS associated with the first device. If the BSS colors are consistent, the first device may determine, based on other fields, whether to switch to the first state on the second link, i.e., enter the energy-saving state on the second link.

[0221] Optionally, the first device may determine the transmission direction of the received first PPDU based on the UL / DL field. If the first PPDU is a DL PPDU and the first device is a non-AP STA, the first PPDU may be sent to the first device. Therefore, the first device may need to maintain the second state on the second link, i.e., the non-energy-saving state. If the first PPDU is a UL PPDU and the first device is a non-AP STA, the first device may determine that the recipient of the PPDU is not itself. Therefore, the first device may switch to the first state on the second link, i.e., enter the energy-saving state.

[0222] Optionally, the first device may determine whether the received first PPDU is addressed to the first device based on the STA-ID field. If the STA-ID field of the first PPDU does not indicate the first device, the first device may switch to the first state, i.e., enter the energy-saving state, on the second link.

[0223] Optionally, the first device may determine, based on the length field, the duration of the second link in the first state. As indicated above, the length field may indicate the duration of the PPDU. The first device may enter the first state during the duration of the PPDU. The first device may enter the second state beyond the duration of the PPDU.

[0224] For example, when an IMMW PPDU is omnidirectionally transmitted and there are multiple 45 / 60 GHz STAs in the BSS, if the BSS color field in the received IMMW PPDU indicates the BSS color of the BSS associated with the STA and the DL / UL field indicates DL, but the STA-ID field does not indicate the identifier of the STA, then the target recipient of the PPDU is other STAs in the BSS rather than the STA itself. Therefore, the STA can enter the first state within the duration of the PPDU. The PPDU duration can be indicated by the length field.

[0225] For example, when an IMMW PPDU is omnidirectionally transmitted and there are multiple 45 / 60 GHz STAs in the BSS, if the BSS color field in the received IMMW PPDU indicates the BSS color of the STA's associated BSS and the DL / UL field indicates UL, then the PPDU is a UL PPDU of the local BSS and the target recipient is the AP, not the STA. Therefore, the STA can enter the first state during the PPDU duration. The PPDU duration can be indicated by the length field.

[0226] In some embodiments, the fifth information may include one or more of the following: the physical layer version (PHY version) to which the first PPDU belongs, the bandwidth (BW) of the first PPDU, and the modulation and / or coding scheme used by the data field included in the first PPDU.

[0227] The physical layer version to which the first PPDU belongs may be indicated by a physical layer version identifier (PHY version identifier) ​​field. Exemplarily, the physical layer version identifier field may be represented by 3 bits.

[0228] The physical layer version indication field can be used to distinguish different physical layers (PHYs) to which the PPDU belongs. For example, the physical layer version indication field can indicate whether the first PPDU is an IMW PPDU. For example, a value of 1 in the physical layer version indication field can indicate that the physical layer version is IMW.

[0229] The bandwidth of the first PPDU can be indicated by a BW field. For example, the BW field can be represented by 2 bits. The bandwidth of the first PPDU can be, for example, 160 MHz, 320 MHz, 480 MHz, 640 MHz, or 1280 MHz.

[0230] For example, a value of 0 in the BW field may indicate a bandwidth of 160 MHz, a value of 1 in the BW field may indicate a bandwidth of 320 MHz, a value of 2 in the BW field may indicate a bandwidth of 480 MHz, and a value of 3 in the BW field may indicate a bandwidth of 640 MHz; alternatively, a value of 0 in the BW field may indicate a bandwidth of 160 MHz, a value of 1 in the BW field may indicate a bandwidth of 320 MHz, a value of 2 in the BW field may indicate a bandwidth of 640 MHz, and a value of 3 in the BW field may indicate a bandwidth of 1280 MHz; alternatively, a value of 0 in the BW field may indicate a bandwidth of 320 MHz, a value of 1 in the BW field may indicate a bandwidth of 640 MHz, and values ​​of 2 and 3 in the BW field may indicate reserved values.

[0231] The modulation and / or coding scheme used by the data field included in the first PPDU may be indicated by the MCS field.

[0232] Optionally, the MCS field may indicate the modulation mode and / or code rate used by the data field. The modulation mode may include: BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM or 64QAM. The code rate may include: 1 / 2, 3 / 4 or 5 / 6.

[0233] The MCS field can be represented by 3 bits. For example, the value of the MCS field is 0, which can represent BPSK modulation with a code rate of 1 / 2, the value of the MCS field is 1, which can represent QPSK modulation with a code rate of 1 / 2, the value of the MCS field is 2, which can represent QPSK modulation with a code rate of 3 / 4, the value of the MCS field is 3, which can represent 16-QAM modulation with a code rate of 1 / 2, the value of the MCS field is 4, which can represent 16-QAM modulation with a code rate of 3 / 4, the value of the MCS field is 5, which can represent 64-QAM modulation with a code rate of 2 / 3, the value of the MCS field is 6, which can represent 64-QAM modulation with a code rate of 3 / 4, and the value of the MCS field is 7, which can represent 64-QAM modulation with a code rate of 5 / 6.

[0234] For another example, the MCS field can be represented by 4 bits. The value of the MCS field can be 0 to represent BPSK modulation with a code rate of 1 / 2, the value of the MCS field can be 1 to represent QPSK modulation with a code rate of 1 / 2, the value of the MCS field can be 2 to represent QPSK modulation with a code rate of 3 / 4, the value of the MCS field can be 3 to represent 16-QAM modulation with a code rate of 1 / 2, the value of the MCS field can be 4 to represent 16-QAM modulation with a code rate of 3 / 4, the value of the MCS field can be 5 to represent 64-QAM modulation with a code rate of 2 / 3, the value of the MCS field can be 6 to represent 64-QAM modulation with a code rate of 3 / 4, the value of the MCS field can be 7 to represent 64-QAM modulation with a code rate of 5 / 6, the value of the MCS field can be 8 to represent 256-QAM with a code rate of 3 / 4, and the values ​​of the MCS field are 9 to 15 as reserved values ​​(or the value of the MCS field is 9 to represent 256-QAM with a code rate of 5 / 6, and the values ​​10 to 15 are reserved).

[0235] The first PPDU may include one or more of the following fields: preamble, data, packet extension (PE), or training (TRN) fields. The preamble may carry information for decoding the PPDU. For example, the preamble may include a training field and a signal (SIG) field. The data field may carry data. The PE field provides additional PPDU processing time for the receiver; the TRN is used for beamforming training.

[0236] In some embodiments, the fifth information may be carried in the preamble of the first PPDU. For example, the preamble of the first PPDU may include at least one or more of the following fields: a length field, a DL / UL field, a BSS color field, and a STA-ID field. For another example, the first PPDU may include one or more of the following fields: a physical layer version indication field, a BW field, and an MCS field.

[0237] In some embodiments, the fifth information may be carried in one or more SIG fields in the preamble. The one or more SIG fields may include one or more of the following fields: L-SIG, RL-SIG, SIG-A, SIG-B.

[0238] The format of the first PPDU is illustrated below with reference to FIG. 14 to FIG. 19 .

[0239] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the format of a first PPDU provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 14, the first PPDU includes: a preamble field and a data field. The first PPDU may optionally include a TRN field. The preamble field includes an L-STF field, a non-high throughput long training field (non-HT long training field, L-LTF), and a non-high throughput signal field (non-HT signal field, L-SIG). The L-SIG field includes one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field.

[0240] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the format of another first PPDU provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 15, the first PPDU includes a preamble field and a data field. The first PPDU may optionally include a TRN field. The preamble field may include the following fields: L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, SIG-A, and SIG-B. For example, the L-SIG field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field. For another example, the SIG-A field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field. For another example, the SIG-B field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field.

[0241] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the format of another first PPDU provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 16, the first PPDU includes a preamble field and a data field. The first PPDU may optionally include a TRN field. The preamble field may include the following fields: L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, SIG-A, SIG-B, SIG-C, and SIG-D. For example, the L-SIG field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field. For another example, the SIG-A field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field. For another example, the SIG-B field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field. For another example, the SIG-C field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field. For another example, the SIG-D field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field.

[0242] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the format of another first PPDU provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 17, the first PPDU includes: a preamble field and a data field. The first PPDU may optionally include a TRN field. The preamble field may include the following fields: L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, SIG-A, STF, LTF, SIG-B. One or more of the length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, BW field, and physical layer version indication field proposed in this application may be located in the L-SIG field and / or the SIG-A field. The STA-ID field and / or the MCS field may be located in the SIG-B field.

[0243] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the format of another first PPDU provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 18, the first PPDU includes a preamble field and a data field. The first PPDU may optionally include a TRN field. The preamble field may include the following fields: L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SG, SIG-A, STF, and LTF. The RL-SIG field may not be present. For example, the L-SIG field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field. For another example, the RL-SIG field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field. For another example, the SIG-A field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field.

[0244] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the format of another first PPDU provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 19, the first PPDU includes a preamble field and a data field. The first PPDU may optionally include a TRN field. The preamble field may include the following fields: L-STF, L-LTF, L-SIG, RL-SG, SIG-A, SIG-B, STF, and LTF. The RL-SIG field may not be present. For example, the L-SIG field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field. For another example, the RL-SIG field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field. For another example, the SIG-A field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field. For example, the SIG-B field may include one or more of the following fields proposed in this application: length field, DL / UL field, BSS color field, STA-ID field, physical layer version indication field, BW field, and MCS field.

[0245] This application also proposes a technical solution for the interface provided by the IMMW physical layer to the MAC.

[0246] The transmit vector (TXVECTOR) and RXVECTOR may be interfaces provided by the IMMW PHY to the IMMW MAC. The IMMW MAC may use the TXVECTOR to provide the transmission parameters of each IMMW PPDU to the IMMW PHY. The IMMW PHY may use the RXVECTOR to notify the IMMW MAC of the received IMMW PPDU parameters.

[0247] This application proposes that the parameters present in TXVECTOR and RXVECTOR include one or more of the following: UPLINK_FLAG, BSS_COLOR, STA-ID, format (FORMAT), and channel bandwidth (CH_BANDWIDTH), which are described below.

[0248] The UPLINK_FLAG parameter indicates whether the PPDU is sent in UL or DL ​​mode. For example, a value of 1 indicates that the PPDU is addressed to the AP; otherwise, the value is set to 0 (or a value of 0 indicates that the PPDU is addressed to a non-AP STA).

[0249] The BSS_COLOR parameter, the identifier of the BSS, helps a STA receiving a PPDU with BSS Color identify the BSS from which the PPDU comes.

[0250] STA-ID parameter, indicating the STA-ID list of the IMMW PPDU.

[0251] The FORMAT parameter determines the PPDU type. Enumeration type: IMMW indicates the IMMW format.

[0252] The CH_BANDWIDTH parameter indicates the channel bandwidth of the IMMW PPDU. The MCS parameter indicates the modulation and coding scheme used when the PPDU transmits the data field.

[0253] The method embodiments of the present application are described in detail above, and the device embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. It should be understood that the description of the method embodiments corresponds to the description of the device embodiments, so for parts not described in detail, reference can be made to the above method embodiments.

[0254] FIG20 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 2000 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 2000 may be a first device. The communication device 2000 includes a first sending unit 2010.

[0255] The first sending unit 2010 is used to send first information to the second device through the first link; wherein the first link is a sub-7GHz link, and the first information is used to indicate: the first device switches from a first state to a second state on the second link; or, the first device maintains the first state on the second link, the second link is a millimeter wave link, and both the first state and the second state are states related to power management.

[0256] In an optional embodiment, the first sending unit 2010 may be a transceiver 2430. The communication device 2000 may further include a processor 2410 and a memory 2420, as specifically shown in FIG24 .

[0257] In the embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned communication device 2000 can be used to perform some or all of the method steps performed by the first device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The communication device 2000 includes units or modules for performing the above-mentioned method steps. The method flow has been described in detail in the above-mentioned embodiments. The modules in this embodiment have the same functions or perform the same steps, and will not be repeated here. However, those skilled in the art should know that the text descriptions corresponding to the above-mentioned method embodiments can be introduced into this embodiment and correspond to the modules in the communication device 2000.

[0258] FIG21 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 2100 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 2100 may be a first device and may include a first receiving unit 2110 .

[0259] The first receiving unit 2110 is used to receive a first PPDU through the second link; wherein the first PPDU is used to indicate fifth information, and the fifth information includes one or more of the following: the BSS to which the first PPDU belongs; the identifier of the target recipient of the first PPDU; whether the first PPDU is an uplink PPDU; whether the first PPDU is a downlink PPDU; and the length of the first PPDU.

[0260] In an optional embodiment, the first receiving unit 2110 may be a transceiver 2430. The communication device 2100 may further include a processor 2410 and a memory 2420, as specifically shown in FIG24 .

[0261] In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device 2100 can be used to execute some or all of the method steps executed by the first device in the above method embodiment. The communication device 2100 includes units or modules for executing the above method steps. The method flow has been described in detail in the above embodiments. The modules in this embodiment have the same functions or perform the same steps, and will not be repeated here. However, those skilled in the art should know that the text descriptions corresponding to the above method embodiments can be introduced into this embodiment and correspond to the modules in the communication device 2100.

[0262] FIG22 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 2200 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 2200 may be a second device and may include a second receiving unit 2210 .

[0263] The second receiving unit 2210 can be used to receive first information sent by a first device through a first link; wherein the first link is a sub-7GHz link, and the first information is used to indicate: the first device switches from a first state to a second state on the second link; or, the first device maintains the first state on the second link, the second link is a millimeter wave link, and both the first state and the second state are states related to power management.

[0264] In an optional embodiment, the second receiving unit 2210 may be a transceiver 2430. The communication device 2200 may further include a processor 2410 and a memory 2420, as specifically shown in FIG24 .

[0265] In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device 2200 can be used to execute some or all of the method steps executed by the second device in the above method embodiment. The communication device 2200 includes units or modules for executing the above method steps. The method flow has been described in detail in the above embodiments. The modules in this embodiment have the same functions or perform the same steps, and will not be repeated here. However, those skilled in the art should know that the text descriptions corresponding to the above method embodiments can be introduced into this embodiment and correspond to the modules in the communication device 2200.

[0266] FIG23 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 2300 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 2300 may be a second device and may include a second sending unit 2320.

[0267] The second sending unit 2320 is used to send a first PPDU to the first device through the second link; wherein the first PPDU is used to indicate fifth information, and the fifth information includes one or more of the following: the BSS to which the first PPDU belongs; the identifier of the target recipient of the first PPDU; whether the first PPDU is an uplink PPDU; whether the first PPDU is a downlink PPDU; and the length of the first PPDU.

[0268] In an optional embodiment, the second sending unit 2320 may be a transceiver 2430. The communication device 2300 may further include a processor 2410 and a memory 2420, as specifically shown in FIG24 .

[0269] In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device 2300 can be used to execute some or all of the method steps executed by the second device in the above method embodiment. The communication device 2300 includes units or modules for executing the above method steps. The method flow has been described in detail in the above embodiments. The modules in this embodiment have the same functions or perform the same steps, and will not be repeated here. However, those skilled in the art should know that the text descriptions corresponding to the above method embodiments can be introduced into this embodiment and correspond to the modules in the communication device 2300.

[0270] Figure 24 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The dashed lines in Figure 24 indicate that the unit or module is optional. Device 2400 may be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. Device 2400 may be a chip or a communication device.

[0271] The device 2400 may include one or more processors 2410. The processor 2410 may support the device 2400 to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. The processor 2410 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be another general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc.

[0272] The apparatus 2400 may further include one or more memories 2420. The memories 2420 store programs that can be executed by the processor 2410, causing the processor 2410 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The memories 2420 may be independent of the processor 2410 or integrated into the processor 2410.

[0273] The apparatus 2400 may further include a transceiver 2430. The processor 2410 may communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 2430. For example, the processor 2410 may transmit and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 2430.

[0274] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the communication device provided in the present invention, and the program enables a computer to execute the method performed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present invention.

[0275] The present application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to the communication device provided in the present application, and the program causes a computer to execute the method performed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0276] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program. The computer program can be applied to the communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program enables a computer to execute the method executed by the communication device in each embodiment of the present application.

[0277] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. In addition, the terms used in this application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" in the specification and claims of this application and the accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0278] In the embodiments of the present application, a "field" may also be referred to as a "field," a "subfield," or a "subfield." A field may occupy one or more bytes (byte / octet), or a field may occupy one or more bits (bit).

[0279] In the embodiments of this application, the term "indication" may refer to a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" may refer to a direct indication of B, e.g., B can obtain information through A; it may refer to an indirect indication of B, e.g., A indicates C, e.g., B can obtain information through C; or it may refer to an association between A and B.

[0280] In the embodiment of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A and B can be determined based on A. However, it should be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B based solely on A, but B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0281] In the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and indication, configuration and configuration, etc.

[0282] In the embodiments of the present application, "pre-defined" or "pre-configured" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in devices (e.g., including APs and STAs). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, pre-defined may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0283] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0284] In the embodiments of this application, the term "include" can refer to direct inclusion or indirect inclusion. Alternatively, the term "include" in the embodiments of this application can be replaced with "indicates" or "is used to determine." For example, "A includes B" can be replaced with "A indicates B" or "A is used to determine B."

[0285] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0286] In the embodiments of the present application, the “protocol” may refer to a standard protocol in the communication field, for example, it may include a WiFi protocol and related protocols used in future WiFi communication systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0287] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0288] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0289] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0290] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a digital versatile disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0291] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The first device sends first information to the second device through the first link; The first link is a sub-7GHz link, and the first information is used to indicate: the first device switches from a first state to a second state on the second link; or, the first device maintains the first state on the second link, and the second link is a millimeter wave link, and both the first state and the second state are states related to power management.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first device receives second information through the first link; The second information is used to request the first device to switch from a first state to a second state on the second link.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The second information is carried in a first medium access control MAC frame, and the first MAC frame includes a first field, where the first field is used to indicate whether transmission of the first information is based on a request for the second information.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The second information is carried in a first MAC frame, and the first MAC frame includes a second field, and the second field is used to indicate whether the first MAC frame is used to request the first information, or the second field is used to indicate whether the first MAC frame is used to respond to a request for the second information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first device receives third information through the first link; The third information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The second device requests the first device for communication time on the second link; The second device requests a time for the first device to be in a second state on the second link.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first device sends fourth information to the second device through the first link; The fourth information is used to indicate the time during which the first device is in the second state on the second link.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The first information is carried in the aggregation control field.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The first information is carried in a public behavior frame.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The time when the first device sends the first information is a first time, and the time when the first device completes switching from the first state to the second state on the second link is a second time. The first time is earlier than the second time.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first device receives a first physical layer protocol data unit PPDU through the second link; The first PPDU is used to indicate fifth information, and the fifth information includes one or more of the following: the BSS to which the first PPDU belongs; the identifier of the target recipient of the first PPDU; whether the first PPDU is an uplink PPDU; whether the first PPDU is a downlink PPDU; and the length of the first PPDU.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first device determines, according to the fifth information, that the state of the first device in the second link is the first state.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that A duration during which the first device is in the first state in the second link is determined according to a length of the first PPDU.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that The fifth information further includes one or more of the following: The physical layer version to which the first PPDU belongs; a bandwidth of the first PPDU; The modulation and / or coding scheme used by the data field included in the first PPDU.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that The fifth information is carried in the preamble of the first PPDU.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The fifth information is carried in one or more SIG fields in the preamble.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that The switching duration of the first device switching from the first state to the second state satisfies one or more of the following: predefined, pre-negotiated, and configured by a network device.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that The first state includes one or more of the following: unavailable state, dormant state, and low-energy listening state.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that The second state includes one or more of the following: an available state, an awake state, a high-energy consumption transmission state, and a high-energy consumption reception state.

19. A wireless communication method, characterized in that: include: The second device receives the first information sent by the first device through the first link; The first link is a sub-7GHz link, and the first information is used to indicate: the first device switches from a first state to a second state on the second link; or, the first device maintains the first state on the second link, and the second link is a millimeter wave link, and both the first state and the second state are states related to power management.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second device sends second information to the first device through the first link; The second information is used to request the first device to switch from a first state to a second state on the second link.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The second information is carried in a first medium access control MAC frame, and the first MAC frame includes a first field, where the first field is used to indicate whether transmission of the first information is based on a request for the second information.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that The second information is carried in a first MAC frame, and the first MAC frame includes a second field, and the second field is used to indicate whether the first MAC frame is used to request the first information, or the second field is used to indicate whether the first MAC frame is used to respond to a request for the second information.

23. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 22, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second device sends third information to the first device through the first link; The third information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The second device requests the first device for communication time on the second link; The second device requests a time for the first device to be in a second state on the second link.

24. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 23, wherein: The method further comprises: The second device receives fourth information sent by the first device through the first link; The fourth information is used to indicate the time during which the first device is in the second state on the second link.

25. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 24, characterized in that The first information is carried in the aggregation control field.

26. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 24, characterized in that The first information is carried in a public behavior frame.

27. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 26, characterized in that The time when the first device sends the first information is a first time, and the time when the first device completes switching from the first state to the second state on the second link is a second time. The first time is earlier than the second time.

28. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 27, characterized in that The method further comprises: In response to the first device completing the switching from the first state to the second state on the second link, the second device contends for a channel on the second link.

29. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 28, wherein: The method further comprises: The second device sends a first physical layer protocol data unit PPDU to the first device through the second link; The first PPDU is used to indicate fifth information, and the fifth information includes one or more of the following: the BSS to which the first PPDU belongs; the identifier of the target recipient of the first PPDU; whether the first PPDU is an uplink PPDU; whether the first PPDU is a downlink PPDU; and the length of the first PPDU.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein A duration during which the first device is in the first state in the second link is determined according to a length of the first PPDU.

31. The method according to claim 29 or 30, characterized in that The fifth information further includes one or more of the following: The physical layer version to which the first PPDU belongs; a bandwidth of the first PPDU; The modulation and / or coding scheme used by the data field included in the first PPDU.

32. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 31, characterized in that The fifth information is carried in the preamble of the first PPDU.

33. The method according to claim 32, characterized in that The fifth information is carried in one or more SIG fields in the preamble.

34. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 33, wherein: The switching duration of the first device switching from the first state to the second state satisfies one or more of the following: predefined, pre-negotiated, and configured by a network device.

35. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 34, wherein: The first state includes one or more of the following: unavailable state, dormant state, and low-energy listening state.

36. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 35, wherein: The second state includes one or more of the following: an available state, an awake state, a high-energy consumption transmission state, and a high-energy consumption reception state.

37. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device is a first device, and the communication device includes: A first sending unit, configured to send first information to a second device through a first link; The first link is a sub-7GHz link, and the first information is used to indicate: the first device switches from a first state to a second state on the second link; or, the first device maintains the first state on the second link, and the second link is a millimeter wave link, and both the first state and the second state are states related to power management.

38. The communication device according to claim 37, wherein: The communication device is further configured to: receiving second information via the first link; The second information is used to request the first device to switch from a first state to a second state on the second link.

39. The communication device according to claim 38, wherein The second information is carried in a first medium access control MAC frame, and the first MAC frame includes a first field, where the first field is used to indicate whether transmission of the first information is based on a request for the second information.

40. The communication device according to claim 38 or 39, characterized in that The second information is carried in a first MAC frame, and the first MAC frame includes a second field, and the second field is used to indicate whether the first MAC frame is used to request the first information, or the second field is used to indicate whether the first MAC frame is used to respond to a request for the second information.

41. The communication device according to any one of claims 38 to 40, characterized in that The communication device is further configured to: receiving third information via the first link; The third information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The second device requests the first device for communication time on the second link; The second device requests a time for the first device to be in a second state on the second link.

42. The communication device according to any one of claims 37 to 41, characterized in that The communication device is further configured to: sending fourth information to the second device through the first link; The fourth information is used to indicate the time during which the first device is in the second state on the second link.

43. The communication device according to any one of claims 37 to 42, characterized in that The first information is carried in the aggregation control field.

44. The communication device according to any one of claims 37 to 42, characterized in that The first information is carried in a public behavior frame.

45. The communication device according to any one of claims 37 to 44, characterized in that The time when the first device sends the first information is a first time, and the time when the first device completes switching from the first state to the second state on the second link is a second time. The first time is earlier than the second time.

46. ​​The communication device according to any one of claims 37 to 45, characterized in that The communication device further includes: A first receiving unit, configured to receive a first physical layer protocol data unit PPDU through the second link; The first PPDU is used to indicate fifth information, and the fifth information includes one or more of the following: the BSS to which the first PPDU belongs; the identifier of the target recipient of the first PPDU; whether the first PPDU is an uplink PPDU; whether the first PPDU is a downlink PPDU; and the length of the first PPDU.

47. The communication device according to claim 46, characterized in that The communication device is further configured to: The first device determines, according to the fifth information, that the state of the first device in the second link is the first state.

48. The communication device according to claim 46 or 47, characterized in that A duration during which the first device is in the first state in the second link is determined according to a length of the first PPDU.

49. The communication device according to any one of claims 46 to 48, characterized in that The fifth information further includes one or more of the following: The physical layer version to which the first PPDU belongs; a bandwidth of the first PPDU; The modulation and / or coding scheme used by the data field included in the first PPDU.

50. The communication device according to any one of claims 46 to 49, characterized in that The fifth information is carried in the preamble of the first PPDU.

51. The communication device according to claim 50, characterized in that The fifth information is carried in one or more SIG fields in the preamble.

52. The communication device according to any one of claims 37 to 51, characterized in that The switching duration of the first device switching from the first state to the second state satisfies one or more of the following: predefined, pre-negotiated, and configured by a network device.

53. The communication device according to any one of claims 37 to 52, characterized in that: The first state includes one or more of the following: unavailable state, dormant state, and low-energy listening state.

54. The communication device according to any one of claims 37 to 53, characterized in that The second state includes one or more of the following: an available state, an awake state, a high-energy consumption transmission state, and a high-energy consumption reception state.

55. A communication device, characterized in that The communication device is a second device, and the communication device includes: a second receiving unit, configured to receive first information sent by the first device through the first link; The first link is a sub-7GHz link, and the first information is used to indicate: the first device switches from a first state to a second state on the second link; or, the first device maintains the first state on the second link, and the second link is a millimeter wave link, and both the first state and the second state are states related to power management.

56. The communication device according to claim 55, characterized in that The communication device is further configured to: sending second information to the first device through the first link; The second information is used to request the first device to switch from a first state to a second state on the second link.

57. The communication device according to claim 56, characterized in that The second information is carried in a first medium access control MAC frame, and the first MAC frame includes a first field, where the first field is used to indicate whether transmission of the first information is based on a request for the second information.

58. The communication device according to claim 56 or 57, characterized in that The second information is carried in a first MAC frame, and the first MAC frame includes a second field, and the second field is used to indicate whether the first MAC frame is used to request the first information, or the second field is used to indicate whether the first MAC frame is used to respond to a request for the second information.

59. The communication device according to any one of claims 56 to 58, characterized in that The communication device is further configured to: sending third information to the first device through the first link; The third information is used to indicate one or more of the following: The second device requests the first device for communication time on the second link; The second device requests a time for the first device to be in a second state on the second link.

60. The communication device according to any one of claims 55 to 59, characterized in that The communication device is further configured to: receiving, through the first link, fourth information sent by the first device; The fourth information is used to indicate the time during which the first device is in the second state on the second link.

61. The communication device according to any one of claims 55 to 60, characterized in that The first information is carried in the aggregation control field.

62. The communication device according to any one of claims 55 to 60, characterized in that The first information is carried in a public behavior frame.

63. The communication device according to any one of claims 55 to 62, characterized in that The time when the first device sends the first information is a first time, and the time when the first device completes switching from the first state to the second state on the second link is a second time. The first time is earlier than the second time.

64. The communication device according to any one of claims 55 to 63, characterized in that The communication device is further configured to: In response to the first device completing the switching from the first state to the second state on the second link, contending for a channel on the second link.

65. The communication device according to any one of claims 55 to 64, characterized in that The communication device further includes: A second sending unit, configured to send a first physical layer protocol data unit PPDU to the first device through the second link; The first PPDU is used to indicate fifth information, and the fifth information includes one or more of the following: the BSS to which the first PPDU belongs; the identifier of the target recipient of the first PPDU; whether the first PPDU is an uplink PPDU; whether the first PPDU is a downlink PPDU; and the length of the first PPDU.

66. The communication device according to claim 65, characterized in that A duration during which the first device is in the first state in the second link is determined according to a length of the first PPDU.

67. The communication device according to claim 65 or 66, characterized in that The fifth information further includes one or more of the following: The physical layer version to which the first PPDU belongs; a bandwidth of the first PPDU; The modulation and / or coding scheme used by the data field included in the first PPDU.

68. The communication device according to any one of claims 65 to 67, characterized in that The fifth information is carried in the preamble of the first PPDU.

69. The communication device according to claim 68, characterized in that The fifth information is carried in one or more SIG fields in the preamble.

70. The communication device according to any one of claims 55 to 69, characterized in that The switching duration of the first device switching from the first state to the second state satisfies one or more of the following: predefined, pre-negotiated, and configured by a network device.

71. The communication device according to any one of claims 55 to 70, characterized in that The first state includes one or more of the following: unavailable state, dormant state, and low-energy listening state.

72. The communication device according to any one of claims 55 to 71, characterized in that The second state includes one or more of the following: an available state, an awake state, a high-energy consumption transmission state, and a high-energy consumption reception state.

73. A communication device, characterized in that The communication device comprises a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to call the program in the memory so as to enable the communication device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 36.

74. A device, characterized in that The device comprises a processor configured to call a program from a memory so as to cause the device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 36.

75. A chip, characterized in that The device comprises a processor configured to call a program from a memory so that a device equipped with the chip executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 36.

76. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that A program is stored thereon, the program causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 36.

77. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises a program for causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 36.

78. A computer program, characterized in that The computer program causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 36.

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