Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: a first communication device sends a first radio frame to a second communication device, the first radio frame being used for requesting the first communication device to enter a target mode; after the target mode enters, the second communication device sends data to the first communication device, said data being a data frame conforming to a set specification, wherein the set specification comprises that the data frame is a data frame that is confirmed to be allowed to be sent by the first communication device, and / or the data frame is a data frame related to a set target parameter. In a traditional communication mode, after a target mode enters, a second communication device cannot send a data frame to a first communication device, so that resource waste is possibly caused, and the transmission delay is increased. However, according to the method, the second communication device can send the data frame conforming to the set specification in the target mode, so that the resources can be fully utilized, and the transmission delay is reduced.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on March 12, 2024, with application number 202410290900.8 and application name "A Communication Method and Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of wireless communication technologies, and in particular, to a communication method and apparatus. Background Art

[0004] Current communication devices are typically equipped with multiple wireless communication technologies, such as 4G / 5G cellular communication technology, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication technology, Bluetooth communication technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) communication technology, and Starflash communication technology. Some technologies (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Starflash) can operate on the same frequency band and share the same antenna for transmission and reception; however, technologies that share the same antenna and frequency domain resources may not be able to operate simultaneously.

[0005] For example, taking Wi-Fi communication technology as an example, in order to achieve the coexistence of multiple wireless communication technologies within a communication device, the communication device can send indication information to the communicating peer device to indicate a period of time (this period of time is reserved by the communication device for other communication technologies and is used to communicate using other communication technologies). During this period of time, the communication device cannot use Wi-Fi technology to communicate, and the peer device cannot send Wi-Fi data to the communication device, thereby avoiding interference between Wi-Fi and other communication technologies in the communication device, thereby achieving the coexistence of multiple communication technologies.

[0006] During the time period reserved for other communication technologies, the communication device may not always use the other communication technology for communication, or may only use the other communication technology for communication for a small portion of the time period, resulting in a waste of resources. In addition, while wasting resources, it also reduces the latency of WiFi communication. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus for improving resource utilization while avoiding conflicts.

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, applied to a first communication device, the method comprising: sending a first wireless frame to a second communication device, the first wireless frame being used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode; after entering the target mode, receiving a data frame sent by the second communication device, the data frame complying with a set regulation; the set regulation comprising: the data frame being a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or the data frame being a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0009] In traditional communication methods, when the first communication device may use other communication technologies for communication, if the second communication device still sends data frames to the first communication device in accordance with the conventional communication mode, it may affect the first communication device's use of other communication technologies for communication; if the second communication device is completely unable to send data frames to the first communication device, it may cause a waste of resources and affect the transmission delay between the second communication device and the first communication device. In the above embodiment of the present application, when the first communication device has other communication needs, it can request to enter the target mode. After the first communication device enters the target mode, if the second communication device wants to send data frames to the first communication device, it needs to obtain permission from the first communication device before sending data frames to the first communication device, or it needs to send data frames that meet the target parameters. Therefore, the above embodiment helps to make full use of resources and reduce transmission delays.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the first wireless frame also includes first indication information for indicating a first time period; after entering the target mode, receiving the data frame sent by the second communication device includes: after entering the target mode and within the first time period, receiving the data frame sent by the second communication device that complies with the set regulations.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the first communication device is a multi-link communication device. After entering the target mode, the first communication device can use M links, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The first indication information is specifically used to indicate the first time periods corresponding to the M links. When multi-link communication is used, the first communication device can set a corresponding first time period for each link. In other words, the first time periods corresponding to different links can be the same or different, thereby making communication more flexible.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the first indication information is specifically used to indicate that the first time period includes periodic sub-periods; the first indication information includes one or any combination of the following information: the start time of the periodic sub-period group, the duration of each sub-period in the periodic sub-period group, and the interval between two adjacent sub-periods in the periodic sub-period group. The first time period set by the first communication device can include periodically arriving sub-periods, making the communication period more regular and helping to avoid significant transmission delays.

[0013] In one possible implementation, when the data frame is a data frame that has been confirmed by the first communication device as permitted to be sent, before receiving the data frame sent by the second communication device, the method further includes: receiving a third radio frame sent by the second communication device, the third radio frame being used to request the sending of the data frame; and sending a fourth radio frame to the second communication device, the fourth radio frame being used to indicate permission to send the data frame. In this implementation, when the second communication device wants to send data to the first communication device, it first sends the third radio frame to the first communication device to request that data be sent to the first communication device. If the first communication device permits the sending, the second communication device then sends the data frame to the first communication device. If the second communication device does not receive the fourth radio frame, it deems that the first communication device does not permit the sending of data frames to it. In this case, the second communication device cannot send data frames to the first communication device, thereby avoiding affecting the communication of the first communication device.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the third radio frame is transmitted at most N times within the first sub-period, where N is an integer greater than 0, and the first sub-period is one of at least one sub-period included in the first period. Because each sub-period is typically short, if the second communication device frequently transmits the third radio frame to request the first communication device to transmit data frames, this may, on the one hand, affect the communication of the first communication device; on the other hand, since the first communication device may be unable to respond to the second communication device, the second communication device's frequent transmission of the third data frame is also a waste of resources.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first radio frame further includes first indication information for indicating a first time period; in the target mode, if the second communication device sends the third radio frame within a first sub-time period of the first time period but does not receive the fourth radio frame, the second communication device is not allowed to send the third radio frame again; the first sub-time period is one of at least one sub-time period included in the first time period. When the second communication device sends the third radio frame but does not receive the fourth radio frame, it indicates that the first communication device does not allow the second communication device to send data frames to it. If the second communication device continues to send the third radio frame, it may affect the communication of the first communication device and may also cause waste of resources.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the fourth radio frame is further used to indicate the duration or deadline for the second communication device to send the data frame within the first time period; receiving the data frame sent by the second communication device includes: receiving the data frame sent by the second communication device from the start of sending the fourth radio frame to the end of the duration; or receiving the data frame sent by the second communication device before the deadline. When the second communication device requests to send a data frame to the first communication device, the first communication device can limit the time for the second communication device to send the data frame based on its own communication needs to prevent the data frame sent by the second communication device from affecting the first communication device's communication using other communication technologies.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the fourth wireless frame is also used to indicate the receiving capability information of the first communication device after entering the target mode, and the receiving capability information includes one or any combination of the following information: the maximum number of spatial streams that the first communication device can receive within the first time period, the maximum modulation coding set MCS, the maximum bandwidth, the maximum protocol data unit PPDU duration, the maximum data frame length, and whether dual-carrier modulation is allowed.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the first radio frame also includes second indication information, which is used to indicate the set regulations. In this implementation, the first communication device can limit the behavior of the second communication device during the first time period, including whether to allow the second communication device to send data frames that meet target parameters during the first time period, whether to obtain confirmation from the first communication device before sending data frames, or whether to prohibit the second communication device from sending data frames. Having the first communication device configure the behavior of the second communication device during the first time period can make communication more flexible, thereby meeting the communication needs of the first communication device in different situations.

[0019] In one possible implementation, when the first time period includes multiple sub-time periods, the first radio frame is further used to indicate the setting regulations corresponding to each of the sub-time periods. When the first time period includes multiple sub-time periods, the setting regulations corresponding to the multiple sub-time periods can be the same or different, making communication more flexible.

[0020] In one possible implementation, when there is an overlapping period between at least two of the multiple sub-periods, and the second indication information indicates that the setting regulations corresponding to the at least two sub-periods are different, the second communication device determines the setting regulations corresponding to the overlapping period based on the priority of each of the setting regulations.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the first communication device is a multi-link communication device. After entering the target mode, the first communication device can use M links, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The second indication information is specifically used to indicate the configuration rules corresponding to the M links. When using multi-link communication, the first communication device can set corresponding configuration rules for each link. In other words, the configuration rules corresponding to different links can be the same or different, making communication more flexible.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the target parameters include one or any combination of the following parameters: maximum number of spatial streams, minimum number of spatial streams, maximum modulation coding set MCS, minimum MCS, maximum bandwidth, maximum protocol data unit PPDU duration, maximum data frame length, and dual-carrier modulation.

[0023] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: receiving a second radio frame sent by the second communication device, where the second radio frame is used to instruct the second communication device to allow the first communication device to enter the target mode.

[0024] In a possible implementation, in the target mode, during a time period other than the first time period, the second communication device is allowed to directly send data frames to the first communication device, or the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames to the first communication device.

[0025] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, applied to a second communication device, the method comprising: receiving a first wireless frame sent by a first communication device, the first wireless frame being used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode; after the first communication device enters the target mode, sending a data frame to the first communication device, the data frame complying with set regulations; the set regulations comprising: the data frame being a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or the data frame being a data frame related to set target parameters.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the first wireless frame also includes first indication information for indicating a first time period; after entering the target mode, sending a data frame to the first communication device includes: after entering the target mode and within the first time period, sending a data frame that complies with the set regulations to the first communication device.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the first communication device is a multi-link communication device, and after entering the target mode, the first communication device can use M links, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; the first indication information is specifically used to indicate the first time periods corresponding to the M links respectively.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the first indication information is specifically used to indicate that the first time period includes periodic sub-periods; the first indication information includes one or any combination of the following information: the start time of the periodic sub-period group, the duration of each sub-period in the periodic sub-period group, and the interval between two adjacent sub-periods in the periodic sub-period group.

[0029] In one possible implementation, when the data frame is a data frame that has been confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent, before sending the data frame to the first communication device, the method further includes: sending a third wireless frame to the first communication device, the third wireless frame being used to request sending the data frame; and receiving a fourth wireless frame sent by the first communication device, the fourth wireless frame being used to indicate that the data frame is allowed to be sent.

[0030] In a possible implementation, the third radio frame is sent at most N times in the first sub-period, where N is an integer greater than 0, and the first sub-period is one of at least one sub-period included in the first period.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the first wireless frame also includes first indication information for indicating a first time period; in the target mode, if the third wireless frame is sent but the fourth wireless frame is not received within the first sub-time period of the first time period, the third wireless frame is not allowed to be sent again; the first sub-time period is one of at least one sub-time period included in the first time period.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the fourth wireless frame is also used to indicate the duration or deadline for allowing the second communication device to send the data frame within the first time period; sending the data frame to the first communication device includes: sending the data frame to the first communication device from the sending time of the fourth wireless frame to the end of the duration; or, sending the data frame to the first communication device before the deadline.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the fourth wireless frame is also used to indicate the receiving capability information of the first communication device after entering the target mode, and the receiving capability information includes one or any combination of the following information: the maximum number of spatial streams that the first communication device can receive within the first time period, the maximum modulation coding set MCS, the maximum bandwidth, the maximum protocol data unit PPDU duration, the maximum data frame length, and whether dual-carrier modulation is allowed.

[0034] In a possible implementation manner, the first radio frame further includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the setting provision.

[0035] In a possible implementation, when the first time period includes multiple sub-time periods, the first radio frame is further used to indicate the setting regulations corresponding to each of the sub-time periods.

[0036] In one possible implementation, when there is an overlapping period between at least two of the multiple sub-periods, and the second indication information indicates that the setting regulations corresponding to the at least two sub-periods are different, the second communication device determines the setting regulations corresponding to the overlapping period based on the priority of each of the setting regulations.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the first communication device is a multi-link communication device, and after entering the target mode, the first communication device can use M links, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; the second indication information is specifically used to indicate the setting regulations corresponding to the M links respectively.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the target parameters include one or any combination of the following parameters: maximum number of spatial streams, minimum number of spatial streams, maximum modulation coding set MCS, minimum MCS, maximum bandwidth, maximum protocol data unit PPDU duration, maximum data frame length, and dual-carrier modulation.

[0039] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: sending a second radio frame to the first communication device, where the second radio frame is used to indicate that the first communication device is allowed to enter the target mode.

[0040] In a possible implementation, in the target mode, during a time period other than the first time period, the second communication device is allowed to directly send data frames to the first communication device, or the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames to the first communication device.

[0041] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, applied to a first communication device, the method comprising: sending a first wireless frame to a second communication device, the first wireless frame being used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame being also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; within the first time period of entering the target mode, allowing the second communication device to directly send data frames, or not allowing the second communication device to send data frames; within a time period other than the first time period of entering the target mode, receiving data frames sent by the second communication device, the data frames complying with set regulations; the set regulations comprising: the data frame being a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or the data frame being a data frame related to set target parameters.

[0042] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, applied to a second communication device, the method comprising: receiving a first wireless frame sent by a first communication device, the first wireless frame being used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame being also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; within the first time period of entering the target mode, allowing the second communication device to directly send data frames, or not allowing the second communication device to send data frames; within a time period other than the first time period of entering the target mode, allowing data frames to be sent to the first communication device, the data frames complying with set regulations; the set regulations including: the data frame is a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0043] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a first communication device, and the method includes: sending a first wireless frame to a second communication device, the first wireless frame being used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame being also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; when entering the target mode, the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames to the first communication device within a time period other than the first time period; when entering the target mode and within the first time period, the second communication device is allowed to send data frames directly to the first communication device, or the second communication device is allowed to send data frames that comply with set regulations to the first communication device, and the preset regulations include: the data frame is a data frame that has been confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0044] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, applied to a second communication device, the method comprising: receiving a first wireless frame sent by a first communication device, the first wireless frame being used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame being also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; when entering the target mode, the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames to the first communication device within a time period other than the first time period; when entering the target mode and within the first time period, the second communication device is allowed to send data frames directly to the first communication device, or the second communication device is allowed to send data frames that comply with set regulations to the first communication device, the preset regulations including: the data frame is a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0045] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes: a processor, the processor is coupled to a memory, and the memory is used to store programs or instructions. When the program or instructions are executed by the processor, the device executes the method of the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, or executes the method of the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect, or executes the method of the third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect, or executes the method of the fourth aspect and any possible implementation of the fourth aspect, or executes the method of the fifth aspect and any possible implementation of the fifth aspect, or executes the method of the sixth aspect and any possible implementation of the sixth aspect.

[0046] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, comprising: a processor, the processor being coupled to a memory, the memory being used to store instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the processor, the chip implements the method described in the first to sixth aspects above and any one of their implementation methods.

[0047] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the method described in the first to sixth aspects and any one of their implementation methods.

[0048] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in aspects 1 to 6 and any one of their implementations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an AP or STA provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG3 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of periodic sub-periods provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a frame structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of another frame structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a sub-period group provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of overlapping time periods provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of another frame structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG10 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG11 is a flow chart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] In order to achieve coexistence management of multiple communication technologies in a communication device, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method to avoid data conflicts.

[0063] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the communication scenario shown in Figure 1. As shown in the figure, the communication scenario may include an access point device (AP) and one or more non-access point devices (STA).

[0064] An access point device is a point that allows terminal devices (such as mobile phones) to access a wired (or wireless) network. It is primarily deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. It can also be deployed outdoors. An access point device acts as a bridge between wired and wireless networks, connecting wireless network clients and then connecting the wireless network to the Ethernet. Specifically, an access point device can be a terminal device (such as a mobile phone) or a network device (such as a router) equipped with a Wi-Fi chip. An access point device can support the 802.11be standard. Access points can also support various wireless local area network (WLAN) standards within the 802.11 family, including 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 8, or their successors. The access point device in this application may be a high efficiency (HE) AP or an extremely high throughput (EHT) AP, and may also be an access point device applicable to a future generation of Wi-Fi standards.

[0065] The access point device may be a single-link access point device or a multi-link access point device (AP MLD).

[0066] The site device can be a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, or a wireless communication terminal, etc., and can also be called a user. For example, the site device can be a mobile phone that supports Wi-Fi communication function, a tablet that supports Wi-Fi communication function, a set-top box that supports Wi-Fi communication function, a smart TV that supports Wi-Fi communication function, a smart wearable device that supports Wi-Fi communication function, a vehicle-mounted communication device that supports Wi-Fi communication function, and a computer that supports Wi-Fi communication function, etc. Optionally, the site can support the 802.11be standard. The site device can also support 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 8 or its next generation, and other wireless local area network (WLAN) standards of the 802.11 family.

[0067] For example, access points and sites can be devices used in the Internet of Vehicles, IoT nodes and sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT), smart cameras and remote controls in smart homes, smart water and electricity meters, and sensors in smart cities.

[0068] The site device can be a single-link site device or a multi-link site device (non-AP MLD).

[0069] For example, the specific structure of an AP or STA may be as shown in the structural diagram of FIG2 , and may include a processor. Optionally, the specific structure of an AP or STA may also include one or more of the following: a memory, a transmitter, a receiver, a signal detector, or a digital signal processor, and may optionally include a user interface. The transmitter and the receiver may also be combined into a transceiver, which is not limited in this application.

[0070] It should be noted that the name of the device shown in Figure 1 is only an example, and there may be other names in future communication systems. The number of devices in Figure 1 is also only an example, and more or fewer devices may be included. This application does not limit this.

[0071] The communication method provided in this application may be applicable to data communication between an AP and a STA, or to communication between STAs, and this application does not limit this.

[0072] As shown in FIG3 , the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application may include the following steps:

[0073] Step 301a: The first communication device sends a first radio frame to the second communication device, requesting the first communication device to enter the target mode.

[0074] Step 301b: The second communication device receives the first radio frame sent by the first communication device.

[0075] The first communication device may be STA1 in the communication scenario shown in FIG. 1 , and the second communication device may be AP or STA2 in the communication scenario shown in FIG. 1 .

[0076] The first wireless frame sent by the first communication device is used to request the first communication device to enter the target mode. After entering the target mode, the second communication device communicates according to the communication requirements of the target mode.

[0077] For example, the first communication device and the second communication device communicate via WiFi communication technology. When the first communication device determines that there is a communication demand using other communication technologies (such as Bluetooth communication technology, Star Flash communication technology, UWB communication technology, etc.), the first communication device can send a first wireless frame to the second communication device to request to enter the target mode. After entering the target mode, since the first communication device may use other communication technologies for communication, the second communication device cannot communicate with the first communication device in a normal mode. For example, the second communication device cannot directly send data frames to the first communication device when there is a data transmission demand, but should interact with the first communication device in accordance with the set regulations.

[0078] After receiving the first radio frame, the second communication device may determine whether to allow the first communication device to enter target mode. For example, if the second communication device determines that no latency-critical data needs to be sent to the first communication device, the second communication device may determine to allow the first device to enter target mode. Alternatively, if the second communication device determines that a large amount of latency-critical data needs to be sent to the first communication device, the second communication device may deny the first communication device from entering target mode.

[0079] Optionally, the second communication device may send a second radio frame to the first communication device to indicate whether the first communication device is allowed to enter the target mode when the first communication device is allowed to enter the target mode.

[0080] In one possible design, upon receiving a first wireless frame sent by a first wireless device, the second wireless device allows the first wireless device to enter target mode and does not deny the first wireless device entry into target mode. For example, the second wireless device may pre-send an instruction to the first wireless device to indicate support for the first wireless device to enter target mode. Then, when the first wireless device needs to enter target mode, it sends the first wireless frame to the second wireless device. After receiving the first wireless frame, the second wireless device does not deny the first wireless device entry into target mode and therefore sends the second wireless frame to the first wireless device. In this case, the second wireless frame does not deny the first wireless device entry into target mode, but rather serves to confirm the first wireless device's entry into target mode.

[0081] After the first communication device enters the target mode, the first communication device and the second communication device may further perform the following steps:

[0082] Step 302a: The second communication device sends a data frame that complies with a set specification to the first communication device.

[0083] Step 302b: The first communication device receives a data frame that complies with a set specification and is sent by the second communication device.

[0084] The setting rules include: the data frame is a data frame that the first communication device confirms permission to send, and / or the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters. In a specific embodiment, the first communication device may also be set to not allow the second communication device to send data frames to the first communication device after entering the target mode.

[0085] Optionally, when the setting provisions include that the data frame is a data frame that the first communication device confirms that it is allowed to send, the second communication device may first send a third wireless frame to the first communication device before sending the data frame, and the third wireless frame is used to request the sending of the data frame; if the first communication device receives the third wireless frame and determines that the second communication device is currently allowed to send data frames to it, then the first communication device may send a fourth wireless frame to the second communication device, and the fourth wireless frame is used to indicate that the sending of the data frame is allowed. Alternatively, when the setting provisions include that the data frame is a data frame that the first communication device confirms that it is allowed to send, the second communication device must send the third wireless frame to the first communication device to request the sending of the data frame; the data frame may be sent to the first communication device only after receiving the fourth wireless frame indicating that the sending of the data frame is allowed; otherwise, the data frame cannot be sent to the first communication device.

[0086] For example, if the second communication device needs to communicate with the first communication device, it can first send a third wireless frame to the first communication device instead of directly sending a data frame; if the first communication device is currently communicating through other communication technologies (such as Bluetooth communication technology, Star Flash communication technology, UWB communication technology, etc.), then the first communication device may not receive or recognize the third wireless frame sent by the second communication device, then the first communication device will not send the fourth wireless frame to the second communication device, that is, the first communication device does not allow the second communication device to send data frames to it; the second communication device cannot send data frames to it without the permission of the first communication device, that is, the second communication device cannot execute the above step 302a.

[0087] For another example, the second communication device sends a third radio frame to the first communication device to request that a data frame be sent to the first communication device; the first communication device may not currently be communicating through other communication technologies, or may currently be communicating through other communication technologies using only a small number of resources, but the first communication device determines that it is about to communicate through other communication technologies, or determines that it is about to communicate through other communication technologies using more resources, then the first communication device may reject the second communication device's request to send a data frame, that is, not allow the second communication device to send a data frame to the first communication device. In this case, the first communication device may not send a fourth radio frame to the second communication device, or may send a fifth radio frame to the second communication device to indicate that the second communication device is not allowed to send a data frame to the first communication device; after sending the third radio frame, if the second communication device does not receive the fourth radio frame or receives the fifth radio frame, it determines that it cannot currently send a data frame to the first communication device.

[0088] For another example, the second communication device sends a third wireless frame to the first communication device to request that a data frame be sent to the first communication device; although the first communication device may plan to use other communication technologies for communication, it is not currently using other communication technologies for communication, or only occupies a small amount of resources to communicate through other communication technologies, then the first communication device can allow the second communication device to send data frames to it. In this case, the first communication device sends a fourth wireless data frame to the second communication device, indicating that the second communication device is allowed to send data frames to the first communication device; after receiving the fourth wireless data frame sent by the first communication device, the second communication device can send data frames to the first communication device.

[0089] Furthermore, in target mode, the number of times the second communication device sends the third radio frame can be limited. For example, the maximum number of times the third radio frame is sent in target mode can be configured to be K, where the value of K can be specified by the protocol, pre-configured by the first communication device or the second communication device, or configured by the first communication device through the first radio frame; after the first communication device enters target mode, when the number of times the second communication device sends the third radio frame to the first communication device reaches K, the second communication device will no longer send the third radio frame to the first communication device. The value of K can be an integer greater than or equal to 1; when K = 1, the second communication device can only send the third radio frame once before sending a data frame.

[0090] Optionally, when the configuration includes that the data frame is a data frame associated with a set target parameter, the second communication device should generate and transmit the data frame based on the target parameter. By setting the target parameter in the target mode, the size of the resources required to transmit the data frame can be controlled, thereby minimizing the impact on the first communication device's communication using other communication technologies.

[0091] For example, target parameters may include: maximum number of spatial streams, minimum number of spatial streams, maximum modulation and coding set (MCS), minimum MCS, maximum bandwidth, maximum protocol data unit (PPDU) duration, maximum data frame length, dual-carrier modulation, etc.

[0092] In one possible implementation, the first radio frame may include first indication information indicating a first time period; accordingly, steps 302a and 302b occur during the first time period. Alternatively, when the first radio frame includes first indication information indicating the first time period, the second communications device cannot send data frames to the first communications device during the first time period, but can send data frames to the first communications device during time periods other than the first time period in the target mode.

[0093] For example, although the first communication device requests to enter the target mode due to other communication needs, it may not need to communicate continuously through other communication technologies. Therefore, the first communication device can use the first time period as a reserved time period for communication using other communication technologies; then, during the first time period, when the second communication device wants to send data to the first communication device, it must send data frames that comply with the set regulations; in the target mode, except for the first time period, the second communication device can send data frames to the first communication device in a normal transmission manner.

[0094] For example, although a first communications device requests to enter target mode due to other communication needs, it may not need to communicate using other communications technologies all the time, or may not always use other communications technologies and occupy a large amount of transmission resources for communication. Therefore, the first communications device can use the first time period as the time period for communication with the second communications device. Then, after entering target mode, during the non-first time period, the second communications device cannot send data frames to the first communications device. When the first time period is reached, the second communications device can send data frames that comply with the set specifications to the first communications device.

[0095] When a first time period is configured, the number of times the second communication device sends the third radio frame within the first time period can also be limited. For example, the maximum number of times the third radio frame is sent within the first time period of the target mode can be configured to be L, where the value of L can be specified by the protocol, pre-configured by the first communication device or the second communication device, or configured by the first communication device through the first radio frame; within the first time period when the first communication device enters the target mode, when the number of times the second communication device sends the third radio frame to the first communication device reaches L, the second communication device will no longer send the third radio frame to the first communication device. The value of L can be an integer greater than or equal to 1; when L = 1, the second communication device can only send the third radio frame once when sending a data frame within the first time period.

[0096] Optionally, the first time period indicated by the first wireless frame may include multiple sub-time periods, that is, the first time period is not a continuous time period. The need for the first communication device to communicate using other communication technologies may not be continuous, so setting a non-continuous first time period helps to reduce resource waste and also helps to reduce the transmission delay of various communication methods. For example, the first communication device and the second communication device communicate through WiFi communication technology. When the first communication device has a need to communicate with the third communication device through Bluetooth technology, the first communication device can request to enter the target mode and reserve the first time period for communicating with the third communication device through Bluetooth technology; in the non-first time period after entering the target mode, the second communication device can transmit data normally with the first communication device through WiFi communication technology; in the first time period after entering the target mode, since the first communication device may communicate with the third communication device through Bluetooth technology, if the second communication device wants to send a data frame to the first communication device, it needs to send a data frame that complies with the set regulations. Since the first time period is non-continuous, the first communication device can transmit alternately with the second communication device and the third communication device, which helps to reduce resource waste, helps to balance the transmission delay with the second communication device and the third communication device, and avoids large delays between the second communication device or the third communication device.

[0097] In a specific example, the first time period may include multiple periodic sub-periods. As shown in Figure 4, the first time period includes sub-period 1, sub-period 2, sub-period 3, etc. Sub-periods 1, 2, and 3 occur periodically, and the second communication device may send data frames that comply with the set regulations to the first communication device during the periodic sub-periods 1, 2, and 3. During other time periods after entering the target mode, the second communication device may directly send data frames to the first communication device, or the second communication device may not be allowed to send data frames to the first communication device.

[0098] When the first time period includes a periodic sub-period, the first indication information may specifically indicate one or any combination of the following information: the start time of the periodic sub-period, the duration of each sub-period in the periodic sub-period, and the interval between two adjacent sub-periods in the periodic sub-period.

[0099] Still taking Figure 4 as an example, the start time of a periodic sub-period can represent the start time of the first sub-period, i.e., the start time t1 of sub-period 1. When indicating the start time, the first indication information can indicate time t1, or Δt1, where Δt1 = t1 - t0, indicating that the start time of sub-period 1 is the time interval Δt1 from the start time t0 of entering the target mode. The duration of each sub-period in the periodic sub-period is the duration T of sub-period 1, sub-period 2, and sub-period 3 in the example shown in Figure 4, where T = t2 - t1 = t4 - t3 = t6 - t5. The interval between two adjacent sub-periods in a periodic sub-period can represent the interval between the start times of the two adjacent sub-periods (e.g., the interval from the start time t1 of sub-period 1 to the start time t3 of sub-period 2), or the interval from the end time of the previous sub-period to the start time of the next sub-period (e.g., the interval from the end time t2 of sub-period 1 to the start time t3 of sub-period 2).

[0100] As mentioned above, the first communication device can be a multi-link device. When the first communication device is a multi-link device, then after entering the target mode, the first communication device can use one or more links. If the first communication device can use multiple links to communicate with the second communication device after entering the target mode, the first communication device can configure the same first time period for different links, or configure different first time periods for different links. In other words, the above-mentioned first indication information can be specifically used to indicate the first time period corresponding to each link. For example, after entering the target mode, the first communication device can use link 1 and link 2 to communicate with the second communication device. The first communication device can respectively configure the first time period corresponding to link 1 and the first time period corresponding to link 2; if the first communication device does not respectively configure the first time periods corresponding to link 1 and link 2, but only configures one first time period, then it can be understood that the first time periods corresponding to link 1 and link 2 are the same.

[0101] In one possible design, the first indication information may be carried in a target wake time (TWT) element of the first radio frame. For example, in the example shown in FIG5 , the TWT element includes TWT parameter information, and the “target wake time” field in the TWT parameter information may be used to indicate the start time of the periodic sub-period; the “nominal minimum TWT wake duration” field in the TWT parameter information may be used to indicate the duration of each sub-period in the periodic sub-period; the “TWT wake interval mantissa” field in the TWT parameter information, and the “TWT wake interval exponent” field in the request type information in the TWT parameter information may be used to jointly indicate the interval between two adjacent sub-periods in the periodic sub-period. Exemplarily, assuming that the interval between two adjacent sub-periods in the periodic sub-period is A*r B , where r is a constant (for example, r=2, or r=10), the “TWT wake interval mantissa” field can be used to indicate the value of A, and the “TWT wake interval exponent” field can be used to indicate the value of B.

[0102] In another possible design, a new element may also be defined in the first radio frame to indicate the first indication information. For example, in the example shown in FIG6 , a new element is defined in the first radio frame: a service interval element (SP element). The service interval element may include an element identifier (element ID), a length (length), and SP parameter information (SP parameter information); wherein the SP parameter information may include a "service interval start time (SP start time)" field, a "service interval duration (SP duration)" field, and a "service interval period (SP interval)" field, which are respectively used to indicate the start time of the periodic sub-period, the duration of each sub-period in the periodic sub-period, and the interval between two adjacent sub-periods in the periodic sub-period. Optionally, the "SP interval" field may further include a "service interval period fraction (SP interval mantissa)" field and a "service interval period exponent part (SP interval exponent)" field. For example, the interval between two adjacent sub-periods in the periodic sub-period is A*r B , r is a constant (for example, r=2, or r=10), the "SP interval mantissa" field can be used to indicate the value of A, and the "SP interval exponent" field can be used to indicate the value of B.

[0103] Optionally, the first wireless frame may include multiple TWT elements or multiple service interval elements, each TWT element or service interval element is used to represent a periodic sub-period group, and multiple TWT elements or service interval elements represent multiple periodic sub-period groups configured by the first communication device.

[0104] Optionally, when the first time period includes multiple sub-time periods (periodic or non-periodic sub-time periods), the number of times the second communication device sends the third radio frame in each sub-time period can also be limited. For example, the maximum number of times the third radio frame is sent in each sub-time period in the target mode can be configured to be N, where the value of N can be specified by the protocol, or pre-configured by the first communication device or the second communication device, or configured by the first communication device through the first radio frame; in each sub-time period after the first communication device enters the target mode, when the number of times the second communication device sends the third radio frame to the first communication device reaches N, then the second communication device will no longer send the third radio frame to the first communication device in the sub-time period. The maximum number of times the third radio frame is sent in each sub-time period can be pre-agreed or carried in the first radio frame and sent to the second communication device.

[0105] In one possible design, in target mode, if the second communication device sends a third radio frame to the first communication device but does not receive a fourth radio frame sent by the first communication device, that is, the first communication device does not allow the second communication device to send data frames, the second communication device is not allowed to send the third radio frame again. Alternatively, if a first time period is configured, within the first time period of target mode, if the second communication device sends a third radio frame to the first communication device but does not receive a fourth radio frame sent by the first communication device, the second communication device is not allowed to send the third radio frame again. Alternatively, if a first time period is configured and the first time period includes a first sub-time period, the second communication device may be instructed not to send the third radio frame again within the first sub-time period if it sends a third radio frame but does not receive a fourth radio frame sent by the first communication device.

[0106] During a sub-period, the second communication device wants to send a data frame to the first communication device, but the first communication device may not be able to receive the data frame sent by the second communication device due to other communication needs. Moreover, since the duration of a sub-period is usually short, and the first communication device may still not be able to receive the data frame sent by the second communication device within a short period of time, if the second communication device continues to send a third radio frame to request the sending of a data frame, it may cause a waste of resources or a conflict, and may also affect the first communication device's use of other communication technologies for communication. Therefore, during a sub-period, if the second communication device is stopped from sending the third radio frame if it sends the third radio frame but does not receive the fourth radio frame, it helps to reduce resource waste and conflict, and helps to ensure the quality of the first communication device's use of other communication technologies for communication.

[0107] Optionally, when the first communication device receives the third wireless frame and determines that the second communication device is allowed to send data frames, the first communication device may also configure the duration of the time period in which the second communication device is allowed to send data frames, or configure the deadline for allowing the second communication device to send data frames. In target mode, if the first communication device allows the second communication device to send data frames to it, then the first communication device may not currently use other communication technologies, or may only occupy fewer resources to communicate through other technologies. Therefore, the second communication device may be allowed to send data frames to it to improve resource utilization and reduce latency. However, the process of the second communication device sending data frames cannot affect the communication of the first communication device through other communication technologies. Therefore, the first communication device can limit the time for the second communication device to send data frames according to its communication needs. In particular, limiting the time for the second communication device to send data frames within the first time period can effectively avoid the impact of the second communication device sending data frames on the communication of other communication technologies.

[0108] In a specific example, the first communication device can indicate the duration for which the second communication device is allowed to send data frames through the fourth wireless frame, indicating that the time during which the second communication device can send data frames starts from the time when the first communication device sends the fourth wireless frame and ends when the duration configured by the first communication device is reached. After receiving the fourth wireless frame, the second communication device should send the data frame to the first communication device before the configured duration is reached. Optionally, the second communication device can adjust the length of the data frame to be sent, etc., according to the duration allowed for sending data frames, to ensure that the data frame is completely sent to the first communication device before the duration is reached. Optionally, if the second communication device believes that it cannot send the data frame completely to the first communication device before the duration is reached, the second communication device can give up sending the data frame and wait for the next opportunity to send the data frame.

[0109] In another specific example, the first communication device may indicate, through the fourth radio frame, the start time and / or end time at which the second communication device is allowed to send a data frame. When the fourth radio frame does not indicate the start time, the start time may be indicated by default as the time when the first communication device sends the fourth radio frame or the time when the second communication device receives the fourth radio frame. The end time indicates that the second communication device should send the data frame to the first communication device before the end time arrives. Optionally, the second communication device may adjust the length of the data frame to be sent, etc., according to the end time for allowing the sending of the data frame, to ensure that the data frame is sent in full to the first communication device before the end time arrives. Optionally, if the second communication device believes that it cannot send the data frame in full to the first communication device before the end time arrives, the second communication device may give up sending the data frame and wait for the next opportunity to send the data frame.

[0110] In one possible design, the fourth radio frame may also indicate the current receiving capability information of the first communication device. After the first communication device enters the target mode, there is a need to use other communication technologies for communication, so the ability of the first communication device to communicate with the second communication device may change. The first communication device may indicate the current receiving capability of the first communication device through the fourth radio frame when allowing the second communication device to send data frames. Optionally, the receiving capability of the first communication device may include one or any combination of the following parameters: the maximum number of spatial streams of the data frame, the maximum MCS of the data frame, the maximum bandwidth of the data frame, the maximum PPDU duration of the data frame, the maximum data frame length, whether the data frame allows dual-carrier modulation, and whether the second communication device is allowed to send a trigger frame to the first communication device. The trigger frame is used to allocate transmission resources to the first communication device.

[0111] In one possible implementation, the first radio frame may include second indication information for indicating the setting provisions in steps 302a and 302b. That is, the second communications device determines, based on the second indication information, whether to transmit data frames permitted by the first communications device, or to transmit data frames related to the set target parameters, in the target mode or during the first time period of the target mode, or whether to permit the second communications device to transmit data frames to the first communications device.

[0112] For example, two setting rules are pre-configured, namely setting rule 1 and setting rule 2. Setting rule 1 indicates that data frames cannot be sent, while setting rule 2 indicates that data frames can be sent after confirmation by the first communication device that they are allowed to be sent. If the second indication information is used to indicate setting rule 1, then when the first communication device enters the mode or enters the first period of the target mode, the second communication device cannot send data frames to the first communication device; if the second indication information is used to indicate setting rule 2, then when the first communication device enters the target mode or enters the first period of the target mode, the second communication device must send a third wireless frame to the first communication device before sending data frames, and can only send data frames to the first communication device after receiving the fourth wireless frame.

[0113] For example, when the second indication information is "00," it may indicate that the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames to the first communication device during the first time period. Therefore, even if the second communication device needs to send data to the first communication device during the first time period, it cannot do so. The second communication device may abandon the data transmission or wait until the first time period ends before sending data to the first communication device. When the second indication information is "01," it may indicate that the second communication device may send data frames that the first communication device has confirmed permission to send during the first time period. Therefore, if the second communication device needs to transmit data during the first time period, it may first send a third radio frame to the first communication device. If it receives a fourth radio frame from the first communication device, it may send data frames to the first communication device. If it does not receive the fourth radio frame from the first communication device, it may not send data frames to the first communication device. When the second indication information is "10," it may indicate that the second communication device may send data frames generated according to set target parameters to the first communication device during the first time period. Therefore, if the second communication device needs to transmit data during the first time period, it may generate data frames according to the target parameters and send them to the first communication device. When the second indication information is "11", it may indicate that the second communication device may send data frames related to the set target parameters that are confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent within the first time period.

[0114] Furthermore, when the first time period indicated by the first indication information includes multiple sub-time periods, the second indication information may be specifically used to indicate the setting regulations corresponding to each sub-time period. In a specific embodiment, if the multiple sub-time periods are divided into multiple sub-time period groups, the second indication information may indicate the setting regulations corresponding to each sub-time period group.

[0115] For example, the first indication information indicates that the first time period includes periodic sub-period group 1 and sub-period group 2. As shown in FIG7 , sub-period group 1 includes periodically arriving sub-periods 1, 3, 5, ..., and sub-period group 2 includes periodically arriving sub-periods 2, 4, 6, .... The second indication information may indicate the corresponding setting regulations for sub-period group 1 and sub-period group 2, respectively. For example, the setting regulations corresponding to sub-period group 1 include: sending data frames related to the set target parameters, and the setting regulations corresponding to sub-period group 2 include: sending data frames that have been confirmed as permitted by the first communication device.

[0116] When the first time period indicated by the first indication information includes multiple sub-time periods, there may be a situation where some sub-time periods have overlapping time periods. Then when the second indication information indicates the setting regulations corresponding to each sub-time period or each sub-time period group respectively, the setting regulations on the overlapping time periods may conflict. As shown in Figure 8, the first indication information indicates the periodic sub-time period group 1 and the periodic sub-time period group 2. The sub-time period 2 in the sub-time period group 1 overlaps with the sub-time period 5 in the sub-time period group 2, and the sub-time period 3 in the sub-time period group 1 overlaps with the sub-time period 6 in the sub-time period group 2. If the second indication information indicates that the setting regulations corresponding to the sub-time period group 1 are to send data frames related to the set target parameters, and the setting regulations corresponding to the sub-time period group 2 are to send data frames that have been confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent, then there are two different setting regulations corresponding to the overlapping time periods.

[0117] In this case, one possible implementation is to pre-configure priorities for various settings. When, based on the second indication information, it is determined that multiple settings correspond to overlapping time periods, the second communication device can determine the settings corresponding to the overlapping time periods based on the priorities. For example, setting rule 1 can be set to "not allow the second communication device to send data frames," with a priority of 1 (assuming that a smaller number indicates a higher priority); setting rule 2 can be set to "send data frames that have been confirmed as permitted by the first communication device," with a priority of 2; and setting rule 3 can be set to "send data frames related to the set target parameters," with a priority of 3. Still using FIG8 as an example, if the first communication device indicates sub-time period group 1 and sub-time period group 2 through the first indication information, and indicates through the second indication information that the setting corresponding to sub-time period group 1 is setting rule 2 and the setting corresponding to sub-time period group 2 is setting rule 3, since setting rule 2 has a higher priority than setting rule 3, even though sub-time period 5 in sub-time period group 2 corresponds to setting rule 3, since sub-time period 5 overlaps with sub-time period 2 in sub-time period group 1, setting rule 2 with a higher priority will be used for sub-time period 5.

[0118] Optionally, when the first time period includes multiple sub-time periods or multiple sub-time period groups, but the second indication information only indicates one setting provision, it may indicate that the multiple sub-time periods or multiple sub-time period groups adopt the same setting provision.

[0119] As mentioned above, the first communication device can be a multi-link device. When the first communication device is a multi-link device, and the links used by the first communication device after entering the target mode may include multiple links, the first communication device can configure the same setting regulations for different links, or configure different setting regulations for different links. When the first communication device configures different setting regulations for different links, the above-mentioned second indication information can be specifically used to indicate the setting regulations corresponding to each link. For example, after entering the target mode, the first communication device can use link 1 and link 2 to communicate with the second communication device. The first communication device can respectively configure setting regulations A corresponding to link 1 and setting regulations B corresponding to link 2; if the first communication device does not configure setting regulations for link and link respectively, but only configures one setting regulation, then it can be understood that the setting regulations corresponding to link 1 and link 2 are the same.

[0120] In one possible design, the first radio frame may carry link information to indicate the links that can be used in the target mode. The link information may include the identifiers (link IDs) of one or more links that can be used in the target mode, and may also include information such as the first indication information, the second indication information, the maximum number of transmission times of the third radio frame carried by each link. The link information may be carried in a multi-link element (MLE), which is used to carry multi-link device information and information about sites (including APs or non-APs) in the multi-link device. As shown in Figure 9, the MLE may include a "multi-link control" field, a "common info" field, and a "link info" field. Among them, the "common info" field can carry common information of multiple sites in a multi-link device, and / or information about the multi-link device itself; the "link info" field can carry information about sites on each link in the multi-link device, and can contain one or more "per-STA profile" sub-elements. Each "per-STA profile" sub-element can carry information about a link, and the link ID can be contained in the "STA info" field in the "per-STA Profile" sub-element; and the "multi-link control" field can carry the type of multi-link element, as well as other information. Therefore, the first indication information, second indication information, maximum number of transmissions of the third wireless frame corresponding to each link, and other information can be carried in the "per-STA profile" sub-element corresponding to each link, for example, in the "Site Information (STA Info)" field or the "Site Overview (STA profile)" field in the "per-STA profile" sub-element.

[0121] In traditional communication methods, if the first communication device may use other communication technologies for communication, if the second communication device still sends data frames to the first communication device in accordance with the conventional communication mode, it may affect the process of the first communication using other communication technologies for communication; if the second communication device is completely unable to send data frames to the first communication device, it may cause a waste of resources and affect the transmission delay between the second communication device and the first communication device. In the above embodiment of the present application, the first communication device can request to enter the target mode when there are other communication needs. After the first communication device enters the target mode, if the second communication device wants to send data frames to the first communication device, it needs to obtain permission from the first communication device before sending data frames to the first communication device, or it needs to send data frames that meet the target parameters. Therefore, the above embodiment helps to make full use of resources and reduce transmission delays.

[0122] As shown in FIG10 , another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application may include the following steps:

[0123] Step 1001: A first communication device sends a first radio frame to a second communication device, requesting the first communication device to enter a target mode. The first radio frame includes first indication information for indicating a first time period.

[0124] The first wireless frame sent by the first communication device is used to request the first communication device to enter the target mode. After entering the target mode, the second communication device communicates according to the communication requirements of the target mode.

[0125] The manner in which the first indication information indicates the first time period is similar to that in the aforementioned embodiment. Reference may be made to the description of the first indication information and the first time period in the aforementioned embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0126] After receiving the first radio frame, the second communication device may determine whether to allow the first communication device to enter the target mode. Optionally, the second communication device may send a second radio frame to the first communication device to indicate whether to allow the first communication device to enter the target mode.

[0127] Optionally, when the second communication device receives the first wireless frame sent by the first communication device, it will allow the first communication device to enter the target mode; it can also be understood that the role of the first wireless frame is to notify the second communication device that the first communication device will enter the target mode without the second communication device determining whether to allow it.

[0128] After the first communication device enters the target mode, the first communication device and the second communication device may further perform the following steps:

[0129] Step 1002: During a time period other than the first time period, the second communication device sends a data frame that complies with a set specification to the first communication device.

[0130] The setting regulations include: the data frame is a data frame that the first communication device confirms to be allowed to be sent, and / or the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0131] In one possible implementation, when the setting provisions include that the data frame is a data frame that the first communication device confirms to be allowed to be sent, the second communication device may first send a third wireless frame to the first communication device before sending the data frame, and the third wireless frame is used to request to send the data frame; if the first communication device receives the third wireless frame and determines that the second communication device is currently allowed to send data frames to it, then the first communication device may send a fourth wireless frame to the second communication device, and the fourth wireless frame is used to indicate that the data frame is allowed to be sent.

[0132] Optionally, when the first time period includes multiple sub-time periods (periodic or non-periodic sub-time periods), the number of times the second communication device sends the third radio frame in a time period outside each sub-time period may be limited. The maximum number of times the third radio frame is sent in a time period outside each sub-time period may be pre-agreed or carried in the first radio frame and sent to the second communication device.

[0133] Optionally, during a non-first time period of the target mode, if the second communication device sends a third radio frame to the first communication device but does not receive a fourth radio frame sent by the first communication device, the second communication device is not permitted to send the third radio frame again. Alternatively, when the first time period includes a first sub-time period, during a non-first sub-time period, the second communication device may be prohibited from sending the third radio frame again if it has sent the third radio frame but has not received the fourth radio frame sent by the first communication device.

[0134] Optionally, when the first communication device receives the third radio frame and determines that the second communication device is allowed to send data frames, the first communication device may further configure the duration of the time period in which the second communication device is allowed to send data frames, or configure a deadline for allowing the second communication device to send data frames. The duration or deadline may be sent to the second communication device via a fourth radio frame.

[0135] Optionally, the fourth radio frame may also indicate the current receiving capability information of the first communication device. After entering target mode, the first communication device may need to communicate using other communication technologies, and therefore the communication capability between the first communication device and the second communication device may change. The first communication device may indicate its current receiving capability via the fourth radio frame when allowing the second communication device to send data frames.

[0136] Optionally, the receiving capability of the first communication device may include one or any combination of the following parameters: the maximum number of spatial streams of the data frame, the maximum MCS of the data frame, the maximum bandwidth of the data frame, the maximum PPDU duration of the data frame, the maximum data frame length, whether the data frame allows dual-carrier modulation, and whether the second communication device is allowed to send a third wireless frame to the first communication device to request transmission of the data frame.

[0137] In one possible implementation, in target mode, if the second communication device sends a third radio frame to the first communication device but does not receive a fourth radio frame sent by the first communication device, that is, the first communication device does not allow the second communication device to send a data frame, then the second communication device is not allowed to send the third radio frame again. Optionally, when the setting provisions include that the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters, then the second communication device should generate and send the data frame according to the target parameters. By setting the target parameters in target mode, the size of the resources required for the transmitted data frame can be controlled, thereby minimizing the impact on the first communication device's communication using other communication technologies.

[0138] For example, target parameters may include: maximum number of spatial streams, minimum number of spatial streams, maximum MCS, minimum MCS, maximum bandwidth, maximum PPDU duration, maximum data frame length, dual-carrier modulation, etc.

[0139] In one possible design, the first wireless frame may include second indication information for indicating the setting provision in step 1002. That is, the second communications device determines, based on the second indication information, whether to send data frames confirmed by the first communications device as permitted to be sent, or to send data frames related to the set target parameters, during a time period other than the first time period.

[0140] The manner in which the second indication information indicates setting the provisions is similar to that in the aforementioned embodiment. Reference may be made to the description of the second indication information and setting provisions in the aforementioned embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0141] The above step 1002 is an operation that the second communication device can perform in a time period other than the first time period after entering the target mode. After entering the first time period, the second communication device can perform the following step 1003a or step 1003b.

[0142] Step 1003a: During the first time period, the second communication device directly sends a data frame to the first communication device.

[0143] During the first time period, the second communication device may send data frames to the first communication device in a regular communication mode, without first sending the third radio frame and waiting to receive the fourth radio frame before sending the data frame. Optionally, the data frames sent by the second communication device during the first time period may not be generated and sent according to the target parameters.

[0144] Step 1003b: During the first time period, the second communication device cannot send data frames to the first communication device.

[0145] In traditional communication methods, when the first communication device may use other communication technologies for communication, if the second communication device still sends data frames to the first communication device in accordance with the conventional communication mode, it may affect the process of the first communication using other communication technologies for communication; if the second communication device is completely unable to send data frames to the first communication device, it may cause a waste of resources and affect the transmission delay between the second communication device and the first communication device. In the above embodiment of the present application, when there are other communication needs, the first communication device can request to enter the target mode. After the first communication device enters the target mode, in a period other than the first period, if the second communication device wants to send data frames to the first communication device, it needs to obtain permission from the first communication device before sending data frames to the first communication device, or it needs to send data frames that meet the target parameters. Therefore, the above embodiment helps to make full use of resources and reduce transmission delays.

[0146] As shown in FIG11 , another communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application may include the following steps:

[0147] Step 1101: A first communication device sends a first radio frame to a second communication device, requesting the first communication device to enter a target mode. The first radio frame includes first indication information for indicating a first time period.

[0148] The first wireless frame sent by the first communication device is used to request the first communication device to enter the target mode. After entering the target mode, the second communication device communicates according to the communication requirements of the target mode.

[0149] The manner in which the first indication information indicates the first time period is similar to that in the aforementioned embodiment. Reference may be made to the description of the first indication information and the first time period in the aforementioned embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0150] After receiving the first radio frame, the second communication device may determine whether to allow the first communication device to enter the target mode. Optionally, the second communication device may send a second radio frame to the first communication device to indicate whether to allow the first communication device to enter the target mode.

[0151] After the first communication device enters the target mode, the second communication device may further perform steps 1102a and 1103, or the second communication device may further perform steps 1102b and 1103:

[0152] Step 1102a: During the first time period, the second communication device directly sends a data frame to the first communication device.

[0153] During the first time period, the second communication device may send data frames to the first communication device in a regular communication mode, without first sending the third radio frame and waiting to receive the fourth radio frame before sending the data frame. Optionally, the data frames sent by the second communication device during the first time period may not be generated and sent according to the target parameters.

[0154] Step 1102b: During the first time period, the second communication device sends a data frame that complies with set regulations to the first communication device.

[0155] The setting regulations include: the data frame is a data frame that the first communication device confirms to be allowed to be sent, and / or the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0156] In one possible implementation, when the setting provisions include that the data frame is a data frame that the first communication device confirms to be allowed to be sent, the second communication device may first send a third wireless frame to the first communication device before sending the data frame, and the third wireless frame is used to request to send the data frame; if the first communication device receives the third wireless frame and determines that the second communication device is currently running to send a data frame to it, then the first communication device may send a fourth wireless frame to the second communication device, and the fourth wireless frame is used to indicate that the data frame is allowed to be sent.

[0157] Optionally, when the first time period includes multiple sub-time periods (periodic or non-periodic sub-time periods), the number of times the second communication device sends the third radio frame in each sub-time period may be limited. The maximum number of times the third radio frame is sent in each sub-time period may be pre-agreed or carried in the first radio frame and sent to the second communication device.

[0158] Optionally, during the first time period of the target mode, if the second communication device sends a third radio frame to the first communication device but does not receive a fourth radio frame sent by the first communication device, the second communication device is not allowed to send the third radio frame again. Alternatively, when the first time period includes a first sub-time period, during the first sub-time period, the second communication device may be prohibited from sending the third radio frame again if it has sent the third radio frame but has not received the fourth radio frame sent by the first communication device.

[0159] Optionally, when the first communication device receives the third radio frame and determines that the second communication device is allowed to send data frames, the first communication device may further configure the duration of the time period in which the second communication device is allowed to send data frames, or configure a deadline for allowing the second communication device to send data frames. The duration or deadline may be sent to the second communication device via a fourth radio frame.

[0160] Optionally, the fourth radio frame may further indicate current receiving capability information of the first communication device. The receiving capability of the first communication device may include one or any combination of the following parameters: the maximum number of spatial streams of a data frame, the maximum MCS of a data frame, the maximum bandwidth of a data frame, the maximum PPDU duration of a data frame, the maximum data frame length, whether dual-carrier modulation is allowed for a data frame, and whether the second communication device is allowed to send a third radio frame to the first communication device to request transmission of a data frame.

[0161] In one possible implementation, in target mode, when the second communication device sends the third wireless frame to the first communication device but does not receive the fourth wireless frame sent by the first communication device, that is, the first communication device does not allow the second communication device to send data frames, the second communication device is not allowed to send the third wireless frame again.

[0162] Optionally, when the provision includes that the data frame is a data frame associated with a set target parameter, the second communication device shall generate and transmit the data frame in accordance with the target parameter. By setting the target parameters in the target mode, the size of the resources required for the transmitted data frame can be controlled, thereby minimizing the impact on the first communication device's communication via other communication technologies. For example, the target parameters may include: maximum number of spatial streams, minimum number of spatial streams, maximum MCS, minimum MCS, maximum bandwidth, maximum PPDU duration, maximum data frame length, dual-carrier modulation, etc.

[0163] In one possible design, the first wireless frame may include second indication information for indicating the setting provision in step 1102b. That is, the second communications device determines, based on the second indication information, whether to send data frames that have been confirmed as permitted by the first communications device or to send data frames related to the set target parameters within the first time period.

[0164] The manner in which the second indication information indicates setting the provisions is similar to that in the aforementioned embodiment. Reference may be made to the description of the second indication information and setting provisions in the aforementioned embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0165] Step 1103: During a time period other than the first time period, the second communication device cannot send data frames to the first communication device.

[0166] In traditional communication methods, when the first communication device may use other communication technologies for communication, if the second communication device still sends data frames to the first communication device in accordance with the conventional communication mode, it may affect the process of the first communication using other communication technologies for communication; if the second communication device is completely unable to send data frames to the first communication device, it may cause a waste of resources and affect the transmission delay between the second communication device and the first communication device. In the above embodiment of the present application, when there are other communication needs, the first communication device can request to enter the target mode. Within the first time period after the first communication device enters the target mode, if the second communication device wants to send data frames to the first communication device, it needs to obtain permission from the first communication device before sending data frames to the first communication device, or it needs to send data frames that meet the target parameters. Therefore, the above embodiment helps to make full use of resources and reduce transmission delays.

[0167] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device includes a processing module 1201 and a transceiver module 1202. The processing module 1201 is used to implement data processing by the communication device. The transceiver module 1202 is used to receive content from the communication device to other units or network elements, or to send content from the communication device to other units or network elements. It should be understood that the processing module 1201 in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by a processor or a processor-related circuit component (or, referred to as a processing circuit), and the transceiver module 1202 can be implemented by a receiver / transmitter or a receiver / transmitter-related circuit component.

[0168] Exemplarily, the communication device may be a communication device, or may be a chip used in the communication device, or other combined devices, components, etc. having the functions of the above-mentioned communication device.

[0169] When the communication device is a first communication device, the processing module 1201 sends a first wireless frame to the second communication device through the transceiver module 1202, and the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter the target mode; after entering the target mode, the data frame sent by the second communication device is received through the transceiver module 1202, and the data frame complies with the set regulations; the set regulations include: the data frame is a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0170] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support other processes executed by the first communication device in the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 9. The beneficial effects can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0171] When the communication device is a second communication device, the processing module 1201 receives a first wireless frame sent by the first communication device through the transceiver module 1202, and the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter the target mode; after the first communication device enters the target mode, a data frame is sent to the first communication device through the transceiver module 1202, and the data frame complies with the set regulations; the set regulations include: the data frame is a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0172] In addition, the above modules can also be used to support other processes executed by the second communication device in the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 9. The beneficial effects can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0173] When the communication device is a first communication device, the processing module 1201 sends a first wireless frame to the second communication device through the transceiver module 1202, where the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame is also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; within the first time period of entering the target mode, the second communication device is allowed to directly send data frames, or the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames; within a time period other than the first time period of entering the target mode, the data frame sent by the second communication device is received through the transceiver module 1202, and the data frame complies with the set regulations; the set regulations include: the data frame is a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0174] In addition, the above components can also be used to support other processes executed by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 10. The beneficial effects can be referred to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0175] When the communication device is a second communication device, the processing module 1201 receives a first wireless frame sent by the first communication device through the transceiver module 1202, where the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame is also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; within the first time period of entering the target mode, the second communication device is allowed to directly send data frames, or the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames; within the time period of entering the target mode other than the first time period, data frames are allowed to be sent to the first communication device through the transceiver module 1202, and the data frames comply with the set regulations; the set regulations include: the data frame is a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0176] In addition, the above components can also be used to support other processes executed by the second communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 10. The beneficial effects can be referred to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0177] When the communication device is a first communication device, the processing module 1201 sends a first wireless frame to the second communication device through the transceiver module 1202, where the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame is also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; when entering the target mode, except for the first time period, the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames to the first communication device; when entering the target mode and within the first time period, the second communication device is allowed to send data frames directly to the first communication device, or the second communication device is allowed to send data frames that comply with set regulations to the first communication device, where the preset regulations include: the data frame is a data frame that has been confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0178] In addition, the above components can also be used to support other processes executed by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 11. The beneficial effects can be referred to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0179] When the communication device is a second communication device, the processing module 1201 receives a first wireless frame sent by the first communication device through the transceiver module 1202, where the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame is also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; when entering the target mode, the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames to the first communication device within a time period other than the first time period; when entering the target mode and within the first time period, the second communication device is allowed to send data frames directly to the first communication device, or is allowed to send data frames that comply with set regulations to the first communication device through the transceiver module 1202, where the preset regulations include: the data frame is a data frame that has been confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0180] In addition, the above components can also be used to support other processes executed by the second communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 11. The beneficial effects can be referred to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0181] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present application, which includes: a processor 1301, a communication interface 1302, and further includes a memory 1303 and a bus 1304. The processor 1301, the communication interface 1302 and the memory 1303 can be interconnected through a bus 1304; the bus 1304 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The above-mentioned bus 1304 can be divided into an address bus, a data bus and a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, only one line is used in Figure 13, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0182] The processor 1301 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP. The processor may further include a hardware chip. The hardware chip may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof. The memory 1303 may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which acts as external cache memory.

[0183] The processor 1301 is used to implement data processing operations of the communication device, and the communication interface 1302 is used to implement receiving operations and sending operations of the communication device.

[0184] When the communication device is a first communication device, the processor 1301 sends a first wireless frame to the second communication device through the communication interface 1302, and the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter the target mode; after entering the target mode, the data frame sent by the second communication device is received through the communication interface 1302, and the data frame complies with the set regulations; the set regulations include: the data frame is a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0185] In addition, the above components can also be used to support other processes executed by the first communication device in the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 9. The beneficial effects can be referred to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0186] When the communication device is a second communication device, the processor 1301 receives a first wireless frame sent by the first communication device through the communication interface 1302, and the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter the target mode; after the first communication device enters the target mode, a data frame is sent to the first communication device through the communication interface 1302, and the data frame complies with the set regulations; the set regulations include: the data frame is a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0187] In addition, the above components can also be used to support other processes executed by the second communication device in the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 9. The beneficial effects can be referred to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0188] When the communication device is a first communication device, the processor 1301 sends a first wireless frame to the second communication device through the communication interface 1302, where the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame is also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; within the first time period of entering the target mode, the second communication device is allowed to directly send data frames, or the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames; within a time period other than the first time period of entering the target mode, the data frame sent by the second communication device is received through the communication interface 1302, and the data frame complies with the set regulations; the set regulations include: the data frame is a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0189] In addition, the above components can also be used to support other processes executed by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 10. The beneficial effects can be referred to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0190] When the communication device is a second communication device, the processor 1301 receives a first wireless frame sent by the first communication device through the communication interface 1302, where the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame is also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; within the first time period of entering the target mode, the second communication device is allowed to directly send data frames, or the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames; within a time period other than the first time period of entering the target mode, data frames are allowed to be sent to the first communication device through the communication interface 1302, and the data frames comply with the set regulations; the set regulations include: the data frame is a data frame confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0191] In addition, the above components can also be used to support other processes executed by the second communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 10. The beneficial effects can be referred to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0192] When the communication device is a first communication device, the processor 1301 sends a first wireless frame to the second communication device through the communication interface 1302, where the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame is also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; when entering the target mode, the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames to the first communication device within a time period other than the first time period; when entering the target mode and within the first time period, the second communication device is allowed to send data frames directly to the first communication device, or the second communication device is allowed to send data frames that comply with set regulations to the first communication device, where the preset regulations include: the data frame is a data frame that has been confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0193] In addition, the above components can also be used to support other processes executed by the first communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 11. The beneficial effects can be referred to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0194] When the communication device is a second communication device, the processor 1301 receives a first wireless frame sent by the first communication device through the communication interface 1302, where the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode, and the first wireless frame is also used to indicate a first time period of the target mode; when entering the target mode, the second communication device is not allowed to send data frames to the first communication device within a time period other than the first time period; when entering the target mode and within the first time period, the second communication device is allowed to send data frames directly to the first communication device, or, it is allowed to send data frames that comply with set regulations to the first communication device through the communication interface 1302, where the preset regulations include: the data frame is a data frame that has been confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or, the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

[0195] In addition, the above components can also be used to support other processes executed by the second communication device in the embodiment shown in Figure 11. The beneficial effects can be referred to the previous description and will not be repeated here.

[0196] Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer-readable instructions are stored. When the computer-readable instructions are executed on a computer, the method described in any possible implementation method described above is executed.

[0197] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the above method embodiment to be executed.

[0198] An embodiment of the present application provides a chip, including: a processor, the processor is coupled to a memory, the memory is used to store instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the processor, the chip implements the method steps executed by any of the above nodes.

[0199] In the description of the embodiments of this application, "and / or" describes the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The term "plurality" used in this application refers to two or more.

[0200] In addition, it should be understood that, in the description of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are only used for the purpose of distinguishing the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying an order. References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of the present application include specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment. Therefore, the statements "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. that appear in different places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0201] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a base station or a terminal. Of course, the processor and the storage medium can also exist in a base station or a terminal as discrete components.

[0202] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0203] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0204] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first communication device, the method includes: Sending a first wireless frame to a second communication device, where the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode; After entering the target mode, receiving a data frame sent by the second communication device, the data frame conforming to a set regulation; The setting regulations include: the data frame is a data frame that is confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first radio frame further includes first indication information, which is used to indicate a first time period; After entering the target mode, receiving the data frame sent by the second communication device includes: After entering the target mode and within the first time period, a data frame that meets the set requirements and is sent by the second communication device is received.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first communication device is a multi-link communication device, and after entering the target mode, the first communication device can use M links, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; The first indication information is specifically used to indicate the first time periods corresponding to the M links respectively.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The first indication information is specifically used to indicate that the first time period includes a periodic sub-time period; The first indication information includes one or any combination of the following information: the start time of the periodic sub-period group, the duration of each sub-period in the periodic sub-period group, and the interval between two adjacent sub-periods in the periodic sub-period group.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein When the data frame is a data frame that is confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent, before receiving the data frame sent by the second communication device, the method further includes: receiving a third radio frame sent by the second communication device, where the third radio frame is used to request sending the data frame; A fourth radio frame is sent to the second communication device, where the fourth radio frame is used to indicate that sending the data frame is allowed.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The third radio frame is sent at most N times in the first sub-period, where N is an integer greater than 0, and the first sub-period is one of the at least one sub-period included in the first period.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that The first radio frame further includes first indication information, which is used to indicate a first time period; In the target mode, when the second communication device sends the third radio frame within the first sub-period of the first period but does not receive the fourth radio frame, the second communication device is not allowed to send the third radio frame again; The first sub-period is one of the at least one sub-period included in the first period.

8. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The fourth radio frame is further used to indicate a duration or a deadline for allowing the second communication device to send the data frame within the first time period; The receiving the data frame sent by the second communication device includes: receiving a data frame sent by the second communication device from the start of sending the fourth radio frame to the end of the duration; or, Before the deadline, a data frame sent by the second communication device is received.

9. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that: The fourth radio frame is further used to indicate receiving capability information of the first communication device after entering the target mode, where the receiving capability information includes one or any combination of the following information: The maximum number of spatial streams that the first communication device can receive within the first time period, the maximum modulation coding set MCS, the maximum bandwidth, the maximum protocol data unit PPDU duration, the maximum data frame length, and whether dual-carrier modulation is allowed.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The first wireless frame further includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the setting regulation.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that When the first time period includes multiple sub-time periods, the second indication information is specifically used to indicate the setting regulations corresponding to each of the sub-time periods.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that When at least two of the multiple sub-periods overlap, and the second indication information indicates that the setting regulations corresponding to the at least two sub-periods are different, the second communication device determines the setting regulations corresponding to the overlapping period according to the priority of each of the setting regulations.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that: The first communication device is a multi-link communication device, and after entering the target mode, the first communication device can use M links, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; The second indication information is specifically used to indicate the setting regulations corresponding to the M links respectively.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that The target parameters include one or any combination of the following parameters: maximum number of spatial streams, minimum number of spatial streams, maximum modulation coding set MCS, minimum MCS, maximum bandwidth, maximum protocol data unit PPDU duration, maximum data frame length, and dual-carrier modulation.

15. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a second communication device, the method includes: receiving a first wireless frame sent by a first communication device, where the first wireless frame is used to request the first communication device to enter a target mode; After the first communication device enters the target mode, sending a data frame to the first communication device, the data frame conforming to a set regulation; The setting regulations include: the data frame is a data frame that is confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent; and / or the data frame is a data frame related to the set target parameters.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The first radio frame further includes first indication information, which is used to indicate a first time period; After entering the target mode, sending a data frame to the first communication device includes: After entering the target mode and within the first time period, a data frame that complies with the set regulations is sent to the first communication device.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The first communication device is a multi-link communication device, and after entering the target mode, the first communication device can use M links, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; The first indication information is specifically used to indicate the first time periods corresponding to the M links respectively.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that The first indication information is specifically used to indicate that the first time period includes a periodic sub-time period; The first indication information includes one or any combination of the following information: the start time of the periodic sub-period group, the duration of each sub-period in the periodic sub-period group, and the interval between two adjacent sub-periods in the periodic sub-period group.

19. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that When the data frame is a data frame that has been confirmed by the first communication device to be allowed to be sent, before sending the data frame to the first communication device, the method further includes: Sending a third radio frame to the first communication device, where the third radio frame is used to request sending the data frame; A fourth radio frame sent by the first communication device is received, where the fourth radio frame is used to indicate that sending the data frame is allowed.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The third radio frame is sent at most N times in the first sub-period, where N is an integer greater than 0, and the first sub-period is one of the at least one sub-period included in the first period.

21. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that The first radio frame further includes first indication information, which is used to indicate a first time period; In the target mode, if the third radio frame is sent but the fourth radio frame is not received within the first sub-period of the first period, the third radio frame is not allowed to be sent again; The first sub-period is one of the at least one sub-period included in the first period.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein The fourth radio frame is further used to indicate a duration or a deadline for allowing the second communication device to send the data frame within the first time period; The sending of the data frame to the first communication device includes: Sending a data frame to the first communication device from the sending time of the fourth radio frame to the end of the duration; or, Before the deadline, a data frame is sent to the first communication device.

23. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 22, characterized in that: The fourth radio frame is further used to indicate receiving capability information of the first communication device after entering the target mode, where the receiving capability information includes one or any combination of the following information: The maximum number of spatial streams that the first communication device can receive within the first time period, the maximum modulation coding set MCS, the maximum bandwidth, the maximum protocol data unit PPDU duration, the maximum data frame length, and whether dual-carrier modulation is allowed.

24. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 23, characterized in that The first wireless frame further includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate the setting regulation.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that When the first time period includes multiple sub-time periods, the second indication information is specifically used to indicate the setting regulations corresponding to each of the sub-time periods.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that When at least two of the multiple sub-periods overlap, and the second indication information indicates that the setting regulations corresponding to the at least two sub-periods are different, the second communication device determines the setting regulations corresponding to the overlapping period according to the priority of each of the setting regulations.

27. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, characterized in that The first communication device is a multi-link communication device, and after entering the target mode, the first communication device can use M links, where M is an integer greater than or equal to 1; The second indication information is specifically used to indicate the setting regulations corresponding to the M links respectively.

28. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 27, characterized in that The target parameters include one or any combination of the following parameters: maximum number of spatial streams, minimum number of spatial streams, maximum modulation coding set MCS, minimum MCS, maximum bandwidth, maximum protocol data unit PPDU duration, maximum data frame length, and dual-carrier modulation.

29. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor is coupled to a memory, wherein the memory is used to store a program or an instruction, and when the program or the instruction is executed by the processor, the apparatus executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

30. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

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