Communication method, apparatus, and device, medium, and program product

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of wireless communications, and discloses a communication method, apparatus, and device, a medium, and a program product. The method is executed by a first wireless device. The method comprises: sending a first frame, the first frame being used for indicating information related to beamforming training, and the beamforming training being related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Measurement of signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is facilitated, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of data transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

Description

Communication method, device, equipment, medium and program product Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to a communication method, apparatus, device, medium, and program product. Background Art

[0002] An omnidirectional antenna pattern is non-directional, while a quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern has a wide horizontal beamwidth. To achieve better antenna transmission and reception quality, wireless devices require beamforming training.

[0003] However, the commonly used beam training process cannot simultaneously report the SNR of a specific non-optimal beam while searching for the optimal beam. This means it is not possible to simultaneously measure signal quality in omnidirectional or quasi-omnidirectional antenna modes while training multiple beams.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method, apparatus, device, medium, and program product, the technical solution of which at least includes:

[0006] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication method is provided. The method is performed by a first wireless device, and the method includes:

[0007] A first frame is sent, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0008] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication method is provided. The method is performed by a second wireless device, and the method includes:

[0009] A first frame is received, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0010] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication device is provided, the device including:

[0011] The sending module is configured to send a first frame, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0012] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication device is provided, the device including:

[0013] The receiving module is configured to receive a first frame, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0014] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the communication method as described in the above aspects.

[0015] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication device is provided, comprising: a receiver; the communication device is configured to implement the communication method as described in the above aspects.

[0016] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which at least one program is stored. The at least one program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the communication method as described in the above aspects.

[0017] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer program product or a computer program is provided, wherein the computer program product or the computer program includes computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium, a processor obtains the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions to implement the communication method as described in the above aspects.

[0018] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a chip is provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or at least one program, and the chip is used to implement the communication method described in the above aspects based on the programmable logic circuit and / or the at least one program.

[0019] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application may have the following beneficial effects:

[0020] Implementing beamforming training applicable to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode through the first frame helps to obtain transmission parameters applicable to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of data transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0022] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of beamforming training provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of an initiator TXSS or an initiator RXSS provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of a responder TXSS or a responder RXSS provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG5 is a schematic diagram showing a receiving beam refinement request provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG6 is a schematic diagram showing a transmit beam refinement request provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of a beam refinement transaction provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG8 is a schematic diagram showing a beam tracking process provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG9 is a schematic diagram showing a beam tracking process provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG10 shows a schematic diagram of the format of a DMG beacon frame provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG11 is a schematic diagram showing the format of an SSW field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG12 is a schematic diagram showing the format of an SSW frame provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG13 is a schematic diagram showing the format of an SSW field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG14 shows a schematic diagram of the format of an SSW feedback field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG15 shows a schematic diagram of the format of an SSW feedback field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG16 shows a schematic diagram of the format of an SSW feedback field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG17 shows a schematic structural diagram of an SSW feedback frame provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG18 is a schematic diagram showing the format of a BRP request field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG19 is a schematic diagram showing the format of an SSW confirmation frame provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG20 shows a schematic diagram of the format of a short SSW payload field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG21 shows a schematic diagram of the format of a short SSW payload field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG22 shows a schematic diagram of the format of a short SSW payload field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG23 shows a schematic diagram of the format of an EDMG BRP field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG24 shows a schematic diagram of the format of a DMG beam refinement element provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG25 shows a schematic diagram of the format of the FBCK-REQ field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG26 shows a schematic diagram of the format of the FBCK-TYPE field provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG27 shows a schematic diagram of the TRN field structure provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG28 shows a schematic diagram of the TRN field structure provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG29 shows a schematic diagram of the TRN field structure provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG30 shows a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG31 is a schematic diagram showing a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG32 is a schematic diagram showing a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG33 shows a schematic diagram of a frame format provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG34 shows a schematic diagram of a frame format provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0056] FIG35 shows a schematic diagram of a frame format provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0057] FIG36 is a flow chart showing a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0058] FIG37 is a schematic diagram showing a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0059] FIG38 is a schematic diagram showing a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0060] FIG39 is a schematic diagram showing a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0061] FIG40 shows a schematic diagram of a frame format provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG41 is a schematic diagram showing a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG42 is a schematic diagram showing a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG43 shows a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG44 is a schematic diagram showing a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG45 shows a schematic diagram of a frame format provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG46 shows a schematic diagram of a frame format provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG47 is a schematic diagram showing a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG48 is a schematic diagram showing a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG49 shows a schematic diagram of a frame format provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG50 is a schematic diagram showing a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG51 is a schematic diagram showing a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG52 shows a structural block diagram of a communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG53 shows a structural block diagram of a communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG54 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0076] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application more clear, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0077] The terms used in this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. As used in this application and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0078] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in this application to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determination". In this specification, when expressing the meaning expressed by a Boolean Value, it will be expressed as '0' representing the 'first meaning' and '1' representing the 'second meaning'. Without loss of generality, those skilled in the art will understand that the representative meanings can be swapped, that is, '1' represents the 'first meaning' and '0' represents the 'second meaning'.

[0079] It should be understood that the formats, names, and values ​​of the frames / elements / fields involved in the various embodiments of the present application are merely examples and do not limit the formats, names, and values ​​of the frames / elements / fields. In different embodiments or designs, it is not excluded that at least one of the names of the aforementioned elements / fields, their positions in the frame, their order with other elements / fields, the number of bytes occupied, and the number of bits occupied may be changed. In different embodiments or designs, it is not excluded that at least one of the names of the aforementioned frames, the elements / fields contained therein, the number of bytes occupied, and the number of bits occupied may be changed.

[0080] The technical solutions described in some embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: GSM (Global System of Mobile communication) system, CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) system, WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) system, GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), LTE (Long Term Evolution) system, LTE-A (Advanced long term evolution) system, NR (New Radio) system, NR system evolution system, LTE-U (LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum, LTE on unlicensed spectrum) system, NR-U (NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum, NR on unlicensed spectrum) system, TN (Terrestrial Networks, terrestrial communication network) system, NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks, non-terrestrial communication network) system, UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System, universal mobile communication system), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Global Interconnected Microwave Access) communication system, WLAN (Wireless Local Area Networks), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), 5G (5th-Generation) system, cellular Internet of Things system, cellular passive Internet of Things system, subsequent evolution system of NR system, B5G (Beyond 5th-Generation, beyond 5G) system, 6G and subsequent evolution systems.

[0081] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 100 provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The wireless communication system 100 includes terminal devices and terminal devices, or terminal devices and network devices, or APs (Access Points) and STAs (Stations), which are not limited in the present application.

[0082] In some embodiments, an AP may also be referred to as an AP STA, meaning that, in a sense, an AP is also a type of STA. STAs may include AP STAs and / or non-AP STAs (non-access point stations). Communication between an AP and a STA can be implemented as communication between an AP and a non-AP STA, as communication between a non-AP STA and a non-AP STA, or as communication between a STA and a peer STA. A peer STA refers to a device that communicates with a peer STA; a peer STA may be an AP or a non-AP STA. Figure 1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 including an AP 110 and a non-AP STA 120.

[0083] In some embodiments, AP 110 is a device deployed in a WLAN / Wi-Fi system to provide wireless communication capabilities for STAs. AP 110 acts as a bridge between wired and wireless networks, connecting wireless network clients and then connecting the wireless network to Ethernet. AP 110 can be a terminal device (such as a mobile phone) or a network device (such as a router) equipped with a WLAN / Wi-Fi chip.

[0084] In some embodiments, AP 110 may be a device that supports various current and future IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 family WLAN standards, such as 802.11be, 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a. AP 110 may also be used in a network environment supporting next-generation WLAN systems / next-generation Wi-Fi communications.

[0085] In the embodiments of the present application, the next-generation WLAN system is a WLAN system that evolves from the 802.11ax system and is backward compatible with the 802.11ax system. The next-generation Wi-Fi communication refers to any new generation of Wi-Fi communication after Wi-Fi 7 based on the IEEE 802.11be specification, such as UHR (Ultra High Reliability) communication.

[0086] In some embodiments, the non-AP STA 120 may be a UE (User Equipment) supporting WLAN / Wi-Fi technology, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, an e-book reader, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a television, a VR (Virtual Reality) device, an AR (Augmented Reality) device, an MR (Mediated Reality) device, an XR (Extended Reality) device, a BR (Baffle Reality) device, a CR (Cinematic Reality) device, a DR (Deceive Reality) device, a remote terminal, a wireless device in Industrial Control, a set-top box, a wireless device in Self Driving, an in-vehicle communication device, a wireless device in Remote Medical, a wireless device in Smart Grid, a wireless device in Transportation Safety, a wireless device in Smart City, or a Smart Wireless devices in smart homes (such as smart cameras, smart remote controls, smart water and electricity meters, etc.), wireless communication chips, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), SoCs (System on Chips), IoT (Internet of Things) nodes, sensors, wireless devices in IoV (Internet of Vehicles), etc. The non-AP STA120 can also be a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, etc., which are not listed here one by one.

[0087] It is understandable that the role of STA in wireless communication is not absolute. For example, when mobile phone A is connected to a router, mobile phone A is a non-AP STA, but when mobile phone A acts as a hotspot for mobile phone B, mobile phone A plays the role of AP.

[0088] In some embodiments, non-AP STA 120 may be a device that supports various current and future IEEE 802.11 family WLAN standards, such as 802.11be, 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a. Non-AP STA 120 may also be used in a network environment supporting next-generation WLAN systems / next-generation Wi-Fi communications.

[0089] In some embodiments, both the AP 110 and the non-AP STA 120 support the IEEE 802.11 standard, but are not limited to the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0090] In some embodiments, the frequency bands supported by the wireless communication system 100 include, but are not limited to, mmWave bands (e.g., 45 GHz, 60 GHz, etc., which are within the 30-300 GHz range) and low-frequency bands. The low-frequency bands include the Sub-7 GHz band (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, etc., which are within the 1-7.25 GHz range).

[0091] In some embodiments, one or more links exist between the AP 110 and the non-AP STA 120 .

[0092] In some embodiments, multi-band communication is supported between AP 110 and non-AP STA 120. For example, communication can be performed simultaneously in at least one of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, 45 GHz, and 60 GHz frequency bands. Another example is simultaneous communication on different channels within the same frequency band or on different channels within different frequency bands. Multi-band communication can improve the throughput and / or reliability of communication between devices. Devices supporting multi-band communication can be considered to have MLO (Multi-Link Operation) capabilities and are commonly referred to as multi-band devices or MLDs (Multi-Link Devices), sometimes also referred to as multi-band entities or multi-link entities. An MLD can be either an AP or a non-AP STA. If the MLD is an AP, it contains one or more APs; if the MLD is a non-AP STA, it contains one or more non-AP STAs. Multiple links can be formed between the AP in the AP MLD and the STAs in the STAMLD, and the AP in the AP MLD and the STAs in the STAMLD can communicate via the corresponding links.

[0093] About BF (Beamforming):

[0094] Beamforming is a mechanism used by a pair of wireless devices, as shown in Figure 1, to achieve the DMG (Directional Multi-Gigabit) link budget required for subsequent communications. Beamforming uses SSW (Sector Sweep) and provides the necessary signaling to enable each STA to determine the bidirectional sequence required for frame transmission to configure the appropriate transmit and receive antenna system. Frames used to configure the transmit and receive antenna system include BF frames or S-SSW (Short Sector Sweep) PPDUs (Physical Layer Protocol Data Units). BF frames can be SSW frames, DMG Beacon frames, SSW-Feedback frames, SSW-Ack frames, or BRP (Beam Refinement Protocol) frames. Beamforming is established after beamforming training is successfully completed. In this application, beamforming training may be referred to as beam training. The terms “beamforming training” and “beam training” may be used interchangeably below, but those skilled in the art should understand their meanings.

[0095] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of beamforming training provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. BF training starts with the SLS (Sector-Level Sweep) of the Initiator. If requested by the Initiator or Responder, the BRP can be followed. The purpose of the SLS phase is to enable communication between the Initiator and the Responder at the DMG control mode rate or higher MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme). Typically, the SLS phase only provides transmit BF training. The purpose of the BRP phase is to implement receive BF training and to implement iterative refinement of the AWV (Antenna Weight Vector) of the transmitter and receiver of the initiator and responder. If one of the STAs participating in the BF training chooses to use only one transmit antenna mode, then receive BF training can be performed as part of the SLS phase.

[0096] The STA that initiates BF training by transmitting BF frames is called the initiator, and the receiving STA of the BF frames that participate in BF training with the initiator is called the responder. For BF training that occurs within the A-BFT (Association Beamforming Training) allocation, the AP or PCP (Personal Basic Service Set Control Point) is the initiator, and the non-AP or non-PCP STA becomes the responder. For BF training that occurs during the SP (Service Period) allocation, the source DMG STA of the SP is the initiator, and the target DMG STA of the SP becomes the responder. For BF training during the CBAP (Contention Based Access Period) allocation, the TXOP (Transmission Opportunity) holder is the initiator, the TXOP responder is the responder, and the value of the Duration field in the sent BF frame does not limit the duration of the BF training process.

[0097] A STA can have one or more DMG antennas. DMG antennas can be used to create sectors, through which the STA can send or receive frames. The number of sectors per DMG antenna must not exceed 64. The total number of sectors across all DMG antennas corresponding to a STA must not exceed 128.

[0098] The link from the initiator to the responder is called the initiator link, and the link from the responder to the initiator is called the responder link.

[0099] About the SLS phase:

[0100] The SLS phase includes up to four parts: ISS (Initiator Sector Sweep) training of the initiator link; RSS (Responder Sector Sweep) training of the responder link; SSW Feedback; SSW Ack.

[0101] An initiator MUST start an SLS phase by sending a frame for ISS.

[0102] A responder MUST NOT start sending frames for RSS before an ISS has successfully completed, unless the ISS occurs during a Beacon Transmission Interval (BTI).

[0103] An initiator MUST NOT start an SSW feedback process before RSS has successfully completed, unless RSS occurs in A-BFT.

[0104] In A-BFT, a responder MUST NOT start an SSW confirmation process with an initiator. A responder MUST start an SSW confirmation process immediately after successfully completing an SSW feedback process with an initiator.

[0105] If the initiator and responder each perform TXSS (Transmission Sector Sweep) during SLS, then at the end of the SLS phase, both the initiator and responder have their own transmit sector. If ISS or RSS uses RXSS (Receive Sector Sweep), then the responder or initiator each has its own receive sector.

[0106] During SS, STAs should not change their transmit power.

[0107] About the ISS:

[0108] An ISS includes an initiator TXSS or an initiator RXSS. FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of an initiator TXSS or an initiator RXSS provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0109] If the initiator uses multiple transmit sectors or multiple transmit DMG antennas to perform BF with the responder, the initiator shall perform initiator TXSS with the responder before initiator RXSS.

[0110] The initiator shall set the Total Sectors in ISS subfield within the SSW Feedback field to the total number of sectors used by the initiator in the ISS. The total number of sectors used in the ISS is calculated as the sum of all sectors used on all antennas in the ISS multiplied by the number of receive DMG antennas of the responder.

[0111] During initiator TXSS, the Sector ID (Sector Identifier) ​​field in each transmitted BF frame shall be set to a value that uniquely identifies the transmit antenna sector used when the BF frame was transmitted. The CDOWN (Count Down) field in each transmission frame shall contain the total number of transmissions remaining until the end of the initiator TXSS, including any LBIFS (Long Beamforming Interframe Space) if required, so that the last BF frame transmission of the initiator TXSS will have the CDOWN field set to 0. BF frames shall be separated by a time interval equal to SBIFS (Short Beamforming Interframe Space) unless the allocation ends as described in 10.41.6 (BF in DTI).

[0112] During the initiator's RXSS, the initiator shall transmit the number of BF frames indicated by the responder in the last negotiated RXSS Length field, using the DMG antenna and sector selected during the previous TXSS with the responder. Each transmitted BF frame shall be transmitted using the same fixed antenna sector or pattern. The initiator shall set the Sector ID field and the DMG Antenna ID field in each BF frame to values ​​that uniquely identify the single sector from which the BF frame is being transmitted. The initiator shall set the CDOWN field in each transmitted BF frame to contain the total number of transmissions remaining until the end of the initiator's RXSS, such that the CDOWN field of the last BF frame transmitted by the initiator's RXSS is set to 0. Each transmitted BF frame shall be separated by a time interval equal to SBIFS, unless the allocation ends as described in 10.41.6 (BF in DTI).

[0113] About RSS:

[0114] An RSS includes a responder TXSS or a responder RXSS. FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of a responder TXSS or a responder RXSS provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0115] The responder shall set the Sector Select field in each transmitted SSW frame to the value of the Sector ID field of the frame received with the best quality during the ISS, and shall set the DMG Antenna Select field in each transmitted SSW frame to the value of the DMG Antenna ID field of the frame received with the best quality during the ISS. The determination of which received frame has the best quality is implementation specific.

[0116] If the responder chooses to perform BF with the initiator using multiple transmit sectors or multiple transmit DMG antennas, the responder shall perform responder TXSS with the initiator before responder RXSS.

[0117] During a responder TXSS, the responder shall set the Sector ID and DMG Antenna ID fields in each transmitted SSW frame to values ​​that uniquely identify the sector from which the SSW frame is being transmitted. The initial value of the CDOWN field is set to the total number of sectors of the responder (covering all DMG antennas) multiplied by the number of DMG antennas of the initiator, minus one. The responder shall set the CDOWN field in each transmitted SSW frame to contain the total number of transmissions remaining to the end of the responder TXSS, including any LBIFS (if required), so that the last SSW frame transmission of the responder TXSS will have the CDOWN field set to 0. The responders shall transmit from their DMG antennas in ascending order of DMG Antenna ID. Each transmitted SSW frame shall be separated by a time interval equal to SBIFS.

[0118] During the responder RXSS period, the responder shall transmit SSW frames using the DMG antenna and sector selected during the previous responder TXSS period with the initiator, with the number of SSW frames transmitted being indicated by the RXSS Length field (non-A-BFT) or FSS field (A-BFT) of the initiator's most recent transmission. The responder shall set the Sector ID field in each transmitted frame to a value that uniquely identifies the sector from which the BF frame was transmitted, and the DMG Antenna ID field in each transmitted frame to a value that uniquely identifies the DMG antenna from which the BF frame was transmitted. The responder shall set the CDOWN field in each transmitted SSW frame to contain the total number of transmissions remaining until the end of the responder RXSS, so that the CDOWN field of the last SSW frame transmitted by the responder RXSS is equal to 0.

[0119] Regarding SSW feedback:

[0120] The SSW feedback process occurs after RSS. During the SSW feedback process, the initiator shall send an SSW-Feedback frame to the responder. During the SSW feedback process, the responder shall configure its DMG antenna that receives the signal with the highest quality during ISS, or the antenna array of the best antenna configuration found during RXSS (if RXSS was performed during ISS), to a quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern in the DMG antenna, and shall not change its receiving antenna configuration when communicating with the initiator until the SSW feedback process ends.

[0121] When a responder TXSS containing an SSW frame was performed during the previous RSS, the initiator shall set the Sector Select field and the DMG Antenna Select field in the SSW-Feedback frame it sends to the values ​​of the Sector ID field and the DMG Antenna ID field, respectively, of the best quality frame received during the responder TXSS. The determination of the best quality frame received is implementation dependent. In addition, the initiator shall set the SNR Report (Signal to Noise Ratio Report) field to the SNR corresponding to the frame received via the sector and DMG antenna indicated by the Sector Select field and the DMG Antenna Select field, respectively. The SSW-Feedback frame shall be transmitted via the sector identified by the values ​​of the Sector Select field and the DMG Antenna Select field received from the responder during the previous responder TXSS.

[0122] When the responder RXSS is performed during the previous RSS period, the Sector Select field and DMG Antenna Select field in the SSW-Feedback frame are retained. The initiator sets the SNR Report field to the SNR corresponding to the frame of the receive sector specified by the RSS. The SSW-Feedback frame shall be transmitted via the sector identified by the value of the Sector Select field received from the responder during the most recently completed RSS period.

[0123] The initiator can perform transmit training as part of the Beam Refinement phase by setting the TX-TRN-REQ (Transmit-Training-Request) field in the SSW-Feedback frame to 1 and setting the L-RX (Length-Received) field to indicate the length of the training sequence that it requests the responder to use in its response. The initiator can perform the MIDC (MID and BC) subphase as part of beam refinement by setting the BC-REQ field to 1 (requesting the BC (Beam Combining) subphase) and the MID-REQ field to 1 (requesting the MID (Multiple Sector Identifier Detection) subphase). In this case, the L-RX field should be set to indicate the number of receive AWVs that the initiator uses during the MID subphase.

[0124] About SSW confirmation:

[0125] If there is an SSW confirmation process in the BF training process, the SSW confirmation process occurs after the SSW feedback process.

[0126] When the responder performs TXSS during RSS, the responder shall send an SSW-Ack frame to the initiator to perform the SSW confirmation procedure. The SSW-Ack frame shall be transmitted using the sector identified by the value of the Sector Select field and the DMG Antenna Select field in the last SSW-Feedback frame.

[0127] The responder may perform transmit training as part of the beam refinement phase by setting the TX-TRN-REQ field in the SSW-Ack frame to 1 and setting the L-RX field to indicate the length of the training sequence it requests the initiator to use in it. The responder may perform the MID subphase by setting the MID-REQ bit in the BRP Request field of the SSW frame to 1. In this case, it should also set the L-RX field to indicate the number of receive AWVs it uses in the MID subphase. The responder may perform the BC subphase by setting the BC-REQ field to 1. If the initiator has set the MID-REQ or BC-REQ field in the SSW-Feedback frame to 1, the responder may set the MID-Grant and / or BC-Grant fields to 1 to approve the request.

[0128] About the BRP stage:

[0129] The BRP phase is the process in which the STA trains its RX and TX antenna arrays and uses an iterative process to improve its TX antenna configuration and RX antenna configuration. BRP can be used regardless of the antenna configuration supported by the STA.

[0130] The BRP phase consists of the BRP setup subphase, the MID subphase, the BC subphase, a subset of the previous subphases, and one or more Beam Refinement Transactions. The BRP setup subphase allows STAs to exchange beam refinement capability information and request execution of other BRP subphases. Due to imperfect quasi-omnidirectional receive antenna patterns, the MIDC subphase can optionally be used to find a better initial AWV for iterative beam refinement than what could be found using SLS. In the MID subphase, quasi-omnidirectional transmit patterns are tested for multiple receive AWVs; this reverses the scanning roles of the transmit sector scan. In the BC subphase, a small set of transmit and receive AWVs are tested in paired combinations, avoiding the use of quasi-omnidirectional antenna patterns. Finally, based on the starting point of SLS or MIDC, STAs can use a request / response frame exchange called a beam refinement transaction to explore a wider set of transmit and receive AWVs.

[0131] If the BRP phase does not include the MID subphase or the BC subphase, the BRP setup subphase can be skipped. If either STA indicates that the subphase is not required by setting the MID-REQ field and the BC-REQ field to 0, or by setting the MID-Grant and BC-Grant fields to 0, the MID and BC subphases can be skipped. If both parties indicate that the transaction is not required by setting the L-RX and TX-TRN-REQ fields to 0, the beam refinement transaction can be skipped.

[0132] The MID subphase includes the R-MID subphase and / or the I-MID subphase, which include one or more BRP-RX PPDU transmissions, followed by feedback from the initiator and responder in the next BRP frame.

[0133] The BC subphase includes the R-BC subphase and / or the I-BC subphase, which consists of transmitting a BRP-RX PPDU to select a beam and subsequent feedback.

[0134] A beam refinement transaction includes a set of BRP frames consisting of a beam refinement request and a response. A beam refinement request may include a transmit beam refinement request and / or a receive beam refinement request.

[0135] A receive beam refinement request (the L-RX field within the BRP Request field is greater than zero) indicates that the transmitting STA needs to perform receive antenna array training. The responding STA should respond with a BRP PPDU with the TRN-R (Receive Training) subfield appended. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a receive beam refinement request provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0136] The transmit beam refinement request (TX-TRN-REQ field within the BRP Request field is set to 1) indicates that the transmitting STA needs to perform transmit antenna array training. The BRP PPDU (or the next BRP PPDU from the STA) with TX-TRN-REQ set to 1 should include the TRN-T (Training Transmission) subfield attached to it. The STA responding to the BRP PPDU should provide feedback on the measurement results performed during its reception of the BRP PPDU. The feedback type is indicated by the FBCK-TYPE field within the DMG Beam Refinement element contained in the BRP PPDU. Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of a transmit beam refinement request provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0137] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of a beam refinement transaction provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application, in which receive and transmit training are combined.

[0138] An EDMG (Enhanced DMG) STA may enable both TX and RX training on the same PPDU by setting the TXVECTOR parameter EDMG_TRN_LEN to a value greater than 0 and the parameter RX_TRN_PER_TX_TRN to a value greater than 1.

[0139] The beam refinement response is separated from the previous beam refinement request by at least one SIFS (Short Inter-Frame Space) and at most one BRPIFS (BRP Inter-Frame Space), provided that sufficient time is available to complete the transmission of those frames within the SP allocation and TXOP of the non-TDD SP (non-Time Division Duplexing Service Period). Similarly, the beam refinement request (if any) is separated from the previous beam refinement response by at least one SIFS and at most one BRPIFS, provided that sufficient time is available to complete the complete transmission of the beam refinement request within the SP (non-TDD SP or TXOP) allocation.

[0140] Regarding the Beam Tracking phase:

[0141] Beam tracking enables an initiator or responder to track changes in the AWV and / or spatial mapping matrix Q of its DMG antenna without having to perform a full BRP process. Analog beam tracking allows a DMG STA to track changes in the AWV of its DMG antenna. Baseband beam tracking allows an EDMG STA to track changes in the spatial mapping matrix Q for SU MIMO (Single User Multiple in Multiple out) and MU MIMO (Multi User Multiple in Multiple out) transmissions using digital beamforming.

[0142] The beam tracking may be at least one of the following: initiator reception beam tracking, responder reception beam tracking, and initiator transmission beam tracking.

[0143] The beam tracking initiator STA can request the peer STA (i.e., beam tracking responder) to provide the initiator with receive beam tracking training signals on the next PPDU sent by the responder. The initiator does this by setting the TXVECTOR parameter BEAM_TRACKING_REQUEST (beam tracking request) to BEAM-TRACKING-REQUESTED (beam tracking requested), setting TRN_LEN to the number of requested TRN (Training) subfields, and setting PPDU_TYPE (PPDU type) to TRN-R (Training Receive). Otherwise, the BEAM_TRACKING_REQUEST parameter should be set to BEAM-TRACKING-NOT-REQUESTED (beam tracking not requested) in the transmitted PPDU.

[0144] The beam tracking initiator can also request the beam tracking responder to perform receive beam tracking by setting the TXVECTOR parameter BEAM_TRACKING_REQUEST to BEAM-TRACKING-NOT-REQUESTED, setting the TRN_LEN parameter to a non-zero value, setting the PPDU_TYPE parameter to TRN-R, and appending the AGC (Automatic Gain Control) field and TRN-R subfield to the transmitted PPDU.

[0145] The beam tracking initiator may send a PPDU requesting beam tracking to the beam tracking responder if at least one of the following conditions is met: 1. The time since the last PPDU was sent to the beam tracking responder requesting beam tracking is greater than the beam tracking time limit plus BRPIFS; 2. A BRP frame with channel measurement feedback from the beam tracking responder has been received.

[0146] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of a beam tracking process provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application, including the initiator request TRN-R field. Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of a beam tracking process provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application, including the initiator request TRN-T field.

[0147] About DMG beacon frame:

[0148] Figure 10 shows a format diagram of a DMG beacon frame provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The DMG beacon frame includes at least one of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, BSSID (Basic Service Set ID), Frame Body, and FCS (Frame Check Sequence). The numbers below the fields in the figure represent the number of bytes (Octets) occupied by the field. For example, the frame control field occupies 2 bytes, the duration field occupies 2 bytes, the BSSID field occupies 6 bytes, the number of bytes occupied by the frame body field is variable, and the FCS field occupies 4 bytes. The information of the frame body field is shown in Table 1.

[0149] Table 1 DMG beacon frame body

[0150] Figure 11 shows the format of the SSW field when transmitted in a DMG beacon frame. The SSW field includes at least one of the following fields: Direction, CDOWN, Sector ID, DMG Antenna ID, Quasi-omni TX, PCP / AP Coverage Parameter, RX Underassociated Short SSW, and DMG Antenna ID MSB (Most Significant Bit). The numbers below the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. The numbers above the fields in the figure indicate the bits occupied by the field. For example, the direction field occupies bit B0, the CDOWN field occupies bits B1 to B9, the sector identification field occupies bits B10 to B15, the DMG antenna identification field occupies bits B16 to B17, the quasi-omnidirectional transmission field occupies bit B18, the PCP / AP coverage parameter field occupies bits B19 to B21, the receive insufficient association short SSW field occupies bit B22, and the DMG antenna identification MSB field occupies bit B23.

[0151] About SSW frame:

[0152] Figure 12 shows a schematic diagram of the format of an SSW frame provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. An SSW frame includes at least one of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, RA (Receiver Address), TA (Transmitter Address), SSW, SSW Feedback, and FCS. The numbers below the fields in the figure indicate the number of octets occupied by the field. For example, the Frame Control field occupies 2 bytes, and the others are not detailed here.

[0153] The format of the SSW field when it is not transmitted in the DMG beacon frame is shown in Figure 13. In this case, the SSW field includes at least one of the following fields: Direction, CDOWN, Sector Identifier, DMG Antenna Identifier, and RXSS Length. The numbers below the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. The numbers above the fields in the figure indicate the bits occupied by the field. For example, the Direction field occupies bit B0, the CDOWN field occupies bits B1 to B9, the Sector Identifier field occupies bits B10 to B15, the DMG Antenna Identifier field occupies bits B16 to B17, and the RXSS Length field occupies bits B18 to B23.

[0154] The format of the SSW Feedback field when transmitted as part of the ISS is shown in Figure 14. In this case, the SSW Feedback field includes at least one of the following fields: Total Sectors in ISS, Number of RX DMG Antennas, Reserved, Poll Required, and Unsolicited RSS Enabled. The numbers below the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. The numbers above the fields in the figure indicate the bits occupied by the field. For example, the Total Sectors in ISS field occupies bits B0 to B8, the Number of RX DMG Antennas field occupies bits B9 to B10, bits B11 to B15 are reserved, the Poll Required field occupies bit B16, bits B17 to B21 are reserved, the Unsolicited RSS Enable field occupies bit B22, and bit B23 is reserved.

[0155] The SSW Feedback field is not transmitted as part of the ISS. When the EDMG Extension Flag subfield is 0, the format of the SSW Feedback field is shown in Figure 15 and includes at least one of the following fields: Sector Select, DMG Antenna Select, SNR Report, Polling Request, Reserved, Unsolicited RSS Enable, and EDMG Extension Flag. The numbers below the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. The numbers above the fields in the figure indicate the bits occupied by the field. For example, the Sector Select field occupies bits B0 to B5, the DMG Antenna Select field occupies bits B6 to B7, the SNR Report field occupies bits B8 to B15, the Polling Request field occupies bit B16, bits B17 to B21 are reserved fields, the Unsolicited RSS Enable field occupies bit B22, and the EDMG Extension Flag field occupies bit B23.

[0156] The SSW Feedback field is not transmitted as part of the ISS. When the EDMG Extension Flag subfield is 1, the format of the SSW Feedback field is shown in Figure 16, including at least one of the following fields: Sector Select, DMG Antenna Select, SNR Report, Poll Request, Sector Select MSB, DMG Antenna Select MSB, and EDMG Extension Flag. The numbers below the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. The numbers above the fields in the figure indicate the bits occupied by the field. For example, the Sector Select field occupies bits B0 to B5, the DMG Antenna Select field occupies bits B6 to B7, the SNR Report field occupies bits B8 to B15, the Poll Request field occupies bit B16, the Sector Select MSB field occupies bits B17 to B21, the DMG Antenna Select MSB field occupies bit B22, and the EDMG Extension Flag field occupies bit B23.

[0157] If the EDMG Extension Flag subfield is 0, the Sector Selection subfield contains the value of the Sector ID subfield of the SSW field in the frame with the best reception quality in the following sector scan. Determining which frame has the best reception quality is implementation dependent.

[0158] If the EDMG Extension Flag subfield is 0, the DMG Antenna Selection subfield indicates the value of the DMG Antenna ID subfield of the SSW field in the frame with the best reception quality in the next sector scan. Determining which frame has the best reception quality is implementation-dependent.

[0159] The SNR Report subfield is set to the SNR value of the best received frame in the immediately preceding sector scan, as indicated in the Sector Select field. The SNR Report subfield is encoded as an 8-bit 2s complement 4×(SNR-19), where the SNR is measured in dB (decibels). This covers a range from -13 dB to 50.75 dB in 0.25 dB steps.

[0160] About SSW feedback frame:

[0161] Figure 17 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an SSW feedback frame provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The SSW feedback frame includes at least one of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, RA, TA, SSW Feedback, BRP Request, Beamformed Link Maintenance, and FCS. The number below a field in the figure indicates the number of octets occupied by the field. For example, the Frame Control field occupies 2 bytes. Other fields are not detailed here.

[0162] The format of the BRP request field is shown in Figure 18, including at least one of the following fields: L-RX (Length-Receive), TX-TRN-REQ (Transmit-Training-Request), MID-REQ, MID-Grant, BC-Grant, Chan-FBCK-CAP, TX Sector ID (Transmit Sector Identifier), Other_AID (Other Association Identifier), TX DMG Antenna ID, EDMG-SHORT-BRP, EDMG-SHORT-FBCK, Reserved. The number below the field indicates the number of bits occupied by the field (Bits). The number above the field in the figure indicates the bits occupied by the field. Please refer to the relevant content above and will not be repeated here.

[0163] About SSW confirmation frame:

[0164] Figure 19 shows a schematic diagram of the format of an SSW confirmation frame provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The SSW confirmation frame includes at least one of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, RA, TA, SSW Feedback, BRP Request, Beamforming Link Maintenance, and FCS. The number below the field in the figure indicates the number of octets occupied by the field. For example, the Frame Control field occupies 2 bytes. Other fields are not detailed here.

[0165] Regarding short SSW PPDU:

[0166] The Short SSW PPDU is a DMG Control Mode PPDU whose Length field in the PHY (Physical) header is equal to 6 and the PPDU Type subfield in the Short SSW Payload field is equal to 0.

[0167] The content of the Short SSW Payload field consists of 6 bytes, and its content depends on whether the Short SSW PPDU is transmitted as part of I-TXSS (Initiator TXSS) or R-TXSS (Receiver TXSS), and whether the Short SSW PPDU is used for MU-MIMO beamforming training. The Short SSW Payload field should be transmitted after the PHY header.

[0168] When the Direction field is 0 (I-TXSS) and the Addressing Mode field is 0, the format of the Short SSW Payload field is shown in Figure 20, including at least one of the following fields: PPDU Type, Direction, Addressing Mode, Source AID (Source Association Identifier), Destination AID (Destination Association Identifier), CDOWN, RF Chain ID (Radio Frequency Chain ID), Short Scrambled BSSID (Short Scrambled Basic Service Set Identifier), Unassociated, and FCS. The number below the field in the figure indicates the number of bits occupied by the field (Bits).

[0169] When the Direction field is 0 (I-TXSS) and the Addressing Mode field is 1, the format of the Short SSW Payload field is shown in Figure 21 and includes at least one of the following fields: PPDU Type, Direction, Addressing Mode, Source AID, Destination AID, CDOWN, Radio Chain ID, SISO Feedback Duration (Single-Input Single-Output Feedback Duration), Reserved, and FCS. The number below the field in the figure indicates the number of bits occupied by the field.

[0170] When the Direction field is 1 (R-TXSS), the format of the Short SSW Payload field is shown in Figure 22 and includes at least one of the following fields: PPDU Type, Direction, Reserved, Source AID, Destination AID, CDOWN, Radio Chain ID, Short SSW Feedback, and FCS. The number below the field in the figure indicates the number of bits occupied by the field.

[0171] The Short SSW Feedback field corresponds to the TXVECTOR parameter SSSW_FEEDBACK. In the RSS, it contains the value of the CDOWN field of the Short SSW PPDU with the best reception quality in the immediately preceding sector scan. Determining which PPDU has the best reception quality is implementation-dependent.

[0172] About BRP frames:

[0173] The BRP frame is an Action No Ack frame. The format of the Action field of the BRP frame is one of two variations, depending on the value of the EDMG-SHORT-BRP subfield in the BRP request field.

[0174] The format of the BRP frame action field is shown in Table 2.

[0175] Table 2 BRP frame action field format

[0176] When the EDMG-SHORT-BRP subfield is 1, the BRP frame action field format is as shown in Table 3.

[0177] Table 3 BRP frame action field format (EDMG-SHORT-BRP subfield is 1)

[0178] The format of the EDMG BRP field is shown in Figure 23, which includes at least one of the following fields: Initiator, L-RX, TX-train-response, RX-train-response, TX-TRN-OK, TXSS-FBCK-REQ, TX Sector ID, BS-FBCK (Block Size Feedback), BS-FBCK Antenna ID, MID Extension, BRP-TXSS-OK, L-TX-RX, Requested EDMG TRN-Unit P, Requested EDMG TRN-Unit M, Requested EDMG TRN-Unit N, BRP-TXSS, TXSS-INITIATOR, TXSS-PPDUs, Sector Sweep Frame Type (Sector Scan Frame Type), TXSS-REPEAT (TXSS Repeat), TXSS-MIMO, BRP CDOWN, TX Antenna Mask (Transmit Antenna Mask), First Path Training (First Path Training), Dual Polarization TRN (Dual Polarization Training), Reserved. The numbers below the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. The numbers above the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. Please refer to the relevant content above and will not be repeated here.

[0179] The format of the DMG Beam Refinement element is shown in Figure 24, and includes at least one of the following fields: Element ID, Length, Originator, TX-train-response, RX-train-response, TX-TRN-OK, TXSS-FBCK-REQ, BS-FBCK, BS-FBCK DMG Antenna ID, FBCK-REQ, FBCK-TYPE, MID Extension, Capability Request, Reserved, BS-FBCK MSB, BS-FBCK Antenna ID MSB, Number of Measurements MSB, EDMG Extension Flag, EDMG Channel Measurement Present, Sector Sweep Frame Type, DBF FBCK REQ, Channel Aggregation Requested, Channel Aggregation Present, BF Training Type, EDMG Dual Polarization TRN Channel Measurement Present, and Reserved. The numbers below the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. The numbers above the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. Please refer to the relevant content above and will not be repeated here.

[0180] The format of the FBCK-REQ (Feedback-Request) field is shown in Figure 25 and includes at least one of the following fields: SNR Requested (Requested SNR), Channel Measurement Requested (Requested Channel Measurement), Number of Taps Requested (Requested Number of Taps), and Sector ID Order Requested (Requested Sector ID Order). The numbers below the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. The numbers above the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. Please refer to the relevant content above and will not be repeated here.

[0181] The format of the FBCK-TYPE field is shown in Figure 26 and includes at least one of the following fields: SNR Present, Channel Measurement Present, Tap Delay Present, Number of Taps Present, Number of Measurements, Sector ID Order Present, Link Type, Antenna Type, and Number of Beams. The numbers below the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. The numbers above the fields in the figure indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. Please refer to the relevant content above and will not be repeated here.

[0182] The format of the channel measurement feedback element is shown in Table 4.

[0183] Table 4 Channel measurement feedback element format

[0184] Regarding the MIMO Selection Control element: The format of the MIMO Selection Control element is shown in Table 5.

[0185] Table 5 MIMO selection control element format

[0186] About MIMO BF Selection frame Action field format:

[0187] The format of the MIMO BF selection frame action field is shown in Table 6.

[0188] Table 6 MIMO selection control element format

[0189] About EDMG BRP PPDU:

[0190] The EDMG BRP PPDU is an EDMG PPDU that contains the TRN field and is used for antenna configuration training for transmission and / or reception. EDMG BRP PPDUs are divided into three types: EDMG BRP-RX PPDU, EDMG BRP-TX PPDU, and EDMG BRP-RX / TX PPDU:

[0191] EDMG BRP-RX PPDU is used to receive AWV training. All TRN subfields of EDMG BRP RX PPDU are transmitted using the same AWV.

[0192] The EDMG BRP-TX PPDU is used to transmit AWV training. The transmitter can change the AWV at the beginning of each group of N TRN subfields in the last M TRN subfields of each TRN unit in the TRN field. The transmitter can send all TRN subfields of the TRN field with the same AWV. The receiver performs measurements during reception of the EDMG BRP-TX PPDU and sends feedback to the STA that transmitted the PPDU.

[0193] The EDMG BRP-RX / TX PPDU is used to simultaneously train the transmitter's transmit AWV and the receiver's receive AWV. To achieve simultaneous receive and transmit training using the same EDMG BRP-RX / TX PPDU that is different from the EDMG BRP-TX PPDU, the transmitter sends multiple consecutive TRN units, where the last M TRN subfields of each TRN unit are transmitted using the same AWV configuration.

[0194] The TRN field structure of EDMG BRP-RX PPDUs is shown in Figure 27. The TRN field structure of EDMG BRP-TX PPDUs is shown in Figure 28. The TRN field structure of EDMG BRP-RX / TX PPDUs is shown in Figure 29.

[0195] About antenna mode:

[0196] The antenna modes of wireless communication devices can be divided into at least three types: omnidirectional antenna mode, quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode and directional antenna mode.

[0197] An omnidirectional antenna pattern radiates uniformly across 360° in the horizontal pattern, often referred to as a non-directional antenna pattern. In the vertical pattern, it appears as a beam with a certain width. Generally, the smaller the beam width, the greater the gain.

[0198] A directional antenna pattern transmits and receives electromagnetic waves with exceptional strength in one or several specific directions, while transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves in all other directions is zero or minimal. The purpose of using a directional transmit antenna pattern is to increase the effective utilization of radiated power and enhance confidentiality; the main purpose of using a directional receive antenna pattern is to enhance signal strength and improve anti-interference capabilities. Directional antenna patterns are generally used in communication systems where communication distances are long, coverage is limited, target density is high, and frequency utilization is high.

[0199] The quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern refers to an antenna pattern with a wide beamwidth (180°) in the horizontal direction, and is a pattern between the omnidirectional antenna pattern and the directional antenna pattern.

[0200] However, the beam training process described above is not suitable for measuring the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. This is because there are currently only two types of beam training results: one is to report the ID of the beam with the best signal quality, namely the Sector Select, Short SSW Feedback and BS-FBCK fields; the other is to report the SNR of all training beams, namely the Channel Measurement Feedback element. Therefore, the current beam training process cannot report the SNR of a specified beam with non-optimal signal quality while searching for the best beam among multiple beams. In other words, the beam training process described above is not suitable for tracking a specific beam during the beam training process, that is, it is not suitable for measuring the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode while training multiple beams.

[0201] To this end, the present application provides a communication method that supports a beam training process applicable to an omnidirectional antenna mode or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0202] FIG30 shows a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first wireless device. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0203] Step 320: Send a first frame, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0204] In the embodiment of the present application, the first wireless device can be understood as the initiator of beamforming training. Optionally, the first wireless device is an AP, such as AP 110 shown in Figure 1. Optionally, the first wireless device is a non-AP STA, such as non-AP STA 120 shown in Figure 1.

[0205] In some embodiments, the first wireless device is an MLD. For example, the first wireless device includes an AP MLD and / or a non-AP MLD. The AP MLD includes one or more APs supporting MLO capabilities, and the non-AP MLD includes one or more non-AP STAs supporting MLO capabilities. The APs included in the AP MLD can also be referred to as subordinate APs of the AP MLD. Similarly, the non-AP STAs included in the non-AP MLD can also be referred to as subordinate non-AP STAs of the non-AP MLD.

[0206] In some embodiments, the first wireless device supports simultaneous operation on at least two links. Optionally, the at least two links are in the same frequency band, such as both of the at least two links are in a non-millimeter wave frequency band or both are in a millimeter wave frequency band. Optionally, the at least two links are in different frequency bands, such as at least one link is in a non-millimeter wave frequency band and at least one other link is in a millimeter wave frequency band.

[0207] The millimeter wave frequency band may refer to a frequency band greater than 45 GHz, or may refer to a frequency band within the range of 30 to 300 GHz, such as 45 GHz and 60 GHz. Non-millimeter wave frequency bands are frequency bands other than millimeter wave frequency bands, such as the Sub-7 GHz frequency band (including 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, etc., which are within the range of 1 to 7.25 GHz), or new frequency bands that may be planned in the future that are different from millimeter wave frequency bands. This application does not limit this.

[0208] In the embodiments of the present application, AP and AP STA have the same meaning, and non-AP and non-AP STA have the same meaning. A single STA can represent an AP STA and / or a non-AP STA.

[0209] In some embodiments, the first wireless device supports an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0210] In some embodiments, the first wireless device supports an omnidirectional antenna mode and a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and supports switching between the omnidirectional antenna mode and the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0211] In some embodiments, beamforming training is related to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. It can be understood that the beamforming training is used for signal measurement in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. It can also be understood that the result of the beamforming training affects the transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0212] In some embodiments, beamforming training is related to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode of IMMW (Integrated mmWave). It can be understood that the beamforming training is used for IMMW signal measurement in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. It can also be understood that the result of the beamforming training affects the IMMW transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0213] In some embodiments, beamforming training includes at least one of the following phases: an SLS phase, a beam refinement phase, and a beam tracking phase. Of course, beamforming training may also include other phases that may be designed in the future, distinct from the aforementioned three phases, or other phases designed based on the aforementioned three phases, and this application does not limit this.

[0214] To sum up, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application implements beamforming training suitable for omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode through the first frame, measures the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and helps to obtain transmission parameters suitable for the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of data transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0215] FIG31 shows a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a second wireless device. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0216] Step 420: Receive a first frame, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0217] In the embodiment of the present application, the second wireless device can be understood as a responder of the beamforming training. Optionally, the second wireless device is a non-AP STA, such as non-AP STA 120 shown in Figure 1. Optionally, the second wireless device is an AP, such as AP 110 shown in Figure 1.

[0218] In some embodiments, the second wireless device is an MLD. For example, the second wireless device includes an AP MLD and / or a non-AP MLD. The AP MLD includes one or more APs supporting MLO capabilities, and the non-AP MLD includes one or more non-AP STAs supporting MLO capabilities. The APs included in the AP MLD can also be referred to as subordinate APs of the AP MLD. Similarly, the non-AP STAs included in the non-AP MLD can also be referred to as subordinate non-AP STAs of the non-AP MLD.

[0219] In some embodiments, the second wireless device supports simultaneous operation on at least two links. Optionally, the at least two links are in the same frequency band, such as both of the at least two links are in a non-millimeter wave frequency band or both are in a millimeter wave frequency band. Optionally, the at least two links are in different frequency bands, such as at least one link is in a non-millimeter wave frequency band and at least one other link is in a millimeter wave frequency band.

[0220] The millimeter wave frequency band may refer to a frequency band greater than 45 GHz, or may refer to a frequency band within the range of 30 to 300 GHz, such as 45 GHz and 60 GHz. Non-millimeter wave frequency bands are frequency bands other than millimeter wave frequency bands, such as the Sub-7 GHz frequency band (including 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, etc., which are within the range of 1 to 7.25 GHz), or new frequency bands that may be planned in the future that are different from millimeter wave frequency bands. This application does not limit this.

[0221] In the embodiments of the present application, AP and AP STA have the same meaning, and non-AP and non-AP STA have the same meaning. A single STA can represent an AP STA and / or a non-AP STA.

[0222] In some embodiments, the second wireless device supports an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0223] In some embodiments, the second wireless device supports an omnidirectional antenna mode and a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and supports switching between the omnidirectional antenna mode and the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0224] In some embodiments, beamforming training is related to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. It can be understood that the beamforming training is used for signal measurement in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. It can also be understood that the result of the beamforming training affects the transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0225] In some embodiments, beamforming training is related to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode of the IMMW. It can be understood that the beamforming training is used for IMMW signal measurement in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. It can also be understood that the result of the beamforming training affects the IMMW transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0226] In some embodiments, beamforming training includes at least one of the following phases: an SLS phase, a beam refinement phase, and a beam tracking phase. Of course, beamforming training may also include other phases that may be designed in the future, distinct from the aforementioned three phases, or other phases designed based on the aforementioned three phases, and this application does not limit this.

[0227] To sum up, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application implements beamforming training suitable for omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode through the first frame, measures the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and helps to obtain transmission parameters suitable for the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of data transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0228] About the beamforming training process:

[0229] Based on Figures 30 and 31, and in combination with the beamforming training process, this application further designs the format of the first frame and the subsequent possible frame interaction process. Considering that the frames exchanged between the first wireless device and the second wireless device can be dedicated to beamforming training or not, this application provides the following two beamforming training processes.

[0230] Beamforming training process 1: Using dedicated frames for beamforming training

[0231] FIG32 shows a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first wireless device. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0232] Step 510: Send a first frame, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training.

[0233] In some embodiments, the first frame includes at least one of the following fields: a field indicating the total number of frames used for beamforming training; a field indicating the number of beams to be trained; a field indicating the number of times each beam is repeatedly trained; a first field for indicating whether a second frame exists in the beamforming training, the second frame being dedicated to beamforming training for omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; and a second field for indicating the number of repetitions of the second frame.

[0234] In some embodiments, the first frame may be referred to as a beam training announcement frame or a beamforming training announcement frame. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information about IMMW beamforming training, the first frame may also be referred to as an IMMW beam training announcement frame or an IMMW beamforming training announcement frame, and beamforming training may also be referred to as beam pair forming training.

[0235] In some embodiments, the frame format of the first frame is shown in FIG33 and includes at least one of the following fields: frame control, duration, RA, TA, conversation flag, beam training parameters, and FCS. The frame control field indicates the MAC version and type. The duration field indicates the length of the TXOP. The RA field indicates the MAC address of the receiver. The TA field indicates the MAC address of the sender. The conversation flag field identifies the first frame. For example, different first frames can be identified by setting the conversation flag field to different values. The FCS field is used for frame check.

[0236] The beam training parameter field includes configuration parameters for beamforming training and may also be referred to as a beamforming training parameter field. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information for IMMW beamforming training, the beam training parameter field includes configuration parameters for IMMW beamforming training and may also be referred to as an IMMW beam training parameter field or an IMMW beamforming training parameter field.

[0237] Optionally, the beam training parameter field includes at least one of the following fields: RXSS, number of training frames, number of beams, repetition, first field, second field, reserved.

[0238] Among them, the RXSS field is used to indicate whether the beam training process is for receiving beam scanning or transmitting beam scanning. Exemplarily, when the RXSS subfield is a first value, it indicates that the next beam training process is for receiving beam scanning; when the RXSS subfield is a second value, it indicates that the next beam training process is for transmitting beam scanning. Exemplarily, when the RXSS subfield is a first value, it indicates that the next beam training process is for transmitting beam scanning; when the RXSS subfield is a second value, it indicates that the next beam training process is for receiving beam scanning. The first value is different from the second value, for example, the first value is 0 and the second value is 1; for example, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0; and so on. The first value and the second value can also be other values, which are not limited here.

[0239] The Num of Training Frames field indicates the total number of frames used for beamforming training. The Num of Beams field indicates the number of trained beams, that is, the number of beams to be trained. The Repeat field indicates the number of times each beam is trained.

[0240] The first field is used to indicate whether there is a second frame in the following beamforming training. The second frame is dedicated to beamforming training of omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Optionally, the first field can be called the quasi-omnidirectional training present (Omni Training Present) field. Exemplarily, when the first field is a first value, it indicates that there is a second frame in the beamforming training; when the first field is a second value, it indicates that there is no second frame in the beamforming training. Exemplarily, when the first field is a first value, it indicates that there is no second frame in the beamforming training; when the first field is a second value, it indicates that there is a second frame in the beamforming training. The first value is different from the second value, for example, the first value is 0 and the second value is 1; for example, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0; and so on. The first value and the second value can also be other values, which are not limited here.

[0241] The second field is used to indicate the number of repetitions of the second frame in the following beamforming training. Optionally, the second field can be called a quasi-omnidirectional training repetition (Omni Training Repetition) field.

[0242] The numbers below the fields in Figure 33 represent the octets (bytes) or bits (bits) occupied by the field. For example, the frame control field occupies 2 bytes, the first field occupies 1 bit, and the second field occupies 3 bits. The others are not listed in detail. It is understood that the fields, field order, byte number, and bit number shown in Figure 33 are all examples and not limitations. This application supports adding or deleting fields, adjusting the field order, increasing or decreasing the number of bytes, increasing or decreasing the number of bits, etc. based on the example shown in Figure 33 according to actual conditions.

[0243] Step 530: Send a frame for beamforming training.

[0244] A frame used for beamforming training may also be referred to as a frame for beamforming training. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information for IMMW beamforming training, the frame used for beamforming training may also be referred to as an IMMW beam training frame, an IMMW beamforming training frame, a beam pair forming training frame, or a beam pair training frame.

[0245] In some embodiments, if the frames used for beamforming training include a second frame, the second frame is preferentially transmitted in step 530. Specifically, if the first frame indicates the presence of a frame dedicated to beamforming training for the omnidirectional and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna modes, then when transmitting frames used for beamforming training, the frame dedicated to beamforming training for the omnidirectional and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna modes is preferentially transmitted. Prioritizing the transmission of the second frame helps ensure measurement accuracy of the second frame and prevents issues such as time-frequency offset generated during reception from affecting the measurement of the second frame.

[0246] In some embodiments, if the frames used for beamforming training include a second frame, the second frame is sent last in step 530. That is, if the first frame indicates the presence of a frame dedicated to beamforming training for the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, then when sending the frames used for beamforming training, other frames are sent first, and the frame dedicated to beamforming training for the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is sent last.

[0247] In some embodiments, the type of frames used for beamforming training includes at least one of the following: NDP (Null Data Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit), SSW frame, and S-SSW frame.

[0248] In some embodiments, during the performance of step 530 , the second wireless device is in an omnidirectional antenna mode or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0249] Step 530 is an optional step.

[0250] Step 550: Send a fourth frame, where the fourth frame is used to request the second wireless device to send a third frame.

[0251] The fourth frame is used to request the second wireless device to send the third frame. It can also be understood that the fourth frame is used to request the second wireless device to report the beam training result.

[0252] In some embodiments, the fourth frame may be referred to as a beam training feedback poll frame or a beamforming training feedback poll frame. If the first frame is used to indicate information related to IMMW beamforming training, the fourth frame may also be referred to as an IMMW beam training feedback poll frame or an IMMW beamforming training feedback poll frame. Beamforming training may also be referred to as beam pair forming training.

[0253] In some embodiments, the frame format of the fourth frame is shown in FIG34 and includes at least one of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, RA, TA, Sequence Control, HT Control, First Action, and FCS. The Frame Control field indicates the MAC version and type. The Duration field indicates the length of the TXOP. The RA field indicates the MAC address of the receiver. The TA field indicates the MAC address of the sender. The Sequence Control field indicates the sequence number of the frame. The HT Control field is used for high throughput control. The First Action field is the action field of the action frame. The FCS field is used for frame check.

[0254] In some embodiments, the first action field includes at least one of the following fields: category; beamforming training action; conversation flag; beamforming training polling control.

[0255] The Category field indicates the type of action frame. Optionally, the Category field takes any integer value between 39 and 125. For example, if the Category field takes a value of 39, it indicates that the fourth frame is an IBT Action frame. IBT stands for IMMW Beamforming Training.

[0256] The Beamforming Training Action field is used to indicate the subtype of the IBT Action frame. For example, if the value of the Beamforming Training Action field is 0 (or another value, such as 1, here using the value 0 as an example), it indicates that the fourth frame is an IMW Beam Training Feedback Poll frame. Optionally, the Beamforming Training Action field can also be referred to as the IBT Action field.

[0257] The Dialogue Tag field is used to identify the fourth frame. For example, different fourth frames can be identified by setting the Dialogue Tag field to different values. For example, when there are multiple parallel beam training processes, the value of the Dialogue Tag field is used to match the third frame with the first frame and / or the fourth frame. In other words, the association between different third frames and different first frames and / or fourth frames is clearly defined, and thus, frames in different beam training processes are distinguished.

[0258] The beamforming training polling control field is used to indicate the format of the third frame.

[0259] The numbers below the fields in Figure 34 indicate the octets (byte count) occupied by the field. For example, the frame control field occupies 2 bytes, the action field occupies 4 bytes, and the IBT polling control field occupies 1 byte. Other fields are not listed in detail. It should be understood that the fields, field order, byte count, and bit count shown in Figure 34 are for example only and not for limitation. This application supports adding or deleting fields, adjusting the field order, increasing or decreasing the byte count, etc. based on the example shown in Figure 34 according to actual circumstances.

[0260] Step 550 is an optional step.

[0261] Step 570: Receive a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of beamforming training.

[0262] In some embodiments, the third frame includes at least one of the following fields: a field indicating whether reverse beamforming training is performed; a first field used to indicate whether a second frame exists in the beamforming training, and the second frame is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; a second field used to indicate the number of repetitions of the second frame; a third field, and the third field is related to the signal measurement results in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; a field indicating the beam with the best received signal quality; and a field indicating the signal measurement results corresponding to the beam with the best received signal quality.

[0263] In some embodiments, the third frame may be referred to as a beam training feedback frame or a beamforming training feedback frame. If the first frame is used to indicate information related to IMMW beamforming training, the third frame may also be referred to as an IMMW beam training feedback frame or an IMMW beamforming training feedback frame, and beamforming training may also be referred to as beam pair forming training.

[0264] In some embodiments, the frame format of the third frame is shown in FIG35 and includes at least one of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, RA, TA, Sequence Control, HT Control, Fourth Action, and FCS. The Frame Control field indicates the MAC version and type. The Duration field indicates the length of the TXOP. The RA field indicates the MAC address of the receiver. The TA field indicates the MAC address of the sender. The Sequence Control field indicates the sequence number of the frame. The HT Control field is used for high throughput control. The Fourth Action field is the Action field of the Action frame. The FCS field is used for frame check.

[0265] In some embodiments, the fourth action field includes at least one of the following fields: category; beamforming training action; conversation flag; best beam ID; best beam SNR; third field; reserved IBT; number of training frames; number of beams; repetition; RXSS; first field; second field; reserved.

[0266] The category field is used to indicate the type of the action frame. Optionally, the category field takes a value of any integer between 39 and 125. For example, if the category field takes a value of 39, it indicates that the type of the third frame is an IBT Action frame.

[0267] The Beamforming Training Action field is used to indicate the subtype of the IBT Action frame. For example, if the Beamforming Training Action field is set to 1 (or another value, such as 0, but 1 is used as an example here), the third frame is an IMW Beam Training Feedback frame. Optionally, the Beamforming Training Action field may also be referred to as the IBT Action field.

[0268] The Dialogue Tag field is used to identify the third frame. For example, different third frames can be identified by setting the Dialogue Tag field to different values. For example, when there are multiple parallel beam training processes, the value of the Dialogue Tag field is used to match the third frame with the first frame and / or the fourth frame. In other words, the association between different third frames and different first frames and / or fourth frames is clearly defined, and thus, frames in different beam training processes are distinguished.

[0269] The best beam ID field is used to indicate the ID or serial number of the beam with the best received signal quality in beam training. The quality of the received signal can be reflected by SNR or other numerical values, such as: RSRP (Reference Signal Receiving Power, reference signal received power) value, RSSI (Reference Signal Strength Indicator, reference signal strength indication) value, RSRQ (Reference Signal Receiving Quality, reference signal received quality) value, SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio, signal to interference plus noise ratio) value, CLI (Cross Link Interference, cross link interference) value, CSI (Channel State Information, channel state information). This application takes SNR as an example for illustration.

[0270] The Best Beam SNR field is used to indicate the signal measurement result corresponding to the beam with the best received signal quality in beam training, that is, to indicate the SNR measured in the frame using the beam with the best received signal quality in beam training.

[0271] The third field is related to the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. The value of the third field includes at least one of a first value, a second value, and a third value, and the first value, the second value, and the third value are different from each other.

[0272] Wherein, when the value of the third field is the first value, the third field is used to indicate that there is no signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. When the value of the third field is the second value, the third field is used to indicate the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. When the value of the third field is the third value, the third field is used to indicate that the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0273] Exemplarily, the first value is 0. When the value of the third field is 0, it indicates that the third frame does not contain the SNR measured by beam training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0274] Exemplarily, the second value is an integer greater than or equal to 1. When the value of the third field is an integer greater than or equal to 1, the third field is used to indicate the SNR measured for the frame in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Exemplarily, if SNR < -8dB, the value of the third field is 1. Exemplarily, if -8dB < SNR < 55.5dB, the second value is calculated with -8dB as a reference and 0.25dB as a step size, for example, when SNR = -7.75dB, the second value = 2, when SNR = -7.5dB, the second value = 3, when SNR = -7.25dB, the second value = 4, and so on.

[0275] Exemplarily, the third value is 0xFF. The first threshold is specified by the communication protocol, indicated by the first wireless device, or determined by the second wireless device. Taking the first threshold = 55.5 dB as an example, when the value of the third field is 0xFF, the third field is used to indicate that the SNR measured for the frame in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is greater than or equal to 55.5 dB.

[0276] Reserved Beamforming Training Field: When a frame containing this field is sent by a second wireless device, this field is used to indicate whether the second wireless device agrees to perform reverse beam training. Exemplarily, when the Reserved Beamforming Training field is a first value, it indicates that the second wireless device agrees to perform reverse beam training; when the Reserved Beamforming Training field is a second value, it indicates that the second wireless device does not agree to perform reverse beam training. Exemplarily, when the Reserved Beamforming Training field is a first value, it indicates that the second wireless device does not agree to perform reverse beam training; when the Reserved Beamforming Training field is a second value, it indicates that the second wireless device agrees to perform reverse beam training. The first value and the second value are different, for example, the first value is 0 and the second value is 1; another example is the first value is 1 and the second value is 0; and so on. The first value and the second value can also be other values, which are not limited here. When a frame containing this field is sent by a first wireless device, the field is reserved, for example, by indicating reservation with a value other than the first value or the second value. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of IMW beamforming training, the reserved beamforming training field can also be called the reserved IBT field.

[0277] The Number of Training Frames field indicates the total number of frames used for reverse beam training. The Number of Beams field indicates the number of trained beams, that is, the number of beams to be reverse beam trained. The Repeat field indicates the number of times each beam is repeatedly trained.

[0278] The RXSS field is used to indicate whether the beam training process is for receive beam scanning or transmit beam scanning. Exemplarily, when the RXSS subfield is a first value, it indicates that the next beam training process is for receive beam scanning; when the RXSS subfield is a second value, it indicates that the next beam training process is for transmit beam scanning. Exemplarily, when the RXSS subfield is a first value, it indicates that the next beam training process is for transmit beam scanning; when the RXSS subfield is a second value, it indicates that the next beam training process is for receive beam scanning. The first value is different from the second value, for example, the first value is 0 and the second value is 1; for example, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0; and so on. The first value and the second value can also be other values, which are not limited here.

[0279] The first field is used to indicate whether a second frame exists in the following beamforming training. If the retained beamforming training field indicates that the second wireless device agrees to perform reverse beam training, the following beamforming training is reverse beam training. The second frame is specifically used for beamforming training in omni-directional antenna mode and / or quasi-omni-directional antenna mode. Optionally, the first field can be called the quasi-omni training present (Omni Training Present) field. Exemplarily, when the first field is a first value, it indicates that a second frame exists in the reverse beamforming training; when the first field is a second value, it indicates that a second frame does not exist in the reverse beamforming training. Exemplarily, when the first field is a first value, it indicates that a second frame does not exist in the reverse beamforming training; when the first field is a second value, it indicates that a second frame exists in the reverse beamforming training. The first value and the second value are different, for example, the first value is 0 and the second value is 1; for another example, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0; and so on. The first value and the second value can also be other values, which are not limited here.

[0280] The second field is used to indicate the number of repetitions of the second frame in the subsequent beamforming training. Optionally, the second field can be called the Omni Training Repetition field. If the Retain Beamforming Training field indicates that the second wireless device agrees to perform reverse beam training, the subsequent beamforming training is reverse beam training.

[0281] The numbers below the fields in Figure 35 represent the octets (bytes) or bits (bits) occupied by the field. For example, the frame control field occupies 2 bytes, the third field occupies 8 bits, the first field occupies 1 bit, and the second field occupies 3 bits. The others are not listed in detail. It is understood that the fields, field order, byte number, and bit number shown in Figure 35 are all examples and not limitations. This application supports adding or deleting fields, adjusting the field order, increasing or decreasing the number of bytes, increasing or decreasing the number of bits, etc. based on the example shown in Figure 35 according to actual conditions.

[0282] Step 570 is an optional step.

[0283] If the third frame indicates reverse beam training, then the first wireless device may also receive a frame and / or a fourth frame for beam training from the second wireless device after receiving the third frame, and may also send the third frame to the second wireless device. Reverse beam training, as the name suggests, can be considered as a reverse process of the beam training process initiated by the first wireless device. In the embodiment of the present application, it refers to the beam training process initiated by the second wireless device to the first wireless device. Except for not sending the first frame, other frame interactions in the reverse beam training process can refer to steps 530, 550, and 570. The difference is that the roles of the receiving parties are swapped.

[0284] In summary, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application supports initiating beamforming training applicable to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode by using the first frame as a dedicated frame for beam training, measuring the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and helping to obtain transmission parameters applicable to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of data transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Moreover, compared to the design of the SNR field shown in Table 4, the embodiment of the present application does not need to set 8 bits for each SNR obtained in the beamforming training for feedback. The third field not only supports very flexible and accurate feedback of signal measurement results in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, but also significantly saves transmission resources. In an embodiment of the present application, relevant information about beam training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is notified in advance through the first frame, and the best beam, the SNR corresponding to the best beam, and the SNR in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode are obtained through the third frame. This not only completes the training of multiple beams, but also measures the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and achieves signal measurement in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode while searching for the best beam with very low signaling overhead.

[0285] FIG36 is a flow chart showing a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a second wireless device. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0286] Step 610: Receive a first frame, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training.

[0287] The relevant content of step 610 can be referred to step 510 and will not be repeated here.

[0288] Step 630: Receive a frame for beamforming training.

[0289] The relevant contents of step 630 can be referred to step 530 and will not be described in detail here. Step 630 is an optional step.

[0290] Step 650: Receive a fourth frame, where the fourth frame is used to request the second wireless device to send a third frame.

[0291] The relevant contents of step 650 can be referred to step 550 and will not be described in detail here. Step 650 is an optional step.

[0292] Step 670: Send a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of the beamforming training.

[0293] The relevant contents of step 670 can be referred to step 570 and will not be described in detail here. Step 670 is an optional step.

[0294] If the third frame indicates reverse beam training, then the second wireless device may also send a frame and / or a fourth frame for beam training after sending the third frame, and may also receive the third frame from the first wireless device. Reverse beam training, as the name suggests, can be considered as a reverse process of the beam training process initiated by the first wireless device. In the embodiment of the present application, it refers to the beam training process initiated by the second wireless device to the first wireless device. Except for not sending the first frame, the other frame interactions of the reverse beam training process can refer to steps 530, 550, and 570. The difference is that the roles of the receiving parties are swapped.

[0295] In summary, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application supports initiating beamforming training applicable to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode by using the first frame as a dedicated frame for beam training, measuring the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and helping to obtain transmission parameters applicable to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of data transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Moreover, compared to the design of the SNR field shown in Table 4, the embodiment of the present application does not need to set 8 bits for each SNR obtained in the beamforming training for feedback. The third field not only supports very flexible and accurate feedback of signal measurement results in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, but also significantly saves transmission resources. In an embodiment of the present application, relevant information about beam training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is notified in advance through the first frame, and the best beam, the SNR corresponding to the best beam, and the SNR in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode are obtained through the third frame. This not only completes the training of multiple beams, but also measures the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and achieves signal measurement in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode while searching for the best beam with very low signaling overhead.

[0296] The frames shown in Figures 32 and 36 can be transmitted on either a millimeter wave link or a non-millimeter wave link. The links on which different frames are located can be the same or different. Taking the non-millimeter wave link as a Sub-7 GHz link as an example, for example, the first frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link, the second frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link, the third frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link, and the fourth frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link. The frame used for beamforming training is transmitted on a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link.

[0297] Figure 37 shows a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first wireless device and a second wireless device. The frame interaction between the first wireless device (i.e., the initiator) and the second wireless device (i.e., the responder) occurs in at least two frequency bands. The first wireless device sends a first frame on the Sub-7 GHz link to inform the second wireless device of relevant information about beamforming training. The first wireless device sends a series of frames for beam training (such as NDP / SSW frames / S-SSW frames) on the millimeter wave link, and preferentially sends the second frame (if any). During this period, the second wireless device is in omnidirectional antenna reception mode or quasi-omnidirectional antenna reception mode. The first wireless device sends a fourth frame on the Sub-7 GHz link to request the second wireless device to report the results of beam training. Of course, the first wireless device may not send the fourth frame. The second wireless device sends a third frame on the Sub-7 GHz link, which includes the transmit beam ID with the best received signal quality, the signal measurement (SNR) in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, the beam ID with the best received signal quality in the directional beam, and whether to perform reverse beam training. If the third frame indicates reverse beam training (for example, the IBT field is retained as 1), the second wireless device sends a series of frames for beam training (such as NDP / SSW frames / S-SSW frames) on the millimeter wave link, and gives priority to sending the second frame (if any). During this period, the first wireless device is in omnidirectional antenna reception mode or quasi-omnidirectional antenna reception mode. The second wireless device sends the fourth frame on the Sub-7 GHz link, requesting the first wireless device to report the results of the reverse beam training. Of course, the second wireless device may not send the fourth frame. The first wireless device sends the third frame on the Sub-7 GHz link, which includes the transmit beam ID with the best received signal quality, the signal measurement (SNR) in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, the beam ID with the best received signal quality in the directional beam, and other information.

[0298] Figure 38 shows a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first wireless device and a second wireless device. The frame interaction between the first wireless device (i.e., the initiator) and the second wireless device (i.e., the responder) occurs in the same frequency band. The first wireless device sends a first frame on the millimeter wave link to inform the second wireless device of relevant information about beamforming training. The first wireless device sends a series of frames for beam training (such as NDP / SSW frames / S-SSW frames) on the millimeter wave link, and preferentially sends the second frame (if any). During this period, the second wireless device is in omnidirectional antenna reception mode or quasi-omnidirectional antenna reception mode. The first wireless device sends a fourth frame on the millimeter wave link to request the second wireless device to report the results of beam training. Of course, the first wireless device may not send the fourth frame. The second wireless device sends a third frame on the millimeter wave link, which includes the transmit beam ID with the best received signal quality, the signal measurement (SNR) in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, the beam ID with the best received signal quality in the directional beam, and whether to perform reverse beam training. If the third frame indicates reverse beam training, the second wireless device sends a series of frames for beam training (such as NDP / SSW frames / S-SSW frames) on the millimeter wave link, and gives priority to sending the second frame (if any). During this period, the first wireless device is in omnidirectional antenna reception mode or quasi-omnidirectional antenna reception mode. The second wireless device sends the fourth frame on the millimeter wave link, requesting the first wireless device to report the results of reverse beam training. Of course, the second wireless device may not send the fourth frame. The first wireless device sends the third frame on the millimeter wave link, which includes the transmit beam ID with the best received signal quality, signal measurement (SNR) in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and the beam ID with the best received signal quality in the directional beam.

[0299] Beamforming training process 2: Using non-dedicated frames for beamforming training

[0300] FIG39 shows a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first wireless device. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0301] Step 710: Send a first frame, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, and the first frame includes a PPDU.

[0302] In some embodiments, the first frame includes at least one of the following fields: a third field, the third field is related to the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; a fourth field, used to indicate whether there is a first TRN subfield in the TRN field, the first TRN subfield is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; a fifth field, used to indicate the number of repetitions of the first TRN subfield; a TRN field, including at least one TRN subfield; a field indicating the beam with the best received signal quality; a field indicating the signal measurement result corresponding to the beam with the best received signal quality.

[0303] In some embodiments, the first frame is a PPDU. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of IMMW beamforming training, the first frame may also be referred to as an IMMW PPDU, and the beamforming training may also be referred to as beam pair forming training.

[0304] In some embodiments, the frame format of the first frame is shown in Figure 40, including at least one of the following fields: STF, LTF, header, data, TRN. Among them, the STF field is used to detect whether the PPDU exists, automatic gain control, time-frequency synchronization and other functions. Optionally, the STF field is a fixed waveform. The LTF field is used for channel estimation. Optionally, the LTF field is a fixed waveform. The data field carries the PSDU (Physical Layer Service Data Unit) transmitted by the PPDU. The TRN field is a field used for beam training and contains one or more TRN subfields. The TRN field is an optional field. When the value of the MBPT Request / Response field is 0, the TRN field does not exist. Otherwise, when the value of the MBPT Request / Response field is not 0, the TRN field exists.

[0305] The header field carries parameters used to parse the PPDU, such as at least one of the following fields: the third field, the fourth field, and the fifth field. The header field may also include a field for indicating the beam with the best received signal quality and / or a field indicating the signal measurement result corresponding to the beam with the best received signal quality (not shown in the figure).

[0306] The third field is related to the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. The value of the third field includes at least one of a first value, a second value, and a third value, and the first value, the second value, and the third value are different from each other.

[0307] Wherein, when the value of the third field is the first value, the third field is used to indicate that there is no signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. When the value of the third field is the second value, the third field is used to indicate the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. When the value of the third field is the third value, the third field is used to indicate that the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0308] Exemplarily, the first value is 0. When the value of the third field is 0, it indicates that the third frame does not contain the SNR measured by beam training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0309] Exemplarily, the second value is an integer greater than or equal to 1. When the value of the third field is an integer greater than or equal to 1, the third field is used to indicate the SNR measured for the frame in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Exemplarily, if SNR < -8dB, the value of the third field is 1. Exemplarily, if -8dB < SNR < 55.5dB, the second value is calculated with -8dB as a reference and 0.25dB as a step size, for example, when SNR = -7.75dB, the second value = 2, when SNR = -7.5dB, the second value = 3, when SNR = -7.25dB, the second value = 4, and so on.

[0310] Exemplarily, the third value is 0xFF. The first threshold is specified by the communication protocol, indicated by the first wireless device, or determined by the second wireless device. Taking the first threshold = 55.5 dB as an example, when the value of the third field is 0xFF, the third field is used to indicate that the SNR measured for the frame in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is greater than or equal to 55.5 dB.

[0311] The fourth field is used to indicate whether the first TRN subfield exists in the TRN field. Optionally, the fourth field can be called the quasi-omnidirectional training present (Omni Training Present) field. Exemplarily, when the fourth field is a first numerical value, it indicates that the first TRN subfield exists in the TRN field; when the fourth field is a second numerical value, it indicates that the first TRN subfield does not exist in the TRN field. Exemplarily, when the fourth field is a first numerical value, it indicates that the first TRN subfield does not exist in the TRN field; when the fourth field is a second numerical value, it indicates that the first TRN subfield exists in the TRN field. The first numerical value is different from the second numerical value, for example, the first numerical value is 0 and the second numerical value is 1; for example, the first numerical value is 1 and the second numerical value is 0; and so on. The first numerical value and the second numerical value can also be other numerical values, which are not limited here.

[0312] The fifth field is used to indicate the number of repetitions of the first TRN subfield. Optionally, the fifth field can be called an Omni Training Repetition field.

[0313] If the fourth field indicates that the first TRN subfield exists in the TRN field, then the first wireless device should use the omnidirectional antenna transmission mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna transmission mode when sending all the first TRN subfields in the first frame. Correspondingly, the second wireless device should use the omnidirectional antenna reception mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna reception mode when receiving all the first TRN subfields in the first frame. The beam used by the first wireless device to send other TRN subfields is determined by the first wireless device itself and can be any supported beam. When receiving other TRN subfields, the second wireless device should use the best receiving beam obtained by the previous beam training. The "previous beam training" here refers to the beam training before step 710, that is, the beam training before this beam training process.

[0314] The numbers below the fields in Figure 40 indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. For example, the third field occupies 8 bits, the fourth field occupies 1 bit, and the second field occupies 3 bits. The others are not described in detail. It is understood that the fields, field order, and bit numbers shown in Figure 40 are examples and not limitations. This application supports adding or deleting fields, adjusting the field order, increasing or decreasing the number of bytes, increasing or decreasing the number of bits, etc. based on the example shown in Figure 40 according to actual circumstances.

[0315] Step 730: Receive a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of beamforming training.

[0316] In some embodiments, the third frame includes at least one of the following fields: a third field, the third field is related to the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; a fourth field, used to indicate whether there is a first TRN subfield in the TRN field, the first TRN subfield is dedicated to beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; a fifth field, used to indicate the number of repetitions of the first TRN subfield; the TRN field includes at least one TRN subfield.

[0317] In some embodiments, the third frame is a PPDU. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of IMMW beamforming training, the third frame can also be called an IMMW PPDU, and the beamforming training can also be called beam pair forming training.

[0318] In some embodiments, the frame format of the third frame is the same as or different from the frame format of the first frame.

[0319] In some embodiments, the frame format of the third frame is shown in FIG40 , including at least one of the following fields: STF, LTF, header, data, and TRN. For related explanations, please refer to step 710 and will not be repeated here.

[0320] Step 730 is an optional step.

[0321] If the TRN field exists in the third frame, it means that the second wireless device initiates reverse beam training. Then, after receiving the third frame, the first wireless device may send the third frame to the second wireless device to feedback the reverse beam training result.

[0322] In summary, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application supports the selective initiation of beamforming training applicable to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode through the third field, the fourth field, and the fifth field during the conventional PPDU interaction process, and measures the signal quality of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, which helps to obtain transmission parameters applicable to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of data transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Since there is no need to design a new frame interaction process and frame format, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application has good forward compatibility and supports beam training while transmitting data, thereby improving the efficiency within the system. Moreover, compared with the design of the SNR field shown in Table 4, the embodiment of the present application does not need to set 8 bits for each SNR obtained in the beamforming training for feedback. The third field not only supports very flexible and accurate feedback of signal measurement results in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, but also significantly saves transmission resources. In an embodiment of the present application, relevant information about beam training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is notified in advance through the first frame, and the best beam, the SNR corresponding to the best beam, and the SNR in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode are obtained through the third frame. This not only completes the training of multiple beams, but also measures the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and achieves signal measurement in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode while searching for the best beam with very low signaling overhead.

[0323] FIG41 shows a flow chart of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a second wireless device. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0324] Step 810: Receive a first frame, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, and the first frame includes a PPDU.

[0325] The relevant content of step 810 can be referred to step 710 and will not be repeated here.

[0326] Step 830: Send a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of the beamforming training.

[0327] The relevant contents of step 830 can be referred to step 730 and will not be described in detail here. Step 730 is an optional step.

[0328] If the TRN field exists in the third frame, it means that the second wireless device initiates reverse beam training. Then, the second wireless device may also receive the third frame from the first wireless device after sending the third frame to obtain the reverse beam training result.

[0329] In summary, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application supports the selective initiation of beamforming training applicable to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode through the third field, the fourth field, and the fifth field during the conventional PPDU interaction process, and measures the signal quality of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, which helps to obtain transmission parameters applicable to the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of data transmission in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Since there is no need to design a new frame interaction process and frame format, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application has good forward compatibility and supports beam training while transmitting data, thereby improving the efficiency within the system. Moreover, compared with the design of the SNR field shown in Table 4, the embodiment of the present application does not need to set 8 bits for each SNR obtained in the beamforming training for feedback. The third field not only supports very flexible and accurate feedback of signal measurement results in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, but also significantly saves transmission resources. In an embodiment of the present application, relevant information about beam training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is notified in advance through the first frame, and the best beam, the SNR corresponding to the best beam, and the SNR in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode are obtained through the third frame. This not only completes the training of multiple beams, but also measures the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and achieves signal measurement in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode while searching for the best beam with very low signaling overhead.

[0330] The frames shown in Figures 39 and 41 can be transmitted over either a millimeter wave link or a non-millimeter wave link. The frames can be transmitted over the same or different links. For example, if the non-millimeter wave link is a Sub-7 GHz link, for example, the first frame is transmitted over a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link, and the third frame is transmitted over a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link.

[0331] Figure 42 shows a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first wireless device and a second wireless device. The frame exchange between the first wireless device and the second wireless device occurs in the same frequency band.

[0332] The first wireless device (i.e., the initiator) sends the first frame A in the millimeter wave link, wherein the fourth field has a value of 0, indicating that the first TRN subfield does not exist in the current first frame A, the fifth field is reserved, and the third field has a value of 0, indicating that there is no signal measurement result in the current first frame A in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0333] The second wireless device (i.e., the responder) sends a third frame B in the millimeter wave link, wherein the fourth field has a value of 0, indicating that the first TRN subfield does not exist in the current third frame B, the fifth field is reserved, and the third field has a value of 0, indicating that there is no signal measurement result in the current third frame B in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0334] The first wireless device sends a first frame C on a millimeter wave link, wherein the fourth field takes a value of 1, indicating that the first TRN subfield exists in the current first frame C, the fifth field takes a value of 2, indicating that the number of repetitions of the first TRN subfield in the current first frame C is 2, and the third field takes a value of 0, indicating that there is no signal measurement result in the current first frame C in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. When sending the first frame C, the first wireless device uses the omnidirectional antenna transmission mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna transmission mode to send the first TRN subfield repeated twice, and the transmission beam used for other TRN subfields can be any beam supported by the first wireless device. Accordingly, when receiving the first TRN subfield in the first frame C, the second wireless device should use the omnidirectional antenna reception mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna reception mode, and the reception beam used for other TRN subfields is the optimal reception beam obtained by the previous beam training.

[0335] The second wireless device transmits a third frame D over the millimeter wave link, wherein the fourth field has a value of 1, indicating that the first TRN subfield exists in the current third frame D; the fifth field has a value of 2, indicating that the number of repetitions of the first TRN subfield in the current third frame D is 2; and the third field has a value of 64 (or any other non-zero value, 64 is used as an example here), indicating that the SNR in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is 8dB. The third frame D may also include information such as the transmit beam ID with the best received signal quality, the signal measurement (SNR) in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and the beam ID with the best received signal quality among the directional beams.

[0336] About the data transfer process:

[0337] After the beamforming training, data can still be transmitted between the first wireless device and the second wireless device.

[0338] In some embodiments, data transmission between the first wireless device and the second wireless device uses a directional antenna pattern, an omnidirectional antenna pattern, or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern.

[0339] In some embodiments, when the feedback information of the beamforming training satisfies a first condition, the first wireless device determines whether to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0340] In some embodiments, the situation where the feedback information of the beamforming training satisfies the first condition includes: the situation where the beamforming training result satisfies the first condition. It can also be understood that the feedback information indicated by the third frame satisfies the first condition.

[0341] In some embodiments, when the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode satisfies a first condition, the first wireless device determines whether to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Optionally, the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode used to determine whether the first condition is satisfied is the signal measurement result indicated by the third frame obtained by the first wireless device, or the signal measurement result indicated by the third frame obtained by the second wireless device (i.e., the reverse beam training result), or the signal measurement result indicated by the third frame obtained by the first wireless device and the signal measurement result indicated by the third frame obtained by the second wireless device (i.e., the bidirectional beam training result).

[0342] In some embodiments, the first condition is agreed upon by a communication protocol, or determined by the first wireless device, or negotiated between the first wireless device and the second wireless device.

[0343] In some embodiments, the feedback information for beamforming training satisfies a first condition, for example, including at least one of the following: the SNR indicated by the third field is greater than or equal to a second threshold; the first wireless device supports the beam with the best received signal quality indicated by the third frame; and the signal measurement result corresponding to the beam with the best received signal quality is greater than, equal to, or less than a third threshold. The second threshold is agreed upon by the communication protocol, determined by the first wireless device, or negotiated between the first and second wireless devices. The third threshold is agreed upon by the communication protocol, determined by the first wireless device, or negotiated between the first and second wireless devices.

[0344] FIG43 shows a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first wireless device and a second wireless device. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0345] Step 910: The first wireless device and the second wireless device perform beamforming training.

[0346] For the beamforming training process between the first wireless device and the second wireless device, please refer to the content in "About the Beamforming Training Process" above. The embodiment of the present application supports the use of dedicated frames for beamforming training, and also supports the use of non-dedicated frames for beamforming training.

[0347] Step 930: The first wireless device determines whether a signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode meets a first condition.

[0348] Exemplarily, the first wireless device determines whether the SNR value indicated by the third field in the third frame received by the first wireless device is greater than or equal to a second threshold. If the SNR value is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the first wireless device may determine that the first condition is met and proceed to step 950. If the SNR value is less than the second threshold, the first wireless device may determine that the first condition is not met and proceed to step 970.

[0349] Exemplarily, the first wireless device determines whether the SNR value indicated by the third field in the third frame received by the first wireless device is greater than or equal to the second threshold, and also determines whether the SNR value indicated by the third field in the third frame received by the second wireless device is greater than or equal to the second threshold. If both SNR values ​​are greater than or equal to the second threshold, the first wireless device may determine that the first condition is met and proceed to step 950. If the SNR value is less than the second threshold, the first wireless device may determine that the first condition is not met and proceed to step 970.

[0350] Step 950: The first wireless device determines whether to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0351] The first wireless device may determine whether to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode according to at least one of the following factors: SNR, transmission power consumption, service demand, service type, and link capability.

[0352] The service requirements include but are not limited to at least one of the following requirements: delay, bandwidth, retransmission rate, transmission rate, packet loss rate, reliability, transmission order, and QoS (Quality of Service).

[0353] Link capabilities include but are not limited to at least one of the following capabilities: delay, total bandwidth, idle bandwidth, idle time, retransmission rate, transmission rate, packet loss rate, reliability, current state (such as whether the current link is activated or deactivated), QoS, and throughput.

[0354] Illustratively, when the second condition is met, the first wireless device determines that the device enters the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and proceeds to step 990. The second condition may include, for example, at least one of the following: an SNR greater than or equal to a second threshold, transmission power consumption less than or equal to a fourth threshold, link capability greater than or equal to a fifth threshold, service requirements requiring the use of the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, service type requiring the use of the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and the like.

[0355] Exemplarily, when the second condition is not met, the first wireless device determines that it does not enter the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and continues to execute step 970 .

[0356] Step 970: Transmit data between the first wireless device and the second wireless device using a directional antenna pattern.

[0357] That is, the data transmission between the first wireless device and the second wireless device is performed in a directional antenna mode.

[0358] In some embodiments, the first wireless device and the second wireless device use the beam with the best signal quality found in the beamforming training process described in step 910 to perform data transmission in a directional antenna mode. That is, the first wireless device uses the transmit beam with the best signal quality found in the beamforming training process described in step 910 to transmit data to the second wireless device; and the second wireless device uses the receive beam with the best signal quality found in the beamforming training process described in step 910 to receive data transmitted by the first wireless device. Alternatively, the first wireless device uses the receive beam with the best signal quality found in the beamforming training process described in step 910 to receive data transmitted by the second wireless device; and the second wireless device uses the transmit beam with the best signal quality found in the beamforming training process described in step 910 to transmit data to the first wireless device.

[0359] Step 990: The first wireless device and the second wireless device transmit data using an omnidirectional antenna mode or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0360] That is, the data transmission between the first wireless device and the second wireless device is performed in the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0361] To sum up, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application supports the first wireless device to flexibly select the antenna mode according to the beam training results, so that the data transmission between the first wireless device and the second wireless device is more in line with the actual communication environment, which is conducive to the efficiency, flexibility and reliability of data transmission.

[0362] If the first wireless device and the second wireless device use an omnidirectional antenna mode or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode to transmit data, then how the first wireless device and the second wireless device should enter the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, that is, how to set the antenna mode, is also worthy of further discussion.

[0363] The present application provides the following two data transmission processes, respectively using a frame dedicated to setting the antenna mode to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and using a frame not dedicated to setting the antenna mode to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0364] Data transmission process 1: Using dedicated frames to set antenna mode

[0365] FIG44 shows a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first wireless device. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0366] Step 1010: Determine to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0367] In some embodiments, whether to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is determined based on at least one of the following factors: SNR, transmission power consumption, service requirements, service type, and link capability. For related content, please refer to steps 930 and 950, which will not be repeated here.

[0368] Step 1030: Send a fifth frame, where the fifth frame is used to request the second wireless device to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0369] In some embodiments, the fifth frame includes at least one of the following fields: a frame control field, a duration field, a RA field, a TA field, a sequence control field, a HT control field, a second action field, and an FCS field.

[0370] In some embodiments, the second action field includes at least one of the following fields: a category field for indicating the type of the action frame; a beamforming training action field for indicating the subtype of the action frame; and a conversation tag field.

[0371] In some embodiments, the fifth frame may be referred to as an antenna mode request frame. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of IMMW beamforming training, the fifth frame may also be referred to as an IMMW antenna mode request frame.

[0372] In some embodiments, the fifth frame is used to request the second wireless device to enter omnidirectional antenna mode, and the fifth frame can also be called an omnidirectional antenna mode request frame. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information about IMMW beamforming training, the fifth frame can also be called an IMMW omnidirectional antenna mode request frame.

[0373] In some embodiments, the fifth frame is used to request the second wireless device to enter a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and the fifth frame may also be referred to as a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode request frame. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information regarding IMMW beamforming training, the fifth frame may also be referred to as an IMMW quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode request frame.

[0374] In some embodiments, the frame format of the fifth frame is shown in FIG. 45 , and includes at least one of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, RA, TA, Sequence Control, HT Control, Second Action, and FCS. The Frame Control field indicates the MAC version and type. The Duration field indicates the length of the TXOP. The RA field indicates the MAC address of the receiver. The TA field indicates the MAC address of the sender. The Sequence Control field indicates the sequence number of the frame. The HT Control field is used for high throughput control. The Second Action field is the action field of the action frame. The FCS field is used for frame check.

[0375] In some embodiments, the second action field includes at least one of the following fields: a category; a beamforming training action; a conversation tag.

[0376] The category field is used to indicate the type of the action frame. Optionally, the category field takes a value of any integer between 39 and 125. For example, if the category field takes a value of 39, it indicates that the type of the fifth frame is an IBT Action frame.

[0377] The Beamforming Training Action field is used to indicate the subtype of the IBT Action frame. For example, if the Beamforming Training Action field has a value of 2 (or other numerical values, such as 0 or 1, with 2 being used as an example here), the fifth frame is an Omni Antenna Pattern Mode Request frame. Optionally, the Beamforming Training Action field may also be referred to as the IBT Action field.

[0378] The conversation tag field is used to identify the fifth frame. For example, different fifth frames can be identified by setting the conversation tag field to different values. For example, when there are multiple parallel beam training processes / data transmission processes, the conversation tag field value can be used to match the fifth frame with the sixth frame. In other words, the association between different fifth frames and different sixth frames can be clarified, thereby distinguishing frames in different beam training processes / data transmission processes.

[0379] The numbers below the fields in Figure 45 indicate the octets (bytes) or bits (bits) occupied by the field. For example, the frame control field occupies 2 bytes, the action field occupies 3 bytes, and the beamforming training action field occupies 8 bits. Other fields are not listed in detail. It is understood that the fields, field order, byte number, and bit number shown in Figure 45 are for example and not for limitation. This application supports adding or deleting fields, adjusting the field order, increasing or decreasing the byte number, increasing or decreasing the bit number, etc. based on the example shown in Figure 45 according to actual conditions.

[0380] Step 1050: Receive the sixth frame, which is used to respond to the fifth frame.

[0381] In some embodiments, the sixth frame includes at least one of the following fields: a frame control field, a duration field, a RA field, a TA field, a sequence control field, a HT control field, a third action field, and an FCS field.

[0382] In some embodiments, the third action field includes at least one of the following fields: a category field for indicating the type of the action frame; a beamforming training action field for indicating the subtype of the action frame; a conversation tag field; and a status field for indicating whether the second wireless device successfully enters the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0383] In some embodiments, the sixth frame may be referred to as an antenna mode response frame. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of IMMW beamforming training, the sixth frame may also be referred to as an IMMW antenna mode response frame.

[0384] In some embodiments, the sixth frame is used to respond to whether the second wireless device successfully enters the omnidirectional antenna mode, and the sixth frame can also be called an omnidirectional antenna mode response frame. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information about IMMW beamforming training, the sixth frame can also be called an IMMW omnidirectional antenna mode response frame.

[0385] In some embodiments, the sixth frame is used to respond to whether the second wireless device successfully enters the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and the sixth frame can also be called a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode response frame. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information about IMMW beamforming training, the sixth frame can also be called an IMMW quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode response frame.

[0386] In some embodiments, the frame format of the sixth frame is shown in FIG. 46 , and includes at least one of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, RA, TA, Sequence Control, HT Control, Third Action, and FCS. The Frame Control field indicates the MAC version and type. The Duration field indicates the length of the TXOP. The RA field indicates the MAC address of the receiver. The TA field indicates the MAC address of the sender. The Sequence Control field indicates the sequence number of the frame. The HT Control field is used for high throughput control. The Third Action field is the Action field of the Action frame. The FCS field is used for frame check.

[0387] In some embodiments, the third action field includes at least one of the following fields: category; beamforming training action; conversation flag; status.

[0388] The category field is used to indicate the type of the action frame. Optionally, the category field takes a value of any integer between 39 and 125. For example, if the category field takes a value of 39, it indicates that the type of the sixth frame is an IBT Action frame.

[0389] The Beamforming Training Action field is used to indicate the subtype of the IBT Action frame. For example, if the Beamforming Training Action field is set to 3 (or other values, such as 0, 1, or 2, with 3 being used as an example here), the sixth frame is an Omni Antenna Pattern Mode Response frame. Optionally, the Beamforming Training Action field may also be referred to as the IBT Action field.

[0390] The Dialogue Tag field is used to identify the sixth frame. For example, different sixth frames can be identified by setting the Dialogue Tag field to different values. For example, when there are multiple parallel beam training processes / data transmission processes, the value of the Dialogue Tag field can be used to match the sixth frame with the fifth frame. In other words, the association between different sixth frames and different fifth frames can be clarified, thereby distinguishing frames in different beam training processes / data transmission processes.

[0391] The status field is used to indicate the antenna mode status of the second wireless device, such as whether it has successfully entered the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode or the omnidirectional antenna mode. The status field may also be referred to as a status code field, a mode status field, or the like.

[0392] In some embodiments, successfully entering the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode can be understood as agreeing to enter the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as having entered the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as about to enter the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as supporting entry into the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as successfully switching to the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0393] In some embodiments, successfully entering the omnidirectional antenna mode can be understood as agreeing to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode, or having entered the omnidirectional antenna mode, or about to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode, or supporting entering the omnidirectional antenna mode, or successfully switching to the omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0394] The numbers below the fields in Figure 46 indicate the octets (bytes) or bits (bits) occupied by the field. For example, the frame control field occupies 2 bytes, the action field occupies 4 bytes, and the status field occupies 8 bits. Other fields are not listed in detail. It is understood that the fields, field order, byte number, and bit number shown in Figure 46 are for example and not for limitation. This application supports adding or deleting fields, adjusting the field order, increasing or decreasing the byte number, increasing or decreasing the bit number, etc. based on the example shown in Figure 46 according to actual circumstances.

[0395] Step 1050 is an optional step.

[0396] Step 1070: Transmit data frames between the first wireless device and the second wireless device.

[0397] In some embodiments, if the sixth frame indicates that the second wireless device has successfully entered the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, the first wireless device sends data frames to the second wireless device in the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and / or receives data frames sent by the second wireless device in the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0398] In some embodiments, if the sixth frame indicates that the second wireless device successfully enters the omnidirectional antenna mode, the first wireless device sends data frames to the second wireless device in the omnidirectional antenna mode, and / or receives data frames sent by the second wireless device in the omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0399] Step 1070 is an optional step.

[0400] To sum up, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application supports initiating data transmission in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode by using the fifth frame as a dedicated frame for antenna mode setting, which helps to improve the quality and efficiency of data transmission in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, so that the transmission parameters used by the first wireless device and the second wireless device are more in line with the actual communication environment.

[0401] FIG47 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a second wireless device. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0402] Step 1110: Receive a fifth frame, where the fifth frame is used to request the second wireless device to enter an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0403] The relevant content of step 1110 can be referred to step 1030 and will not be repeated here.

[0404] Step 1130: Send the sixth frame, which is used to respond to the fifth frame.

[0405] The relevant contents of step 1130 can be referred to step 1050 and will not be described in detail here. Step 1130 is an optional step.

[0406] Step 1150: Transmit data frames between the first wireless device and the second wireless device.

[0407] In some embodiments, if the sixth frame indicates that the second wireless device has successfully entered the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, the second wireless device sends data frames to the first wireless device in the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and / or receives data frames sent by the first wireless device in the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0408] In some embodiments, if the sixth frame indicates that the second wireless device successfully enters the omnidirectional antenna mode, the second wireless device sends data frames to the first wireless device in the omnidirectional antenna mode, and / or receives data frames sent by the first wireless device in the omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0409] Step 1150 is an optional step.

[0410] To sum up, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application supports initiating data transmission in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode by using the fifth frame as a dedicated frame for antenna mode setting, which helps to improve the quality and efficiency of data transmission in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, so that the transmission parameters used by the first wireless device and the second wireless device are more in line with the actual communication environment.

[0411] The fifth and sixth frames, as well as the data frames shown in Figures 44 and 47, can be transmitted on either a millimeter wave link or a non-millimeter wave link. The links on which the different frames are located can be the same or different. For example, if the non-millimeter wave link is a Sub-7 GHz link, for example, the fifth frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link, the sixth frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link, and the data frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link.

[0412] Data transmission process 2: Using non-dedicated frames to set antenna mode

[0413] FIG48 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first wireless device. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0414] Step 1210: Determine to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0415] In some embodiments, whether to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is determined based on at least one of the following factors: SNR, transmission power consumption, service requirements, service type, and link capability. For related content, please refer to steps 930 and 950, which will not be repeated here.

[0416] Step 1230: Send a fifth frame, where the fifth frame includes the sixth field and / or the seventh field.

[0417] The fifth frame is used to request the second wireless device to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0418] In some embodiments, the fifth frame includes a management frame and / or a data frame.

[0419] In some embodiments, the fifth frame includes an LA (Link Adaptation) field. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of IMMW beamforming training, the link adaptation field included in the fifth frame can also be called an ILA (IMMW Link Adaptation) field.

[0420] In some embodiments, the format of the link adaptation field is shown in FIG49 and includes at least one of the following fields: a control ID and control information. The control information field includes at least one of the following fields: an Unsolicited MFB (Unsolicited MCS Feedback) field, a sixth field, an NSS (Number of Spatial Streams) field, an IMMW-MCS field, a BW (Bandwidth) field, and a seventh field.

[0421] Among them, the Unsolicited MFB field is used to indicate that the fifth frame represents an unsolicited MFB. Exemplarily, when the Unsolicited MFB field is a first value, it indicates that LAControl / ILAControl is an unsolicited MFB; when the Unsolicited MFB field is a second value, it indicates that LA Control / ILAControl is an MRQ (MCS Request) or a requested MFB (Solicited MFB). Exemplarily, when the Unsolicited MFB field is a second value, it indicates that LAControl / ILAControl is an unsolicited MFB; when the Unsolicited MFB field is a first value, it indicates that LA Control / ILAControl is an MRQ or a requested MFB. The first value is different from the second value, for example, the first value is 0 and the second value is 1; for another example, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0; and so on. The first value and the second value can also be other values, which are not limited here.

[0422] The NSS field indicates the recommended number of spatial streams. The IMMW-MCS field indicates the recommended MCS, applicable to the IMMW. The BW field indicates the recommended bandwidth.

[0423] Field 6: When the Unsolicited MFB field indicates that LAControl / ILAControl is an unsolicited MFB, the sixth field is reserved. When the Unsolicited MFB field indicates that LAControl / ILA Control is an MRQ or a requested MFB, if the value of the sixth field is the first value, it indicates that the LA / ILA is an MRQ, which is used to request the other party to feedback the recommended transmission parameters; if the value of the sixth field is the second value, it indicates that the LA / ILA is an MFB, which is used to indicate that the NSS field, IMMW-MCS field, BW field, and seventh field in the LA / ILA are parameters recommended for use by the other party. Alternatively, when the Unsolicited MFB field indicates that LAControl / ILAControl is an MRQ or a requested MFB, if the value of the sixth field is the second value, it indicates that the LA / ILA is an MRQ, which is used to request the other party to feedback the recommended transmission parameters; if the value of the sixth field is the first value, it indicates that the LA / ILA is an MFB, which is used to indicate that the NSS field, IMMW-MCS field, BW field, and seventh field in the LA / ILA are transmission parameters recommended for use by the other party. The first value is different from the second value, for example, the first value is 0 and the second value is 1; another example is that the first value is 1 and the second value is 0; and so on. The first value and the second value can also be other values, which are not limited here.

[0424] Illustratively, when the value of the Unsolicited MFB field is 1, the sixth field is reserved. When the value of the Unsolicited MFB field is 0, if the value of the sixth field is 1, it indicates that the ILA is an MRQ, which is used to request the second wireless device to provide recommended transmission parameters. When the value of the Unsolicited MFB field is 0, if the value of the sixth field is 0, it indicates that the ILA is an MFB, which is used to indicate that the NSS field, IMMW-MCS field, BW field, and the seventh field in the ILA are transmission parameters recommended for use by the second wireless device.

[0425] Optionally, the sixth field may be referred to as an MRQ field.

[0426] Field 7: When the sixth field indicates that the LA / ILA is MRQ, the seventh field is used to indicate whether the second wireless device is requested to use the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Exemplarily, when the seventh field is a first value, it indicates that the second wireless device is requested to use the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; when the seventh field is a second value, it indicates that the second wireless device is not requested to use the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Exemplarily, when the seventh field is a second value, it indicates that the second wireless device is requested to use the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; when the seventh field is a first value, it indicates that the second wireless device is not requested to use the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0427] When the sixth field indicates that the LA / ILA is an MFB, the seventh field is used to indicate whether the use of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is agreed. Exemplarily, when the seventh field is a first value, it indicates that the use of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is agreed; when the seventh field is a second value, it indicates that the use of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is not agreed. Exemplarily, when the seventh field is a second value, it indicates that the use of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is agreed; when the seventh field is a first value, it indicates that the use of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is not agreed.

[0428] Optionally, the seventh field can be called a mode field, or an antenna mode field, an omnidirectional antenna mode field, or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode (Omni Mode) field.

[0429] The numbers below the fields in Figure 48 indicate the number of bits occupied by the field. For example, the control ID field occupies 4 bits, the control information field occupies 13 bits, the sixth field occupies 1 bit, and the seventh field occupies 1 bit. Other fields are not listed in detail. It is understood that the fields, field order, number of bytes, and number of bits shown in Figure 48 are for example only and not for limitation. This application supports adding or deleting fields, adjusting the field order, increasing or decreasing the number of bytes, increasing or decreasing the number of bits, etc. based on the example shown in Figure 48 according to actual circumstances.

[0430] Step 1250: Receive the sixth frame, which is used to respond to the fifth frame.

[0431] In some embodiments, the sixth frame is used to respond to whether the second wireless device successfully enters the omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0432] In some embodiments, the sixth frame is used to respond to whether the second wireless device successfully enters the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0433] In some embodiments, the sixth frame includes a management frame and / or a data frame and / or an Ack frame.

[0434] In some embodiments, the sixth frame includes an LA field. If the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of IMMW beamforming training, the link adaptation field included in the sixth frame can also be called ILA.

[0435] In some embodiments, the format of the LA field is shown in FIG49 and includes at least one of the following fields: a control ID and control information. The control information field includes at least one of the following fields: an Unsolicited MFB field, a sixth field, an NSS field, an IMMW-MCS field, a BW field, and a seventh field. For related details, refer to step 1230 and are not further described here.

[0436] Step 1250 is an optional step.

[0437] Step 1270: Transmit data frames between the first wireless device and the second wireless device.

[0438] In some embodiments, if the sixth frame indicates that the second wireless device has successfully entered the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, the first wireless device sends data frames to the second wireless device in the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and / or receives data frames sent by the second wireless device in the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0439] In some embodiments, if the sixth frame indicates that the second wireless device successfully enters the omnidirectional antenna mode, the first wireless device sends data frames to the second wireless device in the omnidirectional antenna mode, and / or receives data frames sent by the second wireless device in the omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0440] In some embodiments, successfully entering the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode can be understood as agreeing to enter the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as having entered the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as about to enter the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as supporting entry into the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as successfully switching to the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0441] In some embodiments, successfully entering the omnidirectional antenna mode can be understood as agreeing to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode, or having entered the omnidirectional antenna mode, or about to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode, or supporting entering the omnidirectional antenna mode, or successfully switching to the omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0442] Step 1270 is an optional step.

[0443] In summary, the method provided in the embodiments of the present application supports selectively initiating data transmission in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode through the sixth and seventh fields during conventional frame interaction, which helps improve the quality and efficiency of data transmission in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. The method provided in the embodiments of the present application has good forward compatibility and supports setting the antenna mode while transmitting data frames and management frames, thereby improving efficiency within the system.

[0444] FIG50 is a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a second wireless device. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0445] Step 1310: Receive a fifth frame, where the fifth frame includes the sixth field and / or the seventh field.

[0446] The relevant content of step 1310 can be referred to step 1230 and will not be repeated here.

[0447] Step 1330: Send the sixth frame, which is used to respond to the fifth frame.

[0448] The relevant contents of step 1330 can be referred to step 1250 and will not be described in detail here. Step 1330 is an optional step.

[0449] Step 1350: Transmit data frames between the first wireless device and the second wireless device.

[0450] In some embodiments, if the sixth frame indicates that the second wireless device has successfully entered the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, the second wireless device sends data frames to the first wireless device in the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and / or receives data frames sent by the first wireless device in the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0451] In some embodiments, if the sixth frame indicates that the second wireless device successfully enters the omnidirectional antenna mode, the second wireless device sends data frames to the first wireless device in the omnidirectional antenna mode, and / or receives data frames sent by the first wireless device in the omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0452] In some embodiments, successfully entering the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode can be understood as agreeing to enter the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as having entered the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as about to enter the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as supporting entry into the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, or as successfully switching to the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0453] In some embodiments, successfully entering the omnidirectional antenna mode can be understood as agreeing to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode, or having entered the omnidirectional antenna mode, or about to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode, or supporting entering the omnidirectional antenna mode, or successfully switching to the omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0454] Step 1350 is an optional step.

[0455] In summary, the method provided in the embodiments of the present application supports selectively initiating data transmission in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode through the sixth and seventh fields during conventional frame interaction, which helps improve the quality and efficiency of data transmission in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. The method provided in the embodiments of the present application has good forward compatibility and supports setting the antenna mode while transmitting data frames and management frames, thereby improving efficiency within the system.

[0456] The fifth and sixth frames, as well as the data frames shown in Figures 48 and 50, can be transmitted on either a millimeter wave link or a non-millimeter wave link. The links on which different frames are transmitted can be the same or different. For example, if the non-millimeter wave link is a Sub-7 GHz link, for example, the fifth frame can be transmitted on a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link, the sixth frame can be transmitted on a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link, and the data frame can be transmitted on a millimeter wave link or a Sub-7 GHz link.

[0457] Figure 51 shows a schematic diagram of a communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application, wherein the method is performed by a first wireless device and a second wireless device.

[0458] The first wireless device (i.e., the initiator) sends a fifth frame (a management frame / data frame) to the second wireless device (i.e., the responder). The sixth field has a value of 1, indicating that the second wireless device is providing the recommended transmission parameters. The seventh field has a value of 1, requesting that the second wireless device use an omnidirectional or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0459] The second wireless device sends a sixth frame (management frame / data frame / Ack frame) to the first wireless device. The sixth field has a value of 0, indicating that the transmission parameters carried in the sixth frame are recommended parameters. For example, when the sixth field has a value of 0, the NSS, IMMW-MCS, BW, and Omni Mode fields in the sixth frame are the parameters recommended for use by the second wireless device. The seventh field has a value of 1, indicating that the second wireless device agrees to use the omnidirectional antenna mode or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0460] It should be noted that the beam training process and data transmission process provided in this application can be used separately or in combination. In addition, different beam training processes and different data transmission processes can be freely combined. For example, beam training process 1 is used in combination with data transmission process 1, or beam training process 1 is used in combination with data transmission process 2, or beam training process 2 is used in combination with data transmission process 1, or beam training process 2 is used in combination with data transmission process 1, or beam training process 2 is used in combination with data transmission process 2.

[0461] FIG52 shows a block diagram of a communication device 1400 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1400 may be implemented as the first wireless device described above, or may be implemented as a portion of the first wireless device described above. Alternatively, the communication device 1400 may be a wireless communication device or wireless device that supports WLAN / Wi-Fi protocols (e.g., 802.11 protocols). The communication device 1400 includes a transmitting module 1410. Optionally, the communication device 1400 also includes a receiving module 1430 and / or a processing module 1450.

[0462] In some embodiments, the sending module 1410 is configured to send a first frame, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0463] In some embodiments, the sending module 1410 is configured to send frames for the beamforming training.

[0464] In some embodiments, the sending module 1410 is configured to preferentially send a second frame when the frame used for the beamforming training includes a second frame, where the second frame is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0465] In some embodiments, the sending module 1410 is configured to, when the frames used for the beamforming training include a second frame, send the second frame last, where the second frame is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0466] In some embodiments, the sending module 1410 is configured to send a fourth frame, where the fourth frame is used to request the second wireless device to send a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of the beamforming training.

[0467] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1430 is configured to receive a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of the beamforming training.

[0468] In some embodiments, the processing module 1450 is configured to determine whether to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode when the feedback information of the beamforming training satisfies a first condition.

[0469] In some embodiments, the processing module 1450 is used to determine whether to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode when the signal measurement results in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode meet the first condition.

[0470] In some embodiments, the sending module 1410 is configured to send a fifth frame, where the fifth frame is configured to request the second wireless device to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0471] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1430 is configured to receive a sixth frame, where the sixth frame is used to respond to the fifth frame.

[0472] In some embodiments, the processing module 1450 is configured to perform measurement and detection during the beamforming training process to obtain measurement results and detection results of the beamforming training.

[0473] In some embodiments, the sending module 1410 is used to execute the sending steps described above, such as including some or all of the following steps: step 320, step 510, step 530, step 550, step 710, step 970, step 990, step 1030, step 1070, step 1230, and step 1270.

[0474] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1430 is used to perform the receiving steps described above, such as including some or all of the following steps: step 570, step 730, step 970, step 990, step 1050, step 1070, step 1250, and step 1270.

[0475] In some embodiments, the processing module 1450 is configured to execute part or all of the following steps as described above: step 930 , step 950 , step 1010 , and step 1210 .

[0476] In some embodiments, the processing module 1450 is configured to process operations such as configuration, determination, detection, update, measurement, calculation, and modification related to beamforming training.

[0477] In some embodiments, the processing module 1450 is used to process operations such as configuration, determination, detection, update, measurement, calculation, and modification related to data transmission.

[0478] The design described above in the "Beamforming Training Process," such as the frame interaction process, frame purpose, frame name, frame type, and frame format, in part or in whole, also applies to the communication device 1400 shown in FIG52 . In other words, the communication device 1400 can use dedicated frames for beamforming training (see the relevant scheme in "Beamforming Training Process 1") or use non-dedicated frames for beamforming training (see the relevant scheme in "Beamforming Training Process 2").

[0479] The design described above in the "Data Transmission Process," such as the frame interaction process, frame purpose, frame name, frame type, frame format, and other aspects, in part or in whole, also applies to the communication device 1400 shown in FIG52 . In other words, the communication device 1400 can use dedicated frames to set the antenna mode (refer to the relevant scheme of "Data Transmission Process One"), or it can use non-dedicated frames to set the antenna mode (refer to the relevant scheme of "Data Transmission Process Two").

[0480] In addition, the communication device 1400 can independently perform the beam training process or the data transmission process, or can also perform the beam training process and the data transmission process in combination. Furthermore, different beam training processes and different data transmission processes can be freely combined. For example, beam training process 1 can be combined with data transmission process 1, or beam training process 1 can be combined with data transmission process 2, or beam training process 2 can be combined with data transmission process 1, or beam training process 2 can be combined with data transmission process 2.

[0481] For details not described in detail in this embodiment, please refer to the above embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0482] In summary, the apparatus provided in the embodiment of the present application supports beamforming training for omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, measures signal quality in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and helps obtain transmission parameters suitable for omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of data transmission in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Moreover, compared to the design of the SNR field shown in Table 4, the embodiment of the present application does not need to set 8 bits for each SNR obtained in beamforming training for feedback. The third field not only supports very flexible and accurate feedback of signal measurement results in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, but also significantly saves transmission resources. In an embodiment of the present application, relevant information about beam training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is notified in advance through the first frame, and the best beam, the SNR corresponding to the best beam, and the SNR in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode are obtained through the third frame. This not only completes the training of multiple beams, but also measures the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and achieves signal measurement in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode while searching for the best beam with very low signaling overhead.

[0483] FIG53 shows a block diagram of a communication device 1500 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1500 may be implemented as the second wireless device described above, or may be implemented as a portion of the second wireless device described above. Alternatively, the communication device 1500 may be a wireless communication device or wireless device that supports WLAN / Wi-Fi protocols (e.g., 802.11 protocols). The communication device 1500 includes a receiving module 1510. Optionally, the communication device 1500 also includes a transmitting module 1530 and / or a processing module 1550.

[0484] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is configured to receive a first frame, where the first frame is configured to indicate information related to beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0485] In some embodiments, the sending module 1530 is configured to send a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of the beamforming training.

[0486] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is configured to receive frames for the beamforming training.

[0487] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is configured to preferentially receive a second frame when the frame used for the beamforming training includes the second frame, where the second frame is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0488] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is configured to, when the frames used for the beamforming training include a second frame, finally receive the second frame, where the second frame is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0489] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is configured to receive a fourth frame, where the fourth frame is used to request the second wireless device to send a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of the beamforming training.

[0490] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is configured to receive a fifth frame, where the fifth frame is configured to request the second wireless device to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

[0491] In some embodiments, the sending module 1530 is configured to send a sixth frame, where the sixth frame is used to respond to the fifth frame.

[0492] In some embodiments, the processing module 1550 is configured to perform measurement and detection during the beamforming training process to obtain measurement results and detection results of the beamforming training.

[0493] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is used to execute the receiving steps described above, such as including some or all of the following steps: step 420, step 610, step 630, step 650, step 810, step 970, step 990, step 1110, step 1150, step 1310, and step 1350.

[0494] In some embodiments, the sending module 1530 is used to execute the sending steps as described above, such as including some or all of the following steps: step 670, step 830, step 970, step 990, step 1130, step 1150, step 1330, and step 1350.

[0495] In some embodiments, the processing module 1550 is configured to process operations such as configuration, determination, detection, update, measurement, calculation, and modification related to beamforming training.

[0496] In some embodiments, the processing module 1550 is used to process operations such as configuration, determination, detection, update, measurement, calculation, and modification related to data transmission.

[0497] In some embodiments, the processing module 1550 is configured to execute part or all of the following steps as described above: step 930 , step 950 , step 1010 , and step 1210 .

[0498] The design described above in the "Beamforming Training Process," such as the frame interaction process, frame purpose, frame name, frame type, and frame format, is also applicable, in part or in whole, to the communication device 1500 shown in FIG52 . In other words, the communication device 1500 can use dedicated frames for beamforming training (see the relevant scheme in "Beamforming Training Process 1") or use non-dedicated frames for beamforming training (see the relevant scheme in "Beamforming Training Process 2").

[0499] The design described above in the "Data Transmission Process," such as the frame interaction process, frame purpose, frame name, frame type, frame format, and other aspects, in part or in whole, also applies to the communication device 1500 shown in FIG52 . In other words, the communication device 1500 can use dedicated frames to set the antenna mode (refer to the relevant scheme of "Data Transmission Process One"), or it can use non-dedicated frames to set the antenna mode (refer to the relevant scheme of "Data Transmission Process Two").

[0500] In addition, the communication device 1500 can independently perform the beam training process or the data transmission process, or can also perform the beam training process and the data transmission process in combination. Furthermore, different beam training processes and different data transmission processes can be freely combined. For example, beam training process 1 can be combined with data transmission process 1, or beam training process 1 can be combined with data transmission process 2, or beam training process 2 can be combined with data transmission process 1, or beam training process 2 can be combined with data transmission process 2.

[0501] For details not described in detail in this embodiment, please refer to the above embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0502] In summary, the apparatus provided in the embodiment of the present application supports beamforming training for omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, measures signal quality in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and helps obtain transmission parameters suitable for omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of data transmission in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. Moreover, compared to the design of the SNR field shown in Table 4, the embodiment of the present application does not need to set 8 bits for each SNR obtained in beamforming training for feedback. The third field not only supports very flexible and accurate feedback of signal measurement results in omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, but also significantly saves transmission resources. In an embodiment of the present application, relevant information about beam training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is notified in advance through the first frame, and the best beam, the SNR corresponding to the best beam, and the SNR in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode are obtained through the third frame. This not only completes the training of multiple beams, but also measures the signal quality in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, and achieves signal measurement in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode while searching for the best beam with very low signaling overhead.

[0503] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in the above embodiments is merely illustrated by the division of the above functional modules when implementing its functions. In actual applications, the above functions can be distributed and completed by different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the communication device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. In addition, the apparatus and method embodiments provided in the above embodiments are based on the same concept.

[0504] Figure 54 shows a structural diagram of a communication device 1600 provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application, including at least one of the following: a receiver 1601, a transmitter 1602, a processor 1603, a memory 1604, and a bus (not shown in the figure).

[0505] Optionally, the communication device 1600 is configured to execute part or all of the steps executed by the first wireless device.

[0506] Optionally, the communication device 1600 is configured to execute part or all of the steps executed by the second wireless device.

[0507] Optionally, the communication device 1600 is a wireless device / wireless communication device that supports WLAN / Wi-Fi protocol (such as 802.11 protocol).

[0508] Receiver 1601 is used to implement a receiving function. Optionally, receiver 1601 can be used to implement the functions and steps of receiving module 1430 and / or 1510 described above. Transmitter 1602 is used to implement a sending function. Optionally, transmitter 1602 can be used to implement the functions and steps of sending module 1410 and / or sending module 1530 described above.

[0509] Optionally, receiver 1601 and transmitter 1602 may be implemented as a communication component, which may be a communication chip and may be referred to as a transceiver. Alternatively, receiver 1601 and transmitter 1602 may be implemented as wireless communication components and / or wired communication components. Alternatively, the wireless communication component may include a wireless communication chip and / or a radio frequency antenna. Alternatively, the wired communication component may include a wired communication chip and / or a wired interface.

[0510] Processor 1603 includes one or more processing cores. Processor 1603 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules. In some embodiments, processor 1603 can be used to implement the functions and steps of processing module 1450 and / or processing module 1550 described above. Memory 1604 can be used to store computer programs executed by processor 1603. Processor 1603 is used to execute the computer programs to implement the various steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0511] In some embodiments, the memory 1604 may be connected to the processor 1603 as well as the receiver 1601 and the transmitter 1602 .

[0512] In addition, the memory 1604 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof. Volatile or non-volatile storage devices include but are not limited to: magnetic disks or optical disks, EEPROM (Electrically-Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory), magnetic memory, flash memory, PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory).

[0513] In some embodiments, the receiver 1601 receives signals / data independently, or the processor 1603 controls the receiver 1601 to receive signals / data, or the processor 1603 requests the receiver 1601 to receive signals / data, or the processor 1603 cooperates with the receiver 1601 to receive signals / data.

[0514] In some embodiments, the transmitter 1602 independently sends signals / data, or the processor 1603 controls the transmitter 1602 to send signals / data, or the processor 1603 requests the transmitter 1602 to send signals / data, or the processor 1603 cooperates with the transmitter 1602 to send signals / data.

[0515] For details not described in detail in this embodiment, please refer to the above embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0516] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, a chip is further provided. The chip includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions. When the chip runs on a communication device, it is used to implement the communication methods provided by the above-mentioned various method embodiments.

[0517] In some embodiments, the chip includes a sending module 1410. Optionally, the chip further includes a processing module 1450 and / or a receiving module 1430. The relevant contents can be referred to above and will not be repeated here.

[0518] In some embodiments, the chip includes a receiving module 1510. Optionally, the chip further includes a sending module 1530 and / or a processing module 1550. For related content, please refer to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0519] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is further provided, in which at least one program is stored. The at least one program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the communication methods provided by the above-mentioned various method embodiments.

[0520] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is also provided. The computer program product includes computer instructions, the computer instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium, a processor obtains the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions to implement the communication methods provided by the above-mentioned various method embodiments.

[0521] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, a computer program is also provided. The computer program includes computer instructions, and the computer instructions are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor obtains the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions to implement the communication methods provided by the above-mentioned various method embodiments.

[0522] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of implementing the above embodiments may be accomplished by hardware, or may be accomplished by instructing relevant hardware through a program, and the program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and the above-mentioned storage medium may be a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0523] The above are merely optional embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is performed by a first wireless device, and includes: A first frame is sent, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first frame includes at least one of the following fields: a field indicating the total number of frames used for the beamforming training; a field indicating the number of beams to be trained; a field indicating the number of times each beam is repeatedly trained; A first field is used to indicate whether a second frame exists in the beamforming training, where the second frame is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; The second field is used to indicate the number of repetitions of the second frame.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first frame includes a beam training announcement frame.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first frame includes at least one of the following fields: a third field, the third field being related to a signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; a fourth field being used to indicate whether a first TRN subfield exists in a training TRN field, the first TRN subfield being dedicated to beamforming training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; The fifth field is used to indicate the number of repetitions of the first TRN subfield; The TRN field includes at least one TRN subfield.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first frame includes a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A third frame is received, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of the beamforming training.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The third frame includes at least one of the following fields: a field indicating whether reverse beamforming training is performed; a first field for indicating whether a second frame exists in the beamforming training, the second frame being dedicated to beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; The second field is used to indicate the number of repetitions of the second frame; The third field is related to the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; a field indicating the beam with the best received signal quality; a field indicating the signal measurement result corresponding to the beam with the best received signal quality.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that The third frame includes a beam training feedback frame.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The third frame includes at least one of the following fields: a third field related to a signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; and a fourth field for indicating whether a first TRN subfield exists in the training TRN field, the first TRN subfield being dedicated to beamforming training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. The fifth field is used to indicate the number of repetitions of the first TRN subfield; The TRN field includes at least one TRN subfield.

10. The method according to claim 6 or 9, characterized in that The third frame includes a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU.

11. The method according to claim 7 or 9, characterized in that The value of the third field includes at least one of a first value, a second value, and a third value, and the first value, the second value, and the third value are different from each other; wherein, When the value of the third field is the first value, the third field is used to indicate that there is no signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; When the value of the third field is the second value, the third field is used to indicate the signal measurement result of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; When the value of the third field is the third value, the third field is used to indicate that the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is greater than a first threshold.

12. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 11, characterized in that: The third frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link, or the third frame is transmitted on a low-frequency link.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A frame for the beamforming training is transmitted.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: In a case where the frames used for the beamforming training include a second frame, the second frame is preferentially sent, where the second frame is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: In a case where the frames used for the beamforming training include a second frame, the second frame is sent last, and the second frame is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

16. The method according to claim 13, 14 or 15, characterized in that The type of the frame used for the beamforming training includes at least one of the following: a null data physical layer protocol data unit (NDP), a sector sweep SSW frame, and a short sector sweep S-SSW frame.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that The frames used for the beamforming training are transmitted over a millimeter wave link.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that: The method further comprises: A fourth frame is sent, where the fourth frame is used to request the second wireless device to send a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of the beamforming training.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The fourth frame includes at least one of the following fields: a frame control field, a duration field, a receiving address field, a transmitting address field, a sequence control field, a high throughput HT control field, a first action field, and a frame check sequence field.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The first action field includes at least one of the following fields: a category field, used to indicate the type of the action frame; a beamforming training action field, used to indicate the subtype of the action frame; a dialogue tag field; and a beamforming training polling control field, used to indicate the format of the third frame.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that The fourth frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link, or the fourth frame is transmitted on a low-frequency link.

22. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that When the feedback information of the beamforming training satisfies a first condition, it is determined whether to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that If the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode meets the first condition, it is determined whether to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that In the case of determining to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode, the method further includes: A fifth frame is sent, where the fifth frame is used to request the second wireless device to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The fifth frame includes at least one of the following fields: a frame control field, a duration field, a receiving address field, a transmitting address field, a sequence control field, a high throughput HT control field, a second action field, and a frame check sequence field.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that The second action field includes at least one of the following fields: a category field, used to indicate the type of the action frame; a beamforming training action field, used to indicate the subtype of the action frame; and a dialogue tag field.

27. The method according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that The fifth frame includes an antenna mode request frame.

28. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that The fifth frame includes at least one of the following fields: The sixth field is used to request the second wireless device to feedback the recommended transmission parameters; The seventh field is used to request the second wireless device to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that The fifth frame includes a management frame and / or a data frame.

30. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 29, characterized in that The method further comprises: A sixth frame is received, where the sixth frame is used to respond to the fifth frame.

31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that The sixth frame includes at least one of the following fields: a frame control field, a duration field, a receiving address field, a transmitting address field, a sequence control field, a high throughput HT control field, a third action field, and a frame check sequence field.

32. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that The third action field includes at least one of the following fields: a category field, used to indicate the type of the action frame; a beamforming training action field, used to indicate the subtype of the action frame; a conversation tag field; and a status field, used to indicate whether the second wireless device enters the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

33. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 32, characterized in that The sixth frame includes an antenna mode response frame.

34. The method according to claim 30, wherein The sixth frame includes at least one of the following fields: The eighth field is used to indicate the recommended transmission parameters; The ninth field is used to indicate whether the second wireless device enters the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

35. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 34, characterized in that The first frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link, or the first frame is transmitted on a low-frequency link.

36. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 35, characterized in that The beamforming training is related to the omnidirectional antenna pattern and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern of the integrated millimeter wave (IMMW).

37. A communication method, characterized in that: The method is performed by a second wireless device, and the method includes: A first frame is received, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein The first frame includes at least one of the following fields: a field indicating the total number of frames used for the beamforming training; a field indicating the number of beams to be trained; a field indicating the number of times each beam is repeatedly trained; A first field is used to indicate whether a second frame exists in the beamforming training, where the second frame is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; The second field is used to indicate the number of repetitions of the second frame.

39. The method according to claim 38, characterized in that The first frame includes a beam training announcement frame.

40. The method according to claim 37, wherein The first frame includes at least one of the following fields: a third field related to a signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; and a fourth field for indicating whether a first TRN subfield exists in a training TRN field, the first TRN subfield being dedicated to beamforming training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. The fifth field is used to indicate the number of repetitions of the first TRN subfield; The TRN field includes at least one TRN subfield.

41. The method according to claim 40, characterized in that The first frame includes a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU).

42. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 41, characterized in that The method further comprises: A third frame is sent, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of the beamforming training.

43. The method according to claim 42, characterized in that The third frame includes at least one of the following fields: a field indicating whether reverse beamforming training is performed; a first field for indicating whether a second frame exists in the beamforming training, the second frame being dedicated to beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; The second field is used to indicate the number of repetitions of the second frame; The third field is related to the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; a field indicating the beam with the best received signal quality; a field indicating the signal measurement result corresponding to the beam with the best received signal quality.

44. The method according to claim 42 or 43, characterized in that The third frame includes a beam training feedback frame.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein The third frame includes at least one of the following fields: a third field related to a signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; and a fourth field for indicating whether a first TRN subfield exists in the training TRN field, the first TRN subfield being dedicated to beamforming training in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode. The fifth field is used to indicate the number of repetitions of the first TRN subfield; The TRN field includes at least one TRN subfield.

46. ​​The method according to claim 42 or 45, characterized in that The third frame includes a physical layer protocol data unit PPDU.

47. The method according to claim 43 or 45, characterized in that The value of the third field includes at least one of a first value, a second value, and a third value, and the first value, the second value, and the third value are different from each other; wherein, When the value of the third field is the first value, the third field is used to indicate that there is no signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; When the value of the third field is the second value, the third field is used to indicate the signal measurement result of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode; When the value of the third field is the third value, the third field is used to indicate that the signal measurement result in the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode is greater than a first threshold.

48. The method according to any one of claims 42 to 47, characterized in that The third frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link, or the third frame is transmitted on a low-frequency link.

49. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 48, characterized in that The method further comprises: A frame for the beamforming training is received.

50. The method according to claim 49, wherein The method further comprises: In a case where the frames used for the beamforming training include a second frame, the second frame is preferentially received, where the second frame is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

51. The method according to claim 49, wherein The method further comprises: In a case where the frames used for the beamforming training include a second frame, the second frame is received last, and the second frame is dedicated to the beamforming training of the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

52. The method according to claim 49, 50 or 51, wherein: The type of the frame used for the beamforming training includes at least one of the following: a null data physical layer protocol data unit (NDP), a sector sweep SSW frame, and a short sector sweep S-SSW frame.

53. The method according to any one of claims 49 to 52, characterized in that The frames used for the beamforming training are transmitted over a millimeter wave link.

54. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 53, characterized in that The method further comprises: A fourth frame is received, where the fourth frame is used to request the second wireless device to send a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate feedback information of the beamforming training.

55. The method according to claim 54, characterized in that The fourth frame includes at least one of the following fields: a frame control field, a duration field, a receiving address field, a transmitting address field, a sequence control field, a high throughput HT control field, a first action field, and a frame check sequence field.

56. The method according to claim 55, characterized in that The first action field includes at least one of the following fields: a category field, used to indicate the type of the action frame; a beamforming training action field, used to indicate the subtype of the action frame; a dialogue tag field; and a beamforming training polling control field, used to indicate the format of the third frame.

57. The method according to any one of claims 54 to 56, characterized in that The fourth frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link, or the fourth frame is transmitted on a low-frequency link.

58. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 57, characterized in that The method further includes receiving a fifth frame, wherein the fifth frame is used to request the second wireless device to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

59. The method according to claim 58, characterized in that The fifth frame includes at least one of the following fields: a frame control field, a duration field, a receiving address field, a transmitting address field, a sequence control field, a high throughput HT control field, a second action field, and a frame check sequence field.

60. The method according to claim 59, wherein The second action field includes at least one of the following fields: a category field, used to indicate the type of the action frame; a beamforming training action field, used to indicate the subtype of the action frame; and a dialogue tag field.

61. The method according to claim 58, 59 or 60, characterized in that The fifth frame includes an antenna mode request frame.

62. The method according to claim 58, wherein The fifth frame includes at least one of the following fields: A sixth field is used to request the second wireless device to feed back recommended transmission parameters; The seventh field is used to request the second wireless device to enter the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

63. The method according to claim 58 or 62, characterized in that The fifth frame includes a management frame and / or a data frame.

64. The method according to any one of claims 58 to 63, characterized in that The method further comprises: A sixth frame is sent, where the sixth frame is used to respond to the fifth frame.

65. The method according to claim 64, characterized in that The sixth frame includes at least one of the following fields: a frame control field, a duration field, a receiving address field, a transmitting address field, a sequence control field, a high throughput HT control field, a third action field, and a frame check sequence field.

66. The method according to claim 65, characterized in that The third action field includes at least one of the following fields: a category field, used to indicate the type of the action frame; a beamforming training action field, used to indicate the subtype of the action frame; a conversation tag field; and a status field, used to indicate whether the second wireless device enters the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

67. The method according to any one of claims 64 to 66, characterized in that The sixth frame includes an antenna mode response frame.

68. The method according to claim 67, characterized in that The sixth frame includes at least one of the following fields: The eighth field is used to indicate the recommended transmission parameters; The ninth field is used to indicate whether the second wireless device enters the omnidirectional antenna mode and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

69. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 68, characterized in that The first frame is transmitted on a millimeter wave link, or the first frame is transmitted on a low-frequency link.

70. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 69, characterized in that The beamforming training is related to the omnidirectional antenna pattern and / or the quasi-omnidirectional antenna pattern of the integrated millimeter wave (IMMW).

71. A communication device, characterized in that The device comprises: The sending module is configured to send a first frame, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

72. A communication device, characterized in that The device comprises: The receiving module is configured to receive a first frame, where the first frame is used to indicate relevant information of beamforming training, where the beamforming training is related to an omnidirectional antenna mode and / or a quasi-omnidirectional antenna mode.

73. A communication device, characterized in that The communication device includes: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 36.

74. A communication device, characterized in that The communication device includes: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 37 to 70.

75. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores at least one program, and the at least one program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 36, or the communication method according to any one of claims 37 to 70.

76. A computer program product or a computer program, characterized in that The computer program product or the computer program includes computer instructions, which are stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor obtains the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 36, or the communication method according to any one of claims 37 to 70.

77. A chip, characterized in that The chip includes a programmable logic circuit and / or at least one program, and the chip is used to implement the communication method described in any one of claims 1 to 36, or the communication method described in any one of claims 37 to 70 based on the programmable logic circuit and / or the at least one program.

Images