Communication method and apparatus, and device and storage medium

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a communication method and apparatus, and a device and a storage medium. The method comprises: a first device receiving a first radio frame, which is sent by a second device, wherein the first radio frame carries first indication information, the first indication information indicating M first links, and the M first links being links by means of which the second device is about to send data to the first device; and the first device sending to the second device a second radio frame, which carries second indication information, wherein the second indication information indicates N second links, the N second links being links by means of which the first device can receive the data. By means of negotiating a link that bears data, the communication efficiency of data transmission between a first device and a second device is improved.

Description

Communication method, device, equipment and storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on March 29, 2024, with application number 202410389116.2 and application name “Communication Method, Apparatus, Equipment and Storage Medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to a communication method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. Background Art

[0003] With the development of wireless technology, more and more wireless devices support multi-link communication, such as communicating simultaneously on the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands, or communicating simultaneously on different channels in the same frequency band, thereby improving the communication rate between devices. Such devices are generally called multi-link devices (MLDs). MLDs can be multi-link access point devices or multi-link site devices. To reduce the power consumption of multi-link communication, MLDs can temporarily close some links when traffic is not busy. When traffic arrives, the receiving end can open all links, thereby achieving a high-speed and low-latency data transmission experience. However, at least some of the links opened by MLDs may still be unavailable for data transmission, such as when the sender fails to compete for a channel on the open link or the sender fails to schedule data for transmission on the open link. In this case, it cannot be guaranteed that the open links can be used for data transmission, which will affect communication efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, apparatus, device, and storage medium to improve communication efficiency during data transmission between devices.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method. The method may be performed by a first device, which may be implemented as a communication device in a wireless network, or a component in a communication device, such as a chip, a chip system, or other functional module capable of calling and executing a program.

[0006] The method includes: a first device receives a first radio frame sent by a second device, the first radio frame carrying first indication information, the first indication information indicating M first links, the M first links being links for the second device to send data to the first device; and the first device sends a second radio frame carrying second indication information to the second device, the second indication information indicating N second links, the N second links being links for the first device to receive data, and improving the communication efficiency of data transmission between the first device and the second device by negotiating the link that carries the data.

[0007] Exemplarily, the first radio frame is a trigger frame, that is, a frame carrying the first indication information and triggering.

[0008] Exemplarily, the first indication information is carried in the trigger dependent user info field in the trigger frame.

[0009] Exemplarily, the first radio frame further carries third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame carrying the first indication information, so that the first device can identify the first radio frame based on the third indication information and receive the first indication information in the first radio frame.

[0010] Exemplarily, the second indication information is carried in an aggregation control A-control field in the second radio frame.

[0011] Exemplarily, the second indication information is carried in the A-control field in the second radio frame, including: the second indication information is carried in the control information field of the A-control field.

[0012] Exemplarily, the second radio frame further carries fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information, so that the second device can identify the second radio frame based on the disabled information and receive the second indication information in the second radio frame.

[0013] Exemplarily, the fourth indication information is carried in the control ID field of the A-control field.

[0014] Exemplarily, the fifth indication information is carried in the control information field of the A-control field.

[0015] Exemplarily, the method further includes: the first device sends a third radio frame, the third radio frame carries information of K third links allowed to be awakened, K is a positive integer, the third radio frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-link spatial multiplexing power save (MLSMPS) mode, in which the K third links are in a dormant state, and the M first links are a subset of the K third links, and receives a fourth radio frame, which is used to respond to the request to establish the MLSMPS mode. In this embodiment, the first device and the second device establish the MLSMPS mode through interaction to clarify the links in dormant mode in the MLSMPS mode, save device power consumption, and facilitate the awakening of the links for user data transmission when data arrives, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0016] Exemplarily, the first radio frame further includes sixth indication information, and the sixth indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame in MLSMPS mode.

[0017] Exemplarily, the second radio frame further includes seventh indication information, and the seventh indication information indicates that the second radio frame is a radio frame in MLSMPS mode.

[0018] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method. The method may be performed by a second device, which may be implemented as a communication device in a wireless network, or a component in a communication device, such as a chip, a chip system, or other functional module capable of calling and executing a program.

[0019] The method includes: a first radio frame sent by a second device to a first device, the first radio frame carrying first indication information, the first indication information indicating M first links, M being a positive integer, and the M first links being links through which the second device will send data to the first device; and a second device receiving a second radio frame sent by the first device, the second radio frame carrying second indication information, the second indication information indicating N second links, N being a positive integer, the N second links being links through which the first device can receive data, and the N second links being a subset of the M first links.

[0020] Exemplarily, the first wireless frame is a trigger frame.

[0021] Exemplarily, the first indication information is carried in the trigger dependent user info field in the trigger frame.

[0022] Exemplarily, the first radio frame further carries third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame carrying the first indication information.

[0023] Exemplarily, the third indication information is carried in the trigger type field of the first radio frame.

[0024] Exemplarily, the second indication information is carried in the A-control field in the second radio frame.

[0025] Exemplarily, the second indication information is carried in the A-control field in the second radio frame, including: the second indication information is carried in the control information field of the A-control field.

[0026] Exemplarily, the second radio frame further carries fourth indication information; the fourth indication information indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information.

[0027] Exemplarily, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the control information field is used to carry the second indication information or AAR information, and the A-control field also includes fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information.

[0028] Exemplarily, the fourth indication information is carried in the control ID field of the A-control field.

[0029] Exemplarily, the fifth indication information is carried in the control information field of the A-control field.

[0030] Exemplarily, it also includes: the second device receives a third wireless frame, the third wireless frame carries information of K third links allowed to be awakened, K is a positive integer, the third wireless frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-link spatial multiplexing energy-saving MLSMPS mode, in which the K third links are in a dormant state, and the M first links are a subset of the K third links; the second device sends a fourth wireless frame, and the fourth wireless frame is used to respond to the request to establish the MLSMPS mode.

[0031] Exemplarily, the first radio frame further includes sixth indication information, and the sixth indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame in MLSMPS mode.

[0032] Exemplarily, the second radio frame further includes seventh indication information, and the seventh indication information indicates that the second radio frame is a radio frame in MLSMPS mode.

[0033] In a third aspect, the method may be performed by the first device described above. The method includes: the first device receiving a fifth radio frame sent by the second device, the fifth radio frame carrying eighth indication information, the eighth indication information indicating that the fifth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode, and sending a sixth radio frame to the second device, the sixth radio frame carrying ninth indication information, the ninth indication information indicating that the sixth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode; wherein the first communication mode includes at least one of the following modes:

[0034] MLSMPS mode;

[0035] Dynamic sub-band operation (DSO) mode;

[0036] In-device coexistence mode;

[0037] Dynamic energy saving mode.

[0038] In this embodiment, the first device and the second device indicate radio frames in the first communication mode, so that signaling between the devices can be shared in different communication modes, reducing the processing complexity of sending and receiving signaling.

[0039] Exemplarily, the fifth wireless frame is a trigger frame.

[0040] Exemplarily, the eighth indication information is carried in the trigger dependent common info field of the trigger frame.

[0041] Exemplarily, the fifth radio frame further includes a trigger dependent user info field, where the trigger dependent user info field is used to carry tenth indication information, and the tenth indication information is used to indicate a first communication parameter between the first device and the second device in the first communication mode.

[0042] Exemplarily, the ninth indication information is carried in the A-control field of the data frame.

[0043] Exemplarily, the ninth indication information is carried in the A-control field of the data frame, including: the ninth indication information is carried in the control ID field of the A-control field.

[0044] Exemplarily, the A-control field further includes a control information field, where the control information field is used to carry eleventh indication information, and the eleventh indication information is used to indicate a second communication parameter between the first device and the second device in the first communication mode.

[0045] Exemplarily, the fifth radio frame further carries twelfth indication information, where the twelfth indication information is used to indicate a fifth radio frame adopting the first frame structure.

[0046] Exemplarily, the sixth radio frame further carries thirteenth indication information, and the thirteenth indication information is used to indicate the sixth radio frame adopting the first frame structure.

[0047] In a fourth aspect, the subject of the method may be the above-mentioned second device. The method includes: the second device sending a fifth radio frame to the first device, the fifth radio frame carrying eighth indication information, the eighth indication information indicating that the fifth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode; the second device receiving a sixth radio frame sent by the first device, the sixth radio frame carrying ninth indication information, the ninth indication information indicating that the sixth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode; wherein the first communication mode includes at least one of the following modes:

[0048] MLSMPS mode;

[0049] Dynamic sub-band operation DSO mode;

[0050] In-device coexistence mode;

[0051] Dynamic energy saving mode.

[0052] Exemplarily, the fifth wireless frame is a trigger frame.

[0053] Exemplarily, the eighth indication information is carried in the trigger dependent common info field of the trigger frame.

[0054] Exemplarily, the fifth radio frame further includes a trigger dependent user info field, where the trigger dependent user info field is used to carry tenth indication information, and the tenth indication information is used to indicate a first communication parameter between the first device and the second device in the first communication mode.

[0055] Exemplarily, the ninth indication information is carried in the A-control field of the data frame.

[0056] Exemplarily, the ninth indication information is carried in the A-control field of the data frame, including: the ninth indication information is carried in the control ID field of the A-control field.

[0057] Exemplarily, the A-control field further includes a control information field, where the control information field is used to carry eleventh indication information, and the eleventh indication information is used to indicate a second communication parameter between the first device and the second device in the first communication mode.

[0058] Exemplarily, the fifth radio frame further carries twelfth indication information, where the twelfth indication information is used to indicate a fifth radio frame adopting the first frame structure.

[0059] Exemplarily, the sixth radio frame further carries thirteenth indication information, and the thirteenth indication information is used to indicate the sixth radio frame adopting the first frame structure.

[0060] In the fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including: a transceiver module, used to receive a first wireless frame sent by a second device, the first wireless frame carries first indication information, the first indication information indicates M first links, M is a positive integer, and the M first links are links for the second device to send data to the first device; a processing module, used to generate a second wireless frame, the second wireless frame carries second indication information, the second indication information indicates N second links, N is a positive integer, the N second links are links for the first device to receive data, and the N second links are a subset of the M first links; the transceiver module is also used to send a second wireless frame to the second device.

[0061] In a possible implementation manner, the first radio frame is a trigger frame.

[0062] In a possible implementation manner, the first indication information is carried in a trigger dependent user info field in the trigger frame.

[0063] In a possible implementation manner, the first radio frame further carries third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame carrying the first indication information.

[0064] In a possible implementation manner, the third indication information is carried in a trigger type field of the first radio frame.

[0065] In a possible implementation manner, the second indication information is carried in an aggregation control A-control field in the second radio frame.

[0066] In a possible implementation manner, the second indication information is carried in an A-control field in the second radio frame, including: the second indication information is carried in a control information field of the A-control field.

[0067] In a possible implementation manner, the second radio frame further carries fourth indication information; the fourth indication information indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information.

[0068] In a possible implementation, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the control information field is used to carry the second indication information or AAR information, and the A-control field also includes fifth indication information, which indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information.

[0069] In a possible implementation manner, the fourth indication information is carried in a control ID field of the A-control field.

[0070] In a possible implementation manner, the fifth indication information is carried in the control information field of the A-control field.

[0071] In one possible embodiment, the transceiver module is also used to: send a third wireless frame, which carries information of K third links allowed to be awakened, where K is a positive integer, and the third wireless frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-link spatial multiplexing energy-saving MLSMPS mode, in which the K third links are in a dormant state, and the M first links are a subset of the K third links; and receive a fourth wireless frame, which is used to respond to the request to establish the MLSMPS mode.

[0072] In a possible implementation manner, the first radio frame further includes sixth indication information, where the sixth indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame in the MLSMPS mode.

[0073] In a possible implementation manner, the second radio frame further includes seventh indication information, where the seventh indication information indicates that the second radio frame is a radio frame in the MLSMPS mode.

[0074] In the sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including: a processing module for generating a first wireless frame, the first wireless frame carrying first indication information, the first indication information indicating M first links, M being a positive integer, and the M first links being links for the second device to send data to the first device; a transceiver module for sending a first wireless frame to the first device; the transceiver module is also used to receive a second wireless frame sent by the first device, the second wireless frame carrying second indication information, the second indication information indicating N second links, N being a positive integer, the N second links being links for the first device to receive data, and the N second links being a subset of the M first links.

[0075] In a possible implementation manner, the first radio frame is a trigger frame.

[0076] In a possible implementation manner, the first indication information is carried in a trigger dependent user info field in the trigger frame.

[0077] In a possible implementation manner, the first radio frame further carries third indication information, and the third indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame carrying the first indication information.

[0078] In a possible implementation manner, the third indication information is carried in a trigger type field of the first radio frame.

[0079] In a possible implementation manner, the second indication information is carried in an A-control field in the second radio frame.

[0080] In a possible implementation manner, the second indication information is carried in an A-control field in the second radio frame, including: the second indication information is carried in a control information field of the A-control field.

[0081] In a possible implementation manner, the second radio frame further carries fourth indication information; the fourth indication information indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information.

[0082] In a possible implementation, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the control information field is used to carry the second indication information or AAR information, and the A-control field also includes fifth indication information, which indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information.

[0083] In a possible implementation manner, the fourth indication information is carried in a control ID field of the A-control field.

[0084] In a possible implementation manner, the fifth indication information is carried in the control information field of the A-control field.

[0085] In one possible embodiment, the transceiver module is also used to: receive a third wireless frame, which carries information of K third links allowed to be awakened, where K is a positive integer, and the third wireless frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-link spatial multiplexing energy-saving MLSMPS mode, in which the K third links are in a dormant state, and the M first links are a subset of the K third links; and send a fourth wireless frame, which is used to respond to the request to establish the MLSMPS mode.

[0086] In a possible implementation manner, the first radio frame further includes sixth indication information, where the sixth indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame in the MLSMPS mode.

[0087] In a possible implementation manner, the second radio frame further includes seventh indication information, where the seventh indication information indicates that the second radio frame is a radio frame in the MLSMPS mode.

[0088] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including: a transceiver module, configured to receive a fifth radio frame sent by a second device, the fifth radio frame carrying eighth indication information, the eighth indication information indicating that the fifth radio frame is a radio frame in a first communication mode; a processing module, configured to generate a sixth radio frame, the sixth radio frame carrying ninth indication information, the ninth indication information indicating that the sixth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode; and the transceiver module, configured to send the sixth radio frame to the second device, wherein the first communication mode includes at least one of the following modes:

[0089] MLSMPS mode;

[0090] Dynamic sub-band operation DSO mode;

[0091] In-device coexistence mode;

[0092] Dynamic energy saving mode.

[0093] In a possible implementation manner, the fifth radio frame is a trigger frame.

[0094] In a possible implementation manner, the eighth indication information is carried in a trigger dependent common info field of the trigger frame.

[0095] In a possible implementation, the fifth wireless frame further includes a trigger dependent user info field, which is used to carry tenth indication information, and the tenth indication information is used to indicate a first communication parameter between the first device and the second device in the first communication mode.

[0096] In a possible implementation manner, the ninth indication information is carried in the A-control field of the data frame.

[0097] In a possible implementation manner, the ninth indication information is carried in the A-control field of the data frame, including: the ninth indication information is carried in the control ID field of the A-control field.

[0098] In a possible implementation, the A-control field further includes a control information field, where the control information field is used to carry eleventh indication information, where the eleventh indication information is used to indicate a second communication parameter between the first device and the second device in the first communication mode.

[0099] In a possible implementation manner, the fifth radio frame further carries twelfth indication information, where the twelfth indication information is used to indicate that the fifth radio frame adopts the first frame structure.

[0100] In a possible implementation manner, the sixth radio frame further carries thirteenth indication information, where the thirteenth indication information is used to indicate that the sixth radio frame adopts the first frame structure.

[0101] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, including: a processing module, configured to generate a fifth radio frame, the fifth radio frame carrying eighth indication information, the eighth indication information indicating that the fifth radio frame is a radio frame in a first communication mode; a transceiver module, configured to send the fifth radio frame to a first device; the transceiver module is further configured to receive a sixth radio frame sent by the first device, the sixth radio frame carrying ninth indication information, the ninth indication information indicating that the sixth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode; wherein the first communication mode includes at least one of the following modes:

[0102] MLSMPS mode;

[0103] Dynamic sub-band operation DSO mode;

[0104] In-device coexistence mode;

[0105] Dynamic energy saving mode.

[0106] In a possible implementation manner, the fifth radio frame is a trigger frame.

[0107] In a possible implementation manner, the eighth indication information is carried in the trigger dependent common info field of the trigger frame.

[0108] In a possible implementation, the fifth wireless frame further includes a trigger dependent user info field, which is used to carry tenth indication information, and the tenth indication information is used to indicate a first communication parameter between the first device and the second device in the first communication mode.

[0109] In a possible implementation manner, the ninth indication information is carried in the A-control field of the data frame.

[0110] In a possible implementation manner, the ninth indication information is carried in the A-control field of the data frame, including: the ninth indication information is carried in the control ID field of the A-control field.

[0111] In a possible implementation, the A-control field further includes a control information field, where the control information field is used to carry eleventh indication information, where the eleventh indication information is used to indicate a second communication parameter between the first device and the second device in the first communication mode.

[0112] In a possible implementation manner, the fifth radio frame further carries twelfth indication information, where the twelfth indication information is used to indicate that the fifth radio frame adopts the first frame structure.

[0113] In a possible implementation manner, the sixth radio frame further carries thirteenth indication information, where the thirteenth indication information is used to indicate that the sixth radio frame adopts the first frame structure.

[0114] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, comprising: a processor for executing the method in the first aspect, second aspect, third aspect, fourth aspect or each possible implementation manner by running a computer program or through a logic circuit.

[0115] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes: a memory, wherein the memory is used to store the computer program.

[0116] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes: a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to input and / or output signals.

[0117] In the tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, comprising: a processor for calling and running computer instructions from a memory, so that a device equipped with the chip executes a method as in the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect or each possible implementation method.

[0118] In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, comprising: a communication device for executing the method in the first aspect, the second aspect or each possible implementation, and a communication device for executing the method in the third aspect, the fourth aspect or each possible implementation.

[0119] In the twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer program instructions, which enables a computer to execute a method as in the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect or each possible implementation.

[0120] In a thirteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program that enables a computer to execute a method as described in the first aspect, second aspect, third aspect, fourth aspect, or each possible implementation manner.

[0121] In a fourteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, comprising computer program instructions, which enable a computer to execute a method as in the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or any possible implementation manner.

[0122] The beneficial effects of the above-mentioned second to fourteenth aspects and the above-mentioned possible implementation methods can be referred to the beneficial effects brought about by the above-mentioned first aspect and the various possible implementation methods of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0123] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a multi-link communication scenario provided by this application.

[0124] FIG2 is a schematic interactive flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0125] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a trigger frame provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0126] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a trigger-related user information field provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0127] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless frame provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0128] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a media access control protocol data unit provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0129] FIG7 a is a schematic structural diagram of an access point assistance request provided in this application.

[0130] Figure 7b is a structural diagram of a link identification bitmap report field provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0131] FIG8 is a schematic interactive flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0132] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of an interaction flow of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0133] FIG10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0134] FIG11 is another schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0135] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0136] To facilitate understanding of the technical solution of the present application, the present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0137] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used only to distinguish different objects and are not used to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to the process, method, product, or device.

[0138] References to "embodiments" herein mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it refer to independent or alternative embodiments that are mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It will be understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0139] In this application, "at least one (item)" means one or more, "more than one" means two or more, "at least two (items)" means two or three and more than three, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. "Or" means that two relationships can exist, such as only A exists, only B exists; when A and B are not mutually exclusive, it can also mean that three relationships exist, such as only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c".

[0140] The following introduces the communication system involved in the embodiments of the present application.

[0141] The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, such as Wi-Fi, etc. For example, the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE 802.11 series protocols, such as the 802.11be protocol, the 802.11bn protocol, or the next generation of the 802.11bn protocol, etc., which are not listed one by one. The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to wireless personal area networks (WPANs) based on millimeter wave (MMW) and ultra-wideband (UWB) technologies, etc. For example, the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied to the IEEE 802.15 series protocols, such as the 802.15.4a protocol, the 802.15.4z protocol, or the 802.15.4ab protocol, or a future generation of UWB WPAN protocols, etc., which are not listed one by one. The technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to the following communication systems, for example, the Internet of Things (IoT) system, vehicle-to-everything (V2X, where X can represent anything), device-to-device (D2D), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) system, long-term evolution (LTE) system, fifth-generation (5G) communication system, and new communication systems that will emerge in future communication developments. For example, the V2X may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) or vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication.

[0142] WLAN systems can provide high-speed and low-latency transmission. As WLAN application scenarios continue to evolve, WLAN systems will be applied to more scenarios or industries, such as the Internet of Things industry, the Internet of Vehicles industry, the banking industry, corporate offices, sports stadiums and exhibition halls, concert halls, hotel rooms, dormitories, wards, classrooms, supermarkets, squares, streets, production workshops and warehouses, etc. Of course, devices that support WLAN communication or perception (such as access points or stations) can be sensor nodes in smart cities (such as smart water meters, smart electricity meters, and smart air detection nodes), smart devices in smart homes (such as smart cameras, projectors, displays, TVs, speakers, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), nodes in the Internet of Things, entertainment terminals (such as wearable devices such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)), smart devices in smart offices (such as printers, projectors, loudspeakers, speakers, etc.), Internet of Vehicles devices, infrastructure in daily life scenarios (such as vending machines, self-service navigation counters in supermarkets, self-service checkout equipment, self-service ordering machines, etc.), and equipment in large sports and music venues.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be implemented by a communication device in a communication system. For example, the communication device can be an MLD or a component in an MLD, such as a chip, a chip system, or other functional modules capable of calling and executing programs. Among them, the MLD can generally include multiple devices, and multiple devices in the MLD can operate on a specific frequency band or channel. As an MLD, it can include one or more stations (STA). In a WLAN system, a STA can be called a non-access point station (non-AP STA), and the MLD can be called a multi-link station device, such as a non-AP MLD; as another MLD, it can include one or more access points (AP), and the MLD can be called a multi-link station device, such as an AP MLD. As shown in Figure 1, one or more APs in the multi-link access point device 110 can establish an association relationship with one or more non-AP STAs in the multi-link station device 120 and realize communication. For example, AP 1 establishes an association with STA 1 and communicates through link 1; AP 2 establishes an association with STA 2 and communicates through link 2; ... AP n establishes an association with STA n and communicates through link n.

[0144] From the perspectives of sending and receiving data, the first device can be understood as a communication device that receives data, and the second device can be understood as a communication device that sends data, or the first device can be referred to as a receiving end, and the second device can be referred to as a transmitting end. From the perspective of different devices, as an example, the first device and the second device can be different Wi-Fi devices, or can be replaced by communication devices in different Wi-Fi devices, such as Wi-Fi chips, functional modules, or processing systems provided in different Wi-Fi devices. As another example, the first device can be a non-AP STA MLD, and the second communication device can be an AP MLD. As yet another example, the first device and the second device can both be non-AP STA MLDs or both be AP MLDs. As yet another example, the first device can be a non-AP STA MLD, and the second communication device can be an AP MLD.

[0145] The embodiment of the present application describes the method provided in the embodiment of the present application based on the first device and the second device. However, during the process of transmitting signals, the first device and the second device can also forward the signal through other communication devices (or communication devices), such as forwarding the signal between the first device and the second device through a forwarding device. The embodiment of the present application does not limit other communication devices (or communication devices) other than the first device and the second device.

[0146] In multi-link communication, multi-link devices communicate over multiple links, which inevitably increases or decreases the power consumption of the multi-link devices. Therefore, to reduce the power consumption of multi-link devices, the multi-link devices can be operated in "multi-link spatial multiplexing power saving mode." When a first device operates in this "multi-link spatial multiplexing power saving mode," it can enable one link (referred to as the primary link) when in an idle state, while the remaining links are in a doze state or a disabled state. When data arrives, the first device can enable all doze links, allowing the second device to send data frames to the first device over multiple links. However, on the one hand, when the first device opens all links in the dormant state, at least some of the links may be unavailable for data transmission. For example, the second device cannot compete for the channel on the link in time, or the second device does not schedule data to be transmitted on the link. In this case, blindly opening all links causes energy waste of the first device and increases unnecessary power consumption. On the other hand, the communication resources (such as antennas, etc.) of the links in the dormant state may have been occupied and cannot be used. For example, if other communication modules (such as Bluetooth, UWB, etc.) in the device where the second device is located occupy the communication resources of the link, if the second device sends data on the link with occupied communication resources, the first device may not be able to receive it correctly.

[0147] Based on this, in an embodiment of the present application, multi-link devices exchange indication information, which is used to indicate the link that carries data, so that the multi-link devices can transmit data based on the indicated link. For example, the multi-link site device can promptly open the link in the dormant state based on the indicated link, thereby reducing the power consumption of the multi-link device while improving communication efficiency.

[0148] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, opening a link in a dormant state can be expressed as activating a link in a dormant state, or can be expressed as waking up a link in a dormant state. The meanings of "open", "activate" and "wake up" are consistent when used interchangeably in the following text.

[0149] The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0150] FIG2 is a schematic interactive flow chart of a communication method 200 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG2 , the method 200 may include some or all of the following steps:

[0151] S210: The second device sends a first radio frame to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the first radio frame sent by the second device. The first radio frame carries first indication information, where the first indication information indicates M first links, where M is a positive integer, and the M first links are links over which the second device will send data to the first device.

[0152] S220: The first device sends a second radio frame to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the second radio frame sent by the first device. The second radio frame carries second indication information, and the second indication information indicates N second links, where N is a positive integer, and the N second links are links on which the first device can receive data.

[0153] Among them, the M first links can be part or all of the links between the first device and the second device. The M first links are links through which the second device is going to send data to the first device, or the M first links are links through which the second device plans to send data to the first device, or the M first links are links through which the second device requests to send data to the first device, or the M first links are links through which the second device can send data to the first device. Each first link may include one or more radio frequency channels, so that the second device can use one or more spatial streams on the first link to send data to the first device. Optionally, the first indication information may indicate the first link or at least one radio frequency channel in the first link.

[0154] The above-mentioned first device can operate in a multi-link energy-saving mode, such as MLSMPS. It should be understood that this application does not limit the naming of the multi-link energy-saving mode. When the first device operates in the multi-link energy-saving mode, the first device can communicate with the second device through the main link (i.e., the link in the on state). For example, the first device can receive the first wireless frame sent by the second device through the main link, while other links (such as K third links, K is a positive integer) are in a dormant state. In the first example, the M first links may include at least part of the K third links; in the second example, the M first links may include at least part of the K third links and the main link. In the above-mentioned first example, when the M first links indicated by the first indication information do not include the main link, the main link may be used for the second device to send data to the first device, or may not be used for the second device to send data to the first device. This application does not limit this. Whether the main link is used for the second device to send data to the first device may be agreed by the protocol or indicated by other indication information.

[0155] Optionally, the first indication information may include a bitmap, and multiple bits in the bitmap may respectively indicate whether each link in the multiple links between the first device and the second device is the first link. Based on the first example above, each bit in the bitmap may correspond to a third link, and the bit is used to indicate whether the corresponding third link is the first link, that is, to indicate whether the second device is about to send data to the first device on the third link in a dormant state, such as bitmap 1001 indicating that the first third link among the four third links is the first link, and the fourth third link is the first link; based on the second example above, the bitmap includes a bit corresponding to the main link and bits corresponding to K third links, and each bit is used to indicate whether the corresponding link is the first link. However, it should be understood that the present application is not limited to this. For example, the first indication information can indicate M first links through different values. For example, there are two third links between the first device and the second device: link A and link B. When the value of the first indication information is 00, it indicates that link A is the first link. When the value of the first indication information is 01, it indicates that link B is the first link. When the value of the first indication information is 10, it indicates that link A and link B are both first links. For another example, the first indication information may include one or more link identifiers (link IDs) to indicate one or more first links.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first indication information may not indicate any first link. For example, the first indication information may indicate that none of the K third links are first links. In this case, the second device may send data to the first device through the primary link.

[0157] The N second links are similar to the M first links and can be part or all of the links between the first device and the second device. The difference is that the N second links are links on which the first device can receive data. It can be understood that the first device can ensure the reliability of data transmission by indicating the N second links based on the second indication information, and avoid data transmission failure caused by link unavailability. For example, if the communication resources (such as the antenna) of the link between the first device and the second device are occupied, if the second device transmits data on the link, the first device will not be able to receive it correctly.

[0158] In some embodiments, there may be overlap between the N second links and the M first links. For example, some of the N second links are the same as some of the M first links; in another example, the N second links are the same as some of the M first links, that is, the N second links are a subset of the M first links; in another example, the M first links are the same as some of the N second links, that is, the M first links are a subset of the N second links; in another example, the N second links and the M first links completely overlap, or the N second links and the M third links are the same link (M=N). In other embodiments, the N second links and the M first links may not overlap, or in other words, the N second links and the M first links are different links.

[0159] To facilitate negotiation between the first device and the second device regarding a link for data transmission and to save resource overhead, the N second links indicated by the second indication information may be a subset of the M first links indicated by the first indication information. It is understood that, in response to the first indication information carried in the first radio frame, the first device may determine a link on which it can receive data based on the M first links indicated by the first indication information, thereby ensuring link availability.

[0160] When the first device operates in a multi-link energy-saving mode, the first device can communicate with the second device through the main link (i.e., the link in the turned-on state), such as the first device can send a second wireless frame to the second device through the main link, and other links (such as K third links, K is a positive integer) can be in a dormant state. The N second links are similar to the M first links. In addition to including at least part of the K third links, they can also include the main link. When the N second links indicated by the second indication information do not include the main link, the main link can be used for the second device to send data to the first device, or it can not be used for the second device to send data to the first device. This application does not limit this. Whether the main link is used for the second device to send data to the first device can be agreed by the protocol or indicated by other indication information.

[0161] Optionally, the second indication information may include a bitmap, and multiple bits in the bitmap may respectively indicate whether each link in the multiple links between the first device and the second device is the second link. The indication method of the second indication information can refer to the relevant example of the first indication information in the aforementioned example, and will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0162] In some embodiments, the second indication information may not indicate any second link. For example, the second indication information may indicate that none of the K third links are second links. In this case, the second device may send data to the first device via the primary link. It is understood that, if the N second links are a subset of the M first links, and the first indication information does not indicate any first link, then the second indication information does not indicate any second link.

[0163] In some embodiments, a first radio frame and a second radio frame are transmitted between the first device and the second device to negotiate a link for the second device to send data. The second device can comprehensively determine the link for data transmission based on the N second links and the M first links indicated by the second indication information. Exemplarily, the second device can use the overlapping links among the N second links and the M first links as the link for data transmission. However, this application is not limited to this. For example, in a scenario with a large amount of data, the second device can transmit data through the M first links, or can schedule data to be transmitted on the second link.

[0164] In some embodiments, the first wireless frame also carries third indication information, which indicates that the first wireless frame is a wireless frame carrying the first indication information, or in other words, the third indication information indicates the type of the first wireless frame, under which the first wireless frame carries the first indication information.

[0165] In some embodiments, the second wireless frame also carries fourth indication information, which indicates that the second wireless frame carries the second indication information, or in other words, the fourth indication information indicates the type of the second wireless frame (or the type of information carried by the second wireless frame), under which the second wireless frame carries the second indication information.

[0166] The following is an exemplary description of the first radio frame and the indication information carried by the first radio frame. The first radio frame can be implemented as a control frame. This application does not limit the naming of the first radio frame. For example, it can be called an initial control frame (ICF) or a link ID bitmap report poll (LIBRP) frame.

[0167] As a first example, the first wireless frame may be a trigger frame (TF), which is a control frame defined in the 802.11 series of standards. Its general frame structure can be seen in the example shown in Figure 3. Referring to Figure 3, the trigger frame may include: a frame control field, a duration field, a sender address (RA) field, a receiver address (TA) field, a common info field, a user info list field, a padding field, and a frame check sequence (FCS) field.

[0168] Among them, the common information field may include: trigger type field, uplink length (UL length) field, more trigger frames (more TF) field, carrier sense (CS required) field, uplink bandwidth (UL BW) field, guard interval and long training sequence type (GI and LTF type) field, multi-user-multiple input and multiple output long training sequence mode (MU-MIMO LTF mode) field, number of high-efficiency long training sequence symbols and midamble periodicity field, uplink space-time block code (UL STBC) field, low-density parity check code extra symbol segment (LDPC extra symbol segment) field, access point transmit power (AP TX power) field, forward error correction filling factor (pre-FEC padding factor) field, packet extension disambiguation (PE disambiguation) field, uplink spatial reuse (UL spatial reuse) field, Doppler field, uplink high-efficiency signal A2 reservation (UL-HE-SIG-A2 reserved) field, reserved field and trigger-related common information (trigger dependent common info) field.

[0169] The user information list field may include multiple user information fields. A user information field may include an association identifier (AID) field, a resource unit allocation (RU allocation) field, an uplink forward error correction coding type (UL FEC coding type) field, an uplink high-efficiency modulation and coding strategy (UL HE-MCS) field, an uplink dual-carrier modulation (UL DCM) field, a spatial stream allocation / random access resource unit information (SS allocation / RA-RU information) field, an uplink target signal strength (UL target RSSI) field, a reserved field, and a trigger-dependent user information field.

[0170] The trigger frame shown in Figure 3 can be implemented as various types of trigger frames, such as a multiple user-request to send (MU-RTS) frame, a basic trigger frame, a beamforming report poll (BFRP) frame, a buffer status report poll (BSRP) frame, a multi-user block acknowledgment request (MU-block ACK request, BAR) frame, a groupcast with retries (GCR) MU-BAR frame, a bandwidth query report poll (BQRP) frame, and a null data packet feedback report poll (NFRP) frame.

[0171] The trigger type field in the common info field may be used to indicate the type of the trigger frame. For example, see Table 1 below:

[0172] Table 1

[0173] In an embodiment of the present application, the first wireless frame may be a new trigger frame, as shown in Figure 4, and the first wireless frame includes at least a trigger dependent user info field, which may carry a field that carries the first indication information, for example, a link ID bitmap field.

[0174] Exemplarily, the first radio frame may further include a trigger type field, and the third indication information carried by the first radio frame may be carried in the trigger type field. For example, the value of the third indication information may be 8 to indicate that the trigger frame type is the type of the first radio frame, such as indicating that the trigger frame type is LIBRP. It should be understood that this application does not limit the value of the third indication information. For example, it may be any value from 8 to 15 in Table 1 above, or a value greater than 15.

[0175] Exemplarily, the new trigger frame is not limited to application in the multi-link power saving mode, and can be applied to, for example, at least one of the MLSMPS mode, the DSO mode, the in-device coexistence (coexistence, also known as in-device coexistence) mode, and the dynamic power saving mode. In this case, the first radio frame may further include sixth indication information, where the sixth indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame in the MLSMPS mode.

[0176] Exemplarily, the sixth indication information may be carried in the trigger dependent common info field in Figure 3. Exemplarily, the sixth indication information may be carried in the ICF type field in the trigger dependent common info field, where the ICF type field is used to indicate different types of ICFs or ICFs in different modes. For example, the correspondence between the value of the ICF type and the type of the indicated ICF may be shown in Table 2 below:

[0177] Table 2

[0178] Exemplarily, the trigger dependent common info field also includes a length field, which is used to indicate the length of the trigger dependent user info field. It is understandable that in different modes, the length of the information carried by the trigger dependent user info field (such as the first indication information in the MLSMPS mode) is different. However, this application does not limit this. For example, the length of the trigger dependent user info field, or the length of the first indication information carried in the trigger dependent user info field, can be agreed upon by the protocol.

[0179] As a second example, the first radio frame may be a new control frame, the frame structure of which is proposed by this application. Referring to the example shown in FIG5 , the first radio frame may include: a frame control field, a duration field, an address 1 field, an address 2 field, a control field, an information field, a frame check sequence (FCS) 2 field, a padding field, and an FCS field. It should be noted that the frame structure of the first radio frame shown in FIG5 is only an example and not a limiting description. The frame structure of the first radio frame may also include more or fewer fields, and this application does not limit this.

[0180] Exemplarily, the first indication information may be carried in the info field.

[0181] Exemplarily, the first radio frame and the second radio frame may have the same frame structure, such as the second radio frame may also have the frame structure shown in Figure 5. In this case, in order to distinguish the two radio frames, the first radio frame and the second radio frame may be divided into two different subtypes of radio frames under the frame structure, such as the first radio frame is ICF and the second radio frame is ICR. In this case, the first radio frame also includes eleventh indication information, which is used to indicate the subtype of the first radio frame. Exemplarily, the eleventh indication information may be carried in the control field in Figure 5.

[0182] Exemplarily, the new radio frame is not limited to application in the multi-link energy saving mode, and can be applied to at least one of the above-mentioned MLSMPS mode, DSO mode, coexistence mode, and dynamic power save mode. In this case, the first radio frame may further include sixth indication information, which indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame in the MLSMPS mode. Exemplarily, the sixth indication information may be carried in the control field in Figure 5.

[0183] Exemplarily, the control field may also carry the length information of the info field, for example, in bytes. It is understandable that the length of the information carried by the info field (such as the first indication information in the MLSMPS mode) varies in different modes. However, this application is not limited to this. For example, the length of the info field, or the length of the first indication information carried in the info field, may be agreed upon by the protocol.

[0184] Exemplarily, the FCS2 field can be used for frame check, which does not cover the padding field and the subsequent FCS field. Exemplarily, the FCS field can be used for frame check by a third-party site, which can cover the padding field. Optionally, after receiving the ICF, the first device can perform frame check according to FCS2.

[0185] Exemplarily, based on the above frame structure, the third indication information in this embodiment may be carried in a control frame, such as a subtype field in an MPDU header.

[0186] The following is an exemplary description of the second radio frame and the indication information carried by the second radio frame. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the naming of the second indication information. As a possible example, the second indication information can be called a link ID bitmap report (LIBR). The embodiment of the present application does not limit the naming of the second radio frame. For example, it can be called an initial control response frame (ICR) or a LIBR frame.

[0187] In a first implementation, the second radio frame may be a radio frame including an A-control field. The second radio frame may be implemented as a data frame, such as a quality of service (QoS) null data frame or a QoS data frame; or the second radio frame may be implemented as a management frame.

[0188] Exemplarily, the A-control field may be included in the high-throughput (HT) control field of the medium access control protocol data unit (MPDU) header. Referring to FIG6 , the A-control field in the HT control field may include a control list field and a padding field. The control list field includes one or more control fields, each of which includes a control ID field and a control information field.

[0189] The control ID field may indicate the type of information carried by the A-control field, as shown in Table 3 below:

[0190] Table 3

[0191] Exemplarily, the second indication information may be carried in the A-control field in the second radio frame.

[0192] Exemplarily, the second indication information may be carried in the control information field in the A-control field.

[0193] Exemplarily, the fourth indication information may indicate that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information, such as LIBR. The fourth indication information may be carried in the control ID field of the A-control field. The fourth indication information may indicate that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information in the following two possible ways:

[0194] Method 1: The value of the fourth indication information is a newly added value, that is, the value of the fourth indication information is not included in the corresponding relationship shown in Table 3 above. For example, the value of the fourth indication information is 10, indicating that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information, or indicating that the information carried by the control information field is ICR.

[0195] In mode 2, the fourth indication information multiplexes the value of the AAR indication information to indicate the second indication information. For example, the value of the fourth indication information is 9, indicating that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information or the AAR. In this case, the A-control field also includes fifth indication information, which indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information.

[0196] Exemplarily, the fifth indication information may be carried in the control information field of the A-control field. Referring to FIG7a , the AAR frame structure may include an auxiliary AP link identification bitmap field (B0-B15) and a reserved field (B16-B19). In order to implement multiplexing indications, the embodiment of the present application extends AAR to a more general control type, such as a LIBR field. Referring to FIG7b , the LIBR field may include a link identification bitmap field and a LIBR type field. AAR is a subtype of LIBR, and available links are another subtype. Available links are used to carry the second indication information. The correspondence between the value of the LIBR type field (which can carry the fifth indication information) and the indicated subtype can be seen in Table 4 below:

[0197] Table 4

[0198] Referring to Table 4 above, a value of 1 for the fifth indication information may indicate that the control information field carries the second indication information.

[0199] Exemplarily, the second radio frame is not limited to being applied to the multi-link energy saving mode, for example, it can be applied to at least one of the above-mentioned MLSMPS mode, DSO mode, coexistence mode, and dynamic power save mode. In this case, the second radio frame may further include seventh indication information, which indicates that the second radio frame is a radio frame in the MLSMPS mode. Exemplarily, the seventh indication information may be carried in the control information field. Exemplarily, the second information in the control information field may be carried based on a newly added frame structure, for example, the control information field includes an ICR type field and an ICR info field, wherein the ICR type field may be used to indicate the communication mode applied by the first radio frame, and the ICR info field may be used to carry information of the corresponding communication mode. The manner in which the ICR type field indicates different communication modes can be seen in Table 5 below:

[0200] Table 5

[0201] In a second implementation, the second radio frame may be a control frame, which may be a radio frame with a new frame structure proposed in this application. The frame structure of the second radio frame may refer to the example shown in FIG5 .

[0202] Exemplarily, the second indication information may be carried in the info field.

[0203] Exemplarily, the fourth indication information may be carried in the info field.

[0204] Exemplarily, the fifth indication information may be carried in the info field.

[0205] Exemplarily, the first radio frame and the second radio frame may have the same frame structure. In this case, to distinguish the two radio frames, the first radio frame and the second radio frame may be divided into two different subtypes of radio frames under the frame structure. In this case, the second radio frame further includes twelfth indication information, which is used to indicate the subtype of the second radio frame. Exemplarily, the twelfth indication information may be carried in the control field in FIG. 5 .

[0206] Exemplarily, the new radio frame is not limited to application in the multi-link energy saving mode, and can be applied to at least one of the above-mentioned MLSMPS mode, DSO mode, coexistence mode, and dynamic power save mode. In this case, the second radio frame may further include seventh indication information, which indicates that the second radio frame is a radio frame in the MLSMPS mode. Exemplarily, the seventh indication information may be carried in the control field in Figure 5.

[0207] Exemplarily, the control field may also carry information about the length of the info field, in bytes, for example. It is understandable that the length of the information carried by the info field (such as the second indication information in the MLSMPS mode) varies in different modes. However, this application is not limited to this. For example, the length of the info field, or the length of the second indication information carried in the info field, may be determined by the protocol.

[0208] Exemplarily, the FCS2 field can be used for frame check, which does not cover the padding field and the following FCS field. Exemplarily, the FCS field can be used for frame check by a third-party site, which can cover the padding field. Optionally, after receiving the ICR, the second device can perform frame check according to FCS2.

[0209] Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, the second device sends a first wireless frame carrying first indication information to the first device, where the first indication information indicates M first links, and the M first links are the links for the second device to send data to the first device, and the first device sends a second wireless frame carrying second indication information to the second device, where the second indication information indicates N second links, and the N second links are the links for the first device to receive data, so as to improve the communication efficiency of data transmission between the first device and the second device.

[0210] FIG8 is a schematic interactive flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG8, based on the embodiment shown in FIG2 and any of the above embodiments, before the second device sends the first radio frame to the first device, the method further includes:

[0211] S230: The first device sends a third radio frame to the second device, and the second device receives the third radio frame sent by the first device. The third radio frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-link energy-saving mode (such as an MLSMPS mode). In the multi-link energy-saving mode, K third links are in a dormant state.

[0212] S240, the second device sends a fourth radio frame to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the fourth radio frame sent by the second device. The fourth radio frame is used to respond to a request to establish a multi-link power saving mode (such as MLSMPS mode).

[0213] Exemplarily, the third radio frame may carry information about K third links that are allowed to be awakened. Optionally, the K third links may be some or all of the links between the first device and the second device except the main link. The K third links that are allowed to be awakened may be some or all of the links in a dormant state, that is, the links in a dormant state may include links that are not allowed to be awakened. The information about the K third links carried by the third radio frame may be, for example, link IDs or link ID bitmaps of the K third links.

[0214] Exemplarily, the third radio frame may carry information of the first primary link, such as a link identifier (link ID) of the first primary link, to indicate a link that is allowed to communicate in the multi-link energy-saving mode.

[0215] In some embodiments, the fourth radio frame may indicate the successful establishment of a multi-link energy-saving mode, in which case the second device agrees with the K third links and / or main links indicated by the first device. In other embodiments, the fourth radio frame may carry information on P fourth links and / or information on the second main link, where the P fourth links are links that are allowed to be in a dormant state and / or links that are allowed to be awakened. For example, the second device may determine the second main link and / or the P fourth links based on the amount of data transmitted in the multi-link energy-saving mode. Optionally, the P fourth links may be a subset of the K third links.

[0216] In this embodiment, the first device and the second device establish a multi-link energy-saving mode (such as the MLSMPS mode) through interaction to clarify the main link and / or the link in the sleep mode under the multi-link energy-saving mode (such as the MLSMPS mode), save device power consumption, and when data arrives, it is convenient to wake up the link for user data transmission, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0217] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of an interaction flow of a communication method 300 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG9 , the method 300 may include some or all of the following steps:

[0218] S310: The second device sends a fifth radio frame to the first device. Correspondingly, the first device receives the fifth radio frame sent by the second device. The fifth radio frame carries eighth indication information, and the eighth indication information indicates that the fifth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode.

[0219] S320: The first device sends a sixth radio frame to the second device, and correspondingly, the second device receives the sixth radio frame sent by the first device. The sixth radio frame carries ninth indication information, and the ninth indication information indicates that the sixth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode.

[0220] The first communication mode includes at least one of the following modes:

[0221] 1. MLSMPS mode. For the MLSMPS mode, please refer to the description in the above example.

[0222] 2. DSO mode: In this mode, sub-band switching can be performed on non-AP STAs, thereby supporting multiple small-bandwidth sites.

[0223] 3. Coexistence mode, in which the capabilities of the receiver and the time period in which it can operate can be confirmed to avoid possible interference between different communication technologies (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and UWB).

[0224] 4. Dynamic power save mode: In this mode, information can be received with lower power consumption when the service is idle, and the receiving capacity can be adjusted when data arrives, such as adjusting the receiving bandwidth, number of streams, MCS and other communication parameters.

[0225] Exemplarily, no matter which of the above communication modes the first communication mode is, the fifth radio frame in the first communication mode can be collectively referred to as ICF, and the sixth radio frame in the first communication mode can be collectively referred to as ICR.

[0226] In this embodiment of the present application, the fifth radio frame is similar to the first radio frame in the aforementioned example. It should be understood that when the first communication mode includes the MLSMPS mode, the fifth radio frame can be implemented as the first radio frame in the aforementioned example. The sixth radio frame is similar to the second radio frame in the aforementioned example. When the first communication mode includes the MLSMPS mode, the sixth radio frame can be implemented as the second radio frame in the aforementioned example. Regardless of the communication mode, the fifth radio frame can be referred to as an ICF, and the sixth radio frame can be referred to as an ICR.

[0227] The fifth radio frame is similar to the first radio frame and may be a trigger frame as shown in FIG3 or a new control frame as shown in FIG5. The eighth indication information carried by the fifth radio frame may refer to the description of the sixth indication information in the first radio frame in the aforementioned example. The sixth indication information is a specific implementation of the eighth indication information and is not further described for the sake of brevity.

[0228] The sixth radio frame is similar to the second radio frame and may be a radio frame including an A-control field, such as a data frame or a management frame including an A-control field (as shown in FIG6 ), or may be a control frame as shown in FIG5 . The ninth indication information carried by the sixth radio frame can refer to the description of the seventh indication information in the second radio frame in the aforementioned example. The seventh indication information is a specific implementation of the ninth indication information and is not further described for the sake of brevity.

[0229] Exemplarily, the fifth wireless frame also includes tenth indication information, which is used to indicate the first communication parameter between the first device and the second device in the first communication mode. It should be understood that when the first communication mode is the MLSMPS mode, the tenth indication information is similar to the first indication information in the aforementioned embodiment. When the first communication mode is the DSO mode, the tenth indication information can indicate the information of the anchor channel (such as location information), wherein the anchor channel is the main channel where the first device resides when it switches to other subbands (segments) after receiving the ICF; when the first communication mode is the dynamic power save mode, the tenth indication information can indicate the sending parameters of the data frame (such as bandwidth, number of spatial streams, MCS, etc.), so that the first device can adjust its receiving capability. The carrying method and indication method of the tenth indication information can refer to the description of the first indication information in the aforementioned example, and will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0230] Exemplarily, the sixth wireless frame also includes an eleventh indication information, which is used to indicate the second communication parameter between the first device and the second device under the first communication mode. It should be understood that when the first communication mode is the MLSMPS mode, the eleventh indication information is similar to the second indication information in the aforementioned embodiment. When the first communication mode is the DSO mode, the eleventh indication information can indicate the information of the anchor channel (such as location information), wherein the anchor channel is the main channel where the first device resides when it switches to other subbands (segments) after receiving the ICF; when the first communication mode is the dynamic power save mode, the eleventh indication information can indicate the transmission parameters of the data frame (such as bandwidth, number of spatial streams, MCS, etc.). The carrying method and indication method of the eleventh indication information can refer to the description of the second indication information in the aforementioned example, and will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0231] It should be noted that the second communication parameter indicated by the eleventh indication information and the first communication parameter indicated by the tenth indication information may be the same as or different from each other, and this application does not impose any limitation on this.

[0232] Exemplarily, the fifth radio frame and the sixth radio frame may adopt the same first frame structure, such as both adopting the frame structure of the new control frame as shown in FIG5 . In this case, in order to distinguish the fifth radio frame from the sixth radio frame, the fifth radio frame may carry twelfth indication information, and the twelfth indication information is used to indicate the fifth radio frame adopting the first frame structure (such as indicating ICF). The sixth radio frame may carry thirteenth indication information, and the thirteenth indication information is used to indicate the sixth radio frame adopting the first frame structure (such as indicating ICR). The carrying method and indication method of the twelfth indication information, and the carrying method and indication method of the thirteenth indication information have been described in the aforementioned examples and will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0233] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. In one possible implementation, the communication device 400 may include a module or unit corresponding to the method / operation / step / action performed by the first device or the second device in the above method embodiment. The unit may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software. In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 10, the device 400 may include: a transceiver module 410 and a processing module 420.

[0234] Optionally, the communication apparatus 400 may correspond to the first device in the above method embodiment.

[0235] The communication device 400 may be used to execute the method on the first device side in any method embodiment shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 9 .

[0236] When the communication device 400 is used to execute the method embodiment shown in Figure 2, the transceiver module 410 can be used to receive a first wireless frame sent by a second device, where the first wireless frame carries first indication information, where the first indication information indicates M first links, where M is a positive integer, and the M first links are links through which the second device will send data to the first device; the processing module 420 can be used to generate a second wireless frame, where the second wireless frame carries second indication information, where the second indication information indicates N second links, where N is a positive integer, and the N second links are links through which the first device can receive data, and the N second links are a subset of the M first links; the transceiver module 410 can also be used to send a second wireless frame to the second device.

[0237] When the communication device 400 is used to execute the method embodiment shown in Figure 9, the transceiver module 410 may be used to receive a fifth radio frame sent by the second device, where the fifth radio frame carries eighth indication information, and the eighth indication information indicates that the fifth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode; the processing module 420 is used to generate a sixth radio frame, where the sixth radio frame carries ninth indication information, and the ninth indication information indicates that the sixth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode; the transceiver module 410 is further used to send the sixth radio frame to the second device; wherein the first communication mode includes at least one of the following modes:

[0238] MLSMPS mode;

[0239] Dynamic sub-band operation DSO mode;

[0240] In-device coexistence mode;

[0241] Dynamic energy saving mode.

[0242] It should be understood that the specific process executed by each module has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0243] Optionally, the communication apparatus 400 may correspond to the second device in the above method embodiment.

[0244] The communication device 400 may be used to execute the method on the second device side in any method embodiment shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 9 .

[0245] When the communication device 400 is used to execute the method embodiment shown in Figure 2, the processing module 420 can be used to generate a first wireless frame, which carries first indication information, and the first indication information indicates M first links, where M is a positive integer, and the M first links are links through which the second device will send data to the first device; the transceiver module 410 can be used to send the first wireless frame to the first device; the transceiver module 410 can also be used to receive a second wireless frame sent by the first device, which carries second indication information, and the second indication information indicates N second links, where N is a positive integer, and the N second links are links through which the first device can receive data, and the N second links are a subset of the M first links.

[0246] When the communication apparatus 400 is used to execute the method embodiment shown in FIG9 , the processing module 420 may be used to generate a fifth radio frame, where the fifth radio frame carries eighth indication information, where the eighth indication information indicates that the fifth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode; the transceiver module 410 may be used to send the fifth radio frame to the first device; the transceiver module 410 may also be used to receive a sixth radio frame sent by the first device, where the sixth radio frame carries ninth indication information, where the ninth indication information indicates that the sixth radio frame is a radio frame in the first communication mode; wherein the first communication mode includes at least one of the following modes:

[0247] MLSMPS mode;

[0248] Dynamic sub-band operation DSO mode;

[0249] In-device coexistence mode;

[0250] Dynamic energy saving mode.

[0251] It should be understood that the specific process executed by each module has been described in detail in the above method embodiment, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0252] The transceiver module 410 in the communication device 400 can be implemented by a transceiver, for example, it can correspond to the transceiver 520 in the communication device 500 shown in Figure 11, and the processing module 420 in the communication device 400 can be implemented by at least one processor, for example, it can correspond to the processor 510 in the communication device 500 shown in Figure 11.

[0253] When the communication device 400 is a chip or chip system configured in a communication device, the transceiver module 410 in the communication device 400 can be implemented through an input / output interface, circuit, etc., and the processing module 420 in the communication device 400 can be implemented through a processor, microprocessor or integrated circuit integrated on the chip or chip system.

[0254] Figure 11 is another schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device 500 may include: a processor 510. The processor 510 may be used to execute the method executed by the first device or the second device in the above method embodiment.

[0255] In some possible implementations, the communication device 500 may include a transceiver 520. The transceiver 520 may communicate with the processor 510 via an internal connection path. The processor 510 may control the transceiver 520 to send and / or receive signals.

[0256] In some possible implementations, the communication device 500 may include a memory 530. The memory 530 may communicate with the processor 510 via an internal connection path. The memory 530 and the processor 510 may be integrated or provided separately. The memory 530 may also be a memory external to the device. The memory 530 is used to store instructions, and the processor 510 is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 530 to perform the method in the above method embodiment.

[0257] It should be understood that the communication device 500 can be used to execute the various steps and / or processes performed by the first device or the second device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. Optionally, the memory 530 may include a read-only memory and a random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor. A portion of the memory may also include a non-volatile random access memory. The memory 530 can be a separate device or integrated into the processor 510. The processor 510 can be used to execute the instructions stored in the memory 530, and when the processor 510 executes the instructions stored in the memory, the processor 510 is used to execute the various steps and / or processes of the above-mentioned method embodiment.

[0258] Optionally, the communication device 500 is the first device in the above embodiment.

[0259] Optionally, the communication device 500 is the second device in the above embodiment.

[0260] The transceiver 520 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 520 may further include an antenna, which may be one or more. The processor 510, memory 530, and transceiver 520 may be integrated on different chips. For example, the processor 510 and memory 530 may be integrated in a baseband chip, and the transceiver 520 may be integrated in a radio frequency chip. The processor 510, memory 530, and transceiver 520 may also be integrated on the same chip. This application does not limit this.

[0261] The transceiver 520 may also be a communication interface, such as an input / output interface, a circuit, etc. The transceiver 520, the processor 510, and the memory 530 may be integrated into the same chip, such as a baseband chip.

[0262] This application also provides a processing device, including at least one processor, which executes a computer program or logic circuit to cause the processing device to execute the method executed by the first device or the second device in the above method embodiment. The processing device may also include a memory for storing the computer program.

[0263] The present application also provides a processing device including a processor and an input / output interface. The input / output interface is coupled to the processor. The input / output interface is used to input and / or output information. The information includes at least one of instructions and data. The processor is configured to execute a computer program to cause the processing device to perform the method performed by the first device or the second device in the above-described method embodiment.

[0264] The present application also provides a processing device including a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and execute the computer program from the memory, so that the processing device executes the method executed by the first device or the second device in the above method embodiment.

[0265] It should be understood that the processing device may be one or more chips. For example, the processing device may be a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on chip (SoC), a central processor unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated chips.

[0266] During implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of the hardware in the processor or by instructions in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or can be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software module can be located in a storage medium mature in the art such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in conjunction with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here.

[0267] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0268] According to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program or a set of instructions, which, when the computer program or a set of instructions is run on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method executed by the first device or the second device in the above method embodiment.

[0269] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a program. When the program is run on a computer, the computer executes the method executed by the first device or the second device in the above method embodiment.

[0270] According to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides a communication system, which may include the aforementioned first device or second device.

[0271] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to a first device, comprising: receiving a first radio frame sent by a second device, where the first radio frame carries first indication information, where the first indication information indicates M first links, where M is a positive integer, and the M first links are links through which the second device will send data to the first device; A second radio frame is sent to the second device, where the second radio frame carries second indication information, where the second indication information indicates N second links, where N is a positive integer, and the N second links are links on which the first device can receive data, and the N second links are a subset of the M first links.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first radio frame is a trigger frame.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The first indication information is carried in the trigger dependent user info field in the trigger frame.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The first radio frame further carries third indication information, where the third indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame carrying the first indication information.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The third indication information is carried in the trigger type field of the first radio frame.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The second indication information is carried in an aggregation control A-control field in the second radio frame.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The second indication information is carried in the A-control field in the second radio frame, including: the second indication information is carried in the control information field of the A-control field.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The second radio frame further carries fourth indication information; The fourth indication information indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The fourth indication information is used to indicate that the control information field is used to carry the second indication information or AAR information, and the A-control field also includes fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that The fourth indication information is carried in the control ID field of the A-control field.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The fifth indication information is carried in the control information field of the A-control field.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that Also includes: Sending a third radio frame, where the third radio frame carries information of K third links allowed to be awakened, where K is a positive integer, and the third radio frame is used to request establishment of a multi-link spatial multiplexing energy-saving MLSMPS mode. In the MLSMPS mode, the K third links are in a dormant state, and the M first links are a subset of the K third links; A fourth radio frame is received, where the fourth radio frame is used to respond to the request to establish the MLSMPS mode.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The first radio frame also includes sixth indication information, where the sixth indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame in MLSMPS mode.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that The second radio frame also includes seventh indication information, where the seventh indication information indicates that the second radio frame is a radio frame in MLSMPS mode.

15. A communication method, characterized in that: Applied to the second device, comprising: a first radio frame sent to a first device, the first radio frame carrying first indication information, the first indication information indicating M first links, where M is a positive integer, and the M first links are links through which the second device will send data to the first device; Receive a second radio frame sent by the first device, where the second radio frame carries second indication information, where the second indication information indicates N second links, where N is a positive integer, and the N second links are links on which the first device can receive data, and the N second links are a subset of the M first links.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The first radio frame is a trigger frame.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that The first indication information is carried in the trigger dependent user info field in the trigger frame.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that The first radio frame further carries third indication information, where the third indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame carrying the first indication information.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The third indication information is carried in the trigger type field of the first radio frame.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that The second indication information is carried in the A-control field in the second radio frame.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that The second indication information is carried in the A-control field in the second radio frame, including: the second indication information is carried in the control information field of the A-control field.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that The second radio frame further carries fourth indication information; The fourth indication information indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that The fourth indication information is used to indicate that the control information field is used to carry the second indication information or AAR information, and the A-control field also includes fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information indicates that the information carried by the control information field is the second indication information.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that The fourth indication information is carried in the control ID field of the A-control field.

25. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that The fifth indication information is carried in the control information field of the A-control field.

26. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, characterized in that Also includes: receiving a third radio frame, where the third radio frame carries information of K third links allowed to be awakened, where K is a positive integer, and the third radio frame is used to request establishment of a multi-link spatial multiplexing energy-saving MLSMPS mode, where the K third links are in a dormant state in the MLSMPS mode, and the M first links are a subset of the K third links; A fourth radio frame is sent, where the fourth radio frame is used to respond to the request to establish the MLSMPS mode.

27. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 26, characterized in that The first radio frame also includes sixth indication information, where the sixth indication information indicates that the first radio frame is a radio frame in MLSMPS mode.

28. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 27, characterized in that The second radio frame also includes seventh indication information, where the seventh indication information indicates that the second radio frame is a radio frame in MLSMPS mode.

29. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

30. A communication device, characterized in that: include: A processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 28 by running a computer program or by a logic circuit.

31. A communication system, characterized in that: include: A communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, and a communication device for executing the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

32. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that Used to store computer program instructions, wherein the computer program causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

33. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises computer program instructions which cause a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 28.

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