Communication control device, communication control method, wireless communication device, and wireless communication method

Abstract

The present technology relates to a communication control device, a communication control method, a wireless communication device, and a wireless communication method that make it possible to appropriately switch the connection of a wireless terminal device on the basis of a QoS function of a wireless communication device serving as the switching destination of the connection of the wireless terminal device. A second AP MLD among a first AP MLD and a second AP MLD capable of connection with an STA MLD performs switching determination processing for determining whether to switch the connection destination of the STA MLD from the second AP MLD to the first AP MLD on the basis of QoS information regarding a QoS function of the first AP MLD. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a wireless communication system or the like comprising: an STA MLD equivalent to a child device that corresponds to an MLO; and a plurality of AP MLDs equivalent to a base station corresponding to an MLO that is connectable to the STA MLD via a plurality of links.

Description

COMMUNICATION CONTROL DEVICE AND COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD, AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHOD

[0001] The present technology relates to a communication control device and a communication control method, and a wireless communication device and a wireless communication method, and in particular to a communication control device and a communication control method, and a wireless communication device and a wireless communication method that enable appropriate switching of a connection of a wireless terminal device based on a QoS function of a wireless communication device to which the connection of the wireless terminal device is switched.

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for low-latency, highly reliable wireless communications to support a variety of use cases, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), extended reality (XR), and factory automation.

[0003] Therefore, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11be standard ("IEEE" is a registered trademark), which is equivalent to Wi-Fi 7 ("Wi-Fi" is a registered trademark), adopted Quality of Service (QoS) functions such as TID-to-Link Mapping and R-TWT (Restricted Target Wake Time). TID-to-Link Mapping is a function that assigns traffic requiring low-latency and highly reliable wireless communication to a specific link, and R-TWT is a function that sets a priority transmission period for such traffic.

[0004] The IEEE802.11be standard also includes enhanced QoS functions, such as QoS mapping and SCS (Stream Classification Service) / MSCS (Mirroring Stream Classification Service), to identify traffic requiring low-latency, highly reliable wireless communication. Wi-Fi terminal devices can use these QoS functions to ensure wireless communication with low latency and highly reliable transmission for specific traffic.

[0005] Meanwhile, in places such as homes, offices, and factories where the above-mentioned use cases occur, it is becoming common to install multiple AP (access point) devices to ensure sufficient radio waves are supplied to the required areas. In this case, it is desirable for a STA (station) device such as a Wi-Fi terminal device to select the optimal AP device based on the radio wave environment of its location and perform handover processing to switch to that AP device.

[0006] A common method for selecting a destination AP device is for the AP device or STA device to make the selection based on information such as radio wave strength and communication success rate. However, optimizing the selection of a destination AP device is not easy. For example, frequent switching increases the amount of time during which communication is temporarily unavailable. On the other hand, if switching is not performed, the radio wave strength of the currently used link weakens, potentially resulting in unsatisfactory communication performance. In addition, the destination AP device must be selected taking into consideration the capability information and load status of each AP device.

[0007] Therefore, there has been much research into methods for selecting a destination AP device. For example, one method for selecting a destination AP device is to select based on not only the communication quality and voice quality of each AP device but also the traffic volume (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0008] JP 2010-98397 A

[0009] However, the implementation of the QoS function and the setting of its parameters are triggered by a STA device negotiating with the currently connected AP device. Therefore, the implementation of the QoS function and its parameters are valid only within the BSS (Basic Service Set) that includes the currently connected AP device and STA device, and are not necessarily valid in BSSs managed by other AP devices.

[0010] For example, if a STA device is implementing a QoS function to prioritize transmission of certain traffic between the currently connected AP device, the STA device negotiates with the destination AP device and requests the implementation of the QoS function. However, if the destination AP device has traffic that should be prioritized over the traffic or has other STA devices under its control, the request may be rejected.

[0011] Therefore, if AP switching is performed without considering the QoS functions currently in operation in the BSS of each AP, the STA may not be able to use the desired QoS functions after the switching, which may result in transmission delays and a deterioration in reliability.

[0012] Therefore, there is a demand for a method to appropriately switch the connection of a wireless terminal device, such as an STA device, based on the QoS function of a wireless communication device, such as an AP device, to which the connection of the wireless terminal device is switched, but such a demand has not yet been fully met.

[0013] The present technology has been developed in consideration of such circumstances, and enables appropriate switching of the connection of a wireless terminal device based on the QoS function of the wireless communication device to which the connection of the wireless terminal device is being switched.

[0014] A communication control device according to a first aspect of the present technology is a communication control device that includes a determination unit that performs a switching determination process to determine whether to switch the connection destination of a wireless terminal device from a first wireless communication device to a second wireless communication device based on QoS information, which is information regarding the QoS function of the first wireless communication device among a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device that can be connected to the wireless terminal device.

[0015] A communication control method according to a first aspect of the present technology is a communication control method that includes a communication control device performing a switching determination process to determine whether to switch the connection destination of a wireless terminal device from a first wireless communication device to a first wireless communication device, based on QoS information that is information regarding a QoS function of the first wireless communication device among a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device that can be connected to the wireless terminal device.

[0016] In a first aspect of the present technology, a switching determination process is performed to determine whether to switch the connection destination of a wireless terminal device from a first wireless communication device to a second wireless communication device based on QoS information, which is information regarding the QoS function of the first wireless communication device among a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device that can be connected to the wireless terminal device.

[0017] The communication control device according to the first aspect of the present technology may be an independent device or a module incorporated into another device.

[0018] A wireless communication device according to a second aspect of the present technology is a wireless communication device including: an update determination unit that determines whether or not a QoS function of the wireless communication device can be updated based on update request information that requests an update of the QoS function of the wireless communication device and is transmitted from another wireless communication device that is connected to the wireless terminal device and determines whether or not the QoS function can be updated; and a transmission control unit that controls transmission of update information, which is information related to updating the QoS function, to the other wireless communication device based on the result of the determination by the update determination unit.

[0019] A wireless communication method according to a second aspect of the present technology is a wireless communication method including: a wireless communication device determining whether or not a QoS function of the wireless communication device can be updated based on update request information requesting an update of a QoS function of the wireless communication device, the update request information being transmitted from another wireless communication device that is connected to the wireless terminal device and that determines whether or not the QoS function can be updated; and controlling, based on a result of the determination, transmission of update information, which is information related to the update of the QoS function, to the other wireless communication device.

[0020] In a second aspect of the present technology, a determination is made as to whether or not a QoS function can be updated based on update request information that requests an update of a QoS function of a wireless communication device, the update request information being transmitted from another wireless communication device that is connected to the wireless terminal device and that determines whether to switch the connection destination of the wireless terminal device, and based on the result of the determination, control is exercised so that update information that is information regarding the update of the QoS function is transmitted to the other wireless communication device.

[0021] The communication control device according to the first aspect and the wireless communication device according to the second aspect of the present technology can be realized by causing a computer to execute a program.

[0022] In addition, in order to realize the communication control device of the first aspect and the wireless communication device of the second aspect of the present technology, a program to be executed by a computer can be provided by transmitting it via a transmission medium or by recording it on a recording medium.

[0023] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a first embodiment of a wireless communication system to which the present technology is applied. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an AP MLD. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a STA MLD. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a switching determination unit. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an acquisition unit. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating a first example of a connection switching determination process. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a first example of an element structure of a Measurement Request frame. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a first example of an element structure of a Measurement Report frame. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a second example of an element structure of a Measurement Request frame. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an element structure of a Measurement Report frame. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of compressed R-TWT information. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of compressed SCS / MSCS information. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of compressed QoS Mapping information. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a UHR BSS Load Element. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating details of a first example of a switching determination process. FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating details of a second example of a switching determination process. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a structure of a TID Query Request frame. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a structure of a TID Query Report frame. FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating details of a third example of a switching determination process. FIG. 19 is a sequence diagram illustrating a second example of a connection switching determination process. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a third example of a connection switching determination process. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a first example of the element structure of a Neighbor Report frame. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the element structure of a Neighbor Report frame. FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram illustrating a fourth example of a connection switching determination process. FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a post-update switching determination unit. FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an update unit. FIG. 16 is a sequence diagram illustrating a post-update switching determination process. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a QoS Status Request frame. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a QoS Status Response frame.FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a QoS Update Request frame. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a QoS Update Response frame. FIG. 3 is a diagram explaining updating of TID-to-Link Mapping. FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining updating of R-TWT. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of computer hardware. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a smartphone to which the present technology is applied. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an in-vehicle device to which the present technology is applied. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a wireless AP to which the present technology is applied.

[0024] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present technology (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described. The description will be made in the following order: 1. First embodiment (wireless communication system that determines whether to switch a STA MLD connection) 2. Second embodiment (wireless communication system that attempts to update the QoS function of a destination AP MLD before determining whether to switch a STA MLD connection) 3. Computer 4. Application example

[0025] 1. First Embodiment Configuration Example of Wireless Communication System FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a first embodiment of a wireless communication system to which the present technology is applied.

[0026] The wireless communication system 10 is configured so that two AP MLDs (Multi-Link Devices) 11-1 and 11-2 can connect to one STA MLD 12 via two links 21-1 and 21-2 (Fronthaul Links). The wireless communication system 10 determines whether or not to switch (handover) the connection destination of the STA MLD 12 from the AP MLD 11-1 to 11-2.

[0027] In the following description, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the AP MLDs 11-1 and 11-2, they will be collectively referred to as the AP MLD 11. Similarly, the links 21-1 and 21-2 will be collectively referred to as the link 21.

[0028] The AP MLD 11 is a wireless communication device equivalent to a base station that supports MLO (Multi-Link Operation), a logical entity that includes multiple APs, and is also referred to as an AP that belongs to (affiliated with) the AP MLD. MLO is a key function of the IEEE 802.11be standard, and is a wireless communication operation using multiple links. The STA MLD 12 is a wireless terminal device equivalent to a client that supports MLO, a logical entity that includes multiple STAs, and is also referred to as an STA that belongs to (affiliated with) the STA MLD. The STA MLD 12 has completed connection processing for at least one link 21 with the AP MLD 11, and is connectable via that link 21. Here, it is assumed that links 21-1 and 21-2 operate at different frequencies.

[0029] The AP MLDs 11-1 and 11-2 are capable of communicating with each other via a link 22 (Backhaul Link).

[0030] 1, the number of links connecting the AP MLD 11 and the STA MLD 12 is two, but it may be three or more. The number of AP MLDs 11 connected to the STA MLD 12 is not limited to two, but may be three or more.

[0031] <Configuration Example of AP MLD> FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the AP MLD 11 in FIG.

[0032] The AP MLD 11 includes two antennas 40-1 and 40-2, a communication unit 41, a control unit 42, a storage unit 43, and a WAN (Wide Area Network) communication unit 44. The communication unit 41 is configured from one IC (Integrated Circuit), and includes two APs 51-1 and 51-2, a common data processing unit 52, a communication control unit 53, and a communication storage unit 54.

[0033] The AP 51-1 is an AP belonging to the AP MLD 11 and is an entity that performs processing related to the link 21-1. The AP 51-1 is connected to the antenna 40-1 and is composed of an amplifier 61-1, a wireless interface 62-1, a signal processor 63-1, and an individual data processor 64-1. The AP 51-1 is connectable to the STA MLD 12 via the link 21-1.

[0034] The AP 51-2 is an AP belonging to the AP MLD 11 and is an entity that performs processing related to the link 21-2. The AP 51-2 is connected to the antenna 40-2 and is composed of an amplifier 61-2, a wireless interface 62-2, a signal processor 63-2, and an individual data processor 64-2. The AP 51-2 is connectable to the STA MLD 12 via the link 21-2.

[0035] Because the APs 51-1 and 51-2 have the same configuration, hereinafter, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the APs 51-1 and 51-2, they will be collectively referred to as the AP 51. Similarly, the antennas 40-1 and 40-2, the amplifiers 61-1 and 61-2, and the wireless interface units 62-1 and 62-2 will be collectively referred to as the antenna 40, the amplifier unit 61, and the wireless interface unit 62, respectively. Similarly, the signal processing units 63-1 and 63-2 and the individual data processing units 64-1 and 64-2 will be collectively referred to as the signal processing unit 63 and the individual data processing unit 64, respectively.

[0036] The amplifier 61 amplifies a transmission signal supplied from the wireless interface unit 62. The transmission signal amplified by the amplifier 61 is transmitted from the antenna 40. The amplifier 61 amplifies a received signal that is a signal received by the antenna 40, and supplies the amplified signal to the wireless interface unit 62. Some of the components of the amplifier 61 may be provided outside the communication unit 41. Some of the components of the amplifier 61 may be included in the wireless interface unit 62.

[0037] During transmission, the radio interface unit 62 performs digital-to-analog signal conversion, filtering, up-conversion, and phase control on the symbol stream supplied from the signal processing unit 63 to generate a transmission signal. The transmission radio interface unit supplies the transmission signal to the amplifier unit 61. During reception, the radio interface unit 62 performs down-conversion, filtering, and analog-to-digital signal conversion on the reception signal supplied from the amplifier unit 61 to generate a symbol stream. The reception radio interface unit supplies the symbol stream to the signal processing unit 63.

[0038] During transmission, the signal processing unit 63 performs encoding, interleaving, modulation, etc. on the data frame supplied from the individual data processing unit 64, adds a physical header, and generates a symbol stream. The signal processing unit 63 supplies the symbol stream to the radio interface unit 62. During reception, the signal processing unit 63 analyzes the physical header of the symbol stream supplied from the radio interface unit 62, and performs demodulation, deinterleaving, decoding, etc. on the symbol stream to generate a data frame. At this time, the signal processing unit 63 estimates complex channel characteristics and performs spatial separation processing as necessary. The signal processing unit 63 supplies the generated data frame to the individual data processing unit 64.

[0039] During transmission, the individual data processing unit 64 generates a data frame by adding a MAC header and an error detection code to a provisional data frame supplied from the common data processing unit 52. The individual data processing unit 64 performs processing such as concatenating the generated multiple data frames and supplies the data frame to the signal processing unit 63. During reception, the individual data processing unit 64 performs concatenation, MAC header removal, analysis, and error detection on the data frame supplied from the signal processing unit 63, and supplies the resulting provisional data frame to the common data processing unit 52.

[0040] During transmission, the common data processing unit 52 performs sequence management of the transmission packets, control information, and management information supplied from the communication control unit 53. The common data processing unit 52 performs encryption and other operations on the transmission packets, control information, and management information, and supplies the resulting provisional data frames to the individual data processing unit 64 of the AP 51 that has acquired the transmission right. During reception, the common data processing unit 52 decrypts the provisional data frames supplied from the individual data processing unit 64 and performs reordering. The common data processing unit 52 supplies the data packets obtained as a result of the decryption to the communication control unit 53 as received packets.

[0041] The communication control unit 53 controls the operation of each unit of the communication unit 41 and the exchange of information between each unit, thereby controlling wireless communication with the STA MLD 12 .

[0042] Specifically, the communication control unit 53 supplies data packets supplied from the control unit 42 as transmission packets to the communication storage unit 54 for storage. The communication control unit 53 supplies received packets supplied from the common data processing unit 52 to the communication storage unit 54 for storage. The communication control unit 53 reads out transmission packets from the communication storage unit 54 and supplies them to the common data processing unit 52. The communication control unit 53 generates control information and management information to be notified to the STA MLD 12 and supplies them to the common data processing unit 52.

[0043] As a result, the communication control unit 53 of the AP MLD 11-2, which is the switching destination of the connection of the STA MLD 12, performs switching destination processing to transmit communication environment information including, for example, QoS information, which is information related to its own QoS function. The communication control unit 53 of the AP MLD 11-1, which is the switching source of the connection of the STA MLD 12, performs switching determination processing to determine whether or not to switch the connection of the STA MLD 12 from the AP MLD 11-1 to the AP MLD 11-2, based on the communication environment information of the AP MLD 11-2.

[0044] The communication storage unit 54 stores information used by the communication control unit 53. The communication storage unit 54 has a transmission buffer and stores transmission packets supplied from the communication control unit 53. The communication storage unit 54 stores reception packets supplied from the communication control unit 53.

[0045] The control unit 42 controls the entire AP MLD 11. For example, the control unit 42 reads received packets from the communication storage unit 54 via the communication control unit 53 and supplies them to the storage unit 43 for storage. The control unit 42 generates data packets to be transmitted to other AP MLDs 11 and STA MLDs 12 and supplies them to the storage unit 43 for storage. The control unit 42 reads data packets to be transmitted to the STA MLD 12 from the storage unit 43 and supplies them to the communication control unit 53, thereby causing the data packets to be transmitted as transmission packets.

[0046] The control unit 42 supplies the received packet supplied from the WAN communication unit 44 to the storage unit 43 for storage. The control unit 42 reads the received packet from the storage unit 43 and supplies it to the communication control unit 53.

[0047] The control unit 42 may perform part of the control by the communication control unit 53 in place of the communication control unit 53. For example, the control unit 42 may directly exchange data packets with the common data processing unit 52. The communication control unit 53 and the control unit 42 may be integrated.

[0048] The storage unit 43 stores information used by the communication unit 41 and the control unit 42. For example, the storage unit 43 stores received packets received by the communication unit 41 or the WAN communication unit 44 and data packets generated by the control unit 42. The storage unit 43 may perform part of the operation of the communication storage unit 54 in place of the communication storage unit 54. The storage unit 43 and the communication storage unit 54 may be integrated. The storage unit 43 may directly exchange data packets with the communication storage unit 54 or the common data processing unit 52.

[0049] The WAN communication unit 44 decodes the packet acquired from the backhaul and supplies it to the control unit 42 as a received packet, thereby transferring it to the communication unit 41. The format of this received packet may be a format in which the IP (Internet Protocol) header is left intact (access point mode), or a format in which the IP header is decoded and removed by the WAN communication unit 44 (router mode).

[0050] The number of APs included in the AP MLD 11 may be three or more. The AP 51 has a 1×1 SISO (Single Input Single Output) configuration including one antenna 40 and one amplifier 61, but may have a MIMO (Multi Input Multi Output) configuration including multiple antennas 40 and multiple amplifiers 61. The communication unit 41 may be configured by multiple ICs instead of a single IC. For example, the wireless interface unit 62 may be configured by an IC different from the other units of the communication unit 41.

[0051] <Configuration Example of STA MLD> FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the STA MLD 12 in FIG.

[0052] STA MLD 12 includes two antennas 140-1 and 140-2, a communication unit 141, a control unit 142, and a storage unit 143. Communication unit 141 is configured using one IC, and includes two STAs 151-1 and 151-2, a common data processing unit 152, a communication control unit 153, and a communication storage unit 154.

[0053] STA 151-1 is a STA belonging to STA MLD 12, and is an entity that performs processing related to link 21-1. STA 151-1 is connected to antenna 140-1, and is composed of an amplifier 161-1, a radio interface 162-1, a signal processor 163-1, and an individual data processor 164-1. STA 151-1 is connectable to AP MLD 11 via link 21-1.

[0054] The STA 151-2 is a STA that belongs to the STA MLD 12 and is an entity that performs processing related to the link 21-2. The STA 151-2 is connected to the antenna 140-2 and is composed of an amplifier 161-2, a radio interface 162-2, a signal processor 163-2, and an individual data processor 164-2. The STA 151-2 is connectable to the AP MLD 11 via the link 21-2.

[0055] Because the configurations of the STAs 151-1 and 151-2 are similar, hereinafter, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the STAs 151-1 and 151-2, they will be collectively referred to as the STAs 151. Similarly, the antennas 140-1 and 140-2, the amplifiers 161-1 and 161-2, and the wireless interface units 162-1 and 162-2 will be collectively referred to as the antennas 140, amplifiers 161, and wireless interface units 162, respectively. Similarly, the signal processing units 163-1 and 163-2 and the individual data processing units 164-1 and 164-2 will be collectively referred to as the signal processing unit 163 and the individual data processing unit 164, respectively.

[0056] The processing by the amplifier 161, the wireless interface 162, and the signal processor 163 is similar to the processing by the amplifier 61, the wireless interface 62, and the signal processor 63 in Fig. 2, respectively, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. The processing by the individual data processor 164 and the common data processor 152 is similar to the processing by the individual data processor 64 and the common data processor 52, respectively, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0057] Similar to the communication control unit 53, the communication control unit 153 controls the operation of each unit of the communication unit 141 and the exchange of information between each unit, thereby controlling wireless communication with the AP MLD 11. As a result, the communication control unit 153 performs an acquisition process to acquire communication environment information of the AP MLD 11-2 in response to a request (request) from the AP MLD 11-1.

[0058] The processing of the communication storage unit 154 is similar to the processing of the communication storage unit 54, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0059] The control unit 142 controls the entire STA MLD 12. For example, the control unit 142 reads out a received packet from the communication storage unit 154 via the communication control unit 153 and supplies it to the storage unit 143 for storage. The control unit 142 generates a data packet to be transmitted to the AP MLD 11 and supplies it to the storage unit 143 for storage. The control unit 142 reads out the data packet and supplies it to the communication control unit 153, thereby causing the data packet to be transmitted as a transmission packet.

[0060] Similar to the control unit 42, the control unit 142 may perform part of the control by the communication control unit 153 instead of the communication control unit 153. The communication control unit 153 and the control unit 142 may be integrated. The processing of the storage unit 143 is the same as the processing of the storage unit 43, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0061] The number of STAs included in the STA MLD 12 may be three or more. The STA 151 has a 1×1 SISO configuration including one antenna 140 and one amplifier 161, but may have a MIMO configuration including multiple antennas 140 and multiple amplifiers 161. The communication unit 141 may be configured by multiple ICs instead of a single IC. For example, the wireless interface unit 162 may be configured by an IC different from the other units of the communication unit 141.

[0062] <Configuration Example of Switching Determination Unit> FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a switching determination unit when the communication control unit 53 of the AP MLD 11-1 functions as a switching determination unit that executes switching determination processing.

[0063] The switching determination unit 200 in FIG. 4 is made up of a transmission control unit 201, a reception control unit 202, and a determination unit 203.

[0064] The transmission control unit 201 controls the AP 51 to transmit to the STA MLD 12 a Measurement Request frame (acquisition request information) requesting the STA MLD 12 to acquire communication environment information of the surrounding AP MLD 11-2 that is a candidate for switching the connection of the STA MLD 12.

[0065] The reception control unit 202 controls the AP 51 and receives communication environment information from the AP MLD 11 - 2 transmitted from the STA MLD 12 in response to a Measurement Request frame transmitted under the control of the transmission control unit 201 .

[0066] The determination unit 203 performs a switching determination process based on the communication environment information of the AP MLD 11 - 2 received under the control of the reception control unit 202 .

[0067] <Configuration Example of Acquisition Unit> FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an acquisition unit when the communication control unit 153 of the STA MLD 12 functions as an acquisition unit that executes acquisition processing.

[0068] The acquisition unit 220 in FIG. 5 is configured by a reception control unit 221 and a transmission control unit 222 .

[0069] The reception control unit 221 controls the STA 151 to receive a Measurement Request frame transmitted from the AP MLD 11-1. The reception control unit 221 controls the STA 151 to receive a Probe Response frame including communication environment information of the AP MLD 11-2 transmitted from the AP MLD 11-2 in response to a Probe Request frame transmitted under the control of the transmission control unit 222. The Probe Request frame is transmission request information that requests transmission of communication environment information of the AP MLD 11-2.

[0070] The transmission control unit 222 controls the STA 151 to transmit a Probe Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2 in response to the Measurement Request frame received under the control of the reception control unit 221. The transmission control unit 222 controls the STA 151 to transmit a Measurement Response frame to the AP MLD 11-1. The Measurement Response frame includes communication environment information for the AP MLD 11-2 that is included in the Probe Response frame received under the control of the reception control unit 221.

[0071] 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating a connection switching determination process including a switching determination process by the AP MLD 11-1, which is performed by the wireless communication system 10. This connection switching determination process is started, for example, when the AP MLD 11-1 determines that the communication success rate between the AP MLD 11-1 and the STA MLD 12 or the radio wave strength of the signal transmitted from the STA MLD 12 has deteriorated.

[0072] 6, the transmission control unit 201 of the AP MLD 11-1 controls the AP 51 to transmit a Measurement Request frame to the STA MLD 12. In step S21, the reception control unit 221 of the STA MLD 12 controls the STA 151 to receive the Measurement Request frame transmitted by the processing of step S11.

[0073] In step S22, the transmission control unit 222 controls the STA 151 to transmit a Probe Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2 in response to the Measurement Request frame received by the processing of step S21. If the STA MLD 12 recognizes the existence of the AP MLD 11-2, this Probe Request frame is transmitted as a unicast frame only to the AP MLD 11-2. On the other hand, if the STA MLD 12 does not recognize the existence of the AP MLD 11-2, the Probe Request frame is transmitted as a broadcast frame.

[0074] In step S31, the communication control unit 53 of the AP MLD 11-2 controls the AP 51 to receive the Probe Request frame transmitted by the processing of step S22. In step S32, the communication control unit 53 of the AP MLD 11-2 controls the AP 51 to transmit a Probe Response frame in response to the Probe Request frame received by the processing of step S31.

[0075] In step S23, the reception control unit 221 controls the STA 151 to receive the Probe Response frame transmitted by the processing of step S32. In step S24, the transmission control unit 222 controls the STA 151 to transmit to the AP MLD 11-1 a Measurement Response frame reporting the communication environment information included in the Probe Response frame received by the processing of step S23.

[0076] In step S12, the reception control unit 202 controls the AP 51 to receive the Measurement Response frame transmitted by the processing of step S24. In step S13, the determination unit 203 performs a switching determination process based on the communication environment information of the AP MLD 11-2 included in the Measurement Response frame received by the processing of step S12. Details of this switching determination process will be described later with reference to Figures 16 and 17. After the processing of step S13, the connection switching determination process ends.

[0077] If a Probe Response frame is not received even after waiting for a certain period of time after the Probe Request frame is transmitted in the process of step S22, the process skips the process of step S23 and proceeds to the process of step S24. In this case, the Measurement Response frame contains information indicating that the communication environment information of AP MLD 11-2 has not been acquired, for example.

[0078] <First Example of Element Structure of Measurement Request Frame> FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a first example of the element structure of a Measurement Request frame.

[0079] The element structure of the Measurement Request frame in Fig. 7 is based on the structure of the Measurement Request (Beacon Measurement Request) Element of IEEE 802.11. The element of the Measurement Request frame in Fig. 7 is an element that requests measurement operation (measurement operation) of communication environment information of the AP MLD 11-2.

[0080] Specifically, the elements of the Measurement Request frame in FIG. 7 are composed of fields for Element ID, Length, Measurement Token, Measurement Request Mode, Measurement Type, and Measurement Request.

[0081] The Element ID contains a numeric value indicating the Measurement Request Element as information indicating the type of this element. The Length contains information indicating the length of this element. The Measurement Token contains information indicating the processing number of the measurement operation requested by this element.

[0082] Measurement Request Mode describes information indicating details of the measurement operation requested by this element. Information indicating details of the measurement operation includes parallel processing availability information, report request availability information, and information on whether reporting before the Measurement Duration is possible. Parallel processing availability information indicates whether this measurement operation can be performed in parallel with other measurement operations. Report request availability information indicates whether reporting and requests are possible for this measurement operation. Information on whether reporting before the Measurement Duration, which will be described later, is possible for this measurement operation.

[0083] Measurement Type describes a value indicating Beacon Measurement as information specifying the type of measurement operation requested by this element.Measurement Request describes a group of information corresponding to the type of measurement operation requested by this element, corresponding to Beacon Measurement.

[0084] Specifically, this Measurement Request consists of the following fields: Operating Class, Channel Number, Randomization Interval, Measurement Duration, Measurement Mode, BSSID, and Optional Subelements.

[0085] The Operating Class describes the operating class information of the channel on which the measurement operation (information collection) is to be performed. The Channel Number describes information indicating the channel on which the measurement operation is to be performed. The Randomization Interval describes information indicating the upper limit of the time until the measurement operation starts. The Measurement Duration describes a recommended or required value for the measurement time. The Measurement Mode describes information specifying Active as the measurement method. In addition to Active, measurement methods include Passive and Beacon Table. The BSSID describes the BSSID of the AP MLD 11-2 on which the measurement operation is to be performed. Instead of information specifying the BSSID of the AP MLD 11-2, a wildcard may be described in BSSID.

[0086] The Optional Subelements includes at least the fields of the Reporting Detail Subelement and n Request Subelements (n is an integer equal to or greater than 1) as supplementary information for the measurement operation.

[0087] The Reporting Detail subelement describes information specifying an element of the type indicated by the information described in the Request subelement as an element measured by a measurement operation for which a report is requested. The Reporting Detail subelement may also describe information that does not specify any element (information indicating that a report is not required) or information that specifies all measured elements as an element measured by a measurement operation for which a report is requested.

[0088] In each Request Subelement, the element IDs of the n elements of the communication environment information are written as information indicating the type of element for which a report is requested.

[0089] The elements of the communication environment information include QoS information elements such as EHT Capability Element, Basic Multi-link Element, TID-to-Link Mapping Element, TWT Element, QoS Mapping Element, and MSCS Descriptor Element.

[0090] The EHT Capability Element is an element that describes R-TWT capability information. R-TWT is a QoS function that performs scheduling control to ensure the reliable transmission of traffic requiring low-latency transmission by setting a certain period as a prioritized transmission period, during which only specific traffic can be transmitted. In R-TWT, information indicating the prioritized transmission period is broadcast from the AP MLD 11 to the subordinate STA MLDs 12 that belong to the same BSS. During the prioritized transmission period, the AP MLD 11 and STA MLDs 12 that belong to the same BSS must stop any data transmission that was previously being performed. During the prioritized transmission period, the start of data transmission between the AP MLD 11 and STA MLD 12 that do not have designated traffic is prohibited.

[0091] The Basic Multi-link Element is an element that describes the capability information of TID-to-Link Mapping. TID-to-Link Mapping is a QoS function based on MLO. TID-to-Link Mapping limits the traffic that can be transmitted on some of the multiple links 21 between the AP MLD 11 and the STA MLD 12 in the MLO, thereby enabling traffic that requires low-latency transmission to be transmitted with low latency.

[0092] The TID-to-Link Mapping Element describes information indicating whether TID-to-Link Mapping is implemented, parameter information such as the TID (Traffic Indicator) of traffic that can be transmitted through some links where traffic is limited in the TID-to-Link Mapping, and the like. Note that, hereinafter, traffic that can be transmitted through some links where traffic is limited in the TID-to-Link Mapping is referred to as limited traffic. The information described in the TID-to-Link Mapping Element is referred to as TID-to-Link Mapping information. In this embodiment, if TID-to-Link Mapping is not implemented, the TID-to-Link Mapping Element is not generated, but may be generated.

[0093] The TWT Element is an element in which information indicating whether or not R-TWT is being performed, parameter information such as a prioritized transmission period in R-TWT and the TID of prioritized traffic that is traffic that can be transmitted during the prioritized transmission period, etc., are written as R-TWT information. In this embodiment, if R-TWT is not being performed, the TWT Element is not generated, but may be generated.

[0094] QoS Mapping Element is an element in which parameter information for QoS mapping is described as QoS mapping information. QoS mapping is a QoS function that changes a mapping table that indicates the correspondence between the DSCP (Differentiated Services Code Point) assigned to the Ethernet header and the TID or AC (Access Category). For example, information indicating the changed mapping table is described as parameter information in the QoS Mapping Element.

[0095] The MSCS Descriptor Element is an element in which information indicating whether SCS / MSCS is implemented, parameter information for SCS / MSCS, etc. are described as SCS / MSCS information. SCS / MSCS is a QoS function adopted in the IEEE802.11aa standard that sets the priority of specific traffic. In SCS / MSCS, priority is set by assigning TID and AC to traffic classified based on the sending address, receiving address, DSCP, etc. SCS is basically a QoS function in which the STA MLD 12 sets the priority of uplink (UL) traffic for the AP MLD 11, and MSCS is a QoS function in which the AP MLD 11 sets the priority of downlink (DL) traffic for the STA MLD 12. Information related to this priority setting is described as parameter information in the MSCS Descriptor Element.

[0096] As described above, the TID is basically a number that is uniquely determined based on the DSCP, but it is also possible to assign a number obtained as a result of negotiation between the AP MLD 11 and the STA MLD 12 using the QoS Mapping Element or SCS / MSCS.

[0097] The element IDs of the EHT Capability Element, Basic Multi-link Element, TID-to-Link Mapping Element, TWT Element, QoS Mapping Element, and MSCS Descriptor Element can be said to be information indicating the type of QoS function corresponding to the QoS information described in these elements.

[0098] Another element of communication environment information is the UHR BSS Load Element. The UHR BSS Load Element describes BSS load information including channel availability information for each link and for each specified period. The channel availability information indicates the ratio of busy time to the total available time.

[0099] 7, the STA MLD 12 transmits a Probe Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2 as the measurement operation requested by this Measurement Request frame. The STA MLD 12 then receives a Probe Response frame transmitted from the AP MLD 11-2 in response to this Probe Request frame, and transmits a Measurement Report frame reporting elements of communication environment information contained in this Probe Response frame to the AP MLD 11-1.

[0100] <First Example of Element Structure of Measurement Report Frame> FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the element structure of a Measurement Report frame transmitted by the STA MLD 12 in response to the Measurement Request frame of FIG.

[0101] The element structure of the Measurement Response frame in Fig. 8 is based on the structure of the Measurement Response Element of IEEE 802.11. The elements of the Measurement Response frame in Fig. 8 are elements that report communication environment information measured by the measurement operation requested in the Measurement Request frame in Fig. 7.

[0102] Specifically, the elements of the Measurement Response frame are composed of the following fields: Element ID, Length, Measurement Token, Measurement Report Mode, Measurement Type, and Measurement Report.

[0103] The Element ID contains a numeric value indicating the Measurement Response Element as information indicating the type of this element. The Length contains information indicating the length of this element. The Measurement Token contains information indicating the processing number of the measurement operation corresponding to the communication environment information reported by this element.

[0104] The Measurement Report Mode describes information indicating details of the measurement operation corresponding to the communication environment information reported by this element, such as information indicating whether the measurement operation was successful. The Measurement Type describes a numeric value indicating Beacon Measurement as information specifying the type of measurement operation corresponding to the communication environment information reported by this element. The Measurement Report describes a group of information according to Beacon Measurement as a group of information according to the type of measurement operation corresponding to the communication environment information reported by this element.

[0105] Specifically, this Measurement Report consists of the following fields: Operating Class, Channel Number, Actual Measurement Start Time, Measurement Duration, Reported Frame Information, RCPI, RSNI, BSSID, Antenna ID, Parent TSF, and Optional Subelements.

[0106] Operating Class describes the operating class information of the channel on which measurement was performed. Channel Number describes information indicating the channel on which measurement was performed. Actual Measurement Start Time describes information indicating the time when measurement operation actually started. Measurement Duration describes the actual measurement time. Reported Frame Information describes information indicating the type of frame on which measurement was performed.

[0107] RCPI describes information indicating the reception strength of the signal acquired by the measurement operation. RCNI describes signal-to-noise ratio information of the signal acquired by the measurement operation. BSSID describes BSSID information of the AP MLD 11-2 where the measurement was performed. Antenna ID describes information indicating the ID of the antenna 40 used for the measurement. Parent TSF describes TSF (Timing Synchronization Function) timer information of the STA MLD 12 when the signal was acquired by the measurement operation. Optional Subelements includes at least n Reported Frame Body Subelements as supplementary information for the measurement operation.

[0108] Each Reported Frame Body Subelement describes an element with the element ID described in each Request Subelement in Fig. 7, i.e., an element of communication environment information. This element of communication environment information is the element of communication environment information included in the Probe Response frame transmitted from the AP MLD 11-2.

[0109] If the element with the element ID described in the Request Subelement cannot be obtained from the AP MLD 11-2, a newly defined Subelement may be included instead of the Reported Frame Body Subelement corresponding to that Request Subelement. This Subelement describes the fact that the corresponding element could not be obtained and the reason why. Reasons why an element could not be obtained include that it was not included in the Probe Response frame, or that it was included in the Probe Response frame but could not be deciphered. This Subelement allows the AP MLD 11-1 to recognize the element of communication environment information that could not be obtained from the AP MLD 11-2, and to recognize the reason why that element could not be obtained.

[0110] By using the Measurement Response frame configured as above, the AP MLD 11-1 acquires the communication environment information element whose type is specified in the Request Subelement of the Measurement Request frame in Fig. 7. Then, the AP MLD 11-1 performs switching determination processing based on this communication environment information element.

[0111] <Second Example of Element Structure of Measurement Request Frame> FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a second example of the element structure of the Measurement Request frame transmitted by the AP MLD 11-1.

[0112] The Measurement Request frame in FIG. 9 is a newly defined frame that has an element structure based on the structure of the Measurement Request Element of IEEE 802.11.

[0113] Specifically, the elements of the Measurement Request frame in Fig. 9 differ from the elements of the Measurement Request frame in Fig. 7 in the configuration of Optional Subelements, but are otherwise configured in the same way as the elements in Fig. 7. Therefore, only the configuration of the Optional Subelements will be described.

[0114] The Optional Subelements of the Measurement Request frame element in Fig. 9 includes at least a newly defined QoS Awareness Request Subelement, which specifies the communication environment information of the AP MLD 11-2 for which a report is requested. This QoS Awareness Request Subelement is composed of the fields of Subelement ID, Length, LL Traffic TID, and Requested QoS Feature Bitmap.

[0115] The Subelement ID describes a numerical value representing the QoS Awareness Request Subelement as information indicating the type of this Subelement. The Length describes information indicating the length of this Subelement. The LL Traffic TID describes the TID of low latency traffic, which is currently communicating between the AP MLD 11-1 and the STA MLD 12 with the QoS function implemented, and which is also desired to implement the QoS function between the AP MLD 11-2 and the STA MLD 12. The Requested QoS Feature Bitmap describes bitmap information for specifying the QoS function corresponding to the QoS information in the communication environment information for which a report is requested. The number of bits in this bitmap information is, for example, 4 bits, and each bit is assigned to TID-to-Link Mapping, R-TWT, SCS / MSCS, and QoS Mapping, respectively.

[0116] 9, the STA MLD 12 transmits a Probe Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2 as the measurement operation requested in this Measurement Request frame. The STA MLD 12 receives a Probe Response frame transmitted from the AP MLD 11-2 in response to this Probe Request frame. The STA MLD 12 then transmits to the AP MLD 11-1 a Measurement Report frame that compresses and reports QoS information elements of the QoS functions specified in the Requested QoS Feature Bitmap, which are part of the communication environment information contained in this Probe Response frame.

[0117] <Second Example of Element Structure of Measurement Report Frame> FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the element structure of a Measurement Report frame transmitted by the STA MLD 12 in response to the Measurement Request frame of FIG.

[0118] The Measurement Response frame in FIG. 10 is a newly defined frame that has an element structure based on the structure of the Measurement Response Element of IEEE 802.11.

[0119] Specifically, the elements of the Measurement Report frame in Fig. 10 differ from the elements of the Measurement Report frame in Fig. 8 in the configuration of Optional Subelements, but are otherwise configured in the same manner as the elements in Fig. 8. Therefore, only the configuration of the Optional Subelements will be described.

[0120] The newly defined UHR BSS Load Subelement and QoS Awareness Report Subelement are included in the Optional Subelements of the Measurement Report frame element in Fig. 10. The UHR BSS Load Element included in the Probe Response sent from the AP MLD 11-2 is described as is in the UHR BSS Load Subelement.

[0121] In the QoS Awareness Report Subelement, the QoS information of the QoS function specified in the Requested QoS Feature Bitmap for the low latency traffic specified by the LL Traffic TID in FIG. 9 is compressed and described as compressed QoS information.

[0122] Specifically, the QoS Awareness Report Subelement includes a Subelement ID, Length, and Reported QoS Feature Bitmap. The Subelement ID describes a numerical value representing the QoS Awareness Report Subelement as information indicating the type of this Subelement. The Length describes information indicating the length of this Subelement. The Reported QoS Feature Bitmap describes bitmap information for specifying the QoS function corresponding to the QoS information described in this Subelement. This bitmap information is configured similarly to the bitmap information described in the Requested QoS Feature Bitmap in FIG. 9, for example.

[0123] The QoS Awareness Report subelement also contains fields that describe the compression QoS information for each QoS feature, such as TID-to-Link Mapping Status, R-TWT Status, MSCS Status, and QoS Mapping Status.

[0124]

[0073] The TID-to-Link Mapping Status field describes compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information, which is compressed QoS information related to the TID-to-Link Mapping of the AP MLD 11-2. Details of this compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information will be described later with reference to FIG. 11. The R-TWT Status field describes compressed R-TWT information, which is compressed QoS information related to the R-TWT of the AP MLD 11-2. Details of this compressed R-TWT information will be described later with reference to FIG. 12. The MSCS Status field describes compressed SCS / MSCS information, which is compressed QoS information related to the SCS / MSCS of the AP MLD 11-2. Details of this compressed SCS / MSCS information will be described later with reference to FIG. 13. The QoS Mapping Status field describes compressed QoS mapping information, which is compressed QoS information related to the QoS mapping of the AP MLD 11-2. Details of this compressed QoS mapping information will be described later with reference to FIG. 14.

[0125] <Example of Compressed TID-to-Link Mapping Information> FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information described in the TID-to-Link Mapping Status.

[0126] The TID-to-Link Mapping Status in Fig. 11 is a 2-bit field. As shown in Fig. 11, when the capability information described in the Basic Multi-link Element included in the Probe Response frame is Disable, the compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information is "00".

[0127] On the other hand, if the capability information described in the Basic Multi-link Element is Enable and the Probe Response frame does not include a TID-to-Link Mapping Element, the compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information is "01".

[0128] When the capability information described in the Basic Multi-link Element is Enable and the low-latency traffic is limited traffic, the compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information is "10." On the other hand, when the capability information described in the Basic Multi-link Element is Enable and the low-latency traffic is not limited traffic, the compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information is "11."

[0129] The determination of whether low latency traffic is limited traffic is made based on the TID-to-Link Mapping Element, QoS Mapping Element, and MSCS Descriptor Element included in the Probe Response frame and the LL Traffic TID of the Measurement Request frame in FIG. 9.

[0130] Specifically, if the TID-to-Link Mapping Element does not contain a TID for low-latency traffic, the low-latency traffic is determined to be non-limited traffic, whereas if the TID for low-latency traffic is contained, the low-latency traffic is determined to be limited traffic.

[0131] The TID of the low-latency traffic used in this determination is the TID of the low-latency traffic in the AP MLD 11-2 of the switching destination. The TID of the low-latency traffic in the AP MLD 11-2 is basically the same as the TID in the AP MLD 11-1 currently connected to the STA MLD 12, i.e., the TID described in the LL Traffic TID. However, if QoS mapping or SCS / MSCS is implemented in the AP MLD 11-2, the TID of the low-latency traffic in the AP MLD 11-2 may differ from the TID in the AP MLD 11-1. Therefore, if a QoS Mapping Element or an MSCS Descriptor Element is present, the TID of the low-latency traffic in the AP MLD 11-2 is recognized based not only on the LL Traffic TID but also on the QoS Mapping Element and the MSCS Descriptor Element.

[0132] <Example of Compressed R-TWT Information> FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of compressed R-TWT information described in the R-TWT Status.

[0133] The R-TWT Status in Fig. 12 is a 2-bit field. As shown in Fig. 12, when the capability information described in the EHT Capability Element included in the Probe Response frame is Disable, the compressed R-TWT information is "00".

[0134] On the other hand, if the capability information described in the EHT Capability Element is Enable and the TWT Element is not included in the Probe Response frame, the compressed R-TWT information is "01".

[0135] When the capability information described in the EHT Capability Element is Enable and the low-latency traffic is the priority traffic, the compressed R-TWT information is "10." On the other hand, when the capability information described in the EHT Capability Element is Enable and the low-latency traffic is not the priority traffic, the compressed R-TWT information is "11."

[0136] The determination of whether low latency traffic is priority traffic is made based on the TWT Element, QoS Mapping Element, and MSCS Descriptor Element included in the Probe Response frame and the LL Traffic TID of the Measurement Request frame shown in FIG.

[0137] Specifically, if the TWT Element does not contain the TID of the low-latency traffic, the low-latency traffic is determined to be non-priority traffic, whereas if the TID of the low-latency traffic is contained, the low-latency traffic is determined to be priority traffic.

[0138] The TID of the low-latency traffic used in this determination is the TID of the low-latency traffic in the AP MLD 11-2 of the switching destination. The method of recognizing the TID of the low-latency traffic in the AP MLD 11-2 is the same as the recognition method described in FIG. 11, so description thereof will be omitted.

[0139] <Example of Compressed SCS / MSCS Information Described in MSCS Status> FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of compressed SCS / MSCS information described in MSCS Status.

[0140] The MSCS Status in Fig. 13 is a 2-bit field. As shown in Fig. 13, when the MSCS Descriptor Element is included in the Probe Response frame, the compressed SCS / MSCS information is "00".

[0141] On the other hand, if the Probe Response frame includes an MSCS Descriptor Element and the priority of low-latency traffic is not set, the compressed SCS / MSCS information is "01." If the Probe Response frame includes an MSCS Descriptor Element and the priority of low-latency traffic is set, the compressed SCS / MSCS information is "10." Whether the priority of low-latency traffic is set is determined based on the MSCS Descriptor Element. The compressed SCS / MSCS information "11" is a reserved value that does not represent anything.

[0142] <Example of Compression QoS Mapping Information Described in QoS Mapping Status> FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of compression QoS Mapping information described in QoS Mapping Status.

[0143] The QoS Mapping Status in Fig. 14 is a 2-bit field. As shown in Fig. 14, when a QoS Mapping Element is included in a Probe Response frame, the compressed QoS Mapping information is "00".

[0144] On the other hand, if the Probe Response frame includes a QoS Mapping Element and the TID setting for low-latency traffic has not been changed, the compressed QoS Mapping information is "01". If the Probe Response frame includes a QoS Mapping Element and the TID setting for low-latency traffic has been changed, the compressed QoS Mapping information is "10". Whether the TID setting for low-latency traffic has been changed is determined based on the QoS Mapping Element. The compressed QoS Mapping information value "11" is a reserved value that does not represent anything.

[0145] As described above, the QoS information elements are compressed and described in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 10. Therefore, the amount of information, i.e., the frame size, can be reduced in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 10 compared to the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 8, in which the QoS information elements are described as is. As a result, the overhead caused by transmitting the Measurement Response frame can be reduced.

[0146] In the wireless communication system 10, the element structure of the Measurement Request frame in Fig. 7 (Measurement Report frame in Fig. 8) and the element structure of the Measurement Request frame in Fig. 9 (Measurement Report frame in Fig. 10) may be combined. For example, when the TID-to-Link Mapping information is "11", that is, when low-latency traffic is not limited traffic, the TID-to-Link Mapping Element itself may be stored in the Measurement Report frame.

[0147] <Configuration Example of UHR BSS Load Element> FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a UHR BSS Load Element.

[0148] The structure of the UHR BSS Load Element in Fig. 15 is an element structure that is based on the BSS Load Element of IEEE802.11 and is extended to enable description of BSS load information for each link and for each predetermined period. Note that "UHR" in UHR BSS Load Element is the name of the standard, and this name is not limited to "UHR".

[0149] The UHR BSS Load Element in FIG. 15 is composed of fields for Element ID, Length, Segmentation Count, and N BSS Loads (N is an integer equal to or greater than 1).

[0150] Element ID describes a numeric value representing the UHR BSS Load Element as information indicating the type of this element. Length describes information indicating the length of this element. Segmentation Count describes the number of BSS Loads included in this element. BSS Load describes BSS load information for each link and for each specified period.

[0151] Each BSS Load is composed of the following fields: Link ID Bitmap, Period Type, Broadcast TWT ID, Station Count, Channel Utilization, and Available Admission Capacity. The Link ID Bitmap describes bitmap information indicating the Link ID of the link corresponding to the BSS load information described in this BSS Load. The Period Type describes information indicating the type of predetermined period corresponding to the BSS load information described in this BSS Load. The types of predetermined period include, for example, the entire period, a prioritized transmission period in R-TWT (R-TWT SP), and a period outside the prioritized transmission period in R-TWT.

[0152] In the case where information indicating a prioritized transmission period or a period outside the prioritized transmission period is described in the Period Type in this BSS Load, information indicating the ID of the R-TWT corresponding to that prioritized transmission period is described in the Broadcast TWT ID. In the Station Count, the number of STA MLDs or STAs connected to the AP MLD 11-2 is described.

[0153] Channel Utilization and Available Admission Capacity describe BSS load information for the period corresponding to the descriptions of Period Type and Broadcast TWT ID for the link with the Link ID indicated by the bitmap information described in Link ID Bitmap.

[0154] Specifically, "Channel Utilization" describes channel availability information for the period corresponding to the descriptions of Period Type and Broadcast TWT ID for the link of the Link ID indicated by the bitmap information described in "Link ID Bitmap." "Available Admission Capacity" describes information indicating the remaining amount of available median time for the period corresponding to the descriptions of Period Type and Broadcast TWT ID for the link of the Link ID indicated by the bitmap information described in "Link ID Bitmap."

[0155] The unit of the BSS load information described in the UHR BSS Load Element does not have to be a link unit or a predetermined period unit, as long as it is a unit of at least one of a link and a predetermined period.

[0156] <First Example of Switching Determination Processing> Fig. 16 is a flowchart illustrating details of a first example of the switching determination processing of step S13 in Fig. 6. In the example of Fig. 16, the AP MLD 11-1 performs the switching determination processing based on the QoS information of TID-to-Link Mapping.

[0157] Specifically, in step S51 of FIG. 16, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether the capability information of the TID-to-Link Mapping of the AP MLD 11-2 of the switching destination is Enable.

[0158] For example, if the capability information described in the Basic Multi-link Element included in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 8 is "Enable," the AP MLD 11-1 determines that the capability information of TID-to-Link Mapping is "Enable." Alternatively, if the compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information described in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 10 is a numerical value other than "00," the AP MLD 11-1 determines that the capability information of TID-to-Link Mapping is "Enable." On the other hand, if the capability information described in the Basic Multi-link element is "Disable," or if the compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information is "00," the AP MLD 11-1 determines that the capability information of TID-to-Link Mapping is not "Enable."

[0159] If it is determined in step S51 that the capability information of the TID-to-Link Mapping is Enable, the process proceeds to step S52. In step S52, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether or not there is a TID-to-Link Mapping Element.

[0160] For example, if a TID-to-Link Mapping Element is included in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 8, the AP MLD 11-1 determines that a TID-to-Link Mapping Element is present. Alternatively, if the compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information included in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 10 is "10" or "11", the AP MLD 11-1 determines that a TID-to-Link Mapping Element is present. On the other hand, if a TID-to-Link Mapping Element is not included or if the compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information is "01", the AP MLD 11-1 determines that a TID-to-Link Mapping Element is not present.

[0161] If it is determined in step S52 that TID-to-Link Mapping exists, the process proceeds to step S53. In step S53, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether the low-latency traffic is limited traffic of the TID-to-Link Mapping implemented by the AP MLD 11-2.

[0162] For example, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether the low-latency traffic is limited traffic based on the TID-to-Link Mapping Element, QoS Mapping Element, and MSCS Descriptor Element included in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 8. Alternatively, if the compressed TID-to-Link Mapping information included in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 10 is "10," the AP MLD 11-1 determines that the low-latency traffic is limited traffic. On the other hand, if the TID-to-Link Mapping information is "11," the AP MLD 11-1 determines that the low-latency traffic is not limited traffic.

[0163] If it is determined in step S51 that the capability information of the TID-to-Link Mapping of the AP MLD 11-2 is not Enable, or if it is determined in step S52 that the TID-to-Link Mapping exists, the process proceeds to step S54. If it is determined in step S53 that the low-latency traffic is limited traffic, the process proceeds to step S54.

[0164] In step S54, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether the channel effectiveness ratio for the entire period of all links included in the UHR BSS Load Element exceeds a threshold. This UHR BSS Load Element is described in the Reported Frame Body Subelement of the Measurement Response frame in Fig. 8 or the UHR BSS Load Subelement of the Measurement Response frame in Fig. 10. The threshold used in the determination in step S54 is set to a channel effectiveness ratio that can ensure a sufficient channel for transmitting low-latency traffic.

[0165] If it is determined in step S54 that the effective channel ratios for all links over the entire period exceed the threshold, the process proceeds to step S55. In step S55, the AP MLD 11-1 determines to switch the connection destination of the STA MLD 12 from the AP MLD 11-1 to the AP MLD 11-2, and ends the switching determination process.

[0166] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S54 that the effective channel ratios for all links over the entire period do not exceed the threshold, the process proceeds to step S56. In step S56, the AP MLD 11-1 determines not to switch the connection destination of the STA MLD 12 from the AP MLD 11-1 to the AP MLD 11-2, and ends the switching determination process. As a result, the STA MLD 12 maintains its connection with the AP MLD 11-1.

[0167] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S53 that the low-latency traffic is not limited traffic, that is, if the available links that the AP MLD 11-2 can use for communication of the low-latency traffic are limited, the process proceeds to step S57. In step S57, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether the channel effectiveness ratio for the entire period of the available links included in the UHR BSS Load Element described in the Measurement Response frame exceeds a threshold.

[0168] The threshold used in the determination in step S57 is set to a channel availability ratio that can ensure a sufficient channel for transmitting low-latency traffic. The threshold used in the determination in step S57 may be the same as or different from the threshold used in the determination in step S54.

[0169] If it is determined in step S57 that the channel availability ratio for the entire period of the available link exceeds the threshold, the process proceeds to step S55, where the above-described process is performed.

[0170] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S57 that the channel availability ratio for the entire period of the available link does not exceed the threshold, the process proceeds to step S56, where the above-described process is performed.

[0171] The period corresponding to the channel availability ratio used in the processes of steps S54 and S57 may be a predetermined unit period other than the entire period.

[0172] As described above, in the switching determination process of Fig. 16, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether to switch based on the QoS information of the TID-to-Link Mapping of the AP MLD 11-2, which is the connection switching destination, and the channel availability information of the available link. Therefore, the AP MLD 11-1 can recognize in advance the impact of the TID-to-Link Mapping of the switching destination on low-latency traffic, and can switch only when the switching destination is suitable for transmitting low-latency traffic. As a result, it is possible to reduce unnecessary overhead during connection switching.

[0173] The impact of the TID-to-Link Mapping at the destination of the switch may be that low-latency traffic that could be transmitted over all links before the switch can only be transmitted over some links after the switch.The impact of the TID-to-Link Mapping at the destination of the switch may also be that low-latency traffic that was preferentially transmitted over some links before the switch can no longer be preferentially transmitted after the switch.

[0174] <Second Example of Switching Determination Process> Fig. 17 is a flowchart illustrating details of a second example of the switching determination process of step S13 in Fig. 6. In the example of Fig. 17, the AP MLD 11-1 performs the switching determination process based on the QoS information of the R-TWT.

[0175] Specifically, in step S71 of FIG. 17, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether or not the R-TWT capability information of the AP MLD 11-2 of the switching destination is Enable.

[0176] For example, if the capability information described in the EHT Capability Element included in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 8 is Enable, the AP MLD 11-1 determines that the R-TWT capability information is Enable. Alternatively, if the compressed R-TWT information described in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 10 is a numerical value other than "00", the AP MLD 11-1 determines that the R-TWT capability information is Enable. On the other hand, if the capability information described in the Basic Multi-link element is Disable, or if the compressed R-TWT information is "00", the AP MLD 11-1 determines that the R-TWT capability information is not Enable.

[0177] If it is determined in step S71 that the R-TWT capability information is Enable, the process proceeds to step S72. In step S72, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether or not there is a TWT element.

[0178] For example, if a TWT Element is included in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 8, or if the compressed R-TWT information included in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 10 is "10" or "11", the AP MLD 11-1 determines that a TWT Element is present. On the other hand, if a TWT Element is not included, or if the compressed R-TWT information is "01", the AP MLD 11-1 determines that a TWT Element is not present.

[0179] If it is determined in step S71 that the R-TWT capability information of the AP MLD 11-2 is not Enable, or if it is determined in step S72 that there is no TWT Element, the process proceeds to step S73.

[0180] In step S73, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether the channel availability ratio of all links for the entire period included in the UHR BSS Load Element described in the Measurement Response frame exceeds a threshold value. The threshold value used for the determination in step S73 is set to a channel availability ratio that can ensure sufficient channels for transmitting low-latency traffic.

[0181] If it is determined in step S73 that the channel effectiveness ratios of all links for the entire period exceed the threshold, the process proceeds to step S74. In step S74, the AP MLD 11-1 determines to switch from the AP MLD 11-1 to the AP MLD 11-2, which is the connection destination of the STA MLD 12, and the switching determination process ends.

[0182] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S73 that the channel effectiveness ratios of all links over the entire period do not exceed the threshold, the process proceeds to step S75. In step S75, the AP MLD 11-1 determines not to switch the connection destination of the STA MLD 12 from the AP MLD 11-1 to the AP MLD 11-2, and ends the switching determination process. As a result, the STA MLD 12 maintains its connection with the AP MLD 11-1.

[0183] If it is determined in step S72 that a TWT Element is present, that is, if the communication period during which the AP MLD 11-2 transmits low-latency traffic to the STA MLD 12 is limited, the process proceeds to step S76. In step S76, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether the low-latency traffic is priority traffic of the R-TWT implemented by the AP MLD 11-2.

[0184] For example, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether low-latency traffic is priority traffic based on the TWT Element, QoS Mapping Element, and MSCS Descriptor Element included in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 8. Alternatively, if the compressed R-TWT information included in the Measurement Response frame of Fig. 10 is "10," the AP MLD 11-1 determines that low-latency traffic is priority traffic. On the other hand, if the compressed R-TWT information is "11," the AP MLD 11-1 determines that low-latency traffic is not priority traffic.

[0185] If it is determined in step S76 that the low-latency traffic is not priority traffic, the process proceeds to step S77. In step S77, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether the channel effectiveness rate of all links during a period outside the priority transmission period, which is a communication period for transmitting low-latency traffic and which is described in the UHR BSS Load Element of the Measurement Response frame, exceeds a threshold. The threshold used in the determination in step S77 is set to a channel effectiveness rate that can ensure sufficient channels for transmitting low-latency traffic. This threshold may be the same as or different from the threshold used in the process of step S73.

[0186] If it is determined in step S77 that the channel availability ratio of all links in the period outside the priority transmission period exceeds the threshold, the process proceeds to step S74, where the above-described process is performed.

[0187] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S77 that the channel availability ratio of all links during the period outside the priority transmission period does not exceed the threshold, the process proceeds to step S75, where the above-described process is performed.

[0188] If it is determined in step S76 that the low-latency traffic is the priority traffic, the process proceeds to step S78. In step S78, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether the channel availability ratio of all links in the priority transmission period, which is the communication period for transmitting the low-latency traffic and which is described in the UHR BSS Load Element of the Measurement Response frame, exceeds a threshold. The threshold used in the determination in step S78 is set to a channel availability ratio that can ensure a sufficient channel for transmitting the low-latency traffic. This threshold may be the same as or different from the threshold used in the processing of steps S73 and S77.

[0189] If it is determined in step S78 that the channel availability ratios of all links in the preferential transmission period exceed the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S74, where the above-described process is performed.

[0190] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S78 that the channel availability ratios of all links during the preferential transmission period do not exceed the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S75, where the above-described process is performed.

[0191] The links corresponding to the channel effectiveness ratio used in the processes of steps S73, S77, and S77 may not be all the links, but may be some of the links.

[0192] As described above, in the switching determination process of Fig. 17, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether to switch based on the QoS information of the R-TWT of the AP MLD 11-2, which is the connection switching destination, and the channel effectiveness ratio information for a predetermined period corresponding to low-latency traffic. Therefore, the AP MLD 11-1 can recognize in advance the impact of the R-TWT of the switching destination on low-latency traffic, and can switch only when the switching destination is suitable for transmitting low-latency traffic. As a result, it is possible to reduce unnecessary overhead during connection switching.

[0193] The impact of the R-TWT at the destination of the switch may be that low-latency traffic that was prioritized before the switch is no longer prioritized after the switch and cannot be transmitted within the required latency.The impact of the R-TWT at the destination of the switch may also be that low-latency traffic that was able to be transmitted within the required latency before the switch cannot be transmitted within the required latency due to the presence of priority traffic.

[0194] The switching determination process of Fig. 16 and the switching determination process of Fig. 17 may be combined. That is, the AP MLD 11-1 may perform the switching determination process based on the TID-to-Link Mapping of the AP MLD 11-2, the QoS information of the R-TWT, and the channel effectiveness ratio.

[0195] The STA MLD 12 may transmit a Probe Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2 to inquire about the TID of low-latency traffic from the surrounding AP MLD 11-2, instead of receiving a Probe Response frame including a QoS Mapping Element and an MSCS Descriptor Element. In this case, the STA MLD 12 transmits a TID Query Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2.

[0196] <Example of Structure of TID Query Request Frame> FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the TID Query Request frame in this case.

[0197] 18 is an action frame defined in IEEE 802.11. Specifically, the TID Query Request frame is made up of fields for Category, Action, Dialog Token, and DSCP value.

[0198] The Category of the TID Query Request frame contains a numeric value indicating TID Query as information indicating the type of this action frame. The Action contains a numeric value indicating a TID Query Request frame as information indicating the detailed type of this action frame. The Dialog Token contains information indicating the processing number of this Action frame. The DSCP value contains the DSCP for low-latency traffic as the DSCP for the traffic corresponding to the TID being queried.

[0199] When the TID Query Request frame of FIG. 18 is transmitted from the STA MLD 12, the AP MLD 11-2 transmits to the STA MLD 12 a TID Query Report frame notifying the STA MLD 12 of the TID corresponding to the DSCP described in the DSCP value of the TID Query Request frame.

[0200] <Example of Structure of TID Query Report Frame> FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a TID Query Report frame.

[0201] The TID Query Report frame in Fig. 19 is an action frame defined in IEEE 802.11. Specifically, the TID Query Report frame is made up of fields for Category, Action, Dialog Token, and TID value.

[0202] In the Category field of the TID Query Report frame, a numeric value indicating a TID Query is written as information indicating the type of this action frame. In Action, a numeric value indicating a TID Query Report frame is written as information indicating the detailed type of this action frame. In Dialog Token, information indicating the processing number of this action frame is written. In TID value, a TID corresponding to the DSCP written in the DSCP value field in FIG. 18 is written.

[0203] As described above, by the STA MLD 12 and AP MLD 11-2 exchanging TID Query Request frames and TID Query Report frames, the STA MLD 12 can reliably confirm the TID of low-latency traffic with a low load. More specifically, the QoS Mapping Element and MSCS Descriptor Element are not necessarily included in the Probe Response frame. Furthermore, the QoS Mapping Element and MSCS Descriptor Element contain a large amount of information. Therefore, by the STA MLD 12 and AP MLD 11-2 exchanging TID Query Request frames and TID Query Report frames, the STA MLD 12 can reliably confirm the TID of low-latency traffic with a small amount of information.

[0204] In the above-described UHR BSS Load Element, the BSS load information is described for each link and for each predetermined period, but it may be described for each link and for each detailed period that is a subdivision of the predetermined period. In this case, for example, the AP MLD 11-1 that performs the switching determination process transmits a BSS Load Query Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2.

[0205] <Structure Example of BSS Load Query Request Frame> FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a structure example of a BSS Load Query Request frame in this case.

[0206] The BSS Load Query Request frame in Fig. 20 is an action frame defined in IEEE 802.11. Specifically, the BSS Load Query Request frame is made up of fields for Category, Action, Dialog Token, and UHR BSS Load Query Element.

[0207] The Category of the BSS Load Query Request frame contains a numeric value indicating BSS Load Query as information indicating the type of this action frame. The Action contains a numeric value indicating BSS Load Query Request frame as information indicating the detailed type of this action frame. The Dialog Token contains information indicating the processing number of this action frame. The UHR BSS Load Query Element contains information indicating the link and period corresponding to the requested BSS load information, etc.

[0208] Specifically, the UHR BSS Load Query Element is composed of the following fields: Element ID, Length, Segmentation Count, Link ID Bitmap, Period Type, and Period Info.

[0209] In Element ID, information indicating the type of this element is described, which is UHR BSS Load Query Element. In Length, information indicating the length of this element is described. In Segmentation Count, the number of BSS load information requested per link and per detailed period is described. In Link ID Bitmap, bitmap information indicating the Link ID of the link corresponding to the requested BSS load information is described. In Period Type, information indicating the type of period corresponding to the requested BSS load information is described. Examples of period types include the entire period, a prioritized transmission period in R-TWT, a period outside the prioritized transmission period, and a specified detailed period.

[0210] Information indicating the period corresponding to the requested BSS load information is described in Period Info. When information indicating the entire period is described in Period Type, Period Info does not need to be provided.

[0211] Period Info consists of the fields Period ID, Broadcast TWT ID, Inside SP flag, Start time, and End Time.

[0212] The Period ID describes the ID of the period indicated by this Period Info. The Broadcast TWT ID and Inside SP flag describe information when the Period Type describes information indicating a prioritized transmission period or a period outside the prioritized transmission period. Specifically, the Broadcast TWT ID describes information indicating the ID of the R-TWT corresponding to the period indicated by this Period Info. The Inside SP flag describes information indicating whether the period indicated by this Period Info is a prioritized transmission period.

[0213] Start Time and End Time describe information indicating the specified detailed period when it is described in Period Type. Specifically, Start Time describes the start time of the period indicated by this Period Info. End Time describes the end time of the period indicated by this Period Info.

[0214] Note that if information indicating a specified detailed period is described in Period Type, the Broadcast TWT ID and Inside SP flag fields may not be provided. If information indicating a prioritized transmission period or a period outside the prioritized transmission period is described in Period Type, the Start Time and End Time fields may not be provided.

[0215] 20 is transmitted from the AP MLD 11-1, the AP MLD 11-2 transmits a BSS Load Query Report frame to the AP MLD 11-1. This BSS Load Query Report frame is a frame that notifies BSS load information corresponding to the information indicating the link and period described in the UHR BSS Load Query Element of the received BSS Load Query Request frame.

[0216] <Structure Example of BSS Load Query Report Frame> FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a structure example of a BSS Load Query Report frame.

[0217] The BSS Load Query Report frame in Fig. 21 is an action frame defined in IEEE 802.11. Specifically, the BSS Load Query Report frame is made up of fields for Category, Action, Dialog Token, and UHR BSS Load Element.

[0218] In Category, a numeric value indicating BSS Load Query is described as information indicating the type of this action frame. In Action, a numeric value indicating a BSS Load Query Report frame is described as information indicating the detailed type of this action frame. In Dialog Token, information indicating the processing number of this action frame is described. In UHR BSS Load Element, BSS load information corresponding to the information indicating the link and period described in the UHR BSS Load Query Element in Fig. 20 is described.

[0219] Specifically, the UHR BSS Load Element is composed of fields for Element ID, Length, Segmentation Count, and m BSS Loads (m is an integer equal to or greater than 1).

[0220] Element ID describes a numeric value indicating UHR BSS Load Query Element as information indicating the type of this element. Length describes information indicating the length of this element. Segmentation Count describes the number of BSS Loads stored in this element. BSS Load describes BSS load information for each link and for each detailed period.

[0221] Specifically, BSS Load is composed of the following fields: Link ID Bitmap, Period Type, Period ID, Station Count, Channel Utilization, and Available Admission Capacity. Link ID Bitmap describes bitmap information indicating the Link ID of the link corresponding to the BSS load information described in this BSS Load.

[0222] In Period Type, information indicating the type of period corresponding to the BSS load information described in this BSS Load is described. This period type is the same as the type indicated by the information described in Period Type in Fig. 20. In Period ID, an ID of the period corresponding to the BSS load information described in this BSS Load is described. This period ID is the ID described in Period ID in Fig. 20. In Station Count, the number of STA MLDs or STAs connected to the AP MLD 11-2 is described.

[0223] Channel Utilization and Available Admission Capacity describe BSS load information for the link with the Link ID indicated by the Link ID Bitmap description, for the period corresponding to the Period Type and Period ID descriptions.

[0224] Specifically, Channel Utilization describes channel availability information for the period indicated by the Period Info description in Fig. 20, which corresponds to the Period Type and Period ID descriptions of the link with the Link ID indicated by the Link ID Bitmap description. Available Admission Capacity describes information indicating the remaining amount of available median time for the period indicated by the Period Info description in Fig. 20, which corresponds to the Period Type and Period ID descriptions of the link with the Link ID indicated by the Link ID Bitmap description.

[0225] <Third Example of Switching Determination Process> FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating details of the switching determination process that the AP MLD 11-1 performs based on the QoS information of the R-TWT and the BSS Load Query Report frame of FIG.

[0226] The switching determination process in FIG. 22 differs from the switching determination process in FIG. 17 in that the channel effectiveness rate used for determining switching is calculated in units of detailed periods, but is otherwise similar to the switching determination process in FIG.

[0227] Specifically, the processes of steps S171 and S172 in FIG. 22 are similar to the processes of steps S71 and S72 in FIG. 17, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0228] In step S173, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether the channel availability ratios corresponding to the target detailed period and all links within the entire period described in the BSS Load Query Report frame in Fig. 21 exceed a threshold value. The target detailed period is, for example, a period measured in detailed periods from the arrival of low-latency traffic until the required latency time has elapsed.

[0229] The threshold used in the determination in step S173 is set to a channel effectiveness ratio that ensures a sufficient channel for transmitting low-latency traffic. Therefore, if it is determined in step S173 that the channel effectiveness ratio exceeds the threshold, the AP MLD 11-1 determines that it is possible to transmit low-latency traffic within the required delay time even after switching the connection destination of the STA MLD 12 to the AP MLD 11-2.

[0230] If it is determined in step S173 that the effective channel ratio exceeds the threshold, the process proceeds to step S174. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S173 that the effective channel ratio does not exceed the threshold, the process proceeds to step S175. The processes in steps S174 to S176 are the same as those in steps S74 to S76, and therefore, description thereof will be omitted.

[0231] If it is determined in step S176 that the low-latency traffic is not priority traffic, the process proceeds to step S177. In step S177, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether the channel availability ratios corresponding to the target detailed period outside the priority transmission period described in the BSS Load Query Report frame and all links exceed a threshold.

[0232] The threshold used in the determination in step S177 is set to a channel effectiveness ratio that can ensure a sufficient channel for transmitting low-latency traffic. Therefore, if it is determined in step S177 that the channel effectiveness ratio exceeds the threshold, the AP MLD 11-1 determines that low-latency traffic can be transmitted within the required delay time even after switching the connection destination of the STA MLD 12 to the AP MLD 11-2. The threshold used in the determination in step S177 may be the same as or different from the threshold used in the determination in step S173.

[0233] If it is determined in step S177 that the effective channel ratio exceeds the threshold, the process proceeds to step S174. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S173 that the effective channel ratio does not exceed the threshold, the process proceeds to step S175.

[0234] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S176 that the low-latency traffic is the priority traffic, the process proceeds to step S178. In step S178, it is determined whether the channel availability ratios corresponding to the target detailed period and all links within the priority transmission period described in the BSS Load Query Report frame exceed a threshold.

[0235] The threshold used in the determination in step S178 is set to a channel effectiveness ratio that can ensure a sufficient channel for transmitting low-latency traffic. Therefore, if it is determined in step S178 that the channel effectiveness ratio exceeds the threshold, the AP MLD 11-1 determines that low-latency traffic can be transmitted within the required delay time even after switching the connection destination of the STA MLD 12 to the AP MLD 11-2. The threshold used in the determination in step S178 may be the same as or different from the threshold used in the determinations in steps S173 and S177.

[0236] If it is determined in step S178 that the effective channel ratio exceeds the threshold, the process proceeds to step S174. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S178 that the effective channel ratio does not exceed the threshold, the process proceeds to step S175.

[0237] The arrival time and packet size of low-latency traffic used to determine the target detailed period and threshold in the processes of steps S173, S177, and S178 may be worst values ​​or average values.

[0238] 22, the AP MLD 11-1 determines whether to switch based on the QoS information of the R-TWT of the AP MLD 11-2, the connection switching destination, and the channel availability rate for the target detailed period corresponding to the low-latency traffic. Therefore, if the switching destination can more reliably transmit the low-latency traffic within the required latency time, the AP MLD 11-1 can switch.

[0239] The exchange of the BSS Load Query Request frame of FIG. 20 and the BSS Load Query Report frame of FIG. 21 may be performed before the switching determination process of FIG. 22, or may be performed immediately before the processing of step S173, S177, or S178.

[0240] In the above explanation, the switching determination process is performed by the AP MLD 11-1, but it may also be performed by the STA MLD 12. In this case, the communication control unit 53 of the AP MLD 11-1 functions as an acquisition unit that acquires communication environment information, and this acquisition unit is made up of the transmission control unit 201 and reception control unit 202 of Fig. 4. The communication control unit 153 of the STA MLD 12 functions as a switching determination unit that executes the switching determination process, and this switching determination unit is made up of the reception control unit 221 and transmission control unit 222 of Fig. 5 and a determination unit that performs the switching determination process.

[0241] 23 is a sequence diagram illustrating the connection switching determination process performed by the wireless communication system 10 in this case, including the switching determination process by the STA MLD 12. This connection switching determination process is started, for example, when the AP MLD 11-1 determines that the communication success rate between the AP MLD 11-1 and the STA MLD 12 or the radio wave intensity of the signal transmitted from the STA MLD 12 has deteriorated.

[0242] The processes of steps S211 and S212 in Fig. 23 are similar to the processes of steps S11 and S12 in Fig. 6, and therefore will not be described. The processes of steps S221 to S223 are similar to the processes of steps S21 to S23, and the processes of steps S231 and S232 are similar to the processes of steps S31 and S32.

[0243] In step S224, the determination unit of the STA MLD 12 performs a switching determination process similar to the process of step S13. The threshold value used in this switching determination process may be notified from the AP MLD 11-1 to the STA MLD 12. The process of step S225 is similar to the process of step S24, so a description thereof will be omitted. After the process of step S212, the connection switching determination process ends.

[0244] In the above description, the determination of whether to perform connection switching determination processing is performed by the AP MLD 11-1, but this determination may also be performed by the STA MLD 12. In this case, the communication control unit 53 of the AP MLD 11-1 functions as a switching determination unit that executes the switching determination processing, and this switching determination unit is made up of a reception control unit and a determination unit. The communication control unit 153 of the STA MLD 12 functions as an acquisition unit that acquires communication environment information, and this acquisition unit is made up of a reception control unit 221 and a transmission control unit.

[0245] 24 is a sequence diagram illustrating the connection switching determination process, including the switching determination process by the AP MLD 11-1, performed by the wireless communication system 10. This connection switching determination process is started, for example, when the STA MLD 12 determines that the communication success rate between the AP MLD 11-1 and the STA MLD 12 or the radio wave strength of the signal transmitted from the STA MLD 12 has deteriorated.

[0246] 24, the transmission control unit of the STA MLD 12 controls the STA 151 to transmit a Probe Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2. The processes of steps S331, S332, and S322 are the same as the processes of S31, S32, and S23 in FIG. 6, and therefore will not be described.

[0247] In step S323, the transmission control unit of the STA MLD 12 controls the STA 151 to transmit to the AP MLD 11-1 a Neighbor Report frame reporting the communication environment information included in the Probe Response frame received in the process of step S322.

[0248] In step S311, the reception control unit of the AP MLD 11-1 controls the AP 51 to receive the Neighbor Report frame transmitted by the processing of step S323. In step S312, the determination unit of the AP MLD 11-1 performs a switching determination process similar to the processing of step S13, based on the communication environment information of the AP MLD 11-2 included in the Neighbor Report frame received by the processing of step S311. Then, the connection switching determination process ends.

[0249] <First Example of Element Structure of Neighbor Report Frame> FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a first example of the element structure of a Neighbor Report frame.

[0250] The element structure of the Neighbor Report frame in Fig. 25 is based on the structure of the Neighbor Report Element of IEEE 802.11. The element of the Neighbor Report frame in Fig. 25 is an element that reports the communication environment information of the AP MLD 11-2 acquired by the STA MLD 12.

[0251] Specifically, an element of a Neighbor Report frame consists of the following fields: Element ID, Length, BSSID, BSSID Information, Operating Class, Channel Number, PHY Type, and Optional Subelements.

[0252] In Element ID, a numeric value indicating Neighbor Report Element is described as information indicating the type of this element. In Length, information indicating the length of this element is described. In BSSID, the BSSID of the AP MLD 11-2, which is the source of the communication environment information reported in this element, is described. In BSSID Information, Security, Capability, Mobility, etc. are described as additional information related to the BSS of the AP MLD 11-2, which is the source of the communication environment information reported in this element.

[0253] "Operating Class" describes the operating class information of the channel on which the communication environment information reported by this element was measured. "Channel Number" describes information indicating the channel on which the communication environment information reported by this element was measured. "PHY Type" describes information indicating the type of signal acquired by the operation of measuring the communication environment information reported by this element.

[0254] In the Optional Subelements, elements of communication environment information included in the Probe Response frame transmitted from the AP MLD 11-2 are described as subelements of supplementary information for the report. Specifically, the Optional Subelements include fields for the EHT Capability Subelement, Basic Multi-Link Subelement, EHT BSS Load Subelement, QoS Mapping Subelement, TID-to-Link Mapping Subelement, TWT Subelement, and MSCS Descriptor Subelement.

[0255] <Second Example of Element Structure of Neighbor Report Frame> FIG. 26 is a diagram showing a second example of the element structure of a Neighbor Report frame.

[0256] The Neighbor Report frame in FIG. 26 is a newly defined frame having a newly defined element structure based on the structure of the Neighbor Report Element of IEEE 802.11.

[0257] Specifically, the element of the Neighbor Report frame in Fig. 26 differs from the element of the Neighbor Report frame in Fig. 25 in the configuration of Optional Subelements, but the rest of the configuration is the same as the element in Fig. 25. The configuration of Optional Subelements of the Neighbor Report element in Fig. 26 is the same as the configuration of Optional Subelements in Fig. 10. That is, compressed QoS information is described in the QoS Awareness Report Subelement.

[0258] In the wireless communication system 10, the element structure of the Neighbor Report frame in Fig. 25 and the element structure of the Neighbor Report frame in Fig. 26 may be combined. For example, when the TID-to-Link Mapping information is "11", that is, when the low-latency traffic is not limited traffic, the TID-to-Link Mapping Element itself may be stored in the Neighbor Report frame.

[0259] Even when the decision on whether to perform connection switching determination processing is made by the STA MLD 12, the STA MLD 12 may perform the switching determination processing. In this case, the communication control unit 53 of the AP MLD 11-1 functions as an acquisition unit that acquires communication environment information, and this acquisition unit is made up of a reception control unit. The communication control unit 153 of the STA MLD 12 functions as a switching determination unit that executes the switching determination processing, and this switching determination unit is made up of a reception control unit, a transmission control unit, and a determination unit.

[0260] 27 is a sequence diagram illustrating the connection switching determination process, including the switching determination process by the STA MLD 12, performed in this case by the wireless communication system 10. This connection switching determination process is started, for example, when the STA MLD 12 determines that the communication success rate between the AP MLD 11-1 and the STA MLD 12 or the radio wave intensity of the signal transmitted from the STA MLD 12 has deteriorated.

[0261] The processes of steps S421, S422, S431, and S432 in FIG. 27 are similar to the processes of steps S321, S322, S331, and S332 in FIG. 24, and therefore will not be described again.

[0262] In step S423, the determination unit of the STA MLD 12 performs a switching determination process similar to the process of step S13 based on the communication environment information of the AP MLD 11-2 included in the Probe Report received in the process of step S422. The processes of steps S424 and S411 are similar to the processes of steps S323 and S311 in Fig. 24, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. After the process of step S411, the connection switching determination process ends.

[0263] As described above, the communication control unit 53 of the AP MLD 11-1 (the communication control unit 153 of the STA MLD 12) performs switching determination processing based on the QoS information of the switching destination AP MLD 11-2. Therefore, the communication control unit 53 (153) can determine, for example, based on the QoS information of the AP MLD 11-2, whether or not the same QoS function as before the switching can be implemented after the switching, and can perform the switching appropriately. In other words, the communication control unit 53 (153) can predict the impact of switching the connection destination on the transmission of low-latency traffic, and perform the switching appropriately. As a result, it is possible to prevent transmission delays and deterioration of reliability from occurring due to switching the connection destination of the STA MLD 12.

[0264] The QoS information includes QoS mapping information and SCS / MSCS information. Therefore, in the switching determination process, the communication control unit 53 (153) can accurately recognize the QoS function to be implemented on the low-latency traffic after switching based on the QoS information.

[0265] The communication control unit 53 (153) performs the switching determination process based on the channel availability ratio of the AP MLD 11-2 of the switching destination. Therefore, even if the same QoS function as before the switching cannot be implemented after the switching, if it is determined that a sufficient channel can be secured for transmitting low-latency traffic based on the channel availability ratio, the switching can be performed.

[0266] <2. Second embodiment> <Post-update switching determination unit> A second embodiment of a wireless communication system to which the present technology is applied differs from the wireless communication system 10 in that post-update switching determination processing is performed between AP MLDs 11 instead of connection switching determination processing, and is otherwise configured in the same manner as the wireless communication system 10. Therefore, the following description will focus on the processing of AP MLDs 11-1 and 11-2 in the post-update switching determination processing.

[0267] In the post-update switching decision process, before the switching decision process, the AP MLDs 11 directly exchange their own QoS information for the AP MLDs 11 without going through the STA MLD 12. Then, the AP MLD 11-1 negotiates with the AP MLD 11-2 so that the QoS information for the AP MLD 11-2 is synchronized with its own QoS information and is changed to QoS information suitable for the connected STA MLD 12. The AP MLD 11-1 performs the switching decision process based on the result of the negotiation and the BSS load information for the AP MLD 11-2.

[0268] The AP MLD 11-1 acquires the BSS load information of the AP MLD 11-2, for example, by the AP MLDs 11-1 and 11-2 exchanging frames similar to a BSS Load Query Request frame and a BSS Load Query Report frame.

[0269] FIG. 28 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a post-update switching determination unit in the second embodiment of the wireless communication system, when the control unit 42 of the AP MLD 11-1 functions as a post-update switching determination unit that executes switching determination processing after requesting an update of the QoS function.

[0270] The post-update switching determination unit 300 in FIG. 28 is made up of a transmission control unit 301, a reception control unit 302, and a determination unit 303.

[0271] The transmission control unit 301 transmits its own QoS information and transmits a QoS Status Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2, which is the destination of the connection changeover of the STA MLD 12, requesting the transmission of QoS information.

[0272] The transmission control unit 301 generates a QoS Update Request frame based on a QoS Status Response frame containing QoS information of the AP MLD 11-2 received under the control of the reception control unit 302. The QoS Update Request frame is a frame (update request information) that contains QoS information of the desired updated QoS function of the AP-MLD 11-2 and requests updating of the QoS function based on that QoS information. The desired updated QoS function of the AP-MLD 11-2 is, for example, the same as the QoS function of the AP MLD 11-1, or a QoS function suitable for the STA MLD 12. The QoS function suitable for the STA MLD 12 is, for example, a QoS function that enables low-latency traffic to be transmitted within the required latency time. The transmission control unit 301 transmits the QoS Update Request frame to the AP-MLD 11-2.

[0273] The reception control unit 302 receives a QoS Status Response transmitted from the AP MLD 11-2 in response to the QoS Status Request frame. The reception control unit 302 receives a QoS Update Response frame (update information) that is information related to updating the QoS function and transmitted from the AP MLD 11-2 in response to the QoS Update Request frame.

[0274] The determination unit 203 recognizes the updated QoS function of the AP MLD 11-2 based on the QoS Update Response frame received under the control of the reception control unit 202. The determination unit 203 performs the above-mentioned switching determination process based on the QoS information and the BSS load information of the AP MLD 11-2.

[0275] <Configuration Example of Update Unit> FIG. 29 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an update unit when the control unit 42 of the AP MLD 11-2 functions as an update unit that updates the QoS function in the second embodiment of the wireless communication system.

[0276] The update unit 320 in FIG. 29 is made up of a reception control unit 321, a transmission control unit 322, and an update determination unit 323.

[0277] The reception control unit 321 receives the QoS Status Request frame and the QoS Update Request frame transmitted from the AP MLD 11-1.

[0278] The transmission control unit 322 generates a QoS Status Response frame in response to the QoS Status Request frame and transmits it to the AP MLD 11-1. The transmission control unit 322 generates a QoS Update Response frame based on the result of the update determination process performed by the update determination unit 323. The transmission control unit 322 transmits the QoS Update Response frame to the AP MLD 11-1.

[0279] The update determination unit 323 performs update determination processing based on the QoS Update Request frame received under the control of the reception control unit 321. The update determination processing is processing for determining whether or not a QoS function can be updated, and if it is determined that an update is possible, determining an updatable QoS function as the update content based on the QoS Update Request frame. If it is determined that an update is possible through the update determination processing, the update determination unit 323 updates the current QoS function to the determined updatable QoS function.

[0280] 30 is a sequence diagram illustrating a post-update switching determination process, including a switching determination process by the AP MLD 11-1, performed in the wireless communication system according to the second embodiment. This post-update switching determination process is started, for example, when the AP MLD 11-1 determines that the communication success rate between the AP MLD 11-1 and the STA MLD 12 or the radio wave strength of the signal transmitted from the STA MLD 12 has deteriorated.

[0281] 30, the transmission control unit 301 of the AP MLD 11-1 transmits a QoS Status Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2. In step S521, the reception control unit 321 of the AP MLD 11-2 receives the QoS Status Request frame transmitted by the processing of step S511.

[0282] In step S522, the transmission control unit 322 transmits a QoS Status Response frame to the AP MLD 11-2 in response to the QoS Status Request frame received in step S521. In step S512, the reception control unit 302 receives the QoS Status Response frame transmitted in step S522.

[0283] In this way, the AP MLDs 11-1 and 11-2 exchange QoS information with each other by exchanging QoS Status Request frames and QoS Status Response frames.

[0284] In step S513, the transmission control unit 301 generates a QoS Update Request frame based on the QoS information included in the QoS Status Response frame received in the process of step S512, and transmits the QoS Update Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2.

[0285] In step S523, the reception control unit 321 receives the QoS Update Request frame transmitted in the process of step S513. In step S524, the update determination unit 323 performs update determination processing based on the QoS Update Request frame received in the process of step S523. If the update determination processing determines that an update is possible, the update determination unit 323 performs an update to the determined updatable QoS function after a predetermined time has elapsed. In step S525, the transmission control unit 322 generates a QoS Update Response frame based on the result of the update determination processing of step S524 and transmits it to the AP MLD 11-1.

[0286] In step S514, the reception control unit 302 receives the QoS Update Response frame transmitted in step S524. In step S515, the determination unit 303 performs the above-described switching determination process based on the QoS Update Response frame received in step S514 and the BSS load information. The post-update switching determination process then ends.

[0287] As described above, the AP MLDs 11-1 and 11-2 exchange their QoS information and then exchange QoS Update Request frames and QoS Update Response frames. As a result, for example, the AP MLDs 11-1 and 11-2 negotiate an update of the QoS function of the AP MLD 11-2 to a QoS function that enables transmission of low-latency traffic within the required latency time even after switching to the connected AP MLD 11-2.

[0288] After receiving the QoS Update Response frame transmitted from the AP MLD 11-2, the AP MLD 11-1 may again transmit a QoS Update Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2. That is, the switching determination process may be performed after the QoS function of the AP MLD 11-2 is updated by exchanging QoS Update Response frames and QoS Update Request frames multiple times.

[0289] Instead of the AP MLDs 11-1 and 11-2 directly exchanging their QoS information, similar to the first embodiment, the AP MLD 11-1 may acquire the QoS information of the AP MLD 11-2 via the STA MLD 12. Similarly to the first embodiment, the AP MLD 11-1 may acquire part of the QoS information of the AP MLD 11-2 via the STA MLD 12, and acquire the other part by direct exchange with the AP MLD 11-2.

[0290] The communication between the AP MLDs 11 may be wired or wireless. The AP MLDs 11 may communicate with each other via other devices instead of directly.

[0291] <Example of the Structure of a QoS Status Request Frame> FIG. 31 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a QoS Status Request frame.

[0292] The QoS Status Request frame in FIG. 31 is a MAP (Multi-AP) action frame that is newly defined within the action frames defined in IEEE 802.11.

[0293] The QoS Status Request frame in FIG. 31 is composed of fields for Category, MAP Action, Dialog Token, and QoS Status Element.

[0294] In the Category of the QoS Status Request frame, a numeric value indicating a MAP Action frame is written as information indicating the type of this action frame. In the MAP Action, information indicating a QoS Status Request frame is written as information indicating the type of this MAP Action frame. In the Dialog Token, information indicating the processing number of this action frame is written. In the QoS Status Element, QoS information etc. of the AP MLD 11-1 that is the sender of this action frame is written.

[0295] Specifically, the QoS Status Element is composed of fields such as a QoS Feature Bitmap, a TID-to-Link Mapping Subelement, a TWT Subelement, an MSCS Descriptor Subelement, and a QoS Map Subelement.

[0296] The QoS Feature Bitmap describes bitmap information that indicates the QoS features included in this element. The TID-to-Link Mapping Subelement, TWT Subelement, MSCS Descriptor Subelement, and QoS Map Subelement describe the TID-to-Link Mapping information, R-TWT information, SCS / MSCS information, and QoS mapping information, respectively, from the QoS information.

[0297] The QoS Status Element may also include fields for an EHT Capability Subelement in which R-TWT capability information is described and a Basic Multi-link Subelement in which TID-to-Link Mapping capability information is described.

[0298] <Configuration Example of QoS Status Response Frame> FIG. 32 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a QoS Status Response frame.

[0299] The QoS Status Response frame in FIG. 32 is a MAP action frame that is newly defined within the action frames defined in IEEE 802.11.

[0300] The QoS Status Response frame in FIG. 32 is composed of fields for Category, MAP Action, Dialog Token, Status Code, and QoS Status Element.

[0301] In the Category of the QoS Status Response frame, a numeric value indicating a MAP Action frame is written as information indicating the type of this action frame. In the MAP Action, a numeric value indicating a QoS Status Response frame is written as information indicating the type of this MAP Action frame. In the Dialog Token, information indicating the processing number of this action frame is written. In the Status Code, OK, NG, etc. is written as information indicating the type of response to the request of the QoS Status Request frame. When NG is written in the Status Code, the subsequent QoS Status Element is omitted.

[0302] The QoS Status Element describes the QoS information of the AP MLD 11-2 that is the sender of this action frame, etc. The configuration of this QoS Status Element is the same as the configuration of the QoS Status Element in Fig. 31, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0303] <Configuration Example of QoS Update Request Frame> FIG. 33 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a QoS Update Request frame.

[0304] The QoS Update Request frame in FIG. 33 is a MAP action frame that is newly defined within the action frames defined in IEEE 802.11.

[0305] The QoS Update Request frame in FIG. 33 is composed of fields for Category, MAP Action, Dialog Token, and QoS Status Element.

[0306] The Category of the QoS Update Request frame contains a numeric value indicating a MAP Action frame as information indicating the type of this action frame. The MAP Action contains a numeric value indicating a QoS Update Request frame as information indicating the type of this MAP Action frame. The Dialog Token contains information indicating the processing number of this action frame. The QoS Update Element contains information for requesting an update of the QoS function.

[0307] Specifically, the QoS Status Element is composed of fields such as Update Type, Traffic Info, Request QoS Feature Bitmap, TID-to-Link Mapping Subelement, TWT Subelement, MSCS Descriptor Subelement, and QoS Map Subelement.

[0308] 33 , update request type information is described, which is information indicating the type of update request for QoS information. Examples of types indicated by update request type information include "the requester specifies both the desired updated QoS functions and parameters" and "the requester specifies only the desired updated QoS functions." Another type indicated by update request type information is "the requester leaves the decision on the updated QoS functions and parameters to the responding side." When the update request type information indicates "the requester leaves the decision on the updated QoS functions and parameters to the responding side," the responding side determines the updated QoS functions and parameters suitable for low-latency traffic by referring to the QoS Characteristic Subelement described below.

[0309] Traffic Info describes information about low-latency traffic corresponding to the QoS function for which an update is requested. Specifically, Traffic Info is composed of fields for STA AID, DSCP, and QoS Characteristic Subelement. The STA AID describes the AID (Association ID) of the STA MLD 12. The DSCP describes the DSCP of the low-latency traffic. The QoS Characteristic Subelement describes detailed information about the low-latency traffic. Traffic Info does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0310] The Request QoS Feature Bitmap contains bitmap information that indicates the QoS features for which an update is requested. If the Update Type is set to "The requester leaves it to the responder to determine the updated QoS features and parameters," the bitmap information is set to all 0s, or the Request QoS Feature Bitmap is omitted.

[0311] The TID-to-Link Mapping subelement and the TWT subelement respectively describe TID-to-Link Mapping information and R-TWT information of the QoS information of the desired updated QoS function of the AP MLD 11-2. The MSCS Descriptor subelement and the QoS Map subelement respectively describe SCS / MSCS information and QoS mapping information of the desired updated QoS function of the AP MLD 11-2.

[0312] <Configuration Example of QoS Update Response Frame> FIG. 34 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a QoS Update Response frame.

[0313] The QoS Update Response frame in FIG. 34 is a MAP action frame that is newly defined within the action frames defined in IEEE 802.11.

[0314] The QoS Update Response frame in FIG. 34 is composed of the fields Category, MAP Action, Dialog Token, Status Code, Reason Code, Update Time, and QoS Status Element.

[0315] The Category of the QoS Update Response frame contains a numeric value indicating MAP Action as information indicating the type of this action frame. The MAP Action contains a numeric value indicating a QoS Update Response frame as information indicating the type of this MAP Action frame. The Dialog Token contains information indicating the processing number of this action frame.

[0316] In the Status Code, information indicating the determination result of the update determination process in step S524 of FIG. 30 is written as information indicating the update response type, which is the type of response to the request of the QoS Update Request frame.

[0317] Specifically, if the update determination process determines that an update is not possible, information indicating "update not possible" is described as the update response type. If the update determination process determines that an update is possible and a QoS function corresponding to the QoS information in the QoS Update Request frame is determined to be an updatable QoS function, information indicating "update to a QoS function based on the QoS Update Request frame is possible" is described as the update response type. If the update determination process determines that an update is possible and a QoS function other than the QoS function corresponding to the QoS information in the QoS Update Request frame is determined to be an updatable QoS function, information indicating "update to a QoS function other than the QoS function based on the QoS Update Request frame is possible" is described as the update response type.

[0318] In the case where the update response type is "update not possible", information indicating the reason is described in the Reason Code. In the case where it is determined by the update determination process that an update is possible, information indicating the update time, which is the time from the current time to the update start time, is described. In the QoS Status Element, updatable QoS information of the AP MLD 11-2 determined by the update determination process, etc. is described. The configuration of this QoS Status Element is the same as the configuration of the QoS Status Element in Fig. 31, so description thereof will be omitted.

[0319] <Explanation of Updating TID-to-Link Mapping> FIG. 35 is a diagram illustrating updating TID-to-Link Mapping.

[0320] 35, as shown in the upper part of the figure, the AP MLD 11-1 performs TID-to-Link Mapping by limiting only traffic with a TID of 1 on the link 21-1. The AP MLD 11-2 performs TID-to-Link Mapping by limiting only traffic with a TID of 2 on the link 21-1. The TID of the low-latency traffic transmitted by the STA MLD 12 is 1.

[0321] In this case, the AP MLD 11-1 checks the TID-to-Link Mapping information in the QoS information of the AP MLD 11-2 contained in the QoS Status Response frame transmitted from the AP MLD 11-2.Then, the AP MLD 11-1 transmits a QoS Update Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2 requesting an update of the TID-to-Link Mapping so that only low-latency traffic remains the limited traffic on the link 21-1 even after switching the connection destination to the AP MLD 11-2.In other words, the AP MLD 11-1 requests the AP MLD 11-2 to update the TID-to-Link Mapping to the same TID-to-Link Mapping as that in the AP MLD 11-1.

[0322] The AP MLD 11-2 performs an update determination process based on the TID-to-Link Mapping information included in the QoS Update Request frame. If it is possible to update the TID-to-Link Mapping based on the TID-to-Link Mapping information in the QoS Update Request frame, the update determination process determines that the update is possible, and the TID-to-Link Mapping is determined as an updatable QoS function. As a result, as shown in the left side of the lower part of Figure 35, after the update start time has passed, the AP MLD 11-2 updates the TID-to-Link Mapping so that traffic with a TID of 1 on link 21-1 is treated as limited traffic.

[0323] On the other hand, if the TID-to-Link Mapping can be updated but cannot be updated based on the TID-to-Link Mapping information in the QoS Update Request frame, the update determination process determines an updatable QoS function based on the TID-to-Link Mapping information. For example, if both traffic with TID 1 and traffic with TID 2 on link 21-1 can be treated as limited traffic, the AP MLD 11-2 compromises by determining the TID-to-Link Mapping that treats both as limited traffic as an updatable QoS function. As a result, as shown in the lower right side of Figure 35, after the update start time has passed, the AP MLD 11-2 updates the TID-to-Link Mapping so that traffic with TID 1 or 2 on link 21-1 is treated as limited traffic. At this time, the AP MLD 11-2 transmits a control signal to its subordinate STA MLDs to notify them of the update of the TID-to-Link Mapping.

[0324] Whether or not to determine the updatable QoS function as TID-to-Link Mapping based on the TID-to-Link Mapping information in the QoS Update Request frame is determined comprehensively based on the traffic situation of the AP MLD 11-2 itself and the situation of the subordinate STA MLDs.

[0325] For example, if the QoS standard required for the traffic with TID 2, which is limited traffic on link 21-1, is not high, the updatable QoS function is determined to be TID-to-Link Mapping based on the TID-to-Link Mapping information in the QoS Update Request frame.If there is sufficient availability of channels on link 21-1, the updatable QoS function is determined to be TID-to-Link Mapping, which limits traffic on link 21-1 with TID 1 or 2.

[0326] On the other hand, if other traffic is also considered limited traffic, and the channel of the link 21-1 becomes congested, the AP MLD 11-2 determines in the update determination process that updating is not possible, and rejects the request from the AP MLD 11-1.

[0327] <Explanation of R-TWT Update> FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating the update of the R-TWT.

[0328] In FIG. 36, the horizontal axis represents time t.

[0329] 36, as shown in the upper part of the figure, the AP MLD 11-1 performs R-TWT on only traffic with a TID of 1 as priority traffic in a priority transmission period T1. The AP MLD 11-2 performs R-TWT on only traffic with a TID of 2 as priority traffic in a priority transmission period T2. The TID of the low-latency traffic transmitted by the STA MLD 12 is 1.

[0330] In this case, the AP MLD 11-1 checks the R-TWT information in the QoS information of the AP MLD 11-2 contained in the QoS Status Response frame transmitted from the AP MLD 11-2. Then, the AP MLD 11-1 transmits a QoS Update Request frame to the AP MLD 11-2. This QoS Update Request frame requests an R-TWT update so that a prioritized transmission period T1 is set in which only low-latency traffic is prioritized traffic on the link 21-1, even after the connection destination is switched to the AP MLD 11-2. In other words, the AP MLD 11-1 requests the AP MLD 11-2 to update the R-TWT to the same R-TWT as that in the AP MLD 11-1.

[0331] The AP MLD 11-2 performs an update determination process based on the R-TWT information included in the QoS Update Request frame. If the R-TWT can be updated based on the R-TWT information in the QoS Update Request frame, the update determination process determines that the update is possible, and the R-TWT is determined as an updatable QoS function. As a result, as shown in the left side of the lower part of Figure 36, after the update start time has passed, the AP MLD 11-2 updates the R-TWT so that a prioritized transmission period T1 in which traffic with TID 1 is prioritized traffic is set in addition to a prioritized transmission period T2.

[0332] On the other hand, if the R-TWT can be updated but cannot be updated based on the R-TWT information in the QoS Update Request frame, the update determination process determines the QoS function that can be updated based on the R-TWT information. For example, if both traffic with TID 1 and traffic with TID 2 can be set as priority traffic in the prioritized transmission period T2, the AP MLD 11-2 compromises by determining the R-TWT with both traffic as priority traffic in the prioritized transmission period T2 as the QoS function that can be updated. As a result, as shown in the lower right side of Figure 35, after the update start time has passed, the AP MLD 11-2 updates the R-TWT so that both traffic with TID 1 and traffic with TID 2 are set as priority traffic in the prioritized transmission period T2. At this time, the AP MLD 11-2 transmits a control signal to its subordinate STA MLDs notifying them of the R-TWT update.

[0333] Whether or not to determine the updatable QoS function based on the R-TWT information in the QoS Update Request frame is determined comprehensively based on the traffic situation of the AP MLD 11-2 itself and the situation of the subordinate STA MLDs.

[0334] For example, if there is sufficient availability in channels outside the prioritized transmission period T2, the updatable QoS information is determined to be R-TWT based on the R-TWT information in the QoS Update Request frame. If a new prioritized transmission period T1 is set, channels will become congested, but if there is sufficient availability in channels within the prioritized transmission period T2, the updatable QoS function is determined to be R-TWT, which treats traffic with TID 1 or 2 as priority traffic for the prioritized transmission period T2. On the other hand, if there is no sufficient availability in channels both inside and outside the prioritized transmission period T2, the AP MLD 11-2 determines in the update determination process that updating is not possible and rejects the request from the AP MLD 11-1.

[0335] As described above, in the update determination process, the update determination unit 323 determines whether or not a QoS function update is possible based on the QoS Update Request frame transmitted from the AP MLD 11-1. The transmission control unit 322 transmits a QoS Update Response frame to the AP MLD 11-1 based on the result of this determination. Therefore, the AP MLD 11-1 can perform switching determination process based on the QoS Update Response frame and perform switching appropriately.

[0336] By exchanging QoS Update Request frames and QoS Update Response frames, the AP MLDs 11-1 and 11-2 can negotiate an update to the QoS function of the AP MLD 11-2 so that low-latency traffic can be transmitted in the same manner as before the switchover. This improves the probability that low-latency traffic will be transmitted within the required delay time and with the required transmission success rate after the switchover. This improves the probability that a switchover decision will be made in the switchover decision process.

[0337] Note that the negotiation for updating the QoS function of the AP MLD 11-2 may be performed between the AP MLD 11 currently connected to the STA MLD 12 and another AP MLD 11 that can be connected to the STA MLD 12, regardless of the switching determination process.

[0338] 30, if the Status Code of the QoS Update Response frame describes information indicating that "update to the QoS function based on the QoS Update Request frame is possible," the switching determination process of step S515 does not need to be performed. In this case, since the transmission performance of low-latency traffic after switching is guaranteed, the AP MLD 11-1 performs the switching determination process based on, for example, the radio wave environment and the communication success rate.

[0339] <3. Computer> <Example of Computer Configuration> The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. When the series of processes is executed by software, the program constituting the software is installed from a program recording medium into a computer incorporated in dedicated hardware, a general-purpose personal computer, or the like.

[0340] FIG. 37 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that executes the above-described series of processes by a program.

[0341] A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 801 , a ROM (Read Only Memory) 802 , and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 803 are interconnected by a bus 804 .

[0342] An input / output interface 805 is further connected to the bus 804. An input unit 806 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc., and an output unit 807 including a display, a speaker, etc., are connected to the input / output interface 805. Information related to the present technology may be output or displayed from the output unit 807. Information related to the present technology may be input from the input unit 806, and confirmation or a response to the information output or displayed on the output unit 807 may be input. In addition, a storage unit 808 including a hard disk or nonvolatile memory, a communication unit 809 including a network interface, etc., and a drive 810 that drives removable media 811 are connected to the input / output interface 805.

[0343] In the computer configured as above, the CPU 801 performs the above-described series of processes by, for example, loading a program stored in the storage unit 808 into the RAM 803 via the input / output interface 805 and the bus 804 and executing the program. For example, the CPU 801 may execute processing programs corresponding to the sequence diagrams of Figures 6, 23, 24, 27, and 30 and the flowcharts of Figures 16, 17, and 22 of the present technology.

[0344] The program executed by the CPU 801 is provided, for example, by being recorded on a removable medium 811 or via a wired or wireless transmission medium such as a local area network, the Internet, or digital broadcasting, and is installed in the storage unit 808.

[0345] The program executed by the computer may be a program that processes in chronological order according to the order described in this specification, or may be a program that processes in parallel or at the required timing, such as when called.

[0346] 4. Application Examples The present technology can be applied to various products. For example, the STA MLD 12 in FIG. 3 may be realized as a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet PC (Personal Computer), a notebook PC, a portable game console, or a digital camera; a fixed terminal such as a television receiver, a projector, a printer, a digital scanner, or a network storage; or an in-vehicle terminal such as a car navigation device or a drive recorder. The STA MLD 12 may also be realized as an M2M (Machine-to-Machine Communication) terminal or an IoT (Internet of Things) terminal, such as a smart meter, a vending machine, a remote monitoring device, or a POS (Point of Sale) terminal. Furthermore, the STA MLD 12 may be a wireless communication module (e.g., an integrated circuit module configured on a single die) mounted on such a terminal.

[0347] 2 may be realized as a wireless LAN AP (wireless base station) with or without router functionality. The AP MLD 11 may also be realized as a mobile wireless LAN router. The AP MLD 11 may also be realized as a cellular communication base station or femtocell. Furthermore, the AP MLD 11 may be a wireless communication module (e.g., an integrated circuit module configured on a single die) mounted on these devices.

[0348] <Configuration example of smartphone> Fig. 38 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a smartphone 900 to which the present technology is applied. Fig. 38 is described as a configuration example of the smartphone 900, but the present technology is not limited to this, and may be a configuration example of the various devices and functions described above.

[0349] The smartphone 900 includes a processor 901, a memory 902, a storage 903, an external connection interface 904, a camera 906, a sensor 907, a microphone 908, an input device 909, and a display device 910. The smartphone 900 also includes a speaker 911, a wireless communication interface 913, an antenna switch 914, an antenna 915, a bus 917, a battery 918, and an auxiliary controller 919. The smartphone 900 may include all or some of the above.

[0350] The processor 901 may be, for example, a CPU or a SoC (System on Chip), and controls the functions of the application layer and other layers of the smartphone 900.

[0351] The memory 902 includes RAM and ROM, and stores programs and data executed by the processor 901 .

[0352] The storage 903 includes a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk.

[0353] The external connection interface 904 is an interface for connecting an external device such as a memory card or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device to the smartphone 900 .

[0354] The camera 906 has an imaging element such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and generates a captured image.

[0355] The sensor 907 includes a group of sensors such as a positioning sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and an acceleration sensor.

[0356] The microphone 908 converts the sound input to the smartphone 900 into an audio signal.

[0357] The input device 909 includes, for example, a touch sensor that detects a touch on the screen of the display device 910, a keypad, a keyboard, a button, or a switch, and accepts operations or information input from the user.

[0358] The display device 910 has a screen such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or a quantum dot (QD) display, and displays the output image of the smartphone 900.

[0359] The speaker 911 converts the audio signal output from the smartphone 900 into sound.

[0360] The wireless communication interface 913 supports one or more wireless LAN standards such as IEEE802.11a, 11b, 11g, 11ac, 11ad, 11ax, 11ay, 11be, 11bn, and successor standards thereof, and performs wireless communication.

[0361] The wireless communication interface 913 communicates with other devices via a wireless LAN AP in infrastructure mode, and directly with other devices in ad hoc mode or a direct communication mode such as Wi-Fi Direct.

[0362] Unlike ad hoc mode, in Wi-Fi Direct, one of the two terminals acts as an AP, but communication is carried out directly between the terminals.

[0363] The wireless communication interface 913 typically includes a baseband processor, an RF (Radio Frequency) circuit, a power amplifier, etc. The wireless communication interface 913 may be a one-chip module that integrates a memory that stores a communication control program, a processor that executes the program, and related circuits.

[0364] The wireless communication interface 913 may support other types of wireless communication methods, such as a short-range wireless communication method such as Bluetooth, a proximity wireless communication method such as NFC, or a 3GPP (registered trademark) cellular communication method such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and 6G, in addition to the wireless LAN method. The wireless communication interface 913 may be a one-chip module that supports multiple wireless communication methods, or may be a combination of modules that support some of the wireless communication methods.

[0365] The antenna switch 914 switches the connection destination of the antenna 915 between multiple circuits included in the wireless communication interface 913 (for example, circuits for different wireless communication methods, or transmission system circuits and reception system circuits).

[0366] The antenna 915 has a single or multiple antenna elements (e.g., multiple antenna elements constituting a MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antenna, or multiple antenna elements constituting an array antenna) and is used for transmitting and receiving radio signals via the wireless communication interface 913.

[0367] 38 , the smartphone 900 may include multiple antennas (for example, a wireless LAN antenna, a proximity wireless communication antenna, and a cellular communication antenna). In this case, the antenna switch 914 may be omitted from the configuration of the smartphone 900.

[0368] The bus 917 connects the processor 901, memory 902, storage 903, external connection interface 904, camera 906, sensor 907, microphone 908, input device 909, display device 910, speaker 911, wireless communication interface 913, and auxiliary controller 919 to each other.

[0369] The battery 918 supplies power to each block of the smartphone 900 shown in FIG. 38 via a power supply line partially indicated by a dashed line in the figure. The auxiliary controller 919 operates the minimum necessary functions of the smartphone 900, for example, in sleep mode. The battery 918 may also be charged via the external connection interface 904. The battery 918 may also have a function that allows reading information regarding the remaining amount of power, the cumulative power-on time, or the cumulative amount of power supply, and the processor 901, the wireless communication interface 913, or the auxiliary controller 919 may control any of the functions of the above-described embodiments based on the information read from the battery 918.

[0370] 38, for example, the STA MLD 12 in FIG. 3 may be implemented in the wireless communication interface 913. For example, processing programs corresponding to the sequence diagrams in FIGS. 6 and 27 may be executed in the wireless communication interface 913. Furthermore, at least some of these functions may be implemented in the processor 901 or the auxiliary controller 919.

[0371] The smartphone 900 may operate as a wireless AP (software AP) by the processor 901 executing an AP function at the application level. The wireless communication interface 913 may have a wireless AP function. The processor 901 or the wireless communication interface 913 may have a tethering function that uses a wireless LAN system and a cellular communication system, and may transmit payload data received via the cellular communication system via the wireless LAN system, or may transmit payload data received via the wireless LAN system via the cellular communication system. The smartphone 900 may have a tethering function enabled by user input.

[0372] Furthermore, the smartphone 900 may be provided with a biometric authentication unit (fingerprint authentication, palm shape authentication, voice authentication, blood vessel authentication, face authentication, iris authentication, retina authentication). In this case, the wireless communication interface 913 in which the STA MLD 12 in Fig. 3 is implemented is configured to receive power from the same battery 918 as the display device 910, the speaker 911, and at least one of the biometric authentication unit.

[0373] Furthermore, in the smartphone 900, information is displayed on at least one of the display device 910 and the speaker 911 based on communication with an external device via the wireless communication interface 913. At this time, information relating to the present technology may be output as information from at least one of the display device 910 and the speaker 911. Furthermore, the input device 909 may be configured to input a confirmation or response to the information output from at least one of the display device 910 and the speaker 911.

[0374] <Configuration example of in-vehicle device> Fig. 39 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle device 920 to which the present technology is applied. Fig. 39 is described as an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device 920, but the configuration is not limited to this and may be an example of the configuration of the various devices and functions described above.

[0375] The in-vehicle device 920 is configured to include a processor 921, a memory 922, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) module 924, a sensor 925, a data interface 926, a content player 927, and a storage medium interface 928. The in-vehicle device 920 is also configured to include an input device 929, a display device 930, a speaker 931, a wireless communication interface 933, an antenna switch 934, an antenna 935, and a battery 938. The in-vehicle device 920 may be configured to include all or some of the above.

[0376] The processor 921 may be, for example, a CPU or an SoC, and controls the navigation function and other functions of the in-vehicle device 920. The processor 921 can also control the vehicle's driving system, such as the brake, accelerator, or steering, based on information obtained through communication based on the present technology.

[0377] The memory 922 includes RAM and ROM, and stores programs and data executed by the processor 921 .

[0378] The GNSS module 924 measures the position (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the in-vehicle device 920 using GNSS signals received from GNSS satellites.

[0379] The sensor 925 includes a group of sensors such as a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, a camera (an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS), and a barometric pressure sensor.

[0380] The data interface 926 is connected to an in-vehicle network 941 via a terminal (not shown), for example, and acquires data generated on the vehicle side, such as vehicle-side data.

[0381] The content player 927 plays content stored on a storage medium (e.g., a CD or DVD) inserted into the storage medium interface 928 or content received via the wireless communication interface 933 .

[0382] The input device 929 includes, for example, a touch sensor, a button, or a switch that detects a touch on the screen of the display device 930, and accepts operations or information input from the user. For example, the input device 929 may be configured to input a confirmation or response to information output from at least one of the display device 930 and the speaker 931.

[0383] The display device 930 has a screen such as an LCD, OLED display, or QD display, and displays images of navigation functions or content being played, as well as information related to the present technology.

[0384] The speaker 931 outputs the navigation function, the audio of the content being played, or information related to the present technology.

[0385] Note that the navigation function and the function of the content player 927 are optional in the in-vehicle device 920. The navigation function and the content player 927 may be removed from the configuration of the in-vehicle device 920.

[0386] The wireless communication interface 933 supports one or more wireless LAN standards such as IEEE802.11a, 11b, 11g, 11n, 11ac, 11ad, 11ax, 11ay, 11be, 11bn, and successor standards thereof, and performs wireless communication.

[0387] The wireless communication interface 933 communicates with other devices via a wireless LAN AP in infrastructure mode, and directly with other devices in ad hoc mode or a direct communication mode such as Wi-Fi Direct.

[0388] Unlike ad hoc mode, in Wi-Fi Direct, one of the two terminals acts as an AP, but communication is carried out directly between the terminals.

[0389] The wireless communication interface 933 typically includes a baseband processor, an RF circuit, a power amplifier, etc. The wireless communication interface 933 may be a one-chip module that integrates a memory that stores a communication control program, a processor that executes the program, or related circuits.

[0390] The wireless communication interface 933 may support other types of wireless communication methods in addition to the WLAN method, such as a short-range wireless communication method such as Bluetooth, a proximity wireless communication method such as NFC, or a 3GPP cellular communication method such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and 6G. The wireless communication interface 933 may be a one-chip module that supports multiple wireless communication methods, or may be a combination of modules that support some of the wireless communication methods.

[0391] The antenna switch 934 switches the connection destination of the antenna 935 between multiple circuits included in the wireless communication interface 933 (for example, circuits for different wireless communication methods, or transmission system circuits and reception system circuits).

[0392] The antenna 935 has a single or multiple antenna elements (e.g., multiple antenna elements constituting a MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antenna, or multiple antenna elements constituting an array antenna) and is used for transmitting and receiving radio signals via the wireless communication interface 933.

[0393] 39 , the in-vehicle device 920 may include multiple antennas (for example, an antenna for wireless LAN, an antenna for a close-proximity wireless communication system, and an antenna for a cellular communication system). In that case, the antenna switch 934 may be omitted from the configuration of the in-vehicle device 920.

[0394] The battery 938 supplies power to each block of the in-vehicle device 920 shown in Fig. 39 via a power supply line partially indicated by a dashed line in the figure. The battery 938 may also store power supplied from the vehicle side. Alternatively, the in-vehicle device 920 may not be equipped with a battery and may use power supplied from the vehicle side via a voltage regulator or a capacitor.

[0395] In the in-vehicle device 920 shown in Fig. 39, for example, the STA MLD 12 in Fig. 3 may be implemented in the wireless communication interface 933. For example, processing programs corresponding to the sequence diagrams in Fig. 6 and Fig. 27 may be executed in the wireless communication interface 933. Furthermore, at least some of these functions may be implemented in the processor 921.

[0396] The wireless communication interface 933 may also operate as the AP MLD 11 described above and provide a wireless connection to a terminal owned by a user in the vehicle. For example, the wireless communication interface 933 may connect the in-vehicle device 920 to other peripheral devices, and the in-vehicle device 920 may use CarPlay (registered trademark) or Android Auto (registered trademark). Note that the wireless communication interface 933 may also connect the in-vehicle device 920 to other peripheral devices using a short-range wireless communication method, infrastructure mode, or a wireless LAN method using Wi-Fi Direct.

[0397] The in-vehicle device 920 may operate as a wireless AP (software AP) by the processor 921 executing an AP function at the application level. The wireless communication interface 933 may have a wireless AP function. The processor 921 or the wireless communication interface 933 may have a tethering function that uses a wireless LAN system and a cellular communication system, and may transmit payload data received via the cellular communication system via the wireless LAN system, or may transmit payload data received via the wireless LAN system via the cellular communication system. The in-vehicle device 920 may have the tethering function enabled by user input.

[0398] Furthermore, the present technology may be realized as an in-vehicle system (or vehicle) 940 including one or more blocks of the above-described in-vehicle device 920, an in-vehicle network 941, and a vehicle-side module 942. The vehicle-side module 942 may generate vehicle-side data such as vehicle speed information, engine rotation speed information, information about the vehicle-side battery, or malfunction information, and output the generated data to the in-vehicle network 941, and the processor 921 or the wireless communication interface 933 may control any of the functions of the above-described embodiments based on the vehicle-side data acquired via the in-vehicle network 941.

[0399] <Configuration example of wireless AP> Fig. 40 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a wireless AP 950 to which the present technology is applied. Fig. 40 is described as an example configuration of the wireless AP 950, but is not limited to this, and may be an example configuration of the various devices and functions described above.

[0400] The wireless AP 950 includes a controller 951, a memory 952, an input device 954, a display device 955, a network interface 957, a wireless communication interface 963, an antenna switch 964, and an antenna 965. The wireless AP 950 may include all or some of the above.

[0401] The controller 951 may be, for example, a CPU or a DSP (Digital Signal processor) and operates various functions of the IP (Internet Protocol) layer and higher layers of the wireless AP 950 (e.g., access restriction, routing, encryption, firewall, and log management).

[0402] The memory 952 includes RAM and ROM, and stores programs executed by the controller 951 and various control information (for example, a terminal list, a routing table, an encryption key, security settings, and logs).

[0403] The input device 954 includes, for example, buttons and switches, and receives operations from the user. For example, the input device 954 may be configured to input a confirmation or response to information output from the display device 955. Furthermore, the input device 954 may be configured to input, by user operation, switching the wireless function on / off and switching between the router function and the access point function.

[0404] The display device 955 includes an LED lamp or the like and displays the operation status of the wireless AP 950. The display device 955 may also display information related to the present technology.

[0405] The network interface 957 is a wired communication interface for connecting the wireless AP 950 to a wired communication network 958. The network interface 957 may have multiple connection terminals. The network interface 957 may output payload data included in a wireless signal input from the wireless communication interface 963 as a wired signal, or may receive payload data output as a wireless signal from the wireless communication interface 963 as a wired signal. The network interface 957 may input and output wired signals in parallel with or independently of the wireless communication interface 963 inputting and outputting wireless signals. The wired communication network 958 may be a LAN such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or a WAN (Wide Area Network).

[0406] The wireless communication interface 963 supports one or more wireless LAN standards, such as IEEE 802.11a, 11b, 11g, 11n, 11ac, 11ad, 11ax, 11ay, 11be, 11bn, and their successor standards, and provides wireless connection to nearby terminals as an AP. When the wireless AP 950 is installed in a cellular communication base station or a femtocell, the wireless communication interface 963 may support other types of wireless communication systems, such as 3GPP cellular communication systems such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and 6G, in addition to the wireless LAN system. The wireless communication interface 963 may be a one-chip module that supports multiple wireless communication systems, or a combination of modules that support some of the wireless communication systems.

[0407] The wireless communication interface 963 typically includes a baseband processor, an RF circuit, a power amplifier, and the like.

[0408] The wireless communication interface 963 may be a one-chip module that integrates a memory that stores a communication control program, a processor that executes the program, or related circuits.

[0409] The antenna switch 964 switches the connection destination of the antenna 965 between multiple circuits included in the wireless communication interface 963 (for example, circuits for different wireless communication methods, or transmission system circuits and reception system circuits).

[0410] The antenna 965 has a single or multiple antenna elements (for example, multiple antenna elements constituting a MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) antenna, or multiple antenna elements constituting an array antenna) and is used for transmitting and receiving radio signals via the wireless communication interface 963.

[0411] In the wireless AP 950 shown in Fig. 40, for example, the AP MLD 11 in Fig. 2 may be implemented in the wireless communication interface 963. For example, processing programs corresponding to the sequence diagrams in Fig. 6, Fig. 23, Fig. 24, Fig. 27, and Fig. 30 and the flowcharts in Fig. 16, Fig. 17, and Fig. 22 may be executed in the wireless communication interface 963. Furthermore, at least some of these functions may be implemented in the controller 951.

[0412] The above-described embodiment shows an example for realizing the present technology, and the matters in the embodiment correspond to the matters specifying the invention in the claims. Similarly, the matters specifying the invention in the claims correspond to the matters in the embodiment of the present technology having the same title. However, the present technology is not limited to the embodiment, and can be realized by applying various modifications to the embodiment without departing from the gist of the present technology.

[0413] Furthermore, part or all of the information processing device described in the above embodiments may be realized, for example, as a semiconductor chip (IC (Integrated Circuit)) having a wireless communication control function. Also, it may be realized by a single semiconductor chip equipped with multiple functions, such as a SoC (System on Chip), or by combining multiple semiconductor chips each having a single function, such as a processor. Furthermore, it may be realized by combining multiple SoCs, or by combining a semiconductor chip with a single function and a SoC. It may also be realized by a semiconductor chip such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) dedicated to realizing each unit, or by a combination of a general-purpose processor with software or firmware, or by a semiconductor chip such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0414] Furthermore, the processing procedures described in the above embodiments may be regarded as a method having a series of these procedures, or as a program for causing this computer to execute these procedures or a recording medium for storing the program.

[0415] Examples of the recording medium that can be used include a CD (Compact Disc), an MD (Mini Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a memory card, and a Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc.

[0416] In this specification, a system refers to a collection of multiple components (devices, modules (components), etc.), regardless of whether all of the components are contained in the same housing. Therefore, multiple devices housed in separate housings and connected via a network, and a single device housed in a single housing with multiple modules, are both systems.

[0417] Furthermore, the effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be present.

[0418] The embodiments of the present technology are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present technology.

[0419] For example, the present technology can be configured as a cloud computing system in which a single function is shared and processed collaboratively by a plurality of devices via a network.

[0420] Furthermore, each step described in the above flowchart can be executed by one device, or can be shared and executed by a plurality of devices.

[0421] Furthermore, when one step includes multiple processes, the multiple processes included in that one step can be executed by one device or can be shared and executed by multiple devices.

[0422] The effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be present.

[0423] The present technology can have the following configurations. (1) A wireless communication device including: a determination unit that performs a switching determination process to determine whether to switch a connection destination of a wireless terminal device from its own wireless communication device to another wireless communication device, based on QoS information that is information related to a QoS function of the other wireless communication device. (2) The wireless communication device described in (1), wherein the determination unit is configured to perform the switching determination process also based on channel effectiveness ratio information for at least one unit of a link of the other wireless communication device and a predetermined period. (3) The wireless communication device described in (2), wherein the determination unit is configured to determine whether an available link that the other wireless communication device can use for communication with the wireless terminal device is restricted, based on the QoS information, and if the available link is restricted, to perform the switching determination process based on the channel effectiveness ratio information of the available link. (4) The wireless communication device according to (2) or (3), wherein the predetermined period is a prioritized transmission period of an R-TWT or a period other than the prioritized transmission period, and the determination unit is configured to determine whether a communication period during which the other wireless communication device communicates with the wireless terminal device is restricted based on the QoS information, and if the communication period is restricted, perform the switching determination process based on the channel effectiveness information for the communication period, which is the prioritized transmission period or a period other than the prioritized transmission period. (5) The wireless communication device according to (1), wherein the determination unit is configured to perform the switching determination process also based on channel effectiveness information for at least any unit of a link of the other wireless communication device and a period obtained by subdividing the predetermined period, and the predetermined period is the entire period, a prioritized transmission period of an R-TWT, or a period other than the prioritized transmission period. (6) The wireless communication device according to any of (1) to (5), further comprising a reception control unit that controls reception of the QoS information transmitted from the wireless terminal device.(7) The wireless communication device according to (6), further comprising: a transmission control unit that controls transmission of acquisition request information requesting acquisition of the QoS information to the wireless terminal device, wherein the acquisition request information includes information indicating a type of the QoS function corresponding to the QoS information, and the reception control unit is configured to control reception of the QoS information transmitted from the wireless terminal device in response to the acquisition request information transmitted by the transmission control unit. (8) The wireless communication device according to (7), wherein the QoS information is information regarding the QoS function of the other wireless communication device in traffic in which the wireless communication device is communicating with the wireless terminal device. (9) The wireless communication device according to (7), wherein the transmission control unit also controls transmission of update request information requesting update of the QoS function of the other wireless communication device based on the QoS information received under control of the reception control unit, the reception control unit also controls reception of update information, which is information regarding update of the QoS function, transmitted from the other wireless communication device based on the update request information transmitted under control of the transmission control unit, and the determination unit is configured to perform the switching determination process based on the update information. (10) The wireless communication device according to (9), wherein the update request information is configured to include QoS information of the QoS function of the other wireless communication device after updating. (11) The wireless communication device according to (9), wherein the update request information is configured to include information indicating that a decision on update contents of the QoS function is entrusted to the other wireless communication device. (12) A wireless communication method, comprising: a wireless communication device performing a switch determination process to determine whether to switch a connection destination of a wireless terminal device from its own wireless communication device to the other wireless communication device, based on QoS information that is information on the QoS function of the other wireless communication device.(13) A wireless terminal device comprising: a determination unit that performs a switching determination process to determine whether to switch a connection destination of the wireless terminal device from a second wireless communication device to a first wireless communication device based on QoS information, which is information on a QoS function of a first wireless communication device out of a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device that can be connected to the wireless terminal device. (14) The wireless terminal device described in (13), wherein the determination unit is configured to perform the switching determination process also based on channel effectiveness ratio information for at least one of a link of the first wireless communication device and a predetermined period. (15) The wireless terminal device described in (14), wherein the determination unit is configured to determine whether an available link that the first wireless communication device can use for communication with the wireless terminal device is restricted based on the QoS information, and if the available link is restricted, to perform the switching determination process based on the channel effectiveness ratio information of the available link. (16) The wireless terminal device according to (14) or (15), wherein the predetermined period is a prioritized transmission period of an R-TWT or a period other than the prioritized transmission period, and the determination unit is configured to determine whether a communication period during which the first wireless communication device communicates with the wireless terminal device itself is restricted based on the QoS information, and if the communication period is restricted, perform the switching determination process based on the channel effectiveness information for the communication period, which is the prioritized transmission period or a period other than the prioritized transmission period. (17) The wireless terminal device according to (13), wherein the determination unit is configured to perform the switching determination process also based on channel effectiveness information for at least any unit of a link of the first wireless communication device and a period obtained by subdividing the predetermined period, and the predetermined period is the entire period, a prioritized transmission period of an R-TWT, or a period other than the prioritized transmission period. (18) The wireless terminal device according to (13), further comprising a reception control unit that controls reception of the QoS information transmitted from the first wireless communication device.(19) The wireless terminal device according to (18), further comprising: a transmission control unit that controls transmission of transmission request information that requests the first wireless communication device to transmit the QoS information, wherein the reception control unit is configured to control reception of the QoS information transmitted from the first wireless communication device in response to the transmission request information transmitted by the transmission control unit. (20) The wireless terminal device according to (19), further comprising: the transmission control unit also controls transmission of the QoS information received under control of the reception control unit to the second wireless communication device. (21) The wireless terminal device according to (20), further comprising: the transmission control unit is configured to control transmission of the QoS information received under control of the reception control unit to the second wireless communication device for traffic in which the second wireless communication device is communicating with the wireless terminal device. (22) A wireless communication method including: a wireless terminal device performing a switch determination process to determine whether to switch a connection destination of the wireless terminal device from a second wireless communication device to a first wireless communication device based on QoS information, which is information about a QoS function of a first wireless communication device out of a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device connectable to the wireless terminal device. (23) A wireless communication device comprising: an update determination unit that determines whether a QoS function can be updated based on update request information, which requests an update of a QoS function of the wireless terminal device, transmitted from another wireless communication device that is connected to the wireless terminal device and determines whether to switch the connection destination of the wireless terminal device; and a transmission unit that transmits update information, which is information about updating the QoS function, to the other wireless communication device based on a result of the determination by the update determination unit. (24) The wireless communication device according to (23), wherein the transmission unit is configured to, when it is determined by the update determination unit that the QoS function can be updated, transmit information indicating a start time of updating the QoS function to the other wireless communication device as the update information.(25) The wireless communication device according to (23) or (24), wherein the update determination unit is further configured to determine update content of the QoS function when determining that updating of the QoS function is possible, and the update information includes the update content of the QoS function determined by the update determination unit. (26) A wireless communication method, comprising: a wireless communication device determining whether updating of the QoS function is possible based on update request information requesting an update of the QoS function of its own wireless communication device, the update request information being transmitted from another wireless communication device that is connected to a wireless terminal device and that determines switching of a connection destination of the wireless terminal device; and transmitting update information that is information regarding updating the QoS function to the other wireless communication device based on a result of the determination.

[0424] 11-1, 11-2 AP MLD, 12 STA MLD, 53 communication control unit, 153 communication control unit, 201 transmission control unit, 202 reception control unit, 203 determination unit, 221 reception control unit, 222 transmission control unit, 301 transmission control unit, 302 reception control unit, 322 transmission control unit, 323 update determination unit

Claims

1. A communication control device having a determination unit that performs a switching determination process to determine whether to switch the connection destination of a wireless terminal device from a second wireless communication device to a first wireless communication device based on QoS information, which is information regarding the QoS function of the first wireless communication device out of a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device that can be connected to the wireless terminal device.

2. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to perform the switching determination process based on channel availability information for at least one of the link of the first wireless communication device and a predetermined period.

3. The communication control device according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine whether or not the available links that the first wireless communication device can use for communication with the wireless terminal device are restricted based on the QoS information, and if the available links are restricted, to perform the switching determination process based on the channel availability rate information of the available links.

4. The communication control device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined period is a priority transmission period of an R-TWT or a period other than the priority transmission period, and the determination unit is configured to determine whether a communication period during which the first wireless communication device communicates with the wireless terminal device is restricted based on the QoS information, and if the communication period is restricted, to perform the switching determination process based on the channel availability rate information for the communication period, which is the priority transmission period or a period other than the priority transmission period.

5. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit performs the switching determination process based on channel availability information for at least one of the links of the first wireless communication device and a period obtained by subdividing the predetermined period, and the predetermined period is the entire period, a priority transmission period of R-TWT, or a period other than the priority transmission period.

6. The communication control device according to claim 1, further comprising a reception control unit that controls reception of the QoS information transmitted from the wireless terminal device.

7. A communication control device as described in claim 6, further comprising a transmission control unit that controls the transmission of acquisition request information requesting the wireless terminal device to acquire the QoS information, wherein the acquisition request information includes information indicating the type of QoS function corresponding to the QoS information, and the reception control unit is configured to control the reception of the QoS information transmitted from the wireless terminal device in response to the acquisition request information transmitted by the transmission control unit.

8. The communication control device according to claim 7, wherein the QoS information is information relating to the QoS function of the first wireless communication device in traffic in which the second wireless communication device is communicating with the wireless terminal device.

9. The communication control device according to claim 1, further comprising a reception control unit that controls reception of the QoS information transmitted from the first wireless communication device.

10. A communication control device as described in claim 9, further comprising a transmission control unit that controls the transmission of transmission request information that requests the first wireless communication device to transmit the QoS information, and the reception control unit is configured to control the reception of the QoS information transmitted from the first wireless communication device in response to the transmission request information transmitted by the transmission control unit.

11. The communication control device according to claim 10, further comprising: the transmission control unit also controls transmission of the QoS information received under the control of the reception control unit to the second wireless communication device.

12. The communication control device according to claim 11, wherein the transmission control unit is configured to control the transmission to the second wireless communication device of the QoS information received under the control of the reception control unit, of the QoS information for traffic in which the second wireless communication device is communicating with the wireless terminal device.

13. The communication control device described in claim 10, wherein the transmission control unit also controls the transmission of update request information requesting an update of the QoS function of the first wireless communication device based on the QoS information received under the control of the reception control unit, the reception control unit also controls the reception of update information, which is information regarding the update of the QoS function, transmitted from the first wireless communication device based on the update request information transmitted under the control of the transmission control unit, and the determination unit is configured to perform the switching determination process based on the update information.

14. The communication control device according to claim 13, wherein the update request information is configured to include QoS information of the updated QoS function of the first wireless communication device.

15. The communication control device according to claim 13, wherein the update request information is configured to include information indicating that the decision on the update content of the QoS function is entrusted to the first wireless communication device.

16. A communication control method including a communication control device performing a switching determination process to determine whether to switch the connection destination of a wireless terminal device from a second wireless communication device to a first wireless communication device based on QoS information, which is information regarding the QoS function of a first wireless communication device out of a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device that can be connected to the wireless terminal device.

17. A wireless communication device comprising: an update determination unit that determines whether or not a QoS function can be updated based on update request information that requests an update of the QoS function of its own wireless communication device, the update request information being transmitted from another wireless communication device that is connected to the wireless terminal device and that determines whether the wireless terminal device can be switched over to another wireless communication device; and a transmission control unit that controls the transmission of update information, which is information related to updating the QoS function, to the other wireless communication device based on the result of the determination by the update determination unit.

18. The wireless communication device according to claim 17, wherein the transmission control unit is configured to control, when the update determination unit determines that the QoS function can be updated, to transmit information indicating the update start time of the QoS function as the update information to the other wireless communication device.

19. The wireless communication device according to claim 17, wherein the update determination unit also determines the update content of the QoS function when it determines that the QoS function can be updated, and the update information includes the update content of the QoS function determined by the update determination unit.

20. A wireless communication method including: a wireless communication device determining whether or not a QoS function can be updated based on update request information requesting an update of the QoS function of its own wireless communication device, the update request information being transmitted from another wireless communication device that is connected to the wireless terminal device and that determines whether to switch the connection destination of the wireless terminal device; and controlling the transmission of update information, which is information regarding the update of the QoS function, to the other wireless communication device based on the result of the determination.

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