Power saving negotiation methods, communication devices and communication system

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to power saving negotiation methods, communication devices and a communication system. A power saving negotiation method comprises: an affiliated multi-link station device (non-AP STA) determines a first radio frame, wherein the first radio frame is used for requesting to configure one or more links between same and a multi-link access point device (AP MLD) to be in a target communication mode, the target communication mode being one of communication modes of different capabilities; and under one of the links, sending the first radio frame. The present disclosure achieves efficient and rapid communication mode switching for affiliated multi-link station devices, and further reduces device energy consumption.

Description

Power saving negotiation methods, communication equipment and communication systems Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a power-saving negotiation method, communication equipment, and communication system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, research on Wi-Fi technology includes topics such as Ultra High Reliability (UHR), with the vision of improving the reliability of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) connections, reducing latency, improving manageability, increasing throughput at different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels, and reducing device-level power consumption.

[0003] In UHR, the power-saving mechanism will be further enhanced to ensure the latency requirements of low-latency services.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a power-saving negotiation method, communication device, and communication system to further enhance the power-saving mechanism.

[0006] On one hand, embodiments of this disclosure provide a power-saving negotiation method, the method comprising:

[0007] A non-AP STA (Multi-Connection Site Device) determines a first radio frame; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: setting one or more links with a multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes;

[0008] The first wireless frame is transmitted on one of the links.

[0009] On the other hand, this disclosure also provides a power-saving negotiation method, the method comprising:

[0010] An AP attached to an AP MLD receives a first radio frame sent by a non-AP STA; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: setting one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

[0011] On the other hand, this disclosure also provides a communication device, which is a non-AP STA, the non-AP STA comprising:

[0012] A determining module is configured to determine a first radio frame; wherein the first radio frame is configured to request: setting one or more links with a multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes;

[0013] The transmitting module is used to transmit the first wireless frame on one of the links.

[0014] On the other hand, this disclosure also provides a communication device, which is an AP attached to an AP MLD, the AP comprising:

[0015] A receiving module is configured to receive a first radio frame sent by a non-AP STA; wherein the first radio frame is configured to request that one or more links with the AP MLD be set to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

[0016] On the other hand, this disclosure also provides a communication device, which is a non-AP STA, comprising:

[0017] One or more processors;

[0018] The non-AP STA is used to execute the power-saving negotiation method described in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0019] On the other hand, this disclosure also provides a communication device, which is an AP attached to an AP MLD, comprising:

[0020] One or more processors;

[0021] The AP is used to execute the power-saving negotiation method described in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0022] This disclosure also provides a communication system, including a non-AP STA and an AP attached to an AP MLD;

[0023] Wherein, the non-AP STA determines the first radio frame; wherein, the first radio frame is used to request: to set one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; wherein, the target communication mode is one of the communication modes with different capabilities; and the first radio frame is sent on one of the links.

[0024] The AP attached to the AP MLD receives a first radio frame sent by a non-AP STA; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: to set one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

[0025] This disclosure also provides a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the power-saving negotiation method as described in this disclosure.

[0026] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the auxiliary multi-connection site device (non-AP STA) determines a first radio frame; wherein, the first radio frame is used to request: to set one or more links with the multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) to a target communication mode; wherein, the target communication mode is one of communication modes with different capabilities; under one of the links, the first radio frame is sent to realize efficient and fast switching of communication modes of the auxiliary multi-connection site device, further reducing device power consumption.

[0027] Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of this disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will become apparent from the description or may be learned by practice of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 1 is an exemplary schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 2 is an exemplary interactive diagram of a method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 3 is one of the flowcharts of the power-saving negotiation method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 4 is a second schematic flowchart of the power-saving negotiation method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the non-AP STA structure proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the AP proposed in the embodiment of this disclosure;

[0035] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal proposed in the embodiment of this disclosure;

[0036] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0037] This disclosure presents a power-saving negotiation method, communication equipment, and communication system.

[0038] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a power-saving negotiation method, the method comprising:

[0039] A non-AP STA (Multi-Connection Site Device) determines a first radio frame; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: setting one or more links with a multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes;

[0040] The first wireless frame is transmitted on one of the links.

[0041] In the above embodiments, by sending a first wireless frame requesting one or more links to be set to the target communication mode on one link, frame exchange on each link with the AP MLD is avoided, reducing transmission latency and enabling efficient and fast switching of communication modes in multi-link scenarios to meet UHR transmission requirements.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0043] The first identification information identifies whether the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link is a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode;

[0044] The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode;

[0045] In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

[0046] In the above embodiments, by including first identification information and second identification information in the first wireless frame, the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link can be effectively managed, thereby achieving optimized wireless communication performance.

[0047] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first identification information includes at least one of the following:

[0048] The second identification information identifies the non-AP STA as having a first capability communication mode, a second capability communication mode, or a sleep state as requested by the link.

[0049] The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode;

[0050] In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

[0051] In the above embodiments, by including first identification information and third identification information in the first radio frame, the communication mode and duration requested by the non-AP STA for the link can be effectively managed, thereby achieving optimized wireless communication performance.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method includes at least one of the following:

[0053] The first identification information includes the link bitmap identifier;

[0054] The second identification information includes the combination of the Link bitmap identifier and the power management PM identifier;

[0055] The third identification information also includes the communication start time of the link under different capability communication modes.

[0056] In the above embodiments, by parsing the Link bitmap identifier in the first identification information, the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for each link can be understood, enabling efficient and rapid switching of communication modes for affiliated multi-connection site devices, further reducing device power consumption. Combining the Link bitmap identifier with the PM identifier to form the second identification information allows the AP MLD to directly read the communication mode and power management status of each link from the second identification information without additional parsing steps, thereby improving system efficiency and performance. The third identification information carries the communication duration requested by the non-AP STA for the link under the target communication mode. It enables the device to more accurately plan its communication behavior, helping the device to more effectively manage energy consumption while meeting communication needs, and flexibly switch communication modes according to actual conditions.

[0057] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, after sending the first wireless frame, the method further includes:

[0058] Receive a second radio frame sent by an AP attached to the AP MLD; wherein the second radio frame indicates whether the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the non-AP STA receives the second radio frame on the same link that sent the first radio frame. If the second radio frame indicates that the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame, then one or more links with the multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) are set to either a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode. By dynamically adjusting the communication mode, the communication needs of different users or devices can be better adapted.

[0060] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0061] The first status code information indicates that the AP MLD has accepted the content requested by the first radio frame;

[0062] The second status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame;

[0063] The third status code information and the fourth identification field, wherein the third status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame, and the fourth identification field indicates the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information;

[0064] The fifth identification field identifies the content requested by the first radio frame that the AP MLD rejects, and identifies the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information.

[0065] In the above embodiments, the non-AP STA can determine whether the AP MLD has accepted its request through the status code field in the second radio frame, thus allowing it to adjust its communication strategy or parameters in a timely manner. Furthermore, the fourth identification information provides the AP with suggestions on communication parameters, which can help the non-AP STA optimize communication performance, adapt to the network environment, and save energy and resources.

[0066] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0067] Power management PM request frame, newly defined wireless frame.

[0068] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a power-saving negotiation method, the method comprising:

[0069] An AP attached to an AP MLD receives a first radio frame sent by a non-AP STA; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: setting one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

[0070] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0071] The first identification information identifies whether the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link is a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode;

[0072] The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode;

[0073] In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

[0074] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first identification information includes at least one of the following:

[0075] The second identification information identifies the non-AP STA as having a first capability communication mode, a second capability communication mode, or a sleep state as requested by the link.

[0076] The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode;

[0077] In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

[0078] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method includes at least one of the following:

[0079] The first identification information includes the Link bitmap identifier;

[0080] The second identification information includes a combination of the Link bitmap identifier and the power management PM identifier;

[0081] The third identification information also includes the communication start time of the link under different capability communication modes.

[0082] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, after receiving the first wireless frame, the method further includes:

[0083] Determine the second radio frame; the second radio frame indicates whether the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame;

[0084] Send the second wireless frame.

[0085] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0086] The first status code information indicates that the AP MLD accepted the content requested by the first radio frame;

[0087] The second status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame;

[0088] The third status code information and the fourth identification field, wherein the third status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame, and the fourth identification field indicates the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information;

[0089] The fifth identification field identifies the content requested by the first radio frame that the AP MLD rejects, and identifies the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information.

[0090] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication device, which is a non-AP STA, wherein the non-AP STA includes at least one of a determining module and a transmitting module; wherein the non-AP STA is used to perform an optional implementation of the first aspect.

[0091] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication device, which is an AP attached to an AP MLD, comprising: a first receiving module; wherein the AP is used to execute an optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0092] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication device, which is a non-AP STA, comprising:

[0093] One or more processors;

[0094] The non-AP STA is used to implement the optional implementation of the first aspect.

[0095] Sixthly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication device, said communication device being an AP attached to an AP MLD, comprising:

[0096] One or more processors;

[0097] The AP is used to implement the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0098] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication system, including a non-AP STA and an AP attached to an AP MLD;

[0099] Wherein, the non-AP STA determines the first radio frame; wherein, the first radio frame is used to request: to set one or more links with the multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) to a target communication mode; wherein, the target communication mode is one of the communication modes with different capabilities; and to send the first radio frame on one of the links;

[0100] The AP attached to the AP MLD receives a first radio frame sent by a non-AP STA; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: to set one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

[0101] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the optional implementations described in the first and second aspects.

[0102] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method as described in the optional implementations of the first and second aspects.

[0103] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in the optional implementations of the first and second aspects.

[0104] Eleventhly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the methods described according to optional implementations of the first and second aspects above.

[0105] It is understood that the aforementioned non-AP STA, AP attached to AP MLD, communication system, storage medium, program product, computer program, chip, or chip system are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0106] This disclosure provides a power-saving negotiation method, a communication device, and a communication system. In some embodiments, the terms "power-saving negotiation method" and "signal transmission method," "wireless frame transmission method," etc., can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "information processing system," "communication system," etc.

[0107] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0108] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0109] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0110] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0111] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0112] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0113] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0114] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0115] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0116] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0117] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0118] In some embodiments, the apparatus and device may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they may also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "body", etc.

[0119] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0120] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0121] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0122] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a non-access point station (non-AP STA) 101 and an access point (AP) 102 attached to the access point multi-link device (AP MLD). The number of non-AP STAs 101 may be one or more, and this embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0124] In some embodiments, the non-AP STA 101 may include, for example, a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, or a wireless communication terminal that supports WiFi communication. Optionally, the wireless communication terminal may be at least one of, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an IoT device that supports WiFi communication, a car with WiFi communication capabilities, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, or a wireless terminal device in a smart home.

[0125] Specifically, the non-AP STA 101 can be a terminal device or network device with a Wi-Fi chip. Optionally, the non-AP STA 101 can support various WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11bf, and 802.11bn, as well as the next-generation 802.11 protocol, but is not limited to these.

[0126] In some embodiments, AP 102 can be an access point for mobile terminals to access a wired network. The AP acts as a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, its main function being to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet. Specifically, the AP can be a terminal device or network device with a Wi-Fi chip. Optionally, the AP can support various WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11bf, and 802.11bn, as well as the next-generation 802.11 protocol, but is not limited to these.

[0127] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, AP and STA can be devices that support multiple connections. For example, they can be represented as Access Point Multi-Link Device (AP MLD) and Non-Access Point Multi-Link Device (Non-AP MLD), respectively. AP MLD can represent an access point that supports multiple connection communication functions, and non-AP MLD can represent a station that supports multiple connection communication functions.

[0128] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0129] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0130] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), such as LANs using the 802.11 series of protocols. In a WLAN, a Basic Service Set (BSS) is a fundamental component. An BSS network consists of site devices with some association within a specific coverage area. One type of association is where sites communicate directly with each other in a self-organizing network; this is called an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). Another more common scenario is that in a BSS network, there is only one central site dedicated to managing the BSS, called the Access Point (AP) device, and all other STAs in the network are associated with it. Other sites in the BSS network that are not the central site are called terminals, also known as non-AP STAs; terminals and non-AP STAs are collectively referred to as STAs. When describing STAs, it is not necessary to distinguish between APs and non-AP STAs. Within the same BSS network, due to distance, transmission power, etc., a STA cannot detect other STAs that are far away; they are each other's hidden nodes.

[0131] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a power-saving negotiation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the method includes:

[0132] Step 201, non-AP STA 101 determines a first radio frame attached to the non-AP MLD; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: to set one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

[0133] In Wi-Fi networks, site devices typically need to periodically communicate with access point devices to maintain connectivity, even when there is no data to send or receive. This communication method leads to higher power consumption in standby mode. To address this issue, power saving (PS) enhancement mechanisms have been proposed. These mechanisms allow devices to enter a low-power mode for a period of time, temporarily ceasing the reception of data frames, thereby reducing power consumption. For example, devices may take power-saving measures during idle periods or under low load to reduce power consumption. In this case, the device needs to switch to a lower-power mode to reduce energy consumption and extend battery life. When the device needs to perform large amounts of data transmission, video streaming, or other high-bandwidth applications, it may switch to a higher-power mode to provide higher transmission rates and a more stable connection.

[0134] To achieve higher throughput and lower network latency, related technologies have introduced the Multi-Link Operation (MLO) mechanism. Devices supporting MLO are called Multi-Link Devices (MLDs), or simply multi-connection devices. With MLO technology, multiple links can be established across frequency bands between multi-connection access point devices (AP MLDs) and multi-connection site devices (non-AP MLDs). In the multiple links established between AP MLDs and non-AP MLDs, the power-saving capabilities of each link are independent. The non-AP MLD needs to indicate the power management mode for each link separately. That is, when a non-AP MLD intends to enter a low-power mode (lower power consumption) or a high-power mode (higher power consumption) on multiple or even all links, frame switching needs to be performed on each enabled link. This method of switching communication modes by switching frames link by link increases the latency of the entire switching process, and some links may be idle during the switching process, failing to fully utilize bandwidth resources and thus reducing overall communication efficiency. Since UHRs are designed to improve the reliability of wireless LAN connections, reduce latency, and lower device-level power consumption, and most UHRs are designed as MLD devices, power-saving mechanisms need to be further enhanced when APs and STAs use multi-link methods for data transmission.

[0135] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the non-AP STA determines a first radio frame; wherein, the first radio frame is used to request: to set one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes. The first radio frame includes a Power Management (PM) request frame or a newly defined radio frame. Different capability communication modes include, for example, a first capability communication mode, a second capability communication mode, or more communication modes classified according to different requirements for device capabilities. The first capability communication mode is, for example, a low-energy communication mode, and the second capability communication mode is, for example, a high-energy communication mode; optionally, the low-energy communication mode may also be referred to as a listening state or a low-power communication phase. Operating parameters under the low-energy communication mode include: a 20MHz basic bandwidth (BW), a spatial stream (SS) count of 1, and a restricted modulation and coding scheme (MCS) method, for example, from MCS0 to MCS5. High-capability mode refers to high-power communication mode. Operating parameters include: BW greater than or equal to 20MHz, for example, 40 / 80 / 160 / 320MHz; SS quantity greater than 1; and MCS mode starting value is the highest value of low-capability communication mode MCS mode, for example, from MCS5 to MCS14.

[0136] Alternatively, at least one communication parameter in the second capability communication mode is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode; the communication parameters include one or more of BW, SS, MCS modes and transmission rates.

[0137] Specifically, in the multiple links established between AP MLDs and non-AP MLDs, each link may have different requirements. For example, one or more links between a non-AP MLD and an AP MLD may need to remain active, while some links may need to enter a low-power mode to save energy. In this case, if the non-AP MLD performs frame switching on each link with the AP MLD to request the corresponding link to enter the target communication mode, it will introduce additional transmission latency, reducing the overall system efficiency and network throughput.

[0138] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the non-AP STA determines a first radio frame; wherein, the first radio frame is used to request: setting one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; wherein, the target communication mode is one of communication modes with different capabilities. This embodiment of the disclosure avoids separate frame switching on each link with the AP MLD by sending a first radio frame requesting one or more links to be set to the target communication mode on a single link, reducing transmission latency and achieving efficient and fast switching of communication modes in multi-link scenarios, adapting to UHR transmission requirements.

[0139] Step 202: Non-AP STA 101 transmits the first radio frame on one of the links in the link.

[0140] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the non-AP STA transmits the first radio frame on any link established between it and the AP MLD.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0142] The first identification information identifies whether the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link is a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode;

[0143] The third identification information identifies the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode for the non-AP STA.

[0144] In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

[0145] Specifically, the first identification information identifies the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link. This communication mode can be one of two: a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode. If the communication mode is the second capability communication mode, then at least one communication parameter value will be greater than the corresponding communication parameter value in the first capability communication mode. The third identification information carries the communication duration requested by the non-AP STA for the link in the target communication mode. It enables the device to more accurately plan its own communication behavior, helping the device to more effectively manage energy consumption while meeting communication needs, and to flexibly switch communication modes according to actual conditions.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first identification information includes a link bitmap identifier, which is 2 bytes long and contains 16 bits. Each bit corresponds to a link. For example, a bit set to "0" indicates that the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link is a low-capacity communication mode (hereinafter referred to as the first-capacity communication mode); a bit set to "1" indicates that the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link is a high-capacity communication mode (hereinafter referred to as the second-capacity communication mode). Furthermore, both the high-capacity and low-capacity communication modes are in the awake state, and both modes can enter PS mode, i.e., the doze state.

[0147] The second capability communication mode can be adopted when the link requires more frequent data transmission or higher-speed communication, while the first capability communication mode can be an energy-saving strategy adopted in certain situations to reduce energy consumption. Thus, by parsing the Link bitmap identifier in the first identification information, the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for each link can be understood, enabling efficient and rapid switching of communication modes for affiliated multi-connection site devices, further reducing equipment energy consumption.

[0148] In some embodiments, the first identification information may further include link status information identifiers, where each link may have different statuses to represent the requested communication mode. For example, "0" may be used to represent a first capability communication mode, and "1" to represent a second capability communication mode. These statuses are then associated with each link.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first wireless frame further includes at least one of the following:

[0150] The second identification information identifies the non-AP STA as having a first capability communication mode, a second capability communication mode, or a sleep state as requested by the link.

[0151] The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode;

[0152] In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

[0153] Specifically, the second identification information can identify that the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link is at least one of a first capability communication mode, a second capability communication mode, or a sleep state. The third identification information identifies the communication duration information requested by the non-AP STA for the link under the target communication mode.

[0154] For example, the second identification information may indicate that the non-AP STA requests a first-capability communication mode for the link, which may correspond to a default or lower communication setting. Alternatively, the second identification information may indicate that the non-AP STA requests a second-capability communication mode for the link, which may correspond to higher performance or more flexible communication parameter settings. Furthermore, the second identification information may indicate that the non-AP STA requests a sleep mode for the link, which may correspond to the device on the corresponding link temporarily not participating in communication to save energy or wait for a specific event to trigger. This versatility allows the non-AP STA to request different communication modes for different links according to actual needs, thereby better adapting to different application scenarios and environmental requirements.

[0155] In some embodiments, the second identification information includes a combination of the Link bitmap identifier and the PM identifier. The PM identifier information may include two bits: the first bit indicates whether the link corresponding to the Link bitmap identifier has entered a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode. For example, setting the first bit to "0" indicates that the link corresponding to the Link bitmap identifier has entered the first capability communication mode; setting the first bit to "1" indicates that the link corresponding to the Link bitmap identifier has entered the second capability communication mode. The second bit indicates whether the link corresponding to the Link bitmap identifier has entered a sleep state. For example, setting the second bit to "0" indicates that the link corresponding to the Link bitmap identifier has not entered a sleep state; setting the second bit to "1" indicates that the link corresponding to the Link bitmap identifier has entered a sleep state. In summary, the possible settings for the PM identifier information include the following cases one through four.

[0156] Case 1: The first bit of the PM identifier information is 0 and the second bit is 0: This indicates that the corresponding link identified by the Link bitmap has entered the first capability communication mode and has not entered the sleep state.

[0157] Scenario 2: The first bit of the PM identifier information is 0 and the second bit is 1: This indicates that the corresponding link identified by the Link bitmap has entered the first capability communication mode, but has entered a dormant state.

[0158] Case 3: The first bit of the PM identifier information is 1 and the second bit is 0: This indicates that the corresponding link identified by the Link bitmap has entered the second capability communication mode and has not entered the sleep state.

[0159] Case 4: The first bit of the PM identifier information is 1 and the second bit is 1: This indicates that the corresponding link identified by the Link bitmap has entered the second capability communication mode and entered a dormant state.

[0160] This embodiment combines the Link bitmap identifier and the PM identifier into a second identifier, enabling the AP MLD to directly read the communication mode and power management status of each link from the second identifier without additional parsing steps, thereby improving the system efficiency and performance.

[0161] In some embodiments, the second identification information may further include a combination of a link identifier field and a communication mode field. For example, a field is added to the header or a specific location of the first radio frame to represent a unique identifier for each link. This identifier can be a number, a letter, or other form of identifier. An array or list is added to the frame to store the communication mode corresponding to each link. The size of this array should match the number of links, with each element corresponding to a link and representing the communication mode of that link.

[0162] In some embodiments, the third identification information further includes the communication start time of the link under different capability communication modes. Specifically, when the first or second identification information identifies that the non-AP STA requests a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode for the link, the first radio frame includes the third identification information. The third identification information is carried in the duration field of the first radio frame. The third identification information is the communication duration information requested by the non-AP STA for the link under the target communication mode. This duration may include the start time, which can be the absolute value of the time under each link, or it can be calculated implicitly, i.e., the time when the request frame is received under the link plus the Time Synchronization Function (TSF) offset. Including the start time of the link entering the target communication mode as part of the third identification information allows the device to flexibly adjust the communication duration under different communication modes. At the same time, the TSF offset ensures time consistency, so that the communication time can be accurately recorded even when the device operates under different communication modes.

[0163] In some embodiments, a Frame Sequence Number (FSN) field can also be used to identify the communication duration information requested by the non-AP STA for the link in the target communication mode. For example, an FSN field can be included in the third identification information in the first radio frame, indicating the communication start time requested by the non-AP STA for the link in the target communication mode. The AP MLD can determine the communication start time requested by the non-AP STA for the corresponding link in the target communication mode based on this FSN field.

[0164] Step 203: AP 102, attached to AP MLD, receives the first radio frame sent by non-AP STA 101.

[0165] In this embodiment of the disclosure, an AP attached to an AP MLD receives a first radio frame on a link where a non-AP STA is sending the first radio frame. The first radio frame identifies a non-AP STA request to set one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes. Based on this, the AP MLD can determine whether to accept the request from the first radio frame according to network requirements or the current link. For example, if a higher communication rate is currently required on a specific link, the AP MLD can accept the non-AP STA request, allowing the link to enter a second capability communication mode. Alternatively, if the current link is already heavily loaded, the AP MLD may reject the request to avoid overload and may suggest retrying at a later time. Such judgments and processing can be flexibly adjusted according to actual conditions to optimize network performance and stability.

[0166] Step 204, AP 102 attached to AP MLD determines a second radio frame; the second radio frame indicates whether AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame.

[0167] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after receiving a first radio frame, the AP attached to the AP MLD determines a second radio frame; the second radio frame indicates whether the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame.

[0168] In some embodiments, the second wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0169] The first status code information indicates that the AP MLD has accepted the content requested by the first radio frame;

[0170] The second status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame;

[0171] The third status code information and the fourth identification field, wherein the third status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame, and the fourth identification field indicates the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information;

[0172] The fifth identification field identifies the content requested by the first radio frame that the AP MLD rejects, and identifies the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information.

[0173] Specifically, the second radio frame includes a status code field, a first status code indicating that the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame (e.g., a status code field set to 1 indicates that the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame), a second status code indicating that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame (e.g., a status code field set to 0 indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame), a third status code, and a fourth identifier field. The third status code indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame, and the fourth identifier field identifies the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter values ​​set by the third identifier information. For example, if the status code field is set to 0, the fourth identifier field will provide the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter values ​​set by the third identifier information. These communication parameter information may include one or more of BW, SS, MCS modes, and transmission rates to provide reference or adjustment for non-AP STAs. The fifth identification field identifies the content requested by the first radio frame that the AP MLD rejected, and identifies the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter values ​​set by the third identification information. For example, if the status code field is set to 0, the fifth identification field will provide the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter values ​​set by the third identification information. This communication parameter information may include one or more of BW, SS, MCS modes, and transmission rates, to provide non-AP STAs with reference or adjustment.

[0174] For example, when determining the second radio frame, the AP MLD checks the status of each link and the network load to determine whether to accept one or more links as the target communication mode. If the load on a link is light and the network service quality is not affected, the AP MLD may choose to set the status code to 1, indicating acceptance of entering the first capability communication mode on that link, thereby saving energy and optimizing network resource utilization; or if the load on a link is heavy, or there is real-time data transmission, the AP MLD may set the status code to 1, indicating acceptance of entering the second capability communication mode on that link. In this example, the status code values ​​0 and 1 are only examples and can be other values, which are not limited here. In this embodiment, through the status code field in the second radio frame, the non-AP STA can know whether the AP MLD has accepted its request, so it can adjust the communication strategy or parameters in a timely manner. In addition, the fourth identification information provides the AP with suggestions on communication parameters, which can help the non-AP STA optimize communication performance, adapt to the network environment, and save energy and resources.

[0175] Step 205: AP 102, attached to AP MLD, sends the second radio frame.

[0176] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the AP attached to the AP MLD sends a second wireless frame on the link where the first wireless frame is received. The second wireless frame indicates whether the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first wireless frame, which can realize timely feedback and simplify the communication process.

[0177] Step 206: Non-AP STA 101 receives a second radio frame sent by AP 102, which is attached to AP MLD.

[0178] The second radio frame indicates whether the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame.

[0179] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the non-AP STA receives the second radio frame on the link that sent the first radio frame. If the second radio frame indicates that the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame, then one or more links with the multi-connection access point device AP MLD are set to a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode.

[0180] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0181] In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

[0182] In some embodiments, terms such as wireless access scheme and waveform can be used interchangeably.

[0183] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0184] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0185] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the receiver to respond to the sent content.

[0186] The power-saving negotiation method disclosed in this embodiment may include the foregoing steps and at least one of the embodiments. For example, step 201 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 204 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 205 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 206 may be implemented as an independent embodiment; the combination of step 201 and step 202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of step 204 and step 205 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0187] In some embodiments, other optional implementations described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG2 may be referred to.

[0188] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a power-saving negotiation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0189] As shown in Figure 3, the above method can be applied to non-AP STA101, and the method includes:

[0190] Step 301, the auxiliary multi-connection site device (non-AP STA) determines a first radio frame; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: to set one or more links with the multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

[0191] Step 302: Send the first radio frame on one of the links.

[0192] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the first wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0193] The first identification information identifies whether the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link is a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode;

[0194] The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode;

[0195] In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

[0196] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the first identification information includes at least one of the following:

[0197] The second identification information identifies the non-AP STA as having a first capability communication mode, a second capability communication mode, or a sleep state as requested by the link.

[0198] The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode;

[0199] In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

[0200] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the method includes at least one of the following:

[0201] The first identification information includes the link bitmap identifier;

[0202] The second identification information includes the combination of the Link bitmap identifier and the power management PM identifier;

[0203] The third identification information also includes the communication start time of the link under different capability communication modes.

[0204] Step 303: Receive a second radio frame sent by an AP attached to the AP MLD; wherein the second radio frame indicates whether the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame.

[0205] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the second wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0206] The first status code information indicates that the AP MLD has accepted the content requested by the first radio frame;

[0207] The second status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame;

[0208] The third status code information and the fourth identification field, wherein the third status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame, and the fourth identification field indicates the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information;

[0209] The fifth identification field identifies the content requested by the first radio frame that the AP MLD rejects, and identifies the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information.

[0210] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the first wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0211] Power management PM request frame, newly defined wireless frame.

[0212] The power-saving negotiation method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include the foregoing steps and at least one of the embodiments. For example, step 301 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 302 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 303 may be implemented as an independent embodiment; the combination of step 301 and step 302 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of step 302 and step 303 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0213] In some embodiments, other optional implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG3.

[0214] Figure 4 is a second schematic flowchart illustrating a power-saving negotiation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0215] As shown in Figure 4, the above method can be applied to AP 102 attached to AP MLD, and the method includes:

[0216] Step 401: The AP attached to the AP MLD receives a first radio frame sent by a non-AP STA; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: to set one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

[0217] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the first wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0218] The first identification information identifies whether the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link is a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode;

[0219] The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode;

[0220] In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

[0221] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the first identification information includes at least one of the following:

[0222] The second identification information identifies the non-AP STA as having a first capability communication mode, a second capability communication mode, or a sleep state as requested by the link.

[0223] The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode;

[0224] In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

[0225] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the method includes at least one of the following:

[0226] The first identification information includes the Link bitmap identifier;

[0227] The second identification information includes a combination of the Link bitmap identifier and the power management PM identifier;

[0228] The third identification information also includes the communication start time of the link under different capability communication modes.

[0229] Step 402: Determine the second radio frame; the second radio frame indicates whether the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame.

[0230] Step 403: Send the second wireless frame.

[0231] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the second wireless frame includes at least one of the following:

[0232] The first status code information indicates that the AP MLD accepted the content requested by the first radio frame;

[0233] The second status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame;

[0234] The third status code information and the fourth identification field, wherein the third status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame, and the fourth identification field indicates the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information;

[0235] The fifth identification field identifies the content requested by the first radio frame that the AP MLD rejects, and identifies the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information.

[0236] The power-saving negotiation method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include the foregoing steps and at least one of the embodiments. For example, step 401 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step 402 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step 403 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment; the combination of step 401 and step 402 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and the combination of step 402 and step 403 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0237] In some embodiments, other optional implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to Figure 4.

[0238] This disclosure also provides an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Alternatively, another apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0239] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0240] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0241] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a non-AP STA according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the non-AP STA 500 may include at least one of a determining module 501, a transmitting module 502, etc.

[0242] In some embodiments, the determining module 501 is configured to determine a first wireless frame; wherein the first wireless frame is configured to request: to set one or more links with the multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes; and the sending module 502 is configured to send the first wireless frame on one of the links.

[0243] Optionally, the determining module 501 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps 201 and 301, but not limited thereto) performed by the non-AP STA 101 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here. The sending module 502 is used to perform at least one of steps 202 and 302.

[0244] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an AP attached to an AP MLD according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the AP 600 attached to the AP MLD may include a receiving module 601.

[0245] In some embodiments, the receiving module 601 is configured to receive a first radio frame sent by a non-AP STA; wherein the first radio frame is configured to request that one or more links with the AP MLD be set to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

[0246] Optionally, the receiving module 601 is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (such as step 203, step 401, but not limited thereto) performed by AP 102 in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0247] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal 700 (e.g., a user equipment) proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The terminal 700 may be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports network devices in implementing any of the above methods, or it may be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports a terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The terminal 700 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0248] As shown in Figure 7, terminal 700 includes one or more processors 701. Processor 701 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Terminal 700 is used to execute any of the above methods.

[0249] In some embodiments, terminal 700 further includes one or more memories 702 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 702 may be located outside of terminal 700.

[0250] In some embodiments, the terminal 700 further includes one or more transceivers 704. When the terminal 700 includes one or more transceivers 704, the transceivers 704 perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps 202, 203, 205, 206, 302, 303, 401, 403, but not limited thereto), and the processor 701 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps 201, 204, 301, 402, but not limited thereto).

[0251] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0252] In some embodiments, terminal 700 may include one or more interface circuits 703. Optionally, interface circuit 703 is connected to memory 702, and interface circuit 703 can be used to receive signals from memory 702 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to memory 702 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 703 can read instructions stored in memory 702 and send the instructions to processor 701.

[0253] The terminal 700 described in the above embodiments may be a user equipment or other communication device, but the scope of the terminal 700 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the terminal 700 may not be limited to FIG. 7. The communication device may be an independent device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a set of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC set may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0254] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 800 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the terminal 700 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the chip 800 shown in Figure 8, but it is not limited thereto.

[0255] Chip 800 includes one or more processors 801, which are used to perform any of the above methods.

[0256] In some embodiments, chip 800 further includes one or more 803s. Optionally, interface circuitry 803 is connected to memory 802, and interface circuitry 803 can be used to receive signals from memory 802 or other devices, and interface circuitry 803 can be used to send signals to memory 802 or other devices. For example, interface circuitry 803 can read instructions stored in memory 802 and send the instructions to processor 801.

[0257] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 803 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps 202, 203, 205, 206, 302, 303, 401, 403, but not limited thereto), and the processor 801 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps 201, 204, 301, 402, but not limited thereto).

[0258] In some embodiments, the terms interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, transceiver, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0259] In some embodiments, chip 800 further includes one or more memories 802 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 802 may be located outside of chip 800.

[0260] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a terminal 700, cause the terminal 700 to perform any of the methods described above. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0261] This disclosure also proposes a program product that, when executed by terminal 700, causes terminal 700 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0262] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

Claims

1. A power-saving negotiation method, characterized in that, The method includes: A non-AP STA (Multi-Connection Site Device) determines a first radio frame; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: setting one or more links with a multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes; The first wireless frame is transmitted on one of the links.

2. The power-saving negotiation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first wireless frame includes at least one of the following: The first identification information identifies whether the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link is a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode; The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode; In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

3. The power-saving negotiation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first wireless frame includes at least one of the following: The second identification information identifies the non-AP STA as having a first capability communication mode, a second capability communication mode, or a sleep state as requested by the link. The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode; In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

4. The power-saving negotiation method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first wireless frame includes at least one of first identification information, second identification information, and third identification information: The first identification information includes the link bitmap identifier; The second identification information includes the combination of the Link bitmap identifier and the power management PM identifier; The third identification information also includes the communication start time of the link under different capability communication modes.

5. The power-saving negotiation method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, After sending the first wireless frame, the method further includes: Receive a second radio frame sent by an AP attached to the AP MLD; wherein the second radio frame indicates whether the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame.

6. The power-saving negotiation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second wireless frame includes at least one of the following: The first status code information indicates that the AP MLD accepted the content requested by the first radio frame; The second status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame; The third status code information and the fourth identification field, wherein the third status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame, and the fourth identification field indicates the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information; The fifth identification field identifies the content requested by the first radio frame that the AP MLD rejects, and identifies the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information.

7. The power-saving negotiation method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first wireless frame includes at least one of the following: Power management PM request frame, newly defined wireless frame.

8. A power-saving negotiation method, characterized in that, include: An AP attached to an AP MLD receives a first radio frame sent by a non-AP STA; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: setting one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

9. The power-saving negotiation method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first wireless frame includes at least one of the following: The first identification information identifies whether the communication mode requested by the non-AP STA for the link is a first capability communication mode or a second capability communication mode; The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode; In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

10. The power-saving negotiation method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first wireless frame includes at least one of the following: The second identification information identifies the non-AP STA as having a first capability communication mode, a second capability communication mode, or a sleep state as requested by the link. The third identification information identifies the non-AP STA as the communication duration information requested by the link in the target communication mode; In this second capability communication mode, at least one communication parameter is greater than the communication parameter in the first capability communication mode.

11. The power-saving negotiation method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that, The first wireless frame includes at least one of first identification information, second identification information, and third identification information: The first identification information includes the link bitmap identifier; The second identification information includes the combination of the Link bitmap identifier and the power management PM identifier; The third identification information also includes the communication start time of the link under different capability communication modes.

12. The power-saving negotiation method according to claim 11, characterized in that, After receiving the first wireless frame, the method further includes: Determine the second radio frame; the second radio frame indicates whether the AP MLD accepts the content requested by the first radio frame; Send the second wireless frame.

13. The power-saving negotiation method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The second wireless frame includes at least one of the following: The first status code information indicates that the AP MLD has accepted the content requested by the first radio frame; The second status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame; The third status code information and the fourth identification field, wherein the third status code information indicates that the AP MLD rejects the content requested by the first radio frame, and the fourth identification field indicates the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information; The fifth identification field identifies the content requested by the first radio frame that the AP MLD rejects, and identifies the communication parameter information corresponding to each link suggested by the AP and / or the parameter value set by the third identification information.

14. A communication device, wherein the communication device is a non-AP STA, characterized in that, The non-AP STA includes: A determining module is configured to determine a first radio frame; wherein the first radio frame is configured to request: setting one or more links with a multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes; The transmitting module is used to transmit the first wireless frame on one of the links.

15. A communication device, wherein the communication device is an AP attached to an AP MLD, characterized in that, The AP includes: A receiving module is configured to receive a first radio frame sent by a non-AP STA; wherein the first radio frame is configured to request that one or more links with the AP MLD be set to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

16. A communication device, said communication device being a non-AP STA, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; The non-AP STA is used to perform the power-saving negotiation method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

17. A communication device, wherein the communication device is an AP attached to an AP MLD, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; The AP is used to perform the power-saving negotiation method according to any one of claims 8 to 13.

18. A communication system, characterized in that, Including non-AP STAs and APs affiliated with AP MLDs; Wherein, the non-AP STA determines the first radio frame; wherein, the first radio frame is used to request: to set one or more links with the multi-connection access point device (AP MLD) to a target communication mode; wherein, the target communication mode is one of the communication modes with different capabilities; and to send the first radio frame on one of the links; The AP attached to the AP MLD receives a first radio frame sent by a non-AP STA; wherein the first radio frame is used to request: to set one or more links with the AP MLD to a target communication mode; wherein the target communication mode is one of different capability communication modes.

19. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the power-saving negotiation method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, or performs the power-saving negotiation method as described in any one of claims 8 to 13.

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