Communication apparatus and communication method therefor, and related device

Abstract

A communication apparatus and a communication method therefor, and a related device. The communication method comprises: within a channel measurement period, acquiring a duration within which active data transmissions performed by a communication apparatus on a communication channel to be measured is prohibited and the data exchange time of the communication apparatus on said communication channel outside of the duration; and on the basis of the duration within which active data transmissions performed by the communication apparatus on said communication channel is prohibited and the data exchange time of the communication apparatus on said communication channel outside of the duration, acquiring an idle energy measurement result regarding said communication channel. The technical solution of the present invention can improve the accuracy of communication channel measurements for a communication apparatus, thereby improving the communication reliability of the communication apparatus.

Description

Communication device and communication method thereof, and related device TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of wireless communication, and particularly relate to a communication device and a communication method thereof, and related devices. BACKGROUND

[0002] The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ax specification is a standardization of the next generation WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) technology specified by the 802.11 Working Group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers under the 802.11ax Task Group, and its main goal is to improve the spectral efficiency to enhance the system throughput / area in high-density scenarios of access points (APs) and / or terminal stations (STAs).

[0003] The medium access control (MAC) protocol of the 802.11 communication device (including the 802.11ax communication device) uses a contention-based carrier sense multiple access and collision avoidance (CSMA / CA) protocol to share the wireless communication channel. Collision avoidance is achieved by using a random backoff, while CSMA involves using a physical carrier sense (CS) and a virtual carrier sense mechanism. Among them, the physical CS mechanism is provided by the physical layer (PHY), and involves actual sensing of the wireless medium (preamble detection (PD) or energy detection (ED) or both). The virtual CS mechanism is provided by the MAC layer and utilizes the network allocation vector (NAV). When the physical CS or the virtual CS indicates that the medium is busy, the 802.11 communication device is not allowed to transmit any signal except for certain specific frames.

[0004] However, the current measurement method of the communication channel of the 802.11 communication device has the problem of poor accuracy. TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0005] The problem solved by embodiments of the present application is to provide a communication device and a communication method thereof, and related devices, to improve the accuracy of channel measurement, thereby improving the reliability of communication. TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[0006] To solve the above problem, the embodiments of the present application provide a communication method of a communication device, comprising:

[0007] In the channel measurement period, the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the to-be-measured communication channel and the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-measured communication channel outside the duration are obtained.

[0008] According to the duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the to-be-tested communication channel and the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel outside the duration, an idle energy measurement result of the to-be-tested communication channel is obtained.

[0009] Optionally, the duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the to-be-tested communication channel is recorded by using a network allocation vector value of the communication device.

[0010] The duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the to-be-tested communication channel is obtained by receiving a data unit including a duration field, the duration field being used to identify the duration of prohibiting the communication device from interacting with data on the to-be-tested communication channel; and if a target receiver of the data unit is not the communication device, updating a current network allocation vector value of the communication device according to the duration of the duration field of the data unit.

[0011] The data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel outside the duration includes the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel when a network allocation vector value of the communication device is zero.

[0012] Optionally, the network allocation vector value includes an intra-basic service set network allocation vector value and an inter-basic service set network allocation vector value.

[0013] The duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the to-be-tested communication channel is obtained by receiving a data unit including a duration field, the duration field being used to identify the duration of prohibiting the communication device from interacting with data on the to-be-tested communication channel; and if a target receiver of the data unit is not the communication device, updating a current network allocation vector value of the communication device according to the duration of the duration field of the data unit.

[0014] The data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel outside the duration includes the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel when an intra-basic service set network allocation vector value of the communication device is zero, and the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel when an inter-basic service set network allocation vector value of the communication device is zero.

[0015] Optionally, if the target receiver of the data unit is the communication device and the data unit can trigger a spatial multiplexing operation of the communication device, the communication method of the communication device further includes:

[0016] disabling the spatial multiplexing operation; or

[0017] enabling the spatial multiplexing operation and counting the receiving time of the data unit as idle time.

[0018] Optionally, if the communication device comprises a plurality of receiving paths, the idle energy measurement result of the communication channel under test is an average value, a weighted average value, a maximum value of the idle energy measurement results of the communication channel under test of the plurality of receiving paths, or the idle energy measurement result of the communication channel under test of any one of the plurality of receiving paths.

[0019] Optionally, the data interaction time comprises data receiving time and data sending time, and the idle energy measurement result of the communication channel under test comprises:

[0020] wherein, IPI densityi represents the idle energy indicator density corresponding to the ith idle time within the measurement period, t idlei represents the time length of the ith idle time within the measurement period, t meas represents the time length of the measurement period, t NAV represents the duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the communication channel under test, t rx represents the data receiving time of the communication device on the communication channel under test except for the duration, t tx represents the data sending time of the communication device on the communication channel under test except for the duration.

[0021] Correspondingly, the embodiment of the application further provides a channel measurement module, comprising: an acquisition unit adapted to acquire, within a channel measurement period, the duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the communication channel under test and the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel under test except for the duration;

[0022] a measurement unit adapted to acquire the idle energy measurement result of the communication channel under test according to the duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the communication channel under test and the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel under test except for the duration.

[0023] Optionally, the duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the communication channel under test is recorded by using a network allocation vector value of the communication device.

[0024] The obtaining unit is adapted to receive a data unit comprising a duration field, the duration field being used to identify a duration during which the communication device is prohibited from data interaction on the to-be-tested communication channel; if a target receiver of the data unit is not the communication device, updating a current network allocation vector value of the communication device according to the duration of the duration field of the data unit; and further adapted to obtain a data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel when the network allocation vector value is zero, as a data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel outside the duration.

[0025] Optionally, the network allocation vector value comprises an intra-basic service set network allocation vector value and an inter-basic service set network allocation vector value.

[0026] The obtaining unit is adapted to receive a data unit comprising a duration field, the duration field being used to identify a duration during which the communication device is prohibited from data interaction on the to-be-tested communication channel; if a target receiver of the data unit is not the communication device, updating a current network allocation vector value of the communication device according to the duration of the duration field of the data unit; and further adapted to obtain a data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel when the network allocation vector value is zero, as a data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel outside the duration.

[0027] Optionally, if the target receiver of the data unit is the communication device and the data unit is capable of triggering a spatial multiplexing operation of the communication device, the communication device further comprises:

[0028] a disabling unit adapted to disable the spatial multiplexing operation; or

[0029] an enabling unit adapted to enable the spatial multiplexing operation.

[0030] The obtaining unit is adapted to count the receiving time of the data unit as idle time of the to-be-tested communication channel.

[0031] Optionally, if the communication device comprises a plurality of receiving paths.

[0032] The measurement unit is adapted to take the average value, weighted average value, maximum value of the idle energy measurement results of the to-be-tested communication channel of the plurality of receiving paths, or the idle energy measurement result of the to-be-tested communication channel of any receiving path in the plurality of receiving paths, as the idle energy measurement result of the to-be-tested communication channel.

[0033] The data interaction time includes data receiving time and data sending time, and the measurement unit is adapted to obtain the idle energy measurement result of the to-be-tested communication channel by using the following formula:

[0034] wherein, IPI densityi represents the idle energy indicator density corresponding to the ith idle time in the measurement period, t idlei represents the time length of the ith idle time in the measurement period, t meas represents the time length of the measurement period, t NAV represents the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively sending data on the to-be-tested communication channel, t rx represents the data receiving time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel other than the duration, t tx represents the data sending time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel other than the duration.

[0035] Correspondingly, the embodiment of the application further provides a communication device, comprising:

[0036] A channel measurement module is adapted to obtain the idle energy measurement result of a to-be-tested communication channel by using the communication method of the communication device according to any one of the above.

[0037] A transmission control module is adapted to control the communication device to perform data interaction on the to-be-tested communication channel according to the idle energy measurement result of the to-be-tested communication channel.

[0038] Correspondingly, the embodiment of the application further provides a computer program product, comprising computer program / instructions, which are executed by a processor to implement the communication method of the communication device according to any one of the above.

[0039] Correspondingly, the embodiment of the application further provides a communication device, comprising at least one memory and at least one processor, wherein the memory stores one or more computer signals, and the one or more computer signals are executed by the processor to implement the communication method according to any one of the above.

[0040] Correspondingly, the embodiment of the present application further provides a storage medium, which stores one or more computer signals, and the one or more computer signals are used to realize the communication method according to any one of the above. Advantages

[0041] Compared with the prior art, the technical scheme of the present application has the following advantages: in the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application, when measuring a to-be-measured communication channel, the data receiving time of the communication device on the to-be-measured communication channel obtained is the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-measured communication channel outside the duration, and the data interaction time within the duration is excluded, so that repeated calculation of the data receiving time within the duration can be avoided, and therefore the accuracy of channel measurement can be improved, and the communication reliability of the communication device on the to-be-measured communication channel can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0042] Fig. 1 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the communication method provided by the technical scheme of the present application;

[0043] Figs. 2 to 6 are schematic diagrams of data interaction and measurement of a communication device within a channel measurement period;

[0044] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the communication device provided by the technical scheme of the present application;

[0045] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of an optional hardware structure of the communication device provided by the technical scheme of the present application. Embodiments of the present application

[0046] As known from the background, the current communication channel measurement method has the problem of poor accuracy.

[0047] In order to solve the technical problem, the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application comprises: within a channel measurement period, obtaining a duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively sending data on a to-be-measured communication channel and data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-measured communication channel outside the duration; and obtaining an idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel according to the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively sending data on the to-be-measured communication channel and the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-measured communication channel outside the duration.

[0048] The communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application can avoid repeated calculation of the data receiving time within the duration, and thus can improve the accuracy of channel measurement, and further improve the communication reliability of the communication device on the communication channel to be measured.

[0049] In order to make the above objectives, characteristics and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a communication method of a communication device provided by the technical scheme of the present application. Referring to FIG. 1, the communication method of a communication device can specifically include the following steps:

[0051] Step S110: obtaining, within a channel measurement period, a duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively sending data on a communication channel to be measured, and data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel to be measured outside the duration;

[0052] Step S120: obtaining an idle energy measurement result of the communication channel to be measured according to the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively sending data on the communication channel to be measured and the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel to be measured outside the duration.

[0053] Please continue to refer to FIG. 1, and perform step S110 to obtain, within a channel measurement period, a duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively sending data on a communication channel to be measured, and data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel to be measured outside the duration.

[0054] Within the channel measurement period, the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively sending data on the communication channel to be measured and the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel to be measured outside the duration are obtained, which provides a basis for subsequently obtaining an idle energy measurement result of the communication channel to be measured according to the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively sending data on the communication channel to be measured and the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel to be measured outside the duration.

[0055] In the embodiment, the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively sending data on the communication channel to be measured is recorded by using a network allocation vector (NAV) value of the communication device.

[0056] Accordingly, the step of acquiring the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the to-be-tested communication channel comprises: receiving a data unit (DU) comprising a duration field, the duration field being used to identify the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the to-be-tested communication channel; and updating a current network allocation vector value of the communication device according to the duration of the duration field of the data unit, if a target receiver of the data unit is not the communication device.

[0057] In this embodiment, the data unit comprises a physical (PHY) layer data unit and a medium control (MAC) layer data unit.

[0058] Accordingly, in the case where the data unit is a physical layer data unit, the communication device obtains the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the to-be-tested communication channel from a duration field located in a header of the physical layer data unit; and in the case where the data unit is a medium control layer data unit, the communication device obtains the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the to-be-tested communication channel from a duration field located in a header of the medium control layer data unit.

[0059] In this embodiment, the data unit further comprises a destination address field, the destination address field being used to store information of an address of a target receiver of the data unit. Accordingly, the communication device acquires the address of the target receiver of the data unit stored in the destination address field of the data unit by parsing the data unit transmitted on the to-be-tested communication channel, and determines that the target receiver of the data unit is not the communication device when the address of the target receiver of the data unit stored in the destination address field of the data unit is different from an address of the communication device.

[0060] In this embodiment, the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the to-be-tested communication channel is recorded by using a network allocation vector value of the communication device. In other words, the time corresponding to the network allocation vector value of the communication device is the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the to-be-tested communication channel.

[0061] Accordingly, the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel during the duration is the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel when the NAV value of the communication device is zero.

[0062] Please refer to FIG. 2, during the channel measurement period t measWithin the test communication channel, communication device 1 interacts with communication devices 2 and 3 via frames 1, 2, 3, and 4. Frame 1 is the transmitted frame from communication device 3, Frame 2 is the received frame from communication device 1 to communication device 2, Frame 3 is the received frame from communication device 2 to communication device 1, and Frame 4 is the received frame from communication device 1 to communication device 2. The duration field in Frame 2 defines the time period tNAV during which the NAV value of communication device 3 is not equal to zero. Frame 3 and Frame 4 also fall within the time period tNAV during which the NAV value of communication device 3 is not equal to zero.

[0063] The third frame (Frame 3) and the fourth frame (Frame 4) are located within the time period tNAV during which the NAV value of communication device 3 is not equal to zero. NAV Covering the reception time t of the third frame Frame3 by communication device 1 rx3 and the reception time t of the fourth frame Frame4 by the communication device 2 rx4 If the reception time t of the third frame Frame3 is taken as... rx3 and the reception time t of the fourth frame (Frame 4) rx4 Including communication device 3 in the channel measurement period t meas The data interaction time on the internal communication channel under test will affect the reception time t of the third frame (Frame 3). rx3 and the reception time t of the fourth frame (Frame 4) rx4 The repeated calculations lead to inaccurate measurement results of the idle energy of the communication channel under test by the communication device 3.

[0064] Therefore, in acquiring the communication device 3 during the channel measurement period t meas When measuring the data interaction time on the internal communication channel under test, the time period t during which the NAV value of communication device 3 is not equal to zero is considered. NAV The reception time t of the third frame Frame3 within the frame rx3 and the reception time t of the fourth frame (Frame 4) rx4 Eliminating these limitations can improve the accuracy of the idle energy measurement results of communication device 3, thereby improving the reliability of communication.

[0065] It should be noted that Figure 2 only shows the time period t during which the NAV value of communication device 3 is not equal to zero. NAV The following explanation uses the received frames from communication devices 1 and 2 as an example. It is understandable that during the time period t when the NAV value of communication device 3 is not equal to zero... NAVThe time period t during which the NAV value of the communication device 3 is not equal to zero, in the case of a transmission frame and / or a reception frame of the communication device 3 NAV The transmission time of the transmission frame and / or the reception time of the reception frame of the communication device 3, in the case of which the communication device 3 is excluded from the channel measurement period t meas The data interaction time on the to-be-measured communication channel, in addition to which the communication device 3 is excluded from the channel measurement period t meas , so as to improve the accuracy of the idle energy measurement result of the communication device 3, and further improve the reliability of the communication.

[0066] In other embodiments, in the case of a NAV value of the communication device including an inter-BSS (inter- basic service set) NAV value and an intra-BSS (intra- basic service set) NAV value, the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-measured communication channel, in addition to the duration, includes: the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-measured communication channel, in the case of the inter-BSS NAV value of the communication device being zero, and the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-measured communication channel, in the case of the intra-BSS NAV value of the communication device being zero.

[0067] In combination with reference to FIG. 3, the communication device 3 belongs to the same BSS as the communication device 1 and the communication device 2, and in the channel measurement period t meas , there is an interaction of a first frame Frame1, a second frame Frame2, a third frame Frame3 and a fourth frame Frame4 between the communication device 3 and the communication device 1 and the communication device 2 on the to-be-measured communication channel. The first frame Frame1 is a transmission frame of the communication device 3, the second frame Frame2 is a frame sent by the communication device 1 to the communication device 2, the third frame Frame3 is a transmission frame of the communication device 3, and the fourth frame Frame4 is a transmission frame of the communication device 2. The duration field in the second frame Frame2 sets a time period t intra-NAV during which the intra-BSS NAV value of the communication device 3 is not equal to zero. At the same time, the transmission time t tx3 of the third frame Frame3 and the reception time t rx4 of the fourth frame Frame4 are located within the time period t intra-NAV during which the intra-BSS NAV value of the communication device 3 is not equal to zero.

[0068] The transmission time t tx3 of the third frame Frame3 and the reception time t rx4 of the fourth frame Frame4 are located within the time period t intra-NAV during which the intra-BSS NAV value of the communication device 3 is not equal to zero, and if the communication device 3 is excluded from the channel measurement period t tx3and the reception time t of the fourth frame (Frame 4) rx4 Including communication device 3 in the channel measurement period t meas The data interaction time on the internal communication channel under test will affect the transmission time t of the third frame (Frame 3). tx3 and the reception time t of the fourth frame (Frame 4) rx4 The repeated calculations lead to inaccurate measurement results of the idle energy of the communication channel under test by the communication device 3.

[0069] It should be noted that neither the sender nor the receiver of the third frame (Frame 3) and the fourth frame (Frame 4) is the communication device 3. However, since the third frame (Frame 3) and the fourth frame (Frame 4) occupy the communication channel under test for transmission, this will cause a change in the idle energy on the communication channel under test. Therefore, the communication device 3 measures the idle energy of the communication channel under test and sets the transmission time t of the third frame (Frame 3) as the measurement time. tx3 and the reception time t of the fourth frame (Frame 4) rx4 Statistics included.

[0070] Referring to Figure 3, communication device 4 and communication device 5 belong to the same Basic Service Set (BSS). The BSS to which communication devices 4 and 5 belong is different from the BSS to which communication devices 1, 2, and 3 belong. Furthermore, communication devices 4 and 3 are in the same channel measurement period t. meas The interaction occurs within the fifth frame (Frame 5). Frame 5 is a frame sent from communication device 4 to communication device 5, and the duration field in Frame 5 specifies the time period t during which the inter-BSS NAV value of communication device 3 is not equal to zero. inter-NAV Meanwhile, the reception time t of the fifth frame (Frame 5) rx3 The time period t during which the intra-BSS NAV value of communication device 3 is not equal to zero intra-NAV Inside.

[0071] If the reception time t of communication device 3 for the fifth frame Frame 5 is... rx5 Including communication device 3 in the channel measurement period t meas The data interaction time on the internal communication channel under test will cause the reception time t of the fifth frame Frame5 by communication device 3. rx5 The repeated calculations lead to inaccurate measurement results of the idle energy of the communication channel under test by the communication device 3.

[0072] Therefore, in acquiring the communication device 3 during the channel measurement period t measThe time period t during which the intra-BSS NAV value of the communication apparatus 3 is not equal to zero intra-NAV The transmission time t of the third frame Frame3 tx3 The reception time t of the fourth frame Frame4 rx4 The reception time t of the fifth frame Frame5 rx5 Excluding the time period t during which the intra-BSS NAV value of the communication apparatus 3 is not equal to zero can improve the accuracy of the idle energy measurement result of the communication apparatus 3, and thus improve the reliability of the communication.

[0073] Please continue to refer to FIG. 3. It should be pointed out that, during the channel measurement period t meas of the communication apparatus 3, the time period t during which the intra-BSS NAV value of the communication apparatus 3 is not equal to zero intra-NAV overlaps with the time period t during which the inter-BSS NAV value of the communication apparatus 3 is not equal to zero. inter-NAV Accordingly, when calculating the time during which the NAV value of the communication apparatus 3 is not equal to zero, the time period t during which the intra-BSS NAV value of the communication apparatus 3 is not equal to zero intra -NAV overlaps with the time period t during which the inter-BSS NAV value of the communication apparatus 3 is not equal to zero. inter -NAV is calculated only once to avoid repeated calculation of the overlapping part between the time period t during which the intra-BSS NAV value of the communication apparatus 3 is not equal to zero intra-NAV and the time period t during which the inter-BSS NAV value of the communication apparatus 3 is not equal to zero. inter-NAV The repeated calculation of the overlapping part between the time period t during which the intra-BSS NAV value of the communication apparatus 3 is not equal to zero meas and the time period t during which the inter-BSS NAV value of the communication apparatus 3 is not equal to zero causes errors in the idle energy measurement result of the communication apparatus 3, and thus improves the accuracy of the idle energy measurement of the communication apparatus 3.

[0074] In this embodiment, if the target receiver of the data unit is the communication apparatus, and the data unit can trigger the spatial multiplexing operation of the communication apparatus, the communication method of the communication apparatus further comprises: disabling the spatial multiplexing operation.

[0075] Please refer to FIG. 4, which shows the process of the existing spatial multiplexing operation. Specifically, during the channel measurement period t meas , the communication apparatus 3 and other communication apparatus 3' interact with each other on the communication channel to be measured through the first frame Frame1 and the second frame Frame2. Among them, the first frame Frame1 and the second frame Frame2 are both frames sent by the other communication apparatus 3' to the communication apparatus 3.

[0076] In case the communication device 3 supports spatial multiplexing operation, both the first frame Frame 1 and the second frame Frame 2 can trigger spatial multiplexing operation of the communication device 3. When the communication device 3 identifies that the first frame Frame 1 meets the condition of spatial multiplexing operation at a time point t1 during the reception of the first frame Frame 1, the reception time t rx11 of the first frame Frame 1 before the time point t1 is counted as the time when the to-be-measured communication channel is in busy state, the first frame Frame 1 is discarded after the time point t1, and the remaining reception time after the time point t1 is counted as the time when the to-be-measured communication channel is in idle state t idle1 .

[0077] Similarly, when the communication device 3 identifies that the second frame Frame 2 meets the condition of spatial multiplexing operation at a time point t2 during the reception of the second frame Frame 2, the reception time t rx21 of the second frame Frame 2 before the time point t2 is counted as the time when the to-be-measured communication channel is in busy state, the second frame Frame 2 is discarded after the time point t2, and the remaining reception time after the time point t2 is counted as the time when the to-be-measured communication channel is in idle state t idle3 .

[0078] It should be noted that, for each frame interacting on the to-be-measured communication channel, the reception energy on the to-be-measured communication channel remains unchanged during the reception time of the frame.

[0079] Specifically, at any time during the entire reception time t rx1 of the first frame Frame 1, the reception energy on the to-be-measured communication channel remains unchanged. Similarly, during the entire reception time t rx2 of the second frame Frame 2, the reception energy on the to-be-measured communication channel also remains unchanged. However, due to the existence of spatial multiplexing operation, the communication device 3 divides the time with the same reception energy on the to-be-measured communication channel into two time periods in busy state and idle state, so that the channel measurement of the communication device 3 is wrong.

[0080] Therefore, in combination with reference to FIG. 5, the communication device 3 adopts to disable spatial multiplexing operation, that is, the communication device 3 receives the first frame Frame 1 and the second frame Frame 2 completely, and counts both the reception time t rx1 of the first frame Frame 1 and the reception time t rx2 of the second frame Frame 2 as the busy time of the to-be-measured communication channel, so as to avoid the case shown in FIG. 5, that is, the time with the same reception energy on the to-be-measured communication channel is divided into two time periods in busy state and idle state, and thus the accuracy of the channel measurement of the communication device 3 is improved.

[0081] In other embodiments, if the target receiver of the data unit is the communication device, and the data unit can trigger the spatial multiplexing operation of the communication device, the communication method of the communication device may further include: enabling the spatial multiplexing operation and counting the reception time of the data unit as the idle time of the communication channel under test.

[0082] Referring to Figure 6, when the communication device 3 supports spatial multiplexing and both the first frame Frame1 and the second frame Frame2 can trigger the spatial multiplexing operation of the communication device 3, when the communication device 3 identifies that the first frame Frame1 meets the conditions for spatial multiplexing at a certain time point t1 during the reception of the first frame Frame1, it discards the first frame Frame1 and records the entire reception time t of the first frame Frame1. rx1 The idle time t of the communication channel under test is taken as the average time. idle1 Similarly, when communication device 3 identifies at a certain time point t2 during the reception of the second frame Frame2 that the second frame Frame2 meets the conditions for spatial multiplexing, it discards the second frame Frame2 and records the entire reception time t of the second frame Frame2. rx2 The idle time t of the communication channel under test is denoted as t. idle3 In this way, it is possible to avoid dividing the time when the communication channel under test has the same received energy into two time periods, one in a busy state and the other in an idle state, which is beneficial to improving the accuracy of channel measurement of communication device 3.

[0083] It should be noted that Figures 5 and 6 illustrate two different methods to avoid inaccurate measurement of idle energy in the communication channel under test by the communication device. The method shown in Figure 6 reduces the idle time on the communication channel under test, thus protecting data exchange between other communication devices on the channel. The method shown in Figure 7 increases the idle time on the communication channel under test, which is beneficial for improving the utilization rate of the communication channel by the communication device. Depending on actual needs, the communication device can choose to use either the method shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6 in each channel measurement cycle.

[0084] In this embodiment, the idle energy measurement result of the communication device for the communication channel under test includes the idle energy indicator (IPI) density corresponding to each idle time within the measurement period. Specifically, the idle energy indicator density corresponding to each idle time within the measurement period is calculated using the following formula:

[0085] Among them, IPI densityi t represents the idle energy indicator density corresponding to the i-th idle time within the measurement period. idleidenotes the time length of the i-th idle time within the measurement period, t meas denotes the time length of the measurement period, t NAV denotes the time length of the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the to-be-measured communication channel, t rx denotes the time length of the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the to-be-measured communication channel, t tx denotes the time length of the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the to-be-measured communication channel, t

[0086] It should be noted that the above describes the communication method of the communication device with one receiving path as an example. Those skilled in the art can understand that the communication device can also have multiple receiving paths, and in the case of multiple receiving paths, the communication device has the idle energy measurement result of the corresponding to-be-measured communication channel for each receiving path in a channel measurement period.

[0087] Therefore, in the case of multiple receiving paths, the communication device can obtain the final idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel of the communication device according to the idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel corresponding to each receiving path in the multiple receiving paths.

[0088] As an example, the final idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel of the communication device is the average of the idle energy measurement results of the to-be-measured communication channel of the multiple receiving paths. As another example, the final idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel of the communication device is the maximum of the average of the idle energy measurement results of the to-be-measured communication channel of the multiple receiving paths.

[0089] In other embodiments, the final idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel of the communication device can also be the weighted average of the idle energy measurement results of the to-be-measured communication channel of the multiple receiving paths or the idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel of any receiving path in the multiple receiving paths, etc., which can be selected according to actual needs by those skilled in the art, and is not limited herein.

[0090] In this embodiment, after obtaining the idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel, the communication device can perform subsequent communication operations on the idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel, such as selecting a communication channel with more measured idle energy from multiple communication channels for data interaction, etc.

[0091] Correspondingly, the embodiment of the present application also provides a communication device.

[0092] Fig. 7 shows a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the communication device provided by the present application. Referring to Fig. 7, a communication device 700 comprises: an acquisition unit 701 adapted to acquire, in a channel measurement period, a duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on a to-be-measured communication channel and a data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-measured communication channel outside the duration; and a measurement unit 702 adapted to acquire an idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel according to the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the to-be-measured communication channel and the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-measured communication channel.

[0093] The communication device in the embodiment of the present application can be used to execute the communication method of the communication device, or can also use other functional modules to execute the communication method of the communication device. For the communication method of the communication device, please refer to the detailed description in the foregoing part, which will not be repeated here.

[0094] Correspondingly, the embodiment of the present application further provides a device which can load the above-mentioned communication method in the form of a program to implement the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0095] Referring to Fig. 8, an optional hardware structure schematic diagram of the device provided by the embodiment of the present application is shown. The communication device in the embodiment of the present application comprises: at least one processor 01, at least one communication interface 02, at least one memory 03 and at least one communication bus 04.

[0096] In the embodiment, the number of the processor 01, the communication interface 02, the memory 03 and the communication bus 04 is at least one, and the processor 01, the communication interface 02 and the memory 03 complete the communication among each other through the communication bus 04.

[0097] The communication interface 02 can be the interface of the communication module for network communication, for example, the interface of the GSM module.

[0098] The processor 01 can be a central processing unit CPU, or a specific integrated circuit ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the communication method of the embodiment.

[0099] The memory 03 can contain a high-speed RAM memory, and can also include a non-volatile memory, for example, at least one disk memory. The memory 03 stores one or more computer signals, and the processor 01 executes the one or more computer signals to implement the communication method provided by the foregoing embodiment.

[0100] It should be noted that the electronic device described above can further include other devices (not shown) that can not be necessary for the disclosure of the embodiments of the present application; since these other devices can not be necessary for understanding the disclosure of the embodiments of the present application, the embodiments of the present application do not introduce them one by one.

[0101] The embodiments of the present application also provide a storage medium storing one or more computer signals for implementing the communication method of the communication device provided by the foregoing embodiments.

[0102] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product including computer programs / instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the communication method of the communication device provided by the foregoing embodiments.

[0103] The above-described embodiments of the present application are combinations of elements and features of the present application. The elements or features can be considered selective unless otherwise mentioned. Each of the elements or features can be practiced without being combined with the other elements or features. Also, some constructions of the embodiments of the present application can be constructed by combining some elements and / or features. The order of the operations described in the embodiments of the present application can be changed. Some constructions of any of the embodiments can be included in another embodiment and can substitute corresponding constructions of another embodiment. It is apparent that the claims that are not explicitly cited in this patent are combinable by technical personnel with the embodiments of the present application or can be included in a new claim after amendment of the present application.

[0104] The embodiments of the present application can be implemented by various means, for example, hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. In a hardware configuration, the method according to the exemplary embodiments of the present application can be implemented by one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Digital Signal Processing Devices (DSPDs), Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, etc.

[0105] In a firmware or software configuration, the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in the form of modules, procedures, functions, and the like. Software codes can be stored in memory units and executed by processors. The memory units are located at the interior or exterior of the processor and can transmit data to and receive data from the processor via various known means.

[0106] The foregoing description of the disclosed embodiments enables a person skilled in the art to make or use the application. Numerous modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without the use of the innovation falling outside the spirit or scope of the application. Therefore, the present application is not intended to be limited to the described embodiments, but rather is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0107] While the application has been disclosed by reference to the above description, it is understood that modifications and variations of the application will occur to those skilled in the art, in view of this disclosure. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the application is not limited by the foregoing description, but embraces all such alterations, modifications and variations in accordance with the purpose of the application. The scope of the application is to be limited only by the following claims.

Claims

1. A communication method of a communication apparatus, characterized by, Comprising: acquiring the duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the to-be-tested communication channel and the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel outside the duration; acquiring the idle energy measurement result of the to-be-tested communication channel according to the duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the to-be-tested communication channel and the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel outside the duration.

2. The communication method of a communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the to-be-tested communication channel is recorded by using the network allocation vector value of the communication device; The duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the to-be-tested communication channel is acquired by receiving a data unit comprising a duration field, wherein the duration field is used to identify the duration of prohibiting the communication device from interacting data on the to-be-tested communication channel; and if the target receiver of the data unit is not the communication device, then the current network allocation vector value of the communication device is updated according to the duration of the duration field of the data unit. The data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel outside the duration comprises the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel when the network allocation vector value of the communication device is zero.

3. The communication method of claim 2, wherein The network allocation vector value comprises intra-basic service set network allocation vector value and inter-basic service set network allocation vector value. The duration of prohibiting the communication device from actively sending data on the to-be-tested communication channel is acquired by receiving a data unit comprising a duration field, wherein the duration field is used to identify the duration of prohibiting the communication device from interacting data on the to-be-tested communication channel; and if the target receiver of the data unit is not the communication device, then the current intra-basic service set network allocation vector value or inter-basic service set network allocation vector value of the communication device is updated according to the duration of the duration field of the data unit. The data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel outside the duration comprises the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel when the intra-basic service set network allocation vector value of the communication device is zero, and the data interaction time of the communication device on the to-be-tested communication channel when the inter-basic service set network allocation vector value of the communication device is zero. If the target receiver of the data unit is the communication device, and the data unit can trigger the spatial multiplexing operation of the communication device, further comprising:

4. The communication method of a communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein disabling the spatial multiplexing operation; or, enabling the spatial multiplexing operation and counting the receiving time of the communication device on the data unit as idle time. ​ 5. The communication method of a communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein If the communication device includes multiple receiving paths, the idle energy measurement result of the communication channel under test is an average, a weighted average, a maximum, or an idle energy measurement result of the communication channel under test of any one of the multiple receiving paths.

6. The communication method of a communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by, The data interaction time includes data receiving time and data sending time, and the idle energy measurement result of the communication channel to be tested includes: wherein IPI densityi represents the i-th idle time in the measurement period Energy indicator density, t idlei denotes the length of time of the i-th idle time within the measurement period, t meas denotes the length of time of the measurement period, t NAV denotes the duration of time during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the communication channel under test, t rx denotes the time of data reception by the communication device on the communication channel under test outside the duration of time, t tx denotes the time of data transmission by the communication device on the communication channel under test outside the duration of time.

7. A communication device, characterized by Comprise: An acquisition unit, adapted to acquire a duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on a communication channel under test, and a data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel under test outside the duration; A measurement unit, adapted to acquire an idle energy measurement result of the communication channel under test according to the duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the communication channel under test, and the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel under test outside the duration.

8. The communication apparatus of claim 7, wherein, The duration during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the communication channel under test is recorded using a network allocation vector value of the communication device; The acquisition unit is adapted to receive a data unit including a duration field, the duration field being used to identify a duration during which the communication device is prohibited from data interaction on the communication channel under test; If a target receiver of the data unit is not the communication device, a current network allocation vector value of the communication device is updated according to a duration of the duration field of the data unit; and the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel under test when an intra-basic service set network allocation vector value of the communication device is zero and the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel under test when an inter-basic service set network allocation vector value of the communication device is zero are acquired as the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel under test outside the duration.

9. The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein, The network allocation vector value includes an intra-basic service set network allocation vector value and an inter-basic service set network allocation vector value; The acquisition unit is adapted to receive a data unit including a duration field, the duration field being used to identify a duration during which the communication device is prohibited from data interaction on the communication channel under test; If a target receiver of the data unit is not the communication device, a current intra-basic service set network allocation vector value and a current inter-basic service set network allocation vector value of the communication device are updated according to a duration of the duration field of the data unit; and the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel under test when the intra-basic service set network allocation vector value of the communication device is zero and the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel under test when the inter-basic service set network allocation vector value of the communication device is zero are acquired as the data interaction time of the communication device on the communication channel under test outside the duration.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein If the target receiver of the data unit is the communication device and the communication device supports spatial multiplexing operation, the communication device further comprises: a disabling unit adapted to disable the spatial multiplexing operation; or an enabling unit adapted to enable the spatial multiplexing operation; the obtaining unit is adapted to count a receiving time of the data unit by the communication device as an idle time.

11. The communication apparatus of claim 8, wherein, if the communication device comprises a plurality of receiving paths; the measuring unit is adapted to take an average value, a weighted average value, a maximum value of the idle energy measurement results of the to-be-measured communication channel of the plurality of receiving paths, or an idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel of any one of the plurality of receiving paths, as the idle energy measurement result of the to-be-measured communication channel.

12. The communication apparatus of any of claims 7-11, wherein, The data interaction time includes data receiving time and data sending time, and the measuring unit is adapted to obtain the idle energy measurement result of the communication channel to be measured by using the following formula: wherein IPI densityi represents the idle energy indicator density corresponding to the ith idle time within the measurement period, t idlei represents the time length of the ith idle time within the measurement period, t meas represents the time length of the measurement period, t NAV represents the duration of time during which the communication device is prohibited from actively transmitting data on the communication channel under test, t rx represents the duration of time during which the communication device is permitted to receive data on the communication channel under test, t tx represents the duration of time during which the communication device is permitted to transmit data on the communication channel under test.

13. A computer program product comprising computer programs / instructions, characterized in that, The computer program / instruction is used to implement the communication method of the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 when executed by a processor.

14. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises at least one memory and at least one processor, wherein the memory stores one or more computer signals, and wherein the one or more computer signals are executed by the processor to implement the communication method of the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

15. A storage medium, characterized by The storage medium stores one or more computer signals, and the one or more computer signals are used to implement the communication method of the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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