Communication method, communication apparatus, and communication system

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method, a communication apparatus, and a communication system, which are applied to the technical field of communications. In the technical solution provided in the present application, a first access point (AP) generates first information, wherein the first information is used for indicating a first protocol, the first AP communicates, within a first service period (SP), with a station (STA) that meets a first condition, and the first SP is a time window specified in the first protocol; and the first AP sends the first information. In the method, within the SP specified in the first protocol indicated by the first AP, the AP communicates with only an STA that meets a specific condition. In this way, as long as an appropriate condition is set, the following objective can be achieved: communication between the first AP and the STA does not interfere with communication between other WLAN devices, or communication between the first AP and the STA is not interfered with by communication between other WLAN devices. In other words, the method can provide a technical support or implementation possibility for parallel transmission of a plurality of APs, thereby facilitating conservation of channel resources.

Description

Communication method, communication apparatus, and communication system

[0001] The present application claims priority from the Chinese patent application No. 202410703663.3 filed on May 31, 2024, and entitled "Communication method, communication apparatus, and communication system", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, in particular to a communication method, a communication apparatus, and a communication system. BACKGROUND

[0003] With the development of wireless networks and the continuous popularization of WLAN (wireless local area network) technology, WLAN devices are becoming more and more numerous. The communication interference problem between more and more WLAN devices is also becoming more and more prominent. Therefore, how to avoid the communication interference problem between WLAN devices has become a technical problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides a communication method, a communication apparatus, and a communication system, which are helpful to solve the communication interference problem between WLAN devices in the case of increasing number of WLAN devices.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, a communication apparatus, and a communication system. The method is used for a first AP (access point). The method comprises: generating first information, the first information being used to indicate a first protocol, the first AP communicating with a STA (station) satisfying a first condition within a first SP (service period), the first SP being a time window specified by the first protocol; and sending the first information.

[0006] In the method, the first AP indicates that the AP only communicates with the STA satisfying a certain condition within the service period specified by the first protocol, which makes it possible to achieve the following target by reasonably formulating the condition: the communication between the first AP and the STA does not interfere with the communication between other WLAN devices, or in other words, the communication between the first AP and the STA is not interfered by the communication between other WLAN devices. In other words, the method can provide technical support or implementation possibility for parallel transmission of multiple APs, and thus helps to save channel resources.

[0007] In some possible implementation manners, the first condition comprises at least one of the following conditions: the first signal received power of the STA is greater than or equal to a first power threshold, the second signal received power of the STA is less than or equal to a second power threshold, or a difference between the first signal received power and the second signal received power is greater than or equal to a third power threshold; wherein the first signal received power is a power of a signal received from the first AP, and the second signal received power is a power of a signal received from the second AP.

[0008] This implementation manner can reduce the interference impact of the communication between the other WLAN devices on the communication between the first AP and the STA.

[0009] In some possible implementation manners, the first condition comprises that the STA is located at the center of the service cell of the first AP. Because the STA located at the center of the service cell usually has a relatively large received power of the first AP and a relatively small received power of the other APs, the interference impact of the communication between the other WLAN devices on the communication between the first AP and the STA can be reduced.

[0010] In another aspect, by reducing the transmission power of the first AP, the STA located at the center of the service cell can also receive the signal of the first AP, and thus the interference impact of the communication between the first AP and the STA on the communication between the other APs and the STA can be reduced.

[0011] In some possible implementation manners, the method further comprises: sending second information, wherein the second information indicates the first condition. That is, the condition for the STA to join the first protocol is indicated by the first AP, the flexibility of the first condition can be improved, the current communication state can be better adapted to, and thus the efficient use of resources and the avoidance of interference can be better fully considered.

[0012] In some possible implementation manners, when the first condition comprises that the first signal received power of the STA is greater than or equal to a first power threshold, the second information indicating the first condition comprises: the second information indicating the first power threshold; or when the first condition comprises that the second signal received power of the STA is less than or equal to a second power threshold, the second information indicating the first condition comprises: the second information indicating the second power threshold and / or the second AP; or when the first condition comprises that a difference between the first signal received power and the second signal received power is greater than or equal to a third power threshold, the second information indicating the first condition comprises: the second information indicating the third power threshold and / or the second AP.

[0013] In some possible implementation manners, the first condition can be preset or predefined. This implementation manner can save signaling overhead.

[0014] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: sending third information, the third information being used to indicate related information of the first protocol, the related information including at least one of the following: a start time of the SP corresponding to the first protocol, an interval between two adjacent SPs, or a time length of each SP.

[0015] In some possible implementation manners, the first information is carried in a target wake time, TWT, element. That is, the TWT element can be reused, so that the implementation complexity can be reduced and resources can be saved.

[0016] It can be understood that the first information can also be carried in a newly defined element.

[0017] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: receiving fourth information from the first STA, the fourth information being used to request to join the first protocol. In this way, the first AP can learn about the STA that joins the first protocol, so that the management is facilitated.

[0018] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: sending fifth information to the first STA, the fifth information being used to indicate that the request of the first STA to join the first protocol is agreed or refused. In this implementation manner, the first AP indicates to the first STA whether to agree or refuse the first STA to join, so that the first STA can reasonably plan subsequent communication operations and reasonably arrange resources based on the information.

[0019] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: sending sixth information to the second AP, the sixth information being used to request to establish the first protocol. That is, the first AP initiates the establishment of the first protocol.

[0020] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: receiving seventh information from the second AP, the seventh information being used to indicate whether the second AP agrees to the suggestion of the first protocol.

[0021] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: receiving sixth information from the second AP, the sixth information being used to request to establish the first protocol. That is, the establishment of the first protocol is initiated by another AP.

[0022] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: sending seventh information to the second AP, the seventh information being used to indicate whether the first AP agrees to the suggestion of the first protocol.

[0023] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which is applied to a first station, STA. The method includes: receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate a first protocol, and a STA satisfying a first condition performing communication with a first access point, AP, in a first service period, SP, the first SP being a time window defined for the first protocol.

[0024] In the method, the first STA communicates with the AP according to a service period specified by the first protocol under certain conditions, which makes it possible to achieve the following target as long as the conditions are reasonably set: the communication between the first AP and the STA does not interfere with the communication between other WLAN devices, or in other words, the communication between the first AP and the STA is not interfered with by the communication between other WLAN devices. In other words, the method can provide technical support or the possibility of implementation for parallel transmission of multiple APs, thereby helping to save channel resources.

[0025] In some possible implementation manners, the first condition comprises at least one of the following conditions: the first signal reception power of the STA is greater than or equal to a first power threshold, the second signal reception power of the STA is less than or equal to a second power threshold, or the difference between the first signal reception power and the second signal reception power is greater than or equal to a third power threshold; wherein the first signal reception power is the power of a signal received by the STA and sent by the first AP, and the second signal reception power is the power of a signal received by the STA and sent by the second AP.

[0026] The implementation manner can reduce the interference of the communication between other WLAN devices on the communication between the first AP and the STA.

[0027] In some possible implementation manners, the first condition comprises that the STA is located at the center of a service cell of the first AP. Because the STA located at the center of the service cell usually has a relatively large reception power of the first AP and a relatively small reception power of other APs, the interference of the communication between other WLAN devices on the communication between the first AP and the STA can be reduced.

[0028] In another aspect, by reducing the transmission power of the first AP, the STA located at the center of the service cell can also receive the signal of the first AP, and thus the interference of the communication between the first AP and the STA on the communication between other APs and the STA can be reduced.

[0029] In some possible implementation manners, the method further comprises: receiving second information, the second information indicating the first condition. In other words, the condition for the STA to join the first protocol is indicated by the first AP to the STA, which can improve the flexibility of the first condition, better adapt to the current communication state, and thus better fully take into account the efficient use of resources and the avoidance of interference.

[0030] In some possible implementation manners, the first condition includes that the first signal receiving power of the STA is greater than or equal to a first power threshold, and the second information indicates that the first condition includes: the second information indicates the first power threshold; or the first condition includes that the second signal receiving power of the STA is less than or equal to a second power threshold, and the second information indicates that the first condition includes: the second information indicates the second power threshold and / or the second AP; or the first condition includes that a difference between the first signal receiving power and the second signal receiving power is greater than or equal to a third power threshold, and the second information indicates that the first condition includes: the second information indicates the third power threshold and / or the second AP.

[0031] In some possible implementation manners, the first condition can be preset or predefined. This implementation manner can save signaling overhead.

[0032] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: receiving third information, the third information indicating related information of the first protocol, and the related information including at least one of the following: a start time of an SP corresponding to the first protocol, an interval between two adjacent SPs, or a time length of each SP.

[0033] In some possible implementation manners, the first information is carried in a target wake-up time (TWT) element. That is, the TWT element can be reused, so that the implementation complexity can be reduced and resources can be saved.

[0034] It can be understood that the first information can also be carried in a newly defined element.

[0035] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: if the first STA satisfies the first condition for joining the first protocol, sending fourth information, the fourth information being used to request to join the first protocol. In this way, the first AP can learn about the STA that joins the first protocol, so as to facilitate management.

[0036] In some possible implementation manners, the method further includes: receiving fifth information, the fifth information indicating a request to agree or refuse to join the first protocol. In this implementation manner, the first AP indicates to the first STA whether to agree or refuse the first STA to join, so as to facilitate the first STA to reasonably plan subsequent communication operations and reasonably arrange resources based on the information.

[0037] In a third aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus can include a module corresponding to each of the method operations / acts / steps / actions described in the first aspect. The module can be a hardware circuit, or software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0038] In one design, the apparatus can include a processing module and a communication module. The communication module can be configured to perform the transmitting and receiving actions in the method described above in the first aspect, and the processing module can be configured to perform the processing actions in the method described above in the first aspect.

[0039] In one design, the apparatus can be a communication device, such as an AP device, or a device, module, circuit, or chip configured to be deployed in an AP device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with an AP device.

[0040] In the fourth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus can include a module corresponding to each of the operations of the method described in the second aspect. The module can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0041] In one design, the apparatus can include a processing module and a communication module. The communication module can be configured to perform the transmitting and receiving actions in the method described above in the second aspect, and the processing module can be configured to perform the processing actions in the method described above in the second aspect.

[0042] In one design, the apparatus can be a STA device, or a device, module, circuit, or chip configured to be deployed in a STA device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with a STA device.

[0043] In the fifth aspect, a device is provided. The device includes a processor. When the processor executes instructions, the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect is implemented.

[0044] Optionally, the device can further include a storage medium that stores the instructions for the processor to execute.

[0045] In the sixth aspect, a device is provided. The device includes a processor. When the processor executes instructions, the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect is implemented.

[0046] Optionally, the device can further include a storage medium that stores the instructions for the processor to execute.

[0047] In the seventh aspect, a chip is provided. The chip includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to execute a program or instructions, so that the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect is implemented, or the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect is implemented.

[0048] Optionally, the chip can further include a memory configured to store the program or instructions.

[0049] Optionally, the chip can further comprise the transceiver circuit, or the input / output interface.

[0050] In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which comprises instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect to be implemented, or cause the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect to be implemented.

[0051] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which comprises computer program codes or instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect to be implemented, or cause the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect to be implemented.

[0052] In a tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, which comprises one or more combinations of the following apparatuses: the apparatus in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the apparatus in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0053] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system of a method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a scenario of a wireless local area network communication according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a CSR transmission;

[0056] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a periodic TWT service period;

[0057] Fig. 5 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a TWT element according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Fig. 7 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an extended RTWT information element according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an extended RTWT information element according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an extended RTWT information element according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Fig. 11 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an RTWT SP information element according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an RTWT SP information element according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG. 14 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG. 15 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG. 16 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication apparatus according to another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0072] In order to clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, the same items or similar items with basically the same functions and effects are distinguished by using “first”, “second”, etc. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that “first”, “second”, etc. do not limit the quantity and execution sequence, and “first”, “second”, etc. also do not necessarily mean different.

[0073] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, “exemplary” or “for example” is used to mean example, illustration or description. Any embodiment or design scheme described as “exemplary” or “for example” in the present application should not be interpreted as more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. Rather, “exemplary” or “for example” is used to specifically present the relevant concept.

[0074] In the embodiments of this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. The "and / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents that the associated objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b and (or) c can represent: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0075] In order to facilitate the understanding of the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application, some concepts in the embodiments of the present application will be explained below. It can be understood that these concept explanations do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0076] In the embodiments of the present application, the wireless access point (access point, AP) can be the core device of the wireless local area network, which is the center node of the network. Its main function is to provide wireless access services. The AP can connect the wireless network card and the wired network, so that wireless terminal devices such as notebook computers, smart phones and the like can be connected to the network through a wireless manner. The AP is usually installed at the edge of the network, for example, on the wall or ceiling of an office, home or public place. The main role of the AP is to provide a wireless coverage area, and in this area, the wireless terminal device can communicate with the network.

[0077] A station (STA) can also be referred to as a wireless station, and mainly functions to provide access of a wireless terminal device. The STA usually includes a wireless network card and a notebook computer and the like. By connecting to an AP, the STA can obtain network connection and communicate with other devices. The STA device can be a mobile device or a fixed device. Exemplarily, the STA device can be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a sound box, a wearable device, a socket, a table lamp, a smart screen, a television, a smart household appliance, an internet of things (IoT) device, a camera device, and the like. Optionally, the STA device can also be a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, a drone device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in a smart home, and the like. The form of the STA device is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the fixed device can be understood as a device whose position cannot be moved or a device whose position is not convenient to move. Exemplarily, a television can be understood as a fixed device.

[0078] With the development of wireless networks and the continuous popularization of wireless local area network (WLAN) technology, more and more WLAN devices are emerging. More and more WLAN devices have a growing demand for channel resources. Therefore, how to meet the channel resource demand of the growing number of WLAN devices has become a technical problem to be solved.

[0079] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system suitable for the method of the embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 100 can include at least four communication devices, such as the communication device 110, the communication device 120, the communication device 130 and the communication device 140 shown in FIG. 1.

[0080] The communication devices in the communication system shown in FIG. 1 can communicate with each other, for example, the communication device 110 can communicate with the communication device 120 and the communication device 130, and the communication device 130 can communicate with the communication device 140. Among them, the communication device 110 can transmit data or control signaling with the communication device 120 or the communication device 130, and the communication device 130 can transmit data or control signaling with the communication device 140.

[0081] As an example, the communication device 110 can be an AP; the communication device 120 can be an AP or a STA; the communication device 130 can be an AP; and the communication device 140 can be an AP or a STA.

[0082] The application scenario of the communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application is described below. It can be understood that the application scenario described in the embodiments of the present application is for more clearly explaining the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0083] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a wireless local area network communication scenario according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 2, the wireless local area network communication system 200 includes at least two wireless access points APs, for example, AP1 and AP2 shown in FIG. 2; and the wireless local area network communication system 200 can also include at least two stations STAs, for example, STA1 and STA2 shown in FIG. 2.

[0084] At present, in view of the problem of large demand of channel resources by WLAN devices, a multi-AP cooperation mode is used to save channel resources. The multi-APs use a coordinated spatial reuse (CSR) mode. For example, when the distance between two APs is far, the two APs can simultaneously transmit on the same channel or resource block, and the interference between the two APs is low by controlling the power and selecting users, thereby effectively utilizing the channel resources.

[0085] The CSR includes a transmit opportunity based CSR (TXOP based CSR) mode.

[0086] Generally, the AP that initiates the multi-AP cooperation transmission can be referred to as a sharing AP, and other APs that share the transmission resources or transmission opportunities can be referred to as shared APs. The sharing AP can control the transmission power of the shared APs, thereby controlling the interference.

[0087] The operation mechanism of the TXOP based CSR is briefly introduced below.

[0088] When the sharing AP obtains a transmission opportunity (TXOP) and is about to send a downlink data frame to the associated station STA1, if the sharing AP finds that the channel condition between the sharing AP and STA1 is good, the sharing AP can allow other APs to perform concurrent transmission with the sharing AP, for example, a shared AP sends data to the associated station STA2, and one or more shared APs can be selected to perform CSR transmission.

[0089] When selecting the shared AP, the sharing AP can prefer to select an AP far away from STA1 as the shared AP, so as to reduce the interference of the shared AP to STA1 when the shared AP transmits data. In addition, the sharing AP can also control the transmission power of the shared AP to further reduce the interference of the shared AP to STA1 when the shared AP transmits data.

[0090] The sharing AP can send a CSR trigger frame to the shared AP to initiate the CSR transmission. The sharing AP will indicate the parameters in the CSR transmission in the CSR trigger frame, such as the transmission power of the shared AP, the transmission duration of the data packet, and the transmission power of the sharing AP, etc. After receiving these parameters, the shared AP can prefer to select a station (such as STA2) far away from the sharing AP for data transmission.

[0091] In addition, in the selection of the transmission parameters of the shared AP, the interference of the sharing AP to STA2 can be estimated according to the transmission power of the sharing AP, so as to select appropriate transmission parameters to ensure that the data transmission of the shared AP is successful with a high probability. For example, these transmission parameters can be modulation and coding scheme (MCS), number of spatial streams (NSS), and bandwidth, etc.

[0092] In the CSR transmission, since two APs perform simultaneous transmission on the same channel, there is interference between the two transmissions. For example, while AP1 is transmitting data to STA1, AP2 is also transmitting data to STA2, and STA1 will receive the signal (interference) transmitted by AP2 in addition to the useful signal transmitted by AP1. When AP1 is the sharing AP, if AP1 can predict the path loss between STA1 and AP2 before transmitting to STA1, it can control the transmission power of AP2, so as to ensure that the interference of AP2 to STA1 is low; when AP1 is the shared AP, if AP1 can predict the path loss between STA1 and AP2 before transmitting to STA1, it can select appropriate transmission parameters to ensure that the transmission is successful even if STA1 will be interfered by AP2. Therefore, before the CSR transmission, the channel quality measurement between multiple cells is an important step.

[0093] Fig. 3 is a diagram of a CSR transmission. As shown in Fig. 3, AP1 is a shared AP, AP2 is a shared AP, STA1 is a station associated with AP1, and STA2 is a station associated with AP2. After AP1 sends a CSR trigger frame to AP2 to initiate a CSR transmission, AP1 and AP2 send downlink data frames to the respective stations STA1 and STA2 at the same time period, and STA1 and STA2 send block ACK (BA) after receiving the data, thereby realizing parallel transmission of the two APs.

[0094] However, in the above CSR transmission process, when the channel condition between AP1 and STA1 is not good, for example, the traffic transmitted between AP1 and STA1 occupies the channel resources, and the channel is in a busy state, when other APs need to transmit traffic on the channel, the channel is detected to be in a busy state, and the traffic transmission is stopped, which causes waste of unused channel resources on the channel in the busy state.

[0095] To solve the above problem, a service period based CSR (SP based CSR) is proposed.

[0096] In the SP based CSR, two APs can set time-overlapping service periods (SPs), and only serve specific STAs in the set SPs, so as to realize parallel transmission of multiple APs even if the channel is found to be in a busy state. The specific STAs need to meet certain conditions to reduce the mutual interference of the two APs in parallel transmission to a certain extent.

[0097] Currently, the sixth generation wireless network technology (wifi6) defines a technology for energy saving of WLAN devices, i.e., a target wake time (TWT) technology. The energy saving mechanism of the TWT technology is to set some periodic time periods, so that some devices only need to be active in these TWT SPs, and can sleep in other time periods, thereby achieving the purpose of energy saving.

[0098] The TWT is divided into individual TWT and broadcast TWT. In the individual TWT, each STA can individually establish a TWT protocol with the AP, so that each STA can have its own active period and sleep period; in the broadcast TWT, the AP can establish a common TWT protocol for a group of STAs, and the multiple STAs work in the same active period and sleep in other time periods.

[0099] Unicast TWT refers to that a TWT Requesting STA sends a TWT Request message to a TWT Responding STA to request to set a wake-up time. The Responding STA sends a TWT Response message to the Requesting STA after receiving the TWT Request message, and after the interaction is successful, a TWT protocol is established between the Requesting STA and the Responding STA. After the TWT protocol is reached, the Requesting STA and the Responding STA should keep active in the agreed time period to perform data transmission and reception. Outside the above time period, the STA can sleep to achieve the purpose of energy saving. Usually, the STA sends a TWT protocol establishment request to the AP, that is, the STA is the Requesting STA and the AP is the Responding STA, and of course the AP can also initiate a TWT protocol establishment request to the STA. After the TWT protocol is established, the agreed active time period is referred to as a TWT SP. Each TWT protocol can include multiple periodic TWT service periods of equal length, as shown in FIG. 4 which is a schematic diagram of periodic TWT service periods.

[0100] Unlike unicast TWT, broadcast TWT provides a batch management mechanism, and the AP can establish a series of periodic TWT service periods with multiple STAs, and in the service period, the multiple STAs need to keep active to communicate with the AP.

[0101] The AP can carry one or more broadcast TWT information in a Beacon frame, and each broadcast TWT is represented by a broadcast TWT identifier and a MAC address of the AP. After receiving the Beacon frame, if the STA has the intention to join the broadcast TWT, the STA can send a broadcast TWT establishment request message to the AP to join the broadcast TWT. When the broadcast TWT is established, the broadcast TWT identifier needs to be specified to request to join a specific broadcast TWT. After joining the broadcast TWT, the STA can wake up according to the service period indicated by the TWT parameter set to communicate with the AP. It should be noted that if the STA supports broadcast TWT but does not explicitly join a certain broadcast TWT ID, the STA defaults to participate in the broadcast TWT with broadcast TWT ID = 0.

[0102] Similar to unicast TWT, the parameter set of broadcast TWT also specifies the period of occurrence of the TWT service period and the duration of each TWT service period. In addition, the broadcast TWT parameter also includes the lifetime of the broadcast TWT, which is in units of Beacon frame intervals, indicating the duration of the established broadcast TWT.

[0103] In the SP based CSR method provided in the application, multiple APs can perform parallel transmission within a TWT SP.

[0104] The application refers to the following method: in the SP based CSR, an AP only serves specific STAs within a set SP, so that when two APs set overlapping service periods (SPs) in time, parallel transmission of multiple APs can be realized even if the channel is in a busy state. The communication method of the application will be introduced in combination with specific embodiments.

[0105] FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method of one embodiment of the application. As shown in FIG. 5, the communication method can include S510 and S520.

[0106] S510, a first AP generates first information, the first information being used to indicate a first protocol, the first AP performing communication with STAs satisfying a first condition within a first service period SP, the first SP being a time window specified by the first protocol.

[0107] The first AP performs communication with STAs satisfying the first condition within the first service period SP, the first SP being a time window specified by the first protocol. It can be understood that within at least one time window specified by the first protocol, the first AP only communicates with STAs satisfying the first condition.

[0108] In another aspect, only STAs satisfying the first condition can join the first protocol to perform communication with the first AP.

[0109] In another aspect, an AP using the first protocol only communicates with STAs satisfying the condition within a time window specified by the first protocol.

[0110] In another aspect, the first protocol is used to specify a specific time window, within which an AP can only communicate with STAs satisfying the condition.

[0111] In this embodiment, the first AP can be AP1 in FIG. 2 or AP1 in FIG. 3. The first AP can be referred to as a shared AP.

[0112] In this embodiment, the first condition can also be referred to as a protocol joining condition or a condition for joining the protocol.

[0113] S520, the first AP sends the first information. Correspondingly, an STA receives the first information from the first AP.

[0114] In some implementations, the first AP sends the first information to STAs served by the first AP in a broadcast manner. For the convenience of description, the STA satisfying the first condition is referred to as a first STA.

[0115] In some implementations, the first information is carried in a beacon or other broadcast frame.

[0116] In some implementations, the first information is carried in a target wake time (TWT) element or a newly defined field.

[0117] In some implementations, the first information is carried in a TWT parameter information field in the TWT element, or the first information is carried in a newly defined field in the TWT element.

[0118] In some implementations, the first information is carried in a request type field in the “TWT parameter information” field, or the first information is carried in a newly defined field in the “TWT parameter information” field.

[0119] In some implementations, the first information is carried in a broadcast TWT recommendation field in the “request type” field, or the first information is carried in a newly defined field in the “request type” field.

[0120] In some implementations, a new value can be defined for the field used to carry the first information, for example, a new value can be defined for the “broadcast TWT recommendation” field, and when the value of the field is the newly defined value, it indicates that the protocol indicated by the field is the first protocol.

[0121] As an example, when the value of the “broadcast TWT recommendation” field is an integer greater than or equal to 5, it indicates that the protocol indicated by the field is the first protocol.

[0122] In some implementations, the first information is carried in a reserved field in the TWT element, and the field is used to carry the first information.

[0123] For example, a new field is defined in the reserved field to carry the first information.

[0124] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a TWT element according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 6, the TWT element includes at least one of the following fields: a TWT parameter information field, an element ID field, a length field, and a control field. The meanings of the above fields can refer to the prior art, and will not be described here again.

[0125] The TWT parameter information field can include at least one of the following fields: a request type field, a target wake time field, a norminal minimum TWT wake duration field, a TWT wake interval mantissa field, a broadcast TWT info field, and a restricted TWT traffic info field. The meanings of the above fields can refer to the prior art, and will not be described here again.

[0126] The request type field can include at least one of the following fields: a broadcast TWT recommendation field, a TWT request field, a TWT setup command field, a trigger field, a last broadcast parameter set field, a flow type field, a TWT wake interval exponent field, and a reserved field.

[0127] The broadcast TWT info field further includes a broadcast TWT ID field.

[0128] In some implementations, the first condition is related to a power of a signal received by the STA.

[0129] As an example, the first condition comprises at least one of the following: the first signal received power of the STA is greater than or equal to a first power threshold, the second signal received power of the STA is less than or equal to a second power threshold, or a difference between the first signal received power and the second signal received power is greater than or equal to a third power threshold; wherein the first signal received power is a power of a signal received from the first AP, and the second signal received power is a power of a signal received from the second AP.

[0130] In some implementations, the second AP is an AP capable of transmitting on the first channel within the first SP. The second AP can be referred to as a shared AP.

[0131] In some implementations, the first condition comprises that the STA is located within a specified range within a serving cell of the first AP.

[0132] An example of the specified range is a central region. For example, a STA located within a serving cell of the first AP and having a distance to the first AP less than or equal to a first distance threshold can join the first protocol.

[0133] In some implementations, the first condition is specified by the communication protocol.

[0134] In some implementations of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the method can further comprise: S530, sending second information, the second information indicating the first condition. That is, the first condition is indicated by the first AP.

[0135] In some implementations, the first information and the second information can be carried in different information elements.

[0136] In some implementations, the second information is carried in a newly defined information element. For example, the newly defined information element can be referred to as an extended TWT element.

[0137] In some implementations, the extended TWT element carries at least one field, one of which carries the second information. As an example, the field can be referred to as an extended RTWT information field or an extended TWT information field.

[0138] In some implementations, the newly defined element can include at least one of the following fields in addition to the extended RTWT information field: an element ID field, a length field, and an extended element ID field. The meanings of the element ID field and the length field can refer to the prior art, which will not be described here.

[0139] The first condition is that the second signal received power of the STA is less than or equal to a second power threshold. In some implementations, the second information indicates the first condition includes: the second information indicates the first power threshold.

[0140] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an extended RTWT information field according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 8, the extended RTWT information field includes a received channel power indicator (RCPI) threshold field. The RCPI threshold field is used to indicate the first power threshold.

[0141] In some implementations, as shown in FIG. 8, the extended RTWT information field can further include a broadcast TWT ID field, which is used to indicate which protocol corresponds to the first condition.

[0142] The first condition includes that the second signal received power of the STA is less than or equal to a second power threshold. The second information indicates the first condition includes: the second information indicates the second power threshold and / or the second AP.

[0143] When the second information indicates the second AP, in some implementations, the second information includes an address of the second AP.

[0144] When the second information includes the address of the second AP, in some implementations, the address of the second AP is a media access control (MAC) address of the second AP.

[0145] In some implementations, the address of the second AP can be identified by other related information of the second AP.

[0146] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an extended RTWT information field according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 9, the extended RTWT information field includes an RCPI threshold field and a reference AP MAC address field. The RCPI threshold field is used to indicate the second power threshold, and the reference AP MAC address field is used to indicate a MAC address of the second AP, which is referred to as a reference AP.

[0147] In some implementations, as shown in FIG. 9, the extended RTWT information field can further include a broadcast TWT ID field, which is used to indicate which protocol corresponds to the first condition.

[0148] The first condition includes that a difference between the first signal receiving power and the second signal receiving power is greater than or equal to a third power threshold, and the second information indicates the first condition includes: the second information indicates the third power threshold and / or the second AP.

[0149] When the second information indicates the second AP, in some implementations, the second information includes an address of the second AP.

[0150] When the second information includes the address of the second AP, in some implementations, the address of the second AP is a MAC address of the second AP.

[0151] In some implementations, the address of the second AP can be identified by other related information of the second AP.

[0152] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an extended RTWT information field according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 10, the extended RTWT information field includes a received channel power offset indicator (RCPI) diff indicator threshold field and a MAC address field of a reference AP.

[0153] The RCPI threshold field is used to indicate the third power threshold, and the MAC address field of the reference AP is used to indicate a MAC address of the second AP, which is referred to as the reference AP.

[0154] In some implementations, as shown in FIG. 10, the extended RTWT information field can further include a broadcast TWT identification element, which is used to indicate which protocol the first condition corresponds to.

[0155] In the embodiment, the second information is carried in the extended RTWT information field shown in FIG. 8, FIG. 9 or FIG. 10, and when the extended RTWT information field includes a broadcast TWT identification field, the first information can be carried in an extended element ID to indicate that the protocol corresponding to the broadcast TWT ID is the protocol related to the first condition, or to indicate that the protocol corresponding to the broadcast TWT ID is the protocol that needs to meet the first condition to join.

[0156] When the signal power of the STA requesting to join the first protocol meets the first condition, the communication between other WLAN devices and the communication between the first AP and the STA can be reduced in mutual interference, and even can be negligible.

[0157] In some implementations, as shown in FIG. 11, the embodiment can further include: S540, sending third information, the third information indicating related information of the first protocol, and the related information including at least one of the following information: a start time of a SP corresponding to the first protocol, an interval between adjacent two SPs, or a time length of each SP.

[0158] In some implementations, the third information is carried in a TWT element when the third information is transmitted.

[0159] In some implementations, the third information is carried in a newly defined information element when the third information is transmitted. For example, the newly defined information element can be referred to as an RTWT SP information element.

[0160] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an RTWT SP information element according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 12, the RTWT SP information element can further include at least one of the following fields: an RTWT ID, a TWT wake time, an RTWT SP interval mantissa, an RTWT SP interval exponent, an RTWT SP duration, a negotiation type, or a trigger.

[0161] The RTWT ID is an identifier of the RTWT information element.

[0162] The TWT wake time is used to indicate a start time of a first SP.

[0163] The RTWT SP interval mantissa and the RTWT SP interval exponent are used to jointly indicate a time interval between two adjacent SPs, the former indicating a mantissa and the latter indicating an exponent. For example, a*2^b.

[0164] Alternatively, the RTWT SP interval mantissa and the RTWT SP interval exponent can be replaced by an RTWT SP interval field without a distinction between a mantissa and an exponent.

[0165] The RTWT SP duration indicates a duration of each RTWT SP.

[0166] The negotiation type field and the trigger field can refer to the prior art, and thus will not be described herein.

[0167] It can be understood that the method in the embodiment is not limited to the execution order of S520, S530 and S540.

[0168] In some implementations, the third information and the second information can be carried in the same element, or can be carried in different information elements when the third information is transmitted.

[0169] When the third information is carried in the same element as the second information, in some implementations, the third information and the second information are carried in the aforementioned RTWT SP information element. An example diagram of carrying the third information and the second information in the aforementioned RTWT SP information element is shown in FIG. 13.

[0170] As shown in FIG. 13(a), when the first condition includes that the first signal reception power of the STA is greater than or equal to the first power threshold, the RTWT SP information element includes, in addition to the fields in the example shown in FIG. 12, a received channel power parameter threshold field. The related content of the received channel power parameter threshold field can refer to the aforementioned example of the received channel power parameter threshold element indicating the first power threshold.

[0171] As shown in FIG. 13(b), when the first condition includes that the second signal reception power of the STA is less than or equal to the second power threshold, the RTWT SP information element includes, in addition to the fields in the example shown in FIG. 12, a received channel power parameter threshold field and a reference AP MAC address field. The related content of the received channel power parameter threshold field can refer to the aforementioned example of the received channel power parameter threshold element indicating the second power threshold, and the related content of the reference AP MAC address field can refer to the aforementioned example of the second AP.

[0172] As shown in FIG. 13(c), when the first condition includes that the difference between the first signal reception power and the second signal reception power is greater than or equal to the third power threshold, the RTWT SP information element includes, in addition to the fields in the example shown in FIG. 12, a received channel power parameter threshold field and a reference AP MAC address field. The related content of the received channel power parameter threshold field can refer to the aforementioned example of the received channel power parameter threshold element indicating the third power threshold, and the related content of the reference AP MAC address field can refer to the aforementioned example of the second AP.

[0173] In the embodiment, it can be understood that S520, S530 and S540 emphasize that the first information, the second information and the third information sent are information with different functions, and do not limit the order of their sending actions.

[0174] In some implementations of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, it can further include: S550, the first STA sends fourth information to the first AP, for requesting to join the first protocol. Correspondingly, the first AP receives the fourth information from the first STA. The first STA is a STA that receives the first information and meets the first condition.

[0175] Optionally, the first STA may be an STA that has received the first information and the second information and meets the first condition indicated by the second information.

[0176] Optionally, the first STA may be an STA that has received the first information, the second information, and the third information, and satisfies the first condition indicated by the second information.

[0177] In some implementations of this embodiment, as shown in FIG14, it may further include S560, in which the first AP sends a fifth message to the first STA to indicate whether it agrees to or rejects the first STA's request to join the first protocol. Accordingly, the first STA receives the fifth message.

[0178] In some implementations, the first AP can determine whether to allow or deny the first STA from joining the first protocol based on its own load or network load. For example, if the load is greater than or equal to a first load threshold, or if the load is too high, the first AP can deny the first STA from joining the first protocol. Conversely, if the load is less than or equal to a second load threshold, or if the load is low, the first AP can allow the first STA to join the first protocol. The first load threshold and / or the second load threshold can be pre-set. For example, they can be set based on the historical communication data of the AP or the network to avoid network congestion, or in other words, to ensure communication performance.

[0179] After the first STA joins the first protocol, the first AP and the first STA can communicate within the time window specified by the first protocol, for example, they can communicate within the RTWT SP.

[0180] For example, the first AP transmits downlink data to the first STA, or the first AP triggers the first STA to transmit uplink data.

[0181] In some implementations of this embodiment, at least one of the first, second, and third information can be broadcast or unicast. If it is unicast, then this at least one information can be unicast by the first AP to the first STA.

[0182] In some implementations, the first protocol can be called an SP-based CSR protocol.

[0183] Figure 15 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 15, the communication method may include S1510 and S1520.

[0184] S1510, the third AP sends a sixth message to the fourth AP, which requests the establishment of the first protocol. Accordingly, the fourth AP receives the sixth message.

[0185] In some implementations of this embodiment, the first protocol may be referred to as SP-based CSR protocol, TWT protocol, or RTWT protocol.

[0186] In some implementations, the sixth information is carried in the radio frame. For ease of description, this radio frame is referred to as the first radio frame.

[0187] S1520, the fourth AP sends a seventh message to the third AP, the seventh message indicating whether the fourth AP agrees to the proposed first protocol. Accordingly, the third AP receives the seventh message.

[0188] In some implementations, the seventh information can be referred to as the response information of the sixth information.

[0189] In some implementations, the seventh information is carried in the radio frame. For ease of description, this radio frame is referred to as the second radio frame.

[0190] In this embodiment, after the third AP and the fourth AP establish the first protocol, it is convenient for the STA to join the first protocol for communication.

[0191] In some implementations, the first radio frame may carry time-related information and / or a first condition. The time-related information indicates a service period or time window in the first protocol, and the first condition is a condition that satisfies the first protocol.

[0192] In some implementations, the second radio frame may carry time-related information and / or a first condition. The time-related information indicates a service period or time window in the first protocol, and the first condition is a condition that satisfies the first protocol.

[0193] The relevant information and / or the method of sending time-related information can be referred to the third information in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0194] After the third AP sends the requested time-related information to the fourth AP, if the fourth AP agrees to establish the first protocol, in some implementations, the final time-related information of the first protocol is the time-related information indicated in the first radio frame.

[0195] In one example of this implementation, the second radio frame sent by the fourth AP to the third AP may include time-related information indicated by the first radio frame, in order to inform the third AP that it agrees to this time-related information.

[0196] In some implementations, the first radio frame may include time-related information. If the fourth AP agrees to establish the first protocol, it sends the seventh message, and the final time-related information of the first protocol is the time-related information in the first radio frame. If the fourth AP cannot accept all or part of the time-related information recommended or suggested by the third AP, the fourth AP carries its own recommended or requested time-related information in the second radio frame.

[0197] When the fourth AP carries its requested time-related information in the second radio frame, in some implementations, the final time-related information of the first protocol is the time-related information indicated in the second radio frame.

[0198] In some implementations, the first radio frame does not carry time-related information of the first protocol, while the second radio frame carries time-related information recommended or required by the fourth AP.

[0199] In some implementations, the third AP sends a message to the fourth AP instructing it to tear down the first protocol; or, the fourth AP sends a message to the third AP instructing it to tear down the first protocol.

[0200] In any of the embodiments shown in Figures 5 to 14, optionally, before S510, all or part of the steps in the method shown in Figure 15 may be included. Specifically, the first AP performs the operation performed by the third AP in Figure 15, and the second AP performs the operation performed by the fourth AP in Figure 15; or, the first AP performs the operation performed by the fourth AP in Figure 15, and the second AP performs the operation performed by the third AP in Figure 15.

[0201] Figure 16 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 16, the communication method may include steps S1610 to S1630.

[0202] S1610, the fifth AP engages in channel contention.

[0203] In some implementations, the fifth AP competes for the channel within a first time window specified by the first protocol. The first protocol defines a specific time window in which the AP communicates with STAs that meet certain conditions.

[0204] After the fifth AP wins the channel contention, step S1615 is followed, where the fifth AP sends a trigger frame to the sixth AP to instruct the sixth AP to perform transmission. The sixth AP then receives the trigger frame.

[0205] In some possible implementations, when the backoff counter is backed up to 0 within the fifth AP, it indicates that the fifth AP has won the channel contention.

[0206] S1620, the fifth AP sends a data frame to the first STA. Correspondingly, the first STA receives the data frame.

[0207] In this embodiment, the first STA is the STA associated with the fifth AP.

[0208] S1630, the sixth AP sends a data frame to the second STA. Correspondingly, the second STA receives the data frame.

[0209] In this embodiment, the second STA is the STA associated with the sixth AP.

[0210] In some possible implementations, the sixth AP sends a data frame to the second STA after receiving the trigger frame.

[0211] In this embodiment, S1620 and S1630 perform operations within the first SP specified in the first protocol.

[0212] In the embodiment shown in FIG16, optionally, before S1610, all or part of the steps in the method shown in FIG15 may be included. Specifically, the fifth AP performs the operation performed by the third AP in FIG15, and the sixth AP performs the operation performed by the fourth AP in FIG15; or, the fifth AP performs the operation performed by the fourth AP in FIG15, and the sixth AP performs the operation performed by the third AP in FIG15.

[0213] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 17, the device 1700 may include a processing module 1701 and a communication module 1702.

[0214] As a first example, device 1700 can be used to implement the communication method implemented by the AP in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 5 to 16. For example, processing module 1701 is used to implement the processing-related steps performed by the AP in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 5 to 16, and communication module 1702 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving steps performed by the AP in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 5 to 16.

[0215] As a second example, device 1700 can be used to implement the communication method performed by the STA in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 5 to 16. For example, processing module 1701 is used to implement the processing-related steps performed by the STA in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 5 to 16, and communication module 1702 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving steps performed by the STA in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 5 to 16.

[0216] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 18, the device 1800 includes a processor 1801 and a communication circuit 1802. The processor 1801 and the communication circuit 1802 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the communication circuit 1802 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, the device 1800 may also include a memory 1803 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1801, or storing input data required by the processor 1801 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 1801 executes instructions. It is understood that the memory 1803 can be located outside the processor 1801, or inside the processor 1801.

[0217] As an example, processor 1801 is used to implement the functions of the processing module 1701 described above, and communication circuit 1802 is used to implement the functions of the communication module 1702 described above.

[0218] Device 1800 can be a communication device or a chip used in a communication device. For example, device 1800 can be an access point (AP) or a chip used in an AP, or a standby device (STA) or a chip used in a STA. It is understood that when device 1800 is an AP or a STA, the communication circuit 1802 can be a transceiver.

[0219] In some embodiments of this application, a computer program product is also provided, which, when run on a processor, can implement the method implemented by the AP in any of the above embodiments, or can implement the method implemented by the STA in any of the above method embodiments.

[0220] In some embodiments of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which contains computer instructions that, when executed on a processor, can implement the method implemented by the AP in any of the above embodiments, or can implement the method implemented by the STA in any of the above method embodiments.

[0221] In some embodiments of this application, a communication system is also provided, which can implement the methods implemented by the AP and STA in any of the above embodiments.

[0222] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application may be any of the following devices or all or part of the circuitry used for processing functions: a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0223] The method steps in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions can consist of corresponding software modules, which can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Additionally, the ASIC can reside in a network device or terminal device. Alternatively, the processor and storage medium can exist as discrete components in the network device or terminal device.

[0224] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video optical disc; or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive.

[0225] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0226] It is understood that the various numerical designations used in the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the process numbers described above does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: Applied to a first access point AP, the method comprises: generating first information, the first information being used to indicate a first protocol, a station STA satisfying a first condition communicating with the first AP within a first service period SP, the first SP being a time window specified by the first protocol; sending the first information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first condition comprises at least one of the following conditions: a first signal receiving power of the STA being greater than or equal to a first power threshold, a second signal receiving power of the STA being less than or equal to a second power threshold, or a difference between the first signal receiving power and the second signal receiving power being greater than or equal to a third power threshold; wherein the first signal receiving power is a power of a signal received from the first AP, and the second signal receiving power is a power of a signal received from a second AP.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending second information, the second information indicating the first condition.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, When the first condition comprises the first signal receiving power of the STA being greater than or equal to the first power threshold, the second information indicating the first condition comprises the second information indicating the first power threshold; or, When the first condition comprises the second signal receiving power of the STA being less than or equal to the second power threshold, the second information indicating the first condition comprises the second information indicating the second power threshold and / or the second AP; or, When the first condition comprises the difference between the first signal receiving power and the second signal receiving power being greater than or equal to the third power threshold, the second information indicating the first condition comprises the second information indicating the third power threshold and / or the second AP.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending third information, the third information indicating related information of the first protocol, the related information comprising at least one of the following information: a start time of a SP corresponding to the first protocol, an interval between two adjacent SPs, or a time length of each SP.

6. A communication method characterized by comprising: Applied to a first station STA, the method comprises: receiving first information, the first information being used to indicate a first protocol, a station STA satisfying a first condition communicating with the first AP within a first service period SP, the first SP being a time window specified by the first protocol; 7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The first condition comprises at least one of the following conditions: a first signal receiving power of the STA being greater than or equal to a first power threshold, a second signal receiving power of the STA being less than or equal to a second power threshold, or a difference between the first signal receiving power and the second signal receiving power being greater than or equal to a third power threshold; wherein the first signal receiving power is a power of a signal received from the first AP, and the second signal receiving power is a power of a signal received from a second AP.

8. The method of any one of claims 6-7, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving second information, the second information indicating the first condition.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The first condition includes that the first signal reception power of the STA is greater than or equal to a first power threshold, and the second information indicates the first condition includes: the second information indicates the first power threshold; or, The first condition includes that the second signal reception power of the STA is less than or equal to a second power threshold, and the second information indicates the first condition includes: the second information indicates the second power threshold and / or the second AP; or, The first condition includes that a difference between the first signal reception power and the second signal reception power is greater than or equal to a third power threshold, and the second information indicates the first condition includes: the second information indicates the third power threshold and / or the second AP.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: receiving third information, the third information indicating related information of the first protocol, the related information including at least one of: a start time of a SP corresponding to the first protocol, an interval between two adjacent SPs, or a time length of each SP.

11. A communications device, characterized by including a processor configured to execute program instructions to implement the method of any one of claims 1-5, or to execute program instructions to implement the method of any one of claims 6-10.

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