Beamforming method and apparatus, device, medium, and program product

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of wireless communications, and discloses a beamforming method and apparatus, a device, a medium, and a program product. The method is executed by an initiator, and comprises: sending a time division duplexing (TDD) sector sweep (SSW) frame on a first link multiple times; receiving a first frame on a second link, wherein the first frame is used for indicating that a responder has traversed all receiving sectors in the current SSW process, and the frequency of the first link is higher than that of the second link. The SSW condition is fed back by means of a low-frequency link, thereby effectively improving beamforming efficiency.

Description

Beamforming methods, apparatus, equipment, media, and process products Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wireless communication, and in particular to a beamforming method, apparatus, device, medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] In Time Division Duplexing (TDD) beamforming, the initiator must reserve a certain amount of reception time slots during each transmission period to receive feedback from the responder, which leads to a waste of time. Furthermore, TDD beamforming requires training multiple sector combinations for directional reception, a lengthy process that further exacerbates the latency problem.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a beamforming method, apparatus, device, medium, and process product, the technical solution of which includes at least:

[0005] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a beamforming method is provided, the method being performed by an initiator, the method comprising:

[0006] Multiple TDD SSW frames are transmitted on the first link; the first frame is received on the second link, which indicates that the responder has traversed all received sectors during the current sector scan; wherein the frequency of the first link is higher than the frequency of the second link.

[0007] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a beamforming method is provided, the method being performed by a responder, the method comprising:

[0008] The responder receives multiple TDD SSW frames on the first link and sends a first frame on the second link, the first frame indicating that the responder has traversed all received sectors during the current sector scan; wherein the frequency of the first link is higher than the frequency of the second link.

[0009] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a beamforming apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0010] The transmitting module is used to transmit TDD SSW frames multiple times on the first link;

[0011] A receiving module is configured to receive a first frame on a second link, the first frame indicating that the responder has traversed all receiving sectors during the current sector scan; wherein the frequency of the first link is higher than the frequency of the second link.

[0012] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a beamforming apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0013] The receiving module is used to receive TDD SSW frames multiple times on the first link;

[0014] The transmitting module is used to transmit a first frame on the second link, the first frame being used to indicate that the responder has traversed all receiving sectors during the current sector scan; wherein the frequency of the first link is higher than the frequency of the second link.

[0015] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a communication device is provided, the communication device comprising: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the beamforming method as described in the foregoing aspects.

[0016] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a communication device is provided, the communication device comprising: a receiver; the communication device being configured to implement the beamforming method as described in the foregoing aspects.

[0017] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores at least one program that is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the beamforming method as described in the foregoing aspects.

[0018] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer program product or computer program is provided, the computer program product or computer program including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, a processor retrieving the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executing the computer instructions to implement the beamforming method as described in the above aspects.

[0019] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a chip is provided, the chip including a programmable logic circuit and / or at least a program, the chip being used to implement the beamforming method as described in the foregoing aspects based on the programmable logic circuit and / or the at least a program.

[0020] The technical solutions provided in this application embodiment may include the following beneficial effects:

[0021] It supports the initiator to send TDD SSW frames on a higher frequency link and receive the first frame on a lower frequency link. Since the responder reports the received sector scan status on the lower frequency link, it is no longer necessary to reserve a large number of RX time slots for the responder on the higher frequency link. Moreover, the transmission of the first frame is no longer restricted by the strict TDD time slot structure. Therefore, it can significantly reduce time waste, effectively improve the flexibility and timeliness of feedback, and improve beamforming efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 2 illustrates a channel access cycle in TDD mode provided by an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a TDD SP provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of TDD time slot timing and access permissions provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a beamforming process provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 6 shows a schematic flowchart of a beamforming method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 7 shows a schematic flowchart of a beamforming method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 8 shows a schematic flowchart of a beamforming method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 9 illustrates a schematic diagram of the format of a TDD SSW frame provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram of the format of the first frame provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 11 shows a schematic diagram of the format of the second frame provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 12 shows a schematic flowchart of a beamforming method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of a beamforming method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 14 shows a structural block diagram of a beamforming apparatus provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 15 shows a structural block diagram of a beamforming apparatus provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 16 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail here, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0040] The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0041] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this application to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein can be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to determination." In this specification, when expressing the meaning of Boolean Values, it is expressed that "0" represents "first meaning" and "1" represents "second meaning." Without loss of generality, those skilled in the art will understand that the meanings they represent can be interchanged, that is, "1" represents "first meaning" and "0" represents "second meaning."

[0042] It should be understood that the format, name, and value of the frames / elements / fields involved in the various embodiments of this application are merely examples and do not imply any limitation on the format, name, and value of the frames / elements / fields. In different embodiments or designs, it is possible that one or more of the aforementioned element / field names, their positions in the frame, their arrangement order with other elements / fields, the number of bytes occupied, or the number of bits occupied may change. Similarly, in different embodiments or designs, it is possible that one or more of the aforementioned frame names, included elements / fields, the number of bytes occupied, or the number of bits occupied may change.

[0043] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 100 provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The wireless communication system 100 includes stations (STAs) and other devices. In this application, STAs include access point STAs (AP STAs) and / or non-access point STAs (non-AP STAs), where an AP STA can be simply referred to as an AP. Communication between STAs can be implemented as communication between an AP and a non-AP STA, communication between two non-AP STAs, or communication between a STA and a peer STA. A peer STA refers to a device communicating with another STA; a peer STA may be an AP or a non-AP STA. Figure 1 illustrates this using an example of a wireless communication system 100 including an AP 110 and a non-AP STA 120.

[0044] The AP 110 is a device deployed in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) / Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) system to provide wireless communication capabilities to STAs (Stations). The AP 110 acts as a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, its main function being to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet. The AP 110 can be a terminal device or network device (such as a router) with a WLAN / Wi-Fi chip.

[0045] In some embodiments, AP 110 can be a device that supports various current and future Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of WLAN standards, including 802.11be, 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a. AP 110 can also be used in network environments that support next-generation WLAN systems / next-generation Wi-Fi communications.

[0046] The non-AP STA 120 can be a wireless communication device that supports WLAN / Wi-Fi technology, such as a terminal device with a WLAN / Wi-Fi chip.

[0047] In some embodiments, the non-AP STA 120 can be a device that supports various current and future IEEE 802.11 family of WLAN standards, including 802.11be, 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a. The non-AP STA 120 can also be used in network environments that support next-generation WLAN systems / next-generation Wi-Fi communications.

[0048] In this application embodiment, the terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), including but not limited to: mobile phones, tablet computers, e-book readers, laptops, desktop computers, televisions, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, mixed reality (MR) devices, extended reality (XR) devices, remote terminals, set-top boxes, vehicle communication equipment, handheld devices, wearable devices, wireless devices in industrial control, wireless devices in self-driving, wireless devices in remote medical care, wireless devices in smart grids, wireless devices in transportation safety, wireless devices in smart cities, wireless devices in smart homes (such as smart cameras, smart remote controls, smart water and electricity meters, etc.), wireless communication chips, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), systems on chips (SoCs), Internet of Things (IoT) nodes, and vehicle networks (V2X). Vehicles (IoV) nodes, sensors, etc., can also be computing devices with wireless communication capabilities or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, etc., which will not be listed here.

[0049] In this embodiment, the next-generation WLAN system is an evolution of the 802.11be system and is backward compatible with the 802.11be system. Next-generation Wi-Fi communication refers to any new generation of Wi-Fi communication after Wi-Fi 7 based on the 802.11be specification, such as Ultra High Reliability (UHR) communication.

[0050] In some embodiments, both AP 110 and non-AP STA 120 support the IEEE 802.11 protocol, but are not limited to the IEEE 802.11 protocol.

[0051] It's understandable that the role of a STA in wireless communication is not absolute. For example, when phone A is connected to a router, phone A is a non-AP STA, but when phone A acts as a hotspot for phone B, phone A acts as an AP.

[0052] In some embodiments, the frequency bands supported by the wireless communication system 100 include, but are not limited to: millimeter wave (mmWave) bands (such as 45GHz, 60GHz, etc., which belong to the 30-300GHz range) and low-frequency bands. Among them, low-frequency bands include Sub-7GHz bands (such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz, etc., which belong to the 1-7.25GHz range).

[0053] In some embodiments, there are one or more links between AP 110 and non-AP STA 120.

[0054] In some embodiments, multi-band communication is supported between AP 110 and non-AP STA 120. For example, communication can occur simultaneously on one or more frequency bands such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, 45 GHz, and 60 GHz. Alternatively, communication can occur simultaneously on different channels within the same frequency band or on different channels within different frequency bands. Multi-band communication can improve communication throughput and / or reliability between devices. Such a device supporting multi-band communication can be considered to have multi-link operation (MLO) capability and is commonly referred to as a multi-band device or multi-link device (MLD), sometimes also called a multi-band entity or multi-link entity. In other words, an MLD is an entity or device that supports communication with other MLD entities using multiple wireless links.

[0055] An MLD can include one or more APs; that is, the STAs attached to an MLD are one or more APs. Such an MLD can be called an AP MLD. An MLD can also include one or more non-AP STAs; that is, the STAs attached to an MLD are one or more non-AP STAs. Such an MLD can be called a non-AP MLD. Multiple links can be formed between AP MLDs and non-AP MLDs, and the various APs attached to an AP MLD and the various non-AP STAs attached to a non-AP MLD can communicate through the corresponding links.

[0056] • Regarding beamforming (BF):

[0057] Beamforming is a mechanism used by a pair of wireless devices, as shown in Figure 1, to achieve the directional multi-gigabit (DMG) link budget required for subsequent communication. Beamforming uses sector sweep (SSW) and provides the necessary signaling so that each STA determines the bidirectional sequence of frames required to set up the appropriate transceiver antenna system for transmission. The frames used to set up the transceiver antenna system can be beamforming frames or Short Sector Sweep (S-SSW) Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs), etc. Beamforming frames can be SSW frames, DMG beacon frames, SSW-feedback frames, SSW-Ack frames, or Beam Refinement Protocol (BRP) frames. Beamforming is established after successful beamforming training.

[0058] The STA that initiates beamforming training by transmitting beamforming frames is called the initiator, and the STA that receives beamforming frames and participates in beamforming training together with the initiator is called the responder. The link from the initiator to the responder is called the initiator link, and the link from the responder to the initiator is called the responder link.

[0059] For beamforming training occurring within an Association Beamforming Training (A-BFT) allocation, the AP or Personal Basic Service Set Control Point (PCP) is the initiator, and the non-AP STA or non-PCP STA is the responder. For beamforming training occurring within a Service Period (SP) allocation, the source DMG STA of the SP is the initiator, and the target DMG STA of the SP is the responder. For beamforming training within a Contention Based Access Period (CBAP) allocation, the Transmission Opportunity (TXOP) holder is the initiator, the TXOP responder is the responder, and the value of the Duration field in the beamforming frame does not limit the duration of the beamforming training process.

[0060] A STA can have one or more DMG antennas. DMG antennas are used to create sectors through which the STA can send or receive frames. Each DMG antenna can have no more than 64 sectors. The total number of sectors across all DMG antennas of a STA can not exceed 128.

[0061] • Regarding Time Division Duplexing (TDD) beamforming:

[0062] This application mainly relates to the beamforming process in TDD mode, referred to as TDD beamforming (TDD BF).

[0063] The channel access cycle in TDD mode is shown in Figure 2. Initially, the STA is in an inactive state and does not perform any TDD channel access. During this phase, the STA does not transmit any Media Access Control Layer Protocol Data Units (MPDUs). Unscheduled TDD beamforming refers to TDD beamforming scheduled through the Transmit Period (TP) field within the TDD SSW frame. Then, TDD channel access is scheduled for association and security authentication. After successful association and security authentication, TDD channel access becomes active, allowing data transmission; that is, the STA can transmit MAC Layer Service Data Units (MSDUs). In the active state, TDD channel access is scheduled for data traffic, ongoing beamforming, and link maintenance, and data exchange occurs alongside beamforming and link maintenance. When frame transmission fails, TDD channel access becomes inactive.

[0064] The structure of a TDD Service Period (SP) is shown in Figure 3. A Beacon Interval is divided into a Beacon Header Indication (BHI) and a Data Transmission Interval (DTI). The BHI includes the Beacon Transmission Interval (BTI), A-BFT, and Announcement Transmission Interval (ATI). The DTI can be divided into several sub-intervals, which can be categorized as CBAP and SP depending on the access method. CBAP is the transmission period where the STA accesses the channel through contention, while SP is a scheduled transmission period that does not require contention. A TDD SP includes one or more consecutive and adjacent TDD Intervals, indicated by a TDD Slot Structure Element. A TDD Interval includes one or more TDD Slots.

[0065] Non-AP STAs or non-PCP STAs must not transmit TDD time slot structure elements. DMG APs or DMG PCPs should send TDD time slot structure elements to each non-AP STA and non-PCP DMG STA expected to transmit or receive within a TDD SP. TDD time slot structure elements may be contained in DMG beacon frames or announcement frames transmitted by the DMG AP or DMG PCP.

[0066] Characteristics of TDD scheduling: 1) Time slot structure for time allocation: TDD scheduling follows a strict time slot structure, dividing a time allocation into smaller time slots, and then allocating each time slot to transmissions between dedicated nodes. 2) Dynamic scheduling allocation: Time slot allocation to STAs is highly dynamic, determined by a central controller to coordinate time allocations between different APs and non-AP STAs. 3) Unidirectional transmission within a time slot: Only unidirectional transmission is allowed within any given time slot. For example, the TX time slot is used for transmitting but not for receiving, and the RX time slot is used for receiving but not for transmitting.

[0067] Figure 4 illustrates examples of TDD slot timing and access permissions provided by the TDD Slot Schedule Element and the TDD Slot Structure Element. Starting with the value of the Slot Structure Start Time field, the TDD slot structure repeats in each Beacon Interval. Figure 4 uses an example where the Slot Structure Start Time field equals the Target Beacon Transmission Time (TBTT)². Within each Beacon Interval, the Number of TDD Intervals field indicates that n TDD intervals occupy the entire Beacon Interval. The duration of each TDD interval is equal to the value k of the TDD Interval Duration field, therefore k × n equals the Beacon Interval time. Each TDD interval contains M TDD slots, represented by the Number of TDD Slots per TDD Interval field; Figure 4 uses M = 3 as an example. Each TDD slot in a TDD interval is defined by the TDD Slot Start and TDD Slot Duration fields in the Slot Structure field.

[0068] A new slot schedule begins activity, starting with the value T displayed in the Slot Schedule Start Time field. The Bitmap and Access Type Schedule and Slot Category Schedule fields in the TDD Slot Schedule Element represent the access type and slot category for every M×Q TDD slots, where Q is the value of the "TDD Interval Number" in the Bitmap and Access Type Schedule field. Figure 4 uses Q=2 as an example. This indicates that the bitmap representing the access type and slot category of the M×Q TDD slots repeats within the time indicated by the TDD Slot Schedule Duration field.

[0069] • Regarding TDD (Individual Beamforming):

[0070] In the TDD (Transmit-Side-Switch) beamforming process, a single initiator STA transmits a series of TDD SSW frames through its sector, while the target STA (i.e., the responder) scans the receive sector specified by MLMESCAN.request or MLME-TDD-BEAM-MEASUREMENT.request. If the responder receives at least one TDD SSW frame, additional frames are exchanged, enabling communication between the two STAs by making both the initiator and the responder aware of one or more combinations of the initiator's transmit beam and the responder's receive beam.

[0071] All TDD beamforming procedures should be executed during the TDD SP (Transmit Period) period. TDD beamforming can be divided into scheduled TDD beamforming and unscheduled beamforming. Unscheduled TDD beamforming is TDD beamforming scheduled through the Transmit Period field within the TDD SSW (Slot Schedule Element). TDD beamforming scheduled through the TDD Slot Schedule Element is called scheduled TDD beamforming.

[0072] After TDD beamforming is complete, the responder sends an announcement frame containing a TDD route element to the initiator, indicating the result of the TDD beamforming. For non-scheduled TDD beamforming, the initiator and responder can perform authentication and association processes.

[0073] The TDD SSW frame sent by the initiator indicates to the responder the Transmit Sector Identifier (TX Sector ID) used by the initiator to transmit the TDD SSW frame. In the case of unscheduled TDD beamforming, the frame also includes the time offset by which the responder should send its TDD SSW Feedback frame in response, and the time offset by which the responder should be prepared to receive one or more TDD SSW Acknowledgment (Ack) frames to increase robustness.

[0074] The responder sends a TDD SSW feedback frame in response to the initiator's sector scan, and its sector is the same as the sector that received the best quality TDD SSW frame.

[0075] After receiving the TDD SSW feedback frame, the initiator sends a TDD SSW confirmation frame to acknowledge the received configuration.

[0076] During TDD independent beamforming training, TDD SSW frames are sent periodically and repeated multiple times for each TX sector ID. The TDD independent beamforming training sequence continues until the initiator sets the training end subfield in the TDD SSW acknowledgment frame to 1. In non-scheduled TDD beamforming, the TDD SSW acknowledgment frame also includes a time offset indication in the Initiator Transmit Offset subfield indicating when the responder obtained the network configuration parameters, and in the Responder Transmit Offset subfield, it includes a time offset indication when the responder reported the TDD beamforming result.

[0077] TDD SSW frames transmitted from the same transmit DMG antenna should have the same transmit antenna ID (TX Antenna ID). TDD SSW frames transmitted from the same transmit antenna sector should have the same TX sector ID, beamforming time unit (TP), responder feedback offset, initiator acknowledgment offset (IAC) offset, and number of requested feedback subfield values.

[0078] For TDD independent beamforming, the initiator can request the responder to stop receiving sector scanning by setting the End of Training (EoT) subfield to 1 in the transmitted TDD SSW frame. An EoT subfield of 1 indicates that TDD beamforming is about to end. After sending a TDD SSW acknowledgment frame with an EoT subfield of 1, the initiator configures the receive DMG antenna, transmit DMG antenna, and sector index as instructed. The TDD independent beamforming process is shown in Figure 5. TDD independent beamforming assumes that the antennas of the initiator and responder are reciprocal.

[0079] In the TDD beamforming process described above, the initiator must reserve a certain number of receive time slots (RX slots) in each TP to receive feedback from the responders, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. This results in a certain amount of wasted time. Furthermore, TDD beamforming requires training multiple sector combinations for directional reception, which is a lengthy process and further exacerbates the latency problem.

[0080] Throughout the training process, both the sender and receiver use sectors for transmission and reception. Before both parties have completed beamforming training, the use of sector pairs for transmission and reception by the initiator and responder is highly unreliable. Moreover, due to the unidirectional transmission characteristics of TDD time slots, the responder cannot provide feedback on the high-frequency link in real time to adjust the initiator's transmit sector scanning.

[0081] Therefore, this application proposes a beamforming method that helps improve beamforming efficiency and reduce time waste.

[0082] Figure 6 illustrates a flowchart of a beamforming method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The method is performed by an initiator. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0083] Step 620: Send TDD SSW frames multiple times on the first link;

[0084] The initiator refers to the STA that initiates beamforming training, such as the AP 110 or non-AP STA 120 shown in Figure 1.

[0085] SSW frames are beamforming frames (BF frames), and TDD SSW frames are beamforming frames applied to TDD mode.

[0086] Step 640: Receive the first frame on the second link. The first frame is used to indicate that the responder has traversed all received sectors during the current sector scan. The frequency of the first link is higher than that of the second link.

[0087] The current sector scan process refers to the sector scan process initiated by the TDD SSW frame in step 620. Traversing all received sectors can be understood as scanning all received sectors.

[0088] In some embodiments, the frequency of the first link is in the range of 30 to 300 GHz. For example, the frequency of the first link is greater than or equal to 30 GHz and less than or equal to 300 GHz.

[0089] In some embodiments, the frequency of the second link is in the range of 1 to 7.25 GHz. For example, the frequency of the second link is greater than or equal to 1 GHz and less than or equal to 7.25 GHz.

[0090] In some embodiments, the first link may be referred to as a high-frequency link, and the second link may be referred to as a low-frequency link.

[0091] In summary, the method provided in this application allows the initiator to transmit TDD SSW frames on a higher frequency link and receive the first frame on a lower frequency link. Since it supports the responder in providing feedback on the received sector scan status on the lower frequency link, there is no need to reserve a large number of RX time slots for the responder on the higher frequency link, and the transmission of the first frame is no longer limited by the strict TDD time slot structure. Therefore, it can significantly reduce time waste, effectively improve the flexibility and timeliness of feedback, and improve beamforming efficiency. Furthermore, fully utilizing the high reliability of the low-frequency link for feedback on the received sector scan status can improve feedback reliability.

[0092] Figure 7 illustrates a flowchart of a beamforming method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The method is performed by a responder. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0093] Step 720: Receive TDD SSW frames multiple times on the first link;

[0094] A responder refers to a STA that participates in beamforming training together with the initiator, such as a non-AP STA 120 or AP 110 as shown in Figure 1.

[0095] SSW frames are beamforming frames (BF frames), and TDD SSW frames are beamforming frames applied to TDD mode.

[0096] Step 740: Send the first frame on the second link. The first frame is used to indicate that the responder has traversed all received sectors during the current sector scan. The frequency of the first link is higher than that of the second link.

[0097] The current sector scan process refers to the sector scan process initiated by the TDD SSW frame in step 720. Traversing all received sectors can be understood as scanning all received sectors.

[0098] In some embodiments, the frequency of the first link is in the range of 30 to 300 GHz. For example, the frequency of the first link is greater than or equal to 30 GHz and less than or equal to 300 GHz.

[0099] In some embodiments, the frequency of the second link is in the range of 1 to 7.25 GHz. For example, the frequency of the second link is greater than or equal to 1 GHz and less than or equal to 7.25 GHz.

[0100] In some embodiments, the first link may be referred to as a high-frequency link, and the second link may be referred to as a low-frequency link.

[0101] In summary, the method provided in this application supports the responder receiving TDD SSW frames on a higher frequency link and transmitting the first frame on a lower frequency link. Since it supports the responder providing feedback on the received sector scan status on the lower frequency link, there is no need to reserve a large number of RX time slots for the responder on the higher frequency link, and the transmission of the first frame is no longer limited by the strict TDD time slot structure. Therefore, it can significantly reduce time waste, effectively improve the flexibility and timeliness of feedback, and improve beamforming efficiency. Furthermore, fully utilizing the high reliability of the low-frequency link for feedback on the received sector scan status can improve feedback reliability.

[0102] In some embodiments, step 620 may be further implemented as step 810, and step 640 may be further implemented as step 820. Optionally, the beamforming method may also include one or more of the following optional steps: step 830, step 840a, step 840b, step 850, and step 860, as shown in FIG8.

[0103] Figure 8 shows a schematic flowchart of a beamforming method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The method is performed by an initiator. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0104] Step 810: Send TDD SSW frames multiple times on the first link;

[0105] In some embodiments, the initiator initiates unscheduled beamforming or scheduled beamforming by sending a TDD SSW frame.

[0106] In some embodiments, TDD SSW frames are transmitted in TDD SPs, and the TDD slots within a TDD SP are all TX slots (TX slots relative to the initiator).

[0107] In some embodiments, one or more TDD SSW frames are transmitted within a TX Slot, for example, two TDD SSW frames are transmitted within a TX Slot. Optionally, there may be a time interval between two adjacent TDD SSW frames or there may be no time interval. Optionally, this time interval is agreed upon by the communication protocol, pre-configured, or indicated by the initiator. Optionally, this time interval is the inter-frame space (IFS).

[0108] In some embodiments, a TDD SSW frame includes one or more of the following fields: Transmit Sector ID (TX Sector ID), Transmit Antenna ID (TX Antenna ID), Count Index, Beamforming Time Unit (BTU), TP, and Reserved.

[0109] Figure 9 illustrates a schematic diagram of the format of a TDD SSW frame provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The TDD SSW frame is a beamforming frame (BF frame). It includes one or more of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, Receiver Address (RA), Transmitter Address (TA), TDD Beamforming Control, TDD Beamforming Information, and Frame Check Sequence (FCS). The Frame Control and Duration fields each have 2 bytes, the RA and TA fields each have 6 bytes, the TDD Beamforming field has 1 byte, the FCS has 4 bytes, and the number of bytes for the TDD Beamforming Information is variable.

[0110] The duration field indicates the end time of the current TDD Slot. The RA field indicates the expected MAC address of the TDD SSW frame's receiver; when the receiver's address is unknown, the RA field indicates the receiver's broadcast address. The TA field indicates the MAC address of the sender STA of the TDD SSW frame.

[0111] The TDD beamforming control field includes one or more of the following subfields: TDD Group Beamforming, TDD Beam Measurement, TDD Beamforming Frame Type, End of Training (EoT), and Reserved. The TDD Group Beamforming subfield occupies 1 bit and indicates whether the current beamforming frame is Individual Beamforming or Group Beamforming. The TDD Beam Measurement subfield occupies 1 bit and indicates whether the current beamforming frame is used for TDD beam measurement. The TDD Beamforming Frame Type subfield occupies 2 bits and indicates the type of the current beamforming frame, such as a TDD SSW frame, a TDD SSW Feedback frame, or a TDD SSW Ack frame. The EoT subfield occupies 1 bit and is used to indicate whether the current TDD beamforming training is to end. If the EoT subfield is set to 1, it means that the initiator intends to end the TDD standalone beamforming training or TDD beam measurement after transmitting the remaining TDD SSW frames with the current sector ID; otherwise, the EoT subfield is set to 0. The reserved fields consist of 3 bits.

[0112] The TDD beamforming information field includes one or more of the following subfields: TX Sector ID, TX Antenna ID, Count Index, BTU, TP, and Reserved. The TX Sector ID subfield occupies 9 bits and indicates the sector ID of the current TDD SSW frame sent by the initiator. The TX Antenna ID occupies 3 bits and indicates the antenna ID of the current TDD SSW frame sent by the initiator. The Count Index occupies 3 bits and indicates the index of the current TDD SSW frame in the TDD BF frames sent within a TDD Slot. The Count Index subfield is 0 in the first TDD BF frame sent within a TDD Slot, and increments by 1 for each consecutive transmission within a TDD Slot. The BTU subfield occupies 3 bits and represents the beamforming time unit of the TP subfield in the TDD beamforming information field of the TDD SSW frame. The BTU subfield can also represent the time unit of the TP, Initiator Transmit Offset, and Responder Transmit Offset subfields in the TDD beamforming information field of the TDD SSW Ack frame. The TP subfield occupies 8 bits and represents the transmission time interval in which TDD SSW frames have the same Count Index subfield value in different TDD slots, in units of BTU. Reserved fields consist of 2 bits.

[0113] For example, the correspondence between the values ​​of the BTU subfield and the time units can be found in Table 1.

[0114] Table 1 BTU Subfield Definitions

[0115] It should be emphasized that the fields, number of bytes, and number of bits shown in Figure 9 are optional examples. This application supports any adaptive modifications to the frame format of TDD SSW frames based on Figure 9, such as adding fields, removing some fields, recombining some fields, changing the number of bytes, changing the number of bits, changing the field names, etc.

[0116] Furthermore, since the feedback process takes place on the low-frequency second link, the format of the TDD SSW frame can be simplified. Compared with conventional beamforming frames, the TDD SSW frame provided in this application does not need to carry 22 bits of information, including the Responder Feedback Offset field, the Initiator Ack Offset field, and the Number of Requested Feedback field, which helps to save transmission resources.

[0117] Step 820: Receive the first frame on the second link. The first frame is used to indicate that the responder has traversed all received sectors during the current sector scan.

[0118] The frequency of the first link is higher than that of the second link. For example, the frequency of the first link is in the range of 30 to 300 GHz, and the frequency of the second link is in the range of 1 to 7.25 GHz.

[0119] In some embodiments, the first frame is sent by the responder if the responder receives two consecutive TDD SSW frames sent by the initiator in the same transmit sector in the same receive sector.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first frame is sent by the responder after the second frame has been received on the second link and all received sectors have been traversed, and the second frame is used to indicate to the initiator that the first frame has been received.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first frame includes at least one or more of the following fields: switching type, used to indicate the sector switching type requested by the responder; last decoded sector identifier, used to indicate the transmit sector identifier in the last TDD SSW frame received by the responder.

[0122] In some embodiments, the first frame is called a hint frame. Of course, the first frame may also be called by other names, and this application does not limit the specific name of the first frame.

[0123] Figure 10 illustrates a schematic diagram of the format of a first frame provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. It includes one or more fields such as: Frame Control, Duration, RA, TA, Hint, and FCS. The Frame Control and Duration fields each have 2 bytes, the RA and TA fields each have 6 bytes, the Hint field has 2 bytes, and the FCS field has 4 bytes.

[0124] The Hint field includes one or more of the following fields: Change Type, Last Decoded Sector ID, and Reserved.

[0125] The Switching Type field occupies 1 bit and indicates the type of sector switch requested by the responder from the initiator. When the Switching Type field is the first value, it means that the responder has received two consecutive TDD SSW frames from the initiator in the same TX sector within the same RX sector. When the Switching Type field is the second value, it means that the responder has traversed all RX sectors after receiving the second frame, that is, the responder has completed one round of RX sector traversal after receiving the second frame. Optionally, the first value can be 0 and the second value can be 1; or the first value can be 1 and the second value can be 0. Of course, the first and second values ​​can also be other values ​​besides 0 or 1, as long as the first and second values ​​are different. No specific value is limited here.

[0126] The Last Decoded Sector ID field occupies 9 bits and indicates the value of the TX Sector ID field in the last TDD SSW frame received by the responder from the initiator.

[0127] It should be emphasized that the fields, byte counts, and bit counts shown in Figure 10 are optional examples. This application supports any adaptive modifications to the frame format of the first frame based on Figure 10, such as adding fields, removing some fields, recombining some fields, changing the byte count, changing the bit count, or changing field names. For example, this application supports adding one or more of the following fields to the first frame according to the requirements of TDD beamforming: a field to indicate the responder's TDD beamforming-related parameters, a field to indicate the current optimal sector pair, a field to indicate the SNR of the current optimal sector pair, etc., to further assist the initiator in dynamically adjusting the TX sector scan time.

[0128] Step 830: Based on the first frame, perform sector switching in the next TP;

[0129] Step 840a: Send a second frame on the second link. The second frame is used to indicate to the initiator that the first frame has been received.

[0130] In some embodiments, the second frame includes at least one or more of the following fields: switching type, used to indicate the sector switching type requested by the responder; last sector identifier, used to indicate the sector identifier before the initiator switched sectors; and current sector identifier, used to indicate the sector identifier after the initiator switched sectors.

[0131] In some embodiments, the second frame is called a hint-acknowledgment frame. Of course, the second frame may also be called by other names, and this application does not limit the specific name of the second frame.

[0132] Figure 11 illustrates a schematic diagram of the format of a second frame provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. It includes one or more fields such as: Frame Control, Duration, RA, TA, Hint-Ack, and FCS. The Frame Control and Duration fields each have 2 bytes, the RA and TA fields each have 6 bytes, the Hint-Ack field has 3 bytes, and the FCS has 4 bytes.

[0133] The Hint-Ack field includes one or more of the following fields: Change Type, Last Sector ID, Current Sector ID, and Reserved. The Reserved field consists of 5 bits.

[0134] The Switching Type field occupies 1 bit and indicates the type of sector switch requested by the responder from the initiator. When the Switching Type field is the first value, it means that the responder has received two consecutive TDD SSW frames from the initiator in the same TX sector within the same RX sector. When the Switching Type field is the second value, it means that the responder has traversed all RX sectors after receiving the second frame, that is, the responder has completed one round of RX sector traversal after receiving the second frame. Optionally, the first value can be 0 and the second value can be 1; or the first value can be 1 and the second value can be 0. Of course, the first and second values ​​can also be other values ​​besides 0 or 1, as long as the first and second values ​​are different. No specific value is limited here.

[0135] The Last Sector ID field occupies 9 bits and indicates the sector ID of the initiator before the sector switch.

[0136] The Current Sector ID field occupies 9 bits and indicates the sector ID after the sector switch.

[0137] It should be emphasized that the fields, byte count, and bit count shown in Figure 11 are optional examples. This application supports any adaptive modifications to the frame format of the second frame based on Figure 11, such as adding fields, removing some fields, recombining some fields, changing the byte count, changing the bit count, or changing field names. For example, this application supports adding fields in the second frame to indicate the initiator's TDD beamforming-related parameters, etc., according to the requirements of TDD beamforming, to further assist the responder in determining whether to send the first frame.

[0138] Step 840b: Adjust the scan duration of the next sector based on the first frame;

[0139] In some embodiments, the scan duration of the next sector is reduced by a first amount of TP; wherein the first amount is related to the early end duration of the current sector scan.

[0140] In some embodiments, if the initiator does not receive the first frame during the current sector scan, it increases the scan duration of the next sector by a second number of TPs, and the scan duration of the next sector after increasing by the second number of TPs is less than or equal to the initial scan duration of the next sector.

[0141] Step 850: Send a trigger feedback frame on the second link;

[0142] The trigger feedback frame is used to request the responder to provide feedback on the sector scan results of the current sector scan process. It can also be understood as a mechanism to trigger the responder to provide feedback on the sector scan results of the current sector scan process, or as an instruction to the responder to provide feedback on the sector scan results of the current sector scan process.

[0143] Step 860: Receive feedback frames on the second link.

[0144] Feedback frames are used to indicate one or more of the following information: the best receiving sector during the current sector scan, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the best receiving sector.

[0145] In summary, the method provided in this application allows the initiator to transmit TDD SSW frames on higher frequency links and the responder to provide feedback on the received sector scanning status on lower frequency links. This eliminates the need to reserve a large number of RX time slots for the responder on higher frequency links, and the transmission of the first frame is no longer strictly limited by the TDD time slot structure. Therefore, it significantly reduces wasted time, effectively improves the flexibility and timeliness of feedback, and enhances beamforming efficiency. Furthermore, it allows the initiator to switch sectors and adjust the scanning duration of the next sector based on the responder's feedback, enabling the early termination of the scanning of the current high-frequency transmit sector or the extension of the scanning duration. This achieves dynamic adjustment of the TDD beamforming process and improves the flexibility of TDD beamforming. Moreover, utilizing the high reliability of low-frequency links for receiving sector scanning feedback improves feedback reliability.

[0146] In some embodiments, step 720 may be further implemented as step 1210, and step 740 may be further implemented as step 1230. Optionally, the beamforming method may also include one or more of the following optional steps: step 1220, step 1240a, step 1240b, step 1250, and step 1260, as shown in FIG12.

[0147] Figure 12 illustrates a flowchart of a beamforming method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The method is performed by a responder. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0148] Step 1210: Receive TDD SSW frames multiple times on the first link;

[0149] In some embodiments, the responder participates in unscheduled beamforming or in scheduled beamforming by receiving TDD SSW frames.

[0150] In some embodiments, TDD SSW frames are transmitted in TDD SPs, and the TDD slots within a TDD SP are all TX slots.

[0151] In some embodiments, the TDD SSW frame includes one or more of the following fields: TX Sector ID, TX Antenna ID, Count Index, BTU, TP, and Reserved. For an exemplary representation, see Figure 9.

[0152] Step 1220: After the first TDD SSW frame is received on the first link, change the switching mode of the receive sector;

[0153] In some embodiments, after the first link receives a TDD SSW frame for the first time, the responder switches the RX sector at the start of the TDD Slot. Exemplarily, the responder obtains TDD slot structure information through frame interactions prior to beamforming, and switches the RX sector at the start of the TDD Slot based on the TDD slot structure information after the first link receives a TDD SSW frame for the first time. Exemplarily, after the first link receives a TDD SSW frame for the first time, the responder switches the RX sector at the start of the TDD Slot based on the indication information in the TP field after receiving the TDD SSW frame.

[0154] In some embodiments, after the first link receives a TDD SSW frame for the first time, the responder switches the RX sector within the TDD Slot.

[0155] Step 1230: Send the first frame on the second link. The first frame is used to indicate that the responder has traversed all receiving sectors during the current sector scan.

[0156] The frequency of the first link is higher than the frequency of the second link.

[0157] In some embodiments, if the responder receives two consecutive TDD SSW frames sent by the initiator in the same transmit sector in the same receive sector, the responder sends the first frame on the second link.

[0158] In some embodiments, after the second link has traversed all received sectors after receiving the second frame, the responder sends the first frame on the second link, and the second frame is used to indicate to the initiator that the first frame has been received.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first frame includes at least one or more of the following fields: switching type, used to indicate the sector switching type requested by the responder; last decoded sector identifier, used to indicate the transmit sector identifier in the last TDD SSW frame received by the responder. For example, a schematic diagram of the format of the first frame can be found in Figure 10.

[0160] In some embodiments, the first frame is called a hint frame. Of course, the first frame may also be called by other names, and this application does not limit the specific name of the first frame.

[0161] Step 1240: Receive the second frame on the second link. The second frame is used to indicate to the initiator that the first frame has been received.

[0162] In some embodiments, the second frame includes at least one or more of the following fields: switch type, used to indicate the type of sector switch requested by the responder; previous sector identifier, used to indicate the sector identifier before the initiator switched sectors; and current sector identifier, used to indicate the sector identifier after the initiator switched sectors. For example, a schematic diagram of the format of the second frame can be found in Figure 11.

[0163] In some embodiments, the second frame is called a hint-acknowledgment frame. Of course, the second frame may also be called by other names, and this application does not limit the specific name of the second frame.

[0164] Step 1250: Receive the trigger feedback frame on the second link;

[0165] The trigger feedback frame is used to request the responder to provide feedback on the sector scan results of the current sector scan process. It can also be understood as a mechanism to trigger the responder to provide feedback on the sector scan results of the current sector scan process, or as an instruction to the responder to provide feedback on the sector scan results of the current sector scan process.

[0166] Step 1260: Send a feedback frame on the second link.

[0167] Feedback frames are used to indicate one or more of the following information: the best receiving sector during the current sector scan, and the SNR of the best receiving sector.

[0168] In summary, the method provided in this application allows the initiator to transmit TDD SSW frames on higher frequency links and the responder to provide feedback on the received sector scan status on lower frequency links. This eliminates the need to reserve a large number of RX time slots for the responder on higher frequency links, and the transmission of the first frame is no longer strictly limited by the TDD time slot structure. Therefore, it significantly reduces wasted time, effectively improves the flexibility and timeliness of feedback, and enhances beamforming efficiency. Furthermore, utilizing the high reliability of low-frequency links for receiving sector scan feedback improves feedback reliability.

[0169] Taking a first link in the 45 / 60 GHz band and a second link in the Sub-7 GHz band as an example, Figure 13 illustrates a schematic diagram of a beamforming method provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The initiator scans the TX sector on the high-frequency first link, and the responder traverses the directional RX sector on the high-frequency first link. When the reception of the RX sector meets the sector switching conditions, the responder transmits a first frame (e.g., a Hint frame) on the low-frequency second link. After receiving the first frame from the responder, the initiator performs sector switching based on the information carried in the first frame. Optionally, the initiator can also reply with a second frame (e.g., a Hint-Ack frame) on a low frequency to acknowledge receipt of the first frame.

[0170] Furthermore, taking an initiator with 31 TX sectors, a responder with 20 RX sectors, a BTU of 400 μs, and a TP of 1 BTU as an example, the flow of the beamforming method provided in this application is illustrated by listing the behaviors of the initiator and responder within each TP. In reality, the initiator may have fewer or more TX sectors, such as 1 / 3 / 7 / 15 / 63 TX sectors, and the responder may have fewer or more RX sectors. This application only uses 31 TX sectors and 20 RX sectors as examples, but it does not imply a limitation on the number of TX and RX sectors.

[0171] Example 1: TDD beamforming process including the second frame.

[0172] Example 1 describes an optimized TDD independent beamforming process where the responder, in the first frame (e.g., a hint frame) transmitted on a low-frequency basis, informs the initiator that the responder has completed all RX sector traversals in the current transmit sector scan and can switch to the next TX sector in the next TDD slot. The initiator then sends a second frame (e.g., a hint-Ack frame) on the low-frequency basis to confirm receipt. In other words, in Example 1, the initiator sends a second frame to the responder after receiving the first frame to acknowledge receipt. Therefore, Example 1 can also be understood as a beamforming process that includes an acknowledgment process. The initiator's transmission of a hint-Ack frame on the low-frequency link to inform the responder of the sector switching status makes the TDD beamforming process more robust and reliable. By exchanging information via low-frequency communication, the initiator can help determine whether to switch transmit sectors in advance, thereby improving the efficiency of TDD independent beamforming.

[0173] The initiator transmits TDD SSW frames multiple times on the first link according to preset TDD beamforming parameters. Assuming each transmit sector scans 31 TPs, each TDD Slot contains two TDD SSW frames.

[0174] The responder switches RX sectors according to preset TDD beamforming parameters. Assume that before receiving the first TDD SSW frame, the responder switches RX sectors every 50 μs. After receiving the first TDD SSW frame from the initiator on the first link, the responder changes the RX sector switching mode: switching RX sectors at the start of the corresponding TDD Slot according to the Transmit Period field in the TDD SSW frame, or switching RX sectors within the TDD Slot after receiving the TDD SSW frame.

[0175] If the responder receives two consecutive TDD SSW frames from the initiator's TX sector in the same RX sector, or if the responder completes one round of RX sector traversal after receiving a Hint-Ack frame on the second link, then the responder sends a Hint frame on the second link.

[0176] After receiving a Hint frame from the responder on the second link, the initiator performs sector switching based on the information in the Hint frame and replies with a Hint-Ack frame on the second link to confirm.

[0177] Assume that it takes 1.2ms each for the responder to send a Hint frame on the low-frequency second link and for the initiator to send a Hint-ack frame on the high-frequency first link.

[0178] After the initiator has completed scanning all TX sectors, the initiator sends a trigger feedback frame to the responder on the second link, requesting the responder to provide feedback on the sector scan results.

[0179] After receiving the trigger feedback frame on the second link, the responder sends a feedback frame on the second link to provide feedback on the optimal RX sector pair and its SNR and other information in the TDD beamforming process.

[0180] After receiving the feedback frame on the second link, the initiator sends an Ack frame on the first link to confirm.

[0181] The beamforming process provided in Example 1 can be found in Table 2. As shown in Table 2, TX 0's scan passes through 23 time slots (TPs), and TX 1's scan passes through 26 TPs. It is important to emphasize that Table 2 is an example for ease of understanding and not a limitation. It does not mean that in actual situations, the initiator and responder must complete beamforming according to the time slot structure shown in Table 2. The initiator and responder may complete beamforming through fewer or more TPs, and may also receive or transmit different frames within different TPs.

[0182] Table 2 contains the TDD beamforming process for the second frame.

[0183] In some embodiments, it is assumed that the TX sector has already been switched when the initiator receives the Hint frame:

[0184] If the Change Type field in the hint frame is the first value, it means that the responder has received two consecutive TDD SSW frames from the initiator in the same TX sector within the same RX sector. The initiator then checks if the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID. If the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID, the initiator switches sectors. If the Last Decoded Sector ID does not match the current TX Sector ID, it means the responder has already switched sectors, and the initiator does not need to switch sectors again.

[0185] If the Change Type field in the Hint frame takes the second value, it indicates that the responder has completed one round of traversal since receiving the last Hint-Ack frame (meaning the initiator switched sectors once since sending the last Hint-Ack frame). The initiator then checks if the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID. If the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID, the initiator switches sectors. If the Last Decoded Sector ID does not match the current TX Sector ID, the initiator determines whether to switch based on the sector corresponding to the Last Decoded Sector ID. If the Last Decoded Sector ID field matches the Last Sector ID in a previously sent Hint-Ack frame, the initiator can switch sectors. If the Last Decoded Sector ID field is neither the current sector ID nor the Last Sector ID, it means the initiator has already completed one sector switch upon receiving the Hint frame, and the initiator does not need to switch sectors again.

[0186] In some embodiments, if the Hint frame channel access time is too long and the current TX sector has been scanned, and the initiator has not received the Hint frame, the sector switching will still be performed according to the process specified in the communication protocol. Due to the process characteristics of low-frequency link feedback, while ensuring that the number of TDD SSW frames sent by each sector is consistent, the communication protocol needs to retain the initiator's RX Slot in the Transmit Period. Therefore, the Transmit Period of the TDD beamforming process shown in the communication protocol is twice the Transmit Period in the embodiment of this application. Thus, the embodiment of this application still has gain, and the total time required for the TDD beamforming process is shorter.

[0187] Example 2: TDD beamforming process without a second frame.

[0188] Example 2 describes an optimized TDD independent beamforming process where the responder, in the first frame (e.g., a hint frame) transmitted at a low frequency, informs the initiator that the responder has completed all RX sector traversals during the current transmit sector scan and can switch to the next TX sector in the next TDD slot. In other words, in Example 2, the initiator will not send a second frame to the responder after receiving the first frame. Therefore, Example 2 can also be understood as a beamforming process without an acknowledgment procedure. By exchanging information at low frequencies to assist the initiator in determining whether to switch transmit sectors in advance, the efficiency of TDD independent beamforming is improved.

[0189] The initiator transmits TDD SSW frames multiple times on the first link according to preset TDD beamforming parameters. Assuming each transmit sector scans 31 TPs, each TDD Slot contains two TDD SSW frames.

[0190] The responder switches RX sectors according to preset TDD beamforming parameters. Assume that before receiving the first TDD SSW frame, the responder switches RX sectors every 50 μs. After receiving the first TDD SSW frame from the initiator on the first link, the responder changes the RX sector switching mode: switching RX sectors at the start of the corresponding TDD Slot according to the Transmit Period field in the TDD SSW frame, or switching RX sectors within the TDD Slot after receiving the TDD SSW frame.

[0191] If the responder receives two consecutive TDD SSW frames from the initiator's TX sector in the same RX sector, the responder will send a Hint frame on the second link.

[0192] After the initiator receives a hint frame from the responder on the second link, the initiator performs sector switching based on the information in the hint frame.

[0193] After the initiator has completed scanning all TX sectors, the initiator sends a trigger feedback frame to the responder on the second link, requesting the responder to provide feedback on the sector scan results.

[0194] After receiving the trigger feedback frame on the second link, the responder sends a feedback frame on the second link to provide feedback on the optimal RX sector pair and its SNR and other information in the TDD beamforming process.

[0195] After receiving the feedback frame on the second link, the initiator sends an Ack frame on the first link to confirm.

[0196] The beamforming process provided in Example 2 can be found in Table 3. As shown in Table 3, the scan of TX 0 passes through 23 time slots (TPs), and the scan of TX 1 passes through 26 TPs. It is important to emphasize that Table 3 provides an example for ease of understanding and is not a limitation. It does not mean that in actual practice, the initiator and responder must complete beamforming according to the time slot structure shown in Table 3. The initiator and responder may complete beamforming through fewer or more TPs, and may also receive or transmit different frames within different TPs.

[0197] Table 3 does not include the TDD beamforming process for the second frame.

[0198] In some embodiments, it is assumed that the TX sector has already been switched when the initiator receives the Hint frame:

[0199] If the Change Type field in the hint frame is the first value, it means that the responder has received two consecutive TDD SSW frames from the initiator in the same TX sector within the same RX sector. The initiator then checks if the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID. If the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID, the initiator switches sectors. If the Last Decoded Sector ID does not match the current TX Sector ID, it means the responder has already switched sectors, and the initiator does not need to switch sectors again.

[0200] If the Change Type field in the Hint frame takes the second value, it indicates that the responder has completed one round of traversal since receiving the last Hint-Ack frame (meaning the initiator switched sectors once since sending the last Hint-Ack frame). The initiator then checks if the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID. If the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID, the initiator switches sectors. If the Last Decoded Sector ID does not match the current TX Sector ID, the initiator determines whether to switch based on the sector corresponding to the Last Decoded Sector ID. If the Last Decoded Sector ID field matches the Last Sector ID in a previously sent Hint-Ack frame, the initiator can switch sectors. If the Last Decoded Sector ID field is neither the current sector ID nor the Last Sector ID, it means the initiator has already completed one sector switch upon receiving the Hint frame, and the initiator does not need to switch sectors again.

[0201] In some embodiments, if the Hint frame channel access time is too long and the current TX sector has been scanned, and the initiator has not received the Hint frame, the sector switching will still be performed according to the process specified in the communication protocol. Due to the process characteristics of low-frequency link feedback, while ensuring that the number of TDD SSW frames sent by each sector is consistent, the communication protocol needs to retain the initiator's RX Slot in the Transmit Period. Therefore, the Transmit Period of the TDD beamforming process shown in the communication protocol is twice the Transmit Period in the embodiment of this application. Thus, the embodiment of this application still has gain, and the total time required for the TDD beamforming process is shorter.

[0202] Example 3: TDD beamforming process with dynamic adjustment of sector scan duration.

[0203] Example 3 describes an optimized TDD independent beamforming process in which the responder informs the initiator in the first frame (e.g., a Hint frame) of the low-frequency transmission that the responder has completed all RX sector traversals in the current transmit sector scan and can switch to the next TX sector in the next TDD Slot. Furthermore, the initiator can dynamically adjust the scan duration of the next sector based on the reception of the Hint frame and the sector switching situation.

[0204] The initiator transmits TDD SSW frames multiple times on the first link according to preset TDD beamforming parameters. Assuming each transmit sector scans 31 TPs, each TDD Slot contains two TDD SSW frames.

[0205] The responder switches RX sectors according to preset TDD beamforming parameters. Assume that before receiving the first TDD SSW frame, the responder switches RX sectors every 50 μs. After receiving the first TDD SSW frame from the initiator on the first link, the responder changes the RX sector switching mode: switching RX sectors at the start of the corresponding TDD Slot according to the Transmit Period field in the TDD SSW frame, or switching RX sectors within the TDD Slot after receiving the TDD SSW frame.

[0206] If the responder receives two consecutive TDD SSW frames from the initiator's TX sector in the same RX sector, the responder will send a Hint frame on the second link.

[0207] After the initiator receives a hint frame from the responder on the second link, the initiator performs sector switching based on the information in the hint frame and adjusts the scan duration of the next sector.

[0208] For example, the adjustment rules for the TX sector scan duration can be as follows:

[0209] If the initiator receives a hint frame during the current TX sector scan and terminates the scan early based on the hint frame, it indicates that the TX sector scan duration is too long. The current duration of the next sector scan can be reduced by 1-N TPs based on the early termination time to appropriately shorten the scan duration. Here, N is greater than 0 and is related to the early termination time; for example, N = number of TPs terminated early / 2, or N = number of TPs terminated early / 3, etc. The value of N can be stipulated by the communication protocol or is implementation-specific.

[0210] If the initiator does not receive a hint frame during the current TX sector scan, it indicates that the TX sector scan time is too short or appropriate. In this case, the current sector scan duration is increased by 1-M TP durations to determine the duration of the next sector scan. Here, M is greater than 0 and is related to N; for example, M = N / 2, or M = N / 3, etc. The value of M can be specified by the communication protocol or be implementation-specific. Furthermore, the current sector scan duration increased by 1-M TP durations should be less than or equal to the initial scan duration of the next sector.

[0211] Optionally, after receiving a Hint frame from the responder on the second link, the initiator can also reply with a Hint-Ack frame on the second link to confirm receipt.

[0212] After the initiator has completed scanning all TX sectors, the initiator sends a trigger feedback frame to the responder on the second link, requesting the responder to provide feedback on the sector scan results.

[0213] After receiving the trigger feedback frame on the second link, the responder sends a feedback frame on the second link to provide feedback on the optimal RX sector pair and its SNR and other information in the TDD beamforming process.

[0214] After receiving the feedback frame on the second link, the initiator sends an Ack frame on the first link to confirm.

[0215] The beamforming process provided in Example 3 can be found in Table 4. As shown in Table 4, the scan of TX 0 passes through 23 time slots (TPs), and the scan of TX 1 passes through 26 TPs. It is important to emphasize that Table 4 provides an example for ease of understanding and is not a limitation. It does not mean that in actual situations, the initiator and responder must complete beamforming according to the time slot structure shown in Table 4. The initiator and responder may complete beamforming through fewer or more TPs, and may also receive or transmit different frames within different TPs.

[0216] Table 4. TDD Beamforming Process with Dynamically Adjustable Sector Scanning Duration

[0217] In some embodiments, it is assumed that the TX sector has already been switched when the initiator receives the Hint frame:

[0218] If the Change Type field in the hint frame is the first value, it means that the responder has received two consecutive TDD SSW frames from the initiator in the same TX sector within the same RX sector. The initiator then checks if the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID. If the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID, the initiator switches sectors. If the Last Decoded Sector ID does not match the current TX Sector ID, it means the responder has already switched sectors, and the initiator does not need to switch sectors again.

[0219] If the Change Type field in the Hint frame takes the second value, it indicates that the responder has completed one round of traversal since receiving the last Hint-Ack frame (meaning the initiator switched sectors once since sending the last Hint-Ack frame). The initiator then checks if the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID. If the Last Decoded Sector ID matches the current TX Sector ID, the initiator switches sectors. If the Last Decoded Sector ID does not match the current TX Sector ID, the initiator determines whether to switch based on the sector corresponding to the Last Decoded Sector ID. If the Last Decoded Sector ID field matches the Last Sector ID in a previously sent Hint-Ack frame, the initiator can switch sectors. If the Last Decoded Sector ID field is neither the current sector ID nor the Last Sector ID, it means the initiator has already completed one sector switch upon receiving the Hint frame, and the initiator does not need to switch sectors again.

[0220] In some embodiments, if the Hint frame channel access time is too long and the current TX sector has been scanned, and the initiator has not received the Hint frame, the sector switching will still be performed according to the process specified in the communication protocol. Due to the process characteristics of low-frequency link feedback, while ensuring that the number of TDD SSW frames sent by each sector is consistent, the communication protocol needs to retain the initiator's RX Slot in the Transmit Period. Therefore, the Transmit Period of the TDD beamforming process shown in the communication protocol is twice the Transmit Period in the embodiment of this application. Thus, the embodiment of this application still has gain, and the total time required for the TDD beamforming process is shorter.

[0221] By using low-frequency transmission of hint frames to prompt the initiator to switch sectors in advance, the beamforming method provided in this application embodiment can reduce the time for the initiator to transmit sector scanning and improve the efficiency of TDD independent waveform shaping compared to the conventional TDD beamforming process.

[0222] Here, we take Example 1 as an example to compare with the conventional TDD beamforming process to further illustrate the gain of the beamforming method provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0223] In a conventional TDD beamforming process, since the transmit sector scan must be terminated by the End of Training (EoT) via the high-frequency link feedback, a TX Slot (TX Slot for the responder and RX Slot for the initiator) must be assigned to the responder to facilitate EoT feedback.

[0224] The standard TDD beamforming procedure can be found in Table 5. Assuming the initiator has 31 TX sectors, a BTU of 400 μs, TP of 2 BTUs, and an 800 μs TP consisting of a 400 μs TX slot and a 400 μs RX slot, with each TX sector scanning 31 TPs and each slot containing two TDD SSW frames, then the initiator needs 31 * 800 μs = 24.8 ms to scan one TX sector, and 31 * 24.8 ms = 768.8 ms to scan all TX sectors. Assuming the responder has 20 RX sectors, and switches receive sectors every 50 μs before first receiving a TDD SSW frame, the responder needs 1.2 ms to send hint frames on the low-frequency link. The TX / RX slots in Table 5 are relative to the initiator.

[0225] Table 5. Conventional TDD Beamforming Process

[0226] As shown in Table 5, the beamforming process involved 20 TPs for TX 0 and 31 TPs for TX 1, with a total time of 51 * 0.8 ms = 40.8 ms.

[0227] If the beamforming process in Example 1 is used, the scan of TX 0 goes through 23 TPs and the scan of TX 1 goes through 26 TPs, taking a total of 49 * 0.4 ms = 19.6 ms.

[0228] As can be seen, the beamforming method provided in this application embodiment can significantly reduce the total time of the beamforming process, improve beamforming efficiency, and effectively improve the flexibility and timeliness of feedback.

[0229] Figure 14 shows a structural block diagram of a beamforming apparatus 1400 provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The communication device 1400 can be implemented as the initiator described above, or as part of the initiator described above. Optionally, the communication device 1400 is a wireless communication device / wireless device that supports WLAN / Wi-Fi protocols (such as the 802.11 protocol). The communication device 1400 includes a transmitting module 1410 and a receiving module 1430. Optionally, the communication device 1400 also includes a processing module 1450.

[0230] Transmitting module 1410 is used to transmit TDD SW frames multiple times on the first link;

[0231] The receiving module 1430 is used to receive a first frame on the second link. The first frame is used to indicate that the responder has traversed all receiving sectors during the current sector scan. The frequency of the first link is higher than that of the second link.

[0232] In some embodiments, the first frame is sent by the responder when it receives two consecutive TDD SSW frames sent by the initiator in the same transmit sector in the same receive sector; or, the first frame is sent by the responder after traversing all receive sectors after receiving the second frame on the second link, and the second frame is used to indicate to the initiator that the first frame has been received.

[0233] In some embodiments, the processing module 1450 is used to perform sector switching in the next TP based on the first frame.

[0234] In some embodiments, the sending module 1410 is configured to send a second frame on the second link, the second frame being used to indicate to the initiator that the first frame has been received.

[0235] In some embodiments, the processing module 1450 is used to adjust the scan duration of the next sector based on the first frame.

[0236] In some embodiments, the processing module 1450 is used to reduce the scan duration of the next sector by a first amount of TP; wherein the first amount is related to the early end duration of the current sector scan.

[0237] In some embodiments, the processing module 1450 is configured to: increase the scanning duration of the next sector by a second amount of TP if the first frame is not received during the current sector scanning process.

[0238] In some embodiments, the sending module 1410 is configured to send a trigger feedback frame on the second link, the trigger feedback frame being used to request the responder to provide feedback on the sector scan results of the current sector scan process.

[0239] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1430 is configured to receive a feedback frame on a second link, the feedback frame indicating one or more of the following information: the best receiving sector during the current sector scan process, and the SNR of the best receiving sector.

[0240] In some embodiments, the sending module 1410 is configured to perform one or more of the following steps: step 620, step 810, step 840a, and step 850.

[0241] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1430 is configured to perform one or more of the following steps: step 640, step 820, step 860.

[0242] In some embodiments, the processing module 1450 is configured to perform one or more of the following steps: step 830, step 840b.

[0243] The content described in the preceding embodiments, such as the interaction flow, purpose, name, type, and format of TDD SSW frames, the first frame, the second frame, etc., are all applicable to the communication device 1400 shown in Figure 14. For details not described in detail in this embodiment, please refer to the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0244] In summary, the apparatus provided in this application supports transmitting TDD SSW frames on higher frequency links and receiving receiver sector scanning information from responders on lower frequency links. It eliminates the need to reserve a large number of RX time slots for responders on higher frequency links, and the transmission of the first frame is no longer strictly limited by the TDD time slot structure. Therefore, it significantly reduces wasted time, effectively improves the flexibility and timeliness of feedback, and enhances beamforming efficiency. Furthermore, it supports switching sectors and adjusting the scanning duration of the next sector based on responder feedback, allowing for early termination of the current high-frequency transmit sector scanning or extension of the scanning duration, thus achieving dynamic adjustment of the TDD beamforming process and improving the flexibility of TDD beamforming. Moreover, utilizing the high reliability of low-frequency links for receiver sector scanning feedback improves feedback reliability.

[0245] Figure 15 shows a structural block diagram of a beamforming apparatus 1500 provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. The communication device 1500 can be implemented as a responder as described above, or as part of a responder as described above. Optionally, the communication device 1500 is a wireless communication device / wireless device that supports WLAN / Wi-Fi protocols (such as the 802.11 protocol). The communication device 1500 includes a receiving module 1510 and a transmitting module 1530. Optionally, the communication device 1500 also includes a processing module 1550.

[0246] Receiver module 1510 is used to receive TDD SSW frames multiple times on the first link;

[0247] The transmitting module 1530 is used to transmit a first frame on the second link. The first frame is used to indicate that the device has traversed all receiving sectors during the current sector scan. The frequency of the first link is higher than the frequency of the second link.

[0248] In some embodiments, the transmitting module 1530 is configured to transmit a first frame on a second link if it receives two consecutive TDD SSW frames transmitted by the initiator in the same transmitting sector in the same receiving sector.

[0249] In some embodiments, the sending module 1530 is configured to send a first frame on the second link after traversing all received sectors after receiving the second frame on the second link, wherein the second frame is used to indicate to the initiator that the first frame has been received.

[0250] In some embodiments, the processing module 1550 is configured to change the switching mode of the received sector after the first link receives a TDD SSW frame for the first time.

[0251] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is configured to switch the receiving sector when the TDD Slot begins after the first link receives a TDD SSW frame for the first time.

[0252] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is configured to switch the receiving sector within the TDD Slot after receiving a TDD SSW frame.

[0253] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is configured to receive a second frame on a second link.

[0254] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is configured to receive a trigger feedback frame on the second link, the trigger feedback frame being used to request the responder to provide feedback on the sector scan results of the current sector scan process.

[0255] In some embodiments, the transmitting module 1530 is configured to transmit a feedback frame on the second link, the feedback frame indicating one or more of the following information: the best receiving sector during the current sector scan process, and the SNR of the best receiving sector.

[0256] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1510 is configured to perform one or more of the following steps: step 720, step 1210, step 1220, step 1240, and step 1250.

[0257] In some embodiments, the sending module 1530 is configured to perform one or more of the following steps: step 740, step 1230, and step 1260.

[0258] In some embodiments, the processing module 1550 is used to perform step 1220.

[0259] The content described in the preceding embodiments, such as the interaction flow, purpose, name, type, and format of TDD SSW frames, the first frame, the second frame, etc., are all applicable to the communication device 1500 shown in Figure 15. For details not described in detail in this embodiment, please refer to the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0260] In summary, the apparatus provided in this application supports receiving TDD SSW frames on higher frequency links and providing feedback on received sector scanning status on lower frequency links. This eliminates the need to reserve a large number of RX time slots on higher frequency links, and the transmission of the first frame is no longer strictly limited by the TDD time slot structure. Therefore, it significantly reduces wasted time, effectively improves the flexibility and timeliness of feedback, and enhances beamforming efficiency. Furthermore, utilizing the high reliability of low-frequency links for receiving sector scanning feedback improves feedback reliability.

[0261] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in the above embodiments is only illustrated by the division of the above functional modules. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the communication device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. In addition, the apparatus and method embodiments provided in the above embodiments belong to the same concept.

[0262] Figure 16 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 1600 provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application, including at least one of the following: receiver 1601, transmitter 1602, processor 1603, memory 1604, and bus (not shown in the figure).

[0263] Optionally, the communication device 1600 is used to perform some or all of the steps performed by the initiator.

[0264] Optionally, the communication device 1600 is used to perform some or all of the steps performed by the responder.

[0265] Optionally, the communication device 1600 is a wireless device / wireless communication device that supports WLAN / Wi-Fi protocols (such as the 802.11 protocol).

[0266] Receiver 1601 is used to implement the receiving function. Optionally, receiver 1601 can be used to implement the functions and steps of receiving module 1430 and / or receiving module 1510 described above. Transmitter 1602 is used to implement the transmitting function. Optionally, transmitter 1602 can be used to implement the functions and steps of transmitting module 1410 and / or transmitting module 1530 described above.

[0267] Optionally, the receiver 1601 and transmitter 1602 can be implemented as a communication component, which may be a communication chip, and can be referred to as a transceiver. Optionally, the receiver 1601 and transmitter 1602 can be implemented as a wireless communication component and / or a wired communication component. Optionally, the wireless communication component includes a wireless communication chip and / or a radio frequency antenna. Optionally, the wired communication component includes a wired communication chip and / or a wired interface.

[0268] Processor 1603 includes one or more processing cores. Processor 1603 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules. In some embodiments, processor 1603 can be used to implement the functions and steps of processing module 1450 and / or processing module 1550. Memory 1604 can be used to store computer programs executed by processor 1603, which is used to execute the computer programs to implement the various steps in the above method embodiments.

[0269] In some embodiments, the memory 1604 may be connected to the processor 1603, the receiver 1601, and the transmitter 1602.

[0270] Furthermore, the memory 1604 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, including but not limited to: magnetic disks or optical disks, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, and programmable read-only memory (PROM).

[0271] In some embodiments, receiver 1601 independently receives signals / data, or processor 1603 controls receiver 1601 to receive signals / data, or processor 1603 requests receiver 1601 to receive signals / data, or processor 1603 cooperates with receiver 1601 to receive signals / data.

[0272] In some embodiments, the transmitter 1602 independently transmits signals / data, or the processor 1603 controls the transmitter 1602 to transmit signals / data, or the processor 1603 requests the transmitter 1602 to transmit signals / data, or the processor 1603 cooperates with the transmitter 1602 to transmit signals / data.

[0273] For details not described in this embodiment, please refer to the embodiments above, which will not be repeated here.

[0274] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, a chip is also provided, the chip including programmable logic circuits and / or program instructions, which, when the chip is run on a communication device, is used to implement the beamforming method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0275] In some embodiments, the chip includes a transmitting module 1410 and a receiving module 1430. Optionally, the chip further includes a processing module 1450. Optionally, each module can be implemented as a circuit structure. Related details can be found above and will not be repeated here.

[0276] In some embodiments, the chip includes a receiving module 1510 and a transmitting module 1530. Optionally, the chip further includes a processing module 1550. Optionally, each module can be implemented as a circuit structure. Related details can be found above and will not be repeated here.

[0277] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, which stores at least one program that is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the beamforming method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0278] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, a computer program product is also provided, which includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor retrieves the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer instructions to implement the beamforming method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0279] In one exemplary embodiment of this application, a computer program is also provided, the computer program including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, a processor obtaining the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executing the computer instructions to implement the beamforming method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0280] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be implemented by hardware or by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk.

[0281] The above are merely optional embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method of beamforming, the method comprising: The method is performed by an initiator, and the method comprises: sending a time division duplex, TDD, sector sweep, SSW, frame multiple times on a first link; receiving a first frame on a second link, the first frame being used to indicate that a responder has traversed all receiving sectors in a current sector sweep process; wherein a frequency of the first link is higher than a frequency of the second link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the first frame is sent by the responder in a case that the responder receives TDD SSW frames sent by the initiator in a same transmitting sector two times continuously in a same receiving sector; or, the first frame is sent by the responder in a case that the responder traverses all receiving sectors after receiving a second frame on the second link, the second frame being used to indicate that the initiator confirms receiving the first frame.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further comprises: performing sector switching in a next transmission period, TP, according to the first frame.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The method further comprises: sending a second frame on the second link, the second frame being used to indicate that the initiator confirms receiving the first frame.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The method further comprises: adjusting a scan duration of a next sector according to the first frame.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The adjusting the scan duration of the next sector comprises: reducing the scan duration of the next sector by a first number of transmission periods, TPs, wherein the first number is related to an early ending duration of the current sector sweep.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, The adjusting the scan duration of the next sector comprises: in a case that the first frame is not received in the current sector sweep process, increasing the scan duration of the next sector by a second number of TPs, and the scan duration of the next sector after being increased by the second number of TPs is less than or equal to an initial scan duration of the next sector.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The TDD SSW frame is sent in a TDD service period, SP, and all TDD slots in the TDD SP are transmission slots, TX slots.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The method further comprises: sending a trigger feedback frame on the second link, the trigger feedback frame being used to request the responder to feed back a sector scan result of the current sector sweep process.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method further comprises: receiving a feedback frame on the second link, the feedback frame being used to indicate one or more of the following information: a best receiving sector in the current sector sweep process, a signal to noise ratio of the best receiving sector.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The TDD SSW frame comprises one or more of the following fields: a transmitting sector identifier, a transmitting antenna identifier, a count index, a beamforming time unit, a transmission period, TP, and a reservation.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The first frame comprises at least one or more of the following fields: a switching type, used to indicate a sector switching type requested by the responder; a last decoding sector identifier, used to indicate a transmitting sector identifier in a TDD SSW frame last received by the responder.

13. The method of claim 2 or 4, wherein, The second frame comprises at least one or more of the following fields: a switching type, used to indicate a sector switching type requested by the responder; a last sector identifier, used to indicate a sector identifier before the initiator switches sectors; and a current sector identifier, used to indicate a sector identifier after the initiator switches sectors.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The frequency of the first link is in the range of 30 to 300 GHz, and the frequency of the second link is in the range of 1 to 7 GHz.

15. A method of beamforming, the method comprising: The method is performed by a responder, and the method comprises: receiving a time division duplex, TDD, sector sweep, SSW, frame on a first link multiple times; sending a first frame on a second link, the first frame being used to indicate that the responder has traversed all receiving sectors in a current sector sweeping process; wherein the frequency of the first link is higher than the frequency of the second link.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The sending of the first frame on the second link comprises: sending the first frame on the second link in the case that the same receiving sector receives a TDD SSW frame sent by an initiator in the same transmitting sector for two times in succession; or, sending the first frame on the second link in the case that all receiving sectors have been traversed after receiving a second frame on the second link, the second frame being used to indicate that the initiator confirms receiving the first frame.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The method further comprises: changing a switching mode of a receiving sector after the first receiving of the TDD SSW frame on the first link.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The changing of the switching mode of the receiving sector comprises: switching the receiving sector at the beginning of a TDD slot; or switching the receiving sector within a TDD slot.

19. The method of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein, The TDD SSW frame is sent in a TDD service period, SP, and all TDD slots within the TDD SP are transmitting slots, TX slots.

20. The method of any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein, The method further comprises: receiving a second frame on the second link, the second frame being used to indicate that the initiator confirms receiving the first frame; and / or, receiving a trigger feedback frame on the second link, the trigger feedback frame being used to request the responder to feed back a sector sweeping result of the current sector sweeping process.

21. The method of any one of claims 15 to 20, wherein, The method further comprises: sending a feedback frame on the second link, the feedback frame being used to indicate one or more of the following information: a best receiving sector in the current sector sweeping process, a signal to noise ratio of the best receiving sector.

22. The method of any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein, The TDD SSW frame comprises one or more of the following fields: a transmitting sector identifier, a transmitting antenna identifier, a count index, a beamforming time unit, a transmission period, TP, and a reservation.

23. The method of any one of claims 15 to 22, wherein, The first frame comprises at least one or more of the following fields: a switching type, used to indicate a sector switching type requested by the responder; a last decoding sector identifier, used to indicate a transmitting sector identifier in a TDD SSW frame last received by the responder.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein, The second frame comprises at least one or more of the following fields: a switching type, used to indicate a sector switching type requested by the responder; a last sector identifier, used to indicate a sector identifier before the initiator switches sectors; and a current sector identifier, used to indicate a sector identifier after the initiator switches sectors.

25. The method of any one of claims 15 to 24, wherein, The frequency of the first link is in the range of 30 to 300 GHz, and the frequency of the second link is in the range of 1 to 7 GHz.

26. A beamforming apparatus, characterized by The apparatus comprises: a sending module, configured to send a time division duplex, TDD, sector sweep, SSW, frame on a first link multiple times; a receiving module, configured to receive a TDD SSW frame on a second link. The receiving module is configured to receive a first frame on a second link, the first frame being used to indicate that a responder has traversed all receiving sectors in a current sector scanning process; wherein a frequency of the first link is higher than a frequency of the second link.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein, the first frame is sent by the responder in a case that the apparatus sends a TDD SSW frame in a same transmitting sector twice in succession and the first frame is received by the responder in a same receiving sector; or the first frame is sent by the responder in a case that the responder traverses all receiving sectors after receiving a second frame on a second link, the second frame being used to indicate that the apparatus confirms receiving the first frame.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 or 27, wherein, The apparatus further includes a processing module configured to perform sector switching in a next transmission period (TP) according to the first frame.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein, The sending module is further configured to send a second frame on the second link, the second frame being used to indicate that the apparatus confirms receiving the first frame.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 or 29, wherein, The processing module is further configured to adjust a scanning duration of a next sector according to the first frame.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein, The processing module is further configured to reduce the scanning duration of the next sector by a first number of transmission periods (TPs); wherein the first number is related to an early ending duration of the current sector scanning.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein, The processing module is further configured to increase the scanning duration of the next sector by a second number of TPs in a case that the first frame is not received in the current sector scanning process, and the scanning duration of the next sector after being increased by the second number of TPs is less than or equal to an initial scanning duration of the next sector.

33. The apparatus of any one of claims 26 to 32, wherein, The TDD SSW frame is sent in a TDD service period (SP), and all TDD slots in the TDD SP are transmission slots (TX Slots).

34. The apparatus of any one of claims 26 to 33, wherein, The sending module is further configured to send a trigger feedback frame on the second link, the trigger feedback frame being used to request the responder to feed back a sector scanning result of the current sector scanning process.

35. The apparatus of any one of claims 26 to 34, wherein, The receiving module is further configured to receive a feedback frame on the second link, the feedback frame being used to indicate one or more of the following information: a best receiving sector in the current sector scanning process, a signal-to-noise ratio of the best receiving sector.

36. The apparatus of any one of claims 26 to 35, wherein, The TDD SSW frame includes one or more of the following fields: a transmitting sector identifier, a transmitting antenna identifier, a count index, a beamforming time unit, a transmission period (TP), and a reserved field.

37. The apparatus of any one of claims 26 to 36, wherein, The first frame includes one or more of the following fields: a switching type, used to indicate a sector switching type requested by the responder; a last decoding sector identifier, used to indicate a transmitting sector identifier in a TDD SSW frame last received by the responder.

38. The apparatus of claim 27 or 29, wherein, The second frame includes one or more of the following fields: a switching type, used to indicate a sector switching type requested by the responder; a last sector identifier, used to indicate a sector identifier before the apparatus switches sectors; and a current sector identifier, used to indicate a sector identifier after the apparatus switches sectors.

39. The apparatus of any one of claims 26 to 38, wherein, The frequency of the first link is in a range from 30 GHz to 300 GHz, and the frequency of the second link is in a range from 1 GHz to 7 GHz.

40. A beamforming device, characterized by The apparatus includes: The receiving module is configured to receive a time division duplex (TDD) sector sweep (SSW) frame on the first link multiple times; The sending module is configured to send a first frame on the second link, the first frame being used to indicate that the responder has traversed all the receiving sectors in the current sector sweeping process; and the frequency of the first link is higher than the frequency of the second link.

41. The device of claim 40, wherein, The sending module is configured to: send the first frame on the second link in the case that the TDD SSW frame sent by the initiator in the same transmitting sector is received twice in the same receiving sector successively; or send the first frame on the second link in the case that all the receiving sectors are traversed after the second frame is received on the second link, the second frame being used to indicate that the initiator confirms the receipt of the first frame. The apparatus further comprises a processing module configured to change the switching mode of the receiving sector after the TDD SSW frame is received on the first link for the first time.

42. The device of claim 40 or 41, wherein, The receiving module is further configured to switch the receiving sector at the beginning of a TDD slot or switch the receiving sector within a TDD slot.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein, The TDD SSW frame is sent in a TDD service period (SP), and all the TDD slots in the TDD SP are transmitting slots (TX slots).

44. The apparatus of any one of claims 40 to 43, wherein, The receiving module is further configured to:

45. The apparatus of any one of claims 40 to 44, wherein, receive a second frame on the second link, the second frame being used to indicate that the initiator confirms the receipt of the first frame; and / or receive a trigger feedback frame on the second link, the trigger feedback frame being used to request the apparatus to feed back the sector sweeping result of the current sector sweeping process. The sending module is further configured to send a feedback frame on the second link, the feedback frame being used to indicate one or more of the following information: the best receiving sector in the current sector sweeping process, the signal-to-noise ratio of the best receiving sector.

46. The apparatus of any one of claims 40 to 45, wherein, The TDD SSW frame comprises one or more of the following fields: a transmitting sector identifier, a transmitting antenna identifier, a count index, a beamforming time unit, a transmission period (TP), and a reserved field.

47. The apparatus of any one of claims 40 to 46, wherein, The first frame comprises at least one or more of the following fields:

48. The apparatus of any one of claims 40 to 47, wherein, a switching type, used to indicate the type of sector switching requested by the apparatus; and a last decoding sector identifier, used to indicate the transmitting sector identifier in the TDD SSW frame received by the apparatus for the last time. The second frame comprises at least one or more of the following fields:

49. The device of claim 41 or 45, wherein, a switching type, used to indicate the type of sector switching requested by the apparatus; a last sector identifier, used to indicate the sector identifier before the sector is switched by the initiator; and a current sector identifier, used to indicate the sector identifier after the sector is switched by the initiator. The frequency of the first link is in the range of 30-300 GHz, and the frequency of the second link is in the range of 1-7 GHz.

50. The apparatus of any one of claims 40 to 49, wherein, The communication device comprises a processor, a transceiver connected to the processor, and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor, wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the beamforming method according to any one of claims 1-25.

51. A communications device, characterized by ​ 52. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising: The computer readable storage medium stores at least one program, and the at least one program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the beamforming method according to any one of claims 1-25.

53. A computer program product or computer program, characterised in that, The computer program product or the computer program comprises computer instructions stored in a computer readable storage medium, and the processor acquires the computer instructions from the computer readable storage medium, and executes the computer instructions to implement the beamforming method according to any one of claims 1-25.

54. A chip, comprising: The chip comprises programmable logic circuit and / or at least one program, and the chip is used to implement the beamforming method according to any one of claims 1-25 based on the programmable logic circuit and / or the at least one program.

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