Power-saving method, device and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the technical field of communication, and provide a power-saving method and device and a storage medium. The method comprises: after a first device receives a first PPDU, the first device determining to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first wireless frame is transmitted after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by a second device is received within a first transmission time, the first wireless frame being used to respond to the first PPDU, and the first PPDU being the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device; at least one operating parameter of the first device having a value in the second capability mode that is smaller than a value in the first capability mode. The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a means of switching device capability modes in a timely manner, thereby reducing device power consumption.

Description

Power saving methods, equipment and storage media Technical Field

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

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

[0003] In UHR, power-saving mechanisms will be further enhanced to reduce device-level power consumption.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a power-saving method, apparatus, and storage medium.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a power-saving method, the method comprising:

[0007] After receiving the first physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the first device determines to switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time. The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, which is the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device. At least one of the operating parameters of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0008] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a power-saving method, the method comprising:

[0009] The second device sends a first PPDU, so that after receiving the first PPDU, the first device determines whether to switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received during a first transmission time. The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, and the first PPDU is the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device. At least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0010] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, wherein the communication device is a first device, comprising:

[0011] The processing module is configured to, after receiving the first PPDU, determine whether to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time; the first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, the first PPDU being the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device; at least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0012] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, which is a second device, comprising:

[0013] The transceiver module is configured to transmit a first PPDU, so that after receiving the first PPDU, the first device determines whether to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is transmitted after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time. The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, and the first PPDU is the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device. At least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0014] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device including one or more processors; wherein, when the communication device is a first device, the processor is used to execute the power-saving method provided in the first aspect of this disclosure, and when the communication device is a second device, the processor is used to execute the power-saving method provided in the second aspect of this disclosure.

[0015] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the power-saving method provided in the first or second aspect of embodiments of this disclosure.

[0016] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system comprising a first device and a second device, wherein the second device transmits a first PPDU, and after receiving the first PPDU, the first device determines to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is transmitted after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data transmitted by the second device is received within a first transmission time; the first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, the first PPDU being the most recent PPDU transmitted by the second device that requires a response from the first device; at least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0017] Based on the power-saving method, device, and storage medium provided in the embodiments of this disclosure, a method for switching capability communication modes can be provided, which helps to improve communication efficiency.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of this disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will become apparent from the description or may be learned by practice of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 2 is one of the interactive schematic diagrams of the power-saving method shown in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0022] Figure 3 is a second interactive schematic diagram of the power-saving method shown in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 4 is an example diagram of the interactive flow of the power-saving method shown in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 5a is a schematic flowchart of one of the power-saving methods shown in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0025] Figure 5b is a second schematic flowchart illustrating the power-saving method according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 6a is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first device shown in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second device shown in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0030] This disclosure provides a power-saving method, apparatus, and storage medium.

[0031] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a power-saving method, the method comprising:

[0032] After receiving the first physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the first device determines to switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time. The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, which is the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device. At least one of the operating parameters of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0033] In the above embodiments, after the first device receives the latest PPDU sent by the second device, which requires an immediate response from the first device, it can determine whether to switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time, which helps to reduce device power consumption.

[0034] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first device determines to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first wireless frame is transmitted after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data transmitted by the second device is received during a first transmission time, including:

[0035] The first device determines the capability mode switching time based on whether it sends a first wireless frame after a first time interval, and / or whether it receives retransmission data sent by the second device during a first transmission time.

[0036] The first device switches from the first capability mode to the second capability mode according to the capability mode switching time.

[0037] In the above embodiments, after the first device receives the latest PPDU sent by the second device that requires an immediate response from the first device, it can determine the capability mode switching time based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time. This allows the device to switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode in a timely manner, which helps reduce device power consumption.

[0038] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, when the first device sends a first wireless frame after a first time interval, or when retransmitted data sent by the second device is received during the first transmission time, the end time of the channel occupancy period of the second device is determined as the capability mode switching time.

[0039] If the first device does not send the first wireless frame after the first time interval and does not receive the retransmitted data during the first transmission time, the end time of the first transmission time or the end time of the channel occupancy period shall be determined as the capability mode switching time.

[0040] In the above embodiments, the first device can switch capability modes at the end of the second device's channel occupancy time if it transmits a first wireless frame after a first time interval, or if it does not transmit a first wireless frame after the first time interval but receives retransmitted data within the first transmission time. Furthermore, the first device can switch capability modes at the end of the first transmission time or the end of the channel occupancy time if it does not transmit a first wireless frame after the first time interval and does not receive retransmitted data within the first transmission time. Based on this, the first device can flexibly determine the capability mode switching time according to the transmission status of the first wireless frame and the data retransmission status, thereby helping to reduce device power consumption.

[0041] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the first transmission time is the shortest of the time corresponding to the retransmission limit of the second device and the lifetime of the first PPDU.

[0042] In the above embodiments, by using the shortest of the retransmission time corresponding to the second device's retransmission limit and the lifetime of the first PPDU as the first transmission time, the first device can be prevented from being in a high-energy-consumption state for a long time, which is beneficial to reducing device energy consumption.

[0043] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above retransmission limit includes at least one of short retransmission count or long retransmission count; the above lifetime is the maximum lifetime of the Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MSDU) in the MAC layer under the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) mechanism.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, prior to the aforementioned first time interval, the method further includes:

[0045] The first device receives an initial control frame sent by the second device, the initial control frame being used to instruct the first device to switch from the second capability mode to the first capability mode;

[0046] The first device switches from the second capability mode to the first capability mode and sends an initial control response frame, which is used to indicate the completion of the capability mode switch.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the first device can switch capability modes after receiving the initial control frame, which improves the signaling process for capability mode switching. Furthermore, the first device can complete the capability mode switching by instructing the initial control response frame after completion, which helps ensure consistency and efficiency in communication and cooperation between devices.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the aforementioned initial control frame includes at least one of the following:

[0049] The Duration field indicates the duration of channel occupancy by the second device mentioned above.

[0050] The padding field is used to extend the length of the initial control frame mentioned above.

[0051] In the above embodiments, the initial control frame uses the Duration field to specify the communication duration, which can avoid channel conflicts and improve the resource utilization efficiency of the entire network. The Padding field can be used to extend the length of the second radio frame so that the first device has sufficient time to switch capability modes.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, after the first device switches to the first capability mode, the first device performs at least one of the following operations:

[0053] The first device receives a second PPDU sent by the second device, wherein the second PPDU is a PPDU that does not require a response from the first device.

[0054] The first device receives the third PPDU sent by the second device, and sends or does not send the first radio frame after the first time interval. The most recent PPDU of the third PPDU is the first PPDU.

[0055] In the above embodiments, in order to ensure that data exchange and communication operations can be effectively performed after the first device switches from low power mode to high power mode, the first device can respond via the first radio frame when the communication status is good and a PPDU that requires immediate response is received. When there is a problem with the communication status, it can choose not to respond via the first radio frame, thus completing the signaling process after the first device receives the PPDU, which is beneficial to ensuring timely data transmission.

[0056] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments the above method further includes:

[0057] When receiving the second PPDU, the first device switches from the first capability mode to the second capability mode at the end of the channel occupancy period of the second device.

[0058] In the above embodiments, after receiving a PPDU sent by the second device that does not require an immediate response, the first device can maintain a high-power mode during the channel occupancy period of the second device. This allows the first device to immediately receive new PPDUs sent by the second device, improving data transmission efficiency. The first device can switch to a low-power mode at the end of the channel occupancy period of the second device, effectively reducing energy consumption when the second device is no longer transmitting data with the first device.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first time interval is a short inter-frame interval;

[0060] The aforementioned first time interval is initiated after the aforementioned first device receives the aforementioned first PPDU.

[0061] In the above embodiments, the first time interval is a time period that the first device starts timing when it receives a first PPDU (Programmable Component Distributed Duty) from the second device that requires an immediate response. During this period, the first device should promptly send a first radio frame as a response. However, if the first device fails to send a response frame after this first time interval, it may indicate a problem with the current communication, such as signal interference or processing delay, which helps the second device determine whether data retransmission is necessary. If the first device sends a response frame after the first time interval, it helps the second device determine that the first device has received the corresponding PPDU, thereby confirming that data transmission between the two parties has been completed.

[0062] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a power-saving method, the method comprising:

[0063] The second device sends a first PPDU, so that after receiving the first PPDU, the first device determines whether to switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received during a first transmission time. The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, and the first PPDU is the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device. At least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0064] In the above embodiments, after the second device sends the first PPDU, the first device can receive the latest PPDU sent by the second device that requires an immediate response from the first device. Then, based on whether the first wireless frame is sent after the first time interval and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within the first transmission time, the first device can determine whether to switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode, which helps to reduce device power consumption.

[0065] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments the above method further includes:

[0066] The second device receives the first wireless frame; or,

[0067] If the second device does not receive the first wireless frame, it may send or not send the retransmission data during the first transmission time.

[0068] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the first transmission time is the shortest of the time corresponding to the retransmission limit of the second device and / or the lifetime of the first PPDU.

[0069] In the above embodiments, by using the shortest of the retransmission time corresponding to the second device's retransmission limit and the lifetime of the first PPDU as the first transmission time, the first device can be prevented from being in a high-energy-consumption state for a long time, which is beneficial to reducing device energy consumption.

[0070] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the above retransmission limit includes at least one of short retransmission count or long retransmission count; the above lifetime is the maximum lifetime of MSDU in the MAC layer under the EDCA mechanism.

[0071] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments the above method further includes:

[0072] The second device sends an initial control frame, which is used to instruct the first device to switch from the second capability mode to the first capability mode.

[0073] The second device receives an initial control response frame sent by the first device, the initial control response frame being used to indicate the completion of capability mode switching.

[0074] In the above embodiments, the first device can switch capability modes after receiving the initial control frame, which improves the signaling process for capability mode switching. Furthermore, the first device can complete the capability mode switching by instructing the initial control response frame after completion, which helps ensure consistency and efficiency in communication and cooperation between devices.

[0075] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the aforementioned initial control frame includes at least one of the following:

[0076] The Duration field indicates the duration of channel occupancy by the second device mentioned above.

[0077] The padding field is used to extend the length of the initial control frame mentioned above.

[0078] In the above embodiments, the initial control frame uses the Duration field to specify the communication duration, which can avoid channel conflicts and improve the resource utilization efficiency of the entire network. The Padding field can be used to extend the length of the second radio frame so that the first device has sufficient time to switch capability modes.

[0079] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments the above method further includes:

[0080] The second device sends a second PPDU, which is a PPDU that does not require a response from the first device.

[0081] The second device sends a third PPDU, the most recent PPDU being the first PPDU.

[0082] In the above embodiments, in order to ensure that data exchange and communication operations can be effectively performed after the first device switches from low power mode to high power mode, when the second device sends a third PPDU including the first PPDU, the first device can respond through the first radio frame when the communication status is good and the PPDU that requires immediate response is received. If there is a problem with the communication status, the first device can choose not to respond through the first radio frame, thus completing the signaling process after the first device receives the PPDU, which is beneficial to ensuring timely data transmission.

[0083] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first time interval described above is a short inter-frame interval;

[0084] The aforementioned first time interval is initiated after the aforementioned first device receives the aforementioned first PPDU.

[0085] In the above embodiments, the first time interval is a period of time that begins to run when the first device receives a first PPDU (Programmable Component Distributed Duty) requiring a response from the second device. During this period, the first device should promptly send a first radio frame as a response. However, if the first device fails to send a response frame after this first time interval, it may indicate a problem with the current communication, such as signal interference or processing delay, which helps the second device determine whether data retransmission is necessary. If the first device sends a response frame after the first time interval, it helps the second device determine that the first device has received the corresponding PPDU, thereby confirming that data transmission between the two parties has been completed.

[0086] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, which is a first device, comprising:

[0087] The processing module is configured to, after receiving the first PPDU, determine whether to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time; the first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, the first PPDU being the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device; at least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0088] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, which is a second device, comprising:

[0089] The transceiver module is configured to transmit a first PPDU, so that after receiving the first PPDU, the first device determines whether to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is transmitted after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time. The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, and the first PPDU is the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device. At least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0090] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device including one or more processors; wherein, when the communication device is a first device, the processor executes a power-saving method as provided in the first aspect and optional embodiments thereof, and when the communication device is a second device, the processor executes a power-saving method as provided in the second aspect and optional embodiments thereof.

[0091] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the methods described in the first aspect, the second aspect, optional embodiments of the first aspect, and optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0092] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the methods described in the first aspect, the second aspect, optional embodiments of the first aspect, and optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0093] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in the first aspect, the second aspect, optional embodiments of the first aspect, and optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0094] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the methods described in the first aspect, the second aspect, optional embodiments of the first aspect, and optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0095] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system comprising a first device and a second device, wherein the second device transmits a first PPDU, and after receiving the first PPDU, the first device determines to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is transmitted after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data transmitted by the second device is received within a first transmission time; the first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, the first PPDU being the most recent / latest PPDU transmitted by the second device that requires a response from the first device; at least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0096] It is understood that the aforementioned first device, second device, communication system, communication equipment, storage medium, program product, computer program, chip, or chip system are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0097] This disclosure provides a power-saving method, apparatus, and storage medium. In some embodiments, the terms power-saving method and information processing method, power-saving device, and information processing system can be used interchangeably.

[0098] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0099] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0100] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0101] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the aforementioned," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0102] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0103] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0104] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0105] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0106] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0107] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0108] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0109] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0110] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0111] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0112] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0113] To address the aforementioned problems, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure will be further described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely a part of the embodiments of this disclosure, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0114] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0115] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a first device 101 and a second device 102.

[0116] The first device 101 and the second device 102 can be either a station (STA) or an access point (AP). When the first device 101 is a STA, the second device 102 is an AP; when the first device 101 is an AP, the second device 102 is a STA.

[0117] The STA includes a multi-access point device (non-AP STA) attached to a non-access point multi-link device (non-AP MLD), and the AP includes an AP attached to an access point multi-link device (AP MLD) and an ultra-reliable mobile access point device (UHR mobile AP). The first device 101 and the second device 102 can be devices that support the ultra-reliable UHR transmission protocol, such as the first device 101 and the second device 102 can be (UHR AP and UHR STA) respectively, or they can be devices that support the extremely high throughput (EHT) transmission protocol respectively.

[0118] In some embodiments, the first device 101 and the second device 102 may include a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, or a wireless communication terminal that supports WiFi communication. Optionally, the wireless communication terminal includes, but is not limited to, mobile phones, wearable devices, IoT devices that support WiFi communication, cars with WiFi communication capabilities, smart cars, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal devices, augmented reality (AR) terminal devices, wireless terminal devices in industrial control, wireless terminal devices in self-driving, wireless terminal devices in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal devices in smart grids, wireless terminal devices in transportation safety, wireless terminal devices in smart cities, and at least one of smart homes.

[0119] Optionally, the first device 101 and the second device 102 can be devices that support multiple connections, for example, they can be represented as AP MLD and Non-AP MLD respectively; AP MLD can represent an access point that supports multiple connection communication functions, and non-AP MLD can represent a site that supports multiple connection communication functions.

[0120] Among them, the first device 101 is in the first capability mode.

[0121] After receiving the first Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) sent by the second device 102, the first device 101 determines the capability mode switching time based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device 102 is received during a first transmission time.

[0122] Furthermore, the first device 101 switches from the first capability mode to the second capability mode according to the capability mode switching time.

[0123] The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, which is the latest PPDU sent by the second device 102 that requires an immediate response from the first device 101.

[0124] In this configuration, at least one operating parameter of any communication device takes a lower value in the second capability mode than in the first capability mode. For example, at least one operating parameter of the first device 101 in Figure 1 takes a lower value in the second capability mode than in the first capability mode.

[0125] The first capability mode in the various embodiments of this disclosure may also be referred to as the high capability mode, and the second capability mode may also be referred to as the low capability mode.

[0126] Here, "Capabilities mode" is equivalent to "Capabilities state," and can also be called capability communication mode. In some embodiments, the three can be used interchangeably.

[0127] Optionally, the above operating parameters include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS), number of Spatial Streams (SS), or Bandwidth (BW), and the channel bandwidth can also be understood as the operating bandwidth.

[0128] Among them, the working parameters corresponding to the second capability mode can be preset values, minimum parameter values, or parameter value ranges, without any restrictions.

[0129] As an example, the second capability mode corresponds to a channel bandwidth of 20MHz, a spatial stream count of 1, and a modulation and coding scheme up to MCS5. The first capability mode has a channel bandwidth greater than or equal to 20MHz, a spatial stream count greater than 1, and an unlimited MCS. Alternatively, the first capability mode has a channel bandwidth greater than 20MHz, a spatial stream count greater than or equal to 1, and an unlimited MCS.

[0130] Optionally, the operating parameters corresponding to the first or second capability communication mode may include, but are not limited to, bandwidth (BW), supported MCS methods, and NSS (number of Spatial Streams).

[0131] As an example, in the second capability communication mode, the device supports an operating bandwidth of 20MHz (Mega Hertz) (i.e., BW = 20MHz), the number of SSs is 1 (i.e., NSS = 1, single spatial stream), and the maximum value of the MCS index is 5, meaning the MCS index value can be any value from 0 to 5, for example, an MCS index value of 5, etc. In the first capability communication mode, the device supports a bandwidth greater than or equal to 20MHz, for example, any one or more of 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, or 320MHz, the number of SSs can be greater than or equal to 2, the MCS index can be greater than or equal to 5, and so on.

[0132] It should be noted that the values ​​of the working parameters for the first and second capability modes mentioned above are only examples and are not limited in actual applications.

[0133] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0134] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The connection may be in any way, such as direct connection or indirect connection, wired connection or wireless connection.

[0135] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), such as to IEEE 802.11 system standards, including 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11bf, 802.11be, or their next generation, such as 802.11bn. Alternatively, the embodiments disclosed herein can also be applied to WLAN systems such as Internet of Things (IoT) networks or Vehicle-to-X (V2X) networks. Of course, the embodiments disclosed herein can also be applied to other possible communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, and 5th generation (5G) communication systems, etc.

[0136] Figure 2 is one of the interactive schematic diagrams illustrating a power-saving method according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The power-saving method shown in Figure 2 includes:

[0137] S21, the first device receives an initial control frame, which is used to instruct the first device to switch from the second capability mode to the first capability mode.

[0138] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the Initial Control Frame (ICF) is sent by the second device to instruct the first device to switch from the second capability mode to the first capability mode.

[0139] The initial control frame can be a Multi-user Request to Send (MU-RTS) frame, a Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) frame, or other frames, or a newly defined frame; there are no restrictions here.

[0140] Normally, UHR devices in Dynamic Power Save (DPS) mode will enter Low Capabilities Mode (LCM) under certain conditions, such as Low Power Listening (LPL) mode. In LPL mode, for example, transmission and reception are performed with a single spatial stream, 20MHz bandwidth, and low data rate MCS.

[0141] In this embodiment, when the first device operates in a low-capability mode, the associated second device can send an initial control frame to the first device. Upon receiving the initial control frame, the first device switches to a high-capability mode (HCM) or a full-capability mode, such as the first capability mode, to exchange frames with the second device that sent the initial control frame. Therefore, this embodiment allows the first device to operate in a second capability mode and switches to the first capability mode when necessary, effectively reducing the power consumption of the first device. Simultaneously, when frame exchange is required, triggering the first device to switch to high-capability mode via the initial control frame ensures timely and effective transmission of wireless data.

[0142] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first PPDU is the latest PPDU sent by the second device that requires an immediate response / acknowledgement from the first device.

[0143] In some embodiments, the initial control frame may include at least one of the following:

[0144] The Duration field indicates the duration of channel occupancy when the second device communicates with the first device;

[0145] The padding field is used to extend the length of the initial control frame.

[0146] The duration field specifies the communication duration between the first and second devices, avoiding channel conflicts and improving overall network resource utilization efficiency. The padding field extends the initial control frame length, giving the first device sufficient time to switch capability modes.

[0147] S22, the first device switches from the second capability mode to the first capability mode.

[0148] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after receiving the initial control frame, the first device can switch from the second capability mode to the first capability mode within a certain period of time.

[0149] S23, the first device sends an initial control response frame, which is used to indicate the completion of the capability mode switch.

[0150] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after the first device switches from the second capability mode to the first capability mode, it can send an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame to the second device to inform the second device that the capability mode switch has been completed.

[0151] Through the initial control response frame, the first device can effectively notify the second device that the first device has successfully switched to the new capability mode, thereby ensuring the consistency and efficiency of communication and collaboration between the devices.

[0152] S24, the first device receives the second PPDU.

[0153] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after the first device switches to the first capability mode, it can receive the second PPDU sent by the second device.

[0154] The second PPDU is a PPDU that does not require an immediate response from the first device, and the specific number of second PPDUs sent by the second device is not limited here.

[0155] S25, the first device switches from the first capability mode to the second capability mode at the end of the channel occupation time of the second device.

[0156] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after receiving the second PPDU, that is, after receiving the PPDU sent by the second device that does not require the first device to respond immediately, the first device can switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode.

[0157] In this situation, by switching to the low-power second capability mode in a timely manner, the first device can avoid maintaining a high-power state when it does not need to transmit PPDU with the second device, thereby improving the overall energy efficiency of the system, extending the service life of the device, and improving the transmission efficiency of the system.

[0158] The power-saving method disclosed herein may include the foregoing steps and at least one of the steps in the embodiments. For example, any one of steps S21-S25 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of steps S21-S25 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0159] Figure 3 is a second interactive schematic diagram illustrating the power-saving method according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The power-saving method shown in Figure 3 includes:

[0160] S31, the first device receives an initial control frame, which is used to instruct the first device to switch from the second capability mode to the first capability mode.

[0161] S32, the first device switches from the second capability mode to the first capability mode.

[0162] S33, the first device sends an initial control response frame.

[0163] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the relevant descriptions and implementation methods of steps S31-S33 can be found in the implementation methods shown in steps S212-S213 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0164] S34, the first device receives the third PPDU.

[0165] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after the first device switches to the first capability mode, it can receive a third PPDU sent by the second device.

[0166] The third PPDU includes at least one PPDU that requires an immediate response from the first device, and the specific number of third PPDUs sent by the second device is not limited here.

[0167] S35, if the first device sends a first radio frame after a first time interval following the receipt of the first PPDU, or if it does not send a first radio frame after the first time interval and receives retransmitted data within the first transmission time, it switches from the first capability mode to the second capability mode at the end of the channel occupancy period of the second device.

[0168] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first PPDU is the latest PPDU among the third PPDUs sent by the second device, which requires an immediate response from the first device.

[0169] In this process, after receiving a PPDU that requires an immediate response from the first device, the first device must immediately send a response frame to the second device after a time interval following the receipt of the PPDU, informing the second device that the first device has received the response PPDU.

[0170] In this scenario, after receiving the first PPDU, if the first device's current communication status is not problematic (e.g., signal interference), the first device needs to send a first radio frame to the second device after a first time interval to respond to the first PPDU. If there are problems with the current communication status, the first device will not send the first radio frame to the second device.

[0171] The first time interval can be a Short Interframe Space (SIFS) or a time interval agreed upon in advance by the first and second devices for replying to response frames; there is no restriction on this.

[0172] SIFS stands for Shortest Interval Between Frames in wireless communication, typically used in scenarios requiring rapid response. In this embodiment, the first time interval begins after the first device receives the first PPDU. By setting the first time interval to an SIFS, the first device can react in a very short time, avoiding energy waste caused by unnecessary waiting between the first and second devices.

[0173] In this embodiment of the disclosure, when a first radio frame is sent to the second device after a first time interval following the receipt of the first PPDU, it indicates that the first device responds to the first PPDU promptly after receiving it. Therefore, after the first device sends the first radio frame after the first time interval, the first device can maintain a first capability mode during the channel occupancy period of the second device, and switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode at the end of the channel occupancy period of the second device.

[0174] In this embodiment of the disclosure, if the first device does not send the first wireless frame after a first time interval following the receipt of the first PPDU, it indicates that the first device is unable to respond to the first PPDU due to a communication problem. In this case, the second device cannot determine whether the first device has received the first PPDU, and will then send retransmission data to the first device within the first transmission time.

[0175] The first transmission time is a preset time period for data retransmission negotiated in advance by the first device and the second device, and the channel occupancy time of the second device includes the first transmission time. For example, the start time of the first transmission time is later than the start time of the channel occupancy time of the second device, and the end time of the first transmission time is equal to or coincides with the end time of the channel occupancy time of the second device, which is not restricted here.

[0176] When the first device receives retransmitted data sent by the second device within the first transmission time, the first device may maintain the first capability mode for the channel occupation time of the second device, and switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode at the end of the channel occupation time of the second device.

[0177] In this process, after the first device receives the retransmitted data sent by the second device within the first transmission time, since the third PPDU sent by the first device before the first time interval includes the first PPDU, the retransmitted data also includes the first PPDU. Therefore, after receiving the retransmitted data, the first device needs to send a first radio frame to respond to the first PPDU in the retransmitted data.

[0178] Optionally, the first transmission time may include a first time interval.

[0179] In this embodiment, the first device maintains a first capability mode during the channel occupancy period of the second device, enabling it to successfully receive new PPDUs when the second device retransmits them. Furthermore, at the end of the channel occupancy period of the second device, i.e., when the second device ceases communication with the first device, the first device can switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode, thereby avoiding energy waste.

[0180] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first transmission time can be either the time corresponding to the retransmission limit of the second device or the lifespan of the first PPDU. For example, the first transmission time can be the shortest of the time corresponding to the retransmission limit of the second device and the lifespan of the first PPDU.

[0181] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the retransmission limit of the second device can be understood as the maximum number of times the second device attempts to retransmit data, and the time corresponding to the retransmission limit of the second device is the time consumed by the maximum number of times the second device attempts to retransmit data, that is, the maximum time allowed for the second device to perform the data retransmission operation.

[0182] The retransmission limit of the second device includes at least one of short retry count or long retry count.

[0183] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the lifetime of any PPDU is the maximum lifetime of the Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MSDU) in the MAC layer under the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) mechanism.

[0184] When the first device is an AP, the lifetime of the first PPDU can be expressed as dot11QAPEDCATableMSDULifetime. When the first device is a STA, the lifetime of the first PPDU can be expressed as dot11EDCATableMSDULifetime.

[0185] S36, after receiving the first PPDU, the first device does not send the first radio frame after a first time interval, and does not receive retransmitted data within the first transmission time. At the end of the first transmission time or the end of the channel occupancy time of the second device, it switches from the first capability mode to the second capability mode.

[0186] In this embodiment of the disclosure, if the first device does not send the first wireless frame after a first time interval following the receipt of the first PPDU, it indicates that the first device is unable to respond to the first PPDU due to a problem with its communication status. In this case, the second device cannot determine whether the first device has received the first PPDU, and may therefore send retransmission data to the first device within the first transmission time.

[0187] If the first device does not receive retransmitted data from the second device within the first transmission time, the first device can determine that the second device will no longer perform data retransmission. Therefore, the first device can switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode at the end of the first transmission time or at the end of the channel occupancy time of the second device, thereby avoiding energy waste.

[0188] Optionally, the first device may switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode at the end of the first transmission time to enter the low-power mode as early as possible and avoid energy waste as much as possible.

[0189] The power-saving method disclosed herein may include the foregoing steps and at least one of the embodiments. For example, any one of steps S31-S36 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of steps S31-S36 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0190] The power-saving method provided in this disclosure will be further explained below with reference to specific examples.

[0191] Example 1:

[0192] Step 1: The second device sends an Initial Control Frame (ICF) to its associated first device. The ICF instructs the first device to switch from a low capability mode (second capability mode) to a high capability mode (first capability mode). The ICF contains at least the following:

[0193] Duration field: Used to indicate the duration of channel occupancy by the second device;

[0194] Padding field: Used to extend the ICF length so that the first device can switch capability modes.

[0195] Step 2: After receiving the initial control frame, the first device switches from the low capability mode (second capability mode) to the high capability mode (first capability mode) within a certain period of time, and sends an initial control response (ICR) frame to the second device to indicate that the first device has completed the capability mode switch.

[0196] Step 3: After receiving the ICR frame, the second device sends a second PPDU to the first device. The second PPDU is a PPDU that does not require an immediate response from the first device.

[0197] Step 4: After the first device switches to high capability mode, it receives the second PPDU sent by the second device, and switches from high capability mode to low capability mode after the channel occupancy time indicated by the Duration field has elapsed.

[0198] Example 2:

[0199] Step 1: The second device sends an Initial Control Frame (ICF) to its associated first device. The ICF instructs the first device to switch from a low capability mode (second capability mode) to a high capability mode (first capability mode). The ICF contains at least the following:

[0200] Duration field: Used to indicate the duration of channel occupancy by the second device;

[0201] Padding field: Used to extend the ICF length so that the first device can switch capability modes.

[0202] Step 2: After receiving the initial control frame, the first device switches from the low capability mode (second capability mode) to the high capability mode (first capability mode) within a certain period of time, and sends an initial control response (ICR) frame to the second device to indicate that the first device has completed the capability mode switch.

[0203] Step 3: After the second device receives the ICR frame, the first device sends a third PPDU and requests the necessary response frame. The third PPDU includes PPDUs that require an immediate response from the first device.

[0204] Step 4: After the first device switches to high-capability mode, it receives the third PPDU sent by the second device and needs to send the necessary response frames to the second device.

[0205] Scenario 1: After receiving the first PPDU (the latest PPDU among the third PPDUs that requires an immediate response from the first device) for the first time interval, the first radio frame is sent to the second device. After the channel occupancy duration indicated by the Duration field is reached, the device switches from high capability mode to low capability mode.

[0206] The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU.

[0207] Scenario 2: If the first radio frame is not sent to the second device after the first time interval following the receipt of the first PPDU, and the first device receives retransmission data sent by the second device and / or sends a response frame to the second device for PPDUs that require immediate response in the retransmission data within the first transmission time, the first device continues to maintain the high-capability mode. After the channel occupancy duration indicated by the Duration field is reached, the first device switches from the high-capability mode to the low-capability mode.

[0208] Scenario 3: If the first device does not send a first radio frame to the second device after receiving the first PPDU within the first time interval, and does not receive retransmission data from the second device within the first transmission time, and does not send a response frame to the second device for the PPDU that requires immediate response in the retransmission data, the first device continues to maintain the high capability mode. After the channel occupancy duration indicated by the Duration field or the first transmission time has elapsed, it switches from the high capability mode to the low capability mode.

[0209] The first time interval is a short inter-frame interval (SIFS), and the first time interval begins when the first device receives the first PPDU sent by the second device.

[0210] The first transmission time corresponds to the time corresponding to the first device retry limit or the lifetime corresponding to the first PPDU (the shorter of the retry limit time and lifttime is taken).

[0211] The retransmission limit can be either a short retransmission count or a long retransmission count. The lifetime can be either dot11EDCATableMSDULifetime (the first device is the STA) or dot11QAPEDCATableMSDULifetime (the first device is the AP).

[0212] Example 3:

[0213] Step 1: The second device sends an Initial Control Frame (ICF) to its associated first device. The ICF instructs the first device to switch from a low capability mode (second capability mode) to a high capability mode (first capability mode). The ICF contains at least the following:

[0214] Duration field: Used to indicate the duration of channel occupancy by the second device;

[0215] Padding field: Used to extend the ICF length so that the first device can switch capability modes.

[0216] Step 2: After receiving the initial control frame, the first device switches from the low capability mode (second capability mode) to the high capability mode (first capability mode) within a certain period of time, and sends an initial control response (ICR) frame to the second device to indicate that the first device has completed the capability mode switch.

[0217] Step 3: After receiving the ICR frame, the second device sends to the first device both a PPDU that does not require an immediate response from the first device and a PPDU that does require an immediate response from the first device. That is, the second device can simultaneously send to the first device both a PPDU that requires an immediate response from the first device and a PPDU that does not require an immediate response from the first device.

[0218] Step 4: After the first device switches to high-capacity mode, it receives the PPDU sent by the second device.

[0219] Scenario 1: After receiving the first PPDU (the latest PPDU that requires an immediate response from the first device among all PPDUs sent by the second device, including PPDUs that do not require an immediate response from the first device and PPDUs that require an immediate response from the first device) for a first time interval, the first device sends the first radio frame to the second device. After the channel occupancy duration indicated by the Duration field is reached, the first device switches from high capability mode to low capability mode.

[0220] The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU.

[0221] Scenario 2: If the first device does not send the first radio frame to the second device after the first time interval following the receipt of the first PPDU, and if it receives retransmission data from the second device within the first transmission time, the first device continues to maintain the high-capability mode. After the channel occupancy duration indicated by the Duration field is reached, it switches from the high-capability mode to the low-capability mode.

[0222] Scenario 3: If the first radio frame is not sent to the second device after the first time interval following the receipt of the first PPDU, and no retransmission data is received from the second device within the first transmission time, the first device continues to maintain the high-capability mode. After the channel occupancy duration indicated by the Duration field or the first transmission time has elapsed, the device switches from the high-capability mode to the low-capability mode.

[0223] Referring to Figure 4, Figure 4 illustrates a specific example of an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0224] At time T1, the second device sends an initial control frame (ICF) to the first device.

[0225] After receiving the initial control frame, the first device switches from low capability mode (LCM) to high capability mode (HCM) and sends an initial control response (ICR) frame to the second device at time T2. The ICR frame notifies the second device that the first device has successfully switched to high capability mode.

[0226] After the first device switches to high-capacity mode, it exchanges data with the second device.

[0227] In this scenario, after receiving a PPDU sent by the second device that does not require an immediate response, the first device can switch from high-capability mode to low-capability mode at the end of the second device's channel occupancy period (T6).

[0228] In this device, after receiving a PPDU sent by the second device that requires an immediate response, and after receiving the latest PPDU that requires an immediate response, the first device may send a first radio frame after a first time interval (e.g., T4) to respond to the first PPDU, and may switch from high capability mode to low capability mode at the end of the second device's channel occupancy time (T6).

[0229] If the first device does not send the first radio frame and receives retransmitted data from the second device within the first transmission time (T4-T5), it can switch from high-capability mode to low-capability mode at the end of the second device's channel occupancy time (T6). If the first device does not send the first radio frame and does not receive retransmitted data from the second device within the first transmission time (T3-T5), it can switch from high-capability mode to low-capability mode at the end of the first transmission time (T5).

[0230] Figure 5a is a schematic flowchart of one of the power-saving methods shown in this embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5a, the method is performed by a first device and includes:

[0231] S511, after receiving the first PPDU, determine to switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after the first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received during the first transmission time; the first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, the first PPDU being the most recent / latest PPDU sent by the second device that requires an immediate response from the first device.

[0232] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first device determines to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first wireless frame is transmitted after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received during a first transmission time, including:

[0233] The first device determines the capability mode switching time based on whether it sends a first wireless frame after a first time interval, and / or whether it receives retransmission data sent by the second device during a first transmission time.

[0234] The first device switches from the first capability mode to the second capability mode according to the capability mode switching time.

[0235] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first device determines the capability mode switching time based on whether a first wireless frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time, including:

[0236] If the first device sends a first wireless frame after the first time interval, or if it does not send a first wireless frame after the first time interval and receives retransmitted data sent by the second device within the first transmission time, the end time of the channel occupancy period of the second device shall be determined as the capability mode switching time.

[0237] If the first device does not send the first wireless frame after the first time interval and does not receive retransmitted data within the first transmission time, the end time of the first transmission time or the end time of the channel occupancy period shall be determined as the capability mode switching time.

[0238] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first transmission time is the shortest of the time corresponding to the retransmission limit of the second device and / or the lifetime of the first PPDU.

[0239] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the retransmission limit includes at least one of short retransmission count or long retransmission count; the lifetime is the maximum lifetime of the Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MSDU) in the MAC layer under the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) mechanism.

[0240] In this embodiment of the disclosure, prior to the first time interval, the following is further included:

[0241] The first device receives an initial control frame sent by the second device. The initial control frame is used to instruct the first device to switch from the second capability mode to the first capability mode.

[0242] The first device switches from the second capability mode to the first capability mode and sends an initial control response frame, which is used to indicate the completion of the capability mode switch.

[0243] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the initial control frame includes at least one of the following:

[0244] The Duration field indicates the duration of channel occupancy by the second device.

[0245] The padding field is used to extend the length of the initial control frame.

[0246] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after the first device switches to the first capability mode, the first device performs at least one of the following operations:

[0247] The first device receives a second PPDU sent by the second device. The second PPDU is a PPDU that does not require an immediate response from the first device.

[0248] The first device receives the third PPDU sent by the second device, and after a first time interval, it may or may not send the first radio frame. The most recent PPDU of the third PPDU is the first PPDU.

[0249] In this embodiment of the disclosure, it also includes:

[0250] When receiving the second PPDU, the first device switches from the first capability mode to the second capability mode at the end of the channel occupancy time of the second device.

[0251] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first time interval is a short inter-frame interval;

[0252] The first time interval is initiated after the first device receives the first PPDU.

[0253] Figure 5b is a second schematic flowchart illustrating a power-saving method according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 5b, the method is executed by a second device and includes:

[0254] S521, a first PPDU is sent so that after receiving the first PPDU, the first device determines whether to switch from the first capability mode to the second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received during the first transmission time. The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, which is the most recent / latest PPDU sent by the second device that requires an immediate response from the first device.

[0255] In this embodiment of the disclosure, it also includes:

[0256] The second device receives the first wireless frame; or...

[0257] If the second device does not receive the first wireless frame, it may send or not send retransmitted data within the first transmission time.

[0258] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first transmission time is the shortest of the time corresponding to the retransmission limit of the second device and / or the lifetime of the first PPDU.

[0259] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the retransmission limit includes at least one of short retransmission count or long retransmission count; the lifetime is the maximum lifetime of the MSDU in the MAC layer under the EDCA mechanism.

[0260] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the method further includes:

[0261] The second device sends an initial control frame, which is used to instruct the first device to switch from the second capability mode to the first capability mode;

[0262] The second device receives the initial control response frame sent by the first device. The initial control response frame is used to indicate the completion of the capability mode switch.

[0263] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the initial control frame includes at least one of the following:

[0264] The Duration field indicates the duration of channel occupancy by the second device.

[0265] The padding field is used to extend the length of the initial control frame.

[0266] In this embodiment of the disclosure, it also includes:

[0267] The second device sends a second PPDU, which is a PPDU that does not require a response from the first device;

[0268] The second device sends the third PPDU, and the most recent PPDU of the third PPDU is the first PPDU.

[0269] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first time interval is a short inter-frame interval;

[0270] The first time interval is initiated after the first device receives the first PPDU.

[0271] Figure 6a is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6a, the first device 610 may include a processing module 611.

[0272] In some embodiments, the processing module 611 is configured to, after receiving the first PPDU, determine whether to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received during a first transmission time; the first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, the first PPDU being the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device; at least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0273] Optionally, the processing module 611 is used to execute at least one of the processing steps (e.g., steps S22, S25, S32, S35, S36, S511, but not limited thereto) executed by the first device in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here. The first device 610 may also include a transceiver module 612, used to execute at least one of the transceiver steps (e.g., steps S21, S23, S24, S31, S33, S34, but not limited thereto) executed by the first device in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0274] Figure 6b is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6b, the second device 620 may include a transceiver module 621.

[0275] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 621 is configured to send a first PPDU, so that after receiving the first PPDU, the first device determines to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received during a first transmission time; the first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, and the first PPDU is the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device; at least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

[0276] Optionally, the transceiver module 621 is used to perform at least one of the transceiver steps (e.g., step S521, but not limited thereto) performed by the second device in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0277] It should be understood that the above division of units or modules is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, units or modules can be implemented in the form of processor calling software: for example, including a processor connected to memory, with instructions stored in the memory, and the processor calling the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the above units or modules. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0278] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0279] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 700 can be a first device, or a chip, chip system, logic entity, or processor that supports the first device in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments, and for details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiments.

[0280] As shown in Figure 7, the communication device 700 includes one or more processors 701. The processor 701 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control power-saving devices (such as base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The communication device 700 is used to execute any of the above methods.

[0281] In some embodiments, the communication device 700 further includes one or more memories 702 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 702 may be located outside the communication device 700.

[0282] In some embodiments, the communication device 700 further includes one or more transceivers 703. When the communication device 700 includes one or more transceivers 703, the transceivers 703 perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S21, S23, S24, S31, S33, S34, S521, but not limited thereto), and the processor 701 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S22, S25, S32, S35, S36, S511, but not limited thereto).

[0283] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0284] In some embodiments, the communication device 700 may include one or more interface circuits 704. Optionally, the interface circuit 704 is connected to the memory 702, and the interface circuit 704 can be used to receive signals from the memory 702 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 702 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 704 can read instructions stored in the memory 702 and send the instructions to the processor 701.

[0285] The communication device 700 described in the above embodiments may be a first device, but the scope of the communication device 700 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 700 may not be limited by FIG. 7. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the above-mentioned communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above-mentioned IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0286] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 800 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The chip 800 includes one or more processors 801, and the chip 800 is used to perform any of the above methods.

[0287] In some embodiments, chip 800 further includes one or more interface circuits 803. Optionally, the interface circuit 803 is connected to memory 802, and the interface circuit 803 can be used to receive signals from memory 802 or other devices, and the interface circuit 803 can be used to send signals to memory 802 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 803 can read instructions stored in memory 802 and send the instructions to processor 801.

[0288] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 803 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S21, S23, S24, S31, S33, S34, S521, but not limited thereto), and the processor 801 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S22, S25, S32, S35, S36, S511, but not limited thereto).

[0289] In some embodiments, the terms interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, transceiver, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0290] In some embodiments, chip 800 further includes one or more memories 802 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 802 may be located outside of chip 800.

[0291] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 700, cause the communication device 700 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0292] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 700, causes the communication device 700 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0293] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods. The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this disclosure and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the above-described concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above features with (but not limited to) technical features disclosed in this disclosure that have similar functions.

Claims

1. A power-saving method, characterized in that, The method includes: After receiving a first physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the first device determines to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time. The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, which is the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device. At least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first device determines to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first wireless frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmitted data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time, including: The first device determines the capability mode switching time based on whether it sends a first wireless frame after a first time interval, and / or whether it receives retransmission data sent by the second device during a first transmission time. The first device switches from the first capability mode to the second capability mode according to the capability mode switching time.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first device determines the capability mode switching time based on whether it sends a first wireless frame after a first time interval, and / or whether it receives retransmission data sent by the second device within a first transmission time, including: When the first device sends the first wireless frame after the first time interval, or when it receives retransmitted data sent by the second device within the first transmission time, the end time of the channel occupancy period of the second device shall be determined as the capability mode switching time. If the first device does not send the first wireless frame after the first time interval and does not receive the retransmitted data within the first transmission time, the end time of the first transmission time or the end time of the channel occupancy period shall be determined as the capability mode switching time.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first transmission time is the shortest of the time corresponding to the retransmission limit of the second device and / or the lifetime of the first PPDU.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The retransmission limit includes at least one of short retransmission count or long retransmission count; the lifetime is the maximum lifetime of the Media Access Control Service Data Unit (MSDU) in the MAC layer under the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) mechanism.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Prior to the first time interval, the method further includes: The first device receives an initial control frame sent by the second device, the initial control frame being used to instruct the first device to switch from the second capability mode to the first capability mode; The first device switches from the second capability mode to the first capability mode and sends an initial control response frame, which is used to indicate the completion of the capability mode switch.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The initial control frame includes at least one of the following: The Duration field indicates the duration of channel occupancy by the second device. The padding field is used to extend the length of the initial control frame.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, After the first device switches to the first capability mode, the first device performs at least one of the following operations: The first device receives a second PPDU sent by the second device, wherein the second PPDU is a PPDU that does not require a response from the first device; The first device receives the third PPDU sent by the second device, and sends or does not send the first radio frame after the first time interval, wherein the most recent PPDU of the third PPDU is the first PPDU.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the second PPDU is received, the first device switches from the first capability mode to the second capability mode at the end of the channel occupancy time of the second device.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first time interval is a short inter-frame interval; The first time interval is initiated after the first device receives the first PPDU.

11. A power-saving method, characterized in that, The method includes: The second device sends a first PPDU, so that after receiving the first PPDU, the first device determines whether to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received during a first transmission time. The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, which is the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device. At least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second device receives the first wireless frame; or, If the second device does not receive the first wireless frame, it sends the retransmission data within the first transmission time.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second device sends an initial control frame, which instructs the first device to switch from the second capability mode to the first capability mode; The second device receives an initial control response frame sent by the first device, the initial control response frame being used to indicate the completion of capability mode switching.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The initial control frame includes at least one of the following: The Duration field indicates the duration of channel occupancy by the second device. The padding field is used to extend the length of the initial control frame.

15. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second device sends a second PPDU, which is a PPDU that does not require a response from the first device; The second device sends a third PPDU, the most recent PPDU being the first PPDU.

16. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is a first device, comprising: The processing module is configured to, after receiving the first PPDU, determine whether to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time; the first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, the first PPDU being the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device; at least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is a second device, including: The transceiver module is configured to send a first PPDU, so that after receiving the first PPDU, the first device determines whether to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval, and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time. The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, and the first PPDU is the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device. At least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

18. A communication device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; The processor is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-10 or to execute the method according to any one of claims 11-15.

19. A storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on the communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one of claims 1-10 or the method described in any one of claims 11-15.

20. A communication system, the communication system comprising a first device and a second device, wherein, The second device sends a first PPDU. After receiving the first PPDU, the first device determines whether to switch from a first capability mode to a second capability mode based on whether a first radio frame is sent after a first time interval and / or whether retransmission data sent by the second device is received within a first transmission time. The first radio frame is used to respond to the first PPDU, which is the most recent PPDU sent by the second device that requires a response from the first device. At least one operating parameter of the first device has a value in the second capability mode that is less than its value in the first capability mode.

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