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

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of wireless communications, and discloses a communication method, apparatus and device, a medium, and a program product. The method is executed by a first station. The method comprises: receiving a second frame, the second frame being used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with the first station in a first operating mode; triggering the first station to report information about a capability and / or a resource; and requesting the first station to report the information about the capability and / or the resource.

Description

Communication method, apparatus, device, medium and program product

[0001] The present application claims priority to the patent application No. PCT / CN2024 / 117615, filed on September 6, 2024, and entitled "Communication method, apparatus, device, medium and program product", the whole content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of wireless communication, in particular to a communication method, apparatus, device, medium and program product. BACKGROUND

[0003] Coexistence operation refers to that a station supporting IEEE 802.11 protocol specification can share its radio resources with other wireless communication technologies or other stations attached to the same Multi-Link Device (MLD), so that the station can be unavailable at certain time and / or certain frequency, or the station can operate at limited operation capability.

[0004] Improving coexistence operation is very important for improving the efficiency of wireless resource utilization, and if there is a lack of coexistence processing mechanism, it will cause problems such as data loss, delay increase, reliability reduction, frequency utilization efficiency reduction, etc. of STA.

[0005] SUMMARY

[0006] The present application provides a communication method, apparatus, device, medium and program product, which at least includes:

[0007] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication method is provided, the method is performed by a first station, and the method includes:

[0008] receiving a second frame, the second frame is used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with the first station in a first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of capability and / or resource; requesting the first station to report the information of the capability and / or resource.

[0009] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication method is provided, the method is performed by a first station, and the method includes:

[0010] sending a third frame, the third frame being used to indicate information of capability and / or resource of the first station; wherein the information of capability and / or resource of the first station comprises one or more of the following: available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is updated, the resource comprising one or more of the following: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, space domain resource; available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station is updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station is not updated.

[0011] According to another aspect of embodiments of the present application, a communication method is provided, the method being performed by a second station, the method comprising:

[0012] sending a second frame, the second frame being used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with a first station in a first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of capability and / or resource; requesting the first station to report the information of capability and / or resource.

[0013] According to another aspect of embodiments of the present application, a communication method is provided, the method being performed by a second station, the method comprising:

[0014] receiving a third frame, the third frame being used to indicate information of capability and / or resource of the first station; wherein the information of capability and / or resource of the first station comprises one or more of the following: available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is updated, the resource comprising one or more of the following: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, space domain resource; available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station is updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station is not updated.

[0015] According to an aspect of embodiments of the present application, a communication apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0016] receiving module, configured to receive a second frame, the second frame being used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with a first station in a first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of capability and / or resource; requesting the first station to report the information of capability and / or resource.

[0017] According to another aspect of embodiments of the present application, a communication apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising:

[0018] The sending module is configured to send a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate information about a capability and / or resource of the first station; and the information about the capability and / or resource of the first station comprises one or more of the following: available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are updated, the resources comprise one or more of the following: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, and space domain resources; available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are not updated; a receiving capability and / or a sending capability of the first station are updated; and the receiving capability and / or the sending capability of the first station are not updated.

[0019] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication apparatus is provided, which comprises:

[0020] The sending module is configured to send a second frame, where the second frame is used to perform one or more of the following: initiate a frame exchange with a first station in a first operation mode; trigger the first station to report information about a capability and / or resource; and request the first station to report the information about the capability and / or resource.

[0021] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication apparatus is provided, which comprises:

[0022] The receiving module is configured to receive a third frame, where the third frame is used to indicate information about a capability and / or resource of the first station; and the information about the capability and / or resource of the first station comprises one or more of the following: available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are updated, the resources comprise one or more of the following: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, and space domain resources; available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are not updated; a receiving capability and / or a sending capability of the first station are updated; and the receiving capability and / or the sending capability of the first station are not updated.

[0023] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication device is provided, which comprises: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; and the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the communication method according to the above aspects.

[0024] According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer readable storage medium is provided, which stores at least one program, and the at least one program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the communication method according to the above aspects.

[0025] According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a computer program product is provided, which includes computer instructions stored in a computer readable storage medium, and a processor acquires the computer instructions from the computer readable storage medium, and executes the computer instructions to implement the communication method according to the above aspects.

[0026] According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a chip is provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or at least one program, and is configured to implement the communication method according to the above aspects based on the programmable logic circuit and / or the at least one program.

[0027] The technical scheme provided by the embodiments of the present application can have the following beneficial effects.

[0028] Supporting the first station to send the third frame or sending the third frame based on the second frame, so that the second station learns the information of the resources and / or capabilities of the first station in time. It is helpful for the first station and the second station to communicate according to the information of the available resources and / or unavailable resources and / or supported capabilities and / or unsupported capabilities of the stations in subsequent frame interaction, which alleviates or even avoids the problems of data packet loss, time delay increase, frequency utilization efficiency reduction and the like caused by the change of the information of the resources and capabilities of the stations, and effectively improves the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical schemes in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed in the embodiment description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided by an example embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG. 8 shows a frame exchange diagram of a first operation mode according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG. 9 shows a flow diagram of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG. 10 shows a flow diagram of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG. 11 shows a flow diagram of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG. 12 shows a flow diagram of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG. 13 shows a flow diagram of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG. 14 shows a flow diagram of a communication method according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG. 15 shows a frame exchange diagram of a first type of operation mode according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG. 16 shows a frame exchange diagram of a second type of operation mode according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG. 17 shows a frame exchange diagram of a third type of operation mode according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG. 18 shows a frame exchange diagram of a fourth type of operation mode according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG. 19 shows a frame exchange diagram of a fourth type of operation mode according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG. 20 shows a diagram of a coexistence operation mode announcement frame sent by a first station according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG. 21 shows a diagram of a format of a coexistence operation mode control field according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG. 22 shows a diagram of a format of a coexistence operation mode latency parameter field according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 23 shows a format of a capability operation parameter field according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0053] Figure 24 shows a format of a coexistence operation mode request frame sent by a first station according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0054] Figure 25 shows a format of a coexistence operation mode indication control subfield according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0055] Figure 26 shows a format of a capability operation mode indication control subfield according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0056] Figure 27 shows a format of a second frame according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0057] Figure 28 shows a format of a common information field according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0058] Figure 29 shows a format of a common information field according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0059] Figure 30 shows a format of a special user information field according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0060] Figure 31 shows a format of an OM control update parameter information subfield according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0061] Figure 32 shows a format of an extended OM control update parameter information subfield according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0062] Figure 33 shows a format of a special user information field according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0063] Figure 34 shows a format of a mode control subfield according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0064] Figure 35 shows a format of a block acknowledgement frame carrying initial control information / dynamic control information according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0065] Figure 36 shows a format of a block acknowledgement frame carrying initial control information / dynamic control information according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0066] Figure 37 shows a frame exchange of a second frame and a third frame according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0067] Figure 38 shows a frame exchange of a second frame and a third frame according to an example embodiment of the application;

[0068] FIG. 39 shows a schematic diagram of frame exchange between the second frame and the third frame according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG. 40 shows a schematic diagram of frame exchange in the first operation mode based on partial resource sharing and mode switching according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG. 41 shows a structural block diagram of a communication device according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG. 42 shows a structural block diagram of a communication device according to an example embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG. 43 shows a structural diagram of a communication device according to an example embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] For the purpose of the present application, the technical solutions and advantages will be more apparent, the following will be further described in detail with the attached drawings. Here will be described in detail the example embodiments, which example is shown in the drawings. The following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The following example embodiments described in the embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0074] The terms used in the present application are merely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" used in the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0075] It should be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used herein to describe various information, the information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to differentiate one piece of information from another piece of information. For example, without departing from the scope of the present application, the first information can also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information can also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein can be interpreted as "when" or "upon" or "in response to determining". In the present specification, when the meaning expressed by the Boolean value is expressed as "0" represents "the first meaning", "1" represents "the second meaning", without loss of generality, those skilled in the art can understand that the representative meaning can be reversed, i.e. "1" represents "the first meaning", "0" represents "the second meaning".

[0076] It should be understood that the format, name and value of the frames / elements / fields involved in various embodiments of the present application are only examples and do not mean to limit the format, name and value of the frames / elements / fields. In different embodiments or different designs, one or more of the name of the above-mentioned elements / fields, the position in the frame, the arrangement order between the other elements / fields, the number of bytes occupied, the number of bits occupied can be changed. In different embodiments or different designs, one or more of the name of the above-mentioned frame, the elements / fields contained, the number of bytes occupied, the number of bits occupied can be changed.

[0077] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 100 provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The wireless communication system 100 includes stations (STAs) and stations. In the present application, the STA includes an access point station (Access Point STA, AP STA) and / or a non-access point station (non-AP STA), wherein the AP STA can be referred to as an AP. The communication between the STA and the STA can be implemented as the communication between the AP and the non-AP STA, or the communication between the non-AP STA and the non-AP STA, or the communication between the STA and the peer STA. The peer STA refers to a device communicating with the STA at the opposite end, and the peer STA can be an AP or a non-AP STA. FIG. 1 takes the example of the wireless communication system 100 including an AP 110 and a non-AP STA 120.

[0078] The AP 110 is a device deployed in a wireless local area network (WLAN) / wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system to provide wireless communication functions for STAs. The AP 110 is equivalent to a bridge connecting a wired network and a wireless network, and mainly functions to connect various wireless network clients together and then access the wireless network to an Ethernet. The AP 110 can be a terminal device or a network device (such as a router) with a WLAN / Wi-Fi chip.

[0079] In some embodiments, the AP 110 can be a device supporting multiple current and future Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family WLAN standards, such as 802.11be, 802.11bn, 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a. The AP 110 can also be applied to a network environment supporting a next-generation WLAN system / next-generation Wi-Fi communication.

[0080] The non-AP STA 120 can be a wireless communication device supporting WLAN / Wi-Fi technology, such as a wireless communication device with a WLAN / Wi-Fi chip.

[0081] In some embodiments, the non-AP STA 120 can be a device supporting multiple current and future IEEE 802.11 family WLAN standards, such as 802.11be, 802.11bn, 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a. The non-AP STA 120 can also be applied to a network environment supporting a next-generation WLAN system / next-generation Wi-Fi communication.

[0082] In the embodiments of the present application, the next-generation WLAN system is a WLAN system evolved from the 802.11be system and can meet the backward compatibility with the 802.11be system. The next-generation Wi-Fi communication is any new generation of Wi-Fi communication after Wi-Fi 7 based on the 802.11be specification, such as Ultra High Reliability (UHR) communication, etc.

[0083] In some embodiments, the AP 110 and the non-AP STA 120 both support IEEE 802.11 protocol, but are not limited to IEEE 802.11 protocol.

[0084] It can be understood that the role of the STA in wireless communication is not absolute. For example, when the mobile phone A connects to the router, the mobile phone A is a non-AP STA, and when the mobile phone A acts as a hotspot for the mobile phone B, the mobile phone A acts as an AP.

[0085] The STA in the embodiments of the present application can be a device with wireless transceiving function, for example, can support 802.11 series protocol, and can communicate with an AP or other STA. For example, the STA is any user communication device that allows a user to communicate with an AP and then communicate with a WLAN. The STA is, for example, a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), a mobile terminal (MT), an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile terminal, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a user terminal, a terminal, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user equipment, etc.

[0086] The STA in the embodiments of the present application can also be a device providing voice / data / image connectivity to a user, for example, a handheld device, a vehicle-mounted device, a home device, a household appliance, a game device, etc. with wireless connection function or equipped with a wireless communication module. For example, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a palm computer, a mobile internet device (MID), a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self driving, a drone or aerial photography device, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device with wireless communication function, other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a 5G network, a terminal device in a beyond 5G (B5G) network, a terminal device in a 6G network, a terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc. The present embodiments are not limited thereto, and the STA can also be a television, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a kitchen appliance, a door lock, a fish tank, a sweeping robot, a game machine, a camera / camcorder, a sensor, etc. with wireless connection function.

[0087] As an example but not limitation, the STA in the embodiments of the present application can also be a wearable device. The wearable device can also be referred to as a wearable smart device, which is a general term for devices that are designed and developed by applying wearable technology to daily wear, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. For example, a smart watch or smart glasses, etc., and only focus on a certain type of application function, need to be used with other devices such as smart phones, such as various types of smart wristbands, smart jewelry, etc.

[0088] In addition, the STA in the embodiments of the present application can also be a terminal device in an Internet of Things (IoT) system. The IoT is an important part of future information technology development, and its main technical feature is to connect objects through communication technology and network, so as to realize the intelligent network of man-machine interconnection and object-object interconnection. In the embodiments of the present application, the IoT technology can achieve mass connection, deep coverage and terminal power saving through, for example, Narrow Band (NB) technology.

[0089] In addition, the STA in the embodiments of the present application can also be a vehicle-mounted communication device or a vehicle itself in a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) system. The communication mode in the V2X system is collectively referred to as V2X (X represents anything). For example, the V2X communication includes Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communication, Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) communication, Vehicle to Pedestrian (V2P) communication, or Vehicle to Network (V2N) communication, etc.

[0090] In some embodiments, the frequency bands that the wireless communication system 100 can support include, but are not limited to, millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency bands (such as 45 GHz, 60 GHz, etc. belonging to the frequency bands in the range of 30-300 GHz), low frequency frequency bands. Among them, the low frequency frequency band includes the Sub-7GHz frequency band (such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz, etc. belonging to the frequency band in the range of 1-7.25GHz).

[0091] In some embodiments, there is one or more links between the AP 110 and the non-AP STA 120.

[0092] In some embodiments, multi-band communication is supported between the AP 110 and the non-AP STA 120. For example, communication is simultaneously performed in one or more of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz, 45GHz, 60GHz, etc. frequency bands. For another example, communication is simultaneously performed on different channels of the same frequency band or different channels of different frequency bands. Multi-band communication can improve the communication throughput and / or reliability between devices. Such a device supporting multi-band communication can be considered to have Multi-Link Operation (MLO) capability, and is usually referred to as a multi-band device or a multi-link device (MLD), and is sometimes also referred to as a multi-band entity or a multi-link entity. In other words, the MLD is an entity or device that supports communication with other MLD entities using multiple wireless links.

[0093] An AP MLD can include one or more APs, i.e., the affiliated STAs of an AP MLD include one or more APs. A non-AP MLD can include one or more non-AP STAs, i.e., the affiliated STAs of a non-AP MLD include one or more non-AP STAs. An AP MLD and a non-AP MLD can form one or more links between them, and each AP affiliated to the AP MLD and each non-AP STA affiliated to the non-AP MLD can communicate through the corresponding link. A non-AP MLD and a non-AP MLD can also form one or more Peer-to-Peer (P2P) links between them, and each non-AP STA affiliated to the two non-AP MLDs respectively can communicate through the corresponding P2P link. An AP MLD and an AP MLD can also form one or more P2P links between them, and each AP affiliated to the two AP MLDs respectively can communicate through the corresponding P2P link.

[0094] A Basic Service Set (BSS) is a basic topology structure in WLAN / Wi-Fi communication. The communication devices constituting a BSS include one AP and a plurality of non-AP STAs. After joining the wireless domain of the AP, each non-AP STA establishes association with the AP, and the associated non-AP STA and the AP can perform data transmission, and non-AP STAs in the same BSS can exchange data through the AP.

[0095] • Regarding coexistence operation:

[0096] Coexistence operation refers to that a STA supporting the IEEE 802.11 protocol specification can share radio resources with other wireless communication technologies, such as In-Device Coexistence (IDC), or refers to that a STA supporting the IEEE 802.11 protocol specification shares its radio resources with other STAs affiliated to the same MLD. Coexistence operation makes the STA possibly unavailable at certain specific time and / or specific frequency, or makes the STA possibly operate at limited operation capability. Improving IDC coexistence operation is very important for improving the utilization efficiency of wireless resources, and if there is a lack of IDC coexistence processing mechanism, it will lead to data loss, increased delay, reduced reliability, reduced frequency utilization efficiency, etc. of the STA.

[0097] • Operating Mode Indication (OMI):

[0098] The OMI is a procedure used between an OMI initiator and an OMI responder. The OMI initiator is the STA that sends a frame containing an Operating Mode (OM) control subfield. The OMI responder is the STA that receives a frame containing an OM control subfield.

[0099] The OMI initiator, after association, can send a separately addressed Quality of Service Data Frame (Qos Data Frame), Quality of Service Null Frame (Qos Null Frame), or Class 3 management frame to the OMI responder. The Qos Data Frame or Qos Null Frame or Class 3 management frame sent by the OMI initiator contains an OM control subfield and requests an immediate acknowledgement frame from the OMI responder to indicate a change in Receive Operating Mode (ROM) parameters and / or Transmit Operating Mode (TOM) parameters. The OMI responder receives the separately addressed QoS Data Frame, QoS Null, or Class 3 management frame containing the OM control subfield indicating the change in ROM parameters and / or TOM parameters.

[0100] The OMI initiator shall indicate a change in its ROM parameters by including an OM control subfield in a QoS Data Frame, QoS Null Frame, or Class 3 management frame that requests an immediate acknowledgement frame and has the OMI responder as the intended recipient address of the QoS Data Frame, QoS Null Frame, or Class 3 management frame. The ROM indication allows the OMI initiator to adapt to the maximum operating channel width and / or maximum Number of Spatial Streams (NSS) that can be received from the OMI responder. The OMI initiator sending the frame containing the OM control subfield shall change its OMI parameters, Receive NSS (Rx NSS), and channel bandwidth as follows: when the OMI initiator changes the ROM parameters from higher to lower, it shall only make the change after receiving an immediate acknowledgement from the OMI responder in a TXOP; when the OMI initiator changes the ROM parameters from lower to higher, it shall only make the change after expecting an acknowledgement from the OMI responder in a TXOP.

[0101] According to the requirement indicated by the TOM, the OMI initiator shall indicate the change of its TOM parameters by including the OM Control subfield in a QoS Data frame, a QoS Null frame, or a Class 3 management frame requesting an immediate acknowledgement frame, while the target receiving address of the frame is the OMI responder. Among them, the TOM indication allows the OMI initiator to suspend and resume responding to the trigger frame and the Triggered Response Scheduling (TRS) control subfield of different variants based on the Uplink Multi User Disable (UL MU Disable) subfield and the Uplink Multi User Data Disable (UL MU Data Disable) subfield settings, or adapt to the maximum operating channel width and / or the maximum NSS it can transmit, to respond to the trigger frame sent by the OMI responder.

[0102] In particular, the frame requesting immediate acknowledgement includes QoS Null frame and QoS Data frame carrying Normal Acknowledgment (Normal Ack) or Block Ack Request (BAR) Ack Policy and action frame.

[0103] · Regarding Enhanced Multi-Link Single Radio (EMLSR) operation:

[0104] The EMLSR operation allows a non-AP MLD with multiple receive links to listen on one or more EMLSR links, where a non-AP STA affiliated with the non-AP MLD is in an awake state to receive an initial control frame transmitted by an AP affiliated with an AP MLD in a non-High Throughput (non-HT) Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) format or a non-HT duplicate PPDU format, and participate in frame exchange on the link on which the initial control frame is received.

[0105] A non-AP MLD can specify a set of enabled links between the non-AP MLD and its associated AP MLDs to operate in EMLSR mode. The specified enabled and applied EMLSR mode links are referred to as EMLSR links. If a non-AP STA affiliated with a non-AP MLD and operating on an EMLSR link is in an awake state, then non-AP STAs affiliated with the non-AP MLD and not operating on an enabled link in EMLSR mode should be in a sleep state.

[0106] When a non-AP MLD operates in EMLSR mode on an EMLSR link, a non-AP STA operating on an EMLSR link and affiliated with the non-AP MLD cannot operate in a dynamic spatial multiplexing (SM) power save mode on the EMLSR link.

[0107] When a non-AP MLD operates in EMLSR mode with an AP MLD that supports EMLSR mode, the following rules apply:

[0108] The non-AP MLD should be able to listen to the EMLSR link by having its affiliated non-AP STA corresponding to the EMLSR link in an awake state. The listening operation includes clear channel assessment (CCA) and reception of the initial control frame of the frame exchange initiated by the AP MLD. A non-AP STA operating on an EMLSR link can change its power management mode; the non-AP STA can listen to the EMLSR link in active mode or in power save (PS) mode in an awake state.

[0109] — When an affiliated AP of an AP MLD initiates a frame exchange with a non-AP MLD on one EMLSR link that is neither a group addressed data frame nor a group addressed management frame, the affiliated AP of the AP MLD shall initiate the frame exchange by sending an initial control frame to the non-AP MLD and with the following restrictions: the initial control frame of the frame exchange shall be sent in non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU format at a rate of 6 Mb / s, 12 Mb / s, or 24 Mb / s; the affiliated AP of the AP MLD sets the padding field length of the initial control frame according to the rules defined in Trigger frame stuffing and ensures that the Media Access Control (MAC) padding duration of the initial control frame is greater than or equal to the EMLSR Padding Delay; the initial control frame shall be a Multi User Request-To-Send (MU-RTS) trigger frame or a Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) trigger frame, and the number of spatial streams responding to the BSRP trigger frame shall be limited to one and shall be indicated in the BSRP trigger frame.

[0110] — Upon receiving the frame exchange of the initial control frame and transmitting an immediate response frame as a response to the initial control frame, a non-AP STA affiliated to the non-AP MLD listening on the corresponding link shall be able to transmit or receive frames on the link on which the initial control frame was received and shall not transmit or receive frames on other EMLSR links; and subject to its spatial stream capabilities, operating mode, and the minimum MAC frame padding duration of the padding field of the initial control frame, the non-AP STA affiliated to the non-AP MLD corresponding to the link on which the initial control frame was received shall be able to receive a PPDU sent using multiple spatial streams after a Short Interframe Space (SIFS) from the end of the response frame transmission requested by the initial control frame. During the frame exchange, other APs affiliated to the AP MLD shall not transmit frames to other non-AP STAs affiliated to the non-AP MLD on other EMLSR links.

[0111] — The non-AP MLD shall switch back to listening operation on the EMLSR link after the EMLSR Transition Delay Time from the end of the frame exchange.

[0112] Improving coexistence operation is very important for improving wireless resource utilization efficiency, and lack of coexistence processing mechanism will lead to data loss, increased delay, reduced reliability, reduced frequency utilization efficiency, etc. of the STA. The current OMI mechanism is suitable for adjusting the transmission operation mode parameters and / or reception operation mode parameters used for a long time. In particular, the parameter adjustment indicated by the OMI takes effect after the transmission opportunity (TXOP) in which the OMI is indicated. Therefore, the current OMI mechanism cannot adjust the transmission and reception parameters in real time or immediately at the TXOP level.

[0113] Moreover, when the STA is in the coexistence operation mode, due to the burstiness of the trigger to change the available transmission and reception resources of the STA itself and the difficulty to predict in advance, if the opposite STA of the STA does not know in advance the coexistence mode or state in which the STA is and the available transmission and reception resources, the opposite STA directly sends a data frame to the STA to initiate frame exchange according to the transmission and reception capabilities of the STA indicated when the STA is associated or through the OMI. This may cause the STA to be unable to correctly decode the data frame due to the change of the available resources and the transmission and reception capabilities of the STA.

[0114] Therefore, the present application proposes a communication method, which supports the STA to notify or negotiate in advance with the opposite STA the coexistence operation mode to be enabled by the STA, so that the opposite STA can obtain the change of the available resources and the transmission and reception capabilities of the STA in time, reduce or even avoid the problems such as data packet loss, increased delay, reduced frequency utilization efficiency, etc. caused by the change of the available resources and the transmission and reception capabilities, and improve the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the STA and the opposite STA.

[0115] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first station. The method includes at least part of the following steps:

[0116] Step 220: sending a first frame, the first frame being used to indicate one or more of the following: enabling a first operation mode; disabling the first operation mode; updating a parameter of the first operation mode.

[0117] In some embodiments, enabling the first operation mode can also be understood as entering the first operation mode, or can also be understood as starting the first operation mode.

[0118] In some embodiments, disabling the first operation mode can also be understood as exiting the first operation mode, or can also be understood as stopping the first operation mode.

[0119] In some embodiments, the first station updates the parameter of the first operation mode, which can also be understood as modifying the parameter of the first operation mode, or resetting the parameter of the first operation mode.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first frame sent by the first station is used to indicate enabling the first operation mode, which means that the first station informs or requests or negotiates or suggests enabling the first operation mode.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first frame sent by the first station is used to indicate disabling the first operation mode, which means that the first station informs or requests or negotiates or suggests disabling the first operation mode.

[0122] In some embodiments, the first frame sent by the first station is used to indicate updating the parameter of the first operation mode, which means that the first station informs or requests or negotiates or suggests updating the parameter of the first operation mode.

[0123] In some embodiments, in the first operation mode, the first station shares the radio resource based on the WLAN technology or other wireless communication technology; or, in the first operation mode, the first station shares the radio resource with other stations affiliated to the same MLD. The other wireless communication technology may, for example, include one or more of the following: Bluetooth (BT) technology, cellular communication technology, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology, etc.

[0124] In some embodiments, the first operation mode can be referred to as a coexistence operation mode. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific name of the first operation mode, and the first operation mode can also have other names, such as an interference operation mode, etc. The following may appear the first operation mode, the coexistence operation mode, and the operation mode mixed content, which can be understood that the first operation mode, the coexistence operation mode, and the operation mode have the same meaning, and the name can be replaced.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first frame can be referred to as a coexistence operation mode management frame. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific name of the first frame, and the first frame can also have other names, such as an operation mode management frame, an operation mode notification frame, an operation mode request frame, an operation mode negotiation frame, a coexistence operation mode notification frame, a coexistence operation mode request frame, a coexistence operation mode negotiation frame, etc.

[0126] In the present application, the first station includes one or more APs, or the first station includes one or more non-AP STAs. Optionally, the first station can also be one or more APs affiliated to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs affiliated to a non-AP MLD. That is, the first station can be an MLD device or not.

[0127] In some embodiments, the second station is a peer station of the first station, and the first station transmits the first frame to the second station. The second station comprises one or more APs, or the second station comprises one or more non-AP STAs. Optionally, the second station can also be one or more APs affiliated to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs affiliated to a non-AP MLD. That is, the second station can be an MLD device or not.

[0128] In summary, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the first station to use the first frame to pre-notify or pre-negotiate the enabling / disabling of the first operation mode, and also supports the first station to use the first frame to pre-notify or pre-negotiate the update of the parameters of the first operation mode, which helps the second station at the opposite end to interact with the first station in a timely manner to exchange resource and / or capability information, and improves the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0129] In some embodiments, on the basis of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, step 220 can also be implemented as step 310, as shown in FIG. 3. Optionally, the first station can also perform one or more optional steps: step 320, step 330, and step 340.

[0130] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first station. The method comprises at least part of the following steps:

[0131] Step 310: transmitting a first frame, the first frame being used to indicate one or more of the following: enabling the first operation mode; disabling the first operation mode; updating the parameters of the first operation mode.

[0132] In some embodiments, in the first operation mode, the first station shares radio resources based on WLAN technology or other wireless communication technology; or, in the first operation mode, the first station shares radio resources with other stations affiliated to the same MLD.

[0133] In some embodiments, during the period when the first operation mode is enabled, the first station satisfies one or more of the following: the available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are updated; the available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are not updated; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station are updated; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station are not updated.

[0134] In some embodiments, during the first operation mode, the first station satisfies one or more of the following: the available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are updated at TXOP level; the available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are not updated at TXOP level; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station is updated at TXOP level; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station is not updated at TXOP level.

[0135] In some embodiments, the parameters of the first operation mode include one or more of the following: operating bandwidth, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported, maximum number of spatial streams for reception, maximum number of spatial streams for transmission, PPDU format.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first frame is a coexistence operation mode management frame, or the first frame is a coexistence operation mode announcement frame, or the first frame is a coexistence operation mode request frame, or the first frame is a QoS data frame, or the first frame is a QoS null frame, or the first frame is a management frame, or the first frame is a frame containing an A-Control field.

[0137] In some embodiments, the first frame includes one or more of the following fields: a coexistence operation mode control field, a coexistence operation mode latency parameter field, a low capability operation parameter field, a high capability operation parameter field.

[0138] In some embodiments, the coexistence operation mode control field includes one or more of the following fields: a coexistence operation mode enable field, for indicating whether to enable or disable the coexistence operation mode; a coexistence operation mode type field, for indicating the type of coexistence operation mode to be adopted; a default low capability operation indication field, for indicating whether to adopt the default low capability operation; a default high capability operation indication field, for indicating whether to adopt the default high capability operation; a coexistence operation mode latency parameter control field, for indicating whether the coexistence operation mode latency parameter field is present; a low capability operation parameter control field, for indicating whether the low capability operation parameter field is present; a reserved field.

[0139] In some embodiments, the coexistence operation mode latency parameter field includes one or more of the following subfields: a first latency subfield, for indicating the minimum MAC padding duration of the second frame; a second latency subfield, for indicating the minimum latency required to switch from the high capability operation to the first low capability operation; a third latency subfield, for indicating the minimum latency required to switch from the high capability operation to the second low capability operation.

[0140] In some embodiments, the low capability operation parameter field includes one or more of the following subfields: operating bandwidth, MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported, maximum spatial streams received, maximum spatial streams transmitted, PPDU format. The PPDU format field included in the low capability operation parameter field can be used to indicate one or more of the following PPDU formats: non-HT PPDU, High-Efficiency (HE) PPDU, Extremely High Throughput (EHT) PPDU, UHR PPDU.

[0141] In some embodiments, the high capability operation parameter field includes one or more of the following subfields: operating bandwidth, MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported, maximum spatial streams received, maximum spatial streams transmitted, PPDU format. The PPDU format field included in the high capability operation parameter field can be used to indicate one or more of the following PPDU formats: non-HT PPDU, HE PPDU, EHT PPDU, UHR PPDU.

[0142] Other contents can refer to step 220, which will not be described here.

[0143] Step 320: receiving a first PPDU, the first PPDU carrying acknowledgement information for the first frame.

[0144] In some embodiments, the first PPDU carries immediate acknowledgement information for the first frame.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first PPDU carries an ACK for the first frame, indicating that the first frame is received successfully. Alternatively, the first PPDU carries a Negative Acknowledgment (NACK) for the first frame, indicating that the first frame is received unsuccessfully.

[0146] In some embodiments, the indication of the first frame takes effect after a TXOP in which the first PPDU is located.

[0147] Step 330: receiving a fourth frame, the fourth frame being used to respond to the first frame.

[0148] In some embodiments, the fourth frame includes one or more of the following fields: coexistence operation mode control field, coexistence operation mode delay parameter field, low capability operation parameter field, high capability operation parameter field, status code field, coexistence operation mode delay parameter field required by the responder.

[0149] In some embodiments, the coexistence operation mode control field includes one or more of the following fields: a coexistence operation mode enable field to indicate whether to enable or disable the coexistence operation mode; a coexistence operation mode type field to indicate the type of coexistence operation mode to be adopted; a default low capability operation indication field to indicate whether to adopt a default low capability operation; a default high capability operation indication field to indicate whether to adopt a default high capability operation; a coexistence operation mode latency parameter control field to indicate whether the coexistence operation mode latency parameter field is present; a low capability operation parameter control field to indicate whether the low capability operation parameter field is present; a reserved field.

[0150] In some embodiments, the coexistence operation mode latency parameter field includes one or more of the following subfields: a first latency subfield to indicate a minimum MAC padding duration of the second frame; a second latency subfield to indicate a minimum latency required to switch from the high capability operation to the first low capability operation; a third latency subfield to indicate a minimum latency required to switch from the high capability operation to the second low capability operation.

[0151] In some embodiments, the low capability operation parameter field includes one or more of the following subfields: an operating bandwidth, a highest order modulation supported corresponding MCS index, a maximum spatial stream received, a maximum spatial stream transmitted, a PPDU format.

[0152] In some embodiments, the high capability operation parameter field includes one or more of the following subfields: an operating bandwidth, a highest order modulation supported corresponding MCS index, a maximum spatial stream received, a maximum spatial stream transmitted, a PPDU format.

[0153] In some embodiments, the status code field is used to indicate any one of the following status: to accept the indicated content of the first frame; to reject the indicated content of the first frame; to recommend other operation modes.

[0154] In some embodiments, the coexistence operation mode latency parameter field required by the responder is used to indicate a padding latency of a minimum MAC padding duration of a control frame (such as a BA frame) requested by the first station to adjust the transceiving capability and parameters of the frame exchange between the first station (i.e., the sender of the first frame) and the second station (i.e., the responder of the first frame).

[0155] In some embodiments, the fourth frame is a coexistence operation mode management frame, or the fourth frame is a coexistence operation mode notification frame, or the fourth frame is a coexistence operation mode response frame.

[0156] In some embodiments, the fourth frame is transmitted within a transition timeout interval.

[0157] In some embodiments, the transition super interval starts from the end of the first PPDU, or the transition super interval starts from the end of a signal extension portion after the first PPDU; wherein the first PPDU carries an immediate acknowledgement for the first frame.

[0158] In some embodiments, the first station enables the first operation mode at the end of the transition super interval. Alternatively, the first station enables the first operation mode before the end of the transition super interval and after transmitting the second PPDU. Alternatively, the first station disables the first operation mode at the end of the transition super interval. Alternatively, the first station disables the first operation mode before the end of the transition super interval and after transmitting the second PPDU.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first operation mode allows the first station to perform a listening operation or a transceiving operation in a low-capability operation mode or a high-capability operation mode in the wake-up state. Optionally, in the low-capability operation mode, the first station uses one or more of the following parameters: a low operation bandwidth, fewer receive chains, fewer spatial streams, a lower data rate, a low-order MCS, and a low-processing-overhead PPDU format. Optionally, in the high-capability operation mode, the first station uses one or more of the following parameters: a high operation bandwidth, more receive chains, more spatial streams, a higher data rate, a high-order MCS, and a high-processing-overhead PPDU format. It is noted that the parameters used by the first station in the low-capability operation mode are lower than the parameters used by the first station in the high-capability operation mode, and the parameters used by the first station in either the low-capability operation mode or the high-capability operation mode should be within the capability supported by the first station.

[0160] It is emphasized that step 330 is an optional step, and the first station can not receive the fourth frame.

[0161] Step 340: transmitting a second PPDU, the second PPDU carrying acknowledgement information for the fourth frame.

[0162] In some embodiments, the second PPDU carries immediate acknowledgement information for the fourth frame.

[0163] In some embodiments, the second PPDU carries an ACK for the fourth frame, indicating that the fourth frame is successfully received. Alternatively, the second PPDU carries a NACK for the fourth frame, indicating that the fourth frame is unsuccessfully received.

[0164] In summary, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the first station to enable / disable the first operation mode through the first frame early notification or early negotiation, and also supports the first station to update the parameters of the first operation mode through the first frame early notification or early negotiation. In addition, the first station also receives the fourth frame fed back by the second station, which further guarantees the reliability of the notification or negotiation process between the first station and the second station, and helps the first station and the second station to timely learn the information of the resources and / or capabilities of the other party, thereby improving the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0165] FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first station. The method includes at least part of the following steps:

[0166] Step 920: receiving a second frame, the second frame being used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with the first station in the first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of capabilities and / or resources; and requesting the first station to report information of capabilities and / or resources.

[0167] In some embodiments, in the first operation mode, the first station shares radio resources based on WLAN technology or other wireless communication technology; or, in the first operation mode, the first station shares radio resources with other stations affiliated to the same MLD. The other wireless communication technology may, for example, include one or more of the following: Bluetooth (BT) technology, cellular communication technology, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology, etc.

[0168] In some embodiments, the first operation mode can be referred to as a coexistence operation mode. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific name of the first operation mode, and the first operation mode can also have other names, such as an interference operation mode, etc. In the following, the first operation mode, the coexistence operation mode, and the operation mode may be mixed. It can be understood that the first operation mode, the coexistence operation mode, and the operation mode have the same meaning, and the names can be replaced.

[0169] In some embodiments, the information of capabilities and / or resources reported by the first station is the information of capabilities and / or resources of the first station in the first operation mode, such as the updated information of capabilities and / or resources of the first station in the first operation mode.

[0170] In some embodiments, the information of capabilities and / or resources in the first operation mode can also be referred to as the information of the first operation mode, or the updated information of the first operation mode.

[0171] In the present application, the first station includes one or more APs, or the first station includes one or more non-AP STAs. Optionally, the first station can also be one or more APs attached to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs attached to a non-AP MLD. That is, the first station can be an MLD device or not.

[0172] In some embodiments, the second station is a peer station of the first station. The second station includes one or more APs, or the second station includes one or more non-AP STAs. Optionally, the second station can also be one or more APs attached to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs attached to a non-AP MLD. That is, the second station can be an MLD device or not.

[0173] In summary, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the first station reporting the information of the capability and / or resource based on the trigger or request of the second frame, and also supports the first station performing frame exchange with the second station in the first operation mode based on the trigger of the second frame, so that the second station can timely learn the information of the resource and / or capability of the first station, which helps the first station and the second station to communicate according to the information of the available resource and / or unavailable resource and / or supported capability and / or unsupported capability in subsequent frame interaction, reduces or even avoids the problems of packet loss, increased latency, reduced frequency utilization efficiency, etc. caused by changes in the resource and capability information of the station, and effectively improves the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0174] FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first station. The method includes at least part of the following steps:

[0175] Step 1020: transmitting a third frame, the third frame being used to indicate the information of the capability and / or resource of the first station.

[0176] In some embodiments, in the first operation mode, the first station shares the radio resource based on the WLAN technology or other wireless communication technology; or, in the first operation mode, the first station shares the radio resource with other stations attached to the same MLD. The other wireless communication technology includes, for example, one or more of the following: Bluetooth (BT) technology, cellular communication technology, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology, etc.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first operation mode can be referred to as a coexistence operation mode. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific name of the first operation mode, and the first operation mode can also have other names, such as an interference operation mode, and the like. In the following, the first operation mode, the coexistence operation mode, and the operation mode can be mixed. It can be understood that the first operation mode, the coexistence operation mode, and the operation mode have the same meaning, and the names can be replaced.

[0178] In some embodiments, the information about the capability and / or resource of the first station indicated by the third frame is information about the capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode.

[0179] In the present application, the first station includes one or more APs, or the first station includes one or more non-AP STAs. Alternatively, the first station can also be one or more APs affiliated to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs affiliated to a non-AP MLD. That is, the first station can be an MLD device or not.

[0180] In some embodiments, the second station is a peer station of the first station. The second station includes one or more APs, or the second station includes one or more non-AP STAs. Alternatively, the second station can also be one or more APs affiliated to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs affiliated to a non-AP MLD. That is, the second station can be an MLD device or not.

[0181] In summary, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the first station to send a third frame to enable the second station to timely learn the information about the resource and / or capability of the first station, which helps the first station and the second station to communicate according to the information about the available resource and / or unavailable resource and / or supported capability and / or unsupported capability of the station in subsequent frame interaction, reduces or even avoids the problems of packet loss, increased latency, reduced frequency utilization efficiency, and the like caused by changes in the resource and capability information of the station, and effectively improves the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0182] In some embodiments, on the basis of the embodiments shown in FIG. 4 and / or FIG. 5, step 920 can also be implemented as step 1110, and step 1020 can also be implemented as step 1130, as shown in FIG. 6. Alternatively, the first station can also perform the optional step of step 1150.

[0183] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a first station. The method includes at least part of the following steps:

[0184] Step 1110: receiving a second frame, the second frame is used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with the first station in the first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of capability and / or resource; requesting the first station to report information of capability and / or resource.

[0185] In some embodiments, the information of capability and / or resource reported by the first station is the information of capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode, such as the updated information of capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode. Alternatively, if the capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode is not updated, the first station does not report the information of capability and / or resource to the second station.

[0186] In some embodiments, the second frame is further used to indicate the information of capability and / or resource of the second station. The information of capability and / or resource of the second station includes one or more of the following: the available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is updated; the available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is not updated; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the second station is updated; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the second station is not updated. Wherein, the resource includes one or more of the following: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, space domain resource.

[0187] In some embodiments, the information of capability and / or resource of the second station includes one or more of the following: the available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is updated at TXOP level; the available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is not updated at TXOP level; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the second station is updated at TXOP level; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the second station is not updated at TXOP level.

[0188] In some embodiments, the information of capability and / or resource of the second station is the information of capability and / or resource of the second station in the first operation mode, such as the updated information of capability and / or resource of the second station in the first operation mode.

[0189] In some embodiments, the second frame is further used to trigger or request the first station to report one or more of the following information: the start time of the resource unavailable state; the duration of the resource unavailable state; the duration of the high capability operation mode. Wherein, the high capability operation mode can also be referred to as full capability operation mode.

[0190] In some embodiments, the second frame is further used to trigger or request the first station to report one or more of the following information: the start time of the resource unavailable state; the duration of the resource unavailable state; the duration of the target operation mode; the parameters of the target operation mode.

[0191] In some embodiments, the second frame is further used to trigger or request the first station to report: parameters of the target operation mode.

[0192] In some embodiments, the second frame is further used to trigger or request the first station to report one or more of: parameters of the first target operation mode; parameters of the second target operation mode; duration of the first target operation mode; duration of the second target operation mode; switching time of the operation mode.

[0193] In some embodiments, the second frame carries padding information.

[0194] In some embodiments, the first operation mode allows the first station to perform listening operation or transceiving operation in a low-capability operation mode or a high-capability operation mode when the first station is in a wake-up state. When the first station receives the second frame, the first station can report mode state information of the first station in real time according to the first operation mode and / or the first operation mode type and / or the current IDC coexistence state in which the first station is located. The mode state information includes one or more of: a capability operation mode in which the first station will be located (i.e., a capability operation mode to be entered or a capability operation mode to be started), a duration in which the first station will be in the high-capability operation mode, a future possible operation mode switching, a duration in which the first station will be in the low-capability operation mode, and a duration in which the first station will be in the no-capability operation mode. The first station adopts the corresponding capability operation mode to exchange frames with the second station during the TXOP based on the reported information.

[0195] In some embodiments, the future possible operation mode switching refers to switching from a current operation mode to a target operation mode. For example, switching from the high-capability operation mode to the low-capability operation mode, or switching from the high-capability operation mode to the no-capability operation mode (i.e., the unavailable state), or switching from the low-capability operation mode to the high-capability operation mode, or switching from the low-capability operation mode to the no-capability operation mode, or switching from the no-capability operation mode to the high-capability operation mode, or switching from the no-capability operation mode to the low-capability operation mode.

[0196] In some embodiments, the first station employs one or more of the following parameters in the low capability operation mode: low operating bandwidth, less receive chains, less spatial streams, low data rate, low order MCS, low processing overhead PPDU format. Optionally, the first station employs one or more of the following parameters in the high capability operation mode: high operating bandwidth, more receive chains, more spatial streams, high data rate, high order MCS, high processing overhead PPDU format. It is noted that the parameters employed by the first station in the low capability operation mode are lower relative to the parameters employed by the first station in the high capability operation mode, and the parameters employed by the first station in either the low capability operation mode or the high capability operation mode should be within the capability supported by the first station.

[0197] In some embodiments, the second frame comprises one or more of the following fields: frame control, duration, receiver address, transmitter address, common information, user information list, intermediate FCS, padding, FCS.

[0198] In some embodiments, the common information field comprises: a transmission opportunity sharing mode or initial control / dynamic control mode (TXS Mode / IC / DC Mode) subfield.

[0199] In some embodiments, the transmission opportunity sharing mode or initial control mode / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate: whether to initiate a MU-RTS frame of a transmission opportunity sharing mode procedure; or, whether to initiate a MU-RTS frame of an initial / dynamic control mode procedure.

[0200] In some embodiments, the common information field comprises: a transmission opportunity sharing mode (TXS Mode) subfield, and / or, an initial control / dynamic control mode (IC / DC Mode) subfield.

[0201] In some embodiments, the initial control / dynamic control mode (IC / DC Mode) subfield is used to indicate: whether to initiate a poll trigger frame of a frame exchange based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information.

[0202] In some embodiments, the user information list comprises a special user information field, which is used to carry initial control information or dynamic control information of the second station.

[0203] In some embodiments, the special user information field comprises one or more of the following subfields: an Association Identifier (AID) 12, a mode control, an operating mode control update parameter information, an extended operating mode control update parameter information, a duration, an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum duration, an unavailable period maximum duration.

[0204] In some embodiments, the special user information field includes one or more subfields as follows: AID 12, mode control, supported operating bandwidth, supported highest order modulation corresponding MCS index, maximum number of SSs received, maximum number of SSs transmitted, duration, unavailable period start time, unavailable channel bitmap, minimum duration of unavailable period, maximum duration of unavailable period.

[0205] In some embodiments, the mode control subfield includes one or more subfields as follows: default operating mode, whether there is resource unavailability or operating parameter update, whether there is available or unavailable resource information parameter, whether there is operating mode update parameter, operating mode update parameter present bitmap, unavailable resource information parameter present bitmap, and reserved.

[0206] In some embodiments, the second frame is an initial frame, or, an Initial Control Frame (ICF), or, a Dynamic Control Frame (DCF), or, a trigger frame, or, a MU-RTS trigger frame, or, a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, or, an initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame (IC / DC Info Poll Trigger Frame), or, a BSRP trigger frame, or, a BSRP / initial / dynamic control information probe trigger frame, or, a Beamforming Report Poll (BFRP) trigger frame, or, a BFRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, or, a Bandwidth Query Report Poll (BQRP) trigger frame, or, a BQRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, or, the second frame is another frame agreed by the communication protocol that can be used for mode switching.

[0207] In some embodiments, the second frame sent by the second station to the first station is used for: initiating the frame exchange, and / or, providing initial / dynamic control information, and / or, allocating resources to the responder to send a non-Trigger Based PPDU (non-TB PPDU) or a Trigger Based PPDU (TB PPDU). The initial / dynamic control information provided by the second frame includes one or more of: transmission / reception parameter information for the frame exchange, coexistence (in-device coexistence, IDC) mode information, interference information, etc. The second frame is used to allocate resources to the responder to send the non-TB PPDU or the TB PPDU for the responder of the second frame to carry or feedback initial / dynamic control response information. The initial / dynamic control response information includes one or more of: transmission / reception parameter information for the frame exchange by the responder, coexistence (in-device coexistence, IDC) mode information, interference information, etc.

[0208] In some embodiments, the second frame provides one or more of the following functions: 1) indicating operation mode capability parameter update information of the second station (i.e., the sender of the second frame), including transmission / reception parameter information for the current frame exchange or applied during the TXOP; 2) available resource and / or unavailable resource information of the second station, such as available resource and unavailable resource information in the time domain and / or frequency domain and / or spatial domain of the second station in the coexistence (in-device coexistence, IDC) mode; 3) requesting the opposite station (i.e., the first station) to report or indicate one or more of the following information: operation mode capability parameter update information of the opposite station, including transmission / reception parameter information of the opposite station for the current frame exchange or applied during the TXOP; available resource and / or unavailable resource information of the opposite station, such as available resource and unavailable resource information in the time domain and / or frequency domain and / or spatial domain of the opposite station in the coexistence (in-device coexistence, IDC) mode.

[0209] In some embodiments, the second frame is a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame defined based on the MU-RTS trigger frame. The MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame is used to initiate a frame exchange procedure based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information, and it can carry the initial / dynamic control information. The receiver or responder of the MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame can reply a CTS frame according to special rules. In particular, the CTS frame duration information (such as the Duration field of the CTS frame) indicated by the responder needs to ensure that the responder remains available during the indicated duration, i.e. the indicated duration should not overlap with the unavailable time of the responder. The trigger type subfield (Trigger Type Subfield) of the MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame can be set to the same value as the existing MU-RTS (i.e. 3), and the transmission opportunity sharing mode (TXS Mode) / initial / dynamic control mode (IC / DC Mode) subfield of the MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame can be set to a special value (such as 3) to indicate that it is a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame initiating a frame exchange based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information.

[0210] In some embodiments, the second frame is a new type of trigger frame defined. Optionally, the second frame can be referred to as an initial control / dynamic control information poll (IC / DC Info Poll) trigger frame. The naming here is an example, and the specific name of the second frame is not limited by the present application. The IC / DC Info Poll trigger frame is used to allocate resources to the responder to send a TB PPDU or a non-TB PPDU to carry or feedback IC / DC response information, including transmission / reception parameter information, coexistence (in-device coexistence, IDC) mode information, interference information, etc. used by the responder for frame exchange.

[0211] In some embodiments, the second frame is a BSRP / IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame defined based on a BSRP trigger frame, for UHR stations or UHR+ stations (i.e., stations that are subsequently evolved from UHR stations), the BSRP / IC Info Poll trigger frame is used to allocate resources for a responder to send a TB PPDU or a non-TB PPDU to carry or feedback IC / DC response information, including transmit / receive parameter information for frame exchange by the responder, coexistence (in-device coexistence, i.e., IDC) mode information, interference information, etc., and optionally, to send a PPDU to carry or feedback buffer status report (BSR) information; for pre-UHR stations (such as EHT, HE stations), the BSRP / IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame is used to allocate resources for a responder to send a TB PPDU to carry or feedback BSR information. Moreover, an initial / dynamic control mode (IC / DC Mode) subfield is newly defined in the common information field, to indicate whether the IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame is to initiate an initial / dynamic control mode procedure.

[0212] In some embodiments, the second frame is a BFRP / IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame defined based on a BFRP trigger frame: for UHR stations or UHR+ stations, the BFRP / IC Info Poll trigger frame is used to allocate resources for a responder to send a TB PPDU or a non-TB PPDU to carry or feedback IC / DC response information, including transmit / receive parameter information for frame exchange by the responder, coexistence (in-device coexistence, i.e., IDC) mode information, interference information, etc., and optionally, to send a PPDU to carry or feedback BFR information; for pre-UHR stations (such as EHT, HE stations), the BFRP / IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame is used to allocate resources for a responder to send a TB PPDU to carry or feedback BFR information. Moreover, an initial / dynamic control mode (IC / DC Mode) subfield is newly defined in the common information field, to indicate whether the IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame is to initiate an initial / dynamic control mode procedure.

[0213] In some embodiments, the second frame is a BQRP / IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame defined based on a BQRP trigger frame: for UHR stations or UHR+ stations, the BQRP / IC Info Poll trigger frame is used to allocate resources for a responder to send a TB PPDU or a non-TB PPDU to carry or feedback IC / DC response information, including the responder's transmission / reception parameter information for frame exchange, coexistence (in-device coexistence, i.e., IDC) mode information, interference information, etc., and optionally, to send a PPDU to carry or feedback BQR information; for pre-UHR stations (such as EHT, HE stations), the BQRP / IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame is used to allocate resources for a responder to send a TB PPDU to carry or feedback BQR information. Moreover, an initial / dynamic control mode (IC / DC Mode) subfield is newly defined in the common information field, which is used to indicate whether the IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame is to initiate an initial / dynamic control mode procedure.

[0214] In some embodiments, the first station does not receive the second frame during the period in which the first operation mode is enabled.

[0215] In some embodiments, the first station does not receive the second frame during the period in which the first operation mode is enabled.

[0216] Other content can refer to step 920, which will not be repeated here.

[0217] Step 1130: sending a third frame, the third frame being used to indicate the capability and / or resource information of the first station.

[0218] In some embodiments, the capability and / or resource information of the first station includes one or more of the following: the available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is updated; the available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station is updated; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station is not updated. Wherein, the resource includes one or more of the following: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, space domain resource.

[0219] In some embodiments, the capability and / or resource information of the first station includes one or more of the following: the available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is updated at TXOP level; the available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is not updated at TXOP level; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station is updated at TXOP level; the reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station is not updated at TXOP level.

[0220] In some embodiments, the information of the capability and / or resource of the first station indicated by the third frame is the information of the capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode.

[0221] In some embodiments, if the capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode is not updated, the first station does not report the information of the capability and / or resource to the second station.

[0222] In some embodiments, if the capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode is not updated, the first station also reports the information of the capability and / or resource to the second station.

[0223] In some embodiments, the third frame is used to indicate one or more of the following information: an entering operation mode, a type of the entering operation mode, a parameter of the entering operation mode, a duration of the entering operation mode, a future possible operation mode switching time point (such as a next possible operation mode switching time point), a duration of a target operation mode to be switched to in the future.

[0224] In some embodiments, the third frame is also used to indicate one or more of the following information: a start time of a resource unavailable state; a duration of the resource unavailable state; a duration of a high capability operation mode. The high capability operation mode can also be referred to as a full capability operation mode.

[0225] In some embodiments, the first station is in a first type operation mode, and the first type operation mode is a first operation mode based on time sharing.

[0226] In some embodiments, the third frame is also used to indicate one or more of the following information: a start time of a resource unavailable state; a duration of the resource unavailable state; a duration of a target operation mode; a parameter of the target operation mode.

[0227] In some embodiments, the first station is in a second type operation mode, and the second type operation mode is a first operation mode based on time sharing and partial resource sharing.

[0228] In some embodiments, the third frame is also used to indicate a parameter of a target operation mode.

[0229] In some embodiments, the first station is in a third type operation mode, and the third type operation mode is a first operation mode based on partial resource sharing.

[0230] In some embodiments, the third frame is also used to indicate one or more of the following information: a parameter of a first target operation mode; a parameter of a second target operation mode; a duration of the first target operation mode; a duration of the second target operation mode; a switching time of the operation mode.

[0231] In some embodiments, the first station is in a fourth type of operation mode, which is a first operation mode based on partial resource sharing and mode switching.

[0232] In some embodiments, the third frame comprises one or more of the following fields: a first field, a second field, an AID control type information field, a control information length field.

[0233] In some embodiments, the first field is used to indicate available or unavailable resource information. Optionally, the first field is referred to as an available or unavailable resource information parameter field, or an available or unavailable resource information indication control field. Of course, the first field can also have other names, and the specific name of the first field is not limited in the present application.

[0234] In some embodiments, the first field comprises one or more of the following subfields: an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum length, an unavailable period maximum length, control information, and a reservation.

[0235] In some embodiments, the second field is used to indicate update information of the capability parameter of the current operation mode. Optionally, the second field is referred to as an operation mode capability operation parameter information field, or an operation parameter update information indication control field. Of course, the second field can also have other names, and the specific name of the second field is not limited in the present application.

[0236] In some embodiments, the second field comprises one or more of the following subfields: a supported operation bandwidth, a supported MCS, a maximum number of received SSs, a maximum number of transmitted STSs or SSs, a duration, control information, and a reservation.

[0237] In some embodiments, the second field comprises one or more of the following subfields: operation mode control update parameter information, extended operation mode control update parameter information, a duration, control information, and a reservation.

[0238] In some embodiments, the operation mode (OM) control update parameter information subfield comprises one or more of the following subfields: a number of received SSs, a channel bandwidth, uplink multi-user non-enabled, a number of transmitted STSs, extended range single user disable (ER SU Disable), downlink multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) re-probe recommendation, and uplink multi-user data non-enabled.

[0239] In some embodiments, the extended operation mode control update parameter information subfield includes one or more of the following subfields: reception SS number extension, channel bandwidth extension, transmission STS number extension, MCS 15 non-enabling, and reserved.

[0240] In some embodiments, the AID control type information field is used to indicate the type of control feedback information as any of the following: available or unavailable resource type, mode capability parameter type.

[0241] In some embodiments, the third frame is an initial frame, or an initial control response (ICR) frame, or a dynamic control response frame, or an initial control information report frame, or a dynamic control information report frame, or a BA frame, or a frame carrying an A-Control field, or a Clear-to-Send (CTS) frame, or the third frame is another frame agreed by the communication protocol that can be used for mode switching.

[0242] In some embodiments, in the case that the second frame is a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, the third frame is a CTS frame for responding to the MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, and the CTS frame includes a duration field, the value of the duration field is determined based on the duration of the resource and / or capability available state of the first station.

[0243] In some embodiments, the duration field of the CTS frame is used to ensure that the first station maintains the resource and / or capability available state for the duration indicated by the duration field.

[0244] In some embodiments, the third frame is used to provide one or more of the following functions: 1) to indicate the operation mode capability parameter update information of the first station (i.e. the sender of the initial control (or dynamic control) response frame), including the transmission / reception parameter information of the first station used for the current frame exchange or applied during the TXOP in which it is located; 2) the available and unavailable resource information of the first station, i.e. the available and unavailable resource information of the first station in the time domain, frequency domain or spatial domain in the coexistence (in-device coexistence, IDC) mode. For the explicit transmission or request response mode, the first station can respond to the second frame sent by the opposite station by sending the third frame. For the implicit transmission or non-request mode, the first station can carry the initial control information / dynamic control information report (IC / DC Info Report) in the control subfield of any frame sent to the opposite station. In particular, if the first station is a non-AP STA and the opposite station is an AP to which a non-AP STA is associated, or if the first station is an AP and the opposite station is a certain non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0245] In some embodiments, the third frame is autonomously sent by the first station, or is in response to the second frame. That is, the third frame can be sent by the first station based on the second frame, or can not be based on the second frame. Therefore, for the first station, receiving the second frame is not a necessary condition for sending the third frame; for the second station, sending the second frame is not a necessary condition for receiving the third frame.

[0246] Step 1150: frame interaction with the second station based on the third frame.

[0247] In some embodiments, based on the information reported on the third frame, the first station performs one or more of the following operations: frame exchange with the second station in the corresponding operation mode during the TXOP; frame exchange with the second station based on the resource available information and / or resource unavailable information indicated by the third frame during the TXOP; termination of frame exchange before the start time of the resource unavailable state; termination of frame exchange before the start time of the resource unavailable state; frame exchange with the second station in the switched operation mode after the switching time of the operation mode.

[0248] Wherein, termination of frame exchange and suspension of frame exchange have different meanings. Suspension means suspension, after suspension of frame exchange, the first station and the second station may continue frame exchange based on the information reported on the third frame during the current TXOP in the future. Termination means end, after termination of frame exchange, the first station and the second station will not continue frame exchange based on the information reported on the third frame during the current TXOP in the future.

[0249] In summary, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the first station to report the information of the capability and / or resource in the first operation mode based on the trigger or request of the second frame, and also supports the first station to perform frame exchange with the second station in the first operation mode based on the trigger of the second frame, so that the second station can timely obtain the information of the resource and / or capability of the first station, which helps the first station and the second station to communicate according to the information of available resource and / or unavailable resource and / or supported capability and / or unsupported capability in subsequent frame interaction, reduces or even avoids the problems of data packet loss, time delay increase, frequency utilization efficiency reduction and the like caused by the change of the resource and capability information of the station, and effectively improves the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0250] FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by the first station. The method includes at least part of the following steps:

[0251] Step 410: sending a first frame, the first frame being used to indicate one or more of the following: enabling the first operation mode; disabling the first operation mode; updating the parameters of the first operation mode.

[0252] For related information, please refer to steps 310 and 220, which will not be repeated here.

[0253] Step 420: Receive the first PPDU, which carries acknowledgment information for the first frame.

[0254] The relevant details can be found in step 320, and will not be repeated here. It should be emphasized that step 420 is an optional step.

[0255] Step 430: Receive the fourth frame, which is used in response to the first frame.

[0256] The relevant details can be found in step 330, and will not be repeated here. It should be emphasized that step 430 is an optional step.

[0257] Step 440: Send a second PPDU, which carries an acknowledgment message for the fourth frame.

[0258] The relevant details can be found in step 340, and will not be repeated here. It should be emphasized that step 440 is an optional step.

[0259] Step 450: Receive the second frame.

[0260] In some embodiments, the second frame is used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with a first station in a first operating mode; triggering the first station to report information on capabilities and / or resources in the first operating mode; or requesting the first station to report information on capabilities and / or resources in the first operating mode.

[0261] In some embodiments, the first station receives the second frame while it is in a first operating mode that is enabled.

[0262] In some embodiments, the first station does not receive the second frame when it is not in the first operating mode enabled.

[0263] In some embodiments, the second frame is further used to indicate information about the capabilities and / or resources of the second station in the first operating mode. The information about the capabilities and / or resources of the second station in the first operating mode includes one or more of the following: updates to the available and / or unavailable resources of the second station; no updates to the available and / or unavailable resources of the second station; updates to the receiving and / or transmitting capabilities of the second station; and no updates to the receiving and / or transmitting capabilities of the second station. The resources include one or more of the following: time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, and spatial-domain resources.

[0264] In some embodiments, the information of the capability and / or resource of the first operating mode of the second station comprises one or more of the following: the available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is updated at TXOP level; the available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is not updated at TXOP level; the receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the second station is updated at TXOP level; the receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the second station is not updated at TXOP level.

[0265] In some embodiments, the second frame is further used to trigger or request the first station to report one or more of the following information: the start time of the unavailable resource state; the duration of the unavailable resource state; the duration of the high capability operating mode. The high capability operating mode can also be referred to as full capability operating mode.

[0266] In some embodiments, the second frame is further used to trigger or request the first station to report one or more of the following information: the start time of the unavailable resource state; the duration of the unavailable resource state; the duration of the target operating mode; the parameters of the target operating mode.

[0267] In some embodiments, the second frame is further used to trigger or request the first station to report the parameters of the target operating mode.

[0268] In some embodiments, the second frame is further used to trigger or request the first station to report one or more of the following information: the parameters of the first target operating mode; the parameters of the second target operating mode; the duration of the first target operating mode; the duration of the second target operating mode; the switching time of the operating mode.

[0269] In some embodiments, the second frame carries padding information.

[0270] In some embodiments, the first operating mode allows the first station to perform listening operation or transceiving operation in a low capability operating mode or a high capability operating mode when the first station is in a wake-up state. When the first station receives the second frame, the first station can report the mode state information of the first station in real time according to the first operating mode and / or the first operating mode type and / or the current IDC coexistence state in which the first station is located. The mode state information comprises one or more of the following: the capability operating mode in which the first station will be located (i.e. the capability operating mode to be entered or the capability operating mode to be started), the duration in which the first station will be in the high capability operating mode, the future possible operating mode switching, the duration in which the first station will be in the low capability operating mode, and the duration in which the first station will be in the no capability operating mode. The first station adopts the corresponding capability operating mode to exchange frames with the second station during the TXOP based on the reported information.

[0271] In some embodiments, the second frame is an initial frame, or, an initial control frame (ICF), or, a dynamic control frame, or, a trigger frame, or, a MU-RTS trigger frame, or, a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, or, an initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, or, a BSRP trigger frame, or, a BSRP / initial control information poll trigger frame, or, a BSRP / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, or, a BFRP trigger frame, or, a BFRP / initial control information poll trigger frame, or, a BFRP / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, or, a BQRP trigger frame, or, a BQRP / initial control information poll trigger frame, or, a BQRP / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, or, a frame agreed by a communication protocol for mode switching.

[0272] In some embodiments, the future possible operation mode switching refers to switching from a current operation mode to a target operation mode. For example, switching from a high capability operation mode to a low capability operation mode, or, switching from a high capability operation mode to a no capability operation mode (i.e. unavailable state), or, switching from a low capability operation mode to a high capability operation mode, or, switching from a low capability operation mode to a no capability operation mode, or, switching from a no capability operation mode to a high capability operation mode, or, switching from a no capability operation mode to a low capability operation mode.

[0273] In some embodiments, the first station adopts one or more of the following parameters in the low capability operation mode: low operation bandwidth, less receive chains, less spatial streams, low data rate, low order MCS, low processing overhead PPDU format. Alternatively, the first station adopts one or more of the following parameters in the high capability operation mode: high operation bandwidth, more receive chains, more spatial streams, high data rate, high order MCS, high processing overhead PPDU format. It is noted that the parameters adopted by the first station in the low capability operation mode are lower than those adopted by the first station in the high capability operation mode, and the parameters adopted by the first station in either the low capability operation mode or the high capability operation mode should be within the capability supported by the first station.

[0274] It is emphasized that step 450 is an optional step. Other related content of the second frame can be referred to step 920, step 1110, which will not be repeated here.

[0275] Step 460: sending a third frame.

[0276] In some embodiments, the third frame is used to indicate information of the first station's capability and / or resource in the first operation mode. The information of the first station's capability and / or resource in the first operation mode includes one or more of the following: the first station's available and / or unavailable resource is updated; the first station's available and / or unavailable resource is not updated; the first station's receiving capability and / or transmitting capability is updated; the first station's receiving capability and / or transmitting capability is not updated. The resource includes one or more of the following: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, space domain resource.

[0277] In some embodiments, the information of the first station's capability and / or resource in the first operation mode includes one or more of the following: the first station's available and / or unavailable resource is updated at TXOP level; the first station's available and / or unavailable resource is not updated at TXOP level; the first station's receiving capability and / or transmitting capability is updated at TXOP level; the first station's receiving capability and / or transmitting capability is not updated at TXOP level.

[0278] In some embodiments, the third frame is an initial frame, or an initial control response (ICR) frame, or a dynamic control response frame, or an initial control information report frame, or a dynamic control information report frame, or a BA frame, or a frame carrying an A-Control field, or a clear-to-send (CTS) frame, or the third frame is another frame agreed by a communication protocol for mode switching.

[0279] In some embodiments, the third frame is used to indicate one or more of the following information: the operation mode to enter, the type of the operation mode to enter, the parameter of the operation mode to enter, the duration of the operation mode to enter, the time point of a possible future operation mode switching (such as the next possible time point of operation mode switching), the duration of the target operation mode to switch to in the future.

[0280] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: the start time of the resource unavailable state; the duration of the resource unavailable state; the duration of the high capability operation mode. The high capability operation mode can also be referred to as full capability operation mode.

[0281] In some embodiments, the first station is in a first type operation mode, and the first type operation mode is a first operation mode based on time sharing.

[0282] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: the start time of the resource unavailable state; the duration of the resource unavailable state; the duration of the target operation mode; the parameter of the target operation mode.

[0283] In some embodiments, the first station is in a second type of operation mode, the second type of operation mode is a first operation mode based on time sharing and partial resource sharing.

[0284] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate parameters of the target operation mode.

[0285] In some embodiments, the first station is in a third type of operation mode, the third type of operation mode is a first operation mode based on partial resource sharing.

[0286] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: parameters of the first target operation mode; parameters of the second target operation mode; duration of the first target operation mode; duration of the second target operation mode; switching time of the operation mode.

[0287] In some embodiments, the first station is in a fourth type of operation mode, the fourth type of operation mode is a first operation mode based on partial resource sharing and mode switching.

[0288] In some embodiments, based on the information reported on the third frame, the first station performs one or more of the following operations: frame exchange with the second station in the corresponding operation mode during the TXOP; frame exchange with the second station based on the resource available information and / or the resource unavailable information indicated on the third frame during the TXOP; termination of the frame exchange before the start time of the resource unavailable state; termination of the frame exchange before the start time of the resource unavailable state; frame exchange with the second station in the switched operation mode after the switching time of the operation mode.

[0289] It is emphasized that step 460 is an optional step. Other related content of the third frame can be referred to step 1020, step 1130, which will not be repeated here.

[0290] It is emphasized that step 460 is an optional step. Other related content of the third frame can be referred to step 1020, step 1130, which will not be repeated here.

[0291] FIG. 8 shows a frame exchange diagram of the first operation mode according to an example embodiment of the present application. It is assumed that the first station is currently in IDC coexistence mode, and the first station receives the second frame (such as ICF) sent by the second station. Optionally, the second frame carries padding information. Optionally, the first station listens in a low-capability operation mode before receiving the second frame.

[0292] The first station receives the second frame and transmits a third frame (e.g., an ICR) to the second station after a SIFS. The third frame carries: a parameter of the operation mode that the first station will enter, and / or a duration of the operation mode that the first station will enter, and / or a next possible operation mode switching time point, and / or a duration of the target operation mode to which the switching is made.

[0293] The first station transmits the third frame and the second station transmits an MPDU after a SIFS. The first station receives the MPDU transmitted by the second station and transmits a Block Acknowledgment (BA) frame to the second station after a SIFS. Optionally, the BA frame carries padding information. Assuming that the first station will enter a high-capability operation mode (or a specific-capability operation mode), the transmission and reception of the third frame, the MPDU, and the BA frame are all performed in the high-capability operation mode (or the specific-capability operation mode), that is, the first station performs transmission and reception in the high-capability operation mode (or the specific-capability operation mode) after receiving the second frame. Moreover, the transmission and reception of the second frame, the third frame, the MPDU, and the BA frame are all performed within the same TXOP.

[0294] Optionally, assuming that the next operation mode switching time point is after the BA frame, and the first station switches to a low-capability operation mode or a no-capability operation mode. In the low-capability operation mode, the first station and the second station perform transmission and reception of the MPDU and / or the BA frame in the low-capability operation mode. In the no-capability operation mode, the first station and the second station do not perform frame exchange.

[0295] In summary, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the first station to use the first frame to perform early notification or early negotiation of enabling / disabling the first operation mode, and supports the first station to use the first frame to perform early notification or early negotiation of updating the parameters of the first operation mode, and is particularly suitable for scenarios in which the station is in a coexistence operation mode and there may be a burst and unpredictable characteristic of triggering a change in the available transmission and reception resources of the station. Moreover, the method also supports the first station to receive the fourth frame fed back by the second station, thereby further guaranteeing the reliability of the notification or negotiation process between the first station and the second station. Moreover, after the first station uses the first frame to perform early notification or early negotiation of the coexistence operation mode that the first station will enable, the method further supports the exchange of the second frame and the third frame, so that the first station and the second station can timely learn the resource and / or capability information of the other party, which helps the first station and the second station to communicate according to the available resources and / or unavailable resources and / or supported capabilities and / or unsupported capabilities of the station in subsequent frame exchange, thereby alleviating or even avoiding problems such as packet loss, increased latency, and reduced frequency utilization efficiency caused by changes in the resource and capability information of the station, and effectively improving the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0296] FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of a method of communication, according to some embodiments of the application. The method is performed by a second station. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0297] Step 620: receiving a first frame, the first frame being configured to indicate one or more of: enabling the first operation mode; disabling the first operation mode; updating a parameter of the first operation mode.

[0298] In some embodiments, enabling the first operation mode can also be understood as entering the first operation mode, or can also be understood as starting the first operation mode.

[0299] In some embodiments, disabling the first operation mode can also be understood as exiting the first operation mode, or can also be understood as stopping the first operation mode.

[0300] In some embodiments, updating the parameter of the first operation mode can also be understood as modifying the parameter of the first operation mode, or can also be understood as resetting the parameter of the first operation mode.

[0301] In some embodiments, the first frame sent by the first station is configured to indicate enabling the first operation mode, which means that the first station informs or requests or negotiates or suggests enabling the first operation mode.

[0302] In some embodiments, the first frame sent by the first station is configured to indicate disabling the first operation mode, which means that the first station informs or requests or negotiates or suggests disabling the first operation mode.

[0303] In some embodiments, the first frame sent by the first station is configured to indicate updating the parameter of the first operation mode, which means that the first station informs or requests or negotiates or suggests updating the parameter of the first operation mode.

[0304] In some embodiments, in the first operation mode, the first station shares the radio resource based on a WLAN technology or other wireless communication technology; or, in the first operation mode, the first station shares the radio resource with other stations affiliated to the same MLD. The other wireless communication technology can include one or more of the following: Bluetooth technology, cellular communication technology, NTN technology, etc.

[0305] In some embodiments, the first operation mode can be referred to as a coexistence operation mode. It should be understood that the specific name of the first operation mode is not limited in the present application, and the first operation mode can also have other names, such as an interference operation mode, etc.

[0306] In some embodiments, the first frame can be referred to as a coexistence operation mode management frame. It should be understood that the specific name of the first frame is not limited in the present application, and the first frame can also have other names, such as an operation mode management frame, an operation mode notification frame, an operation mode request frame, an operation mode negotiation frame, a coexistence operation mode notification frame, a coexistence operation mode request frame, a coexistence operation mode negotiation frame, and the like.

[0307] In the present application, the second station includes one or more APs, or the second station includes one or more non-AP STAs. Alternatively, the second station can also be one or more APs affiliated to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs affiliated to a non-AP MLD. That is, the second station can be an MLD device or not.

[0308] In some embodiments, the second station is a peer station of the first station, and the first frame is sent by the first station to the second station. The first station includes one or more APs, or the first station includes one or more non-AP STAs. Alternatively, the first station can also be one or more APs affiliated to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs affiliated to a non-AP MLD. That is, the first station can be an MLD device or not.

[0309] In summary, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the first station to pre-notify or pre-negotiate the enabling / disabling of the first operation mode through the first frame, and also supports the first station to pre-notify or pre-negotiate the update of the parameters of the first operation mode through the first frame, which helps the second station to interact with the first station in a timely manner to improve the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0310] In some embodiments, on the basis of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, step 620 can also be implemented as step 710, as shown in FIG. 10. Alternatively, the second station can also perform one or more optional steps, such as step 720, step 730, and step 740.

[0311] FIG. 10 shows a flow diagram of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a second station. The method includes at least part of the following steps:

[0312] Step 710: receiving a first frame, the first frame being used to indicate one or more of the following: enabling a first operation mode; disabling the first operation mode; updating parameters of the first operation mode.

[0313] For related content, please refer to steps 310 and 620, which will not be repeated here.

[0314] Step 720: sending a first PPDU, the first PPDU carrying acknowledgement information for the first frame.

[0315] For details, refer to step 320, which will not be repeated here.

[0316] Step 730: sending a fourth frame, the fourth frame being used for responding to the first frame.

[0317] For details, refer to step 330, which will not be repeated here. It is emphasized that step 730 is an optional step, and the second station can not send the fourth frame.

[0318] Step 740: receiving a second PPDU, the second PPDU carrying acknowledgement information for the fourth frame.

[0319] For details, refer to step 340, which will not be repeated here.

[0320] To sum up, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the second station to know or negotiate in advance the enabling / disabling of the first operation mode through the first frame, and also supports the second station to know or negotiate in advance the update of the parameters of the first operation mode through the first frame. Moreover, the second station is also supported to feed back the fourth frame, further guaranteeing the reliability of the notification or negotiation process between the first station and the second station, and helping the first station and the second station to know the information of the resources and / or capabilities of the other party in time, and improving the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0321] FIG. 11 shows a flow diagram of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a second station. The method includes at least part of the following steps:

[0322] Step 1220: sending a second frame, the second frame being used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with a first station in a first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of capabilities and / or resources; requesting the first station to report information of capabilities and / or resources.

[0323] In some embodiments, in the first operation mode, the first station shares radio resources based on a WLAN technology or other wireless communication technology; or, in the first operation mode, the first station shares radio resources with other stations attached to the same MLD. The other wireless communication technology includes one or more of the following, for example: Bluetooth (BT) technology, cellular communication technology, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology, and the like.

[0324] In some embodiments, the first operation mode can be referred to as a coexistence operation mode. It should be understood that the specific name of the first operation mode is not limited in the present application, and the first operation mode can also have other names, such as an interference operation mode, etc. The first operation mode, the coexistence operation mode, and the operation mode can be used interchangeably in the following description, and the first operation mode, the coexistence operation mode, and the operation mode have the same meaning and can be replaced.

[0325] In some embodiments, the information about the capability and / or resource reported by the first station is the information about the capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode.

[0326] In some embodiments, the information about the capability and / or resource in the first operation mode can also be referred to as the information about the first operation mode.

[0327] In the present application, the second station is a peer station of the first station. The second station includes one or more APs, or the second station includes one or more non-AP STAs. Alternatively, the second station can also be one or more APs affiliated to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs affiliated to a non-AP MLD. That is, the second station can be an MLD device or not.

[0328] In some embodiments, the first station includes one or more APs, or the first station includes one or more non-AP STAs. Alternatively, the first station can also be one or more APs affiliated to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs affiliated to a non-AP MLD. That is, the first station can be an MLD device or not.

[0329] In summary, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the second station triggering or requesting the reporting of the information about the capability and / or resource in the first operation mode through the second frame, and also supports the second station initiating the exchange of frames with the first station in the first operation mode through the second frame, so that the second station can timely obtain the information about the resource and / or capability of the first station, which helps the first station and the second station to communicate according to the information about the available resource and / or unavailable resource and / or supported capability and / or unsupported capability of the station in subsequent frame interaction, thereby reducing or even avoiding the problems of packet loss, increased latency, reduced frequency utilization efficiency, etc. caused by changes in the resource and capability information of the station, and effectively improving the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0330] FIG. 12 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a second station. The method includes at least part of the following steps:

[0331] Step 1320: receiving a third frame, the third frame being used to indicate information of a capability and / or resource of the first station.

[0332] In some embodiments, in the first operation mode, the first station shares the radio resource based on a WLAN technology or other wireless communication technology; or, in the first operation mode, the first station shares the radio resource with other stations affiliated to a same MLD. The other wireless communication technology may, for example, include one or more of the following: Bluetooth (BT) technology, cellular communication technology, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology, etc.

[0333] In some embodiments, the first operation mode can be referred to as a coexistence operation mode. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific name of the first operation mode, and the first operation mode can also have other names, such as an interference operation mode, etc. In the following, the first operation mode, the coexistence operation mode, and the operation mode may be mixed. It can be understood that the first operation mode, the coexistence operation mode, and the operation mode have the same meaning, and the names can be replaced.

[0334] In some embodiments, the information of the capability and / or resource of the first station indicated by the third frame is the capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode.

[0335] In the present application, the first station includes one or more APs, or the first station includes one or more non-AP STAs. Optionally, the first station can also be one or more APs affiliated to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs affiliated to a non-AP MLD. That is, the first station can be an MLD device or not.

[0336] In some embodiments, the second station is a peer station of the first station. The second station includes one or more APs, or the second station includes one or more non-AP STAs. Optionally, the second station can also be one or more APs affiliated to an AP MLD, or one or more non-AP STAs affiliated to a non-AP MLD. That is, the second station can be an MLD device or not.

[0337] To sum up, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the second station to learn the information of the resources and / or capabilities of the first station in time through the third frame, which helps the first station and the second station to communicate according to the information of the available resources and / or unavailable resources and / or supported capabilities and / or unsupported capabilities of the stations in subsequent frame interaction, reduces or even avoids the problems of packet loss, increased delay, reduced frequency utilization efficiency and the like caused by the change of the information of the resources and capabilities of the stations, and effectively improves the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0338] In some embodiments, on the basis of the embodiments shown in FIG. 11 and / or FIG. 12, the step 1220 can also be implemented as a step 1410, and the step 1320 can also be implemented as a step 1430, as shown in FIG. 13. Optionally, the second station can also perform an optional step: a step 1450.

[0339] FIG. 13 shows a flow diagram of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a second station. The method includes at least part of the following steps:

[0340] The step 1410: sending a second frame, the second frame being used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with a first station in a first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of capabilities and / or resources; requesting the first station to report information of capabilities and / or resources.

[0341] The related content of the second frame can be referred to the step 1110 and the step 1220, which will not be described here again.

[0342] The step 1430: receiving a third frame, the third frame being used for indicating information of capabilities and / or resources of the first station.

[0343] The related content of the third frame can be referred to the step 1130 and the step 1320, which will not be described here again.

[0344] The step 1450: performing frame interaction with the first station based on the third frame.

[0345] In some embodiments, based on the information reported by the third frame, the second station performs one or more of the following operations: performing frame exchange with the first station during the TXOP by using operation parameters corresponding to the operation mode indicated by the third frame; performing frame exchange with the first station during the TXOP based on the available resource information and / or unavailable resource information indicated by the third frame; terminating frame exchange before the start time of the unavailable resource state; suspending frame exchange before the start time of the unavailable resource state; performing frame exchange with the first station after the switching time of the operation mode by using the switched operation mode.

[0346] In summary, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the second station triggering or requesting the reporting of the information of the capability and / or resource in the first operation mode through the second frame, and also supports the second station initiating the exchange of frames with the first station in the first operation mode through the second frame, so that the second station can timely learn the information of the resource and / or capability of the first station, and the first station and the second station can communicate according to the information of the available resource and / or unavailable resource and / or supported capability and / or unsupported capability in subsequent frame interaction, which reduces or even avoids the problems of packet loss, increased delay, reduced frequency utilization efficiency and the like caused by the change of the resource and capability information of the station, and effectively improves the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0347] FIG. 14 shows a flowchart of a communication method provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by the second station. The method includes at least part of the following steps:

[0348] Step 810: receiving a first frame, the first frame being used to indicate one or more of the following: enabling the first operation mode; disabling the first operation mode; updating a parameter of the first operation mode.

[0349] For related content, please refer to step 310 and step 620, which will not be repeated here.

[0350] Step 820: sending a first PPDU, the first PPDU carrying acknowledgement information for the first frame.

[0351] For related content, please refer to step 320, which will not be repeated here. It is emphasized that step 820 is an optional step.

[0352] Step 830: sending a fourth frame, the fourth frame being used to respond to the first frame.

[0353] For related content, please refer to step 330, which will not be repeated here. It is emphasized that step 830 is an optional step, and the second station can not send the fourth frame.

[0354] Step 840: receiving a second PPDU, the second PPDU carrying acknowledgement information for the fourth frame.

[0355] For related content, please refer to step 340, which will not be repeated here. It is emphasized that step 840 is an optional step.

[0356] Step 850: sending a second frame.

[0357] For related content, please refer to step 450, step 1110 and step 1220, which will not be repeated here. It is emphasized that step 850 is an optional step.

[0358] Step 860: receiving a third frame.

[0359] The related content can refer to step 460, step 1130, and step 1320, which will not be repeated here. It should be emphasized that step 860 is an optional step.

[0360] In some embodiments, the second station performs one or more of the following operations based on the information reported on the third frame: performing frame exchange with the first station during the TXOP using operation parameters corresponding to the operation mode indicated by the third frame; performing frame exchange with the first station during the TXOP based on the resource available information and / or the resource unavailable information indicated by the third frame; terminating frame exchange before the start time of the resource unavailable state; suspending frame exchange before the start time of the resource unavailable state; performing frame exchange with the first station after the switching time of the operation mode using the switched operation mode.

[0361] The frame exchange process between the first station and the second station in the first operation mode can refer to FIG. 8.

[0362] In summary, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application supports the second station to learn or negotiate in advance through the first frame whether the first operation mode is enabled or disabled, and also supports the second station to learn or negotiate in advance through the first frame to update the parameters of the first operation mode, which is especially suitable for scenarios where the first operation mode of the station may have a burst and is difficult to predict in advance. In addition, the second station also supports feedback of the fourth frame, which further guarantees the reliability of the notification or negotiation process between the first station and the second station. Furthermore, after the first station is notified or negotiated in advance through the first frame that the coexistence operation mode will be enabled, the second frame and the third frame are also supported to enable the first station and the second station to learn the resource and / or capability information of the other party in time, which helps the first station and the second station to communicate according to the available resource and / or unavailable resource and / or supported capability and / or unsupported capability of the station in the subsequent frame interaction, thereby reducing or even avoiding the problems of packet loss, increased latency, and reduced frequency utilization efficiency caused by changes in the resource and capability information of the station, and effectively improving the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the second station and the first station.

[0363] Further, considering the types of coexistence operation modes that the first station may enter, based on the frame exchange process shown in FIG. 8, the present application exemplarily provides four types of frame exchange diagrams in the first operation mode, which are shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 15 to 19.

[0364] FIG. 15 shows a frame exchange diagram of a first type operation mode provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The first type operation mode or type 1 coexistence operation mode is a time-sharing-based first operation mode.

[0365] The first station is in a first operation mode based on time sharing, and needs to report to the second station a start time of a next resource unavailable state and / or a duration of the resource unavailable state when exchanging frames with the second station.

[0366] For example, the first station receives a second frame (such as ICF), which is used to trigger the first station to send a third frame. Optionally, the second frame carries padding information. It is assumed that the first station is in a low capability operation mode before receiving the second frame. It is assumed that the first station switches from the low capability operation mode to a default high capability operation mode after receiving the second frame.

[0367] After receiving the second frame, the first station sends a third frame (such as ICR) to the second station. The third frame carries one or more of the following information: a start time of a resource unavailable state, a duration of the resource unavailable state, and a duration of the high capability operation. The third frame is also used to indicate information of a coexistence operation mode of the first station, including one or more of the following: the available resource and / or the unavailable resource of the first station is updated; the available resource and / or the unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; the receiving capability and / or the sending capability of the first station is updated; the receiving capability and / or the sending capability of the first station is not updated.

[0368] After receiving the third frame fed back by the first station, the second station coordinates and controls a frame exchange duration with the first station according to the unavailable information of the first station. The second station can carry padding delay information in the second frame to indicate a delay required by the first station for processing the unavailable information and / or switching from the low capability operation mode to the high capability operation mode.

[0369] It is assumed that the first station enters a no capability operation mode after sending the BA frame to the second station, i.e., enters a resource unavailable state. During the duration of the resource unavailable state, the first station does not exchange frames with the second station.

[0370] Optionally, the first station and the second station pre-negotiate one or more of the following: a coexistence operation mode of the first station, a type of the coexistence operation mode of the first station, a delay of the first station for processing available or unavailable resource information, and a switching delay of the coexistence operation mode.

[0371] Optionally, one or more of the following is determined by default: a coexistence operation mode of the first station, a type of the coexistence operation mode of the first station, a delay of the first station for processing available or unavailable resource information, and a switching delay of the coexistence operation mode.

[0372] Figure 16 illustrates a frame exchange diagram of a second type of operation mode according to an example embodiment of the present application. The second type of operation mode, or Type 2 coexistence operation mode, is a first operation mode based on time sharing and partial resource sharing, or can be understood as a first operation mode combined with time sharing and partial resource sharing.

[0373] The first station is in the first operation mode based on time sharing and partial resource sharing, and needs to report to the second station a start time of a next resource unavailable state and / or a duration of the resource unavailable state and / or a duration of a specific capability operation mode (or target operation mode) and / or a parameter of the specific capability operation mode when performing frame exchange with the second station.

[0374] For example, the first station receives a second frame (e.g., ICF) for triggering the first station to send a third frame. Optionally, the second frame carries padding information. It is assumed that the first station is in a low capability operation mode before receiving the second frame. It is assumed that the first station switches from the low capability operation mode to a specific capability operation mode after receiving the second frame, and the specific capability operation mode can be based on an indication.

[0375] After receiving the second frame, the first station sends a third frame (e.g., ICR) to the second station. The third frame carries one or more of the following information: a start time of a resource unavailable state, a duration of the resource unavailable state, a duration of a target operation mode (i.e., a duration of a specific capability operation mode), a parameter of the target operation mode (i.e., a parameter of the specific capability operation mode). The third frame is also used to indicate information of a coexistence operation mode of the first station, including one or more of the following: an available resource and / or an unavailable resource of the first station is updated; an available resource and / or an unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; a receiving capability and / or a transmitting capability of the first station is updated; a receiving capability and / or a transmitting capability of the first station is not updated.

[0376] After receiving the third frame fed back by the first station, the second station coordinates and controls frame exchange with the first station according to time sharing and partial resource sharing information (i.e., information reported by the first station) and based on capability operation information indicated by the first station, and coordinates and controls a duration of the frame exchange. The second station can carry padding delay information in the second frame for a delay required by the first station to process the time sharing and partial resource sharing information and / or to switch from a low capability operation mode to a specific capability operation mode.

[0377] It is assumed that the first station enters a no capability operation mode after sending a BA frame to the second station, i.e., enters a resource unavailable state. During a duration of the resource unavailable state, the first station does not perform frame exchange with the second station.

[0378] Optionally, the first station and the second station pre-negotiate one or more of the following: the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is in, the type of the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is in, the time delay for the first station to process the available or unavailable resource information, the switching time delay of the coexistence operation mode.

[0379] Optionally, one or more of the following is determined by default: the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is in, the type of the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is in, the time delay for the first station to process the available or unavailable resource information, the switching time delay of the coexistence operation mode.

[0380] FIG. 17 shows a frame exchange diagram of a third type of operation mode according to an example embodiment of the present application. The third type of operation mode, or Type 3 coexistence operation mode, is a first operation mode based on partial resource sharing.

[0381] The first station is in the first operation mode based on partial resource sharing, and needs to report the parameters of a specific capability operation mode (which can also be referred to as a target operation mode) to the second station when performing frame exchange with the second station.

[0382] For example, the first station receives a second frame (such as an ICF), which is used to trigger the first station to send a third frame. Optionally, the second frame carries padding information. It is assumed that the first station is in a low capability operation mode before receiving the second frame. It is assumed that the first station switches from the low capability operation mode to a specific capability operation mode after receiving the second frame, and the specific capability operation mode can be based on the indication.

[0383] After receiving the second frame, the first station sends a third frame (such as an ICR) to the second station. The third frame carries the target operation mode parameters (i.e., the specific capability operation mode parameters). The third frame also indicates the information of the coexistence operation mode of the first station, including one or more of the following: the available resource and / or the unavailable resource of the first station is updated; the available resource and / or the unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; the reception capability and / or the transmission capability of the first station is updated; the reception capability and / or the transmission capability of the first station is not updated.

[0384] After receiving the third frame fed back by the first station, the second station coordinates and controls the frame exchange with the first station based on the partial resource sharing information (i.e., the information reported by the first station) and the capability operation information indicated by the first station. The second station can carry padding time delay information in the second frame to indicate the time delay required by the first station to process the partial resource sharing information and / or to switch from the low capability operation mode to the specific capability operation mode.

[0385] Optionally, the first station and the second station pre-negotiate one or more of the following: the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is in, the type of the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is in, the time delay for the first station to process the available or unavailable resource information, the switching time delay of the coexistence operation mode.

[0386] Optionally, one or more of the following is determined by default: the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is in, the type of the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is in, the time delay for the first station to process the available or unavailable resource information, the switching time delay of the coexistence operation mode.

[0387] FIG. 18 shows a frame exchange diagram of a fourth type of operation mode according to an example embodiment of the present application. The fourth type of operation mode, or Type 4 coexistence operation mode, is a first operation mode based on partial resource sharing and mode switching.

[0388] When the first station is in the coexistence operation mode based on partial resource sharing and mode switching, the first station needs to report to the second station the parameters of the specific capability operation mode 1 and / or the parameters of the specific capability operation mode 2 and / or the mode switching time point and / or the duration of the specific capability operation mode 1 and / or the duration of the specific capability operation mode 2 when performing frame exchange with the second station.

[0389] For example, the first station receives a second frame (such as ICF) for triggering the first station to send a third frame. Optionally, the second frame carries padding information. It is assumed that the first station is in a low capability operation mode before receiving the second frame. It is assumed that the first station switches from the low capability operation mode to a default high capability operation mode after receiving the second frame.

[0390] After receiving the second frame, the first station sends a third frame (such as ICR) to the second station. The third frame carries one or more of the following information: the parameters of the first target operation mode (i.e., the specific capability operation mode 1), the parameters of the second target operation mode (i.e., the specific capability operation mode 2), the duration of the first target operation mode, the duration of the second target operation mode, the switching time of the coexistence operation mode. The third frame is also used to indicate the information of the coexistence operation mode of the first station, including one or more of the following: the available resource and / or the unavailable resource of the first station is updated; the available resource and / or the unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; the receiving capability and / or the transmitting capability of the first station is updated; the receiving capability and / or the transmitting capability of the first station is not updated.

[0391] After the second station receives the third frame of the feedback from the first station, the second station coordinates and controls the frame exchange between the second station and the first station according to the information reported by the first station and based on the specific capability operation mode indicated by the first station. Optionally, the second station can carry padding delay information in the second frame for the first station to share the information of the processing time and the partial resource sharing and / or the delay required for switching from the low capability operation mode to the specific capability operation mode.

[0392] It is assumed that after the first station sends the BA frame to the second station, the first station enters a state in which the partial resource (such as partial bandwidth) is unavailable. It can also be understood that the first station switches from the default high capability operation mode to the specific capability operation mode in which the partial resource is unavailable. During the duration of the state in which the partial resource is unavailable, the first station and the second station perform frame exchange based on the available resource. Optionally, the first station can carry padding delay information in the BA frame before the time point at which the partial resource is unavailable, for the second station to adjust the delay required for the transceiving capability and parameters of the first station to perform frame exchange.

[0393] Optionally, the first station and the second station pre-negotiate one or more of the following: the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is located, the type of the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is located, the delay of the first station to process the available or unavailable resource information, and the switching delay of the coexistence operation mode.

[0394] Optionally, one or more of the following is determined by default: the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is located, the type of the coexistence operation mode in which the first station is located, the delay of the first station to process the available or unavailable resource information, and the switching delay of the coexistence operation mode.

[0395] FIG. 19 shows a schematic diagram of frame exchange in a fourth type operation mode according to an example embodiment of the present application. The fourth type operation mode or type 4 coexistence operation mode is a first operation mode based on partial resource sharing and mode switching.

[0396] When the first station is in the first operation mode based on partial resource sharing and mode switching, the first station needs to report the parameters of the specific capability operation mode 1 and / or the parameters of the specific capability operation mode 2 and / or the mode switching time point and / or the duration of the specific capability operation mode 1 and / or the duration of the specific capability operation mode 2 to the second station when performing frame exchange with the second station.

[0397] For example, the first station receives a second frame (such as ICF) for triggering the first station to send a third frame. Optionally, the second frame carries padding information. It is assumed that the first station listens in the low capability operation mode before receiving the second frame. It is assumed that the first station switches from the low capability operation mode to the specific capability operation mode 1 after receiving the second frame, and the specific capability operation mode 1 is based on the indication.

[0398] After receiving the second frame, the first station replies to the second station with a third frame (e.g. ICR). The third frame carries one or more of the following information: the first target operating mode (i.e. specific capability operating mode 1) parameters, the second target operating mode (i.e. specific capability operating mode 2) parameters, the duration of the first target operating mode, the duration of the second target operating mode, the switching time of the coexistence operating mode. The third frame also indicates the information of the coexistence operating mode of the first station, including one or more of the following: the available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are updated; the available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are not updated; the reception and / or transmission capability of the first station is updated; the reception and / or transmission capability of the first station is not updated. Optionally, the first station carries padding delay information in the third frame for the second station to adjust the delay required for the reception and / or transmission capability and parameters for frame exchange with the first station.

[0399] Suppose the first station switches the coexistence operating mode from specific capability operating mode 1 to specific capability operating mode 2 after sending the BA frame to the second station, the specific capability operating mode 2 is based on the indication. Optionally, the first station can carry padding delay information in the BA frame before the switching time of the coexistence operating mode, for the second station to adjust the delay required for the reception and / or transmission capability and parameters for frame exchange with the first station.

[0400] Optionally, the first station and the second station pre-negotiate one or more of the following: the coexistence operating mode of the first station, the type of the coexistence operating mode of the first station, the delay for the first station to process the available or unavailable resource information, the switching delay of the coexistence operating mode.

[0401] Optionally, one or more of the following is determined by default: the coexistence operating mode of the first station, the type of the coexistence operating mode of the first station, the delay for the first station to process the available or unavailable resource information, the switching delay of the coexistence operating mode.

[0402] Taking the first frame as the coexistence operating mode notification frame as an example, FIG. 20 shows a schematic diagram of the first station sending the coexistence operating mode notification frame according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0403] When the first station supporting the coexistence operating mode is ready to enable or disable the coexistence operating mode, the first station can send the coexistence operating mode notification frame to the second station at the opposite end, as shown in FIG. 20.

[0404] For example, when the first station is to enable the coexistence operation mode, the coexistence operation mode notification frame sent by the first station carries the coexistence operation mode enable field set to a first value (e.g., set to 1, indicating that the first station is to enable the coexistence operation mode). For ease of illustration, the coexistence operation mode notification frame sent by the first station is denoted as coexistence operation mode notification frame 1 in FIG. 20.

[0405] Further, the coexistence operation mode notification frame sent by the first station can also carry specific information of the coexistence operation mode that the first station is to enable. Optionally, the coexistence operation mode notification frame can carry a low capability operation parameter field, indicating the operation parameters in the low capability operation mode, where the low capability operation parameters are the operation parameters adopted by the station in the listening operation mode, and can be used to receive the second frame (e.g., the initial control frame). Optionally, the coexistence operation mode notification frame can also carry a high capability operation parameter field, indicating the operation parameters in the high capability operation mode, where the high capability operation parameters are the operation parameters adopted by the station after switching to the default target capability, and if a non-default high capability operation parameter is adopted, it is indicated in the third frame (e.g., the initial control response frame) in reply to the second frame.

[0406] Optionally, when the second station receives the coexistence operation mode notification frame sent by the first station, and is ready to provide service for the first station that is to be in the coexistence operation mode, as a response to the received coexistence operation mode notification frame, the second station can send a coexistence operation mode notification frame 2 to the first station within the transition super interval.

[0407] In some embodiments, the first station is to enter or start the coexistence operation mode for operation when one of the following occurs (with the first occurrence as the criterion): i) at the end of the transition super interval; or, ii) before the end of the transition super interval, and immediately after sending a second PPDU as a response to the received coexistence operation mode notification frame 2 sent from the second station, where the second PPDU is sent by the first station, and carries an immediate acknowledgement for the fourth frame.

[0408] For another example, when the first station that supports the coexistence operation mode is to close or disable its coexistence operation mode, the first station sends a coexistence operation mode notification frame 1 to the second station, where the coexistence operation mode notification frame 1 carries the coexistence operation mode enable (CAA PS Enabled) field set to a second value (e.g., set to 0, indicating that the first station is to disable the coexistence operation mode). When the second station is no longer to provide service for the first station that is to be in the coexistence operation mode, as a response to the received coexistence operation mode notification frame 1, the second station sends a coexistence operation mode notification frame 2 to the first station within the transition super interval.

[0409] In some embodiments, the first station will exit or close the non-coexistence operation mode when one of the following occurs (whichever occurs first): i) at the end of the transition timeout interval; or, ii) before the end of the transition timeout interval and immediately after sending a second PPDU as a response to the received coexistence operation mode notification frame 2 from the second station. Wherein the second PPDU is sent by the first station carrying an immediate acknowledgement for the fourth frame.

[0410] In some embodiments, the coexistence operation mode notification frame 2 sent by the second station can also satisfy some or all of the following three rules:

[0411] (a) In some embodiments, the transition timeout subfield carried in the management frame (such as the association response frame) sent by the second station corresponds to an indication of the transition timeout interval. When the transition timeout subfield is included in the frame sent by the second station, the setting of the transition timeout subfield can refer to the definition of Table 1. Wherein TU is a time unit (Time Unit) which is a time measurement unit with a length of 1024 microseconds (μs).

[0412] Referring to Table 1, the transition timeout subfield can be used to represent different transition timeout intervals when corresponding to different encoding values. It should be understood that Table 1 is an example and not a limitation, and this application supports modifying the transition timeout interval according to actual conditions (such as available resources, transmission requirements, STA capabilities, etc.), and the correspondence between different encoding values and different transition timeout intervals can also be adjusted according to actual conditions, such as the first encoding value indicating 64TUs, the second encoding value indicating 32TUs, etc., which cannot be listed here. In addition, the encoding value of the transition timeout subfield can also be other values other than 0 to 15.

[0413] Table 1 Transition Timeout Subfield Encoding

[0414] (b) In some embodiments, if there is no signal extension (SigExt) after the first PPDU, the transition timeout interval starts from the end of the first PPDU. Or, if there is a signal extension after the first PPDU, the transition timeout interval starts from the end of the signal extension part after the first PPDU, that is, if the first PPDU is followed by a signal extension, the transition timeout interval starts from the end of the first PPDU[+SigExt]. Wherein the first PPDU is sent by the second station carrying an immediate acknowledgement for the first frame.

[0415] (c) In some embodiments, the conversation token field in the coexistence operation mode notification frame 2 sent by the second station is set to the same value as the conversation token field in the coexistence operation mode notification frame 1 received by the second station.

[0416] Table 2 illustrates the format of the Action field of the coexistence operation mode announcement frame according to an example embodiment of the present application, which includes one or more of the following fields: Category field, Protected UHR Action field, Dialog Token field, Coexistence Operation Mode Control field, Coexistence Operation Mode Delay Parameter field, Low Capability Operation Mode Parameter field, High Capability Operation Mode Parameter field. It should be understood that the order, fields, and information shown in Table 2 are optional examples, and the present application supports any suitable modification of the format of the Action field of the coexistence operation mode announcement frame, such as adding fields, removing some fields, recombining some fields, changing the number of bytes, changing the number of bits, changing the name of a field, changing the order of fields, and the like.

[0417] Format of the Action field of the coexistence operation mode announcement frame

[0418] The Category field can refer to the relevant definition in the IEEE 802.11 standard protocol.

[0419] The Protected UHR Action field includes one byte (Octet), which is followed by the Category field, and is used to distinguish the UHR Action frame format.

[0420] The Dialog Token field is set to a non-zero value selected by the first station performing the coexistence operation mode update, and is set to the value copied from the corresponding received coexistence operation mode announcement frame by the second station at the opposite end.

[0421] Figure 21 illustrates a format diagram of the coexistence operation mode control field according to an example embodiment of the present application. The coexistence operation mode control field includes one or more of the following subfields: Coexistence Operation Mode Enable subfield, Coexistence Operation Mode Type subfield, Default Low Capability Operation Indication subfield, Default High Capability Operation Indication subfield, Coexistence Operation Mode Delay Parameter Control subfield, Low Capability Operation Parameter Control subfield, and a reserved field (occupying 1 bit).

[0422] The Coexistence Operation Mode Enable subfield occupies 1 bit (Bit), and is used to indicate whether to enable or not to enable the coexistence operation mode. For example, when the Coexistence Operation Mode Enable subfield is a first value, it indicates to enable the coexistence operation mode; when the Coexistence Operation Mode Enable subfield is a second value, it indicates to not enable the coexistence operation mode. The first value is different from the second value, for example, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0, or the first value is 0 and the second value is 1. The present application does not limit the first value and the second value, and the first value and the second value can also be other values other than 0 or 1, which will not be described below.

[0423] In some embodiments, the enabled coexistence operation mode can also be understood as entering or starting the coexistence operation mode, and the disabled coexistence operation mode can also be understood as exiting or stopping the coexistence operation mode.

[0424] The coexistence operation mode type subfield occupies 2 bits, which is used to indicate the type of the coexistence operation mode to be adopted. Table 3 exemplarily provides four types of coexistence operation modes, and the coexistence operation mode type subfield can be used to represent different types of coexistence operation modes when corresponding to different encoding values. It should be understood that Table 3 is taken as an example but not as a limitation, and the present application supports modifying or adding or deleting the types of coexistence operation modes according to actual conditions (such as available resources, transmission requirements, STA capabilities, etc.), and the correspondence between different encoding values and different types of coexistence operation modes can also be adjusted according to actual conditions. In addition, the encoding values of the coexistence operation mode type subfield can also be other numerical values other than 0, 1, 2, and 3.

[0425] Table 3 Coexistence operation mode type subfield

[0426] The default low-capability operation indication subfield occupies 1 bit, which is used to indicate whether to adopt the default low-capability operation mode. Exemplarily, when the default low-capability operation indication subfield is a first value, it indicates to adopt the default low-capability operation mode; and when the default low-capability operation indication subfield is a second value, it indicates not to adopt the default low-capability operation mode. The first value is different from the second value, and exemplarily, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0, or the first value is 0 and the second value is 1.

[0427] The default low-capability operation mode is agreed by the communication protocol, or is pre-configured, or is indicated by the first station, or is indicated by the second station, or is determined by negotiation between the first station and the second station. Exemplarily, the default low-capability operation mode can be specified as follows: the listening capability includes being able to perform CCA and receive the initial frame of the frame exchange initiated by the opposite station; having an operation bandwidth of 20 MHz, being able to receive non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU, and supporting a rate of 6 Mb / s, 12 Mb / s, or 24 Mb / s.

[0428] The default high-capability operation indication subfield occupies 1 bit, which is used to indicate whether to adopt the default high-capability operation mode. Exemplarily, when the default high-capability operation indication subfield is a first value, it indicates to adopt the default high-capability operation mode; and when the default high-capability operation indication subfield is a second value, it indicates not to adopt the default high-capability operation mode. The first value is different from the second value, and exemplarily, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0, or the first value is 0 and the second value is 1.

[0429] The default high capability operation mode is either pre-configured, or indicated by the first station, or indicated by the second station, or determined by negotiation between the first station and the second station, according to the communication protocol. Optionally, the default high capability operation mode can also be referred to as full capability mode. An exemplary default high capability operation mode can be defined as: the capability corresponding to the operation mode announced by the STA, the capability corresponding to the capability element (e.g. UHR Capabilities Element) carried during association, and / or the capability corresponding to the operation mode defined by the exchanged operation mode management frame (if any) and the OM control field (if any).

[0430] The coexistence operation mode latency parameter control subfield occupies 1 bit, and is used to indicate whether the coexistence operation mode latency parameter field exists. Exemplarily, when the coexistence operation mode enabling subfield indicates to enable the coexistence operation mode, and the coexistence operation mode latency parameter field exists in the coexistence operation mode notification frame, the coexistence operation mode latency parameter control subfield is set to a first value; otherwise, when the coexistence operation mode enabling subfield indicates to disable the coexistence operation mode, and / or the coexistence operation mode latency parameter field does not exist in the coexistence operation mode notification frame, the coexistence operation mode latency parameter control subfield is set to a second value. When the coexistence operation mode latency parameter control subfield is included in the frame sent by the second station, the coexistence operation mode latency parameter control subfield is set to the second value. The first value is different from the second value, and exemplarily, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0, or the first value is 0 and the second value is 1.

[0431] The low capability operation parameter control subfield occupies 1 bit, and is used to indicate whether the low capability operation parameter field exists. Exemplarily, when the low capability operation parameter field exists in the coexistence operation mode notification frame, the low capability operation parameter control subfield is set to a first value; when the low capability operation parameter field does not exist in the coexistence operation mode notification frame, the low capability operation parameter control subfield is set to a second value. The first value is different from the second value, and exemplarily, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0, or the first value is 0 and the second value is 1.

[0432] The subfields and the number of bits shown in FIG. 21 are optional examples, and the application supports any adaptive modification of the format of the coexistence operation mode control field, such as adding subfields, reducing part of the subfields, recombining part of the subfields, changing the number of bytes, changing the number of bits, changing the name of the subfield, changing the order of the subfield, and the like, based on FIG. 21.

[0433] FIG. 22 shows a format of a coexistence operation mode latency parameter field according to an example embodiment of the present application. The coexistence operation mode latency parameter field includes one or more subfields, such as a first latency subfield, a second latency subfield, and a third latency subfield.

[0434] The first latency subfield occupies 1 byte and is used to indicate a minimum MAC padding duration of a second frame. For example, the first latency subfield indicates a minimum MAC padding duration of an initial frame requested by the first station. For example, the first latency subfield indicates a minimum MAC padding duration of an initial frame required by the first station for switching from a low-capability operation to a high-capability operation (or full-capability operation).

[0435] In some embodiments, the first latency subfield can be referred to as a coexistence operation mode padding latency subfield. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific name of the first latency subfield, and the first latency subfield can also have other names, such as a padding latency subfield, an initial frame padding latency subfield, and the like.

[0436] Referring to Table 4, the first latency subfield can be used to indicate different coexistence operation mode padding latencies when corresponding to different encoding values. It should be understood that Table 4 is provided as an example and is not limiting, and the present application supports modifying the coexistence operation mode padding latency according to actual conditions (such as available resources, transmission requirements, STA capabilities, and the like), and the correspondence between different encoding values and different coexistence operation mode padding latencies can also be adjusted according to actual conditions, such as a first encoding value indicating 256 μs, a second encoding value indicating 128 μs, and the like, which cannot be listed one by one. In addition, the encoding value of the first latency subfield can also be other values other than 0 to 7.

[0437] Table 4 Coexistence operation mode padding latency

[0438] The second latency subfield occupies 1 byte and is used to indicate a minimum latency required for switching from a high-capability operation to a first low-capability operation. For example, the second latency subfield indicates a minimum latency required for switching from a high-capability operation to a first low-capability operation for the first station operating in a coexistence operation mode, where the first low-capability operation refers to a low-capability operation for listening.

[0439] In some embodiments, the second latency subfield can be referred to as a coexistence operation mode transition latency subfield. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific name of the second latency subfield, and the second latency subfield can also have other names, such as a transition latency subfield, and the like.

[0440] Referring to Table 5, the second latency subfield can be used to indicate different coexistence operation mode transition latency when corresponding to different encoding values. It should be understood that Table 5 is provided as an example and is not limiting, and the present application supports modifying the coexistence operation mode transition latency according to actual conditions (such as available resources, transmission requirements, STA capabilities, etc.), and the correspondence between different encoding values and different coexistence operation mode transition latencies can also be adjusted according to actual conditions, such as the first encoding value indicating 256 μs, the second encoding value indicating 128 μs, and the like, which cannot be listed one by one here. In addition, the encoding values of the second latency subfield can also be other values other than 0 to 7.

[0441] Table 5 Coexistence operation mode transition latency

[0442] The third latency subfield occupies 0 or 1 byte and is used to indicate the minimum latency required for switching from the high-capability operation to the second low-capability operation. For example, the third latency subfield indicates the minimum latency required for the first station operating in the coexistence operation mode to switch from the high-capability operation to the second low-capability operation, where the second low-capability operation refers to the low-capability operation not used for listening.

[0443] In some embodiments, the third latency subfield can be referred to as a capability mode switching latency subfield. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the specific name of the third latency subfield, and the third latency subfield can also have other names, such as a switching latency subfield and the like.

[0444] Referring to Table 6, the third latency subfield can be used to indicate different capability mode switching latencies when corresponding to different encoding values. It should be understood that Table 6 is provided as an example and is not limiting, and the present application supports modifying the capability mode switching latency according to actual conditions (such as available resources, transmission requirements, STA capabilities, etc.), and the correspondence between different encoding values and different capability mode switching latencies can also be adjusted according to actual conditions, such as the first encoding value indicating 256 μs, the second encoding value indicating 128 μs, and the like, which cannot be listed one by one here. In addition, the encoding values of the third latency subfield can also be other values other than 0 to 7.

[0445] Table 6 Capability mode switching latency

[0446] FIG. 23 shows a format diagram of the capability operation parameter field provided by an example embodiment of the present application.

[0447] The low-capability operation parameter field includes one or more of the following subfields: operation bandwidth (Channel Width), MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported, RX maximum spatial stream (Spatial Streams, SS), TX maximum SS, and PPDU format.

[0448] The operation bandwidth subfield occupies 4 bits, and indicates an operation bandwidth supported in the low-capability operation mode to which the first station is to be switched. The operation bandwidth subfield can be used to represent different operation bandwidths when corresponding to different encoding values. The operation bandwidth is, for example, a combination of one or more of the following: 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 80+80 MHz, 160 MHz, 160+160 MHz, 320 MHz. For example, when the operation bandwidth subfield corresponds to a first encoding value (such as 0), it indicates that the operation bandwidth is 20 MHz; when the operation bandwidth subfield corresponds to a second encoding value (such as 1), it indicates that the operation bandwidth is 40 MHz; when the operation bandwidth subfield corresponds to a third encoding value (such as 2), it indicates that the operation bandwidth is 80 MHz; when the operation bandwidth subfield corresponds to a fourth encoding value (such as 3), it indicates that the operation bandwidth is 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz; when the operation bandwidth subfield corresponds to a fifth encoding value (such as 4), it indicates that the operation bandwidth is 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz; and other encoding values are reserved. It should be understood that the examples herein do not mean limitation, and the application supports adjusting the correspondence between different encoding values of the operation bandwidth subfield and different operation bandwidths according to actual conditions (such as available resources, transmission requirements, STA capabilities, etc.), such as the first encoding value indicating 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the second encoding value indicating 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz, and so on, which cannot be listed one by one here. In addition, the encoding values of the operation bandwidth subfield can also be other values other than 0 to 7.

[0449] The MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield occupies 8 bits, and indicates an MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported in the low-capability operation mode to which the first station is to be switched. The MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield can be used to represent different MCS indexes when corresponding to different encoding values. For example, when the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield corresponds to a first encoding value (such as 0), it indicates binary phase shift keying (BPSK); when the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield corresponds to a second encoding value (such as 1), it indicates quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK); when the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield corresponds to a third encoding value (such as 2), it indicates 16-quadrature amplitude modulation with 16 symbols (16-QAM); and so on, when the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield corresponds to a seventh encoding value (such as 6), it indicates 2048-QAM; and when the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield corresponds to an eighth encoding value (such as 7), it indicates 4096-QAM.

[0450] The RX Max SS subfield occupies 4 bits, indicating the maximum SS supported for reception in the low-capability operating mode to which the first station is to switch. Illustratively, the value of the RX Max SS subfield can be set to the maximum NSS supported for reception in the low-capability operating mode to which the first station is to switch minus 1.

[0451] The TX Max SS subfield occupies 4 bits, indicating the maximum SS supported for transmission in the low-capability operating mode to which the first station is to switch. Illustratively, the value of the TX Max SS subfield can be set to the maximum NSS supported for transmission in the low-capability operating mode to which the first station is to switch minus 1.

[0452] The PPDU format subfield occupies 4 bits, indicating the PPDU format supported in the low-capability operating mode to which the first station is to switch. Such as one or more of: non-HT PPDU, HE PPDU, EHT PPDU, UHR PPDU.

[0453] The format of the high-capability operating parameters field can also be referred to as FIG. 23. Among them, the high-capability operating parameters field includes one or more of the following subfields: operating bandwidth, MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported, RX maximum SS, TX maximum SS, PPDU format.

[0454] The operation bandwidth subfield occupies 4 bits, and indicates an operation bandwidth supported in the high-capability operation mode to which the first station is to be switched. The operation bandwidth subfield can be used to represent different operation bandwidths when corresponding to different encoding values. The operation bandwidth is, for example, a combination of one or more of the following: 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 80+80 MHz, 160 MHz, 160+160 MHz, 320 MHz. For example, when the operation bandwidth subfield corresponds to a first encoding value (such as 0), it indicates that the operation bandwidth is 20 MHz; when the operation bandwidth subfield corresponds to a second encoding value (such as 1), it indicates that the operation bandwidth is 40 MHz; when the operation bandwidth subfield corresponds to a third encoding value (such as 2), it indicates that the operation bandwidth is 80 MHz; when the operation bandwidth subfield corresponds to a fourth encoding value (such as 3), it indicates that the operation bandwidth is 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz; when the operation bandwidth subfield corresponds to a fifth encoding value (such as 4), it indicates that the operation bandwidth is 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz; and other encoding values are reserved. It should be understood that the examples herein do not mean to be limiting, and the application supports adjusting the correspondence between different encoding values of the operation bandwidth subfield and different operation bandwidths according to actual conditions (such as available resources, transmission requirements, STA capabilities, etc.), such as the first encoding value indicating 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz, the second encoding value indicating 160 MHz or 80+80 MHz, and so on, which cannot be listed one by one here. In addition, the encoding values of the operation bandwidth subfield can also be other values other than 0 to 7.

[0455] The MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield occupies 8 bits, and indicates an MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported in the high-capability operation mode to which the first station is to be switched. The MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield can be used to represent different MCS indexes when corresponding to different encoding values. For example, when the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield corresponds to a first encoding value (such as 0), it indicates BPSK; when the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield corresponds to a second encoding value (such as 1), it indicates QPSK; when the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield corresponds to a third encoding value (such as 2), it indicates 16-QAM; and so on, when the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield corresponds to a seventh encoding value (such as 6), it indicates 2048-QAM; and when the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported subfield corresponds to an eighth encoding value (such as 7), it indicates 4096-QAM.

[0456] The RX maximum SS subfield occupies 4 bits, and indicates a maximum SS supported in the high-capability operation mode to which the first station is to be switched. For example, the value of the RX maximum SS subfield can be set to the maximum NSS supported in the high-capability operation mode to which the first station is to be switched minus 1.

[0457] The TX Max SS subfield occupies 4 bits, indicating the maximum SS supported by the first station in the high capability operation mode to which the first station is going to switch. For example, the value of the TX Max SS subfield can be set as the maximum NSS supported by the first station in the high capability operation mode to which the first station is going to switch minus 1.

[0458] The PPDU format subfield occupies 4 bits, indicating the PPDU format supported by the first station in the high capability operation mode to which the first station is going to switch. For example, one or more of the following: non-HT PPDU, HE PPDU, EHT PPDU, UHR PPDU.

[0459] Taking the first frame as the coexistence operation mode request frame, FIG. 24 shows a schematic diagram of the first station sending the coexistence operation mode request frame according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0460] When the first station supporting the coexistence operation mode is ready to enable or disable the coexistence operation mode, in order to initiate the negotiation process, the first station can send a coexistence operation mode request frame to the second station at the opposite end, requesting the second station to enable or disable the coexistence operation mode, as shown in FIG. 24.

[0461] For example, when the first station is going to enable the coexistence operation mode, the coexistence operation mode request frame sent by the first station carries the coexistence operation mode enable field set to a first value (for example, set to 1, indicating that the first station is going to enable the coexistence operation mode).

[0462] Further, the coexistence operation mode request frame sent by the first station can also carry specific information of the coexistence operation mode to be enabled by the first station. Optionally, the coexistence operation mode request frame can carry a low capability operation parameter field, indicating the operation parameters in the low capability operation mode, wherein the low capability operation parameters are the operation parameters adopted by the station in the listening operation mode, which can be used to receive the second frame (such as the initial control frame). Optionally, the coexistence operation mode request frame can also carry a high capability operation parameter field, indicating the operation parameters in the high capability operation mode, wherein the high capability operation parameters are the operation parameters adopted by the station in the default target capability to which the station switches after receiving the second frame, and if a non-default high capability operation parameter is adopted, it is indicated in the third frame (such as the initial control response frame) in reply to the second frame.

[0463] Optionally, when the second station receives the coexistence operation mode request frame sent by the first station and is ready to provide services for the first station in the coexistence operation mode, as a response to the received coexistence operation mode request frame, the second station can send a coexistence operation mode response frame to the first station within the transition time interval.

[0464] In some embodiments, after receiving the coexistence operation mode request frame, the second station sends a separately addressed coexistence operation mode response frame to the first station, wherein the target receiving address of the coexistence operation mode response frame is the first station.

[0465] In some embodiments, if the second station accepts the information carried in the coexistence operation mode request frame, such as the second station accepts one or more of the following: the indicated content of the coexistence operation mode enable subfield, the indicated content of the coexistence operation mode type subfield, the indicated content of the coexistence operation mode latency parameter control subfield, the indicated content of the low capability operation parameter field, the indicated content of the high capability operation parameter field, the second station sets the status code field in the coexistence operation mode response frame to a first value (such as 0, indicating SUCCESS).

[0466] Optionally, the coexistence operation mode response frame further comprises a latency parameter field, for indicating the processing latency required by the second station to be ready to provide service to the first station with switched transceiving capability and / or parameters.

[0467] In some embodiments, if the second station rejects the information carried in the coexistence operation mode request frame, such as the second station rejects one or more of the following: the indicated content of the coexistence operation mode enable subfield, the indicated content of the coexistence operation mode type subfield, the indicated content of the coexistence operation mode latency parameter control subfield, the indicated content of the low capability operation parameter field, the indicated content of the high capability operation parameter field, the status code field is set to a second value (a specific non-zero value) for indicating that the second station rejects the coexistence operation mode request of the first station, i.e. DENIED_COEXISTENCE_MODE_REQUEST.

[0468] In some embodiments, if the second station rejects the information carried in the coexistence operation mode request frame, the status code field is set to a third value (a specific non-zero value, different from the second value) for indicating that the second station recommends other coexistence operation mode, i.e. PREFERRED_COEXISTENCE_MODE_SUGGESTED. The second station can also carry a parameter of the recommended coexistence operation mode in the coexistence operation mode response frame.

[0469] In some embodiments, the first station enters or starts the coexistence operation mode for operation when one of the following occurs (the first occurring one is taken as the standard): i) at the end of the transition time interval; or, ii) before the end of the transition time interval, and immediately after sending a second PPDU as a response to the received coexistence operation mode response frame from the second station. The second PPDU is sent by the first station, carrying an immediate acknowledgement for the fourth frame.

[0470] For example, when the first station supporting the coexistence operation mode is ready to close or disable its coexistence operation mode, the first station sends a coexistence operation mode request frame to the second station. In this case, the coexistence operation mode request frame carries a coexistence operation mode enable (CAA PS Enabled) field set to a second value (e.g., set to 0, indicating that the first station will disable the coexistence operation mode). After the second station no longer provides service to the first station that will be in the coexistence operation mode, the second station sends a coexistence operation mode response frame to the first station within the transition super time interval in response to the received coexistence operation mode request frame.

[0471] In some embodiments, the first station will exit or close the disabled coexistence operation mode when one of the following occurs (whichever occurs first): i) at the end of the transition super time interval; or, ii) before the end of the transition super time interval and immediately after sending a second PPDU as a response to the received coexistence operation mode response frame from the second station. The second PPDU is sent by the first station and carries an immediate acknowledgement for the fourth frame.

[0472] In some embodiments, the coexistence operation mode response frame sent by the second station can also satisfy some or all of the following three rules:

[0473] (a) In some embodiments, the management frame (e.g., association response frame) sent by the second station carries a transition super time subfield corresponding to an indication of the transition super time interval. When the transition super time subfield is included in the frame sent by the second station, the transition super time subfield is set according to the definition of Table 1.

[0474] (b) In some embodiments, the transition super time interval starts at the end of the first PPDU if there is no signal extension (SigExt) after the first PPDU. Alternatively, the transition super time interval starts at the end of the signal extension portion after the first PPDU if there is a signal extension after the first PPDU, i.e., the transition super time interval starts at the end of the first PPDU[+SigExt] if the first PPDU is immediately followed by a signal extension. The first PPDU is sent by the second station and carries an immediate acknowledgement for the first frame.

[0475] (c) In some embodiments, the conversation token field in the coexistence operation mode response frame sent by the second station is set to the same value as the conversation token field in the coexistence operation mode request frame received by the second station.

[0476] Table 7 shows the format of the Action field of the coexistence operation mode request frame according to an example embodiment of the present application, which includes one or more of the following fields: Category field, Protected UHR Action field, Dialog Token field, Coexistence Operation Mode Control field, Coexistence Operation Mode Delay Parameter field, Low Capability Operation Mode Parameter field, and High Capability Operation Mode Parameter field. It should be understood that the order, fields, and information shown in Table 7 are optional examples, and the present application supports any suitable modification to the format of the Action field of the coexistence operation mode request frame, such as adding fields, removing some fields, recombining some fields, changing the number of bytes, changing the number of bits, changing the field name, changing the order of fields, etc.

[0477] Format of the Action field of the coexistence operation mode request frame

[0478] The Category field can refer to the relevant definition in the IEEE 802.11 standard protocol.

[0479] The Protected UHR Action field includes one octet, which is immediately after the Category field, and is used to distinguish the UHR Action frame format.

[0480] The Dialog Token field is set to a non-zero value selected by the first station that initiates the coexistence operation mode update, and is set to the value copied from the corresponding received coexistence operation mode request frame by the second station at the opposite end.

[0481] The relevant content of the Coexistence Operation Mode Control field can refer to the example embodiment shown in FIG. 21, the relevant content of the Coexistence Operation Mode Delay Parameter field can refer to the example embodiment shown in FIG. 22, the relevant content of the Low Capability Operation Parameter field can refer to the example embodiment shown in FIG. 23, and the relevant content of the High Capability Operation Parameter field can also refer to the example embodiment shown in FIG. 23. The specific settings of each field are described in detail above, and will not be repeated here.

[0482] The second station replies to the coexistence operation mode request frame with a coexistence operation mode response frame to reject or accept the coexistence operation mode request of the first station. Alternatively, the second station can suggest / recommend a coexistence operation mode to the first station through the coexistence operation mode response frame.

[0483] Table 8 shows the format of the Action field of the coexistence operation mode response frame according to an example embodiment of the present application, which includes one or more of the following fields: Category field, Protected UHR Action field, Dialog Token field, Status Code field, Coexistence Operation Mode Delay Parameters Required by Responder field, Coexistence Operation Mode Control field, Coexistence Operation Mode Delay Parameters field, Low Capability Operation Mode Parameters field, High Capability Operation Mode Parameters field. It should be understood that the order, fields, and information shown in Table 8 are optional examples, and the present application supports any suitable modification to the format of the Action field of the coexistence operation mode response frame, such as adding fields, removing some fields, recombining some fields, changing the number of bytes, changing the number of bits, changing the name of a field, changing the order of fields, etc.

[0484] Format of the Action field of the coexistence operation mode response frame

[0485] The Category field can refer to the relevant definition in the IEEE 802.11 standard protocol.

[0486] The Protected UHR Action field contains 1 octet, which immediately follows the Category field, and is used to distinguish from the UHR Action frame format.

[0487] When the coexistence operation mode response frame is a response to the coexistence operation mode request frame, the Dialog Token field is the value in the corresponding coexistence operation mode request frame. That is, in the case where the second station replies to the coexistence operation mode request frame with the coexistence operation mode response frame to reject or accept the coexistence operation mode request of the first station, the second station sets the Dialog Token field to the value copied from the corresponding received coexistence operation mode request frame.

[0488] When the coexistence operation mode response frame is a non-request response transmission, the Dialog Token is set to 0. That is, in the case where the second station suggests / recommends the coexistence operation mode to the first station with the coexistence operation mode response frame, the second station sets the Dialog Token field to 0.

[0489] The Dialog Token field is set to a non-zero value selected by the first station performing the coexistence operation mode update, and is set to the value copied from the corresponding received coexistence operation mode request frame by the second station at the opposite end.

[0490] The status code field in the coexistence operation mode response frame is used to indicate the status of the operation requested by the first station. The status code field is a 2-byte long field. Referring to Table 9, the status code field can be used to indicate different status of the operation requested by the first station when corresponding to different values. It should be understood that Table 9 is an example and not a limitation, and the present application supports modifying the different status of the operation requested by the first station according to actual conditions (such as available resources, transmission requirements, STA capabilities, etc.), and the correspondence between different values and different status of the operation requested by the first station can also be adjusted according to actual conditions, such as status code 0 indicating recommended coexistence operation mode, status code 150 indicating acceptance of the request of the first station, status code 151 indicating rejection of the request of the first station, and the like, which cannot be listed one by one here. In addition, the status code field can also be set to other values other than 0, 150, and 151.

[0491] Table 9 Status code field

[0492] The coexistence operation mode latency parameter required by the responder is used to indicate the minimum MAC padding duration of the padding latency of the control frame (such as the BA frame) requested by the first station to adjust the transceiving capability and parameter of the frame exchange between the second station (i.e., the sender of the coexistence operation mode response frame, i.e., the responder of the coexistence operation mode request) and the first station (i.e., the sender of the coexistence operation mode request, i.e., the sender of the coexistence operation mode request frame). The encoding of the coexistence operation mode latency parameter required by the responder can refer to Table 5 or Table 6. For example, when the coexistence operation mode latency parameter required by the responder is a first encoding value (such as 0), the latency is 0; when the coexistence operation mode latency parameter required by the responder is a second encoding value (such as 1), the latency is 32μs; when the coexistence operation mode latency parameter required by the responder is a third encoding value (such as 2), the latency is 64μs; when the coexistence operation mode latency parameter required by the responder is a fourth encoding value (such as 3), the latency is 128μs; when the coexistence operation mode latency parameter required by the responder is a fifth encoding value (such as 4), the latency is 256μs; and when the coexistence operation mode latency parameter required by the responder is a sixth encoding value (such as 5 to 7), it is reserved.

[0493] When the status code field in the coexistence operation mode response frame sent by the second station is used to indicate a recommended coexistence operation mode (i.e., PREFERRED COEXISTENCE MODE SUGGESTED), the coexistence operation mode response frame carries coexistence operation mode parameter information that can be adopted by the recipient of the coexistence operation mode response frame. The coexistence operation mode parameter information is indicated by one or more of the following fields: a coexistence operation mode control field, a coexistence operation mode delay parameter field, a low capability operation parameter field, and a high capability operation parameter field. The coexistence operation mode control field is described in detail in the embodiment shown in FIG. 21, the coexistence operation mode delay parameter field is described in detail in the embodiment shown in FIG. 22, the low capability operation parameter field is described in detail in the embodiment shown in FIG. 23, and the high capability operation parameter field is also described in detail in the embodiment shown in FIG. 23. The specific settings of the fields are described in detail above and will not be described again here.

[0494] In some embodiments, the first frame is a frame containing an aggregated control (A-Control) subfield. The A-Control subfield includes a coexistence operation mode control subfield and a capability operation mode indication control subfield, as shown in Table 10.

[0495] Table 10 Control subfield variants of the A-Control subfield (newly added)

[0496] FIG. 25 shows a format of a coexistence operation mode indication control subfield according to an example embodiment of the present application, which includes the following subfields: a coexistence operation mode control subfield and / or a coexistence operation mode delay parameter subfield. The coexistence operation mode control subfield occupies 1 byte, and the related content is described in the embodiment shown in FIG. 21. The coexistence operation mode delay parameter subfield occupies 0 or 2 or 3 bytes, and the related content is described in the embodiment shown in FIG. 22. The specific settings of the subfields are described in detail above and will not be described again here.

[0497] FIG. 26 shows a format of a capability operation mode indication control subfield according to an example embodiment of the present application, which includes the following subfields: a low capability operation parameter subfield and / or a high capability operation parameter subfield. The low capability operation parameter subfield occupies 1 byte, and the related content is described in the embodiment shown in FIG. 23. The high capability operation parameter subfield occupies 0 or 1 byte, and the related content is also described in the embodiment shown in FIG. 23. The specific settings of the subfields are described in detail above and will not be described again here.

[0498] In some embodiments, the second frame comprises an initial control trigger frame. Optionally, the initial control trigger frame is adjusted / updated / optimized based on a MU-RTS trigger frame or a BSRP trigger frame, or the initial control trigger frame is a newly defined initial control type trigger frame. Wherein, one trigger frame other than the MU-RTS trigger frame is used to allocate resources and request one or more TB PPDU transmissions, and one MU-RTS trigger frame is used to allocate resources for one or more non-TB PPDUs.

[0499] FIG. 27 shows a format diagram of a second frame according to an example embodiment of the present application. It comprises one or more of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, Receiver Address (RA), Transmitter Address (TA), Common Information (Common Info), User Info List, Frame Check Sequence (FCS), Padding, and FCS.

[0500] The Duration field is defined according to the current IEEE protocol section 9.2.5 (Duration / ID field (QoS STA)). The STA selects single protection or multiple protection when sending the first frame of the TXOP. The STA uses the same type of Duration setting for all subsequent frames transmitted in the same TXOP. The STA always uses multiple protection in a TXOP containing one or more of the following: MU-RTS Transmit Opportunity Sharing Trigger Frame (MU-RTS TXS Trigger Frame); MU-RTS Initial / Dynamic Control Trigger Frame (MU-RTS IC / DC Trigger Frame).

[0501] The RA field is set as follows:

[0502] 1) For non-Groupcast with Retries Multi-User Block Acknowledgment Request (non-GCR MU-BAR), Null Data PPDU Feedback Report Poll (NFRP) or MU-RTS Trigger frame, if there is one User Info field and the AID 12 subfield of the User Info field contains the AID of a non-AP STA, the RA field is set to the address of that STA.

[0503] 2) For Trigger frames with at least one User Info field with AID 12 subfield, the RA field is set to the broadcast address when allocating Radom Access Resource Units (RA-RUs).

[0504] 3) For non-GCR MU-BAR Trigger frames and Trigger frames with multiple User Info fields, the RA field is set to the broadcast address.

[0505] 4) For NFRP Trigger frames or MU-RTS Trigger frames, the RA field is set to the broadcast address.

[0506] 5) For GCR MU-BAR Trigger frames, the RA field is set to the group MAC address of the requested reception status.

[0507] The Intermediate FCS field contains a 32-bit Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) value computed on all fields up to and including the Intermediate FCS field in the MAC header and Frame Body. The Intermediate FCS field is used by the receiving STA to perform early error detection on all fields up to and including the Intermediate FCS field in the MAC header and Frame Body.

[0508] The Padding field, if present, is optionally included in the Trigger frame to extend the frame length to provide the receiving STA sufficient time to prepare a response to be sent SIFS after the Trigger frame. The length of the Padding field, if present, is at least two Octets and is set to all ones. If the Padding field is present in a Trigger frame, its length is computed as described in the current table for "Padding for Trigger frames".

[0509] The FCS field contains a 32-bit CRC. The FCS field value is computed on all fields in the MAC header and Frame Body.

[0510] In some embodiments, the second frame is a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame defined based on the MU-RTS trigger frame.

[0511] The MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame is used to initiate a frame exchange procedure based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information, and it can carry the initial / dynamic control information. The receiver or responder of the MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame can reply a CTS frame according to special rules, and in particular, the CTS frame duration information (such as the Duration field of the CTS frame) indicated by the responder needs to ensure that the responder remains available during the indicated duration, i.e. the indicated duration should not overlap with the unavailable time of the responder. The trigger type subfield (Trigger Type Subfield) of the MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame can be set to the same value as the existing MU-RTS (i.e. 3), and the transmission opportunity sharing mode (TXS Mode) / initial / dynamic control mode (IC / DC Mode) subfield of the MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame can be set to a special value (such as 3) to indicate that it is a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame initiating a frame exchange based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information. The encoding of the TXS Mode / IC / DC Mode subfield is shown in Table 11 below.

[0512] Table 11 Encoding of TXS Mode / IC / DC Mode subfield

[0513] FIG. 28 shows a format of a common information field of a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame according to an example embodiment of the present application. Taking the common information field as an example of a UHR variant common information (UHR Variant Common Info) field, it includes one or more of the following subfields: trigger type (Trigger Type), uplink length (UL Length), whether there is more trigger frame (More Trigger Frame, More TF), whether channel detection is required (Carrier Sense Required, CS Required), uplink bandwidth (UL Bandwidth, UL BW), guard interval and HE / EHT long training field type (Guard Interval HE / EHT Long Training Field Type, GI And HE / EHT-LTF Type) / transmission opportunity sharing mode / initial / dynamic control mode (TXS Mode / IC / DC Mode), reserved (Reserved), number of HE / EHT-LTF symbols (Number Of HE / EHT-LTF Symbols), midamble period (Midamble Period), reserved, low-density parity check (Low-Density Parity Check, LDPC) extra symbol segment (LDPC Extra Symbol Segment), AP transmission power (AP Tx Power), pre-forward error correction (Pre-Forward Error Correction, Pre-FEC) padding factor (Padding Factor), packet extension (Packet Extension, PE) disambiguity (Disambiguity), uplink spatial reuse (UL Spatial Reuse), reserved, HE / EHT primary 160 (Primary 160, P160), special user information field flag (Special User Info Field Flag), EHT reserved, reserved, trigger dependent common information (Trigger Dependent Common Info).The numbers below each field represent the bit number of the field, for example, the bit number of GI And HE / EHT-LTF Type / TXS Mode / IC / DC Mode field is 2, the bit number of Trigger Dependent Common Info field is Variable, and the bit number of other fields is not described one by one; the combination of letters and numbers above each field represents the bits occupied by the field, for example, the GI And HE / EHT-LTF Type / TXS Mode / IC / DC Mode field occupies bits B20 to B21, and the bits occupied by other fields are not described one by one.

[0514] In some embodiments, the second frame is a BSRP / IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame defined based on the BSRP trigger frame.

[0515] The trigger type subfield (Trigger Type subfield) of the BSRP / IC Info Poll trigger frame can be set to the same value as the existing BSRP trigger frame (i.e. 4). Moreover, an initial / dynamic control mode (IC / DC Mode) subfield is newly defined in the common information field, which is used to indicate whether it is an IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame initiating the IC / DC Mode procedure. For example, one reserved bit (such as B22, B26, B63) of the existing common information field can be defined as the IC / DC Mode subfield, and when the IC / DC Mode subfield is set to 1 (or 0 or other numerical value), it indicates that it is an IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame initiating the frame exchange based on IC / DC Info and / or response information, and when the IC / DC Mode subfield is set to 0 (or 1 or other numerical value), it indicates that it is a BSRP trigger frame. In addition, the BSRP / IC Info Poll trigger frame optionally contains a special user information (Special User Info) field carrying IC / DC Info, which is defined as shown in FIG. 28 or FIG. 29.

[0516] FIG. 29 shows a format of a common information field of a BSRP / IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame according to an example embodiment of the application. Take the example of the common information field being a UHR Variant Common Info field, which includes one or more of the following subfields: Trigger Type, UL Length, More TF, CS Required, UL BW, Guard Interval HE / EHT Long Training Field Type (GI And HE / EHT-LTF Type) / TXS Mode, IC / DC Mode, Number Of HE / EHT-LTF Symbols, Reserved, LDPC Extra Symbol Segment, AP Tx Power, Pre-FEC Padding Factor, PE Disambiguity, UL Spatial Reuse, Reserved, HE / EH P160, Special User Info Field Flag, EHT Reserved, Reserved, Trigger Dependent Common Info. The number below each field indicates the number of bits of the field, for example, the number of bits of the GI And HE / EHT-LTF Type / TXS Mode field is 2, the number of bits of the IC / DC Mode field is 1, the number of bits of the Trigger Dependent Common Info field is variable (Variable), and the number of bits of the other fields is not listed one by one; the combination of the letter and the number above each field indicates the bits occupied by the field, for example, the GI And HE / EHT-LTF Type / TXS Mode field occupies bits B20 to B21, the IC / DC Mode field occupies bit B22, and the bits occupied by the other fields are not listed one by one.

[0517] In some embodiments, the second frame is a new type of defined trigger frame, such as an Initial Control / Dynamic Control Info Poll Trigger Frame (IC / DC Info Poll Trigger Frame). The IC / DC Info Poll Trigger Frame is used to allocate resources for the responder to send TB PPDU or non-TB PPDU to carry or feedback IC / DC response information, including the responder’s transmit / receive parameter information for frame exchange, coexistence (in-device coexistence, i.e., IDC) mode information, interference information, etc. The Trigger Type Subfield of the IC / DC Info Poll Trigger Frame can be set to one of the current reserved values. For example, as shown in Table 12, the Trigger Type Subfield can be set to 9 to indicate that it is a new trigger type of IC / DC Info Poll Trigger Frame. The IC / DC Info Poll Trigger Frame optionally contains a Special User Info field carrying IC / DC Info, which is defined as shown in FIG. 30 or FIG. 33.

[0518] Table 12 Encoding of Trigger Type Subfield

[0519] Table 12 is an example of encoding of the Trigger Type Subfield and is not limiting. The present application supports that the correspondence between the value of the Trigger Type Subfield and the trigger frame variant is adjusted according to the actual situation, such as the value of the Trigger Type Subfield is 0 to represent the IC / DC trigger frame, etc. Here, it is impossible to list all possibilities. In addition, the value of the Trigger Type Subfield can also be other values other than 0 to 9.

[0520] The current standard defines three variants of the User Info field: the Special User Info field, the HE variant User Info field, and the EHT variant User Info field. Among them, the Special User Info field is a user information field that does not carry specific user information, which carries extended public information that is not provided in the public information field; the Special User Info field is identified by an AID12 value of 2007 and can optionally appear in the trigger frame generated by the EHT AP. In particular, in some embodiments of the present application, a variant of the Special User Info field is defined to carry the initial control information or dynamic control information (IC Info / DC Info); for example, the Special User Info field of this variant can be identified by a specific AID12 value (such as an AID12 value of 2008) and can optionally appear in the trigger frame generated by the AP.

[0521] The special user info field variant carrying initial control / dynamic control information is defined in two formats as shown in FIG. 30 or FIG. 33, and the present application supports any one of the formats. The definition of the mode control field is as follows. The operation mode capability operation parameter information field, the available or unavailable resource information parameter field is as shown in 3.2.3.1.2 (definition of control feedback parameter information field).

[0522] FIG. 30 shows a format of a special user info field carrying initial control / dynamic control information according to an example embodiment of the present application. It includes one or more of the following subfields: AID 12, mode control, OM control update parameter information, extended OM control update parameter information, duration, unavailable period start time, unavailable channel bitmap, unavailable period minimum duration, and unavailable period maximum duration. The numbers below each field represent the number of bits of the field, which will not be repeated. For the sake of explanation, the format of the special user info field shown in FIG. 28 is referred to as format 1.

[0523] In some embodiments, the format of the OM control update parameter information subfield is as shown in FIG. 31, which includes one or more of the following subfields: received SS number (Rx NSS), channel bandwidth, uplink multi-user non-enabled (UL MU Disable), transmitted SS number (Tx NSS), extended range single user non-enabled (ER SU Disable), downlink multi-user multiple input multiple output (DL MU-MIMO) re-probe recommendation, and uplink multi-user data non-enabled (UL MU Data Disable).

[0524] In some embodiments, the format of the extended OM control update parameter information subfield is as shown in FIG. 32, which includes one or more of the following subfields: received SS number (Rx NSS) extension, channel bandwidth extension, transmitted SS number (Tx NSS) extension, MCS 15 non-enabled, and reserved.

[0525] Figure 33 shows a format of a special user info field carrying initial control / dynamic control information according to an example embodiment of the application. It includes one or more of the following subfields: AID 12, mode control, supported operating bandwidth, supported highest order modulation corresponding MCS index, Rx maximum SS, Tx maximum SS, duration, unavailable period start time, unavailable channel bitmap, unavailable period minimum duration, unavailable period maximum duration. The number below each field indicates the number of bits of the field, which will not be repeated. For convenience, the format of the special user info field shown in Figure 29 is referred to as format 2.

[0526] Further, the format of the mode control subfield in the special user info field shown in Figures 30 and 33 is shown in Figure 34. The mode control subfield includes one or more of the following subfields: default operating mode, whether there is resource unavailability or operating parameter update, whether there is available or unavailable resource information parameter, whether there is operating mode update parameter, operating mode update parameter present bitmap, unavailable resource information parameter present bitmap, reserved. The number below each field indicates the number of bits of the field, and the combination of the letter and number above each field indicates the number of bits occupied by the field, which will not be repeated.

[0527] The default operating mode subfield indicates whether to use the default operating mode. If the station uses the default operating mode, the default operating mode subfield is set to a first value (such as 1 or 0 or other value), otherwise, the subfield is set to a second value (such as 0 or 1 or other value), the first value is different from the second value. In particular, the default operating mode is the operating mode announced by the station, which corresponds to the capability and operating parameters indicated by the capability element (such as UHR Capabilities Element) carried during association and / or the capability and operating parameters defined by the exchanged operating mode announcement frame (if any), OM control (if any).

[0528] The whether there is resource unavailability or operating parameter update subfield indicates whether there is resource unavailability or operating parameter update during the current TXOP or frame exchange. If there is resource unavailability or operating parameter update, the whether there is resource unavailability or operating parameter update subfield is set to a first value (such as 1 or 0 or other value), otherwise, the subfield is set to a second value (such as 0 or 1 or other value), the first value is different from the second value.

[0529] The presence of available or unavailable resource information parameter subfield indicates whether the available or unavailable resource information parameter is present in the special user information field carrying the initial control / dynamic control information. If the available or unavailable resource information parameter is present, the presence of available or unavailable resource information parameter subfield is set to a first value (such as 1 or 0 or other value), and if the available or unavailable resource information parameter is not present, the presence of available or unavailable resource information parameter subfield is set to a second value (such as 0 or 1 or other value), the first value is different from the second value.

[0530] The presence of operation mode update parameter subfield indicates whether the operation mode update parameter is present in the special user information field carrying the initial control / dynamic control information. If the operation mode update parameter is present, the presence of operation mode update parameter subfield is set to a first value (such as 1 or 0 or other value), and if the operation mode update parameter is not present, the presence of operation mode update parameter subfield is set to a second value (such as 0 or 1 or other value), the first value is different from the second value.

[0531] The operation mode update parameter present bitmap contains a bitmap, wherein the i-th bit of the bitmap is set to a first value (such as 1 or 0 or other value) indicating that the i-th field from the supported operation bandwidth subfield for format 1 or the i-th field from the OM control update parameter information subfield for format 2 is present in the special user information field carrying the initial control / dynamic control information; otherwise, the i-th bit of the bitmap is set to a second value (such as 0 or 1 or other value), the first value is different from the second value.

[0532] The unavailable resource information parameter present bitmap contains a bitmap, wherein the i-th bit of the bitmap is set to a first value (such as 1 or 0 or other value) indicating that the i-th field from the unavailable period start time subfield is present in the special user information field carrying the initial control / dynamic control information; otherwise, the i-th bit of the bitmap is set to a second value (such as 0 or 1 or other value), the first value is different from the second value.

[0533] In some embodiments, the third frame is an initial control information / dynamic control information report frame (IC Info / DC Info Report Frame) for carrying or feeding back the IC / DC information report, which can provide one or more of the following functions: 1) indicating the operation mode capability parameter update information of the first station (i.e. the sender of the initial control (or dynamic control) response frame), including the transmission / reception parameter information of the first station for the current frame exchange or applied during the TXOP; 2) the available and unavailable resource information of the first station, i.e. the available and unavailable resource information of the first station in the time domain, frequency domain or spatial domain in the coexistence (in-device coexistence, IDC) mode. For the explicit transmission or request response mode, the first station can respond to the second frame sent by the opposite station by sending the third frame. For the implicit transmission or non-request mode, the first station can carry the initial control information / dynamic control information report (IC / DC Info Report) in the control subfield of any frame sent to the opposite station. In particular, if the first station is a non-AP STA and the opposite station is an AP to which a non-AP STA is associated, or if the first station is an AP and the opposite station is a certain non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0534] The IC / DC information report frame can include the following two modes:

[0535] 1. Based on the current BA frame, the BA frame carrying the IC Info / DC Info report is defined.

[0536] In some embodiments, the IC / DC information report frame is a newly defined BA frame variant, for example, one of the reserved bits in the BA type subfield value can be taken to indicate the BA frame variant carrying the IC Info / DC Info; or the existing defined BA frame variant (such as the multi-station (Multi-STA) BA frame variant) is enhanced.

[0537] FIG. 35 shows a format diagram of a BA frame carrying initial control information / dynamic control information according to an example embodiment of the present application. It includes one or more of the following fields: frame control (Frame Control), duration (Duration), receiver address (Receiver Address, RA), transmitter address (Transmitter Address, TA), BA control, BA information, intermediate FCS, padding (Padding), FCS.

[0538] The intermediate FCS field contains a 32-bit CRC, where the intermediate FCS field value is computed over all fields in the MAC header and frame body up to the intermediate FCS field. The intermediate FCS field is used by the receiving STA to perform early validation of the information in the MAC header and frame body up to the intermediate FCS field.

[0539] Padding field is optionally present in the BA frame to extend the frame length to give the receiving STA sufficient time to prepare a response to send the next frame (if any) SIFS after the received frame. The length of the padding field, if present, is at least two octets and is set to all ones.

[0540] The BA information field includes one or more Per AID TID Info fields. Based on the Per AID TID Info field, an extended definition of the Per AID Control Feedback Info field is defined, where the AID TID Info subfield of the Per AID TID Info field can be defined as an AID Control Type Info subfield, where the Control Type Info subfield can indicate the specific type of control feedback information, such as the Ack Type subfield corresponding to the Control Type Info subfield can be indicated as 0 or 1, and the TID subfield value corresponding to the Control Type Info subfield is indicated as 8, indicating the type of control feedback information as available or unavailable resource type, the TID subfield value corresponding to the Control Type Info subfield is indicated as 9, indicating the type of control feedback information as mode capability parameter type.

[0541] In addition to the AID Control Type Info subfield, the Per AID Control Feedback Info field further includes one or more of the following subfields: Control Info Length subfield, Available or Unavailable Resource Info subfield, Current Operating Mode Capability Parameter subfield. The Control Info Length subfield in the Per AID Control Feedback Info field can correspond to the BA Start Sequence Control subfield of the Per AID TID Info to indicate the length of the corresponding type of control feedback information subfield, such as indicating the length of the Available or Unavailable Resource Info subfield.

[0542] The control feedback information subfield of each AID control feedback information field can correspond to the BA bitmap subfield of each AID TID information to carry the information of the corresponding type of control feedback information field. For example, if the AID control type information subfield of each AID control feedback information field indicates that the control feedback information type is the available or unavailable resource type, the available or unavailable resource information subfield is carried in the each AID control feedback information field; if the AID control type information subfield of each AID control feedback information field indicates that the control feedback information type is the operation mode capability operation parameter information type, the operation mode capability operation parameter information subfield is carried in the each AID control feedback information field.

[0543] Further, FIG. 36 shows a format diagram of the BA frame carrying the initial control information / dynamic control information according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0544] The available or unavailable resource information subfield includes one or more of the following subfields: control information, unavailable period start time, unavailable channel bitmap, unavailable period minimum length, unavailable period maximum length, and reserved.

[0545] For the available or unavailable resource information subfield, the control information subfield included therein can carry a parameter presence bitmap subfield. If the i th bit of the bitmap is set to a first value (such as 1 or 0 or other values), it indicates that the i th field starting from the unavailable period start time subfield appears in the available or unavailable resource information subfield; otherwise, it is set to a second value (such as 0 or 1 or other values), and the first value is different from the second value.

[0546] The operation mode capability operation parameter information subfield supports any of two formats. In format 1, the operation mode capability operation parameter information subfield includes one or more of the following subfields: control information, OM update control information, extended OM update control information, and reserved. In format 2, the operation mode capability operation parameter information subfield includes one or more of the following subfields: control information, supported operation bandwidth, supported MCS, Rx NSS, number of Tx STS (NSTS) or Tx NSS, duration, and reserved.

[0547] For the operation mode capability operation parameter information subfield, the control information subfield contained therein can carry a parameter presence bitmap subfield. If the i-th bit of the bitmap is set to a first value (such as 1 or 0 or other values), it indicates that, for the operation mode capability operation parameter information field of format 1, the i-th field from the support operation bandwidth subfield appears in the special user information field carrying the initial control / dynamic control information; or, for the operation mode capability operation parameter information field of format 2, the i-th field from the OM control update parameter information subfield appears in the special user information field carrying the initial control / dynamic control information; otherwise, it is set to a second value (such as 0 or 1 or other values), which is different from the first value.

[0548] 2. Define a control subfield carrying the IC Info / DC Info report, which can be defined based on the A-Control field.

[0549] The operation parameter update information indication control subfield and the available or unavailable resource information indication control subfield can be newly defined in the A-Control subfield defined in the current IEEE 802.11 specification, as shown in Table 13.

[0550] Table 13 Control subfield variants of the A-Control subfield

[0551] The format definitions of the operation parameter update information indication control subfield and the available or unavailable resource information indication control subfield are as described above for the operation mode capability operation parameter information subfield and the available or unavailable resource information subfield, and will not be repeated here.

[0552] FIG. 37 shows a frame exchange diagram of a second frame and a third frame according to an example embodiment of the present application, where the second frame is an MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, and the third frame is a CTS frame.

[0553] Assuming the first station is a STA in IDC coexistence operation mode, the STA optionally listens in low capability operation mode, such as listening operation includes CCA and receiving initial control frames transmitted at low speed (such as 6 Mb / s, or 12 Mb / s, or 24 Mb / s) and carried in non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU. The AP (i.e. the second station) associated with the first station initiates frame exchange with the first station by sending a second frame (such as MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame). Optionally, the TXS Mode / IC / DC Mode subfield of the common information field in the MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame indicates it is a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame initiating frame exchange based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information. Optionally, if the AP (i.e. the second station) is also in IDC coexistence operation mode, the MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame sent by the AP can contain a special user field (such as its AID 12 can be set to 2008) carrying initial control information or dynamic control information, wherein the initial control / dynamic control information is used to indicate the operation mode capability operation parameter information of the AP, and / or available or unavailable resource information parameter information, which is defined as described above. In particular, the MU-RTS trigger frame uses multiple protection in TXOP.

[0554] Upon receiving the MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, the first station replies to the AP with an initial control response frame (i.e. CTS frame), wherein the Duration field of the CTS frame indicates a time duration that ensures the first station remains available during the indicated time duration, i.e. the indicated time duration should not overlap with the unavailable time the responder will be in. For example, the value set in the Duration field of the CTS frame is determined by: the value obtained from the time duration field of the last MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, minus the time required to transmit the CTS frame and its SIFS, and minus the expected unavailable time duration in microseconds (μs). Upon receiving the initial control response frame (i.e. CTS frame) and its carried Duration field information from the first station, the AP (i.e. the second station) coordinates and controls the frame exchange time duration with the first station according to the available or unavailable time duration information indicated by the first station. The AP can carry padding delay information in the initial control frame for the time delay required by the station to process the unavailable information (such as calculating the value of the Duration field) and / or to switch from low capability operation mode to high capability operation mode.

[0555] Optionally, if the MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame sent by the AP contains a special user field carrying initial control information or dynamic control information, according to the available or unavailable resource information and / or operation mode capability parameter update information fed back by the AP, the first station also coordinates and controls the frame exchange sending / receiving parameters with the AP based on the operation capability update parameter information indicated by the AP, so that the frame or PPDU sending parameters sent by the first station to the AP can meet the frame exchange capability and receiving parameter requirements indicated by the AP; and / or, based on the available or unavailable resource information indicated by the AP, coordinates and controls the frame exchange duration and / or frame exchange sending / receiving parameters with the first station.

[0556] Taking the second frame as an IC / DC Info Poll trigger frame as an example. Assuming that the first station is a STA in an IDC coexistence operation mode, optionally, the STA performs a listening operation in a low capability operation mode, for example, the listening operation includes CCA and receiving an initial control frame transmitted at a low speed (such as 6 Mb / s, or 12 Mb / s, or 24 Mb / s) and carrying a non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU. The AP (that is, the second station) associated with the first station initiates frame exchange with the first station by sending a second frame (such as a BSRP / IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame or an IC / DC Info Poll trigger frame). For the BSRP / IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame, the Trigger Type subfield can be set to the same value as that of the existing BSRP trigger frame (that is, 4), but the newly added IC / DC Mode subfield in the common information field is set to 1 to indicate that it is an IC / DC Info Poll trigger frame. For the IC / DC Info Poll trigger frame, the Trigger Type subfield can indicate that it is an IC / DC Info Poll trigger frame. Optionally, if the AP (that is, the second station) is also in an IDC coexistence operation mode, the IC / DC Info Poll trigger frame sent by the AP can contain a special user field carrying initial control information or dynamic control information (for example, the AID 12 thereof can be set to 2008), wherein the initial control / dynamic control information is used to indicate the operation mode capability operation parameter information and / or available or unavailable resource information parameter information of the AP, and the specific definition is as described above.

[0557] FIGS. 38 and 39 show frame exchange schematic diagrams of the second frame and the third frame provided in the example embodiments of the present application.

[0558] The first station sends an initial control response frame (i.e. a BA frame carrying IC Info / DC Info) to the AP (i.e. the second station) after receiving the BSRP / IC Info (or DC Info) Poll trigger frame or the IC / DC Info Poll trigger frame, wherein the initial control response frame carries the unavailable time point and / or the duration of the unavailable state, and is used to indicate the available and unavailable resource information of the first station, and / or the initial control response frame carries the specific capability operation mode parameter and the duration of the specific capability operation mode, and is used to indicate the operation mode capability parameter update information of the first station in the current frame exchange or during the TXOP, including the transmission / reception parameter information.

[0559] After receiving the initial control response information fed back by the first station, the AP (i.e. the second station) coordinates and controls the transmission / reception parameters of the frame exchange with the first station based on the available or unavailable resource information and / or the operation mode capability parameter update information reported by the first station and the operation capability update parameter information indicated by the first station, so that the frame or PPDU transmission parameters sent by the AP to the first station can meet the requirements of the frame exchange capability and the reception parameter indicated by the first station; and / or coordinates and controls the frame exchange duration and / or the transmission / reception parameters of the frame exchange with the first station based on the available or unavailable resource information indicated by the first station. The AP (i.e. the second station) can carry the padding delay information in the initial control frame to share the processing time and part of the resource of the first station and / or the delay required for switching from the low capability operation mode to the high capability operation mode.

[0560] In FIG. 38, after the unavailable time point, the resource is in the unavailable state, and the first station and the second station no longer perform frame exchange. In FIG. 39, the first station and the second station transmit MPDUs based on the indicated specific capability operation mode parameter within the TXOP.

[0561] FIG. 40 shows a frame exchange diagram in the first operation mode based on partial resource sharing and mode switching according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0562] Assume the first station is in the coexistence operation mode of partial resource sharing and mode switching, and needs to report one or more of the following to the AP when exchanging frames with the AP: operation parameters of the specific capability operation mode 1, operation parameters of the specific capability operation mode 2, a mode switching time point, a duration of the specific capability operation mode 1, and a duration of the specific capability operation mode 2. For example, after receiving the initial control frame, the first station returns an initial control response frame to the opposite station, wherein the initial control response frame carries one or more of the following: operation parameters of the specific capability operation mode 1, operation parameters of the specific capability operation mode 2, a mode switching time point, a duration of the specific capability operation mode 1, and a duration of the specific capability operation mode 2. After receiving the initial control response information fed back by the first station, the opposite station coordinates and controls the frame exchange with the first station based on the information reported by the first station and the specific capability operation mode indicated by the first station. The opposite station can carry padding delay information in the initial control frame for the first station to process the delay required for sharing and partial resource sharing and / or switching from a low capability operation mode to a high capability operation mode. The first station can carry padding delay information in the BA frame before the mode switching time point for the opposite station to adjust the delay required for adjusting the transmission and reception capability and parameters for exchanging frames with the first station.

[0563] Optionally, if the IC / DC Info Poll trigger frame sent by the AP contains a special user field carrying initial control information or dynamic control information, according to the available or unavailable resource information and / or operation mode capability parameter update information fed back by the AP, the first station also coordinates and controls the frame exchange transmission / reception parameters with the AP based on the operation capability update parameter information indicated by the AP, so that the frame or PPDU transmission parameters sent by the first station can meet the frame exchange capability and reception parameter requirements indicated by the AP; and / or, based on the available or unavailable resource information indicated by the AP, coordinates and controls the frame exchange duration and / or frame exchange transmission / reception parameters with the first station.

[0564] After the partial bandwidth unavailable time point, the first station and the second station exchange frames using the available partial bandwidth.

[0565] Again, the frame formats, element formats, field formats, and subfield formats shown in the above embodiments are examples and are not limiting. This application supports changes to the formats of various frames, elements, fields, and subfields based on the format designs described above, such as changing the order of fields / elements, changing the number of bytes of fields / elements, changing the number of bits of fields / elements, changing the names of fields / elements / frames, and the like. It is also supported to set part of the fields / elements as reserved fields.

[0566] Figure 41 shows a structural block diagram of a communication device 2100 according to an example embodiment of the application. The communication device 2100 can be implemented as the first station or a part of the first station as described above. Optionally, the communication device 2100 is a wireless communication device / wireless device supporting WLAN / Wi-Fi protocol (e.g. 802.11 protocol). The communication device 2100 comprises a sending module 2110. Optionally, the communication device 2100 further comprises a receiving module 2130 and / or a processing module 2150.

[0567] In some embodiments, the sending module 2110 is configured to send a first frame, the first frame being configured to indicate one or more of: enabling the first operation mode; disabling the first operation mode; updating a parameter of the first operation mode.

[0568] In some embodiments, the receiving module 2130 is configured to receive a second frame, the second frame being configured to one or more of: initiating a frame exchange with the device in the first operation mode; triggering the device to report information of capability and / or resource in the first operation mode; requesting the device to report information of capability and / or resource in the first operation mode.

[0569] In some embodiments, the device is in the first operation mode during the enabling.

[0570] In some embodiments, the device is in the first operation mode during the enabling, and satisfies one or more of: available and / or unavailable resource of the device is updated; available and / or unavailable resource of the device is not updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the device is updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the device is not updated.

[0571] In some embodiments, the second frame is further configured to indicate information of capability and / or resource in the first operation mode of a second station; wherein the information of capability and / or resource in the first operation mode of the second station comprises one or more of: available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is updated; available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is not updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the second station is updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the second station is not updated.

[0572] In some embodiments, the second frame comprises any one of: an initial control frame, a dynamic control frame, a trigger frame, a MU-RTS trigger frame, a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, an initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BSRP trigger frame, a BSRP / initial control information poll trigger frame, a BSRP / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BFRP trigger frame, a BFRP / initial control information poll trigger frame, a BFRP / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BQRP trigger frame, a BQRP / initial control information poll trigger frame, a BQRP / dynamic control information poll trigger frame.

[0573] In some embodiments, the second frame comprises one or more of the following fields: frame control, duration, receiver address, sender address, public information, user information list, intermediate FCS, padding, FCS.

[0574] In some embodiments, the public information field comprises: a transmission opportunity sharing mode / initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

[0575] In some embodiments, the transmission opportunity sharing mode / initial control mode / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate: whether to initiate a MU-RTS frame of a transmission opportunity sharing mode procedure; or, whether to initiate a MU-RTS frame of an initial / dynamic control mode procedure.

[0576] In some embodiments, the public information field comprises: a transmission opportunity sharing mode subfield, and / or, an initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

[0577] In some embodiments, the initial control / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate: whether to initiate a poll trigger frame of a frame exchange based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information.

[0578] In some embodiments, the user information list comprises a special user information field, which is used to carry initial control information or dynamic control information.

[0579] In some embodiments, the special user information field comprises one or more of the following subfields: an association identifier AID 12, a mode control, an operating mode control update parameter information, an extended operating mode control update parameter information, a duration, an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum duration, an unavailable period maximum duration.

[0580] In some embodiments, the special user information field comprises one or more subfields as follows: an association identifier (AID) 12, a mode control, a supported operating bandwidth, a highest order modulation corresponding MCS index, a maximum number of SS for reception, a maximum number of SS for transmission, a duration, an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, a minimum duration of an unavailable period, a maximum duration of an unavailable period.

[0581] In some embodiments, the mode control subfield comprises one or more subfields as follows: a default operating mode, whether there is a resource unavailability or operating parameter update, whether there is an available or unavailable resource information parameter, whether there is an operating mode update parameter, an operating mode update parameter present bitmap, an unavailable resource information parameter present bitmap, and a reserved.

[0582] In some embodiments, the sending module 2110 is further configured to send a third frame, the third frame being used to indicate information of a first operating mode capability and / or resource of the apparatus; wherein the information of the first operating mode capability and / or resource of the apparatus comprises one or more of: an available and / or unavailable resource of the apparatus is updated; the available and / or unavailable resource of the apparatus is not updated; a reception capability and / or a transmission capability of the apparatus is updated; the reception capability and / or the transmission capability of the apparatus is not updated.

[0583] In some embodiments, the third frame is used to respond to the second frame.

[0584] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate one or more of: a start time of a resource unavailability state; a duration of the resource unavailability state; a duration of a high capability operating mode.

[0585] In some embodiments, the apparatus is in a first type operating mode, the first type operating mode being a first operating mode based on time sharing.

[0586] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate one or more of: a start time of a resource unavailability state; a duration of the resource unavailability state; a duration of a target operating mode; a parameter of the target operating mode.

[0587] In some embodiments, the apparatus is in a second type operating mode, the second type operating mode being a first operating mode based on time sharing and partial resource sharing.

[0588] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate: a parameter of a target operating mode.

[0589] In some embodiments, the device is in a third type of operation mode, which is a first operation mode based on partial resource sharing.

[0590] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: parameters of the first target operation mode; parameters of the second target operation mode; duration of the first target operation mode; duration of the second target operation mode; switching time of the operation mode.

[0591] In some embodiments, the device is in a fourth type of operation mode, which is a first operation mode based on partial resource sharing and mode switching.

[0592] In some embodiments, the third frame includes one or more of the following fields: a first field used to indicate available or unavailable resource information; a second field used to indicate update information of capability parameters of the current operation mode; an AID control type information field; a control information length field.

[0593] In some embodiments, the second field includes one or more of the following subfields: supported operation bandwidth, supported modulation and coding scheme (MCS), received maximum spatial stream (SS) number, transmitted maximum space-time stream (STS) or spatial stream (SS) number, duration, control information, and reservation.

[0594] In some embodiments, the second field includes one or more of the following subfields: operation mode control update parameter information, extended operation mode control update parameter information, duration, control information, and reservation.

[0595] In some embodiments, the operation mode control update parameter information subfield includes one or more of the following subfields: received SS number, channel bandwidth, uplink multi-user non-enabled, transmitted STS number, ER single-user non-enabled, downlink multi-user MIMO re-probe recommendation, and uplink multi-user data non-enabled.

[0596] In some embodiments, the extended operation mode control update parameter information subfield includes one or more of the following subfields: received SS number extension, channel bandwidth extension, transmitted STS number extension, MCS 15 non-enabled, and reservation.

[0597] In some embodiments, the first field includes one or more of the following subfields: unavailable period start time, unavailable channel bitmap, unavailable period minimum duration, unavailable period maximum duration, control information, and reservation.

[0598] In some embodiments, the AID control type information field is used to indicate that the type of control feedback information is any of the following: available or unavailable resource type, and mode capability parameter type.

[0599] In some embodiments, the third frame comprises: an initial control response frame, or a dynamic control response frame, or an initial control information report frame, or a dynamic control information report frame, or a BA frame, or a frame carrying an A-Control field.

[0600] In some embodiments, the processing module 2150 is configured to perform one or more of the following operations based on the information reported in the third frame: performing frame exchange with the second station in a corresponding operation mode during the TXOP; performing frame exchange with the second station based on the resource available information and / or resource unavailable information indicated in the third frame during the TXOP; terminating frame exchange before the start time of the resource unavailable state; suspending frame exchange before the start time of the resource unavailable state; performing frame exchange with the second station in a switched operation mode after the switching time of the operation mode.

[0601] In some embodiments, the available and / or unavailable resources are updated at a TXOP level; the receiving capability and / or the transmitting capability are updated at a TXOP level.

[0602] In some embodiments, the first frame comprises one or more of the following fields: a coexistence operation mode control, a coexistence operation mode delay parameter, a low capability operation parameter, a high capability operation parameter.

[0603] In some embodiments, the first frame is a coexistence operation mode notification frame, or the first frame is a coexistence operation mode request frame, or the first frame is a QoS data frame, or the first frame is a QoS null frame, or the first frame is a management frame, or the first frame is a frame comprising an A-Control field.

[0604] In some embodiments, the receiving module 2130 is configured to receive a first PPDU carrying acknowledgement information for the first frame.

[0605] In some embodiments, the indication content of the first frame takes effect after a TXOP in which the first PPDU is located.

[0606] In some embodiments, the receiving module 2130 is configured to receive a fourth frame in response to the first frame.

[0607] In some embodiments, the fourth frame comprises one or more of the following fields: a coexistence operation mode control, a coexistence operation mode delay parameter, a low capability operation parameter, a high capability operation parameter, a status code, a coexistence operation mode delay parameter required by a responder.

[0608] In some embodiments, the status code field is used to indicate any of the following:

[0609] accepting the indicated content of the first frame; rejecting the indicated content of the first frame; recommending other operation modes.

[0610] In some embodiments, the fourth frame is a coexistence operation mode notification frame, or the fourth frame is a coexistence operation mode response frame.

[0611] In some embodiments, the processing module 2150 is configured to perform one or more of the following: update available and / or unavailable resources of the apparatus; not update available and / or unavailable resources of the apparatus; update receive capability and / or transmit capability of the apparatus; not update receive capability and / or transmit capability of the apparatus.

[0612] In some embodiments, the fourth frame is sent within a transition super interval.

[0613] In some embodiments, the processing module 2150 is configured to enable the first operation mode at the end of the transition super interval; or the processing module 2150 is configured to enable the first operation mode before the end of the transition super interval and after sending a second PPDU; or the processing module 2150 is configured to disable the first operation mode at the end of the transition super interval; or the processing module 2150 is configured to disable the first operation mode before the end of the transition super interval and after sending the second PPDU.

[0614] In some embodiments, the sending module 2110 is configured to send the second PPDU, which carries acknowledgement information for a fourth frame.

[0615] In some embodiments, the transition super interval starts from the end of a first PPDU, or the transition super interval starts from the end of a signal extension part after the first PPDU; wherein the first PPDU carries acknowledgement information for the first frame.

[0616] In some embodiments, the coexistence operation mode control field comprises one or more of the following: a coexistence operation mode enable field, used to indicate whether to enable or disable the coexistence operation mode; a coexistence operation mode type field, used to indicate the type of coexistence operation mode to be adopted; a default low capability operation indication field, used to indicate whether to adopt the default low capability operation; a default high capability operation indication field, used to indicate whether to adopt the default high capability operation; a coexistence operation mode latency parameter control field, used to indicate whether the coexistence operation mode latency parameter field exists; a low capability operation parameter control field, used to indicate whether the low capability operation parameter field exists; a reserved field.

[0617] In some embodiments, the coexistence operation mode latency parameter field comprises one or more of the following subfields: a first latency subfield for indicating a minimum MAC padding duration of the second frame; a second latency subfield for indicating a minimum latency required for switching from the high capability operation to the first low capability operation; a third latency subfield for indicating a minimum latency required for switching from the high capability operation to the second low capability operation.

[0618] In some embodiments, the low capability operation parameter field comprises one or more of the following subfields: an operating bandwidth, a highest modulation order supported corresponding to an MCS index, a maximum number of spatial streams for reception, a maximum number of spatial streams for transmission, a PPDU format.

[0619] In some embodiments, the high capability operation parameter field comprises one or more of the following subfields: an operating bandwidth, a highest modulation order supported corresponding to an MCS index, a maximum number of spatial streams for reception, a maximum number of spatial streams for transmission, a PPDU format.

[0620] In some embodiments, in the first operation mode, the apparatus shares radio resources based on WLAN technology or other wireless communication technology; or, in the first operation mode, the apparatus shares radio resources with other stations affiliated to the same MLD.

[0621] In some embodiments, the sending module 2110 is configured to perform one or more of the following steps: step 220, step 310, step 340, step 410, step 440, step 460, step 1020, step 1130, step 1150.

[0622] In some embodiments, the receiving module 2130 is configured to perform one or more of the following steps: step 320, step 330, step 420, step 430, step 450, step 920, step 1110, step 1150.

[0623] The content described in each of the foregoing embodiments, such as the interaction process, use, name, type, format, etc. of the first frame to the fourth frame, is applicable to the communication apparatus 2100 shown in FIG. 41. For details not described in the present embodiment, refer to the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0624] In summary, the apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application supports enabling / disabling the first operation mode through the first frame advance notification or advance negotiation, and also supports updating the parameters of the first operation mode through the first frame advance notification or advance negotiation, and is especially suitable for scenarios where the station is in the first operation mode and there may exist a burst of triggers to change the available transceiving resources of the station itself and the characteristics that are difficult to predict in advance. Moreover, the fourth frame is further supported to further guarantee the reliability of the notification or negotiation process. Moreover, after the coexistence operation mode is enabled through the first frame advance notification or negotiation, the second frame and the third frame are further supported to enable the apparatus and the opposite end device to timely learn the information of the resources and / or capabilities of the opposite end device, which helps the apparatus and the opposite end device to communicate according to the available resources and / or unavailable resources and / or supported capabilities and / or unsupported capabilities and the like in subsequent frame interactions, and reduces or even avoids problems such as data packet loss, increased latency, and reduced frequency utilization efficiency due to changes in resource and capability information, and effectively improves the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the apparatus and the opposite end device.

[0625] FIG. 42 shows a structural block diagram of a communication apparatus 2200 provided by an example embodiment of the present application. The communication apparatus 2200 can be implemented as the second station described above or as a part of the second station described above. Alternatively, the communication apparatus 2200 can also be a wireless communication apparatus / wireless device supporting a WLAN / Wi-Fi protocol (such as the 802.11 protocol). The communication apparatus 2200 includes a receiving module 2210. Optionally, the communication apparatus 2200 further includes a sending module 2230 and / or a processing module 2250.

[0626] In some embodiments, the receiving module 2210 is configured to receive a first frame. The first frame is used to indicate one or more of the following: enabling a first operation mode; disabling the first operation mode; and updating parameters of the first operation mode.

[0627] In some embodiments, the sending module 2230 is configured to send a second frame. The second frame is used to one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with the first station in the first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information about capabilities and / or resources in the first operation mode; and requesting the first station to report information about capabilities and / or resources in the first operation mode.

[0628] In some embodiments, the first station is in a period during which the first operation mode is enabled.

[0629] In some embodiments, the first station satisfies one or more of the following during enabling the first operation mode: an available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is updated; an available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; a receiving capability and / or a transmitting capability of the first station is updated; a receiving capability and / or a transmitting capability of the first station is not updated.

[0630] In some embodiments, the second frame is further configured to indicate information of a first operation mode capability and / or resource of the second station; wherein the information of the first operation mode capability and / or resource of the second station comprises one or more of the following: an available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is updated; an available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is not updated; a receiving capability and / or a transmitting capability of the second station is updated; a receiving capability and / or a transmitting capability of the second station is not updated.

[0631] In some embodiments, the second frame comprises any one of the following: an initial control frame, a dynamic control frame, a trigger frame, a MU-RTS trigger frame, a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, an initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BSRP trigger frame, a BSRP / initial control information poll trigger frame, a BSRP / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BFRP trigger frame, a BFRP / initial control information poll trigger frame, a BFRP / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BQRP trigger frame, a BQRP / initial control information poll trigger frame, a BQRP / dynamic control information poll trigger frame.

[0632] In some embodiments, the second frame comprises one or more of the following fields: a frame control, a duration, a receiver address, a transmitter address, a common information, a user information list, an intermediate FCS, a padding, an FCS.

[0633] In some embodiments, the common information field comprises: a transmission opportunity sharing mode / initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

[0634] In some embodiments, the transmission opportunity sharing mode / initial control mode / dynamic control mode subfield is configured to indicate: whether a MU-RTS frame initiates a transmission opportunity sharing mode procedure; or, whether a MU-RTS frame initiates an initial / dynamic control mode procedure.

[0635] In some embodiments, the common information field comprises: a transmission opportunity sharing mode subfield, and / or, an initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

[0636] In some embodiments, the initial control / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate whether to initiate a poll-triggered frame exchange based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information.

[0637] In some embodiments, the user information list includes a special user information field used to carry initial control information or dynamic control information.

[0638] In some embodiments, the special user information field includes one or more of the following subfields: an association identifier (AID) 12, a mode control, an operation mode control update parameter information, an extended operation mode control update parameter information, a duration, an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum duration, an unavailable period maximum duration.

[0639] In some embodiments, the special user information field includes one or more of the following subfields: an association identifier (AID) 12, a mode control, a supported operation bandwidth, a supported highest order modulation corresponding MCS index, a maximum number of SSs received, a maximum number of SSs transmitted, a duration, an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum duration, an unavailable period maximum duration.

[0640] In some embodiments, the mode control subfield includes one or more of the following subfields: a default operation mode, whether there is a resource unavailability or operation parameter update, whether there is available or unavailable resource information parameter, whether there is an operation mode update parameter, an operation mode update parameter present bitmap, an unavailable resource information parameter present bitmap, a reserved.

[0641] In some embodiments, the receiving module 2210 is configured to receive a third frame, the third frame being used to indicate information of a coexistence operation mode of a first station; wherein the information of the coexistence operation mode of the first station includes one or more of the following: an update of available and / or unavailable resources of the first station, the resources including one or more of the following: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, space domain resources; no update of available and / or unavailable resources of the first station; an update of reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station; no update of reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station.

[0642] In some embodiments, the third frame is used to respond to a second frame.

[0643] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: a start time of a resource unavailability state; a duration of the resource unavailability state; a duration of a high capability operation mode.

[0644] In some embodiments, the first station is in a first type of operation mode, which is a first operation mode based on time sharing.

[0645] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate one or more of the following: a start time of the resource unavailable state; a duration of the resource unavailable state; a duration of the target operation mode; a parameter of the target operation mode.

[0646] In some embodiments, the first station is in a second type of operation mode, which is a first operation mode based on time sharing and partial resource sharing.

[0647] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate: a parameter of the target operation mode.

[0648] In some embodiments, the first station is in a third type of operation mode, which is a first operation mode based on partial resource sharing.

[0649] In some embodiments, the third frame is further used to indicate one or more of the following: a parameter of the first target operation mode; a parameter of the second target operation mode; a duration of the first target operation mode; a duration of the second target operation mode; a switching time of the operation mode.

[0650] In some embodiments, the first station is in a fourth type of operation mode, which is a first operation mode based on partial resource sharing and mode switching.

[0651] In some embodiments, the third frame includes one or more of the following fields: a first field used to indicate available or unavailable resource information; a second field used to indicate update information of capability parameters of the current operation mode; an AID control type information field; a control information length field.

[0652] In some embodiments, the second field includes one or more of the following subfields: supported operation bandwidth, supported modulation and coding scheme (MCS), maximum number of spatial streams (SS) for reception, maximum number of space-time streams (STS) or spatial streams (SS) for transmission, duration, control information, and reservation.

[0653] In some embodiments, the second field includes one or more of the following subfields: operation mode control update parameter information, extended operation mode control update parameter information, duration, control information, and reservation.

[0654] In some embodiments, the operation mode control update parameter information subfield comprises one or more of the following subfields: number of receive SS, channel bandwidth, uplink multi-user non-enabled, number of transmission STS, ER single-user non-enabled, downlink multi-user MIMO re-probe recommendation, uplink multi-user data non-enabled.

[0655] In some embodiments, the extended operation mode control update parameter information subfield comprises one or more of the following subfields: extended number of receive SS, extended channel bandwidth, extended number of transmission STS, MCS 15 non-enabled, reserved.

[0656] In some embodiments, the first field comprises one or more of the following subfields: unavailable period start time, unavailable channel bitmap, unavailable period minimum length, unavailable period maximum length, control information, reserved.

[0657] In some embodiments, the AID control type information field is used to indicate the type of control feedback information as any of the following: available or unavailable resource type, mode capability parameter type.

[0658] In some embodiments, the third frame comprises: an initial control response frame, or a dynamic control response frame, or an initial control information report frame, or a dynamic control information report frame, or a BA frame, or a frame carrying an A-Control field.

[0659] In some embodiments, the processing module 2250 is configured to perform one or more of the following operations: update the available and / or unavailable resources of the apparatus; not update the available and / or unavailable resources of the apparatus; update the receive capability and / or transmit capability of the apparatus; not update the receive capability and / or transmit capability of the first station.

[0660] In some embodiments, the available and / or unavailable resources are updated at TXOP level; the receive capability and / or transmit capability are updated at TXOP level.

[0661] In some embodiments, the processing module 2250 is configured to perform one or more of the following operations based on the information reported by the third frame: perform frame exchange with the first station during the TXOP using operation parameters corresponding to the operation mode indicated by the third frame; perform frame exchange with the first station during the TXOP based on the resource available information and / or resource unavailable information indicated by the third frame; terminate frame exchange before the start time of the resource unavailable state; suspend frame exchange before the start time of the resource unavailable state; perform frame exchange with the first station after the switching time of the operation mode using the switched operation mode.

[0662] In some embodiments, the first frame comprises one or more of the following fields: a coexistence operation mode control field, a coexistence operation mode latency parameter field, a low capability operation parameter field, a high capability operation parameter field.

[0663] In some embodiments, the first frame is a coexistence operation mode announcement frame, or the first frame is a coexistence operation mode request frame, or the first frame is a QoS data frame, or the first frame is a QoS null frame, or the first frame is a management frame, or the first frame is a frame comprising an A-Control field.

[0664] In some embodiments, the sending module 2230 is configured to send a first PPDU, the first PPDU carrying acknowledgement information for the first frame.

[0665] In some embodiments, the indication of the first frame takes effect after a TXOP in which the first PPDU is located.

[0666] In some embodiments, the sending module 2230 is configured to send a fourth frame, the fourth frame being used to respond to the first frame.

[0667] In some embodiments, the fourth frame comprises one or more of the following fields: a coexistence operation mode control field, a coexistence operation mode latency parameter field, a low capability operation parameter field, a high capability operation parameter field, a status code field, a coexistence operation mode latency parameter field required by a responder.

[0668] In some embodiments, the status code field is used to indicate any of the following statuses: accepting the indication of the first frame; rejecting the indication of the first frame; recommending other operation modes.

[0669] In some embodiments, the processing module 2250 is configured to determine whether to accept or reject the indication of the first frame.

[0670] In some embodiments, the processing module 2250 is configured to determine whether to recommend other coexistence operation modes.

[0671] In some embodiments, the fourth frame is a coexistence operation mode announcement frame, or the fourth frame is a coexistence operation mode response frame.

[0672] In some embodiments, the fourth frame is sent within a transition super interval.

[0673] In some embodiments, the processing module 2250 is configured to determine whether to accept or reject the indication of the first frame.

[0674] In some embodiments, the receiving module 2210 is configured to receive the second PPDU, which carries the acknowledgement information for the fourth frame.

[0675] In some embodiments, the conversion time interval starts from the end of the first PPDU, or the conversion time interval starts from the end of a signal extension part after the first PPDU; wherein the first PPDU carries the immediate acknowledgement for the first frame.

[0676] In some embodiments, the coexistence operation mode control field comprises one or more of the following fields: a coexistence operation mode enable field, used to indicate whether to enable or disable the coexistence operation mode; a coexistence operation mode type field, used to indicate the type of coexistence operation mode to be adopted; a default low capability operation indication field, used to indicate whether to adopt the default low capability operation; a default high capability operation indication field, used to indicate whether to adopt the default high capability operation; a coexistence operation mode time delay parameter control field, used to indicate whether the coexistence operation mode time delay parameter field exists; a low capability operation parameter control field, used to indicate whether the low capability operation parameter field exists; a reserved field.

[0677] In some embodiments, the coexistence operation mode time delay parameter field comprises one or more of the following subfields: a first time delay subfield, used to indicate the minimum MAC padding duration of the second frame; a second time delay subfield, used to indicate the minimum time delay required for switching from the high capability operation to the first low capability operation; a third time delay subfield, used to indicate the minimum time delay required for switching from the high capability operation to the second low capability operation.

[0678] In some embodiments, the low capability operation parameter field comprises one or more of the following subfields: the operating bandwidth, the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported, the maximum spatial stream received, the maximum spatial stream transmitted, the PPDU format.

[0679] In some embodiments, the high capability operation parameter field comprises one or more of the following subfields: the operating bandwidth, the MCS index corresponding to the highest order modulation supported, the maximum spatial stream received, the maximum spatial stream transmitted, the PPDU format.

[0680] In some embodiments, in the first operation mode, the device shares the radio resource based on the WLAN technology or other wireless communication technology; or, in the first operation mode, the device shares the radio resource with other stations attached to the same MLD.

[0681] In some embodiments, the receiving module 2210 is configured to perform one or more of the following steps: step 620, step 710, step 740, step 810, step 840, step 860, step 1320, step 1430, step 1450.

[0682] In some embodiments, the sending module 2230 is configured to perform one or more of the following steps: step 720, step 730, step 820, step 830, step 850, step 1220, step 1410, step 1450.

[0683] The content described in the foregoing embodiments, such as the interaction processes of the first frame to the fourth frame, the uses, the names, the types, the formats, etc., are applicable to the communication apparatus 2200 shown in FIG. 42. For details not described in the present embodiment, refer to the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0684] To sum up, the apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application supports enabling / disabling the first operation mode through the first frame early notification or early negotiation, and also supports updating the parameters of the first operation mode through the first frame early notification or early negotiation, which is especially suitable for the scenario that the station is in the first operation mode and there may exist a burst and difficult-to-predict characteristic of triggering to change the available transceiving resources of the station. Moreover, the reliability of the notification or negotiation process is further guaranteed through the fourth frame. After the coexistence operation mode that will be enabled is negotiated through the first frame, the second frame and the third frame are further supported, so that the apparatus and the peer device can timely learn the information of the resources and / or capabilities of the other party, which helps the apparatus and the peer device to communicate according to the information of the available resources and / or unavailable resources and / or supported capabilities and / or unsupported capabilities in the subsequent frame interaction, and alleviates or even avoids the problems of packet loss, increased latency, reduced frequency utilization efficiency, etc. caused by the change of the resource and capability information, thereby effectively improving the transmission reliability and transmission efficiency between the apparatus and the peer device.

[0685] It should be noted that the apparatus provided by the above embodiments is only used as an example to divide the above functional modules, and in actual application, the above functions can be completed by different functional modules according to needs, i.e., the internal structure of the communication device is divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the above described functions. In addition, the apparatus and method embodiments provided by the above embodiments belong to the same concept.

[0686] FIG. 43 shows a structural schematic diagram of a communication device 2300 provided by an example embodiment of the present application, which includes at least one of the following: a receiver 2301, a transmitter 2302, a processor 2303, a memory 2304, and a bus (not shown in the figure).

[0687] Optionally, the communication device 2300 is configured to perform part or all of the steps of the first station described above.

[0688] Optionally, the communication device 2300 is configured to perform part or all of the steps of the second station described above.

[0689] Optionally, the communication device 2300 is a wireless device / wireless communication device supporting WLAN / Wi-Fi protocol (such as 802.11 protocol).

[0690] The receiver 2301 is configured to implement the receiving function. Optionally, the receiver 2301 can be configured to implement the functions and steps of the receiving module 2130 and / or the receiving module 2210 described above. The transmitter 2302 is configured to implement the sending function. Optionally, the transmitter 2302 can be configured to implement the functions and steps of the sending module 2110 and / or the sending module 2230 described above.

[0691] Optionally, the receiver 2301 and the transmitter 2302 can be implemented as one communication component, which can be a communication chip, and the communication component can be referred to as a transceiver. Optionally, the receiver 2301 and the transmitter 2302 can be implemented as a wireless communication component and / or a wired communication component. Optionally, the wireless communication component includes a wireless communication chip and / or a radio frequency antenna. Optionally, the wired communication component includes a wired communication chip and / or a wired interface.

[0692] The processor 2303 includes one or more processing cores, and the processor 2303 performs various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules. In some embodiments, the processor 2303 can be configured to implement the functions and steps of the processing module 2150 and / or the processing module 2250 described above. The memory 2304 can be configured to store computer programs executed by the processor 2303, and the processor 2303 is configured to execute the computer programs to implement various steps in the method embodiments described above.

[0693] In some embodiments, the memory 2304 can be connected to the processor 2303, the receiver 2301, and the transmitter 2302.

[0694] Further, the memory 2304 can be implemented by any type of volatile or nonvolatile storage devices or a combination thereof, including but not limited to a magnetic disk or a optical disk, an Electrically-Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a magnetic memory, a flash memory, a Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM).

[0695] In some embodiments, the receiver 2301 receives signals / data independently, or the processor 2303 controls the receiver 2301 to receive signals / data, or the processor 2303 requests the receiver 2301 to receive signals / data, or the processor 2303 cooperates with the receiver 2301 to receive signals / data.

[0696] In some embodiments, the transmitter 2302 transmits signals / data independently, or the processor 2303 controls the transmitter 2302 to transmit signals / data, or the processor 2303 requests the transmitter 2302 to transmit signals / data, or the processor 2303 cooperates with the transmitter 2302 to transmit signals / data.

[0697] For details not specifically described in the present embodiment, refer to the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0698] In an example embodiment of the present application, a chip is also provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and when the chip is running on a communication device, is used to implement the communication method provided by each of the method embodiments.

[0699] In some embodiments, the chip includes a sending module 2110. Optionally, the chip further includes a receiving module 2130 and / or a processing module 2150. For related content, refer to the foregoing description, which will not be repeated here. Optionally, each module can be implemented as a circuit structure.

[0700] In some embodiments, the chip includes a receiving module 2210. Optionally, the chip further includes a sending module 2230 and / or a processing module 2250. For related content, refer to the foregoing description, which will not be repeated here. Optionally, each module can be implemented as a circuit structure.

[0701] In an example embodiment of the present application, a computer readable storage medium is also provided, and at least one program is stored in the computer readable storage medium, and the at least one program is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the communication method provided by each of the above method embodiments.

[0702] In an example embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is also provided, and the computer program product includes computer instructions, the computer instructions are stored in a computer readable storage medium, a processor acquires the computer instructions from the computer readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions to implement the communication method provided by each of the above method embodiments.

[0703] In an example embodiment of the present application, a computer program is also provided, and the computer program includes computer instructions, the computer instructions are stored in a computer readable storage medium, a processor acquires the computer instructions from the computer readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions to implement the communication method provided by each of the above method embodiments.

[0704] Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can be completed by hardware, or by program instructing relevant hardware to complete, and the program can be stored in a computer readable storage medium, and the above mentioned storage medium can be a read-only memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0705] The above is only an optional embodiment of the present application, and is not used to limit the present application, and any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is performed by a first station, and the method comprises: receiving a second frame, the second frame being used for one or more of the following: initiating a frame exchange with the first station in a first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of a capability and / or resource; requesting the first station to report the information of the capability and / or resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The information of the capability and / or resource refers to information of a capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second frame is further used to indicate information of a capability and / or resource of a second station; wherein the information of the capability and / or resource of the second station comprises one or more of the following: available and / or unavailable resources of the second station are updated, the resources comprising one or more of the following: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, space domain resources; available and / or unavailable resources of the second station are not updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the second station are updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the second station are not updated.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The information of the capability and / or resource of the second station refers to information of a capability and / or resource of the second station in the first operation mode.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first station is in a period during which the first operation mode is enabled.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The first station satisfies one or more of the following during the period during which the first operation mode is enabled: available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are updated, the resources comprising one or more of the following: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, space domain resources; available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are not updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station are updated; reception capability and / or transmission capability of the first station are not updated.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The second frame comprises any one of the following: an initial control frame, a dynamic control frame, a trigger frame, a MU-RTS trigger frame, a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, an initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BSRP trigger frame, a BSRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BFRP trigger frame, a BFRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BQRP trigger frame, a BQRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The second frame comprises one or more of the following fields: frame control, duration, receiver address, sender address, common information, user information list, intermediate FCS, padding, FCS.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The common information field comprises a transmission opportunity sharing mode or initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The second frame comprises a MU-RTS trigger frame or a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame; The transmission opportunity sharing mode or initial control / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate whether a MU-RTS frame of a transmission opportunity sharing mode procedure is initiated or whether a MU-RTS frame of an initial / dynamic control mode procedure is initiated.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein, The common information field comprises a transmission opportunity sharing mode subfield and / or an initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The second frame comprises a BSRP trigger frame or a BSRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame; The initial control / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate whether to initiate a polling trigger frame based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information frame exchange.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that, The user information list includes a special user information field used to carry initial control information or dynamic control information of the second station.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The special user information field includes one or more of the following subfields: association identifier AID 12, mode control, operation mode control update parameter information, extended operation mode control update parameter information, duration, unavailable period start time, unavailable channel bitmap, unavailable period minimum duration, and unavailable period maximum duration.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, The special user information field includes one or more of the following subfields: association identifier AID 12, mode control, supported operation bandwidth, supported highest order modulation corresponding MCS index, maximum number of received SS, maximum number of transmitted SS, duration, unavailable period start time, unavailable channel bitmap, unavailable period minimum duration, and unavailable period maximum duration.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The mode control subfield includes one or more of the following subfields: default operation mode, whether there is resource unavailability or operation parameter update, whether there is available or unavailable resource information parameter, whether there is operation mode update parameter, operation mode update parameter presence bitmap, unavailable resource information parameter presence bitmap, and reserved.

17. The method of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein, The method further includes: sending a third frame used to indicate information of a capability and / or resource of the first station; wherein the capability and / or resource of the first station includes one or more of the following: The capability and / or resource of the first station includes one or more of the following: The available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is updated, and the resource includes one or more of the following: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, and space domain resource; the available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; the receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the first station is updated; the receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the first station is not updated.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The third frame is used to respond to the second frame.

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein, The third frame is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: start time of resource unavailability state; duration of resource unavailability state; duration of high capability operation mode; duration of target operation mode; parameter of target operation mode; switching time of operation mode.

20. The method of any one of claims 17-19, wherein, The third frame includes one or more of the following fields: a first field used to indicate available or unavailable resource information; a second field used to indicate update information of capability parameter of a current operation mode; AID control type information field; and control information length field.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, The second field includes one or more of the following subfields: supported operation bandwidth, supported modulation and coding scheme MCS, maximum number of received spatial streams SS, maximum number of transmitted space-time streams STS or spatial streams SS, duration, control information, and reserved.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein, The second field includes one or more of the following subfields: operation mode control update parameter information, extended operation mode control update parameter information, duration, control information, and reserved.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein, The operation mode control update parameter information subfield comprises one or more of the following subfields: number of receive spatial streams (SS), channel bandwidth, uplink multi-user non-enabled, number of transmit spatial time streams (STS), extended range (ER) single-user non-enabled, downlink multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) re-probe recommended, uplink multi-user data non-enabled.

24. The method of claim 22 or 23, wherein, The extended operation mode control update parameter information subfield comprises one or more of the following subfields: extended number of receive spatial streams (SS), extended channel bandwidth, extended number of transmit spatial time streams (STS), modulation and coding scheme (MCS) 15 non-enabled, reserved.

25. The method of any one of claims 20-24, wherein, The first field comprises one or more of the following subfields: unavailable period start time, unavailable channel bitmap, unavailable period minimum length, unavailable period maximum length, control information, reserved.

26. The method of any one of claims 20-25, wherein, The AID control type information field is used to indicate the type of control feedback information as any of the following: available or unavailable resource type, mode capability parameter type.

27. The method of any one of claims 20-26, wherein, The third frame comprises any of the following: an initial control response frame, a dynamic control response frame, an initial control information report frame, a dynamic control information report frame, a block acknowledgement (BA) frame, a clear to send (CTS) frame, or a frame carrying an A-Control field.

28. The method of any one of claims 17-27, wherein, In the case that the second frame is an MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, the third frame is a CTS frame responding to the MU-RTS initial / control trigger frame, the CTS frame comprising a duration field, a value of the duration field being determined based on a duration of a resource and / or capability available state of the first station.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein, The duration field is used to ensure that the first station keeps the resource and / or capability available state for a duration indicated by the duration field.

30. A method of communication, comprising: The method is performed by a first station, and the method comprises: sending a third frame, the third frame being used to indicate information of a capability and / or resource of the first station; wherein the information of the capability and / or resource of the first station comprises one or more of the following: an available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is updated, the resource comprising one or more of the following: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, spatial domain resource; the available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; a receive capability and / or a transmit capability of the first station is updated; the receive capability and / or the transmit capability of the first station is not updated.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein, The information of the capability and / or resource of the first station indicates information of a capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode.

32. The method of claim 30 or 31, wherein, The third frame is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: a start time of a resource unavailable state; a duration of the resource unavailable state; a duration of a high capability operation mode; a duration of a target operation mode; a parameter of the target operation mode; a switching time of the operation mode.

33. The method of any one of claims 30-32, wherein, The third frame comprises any of the following: an initial control response frame, a dynamic control response frame, an initial control information report frame, a dynamic control information report frame, a block acknowledgement (BA) frame, a clear to send (CTS) frame, or a frame carrying an A-Control field.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein, The CTS frame comprises a duration field, and a value of the duration field is determined based on a duration of a resource and / or capability available state of the first station.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein, The duration field is used to ensure that the first station keeps the resource and / or capability available state during a duration indicated by the duration field.

36. The method of any one of claims 30-34, wherein, The third frame comprises one or more fields: a first field used to indicate available or unavailable resource information; a second field used to indicate update information of a capability parameter of a current operation mode; an AID control type information field; a control information length field.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein, The second field comprises one or more subfields: supported operation bandwidth, supported modulation and coding scheme (MCS), received maximum spatial stream (SS) number, transmitted maximum space-time stream (STS) or spatial stream (SS) number, duration, control information, and reservation.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein, The second field comprises one or more subfields: operation mode control update parameter information, extended operation mode control update parameter information, duration, control information, and reservation.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein, The operation mode control update parameter information subfield comprises one or more subfields: received spatial stream (SS) number, channel bandwidth, uplink multi-user non-enabled, transmitted space-time stream (STS) number, extended range (ER) single-user non-enabled, downlink multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) re-probe recommendation, and uplink multi-user data non-enabled.

40. The method of claim 38 or 39, wherein, The extended operation mode control update parameter information subfield comprises one or more subfields: received spatial stream (SS) number extension, channel bandwidth extension, transmitted space-time stream (STS) number extension, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) 15 non-enabled, and reservation.

41. The method of any one of claims 36-40, wherein, The first field comprises one or more subfields: unavailable period start time, unavailable channel bitmap, unavailable period minimum duration, unavailable period maximum duration, control information, and reservation.

42. The method of any one of claims 36-41, wherein, The AID control type information field is used to indicate that a type of control feedback information is any one of: available or unavailable resource type, and mode capability parameter type.

43. The method of any one of claims 30-42, wherein, The third frame is used to respond to the second frame.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein, The second frame is used for one or more of: initiating frame exchange with the first station in the first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of a capability and / or resource of the first station; and requesting the first station to report information of a capability and / or resource of the first station.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein, The second frame is also used to indicate information of a capability and / or resource of a second station; wherein the information of the capability and / or resource of the second station comprises one or more of: The available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is updated, and the resource comprises one or more of: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, and space domain resource; the available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is not updated; a receiving capability and / or a transmitting capability of the second station is updated; and the receiving capability and / or the transmitting capability of the second station is not updated.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein, The information of the capability and / or resource of the second station indicates information of a capability and / or resource of the second station in the first operation mode.

47. The method of any one of claims 30-46, wherein, The first station is in a period during which the first operation mode is enabled.

48. The method of any one of claims 30-47, wherein, The first station satisfies one or more of the following during enabling the first operation mode: The available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are updated, the resources including one or more of the following: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, space domain resources; the available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are not updated; the receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the first station are updated; the receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the first station are not updated.

49. The method of any one of claims 43-46, wherein, The second frame includes one or more of the following fields: frame control, duration, receiver address, transmitter address, common information, user information list, intermediate FCS, padding, FCS.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein, The common information field includes: a transmission opportunity sharing mode or initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein, The second frame includes a MU-RTS trigger frame or a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame; The transmission opportunity sharing mode or initial control / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate: whether to initiate a MU-RTS frame of a transmission opportunity sharing mode process; or, whether to initiate a MU-RTS frame of an initial / dynamic control mode process.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein, The common information field includes: a transmission opportunity sharing mode subfield, and / or, an initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein, The second frame includes a BSRP trigger frame or a BSRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame; The initial control / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate: whether to initiate a poll trigger frame of a frame exchange based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information.

54. The method of any one of claims 49-53, wherein, The user information list includes a special user information field, which is used to carry initial control information or dynamic control information of the second station.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein, The special user information field includes one or more of the following subfields: an association identifier AID12, a mode control, an operation mode control update parameter information, an extended operation mode control update parameter information, a duration, an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum duration, an unavailable period maximum duration.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein, The special user information field includes one or more of the following subfields: an association identifier AID12, a mode control, a supported operation bandwidth, a supported highest order modulation corresponding MCS index, a maximum number of receiving SSs, a maximum number of transmitting SSs, a duration, an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum duration, an unavailable period maximum duration.

57. The method of claim 55 or 56, wherein, The mode control subfield includes one or more of the following subfields: a default operation mode, whether there is resource unavailability or operation parameter update, whether there is available or unavailable resource information parameter, whether there is operation mode update parameter, an operation mode update parameter existing bitmap, an unavailable resource information parameter existing bitmap, a reservation.

58. The method of any one of claims 43-57, wherein, The second frame comprises any one of the following: an initial control frame, a dynamic control frame, a trigger frame, a MU-RTS trigger frame, a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, an initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BSRP trigger frame, a BSRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BFRP trigger frame, a BFRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BQRP trigger frame, and a BQRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame.

59. A method of communication, comprising: The method is performed by a second station, and the method comprises: sending a second frame, the second frame being used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with a first station in a first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of capability and / or resource; and requesting the first station to report the information of capability and / or resource.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein, The information of capability and / or resource of the first station refers to information of capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operation mode.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein, The second frame is further used for indicating information of capability and / or resource of the second station; wherein the information of capability and / or resource of the second station comprises one or more of the following: The available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is updated, the resource comprising one or more of the following: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, and space domain resource; the available and / or unavailable resource of the second station is not updated; the receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the second station is updated; and the receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the second station is not updated.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein, The information of capability and / or resource of the second station refers to information of capability and / or resource of the second station in the first operation mode.

63. The method of any one of claims 59-62, wherein, The first station is in a period during which the first operation mode is enabled.

64. The method of any one of claims 59-63, wherein, The first station satisfies one or more of the following during the period during which the first operation mode is enabled: The available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is updated, the resource comprising one or more of the following: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, and space domain resource; the available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; the receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the first station is updated; and the receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the first station is not updated.

65. The method of any one of claims 59-64, wherein, The second frame comprises any one of the following: an initial control frame, a dynamic control frame, a trigger frame, a MU-RTS trigger frame, a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, an initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BSRP trigger frame, a BSRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BFRP trigger frame, a BFRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame, a BQRP trigger frame, and a BQRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame.

66. The method of any one of claims 59-65, wherein, The second frame comprises one or more of the following fields: frame control, duration, receiver address, transmitter address, common information, user information list, intermediate FCS, padding, and FCS.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein, The common information field comprises a transmission opportunity sharing mode or an initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein, The second frame comprises a MU-RTS trigger frame or a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame. The transmission opportunity sharing mode or initial control mode / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate whether to initiate a MU-RTS frame of a transmission opportunity sharing mode process or whether to initiate a MU-RTS frame of an initial / dynamic control mode process.

69. The method of claim 66, wherein, The common information field includes a transmission opportunity sharing mode subfield and / or an initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein, The second frame includes a BSRP trigger frame or a BSRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame. The initial control / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate whether to initiate a poll trigger frame of frame exchange based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information. The user information list includes a special user information field used to carry initial control information or dynamic control information of the second station.

71. The method of any one of claims 66-70, wherein, The special user information field includes one or more of the following subfields: an association identifier AID 12, a mode control, an operating mode control update parameter information, an extended operating mode control update parameter information, a duration, an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum duration, and an unavailable period maximum duration.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein, The special user information field includes one or more of the following subfields: an association identifier AID 12, a mode control, a supported operating bandwidth, a supported highest order modulation corresponding MCS index, a maximum number of SSs received, a maximum number of SSs transmitted, a duration, an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum duration, and an unavailable period maximum duration.

73. The method of claim 71, wherein, The mode control subfield includes one or more of the following subfields: a default operating mode, whether there is a resource unavailability or operating parameter update, whether there is available or unavailable resource information parameter, whether there is an operating mode update parameter, an operating mode update parameter present bitmap, an unavailable resource information parameter present bitmap, and a reservation.

74. The method of claim 72 or 73, wherein, The method further includes:

75. The method of any one of claims 59-74, wherein, receiving a third frame used to indicate information of a capability and / or resource of the first station; wherein the information of the capability and / or resource of the first station includes one or more of the following: an available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is updated, the resource including one or more of the following: a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, and a spatial domain resource; the available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; a receiving capability and / or a transmitting capability of the first station is updated; the receiving capability and / or the transmitting capability of the first station is not updated. The third frame is used to respond to the second frame.

76. The method of claim 75, wherein, The third frame is further used to indicate one or more of the following information: a start time of a resource unavailability state; a duration of the resource unavailability state; a duration of a high capability operating mode; a duration of a target operating mode; a parameter of the target operating mode; and a switching time of the operating mode.

77. The method of claim 75 or 76, wherein, The third frame includes one or more of the following fields: a first field used to indicate available or unavailable resource information; a second field used to indicate update information of a capability parameter of a current operating mode; an AID control type information field; and a control information length field.

78. The method of any one of claims 75-77, wherein, ​ 79. The method of claim 78, wherein, The second field comprises one or more subfields: supported operating bandwidth, supported modulation coding scheme (MCS), received maximum spatial stream (SS) number, transmitted maximum space-time stream (STS) or spatial stream (SS) number, duration, control information, and reservation.

80. The method of claim 78, wherein, The second field comprises one or more subfields: operating mode control update parameter information, extended operating mode control update parameter information, duration, control information, and reservation.

81. The method of claim 80, wherein, The operating mode control update parameter information subfield comprises one or more subfields: received spatial stream (SS) number, channel bandwidth, uplink multi-user non-enabled, transmitted space-time stream (STS) number, extended range (ER) single-user non-enabled, downlink multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) re-probe recommendation, and uplink multi-user data non-enabled.

82. The method of claim 80 or 81, wherein, The extended operating mode control update parameter information subfield comprises one or more subfields: received spatial stream (SS) number extension, channel bandwidth extension, transmitted space-time stream (STS) number extension, modulation coding scheme (MCS) 15 non-enabled, and reservation.

83. The method of any one of claims 78-82, wherein, The first field comprises one or more subfields: unavailable period start time, unavailable channel bitmap, unavailable period minimum duration, unavailable period maximum duration, control information, and reservation.

84. The method of any one of claims 78-73, wherein, The AID control type information field is used to indicate the type of control feedback information as any one of: available or unavailable resource type, and mode capability parameter type.

85. The method of any one of claims 78-84, wherein, The third frame comprises: an initial control response frame, or a dynamic control response frame, or an initial control information report frame, or a dynamic control information report frame, or a block acknowledgement (BA) frame, or a clear to send (CTS) frame, or a frame carrying an A-Control field.

86. The method of any one of claims 75-85, wherein, In the case where the second frame is an MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, the third frame is a CTS frame used to respond to the MU-RTS initial / control trigger frame, and the CTS frame comprises a duration field, a value of the duration field being determined based on a duration of a resource and / or capability available state of the first station.

87. The method of claim 86, wherein, The duration field is used to ensure that the first station maintains the resource and / or capability available state during a duration indicated by the duration field.

88. A method of communication, the method comprising: The method is performed by a second station, and the method comprises: receiving a third frame, the third frame being used to indicate information of a capability and / or resource of the first station; wherein the information of the capability and / or resource of the first station comprises one or more of: the information of the capability and / or resource of the first station indicates information of a capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operating mode. the information of the capability and / or resource of the first station indicates information of a capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operating mode.

89. The method of claim 88, wherein, an update of available and / or unavailable resource of the first station, the resource comprising one or more of: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, and space domain resource; no update of available and / or unavailable resource of the first station; an update of receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the first station; no update of receiving capability and / or transmitting capability of the first station. the information of the capability and / or resource of the first station indicates information of a capability and / or resource of the first station in the first operating mode.

90. The method of claim 88 or 89, wherein, The third frame is further configured to indicate one or more of the following: a start time of the resource-unavailable state; a duration of the resource-unavailable state; a duration of the high-capability operating mode; a duration of the target operating mode; parameters of the target operating mode; a switching time of the operating mode.

91. The method of any one of claims 88-90, wherein, The third frame comprises any one of the following: an initial control response frame, or a dynamic control response frame, or an initial control information report frame, or a dynamic control information report frame, or a block acknowledgement (BA) frame, or a clear to send (CTS) frame, or a frame carrying an A-Control field.

92. The method of claim 91, wherein, The CTS frame comprises a duration field, and a value of the duration field is determined based on a duration of a resource and / or capability-available state of the first station.

93. The method of claim 92, wherein, The duration field is configured to ensure that the first station maintains the resource and / or capability-available state for a duration indicated by the duration field.

94. The method of any one of claims 88-93, wherein, The third frame comprises one or more of the following: a first field configured to indicate available or unavailable resource information; a second field configured to indicate update information of capability parameters of a current operating mode; an AID control type information field; a control information length field.

95. The method of claim 94, wherein, The second field comprises one or more of the following subfields: a supported operating bandwidth, a supported modulation and coding scheme (MCS), a maximum number of spatial streams (SS) for reception, a maximum number of space-time streams (STS) or spatial streams (SS) for transmission, a duration, control information, and a reservation.

96. The method of claim 94, wherein, The second field comprises one or more of the following subfields: operating mode control update parameter information, extended operating mode control update parameter information, a duration, control information, and a reservation.

97. The method of claim 96, wherein, The operating mode control update parameter information subfield comprises one or more of the following subfields: a number of spatial streams (SS) for reception, a channel bandwidth, uplink multi-user non-enabling, a number of space-time streams (STS) for transmission, extended range (ER) single-user non-enabling, downlink multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) re-probe recommendation, and uplink multi-user data non-enabling.

98. The method of claim 96 or 97, wherein, The extended operating mode control update parameter information subfield comprises one or more of the following subfields: an extended number of spatial streams (SS) for reception, an extended channel bandwidth, an extended number of space-time streams (STS) for transmission, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) 15 non-enabling, and a reservation.

99. The method of any one of claims 94-98, wherein, The first field comprises one or more of the following subfields: an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum duration, an unavailable period maximum duration, control information, and a reservation.

100. The method of any one of claims 94-99, wherein, The AID control type information field is configured to indicate a type of control feedback information as any one of the following: an available or unavailable resource type, and a mode capability parameter type.

101. The method of any one of claims 88-100, wherein, The third frame is configured to respond to a second frame.

102. The method of claim 101, wherein, The second frame is configured to one or more of the following: initiate a frame exchange with the first station in a first operating mode; trigger the first station to report information of a capability and / or resource of the first station; request the first station to report the information of the capability and / or resource of the first station.

103. The method of claim 102, wherein, The second frame is further configured to indicate information of a capability and / or resource of a second station; wherein the information of the capability and / or resource of the second station comprises one or more of the following: The available and / or unavailable resources of the second station are updated, the resources including one or more of the following: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, space domain resources; the available and / or unavailable resources of the second station are not updated; the receiving capability and / or the transmitting capability of the second station are updated; the receiving capability and / or the transmitting capability of the second station are not updated.

104. The method of claim 103, wherein, The information of the capability and / or the resources of the second station refers to the information of the capability and / or the resources of the second station in the first operation mode.

105. The method of any one of claims 88-104, wherein, The first station is in a period during which the first operation mode is enabled.

106. The method of any one of claims 88-105, wherein, The first station satisfies one or more of the following during the period during which the first operation mode is enabled: The available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are updated, the resources including one or more of the following: time domain resources, frequency domain resources, space domain resources; the available and / or unavailable resources of the first station are not updated; the receiving capability and / or the transmitting capability of the first station are updated; the receiving capability and / or the transmitting capability of the first station are not updated. The second frame includes one or more of the following fields: frame control, duration, receiver address, transmitter address, common information, user information list, intermediate FCS, padding, FCS.

107. The method of any one of claims 101-104, wherein, The common information field includes: a transmission opportunity sharing mode or an initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

108. The method of claim 107, wherein, The second frame includes a MU-RTS trigger frame or a MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame; 109. The method of claim 108, wherein, The transmission opportunity sharing mode or the initial control / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate: whether to initiate a MU-RTS frame of a transmission opportunity sharing mode process; or whether to initiate a MU-RTS frame of an initial / dynamic control mode process. The common information field includes: a transmission opportunity sharing mode subfield, and / or, an initial control / dynamic control mode subfield.

110. The method of claim 107, wherein, The second frame includes a BSRP trigger frame or a BSRP / initial / dynamic control information poll trigger frame; 111. The method of claim 110, wherein, The initial control / dynamic control mode subfield is used to indicate: whether to initiate a poll trigger frame of a frame exchange based on initial / dynamic control information and / or response information. The user information list includes a special user information field, which is used to carry initial control information or dynamic control information of the second station.

112. The method of any one of claims 107-111, wherein, The special user information field includes one or more of the following subfields: an association identifier AID12, a mode control, an operation mode control update parameter information, an extended operation mode control update parameter information, a duration, an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum duration, an unavailable period maximum duration.

113. The method of claim 112, wherein, The special user information field includes one or more of the following subfields: an association identifier AID12, a mode control, a supported operation bandwidth, a supported highest order modulation corresponding MCS index, a maximum number of receiving SSs, a maximum number of transmitting SSs, a duration, an unavailable period start time, an unavailable channel bitmap, an unavailable period minimum duration, an unavailable period maximum duration.

114. The method of claim 112, wherein, ​ 115. The method of claim 113 or 114, wherein, The mode control subfield comprises one or more of the following subfields: default operation mode, whether there is resource unavailability or operation parameter update, whether there is available or unavailable resource information parameter, whether there is operation mode update parameter, operation mode update parameter present bitmap, unavailable resource information parameter present bitmap, and reserved.

116. The method of any one of claims 101-115, wherein, The second frame comprises any one of the following: initial control frame, dynamic control frame, trigger frame, MU-RTS trigger frame, MU-RTS initial / dynamic control trigger frame, initial / dynamic control information polling trigger frame, BSRP trigger frame, BSRP / initial / dynamic control information polling trigger frame, BFRP trigger frame, BFRP / initial / dynamic control information polling trigger frame, BQRP trigger frame, and BQRP / initial / dynamic control information polling trigger frame.

117. A communications device, characterized by The apparatus comprises: The receiving module is configured to receive a second frame, the second frame being used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with the first station in a first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of capability and / or resource; and requesting the first station to report the information of capability and / or resource.

118. A communications device, characterized by The apparatus comprises: The sending module is configured to send a third frame, the third frame being used for indicating information of capability and / or resource of the first station; wherein the information of capability and / or resource of the first station comprises one or more of the following: available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is updated, the resource comprising one or more of the following: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, and space domain resource; available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; receiving capability and / or sending capability of the first station is updated; receiving capability and / or sending capability of the first station is not updated.

119. A communications device, characterized by The apparatus comprises: The sending module is configured to send a second frame, the second frame being used for one or more of the following: initiating frame exchange with the first station in a first operation mode; triggering the first station to report information of capability and / or resource; and requesting the first station to report the information of capability and / or resource.

120. A communications device, characterized by The apparatus comprises: The receiving module is configured to receive a third frame, the third frame being used for indicating information of capability and / or resource of the first station; wherein the information of capability and / or resource of the first station comprises one or more of the following: available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is updated, the resource comprising one or more of the following: time domain resource, frequency domain resource, and space domain resource; available and / or unavailable resource of the first station is not updated; receiving capability and / or sending capability of the first station is updated; receiving capability and / or sending capability of the first station is not updated.

121. A communications device, characterized by The communication device comprises: a processor; a transceiver connected to the processor; a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 29, or the communication method according to any one of claims 30 to 58, or the communication method according to any one of claims 59 to 87, or the communication method according to any one of claims 88 to 116.

122. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium stores at least one program, and the at least one program is loaded and executed by the processor to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 29, or the communication method according to any one of claims 30 to 58, or the communication method according to any one of claims 59 to 87, or the communication method according to any one of claims 88 to 116.

123. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product comprises computer instructions stored in a computer readable storage medium, and the processor obtains the computer instructions from the computer readable storage medium, and executes the computer instructions to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 29, or the communication method according to any one of claims 30 to 58, or the communication method according to any one of claims 59 to 87, or the communication method according to any one of claims 88 to 116.

124. A chip, comprising: The chip comprises programmable logic circuit and / or at least one program, and the chip is used to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 29, or the communication method according to any one of claims 30 to 58, or the communication method according to any one of claims 59 to 87, or the communication method according to any one of claims 88 to 116 based on the programmable logic circuit and / or the at least one program.

Images