Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus, and supports IEEE protocols, such as IEEE 802.11be / Wi-Fi 7 / EHT protocol, IEEE 802.11bn / UHR / Wi-Fi 8 protocol, IMMW protocol, IEEE 802.15 / UWB protocol, or IEEE 802.11bf / sensing protocol, or spark link / nearlink standard protocol. By setting, as key update events, events on an AP side that affect NPCA of an STA, the STA can know, in a timely manner, that the key update events have occurred on the AP side, so as to correspondingly adjust the state of NPCA of the STA, so that the AP and the STA can better utilize an NPCA mechanism for transmission, thereby avoiding the problems of the STA missing transmission opportunities, performing meaningless channel switching causing waste of switching resources, and the like.

Description

Communication methods and communication devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411441503.2, filed on October 15, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Communication Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0003] In standard protocols related to Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technology, access points (APs) can operate on different frequency bands, such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz. An AP occupies a specific channel on a given frequency band. Currently, the maximum bandwidth available to an AP can reach 320MHz. These high-bandwidth channels can be logically divided into several sub-channels. A basic service set (BSS) has primary and non-primary channel sub-channels. When an AP communicates with a non-AP station (non-AP STA, or STA for short), it generally accesses via the primary channel, a mechanism known as primary channel access. However, if the primary channel is busy and the non-primary channel is idle, primary channel access will be considered as the entire channel being unavailable, thus wasting non-primary channel resources. Therefore, the protocol introduces a non-primary channel access (NPCA) mechanism. When the primary channel is busy, devices (such as APs or STAs) can switch to a non-primary channel sub-channel to compete for channel space.

[0004] Currently, the NPCA (Non-Static Passive Allocation) mechanism for transmission between APs and STAs still presents several problems. For example, STAs may fail to adjust their NPCA behavior appropriately, leading to lost transmission opportunities, reduced channel utilization, or wasted channel switching resources as STAs may find themselves unable to use NPCA after channel handover. Furthermore, two APs may be configured with the same NPCA primary channel, potentially leading to contention for the channel when both APs simultaneously switch to it. This could result in one AP failing to secure the primary channel, wasting channel handover resources. Additionally, issues regarding the fairness of NPCA primary channel utilization may arise due to differences in device handover latency.

[0005] Therefore, how devices (such as APs and STAs) can utilize NPCA to achieve more efficient transmission remains an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a communication method and communication device that helps APs and STAs to transmit more efficiently using NPCA.

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device or a module applied to the communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, circuit, etc., or a logic module, hardware, and / or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device). As an example, the communication device is an access point (which may correspond to the first access point in the method embodiment). The method may include: generating a first frame, the first frame indicating the occurrence of a critical update event, the critical update event including one or more of the following: an update of the state of a non-primary channel access NPCA; an update of the state and / or parameters of a dynamic sub-channel operation (DSO); an update of the state and / or parameters of a dynamic energy-saving DPS; or an update of the state and / or parameters of a coexisting IDC within the device; and sending the first frame.

[0008] In this technical solution, events affecting the NPCA of the STA on the AP side are set as critical update events. When a critical update event occurs, the AP side sends a first frame to notify its associated STAs of the event. This allows STAs to be promptly informed of these events and adjust their NPCA accordingly, enabling more efficient transmission using the NPCA. For example, it prevents STAs from missing potential transmission opportunities and reducing transmission efficiency, or from performing meaningless channel hopping and wasting channel switching resources due to untimely NPCA status updates.

[0009] As an example, if the NPCA status update on the AP side is enabled, but the STA is not aware of the AP side NPCA status update in time, the STA's NPCA may be disabled, potentially causing the STA to lose possible transmission opportunities and reducing the utilization efficiency of non-primary channels. In this application, however, the AP side NPCA status update is a critical update event for the system. The AP will notify the STA of the critical update, allowing the STA to be aware of the event promptly and adjust its own NPCA status accordingly, avoiding missing possible transmission opportunities and improving the utilization efficiency of non-primary channels.

[0010] Furthermore, since updates to the status and / or parameters of DSO, DPS, IDC, etc., on the AP side also affect the status or parameters of NPCA on the STA side, this application sets these events as critical update events for the system. When these critical update events occur on the AP side, the AP notifies its associated STAs of these critical update events, so that the STAs can reasonably determine the status or parameters of their own NPCA, avoiding meaningless channel adjustments and wasted channel handover resources. Alternatively, based on these critical update events on the AP side, the STA can also reasonably adjust other statuses or parameters related to channel access, such as updating the status or parameters of DSO, DPS, IDC, etc., so that these mechanisms can better serve the communication of the STA, achieving energy saving, improved channel utilization, and improved transmission efficiency on the STA side.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, sending the first frame includes: sending the first frame when one or more of the following conditions are met: the first access point updates the state of the NPCA; the first access point updates the state and / or parameters of the DSO; the first access point updates the state and / or parameters of the DPS; the first access point updates the state and / or parameters of the IDC.

[0012] In this scheme, updates to one or more of the status of NPCA, DSO / DPS / IDC, and / or parameters on the AP side are all critical updates to the system. Therefore, when one or more of these updates occur on the AP side, the conditions for triggering the AP to notify the STA of a critical update event are met.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the occurrence of the critical update event includes an update of the state of the NPCA of the first access point; the method further includes: sending a second frame, wherein: the second frame contains a first element, the second frame indicating the activation of the NPCA of the first access point; or, the second frame does not contain a first element, the second frame indicating the deactivation of the NPCA of the first access point; or, the second frame contains a first element, the first element containing a first field, the first field of the first element indicating the activation or deactivation of the NPCA of the first access point; or, the second frame contains a second field, the second field indicating the activation or deactivation of the NPCA of the first access point.

[0014] In this scheme, when the critical update event is an update to the state of the AP's NPCA, after the AP notifies the STA of the critical update event in the first frame, the AP can further indicate the updated state of the NPCA to the STA in the second frame, so that the STA can make corresponding adjustments accordingly, thus avoiding many of the aforementioned problems with the STA's NPCA.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before generating the first frame, the method further includes: determining that a first condition is satisfied, the first condition being related to one or more of the NPCA main channel of the second access point and the second BSS, the second BSS being the BSS to which the second access point belongs, the first access point belonging to the first BSS, and the first BSS and the second BSS being each other's OBSS.

[0016] In this scheme, the status of the AP's NPCA, the status of the DSO / DPS / IDC, and / or parameters can be updated by the AP when it determines that a first condition is met, thus triggering a critical update event. This first condition can be related to one or more of the BSS (second BSS) or the NPCA primary channel of that BSS. Setting the first condition helps the AP update its NPCA parameters, such as the NPCA primary channel, under certain circumstances. This avoids the problem of NPCA primary channel contention caused by APs in mutually exclusive BSSs setting the same NPCA primary channel, thus preventing the waste of channel handover resources.

[0017] Furthermore, if the channel switching delays of the two APs that are each other's OBSS are different, the issue of fairness in the use of the NPCA main channel can be avoided.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: updating the state or parameters of the NPCA of the first access point.

[0019] In this scheme, when the first condition is met, the AP updates the state or parameters of its own NPCA, which can avoid many problems caused by two APs that are each other's OBSS having the same NPCA main channel set, as detailed in the embodiment.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending a first request frame, the first request frame indicating a first NPCA main channel, the first NPCA main channel being the NPCA main channel of a first BSS desired by the first access point, the first access point belonging to the first BSS; receiving a first response frame from a second access point, the second access point belonging to a second BSS, the first BSS and the second BSS being cross-basic service set (OBSS) for each other; and updating the parameters of the NPCA of the first BSS based on the first response frame.

[0021] In this scheme, an AP can negotiate with other APs to update one or more of its NPCA status, DSO / DPS / IDC status, and / or parameters. The negotiated NPCA status, DSO / DPS / IDC status, and / or parameters help avoid subsequent problems such as NPCA primary channel contention, wasted channel handover resources, and unfair NPCA primary channel utilization.

[0022] As an example, this scheme can be applied to situations where the BSSs of two APs are each other's OBSSs, and both APs are configured with the same NPCA main channel.

[0023] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device or a module applied to the communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, circuit, etc., or a logic module, hardware, and / or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device). As an example, the communication device is a non-access point station (which may correspond to the non-access point station in the method embodiment). The method may include: receiving a first frame, the first frame indicating the occurrence of a critical update event, the critical update event including one or more of the following: an update of the state of a non-primary channel access NPCA; an update of the state and / or parameters of a dynamic sub-channel operation (DSO); an update of the state and / or parameters of a dynamic energy-saving DPS; or an update of the state and / or parameters of a coexisting IDC within the device; and determining the state and / or parameters of its own NPCA based on the occurring critical update event.

[0024] The second approach is a solution on the STA side corresponding to the first approach. The beneficial technical effects can be found in the description of the technical effects in the first approach, and will not be repeated here.

[0025] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first frame includes a TIM frame, and the method further includes: if the value of the detection beacon frame field in the received TIM frame is different from the value of the detection beacon frame field in the previously received TIM frame, determining that the critical update event has occurred; and receiving the first beacon frame after receiving the TIM frame.

[0026] In this scheme, after a critical update event occurs, the AP can indicate that the critical update event has occurred on the AP side via a TIM frame.

[0027] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first frame includes a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or a (re)association response frame. The method further includes: if the value of the Basic Service Set (BSS) parameter change count field in the underlying multilink element of the received beacon frame, the probe response frame, or the (re)association response frame is different from the value of the BSS parameter change count field in the previously received underlying multilink element, determining that the critical update event has occurred; and receiving the first beacon frame after receiving the beacon frame, the probe response frame, or the (re)association response frame.

[0028] In this scheme, after a critical update event occurs, the AP can indicate that the critical update event has occurred on the AP side through the basic multilink element. Since the basic multilink element can be carried in different frames, such as beacon frames, probe response frames, or other frames, the critical update event can be notified to its associated STA through the basic multilink element in different frames.

[0029] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the occurrence of a critical update event includes an update of the status of the NPCA of the first access point associated with the site; the method further includes: receiving a second frame based on the first frame; wherein the second frame contains a first element, and the second frame indicates that the NPCA of the first access point is enabled; the second frame does not contain a first element, and the second frame indicates that the NPCA of the first access point is disabled; or, the second frame contains a first element, the first element contains a first field, and the first field of the first element indicates that the NPCA of the first access point is enabled or disabled; or, the second frame contains a second field, and the second field indicates that the NPCA of the first access point is enabled or disabled; determining the status and / or parameters of its own NPCA based on the occurrence of the critical update event includes: determining the status and / or parameters of its own NPCA according to the enabling or disabling of the NPCA of the first access point.

[0030] In this scheme, after the state of NPCA is updated, AP can indicate the updated state of NPCA to STA in various ways, providing flexibility in the indication method. In addition, some methods help reduce indication overhead.

[0031] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, if the NPCA of the first access point is enabled, its own NPCA is enabled; or if the NPCA of the first access point is disabled, its own NPCA is disabled.

[0032] In some implementations of the first or second aspect, updating the state of the NPCA includes: updating the NPCA from enabled to disabled, or updating the NPCA from disabled to enabled.

[0033] In some implementations of the first or second aspect, the update of the DSO includes one or more of the following: the DSO is updated from enabled to disabled; the DSO is updated from disabled to enabled; or, the parameters of the DSO are updated.

[0034] In some implementations of the first or second aspect, the update of the DPS includes one or more of the following: the DPS is updated from enabled to disabled; the DPS is updated from disabled to enabled; or, the parameters of the DPS are updated.

[0035] In some implementations of the first or second aspect, the update of the IDC includes one or more of the following: the IDC is updated from enabled to disabled; the IDC is updated from disabled to enabled; a new IDC event is added; one or more existing IDC events are deleted; or the parameters of one or more existing IDC events are updated.

[0036] The above implementation methods explain the meaning of updating the state of NPCA, the state of DSO / DPS / IDC, and / or the parameters.

[0037] In some implementations of the first or second aspect, the first frame indicates a critical update event, including: the first frame includes a TIM frame, wherein the value of the detection beacon frame field in the TIM frame is different from the value of the detection beacon frame field in the previously transmitted TIM frame; and / or, the first frame includes a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or a (re)association response frame, wherein the value of the basic service set parameter change count field in the basic multilink element of the first frame is different from the value of the basic service set parameter change count field in the previously transmitted basic multilink element.

[0038] In some implementations of the first or second aspect, the second frame includes a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or a (re)association response frame; and the first element includes an NPCA parameter set element.

[0039] In some implementations of the first or second aspect, the second frame includes a second field indicating whether the NPCA of the first access point is enabled or disabled, including: the second frame includes a management frame or a Quality of Service (QoS) data frame, and the second field includes an EHT operation mode control field.

[0040] When the AP notifies its associated STA of the updated status of the NPCA on the AP side, the two implementation methods described above provide different solutions that can be flexibly adopted.

[0041] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device or a module applied to the communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, circuit, etc., or a logic module, hardware, and / or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device). As an example, the communication device is an access point (which may correspond to the second access point in the method embodiment). The method may include: determining that a critical update event has occurred at a first access point (AP), wherein the critical update event includes one or more of the following: an update to the state of an NPCA; an update to the state and / or parameters of a DSO; an update to the state and / or parameters of a DPS; or an update to the state and / or parameters of an IDC; the first AP belongs to an Access Point Multilink Device (AP MLD), and the second access point is any one of the multiple APs included in the AP MLD other than the first AP; sending a third frame, the third frame indicating that the critical update event has occurred.

[0042] When a critical update event occurs at the first AP, and the first AP belongs to an AP MLD (Access Provider Ledger), other APs in the AP MLD, such as the second AP, also notify their associated STAs of the critical update event. If the STA associated with the AP MLD is a non-AP MLD, and the frame notifying the first AP of the critical update event is not received by its associated STA1, but the third frame sent by the second AP is received by its associated STA2, since STA1 and STA2 belong to the same non-AP MLD, STA1 can also be aware that the first AP has experienced a critical update event. This improves the reliability of the STA receiving the notification of the critical update event.

[0043] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the third frame includes a TIM frame, wherein the value of the detection beacon frame field in the TIM frame is different from the value of the detection beacon frame field in the previously transmitted frame; or, the third frame includes a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or a (re)association response frame, wherein the beacon frame, probe response frame, or (re)association response frame contains a shortened neighbor report element, wherein the value of the basic service set (BSS) parameter change count field corresponding to the first AP in the shortened neighbor report element is different from the value of the BSS parameter change count field in the previously transmitted frame.

[0044] This scheme provides several possible ways for other APs (such as the second AP) included in the AP MLD to notify their associated STAs of the critical update event when the first AP belongs to the AP MLD and the first AP has experienced a critical update event. These methods include, for example, through TIM frames or shortening the neighbor report element.

[0045] Fourthly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device or a module applied to the communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, circuit, etc., or a logic module, hardware, and / or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device). As an example, the communication device is an access point (which may correspond to the first access point in the method embodiment). The method may include: determining that a first condition is satisfied, wherein the first condition relates to one or more of the NPCA main channel of the second access point and a second BSS, the second BSS being the BSS to which the second access point belongs, the first access point belonging to a first BSS, and the first BSS and the second BSS being each other's OBSS; and updating the state or parameters of the NPCA of the first access point.

[0046] This technical solution provides a method for an AP to update the status or parameters of its NPCA. The first AP can update the status or parameters of its NPCA if a first condition is met. This first condition is related to one or more of the second AP's NPCA main channel and the second BSS. Setting the first condition helps the first AP to update the status or parameters of its NPCA reasonably, thereby avoiding many problems caused by two APs setting the same NPCA main channel, such as the aforementioned contention for the NPCA main channel, the waste of channel handover resources due to an AP failing to compete for the NPCA main channel, and the fairness of NPCA main channel utilization.

[0047] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first condition is related to the NPCA main channel of the second access point; determining that the first condition is met includes: determining that the first condition is met when the NPCA main channel of the second access point is the same as or adjacent to the NPCA main channel of the first access point.

[0048] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first condition is related to the NPCA main channel of the second access point; determining that the first condition is met includes: when the first access point has enabled NPCA, and after hopping to the first NPCA main channel, the physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) of the second access point is detected on the first NPCA main channel, determining that the first condition is met.

[0049] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first condition is related to the second BSS; determining that the first condition is met includes: determining that the first condition is met when it is determined that the first access point and the second access point have a common BSS.

[0050] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the first condition is satisfied, including: the first access point determines that the first condition is satisfied after the following occurs N times, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1: the first access point enables NPCA, and after hopping to the first NPCA main channel, the PPDU of the second access point is detected on the first NPCA main channel.

[0051] The above implementation methods each provide different first conditions, allowing the AP to update the NPCA's state or parameters when these conditions are met. This avoids competition with the OBSS on the same NPCA main channel, thereby increasing its own NPCA main channel access opportunities and improving the utilization efficiency of non-main channels. Furthermore, it can reduce interference with the OBSS's NPCA main channel and prevent updates to the NPCA's state or parameters caused by accidental factors.

[0052] Fifthly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device or a module applied to the communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, circuit, etc., or a logic module, hardware, and / or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device). As an example, the communication device is an access point (which may correspond to the first access point in the method embodiment). The method may include: sending a first request frame, the first request frame indicating that a first non-master channel accesses an NPCA master channel, the first NPCA master channel being the NPCA master channel of a first BSS desired by the first access point, the first access point belonging to the first BSS; receiving a first response frame from a second access point, the second access point belonging to a second BSS, the first BSS and the second BSS being each other's OBSS; and determining the parameters of the NPCA of the first BSS based on the first response frame.

[0053] In this scheme, APs can negotiate their respective NPCA parameters, such as the NPCA main channel. APs can avoid competing with OBSS on the same NPCA main channel, thereby increasing their access opportunities on the NPCA main channel.

[0054] In other words, by negotiating the parameters of the NPCA, the waste of channel switching resources and the fairness of NPCA main channel utilization caused by APs that are OBSS competing for transmission on the same NPCA main channel can be reduced. Each AP can set reasonable NPCA parameters through negotiation, thereby reducing the possibility of competing for the NPCA main channel with other APs. In addition, it may also reduce mutual interference when they are transmitting on the NPCA main channel.

[0055] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the method further includes: the first access point setting the first NPCA main channel as the NPCA main channel of the first BSS.

[0056] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the method further includes: sending a second request frame based on the third NPCA primary channel indicated in the first response frame, the second request frame indicating the NPCA primary channel of the first BSS desired by the first access point.

[0057] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the method further includes: obtaining information about the NPCA main channel of the second BSS; and determining to send the first request frame based on the information about the NPCA main channel of the second BSS.

[0058] In this scheme, the first AP obtains the NPCA primary channel of the second BSS and determines whether to negotiate accordingly. If the AP encounters potential NPCA primary channel contention with the OBSS, it updates the NPCA parameters, such as the NPCA primary channel, through negotiation. This avoids contention with the OBSS for the NPCA primary channel and prevents other problems arising from such contention.

[0059] As an example, if the NPCA main channel of the second BSS is the same as or adjacent to the NPCA main channel of the first BSS as expected by the first BSS, the first access point determines to send a first request frame.

[0060] As another example, the method further includes: obtaining information about the neighboring AP list of the access point; and determining to send the first request frame when the NPCA main channel of the second access point is the same as or adjacent to the NPCA main channel of the first access point, including:

[0061] If the NPCA main channel of the second access point is the same as or adjacent to the NPCA main channel of the first access point, and the neighbor list of the second access point contains the third AP, then the first request frame is sent. The third BSS where the third AP is located is an OBSS of the first BSS and the second BSS.

[0062] In this scheme, when the first AP and the second AP are configured with the same NPCA main channel, the first AP updates its NPCA parameters, such as the NPCA main channel, by negotiating with the second AP. This avoids competition for the NPCA main channel when they are each other's OBSS and have the same NPCA main channel configured.

[0063] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the method further includes: obtaining information about the neighboring AP list of the second access point; and, based on the information about the neighboring AP list of the second access point, determining to send the first request frame if the neighboring AP list of the second access point contains the same neighboring AP as the first access point.

[0064] In this scheme, setting the first AP and the second AP to the same NPCA main channel may not trigger the first AP to update its NPCA parameters. This is more stringent than the first condition. The first AP will only negotiate with the second AP if the first AP and the second AP set the same NPCA main channel and have a common OBSS. This can avoid the situation where the first AP and the second AP are likely to compete for the NPCA main channel.

[0065] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations of the fifth aspect, the method further includes: sending information about the neighboring AP list of the first access point to the second access point.

[0066] Sixthly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a communication device or a module applied to the communication device (e.g., a processor, chip, circuit, etc., or a logic module, hardware, and / or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the communication device). As an example, the communication device is an access point (which may correspond to the second access point in the method embodiment). The method may include: receiving a first request frame, the first request frame indicating a first NPCA main channel, the first NPCA main channel being the NPCA main channel of a first BSS desired by the first access point, the first access point belonging to the first BSS; and sending a first response frame according to the first request frame, the second access point belonging to a second BSS, the first BSS and the second BSS being cross-basic service set (OBSS) for each other.

[0067] The sixth aspect is a solution for the second AP side corresponding to the fifth aspect. The beneficial technical effects can be found in the description of the technical effects of the corresponding solution in the fifth aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0068] In some implementations of the sixth aspect, the method further includes: receiving a second request frame, the second request frame indicating the NPCA primary channel of the first BSS desired by the first access point.

[0069] In some implementations of the fifth or sixth aspect, the first request frame further indicates the NPCA primary channel of the second BSS proposed by the first access point.

[0070] In some implementations of the fifth or sixth aspect, the first response frame instructs the second access point to accept setting the first NPCA primary channel as the NPCA primary channel of the first BSS.

[0071] In some implementations of the fifth or sixth aspect, the first response frame further indicates the NPCA main channel of the second BSS set by the second access point.

[0072] In some implementations of the fifth or sixth aspect, the first response frame indicates that the second access point refuses to set the first NPCA primary channel as the NPCA primary channel of the first BSS, and the first response frame also indicates a second NPCA primary channel, which is the NPCA primary channel of the second BSS that the second access point expects.

[0073] In some implementations of the fifth or sixth aspect, the first response frame further indicates a third NPCA primary channel, which is the NPCA primary channel of the first BSS proposed by the second access point.

[0074] The above implementation methods provide a process for APs to negotiate NPCA parameters.

[0075] A seventh aspect provides a communication device having the function of implementing any one of the first, third to sixth aspects, or any possible implementation of the methods of these aspects. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above-described functions.

[0076] As an example, the communication device includes a processing module and a communication module.

[0077] Taking the first aspect of the method as an example, the processing module is used to generate a first frame, the first frame indicating the occurrence of a critical update event, the critical update event including one or more of the following: update of the NPCA's state; update of the DSO's state and / or parameters; update of the DPS's state and / or parameters; or update of the IDC's state and / or parameters; the communication module is used to send the first frame.

[0078] Taking the third aspect of the method as an example, the processing module is used to determine that a critical update event has occurred at the first access point (AP), wherein the critical update event includes one or more of the following: an update of the NPCA's status; an update of the DSO's status and / or parameters; an update of the DPS's status and / or parameters; or an update of the IDC's status and / or parameters; the first AP belongs to an Access Point Multi-Link Device (AP MLD), and the second access point is any one of the multiple APs included in the AP MLD except for the first AP; the communication module is used to send a third frame, the third frame indicating that the critical update event has occurred.

[0079] Taking the fourth aspect of the method as an example, the processing module is used to determine that a first condition is met, wherein the first condition is related to one or more of the NPCA main channel of the second access point and the second BSS, the second BSS is the BSS to which the second access point belongs, the first access point belongs to the first BSS, and the first BSS and the second BSS are each other's OBSS; and to update the status or parameters of the NPCA of the first access point.

[0080] Taking the fifth aspect of the method as an example, the communication module is configured to send a first request frame, the first request frame indicating a first NPCA main channel, the first NPCA main channel being the NPCA main channel of the first BSS expected by the first access point, the first access point belonging to the first BSS; and receive a first response frame from a second access point, the second access point belonging to a second BSS, the first BSS and the second BSS being each other's OBSS; the processing module is configured to determine the parameters of the NPCA of the first BSS based on the first response frame.

[0081] Taking the method of the sixth aspect as an example, the communication module is configured to receive a first request frame, the first request frame indicating a first NPCA main channel, the first NPCA main channel being the NPCA main channel of the first BSS expected by the first access point, the first access point belonging to the first BSS; and, according to the first request frame, send a first response frame, the second access point belonging to the second BSS, the first BSS and the second BSS being cross-basic service set (OBSS) for each other.

[0082] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, the communication device having the function of implementing the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above-described function.

[0083] As an example, the communication device includes a processing module and a communication module. The communication module is configured to receive a first frame indicating the occurrence of a critical update event, the critical update event including one or more of the following: an update to the state of the NPCA; an update to the state and / or parameters of the DSO; an update to the state and / or parameters of the DPS; or an update to the state and / or parameters of the IDC; the processing module is configured to determine the state and / or parameters of its own NPCA based on the occurring critical update event.

[0084] A ninth aspect provides a communication device including at least one processor configured to cause the communication device to perform a method of any one of the first, third to sixth aspects, or any possible implementation thereof; or to perform a method of the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the at least one processor is coupled to at least one memory for storing a computer program or instructions, the at least one processor being configured to call and execute the computer program or instructions from the at least one memory, causing the communication device to perform a method of any one of the first, third to sixth aspects, or any possible implementation thereof; or to perform a method of the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the at least one processor may be included in the communication device or configured externally to the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further includes the at least one memory. Optionally, the communication device further includes at least one communication interface. As an example, the communication interface may be an input interface and / or an output interface, or an interface circuit, etc.

[0085] A tenth aspect provides a communication device, including a communication interface and a circuit. The communication interface is configured to receive a signal to be processed and transmit the signal to the circuit. The circuit is configured to process the signal to perform a method as described in any one of the first, third to sixth aspects, or any possible implementation thereof; or to perform a method as described in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the communication interface is further configured to output the signal processed by the circuit. Optionally, the signal may include information and / or data. Optionally, the communication device may be a chip (e.g., a baseband chip) or a chip system.

[0086] Eleventhly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein computer program code or instructions are stored therein, which, when executed on a computer, cause the method of any one of the first, third to sixth aspects, or any possible implementation thereof, to be implemented; or the method of the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof to be implemented.

[0087] In a twelfth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising computer program code or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the method in any one of the first, third to sixth aspects, or any possible implementation thereof, to be implemented; or, the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation thereof, to be implemented.

[0088] In a thirteenth aspect, a wireless communication system is provided, including a communication device as described in the seventh aspect and a communication device as described in the eighth aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0089] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of NPCA.

[0090] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of APs that are each other's OBSS.

[0091] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of two APs with the same NPA main channel competing for transmission opportunities on the NPA main channel.

[0092] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method 200 provided in this application.

[0093] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the detection beacon frame field of the TIM frame.

[0094] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the BSS parameter change count field of a basic multi-link element.

[0095] Figure 7 shows an example of an AP instructing its associated STA to enable or disable the NPCA on the AP side.

[0096] Figure 8 shows another example of an AP instructing its associated STA to enable or disable the NPCA on the AP side.

[0097] Figure 9 shows another example of an AP instructing its associated STA to enable or disable the NPCA on the AP side.

[0098] Figure 10 shows an example of the BSS parameter change count field in the shortened neighbor report element.

[0099] Figure 11 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method 300 provided in this application.

[0100] Figure 12 shows an example of an AP updating its NPCA primary channel.

[0101] Figure 13 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method 500 provided in this application.

[0102] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of NPCA after AP negotiates and determines the NPCA primary channel.

[0103] Figure 15 is a schematic block diagram of the communication device 1000 provided in this application.

[0104] Figure 16 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device 1100 provided in this application.

[0105] Figure 17 is a schematic structural diagram of the chip provided in this application.

[0106] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the communication equipment provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0107] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0108] This application supports IEEE protocols, such as IEEE 802.11be / Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi 7) / Extremely High Throughput (EHT) protocol, IEEE 802.11bn / Ultra High Reliability (UHR) / Wi-Fi 8 protocol, IEEE Integrated mmWave / IMMW protocol, IEEE 802.15 / Ultra Wide Band (UWB) protocol, or IEEE 802.11bf / sensing protocol; this application may also support Spark Link / NearLink standard protocols.

[0109] In the 802.11 protocol, access points (APs) can operate on frequency bands such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz. An AP occupies a specific channel on a particular frequency band, such as an 80MHz channel in the 5GHz band, and communicates with stations (STAs) on these channels. With the development of the 802.11 protocol, the channel bandwidth that an AP can occupy has increased significantly. In 802.11be, the maximum channel bandwidth available to an AP can reach 320MHz. These high-bandwidth channels are logically divided into 20MHz sub-channels; for example, an 80MHz channel can be divided into four 20MHz sub-channels. A basic service set (BSS) has 20MHz sub-channels that can be classified as primary channels or non-primary channels. The specific sub-channel selected as the primary channel is determined by the BSS configuration. Non-primary channels within the AP's operating bandwidth can also be called secondary channels.

[0110] Unless otherwise specified, the main channel mentioned refers to the main 20MHz sub-channel, and the non-main channel refers to any 20MHz sub-channel other than the main 20MHz sub-channel (in addition to the main 20MHz sub-channel, there are also main 40MHz channels, main 80MHz channels, etc., which all include the main 20MHz sub-channel; in contrast, secondary 40MHz channels, secondary 80MHz channels, etc. indicate the part that does not include the main 20MHz sub-channel).

[0111] When the AP and STA communicate, to avoid collisions, energy detection (ED) is performed on all sub-channels and preamble detection (PD) on the main channel. ED detects the strength of the wireless signal on the sub-channel; if a strong signal is detected, the sub-channel is considered busy. PD detects the presence of Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) on the main channel and decodes them to extract relevant information. The information extracted from the PPDU may include a duration field, indicating how much time is needed after the PPDU to complete frame interaction. Based on the duration field decoded by PD on the main channel, the device (e.g., AP or STA) may need to set a corresponding network allocation vector (NAV) timer. The NAV timer ends at the time indicated by the duration field. Before the NAV timer ends, the device must not compete for the channel, thus protecting other devices from TXOP (transmission interruption). Due to the high complexity of PD, the protocol only requires PD on the main channel, i.e., "primary channel access."

[0112] The primary channel access mechanism is relatively simple to implement and has met the needs of most scenarios for a long time. However, with the development of the 802.11 protocol, the bandwidth available to devices has increased significantly. When the primary channel is busy and the non-primary channels are idle, primary channel access will determine that the entire channel is unavailable, thus wasting the resources of the non-primary channels. While this increases the device's operating bandwidth, it doesn't allow for efficient utilization of this bandwidth.

[0113] To address this, 802.11bn introduced the "non-primary channel access (NPCA)" mechanism. When the primary channel is busy, devices can switch to a sub-channel of a non-primary channel for PD (Power-On Disk) communication, thereby improving channel utilization. For example, if an AP has an operating bandwidth of 160MHz and detects an 80MHz PPDU (Power-On Disk Unit) while performing PD on the primary channel, the AP can switch to a 20MHz sub-channel of an idle 80MHz channel for PD. The sub-channel used for PD is called the NPCA primary channel, also known as the temporary primary channel or NPCA anchor channel. NPCA applications are generally based on basic service sets (BSS). If APs and STAs within a BSS (e.g., BSS1) detect a TXOP (Transmission of Transaction) across an overlapping basic service set (OBSS), such as a TXOP in BSS2, on the primary channel, then both APs and STAs in BSS1 will switch to the NPCA primary channel for communication. It should be noted that if the detected TXOP is the local BSS, such as the TXOP of BSS1, it indicates that the APs within this BSS are communicating, so the device will not perform an NPCA jump. Unless otherwise specified, all BSSs in this document refer to the Infrastructure Basic Service Set.

[0114] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of NPCA. AP1 operates with a bandwidth of 160MHz and sets the NPCA main channel on a sub-channel of the next 80MHz (indicated by "NPCA P20" in Figure 1). When AP1 performs PD on the main channel (indicated by "P20" in Figure 1) and finds that the channel is occupied by TXOP of OBSS, it does not need to back off on the main channel, but instead switches to the NPCA main channel to compete for the channel, thus enabling it to use the channel not occupied by OBSS for transmission.

[0115] In addition to NPCA, 802.11bn includes several mechanisms related to channel updates for AP or STA operations. This document introduces dynamic sub-band operation (DSO), also known as dynamic sub-channel operation, dynamic power save (DPS), and in-device coexistence (IDC), all relevant to embodiments of this application.

[0116] (1) DSO

[0117] DSO is primarily used in scenarios where the operating bandwidth on the AP side is greater than that on the STA side. Although device bandwidth has increased with the development of the 802.11 protocol, APs often have less constraint to consider (such as power consumption), resulting in situations where AP bandwidth exceeds STA bandwidth. For example, the AP's operating bandwidth might be 160MHz, while the STA's operating bandwidth is only 80MHz. Considering legacy STAs, it's even possible that the AP operates at 160MHz while the STA can only operate at 20MHz. When a high-bandwidth AP communicates with a low-bandwidth STA, only channels within the STA's operating bandwidth can be utilized, while other channels remain idle. Other STAs in the BSS cannot transmit during this time because the PD on the primary channel detects the TXOP of their own BSS and needs to set a NAV timer. For example, in a BSS with a 160MHz AP and two 80MHz STAs, without DSO, the AP can only communicate with one STA on the primary 80MHz channel. However, with DSO enabled, the AP can schedule one STA to the secondary 80MHz channel, allowing it to communicate with both STAs simultaneously, thus improving channel utilization.

[0118] (2) DPS

[0119] DPS (Dynamic Power Switching) is designed for energy conservation, allowing the AP or STA to switch from high-capability mode to low-capability mode. In low-capability mode, the AP or STA can use narrower bandwidth, lower number of spatial streams (NSS), and lower modulation and coding scheme (MCS). This satisfies the minimum communication requirements, enabling the device to detect frames promptly, while reducing power consumption. The device can dynamically switch between low-capability and high-capability modes based on transmission needs; operating in low-capability mode contributes to energy savings.

[0120] (3) IDC

[0121] IDC (Independent Data Conversion) addresses the coexistence of 802.11 (i.e., Wi-Fi) and other wireless technologies (such as Bluetooth) within the same device (e.g., AP or STA). Because Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies may use overlapping channels, they can interfere with each other during transmission; for example, Bluetooth can interfere with Wi-Fi in the 2.4GHz band. IDC events can cause the AP or STA's channel to become completely or partially unavailable for a period of time. IDC events can be categorized as periodic IDC and non-periodic IDC. Generally, periodic IDC is easier to predict, and relevant information (such as start time, duration, and frequency) can be communicated in advance to the associated devices. IDC issues primarily occur on the STA side, as STAs typically support multiple wireless technologies, but can also occur on the AP side, especially with mobile APs.

[0122] Under the NPCA mechanism, if the main channel is busy due to OBSS transmission or other reasons, APs and STAs can access the NPCA main channel (not the main channel). Each BSS has only one NPCA main channel, and APs and STAs within that BSS will switch to that NPCA main channel when performing NPCA.

[0123] Currently, several factors may be considered when selecting the NPCA primary channel. For example, OBSS transmissions may use a bandwidth greater than 20MHz. Therefore, if an OBSS TXOP is detected on the primary channel, adjacent sub-channels may also be covered by the OBSS TXOP. To avoid interference from OBSS transmissions, one approach proposes selecting the NPCA primary channel as far away from the BSS primary channel as possible. Another example is the potential for asymmetric operating bandwidths between APs and STAs within the BSS, such as an AP's operating bandwidth (e.g., 160MHz) being greater than a STA's operating bandwidth (e.g., 80MHz). Channel hopping incurs a delay, with the delay for hopping outside the operating bandwidth being greater than the delay for hopping within the operating bandwidth. Therefore, when selecting the NPCA primary channel, APs typically need to consider the operating bandwidth of STAs within the BSS and the delay for STAs hopping to a particular NPCA primary channel.

[0124] All of the above factors increase the complexity of NPCA primary channel selection. Under different circumstances, it may be necessary to update the BSS's NPCA primary channel. Although each BSS is limited to one NPCA primary channel, updating the NPCA primary channel to a non-primary sub-channel is permitted. In addition to the NPCA primary channel, NPCA has other parameters, including NPCA trigger conditions. For example, NPCA is only performed when the NAV set by the OBSS's TXOP is greater than a certain threshold; this threshold can be set as a parameter of NPCA (e.g., called the trigger threshold). When an AP uses NPCA for transmission, it can only use a portion of its operating bandwidth. For example, a 160MHz AP using NPCA will only use the second 80MHz of its operating bandwidth. The maximum operating bandwidth used when transmitting via NPCA can be set as a parameter of NPCA (e.g., called the NPCA operating bandwidth).

[0125] The access point (AP) periodically broadcasts beacon frames to the station (STA). Simultaneously, the AP and STA on the OBSS (Overhead Access System) may also detect these beacon frames. Some beacon frames are special, called delivery traffic indication (DTIM) beacon frames. Following a DTIM beacon frame, the AP can send buffered broadcast or multicast traffic to the STA.

[0126] After the AP updates its NPCA parameters (e.g., NPCA main channel, NPCA operating bandwidth, NPCA triggering conditions, and one or more of the aforementioned triggering thresholds), it needs to notify its associated STAs so that the STAs can adjust their NPCA behavior accordingly. The AP's NPCA parameter updates can be reflected in beacon frames or DTIM beacon frames. STAs receive these frames and update their own NPCA parameters based on the information contained within. However, STAs may not receive all beacon frames; for example, for energy conservation, STAs may receive beacon frames every N (where N is a positive integer). This can cause STAs to miss opportunities to communicate with the AP on the NPCA main channel if they cannot update their NPCA parameters in a timely manner.

[0127] However, the existing NPCA mechanism and the method for selecting the NPCA primary channel still cause many problems when APs or STAs use NPCA.

[0128] For example, the analysis of the above-mentioned NPCA mechanism and the method for selecting the NPCA main channel in this application may have the following problems:

[0129] 1. The STA's NPCA (Non-Static Ability) is affected by many events on the AP side. Besides AP updates to NPCA parameters, this includes AP enabling or disabling NPCA, and other mechanisms involving changes in AP bandwidth, such as updates to one or more of the DSO, DPS, or IDC. If an AP-side event causes the STA to change from a state capable of NPCA to a state where it cannot, and the STA is not promptly aware of this event, it will result in meaningless channel hopping. Conversely, if an AP-side event causes the STA to change from a state where it cannot perform NPCA to a state where it can, and the STA is not promptly aware of this event, it will lose potential transmission opportunities, reducing channel utilization efficiency. For clarity, this issue is described as Technical Problem 1 below.

[0130] 2. The trigger condition for NPCA is the detection of OBSS transmission on the main channel and the fulfillment of some additional constraints, such as the length of the OBSS TXOP. Once the AP or STA meets the trigger condition for NPCA, it will switch to the NCPA main channel. If an AP selects the same NPCA main channel as another AP, contention between the two APs may occur on the NPCA main channel, reducing channel utilization efficiency. This will be explained below with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

[0131] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of APs that are each other's OBSS. As shown in Figure 2, as an example, consider a scenario where two BSSs coexist, and these two BSSs are each other's OBSS. If AP1 in BSS1 and AP2 in BSS2 have the same NPCA main channel, then according to the existing NPCA mechanism, AP1 and AP2 may switch to the same NPCA main channel to compete, resulting in only one AP being able to utilize the NPCA main channel. From AP1's perspective, because its configured NPCA main channel is the same as the NPCA main channel of a certain OBSS (here, OBSS refers to BSS2), NPCA may be problematic. This problem is described below as Technical Problem 2.

[0132] Specifically, technical problem 2 mainly leads to the following two disadvantages:

[0133] (1) Due to the competition, only one AP can use the NPCA main channel for transmission. The result of the other AP doing PD on the NPCA main channel is that the channel is occupied, which reduces the efficiency of channel utilization. Moreover, the AP that fails to transmit on the NPCA main channel wastes channel switching resources.

[0134] (2) Different devices have different delays when switching to the NPCA main channel. If the NPCA of AP1 and AP2 is triggered by the same OBSS (e.g., BSS3), and the switching delay of AP1 is greater than that of AP2, then AP2 can always start competing on the NPCA main channel earlier and has a greater probability of winning the transmission opportunity on the NPCA main channel than AP1. This leads to the problem of fairness in the use of the NPCA main channel.

[0135] Figure 3 illustrates two APs (Access Points) configured with the same NPCA (National Passive Channel) competing for transmission opportunities on the NPCA main channel. As shown in Figure 3, AP1 and AP2 are configured with the same NPCA main channel. When AP3 transmits, it may trigger the NPCA on both AP1 and AP2, causing both AP1 and AP2 to switch to the NPCA main channel and compete for transmission opportunities. This may result in only AP2 successfully transmitting using the NPCA, while AP1, although switching to the NPCA main channel, does not gain a transmission opportunity and instead incurs channel hopping overhead.

[0136] In response to the aforementioned technical problems, this application analyzes the causes of the problems and provides corresponding technical solutions to resolve or improve them.

[0137] The technical solution proposed in this application can help AP and STA to utilize the NPCA mechanism for transmission more effectively.

[0138] In summary, to address the aforementioned technical problem 1, this application provides Solution 1 as described below; to address the aforementioned technical problem 2, this application provides Solutions 2 and 3. These will be described in detail below.

[0139] Regarding technical problem 1, this application analyzes the cause of this problem, which is mainly due to the fact that some events on the AP side affect the NPCA on the STA side. However, when these events occur on the AP side, they may not be known to the STA in a timely manner. As a result, the STA is unable to make corresponding adjustments to its own NPCA behavior in a timely manner, leading to problems with the STA's NPCA.

[0140] For example, enabling DPS (Distributed Persistent Channel) may alter the AP's operating bandwidth. Normally, the NPCA (Non-Persistent Channel Allocation) primary channel is selected within the AP's operating bandwidth. When DPS is enabled, the AP's operating bandwidth may decrease, making the designated NPCA primary channel unavailable, thus preventing NPCA or requiring a change in the NPCA primary channel. Conversely, disabling DPS may increase the AP's operating bandwidth, providing more NPCA primary channels and potentially allowing the AP to update the NPCA primary channel to a more suitable sub-channel. Furthermore, updates to DPS parameters can also alter the bandwidth available to the AP, thus affecting the NPCA primary channel settings.

[0141] Both NPCA and DSO mechanisms involve channel hopping for STAs, and therefore influence each other. Enabling both NPCA and DSO simultaneously increases implementation complexity. For example, if the AP operates at 160MHz and the STA at 80MHz, and the primary NPCA channel is selected on a secondary 80MHz channel, the STA may hop to the secondary 80MHz channel via either NPCA or DSO. This makes designing the STA's channel hopping conditions more complex. Enabling DSO allows the AP to schedule the STA to a non-primary channel outside its operating bandwidth, which may also affect the AP's selection of the primary NPCA channel.

[0142] An access point (AP) may experience partial or complete unavailability of certain frequency bands due to interference from other wireless technologies within the device, thus affecting the AP's operating bandwidth. Therefore, IDC events on the AP side may influence the updating of the AP's NPCA status and the selection of the NPCA's primary channel. It should be noted that in this application, the expressions "AP enables IDC" and "AP indicates the presence of an IDC event" are equivalent.

[0143] This application takes into account that enabling, disabling, and updating parameters of DPS / DSO / IDC on the AP side can all affect the AP's NPCA parameters, thereby further affecting the NPCA status of the STA. Therefore, the STA needs to be aware of these events in a timely manner.

[0144] In addition to the impact of the aforementioned events on the NPCA on the STA side, the enabling, disabling, and parameter updates of DPS / DSO / IDC on the AP side also have a significant impact on the STA's channel access. The status of these mechanisms (e.g., enabled or disabled) or the updates of their parameters may cause changes in the STA's channel access opportunities. Therefore, the STA needs to be aware of these events in a timely manner.

[0145] Therefore, to address technical problem 1, this application proposes setting events affecting the NPCA of the STA on the AP side as critical update events, and having the AP side perform corresponding operations. Through this setting and the corresponding operations on the AP side, the STA can promptly be notified of these events occurring on the AP side, and thus promptly adjust its own NPCA and other possible channel access-related states to avoid the aforementioned technical problem 1 in the STA's NPCA.

[0146] This application's embodiments are primarily applied to wireless local area networks (WLANs), whose system architecture or scenario includes at least one access point (AP) device and at least one non-access point station (STA) device. At least one AP and STA support NPCA. Optionally, the AP and STA support one or more of DSO, DPS, and IDC.

[0147] Option 1

[0148] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method 200 provided in this application. Method 200 involves an access point (AP) and a non-AP STA (hereinafter referred to as STA), and method 200 can be implemented by the AP and STA each performing corresponding steps. Optionally, the communication device (e.g., AP or STA) involved in method 200 can also be replaced with a device for these communication devices. For example, the AP can be replaced with a first device, which can be a chip, processor, circuit, etc., applied to the AP. The STA can also be replaced with a corresponding device, which will not be described in detail here. The following embodiments use AP and STA as examples for description.

[0149] 210. The first access point (AP) generates a first frame, indicating that a critical update event has occurred. This critical update event includes one or more of the following:

[0150] Update the status of NPCA;

[0151] Updates to the status and / or parameters of the DSO;

[0152] Updates to the status and / or parameters of DPS; or

[0153] Updates to the status and / or parameters of the IDC.

[0154] The update of NPCA's status includes: from enabled to disabled, or from disabled to enabled.

[0155] Optionally, "enable" can be replaced with "turn on", "enable", "activate", etc., and "disable" can be replaced with "turn off", "deactivate", etc., without limitation.

[0156] Similarly, updates to the status of DSO, DPS, or IDC can include: changing from enabled to disabled; or changing from disabled to enabled. In other words, the status of NPCA, DSO, DPS, or IDC all include both enabled and disabled states, and these two states can be switched.

[0157] As an example, updating IDC parameters can include one or more of the following:

[0158] New IDC events have been added.

[0159] One or more existing IDC events were deleted;

[0160] The parameters of one or more existing IDC events have been updated.

[0161] In the embodiments of this application, any one or more of the following are critical update events of the system: the update of the NPCA's state, the update of the DSO's state and / or parameters, the update of the DPS's state and / or parameters, and the update of the IDC's state and / or parameters.

[0162] 220. The first AP sends the first frame.

[0163] It should be noted that although Scheme 1 proposes that the updates of the NPCA status on the AP side, and the updates of the status and / or parameters of DSO, DPS, or IDC, can be set as key update events of the system, this is to take into account the NPCA issue on the STA side. However, this application does not limit the updates of the status and / or parameters of DSO, DPS, or IDC on the AP side to key update events of the system, or the first AP will notify its associated STA of these key update events. It must be used for determining the status of NPCA on the STA side.

[0164] In other words, the updates to the status and / or parameters of the DSO, DPS, or IDC on the AP side can be set as critical update events for the system. After these critical update events occur, the AP notifies the STA of their occurrence. The STA can also use the updates to the status and / or parameters of the DSO, DPS, or IDC on the AP side for purposes other than NPCA, such as updating other status and / or parameters related to channel access, such as updating the status of the STA's DSO, the parameters of the DPS, etc., without limitation.

[0165] When a critical update event occurs in the first access point (AP), the first AP sends a first frame indicating the critical update event. As an example, this can be implemented as follows:

[0166] In one implementation, a first AP sends a first traffic indication map (TIM) frame. The value of the detection beacon frame field in the first TIM frame differs from the value of the detection beacon frame field in the previously sent second TIM frame. A STA associated with the first AP compares the value of the detection beacon frame field in the received first TIM frame with the value of the detection beacon frame field in the previously received second TIM frame. If the value of the detection beacon frame field in the first TIM frame differs from the value of the detection beacon frame field in the second TIM frame, the STA associated with the first AP knows that a critical update event has occurred at the first AP. For example, the value of the detection beacon frame field in the first TIM frame is the value of the detection beacon frame field in the second TIM frame plus 1. In this implementation, the first frame can be a TIM frame.

[0167] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the detection beacon frame field of a TIM frame. As shown in Figure 5, the first AP can use the detection beacon frame field of the TIM frame to indicate to its associated STA that a critical update event has occurred on the AP side.

[0168] In another implementation, the first AP sends a first frame. The value of the Basic Service Set Parameter Change Count (BSS) subfield in the basic multi-link element of the first frame differs from the value of the BSS subfield in the previously sent second frame. Similarly, the STA associated with the first AP compares the BSS subfield value of the received first frame with the value of the previously received BSS subfield. If the two BSS subfield values ​​differ—for example, the current value is the previous value plus 1—the STA associated with the first AP can determine that a critical update event has occurred at the first AP. As an example, the value of the BSS subfield in the first frame is 1 greater than the value of the previously sent BSS subfield.

[0169] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the BSS parameter change count field of a basic multilink element. As shown in Figure 6, as an example, when the NPCA of the first AP is enabled or disabled, the first AP increments the value of the BSS parameter change count field by 1 (modulo 256, but not 255. A BSS parameter change count field value of 255 indicates that the corresponding AP does not belong to the AP MLD, or that this information is missing). As an example, the BSS parameter change count field can be carried in the common information field of the basic multilink element. It should be noted that the basic multilink element can also be carried in other frames besides beacon frames, such as probe response frames, association response frames, or (Re)Association response frames, etc. Figure 6 only uses beacon frames as an example.

[0170] In this implementation, the basic multilink elements can be carried in beacon frames, probe response frames, or (re)association response frames. Therefore, the first frame can be a beacon frame, probe response frame, (re)association response frame, or other frames, without limitation.

[0171] Accordingly, the STA associated with the first AP receives the first frame.

[0172] For the sake of brevity, unless otherwise specified in the following embodiments, STA refers to the STA associated with the first AP.

[0173] 230. STA determines its own NPCA status based on the key update events that occur.

[0174] When a critical update event occurs in the first AP, the first AP sends a first frame to inform its associated STA of the event. The STA will then perform corresponding operations or processes, such as promptly receiving subsequent beacon frames to obtain information about the critical update event. For example, if the critical update event is an update to the state of the first AP's NPCA, subsequent beacon frames will carry the updated state of the first AP's NPCA. Based on this information, the STA adjusts the state of its own NPCA accordingly to prevent problems with the STA's NPCA.

[0175] As explained in steps 210-230 above, the state of the NPCA on the STA side may be affected by critical update events on the AP side. These critical update events can be one or more of the following: updates to the state of the NPCA on the AP side, updates to the state and / or parameters of the DSO / DPS / IDC on the AP side. It can be observed that if the state of the NPCA on the AP side is updated, the STA can adjust its own NPCA state accordingly; or, if the state and / or parameters of one or more of the DSO / DPS / IDC on the AP side are updated, the STA may also adjust its own NPCA state accordingly. Specifically, the STA can determine its own NPCA state based on the updated state and / or parameters of one or more of the DSO / DPS / IDC on the AP side, even without knowing the state of the NPCA on the AP side.

[0176] In this application's solution, events affecting the NPCA of the STA on the AP side are designated as critical update events. Upon the occurrence of a critical update event, the AP side sends a first frame to notify its associated STA of the event. This allows the STA to be promptly informed of these events and adjust its NPCA accordingly.

[0177] In the above embodiment, one possible scenario is that the key update event is the update of the state of the NPCA of the first AP. When the first AP updates the state of the NPCA, the first AP indicates the updated state of the NPCA to its associated STA, as in step 240.

[0178] Optionally, method 200 further includes step 240.

[0179] 240. The first AP sends a second frame, which is used to indicate the updated status of the first AP's NPCA.

[0180] In one implementation, if the second frame contains the first element, the second frame indicates that the NPCA of the first AP is enabled; or, if the second frame does not contain the first element, the second frame indicates that the NPCA of the first AP is disabled. As an example, the second frame can be a beacon frame or a probe response frame.

[0181] Figure 7 illustrates an example of an AP instructing its associated STA whether the NPCA on the AP side is enabled or disabled. Taking the second frame as the beacon frame as an example, the first element can be an NPCA parameter set element. In other words, if the beacon frame sent by the first AP contains an NPCA parameter set element, it indicates that the NPCA status of the first AP is enabled; if the beacon frame sent by the first AP does not contain an NPCA parameter set element, it indicates that the NPCA status of the first AP is disabled. The STA associated with the first AP determines whether the NPCA status of the first AP is enabled or disabled based on whether the received beacon frame contains an NPCA parameter set element.

[0182] In another implementation, if the second frame contains a first element, the first element contains a first field, and the value of the first field of the first element indicates whether the NPCA of the first AP is enabled or disabled.

[0183] As an example, the second frame is a beacon frame or a probe response frame. The first element contained in the second frame can be an NPCA parameter set element, and one or more bits contained in this NPCA parameter set element constitute a first field. This first field is used to indicate whether the NPCA status is enabled or disabled.

[0184] Figure 8 shows another example of an AP instructing its associated STA whether the NPCA on the AP side is enabled or disabled. Taking the second frame as a beacon frame as an example, the beacon frame includes an NPCA parameter set element, which includes an NPCA enable field. If the value of this field is 1, it indicates that the NPCA of the first AP is enabled; or, if the value of this field is 0, it indicates that the NPCA of the first AP is disabled.

[0185] As another example, the second frame contains a second field whose value indicates whether the NPCA of the first AP is enabled or disabled. For example, if the second frame is a management frame or a QoS data frame, the second field is an EHT operating mode (OM) control field, which can be represented as an EHT OM Control field. One or more reserved bits of this EHT operating mode control field are used to indicate whether the NPCA of the first AP is enabled or disabled.

[0186] Figure 9 shows another example of an AP instructing its associated STA whether the NPCA on the AP side is enabled or disabled. The second frame contains an EHT operation mode control field (an example of the second field). As an example, one or more reserved bits in the EHT operation mode control field can be called the NPCA enable field. When the NPCA enable field is 1, it indicates that the NPCA of the first AP is enabled; when the NPCA enable field is 0, it indicates that the NPCA of the first AP is disabled.

[0187] As can be seen, the STA can promptly learn whether the updated status of the first AP's NPCA is enabled or disabled through the second frame. As mentioned above, since the update of the first AP's NPCA status is set as a critical update event in the embodiments of this application, when the status of the first AP's NPCA is updated, the first AP can promptly inform its associated STA of the occurrence of a critical update event through the first frame. Based on the first frame, the STA learns that the first AP has generated a critical update event and then receives the second frame. Based on the second frame, the STA determines the status of its own NPCA. As an example, if the second frame indicates that the updated status of the first AP is enabled, the STA will also set its own NPCA to enabled; or, if the second frame indicates that the updated status of the first AP is disabled, the STA will set its own NPCA to disabled.

[0188] In this embodiment, the AP side sets the updates to the NPCA state, DSO state and / or parameters, DPS state and / or parameters, or IDC state and / or parameters as critical update events. When one or more of these updates occur on the AP side, the AP will promptly notify the STA through corresponding instructions, thereby updating its own NPCA state accordingly.

[0189] Optionally, in one possible implementation, the first AP belongs to a multi-link device (MLD). An MLD has multiple radio frequency modules, each capable of operating on different frequency bands / channels. Each link of the MLD has its own medium access control (MAC) address, and the entire MLD also has a single MAC address. MLDs can be divided into AP MLDs and non-AP MLDs. An AP MLD has multiple affiliated APs, and a non-AP MLD has multiple affiliated non-AP STAs. When the NPCA status of the first AP is updated to enabled or disabled, other APs belonging to the same AP MLD as the first AP perform the following operations.

[0190] The following example uses an AP other than the first AP (hereinafter referred to as the second AP) in the AP MLD to illustrate the operations performed by other APs in the AP MLD after the state update of the NPCA of the first AP.

[0191] Optionally, method 200 includes steps 250 to 260.

[0192] 250. The second AP determines that the first AP in its AP MLD has experienced a critical update event.

[0193] As mentioned above, the first AP's critical update event includes one or more of the following:

[0194] The status update of NPCA in the first AP;

[0195] Update the status and / or parameters of the DSO of the first AP;

[0196] Update the status and / or parameters of the first AP's DPS; or,

[0197] Updates to the status and / or parameters of the first AP's IDC.

[0198] Please refer to the explanation in step 210 above for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0199] 260. The second AP sends a third frame, which indicates that a critical update event has occurred.

[0200] It is important to note that when the first AP belongs to an AP MLD, the AP MLD can notify the STA of a critical update event occurring on the AP side through multiple links. For example, in step 220, the first AP sends a first frame indicating a critical update event; in step 260, the second AP sends a third frame indicating a critical update event. If the STA associated with the AP MLD is a non-AP MLD, if the first frame sent by the first AP is not received by its associated STA1, but the third frame sent by the second AP is received by its associated STA2, since STA1 and STA2 belong to the same non-AP MLD, STA1 can also be aware that a critical update event has occurred on the first AP. Therefore, when the first AP belongs to an AP MLD, other APs in the AP MLD indicating a critical update event has occurred on a specific AP within the AP MLD, or indicating a critical update event has occurred on the first AP, can improve the reliability of the STA receiving the notification of the critical update event.

[0201] It should be noted that the steps shown in Figure 2 are numbered only for the purpose of clearly describing the scheme, and these step numbers do not limit the order of the steps. Provided there is no logical contradiction, the order of the steps in the method embodiment can be changed, for example, different from that shown in Figure 2. For example, step 210 can be executed before, after, or simultaneously with step 240; step 250 can also be executed before, after, or simultaneously with step 260, and so on. These will not be described in detail here.

[0202] Optionally, as an example, step 260 includes one or more of the following operations:

[0203] 1) In one implementation, the third frame is a TIM frame, in which the second AP sets the value of the detection beacon frame field in its transmitted TIM frame to be different from the value of the detection beacon frame field in the previously transmitted TIM frame. For example, the value of the detection beacon frame field in the TIM frame transmitted by the second AP is increased by 1 (modulo 256) compared to the value of the detection beacon frame field in the previously transmitted TIM frame. In this implementation, the TIM frame transmitted by the second AP allows its associated STA to be aware that a critical update event has occurred at a certain AP in the AP MLD. A schematic diagram of the TIM frame containing the detection beacon frame field can be found in Figure 5 above.

[0204] 2) As another implementation, the third frame is a beacon frame, probe response frame, or (re)association response frame. This beacon frame, probe response frame, or (re)association response frame contains a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element. The value of the basic service set BSS parameter change calculation field corresponding to the first AP in the reduced neighbor report element is different from the value of the BSS parameter change count field previously sent by the second AP. For example, the value of the basic service set BSS parameter change calculation field corresponding to the first AP in the reduced neighbor report element of the beacon frame, probe response frame, or (re)association response frame sent by the second AP is increased by 1 (modulo 256, but not 255) compared to the value of the previously sent BSS parameter change calculation field. In this implementation, the difference between the value of the basic service set BSS parameter change calculation field corresponding to the first AP in the reduced neighbor report element sent by the second AP and the previously sent value allows its associated STA to be aware that a critical update event has occurred at the first AP of the AP MLD.

[0205] Figure 10 shows an example of the BSS parameter change count field in a shortened neighbor report element. As shown in Figure 10, the shortened neighbor report element sent by the second AP may include a target beacon transmission time (TBTT) information field, which in turn includes an MLD parameter set field. The MLD parameter set field may also include the BSS parameter change count field. Furthermore, the MLD parameter set field includes an AP MLD field and a link ID field. The reported AP (specifically the first AP) is indicated by the AP MLD ID and Link ID. Additionally, the shortened neighbor report element can also be carried in other frames besides the beacon frame, such as probe response frames, (re)association response frames, etc. Figure 10 only uses the beacon frame as an example.

[0206] When a STA (e.g., STA2) attached to a non-AP MLD receives a third frame, it can know that a critical update event has occurred on the AP side based on the third frame, as in the two implementations above. Since STA2 and STA1 associated with the first AP (corresponding to the STA in the above embodiments) belong to the same non-AP MLD, the STA associated with the first AP can know that a critical update has occurred in a certain AP in the AP MLD, or can know that the first AP has undergone a critical update, thereby updating the STA's own NPCA status in a timely manner.

[0207] As an example, when the first AP generates a critical update event and belongs to an AP MLD, the other APs in the AP MLD, or neighboring APs of the first AP, such as the second AP, may perform the above operations under the following circumstances: AP1 is associated with STA1, AP2 is associated with STA2, AP1 and AP2 belong to the same AP MLD, and STA1 and STA2 belong to the same non-AP MLD. STA2 can learn that a critical update event has occurred on the AP side through AP2. At the same time, since STA1 and STA2 belong to the same non-AP MLD, STA1 can also learn that a critical update event has occurred on the AP side. In Figure 4, when the first AP belongs to an AP MLD, the STA associated with the first AP can be the non-AP STA1 shown in Figure 4. The third frame sent by the second AP can be received by the non-AP STA2 associated with the second AP. Non-AP STA1 and non-AP STA2 belong to the same non-AP MLD.

[0208] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, when the value of the BSS parameter change count in the basic multi-link element or shortened neighbor report element changes, before the first DTIM beacon frame (including the first DTIM beacon frame), the critical update flag field in the beacon frame or probe response frame sent by the first AP is used to indicate that a critical update event has occurred. For example, the value of the critical update flag field is set to 1, indicating that a critical update event has occurred. Thus, the STA knows that a critical update event has occurred on the AP side based on the value of the critical update flag field, and then updates its own NPCA status in a timely manner. Optionally, when the first AP belongs to the AP MLD, other APs in the AP MLD also perform this operation. For example, the second AP mentioned above sets the value of the critical update flag field in the beacon frames, probe response frames, and the first DTIM beacon frame before the first DTIM beacon frame to indicate that a critical update event has occurred on the AP side. For example, the value of the critical update flag field is set to 1. The first DTIM beacon frame is the first DTIM beacon frame after the first AP has experienced a critical update event.

[0209] In Scheme 1 provided in this application, the updates of the NPCA state, DSO state and / or parameters, DPS state and / or parameters, and IDC state and / or parameters on the AP side are all set as critical updates of the system. Thus, when one or more of the above updates occur on the AP side, the AP indicates that a critical update event has occurred in the first frame it sends. The STA can then promptly know that a critical update has occurred on the AP side. By performing corresponding operations or processing, such as receiving the next beacon frame, the STA can obtain information related to the critical update event and adjust its own NPCA state accordingly. This can prevent the STA from missing possible transmission opportunities, resulting in reduced transmission efficiency, or from performing meaningless channel hopping and wasting channel switching resources due to untimely updates of the NPCA state.

[0210] In response to the technical problem 2 mentioned above, this application also provides corresponding solutions, such as Solution 2 and Solution 3 below.

[0211] Option 2

[0212] When the AP sets the NPCA primary channel to be the same as the OBSS's NPCA primary channel, it may increase contention on the NPCA primary channel and reduce the opportunity for transmission using NPCA. Therefore, Scheme 2 proposes that the AP consider the OBSS's NPCA status and / or parameters when setting or updating the NPCA status or parameters. The OBSS's NPCA parameters may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: the OBSS's NPCA primary channel, the conditions for triggering NPCA in the OBSS, the OBSS's trigger threshold, and the OBSS's NPCA operating bandwidth. Specifically, the AP will only perform NPCA when the NAV set by the OBSS's TXOP is greater than the trigger threshold.

[0213] Figure 11 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method 300 provided in this application. Method 300 relates to an access point, and can be implemented by the AP performing the corresponding steps. Optionally, the AP involved in method 300 (taking a first AP as an example) can also be replaced by a device used for the AP. For example, the AP can be replaced by a first device, which can be a chip, processor, circuit, etc., applied to the AP. The following embodiments use an AP as an example for description.

[0214] 310. The first AP is determined to satisfy the first condition, wherein the first condition is related to one or more of the second AP's NPCA main channel and the second BSS, wherein the second BSS is the BSS to which the second AP belongs, the first AP belongs to the first BSS, and the first BSS and the second BSS are each other's OBSS.

[0215] 320. The first AP updates the status or parameters of the first access point NPCA.

[0216] In other words, the first AP updates its own NPCA's state or parameters when it determines that the first condition is met.

[0217] As an example, the parameters of NPCA may include one or more pieces of information related to the first AP performing NPCA. For example, the parameters of NPCA may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: NPCA main channel, NPCA operating bandwidth, NPCA trigger threshold, etc. Therefore, updating the NPCA parameters of the first AP may include the first AP updating its NPCA main channel.

[0218] In one implementation, the first condition is related to the NPCA primary channel of the second AP. Alternatively, in this implementation, step 310 may involve the first AP determining that the first condition is met if it determines that the NPCA primary channel of the second AP is the same as or adjacent to the NPCA primary channel of the first AP. The first AP may learn about the NPCA primary channel of the second AP in various ways, such as from a beacon frame broadcast by the second AP, or through a report from a STA within the first BSS.

[0219] In this example, when the first AP learns that the second AP in the OBSS has the same NPCA main channel as itself, the success rate of obtaining a transmission opportunity through channel contention during NPCA decreases. Therefore, updating its NPCA status or parameters can increase the chance of successfully accessing the channel during NPCA.

[0220] Optionally, the first condition above, "the NPCA main channel of the second AP is adjacent to the NPCA main channel of the first AP," can also be: the NPCA main channel of the second AP is close to the NPCA main channel of the first AP. "Close to" can include both adjacent and other situations. For example, the NPCA main channel of the first AP and the NPCA main channel of the second AP are two adjacent 20MHz sub-channels; or, although the NPCA main channel of the first AP and the NPCA main channel of the second AP are not adjacent, their relatively close spacing also satisfies the first condition. Whether sub-channels are "close to" can be determined by setting a threshold.

[0221] In this example, when the first AP learns that the second AP of OBSS has a nearby (e.g., adjacent) NPCA main channel, since the transmission between adjacent channels will cause interference, the first AP's transmission on the first NPCA main channel will be affected by the second AP's transmission on the second AP's NPCA main channel. Therefore, the first AP can update its NPCA status or parameters to reduce the interference that the second AP may cause to its transmission on the first NPCA main channel.

[0222] As another example, the first condition may include: the NPCA main channel of the first AP is the same as the NPCA main channel of the second AP, and the first AP and the second AP have a common OBSS. That is, when the NPCA main channel of the first AP is the same as the NPCA main channel of the second AP, and the first AP and the second AP have a common OBSS, the first AP updates the state or parameters of its NPCA.

[0223] In this example, when the first condition is met, a situation described above is likely to occur: the same OBSS triggers both the first AP's NPCA and the second AP's NPCA (as depicted in Figure 3). Since the first AP and the second AP compete on the same NPCA main channel, channel access opportunities will decrease, or channel contention fairness issues may arise. Therefore, the first AP can update the NPCA state or parameters, such as updating the NPCA main channel, to avoid these problems. In one implementation, if only the first AP and the NPCA main channel are the same as the second AP's NPCA main channel, but the first AP and the second AP do not share a common OBSS, the first AP and the second AP may not necessarily perform NPCA simultaneously. Therefore, in this case, the first AP can choose not to update the NPCA main channel. It is evident that compared to the first AP and the second AP sharing the same NPCA main channel, this example also requires the first AP and the second AP to share a common OBSS, making the condition for the first AP to update the NPCA main channel more stringent.

[0224] As another example, the first condition relates to the NPCA main channel of the second AP. For instance, in step 310, it could be that the first AP has enabled NPCA, and after hopping to the first NPCA main channel, a PPDU of the second AP is detected on the first NPCA main channel, thus determining that the first condition is met.

[0225] In other words, after the first AP triggers NPCA and switches to the NPCA main channel of the first BSS (i.e., the first NPCA main channel), it finds that the second AP is using the first NPCA main channel, and the first AP cannot obtain a transmission opportunity on the first NPCA main channel. At this time, the first AP can update its NPCA status or parameters, for example, by updating from the first NPCA main channel to the second NPCA main channel.

[0226] In this example, when the first condition is met, the first AP knows that the probability of successfully competing for the channel on the NPCA main channel is low, so it updates its NPCA status or parameters. This could be because the first and second APs have selected the same NPCA main channel, while AP2 is using the NPCA main channel for transmission, or it could be for other reasons.

[0227] As another example, after the above situation occurs N times, the first AP updates the status or parameters of the NPCA. That is, the first AP enables the NPCA, and after hopping to the first NPCA main channel, it detects the PPDU of the second AP on the first NPCA main channel. And after this situation occurs N times, the first AP determines that the first condition is met, and then updates the status or parameters of its NPCA, for example, from the first NPCA main channel to the second NPCA main channel, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0228] Compared to the previous example, this example requires the first AP to update the NPCA status or parameters only after the above situation has occurred N times. This can prevent the first AP from being unable to use its NPCA main channel due to accidental circumstances.

[0229] When the first AP updates the state or parameters of the NPCA, the first AP indicates the updated state or parameters of the NPCA to its associated STA. As an example, the first AP indicates the updated state or parameters of the NPCA in a beacon frame, probe response frame, or (re)association response frame, or it may also indicate this in other frames. It should be noted that when the first AP updates the state or parameters of the NPCA, which falls under the category described in the above embodiments, a critical update event has occurred for the first AP. Therefore, the first AP can perform the operations related to the critical update event in Scheme 1, such as indicating the critical update event through the first frame in method 200, etc., which will not be elaborated further here.

[0230] Figure 12 illustrates an example of an AP updating its NPCA primary channel. As shown in Figure 12, AP1 initially sets its NPCA primary channel to be the same as AP2's. When AP1 and AP2 are triggered into NPCA by a shared OBSS, they compete for channel access on the NPCA primary channel, reducing the access opportunities for both APs. Upon discovering that AP2's NPCA primary channel is the same, AP1 updates its NPCA primary channel, avoiding competition on the same NPCA primary channel and increasing its chances of obtaining transmission opportunities on the updated NPCA primary channel.

[0231] In addition to updating the NPCA primary channel, AP1 should also consider reducing NPCA interference from OBSSs (including the OBSS where AP2 resides and / or other OBSSs) when setting up the NPCA primary channel and using NPCA for transmission. For example:

[0232] 1) When selecting the NPCA primary channel, AP1 should avoid the known OBSS NPCA primary channel as much as possible. Optionally, it should avoid sub-channels that are close to the OBSS NPCA primary channel (e.g., adjacent sub-channels);

[0233] 2) When using NPCA transmission, AP1 can also consider reducing interference to the OBSS's NPCA main channel. For example, AP1 should avoid transmitting on the OBSS's NPCA main channel as much as possible, or reduce its transmission power on the OBSS's NPCA main channel. Optionally, interference to adjacent channels of the OBSS's NPCA main channel should also be reduced.

[0234] Using the method in Scheme 2 provided in this application, the AP can update the status or parameters of the NPCA, such as updating the NPCA main channel, when the first condition is met. The AP can avoid competing with the OBSS on the same NPCA main channel, thereby increasing its own access opportunities on the NPCA main channel and possibly increasing the OBSS's access opportunities on the NPCA main channel, thus increasing the utilization efficiency of non-main channels.

[0235] Option 3

[0236] APs negotiate to determine or update their respective NPCA parameters. These NPCA parameters include the NPCA main channel, NPCA operating bandwidth, and trigger threshold.

[0237] As described in Technical Problem 2 above, APs that are each other's OBSS may select the same NPCA primary channel, thus interfering with each other's NPCA. To solve this problem, Solution 3 proposes that these APs can negotiate the NPCA primary channel to set different NPCA primary channels.

[0238] Figure 13 is a schematic flowchart of the communication method 500 provided in this application. Method 500 involves a first AP and a second AP. Method 500 can be implemented by the first AP and the second AP performing corresponding steps. Optionally, the AP (first AP or second AP) involved in method 500 can also be replaced by a device for the AP. For example, the first AP can be replaced by a first device, which can be a chip, processor, circuit, etc., applied to the first AP. The second AP is similar and will not be described further. The following embodiments use the first AP and the second AP as examples for description.

[0239] 510. The first AP sends a first request frame, which indicates the first NPCA main channel. The first NPCA main channel is the NPCA main channel of the first BSS that the first AP expects. The first AP belongs to the first BSS.

[0240] The second AP receives the first request frame.

[0241] In other words, the first request frame carries the NPCA primary channel of the first BSS desired by the first AP. Optionally, the first request frame also carries the NPCA primary channel of the second BSS proposed by the first AP, the second AP belonging to the second BSS. The first BSS and the second BSS are each other's OBSS.

[0242] 520. The second AP sends the first response frame.

[0243] The first response frame may be generated by the second AP based on the first request frame of the first AP and the second AP's own NPCA main channel setting requirements. It can be used to indicate whether the second AP accepts the suggestion of the first AP in the first request frame, such as whether to accept the NPCA main channel of the first BSS indicated by the first AP. Optionally, if the first request frame also indicates the NPCA main channel of the second BSS suggested by the first AP, the first response frame may also indicate whether the second AP accepts the NPCA main channel of the second BSS suggested by the first AP.

[0244] The first AP receives the first response frame from the second AP.

[0245] 530. The first AP determines the parameters of the NPCA of the first BSS based on the first response frame.

[0246] In one possible implementation, the first response frame is used to instruct the second AP to accept the suggestion from the first AP in the first request frame, such as setting the NPCA primary channel of the first BSS to the first NPCA primary channel. Optionally, the first response frame may also indicate the NPCA primary channel of the second BSS set by the second AP. If the second AP accepts the suggestion from the first AP in the first request frame, the negotiation process is complete. At this time, the first AP uses the first NPCA primary channel indicated in the first request frame as the NPCA primary channel of the first BSS, and AP2 uses the NPCA primary channel indicated in the first response frame as the NPCA primary channel of the second BSS.

[0247] In another possible implementation, the first response frame instructs the second AP to reject the first AP's NPCA main channel. Optionally, the rejection can be partial or complete. As an example of partial rejection, the second AP accepts the first AP's proposed NPCA main channel for the first BSS, but rejects the first AP's proposed NPCA main channel for the second BSS. In this case, the first response frame may indicate the second NPCA main channel, which is the second AP's desired NPCA main channel for the second BSS. As an example of complete rejection, the second AP rejects both the first AP's proposed NPCA main channel for the first BSS and the first AP's proposed NPCA main channel for the second BSS. Optionally, the first response frame may also indicate a third NPCA main channel, which is the second AP's proposed NPCA main channel for the first BSS.

[0248] The NPCA primary channel of the second BSS indicated in the first response frame may be determined by the second AP with reference to the suggestion of the first AP in the first request frame, but it is not necessarily the same as the NPCA primary channel of the second BSS suggested by the first AP in the first request frame.

[0249] If the second AP rejects the suggestion of the first AP in the first request frame, the first AP may refer to the NPCA main channel indicated in the first response frame replied by the second AP and resend the request frame, as in the optional step 540 below.

[0250] 540. Based on the first response frame, the first AP sends a second request frame, which indicates the NPCA main channel of the first BSS that the first AP expects.

[0251] In this process, the first AP sends a second request frame, which is equivalent to further negotiation. The negotiation process can be similar to steps 510 to 530, and will not be described in detail here.

[0252] Optionally, method 500 further includes steps 550 to 560.

[0253] 550. The first AP obtains information about the NPCA main channel of the second BSS.

[0254] 560. The first AP determines to send the first request frame based on the information of the NPCA main channel of the second BSS.

[0255] As an example, after the first AP learns the NPCA main channel of the second BSS, if the NPCA main channel of the second BSS is the same as or close to (e.g., adjacent to) the NPCA main channel of the first BSS, the first AP determines and the second AP negotiate the parameters of their respective NPCA, such as negotiating the NPCA main channel, and then sends a first request frame.

[0256] Optionally, method 500 further includes steps 570 to 580.

[0257] 570. The first AP obtains information about the neighboring APs of the second AP.

[0258] 580. The first AP determines to send a first request frame based on the information in the neighboring AP list of the second AP.

[0259] For example, if the neighbor AP list of the second AP contains the same neighbor AP as the first AP (e.g., the third AP), the first AP determines and the second AP negotiate the parameters of their respective NPCA, such as negotiating the NPCA main channel, and thus sends a first request frame.

[0260] Optionally, method 500 may include steps 550-560, and / or steps 570-580.

[0261] In other words, when the first AP sends a first request frame to negotiate the parameters of their respective NPCA with the second AP, it may be triggered based on the fact that the NPCA main channel of the second AP and the NPCA main channel of the first AP are the same, or it may be triggered based on the fact that the second AP's neighbor AP list contains the same neighbor AP as the first AP (because in this case, the TXOP of the OBSS of the common neighbor AP may trigger the NPCA of the first AP and the second AP, resulting in the first AP and the second AP competing for the same NPCA main channel), or it may be triggered by a combination of the above situations, without limitation.

[0262] Optionally, in step 510, when the first AP initially sets the NPCA parameters, it may by default send a first request frame to negotiate the NPCA parameters (e.g., the NPCA main channel) with the second AP; or, the first AP may send the first request frame to negotiate with the second AP upon being triggered by steps 550-560 and / or steps 570-580, without limitation. In the latter implementation, when the first AP anticipates potential competition for the NPCA main channel with the second AP based on the obtained information about the second AP's NPCA main channel, or information such as whether the second BSS and the first BSS share a common OBSS, it negotiates the setting of the NPCA parameters; or, it updates the already set NPCA parameters after negotiation, without limitation.

[0263] During the negotiation of NPCA parameters, taking the negotiation of the NPCA primary channel as an example, the NPCA primary channel desired by the first AP (and also applicable to the second AP) for the first BSS, or the NPCA primary channel proposed by the second BSS, can be determined based on one or more of the following information:

[0264] The operating bandwidth of the first AP;

[0265] The operating bandwidth of the STA associated with the first AP;

[0266] The operating bandwidth of the second AP;

[0267] The operating bandwidth of the STA associated with the second AP.

[0268] Furthermore, the determination of the NPCA main channel can also be made in conjunction with other information about the NPCA, without limitation.

[0269] Optionally, the above negotiation process can also be applied to negotiations between two or more APs. In this case, the expected or proposed NPCA primary channel for each AP can be determined based on one or more of the operating bandwidth of each AP and the operating bandwidth of the STA associated with each AP.

[0270] As an example, each AP can prioritize setting the NPCA main channel within its own and its associated STA's operating bandwidth.

[0271] Optionally, as an example, if the operating bandwidths of the two APs are inconsistent, the AP with the larger operating bandwidth can prioritize setting its NPCA main channel on a non-overlapping portion of the operating bandwidth. For example, if the first AP has an operating bandwidth of 160MHz and the second AP has an operating bandwidth of 320MHz, the second AP can prioritize setting its NPCA main channel on a sub-channel within the next 160MHz range.

[0272] Alternatively, as an example, the two APs may each prioritize two NPCA main channels that are relatively far apart as their respective NPCA main channels. This makes it easier to set the interval (e.g., 20MHz) during NPCA transmission, thereby reducing interference from adjacent channels.

[0273] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of NPCA after APs negotiate and determine the NPCA main channel. As shown in Figure 14, AP1 and AP2 set different NPCA main channels after negotiation and set a 20MHz interval during transmission to avoid interference with each other's NPCA.

[0274] Alternatively, NPCA parameter negotiation can also be performed using a multi-AP coordination framework within frame interactions for multi-AP coordination configuration. Multi-AP coordination can involve various cooperative transmission methods among multiple APs, such as coordinated spatial reuse (Co-SR) and coordinated beamforming (Co-BF). Within the multi-AP coordination framework, multiple APs may form a multi-AP coordination group, and multi-AP coordination configuration can be performed within this group. The NPCA parameter information of the APs used for negotiation can also be carried in the frame interactions for multi-AP coordination configuration, thereby enabling NPCA parameter negotiation.

[0275] For example, a multi-AP collaboration process is as follows:

[0276] 1. Multi-AP Collaboration Discovery Phase: APs obtain a list of other APs that can participate in multi-AP collaboration, as well as information on the multi-AP collaboration capabilities of these candidate APs, through various means (such as receiving beacon frames, receiving reports from their associated STAs, etc.).

[0277] 2. Multi-AP Collaboration Setup Phase: The AP decides to collaborate with one or more APs and negotiates the status and / or parameters of multi-AP collaboration with these APs through frame interactions. Optionally, a set of frame interactions can simultaneously negotiate multiple multi-AP collaboration modes.

[0278] 3. Multi-AP cooperative transmission phase: After negotiation, multiple APs cooperate to transmit data according to the agreed-upon multi-AP cooperation status and parameters.

[0279] In this embodiment, the negotiation can be included in the frame interaction during the multi-AP collaboration setup phase.

[0280] By negotiating the parameters of the NPA using the method provided in Scheme 3, such as the NPA main channel, the AP can avoid competing with the OBSS on the same NPA main channel, thereby increasing its own access opportunities on the NPA main channel.

[0281] It should be noted that Schemes 1 through 3 have been explained separately above. However, Schemes 1, 2, and 3 can be used individually or in combination.

[0282] For example, when the first AP determines that the NPCA main channel of the second BSS is the same as or close to (e.g., adjacent to) the NPCA main channel of the first BSS, in Scheme 3, the first AP sends a first frame to negotiate the parameters of their respective NPCAs with the second AP, for example, negotiating their respective NPCA main channels. In Scheme 2, when the first AP determines that the NPCA main channel of the second BSS is the same as or close to the NPCA main channel of the first BSS, it is a case where the first AP determines that the first condition is met. In this case, the first AP determines to update the state or parameters of the NPCA. When the first AP determines to update the parameters of the NPCA, the first AP can again adopt Scheme 3, and the second AP negotiates to determine the updated parameters of the NPCA, for example, the updated NPCA main channel.

[0283] When the first AP updates the state and / or parameters of the NPCA (e.g., updating the NPCA main channel) through negotiation with the second AP, or based on the determination that the first condition is met, and this also satisfies the conditions described in Scheme 1, a critical update event occurs for the first AP. Therefore, the first AP indicates this critical update event to its associated STA and, through the STA, indicates the updated state or parameters of the NPCA, such as the updated NPCA main channel. At this time, the first AP can perform the relevant operations as described in Scheme 1 after the occurrence of the critical update event, such as sending a first frame to indicate the occurrence of the critical update event, or sending a second frame to indicate the updated state of the NPCA.

[0284] The communication method provided in this application has been described in detail above. The communication device provided in this application will be described below.

[0285] Figure 15 is a schematic block diagram of the communication device 1000 provided in this application. As shown in Figure 15, the communication device 1000 may include a processing module 1001 and a communication module 1002. The communication device 1000 may be an access point (e.g., the first access point or the second access point in the above embodiments), or a communication device applied to or used in conjunction with an access point to realize the corresponding functions of the access point, such as a processor, chip, circuit, etc. Alternatively, the communication device 1000 may be a non-access point station (hereinafter referred to as a station or STA), or a communication device applied to or used in conjunction with a station to realize the corresponding functions of the station, such as a processor, chip, circuit, etc.

[0286] The communication module can also be called a transceiver module, transceiver, transceiver machine, or transceiver device. The processing module can also be called a processor, processing board, processing unit, or processing device. Optionally, the communication module is used to perform the sending and receiving operations on the access point side or the site side in the above method. The device in the communication module that implements the receiving function can be regarded as a receiving unit, and the device in the communication module that implements the sending function can be regarded as a sending unit. That is, the communication module includes a receiving unit and a sending unit. When the communication device 1000 is applied to an access point, the processing module 1001 can be used to implement the processing function of the access point (e.g., the first access point or the second access point) in the various embodiments of Figures 4 to 14, and the communication module 1002 can be used to implement the sending and receiving functions of the access point in the various embodiments of Figures 4 to 14. Similarly, when the communication device 1000 is applied to a site, the processing module 1001 can be used to implement the processing function of the site in the various embodiments of Figures 4 to 14, and the communication module 1002 can be used to implement the sending and receiving functions of the site in the various embodiments of Figures 4 to 14.

[0287] Furthermore, it should be noted that the aforementioned communication module and / or processing module can be implemented through virtual modules. For example, the processing module can be implemented through software functional units or virtual devices, and the communication module can be implemented through software functions or virtual devices. Alternatively, the processing module or communication module can also be implemented through physical devices. For example, if the device is implemented using a chip / chip circuit, the communication module can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface, performing input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operation) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operation); the processing module can be an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit, etc.

[0288] The module division in this application is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods are possible. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various examples of this application can be integrated into a single processor, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into a single module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware, as software functional modules, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0289] Figure 16 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device 1100 provided in this application. Optionally, the communication device 1100 may be a chip or a chip system. In this application, the chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0290] The communication device 1100 can be used to implement the functions of any of the communication devices (e.g., access points or stations) described in the foregoing embodiments. The communication device 1100 may include at least one processor 1110. Optionally, the processor 1110 is coupled to a memory, which may be located within the communication device 1100, integrated with the processor, or located outside the communication device 1100. As an example, the communication device 1100 may also include at least one memory 1120. The memory 1120 stores the necessary computer programs (or computer instructions) and / or data for implementing the corresponding functions of any of the communication devices in any of the above method embodiments; the processor 1110 may execute the computer programs stored in the memory 1120 to complete the methods implemented by any of the communication devices in any of the above method embodiments.

[0291] The communication device 1100 may also include a communication interface 1130, through which the communication device 1100 can interact with other devices. For example, the communication interface 1130 may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, pin, or other type of communication interface. When the communication device 1100 is a chip-based device or circuit, the communication interface 1130 in the device 1100 may also be an input / output circuit, capable of inputting information (or receiving information) and outputting information (or sending information). The processor may be an integrated processor, microprocessor, integrated circuit, or logic circuit, etc., and the processor can determine the output information based on the input information.

[0292] The coupling in this application refers to indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units, or modules, which can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms, used for information exchange between devices, units, or modules. The processor 1110 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1120 and the communication interface 1130. This application does not limit the specific connection medium between the processor 1110, the memory 1120, and the communication interface 1130.

[0293] Optionally, as shown in FIG16, the processor 1110, the memory 1120, and the communication interface 1130 are interconnected via a bus 1140. The bus 1140 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one line is used to represent the bus 1140 in FIG16, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0294] In one implementation, the communication device 1100 can be applied to the access point side, such as the first access point side or the second access point side in the embodiments of this application. Specifically, the communication device 1100 can be an access point, or it can be a device capable of supporting the access point to implement the corresponding functions of the access point in any of the above method embodiments. The memory 1120 stores computer programs (or computer instructions) and / or data that implement the corresponding functions of the access point. The processor 1110 can execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory 1120 to complete the methods executed by the access point (e.g., the first access point or the second access point) in any of the above method embodiments. The communication interface in the communication device 1100 can be used to interact with STAs or other access points. Taking the first access point as an example, for example, the communication interface can be used to send a first frame, a second frame, etc., to its associated STAs, receive information about the list of neighboring APs from the second access point, etc.

[0295] In another implementation, the communication device 1100 can be applied to the STA side. For example, the communication device 1100 can be the STA, or it can be a device capable of supporting the STA in implementing the corresponding functions of the STA in any of the above method embodiments. The memory 1120 stores computer programs (or computer instructions) and / or data that implement the corresponding functions of the STA in any of the above method embodiments. The processor 1110 can execute the computer program stored in the memory 1120 to complete the method executed by the STA in any of the above method embodiments. The communication interface in the communication device 1100 can be used to interact with an access point (e.g., a first access point or a second access point), for example, receiving a first frame from the first access point, receiving a second frame, etc.

[0296] Figure 17 is a schematic structural diagram of the chip provided in this application. Chip 30 includes circuit 31 and communication interface 32. Circuit 31 can be a logic circuit, integrated circuit, etc., and communication interface 32 can also be called an input / output circuit, input / output interface, interface circuit, etc., which can input information (or receive information) or output information (or send information). Chip 30 can execute the methods performed by the access point (e.g., the first access point or the second access point) or STA in the various embodiments of this application. Circuit 31 can be one or more processors, or all or part of the circuitry in one or more processors used for control or processing.

[0297] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the communication device provided in this application. The input / output control module manages the input and output signals of the communication device (e.g., AP or STA). For example, the input / output control can be one or more forms such as a modem, keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen. The input / output control may also be part of the processor. The communication device establishes communication connections with other devices through the communication control module. The receiver / transmitter is used to communicate with other devices. The receiver / transmitter may include a modem for modulating information (when this architecture is applied to the transmitting side device) or demodulating modulated information (when this system architecture is applied to the receiving side device). The antenna is used to transmit or receive signals. Storage can be used to store computer code, which can be executed by the processor to implement the corresponding functions of the communication device. The processor may include intelligent hardware devices, such as a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), central processing unit (CPU), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), graphics processing unit (GPU), neural processing unit (NPU), etc. The communication device shown in Figure 18 can be an AP or STA as described in the embodiments of this application.

[0298] In addition, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause operations and / or processes performed by an access point or site in the various method embodiments of this application to be executed.

[0299] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the operations and / or processes performed by an access point or site in the various method embodiments of this application to be executed.

[0300] This application also provides a chip including a processor, and a memory for storing a computer program is provided independently of the chip. The processor executes the computer program stored in the memory, such that operations and / or processes performed by an access point or station in any method embodiment are executed. Further, the chip may also include a communication interface. The communication interface may be an input / output interface or an interface circuit, etc. Further, the chip may also include a memory.

[0301] This application also provides a chip, which may include circuitry and an input / output interface. The circuitry may be logic circuitry, integrated circuits, etc., and exemplaryly, the circuitry may be one or more processors, or all or part of the circuitry in one or more processors used to implement one or more processing, control, or computing functions. The input / output interface may also be an input / output circuit, or an interface circuit, capable of inputting information (or receiving information) and / or outputting information (or sending information). The chip may include a chip system. Optionally, the chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. The chip can be used to execute the methods implemented by terminal devices or network devices in the various embodiments of this application. Optionally, the chip may be a baseband chip, also known as a modem.

[0302] Furthermore, this application provides a communication system including the access point and / or station in any of the above embodiments. This communication system can implement the communication method provided in any of the embodiments shown in Figures 4 to 14.

[0303] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0304] The processor in this application embodiment has signal processing capabilities and can be a central processing unit (CPU), or a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in this application can be directly embodied in the execution of the hardware processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory; the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above methods.

[0305] In the embodiments of this application, memory is any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in this application can also be a circuit or any other means capable of implementing a storage function for storing computer programs and / or data; or, it can also be a circuit or any other means capable of implementing a storage function for storing computer programs and / or data. As an example, memory can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which serves as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, the types described above or any other suitable types of memory.

[0306] The technical solutions provided in this application can be implemented in whole or in part through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, they can be implemented in whole or in part as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a terminal device, an access network device, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media, etc.

[0307] In the embodiments of this application, "at least one" refers to one or more items. "More than one" means two or more items. "And / or" is used to describe the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0308] The term "comprising" and any variations thereof used in the embodiments of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include other steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0309] In this application, examples may reference each other without logical contradiction. For example, methods and / or terms between method embodiments may reference each other, functions and / or terms between device embodiments may reference each other, and functions and / or terms between device examples and method examples may reference each other.

[0310] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0311] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0312] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0313] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0314] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0315] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to the first access point, including: A first frame is generated, indicating the occurrence of a critical update event, which includes one or more of the following: Update the status of non-primary channel access NPCA; Updates to the status and / or parameters of the Dynamic Subchannel Operation (DSO); Updates to the status and / or parameters of dynamically energy-saving DPS; or Updates to the status and / or parameters of coexisting IDCs within the device; Send the first frame.

2. A communication method, characterized in that, Sites that are not access points include: Receive a first frame, which indicates that a critical update event has occurred, the critical update event including one or more of the following: Update the status of non-primary channel access NPCA; Updates to the status and / or parameters of the Dynamic Subchannel Operation (DSO); Updates to the status and / or parameters of dynamically energy-saving DPS; or Updates to the status and / or parameters of coexisting IDCs within the device; Based on the key update events that occur, determine the state and / or parameters of its own NPCA.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The update of the NPCA's status includes: the NPCA being updated from enabled to disabled, or the NPCA being updated from disabled to enabled.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The update of the DSO includes one or more of the following: The DSO has been updated from enabled to disabled; The DSO is updated from disabled to enabled; or... The parameters of the DSO are updated.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The DPS update includes one or more of the following: The DPS has been changed from enabled to disabled; The DPS is updated from disabled to enabled; or... The parameters of the DPS are updated.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The IDC update includes one or more of the following: The IDC was changed from enabled to disabled; The IDC has been updated from disabled to enabled; New IDC events have been added. One or more existing IDC events were deleted; or, The parameters of one or more existing IDC events have been updated.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first frame indicates that a critical update event has occurred, including: The first frame includes a Traffic Indication Graph (TIM) frame, wherein the value of the Detection Beacon Frame field in the TIM frame differs from the value of the Detection Beacon Frame field in the previously transmitted TIM frame; and / or, The first frame includes a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, or a reassociation response frame. The value of the basic service set parameter change count field in the basic multilink element of the first frame is different from the value of the basic service set parameter change count field in the previously transmitted basic multilink element.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2-7, characterized in that, The first frame includes a Traffic Indication Graph (TIM) frame, and the method further includes: If the value of the detection beacon frame field in the received TIM frame differs from the value of the detection beacon frame field in the previously received TIM frame, it is determined that the critical update event has occurred; and The first beacon frame after receiving the TIM frame.

9. The method according to any one of claims 2-7, characterized in that, The first frame includes any one of the following: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, or a reassociation response frame, and the method further includes: If the value of the Basic Service Set (BSS) parameter change count field in the basic multilink element of the received beacon frame, probe response frame, association response frame, or reassociation response frame is different from the value of the BSS parameter change count field in the previously received basic multilink element, it is determined that the critical update event has occurred. as well as, The first beacon frame after receiving the beacon frame, the probe response frame, the association response frame, or the reassociation response frame.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1, 3-7, characterized in that, Sending the first frame includes: The first frame is sent if one or more of the following conditions are met: The first access point updated the state of the NPCA; The first access point updated the status and / or parameters of the DSO; The first access point updated the status and / or parameters of the DPS; or, The first access point updated the status and / or parameters of the IDC.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1, 3-7, 10, characterized in that, The occurrence of a critical update event includes an update to the state of the NPCA at the first access point; the method further includes: Send the second frame, in which: The second frame contains a first element, indicating that the NPCA of the first access point is enabled; or, The second frame does not contain the first element, and the second frame indicates that the NPCA of the first access point is disabled; or, The second frame contains a first element, which contains a first field, the first field of which indicates whether the NPCA of the first access point is enabled or disabled; or, the second frame contains a second field, the second field of which indicates whether the NPCA of the first access point is enabled or disabled.

12. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that, The occurrence of a critical update event includes an update of the state of the NPCA of the first access point associated with the site; the method further includes: Based on the first frame, a second frame is received; wherein... The second frame contains a first element, indicating that the NPCA is enabled at the first access point; or, The second frame does not contain the first element, and the second frame indicates that the NPCA of the first access point is disabled; or, The second frame contains a first element, the first element contains a first field, the first field of the first element indicates whether the NPCA of the first access point is enabled or disabled; or, the second frame contains a second field, the second field indicates whether the NPCA of the first access point is enabled or disabled. The process of determining the state and / or parameters of its own NPCA based on the occurrence of the key update event includes: Based on whether the NPCA of the first access point is enabled or disabled, determine the status and / or parameters of its own NPCA.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The second frame includes a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, or a reassociation response frame; and the first element includes an NPCA parameter set element.

14. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The second frame contains a second field indicating whether the NPCA of the first access point is enabled or disabled, including: The second frame includes a management frame or a Quality of Service (QoS) data frame, and the second field includes an EHT operation mode control field.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, Before generating the first frame, the method further includes: The first condition is determined to be met. The first condition is related to one or more of the NPCA main channel of the second access point and the second BSS. The second BSS is the BSS to which the second access point belongs. The first access point belongs to the first BSS. The first BSS and the second BSS are each other's OBSS. Update the status or parameters of NPCA of the first access point.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first request frame, the first request frame indicating that the first non-main channel accesses the NPCA main channel, the first NPCA main channel is the NPCA main channel of the first BSS that the first access point expects, and the first access point belongs to the first BSS; Receive a first response frame from a second access point, which belongs to a second BSS. The first BSS and the second BSS are cross-basic service set OBSSs. Based on the first response frame, update the parameters of the NPCA of the first BSS.

17. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to the first access point, including: The first condition is determined to be met, wherein the first condition is related to one or more of the NPCA main channel of the second access point and the second BSS, the second BSS is the BSS to which the second access point belongs, the first access point belongs to the first BSS, and the first BSS and the second BSS are each other's OBSS; Update the status or parameters of NPCA of the first access point.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first condition is related to the NPCA main channel of the second access point; The determination that the first condition is met includes: If the NPCA main channel of the second access point is the same as or adjacent to the NPCA main channel of the first access point, it is determined that the first condition is met.

19. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first condition is related to the NPCA main channel of the second access point; The determination that the first condition is met includes: If NPCA is enabled at the first access point, and after hopping to the first NPCA main channel, the physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) of the second access point is detected on the first NPCA main channel, it is determined that the first condition is met.

20. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to the first access point, including: Send a first request frame, the first request frame indicating that the first non-primary channel accesses the NPCA primary channel, the first NPCA primary channel being the NPCA primary channel of the first basic service set BSS that the first access point expects, and the first access point belonging to the first BSS; Receive a first response frame from a second access point, which belongs to a second BSS. The first BSS and the second BSS are cross-basic service set OBSSs. Based on the first response frame, the parameters of the NPCA of the first BSS are determined.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The first response frame instructs the second access point to accept setting the first NPCA primary channel as the NPCA primary channel of the first BSS.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The first response frame also indicates the NPCA main channel of the second BSS set by the second access point.

23. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The first response frame indicates that the second access point refuses to set the first NPCA primary channel as the NPCA primary channel of the first BSS. The first response frame also indicates a second NPCA primary channel, which is the NPCA primary channel of the second BSS that the second access point expects.

24. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 23, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain information about the NPCA main channel of the second BSS; Based on the information from the NPCA main channel of the second BSS, it is determined to send the first request frame.

25. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 23, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain information about the neighboring AP list of the second access point; Based on the information in the neighbor AP list of the second access point, if the neighbor AP list of the second access point contains the same neighbor AP as the first access point, it is determined to send the first request frame.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes modules or units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1, 3-7, 10-11, 13-25; or, it includes modules or units for performing the method as described in any one of claims 2-9, 12-16.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes at least one processor, said at least one processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory such that the method as claimed in any one of claims 1, 3-7, 10-11, 13-25 is executed; or, the method as claimed in any one of claims 2-9, 12-16 is executed.

28. A chip, characterized in that, The device includes a circuit and a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is used to receive a signal to be processed and to send the signal to be processed to the circuit; the circuit is used to process the received signal so that the method as described in any one of claims 1, 3-7, 10-11, 13-25 is performed; or, the method as described in any one of claims 2-9, 12-16 is performed.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1, 3-7, 10-11, 13-25; or cause the communication device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 2-9, 12-16.

30. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1, 3-7, 10-11, 13-25; or, includes a computer program or instructions for performing the method as described in any one of claims 2-9, 12-16.

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