Scheduling method and scheduling apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a scheduling method and a scheduling apparatus, used for terminating air interface contention in advance, thereby reducing network congestion and improving the overall network performance of a wireless network. The scheduling method provided in the present application comprises: a control node sends a first message to a first network node, wherein a first field of the first message is used for instructing the first network node to terminate air interface contention; and the control node receives a second message from the first network node, wherein the second message is used for indicating whether the air interface contention is successfully terminated.

Description

A scheduling method and a scheduling device

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411564934.8, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 4, 2024, entitled “A Scheduling Method and Scheduling Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of optical communication technology, and in particular to a scheduling method and scheduling device. Background Technology

[0003] In a wireless local area network (WLAN), a control node connects to multiple network nodes. WLAN networks can reduce air interface contention between multiple network nodes (or between multiple network nodes and the control node) through time-domain coordinated transmission. Time-domain coordinated transmission refers to the coordinated air interface transmission between the control node and network nodes in the time domain.

[0004] In the time-domain cooperative transmission scheme, the control node determines the air interface transmission order of different network nodes and schedules the network nodes sequentially, thereby staggering the Wi-Fi air interfaces of different network nodes in time. This can reduce conflicts and efficiency degradation caused by air interface contention between multiple network nodes (or between multiple network nodes and the control node), providing a stable and reliable connection for terminal devices.

[0005] In a time-domain coordinated transmission scheme, time-domain scheduling for the next air interface (including scheduling, air interface contention, and service transmission phases) must be initiated only after the time-domain scheduling of the previous air interface is completed. If the air interface is blocked in the previous air interface due to reasons such as low service priority of network nodes or air interface congestion (e.g., scheduling, air interface contention, or service transmission processes are blocked), then the scheduling of the next air interface and even subsequent air interfaces will be delayed, affecting subsequent air interface transmission and impacting service experience. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a scheduling method and scheduling device for early termination of air interface contention, thereby reducing network congestion and improving the overall network performance of the wireless network.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a scheduling method, the method comprising: a control node sending a first message to a first network node, wherein a first field of the first message is used to instruct the first network node to terminate air interface contention; and the control node receiving a second message from the first network node, wherein a second field of the second message is used to indicate whether the air interface contention was successfully terminated.

[0008] In this embodiment, the control node sends a first message to the first network node of the current air interface to terminate the current air interface (including scheduling, air interface contention, service transmission, etc.). This scheme can promptly terminate the current air interface in cases of abnormal blocking or higher-priority service requests for air interface transmission, thereby ensuring the timely operation of the next air interface and even subsequent air interfaces. Preventing the entire network's air interface transmission queue from being blocked by the current air interface can improve the overall network transmission rate, thereby enhancing the user experience.

[0009] In one possible design, if the second field indicates successful termination of air interface contention, then after receiving the second message from the first network node, the control node sends a first scheduling message, which instructs either the first network node or the second network node to transmit the second service data over the air interface.

[0010] In this embodiment, the control node schedules a new air interface after the first network node successfully terminates air interface contention. This allows for the timely opening of the next air interface after terminating the current one, reducing the waiting latency for the next air interface, improving the overall network transmission rate, and thus enhancing the user experience.

[0011] In one possible design, before sending the first message to the first network node, the control node sends a first scheduling message to the first network node. The first scheduling message is used to instruct the first network node to transmit first service data over the air interface. The step of the control node sending the first message to the first network node may specifically include: if the time elapsed since sending the first scheduling message exceeds a first duration, then the control node sends the first message to the first network node.

[0012] In this embodiment, the timer starts when the control node sends a time allocation message to the first network node (after the current air interface starts), and the timer's length is greater than or equal to the preset duration of the scheduling period. Therefore, if the timer times out and no transmission result report message is received from the first network node, it indicates that the current air interface's duration exceeds the preset duration, suggesting an anomaly (or blockage) in the current air interface. Initiating termination of the abnormal (or blocked) current air interface via the first message prevents the entire network's air interface transmission queue from being blocked by the current air interface, ensuring the timely operation of the next air interface and subsequent air interfaces. This improves the overall network transmission rate, reduces overall network latency, and enhances the user experience.

[0013] In one possible design, before sending the first message to the first network node, the control node sends a first scheduling message to the first network node, the first scheduling message being used to instruct the first network node to transmit first service data over the air interface; the control node receives a request message, the request message being used to request the transmission of second service data, the second service data having a higher priority than the first service data; the step of the control node sending the first message to the first network node may specifically include: according to the request message that the second service data has a higher priority than the first service data, the control node sends the first message to the first network node.

[0014] In this embodiment, when a high-priority service requests air interface transmission, the control node terminates the current air interface in advance via a first message and schedules the high-priority service for transmission in the next air interface. This allows high-priority services to be transmitted on the air interface faster, reducing the response time of high-priority services and improving user experience.

[0015] In one possible design, the first scheduling message is a time allocation message, which includes the scheduling configuration of the first network node, and the scheduling configuration is used to configure the air interface transmission behavior of the first network node.

[0016] In this embodiment, the control node configures the air interface transmission behavior of the first network node through time allocation messages, thereby enabling control over the air interface transmission mode of the first network node and thus better managing the first network node.

[0017] In one possible design, the second terminal includes a termination air interface result field, wherein a first state of the termination air interface contention field indicates successful termination of air interface contention, and a second state indicates failed termination of air interface contention.

[0018] In this embodiment of the application, the second message indicates whether the termination of air interface contention was successful or failed through the termination air interface result field. The indication method is simple and the processing efficiency is high.

[0019] In one possible design, the first and second states of the terminated air interface result field include: a first value range and a second value range on the terminated air interface result field; or, an empty state and a non-empty state of the terminated air interface result field; or, a non-empty state and an empty state of the terminated air interface result field.

[0020] In this embodiment of the application, the continuation / termination of the current scheduling cycle is indicated by different value ranges, empty state and non-empty state of the termination air interface result field. The implementation method is simple and the processing efficiency is high.

[0021] In one possible design, the second value range of the terminated air interface result field includes at least one of a first value, a second value, and a third value; the first value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate the air interface contention is that the first network node does not support it; the second value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate the air interface contention is that the air interface has been acquired and cannot be interrupted; the third value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate the air interface contention is that the first service data has been sent.

[0022] In this embodiment, different values ​​of the termination air interface result field are used to indicate whether the air interface contention termination was successful or not, and the reason for the failure. The second message indicates both that the first network node's air interface contention was successfully terminated and, in the case of failure, the reason for the failure. In the case of failure, the control node can know the processing progress of the first network node's transmission of the first service data, thereby predicting how long the current air interface contention will continue, and better scheduling of other network nodes / service data in the network, thereby improving the overall network transmission rate and enhancing the user experience.

[0023] In one possible design, the first field includes a termination type field, wherein a first state of the termination type field indicates continued air interface contention, and a second state indicates termination of air interface contention.

[0024] In this embodiment of the application, the first message indicates whether to continue or terminate the current scheduling cycle through the termination type field. It can maintain the current scheduling cycle if termination is not required, or start the termination procedure for the current scheduling if termination is required.

[0025] In one possible design, the control node is the master gateway (MFU) of the fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) network, and the first network node is the slave gateway (SFU) of the FTTR network.

[0026] In this embodiment of the application, in the FTTR network, the MFU sends a first message to the SFU of the current scheduling period to terminate the current air interface. This scheme can promptly terminate the current air interface in cases such as abnormal blocking or higher-priority service requests for air interface transmission, thereby ensuring timely scheduling of the next air interface and even more subsequent air interfaces. Preventing the air interface transmission queue of the entire FTTR network from being blocked by the current air interface can improve the transmission rate of the entire FTTR network, thereby improving the user experience.

[0027] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a scheduling method, the method comprising: a first network node receiving a first message from a control node, wherein a first field of the first message is used to instruct the first network node to terminate air interface contention; and sending a second message to the control node, wherein a second field of the second message is used to indicate whether the air interface contention was successfully terminated.

[0028] In one possible design, the first network node decides whether to terminate the air interface contention before sending the second message.

[0029] In one possible design, if the second field indicates that the air interface contention failed to terminate, then after the first network node sends a second message to the control node, the first network node continues to execute the current scheduling cycle (air interface contention).

[0030] In one possible design, before receiving a first message from the control node, the first network node receives a first scheduling message from the control node, the first scheduling message being used to instruct the first network node to transmit first service data over the air interface.

[0031] In one possible design, before the first network node receives the first message from the control node, the first network node competes for air interface resources for the first service data; if the second field indicates successful termination of air interface competition, the first network node stops competing for air interface resources after sending the second message to the control node; if the second field indicates unsuccessful termination of air interface competition, the first network node continues to compete for air interface resources for the first service data after sending the second message to the control node.

[0032] In this embodiment, since the situation of the WLAN devices competing for air interface access with the first network node is unpredictable, the duration of air interface access contention by the first network node is uncontrollable. If the current scheduling period (air interface) of the first network node is blocked in the air interface access contention phase, the air interface transmission phase of the current scheduling period can be terminated in a timely manner by terminating the current scheduling period, thereby avoiding the uncontrollable latency of the air interface access contention phase of the current scheduling period and making the latency of the entire network relatively controllable.

[0033] In one possible design, the first network node performs scheduling before receiving the first message from the control node; if the second field indicates successful termination of air interface contention, the first network node stops scheduling after sending the second message to the control node; if the second field indicates failed termination of air interface contention, the first network node continues scheduling after sending the second message to the control node.

[0034] In this embodiment, the scheduling phase is part of the current scheduling cycle (air interface). If the scheduling phase is blocked, the current scheduling cycle will also be blocked. In this case, terminating the current scheduling cycle ensures the timely operation of the next scheduling cycle and even subsequent scheduling cycles. Preventing the entire network's air interface transmission queue (multiple scheduling cycles) from being blocked by the scheduling phase of the current scheduling cycle can improve the overall network transmission rate, thereby enhancing the user experience.

[0035] In one possible design, before the first network node receives the first message from the control node, the first network node transmits the first service data over the air interface; if the second field indicates successful termination of air interface contention, the first network node stops transmitting the first service data after sending the second message to the control node; if the second field indicates failed termination of air interface contention, the first network node continues to transmit the first service data over the air interface after sending the second message to the control node.

[0036] In this embodiment, if the amount of data transmitted over the air interface during the current scheduling period (air interface) is large, the air interface transmission phase latency of the current scheduling period will be large. If there are services in the network with high latency requirements, these services may not tolerate the large latency of the air interface transmission phase during the current scheduling period. Therefore, by terminating the current scheduling period, the air interface transmission phase of the current scheduling period can be terminated in advance, and the high-latency service can be scheduled for air interface transmission in the next scheduling period, thereby reducing the service transmission latency in the next scheduling period.

[0037] In one possible design, before the first network node receives the first message from the control node, the first network node receives a first time allocation message from the control node, the first time allocation message including the scheduling configuration of the first network node, the scheduling configuration being used to configure the air interface transmission behavior of the first network node.

[0038] In one possible design, the second field includes a termination air interface result field, wherein a first state of the termination air interface contention is successful and a second state is failure to terminate the current scheduling period.

[0039] In one possible design, the first state and the second state of the terminated air interface result field include: a first value range and a second value range on the terminated air interface result field; or, an empty state and a non-empty state of the terminated air interface result field; or, a non-empty state and an empty state of the terminated air interface result field.

[0040] In one possible design, the second value range of the termination air interface result field includes at least one of a first value, a second value, and a third value; the first value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate air interface contention is that the first network node does not support it; the second value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate air interface contention is that the air interface has been acquired and cannot be interrupted; the third value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate air interface contention is that the first service data has been sent.

[0041] In one possible design, the first terminal includes a termination type field, wherein a first state of the termination type field indicates continued air interface contention, and a second state indicates termination of air interface contention.

[0042] In one possible design, before the first network node receives the first message from the control node, the first network node receives a second time allocation message from the control node, the second time allocation message being used to instruct the first network node to transmit the first service data over the air interface.

[0043] In one possible design, the control node is the master gateway (MFU) of the FTTR network, and the first network node is the slave gateway (SFU) of the FTTR network.

[0044] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a scheduling system, the system including a control node and N network nodes; wherein the control node can execute the method provided in any possible design of the first aspect above, and each of the network nodes can execute the method provided in any possible design of the second aspect above.

[0045] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a scheduling device, which includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The functions performed by the transceiver unit and the processing unit can correspond to the steps of the control node involved in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect described above.

[0046] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a scheduling device, which includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The functions performed by the transceiver unit and the processing unit can correspond to the steps performed by network nodes in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0047] Sixthly, embodiments of this application also provide a network device, the network device including one or more processors coupled to a memory storing computer program code, the computer program code including computer instructions. The processor executes the computer instructions in the memory to perform the methods provided in any possible design of the first aspect described above. Optionally, the network device further includes a communication interface, the processor being coupled to the communication interface. The communication interface may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; when the network device is a chip included in the network device, the communication interface may be the chip's input / output interface. Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, and the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0048] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a network device, the network device including one or more processors and a memory, the memory being coupled to the processor, the memory storing computer program code, the computer program code including computer instructions. The processor executes the computer instructions in the memory to perform the methods provided in any possible design of the second aspect above. Optionally, the network device further includes a communication interface, the processor being coupled to the communication interface. The communication interface may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; when the network device is a chip included in the network device, the communication interface may be the chip's input / output interface. Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, and the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0049] Eighthly, embodiments of this application also provide a wireless networking system, including the network device as provided in the sixth aspect above, and N network devices as provided in the seventh aspect above.

[0050] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a computer, enables the implementation of a method provided in any possible design of the first aspect, or enables the implementation of a method provided in any possible design of the second aspect.

[0051] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product, the computer program product comprising: computer program code, which, when executed by a processor of a network device, causes the network device to perform the method in any possible design of the first aspect, or causes the network device to perform the method in any possible design of the second aspect.

[0052] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application also provide a chip for reading and executing software programs stored in a memory to implement the method in any possible design of the first aspect above, or to implement the method in any possible design of the second aspect above. The memory may be connected to the chip, or the memory may be built into the chip.

[0053] For details on the beneficial effects of any of the second to eleventh aspects mentioned above, please refer to the beneficial effects of the various possible designs in the first aspect mentioned above; they will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0054] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the WLAN network architecture provided in this application;

[0055] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of FTTH / O provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram of the optical communication system topology applied to FTTR provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 2C is a schematic diagram of the topology of another optical communication system for home networks provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 2D is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of FTTR provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a scheduling method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 4 is a structural diagram of sending a termination request message provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a structure for sending a termination response message according to an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 6 is another flowchart illustrating the scheduling method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 7 is another flowchart illustrating the scheduling method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 8 is another flowchart illustrating the scheduling method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a scheduling device in an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another scheduling device in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0068] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will recognize that, with technological advancements and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0069] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms are interchangeable where appropriate; this is merely a way of distinguishing objects with the same attributes in the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of units is not necessarily limited to those units, but may include other units not explicitly listed or inherent to those processes, methods, products, or apparatuses. Additionally, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can be expressed as: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0070] Referring to Figure 1, a possible WLAN network architecture is illustrated. The WLAN network architecture includes a wireless controller (also referred to as a "control node" in this embodiment), wireless access points (also referred to as "network nodes" in this embodiment), and terminal devices. The wireless controller is used to configure services and radio frequency for the access points. The wireless access point (AP) is used to provide service access to associated STAs. Terminal devices, acting as STAs, can be associated with the access point.

[0071] Terminal devices can include mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers with mobile terminal devices, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, and computer-embedded mobile devices, etc. Examples include Personal Communication Service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and other devices. Terminal devices can also be computers, tablets, e-readers, and smart home devices such as smart TVs and smart speakers. As an example and not a limitation, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices or smart wearable devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices; they achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Wearable smart devices in a broad sense include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can perform all or part of their functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets, smart helmets, and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0072] In a WLAN network, a control node connects to multiple network nodes. WLAN networks can reduce air interface contention between multiple network nodes (or between multiple network nodes and the control node) through time-domain coordinated transmission. Time-domain coordinated transmission refers to the coordinated air interface transmission between the control node and network nodes in the time domain.

[0073] The control node determines the network node to perform air interface transmission in the current scheduling cycle based on information such as the service traffic that multiple network nodes need to transmit over the air interface. It then sends a time allocation message to that network node, thereby scheduling it to perform air interface transmission in the current scheduling cycle.

[0074] The control node can schedule different network nodes to transmit over the air interface at different times based on information such as the service traffic of multiple network nodes. This controls the Wi-Fi transmission timing of different network nodes over the air interface, achieving high-efficiency transmission. Through coordination, the Wi-Fi air interface in the WLAN network can be reasonably controlled, reducing conflicts and efficiency degradation caused by air interface contention between multiple network nodes (or between multiple network nodes and the control node), and providing stable and reliable connections for terminal devices.

[0075] In the time-domain collaborative transmission scheme, the control node generates a scheduling sequence for multiple network nodes, and multiple scheduling cycles in the scheduling sequence are executed sequentially. Moreover, the time-domain scheduling of the next scheduling cycle must be started only after the time-domain scheduling of the previous scheduling cycle is completed. If, in the previous scheduling cycle (the Nth scheduling cycle), the Nth scheduling cycle is blocked on steps such as air interface contention (step (4) above) and air interface transmission (step (6) above) due to reasons such as low service priority of network nodes and busy air interface, the scheduling of the next scheduling cycle (the N+1th scheduling cycle) will be delayed, affecting the air interface transmission of network nodes in the N+1th scheduling cycle, thereby affecting the service experience.

[0076] With the development of networks, the requirements for network performance such as service latency and transmission rate are becoming increasingly stringent. Congestion in the previous scheduling cycle can cause delays in the next cycle and even subsequent cycles, and the duration of these delays is unpredictable, leading to problems such as increased service latency and decreased overall network transmission rate.

[0077] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a scheduling method that reduces network congestion and improves the overall performance of the wireless network by prematurely terminating the current scheduling cycle.

[0078] With the development of communication technology, optical fiber transmission is increasingly being used in communication systems, among which fiber to the room (FTTR) is a crucial component of optical networks. An FTTR system includes a main device and sub-devices, connected via optical fiber. The main device, acting as an optical network terminal (ONT) or optical network unit (ONU) in a passive optical network (PON), is connected to the optical line terminal (OLT) at the operator's central office via optical fiber.

[0079] PON can be gigabit-capable PON (GPON), Ethernet passive optical network (EPON), 10Gb / s Ethernet passive optical network (10G-EPON), time and wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network (TWDM-PON), 10gigabit-capable passive optical network (XG-PON), or 10-gigabit-capable symmetric passive optical network (XGS-PON), etc. Future advancements will increase PON speeds to 25Gbps, 50Gbps, or even 100Gbps; therefore, this application can also utilize PONs with even higher transmission rates.

[0080] Figure 2A illustrates the system architecture of Fiber to the Home / Office (FTTH / O). It connects upstream network-side equipment (such as switches and routers) and downstream ONTs via an optical distribution network (ODN). The ODN includes passive optical splitters for optical power distribution, a trunk fiber connecting the passive splitters and the OLT, and branch fibers connecting the passive splitters and ONTs. When transmitting downlink signals, the downlink signal sent by the OLT is transmitted to each ONT through the splitter, and the ONT selectively receives downlink data belonging to itself from the downlink signal. When transmitting uplink signals, the uplink signals sent by N ONTs are combined into a single optical signal by the splitter and transmitted to the OLT.

[0081] Building upon FTTH / O, to address signal coverage issues (such as wireless LAN (WLAN) signals) in home or office networks, fiber optic cables can be extended further into the room. Optical terminal equipment providing WLAN signals is installed inside the room, thus reducing the distance between the user terminal and the wireless access point (AP) and improving signal quality. This technology is called Fiber to the Room (FTTR).

[0082] This application's embodiments are applicable to WLAN deployments using Fiber to the Room (FTTR). In FTTR, fiber optic cables are laid to each room, and home gateways are interconnected by deploying edge network devices in each room. FTTR can meet the high bandwidth and latency requirements of new business applications such as online education, home office, and home entertainment. The edge network devices can be edge ONTs or access points (APs), acting as network nodes in the wireless network. In FTTR applications, gateway devices are deployed to manage the edge network devices. These gateway devices can be optical gateways, ONTs, or PON gateways, acting as control nodes in the wireless network.

[0083] As an example, Figure 2B shows a schematic diagram of an optical communication system topology applied to FTTR. An optical communication system applied to FTTR includes at least an optical gateway, a splitter, and multiple edge optical network terminals (edge ​​ONTs). In this embodiment, the edge ONT can also be called an EDGE ONT or an Edge ONT. The optical gateway can communicate with multiple EDGE ONTs separately through the splitter. The optical communication system also includes an OLT. The optical gateway is deployed between the OLT and the edge ONTs. In the FTTR scenario, the optical gateway connects to the home information box via fiber optic cable, and then connects to each room via the splitter. Each room deploys one edge ONT, and the optical gateway at the information box collaboratively manages multiple Edge ONTs. In the FTTR architecture, multiple ONTs are connected to the optical gateway via optical fiber, and control and management resources do not occupy Wi-Fi air interfaces. Compared with multi-AP Wi-Fi cascading schemes, this improves the real-time performance of optical gateway management. Terminal devices can access the Edge ONTs to achieve network communication.

[0084] As another example, see Figure 2C, which shows a schematic diagram of an optical communication system topology for a home network application. The optical communication system includes at least an ONT and multiple APs. The ONT is used for collaborative management of the APs deployed in each room.

[0085] FTTR optical communication systems can employ passive optical networks (PONs).

[0086] Figure 2D is a schematic diagram of the FTTR system architecture. In FTTH / O, the OLT is deployed in the central equipment room, while the ONT is deployed in homes or offices. The master device in the FTTR network acts as both the ONT in the FTTH network and the upstream device for the FTTR slave devices, managing them. The slave devices in FTTR can be deployed in various rooms of homes or offices to provide signal to user terminals. The slave devices possess the functions of an ONT and can also function as wireless access points (APs).

[0087] Multiple slave devices can be deployed in an FTTR system, each connected to the master device via an optical splitter. The master device can centrally manage and configure all slave devices. The master device can also be called a "master gateway," "master optical modem," or "master FTTR unit (MFU)," while slave devices can be called "slave gateways," "slave optical modems," or "slave FTTR units (SFU)," etc.

[0088] In this embodiment, the FTTR architecture is used to terminate the current scheduling cycle early and promptly initiate the next scheduling cycle, thereby reducing network congestion and optimizing the overall network performance of FTTR. It should be noted that this application can also be applied to non-FTTR architectures; any communication system architecture consisting of control nodes and network nodes is suitable for this embodiment. The above is merely an example of the FTTR architecture and is not intended to limit the scope.

[0089] The method provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0090] Figure 3 is an interactive flowchart of a scheduling method provided in an embodiment of this application. The scheduling method includes:

[0091] 301. The control node receives reports from multiple network nodes.

[0092] After the initialization and synchronization phases, multiple network nodes connected to the control node can send reporting messages to the control node. These reporting messages include information such as the network node's service traffic and service priority. Network nodes can proactively send this reporting message (service_report) to the control node when services / traffic change, or they can send it upon request from the control node; this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0093] 302. The control node performs centralized scheduling.

[0094] The control node performs centralized scheduling based on the service traffic information of multiple network nodes and their historical scheduling records, generating a scheduling configuration. Centralized scheduling is cross-network node scheduling, meaning the control node selects one network node from among multiple network nodes for scheduling within the current cycle.

[0095] The control node can determine the first network node to be scheduled and determine the scheduling configuration of the first network node. This scheduling configuration may include the time allocation for the first network node. This time allocation includes the position and length of the scheduling cycle in which the first network node resides within the overall network scheduling cycle queue.

[0096] The scheduling configuration of the first network node may also include the air interface contention mode of the first network node, uplink and downlink data configuration, etc.

[0097] This step marks the beginning of the scheduling cycle for the first network node, and can be considered as the beginning of the Nth scheduling cycle for time-domain cooperative transmission.

[0098] 303. The control node sends a time allocation message to the first network node.

[0099] Once the scheduling configuration of the first network node is determined, the control node can send a time assignment message to the first network node. The time assignment message includes the aforementioned scheduling configuration and is used to configure the air interface transmission behavior of the first network node.

[0100] In this embodiment of the application, the time allocation message can also be called a scheduling message.

[0101] 304. The first network node initiates its scheduling cycle based on the time allocation message.

[0102] The time allocation message indicates that the first network node is permitted to transmit over the air interface. Upon receiving the time allocation message, the first network node initiates its scheduling cycle based on the message. This scheduling cycle includes stages such as scheduling, air interface contention, and air interface transmission.

[0103] During the scheduling phase, the first network node performs service scheduling and configures the parameters of its Wi-Fi module. Service scheduling involves determining the users and / or services to be transmitted in the current scheduling period. The first network node can configure its Wi-Fi module parameters based on the transmission parameters in the time allocation message, local historical parameters, or parameters from the initialization phase; this application does not impose any limitations on these configurations. Optionally, transmission parameters, historical parameters, etc., may include EDCA parameters, RTS / CTS configuration, etc.

[0104] During the air interface contention phase, the first network node competes with other network nodes in the network that have applied for air interface resources.

[0105] During the air interface transmission phase, the first network node uses the air interface resources it has won to transmit service data over the air interface (i.e., send service data).

[0106] 305. The control node sends the first message to the first network node.

[0107] In certain situations (such as when the current scheduling period is too long, or when a higher-priority service request requires air interface transmission), the control node can send a first message to the first network node. The first field in the first message is used to instruct the first network node to terminate air interface contention.

[0108] In this embodiment, the first message can be sending scheduling information, also known as a scheduling message. As shown in Table 1, sending scheduling information includes fields such as scheduling type, scheduling mode, start time, and termination type. The termination type field can be the first field, used to indicate whether air interface contention needs to be terminated (i.e., whether the current scheduling period needs to be terminated). The length of the termination type field can, for example, be one byte. It is worth noting that one byte is merely an example; the termination type field can be longer or shorter, and this application does not limit this.

[0109] Table 1 Contents of the Sending Scheduling Information

[0110] As shown in Table 1, a value of 0 for the Termination Type field indicates "Continue air interface contention" (i.e., continue the current scheduling cycle), a value of 1 indicates "Terminate air interface contention" (i.e., terminate the current scheduling cycle), and other values ​​for the Termination Type field are reserved fields. Reserved fields are used to reserve fields for functions to be developed or functions that have not yet been developed, and are used to extend message functions. The same applies to reserved fields in subsequent embodiments, and will not be repeated hereafter.

[0111] Optionally, "Continue air interface contention" or "Terminate air interface contention" can also be represented by other values ​​of the termination type field. Alternatively, "Continue air interface contention" can be represented by an empty termination type field, and "Terminate air interface contention" can be represented by a non-empty termination type field, or vice versa. Alternatively, "Terminate air interface contention" (and "Continue air interface contention", optional) can be represented by other values ​​or states of the termination type field.

[0112] In the embodiments of this application, the sending scheduling information may also be referred to as sending a termination request message, transmitting a termination request message, or other message names, and this application does not limit it in this way.

[0113] Optionally, the first message can also be a message specifically used to indicate whether air interface contention needs to be terminated, using some fields, bits, etc., to indicate whether air interface contention should continue or terminate. This application does not limit this.

[0114] Figure 4 is an example of the frame structure of a first message provided in an embodiment of this application. Optionally, the frame structure of the first message includes, but is not limited to, the following information: message type, request type, and reserved bits. The message type indicates that the message is the first message. The request type is used to indicate whether to continue / terminate air interface contention (i.e., whether to continue / terminate the current scheduling cycle). Reserved bits are reserved for functions to be developed or functions not yet developed, used to extend message functionality. The same applies to reserved bits in subsequent embodiments, and will not be repeated hereafter.

[0115] 306. The first network node sends a second message to the control node.

[0116] Based on the first message, the first network node initiates a termination operation for the current scheduling cycle, terminating the specific phase (e.g., scheduling phase, air interface contention phase, air interface transmission phase) of the scheduling cycle being executed by the first network node. Then, based on the final result of the termination operation, it sends a second message to the control node. The second field in the second message indicates whether the air interface contention was successfully terminated.

[0117] In this embodiment, the second message can be a scheduling and transmission result message. As shown in Table 2, the scheduling and transmission result message includes fields such as air interface contention result, contention failure reason, transmission result reporting, and air interface termination result. The air interface termination result field is the second field, used to indicate whether air interface contention was successfully terminated (i.e., whether the current scheduling period was successfully terminated). The length of the air interface termination result field can, for example, be one byte. It is worth noting that one byte is merely an example; the air interface termination result field can be longer or shorter, and this application does not limit this.

[0118] Table 2: Contents of Scheduling and Sending Result Messages Table 2 (Continued) Contents of Scheduling and Sending Result Messages

[0119] As shown in Table 2, a value of 0 in the Termination of Air Interface Result field indicates "Successful Termination of Air Interface Contention" (i.e., successful termination of the current scheduling cycle).

[0120] A value of 1 in the Termination of Air Interface Result field indicates "Failed to terminate air interface contention, and the reason for failure is: network node does not support" (i.e., failed to terminate the current scheduling period, and the reason for failure is: network node does not support).

[0121] A value of 2 in the Termination of Air Interface Result field indicates "Failed to terminate air interface contention, and the reason for failure is: air interface contention has been won, and the air interface cannot be interrupted" (i.e., failure to terminate the current scheduling cycle, and the reason for failure is: air interface contention has been won, and the air interface cannot be interrupted).

[0122] A value of 3 in the Termination of Air Interface Result field indicates "Failed to terminate air interface contention, and the reason for failure is: transmission completed" (i.e., failed to terminate the current scheduling period, and the reason for failure is: transmission completed).

[0123] Other values ​​for the terminated air interface result field are reserved fields.

[0124] Optionally, the above four cases can also be represented by terminating other possible values ​​for the air interface result field.

[0125] Optionally, the air interface termination result field can only reflect "Successful termination of air interface contention" (i.e., successful termination of the current scheduling period) or "Failed termination of air interface contention" (i.e., failed termination of the current scheduling period). That is, the air interface termination result field does not reflect the reason for the termination failure. The two states of success or failure are represented by different values ​​or states (field is empty / not empty) of the air interface termination result field.

[0126] In the embodiments of this application, the scheduling and sending result message may also be called a sending termination response message, a transmission termination response message, or other message names, and this application does not limit it in this way.

[0127] Optionally, the second message can also be a message specifically used to indicate whether the air interface contention has been successfully terminated, using some fields, bits, etc., to indicate whether the air interface contention has been successfully terminated. This application does not limit this.

[0128] Figure 5 shows an example of the frame structure of the second message provided in an embodiment of this application. Optionally, the frame structure of the second message includes, but is not limited to, the following information: message type, response type, and reserved bits. The message type can indicate that the message is the first message. The response type is used to indicate whether air interface contention was successfully terminated (i.e., whether the current scheduling period was successfully terminated).

[0129] According to the first message, the first network node initiates a termination operation for the current scheduling cycle, terminating the specific phase (e.g., scheduling phase, air interface contention phase, air interface transmission phase) of the scheduling cycle that the first network node is currently executing.

[0130] The first network node can determine whether it supports terminating a phase of the currently executing scheduling cycle based on its own capabilities.

[0131] If the first network node has the ability to terminate the current stage of the current scheduling cycle, it terminates the current stage, sets the termination air interface result field to 0, and sends a second message to the control node.

[0132] If the first network node does not have the ability to terminate the current scheduling cycle, it will set the termination air interface result field to 1 and send a second message to the control node.

[0133] If the first network node has entered the air interface contention stage and won the air interface resources before step 306, or has entered the air interface transmission stage, then after receiving the send termination request message in step 306, the first network node can perform air interface transmission based on the won air interface resources, set the terminated air interface result field to 2, and send the second message to the control node.

[0134] If the first network node has already entered the air interface transmission stage before step 306, and the transmission has been completed when step 306 occurs, then after receiving the first message in step 306, the first network node can assign the value 3 to the terminate air interface result field and send the second message to the control node.

[0135] 307. If the second field indicates that the air interface contention was successfully terminated, the control node starts the next scheduling cycle.

[0136] According to the second message, the control node determines that the air interface contention has been successfully terminated (i.e., the current scheduling cycle has been successfully terminated). The control node can then start the next scheduling cycle and perform steps such as determining the scheduling configuration for the second network node (or the new service of the first network node) and sending time allocation messages.

[0137] This step marks the beginning of the next scheduling cycle, and can be considered as the beginning of the N+1th scheduling cycle of time-domain cooperative transmission.

[0138] 308. If the second field indicates that the air interface contention failed to terminate, the first network node continues to execute the current scheduling cycle.

[0139] If the second field indicates that the termination of air interface contention failed (i.e., the termination of the current scheduling cycle failed), the current scheduling cycle will continue to be executed. The first network node will continue to perform scheduling, air interface contention, air interface transmission and other operations, and send a result reporting message to the control node after completing the air interface transmission.

[0140] It is worth noting that steps 307 and 308 are two branch options, and only one of them can occur in a solution.

[0141] In this embodiment, the control node sends a first message to the first network node of the current scheduling cycle to terminate the current scheduling cycle (also known as the air interface, including air interface contention, scheduling, and service transmission). This scheme can promptly terminate the current scheduling cycle in cases of abnormal blocking or higher-priority service requests for air interface transmission, thereby ensuring the timely operation of the next scheduling cycle and even subsequent scheduling cycles. Preventing the entire network's air interface transmission queue (multiple scheduling cycles) from being blocked by the current scheduling cycle can improve the overall network transmission rate, thereby enhancing the user experience.

[0142] The scheduling method provided in this application can be applied to FTTR networks. In any embodiment of this application, the control node can be the master gateway (MFU) in the FTTR network, and the first network node can be the slave gateway (SFU) in the FTTR network, which will not be elaborated further below.

[0143] In this embodiment, the current scheduling cycle of the first network node is terminated by sending a first message from the control node. The sending of the first message can be triggered for different reasons in different scenarios. For example, the current scheduling cycle may last too long, or there may be a higher-priority service request for air interface transmission.

[0144] If the triggering reason is that the current scheduling period lasts too long, then in step 303, while sending the time allocation message, the control node starts a timer. The length of the timer is greater than or equal to the preset duration of the scheduling period, such as 5 milliseconds or 10 milliseconds.

[0145] It is worth noting that the timer duration may differ for services of different priorities. For example, if the current scheduling cycle is configured so that the first network node transmits low-priority service packets over the air interface, a shorter preset duration (timer) is set; for high-priority services, a longer preset duration (timer) is set. This reduces the probability of high-priority services being terminated during their scheduling cycle, improves the transmission efficiency of high-priority service packets, and enhances the user experience.

[0146] After step 303, if the timer times out and no transmission result report message is received from the first network node, then step 305 is executed, and the control node sends a transmission termination request to the first network node.

[0147] In this embodiment, the timer starts when the control node sends a time allocation message to the first network node (after the current scheduling period begins), and the timer's length is greater than or equal to the preset duration of the scheduling period (i.e., the air interface). Therefore, if the timer times out and no transmission result report message is received from the first network node, it indicates that the duration of the current scheduling period (current air interface) exceeds the preset duration, and the current scheduling period can be considered abnormal (or blocked). By sending a termination request message to terminate the abnormal (or blocked) current scheduling period, the air interface transmission queue (multiple scheduling periods) of the entire network can be prevented from being blocked by the current scheduling period, ensuring the timely operation of the next scheduling period and even subsequent scheduling periods. This improves the overall network transmission rate, reduces overall network latency, and enhances the user experience.

[0148] It is worth noting that, in addition to timers, control nodes can also determine the duration of the current scheduling cycle based on other methods, such as timers, and this application does not limit this.

[0149] For cases where the triggering reason is a higher-priority service request for air interface transmission, the specific triggering process is as follows:

[0150] After step 303, the control node receives a request message requesting the transmission of high-priority service data. The priority of high-priority services is higher than that of services transmitted in the current scheduling cycle. Therefore, based on this request message, the control node executes step 305, sending a first message to the first network node.

[0151] In this embodiment, when a high-priority service requests air interface transmission, the control node terminates the current scheduling cycle in advance by sending a termination request message, and schedules the high-priority service for transmission in the next scheduling cycle. This allows high-priority services to be transmitted over the air interface more quickly, reducing the response time of high-priority services and improving the user experience.

[0152] Optionally, upon receiving the aforementioned request message, the control node can also determine whether to terminate the current scheduling cycle based on the duration already elapsed. For example, if the preset duration of the current scheduling cycle is 5 milliseconds, the control node can start timing when sending the time allocation message (step 303). If, upon receiving the aforementioned request message, the actual duration already elapsed in the current scheduling cycle is short (e.g., 1 millisecond), and there is still a considerable amount of time remaining before the current scheduling cycle is completed, the control node executes step 305 to terminate the current scheduling cycle. If the actual duration already elapsed in the current scheduling cycle is long, and it is approaching the preset duration of the current scheduling cycle, the control node can choose to wait for the current scheduling cycle to complete before scheduling the transmission of high-priority service data.

[0153] It is worth noting that the control node can also combine the aforementioned timer with high-priority triggers to determine whether to send the first message; this application does not limit this.

[0154] It is important to note that the above triggering reasons are merely examples and do not limit the reasons why the control node sends the first message. The control node can also terminate the current scheduling cycle via the first message in other situations where termination of the current scheduling cycle is required.

[0155] It is worth noting that in the embodiments of this application described below, the control node may also send a first message based on the above-mentioned triggering reasons, which will not be repeated hereafter.

[0156] In this embodiment, the current scheduling period includes stages such as scheduling, air interface contention, and air interface transmission. The termination of the current scheduling period may occur within any of the above stages.

[0157] I. The termination of the current scheduling cycle occurs during the air interface contention phase of the current scheduling cycle.

[0158] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the process by which the control node requests to terminate the current scheduling cycle during the air interface contention phase of the current scheduling cycle.

[0159] 601. The control node receives reports from multiple network nodes.

[0160] 602. The control node performs centralized scheduling.

[0161] 603. The control node sends a time allocation message to the first network node.

[0162] Steps 601-603 are described in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0163] 604. The first network node performs scheduling.

[0164] After receiving the time allocation message, the first network node initiates its own scheduling based on the message. This scheduling, also known as local scheduling, includes service scheduling and parameter configuration. Service scheduling refers to the first network node determining the users and / or services to be transmitted in the current scheduling period after being assigned to it, and thus scheduling these local users and / or services. Parameter configuration refers to the first network node configuring the parameters of its Wi-Fi module according to the transmission parameters.

[0165] Optionally, the scheduling configuration of the time allocation message may include transmission parameters of the air interface transmission behavior of the first network node, so that the first network node can configure the parameters of its Wi-Fi module according to the transmission parameters.

[0166] 605. The first network node engages in air interface contention.

[0167] After configuration is complete, the first network node initiates contention on the air interface based on the current configuration.

[0168] Optionally, during the initialization and synchronization phase prior to step 601, the control node may send transmission parameters, such as EDCA parameters and RTS / CTS configuration, to the first network node. The first network node may then compete for air interface access based on these transmission parameters.

[0169] 606. The control node sends the first message to the first network node.

[0170] Step 606 is the same as step 305 in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0171] 607. The first network node sends a second message to the control node.

[0172] According to the first message, the first network node initiates a termination operation for the current scheduling cycle, terminating the specific phase (the air interface contention phase in this embodiment) of the scheduling cycle that the first network node is currently executing. The first network node can determine whether to support the termination of air interface contention based on its own capabilities. For example, if the chip of the first network node does not support suspending the air interface contention task queue, then the first network node does not support the termination of air interface contention.

[0173] If the first network node lacks the capability to terminate the air interface contention phase, it assigns the value 1 to the second field of the second message and sends a second message to the control node. The second field in this message indicates that the termination operation for the current scheduling period failed because the first network node does not support the function of terminating air interface contention.

[0174] If the first network node has the ability to terminate the air interface contention phase, it terminates the current air interface contention, sets the second field in the second message to 0, and sends the second message to the control node.

[0175] 608. If the second field indicates that the current scheduling cycle was successfully terminated, the control node starts the next scheduling cycle.

[0176] Step 608 is the same as step 307 in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0177] 609. If the second field indicates that the current scheduling cycle has failed to be terminated, the first network node continues to compete for air interface, transmit air interface data, and send result reporting messages to the control node.

[0178] If the second field indicates that terminating the current scheduling cycle fails, the current scheduling cycle will continue to be executed. The first network node will continue to compete for and transmit over the air interface, and after completing the air interface transmission, it will send a result reporting message to the control node.

[0179] It is worth noting that steps 608 and 609 are two branch options, and only one of them can occur in a solution.

[0180] In this embodiment, since the situation of the WLAN devices competing for air interface access with the first network node is unpredictable, the duration of air interface access competition by the first network node is uncontrollable. If the current scheduling cycle of the first network node is blocked in the air interface access competition phase, the air interface transmission phase of the current scheduling cycle can be terminated in a timely manner by terminating the current scheduling cycle, thereby avoiding the uncontrollable latency of the air interface access competition phase of the current scheduling cycle and making the latency of the entire network relatively controllable.

[0181] In some cases, it can also reduce overall network latency. If, during the air interface contention phase of the current scheduling cycle, the first network node is at a disadvantage, causing the current scheduling cycle to be blocked in the air interface contention phase, and the first network node's air interface contention causes significant latency, then terminating the current scheduling cycle and scheduling the first network node's air interface transmission in a subsequent scheduling cycle may put the first network node in an advantageous position in the air interface contention of the subsequent scheduling cycle. In this case, the latency of the first network node's air interface contention is reduced, which can reduce the overall network latency.

[0182] Second, the termination of the current scheduling cycle occurs during the air interface scheduling phase of the current scheduling cycle.

[0183] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the process by which a control node requests to terminate the current scheduling cycle during the air interface scheduling phase of the current scheduling cycle.

[0184] 701. The control node receives reports from multiple network nodes.

[0185] 702. Centralized configuration of control nodes.

[0186] 703. The control node sends a time allocation message to the first network node.

[0187] 704. The first network node performs scheduling based on the time allocation message.

[0188] Steps 701-704 are described in the embodiment shown in Figure 6 and will not be repeated here.

[0189] 705. The control node sends the first message to the first network node.

[0190] Step 705 refers to step 305 of the embodiment shown in Figure 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0191] 706. The first network node sends a second message to the control node.

[0192] According to the first message, the first network node initiates a termination operation for the current scheduling cycle, terminating the specific phase (the scheduling phase in this embodiment) of the scheduling cycle that the first network node is currently executing. The first network node can determine whether to support the termination of the scheduling based on its own capabilities.

[0193] If the first network node lacks the capability to terminate the scheduling phase, it sets the second field in the second message to 1 and sends a second message to the control node. The second field in this message indicates that the termination operation for the current scheduling period failed because the first network node does not support the termination function.

[0194] If the first network node has the ability to terminate the scheduling phase, it terminates the current scheduling, sets the second field in the second message to 0, and sends the second message to the control node.

[0195] 707. If the second field indicates that the current scheduling cycle has been successfully terminated, the control node starts the next scheduling cycle.

[0196] Step 707 refers to step 307 of the embodiment shown in Figure 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0197] 708. If the second field indicates that the current scheduling cycle has failed to be terminated, the first network node continues to perform scheduling, air interface contention, air interface transmission, and send result reporting messages to the control node.

[0198] If the second field indicates that terminating the current scheduling cycle fails, the current scheduling cycle will continue to be executed. The first network node will continue to perform scheduling, air interface contention, and air interface transmission, and will send a result reporting message to the control node after completing the air interface transmission.

[0199] It is worth noting that steps 707 and 708 are two branch options, and only one of them can occur in a solution.

[0200] In this embodiment, the scheduling phase is part of the current scheduling cycle. If the scheduling phase is blocked, the current scheduling cycle will also be blocked. In this case, terminating the current scheduling cycle can ensure the timely operation of the next scheduling cycle and even subsequent scheduling cycles. Preventing the entire network's air interface transmission queue (multiple scheduling cycles) from being blocked by the scheduling phase of the current scheduling cycle can improve the overall network transmission rate, thereby enhancing the user experience.

[0201] If the first network node receives the first message during the scheduling phase, the switching between different states of the first network node is shown in Figure 6. Specifically, if the first network node receives the first message during the scheduling phase, it enters the decision state to terminate the current scheduling cycle. If the decision to terminate is successful, it enters the IDLE state; if the decision to terminate fails, it returns to the scheduling state.

[0202] 3. The termination of the current scheduling cycle occurs during the air interface transmission phase of the current scheduling cycle.

[0203] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the process by which the control node requests to terminate the current scheduling cycle during the air interface transmission phase of the current scheduling cycle.

[0204] 801. The control node receives reports from multiple network nodes.

[0205] 802. The control node performs centralized scheduling.

[0206] 803. The control node sends a time allocation message to the first network node.

[0207] 804. The first network node performs air interface scheduling based on the time allocation message.

[0208] 805. The first network node engages in air interface contention.

[0209] Steps 801-805 are described in the embodiment shown in Figure 6 and will not be repeated here.

[0210] 806. The first network node performs air interface transmission.

[0211] After the air interface contention is completed, the first network node acquires the air interface resources and can begin air interface transmission.

[0212] 807. The control node sends the first message to the first network node.

[0213] Step 807 refers to step 305 of the embodiment shown in Figure 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0214] 808. The first network node sends the second message to the control node.

[0215] According to the first message, the first network node initiates a termination operation for the current scheduling cycle, terminating the specific stage (the air interface transmission stage in this embodiment) of the scheduling cycle that the first network node is currently executing.

[0216] The first network node can determine whether it supports terminating air interface transmissions based on its own capabilities. For example, if the chip of the first network node does not support terminating or suspending the air interface transmission task queue, then the first network node does not support terminating air interface transmissions.

[0217] If the first network node lacks the capability to terminate the air interface contention phase, it assigns the value 1 to the second field and sends a second message to the control node. The second field in this message indicates that the termination operation for the current scheduling period failed because the first network node does not support the termination function for air interface transmission.

[0218] If the first network node has the ability to terminate the air interface transmission phase, it terminates the current air interface transmission (e.g., terminates or suspends the air interface transmission queue), sets the second field to 0, and sends the second message to the control node.

[0219] Optionally, if the remaining duration of the current air interface transmission task is short, the first network node may choose to complete the current air interface transmission process. In this case, the first network node continues the current air interface transmission operation, assigns the value of the second field to 4, and sends a second message to the control node. The second field in this message indicates that the first network node will not terminate the current scheduling period, causing the termination operation for the current scheduling period to fail.

[0220] 809. If the second field indicates that the current scheduling cycle was successfully terminated, the control node starts the next scheduling cycle.

[0221] Step 809 refers to step 307 of the embodiment shown in Figure 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0222] 810. If the second field indicates that the current scheduling cycle has failed to be terminated, the first network node continues to perform air interface transmission and sends a result reporting message to the control node.

[0223] If the second field indicates that terminating the current scheduling cycle failed, the current scheduling cycle will continue to be executed. The first network node will continue to perform air interface transmission and send a result reporting message to the control node after completing the air interface transmission.

[0224] It is worth noting that steps 809 and 810 are two branch options, and only one of them can occur in a single solution.

[0225] In this embodiment, if the amount of data transmitted over the air interface in the current scheduling period is large, the air interface transmission phase latency of the current scheduling period will be large. If there are services in the network with high latency requirements, these services may not tolerate the large latency of the air interface transmission phase in the current scheduling period. Therefore, by terminating the current scheduling period, the air interface transmission phase of the current scheduling period can be terminated in advance, and the high-latency service can be scheduled for air interface transmission in the next scheduling period, thereby reducing the service transmission latency in the next scheduling period.

[0226] This solution is particularly suitable for situations where the current scheduling cycle requires a large amount of business data but has low latency requirements, and where there are services with high latency requirements waiting to be transmitted in the network.

[0227] If the second message sent by the control node in step 808 arrives at the first network node just after the first network node has completed its air interface transmission, then in step 808, the first network node can assign the value 3 to the second field and send the second message to the control node. The second field in this message indicates that the termination operation for the current scheduling cycle failed because the first network node completed its air interface transmission. Therefore, steps 809 and 810 are not executed subsequently; instead, the first network node sends a result reporting message to the control node, completing the current scheduling cycle.

[0228] Based on the same inventive concept as the above method embodiments, this application also provides a scheduling device 900, as shown in FIG9. This device can be installed on a control node. The scheduling device 900 includes a transceiver unit 901 and a processing unit 902. The scheduling device 900 can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiments. The optional transceiver unit 901 and processing unit 902 can be interconnected via a communication line 903. The communication line 903 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The communication line 903 can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in FIG9, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0229] The transceiver unit 901 is used to send a first message to the first network node, the first field of which is used to instruct the first network node to terminate the air interface contention; the transceiver unit 901 is also used to receive a second message from the first network node, the second field of which is used to indicate whether the air interface contention was successfully terminated.

[0230] The processing unit 902 is used to acquire the data sent by the transceiver unit 901, or to process the data received by the transceiver unit 901.

[0231] The scheduling device 900 can implement the methods shown in the embodiments illustrated in Figures 3 to 8.

[0232] In one possible design, the transceiver unit 901 is configured to send a first scheduling message after receiving the second message from the first network node, provided that the second field indicates successful termination of air interface contention. The first scheduling message is used to instruct either the first network node or the second network node to transmit second service data over the air interface.

[0233] In one possible design, the transceiver unit 901 is configured to send a first scheduling message to the first network node before sending the first message to the first network node. The first scheduling message instructs the first network node to transmit the first service data over the air interface. Specifically, sending the first message to the first network node may include: if the time elapsed since sending the first scheduling message exceeds a first duration, then sending the first message to the first network node.

[0234] In one possible design, the transceiver unit 901 is configured to send a first scheduling message to the first network node before sending the first message to the first network node. The first scheduling message instructs the first network node to transmit the first service data over the air interface. The transceiver unit 901 is also configured to receive a request message before sending the first message to the first network node. The request message requests the transmission of second service data, where the second service data has a higher priority than the first service data. Sending the first message to the first network node may specifically include: sending the first message to the first network node based on the higher priority of the second service data in the request message.

[0235] In one possible design, the first scheduling message is a time allocation message, which includes the scheduling configuration of the first network node, and the scheduling configuration is used to configure the air interface transmission behavior of the first network node.

[0236] In one possible design, the second terminal includes a termination air interface result field, wherein a first state of the termination air interface contention field indicates successful termination of air interface contention, and a second state indicates failed termination of air interface contention.

[0237] In one possible design, the first state and the second state of the terminated air interface result field include: a first value range and a second value range on the terminated air interface result field; or, an empty state and a non-empty state of the terminated air interface result field; or, a non-empty state and an empty state of the terminated air interface result field.

[0238] In one possible design, the second value range of the termination air interface result field includes at least one of a first value, a second value, and a third value; the first value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate the air interface contention is that the first network node does not support it; the second value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate the air interface contention is that the air interface has been acquired and cannot be interrupted; the third value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate the air interface contention is that the data has been sent.

[0239] In one possible design, the first terminal includes a termination type field, wherein a first state of the termination air interface result field indicates continued air interface contention, and a second state indicates termination of air interface contention.

[0240] In one possible design, the control node is the master gateway (MFU) of the FTTR network, and the first network node is the slave gateway (SFU) of the FTTR network.

[0241] In another example, the scheduling device shown in Figure 9 can also be located on the first network node. In this example, the transceiver unit 901 is used to receive a first message from the control node, wherein a first field of the first message is used to instruct the first network node to terminate air interface contention;

[0242] The transceiver unit 901 is further configured to send a second message to the control node, wherein a second field of the second message is used to indicate whether the air interface contention has been successfully terminated.

[0243] The scheduling device 900 can implement the methods shown in the embodiments illustrated in Figures 3 to 8.

[0244] In one possible design, the processing unit 902 is used to decide whether to terminate the air interface contention.

[0245] In one possible design, the processing unit 902 is configured to receive a first scheduling message from the control node before receiving the first message from the control node, the first scheduling message being used to instruct the first network node to transmit first service data over the air interface.

[0246] In one possible design, the processing unit 902 is configured to continue performing air interface contention after sending the second message to the control node, in the event that the second field indicates that the air interface contention has failed to terminate.

[0247] In one possible design, the processing unit 902 is further configured to compete for air interface resources for the first service data before receiving the first message from the control node; the processing unit 902 is further configured to stop competing for air interface resources after sending the second message to the control node if the second field indicates successful termination of air interface competition. The processing unit 902 is further configured to continue competing for air interface resources for the first service data after sending the second message to the control node if the second field indicates failed termination of air interface competition.

[0248] In one possible design, the processing unit 902 is further configured to perform air interface scheduling before receiving the first message from the control node; the processing unit 902 is further configured to stop air interface scheduling after sending the second message to the control node if the second field indicates successful termination of air interface contention; the processing unit 902 is further configured to continue air interface scheduling after sending the second message to the control node if the second field indicates failed termination of air interface contention.

[0249] In one possible design, the transceiver unit 901 is configured to transmit the first service data over the air interface before receiving the first message from the control node; the transceiver unit 901 is further configured to stop transmitting the first service data after sending the second message to the control node if the second field indicates successful termination of air interface contention; the transceiver unit 901 is further configured to continue transmitting the first service data over the air interface after sending the second message to the control node if the second field indicates failed termination of air interface contention.

[0250] In one possible design, the first scheduling message is a time allocation message, which includes the scheduling configuration of the first network node, and the scheduling configuration is used to configure the air interface transmission behavior of the first network node.

[0251] In one possible design, the second field includes a termination air interface result field, wherein a first state of the termination air interface contention indicates successful termination and a second state indicates failed termination of air interface contention.

[0252] In one possible design, the first state and the second state of the terminated air interface result field include: a first value range and a second value range on the terminated air interface result field; or, an empty state and a non-empty state of the terminated air interface result field; or, a non-empty state and an empty state of the terminated air interface result field.

[0253] In one possible design, the second value range of the termination air interface result field includes at least one of a first value, a second value, and a third value; the first value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate air interface contention is that the first network node does not support it; the second value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate air interface contention is that the air interface has been acquired and cannot be interrupted; the third value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate air interface contention is that the first service data has been sent.

[0254] In one possible design, the first field includes a termination type field, wherein a first state of the termination air interface result field indicates continued air interface contention, and a second state indicates termination of air interface contention.

[0255] In one possible design, the transceiver unit 901 is further configured to receive a second time allocation message from the control node before receiving the first message from the control node, the second time allocation message being used to instruct the first network node to transmit the first service data over the air interface.

[0256] In one possible design, the control node is the master gateway (MFU) of the FTTR network, and the first network node is the slave gateway (SFU) of the FTTR network.

[0257] It should be noted that the module division in the embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents a logical functional division. 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 functional units in the various embodiments of this application may be integrated into one processing unit, exist as separate physical entities, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units.

[0258] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it 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 related technologies, or all or part 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.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of 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.

[0259] Based on the same concept as the scheduling method described above, as shown in Figure 10, this application embodiment also provides a structural schematic diagram of another scheduling device 1000. The scheduling device 1000 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments, as can be found in the descriptions in the above method embodiments. The scheduling device 1000 may include one or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the scheduling device (e.g., a base station, terminal, or chip, etc.), execute software programs, and process the data of the software programs. The scheduling device may include a transceiver unit to implement signal input (reception) and output (transmission). For example, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver, an RF chip, etc.

[0260] The scheduling device 1000 includes one or more processors 1001, which can implement the methods shown in the embodiments of Figures 3 to 8 above.

[0261] Optionally, in addition to implementing the methods of the embodiments shown above, the processor 1001 may also implement other functions.

[0262] Optionally, in one design, the processor 1001 can execute instructions that cause the scheduling device 1000 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The instructions can be stored entirely or partially within the processor, such as instruction 1003, or entirely or partially stored in a memory 1002 coupled to the processor, such as instruction 1004. Alternatively, instructions 1003 and 1004 can be used together to cause the scheduling device 1000 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0263] In another possible design, the scheduling device 1000 may include one or more memories 1002 storing instructions 1004, which can be executed on a processor to cause the scheduling device 1000 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memories may also store data. The processor may also optionally store instructions and / or data. For example, one or more memories 1002 may store the correspondences described in the above embodiments, or related parameters or tables involved in the above embodiments. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0264] In another possible design, the scheduling device 1000 may also include a transceiver 1005 and an antenna 1006. The processor 1001, which may be called a processing unit, controls the device (terminal or base station). The transceiver 1005, which may be called a transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver unit, is used to realize the device's transmission and reception functions through the antenna 1006.

[0265] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by the integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located 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.

[0266] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application 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 of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0267] This application also provides a scheduling system, which may include the control node and N network nodes described in the above method embodiments. The control node can execute the functions described in the above method embodiments, and each network node can execute the functions described in the above method embodiments.

[0268] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a computer, implements the scheduling method of any of the method embodiments shown above.

[0269] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the scheduling method of any of the above-described method embodiments.

[0270] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, 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, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, 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 can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0271] As shown in Figure 11, this application embodiment also provides a chip 1100, including an input / output interface 1101 and a logic circuit 1102. The input / output interface 1101 is used to receive / output code instructions or information, and the logic circuit 1102 is used to execute code instructions or, according to information, to execute the scheduling method of any of the above-described method embodiments.

[0272] Chip 1100 can implement the functions shown in the processing unit and / or transceiver unit in the above embodiments.

[0273] Those skilled in the art will clearly 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.

[0274] 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 an indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0275] 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.

[0276] Furthermore, 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. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0277] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it 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 all or part 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.

Claims

1. A scheduling method, characterized in that, Applied to a control node, the method includes: Send a first message to the first network node, wherein the first field of the first message is used to instruct the first network node to terminate air interface contention; A second message is received from the first network node, and the second field of the second message is used to indicate whether the air interface contention was successfully terminated.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before sending the first message to the first network node, the method further includes: Send a first scheduling message to the first network node, the first scheduling message being used to instruct the first network node to transmit first service data over the air interface; Sending the first message to the first network node includes: If the time elapsed since the first scheduling message was sent exceeds a first duration, then the first message is sent to the first network node.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before sending the first message to the first network node, the method further includes: Send a first scheduling message to the first network node, the first scheduling message being used to instruct the first network node to transmit first service data over the air interface; Receive a request message, the request message being used to request the transmission of second service data, the second service data having a higher priority than the first service data; Sending the first message to the first network node includes: The first message is sent to the first network node based on the fact that the second service data in the request message has a higher priority than the first service data.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, If the second field indicates successful termination of air interface contention, then after receiving the second message from the first network node, the method further includes: Send a second scheduling message, which instructs the first network node or the second network node to transmit second service data over the air interface.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The first scheduling message is a time allocation message, which includes the scheduling configuration of the first network node. The scheduling configuration is used to configure the air interface transmission behavior of the first network node.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The second field includes a termination air interface result field, wherein a first state of the termination air interface contention field indicates successful termination of air interface contention, and a second state indicates failed termination of air interface contention.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first and second states of the terminated air interface result field include: The first and second value ranges of the terminated air interface result field; or... The empty and non-empty states of the termination air interface result field; or... The non-empty and empty states of the termination air interface result field.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second value range of the terminated air interface result field includes at least one of the first value, the second value, and the third value; The first value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate the air interface contention is that the first network node does not support it; The second value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate the air interface contention is that the air interface has been acquired and cannot be interrupted. The third value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate air interface contention is that the transmission has been completed.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first field includes a termination type field, wherein a first state of the termination type field indicates continued air interface contention, and a second state indicates termination of air interface contention.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The control node is the master gateway (MFU) of the fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) network, and the first network node is the slave gateway (SFU) of the FTTR network.

11. A scheduling method, characterized in that, Applied to a first network node, the method includes: Receive a first message from the control node, where a first field of the first message is used to instruct the first network node to terminate air interface contention. A second message is sent to the control node, and the second field of the second message is used to indicate whether the air interface contention has been successfully terminated.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, If the second field indicates that the air interface contention has failed to be terminated, then after sending the second message to the control node, the method further includes: Continue to engage in open market competition.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, Before receiving the first message from the control node, the method further includes: The first scheduling message is received from the control node, which instructs the first network node to transmit first service data over the air interface.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, Before receiving the first message from the control node, the method further includes: competing for air interface resources for the first service data; If the second field indicates that the air interface contention was successfully terminated, then after sending the second message to the control node, the method further includes: stopping the contention for air interface resources; If the second field indicates that the air interface contention has failed to terminate, then after sending the second message to the control node, the method further includes: continuing to compete for air interface resources for the first service data.

15. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, Before receiving the first message from the control node, the method further includes: performing scheduling; If the second field indicates that the air interface contention was successfully terminated, then after sending the second message to the control node, the method further includes: stopping scheduling; If the second field indicates that the air interface contention has failed to be terminated, then after sending the second message to the control node, the method further includes: continuing scheduling.

16. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, Before receiving the first message from the control node, the method further includes: transmitting the first service data over the air interface; If the second field indicates that the air interface contention was successfully terminated, then after sending the second message to the control node, the method further includes: stopping the transmission of the first service data; If the second field indicates that the air interface contention has failed to be terminated, then after sending the second message to the control node, the method further includes: continuing to transmit the first service data over the air interface.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that, The first scheduling message is a time allocation message, which includes the scheduling configuration of the first network node. The scheduling configuration is used to configure the air interface transmission behavior of the first network node.

18. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, characterized in that, The second field includes a termination air interface result field, wherein a first state of the termination air interface contention field indicates successful termination of air interface contention, and a second state indicates failed termination of air interface contention.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The first and second states of the terminated air interface result field include: The first and second value ranges of the terminated air interface result field; or... The empty and non-empty states of the termination air interface result field; or... The non-empty and empty states of the termination air interface result field.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The second value range of the terminated air interface result field includes at least one of the first value, the second value, and the third value; The first value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate the air interface contention is that the first network node does not support it; The second value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate the air interface contention is that the air interface has been acquired and cannot be interrupted. The third value indicates that the reason for the failure to terminate air interface contention is that the transmission has been completed.

21. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 20, characterized in that, The first field includes a termination type field, wherein a first state of the termination type field indicates continued air interface contention, and a second state indicates termination of air interface contention.

22. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 21, characterized in that, The control node is the master gateway (MFU) of the fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) network, and the first network node is the slave gateway (SFU) of the FTTR network.

23. A scheduling device, characterized in that, The device includes a transceiver unit; The transceiver unit is used to send a first message to a first network node, wherein a first field of the first message is used to instruct the first network node to terminate air interface contention. The transceiver unit is further configured to receive a second message from the first network node, wherein a second field of the second message is used to indicate whether air interface contention has been successfully terminated. The scheduling device is used to execute the scheduling method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

24. A scheduling device, characterized in that, The device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit; The transceiver unit is used to receive a first message from the control node, wherein a first field of the first message is used to instruct the first network node to terminate air interface contention. The processing unit is used to decide whether to terminate the air interface contention; The transceiver unit is also used to send a second message to the control node, wherein a second field of the second message is used to indicate whether the air interface contention has been successfully terminated. The scheduling device is used to execute the scheduling method according to any one of claims 11 to 22.

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