Communication method, communication device, and communication system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, a communication device, and a communication system. The communication method comprises: a first device determining a first radio frame, wherein the first radio frame comprises first identification information, and the first identification information identifies: resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device performing an in-device coexistence activity, and the in-device coexistence activity comprises communication services of wireless communication media other than a Wi-Fi communication service; and sending the first radio frame to a second device. In this way, a mechanism for further identifying resource information of communication resources of multiple communication modes existing at the same time can be provided, thereby reducing the problem of interference caused by simultaneous communication of different communication modes, and coordinating communication resources used in different communication modes.

Description

Communication methods, communication equipment and communication systems Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, communication device and communication system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of wireless communication technology, terminal devices are becoming increasingly integrated. A single terminal device often supports multiple wireless communication protocols, integrates multiple wireless communication modules, and simultaneously accesses multiple wireless networks, such as Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Bluetooth (BT), and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0003] Simultaneous communication using multiple communication methods (e.g., in the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band, while the device is communicating via Wi-Fi, there may also be Bluetooth communication within the device) may interfere with each other, leading to communication failure or performance loss.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, and communication system to provide a mechanism for further identifying resource information of communication resources for multiple communication methods that coexist, thereby reducing interference caused by simultaneous communication of different communication methods and coordinating the communication resources used by different communication methods.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a first device, the method comprising:

[0007] A first wireless frame is determined; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, the first identification information identifying: resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities; the in-device coexistence activities include communication services of other wireless communication media besides Wi-Fi communication services;

[0008] The first wireless frame is sent to the second device.

[0009] Secondly, this disclosure also provides a communication method executed by a second device, the method comprising:

[0010] The first wireless frame sent by the first device is received; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, the first identification information identifying: resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities; the in-device coexistence activities include communication services of other wireless communication media besides Wi-Fi communication services.

[0011] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication device for performing the communication method described in the first or second aspect.

[0012] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication device, including:

[0013] One or more processors;

[0014] The communication device is used to execute the communication method described in the first or second aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0015] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication system, including an AP and a STA;

[0016] The AP is configured to implement the communication method described in the first aspect, and the STA is configured to implement the communication method described in the second aspect.

[0017] Sixthly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the communication method as described in the first aspect of this disclosure, or to perform the communication method as described in the second aspect of this disclosure.

[0018] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a program product, including at least one of a program and instructions, wherein when the program or instructions are executed by a communication device, they implement the communication method described in the first aspect or the communication method described in the second aspect.

[0019] In this embodiment of the disclosure, resource information of communication resources for multiple communication methods existing simultaneously can be identified, and the identified information can be notified to the other end of the Wi-Fi communication. This allows both parties to select appropriate communication resources based on the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities, and to carry out in-device coexistence activities or Wi-Fi service data. This reduces interference caused by simultaneous communication of different communication methods, coordinates the communication resources used by different communication methods, and improves the utilization rate and efficiency of communication resources.

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of this disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will become apparent from the description or may be learned by practice of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 2 is one of the interactive schematic diagrams of the communication method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 3 is a second interactive schematic diagram of the communication method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a scenario of the communication method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating one of the communication methods provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6 is a second schematic flowchart of the communication method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure;

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

[0029] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0030] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0032] This disclosure presents a communication method, communication device, and communication system.

[0033] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a first device, the method comprising:

[0034] A first wireless frame is determined; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, the first identification information identifying: resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities; the in-device coexistence activities include communication services of other wireless communication media besides Wi-Fi communication services;

[0035] The first wireless frame is sent to the second device.

[0036] In the above embodiments, it is possible to identify the resource information of communication resources of multiple communication methods that coexist, and to notify the other end of the Wi-Fi communication with the identified information. This allows both parties to select the corresponding communication resources based on the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities, and to carry out in-device coexistence activities or Wi-Fi service data. This reduces interference caused by simultaneous communication of different communication methods, coordinates the communication resources used by different communication methods, and improves the utilization rate and efficiency of communication resources.

[0037] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the resource information includes at least one of the following: the number of received spatial streams, the number of transmitted spatial streams, the channel bandwidth, and the interference tolerance value;

[0038] The interference tolerance value indicates the interference caused by the data transmission process of the Wi-Fi communication service to the coexistence activities within the device.

[0039] In the above embodiments, the first device can report to the second device, through the first identification information in the first wireless frame, resource information such as the number of received spatial streams, the number of transmitted spatial streams, the channel bandwidth, and the interference tolerance value of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, when the resource information includes channel bandwidth, the first channel bandwidth corresponding to the coexisting activity within the device is less than the second channel bandwidth corresponding to the Wi-Fi communication service; the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0041] The index of the center frequency point of at least one frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, the number of all center frequency points, and the distance between adjacent center frequency points; each frequency band in the at least one frequency band corresponds to one center frequency point;

[0042] The frequency offset of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency point of the target frequency band in the at least one frequency band; the target frequency band covers the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth.

[0043] In the above embodiments, when the resource information includes channel bandwidth, the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for performing intra-device coexistence activities can be described based on the frequency offset of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth corresponding to the intra-device coexistence activity relative to the target center frequency point in the second channel bandwidth corresponding to the Wi-Fi communication service.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first wireless frame further includes at least one of second identification information and third identification information:

[0045] The second identification information identifies: the type of coexisting activities within the device;

[0046] The third identification information identifies the time information of coexisting activities within the device.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the type information of coexisting activities within the device can be identified by the second identification information in the first wireless frame; and the time information of coexisting activities within the device can be identified by the third identification information in the first wireless frame.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, when the coexistence activity within the device is a periodic coexistence activity, the time information includes: the period of the coexistence activity within the device, and the duration of the coexistence activity within one period; or,

[0049] When the coexisting activity within the device is a non-periodic coexisting activity, the time information includes: the duration of the coexisting activity within the device.

[0050] In the above embodiments, the time information corresponding to the coexisting activity within the device can be determined based on whether the coexisting activity within the device is a periodic coexisting activity within the device.

[0051] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0052] When the interference tolerance value is greater than or equal to the preset interference tolerance value, or when the frequency deviation of the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency is less than or equal to the preset frequency deviation, the data of the coexisting activities within the device is transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth, and the data of the Wi-Fi communication service is transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, excluding the frequency band corresponding to the target center frequency.

[0053] In the above embodiments, the first device and the second device can determine the method of conducting in-device coexistence activities and transmitting Wi-Fi communication service data based on the relationship between the interference tolerance value of the in-device coexistence activity of the first device and the preset interference tolerance value, and the relationship between the frequency offset of the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency point and the preset frequency offset.

[0054] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining the first radio frame may include:

[0055] During the transmission of data in the Wi-Fi communication service, the first wireless frame is determined;

[0056] The first wireless frame includes the data frame of the Wi-Fi communication service, and the first identification information is carried in the control field of the Media Access Control (MAC) frame header of the first wireless frame.

[0057] The first identification information identifies the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device when it performs non-periodic intra-device coexistence activities.

[0058] In the above embodiments, during the transmission of Wi-Fi communication services, if there is non-periodic intra-device coexistence activity, the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device when it performs non-periodic intra-device coexistence activity can be carried in the control field of the MAC frame header in the data frame of the Wi-Fi communication service.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, when the coexisting activities within the device are periodic coexisting activities within the device,

[0060] When the first device includes an access point device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, and a reassociation response frame.

[0061] When the first device includes a site device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a probe request frame, an association request frame, and a reassociation request frame.

[0062] In the above embodiments, a first wireless frame can be used to carry resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device when it is engaged in non-periodic intra-device coexistence activities, depending on the first device.

[0063] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a second device, the method including:

[0064] The first wireless frame sent by the first device is received; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, the first identification information identifying: resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities; the in-device coexistence activities include communication services of other wireless communication media besides Wi-Fi communication services.

[0065] In the above embodiments, by acquiring the first wireless frame sent by the other end conducting Wi-Fi communication, both parties can select the corresponding communication resources based on the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities, and carry out in-device coexistence activities or Wi-Fi service data, thereby reducing interference caused by simultaneous communication of different communication methods, coordinating the communication resources used by different communication methods, and improving the utilization rate and communication efficiency of communication resources.

[0066] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the resource information includes at least one of the following: the number of received spatial streams, the number of transmitted spatial streams, the channel bandwidth, and the interference tolerance value;

[0067] The interference tolerance value indicates the interference caused by the data transmission process of the Wi-Fi communication service to the coexistence activities within the device.

[0068] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, when the resource information includes channel bandwidth, the first channel bandwidth corresponding to the coexisting activity within the device is less than the second channel bandwidth corresponding to the Wi-Fi communication service; the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0069] The index of the center frequency point of at least one frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, the number of all center frequency points, and the distance between adjacent center frequency points; each frequency band in the at least one frequency band corresponds to one center frequency point;

[0070] The frequency offset of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency point of the target frequency band in the at least one frequency band; the target frequency band covers the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth.

[0071] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first wireless frame further includes at least one of second identification information and third identification information:

[0072] The second identification information identifies: the type of coexisting activities within the device;

[0073] The third identification information identifies the time information of coexisting activities within the device.

[0074] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, when the coexistence activity within the device is a periodic coexistence activity, the time information includes: the period of the coexistence activity within the device, and the duration of the coexistence activity within one period; or,

[0075] When the coexisting activity within the device is a non-periodic coexisting activity, the time information includes: the duration of the coexisting activity within the device.

[0076] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0077] When the interference tolerance value is greater than or equal to the preset interference tolerance value, or when the frequency deviation of the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency is less than or equal to the preset frequency deviation, the data of the coexisting activities within the device is transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth, and the data of the Wi-Fi communication service is transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, excluding the frequency band corresponding to the target center frequency.

[0078] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, receiving the first wireless frame sent by the first device may include:

[0079] During the transmission of data in the Wi-Fi communication service, the first wireless frame is received;

[0080] The first wireless frame includes the data frame of the Wi-Fi communication service, and the first identification information is carried in the control field of the MAC frame header of the first wireless frame.

[0081] The first identification information identifies the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device when it performs non-periodic intra-device coexistence activities.

[0082] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, when the coexisting activities within the device are periodic coexisting activities within the device,

[0083] When the first device includes an access point device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, and a reassociation response frame.

[0084] When the first device includes a site device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a probe request frame, an association request frame, and a reassociation request frame.

[0085] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication device, which is used to perform optional implementations of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0086] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication device, including:

[0087] One or more processors;

[0088] The communication device is used to execute either the optional implementation of the first aspect or the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0089] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication system, including a first AP and a second AP; wherein the first AP is configured to perform the optional implementation as described in the first aspect, and the second AP is configured to perform the optional implementation as described in the second aspect.

[0090] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the optional implementation described in the first or second aspect.

[0091] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method as described in the optional implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0092] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in an optional implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0093] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the method described according to an optional implementation of the first or second aspect above.

[0094] It is understood that the aforementioned communication devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0095] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, and communication systems. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method" and "signal transmission method," "wireless frame transmission method," etc., can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "information processing system" and "communication system."

[0096] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0097] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0098] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0099] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0100] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of A or B, at least one of A and B”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0101] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether there is a branch B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether there is a branch A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0102] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether a branch B exists); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether a branch A exists); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0103] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0104] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0105] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0106] In some embodiments, terms such as “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “when…”, “if…”, etc. can be used interchangeably. These descriptions all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not necessarily limit the time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there must be other limitations.

[0107] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0108] In some embodiments, devices, etc., may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as “device,” “equipment,” “circuit,” “network element,” “network function,” “network device,” “function,” “node,” “unit,” “section,” “system,” “network,” “chip,” “chip system,” “entity,” and “subject” are interchangeable.

[0109] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0110] In addition, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to inter-terminal communication (e.g., "side"). For example, uplink channel and downlink channel can be replaced with side channel, and uplink link and downlink link can be replaced with side link.

[0111] In some embodiments, "link" can mean "connection" or "link"; in various embodiments, "connection" and "link" can be used interchangeably.

[0112] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0113] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0114] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0115] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0116] As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 100 includes a first device 101 and a second device 102.

[0117] In some embodiments, the first device may be a station (STA) or an access point (AP). The second device may be an access point or a station. Optionally, the first device may be associated with the second device.

[0118] In some embodiments, the STA can be a standalone STA or an accessory STA to a site device (non-AP MLD, or simply multi-link site device; AP MLD stands for AP Multi-Link Device, an access point device that supports multi-link communication, or simply multi-link access point device), without limitation. The AP can be a standalone AP or an accessory AP to an access point device (AP MLD) that supports multi-link communication, without limitation.

[0119] In some embodiments, the site equipment includes, for example, a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, or a wireless communication terminal that supports Wi-Fi communication. Optionally, the wireless communication terminal may be at least one of, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an IoT device that supports Wi-Fi communication, a car with Wi-Fi communication capabilities, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and a wireless terminal device in a smart home.

[0120] Specifically, the site equipment can be a terminal device or network device with a Wi-Fi chip. Optionally, the site equipment can support multiple WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11bf, and 802.11bn, as well as the next-generation 802.11 protocol, but is not limited to these.

[0121] In some embodiments, the access point device can be an access point for mobile terminals to access a wired network. An AP acts as a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, its main function being to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet. Specifically, an AP can be a terminal device or network device with a Wi-Fi chip. Optionally, the AP can support various WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11bf, and 802.11bn, as well as the next-generation 802.11 protocol, but is not limited to these.

[0122] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0123] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1 are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1, or may include other main bodies outside of FIG1. ​​The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0124] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), such as LANs using the 802.11 series of protocols. In a WLAN, a Basic Service Set (BSS) is a fundamental component. An BSS network consists of site devices with some association within a specific coverage area. One type of association is where sites communicate directly with each other in a self-organizing network; this is called an Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS). Another more common scenario is that in a BSS network, there is only one central site dedicated to managing the BSS, called an Access Point (AP) device, while other sites in the BSS network that are not APs are called terminals, also known as non-AP STAs. APs and non-AP STAs are collectively referred to as STAs. When describing STAs, it is not necessary to distinguish between APs and non-AP STAs. Within the same BSS network, due to distance, transmission power, etc., a STA cannot detect other STAs that are far away; they are each other's hidden nodes.

[0125] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the method includes:

[0126] Step 201, the first device determines the first wireless frame; wherein, the first wireless frame includes first identification information, the first identification information identifying: resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities; in-device coexistence activities include communication services of other wireless communication media besides Wi-Fi communication services.

[0127] In some embodiments, communication devices that support Wi-Fi communication also support communication using communication methods such as Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Bluetooth (BT), and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0128] To improve transmission reliability, an IDC (In-Device Coexistence) mechanism is specified, meaning that communication devices may simultaneously use different communication methods. In some embodiments, a non-AP STA can report unavailability at the TXOP level for Wi-Fi communication, and a mechanism for anon-AP STA to report unavailability at the TXOP level can be defined, reused, or updated.

[0129] In some embodiments, considering that mobile APs (such as mobile phones) may have different characteristics from regular APs (such as routers), mobile APs tend to be smaller, the radio frequency antennas required for IDC activities may be shared with Wi-Fi antennas, and since the duration of IDC activities may be periodic or non-periodic, IDC activities may be periodic or non-periodic. Based on the current communication mechanism, it is not possible to define how APs (such as mobile APs) report their IDC activities, and it is not possible to enable APs (such as mobile APs) to report their IDC activities.

[0130] As an example, the communication bandwidth for BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, a type of BT technology) transmission services may be 1 / 2 MHz, while the communication bandwidth for Wi-Fi communication services may be 80 MHz or 160 MHz, or even as high as 320 MHz. If it is necessary to transmit BLE and Wi-Fi services simultaneously, and the Wi-Fi transmission is paused to prioritize the BLE transmission, and then the Wi-Fi transmission is resumed after the BLE transmission is completed, it is possible that the transmission of the 1 / 2 MHz BLE service will affect the transmission of the 80 MHz or 40 MHz Wi-Fi service. This is obviously not conducive to the effective use of spectrum.

[0131] Based on the above-mentioned technical problems, in this embodiment of the disclosure, considering the different characteristics of services transmitted using different communication methods, a method for setting communication parameters in the IDC mechanism is provided to ensure maximum spectrum utilization.

[0132] Optionally, the first device can be an independent communication device or an auxiliary device of a multi-link device; this disclosure does not limit this.

[0133] Optionally, the first wireless frame can be determined regardless of whether the first device is a transmitter or a receiver of coexisting activities within the device; this disclosure does not limit this.

[0134] Optionally, coexisting activities within the device may include, but are not limited to, WLAN services (i.e., services transmitted using WLAN), LTE services (i.e., services transmitted using LTE), BT services (i.e., services transmitted using BT), GNSS services (i.e., services transmitted using GNSS), etc.

[0135] Optionally, before determining the first wireless frame, the communication resources required for the first device to perform in-device coexistence activities, the communication resources currently used to transmit Wi-Fi service data, and the communication resources required to transmit Wi-Fi service data to be transmitted can be determined. The determined communication resources related to in-device coexistence activities are used as the first communication resources, the determined communication resources related to Wi-Fi service data (i.e., the aforementioned Wi-Fi communication resources) are used as the second communication resources, and the resources shared by the first and second communication resources (i.e., the intersection of the first and second communication resources) are used as the aforementioned resource information.

[0136] Optionally, when determining resource information, the first communication resource and the second communication resource can be directly identified separately, or the second communication resource can be identified, and the offset of the first communication resource relative to the second communication resource can be identified, etc. The specific identification method is not limited in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0137] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, "intra-device coexistence activities" is a general term that may include one or more intra-device coexistence activities.

[0138] In some embodiments, the resource information includes at least one of the following: number of received spatial streams, number of transmitted spatial streams, channel width (or bandwidth), and interference tolerance value;

[0139] The interference tolerance value indicates the interference caused by the data transmission process of the Wi-Fi communication service to the coexistence activities within the device.

[0140] Optionally, the number of spatial streams is the same as the number of antennas. The number of received spatial streams is the number of spatial streams used to receive (Rx) data. Correspondingly, the number of transmitted spatial streams is the number of spatial streams used to transmit (Tx) data.

[0141] Optionally, it is understood that the number of received space streams and the number of sent space streams may be the same or different.

[0142] Optionally, if only data needs to be sent, only the number of sent space streams in the number of received space streams and the number of sent space streams can be included. If only data needs to be received, only the number of received space streams in the number of received space streams and the number of sent space streams can be included. If both data sending and receiving are required, only the number of sent space streams in the number of received space streams and the number of sent space streams can be included.

[0143] Optionally, the interference tolerance value is the maximum value of the service interference caused by the transmission of Wi-Fi service data to the intra-device coexistence activity when the first device is conducting intra-device coexistence activities and simultaneously transmitting Wi-Fi service data through the same link, and vice versa (i.e., the maximum value of the service interference caused by the intra-device coexistence activity to the transmission of Wi-Fi service data when the first device is conducting intra-device coexistence activities and simultaneously transmitting Wi-Fi service data through the same link).

[0144] Optionally, the above-mentioned resource information may also include other information related to communication resources, etc. This disclosure does not limit this, and all of them are within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0145] In some embodiments, when the resource information includes channel bandwidth, the first channel bandwidth corresponding to the coexisting activity within the device is less than the second channel bandwidth corresponding to the Wi-Fi communication service; the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0146] The index of the center frequency point of at least one frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, the number of all center frequency points, and the distance between adjacent center frequency points; each frequency band in the at least one frequency band corresponds to one center frequency point;

[0147] The frequency offset of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency point of the target frequency band in the at least one frequency band; the target frequency band covers the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth.

[0148] Optionally, taking a first channel bandwidth of 1 / 2MHz for coexistence activities within the device and a second channel bandwidth of 80MHz, 80+80MHz, 160MHz, 160+160MHz, 320MHz, etc. for Wi-Fi communication services as an example, the first channel bandwidth can be considered to be much smaller than the second channel bandwidth.

[0149] Optionally, in this embodiment of the disclosure, since the first channel bandwidth is less than the second channel bandwidth, in order to more clearly describe the relationship between the first channel bandwidth and the second channel bandwidth, the second channel bandwidth can be divided into multiple frequency bands, each corresponding to a center frequency point. The relationship between the first channel bandwidth and the second channel bandwidth is described by describing how the target frequency band corresponding to a certain center frequency point covers the first channel bandwidth. For example, when the first channel bandwidth is 1 / 2 MHz, the second channel bandwidth can be divided into multiple frequency bands with a basic bandwidth value of 2 MHz.

[0150] Optionally, within a certain frequency band of the second channel bandwidth, the frequency corresponding to the midpoint of the frequency band can be used as the center frequency, the difference between the lowest and highest frequencies of the frequency band can be used as the bandwidth of the frequency band, and the identifiers corresponding to different frequency bands can be used as the indexes of the corresponding center frequency.

[0151] As an example, if the second bandwidth is divided into 5 frequency bands, the five frequency bands can be F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5 respectively, the center frequency can be f1, f2, f3, f4 and f5 respectively, and the index of each center frequency band can be n, n+1, n+2, n+3 and n+4 respectively.

[0152] Optionally, the bandwidths of each frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth can be the same or different, that is, the distance between adjacent center frequency points can be the same or different.

[0153] Optionally, based on the frequency range of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth and the frequency range of each frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, a target frequency band that covers the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth can be determined, and the center frequency point of the target frequency band can be used as the target center frequency point.

[0154] Optionally, the frequency offset of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency may include: the distance between the center frequency of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth and the target center frequency, as well as the first channel bandwidth itself. Optionally, the closer the distance between the center frequency of the first channel and the target center frequency, and the wider the first channel bandwidth, the greater the interference between the simultaneous coexistence activities within the device and the transmission of Wi-Fi service data, i.e., the higher the interference tolerance value.

[0155] In some embodiments, the first wireless frame may further include at least one of second identification information and third identification information:

[0156] The second identification information identifies: the type of coexisting activities within the device;

[0157] The third identification information identifies the time information of coexisting activities within the device.

[0158] Optionally, the type information of coexisting activities within the device can also be called the "activity type of coexisting activities within the device," that is, the corresponding communication method of coexisting activities within the device.

[0159] As an example, the second identification information may include two bits: when the second identification information is set to 00, it indicates that the activity type of the coexisting activity within the device is WLAN; when the second identification information is set to 01, it indicates that the activity type of the coexisting activity within the device is LTE; when the second identification information is set to 10, it indicates that the activity type of the coexisting activity within the device is BT; and when the second identification information is set to 11, it indicates that the activity type of the coexisting activity within the device is GNSS.

[0160] Optionally, based on whether there is a periodic pattern in the duration of the coexistence activities within the communication equipment, the coexistence activities within the equipment can be divided into periodic coexistence activities and non-periodic coexistence activities.

[0161] In some embodiments, when the in-device coexistence activity is a periodic in-device coexistence activity, the time information includes: the period of the in-device coexistence activity, and the duration of the in-device coexistence activity within one period; or...

[0162] When the coexisting activity within the device is a non-periodic coexisting activity, the time information includes: the duration of the coexisting activity within the device.

[0163] For example, if a communication device needs to transmit data via Bluetooth every 40 milliseconds (ms), and the duration of each data transmission via Bluetooth (i.e., Bluetooth data, BT data) is 10ms, it can be determined that the communication device periodically transmits Bluetooth data, and the transmission period (i.e., the period of coexistence activities within the device) is 40ms, and the duration of coexistence activities within a transmission period (the duration of coexistence activities within the device within a period) is 10ms.

[0164] Optionally, "periodic coexistence activities within devices" can also be referred to as "periodic IDC services", and "non-periodic coexistence activities within devices" can also be referred to as "sudden IDC services". This disclosure does not specifically limit the names.

[0165] In some embodiments, when the in-device coexistence activity is a periodic in-device coexistence activity,

[0166] When the first device includes an access point device, the first radio frame includes at least one of the following: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, and a reassociation response frame;

[0167] When the first device includes a site device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a probe request frame, an association request frame, and a reassociation request frame.

[0168] Optionally, if the in-device coexistence activity is periodic, the first radio frame may also include a request frame or a notification frame; if the in-device coexistence activity is non-periodic, the first radio frame may also include an initial control frame.

[0169] Optionally, during the transmission of Wi-Fi data between the two communication devices (e.g., the first device and the second device), if the first device needs to perform intra-device coexistence activities, and the duration of the intra-device coexistence activities does not have periodic power, then the intra-device coexistence activities are bursty IDC services, i.e., non-periodic intra-device coexistence activities. In this case, the first wireless frame can be determined in the following way.

[0170] In some embodiments, determining the first wireless frame may include:

[0171] During the transmission of data in the Wi-Fi communication service, the first wireless frame is determined;

[0172] The first wireless frame includes the data frame of the Wi-Fi communication service, and the first identification information is carried in the control field of the Media Access Control (MAC) frame header of the first wireless frame.

[0173] The first identification information identifies the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device when it performs non-periodic intra-device coexistence activities.

[0174] Optionally, during the process of transmitting Wi-Fi communication service data between the first device and the second device, if intra-device coexistence activities are required, the data frame of the Wi-Fi communication service can be used as the first wireless frame. Through the control field of the MAC frame header of the first wireless frame, the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device when performing the non-periodic intra-device coexistence activity can be obtained.

[0175] Optionally, the control field of the MAC frame header of the first radio frame may include, but is not limited to, the A-Control field.

[0176] Optionally, in this case, the specific content carried in the first radio frame can be referred to the above, and will not be repeated here. The time information of the coexistence activity in the device identified by the third identification information in the first radio frame includes: the duration of the coexistence activity in the non-periodic device.

[0177] Optionally, the first radio frame may include at least one of first identification information, second identification information, and third identification information. For example, the first radio frame may include only the first identification information, only the second identification information, only the third identification information, or both the first and second identification information, both the first and third identification information, both the second and third identification information, or both the first, second, and third identification information. This embodiment of the present disclosure does not enumerate all of these possibilities.

[0178] Optionally, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first device supports multi-link communication, the first wireless frame further includes fourth identification information, which identifies: link information of links that coexist within the device.

[0179] Optionally, the link information for links with coexisting activities within the device may include: the link identifier (link ID) of the link.

[0180] As an example, if both the first device and the second device support multi-link communication (i.e., the first device is attached to the first multi-link device and the second device is attached to the second multi-link device), and there is intra-device coexistence activity under link 1 (link1) of the multiple links established by the first and second multi-link devices, and there is Wi-Fi service under link 2 (link2), then the identifier of link1 can be carried in the fourth identifier information, thereby identifying that there is intra-device coexistence activity under link1.

[0181] It is understandable that when there are multiple coexisting activities within a device, each coexisting activity can be identified with its own first identification information, second identification information, third identification information, fourth identification information, etc.

[0182] Step 202: The first device sends a first radio frame to the second device. Correspondingly, the second device receives the first radio frame sent by the first device.

[0183] Optionally, the second device can be an independent communication device or an auxiliary communication device of a multi-link device; this disclosure does not limit this.

[0184] Optionally, when both the first device and the second device support multi-link communication, i.e., the first device is an auxiliary communication device of the first multi-link device and the second device is an auxiliary communication device of the second multi-link device, and the first and second multi-link devices have established multiple links, the first device can send the first wireless frame to the second device through a link among the multiple links where there is coexisting activity within the device, or it can send the first wireless frame through other links where there is no coexisting activity within the device. This disclosure does not limit this aspect.

[0185] Optionally, the process shown in Figure 2 can be implemented as a standalone embodiment, or each step or combination of any number of steps can be implemented as a standalone embodiment.

[0186] In some embodiments, referring to FIG3, after step 202 (i.e., after the first device sends the first wireless frame to the second device), the above method may further include:

[0187] Step 301: When the interference tolerance value is greater than or equal to the preset interference tolerance value, or when the frequency offset of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth is less than or equal to the preset frequency offset relative to the corresponding target center frequency, transmit the data of coexisting activities in the device within the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth, and transmit the data of Wi-Fi communication services in the frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, excluding the frequency band corresponding to the target center frequency.

[0188] Optionally, a preset interference tolerance value and a preset frequency offset can be determined according to the type of coexisting activities within the device. This embodiment of the present disclosure does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0189] Optionally, the preset frequency offset may include at least two items: preset distance (i.e., used to determine whether the distance between the center frequency of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth and the target center frequency is less than or equal to the preset distance) and preset channel bandwidth (i.e., used to determine whether the first channel bandwidth itself is less than or equal to the preset channel bandwidth).

[0190] If the distance between the center frequency of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth and the target center frequency is less than or equal to a preset distance, and the first channel bandwidth is greater than or equal to the preset channel bandwidth, it can be determined that the frequency offset of the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency is less than or equal to the preset frequency offset.

[0191] Optionally, if the interference tolerance value is greater than or equal to the preset interference tolerance value, or if the distance between the center frequency point of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth and the target center frequency point is greater than or equal to the preset distance, and the first channel bandwidth is less than or equal to the preset channel bandwidth, it can be determined that simultaneously carrying out coexistence activities within the device and transmitting Wi-Fi service data will cause a high degree of interference to each other, and simultaneously carrying out coexistence activities within the device and transmitting Wi-Fi service data is not allowed.

[0192] In WLANs, channels are typically divided into primary channels and secondary channels (or non-primary channels, also known as auxiliary channels or non-primary channels). A secondary channel can contain one or more sub-channels. For example, if the basic bandwidth unit is 20MHz, when the channel bandwidth is 20MHz, there is only one primary channel with a bandwidth of 20MHz; when the channel bandwidth is greater than 20MHz, there is one primary channel with a bandwidth of 20MHz, and the remaining one or more 20MHz channels are auxiliary channels. The primary 20MHz channel is the common operating channel for stations belonging to members of the basic service set (BSS). Stations within the BSS can compete for channel resources on the primary 20MHz channel.

[0193] As an example, as shown in Figure 4, taking the communication bandwidth of Wi-Fi communication service as 80MHz, the main channel is, for example, the main 20MHz channel in Figure 4; the secondary channel can contain one or more sub-channels, such as the 20MHz secondary channel and the 40MHz secondary channel in Figure 4.

[0194] As an example, before the IDC service begins, the Wi-Fi communication bandwidth is 160MHz. The IDC service occupies 20MHz of the main channel of the Wi-Fi communication bandwidth, and the interference tolerance value is greater than or equal to the preset interference tolerance value. In order to avoid interference between the coexistence activities within the device and the transmission of Wi-Fi service data, the IDC service can be transmitted on the 20MHz main channel, and Wi-Fi communication can continue on the secondary channel 80MHz (i.e., the 80MHz secondary channel).

[0195] Optionally, the process shown in Figure 3 can be implemented as a standalone embodiment, or each step or any combination of steps can be implemented as a standalone embodiment.

[0196] This disclosure defines a mechanism for improving communication resource utilization when IDC communication is present (e.g., when the communication bandwidth of IDC services is less than the working bandwidth of Wi-Fi), applicable to UHR requirements. Specifically, it defines broadcast signaling for periodic IDC services (e.g., when the bandwidth of IDC services is much less than the Wi-Fi communication bandwidth) or signaling flows for bursty IDC services (e.g., when the bandwidth of IDC services is much less than the Wi-Fi communication bandwidth).

[0197] A. Mobile APs or regular APs carry their periodic IDC service information in beacon frames, probe response frames, or (Re)association response frames, or STAs carry it in probe request frames or (Re)association request frames. This information can be defined as information fields or information elements, and specifically includes:

[0198] 1. The IDC service uses Rx NSS (number of Spatial Streams, information on the number of antennas) and / or Tx NSS. If both Rx (data reception) and Tx (data transmission) processes are involved, the service information includes both.

[0199] 2. Resource units occupied by IDC services (e.g., the bandwidth of IDC services is 1 / 2MHz), IDC service type information (e.g., BT services or other UWB services), and the tolerance value of IDC services to interference from Wi-Fi services (i.e., the above interference tolerance value).

[0200] The specific parameters of the resource unit occupied by the IDC service are: the index of the center frequency point of the current communication channel bandwidth of the Wi-Fi service (e.g., the basic bandwidth is 20MHz or 40MHz), the distance between adjacent center frequency points, and the number of center frequency points (which may also include the minimum basic bandwidth value, where the basic bandwidth value may be different depending on the type of IDC service, for example, the basic bandwidth is 2MHz).

[0201] The tolerance value is related to the bandwidth of the center frequency point of the Wi-Fi communication bandwidth.

[0202] 3. Time information of IDC services, such as start time, duration (one IDC service, i.e., the duration within one cycle mentioned above), and cycle information, etc.

[0203] When a mobile AP, regular AP, or STA conducts Wi-Fi communication within a TXOP, if it needs to send or receive IDC services, it can carry the information of step A in the A-control field of the MAC frame header of the Wi-Fi frame (i.e., the data frame of the aforementioned Wi-Fi service) to indicate that it has a sudden IDC service that needs to be transmitted.

[0204] C. While the IDC service is being transmitted, the communication equipment performs Wi-Fi service communication based on the channel resources occupied by the IDC service in the second step of step A and its interference tolerance value.

[0205] For example, before the IDC service starts, the Wi-Fi service has a communication bandwidth of 160MHz, while the IDC service occupies 20MHz of the main channel. According to its interference threshold, the Wi-Fi service can continue to communicate in the secondary 80MHz (the communication resources used by the Wi-Fi service while the IDC service is communicating can be carried in step A).

[0206] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0207] In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

[0208] In some embodiments, terms such as wireless access scheme and waveform can be used interchangeably.

[0209] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0210] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0211] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data after receiving it; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the receiver to respond to the sent content.

[0212] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include the foregoing steps and at least one of the embodiments. For example, step 201 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, step 202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and step 301 may be implemented as an independent embodiment; the combination of step 201 and step 202 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the combination of step 201, step 202 and step 301 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0213] In some embodiments, other optional implementations may be described before or after the specification corresponding to Figure 4.

[0214] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating one of the communication methods according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0215] As shown in Figure 5, the above method can be applied to the first device, and the method may include:

[0216] Step 501, determine the first wireless frame; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, the first identification information identifying: resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities; the in-device coexistence activities include communication services of other wireless communication media besides Wi-Fi communication services.

[0217] In some embodiments, the resource information includes at least one of the following: the number of received spatial streams, the number of transmitted spatial streams, the channel bandwidth, and the interference tolerance value;

[0218] The interference tolerance value indicates the interference caused by the data transmission process of the Wi-Fi communication service to the coexistence activities within the device.

[0219] In some embodiments, when the resource information includes channel bandwidth, the first channel bandwidth corresponding to the coexisting activity within the device is less than the second channel bandwidth corresponding to the Wi-Fi communication service; the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0220] The index of the center frequency point of at least one frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, the number of all center frequency points, and the distance between adjacent center frequency points; each frequency band in the at least one frequency band corresponds to one center frequency point;

[0221] The frequency offset of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency point of the target frequency band in the at least one frequency band; the target frequency band covers the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth.

[0222] In some embodiments, the first wireless frame further includes at least one of second identification information and third identification information:

[0223] The second identification information identifies: the type of coexisting activities within the device;

[0224] The third identification information identifies the time information of coexisting activities within the device.

[0225] In some embodiments, when the in-device coexistence activity is a periodic in-device coexistence activity, the time information includes: the period of the in-device coexistence activity, and the duration of the in-device coexistence activity within one period; or...

[0226] When the coexisting activity within the device is a non-periodic coexisting activity, the time information includes: the duration of the coexisting activity within the device.

[0227] In some embodiments, determining the first radio frame may include:

[0228] During the transmission of data in the Wi-Fi communication service, the first wireless frame is determined;

[0229] The first wireless frame includes the data frame of the Wi-Fi communication service, and the first identification information is carried in the control field of the Media Access Control (MAC) frame header of the first wireless frame.

[0230] The first identification information identifies the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device when it performs non-periodic intra-device coexistence activities.

[0231] In some embodiments, where the in-device coexistence activity is a periodic in-device coexistence activity,

[0232] When the first device includes an access point device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, and a reassociation response frame.

[0233] When the first device includes a site device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a probe request frame, an association request frame, and a reassociation request frame.

[0234] Step 502: Send the first wireless frame to the second device.

[0235] In some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0236] When the interference tolerance value is greater than or equal to the preset interference tolerance value, or when the frequency deviation of the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency is less than or equal to the preset frequency deviation, the data of the coexisting activities within the device is transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth, and the data of the Wi-Fi communication service is transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, excluding the frequency band corresponding to the target center frequency.

[0237] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include the foregoing steps and at least one of the embodiments. For example, step 501 may be implemented as a separate embodiment, step 502 may be implemented as a separate embodiment, and the combination of step 501 and step 502 may be implemented as a separate embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0238] In some embodiments, other optional implementations described before or after the specification corresponding to Figure 5 may be referred to.

[0239] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0240] Figure 6 is a second schematic flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0241] As shown in Figure 6, the above method can be applied to a second device, and the method may include:

[0242] Step 601: Receive a first wireless frame sent by the first device; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, the first identification information identifying: resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities; the in-device coexistence activities include communication services of other wireless communication media besides Wi-Fi communication services.

[0243] In some embodiments, the resource information includes at least one of the following: the number of received spatial streams, the number of transmitted spatial streams, the channel bandwidth, and the interference tolerance value;

[0244] The interference tolerance value indicates the interference caused by the data transmission process of the Wi-Fi communication service to the coexistence activities within the device.

[0245] In some embodiments, when the resource information includes channel bandwidth, the first channel bandwidth corresponding to the coexisting activity within the device is less than the second channel bandwidth corresponding to the Wi-Fi communication service; the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0246] The index of the center frequency point of at least one frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, the number of all center frequency points, and the distance between adjacent center frequency points; each frequency band in the at least one frequency band corresponds to one center frequency point;

[0247] The frequency offset of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency point of the target frequency band in the at least one frequency band; the target frequency band covers the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth.

[0248] In some embodiments, the first wireless frame further includes at least one of second identification information and third identification information:

[0249] The second identification information identifies: the type of coexisting activities within the device;

[0250] The third identification information identifies the time information of coexisting activities within the device.

[0251] In some embodiments, when the in-device coexistence activity is a periodic in-device coexistence activity, the time information includes: the period of the in-device coexistence activity, and the duration of the in-device coexistence activity within one period; or...

[0252] When the coexisting activity within the device is a non-periodic coexisting activity, the time information includes: the duration of the coexisting activity within the device.

[0253] In some embodiments, receiving the first wireless frame sent by the first device may include:

[0254] During the transmission of data in the Wi-Fi communication service, the first wireless frame is received;

[0255] The first wireless frame includes the data frame of the Wi-Fi communication service, and the first identification information is carried in the control field of the MAC frame header of the first wireless frame.

[0256] The first identification information identifies the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device when it performs non-periodic intra-device coexistence activities.

[0257] In some embodiments, where the in-device coexistence activity is a periodic in-device coexistence activity,

[0258] When the first device includes an access point device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, and a reassociation response frame.

[0259] When the first device includes a site device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a probe request frame, an association request frame, and a reassociation request frame.

[0260] In some embodiments, the method may further include:

[0261] When the interference tolerance value is greater than or equal to the preset interference tolerance value, or when the frequency deviation of the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency is less than or equal to the preset frequency deviation, the data of the coexisting activities within the device is transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth, and the data of the Wi-Fi communication service is transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, excluding the frequency band corresponding to the target center frequency.

[0262] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0263] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0264] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0265] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0266] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The first device is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7, the first device 700 may include at least one of a processing module 701, a transceiver module 702, etc.

[0267] In some embodiments, the processing module 701 is configured to determine a first wireless frame; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, the first identification information identifying: resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities; the in-device coexistence activities include communication services of other wireless communication media besides Wi-Fi communication services; the transceiver module 702 is configured to send the first wireless frame to the second AP.

[0268] Optionally, the processing module 701 is used to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps 201, 501, but not limited thereto) executed by the first device in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here. The transceiver module 702 is used to execute at least one of the transceiver steps (e.g., steps 202, 301, 502, but not limited thereto) executed by the second device in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0269] In some embodiments, the processing module can be replaced by the processor, and the transceiver module can be replaced by the transceiver.

[0270] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The second device is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 8, the second device 800 may include a transceiver module 801.

[0271] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 801 is configured to receive a first wireless frame sent by a first device; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, the first identification information identifying: resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities; the in-device coexistence activities include communication services of other wireless communication media besides Wi-Fi communication services.

[0272] Optionally, the transceiver module 801 is used to execute at least one of the transceiver steps (e.g., steps 202, 301, and 601, but not limited thereto) executed by the second device in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0273] In some embodiments, the processing module can be replaced by the processor, and the transceiver module can be replaced by the transceiver.

[0274] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 900 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 900 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 900 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0275] As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 900 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the communication device 900 includes one or more processors 901. The processor 901 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 900 is used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 901 are used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 900 to execute any of the above methods.

[0276] In some embodiments, the communication device 900 further includes one or more transceivers 902. When the communication device 900 includes one or more transceivers 902, the transceiver 902 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps 202, 301, 502, 601, but not limited thereto), and the processor 901 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps 201, 501, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0277] In some embodiments, the communication device 900 further includes one or more memories 903 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, one or more processors 901 are used to invoke instructions stored in the memory 903 to cause the communication device 900 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, all or part of the memory 903 may also be located outside the communication device 900. In optional embodiments, the communication device 900 may include one or more interface circuits 904. Optionally, the interface circuit 904 is connected to the memory 902, and the interface circuit 904 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memory 902 or other devices, and can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memory 902 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 904 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memory 902 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 901.

[0278] The communication device 900 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 900 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 900 may not be limited by FIG. 9. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data, programs and / or instructions; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0279] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 1000 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 900 can be a chip or a chip system, the schematic diagram of the chip 1000 shown in Figure 10 can be referenced, but is not limited thereto.

[0280] Chip 1000 includes one or more processors 1001. Chip 1000 is used to perform any of the above methods.

[0281] In some embodiments, chip 1000 further includes one or more interface circuits 1002. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 1000 further includes one or more memories 1003 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 1003 may be located outside chip 1000. Optionally, interface circuit 1002 is connected to memory 1003, and interface circuit 1002 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from memory 1003 or other devices, and interface circuit 1002 can be used to send data and / or instructions to memory 1003 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 1002 can read data and / or instructions stored in memory 1003 and send the data and / or instructions to processor 1001.

[0282] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 1002 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method (e.g., steps 202, 301, 502, and 601, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 1002 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 1002 performing data and / or instruction interaction between the processor 1001, the chip 1000, the memory 1003, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 1001 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps 201 and 501, but not limited thereto).

[0283] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0284] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0285] This disclosure also proposes a program product, including a program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product. Optionally, the program product is stored on the storage medium.

[0286] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Performed by a first device, the method includes: A first wireless frame is determined; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, the first identification information identifying: resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities; the in-device coexistence activities include communication services of other wireless communication media besides Wi-Fi communication services; The first wireless frame is sent to the second device.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The resource information includes at least one of the following: number of received spatial streams, number of transmitted spatial streams, channel bandwidth, and interference tolerance value; The interference tolerance value indicates the interference caused by the data transmission process of the Wi-Fi communication service to the coexisting activities within the device.

3. The communication method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the resource information includes channel bandwidth, the first channel bandwidth corresponding to the coexisting activity within the device is less than the second channel bandwidth corresponding to the Wi-Fi communication service; the first identification information includes at least one of the following: The index of the center frequency point of at least one frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, the number of all center frequency points, and the distance between adjacent center frequency points; each frequency band in the at least one frequency band corresponds to one center frequency point; The frequency offset of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency point of the target frequency band in the at least one frequency band; the target frequency band covers the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth.

4. The communication method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first radio frame also includes at least one of the second identification information and the third identification information: The second identification information identifies: the type of coexisting activities within the device; The third identification information identifies the time information of coexisting activities within the device.

5. The communication method according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the coexisting activity within the device is a periodic coexisting activity, the time information includes: the period of the coexisting activity within the device, and the duration of the coexisting activity within one period; or, When the coexisting activity within the device is a non-periodic coexisting activity, the time information includes: the duration of the coexisting activity within the device.

6. The communication method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the interference tolerance value is greater than or equal to the preset interference tolerance value, or when the frequency offset of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth relative to the corresponding target center frequency point is less than or equal to the preset frequency offset, the data of the coexisting activities in the device are transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth, and the data of the Wi-Fi communication service are transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth except for the frequency band corresponding to the target center frequency point.

7. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, Determining the first wireless frame includes: During the transmission of data in the Wi-Fi communication service, the first wireless frame is determined; The first wireless frame includes the data frame of the Wi-Fi communication service, and the first identification information is carried in the control field of the Media Access Control (MAC) frame header of the first wireless frame. The first identification information identifies the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device when it performs non-periodic intra-device coexistence activities.

8. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, When the coexisting activities within the device are periodic coexisting activities within the device, When the first device includes an access point device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, and a reassociation response frame. When the first device includes a site device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a probe request frame, an association request frame, and a reassociation request frame.

9. A communication method, characterized in that, Performed by a second device, the method includes: Receive a first wireless frame sent by a first device; wherein the first wireless frame includes first identification information, the first identification information... Information identifier: Resource information of Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device for in-device coexistence activities; the in-device coexistence activities include communication services of other wireless communication media besides Wi-Fi communication services.

10. The communication method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The resource information includes at least one of the following: number of received spatial streams, number of transmitted spatial streams, channel bandwidth, and interference tolerance value; The interference tolerance value indicates the interference caused by the data transmission process of the Wi-Fi communication service to the coexistence activities within the device.

11. The communication method according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the resource information includes channel bandwidth, the first channel bandwidth corresponding to the coexisting activity within the device is less than the second channel bandwidth corresponding to the Wi-Fi communication service; the first information includes at least one of the following: The index of the center frequency point of at least one frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, the number of all center frequency points, and the distance between adjacent center frequency points; each frequency band in the at least one frequency band corresponds to one center frequency point; The frequency offset of the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency point of the target frequency band in the at least one frequency band; the target frequency band covers the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth.

12. The communication method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first radio frame also includes at least one of the second identification information and the third identification information: The second identification information identifies: the type of coexisting activities within the device; The third identification information identifies the time information of coexisting activities within the device.

13. The communication method according to claim 12, characterized in that, When the coexisting activity within the device is a periodic coexisting activity, the time information includes: the period of the coexisting activity within the device, and the duration of the coexisting activity within one period; or, When the coexisting activity within the device is a non-periodic coexisting activity, the time information includes: the duration of the coexisting activity within the device.

14. The communication method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the interference tolerance value is greater than or equal to the preset interference tolerance value, or when the frequency deviation of the first channel bandwidth relative to the target center frequency is less than or equal to the preset frequency deviation, the data of the coexisting activities within the device is transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the first channel bandwidth, and the data of the Wi-Fi communication service is transmitted in the frequency band corresponding to the second channel bandwidth, excluding the frequency band corresponding to the target center frequency.

15. The communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that, The receiving of the first wireless frame sent by the first device includes: During the data transmission of the Wi-Fi communication service, the first wireless frame is received; The first wireless frame includes the data frame of the Wi-Fi communication service, and the first identification information is carried in the control field of the MAC frame header of the first wireless frame. The first identification information identifies the resource information of the Wi-Fi communication resources occupied by the first device when it performs non-periodic intra-device coexistence activities.

16. The communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that, When the coexisting activities within the device are periodic coexisting activities within the device, When the first device includes an access point device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, and a reassociation response frame. When the first device includes a site device, the first radio frame includes at least one of: a probe request frame, an association request frame, and a reassociation request frame.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or claims 9 to 16.

18. A communication system, characterized in that, Including the first device and the second device; Wherein, the first device is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first device is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 8. The two devices are configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 16.

19. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, or performs the communication method as described in any one of claims 9 to 16.

20. A program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, characterized in that, When at least one of the programs or instructions is executed by a communication device, it implements the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 8, or the communication method of any one of claims 9 to 16.

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