Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of communications. Provided are a communication method and apparatus, which are used for solving the problem of medium synchronization loss. In a capability negotiation phase or an update phase of a first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus, the second communication apparatus can notify the first communication apparatus that the first communication apparatus needs to assist the second communication apparatus in recovering medium synchronization after the second communication apparatus enters a medium synchronization recovery procedure. This notification can be indicated by means of indication information, and can also be implicitly indicated by means of whether an unavailable duration is greater than a duration threshold value, such that the first communication apparatus assists the second communication apparatus in recovering the medium synchronization after the second communication apparatus enters the medium synchronization recovery procedure.

Description

Communication methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411616051.7, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 11, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, devices using the IEEE 802.11 protocol for wireless communication logically divide their high-bandwidth channels into sub-channels in 20MHz units. For example, an 80MHz channel might have four 20MHz sub-channels, and a 160MHz channel might have eight 20MHz sub-channels. Within these sub-channels, the device knows which sub-channel is the primary channel and the rest are non-primary channels based on the configuration information of the basic service set (BSS). While the primary channel access mechanism is logically clean and simple to operate, as device deployments become denser and bandwidths increase, the frequency of spectrum usage resulting from primary channel access decreases. For example, if a 160MHz site detects only the primary 20MHz channel as busy, while all other sub-channels are detected as idle, then according to the primary channel access mechanism, this device cannot use any channel and must back off. However, in reality, the other sub-channels are idle and theoretically could be used. Therefore, a method was proposed that when the primary channel is busy, transmission can be performed through an idle non-primary channel (anchor channel) without backoff. In this case, the device switches to the anchor channel and performs preamble detection (PD) on the anchor channel. This operation is called non-primary channel access (NPCA). The idle non-primary channel can also be called the NPCA primary channel.

[0004] Media synchronization may be lost when switching between the main channel and the NPCA main channel. Therefore, it is very important to find a solution to the problem of lost media synchronization. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for restoring media synchronization when media synchronization is lost.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a first communication device, or by a component of the first communication device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the first communication device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the first communication device. The method includes: during a capability negotiation or update phase between the first and second communication devices; receiving information from the second communication device, wherein the information indicates whether the second communication device needs assistance in restoring media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process; and saving information from the second communication device.

[0008] Therefore, during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first and second communication devices, the second communication device can inform the first communication device that it needs the assistance of the first communication device to restore media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process. This can be indicated by instruction information or implicitly indicated by whether the unavailability duration exceeds a duration threshold, thereby assisting the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process.

[0009] In one possible design, the information of the second communication device includes indication information indicating whether assistance is needed to restore media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0010] Optionally, based on the instruction information, it is determined to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0011] In one possible design, the information of the second communication device includes the duration of the second communication device's unavailability. If the duration of the second communication device's unavailability exceeds a duration threshold, it is determined that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization.

[0012] Optionally, the unavailability duration of the second communication device includes the channel switching delay of the second communication device or the duration of the interference state of the second communication device; if the channel switching delay is greater than the duration threshold, it means that the duration of the second communication device losing medium synchronization when switching channels exceeds the medium synchronization threshold (aMediumSyncThreshold); or if the duration of the interference state of the second communication device is greater than the duration threshold, it means that the duration of the second communication device being in the interference state exceeds the medium synchronization threshold.

[0013] In one possible design, the information in the second communication device also includes information indicating the amount of data buffered by the second communication device; the method further includes:

[0014] Based on the fact that the unavailability duration of the second communication device is greater than the duration threshold and the amount of data cached by the second communication device is greater than the data amount threshold, it is determined that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization.

[0015] In one possible design, the capability negotiation phase or update phase includes any of the following: a capability negotiation or update phase for Non-Normal Channel Access (NPCA) mode, a capability negotiation or update phase for Dynamic Subband Operation (DSO) mode, a capability negotiation or update phase for Dynamic Power Saving (DPS) mode, or a capability negotiation or update phase for (IDC) or DUI or DUO mode.

[0016] In one possible design, capability information is sent, indicating that the first communication device supports assisting in the restoration of media synchronization; information is received from the second communication device, including: receiving information from the second communication device sent by the second communication device based on the capability information.

[0017] In one possible design, it is determined that when the second communication device switches to the first channel, the second communication device loses media synchronization on the first channel and enters a media synchronization recovery process; assists the second communication device in restoring media synchronization on the first channel.

[0018] In one possible design, the first channel is the main channel or main channel in NPCA mode; or the first channel is a DSO sub-channel or DSO main channel; or the first channel is a channel with a first bandwidth or a channel with a second bandwidth, wherein the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth are different.

[0019] In one possible design, the information of the second communication device is carried in the NPCA element, DSO element, DPS element, IDC element, DUO element, or DUI element of the downlink or uplink frame.

[0020] In one possible design, the first communication device is any of the following: an access point (AP), a target non-AP STA, a portion of the non-AP STAs, or all of the non-AP STAs.

[0021] In one possible design, the second communication device is any of the following: AP, target non-AP STA, partial non-AP STA, or all non-AP STA.

[0022] In one possible design, the first communication device initiates the media synchronization recovery process when it falls under any of the following categories: an AP or non-AP STA that has completed channel switching in NPCA mode; an AP or non-AP STA that has completed sub-channel switching in IDC, DUO, or DUI mode; an AP or non-AP STA that has completed capability mode switching in DPS mode; a non-AP STA that has completed sub-channel switching in DSO mode; or an AP or non-AP STA that has ended the interference state in IDC, DUO, or DUI mode.

[0023] In one possible design, the first communication device initiates media synchronization recovery, which includes: if the duration of the first communication device losing media synchronization is greater than a duration threshold, the first communication device immediately initiates the media synchronization recovery process after completing (sub)channel switching, capability mode switching, or after the IDC, DUO, or DUI interference state ends.

[0024] In one possible design, policy information is sent to the second communication device, instructing the second communication device to avoid media synchronization loss by at least one of the following operations: switching from the NPCA main channel to the main channel in advance, switching from the DSO sub-channel to the DSO main channel in advance, or switching from a channel of the first bandwidth to a channel of the second bandwidth in advance, or disabling / pausing the target mode; and / or, the policy information instructs the second communication device to restore media synchronization by at least one of the following operations: assisting in the restoration of media synchronization, or using media synchronization recovery parameters in the target mode; the target mode includes any one of the following: NPCA mode, DSO mode, DPS mode, IDC or DUO or DUI mode.

[0025] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a second communication device, or by a component of the second communication device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the second communication device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the second communication device. The method includes: acquiring information from the second communication device, the information indicating whether assistance is needed to restore media synchronization after the second communication device enters a media synchronization recovery process; and sending the information from the second communication device during a capability negotiation phase or update phase between the first and second communication devices.

[0026] In one possible design, the information of the second communication device includes indication information indicating whether assistance is needed to restore media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0027] In one possible design, the information of the second communication device includes the duration of the second communication device's unavailability. If the duration of the second communication device's unavailability exceeds a duration threshold, it is determined that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization.

[0028] In one possible design, the unavailability duration of the second communication device includes the channel switching delay of the second communication device or the duration of the interference state of the second communication device; if the channel switching delay is greater than the duration threshold, it means that the duration of the second communication device losing medium synchronization when switching channels exceeds the medium synchronization threshold (aMediumSyncThreshold); or if the duration of the interference state of the second communication device is greater than the duration threshold, it means that the duration of the second communication device being in the interference state exceeds the medium synchronization threshold.

[0029] In one possible design, the information of the second communication device also includes information indicating the amount of data cached by the second communication device; the method further includes: determining, based on the fact that the unavailability duration of the second communication device is greater than a duration threshold and the amount of data cached by the second communication device is greater than a data amount threshold, that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization.

[0030] In one possible design, the capability negotiation or update phase includes any of the following: capability negotiation or update phase for Non-Normal Channel Access (NPCA) mode, capability negotiation or update phase for Dynamic Subband Operation (DSO) mode, capability negotiation or update phase for Dynamic Power Saving (DPS) mode, and capability negotiation or update phase for Interference Mode (IDC, DUO, or DUI mode).

[0031] In one possible design, receiving capability information, which indicates that the first communication device supports assisting in the restoration of media synchronization; and sending information from the second communication device, including sending the information from the second communication device to the first communication device based on the capability information.

[0032] In one possible design, it is determined that when switching to the first channel, the second communication device loses media synchronization on the first channel and enters a media synchronization recovery process; waiting for the first communication device to assist in restoring media synchronization on the first channel.

[0033] In one possible design, the first channel is the main channel or main channel in NPCA mode; or the first channel is a DSO sub-channel or DSO main channel; or the first channel is a channel with a first bandwidth or a channel with a second bandwidth, wherein the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth are different.

[0034] In one possible design, the information of the second communication device is carried in the NPCA element, DSO element, DPS element, IDC element, DUO element, or DUI element of the downlink or uplink frame.

[0035] In one possible design, the first communication device is any of the following: an access point (AP), a target non-AP STA, a portion of the non-AP STAs, or all of the non-AP STAs.

[0036] In one possible design, the second communication device is any of the following: AP, target non-AP STA, partial non-AP STA, or all non-AP STA.

[0037] The technical effects of the second aspect can be referred to in the technical effects of the communication methods described in the first or second aspect above, and will not be repeated here.

[0038] Thirdly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a first communication device, or by a component of the first communication device, such as a processor, chip, or chip system of the first communication device, or by a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the first communication device. The method includes: acquiring media synchronization recovery parameters, which are used to restore media synchronization after the second communication device terminates an interference state or switches from a first channel to a second channel and enters a media synchronization recovery process; sending the media synchronization recovery parameters to the second communication device; or, acquiring media synchronization recovery parameters, which are used to restore media synchronization after the first communication device terminates an interference state or switches from a first channel to a second channel and enters a media synchronization recovery process.

[0039] The first communication device and the second communication device can negotiate new or independent media synchronization recovery parameters or rules, which are used to restore media synchronization after the end of the interference state or after switching from the first channel to the second channel and entering the media synchronization recovery process. This can reduce the limitations of the media synchronization recovery process on the ability of stations that have lost media synchronization, so that stations that have lost media synchronization can restore media synchronization more quickly, or quickly compete for the channel and be able to communicate.

[0040] In one possible design, the first channel is the primary channel and the second channel is a non-primary channel, or the first channel is a non-primary channel and the second channel is the primary channel.

[0041] Optionally, the non-primary channel is the NPCA primary channel.

[0042] In one possible design, the first channel is the main channel and the second channel is a sub-channel, or the first channel is a sub-channel and the second channel is the main channel.

[0043] Optionally, the main channel is the DSO main channel, and the sub-channel is the DSO sub-channel.

[0044] Optionally, the bandwidth of the first channel is different from that of the second channel.

[0045] Optionally, the bandwidth of the first channel includes the bandwidth of the second channel, or the bandwidth of the second channel includes the bandwidth of the first channel.

[0046] In one possible design, ending the interference state may include a second communication device ending the IDC, DUO, or DUI interference state.

[0047] In one possible design, the media synchronization recovery parameters include at least one of the following: dot11MSDTXOPMax, MediumSyncDelay timer, Energy Detection Threshold (ED threshold), and MediumSync Threshold (aMediumSyncThreshold).

[0048] In one possible design, the media synchronization recovery parameters are carried in the NPCA element, DSO element, DPS element, IDC element, DUO element, or DUI element of the downlink or uplink frame during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first and second communication devices.

[0049] In one possible design, the first communication device is an AP and the second communication device is a STA. Sending media synchronization recovery parameters to the second communication device includes sending first information to the second communication device, the first information being used to instruct the second communication device to use the media synchronization recovery parameters.

[0050] In one possible design, the first communication device is an AP, and the second communication device is a STA. Acquiring media synchronization recovery parameters includes: receiving second information sent by the second communication device, the second information being used to suggest whether the second communication device should use the media synchronization recovery parameters; sending the media synchronization recovery parameters to the second communication device includes: sending a response to the second communication device based on the second information, the response instructing the second communication device to use the media synchronization recovery parameters.

[0051] In one possible design, the first communication device is an AP, and the second communication device is a STA. Acquiring media synchronization recovery parameters includes: receiving third information sent by the second communication device, the third information being used to suggest whether the second communication device should use the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters; sending media synchronization recovery parameters to the second communication device includes: if the third information suggests that the second communication device use the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters, sending a response to the second communication device based on the second information, the response instructing the second communication device to use the media synchronization recovery parameters, the media synchronization recovery parameters being determined based on the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters.

[0052] Fourthly, a communication device is provided. This communication device is used to perform the communication method described in any one of the first, second, or third aspects.

[0053] In this application, the communication device described in the fourth aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0054] It should be understood that the communication apparatus described in the fourth aspect includes modules, units, or means that implement the communication method described in any of the first, second, or third aspects above. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units for performing the functions involved in the aforementioned communication method.

[0055] Fifthly, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a processor configured to execute the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first, second, or third aspect.

[0056] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. This transceiver can be used by the communication device described in the fifth aspect to communicate with other communication devices.

[0057] In one possible design, the communication device described in the fifth aspect may further include a memory. This memory may be integrated with the processor or disposed separately. The memory may be used to store computer programs and / or data relating to the communication method described in any of the first, second, or third aspects.

[0058] In this application, the communication device described in the fifth aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0059] A sixth aspect provides a communication device. The communication device includes a processor coupled to a memory, the processor executing a computer program stored in the memory to cause the communication device to perform the communication method described in any one of the first, second, or third aspects.

[0060] In one possible design, the communication device described in the sixth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the fourth aspect and other communication devices.

[0061] In this application, the communication device described in the sixth aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0062] A seventh aspect provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory being used to store a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, causes the communication device to perform the communication method described in any one of the first, second, or third aspects.

[0063] In one possible design, the communication device described in the seventh aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the seventh aspect and other communication devices.

[0064] In this application, the communication device described in the seventh aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0065] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor; the processor being configured to be coupled to a memory, and after reading a computer program from the memory, to execute a communication method as described in any one of the first, second, or third aspects according to the computer program.

[0066] In one possible design, the communication device described in the eighth aspect may further include a transceiver. This transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver can be used for communication between the communication device described in the eighth aspect and other communication devices.

[0067] In this application, the communication device described in the eighth aspect can be a terminal device or a network device, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly, or a device containing the terminal device or network device. The aforementioned chip (system) or other component or assembly can all be disposed within the terminal device or network device.

[0068] A ninth aspect provides a processor. The processor is configured to execute the communication method described in any one of the possible implementations of the first, second, or third aspect.

[0069] In a tenth aspect, a communication system is provided. The communication system includes one or more first communication devices and one or more second communication devices.

[0070] Eleventhly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising: a computer program or instructions; when the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, causing the computer to perform the communication method described in any one of the possible implementations of the first, second, or third aspects.

[0071] In a twelfth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the communication method described in any possible implementation of the first, second, or third aspect.

[0072] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication devices described in the fourth to twelfth aspects above can be referred to the technical effects of the communication methods described in the first, second, or third aspects above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0073] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a basic service set structure and working principle provided in this application;

[0074] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of sub-channel partitioning and occupancy provided in this application;

[0075] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an initial control frame application method provided in this application;

[0076] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another initial control frame application method provided in this application;

[0077] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of sub-channel switching and contention provided in this application;

[0078] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of another sub-channel division and occupancy provided in this application;

[0079] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of applying the DPS mode provided in this application;

[0080] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication system provided in this application;

[0081] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in this application;

[0082] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this application;

[0083] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method provided in this application;

[0084] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the timing of channel switching between AP and STAs provided in this application;

[0085] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the timing of STA channel switching provided in this application;

[0086] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of an NPA element provided in this application;

[0087] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a DPS element provided in this application;

[0088] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of a DSO element provided in this application;

[0089] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of an IDC, DUI, or DUO element provided in this application;

[0090] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the communication device provided in this application.

[0091] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0092] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between the related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0093] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or a plurality of items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0094] Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0095] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0096] It is understood that the term "embodiment" used throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0097] It is understood that in this application, "...when" and "if" both refer to the corresponding processing that will be carried out under certain objective circumstances, and are not limited to a specific time, nor do they require a judgment action to be performed during implementation, nor do they imply any other limitations.

[0098] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of this application can be implemented independently in certain scenarios without relying on other features, such as the current solution on which they are based, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Alternatively, they can be combined with other features as needed in certain scenarios. Correspondingly, the apparatus given in the embodiments of this application can also implement these features or functions, which will not be elaborated here.

[0099] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0100] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms and related technical solutions in this application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0101] 1. Basic Services Set (BSS):

[0102] A Base Service Set (BSS) is a fundamental module of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) that supports relevant standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). It consists of several stations (STAs). Based on the topology of its member STAs and the functions of the BSS, BSSs can be divided into Infrastructure Basic Service Sets (Infrastructure BSSs) and Independent Basic Service Sets (IBSSs).

[0103] Referring to Figure 1(a), the Infrastructure BSS includes a special site that acts as the access distribution system (DS). This site is called the access point (AP), and the other sites are called non-AP sites (non-AP STAs). All non-AP sites must access the DS through the AP (i.e., non-AP sites need to be associated with the AP), and non-AP sites cannot communicate directly with each other by default. For ease of description, the sites in the Infrastructure BSS mentioned in the following embodiments of this application can refer to either APs or non-AP sites.

[0104] 2. Transmission opportunity (TXOP):

[0105] The IEEE 802.11 standard specifies that information transmitted in WLAN over the air interface (wireless medium) is in the form of Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs). Clearly, the longer the PPDU, the greater the amount of information it carries, but simultaneously, the greater the possibility that the PPDU cannot be accurately received, and the lower its reliability. Due to environmental uncertainties, the bits in the PPDU may err during transmission. The more bits transmitted at once, the more likely erroneous bits are, making correct decomposition more difficult, or even impossible. When a PPDU cannot be correctly decompressed, it means that the longer the PPDU, the more air interface resources are wasted. Therefore, to balance information capacity and reliability for more efficient transmission, the length of the PPDU is limited. Current standards clearly define the maximum length of the PPDU.

[0106] Typically, the length of a single PPDU is insufficient to meet traffic demands; that is, a device needs to transmit multiple PPDUs to complete a single service interaction. If carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) / collision avoidance (CA) is required for each PPDU transmission, transmission efficiency will be low. Therefore, TXOP was introduced to improve transmission efficiency.

[0107] Referring to Figure 1(b), when device (STA1) has a service transmission requirement, it is considered to have obtained a transmission time, i.e., a TXOP, after completing the backoff through the CSMA / CA mechanism. During this time, device (STA1) can transmit multiple PPDUs as needed. The time interval between adjacent PPDUs (received PPDU and transmitted PPDU, or transmitted PPDU and transmitted PPDU) is only a short inter-frame space (SIFS), saving the device time spent on backoff. When other devices (STA3, STA4) detect a TXOP, they will parse the duration of the TXOP and will not compete for the channel during the TXOP duration, avoiding interference to device (STA1) that has obtained the TXOP. This is called "TXOP protection".

[0108] The device that acquires a TXOP by avoiding contention is called the TXOP holder, and the station that communicates with the TXOP holder within the TXOP is called the TXOP responder. The introduction of TXOPs enables devices in need to use the channel reliably and efficiently.

[0109] 3. Main channel access

[0110] Due to historical reasons, the large-bandwidth channels used by 802.11 devices (devices that use the 802.11 protocol for wireless communication) are logically divided into several sub-channels in 20MHz units. For example, an 80MHz channel has four 20MHz sub-channels, and a 160MHz channel has eight 20MHz sub-channels. Among these sub-channels, the device knows which sub-channel is the primary channel based on the BSS configuration information, and the remaining sub-channels are non-primary channels, as shown in Figure 2(a). In this application embodiment, unless the bandwidth is explicitly specified, the primary channel is referred to as the "primary 20MHz channel," the sub-channel as "a certain 20MHz sub-channel," and the non-primary channel as "a certain 20MHz sub-channel that is not the primary 20MHz channel."

[0111] The main channel plays a crucial role in 802.11 protocol communication. In the aforementioned CSMA / CA mechanism, the device needs to determine whether the channel is idle, and a large part of the basis for this determination comes from the status of the main channel. The device needs to perform energy detection (ED) on each sub-channel and preamble detection (PD) on the main channel. ED has lower hardware requirements but lower accuracy. PD detects the presence of wireless fidelity (WiFi) signals more accurately but has higher hardware requirements. PD detects the presence of PPDUs in the air interface based on the characteristics of WiFi signals and decodes them after capturing them to extract necessary information. For example, necessary information includes the duration field. The duration field indicates how long it will take for frame interaction to complete after the PPDU. The duration field of the first frame of the TXOP can be used to help indicate the length of the TXOP. The structural diagram of the duration field in the PPDU physical layer header can be seen in Figure 2(b).

[0112] For example, the "length of TXOP" is the "length of the PPDU containing the first frame of TXOP" plus the "length indicated by the duration field of the first frame of TXOP". The length of PPDU is specified in the physical layer (PHY) header information.

[0113] The protocol requires PD (Power Distribution) to be performed on the primary channel, and sets the corresponding network allocation vector (NAV) timer using the duration field decoded from the primary channel. Devices are not allowed to compete for the channel before the NAV timer finishes its countdown, which is the aforementioned "TXOP protection" mechanism. Considering the complexity of PD implementation, the protocol does not require sites to perform PD on channels other than the primary channel or outside the operating bandwidth. Currently, "performing PD on the primary channel" is referred to as "primary channel access."

[0114] 4. Non-primary channel access (NPCA)

[0115] NPCA is an operation performed by an AP or non-AP site to increase channel utilization after the TXOP of the main channel is seized by the OBSS (or for other reasons at least one party occupies the main channel while the other party can access the non-main channel, and the start and end time of communication can be determined, such as during the periodic in-device non-wifi interference of the AP).

[0116] While the main channel access mechanism is logically sound and simple to operate, its spectrum usage frequency decreases as equipment deployment becomes denser and bandwidth increases. For example, if a 160MHz site detects only its main 20MHz channel as busy, while all other sub-channels are detected as idle, the main channel access mechanism would require the device to back off from using any channels. However, in reality, the other sub-channels are idle and theoretically usable. Therefore, a proposed solution is to transmit via idle non-main sub-channels when the main channel is busy, without backoff. In this case, the device (i.e., the site) switches to the NPCA main channel (only one NPCA main channel is defined within a BSS) and competes for the channel using PD on this non-main channel, as shown in Figure 3(a).

[0117] Non-primary channel access mechanisms can be used in infrastructure BSSs. For example, if an AP and a non-AP STA in BSS1 detect an OBSS TXOP on the primary channel (e.g., a TXOP on BSS2), they can both switch to a non-primary channel for communication (i.e., perform PD on that non-primary channel to compete for the channel). For non-AP sites within an infrastructure BSS, the non-primary channel access mechanism can only be used when an OBSS TXOP is detected on the primary channel, as shown in Figure 3(b). If an OBSS TXOP is detected on the primary channel, it means that the AP of this BSS is participating in the transmission of this BSS site. At this time, even if a site not participating in the transmission switches to a non-primary channel, it cannot communicate with the AP.

[0118] In the currently discussed non-master channel access modes, considering the compatibility of legacy devices (referring to previous generations of WiFi protocol devices) and NAV settings, mainstream designs require that the device only uses the anchor channel for transmission when it detects that the master channel is busy, and jumps back to the master channel from the non-master channel before the master channel becomes idle again (i.e., before the master channel NAV countdown ends). As shown in Figure 3(b).

[0119] 5. Medium Access Recovery Process

[0120] Current standards stipulate that when one station in a nonsimultaneous transmit and receive (NSTR) link is transmitting, another station may lose media synchronization (i.e., air interface synchronization) under certain circumstances. This loss of media synchronization can also be referred to as a "blind state." Similarly, in an enhanced multi-link-single-radio (EMLSR) mode using Multicast Listener Discover (MLD), when one station is transmitting or receiving, other stations in the same EMLSR link set may lose media synchronization under certain circumstances. The reason for this loss of media synchronization is that the station cannot perform Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) and is unaware of whether other stations are transmitting on its operating channel. Therefore, it cannot rashly transmit data, otherwise it will interfere with the current transmission (if any). Currently, when the duration of inability to perform CCA / receive exceeds the media synchronization threshold (aMediumSyncThreshold), a Medium Access Recovery procedure is deemed necessary. aMediumSyncThreshold can be 72 microseconds.

[0121] According to existing standards, at the start of the Medium Access Recovery procedure, the station must set the MediumSyncDelay timer and begin a countdown based on the most recent relevant instruction from the AP. During the countdown, if the station receives a MAC protocol data unit (MPDU) or a PPDU whose TX_DURATION is not UNSPECIFIED, the countdown is immediately reset to zero. While the MediumSyncDelay timer is non-zero, the threshold for the station to perform CCA on the primary channel must be adjusted to dot11MSDOFDMEDthreshold. The number of times the station attempts to initiate a TXOP must not exceed dot11MSDTXOPMax, and each attempt must be initiated via a request-to-send (RTS) frame; otherwise, the station must continue performing CCA until the countdown ends before it can initiate transmission. If the blind state duration is shorter than aMediumSyncThreshold, the STA can choose not to start the MediumSyncDelay timer.

[0122] 6. Site switching delay and switch-back delay

[0123] When a site switches to a channel other than its current operating channel, it takes a certain amount of time to stabilize and begin normal transmission and reception on the new channel. This time is called the switching delay. In Dynamic Sub-band Operation (DSO), at the start of TXOP, the AP needs to allocate sufficient time for non-AP sites to complete the switch, based on their switching delays. Current solutions for achieving this include: the AP adding sufficient padding to the initial DSO frame to allow non-AP sites to complete the switch during the padding period; or the AP prioritizing non-AP sites without DSO functionality (i.e., sites that do not switch operating channels) and then prioritizing non-AP sites with longer switching delays, etc.

[0124] In reality, when a station ends a TXOP, it also needs a handover delay (which can be referred to as "handover delay") to switch back to its original working channel. If the DSO does not consider this, each non-AP station will stabilize on the main channel at different times after the TXOP ends. That is, each non-AP station will start competing for the new TXOP at different times after the TXOP ends, which may lead to fairness issues. Figure 4(a) shows a schematic diagram of the start time of channel competition for different non-AP stations caused by the handover delay in the DSO.

[0125] Furthermore, if a new TXOP begins before a non-AP site completes its handover, that non-AP site misses the duration information of the new TXOP and loses synchronization with the air interface (wireless medium), thus failing to access the channel normally. Figure 4(b) illustrates a non-AP site with a large handover delay in DSO that loses media synchronization. NPCA, Dynamic Power Save (DPS), and DSO all involve switch delay and switch-back delay.

[0126] 7. Dynamic Power Save (DPS):

[0127] DPS mode can be understood as an energy-saving mechanism that dynamically adjusts the capability configuration of WiFi devices according to changes in functional requirements, avoiding unnecessary power consumption.

[0128] Typically, the functional requirements of WiFi devices in different application scenarios change dynamically over time. At any given moment, it is sufficient to ensure that the WiFi device's capability configuration meets these functional requirements. If the WiFi device's capability configuration remains constant, in order to consistently meet dynamically changing functional requirements, the WiFi device needs to employ a higher capability configuration, which implies higher power consumption.

[0129] In DPS mode, WiFi devices operate in two modes: low-capability mode / low-power mode / high-capability mode / high-power mode / data transmission mode. Low-capability mode uses a lower number of spatial streams (NSS) and modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to reduce power consumption. High-capability mode uses a higher NSS and MCS. Based on DPS mode, WiFi devices configure lower NSS and MCS in low-capability mode and then adjust and increase NSS and MCS when switching to high-capability mode.

[0130] For example, the IEEE 802.11be standard reduces the NSS and MCS in the low-capability mode of Enhanced Multi-Link Single Radio (EMLSR), using a lower capability configuration; then, it adjusts and increases the NSS and MCS when entering high-capability mode. If the switch from low-capability mode to high-capability mode involves bandwidth adjustment, a phase-locked loop (PLL) needs to generate a new clock and wait for the clock to stabilize, which takes a considerable amount of time. Because the 802.11be standard does not have a design delay to allow the clock switch to complete for bandwidth adjustment, it does not support bandwidth adjustment within the TXOP (Turn-Turn-Out) period.

[0131] To enable the STA to use lower bandwidth in low-capability mode and then increase the bandwidth after switching to high-capability mode, the current solution is to add a MAC padding field to the end of the initial control frame sent by the AP, as shown in Figure 5(a). The duration of the padding field covers the time required for the PLL to generate the corresponding clock and wait for the clock to stabilize, i.e., it covers the STA bandwidth switching time (switch delay), and the channel is reserved during the STA bandwidth switching. After the STA completes the bandwidth switching, it performs Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) and replies with the initial control response frame.

[0132] When switching between different capability configuration states or different energy-saving modes, a uniform latency setting may introduce unnecessary handover delays, making dynamic capability configuration adjustments untimely. When considering handover latency settings, it is necessary to ensure the completion of the capability configuration switch while minimizing the latency to achieve low-latency dynamic capability adjustment. Since bandwidth is uncertain and depends on the channel contention situation of the AP, and the handover time required by the site differs significantly between bandwidth changes and no changes, setting a uniform padding duration in the initial control frame will introduce unnecessary handover delays.

[0133] Based on this, the current padding duration setting is dynamically adjusted according to different scenarios of bandwidth switching and no switching. For example, when bandwidth switching is required during the mode switching process of the target STA, the initial control frame corresponds to a longer padding duration; when the target STA does not compete for the channel or does not require bandwidth switching, the padding duration of the initial control frame is 0, i.e., no padding field is set. When switching between different capability configuration states or between different energy-saving modes, the issue of capability parameter switching will be involved. Adjusting the initial control frame according to different values ​​of each parameter, setting different padding durations based on different parameter combinations for parallel adjustment, and setting fine-grained switching delays for parallel adjustment according to actual conditions can all reduce the adjustment latency in DPS mode.

[0134] As shown in Figure 5(b), for cases with multiple padding duration settings, each STA must first report a padding duration mapping table containing multiple padding duration mapping relationships to the AP during the dynamic power-saving mode capability reporting period. Then, the AP obtains the channel contention results, selects the padding duration corresponding to the specific bandwidth adjustment as the minimum padding duration of the initial control frame, sets the padding length of the ICF, and sends the ICF. The actual padding duration corresponding to the initial control frame should be greater than or equal to the duration indicated in the mapping relationship, thereby ensuring that the STA can complete the capability parameter switching within the padding duration corresponding to the initial control frame.

[0135] 8. Dynamic sub-band operation (DSO):

[0136] As WiFi technology evolves, the operating bandwidth of devices increases significantly. Based on practical experience, the technological advancement of access points (APs) is faster than that of STAs (Stations). This means that while APs increase their operating bandwidth with technological advancements, STAs often retain their lower bandwidth. Furthermore, some network service providers (BSS) may connect to many low-bandwidth, low-power devices, such as IoT devices. These BSSs are characterized by high-bandwidth (e.g., 160MHz, 320MHz) APs connected to many low-bandwidth (e.g., 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz) STAs.

[0137] To improve channel utilization of high-bandwidth access points (APs), the protocol introduces the concept of Distributed Subchannel Allocation (DSO). At the start of a TXOP (Turn-Off-Package), the AP can remove a Station (STA) from its operational channel. Within the TXOP, the AP and STA communicate using the allocated subchannel. At the end of the TXOP, the AP switches the STA back to its previous operational channel. The "dynamic" aspect of DSO indicates that the allocated subchannel is effective only within a single TXOP, allowing the AP greater flexibility in channel allocation.

[0138] Within a TXOP, the AP can indicate a sub-channel to a STA with DSO capability. The AP initiates a transmission to the DSO STA after a sufficient time delay. This delay is designed to ensure the DSO device completes the channel handover (center frequency change), as the DSO STA's PLL generates a new clock frequency and waits for it to lock until the clock stabilizes, which takes a considerable amount of time. The AP also ensures the channel is reserved during this handover. At the end of the TXOP, the DSO STA switches back to the primary channel.

[0139] For example, referring to Figure 6(a), the AP divides the bandwidth into two resource units (RUs): 160S and 160P. The AP can reserve a sub-channel during the target STA's (STA1) channel handover by adding a media access control (MAC) padding field to the end of the initial control frame (ICF). Optionally, after receiving the AP's ICF on its original channel (belonging to 160P), the target STA (STA1) completes the channel handover and, after passing through SIFS, replies with an initial control response frame (ICR) indicating that the sub-channel (belonging to 160S) handover is complete. Additionally, STA2 also receives the ICF and, after passing through SIFS, sends an ICR to the AP, indicating that its occupied sub-channel has not changed (still belonging to 160P). After the data transmission delay (delta), STA1 switches back to its original channel (belonging to 160P) after one SIFS.

[0140] Referring to Figure 6(b), in order to initiate subchannel handover before the MAC padding field begins, a new frame check sequence (FCS)2 can be set before the MAC padding field. FCS2 is set in the user information field of the ICF frame. After receiving the ICF frame, the target STA performs FCS2 verification. If the verification passes, subchannel handover begins, and the subchannel handover is completed using the length of the MAC padding field after FCS2.

[0141] The above method relies on the newly added FCS2. If FCS2 is not added, a dual control frame solution is proposed as shown in Figure 7(a). The AP divides the 160MHz bandwidth into two resource units, 160S and 160P. The AP first sends an initial control frame (ICF) with a MAC padding field on the sub-channel corresponding to 160P. The target STA (STA1) is triggered to initiate sub-channel handover (switching to the sub-channel corresponding to 160S) at the beginning of the MAC padding field of the initial control frame, and FCS verification after the MAC padding field is no longer performed. STA1 does not need to reply to the initial control frame. After the initial control frame is sent and a SIFS interval has elapsed, the AP sends a second control frame. The second control frame is used to solicit a response frame from the target STA (STA1) after the handover from the new RU. If the AP receives the response frame, it confirms that the target STA has completed the DSO sub-channel handover. After a delay (delta) due to data transmission, STA1 switches back to its original sub-channel (belonging to 160P) after one SIFS interval. In addition, STA2, which does not perform sub-channel switching, uses the sub-channel belonging to 160P to receive the AP's ICF and second control frame, and replies to the AP with ICR indicating that STA2's sub-channel belongs to 160P.

[0142] The above methods all reserve subchannels during subchannel handover by setting a MAC padding field. The length of the MAC padding field can cover the time required for subchannel handover, but setting the MAC padding field reduces channel utilization efficiency. Therefore, a new method is proposed to reduce the length of the MAC padding field. This involves classifying target STAs, with the AP first communicating with target STAs with shorter subchannel handover times, and then communicating with target STAs with longer subchannel handover times, as shown in Figure 7(b). The AP sends an ICF with padding to STAs 1 to 7, and after one SIFS, receives the ICRs from STAs 1 to 4 with shorter subchannel handover times. After receiving the ICRs from STAs 1 to 4, it receives the ICRs from STAs 5 to 7 with longer subchannel handover times after one SIFS. Thus, when setting the MAC padding field, it is only necessary to ensure that the length of the MAC padding field covers the subchannel handover time required by the target STA with the shorter subchannel handover time. Target STAs with shorter subchannel handover times normally reply with an initial control response frame after completing the subchannel handover; target STAs with longer subchannel handover times do not need to reply with an initial control response frame after completing the subchannel handover.

[0143] When a station switches to a channel other than its current operating channel, it takes a certain amount of time to stabilize and resume normal transmission and reception on the new channel. This time is called the switching delay. In the DSO technology described above, the target STA sends a switching time to the AP to account for the time required for the target STA to switch sub-channels. This time is used by the AP to determine the length of the MAC padding field or to determine the data transmission duration with other STAs that are not switching sub-channels. In other words, the AP prioritizes scheduling stations that do not switch operating channels and then schedules non-AP stations with longer switching delays.

[0144] However, referring to Figure 4(a), during the process of DSO STAs (STA2, STA3, and STA4) switching back to the main channel or their original operating channel at the end of the TXOP, there is also a sub-channel switching delay (denoted as switchback delay or return-to-switch delay). In the current DSO mode, each DSO STA switches back to the main channel according to its corresponding return-to-switch delay. Therefore, the time when different DSO STAs stabilize on the main channel may be inconsistent. That is, the time when each DSO STA starts competing for the new TXOP on the main channel is different, which can easily cause fairness issues.

[0145] Referring to Figure 4(b), if a new TXOP starts before a DSO STA (STA4) switches back to the main channel and stabilizes, the DSO STA will miss the duration information of the TXOP, which will cause the DSO STA to lose synchronization of the air interface (radio medium) and be unable to access the channel normally, while the other DSO STAs (STA2 and STA3) can access the channel normally.

[0146] A novel channel reservation method has been proposed to avoid the use of MAC padding fields. Specifically, during the subchannel handover of the target STA, the AP serves other STAs, transmitting downlink data to those STAs not undergoing subchannel handover. This new channel reservation method improves channel utilization efficiency during the target STA's subchannel handover. As shown in Figure 4(c), after receiving the AP's wake-up notification PPDU1, the target STA (STA2) carries the data sent to STA1 in PPDU1. It can reply with an acknowledgment frame (ACK) on the original channel to confirm the valid reception of the wake-up notification. Then, the target STA initiates subchannel handover, and the AP carries the data sent to STA2 in PPDU2. Alternatively, the step of the target STA replying with the initial control response frame can be omitted. Omitting the acknowledgment step cannot guarantee the valid reception of the initial control frame, which may affect subsequent data transmission. The method of the AP serving other sites during subchannel handover both preserves the channel and improves the channel utilization efficiency of other sites.

[0147] 9. In-Device Coexistence (IDC) Interference

[0148] IDC (Internet Data Center) refers to the operation of other protocols within the device that cause the WiFi of a STA or AP to be unavailable for a period of time, including both periodic and non-periodic periods. For example, when a STA is in IDC state, it may be unavailable for a specific period of time, and the STA can inform the AP of the unavailable period (i.e., the duration of interference). Dynamic Unavailability Indication (DUI) or Dynamic Unavailability Operation (DUO) is not limited to unavailability caused by IDC. It can be caused by various interferences or coexistence problems, resulting in the unavailability of a device (AP or STA), some functions, or some sub-channels for a period of time. The unavailability can be indicated to the other end in advance through ICF (Internet Functions) and / or ICR (Interactive Code Response).

[0149] Based on the above explanation of the technical solutions, this application provides several embodiments. The technical solutions of the embodiments in this application can all be used for WLANs based on IEEE-related standards. These IEEE-related standards include: 802.11a / b / g standards, 802.11n standards, 802.11ac standards, 802.11ax standards, 802.11be standards, 802.11bn standards / UHR standards / WiFi8 standards, 802.11ad standards, 802.11ay standards, 802.11bf standards / sensing standards, UWB standards / 802.15 standards, etc., and are not limited thereto.

[0150] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can also be used in wireless local area network systems such as Internet of Things (IoT) networks or Vehicle to X (V2X) networks. Of course, this application embodiment can also be applied to other possible communication systems, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, and Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) communication systems. For example, fourth-generation (4G) systems such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5G systems such as New Radio (NR) systems, LTE and 5G hybrid networking systems, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, vehicle to everything (V2X) communication systems, machine-type communication (MTC) systems, or other future communication systems. The communication system can also be a non-3GPP communication system; this is not limited.

[0151] The communication systems described above are merely illustrative examples, and are not limited to those described herein. The communication systems provided in this application do not impose any limitations on the solutions described herein. This will be explained uniformly here and will not be repeated below.

[0152] The WLAN communication system provided in this application embodiment will be described below using Figure 8 as an example.

[0153] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the communication system may include a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is an access point device; the second communication device is a station device. There may be multiple second communication devices. This application embodiment does not limit the number of second communication devices. The mention of at least one or more devices in the second communication device hereinafter indicates at least one or more second communication devices. One or more access point devices can communicate with one or more station devices, and access point devices can also communicate with one or more other access point devices. Station devices can also communicate with one or more other station devices. It is understood that the first communication device may also be a station device, and the second communication device may be an access point device.

[0154] The aforementioned access point device can be an AP, and the aforementioned site device can be a non-AP STA.

[0155] For example, an AP can be a device that supports multiple WLAN standards, such as the 802.11be standard or future Wi-Fi standards; it can also be a device that supports the 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn / UHR / WiFi8 standards, without limitation.

[0156] For example, an AP can be a terminal device with a Wi-Fi chip, network device, communication server, router, switch, bridge, computer, etc. An AP can also serve as an access point for mobile users to access a wired network, primarily deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. Of course, it can also be deployed outdoors. 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.

[0157] For example, the STA can be a device that supports multiple WLAN standards such as the 802.11be standard or future Wi-Fi standards; it can also be a device that supports the 802.11a / b / g standard, 802.11n standard, 802.11ac standard, 802.11ax standard, 802.11be standard, 802.11bn standard / UHR standard / WiFi8 standard, without limitation.

[0158] For example, an STA can be a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor, a wireless communication terminal, a communication server, a router, a switch, a bridge, a computer, etc. For example, an STA can be a mobile phone supporting Wi-Fi communication, a tablet computer supporting Wi-Fi communication, a set-top box supporting Wi-Fi communication, a smart TV supporting Wi-Fi communication, a smart wearable device supporting Wi-Fi communication, an in-vehicle communication device supporting Wi-Fi communication, and a computer supporting Wi-Fi communication, etc., without limitation.

[0159] In some embodiments, in DPS mode, the DPS handover type is capability mode handover or operating bandwidth handover (operating bandwidth belongs to capability mode). During operating bandwidth handover, CCA capability is not available, so the handover time is too long and may lead to media synchronization loss. In IDC, DUI, or DUO mode, if the interference state lasts too long, i.e., CCA cannot be performed during the unavailable period, media synchronization will be lost. In DSO mode and NPCA mode, IDC, DUI, or DUO are all (sub)channel handovers. Usually, during (sub)channel handover, the site (depending on the specific scenario, the one handover may be AP or STA) needs to adjust the center frequency. During the center frequency adjustment, the site does not have CCA capability, so the handover time is too long and may lead to media synchronization loss. For example, in the current NPCA mode, when the AP and NPCA STAs (some or all non-AP STAs associated with the AP in NPCA mode) switch from the NPCA main channel to the main channel, the AP or STAs may lose media synchronization, or both simultaneously. If the loss of media synchronization lasts too long, a media synchronization recovery process will be initiated. If the handover delay and / or switchback delay of the AP or some NPCA STAs is relatively large, and the switchback to the main channel only occurs after the main channel has finished being busy, a media synchronization loss or blind state will occur. If the duration of the blind state exceeds the media synchronization threshold aMediumSyncThreshold, a media synchronization recovery process will be initiated. It can be understood that media synchronization can also be called medium synchronization.

[0160] Based on this, in the communication system described in Figure 8, during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first communication device and the second communication device, the second communication device can acquire and send information from the second communication device, the first communication device receives information from the second communication device, and the information from the second communication device indicates whether the second communication device needs to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process; the first communication device saves the information of the second communication device.

[0161] Therefore, during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first and second communication devices, the second communication device can inform the first communication device that it needs the assistance of the first communication device to restore media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process; thus, it can quickly assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, thereby solving the problem of lost media synchronization in the communication system.

[0162] The following describes a communication method provided in this embodiment in detail with reference to the communication system shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9. The method may include the following steps:

[0163] S901: During the capability negotiation or update phase between the first communication device and the second communication device, the first communication device receives information from the second communication device. The information from the second communication device indicates whether the second communication device needs to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process.

[0164] Accordingly, the second communication device acquires information from the second communication device; and transmits information from the second communication device during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first and second communication devices.

[0165] S902: The first communication device stores information about the second communication device.

[0166] The first communication device can be any of the following: an access point (AP), a target non-AP STA, some non-AP STAs, or all non-AP STAs; the second communication device can be any of the following: an AP, a target non-AP STA, some non-AP STAs, or all non-AP STAs. The target non-AP STA can be any of all or some non-AP STAs; this embodiment does not limit the specific scenario to which the first and second communication devices belong.

[0167] For example, in NPCA mode, when APs and NPCA STAs switch from the primary channel to the NPCA primary channel, both APs and NPCA STAs will lose media synchronization. However, the AP or the STA with a smaller handover delay may recover media synchronization first. In this case, the first communication device can be either the AP or any of the STAs that have recovered media synchronization (target non-AP STA), and the second communication device can be any, some, or all of the STAs that have not recovered media synchronization. Alternatively, if the AP has not recovered media synchronization, the second communication device can also be the AP. As another example, when APs and NPCA STAs switch from the NPCA primary channel to the primary channel, some stations among the APs and NPCA STAs may lose media synchronization. For instance, if a STA with a larger handover delay switches back to the primary channel only after the primary channel has finished being busy, a media synchronization loss or blind state will occur. In this case, the first communication device can be either the AP or any of the STAs that have not lost media synchronization, and the second communication device is the STA that has lost media synchronization.

[0168] DPS mode can be divided into AP DPS mode and STA DPS mode. In AP DPS mode, the AP may lose media synchronization, and the second communication device can be the AP. In STA DPS mode, the STA may lose media synchronization, and the second communication device can be the STA. IDC, DUI, or DUO modes are divided into AP IDC, DUI, or DUO modes and STA IDC, DUI, or DUO modes (similarly to DPS). In DSO mode, only the STA performs sub-channel handover, so only the STA may lose media synchronization due to excessive handover delay and enter the media synchronization recovery process. Therefore, the second communication device can be the STA. And so on. It can be understood that when the second communication device is AP, the first communication device is STA; when the second communication device is STA, the first communication device may be AP or other STAs. This embodiment uses AP as the first communication device and STA as the second communication device, or STA as the first communication device and AP as the second communication device, as examples for illustrative purposes. Other situations can be implemented with reference to this example.

[0169] The capability negotiation or update phase includes any of the following: the capability negotiation or update phase for Non-Master Channel Access (NPCA) mode, the capability negotiation or update phase for Dynamic Subband Operation (DSO) mode, the capability negotiation or update phase for Dynamic Power Saving (DPS) mode, and the capability negotiation or update phase for IDC, DUI, or DUO mode. The update phase may include a capability update phase and / or an operating parameter update phase. The descriptions of NPCA, DSO, DPS, and IDC, DUI, or DUO modes can be found in the aforementioned technical solutions and will not be repeated here.

[0170] For some STAs and APs with large channel handover delays, media synchronization may be lost during channel handover, and a media synchronization recovery process may be initiated. Therefore, the channel handover delay can be used to implicitly indicate whether assistance in restoring media synchronization is needed. Alternatively, for STAs or APs experiencing IDC, DUI, or DUO interference, the duration of the IDC, DUI, or DUO interference can be used to implicitly indicate whether assistance in restoring media synchronization is needed. Thus, sites that have not lost or have already restored media synchronization can assist sites that have lost media synchronization and entered the media synchronization recovery process in restoring media synchronization. Specific implementation schemes may include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0171] In one possible design, the information of the second communication device may include the duration of its unavailability. If the duration of unavailability exceeds a duration threshold, it is determined that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, assistance is needed to restore media synchronization. In this embodiment, "after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process" can refer to the time when the duration of lost media synchronization exceeds the media synchronization threshold, triggering the MediumSyncDelay timer.

[0172] The specific value of the duration threshold is not limited and can be customized according to the actual application. The unavailability duration of the second communication device includes the channel switching delay of the second communication device or the duration of the interference state of the second communication device.

[0173] Optionally, the channel switching delay may include a switching delay or a switch-back delay; for example, in NPCA mode, when switching from the primary channel to the NPCA primary channel, the channel switching delay is the switching delay of the second communication device; when switching from the NPCA primary channel to the primary channel, the channel switching delay is the switch-back delay of the second communication device. A channel switching delay greater than a duration threshold indicates that the duration for which the second communication device loses medium synchronization during channel switching exceeds the medium synchronization threshold (aMediumSyncThreshold).

[0174] Optionally, the duration of the interference state can be the duration of the In-Device Coexistence (IDC) state, or the duration of the DUI or DUO state, that is, the duration during which the second communication device is in the IDC, DUI, or DUO interference state. If the duration of the interference state of the second communication device exceeds a duration threshold, it means that the duration of the interference state of the second communication device exceeds the media synchronization threshold. The interference state may include a state of complete unavailability, a state in which CCA detection cannot be performed, or a state in which information cannot be received, etc., and may also be caused by interference other than IDC, DUI, or DUO interference.

[0175] In one possible design, the information of the second communication device also includes information indicating the amount of data cached by the second communication device; wherein, the amount of cached data can be carried in a Buffer Status Report (BSR).

[0176] The first communication device can also determine whether it needs to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, based on whether the unavailability duration of the second communication device exceeds a duration threshold and whether the amount of data cached by the second communication device exceeds a data amount threshold. The data amount threshold is not limited and can be customized according to actual application conditions. By implicitly informing stations that have not lost or have already restored media synchronization, and assisting stations that have lost media synchronization in restoring it, the first communication device can quickly restore media synchronization while avoiding the overhead of instructing other stations to assist in restoring media synchronization.

[0177] Alternatively, a display instruction can be used to indicate whether assistance is needed to restore media synchronization for the second communication device after it enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0178] In one possible design, the information of the second communication device includes indication information, which indicates whether assistance is needed to restore media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process. For example, the indication information can be carried using 1 bit to indicate whether assistance is needed to restore media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process; if the value of this bit is 1, it indicates that assistance is needed to restore media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, and if the value of this bit is 0, it indicates that assistance is not needed to restore media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0179] Optionally, based on the instruction information, it is determined to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process. That is, if the instruction information indicates that it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, then it is determined to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0180] Optionally, if the indication information indicates that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization, and the first communication device receives the indication information sent by the second communication device to enter the media synchronization recovery process, then it is determined to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process. This indication information may be related to the media synchronization delay timer, or it may be a 1-bit indication that the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0181] Optionally, if the indication information indicates that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization, and the unavailability duration of the second communication device is greater than the duration threshold, then it is determined that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization.

[0182] Optionally, if the indication information indicates that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization, and the unavailability duration of the second communication device is greater than the duration threshold, and the amount of data cached by the second communication device is greater than the data amount threshold, then it is determined that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization.

[0183] Optionally, the second communication device may also synchronize with the first communication device according to the above scheme, and determine whether it needs to assist in media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process.

[0184] In conjunction with the foregoing embodiments, it was determined during the capability negotiation or update phase that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization.

[0185] In one possible design, the first communication device determines that when the second communication device switches to the first channel, it loses media synchronization on the first channel and enters a media synchronization recovery process; it then assists the second communication device in restoring media synchronization on the first channel. Correspondingly, the second communication device determines that when switching to the first channel, it loses media synchronization on the first channel and enters a media synchronization recovery process; it then waits for the first communication device to assist in restoring media synchronization on the first channel.

[0186] Optionally, the first channel is a non-primary channel accessing the NPCA primary channel or the primary channel; that is, when the second communication device switches from the primary channel to the NPCA primary channel, or from the NPCA primary channel to the primary channel, media synchronization loss may occur, and a media synchronization recovery process will be initiated. Alternatively, the first channel is a DSO (sub) channel or a DSO primary channel; that is, when the second communication device switches between the sub channel and the primary channel in DSO mode, media synchronization loss may occur, and a media synchronization recovery process will be initiated. Alternatively, the first channel is a channel with a first bandwidth or a channel with a second bandwidth, the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth being different. The first bandwidth may include the second bandwidth, or the second bandwidth may include the first bandwidth, or the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth do not overlap (the first bandwidth is greater than the second bandwidth or the second bandwidth is greater than the first bandwidth); that is, when the second communication device switches from a low-capacity mode to a high-capacity mode, or from a high-capacity mode to a low-capacity mode in DPS mode, media synchronization loss may occur, and a media synchronization recovery process will be initiated.

[0187] In one possible design, the first communication device determines that after the second communication device ends the interference state, the second communication device loses media synchronization on the first channel and enters the media synchronization recovery process; and assists the second communication device to restore the media synchronization of the second communication device on the first channel.

[0188] Furthermore, the specific implementation method for assisting the second communication device in restoring media synchronization on the first channel is not limited. For example, the first communication device can send an assistance frame to the second communication device to help it restore media synchronization. The assistance frame can be a trigger frame, a data frame, or other frames. The second communication device can restore media synchronization after receiving the assistance frame or being set to NAV. Alternatively, the first communication device can broadcast or multicast the assistance frame, or send it to other communication devices. If the second communication device can receive and parse the assistance frame and is set to NAV, it can restore media synchronization.

[0189] In conjunction with the foregoing embodiments, during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first and second communication devices, the first communication device sends capability information indicating its support for assisting in the restoration of media synchronization; correspondingly, the second communication device receives the capability information. The first communication device can send the capability information via unicast, multicast, or broadcast. The second communication device sends its own information based on the capability information, thereby enabling the first device to receive the information from the second device. That is, during the capability negotiation or update phase, the first communication device can inform other devices of its capability to assist in restoring media synchronization, allowing them to send messages indicating that they need to assist in restoring media synchronization after entering the media synchronization restoration process. Here, the first communication device can be a STA (Stationary Station) with low channel switching latency, or an AP (Access Point), which can restore media synchronization earlier or without losing media synchronization.

[0190] Based on the above embodiments, taking a STA in DPS mode as an example, during the DPS capability negotiation or update phase, after the STA reports the switchback latency, the AP can determine whether to assist the STA in restoring media synchronization should the STA subsequently lose media synchronization and enter the media synchronization recovery process. Alternatively, an implicit indication can be made based on the reported switchback latency and the amount of cached data reported through the Buffer Status Report (BSR). Specifically, when the switchback latency exceeds the media synchronization threshold aMediumSyncThreshold and the amount of cached data exceeds the data volume threshold, the AP determines that if the STA subsequently loses media synchronization and enters the media synchronization loss process, the AP will assist the STA in restoring media synchronization. Alternatively, implicit indications can be provided based on the switchback delay reported by the STA and its ability to transmit information in low-power mode. Specifically, if the switchback delay exceeds aMediumSyncThreshold and the STA supports transmitting information in low-power mode, the AP determines that if the STA subsequently experiences media synchronization loss and enters media synchronization recovery, the AP will assist the STA in restoring media synchronization. Alternatively, implicit indications can be provided based on one or more of the following: the switchback delay reported by the STA, its ability to transmit information in low-power mode, Buffer Status Report (BSR), or the amount of buffered data. The specific form of implicit indications for assisting in media synchronization recovery is not limited.

[0191] In conjunction with the foregoing embodiments, the information of the second communication device can be carried in the NPCA, DSO, DPS, IDC, DUI, or DUO elements of the downlink or uplink frames. For example, if the second communication device is a STA, the NPCA, DSO, DPS, IDC, DUI, or DUO elements of the uplink frame can carry indication information and / or channel handover delay and / or buffer status reports. As another example, if the second communication device is an AP, the NPCA, DSO, DPS, IDC, DUI, or DUO elements of the downlink frames can carry indication information and / or channel handover delay and / or buffer status reports. Optionally, if the second communication device is an AP, the AP can transmit the information of the second communication device via unicast, multicast, or broadcast.

[0192] Optionally, the uplink frame may be at least one of the following: an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, a target mode enable frame, a target mode notification frame, or a target mode dedicated management frame; the downlink frame may be at least one of the following: a beacon frame, a data pending transmission indication message, a beacon frame or a transmission indication mapping frame, or a target mode dedicated management frame. It is understood that the uplink and downlink frames may also be other frames containing elements of the target mode.

[0193] For example, during the NPCA ability negotiation or update phase:

[0194] Downlink frames may be: association request frames, reassociation request frames, NPCA mode enable frames, NPCA mode notification frames, NPCA dedicated management frames, or other frames containing NPCA elements; downlink frames may be: beacon frames, delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) beacon frames or traffic indication map (TIM) frames, NPCA dedicated management frames, or other broadcast, multicast, or unicast frames containing NPCA elements or NPCA parameters.

[0195] Optionally, the site device may report capability information through an association request frame, a reassociation request frame, an NPCA mode enable frame, an NPCA mode notification frame, or other frames. The reported content may be included in the basic NPCA element in the (re)association request frame, the NPCA parameter field in the NPCA mode enable frame, the NPCA parameter update field in the NPCA mode notification frame, or other fields in these frames, or other frames containing NPCA elements.

[0196] DPS capability negotiation or update phase:

[0197] Uplink frames may be: association request frames, reassociation request frames, DPS mode enable frames, DPS mode notification frames, DPS dedicated management frames, or other frames containing DPS elements; downlink frames may be: beacon frames, delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) beacon frames or traffic indication map (TIM) frames, DPS dedicated management frames, or other broadcast, multicast, or unicast frames containing DPS elements or DPS parameters.

[0198] Optionally, the site device may report capability information through an association request frame, a reassociation request frame, a DPS mode enable frame, a DPS mode notification frame, or other frames. The reported content may be included in the basic DPS element in the (re)association request frame, the DPS parameter field in the DPS mode enable frame, the DPS parameter update field in the DSO mode notification frame, or other fields in these frames or other frames containing DPS elements.

[0199] DSO Capability Negotiation or Update Phase:

[0200] Uplink frames may be: association request frames, reassociation request frames, DSO mode enable frames, DSO mode notification frames, DSO dedicated management frames, or other frames containing DSO elements; downlink frames may be: beacon frames, delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) beacon frames or traffic indication map (TIM) frames, DSO dedicated management frames, or other broadcast, multicast, or unicast frames containing DSO elements or DSO parameters.

[0201] Optionally, the site can report capability information through an association request frame, a reassociation request frame, a DSO mode enable frame, a DSO mode notification frame, or other frames. The reported content can be included in the basic DSO element in the (re)association request frame, the DSO parameter field in the DSO mode enable frame, the DSO parameter update field in the DSO mode notification frame, or other fields in these frames or other frames containing DSO elements.

[0202] In summary, in this embodiment, during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first and second communication devices, the second communication device can inform the first communication device that it needs the assistance of the first communication device to restore media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process. This can be indicated by instruction information or implicitly indicated by whether the unavailability duration is greater than a duration threshold, thereby assisting the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process.

[0203] In some embodiments, media synchronization loss may occur at both the AP and STA ends, or both may lose media synchronization in certain scenarios. For example, in NPCA mode, if the AP and STA switch to the NPCA main channel due to main channel busyness, media synchronization loss will occur after switching to the NPCA main channel. Alternatively, if the AP and STA switch to the main channel when the main channel busyness ends, and the switchback delay of the AP and STA exceeds aMediumSyncThreshold, then after switching back to the main channel, both the AP and STA will experience media synchronization loss and enter the media synchronization recovery process. Therefore, depending on the actual situation, new or independent media synchronization recovery parameters or rules can be used for the AP and STA to reduce the limitations of the media synchronization recovery process on the capabilities of the station that has lost media synchronization. This allows the station that has lost media synchronization to recover media synchronization more quickly, or to quickly compete for the channel and be able to communicate.

[0204] The following describes another communication method provided in this embodiment in detail with reference to the communication system shown in Figure 8 and Figure 10. The method may include the following steps:

[0205] S1001: The first communication device acquires the media synchronization recovery parameters, which are used to restore media synchronization after the second communication device ends the interference state or switches from the first channel to the second channel and enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0206] S1002: The first communication device sends media synchronization recovery parameters to the second communication device. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the media synchronization recovery parameters.

[0207] In one possible design, the first channel is the primary channel and the second channel is a non-primary channel, or the first channel is a non-primary channel and the second channel is the primary channel. Optionally, the non-primary channel is the NPCA primary channel. For example, the second communication device switches from the NPCA primary channel to the primary channel to enter the media synchronization recovery process; or the second communication device switches from the primary channel to the NPCA primary channel to enter the media synchronization recovery process.

[0208] In one possible design, the first channel is the primary channel and the second channel is the sub-channel, or the first channel is the sub-channel and the second channel is the primary channel. Optionally, the primary channel is the DSO primary channel and the sub-channel is the DSO sub-channel. For example, the second communication device switches from the DSO primary channel to the DSO sub-channel to enter the media synchronization recovery process; or, for another example, the second communication device switches from the DSO sub-channel to the DSO primary channel to enter the media synchronization recovery process.

[0209] In one possible design, the bandwidth of the first channel is different from the bandwidth of the second channel. Optionally, the bandwidth of the first channel includes the bandwidth of the second channel, or the bandwidth of the second channel includes the bandwidth of the first channel; or, the bandwidths of the first channel and the second channel do not overlap, with the bandwidth of the first channel being greater than or less than the bandwidth of the second channel. For example, the second communication device switches from a high-capacity mode to a low-capacity mode to enter the media synchronization recovery process; or, for instance, the second communication device switches from a low-capacity mode to a high-capacity mode to enter the media synchronization recovery process.

[0210] In one possible design, ending the interference state may include the second communication device ending the IDC, DUI, or DUO interference state. After ending the IDC, DUI, or DUO interference state, the second communication device may enter a media synchronization recovery process.

[0211] In one possible design, the media synchronization recovery parameters include at least one of the following: dot11MSDTXOPMax, a medium synchronization delay timer (MediumSyncDelay timer), an energy detection threshold (ED threshold), and a medium synchronization threshold (aMediumSyncThreshold). Here, aMediumSyncThreshold can be 72 microseconds. Optionally, if the duration for which the second communication device cannot perform CCA / cannot receive (blind state) exceeds aMediumSyncThreshold, it enters the Medium Access Recovery procedure. At the beginning of the Medium Access Recovery procedure, the second communication device sets the MediumSyncDelay timer according to the most recent relevant instruction from the first communication device and begins a countdown. During the countdown, if the second communication device receives an MPDU or a PPDU whose TX_DURATION is not UNSPECIFIED, the countdown is immediately reset to zero. While the value of the MediumSyncDelay timer is non-zero, the threshold for CCA (Continuous Communication Action) on the second channel by the second communication device must be adjusted to dot11MSDOFDMEDthreshold. The number of times the second communication device attempts to initiate a TXOP must not exceed dot11MSDTXOPMax, and each attempt must be initiated by sending an RTS (Request to Transmit) frame. Otherwise, the second communication device must continue to perform CCA until the countdown ends before it can initiate transmission. If the blind state duration is shorter than aMediumSyncThreshold, the second communication device can choose not to start the MediumSyncDelay timer.

[0212] In one possible design, the media synchronization recovery parameters are carried in the NPCA, DSO, DPS, IDC, DUI, or DUO elements of the downlink or uplink frames connected during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first and second communication devices. Specific descriptions of the uplink and downlink frames can be found in the embodiments described in the aforementioned communication method, and will not be repeated here.

[0213] In the aforementioned embodiments, the first communication device is an AP (Access Point) and the second communication device is a STA (Stationary Access Point). After acquiring the media synchronization recovery parameters, the first communication device can send first information to the second communication device. This first information instructs the second communication device to use the media synchronization recovery parameters. The first information can be carried using 1 bit to indicate whether or not to use the media synchronization recovery parameters; a value of 1 indicates using the parameters, and a value of 0 indicates not using them. The first information can include 1 bit to indicate whether or not to use the parameters, and to specifically instruct the recovery of the media synchronization parameters; or it can directly instruct the specific recovery of the parameters. That is, the AP can directly instruct the STA to use the media synchronization parameters negotiated during the capability negotiation phase and the update phase to restore media synchronization. This allows for faster restoration of media synchronization, or faster acquisition of the channel and the ability to communicate.

[0214] In conjunction with the foregoing embodiments, the specific implementation method for the first communication device to acquire media synchronization recovery parameters is not limited. In one possible design, independent media synchronization recovery parameters under the target mode (NPCA mode) can be predefined in the protocol. The first communication device acquires the media synchronization recovery parameters and synchronizes with the second communication device.

[0215] In one possible design, the first communication device is an AP (Access Point) and the second communication device is a STA (Stationary Access Point). The first communication device can receive second information sent by the second communication device, which suggests that the second communication device use the media synchronization recovery parameters. The first communication device can then send a response to the second communication device based on the second information, instructing the second communication device to use the media synchronization recovery parameters. Optionally, the second information or response can be carried in uplink or downlink frames during the capability negotiation or update phase. For example, it can be carried using 1 bit to indicate whether to use the media synchronization recovery parameters; a value of 1 indicates the use of the media synchronization recovery parameters, and a value of 0 indicates that the media synchronization recovery parameters are not used. If the first communication device agrees with the suggestion of the second communication device, the response can carry the media synchronization recovery parameters indicated by the first communication device.

[0216] In one possible design, the first communication device is an AP, and the second communication device is a STA. The first communication device can receive third information sent by the second communication device. The third information is used to suggest whether the second communication device should use the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters. If the third information suggests that the second communication device use the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters, the first communication device sends a response based on the second information to the second communication device. The response instructs the second communication device to use the media synchronization recovery parameters, and the media synchronization recovery parameters are determined based on the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters.

[0217] Optionally, the third information can be carried in the uplink or downlink frames during the capability negotiation or update phase; for example, it can be carried in 1 bit to indicate whether the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters are used; if the value of this bit is 1, it indicates that the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters are used, and if the value of this bit is 0, it indicates that the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters are not used; the third information can also carry the suggested media synchronization parameters. The first communication device receives the third information and determines the media synchronization recovery parameters to be sent to the second communication device based on the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters; the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters and the media synchronization parameters sent by the first communication device to the second communication device can be the same, or they can be within the range of the suggested media synchronization parameters.

[0218] In conjunction with the foregoing embodiments, the first communication device acquires media synchronization recovery parameters. These parameters are used to restore media synchronization after the first communication device terminates the interference state or switches from the first channel to the second channel and enters the media synchronization recovery process. The specific implementation of the first communication device acquiring the media synchronization recovery parameters is not limited. Optionally, independent media synchronization recovery parameters in NPCA mode can be predefined in the protocol, and the first communication device acquires and uses these parameters.

[0219] In summary, the first and second communication devices can negotiate new or independent media synchronization recovery parameters or rules, which are used to restore media synchronization after the interference state ends or after switching from the first channel to the second channel and entering the media synchronization recovery process. This can reduce the limitations of the media synchronization recovery process on the capabilities of stations that have lost media synchronization, thereby enabling stations that have lost media synchronization to restore media synchronization more quickly, or to quickly compete for the channel and be able to communicate.

[0220] In conjunction with the foregoing embodiments, events or conditions for initiating the media synchronization delay timer and / or initiating the media synchronization recovery procedure can be added. The first communication device initiates the media synchronization recovery procedure when it falls under any of the following categories: an AP or non-AP STA that has completed channel handover in NPCA mode; an AP or non-AP STA that has completed sub-channel handover in IDC, DUI, or DUO mode; an AP or non-AP STA that has completed capability mode handover in DPS mode; a non-AP STA that has completed sub-channel handover in DSO mode; or an AP or non-AP STA that has ended IDC, DUI, or DUO interference state in IDC, DUI, or DUO mode.

[0221] Optionally, there are no restrictions on the first communication device initiating media synchronization recovery. For example, if the duration of the first communication device losing media synchronization exceeds a duration threshold, the first communication device will immediately initiate the media synchronization recovery process after completing (sub)channel switching, capability mode switching, or the end of IDC, DUI, or DUO interference. Optionally, a MediumSyncDelay timer is set and a countdown begins when the media synchronization recovery process is initiated.

[0222] In conjunction with the foregoing embodiments, during the capability negotiation or update phase of NPCA mode, strategy information for avoiding media synchronization loss or restoring media synchronization on the NPCA main channel and the main channel can be determined based on at least one of the following: the number of stations participating in NPCA mode, the handover latency and back-off latency reported by the STA, or the STA's suggestions. Specifically, the first communication device sends strategy information to the second communication device, which instructs the second communication device to perform at least one of the following operations to avoid media synchronization loss: switch from the NPCA main channel to the main channel in advance, switch from the DSO sub-channel to the DSO main channel in advance, or switch from a channel of the first bandwidth to a channel of the second bandwidth in advance, or disable / suspend the target mode; and / or, the strategy information instructs the second communication device to perform at least one of the following operations to restore media synchronization: assist in restoring media synchronization, or adopt media synchronization recovery parameters in the target mode; the target mode includes any one of the following: NPCA mode, DSO mode, DPS mode, IDC or DUI or DUO mode.

[0223] Among these strategies, two or more can be used simultaneously to avoid media synchronization loss and to restore media synchronization. For example, if only the AP is required to switch back in advance to avoid media synchronization loss, then the AP can assist other sites in restoring media synchronization. Another example is if only some STAs are required to switch back in advance to avoid media synchronization loss, then those STAs can assist other sites and / or APs in restoring media synchronization. Yet another example is using new or independent media synchronization restoration parameters, allowing some sites (such as APs) to quickly restore media synchronization or quickly compete for the channel and be able to transmit frames; these sites can then assist other sites in restoring media synchronization.

[0224] The strategy to avoid media synchronization loss can refer to the communication method described in Figure 11 below, and will not be repeated here; the strategy to restore media synchronization can refer to the communication methods described in Figures 9 and 10 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0225] In some embodiments, in the current NCPA mode, a site needs switching delay and handover delay when switching between the main channel and the NPCA main channel. If a site communicates on the NPCA main channel beyond the busy time of its BSS main channel, the AP can only switch to the main channel after the main channel busy time ends. This will affect the communication performance of traditional STAs or non-AP STAs that only support older versions of the protocol and remain on the main channel during NPCA. It may also lead to the loss of media synchronization (blind state) and further trigger the media synchronization recovery process.

[0226] Based on this, this embodiment provides a communication method in which a first communication device acquires a first moment; the first moment is the end time of the busy time of the first channel, or the first moment is before the end time; the first communication device communicates on the second channel before the first moment; and initiates a switch from the second channel to the first channel at the first moment; wherein the first communication device switches back to the first channel before the duration of the loss of medium synchronization of the first channel reaches the medium synchronization threshold (aMediumSyncThershold).

[0227] In other words, by limiting the first moment when the first communication device switches from the second channel to the first channel, ensuring that the first moment is at or before the end of the busy time of the first channel, the first communication device can switch back to the first channel before the duration of the loss of media synchronization on the first channel reaches the media synchronization threshold. This avoids the problem of the first communication device losing media synchronization (blind state) and further triggering the media synchronization recovery process. Moreover, it avoids affecting the communication performance of traditional STAs that remain on the main channel or non-AP STAs that only support older versions of the protocol. Therefore, this embodiment can improve the communication performance of the site.

[0228] The following description, with reference to the communication system shown in Figure 8 and Figure 11, describes a communication method provided in this embodiment, which may include the following steps:

[0229] S1101: The first communication device acquires the first moment; before the first moment, the first communication device communicates on the second channel.

[0230] S1102: The first communication device initiates a switch from the second channel to the first channel at the first moment; wherein, the first communication device switches back to the first channel before the duration of the loss of medium synchronization on the first channel reaches the medium synchronization threshold (aMediumSyncThershold).

[0231] In this embodiment, the first or second channel can be a wireless channel, i.e., a channel for wireless transmission of signal / data signals in a communication system. Specifically, it can be a channel in a certain radio frequency band, such as a licensed Wi-Fi band, such as a 2.4GHz licensed band, a 5.5GHz licensed band, or a newly defined licensed band in the future; there are no specific limitations. That is to say, at least two of the above-mentioned channels can be located in the same radio frequency band. The channels can be divided according to the frequency domain resources in the radio frequency band. For example, in the 5.5GHz licensed band, each channel can be divided according to a certain bandwidth, such as 80M, 160M, or 320M of bandwidth as one channel, i.e., the bandwidth of the channels is the same. Taking 80M as an example, the bandwidth of 5.46GHz-5.54GHz is channel #1, the bandwidth of 5.54GHz-5.62GHz is channel #2, the bandwidth of 5.62GHz-5.7GHz is channel #3, and so on. Alternatively, the channel bandwidth can also be different. For example, 80MHz bandwidth in the 5.46GHz-5.54GHz range could be channel #1, and 160MHz bandwidth in the 5.54GHz-5.7GHz range could be channel #2, etc. The specific allocation can be defined or pre-configured by the protocol, determined by the first communication device itself, or determined through negotiation between the first communication device and other communication devices (such as the second communication device). There are no specific restrictions. For example, in NPCA mode, the first channel could be the main channel in the BSS where the first communication device is located, i.e., the main channel through which the first communication device operates, and the second channel could be the NPCA main channel in the BSS where the first communication device is located. As another example, in DPS mode, the first channel could be the channel with the first bandwidth when the first communication device operates in high-capacity mode, and the second channel could be the channel with the second bandwidth when the first communication device operates in low-capacity mode.

[0232] The busy time of the first channel can refer to the duration of the TXOP of the main channel, which is the TXOP that was preempted by OBSS; or the duration of the first channel being occupied for other reasons.

[0233] Taking NPCA mode as an example, during the busy period of the first channel (main channel), the first communication device AP and the second communication device can switch to the second channel (NPCA main channel) for communication; after the first channel is busy, the first communication device and the second communication device can switch back to the first channel for communication. In order to ensure the communication performance of the first communication device and the second communication device, it is very important to know the first moment when the first communication device starts to switch back to the first channel and the second moment when the second communication device starts to switch back to the first channel.

[0234] Assume the first communication device can be an AP, and the second communication device is some or all of the STAs associated with the AP, or a specific STA; STAs can represent some or all of the STAs associated with the AP; the first and second communication devices communicate through a first channel and / or a second channel. In one possible design, the second time can be the first time; that is, the first and second communication devices start switching from the second channel to the first channel together, as shown in Figure 12(a). In another possible design, the second time can be the first time delayed by a preset duration; that is, the second communication device can start switching from the second channel to the first channel after a preset duration, as shown in Figure 12(b); the preset duration is not limited and can be customized according to the actual application. The AP and STA switching back together, or the AP switching back to the second channel before the STA, allows the STA to access the associated AP after switching back to the first channel.

[0235] The value at the first moment can include, but is not limited to, the following schemes:

[0236] In one possible design, the first moment is the end of the busy period of the first channel. The first communication device can begin switching from the second channel to the first channel at the end of the busy period of the first channel. For example, the AP and / or STAs start switching from the NPCA main channel to the main channel together at the end of the TXOP, or the STAs start switching from the NPCA main channel to the main channel after a preset time delay from the end of the TXOP.

[0237] In one possible design, the first moment can be before the end of the busy time of the first channel, and the first moment can be determined based on the target moment.

[0238] 1. The first time can be the target time T1. The AP and / or STAs can initiate the handover from the second channel to the first channel at the target time T1, or the STAs can initiate the handover from the second channel to the first channel after a preset time delay from the target time T1.

[0239] 2. The first time interval is before the target time interval T1, and the duration between the first time interval and the target time interval is less than the duration required to complete one frame interaction on the second channel. For example, if the AP and / or STAs can detect the time interval of the target time interval T1 when obtaining the TXOP of the second channel, or before the end of the busy time of the main channel, or when back off to 0, or when completing each frame interaction; if this time interval is greater than or equal to the time to complete one frame interaction (such as the time of one shortest frame interaction), then frame interaction continues on the second channel, and the AP is guaranteed to initiate the handover from the first channel to the second channel at or before the target time. If this time interval is less than the time to complete one frame interaction (such as the time of one shortest frame interaction), the AP and STAs stop frame interaction on the second channel. In this scenario, the AP performing the detection can switch immediately or at the target time; the STA performing the detection can switch immediately, at the target time, or before the target time, when the duration of frame interaction on the second channel reaches a duration threshold; the duration threshold is not limited and can be customized according to the actual application; this duration threshold can be predefined or placed in the NPCA element, negotiated or indicated during the capability negotiation or update phase. Frame interaction in this embodiment can refer to a single frame interaction or multiple frame interactions; frame interaction can refer to the process of devices sending frames and providing feedback on those frames.

[0240] Furthermore, the target time can be determined based on at least one of the following: the busy time of the first channel, the switchback delay of the first communication device, the switchback delay of the second communication device, and aMediumSyncThershold. The target time is the time corresponding to a target duration preceding the end of the busy time of the first channel. The value of the target duration can be, but is not limited to, any of the following:

[0241] (1) The target duration is the switchback delay of the first communication device. The first communication device begins switching from the second channel to the first channel before the end of the busy time of the first channel. For example, the AP and / or STAs begin switching from the NPCA main channel to the main channel before the end of the TXOP (Turn-Off Point) time; or the STAs delay by a preset time after the AP. Therefore, the AP can switch back to the second channel before or at the end of the busy time of the first channel, which can avoid media synchronization loss and will not affect the communication performance of the stations remaining on the first channel. If the AP switches back to the first channel in advance or the STAs switch back to the first channel simultaneously in advance, the AP will stabilize on the first channel in advance, which can enable the STAs to stabilize quickly after switching back, thus improving the communication performance of the stations in the system.

[0242] (2) The target duration is the difference between the switchback delay of the second communication device and aMediumSyncThershold. Optionally, the switchback delay of the second communication device can be the maximum, minimum, or average value of the switchback delay of all or some STAs, as shown in Figure 13(b). For example, based on a grace period for the value of aMediumSyncThershold after the TXOP ends, the STAs begin switching from the NPCA main channel to the main channel ahead of the maximum value of the STAs' switchback delay; here, the STAs can be some of the STAs associated with the AP, that is, some STAs can be allowed to experience media synchronization loss.

[0243] (3) The first time can also be selected as the earlier time than the target time corresponding to (1) and (2) above; that is, if the switchback delay of the first communication device is greater than or equal to the difference between the switchback delay of the second communication device and aMediumSyncThershold, then the target duration is the switchback delay of the first communication device; if the switchback delay of the first communication device is less than the difference between the switchback delay of the second communication device and aMediumSyncThershold, then the target duration is the difference between the switchback delay of the second communication device and aMediumSyncThershold; the switchback delay of the second communication device is the maximum, minimum or average of the switchback delays of all or some of the devices in the second communication device. For example, relative to the end time of TXOP, the AP starts switching from the NPCA main channel to the main channel a time earlier than max(AP,s switch back delay,STA,s switch back delay-aMediumSyncThershold). If the AP and some STAs switch to the first channel in advance, the AP can ensure that it switches back before the end time of TXOP to avoid media loss, and the STA can ensure that it does not enter the media synchronization recovery process after switching back to the first channel.

[0244] (4) The target duration is the switchback delay of the second communication device. Optionally, the switchback delay of the second communication device can be the maximum, minimum, or average of the switchback delays of all or some STAs. For example, the AP and / or STAs start switching from the NPCA main channel to the main channel before the maximum of the switchback delays of all STAs at the end of TXOP; as shown in Figure 13(a). This allows some STAs to switch to the first channel earlier, avoiding media synchronization loss. There is no restriction on the time for other STAs to switch to the first channel, allowing media synchronization loss to occur.

[0245] In addition, the second time point is the time corresponding to the switchback delay of the second communication device, which is earlier than the end of the busy time of the first channel. That is, STAs can start switching from the NPCA main channel to the main channel in advance of their respective switchback delays. This ensures that they can switch back to the main channel when the busy time of the main channel ends, avoiding the occurrence of blind states.

[0246] In one possible design, the first moment is the moment when the duration for which the first communication device stops frame interaction on the second channel reaches a duration threshold. That is, if no frame interaction occurs on the second channel for a certain period of time, both the AP and STAs can immediately switch from the second channel to the first channel.

[0247] The aforementioned method of switching from the second channel to the first channel is not limited to NPCA mode, but can also be applied to DPS mode, DSO mode, IDC or DUI or DUO mode, or new features and scenarios in next-generation WiFi. In these features, because sub-channel switching or bandwidth switching requires latency, APs and / or STAs switch from the first channel to the second channel in advance (early back-switch) to avoid loss of media synchronization. More importantly, early back-switch by the AP can prevent late AP back-switch from impacting the performance of legacy STAs (those that remain on the main channel or in DPS scenarios that do not support dynamic power saving) or non-AP STAs that only support older protocol versions (not supporting WiFi 8 NPCA, DSO, DPS, IDC or DUI or DUO modes).

[0248] In one possible design, the first communication device sends a handover instruction to at least one of the second communication devices. The handover instruction is used to instruct the second communication device to initiate a handover from the second channel to the first channel at a second time.

[0249] The handover instruction information includes the AID of at least one device. For example, it instructs some STAs to switch to the first channel in advance, so that when the STA performs NPCA operation, it will switch from the NPCA main channel to the main channel in advance to avoid media synchronization loss, or help other STAs that have lost media synchronization to restore media synchronization.

[0250] Restricting the handover time from the second channel to the first channel for only a portion of STAs (early handover) is not limited to NPCA mode, but can also be applied to DPS mode, DSO mode, or new features in next-generation WiFi to address scenarios where media synchronization loss may occur. Accordingly, the AID of some STAs that prematurely handover is reflected in the DPS / DSO mode elements of the downlink frames during the DPS / DSO mode capability negotiation or update phase. The update phase is not restricted and can be either a capability update phase or an operating parameter update phase.

[0251] Optionally, the switching indication information is carried in the downlink frame sent during the capability negotiation phase or update phase of the target mode; the target mode is any of the following: NPCA mode, DPS mode, DSO mode, IDC or DUI or DUO mode.

[0252] Optionally, the uplink frame may be at least one of the following: an association request frame, or a reassociation request frame, a target mode enable frame, a target mode notification frame, or a target mode dedicated management frame; the downlink frame may be at least one of the following: a beacon frame, a data pending transmission indication message, a beacon frame or a transmission indication mapping frame, or a target mode dedicated management frame. It is understood that the uplink and downlink frames may also be other frames containing elements of the target mode.

[0253] For example, during the NPCA capability negotiation or update phase:

[0254] Downlink frames may be: association request frames, reassociation request frames, NPCA mode enable frames, NPCA mode notification frames, NPCA dedicated management frames, or other frames containing NPCA elements; downlink frames may be: beacon frames, delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) beacon frames or traffic indication map (TIM) frames, NPCA dedicated management frames, or other broadcast, multicast, or unicast frames containing NPCA elements or NPCA parameters.

[0255] Optionally, the site device may report capability information through an association request frame, a reassociation request frame, an NPCA mode enable frame, an NPCA mode notification frame, or other frames. The reported content may be included in the basic NPCA element in the (re)association request frame, the NPCA parameter field in the NPCA mode enable frame, the NPCA parameter update field in the NPCA mode notification frame, or other fields in these frames, or other frames containing NPCA elements.

[0256] DPS capability negotiation or update phase:

[0257] Uplink frames may be: association request frames, reassociation request frames, DPS mode enable frames, DPS mode notification frames, DPS dedicated management frames, or other frames containing DPS elements; downlink frames may be: beacon frames, delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) beacon frames or traffic indication map (TIM) frames, DPS dedicated management frames, or other broadcast, multicast, or unicast frames containing DPS elements or DPS parameters.

[0258] Optionally, the site device may report capability information through an association request frame, a reassociation request frame, a DPS mode enable frame, a DPS mode notification frame, or other frames. The reported content may be included in the basic DPS element in the (re)association request frame, the DPS parameter field in the DPS mode enable frame, the DPS parameter update field in the DSO mode notification frame, or other fields in these frames or other frames containing DPS elements.

[0259] DSO capability negotiation or update phase:

[0260] Uplink frames may be: association request frames, reassociation request frames, DSO mode enable frames, DSO mode notification frames, DSO dedicated management frames, or other frames containing DSO elements; downlink frames may be: beacon frames, delivery traffic indication message (DTIM) beacon frames or traffic indication map (TIM) frames, DSO dedicated management frames, or other broadcast, multicast, or unicast frames containing DSO elements or DSO parameters.

[0261] Optionally, the site can report capability information through an association request frame, a reassociation request frame, a DSO mode enable frame, a DSO mode notification frame, or other frames. The reported content can be included in the basic DSO element in the (re)association request frame, the DSO parameter field in the DSO mode enable frame, the DSO parameter update field in the DSO mode notification frame, or other fields in these frames or other frames containing DSO elements.

[0262] In summary, this embodiment limits the first moment when the first communication device switches from the second channel to the first channel, ensuring that the first moment is at or before the end of the busy time of the first channel. This allows the first communication device to switch back to the first channel before the duration of the loss of media synchronization on the first channel reaches the media synchronization threshold, thus avoiding the problem of the first communication device losing media synchronization (blind state) and further triggering the media synchronization recovery process. Moreover, it avoids affecting the communication performance of traditional STAs that remain on the main channel or non-AP STAs that only support older versions of the protocol. Therefore, this embodiment can improve the communication performance of the site.

[0263] Based on all the embodiments shown in Figures 9-13 above, the DPS element, DSO element, and NPCA element involved in the embodiments of this application are described below. It should be understood that the order of the various fields shown below is merely illustrative. Furthermore, the order of the various fields can be changed, and the fields can be split or combined. For example, a field can be split into different fields, or split into different frame types, or some or all fields can be combined into one field. Some fields may appear in frames used during the capability negotiation phase or the capability / operation parameter update phase, and some fields may appear in the mode operation or execution phase, such as in the control frames of the execution phase, for example, in the Initial Control Frame (ICF) and the Initial Control Response Frame (ICR).

[0264] In one possible implementation, the second communication device is a STA applying NPCA mode. Since the second communication device is equivalent to the TXOP responder of at least one TXOP corresponding to the first time period, during the process of the second communication device sending a control frame or management frame containing at least one of capability information, information of the second communication device, first information, second information, and third information to the first communication device, the fields that the NPCA element contained in the control frame or management frame may contain can be referred to in Figure 14(a). The fields that the NPCA element contained in the control frame or management frame contains include at least one of the following:

[0265] Whether NPCA is supported is used to indicate whether the second communication device supports NPCA mode.

[0266] Whether to enable NPCA is used to request / suggest enabling or disabling NPCA mode to the first communication device.

[0267] Whether to enable cross-TXOP NPCA, used to request / suggest enabling or disabling cross-TXOP NPCA mode to the first communication device.

[0268] Whether to enable SP-based NPCA, used to request / suggest enabling or disabling SP-based NPCA mode to the first communication device.

[0269] Supported bandwidth and working bandwidth, including one or more of the following: working bandwidth, current bandwidth, and total bandwidth that can be supported.

[0270] The handover delay field is used to report the handover delay to the first communication device. The handover delay is the delay required to switch from low capability mode to high capability mode.

[0271] The switchback delay field is used to report the switchback delay to the first communication device. The switchback delay is the delay required to switch from high capability mode to low capability mode.

[0272] The preferred channel number is used to indicate to the first communication device the number of preferred channels supported. The number of preferred channels supported is related to the reserved hardware resources.

[0273] Preferred channel information is used to indicate to the first communication device the specific preferred channel supported.

[0274] Whether preferred channel reconfiguration is supported is used to indicate to the first communication device whether the second communication device supports preferred channel reconfiguration.

[0275] The preferred channel configuration delay and preferred channel effective time recommendations are used to report the delay required for preferred channel reconfiguration to the first communication device, as well as the recommended effective time after preferred channel configuration.

[0276] The threshold field is used to indicate the duration threshold, media synchronization threshold, etc. involved in the foregoing embodiments.

[0277] The information field of the second communication device is used to indicate the information of the second communication device involved in the foregoing embodiments. The information of the second communication device includes a data volume threshold.

[0278] The capability information field is used to indicate the capability information involved in the aforementioned embodiments;

[0279] The media synchronization recovery parameter field is used to indicate the media synchronization recovery parameters involved in the foregoing embodiments, which may be the third information or the media synchronization recovery parameters in the response corresponding to the third information.

[0280] The media synchronization recovery parameter indicator bit is used to indicate whether the media synchronization recovery parameter is used in the aforementioned embodiments; it can be 1 bit, as described in the aforementioned first information, the response corresponding to the first information, the second information, the response corresponding to the second information, the third information, and the response corresponding to the third information.

[0281] The strategy information field is used to indicate the strategy information involved in the foregoing embodiments.

[0282] It is worth mentioning that the fields contained in the aforementioned NPCA element can be included in the same frame of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device, or they can be included in different frames of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device. The fields contained in the same frame can be arbitrarily combined or split. In addition, among the multiple fields mentioned in the embodiments of this application, some fields can contain multiple subfields. The multiple subfields of a field can be located in different frames or in the same frame; the aforementioned multiple fields can also be combined into a very long field.

[0283] It should be understood that the order of the multiple fields mentioned in the embodiments of this application is only an exemplary illustration, and the index (or the order of the fields) corresponding to each field can be adjusted adaptively during the application process.

[0284] Accordingly, since the first communication device is equivalent to the TXOP holder of at least one TXOP corresponding to the first time period, during the process of the first communication device sending a control frame or management frame containing at least one of capability information, information of the second communication device, first information, second information, and third information to the second communication device, the fields that the NPCA element contained in the control frame or management frame may contain can be referred to in Figure 14(b). The fields that the NPCA element contained in the control frame or management frame contains include at least one of the following:

[0285] Whether NPCA is supported is used to indicate whether the first communication device supports NPCA mode.

[0286] Whether NPCA is enabled is used to indicate whether the second communication device has enabled NPCA mode.

[0287] Whether cross-TXOP NPCA is enabled is used to indicate whether the second communication device has enabled cross-TXOP NPCA mode.

[0288] Whether SP-based NPCA is enabled is used to indicate whether the second communication device has enabled SP-based NPCA mode.

[0289] A second communication device identifier that supports NPCA is used to indicate one or more second communication devices that support the NPCA mode.

[0290] A second communication device identifier for participating in the NPCA, used to indicate one or more second communication devices participating in the NPCA.

[0291] Whether to update the preferred channel is used to instruct some or all of the second communication devices to update the preferred channel. For example, if represented by 1 bit, setting it to 1 can indicate that the preferred channel needs to be updated. Alternatively, in addition to the 1-bit indicator bit, it may also include identification information of the specific second communication device that needs to be updated.

[0292] Preferred channel information is used to indicate a specific preferred channel to the second communication device.

[0293] The preferred channel activation time field is used to indicate the configured preferred channel activation time to the second communication device.

[0294] The threshold field is used to indicate the duration threshold, media synchronization threshold, data volume threshold, etc. involved in the foregoing embodiments.

[0295] The information field of the second communication device is used to indicate the information of the second communication device involved in the foregoing embodiments. The information of the second communication device includes a data volume threshold.

[0296] The capability information field is used to indicate the capability information involved in the aforementioned embodiments;

[0297] The media synchronization recovery parameter field is used to indicate the media synchronization recovery parameters involved in the foregoing embodiments, which may be the third information or the media synchronization recovery parameters in the response corresponding to the third information.

[0298] The media synchronization recovery parameter indicator bit is used to indicate whether the media synchronization recovery parameter is used in the aforementioned embodiments; it can be 1 bit, as described in the aforementioned first information, the response corresponding to the first information, the second information, the response corresponding to the second information, the third information, and the response corresponding to the third information.

[0299] The strategy information field is used to indicate the strategy information involved in the foregoing embodiments.

[0300] Similarly, the fields contained in the aforementioned NPCA element can be included in the same frame of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device, or they can be included in different frames of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device. The fields contained in the same frame can be arbitrarily combined or split.

[0301] Similarly, the fields contained in the aforementioned NPCA element can be included in the same frame of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device, or they can be included in different frames of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device. The fields contained in the same frame can be arbitrarily combined or split.

[0302] In one possible implementation, the second communication device is a STA using DPS mode. During the communication interaction between the second communication device and the first communication device, when the second communication device sends a control frame or management frame containing DPS elements to the first communication device, the fields included in the DPS elements of the control frame or management frame can be referred to in Figure 15(a). Correspondingly, the fields included in the DPS elements of the control frame or management frame sent by the first communication device to the second communication device can be referred to in Figure 14(b).

[0303] The meanings of the fields in Figure 15(a) are similar to those of the corresponding fields in Figure 14(a), and can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here. The fields with different meanings from those in Figure 14(a) are as follows:

[0304] Whether DPS is supported is used to indicate whether the second communication device supports DPS mode.

[0305] Whether to enable DPS is used to request / suggest enabling or disabling DPS mode to the first communication device.

[0306] Whether to enable cross-TXOP DPS, used to request / suggest enabling or disabling cross-TXOP DPS mode to the first communication device.

[0307] Whether to enable SP-based DPS, used to request / suggest enabling or disabling SP-based DPS mode to the first communication device.

[0308] Supported bandwidth and working bandwidth, including one or more of the following: working bandwidth, current bandwidth, and total bandwidth that can be supported.

[0309] The handover delay field is used to report the handover delay to the first communication device. The handover delay is the delay required to switch from the main channel to the NPCA sub-channel.

[0310] The handover delay field is used to report the handover delay to the first communication device. The handover delay is the delay required to switch from the NPCA main channel to the main channel.

[0311] Preferred bandwidth number, used to indicate to the first communication device the number of preferred bandwidths supported, the number of preferred bandwidths supported is related to the reserved hardware resources.

[0312] Preferred bandwidth information is used to indicate to the first communication device the specific preferred bandwidth supported.

[0313] Whether preferred bandwidth reconfiguration is supported is used to indicate to the first communication device whether the second communication device supports preferred bandwidth reconfiguration.

[0314] The preferred bandwidth configuration delay and preferred bandwidth effective time recommendations are used to report the delay required for preferred bandwidth reconfiguration to the first communication device, and to recommend the effective time after preferred bandwidth configuration.

[0315] Similarly, the fields contained in the aforementioned DPS element can be included in the same frame of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device, or they can be included in different frames of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device. The fields contained in the same frame can be arbitrarily combined or split.

[0316] Similarly, the meanings of the fields in Figure 15(b) can be referenced from the meanings of the corresponding fields in Figure 14(b), and will not be repeated here. The fields with different meanings from those in Figure 14(b) are as follows:

[0317] Whether DPS is supported is used to indicate whether the first communication device supports DPS mode.

[0318] Whether DPS is enabled is used to indicate whether the second communication device has enabled DPS mode.

[0319] Whether cross-TXOP DPS is enabled is used to indicate whether the second communication device enables cross-TXOP DPS mode.

[0320] Whether SP-based DPS is enabled is used to indicate whether the second communication device has enabled SP-based DPS mode.

[0321] A second communication device identifier that supports DPS, used to indicate one or more second communication devices that support DPS mode.

[0322] A second communication device identifier participating in DPS, used to indicate one or more second communication devices participating in DPS.

[0323] The handover delay field is used to report the handover delay to the first communication device. The handover delay is the delay required to switch from low capability mode to high capability mode.

[0324] The switchback delay field is used to report the switchback delay to the first communication device. The switchback delay is the delay required to switch from high capability mode to low capability mode.

[0325] Whether to update the preferred bandwidth is used to instruct some or all of the second communication devices to update the preferred bandwidth. For example, if represented by 1 bit, it can be set to 1 to indicate that the preferred bandwidth needs to be updated. Or, in addition to the 1-bit indicator bit, it also includes identification information of the specific second communication device that needs to be updated.

[0326] Preferred bandwidth information is used to indicate the specific preferred bandwidth to the second communication device.

[0327] The preferred bandwidth effective time field is used to indicate the configured preferred bandwidth effective time to the second communication device.

[0328] Similarly, the fields contained in the aforementioned DPS element can be included in the same frame of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device, or they can be included in different frames of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device. The fields contained in the same frame can be arbitrarily combined or split.

[0329] In one possible implementation, the second communication device is a STA applying DSO mode. During the communication interaction between the second communication device and the first communication device, when the second communication device sends a control frame or management frame containing DSO elements to the first communication device, the fields included in the DSO elements of the control frame or management frame can be referred to in Figure 16(a). Correspondingly, the fields included in the DSO elements of the control frame or management frame sent by the first communication device to the second communication device can be referred to in Figure 14(b).

[0330] The meanings of the fields in Figure 16(a) are similar to those of the corresponding fields in Figure 14(a), and can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here. The fields with different meanings from those in Figure 14(a) are as follows:

[0331] Whether DSO is supported is used to indicate whether the second communication device supports DSO mode.

[0332] Whether to enable DSO is used to request / suggest enabling or disabling DSO mode to the first communication device.

[0333] Whether to enable cross-TXOP DSO is used to request / suggest enabling or disabling cross-TXOP DSO mode to the first communication device.

[0334] Whether to enable SP-based DSO, used to request / suggest enabling or disabling SP-based DSO mode to the first communication device.

[0335] The preferred channel number is used to indicate to the first communication device the number of preferred channels supported. The number of preferred channels supported is related to the reserved hardware resources.

[0336] Preferred channel information is used to indicate to the first communication device the specific preferred channel supported.

[0337] Whether preferred channel reconfiguration is supported is used to indicate to the first communication device whether the second communication device supports preferred channel reconfiguration.

[0338] The preferred channel configuration delay and preferred channel effective time recommendations are used to report the delay required for preferred channel reconfiguration to the first communication device, as well as the recommended effective time after preferred channel configuration.

[0339] Similarly, the fields contained in the aforementioned DSO element can be included in the same frame of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device, or they can be included in different frames of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device. The fields contained in the same frame can be arbitrarily combined or split.

[0340] Similarly, the meanings of the fields in Figure 16(b) can be referenced from the meanings of the corresponding fields in Figure 14(b), and will not be repeated here. The fields with different meanings from those in Figure 16(b) are as follows:

[0341] Whether DSO is supported is used to indicate whether the first communication device supports DSO mode.

[0342] Whether DSO is enabled is used to indicate whether the second communication device has enabled DSO mode.

[0343] Whether DSO across TXOP is enabled is used to indicate whether the second communication device enables DSO mode across TXOP.

[0344] Whether SP-based DSO is enabled is used to indicate whether the second communication device has enabled SP-based DSO mode.

[0345] A second communication device identifier that supports DSO, used to indicate one or more second communication devices that support DSO mode.

[0346] A second communication device identifier participating in the DSO, used to indicate one or more second communication devices participating in the DSO.

[0347] The handover delay field is used to report the handover delay to the first communication device. The handover delay is the delay required to switch from the DSO main channel to the DSO sub-channel.

[0348] The switchback delay field is used to report the switchback delay to the first communication device. The switchback delay is the delay required to switch from the DSO sub-channel to the DSO main channel.

[0349] Whether to update the preferred channel is used to instruct some or all of the second communication devices to update the preferred channel. For example, if represented by 1 bit, setting it to 1 can indicate that the preferred channel needs to be updated. Alternatively, in addition to the 1-bit indicator bit, it may also include identification information of the specific second communication device that needs to be updated.

[0350] Preferred channel information is used to indicate a specific preferred channel to the second communication device.

[0351] The preferred channel activation time field is used to indicate the configured preferred channel activation time to the second communication device.

[0352] The fields contained in the aforementioned DSO element can be included in the same frame of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device, or they can be included in different frames of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device. The fields contained in the same frame can be arbitrarily combined or split.

[0353] In one possible implementation, the second communication device is a STA applying IDC, DUI, or DUO mode. During the communication interaction between the second communication device and the first communication device, the second communication device sends a control frame or management frame containing IDC, DUI, or DUO elements to the first communication device. The fields included in the IDC, DUI, or DUO elements in the control frame or management frame can be referred to in Figure 14(a). Correspondingly, the fields included in the IDC, DUI, or DUO elements in the control frame or management frame sent by the first communication device to the second communication device can be referred to in Figure 14(b).

[0354] The meanings of the fields in Figure 17(a) are similar to those of the corresponding fields in Figure 14(a), and can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here. The fields with different meanings from those in Figure 14(a) are as follows:

[0355] Whether IDC, DUI, or DUO is supported is used to indicate whether the second communication device supports IDC, DUI, or DUO mode.

[0356] Whether to enable IDC, DUI, or DUO is used to request / suggest enabling or disabling IDC, DUI, or DUO mode to the first communication device.

[0357] Whether to enable or disable cross-TXOP IDC, DUI, or DUO mode, used to request / suggest enabling or disabling cross-TXOP IDC, DUI, or DUO mode to the first communication device.

[0358] Whether to enable SP-based IDC, DUI, or DUO is used to request / suggest enabling or disabling SP-based IDC, DUI, or DUO mode to the first communication device.

[0359] The interference duration field is used to report the duration of interference to the first communication device.

[0360] The handover delay field is used to report the handover delay to the first communication device. The handover delay is the delay required to switch from the main channel to the sub-channel or non-main channel.

[0361] The switchback delay field is used to report the switchback delay to the first communication device. The switchback delay is the delay required to switch from a sub-channel or non-primary channel to the primary channel.

[0362] Similarly, the fields contained in the aforementioned IDC, DUI, or DUO elements can be included in the same frame of interaction between the first and second communication devices, or in different frames of interaction between the first and second communication devices. The fields contained in the same frame can be arbitrarily combined or split.

[0363] Similarly, the meanings of the fields in Figure 17(b) can be referenced from the meanings of the corresponding fields in Figure 14(b), and will not be repeated here. The fields with different meanings from those in Figure 14(b) are as follows:

[0364] Whether IDC, DUI, or DUO is supported indicates whether the first communication device supports IDC, DUI, or DUO mode. Whether IDC, DUI, or DUO is enabled indicates whether the second communication device enables IDC, DUI, or DUO mode.

[0365] Whether IDC, DUI, or DUO is enabled across TXOP is used to indicate whether the second communication device enables IDC, DUI, or DUO mode across TXOP.

[0366] Whether SP-based IDC, DUI, or DUO is enabled is used to indicate whether the second communication device has enabled SP-based IDC, DUI, or DUO mode.

[0367] A second communication device identifier that supports IDC, DUI, or DUO, used to indicate one or more second communication devices that support IDC, DUI, or DUO modes.

[0368] A second communication device identifier that participates in IDC, DUI, or DUO, used to indicate one or more second communication devices participating in IDC, DUI, or DUO.

[0369] The fields contained in the aforementioned IDC, DUI, or DUO elements can be included in the same frame of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device, or they can be included in different frames of interaction between the first communication device and the second communication device. The fields contained in the same frame can be arbitrarily combined or split.

[0370] The communication method provided by the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 9-17. The communication apparatus used to perform the communication method provided by the embodiments of this application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 18 and 19.

[0371] For example, FIG18 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in FIG18, the communication device 1800 includes a transceiver module 1801 and a processing module 1802. For ease of explanation, FIG18 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0372] In some embodiments, the communication device 1800 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG8 to perform the functions of the terminal device in the communication methods shown in FIG9-FIG17.

[0373] The processing module 1802 is used to receive information from the second communication device during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first communication device and the second communication device. The information from the second communication device indicates whether the second communication device needs to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process.

[0374] The transceiver module 1801 is used to store information of the second communication device.

[0375] Alternatively, the processing module 1802 is used to obtain information about the second communication device, which indicates whether it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0376] The transceiver module 1801 is used to transmit information of the second communication device during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first communication device and the second communication device.

[0377] Alternatively, the processing module 1802 is used to acquire media synchronization recovery parameters, which are used to restore media synchronization after the second communication device ends the interference state or switches from the first channel to the second channel and enters the media synchronization recovery process; or, the processing module 1802 is used to acquire media synchronization recovery parameters, which are used to restore media synchronization after the first communication device ends the interference state or switches from the first channel to the second channel and enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0378] The transceiver module 1801 sends the media synchronization recovery parameters to the second communication device.

[0379] The specific implementation described above can be found in the relevant descriptions of the methods provided in Figures 9-17, and will not be repeated here. Optionally, the transceiver module 1801 may include a receiving module and a transmitting module (not shown in Figure 18). The transceiver module is used to implement the transmitting and receiving functions of the communication device 1800.

[0380] Optionally, the communication device 1800 may further include a storage module that stores programs or instructions. When the transceiver module 1801 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1800 can perform the functions of the terminal device in the communication method shown in Figures 9-17.

[0381] It should be understood that the transceiver module 1801 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0382] Furthermore, the communication device 1800 can be a terminal, a chip (system), or other components or parts, or a device containing a terminal; this application does not limit this. The aforementioned chip (system) or other components or parts can all be located in a terminal or network device. The technical effects of the communication device 1800 can be seen in the technical effects of the communication method shown in Figures 9-17, and will not be repeated here.

[0383] In other embodiments, the communication device 1800 may be adapted to the communication system shown in FIG8 to perform the functions of the network device in the communication methods shown in FIG9-FIG17.

[0384] The processing module 1802 is used to receive information from the second communication device during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first communication device and the second communication device. The information from the second communication device indicates whether the second communication device needs to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process.

[0385] The transceiver module 1801 is used to store information of the second communication device.

[0386] Alternatively, the processing module 1802 is used to obtain information about the second communication device, which indicates whether it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0387] The transceiver module 1801 is used to transmit information of the second communication device during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first communication device and the second communication device.

[0388] Alternatively, the processing module 1802 is used to acquire media synchronization recovery parameters, which are used to restore media synchronization after the second communication device ends the interference state or switches from the first channel to the second channel and enters the media synchronization recovery process; or, the processing module 1802 is used to acquire media synchronization recovery parameters, which are used to restore media synchronization after the first communication device ends the interference state or switches from the first channel to the second channel and enters the media synchronization recovery process.

[0389] The transceiver module 1801 sends the media synchronization recovery parameters to the second communication device.

[0390] Optionally, the communication device 1800 may further include a storage module that stores programs or instructions. When the transceiver module 1801 executes the program or instructions, the communication device 1800 can perform the functions of the network device in the communication method shown in Figures 9-17.

[0391] It should be understood that the transceiver module 1801 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit components, and can be a transceiver or transceiver unit.

[0392] Furthermore, the communication device 1800 may be a network device, a chip (system) or other component or assembly disposed in the aforementioned network device, or a device containing the network device; this application embodiment does not limit this. The technical effects of the communication device 1800 can be referred to the technical effects of the communication methods shown in Figures 9-17, and will not be repeated here.

[0393] For example, Figure 19 is a second schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can be a terminal device or a network device, or it can be a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be disposed in a terminal device or network device. As shown in Figure 19, the communication device 1900 may include a processor 1901. Optionally, the communication device 1900 may also include a memory 1902 and / or a transceiver 1903. The processor 1901 is coupled to the memory 1902 and the transceiver 1903, for example, they can be connected via a communication bus.

[0394] The following is a detailed description of the various components of the communication device 1900, with reference to Figure 19:

[0395] The processor 1901 is the control center of the communication device 1900. It can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 1901 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0396] Optionally, the processor 1901 can perform various functions of the communication device 1900 by running or executing software programs stored in the memory 1902 and calling data stored in the memory 1902.

[0397] In a specific implementation, as one example, processor 1901 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in FIG19.

[0398] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 1900 may also include multiple processors, such as processors 1901 and 1904 shown in FIG. 19. Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). Here, a processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0399] The memory 1902 is used to store the software program that executes the solution of this application, and is controlled by the processor 1901 to execute it. The specific implementation method can be referred to the above method embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0400] Optionally, the memory 1902 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. The memory 1902 may be integrated with the processor 1901 or may exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1901 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1900 (not shown in FIG. 19). This embodiment of the application does not specifically limit this.

[0401] Transceiver 1903 is used for communication with other communication devices. For example, if communication device 1900 is a terminal device, transceiver 1903 can be used to communicate with a network device or with another terminal device. As another example, if communication device 1900 is a network device, transceiver 1903 can be used to communicate with a terminal device or with another network device.

[0402] Optionally, transceiver 1903 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in Figure 19). The receiver is used to implement the receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0403] Optionally, the transceiver 1903 can be integrated with the processor 1901 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1901 through the interface circuit of the communication device 1900 (not shown in FIG19). This application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0404] It should be noted that the structure of the communication device 1900 shown in Figure 19 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. The actual communication device may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0405] Furthermore, the technical effects of the communication device 1900 can be referred to the technical effects of the communication method described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0406] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a CPU, but it can also be other general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0407] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), EEPROM, or flash memory. Volatile memory can be RAM, which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0408] The above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware, or any other combination thereof. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer programs are loaded or executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more sets of available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. A semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0409] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates an "or" relationship between the preceding and following related objects, but it can also represent an "and / or" relationship. Please refer to the context for a more accurate understanding.

[0410] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0411] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0412] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0413] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0414] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0415] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0416] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0417] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0418] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a first communication device, the method includes: During the capability negotiation or update phase between the first and second communication devices, information is received from the second communication device. The information from the second communication device indicates whether the second communication device needs to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after entering the media synchronization recovery process. Save the information of the second communication device.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The information of the second communication device includes indication information, which indicates whether it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process.

3. The communication method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the instruction information, it is determined that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, assistance will be provided to the second communication device to restore media synchronization.

4. The communication method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The information of the second communication device includes the duration of the second communication device's unavailability. If the duration of the second communication device's unavailability exceeds the duration threshold, it is determined that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization.

5. The communication method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The unavailability duration of the second communication device includes the channel switching delay of the second communication device or the duration of the interference state of the second communication device; The channel switching delay being greater than the duration threshold indicates that the duration of the second communication device losing medium synchronization during channel switching exceeds the medium synchronization threshold (aMediumSyncThreshold). Alternatively, if the duration of the interference state of the second communication device is greater than the duration threshold, it indicates that the duration of the interference state of the second communication device exceeds the media synchronization threshold.

6. The communication method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The information of the second communication device also includes information indicating the amount of data buffered by the second communication device; the method further includes: Based on the fact that the unavailability duration of the second communication device is greater than the duration threshold and the amount of data cached by the second communication device is greater than the data amount threshold, it is determined that after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process, it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization.

7. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The capability negotiation or update phase includes any of the following: capability negotiation or update phase for Non-Normal Channel Access (NPCA) mode, capability negotiation or update phase for Dynamic Subband Operation (DSO) mode, capability negotiation or update phase for Dynamic Power Saving (DPS) mode, and capability negotiation or update phase for IDC, DUI, or DUO interference mode.

8. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send capability information, the capability information indicating that the first communication device supports assisting in the recovery of media synchronization; Receiving information from the second communication device includes: Receive information from the second communication device sent by the second communication device based on the capability information.

9. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The method further includes: It is determined that when the second communication device switches to the first channel, the second communication device loses media synchronization on the first channel and enters the media synchronization recovery process; Assist the second communication device in restoring the media synchronization of the second communication device on the first channel.

10. The communication method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first channel is the main channel or main channel in NPCA mode; or the first channel is a DSO sub-channel or DSO main channel; or the first channel is a channel with a first bandwidth or a channel with a second bandwidth, wherein the first bandwidth is different from the second bandwidth.

11. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The information of the second communication device is carried in the NPCA element, DSO element, DPS element, or IDC element of the downlink or uplink frame.

12. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The first communication device is any one of the following: an access point (AP), a target non-AP STA, a portion of non-AP STAs, or all non-AP STAs.

13. The communication method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The second communication device is any one of the following: AP, target non-AP STA, part of non-AP STA, or all of non-AP STA.

14. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first communication device initiates the media synchronization recovery procedure when it falls under any of the following categories: AP or non-AP STA that has completed channel switching in NPCA mode; AP or non-AP STA that has completed sub-channel switching in IDC mode; AP or non-AP STA that has completed capability mode switching in DPS mode; non-AP STA that has completed sub-channel switching in DSO mode; or AP or non-AP STA that has ended the interference state in IDC, DUI, or DUO interference modes.

15. The communication method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The first communication device initiates media synchronization recovery, including: If the duration of the first communication device losing media synchronization exceeds a time threshold, the first communication device shall immediately initiate the media synchronization recovery process after completing (sub)channel switching, capability mode switching, or the end of the interference state.

16. The communication method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send strategy information to the second communication device, the strategy information instructing the second communication device to avoid media synchronization loss by at least one of the following operations: switch from the NPCA main channel to the main channel in advance, switch from the DSO sub-channel to the DSO main channel in advance, or switch from a channel of the first bandwidth to a channel of the second bandwidth in advance, or turn off / pause the target mode. And / or, the policy information instructs the second communication device to perform at least one of the following operations to restore media synchronization: assist in restoring media synchronization, or use media synchronization recovery parameters in a target mode; the target mode includes any one of the following: NPCA mode, DSO mode, DPS mode, IDC or DUI or DUO mode.

17. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a second communication device, the method includes: Obtain information about the second communication device, which indicates whether it is necessary to assist the second communication device in restoring media synchronization after the second communication device enters the media synchronization recovery process. Information from the second communication device is transmitted during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first and second communication devices.

18. The communication method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive capability information, the capability information indicating that the first communication device supports assisting in the recovery of media synchronization; The information sent to the second communication device includes: The information of the second communication device is sent to the first communication device based on the capability information.

19. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a first communication device, the method includes: Acquire media synchronization recovery parameters, which are used to restore media synchronization after the second communication device ends the interference state or switches from the first channel to the second channel and enters the media synchronization recovery process; send the media synchronization recovery parameters to the second communication device; Alternatively, media synchronization recovery parameters can be obtained, which are used to restore media synchronization after the first communication device ends the interference state or switches from the first channel to the second channel and enters the media synchronization recovery process.

20. The communication method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The first channel is the primary channel and the second channel is a non-primary channel, or the first channel is a non-primary channel and the second channel is the primary channel; Alternatively, the first channel may be the primary channel and the second channel may be a sub-channel, or the first channel may be a sub-channel and the second channel may be the primary channel.

21. The communication method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The bandwidth of the first channel is different from the bandwidth of the second channel.

22. The communication method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The termination of interference status may include the termination of IDC, DUI, or DUO interference status by the second communication device.

23. The communication method according to any one of claims 19-22, characterized in that, The media synchronization recovery parameters include at least one of the following: dot11MSDTXOPMax, MediumSyncDelay timer, Energy Detection Threshold (ED threshold), and MediumSync Threshold (aMediumSyncThreshold).

24. The communication method according to any one of claims 19-23, characterized in that, The media synchronization recovery parameters are carried in the NPCA element, DSO element, DPS element, or IDC element of the downlink or uplink frame during the capability negotiation or update phase between the first communication device and the second communication device.

25. The communication method according to any one of claims 19-24, characterized in that, The first communication device is an AP, and the second communication device is a STA. Sending the media synchronization recovery parameters to the second communication device includes: Send a first message to the second communication device, the first message being used to instruct the second communication device to use the medium to synchronize and restore parameters.

26. The communication method according to any one of claims 19-24, characterized in that, The first communication device is an AP, the second communication device is a STA, and the acquisition of media synchronization recovery parameters includes: Receive second information sent by the second communication device, the second information being used to suggest whether the second communication device should use the medium to synchronize recovery parameters; Sending the media synchronization recovery parameters to the second communication device includes: Send a response to the second communication device based on the second information, the response instructing the second communication device to use the medium to synchronize and restore parameters.

27. The communication method according to any one of claims 19-24, characterized in that, The first communication device is an AP, the second communication device is a STA, and the acquisition of media synchronization recovery parameters includes: Receive third information sent by the second communication device, the third information being used to suggest whether the second communication device should use a suggested medium to synchronize recovery parameters; Sending the media synchronization recovery parameters to the second communication device includes: If the third information suggests that the second communication device use the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters, a response based on the second information is sent to the second communication device. The response instructs the second communication device to use the media synchronization recovery parameters, which are determined based on the suggested media synchronization recovery parameters.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-27.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-27.

30. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes: a computer program or instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-27.

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