Auxiliary channel switching method

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure is an auxiliary channel switching method. The method comprises: when both a first communication node and a second communication node support auxiliary channel measurement and need to measure an auxiliary channel, negotiating, with the second communication node, channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel; and performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel on the basis of the channel measurement information, and when the result of the auxiliary channel measurement indicates that channel switching is allowed and required, switching to the auxiliary channel on the basis of received switching signaling sent by the second communication node.

Description

Auxiliary channel switching method

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This disclosure is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2024116173377, entitled “Assisted Channel Switching Method”, filed on November 12, 2024, and incorporates the entire contents of that patent application by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to an auxiliary channel switching method. Background Technology

[0004] When a wireless terminal device switches to a new frequency band channel, the radio frequency (RF) section and the baseband section each need to perform specific tasks to ensure a smooth switching process and that the device can transmit and receive signals normally. Typically, the time required for a wireless terminal device to switch channels is on the order of milliseconds. However, if the switching time required by the wireless terminal device itself is too long, it may cause the wireless terminal device to be unable to correctly receive and respond to subsequent control frames sent by the network access device; or there may be insufficient time for subsequent data transmission, resulting in inefficient transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides an auxiliary channel switching method to at least solve the problem in related technologies that excessively long channel switching times reduce data transmission efficiency.

[0006] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, an auxiliary channel switching method is provided, applied to a first communication node, comprising: when both the first communication node and a second communication node support auxiliary channel measurement and require measurement of the auxiliary channel, negotiating channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the second communication node; performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel according to the channel measurement information; and when the result of the auxiliary channel measurement is permissible and channel switching is required, switching to the auxiliary channel according to a switching signaling sent by the second communication node.

[0007] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, an auxiliary channel switching method is provided, applied to a second communication node, comprising: when both a first communication node and a second communication node support auxiliary channel measurement and require measurement of the auxiliary channel, negotiating channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the first communication node, so that the first communication node performs auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel according to the channel measurement information; and when the result of the auxiliary channel measurement is permissible and channel switching is required, sending a switching signaling to the first communication node, so that the first communication node switches to the auxiliary channel according to the switching signaling.

[0008] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, wherein a computer program is stored therein, wherein the computer program is configured to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments when it is run.

[0009] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, an electronic device is also provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program and the processor is configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0010] According to yet another embodiment of this disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in any of the above method embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 is an architecture diagram of a wireless communication network according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0012] Figure 2 is a structural block diagram of a wireless device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of dynamic subband operation in related technologies;

[0014] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing that STA1 fails to correctly receive and respond to control frames sent by AP according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 5 is a flowchart of an auxiliary channel switching method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the interaction between the AP and STA negotiating channel measurement information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a control field extended based on a TWT element field according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a control field extended based on a TWT element field according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a control field extended based on a TWT element field according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the frame structure carrying auxiliary channel measurement signaling according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the interaction between AP and STA during implicit measurement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the interaction between AP and STA during explicit measurement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the interaction between AP and STA during information reporting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating an auxiliary channel switching method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0026] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0027] This disclosure provides a wireless communication network. Figure 1 is an architecture diagram of a wireless communication network according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in Figure 1, the wireless network is a network composed of one or more wireless communication devices, including an access point 102 (i.e., a network access device) (AP) and a wireless terminal device 104 (Station, STA). In some embodiments, these wireless communication devices can exchange data according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802 series standards. The IEEE 802 standards cover communication specifications for various network devices, from Local Area Networks (LANs) to Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs). In particular, the IEEE 802.11 standard sets clear guidelines for communication in Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), namely, that in a WLAN, the communication process must follow at least one communication protocol to ensure communication between different devices. These communication protocols are dynamically evolving and are continuously updated with technological advancements, with the aim of enhancing communication stability and improving data transmission efficiency.

[0028] IEEE 802.11 wireless communication technology can also be referred to as WiFi technology. In some embodiments, AP 102 and STA 104 transmit data via one or more protocols in the IEEE 802.11 protocol family. These protocols cover a range from early standards such as 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a, to 802.11n (High Throughput, HT) and 802.11ac (Very High Throughput, VHT), to 802.11ax (High Efficiency, HE), and 802.11be (Extremely High Throughput, EHT). Furthermore, it includes next-generation IEEE 802.11 technologies such as the Ultra High Reliability (UHR) standard, as well as other developing IEEE 802.11 wireless communication specifications.

[0029] In some embodiments, AP 102 and STA 104 may communicate according to other standards, such as the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) standard developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Furthermore, wireless communication standards may also include LTE-A (an enhanced version of LTE), next-generation 5G NR technology, Bluetooth, global navigation satellite systems (such as GPS or GLONASS), and mobile television broadcasting standards (such as ATSC-M / H). These technologies can be used individually or in combination. In some embodiments, STA 104 may be designed to support only a single wireless communication technology. The names of AP102 and STA 104 may also differ depending on the technological context. For example, in an LTE network, AP102 may be referred to as an Evolved NodeB (eNB), while STA 104 may be referred to as User Equipment (UE).

[0030] In some embodiments, the wireless terminal device, also known as a station (STA), may be more specifically defined as a non-access point STA (non-AP STA). These STAs 104 are capable of wirelessly connecting to nearby network devices, such as access points (APs 102). The wireless terminal device can be a mobile phone, handheld device, wearable device, computer or tablet, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), unmanned flight controller (UAC), vehicle, or virtually any type of wireless device. The STA may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The STA 104 can perform any of the methods described in this disclosure by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively, the STA 104 may also include programmable hardware elements, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), integrated circuits, or other hardware components configured to perform any part or all of the methods described herein.

[0031] In some implementations, AP102 can be defined as a station (STA), and more specifically, an access point STA (AP STA). AP102 can be, but is not limited to, a router, a mobile terminal enabling a hotspot, a base station, etc., all possessing the hardware facilities for wireless communication with STA104. Furthermore, AP102 can also be configured to communicate with network 106, which can be a telecommunications network, such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), the Internet, or other possible networks. Therefore, AP102 can enable communication not only between STA104 but also between STA104 and network 106. As will be further described later in this document, AP102 includes the hardware required to achieve wireless communication with STA104, and may also include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described herein.

[0032] The communication range of AP102 is typically referred to as the Basic Service Set (BSS). AP102 and STA104 can communicate via various radio access technologies or wireless communication technologies, including but not limited to LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE A), 5G NR, WiFi, and Ultra Wideband (UWB). AP102 can also be configured to provide STA104 with communication connectivity to network 106.

[0033] In some embodiments, STA104 can also be configured to communicate with STA104. For example, STA104 can be configured to support direct device-to-device communication, which is commonly referred to as peer-to-peer (P2P) communication. This communication method allows two devices to communicate directly without AP102.

[0034] Multiple BSSs can be combined to form an Extended Service Set (ESS). In this example, AP102 may not be a single access point, but rather one of multiple access points. A controller, not shown in the diagram, can be responsible for storing and managing shared information among the multiple AP102s and for controlling the BSSs, such as allocating parameters like the primary channel and BSS color.

[0035] The traditional STA108 can operate according to one or more standards in the IEEE 802.11 standard family, which may include 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ad / ah / ay / ax, etc. The AP102 can communicate with the traditional STA108 using traditional IEEE 802.11 communication technology.

[0036] The MAC and PHY layers in AP102 and STA104 exchange PDUs (Protocol Data Units) and SDUs (Service Data Units) during the management of wireless communication traffic. The PHY layer is configured to receive SDUs from the MAC layer, encapsulating the MAC SDUs into PPDUs (Physical Layer Protocol Data Units) by adding a preamble. In some embodiments, different types of PPDUs may exist, such as single-user (SU) PPDUs, downlink (DL) PPDUs, multi-user (MU) PPDUs, extended range (ER) SUPPDUs, and / or trigger-based (TB) PPDUs. The PPDU preamble may include various training fields that the receiving AP102 or STA104 uses to perform synchronization, gain control, channel characteristic estimation, and signal equalization. AP102 and STA104 then exchange wireless communication signals in PPDU format.

[0037] There are various options for wireless communication channel bandwidth, including but not limited to 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz and combined modes such as 80+80MHz.

[0038] In some embodiments, the channel bandwidth may reach 320 MHz, or appear in a combination of 160+160 MHz. For narrower channels, bandwidth options may include subdivisions from 1 MHz to 10 MHz, or combinations thereof, or other bandwidths less than or equal to the available bandwidth may also be used. In some embodiments, the channel bandwidth may also be determined based on the number of subcarriers carrying data, which may be 26, 52, 106, 242, 484, 996, and 2x996.

[0039] In some embodiments, the allocation of bandwidth, tone, or number of subcarriers may be referred to as resource unit (RU) allocation.

[0040] In some embodiments of IEEE 802.11, such as the ax / be embodiment, AP102 gains control of the wireless channel through a contention mechanism to acquire a transmission window (TXOP). During the TXOP, AP102 can transmit frames containing EHT / HE trigger information, which may be related to the synchronous uplink and downlink data transmission of STA104. AP102 can provide the duration of the TXOP and RU allocation information. STA104 communicates with AP102 using multiple access technologies such as OFDMA or MUMIMO. During the TXOP, AP102 can send one or more PPDUs to exchange data with STA104.

[0041] In some implementations, STA104 and / or AP102 are configured to perform the methods and functions described herein in conjunction with Figures 5 and 14. The term "WiFi" may refer to one or more versions of the IEEE 802.11 communication standard. APs and STAs may include access points and terminal devices based on EHT / HE technology standards, as well as conventional wireless communication devices.

[0042] The wireless communication network shown in Figure 1 is just one of many possibilities, and the methods of this disclosure can be implemented in various systems to meet different needs. For example, the implementation discussed herein can be applied to various wireless devices. The wireless implementation schemes described in detail below are only illustrative examples.

[0043] This disclosure also provides a wireless device suitable for implementing various technologies or methods discussed herein, which can operate independently or connect with other devices to form a network system. When deployed in a network, the wireless device can operate as a server or client in a server-client mode, or as a node in a P2P network mode. The wireless device may represent AP 102, STA 104, STA 108, or any other device capable of executing relevant instructions, including those for implementing or supporting the methods of embodiments of this disclosure.

[0044] Figure 2 is a structural block diagram of a wireless device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the wireless communication device 200 may include a processor 204 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or any combination thereof), a memory 202, a display device 212, an input device 214, a sensor device 216, and an antenna 218.

[0045] Memory 202 stores the control program and various data used. AP102 and STA104, STA108 can be configured to implement or support some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored in the memory. The memory can be implemented as RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this respect, the memory can be coupled to the processor, allowing the processor to read information from and write information to the memory. In some embodiments, the memory may each include a cache for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed by the processor. The memory may also include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processor. Upon device power-up, one or more programs stored on a hard disk or read-only memory are transferred to random access memory and registers for storing variables and parameters required by this disclosure.

[0046] Device 200 may also include display device 212 and input device 214 (e.g., keyboard and mouse). In some embodiments, display device 212 and input device 214 may be touch screen displays. Sensor 216 may be, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor or other sensors.

[0047] Processor 204 is responsible for executing various instruction sets or software programs and managing data transmission and reception tasks. Processor 204 may include a Media Access Control Unit 206 (MAC unit), a Physical Layer Unit 208 (PHY unit), and a storage unit 210. These units, including PHY unit 208, MAC unit 206, and storage unit 210, can be interconnected and may be partially or entirely integrated on a single chip. Processor 204 can implement or assist in implementing one or more of the functions, operations, or methods described herein by running program code stored in storage units 202 or 210. Furthermore, processor 204 can be configured to use one or more antennas to transmit and receive signals with other wireless devices (e.g., AP 102, STA 104, or legacy device 108). In a particular embodiment, PHY unit 208 is responsible for performing functions such as signal encoding and decoding, power amplification, and filtering, including generating baseband signals for transmission and decoding received signals. PHY unit 208 can also transmit signals according to one of the 802.11 standards discussed herein, such as 802.11ax / 802.11be. MAC unit 206 is responsible for managing access rights to the wireless communication medium. In some embodiments, MAC unit 206 can compete for access to the wireless medium based on Network Allocation Vector (NAV) and Channel Clearance Assessment (CCA). Certain functions of signal transmission and reception may be performed collaboratively by PHY unit 208, MAC unit 206, and other components. In some embodiments, processor 204 may integrate one or more general-purpose or purpose-specific processors. Processor 204 may also be configured as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or implemented using dedicated hardware components such as Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) to implement the required hardware and logic circuitry. In some cases, the implementation of processor 204 may rely on the combination of software-configured elements with other hardware elements.

[0048] Antenna 218 may include one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, linearly polarized antennas, circularly polarized antennas, narrowband antennas, wideband antennas, ultra-wideband antennas, or other types of antennas suitable for transmitting RF signals.

[0049] In some embodiments, antenna 218 may be configured to perform wireless communication using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technologies.

[0050] In some embodiments, antenna 218 may be configured to use multi-user MIMO technology for wireless communication.

[0051] In some embodiments, the methods described herein may be implemented entirely in software, or in part through a combination of software and firmware. These software components and / or firmware may be encoded on a persistent computer-readable storage medium for a processor to read. The processor parses and executes these encoded instructions to perform the series of operations described herein. These instructions may exist in various forms, including but not limited to raw source code, compiled code, scripts requiring interpretation, directly executable programs, statically compiled programs, or dynamically generated programs.

[0052] Figure 3 illustrates dynamic sub-band operation (DSO) in related technologies. As shown in Figure 3, the AP operates on an 80MHz channel bandwidth, while STA1 and STA2 operate on a 40MHz channel bandwidth. STA1 is a DSO-enabled STA, and STA2 is a DSO-unsupported STA. The AP can send a sub-channel switching control frame to instruct the DSO-enabled STA to switch to the auxiliary 40MHz channel, while STA2 remains on the primary 40MHz channel. STA1 needs to switch to the auxiliary 40MHz channel and be ready to receive within the switching time T1. Subsequently, the AP can send a second control frame, and the STAs reply with acknowledgment frames at their respective bandwidth locations. After correctly receiving the acknowledgment frames from each STA, the AP can send a DL OFDMA data frame or trigger the transmission of a UL OFDMA data frame. After frame switching ends, if STA1 detects that the channel remains idle for the SIFS+delta time period, it switches back to the primary 40MHz channel.

[0053] When a STA switches to a new frequency band, as shown in Figure 3, when STA1 switches from the primary 40MHz bandwidth to the secondary 40MHz bandwidth, the radio frequency (RF) and baseband sections each need to perform specific tasks to ensure a smooth switching process and that the device can transmit and receive signals normally. The RF section's phase-locked loop (PLL) needs to be adjusted to the frequency corresponding to the new band. The switching filter needs to be switched to the appropriate bandpass filter based on the frequency range of the new band to ensure that only signals of the required frequency band are transmitted and received. Furthermore, the filter parameters need to be adjusted according to the characteristics of the new band to optimize signal quality. In addition, the power amplifier also needs to be reconfigured, such as adjusting the power amplifier's gain and operating point. The antenna needs to have its parameters adjusted to ensure optimal signal transmission and reception. The baseband section is responsible for channel configuration, protocol stack adjustments, signal processing, timing, and synchronization; the switching time may typically last on the order of milliseconds.

[0054] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating that STA1 cannot correctly receive and respond to the control frame sent by AP according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, if the handover time T2 required by STA1 is greater than T1, STA1 cannot correctly receive the second control frame sent by AP and cannot reply with an acknowledgment frame on the auxiliary 40MHz channel. Subsequently, AP can only use the primary 40MHz channel to send data frames to STA2, and the auxiliary 40MHz channel will be wasted. Another method is for AP to adjust the handover time T1 to T2, but since T2 lasts for a long time, there may not be enough time left for subsequent data transmission, which will also cause inefficient transmission problems.

[0055] If the STA can perform RF and baseband pre-calibration on the auxiliary 40MHz channel, the actual handover operation can be completed within T1 time. Pre-calibration significantly reduces the time required for the device to switch to a new frequency band. STA1 can switch to the auxiliary channel in advance and remain there for a period of time to optimize the RF and baseband configuration parameters and save them in the relevant registers. By performing measurements on the auxiliary channel in advance, the handover time can potentially be reduced to the microsecond level.

[0056] This disclosure provides an auxiliary channel switching method for operating on the aforementioned wireless communication network or wireless device. The wireless device is a first communication node. Before STA1 (i.e., the first communication node) performs auxiliary channel switching, the auxiliary channel can be measured in advance to facilitate pre-calibration of the radio frequency and baseband, adjust the configuration parameters related to the radio frequency and baseband to the optimal level, and save them in the relevant registers.

[0057] In this embodiment, the auxiliary channel handover method includes the following four stages: capability discovery stage, negotiation stage, auxiliary channel measurement stage, and information reporting stage.

[0058] Capability discovery phase: AP and STA can carry channel measurement information, i.e. capability information, about auxiliary channel measurements in beacon frames, probe frames, association frames or other types of management frames. This channel measurement information includes whether the AP / STA supports auxiliary channel measurements, the supported negotiation type, auxiliary channel handover delay, maximum tolerable channel handover delay, and minimum / maximum time required for auxiliary channel measurements.

[0059] Negotiation Phase: Existing single TWT elements can be extended to carry signaling for auxiliary channel measurements. The negotiation content includes the start time of the auxiliary channel measurement, the duration of the auxiliary channel measurement, the interval between each auxiliary channel measurement, and the location of the auxiliary channel.

[0060] In one embodiment, the negotiation phase includes three negotiation types:

[0061] First negotiation type: STA1 initiates an unsolicited auxiliary channel measurement procedure to AP by requesting it.

[0062] Second negotiation type: STA1 uses a newly defined control field to carry signaling for auxiliary channel measurement, and initiates the negotiation auxiliary channel measurement process to AP through signaling.

[0063] Third negotiation type: AP forces STA1 to negotiate auxiliary channel measurements.

[0064] In this embodiment, the AP / STA can re-initiate the measurement or modify certain negotiation parameters, and the AP / STA can re-initiate the auxiliary channel measurement negotiation.

[0065] The auxiliary channel measurement phase includes two measurement modes: implicit auxiliary channel measurement and explicit auxiliary channel measurement.

[0066] The STA switches to the secondary channel for measurement during the negotiated measurement duration. In implicit measurement mode, measurements are performed periodically. In explicit measurement mode, the STA only indicates the start time and duration of the next measurement period to the AP; if the STA needs to initiate a measurement, it must renegotiate with the AP.

[0067] Regardless of the measurement mode, the STA must return to the primary working channel before the measurement time expires. The STA does not need to respond to any frames received on the secondary channel. During the measurement period, the AP buffers the data addressed to STA1 and prohibits attempts to initiate transmissions to the STA.

[0068] Information reporting phase: After STA1 completes the auxiliary channel measurement, it can send an information reporting request frame to notify AP. The information includes whether AP / STA supports auxiliary channel measurement, supported negotiation type, auxiliary channel handover delay, maximum tolerable channel handover delay, minimum / maximum time required for auxiliary channel measurement, status information on whether channel handover can be performed, and validity period of auxiliary channel measurement.

[0069] The AP can trigger the STA to perform dynamic subband operation within the validity period. If the measurement validity period expires, the STA can re-initiate the measurement negotiation request, wait for the next measurement cycle, or the AP can force the STA to perform auxiliary channel measurements.

[0070] Figure 5 is a flowchart of an auxiliary channel handover method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the process includes the following steps:

[0071] Step S502: If both the first communication node and the second communication node support auxiliary channel measurement and it is necessary to measure the auxiliary channel, negotiate channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the second communication node. Here, the first communication node is equivalent to STA1 in the above embodiment, and STA1 belongs to any STA in the wireless communication network; the second communication node is equivalent to AP in the above embodiment, and AP and STA1 correspond to the same wireless local area network.

[0072] Before step S502 in this embodiment, i.e. during the capability discovery phase, the method further includes: sending first communication node capability information to the second communication node and receiving second communication node capability information sent by the second communication node; and determining that the auxiliary channel needs to be measured if the channel switching delay of the auxiliary channel is greater than the maximum tolerable channel switching delay of the second communication node, based on the first communication node capability information and the second communication node capability information.

[0073] In one embodiment, the first communication node capability information includes at least one of the following parameters: whether it supports auxiliary channel measurement, supported negotiation type, auxiliary channel switching delay, and minimum time required for auxiliary channel measurement; the second communication node capability information includes at least one of the following parameters: whether it supports auxiliary channel measurement, supported negotiation type, maximum tolerable channel switching delay, and maximum time required for auxiliary channel measurement.

[0074] In one exemplary embodiment, the AP may carry, in beacon frames, probe response frames, association / reassociation response frames, or other types of management frames, whether auxiliary channel measurement is supported, the supported negotiation type, the maximum tolerable channel switching delay, and the maximum time required for auxiliary channel measurement.

[0075] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the second communication node may declare the negotiation types it supports, and the first communication node may initiate negotiation according to the negotiation types supported by the second communication node.

[0076] In one exemplary embodiment, the AP may declare a maximum tolerable channel handover delay. STAs whose channel handover delay exceeds the maximum tolerable channel handover delay declared by the AP need to initiate auxiliary channel measurement; otherwise, the AP may not trigger dynamic subband operation (DSO) for such STAs.

[0077] In one exemplary embodiment, the AP may declare the maximum time required for auxiliary channel measurements. The AP may determine this value based on conditions such as internal buffer size and QoS requirements. The auxiliary channel measurement duration negotiated by the AP and STA cannot exceed this limit.

[0078] In an exemplary embodiment, the STA may carry in a probe frame, an association frame, or other types of management frames whether auxiliary channel measurement is supported, the supported negotiation type, the auxiliary channel switching delay, and the minimum time required for auxiliary channel measurement.

[0079] In one exemplary embodiment, the STA may declare an auxiliary channel handover delay, with different types of STAs, such as a 20MHz-only STA, requiring a greater channel handover delay than an 80MHz STA.

[0080] In one exemplary embodiment, the STA may declare a minimum time required for auxiliary channel measurements, which the STA may determine based on its hardware capabilities, and the auxiliary channel measurement duration negotiated between the AP and the STA may not be less than this limit.

[0081] In order for the STA to perform auxiliary channel measurement and calibration in advance, the first communication node and the second communication node need to determine the channel measurement information in advance. The channel measurement information includes at least one of the following: one or a group of auxiliary channels, the start time of the auxiliary channel measurement, the duration of the auxiliary channel measurement and the measurement interval of the auxiliary channel measurement, the channel bandwidth corresponding to the auxiliary channel, the position of the auxiliary channel in the entire transmission channel, and the auxiliary channel measurement method.

[0082] In one embodiment, in step S502, negotiating channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the second communication node includes: the first communication node negotiating channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the second communication node through an association request frame.

[0083] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the interaction between the AP and STA in negotiating channel measurement information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the AP and STA can negotiate channel measurement information through association request frames and association response frames. For example, if the STA carries a measurement request in the association request frame, the AP can carry the negotiation result, i.e., whether it agrees to the STA's measurement request, in the association response frame.

[0084] The association request frame and association response frame can also be other types of management frames or newly defined action frames for auxiliary channel measurement negotiation. This disclosure does not limit the type of frame. Furthermore, information carried in the frame, such as auxiliary channel location, bandwidth, start time of auxiliary channel measurement, duration of auxiliary channel measurement, and auxiliary channel measurement interval, as well as negotiation results, can be included in newly defined element fields or extended from existing element fields.

[0085] Figures 7 to 9 are schematic diagrams of embodiments based on extensions of TWT element fields. Variants of a single TWT (Time Window Transmission) element can be used to carry signaling or channel measurement information related to auxiliary channel measurements.

[0086] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the control field extended based on the TWT element field according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the Negotiation Type field in the control field of a single TWT element should be set to 0 to indicate that single TWT negotiation is enabled. Bit B7 of the multiplexing control field is the auxiliary channel measurement indication field. Setting it to 1 can be used to indicate that the AP's single individual TWT element is a variant of auxiliary channel measurement, and setting it to 0 indicates that it is a single TWT element.

[0087] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a control field extended based on a TWT element field according to another embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 8, the TWT Channel field in a single TWT parameter set field is used to indicate the location of the AP's secondary channel. When sent by the initiating STA negotiating a secondary channel measurement operation, i.e., during a first negotiation type or a second negotiation type, the TWT Channel field contains a bitmap indicating the location the STA requests to be used as a temporary primary channel during the secondary channel measurement. When sent by the responding STA (i.e., the AP) negotiating a secondary channel measurement operation, i.e., during a third negotiation type, the TWT Channel field contains a bitmap indicating which channel the STA that requests the secondary channel measurement operation can use during the measurement.

[0088] Each bit in the bitmap corresponds to a minimum-width channel in the frequency band currently operating at the AP, and the least significant bit corresponds to the lowest-numbered channel in the BSS operating channels. Setting a position in the bitmap of the STA transmission requesting an auxiliary channel measurement operation to 1 indicates a request to use that channel as the primary channel during auxiliary channel measurement. Setting a position in the bitmap of the STA transmission response to 1 indicates that the channel is permitted to be used as the primary channel during auxiliary channel measurement.

[0089] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a control field extended based on the TWT element field according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 9, a TWT Request field set to 1 indicates that the STA sending the auxiliary channel measurement signaling variant is an auxiliary channel measurement operation request STA, and a field set to 0 indicates a response STA. The Implicit field is used to indicate the explicit and implicit measurement processes described in Figures 11 and 12 of the embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, a field set to 1 indicates implicit measurement, and a field set to 0 indicates explicit measurement.

[0090] In one embodiment, STA1 may initiate an unsolicited secondary channel measurement procedure negotiation with the AP, i.e., the first negotiation type. Specifically, STA1 may use a QoS NULL frame or other type of frame with the HT variant high-throughput variant field and carry the secondary channel measurement signaling notification to the AP as shown in Figure 10. The newly defined HE variant HT control field may be used to carry non-primary channel measurement signaling.

[0091] Non-primary channel measurement signaling includes at least one of the following: explicit / implicit measurement field, measurement start time subfield, measurement duration subfield, auxiliary channel measurement interval, and auxiliary channel field.

[0092] The explicit / implicit measurement field is used to indicate the two measurement modes described above. Setting it to 1 indicates explicit measurement, and vice versa for implicit measurement.

[0093] The measurement start time subfield indicates the preemption start time.

[0094] The Measurement Duration subfield is used to indicate the duration of the measurement.

[0095] The auxiliary channel measurement interval represents the interval between two measurements in implicit measurement mode; if it is an explicit measurement, the measurement interval subfield can be retained.

[0096] The auxiliary channel field is used to indicate the location of the auxiliary channel.

[0097] In one exemplary embodiment, the AP can force STA1 to perform auxiliary channel measurements. If STA1 supports forced channel measurement negotiation, the AP can force STA1, which has a larger channel handover delay, to perform auxiliary channel measurements. The AP can send a dedicated Action frame carrying information such as explicit / implicit measurement, measurement start time, measurement duration, and measurement interval, and STA1 performs auxiliary channel measurements within a predetermined time.

[0098] In one exemplary embodiment, if the AP / STA needs to re-initiate the measurement or modify certain negotiation parameters, then the AP / STA needs to re-initiate the auxiliary channel measurement negotiation.

[0099] In an exemplary embodiment, the STA may re-initiate the measurement negotiation request based on the validity period of the measurement result, or it may re-initiate the negotiation request based on the delay during channel handover.

[0100] Once the AP and STA1 have completed their negotiation, the STA1 can begin measurement and calibration.

[0101] Step S504: Perform auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel according to the channel measurement information, and if the result of the auxiliary channel measurement is permissible and channel switching is required, switch to the auxiliary channel according to the switching signaling sent by the second communication node.

[0102] In one embodiment, performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information includes: sending an auxiliary channel measurement request to the second communication node when both the first communication node and the second communication node support the first negotiation type; and performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information received from the second communication node in response information allowing the auxiliary channel measurement.

[0103] In one embodiment, performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information includes: when both the first communication node and the second communication node support the second negotiation type, encapsulating the channel measurement information into auxiliary channel measurement signaling; sending the auxiliary channel measurement signaling to the second communication node, and performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information; wherein the auxiliary channel measurement signaling is used to notify the second communication node of the following information: the first communication node is performing auxiliary channel measurement corresponding to the auxiliary channel.

[0104] In one embodiment, performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information includes: when both the first communication node and the second communication node support the third negotiation type and an action frame sent by the second communication node is received, performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information, wherein the action frame carries the channel measurement information and is used to force the first communication node to perform the auxiliary channel measurement.

[0105] In one embodiment, performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information includes: when the auxiliary channel measurement method is implicit, performing periodic auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the duration of the auxiliary channel measurement and the measurement interval of the auxiliary channel measurement in the channel measurement information; or, when the auxiliary channel measurement method is explicit, performing channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the start time of the auxiliary channel measurement and the duration of the auxiliary channel measurement in the channel measurement information.

[0106] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the interaction between the AP and STA during implicit measurement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 11, STA1 can send a measurement notification frame to the AP to instruct the AP that, in implicit measurement mode, the auxiliary channel measurement is performed periodically. That is, when the measurement period arrives, STA1 switches to the auxiliary channel to perform the measurement, and the AP buffers the data sent to STA1 during the measurement time. The measurement notification frame can be a QoS NULL frame, a control frame, etc.

[0107] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the interaction between the AP and STA during explicit measurement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 12, unlike implicit measurement, STA1 only negotiates with the AP the start time of the next measurement period and the duration of the measurement. In explicit measurement mode, if STA1 needs to initiate a measurement, it needs to re-negotiate with the AP.

[0108] In one embodiment, performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information includes: switching to the auxiliary channel; performing the auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information; and returning from the auxiliary channel to the main channel before the auxiliary channel measurement time corresponding to the auxiliary channel measurement ends.

[0109] In the northern embodiment, regardless of whether the measurement is implicit or explicit, STA1 needs to return to the primary working channel before the measurement time expires. STA1 does not need to respond to any frames received on the secondary channel. During the measurement period, the AP buffers the data addressed to STA1 and prohibits attempts to initiate transmissions to STA. When the measurement time expires, the AP may choose to send the previously buffered data to STA. If STA1 attempts to initiate a primary transmission, it may need to wait for primary channel synchronization to complete. Primary channel synchronization can be achieved through NAV synchronization or media synchronization techniques.

[0110] In step S504 of this embodiment, performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information may further include: optimizing the radio frequency configuration parameters and baseband configuration parameters corresponding to the auxiliary channel to perform auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel; and storing the optimized radio frequency configuration parameters and baseband configuration parameters for use by the first communication node to switch to the auxiliary channel.

[0111] By performing the aforementioned auxiliary channel measurement, or pre-calibration operation, before receiving the handover signaling, the time required for the STA to switch to the new frequency band can be significantly reduced. The STA can switch to the auxiliary channel in advance and remain on it for a period of time to adjust the RF and baseband-related configuration parameters to their optimal levels and save them in the relevant registers, potentially reducing the handover time to the microsecond level.

[0112] Following step S504 in this embodiment, the method further includes: sending the result of the auxiliary channel measurement to the second communication node, so that the second communication node sends the switching signaling to the first communication node if the result of the auxiliary channel measurement is permissible and channel switching is required; wherein the result of the auxiliary channel measurement includes at least one of the following: the channel switching delay time corresponding to the auxiliary channel, the status information of whether the auxiliary channel can be switched, and the validity period of the auxiliary channel measurement.

[0113] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the interaction between the AP and STA during information reporting according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 13, after STA1 completes the measurement, it can send an information reporting request frame to notify the AP. The information reporting request frame can be a dedicated action frame not defined in the current 802.11 standard, a management frame carrying reporting information element fields, or a QoS frame carrying a variant of the A-control field. The reported information may include information such as channel switching delay time, whether channel switching can be performed, and the validity period of the measurement.

[0114] In one embodiment, the information reporting request frame carries the channel handover delay time. In some embodiments, the channel handover delay is smaller than the channel handover delay announced by the STA during the capability discovery phase. In some embodiments, the channel handover delay is 0, which is similar to partial bandwidth reception in OFDMA mode.

[0115] In one embodiment, if the channel switching delay reported by the STA is 0, the AP may not include the padding field when triggering dynamic subband operation.

[0116] In one embodiment, the information reporting request frame carries status information regarding whether channel switching is possible.

[0117] In one embodiment, the STA can report that the AP is currently ready to perform a channel handover and that the required handover delay is less than the maximum tolerable handover delay declared by the AP. The AP can then trigger the STA to perform dynamic subband operation later.

[0118] In one embodiment, the STA may report that the AP is not currently ready to perform a channel switch, and the STA may need more measurement cycles or need to re-initiate a measurement negotiation request.

[0119] In one embodiment, the information reporting request frame carries the measurement validity period.

[0120] In one embodiment, the STA reports the measurement validity period, and the AP can trigger the STA to perform dynamic subband operation within the validity period. If the measurement validity period expires, the AP cannot trigger the STA to perform dynamic subband operation. The STA can re-initiate the measurement negotiation request, wait for the next measurement cycle, or the AP can force the STA to perform auxiliary channel measurement.

[0121] By performing channel measurements in advance at the first communication node, channel switching can be initiated directly upon receiving the handover command from the second communication node. This saves time that would otherwise be spent on channel measurements after receiving the handover signaling, further shortening the overall channel handover time and allowing sufficient time for subsequent data transmission. Therefore, this addresses the problem of excessively long channel handover times reducing data transmission efficiency in related technologies, achieving the goal of shortening channel handover time.

[0122] This disclosure also provides an auxiliary channel handover method operating on the aforementioned wireless communication network or wireless device, wherein the wireless device is a second communication node. Similar to the above embodiments, the auxiliary channel handover method in this embodiment still includes the following four stages: capability discovery stage, negotiation stage, auxiliary channel measurement stage, and information reporting stage. The functions of each stage are the same as in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0123] Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating an auxiliary channel handover method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 14, the process includes the following steps:

[0124] Step S1402: When both the first communication node and the second communication node support auxiliary channel measurement and need to measure the auxiliary channel, channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel is negotiated with the first communication node, so that the first communication node performs auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel according to the channel measurement information; wherein, the first communication node is equivalent to STA1 in the above embodiment, and STA1 belongs to any STA in the wireless communication network; the second communication node is equivalent to AP in the above embodiment, and AP and STA1 correspond to the same wireless local area network.

[0125] Before step S1402 in this embodiment, i.e. during the capability discovery phase, if multiple auxiliary channels are determined in advance, the method further includes: sending the capability of the second communication node to the first communication node, so that the first communication node determines the auxiliary channel based on the capability information of the first communication node and the capability information of the second communication node, wherein the auxiliary channel is an auxiliary channel among the multiple predetermined auxiliary channels whose channel switching delay is greater than the maximum tolerable channel switching delay of the second communication node.

[0126] In one embodiment, there is one auxiliary channel and one primary channel in the DSO.

[0127] In one embodiment, the first communication node capability information includes at least one of the following parameters: whether it supports auxiliary channel measurement, supported negotiation type, auxiliary channel switching delay, and minimum time required for auxiliary channel measurement; the second communication node capability information includes at least one of the following parameters: whether it supports auxiliary channel measurement, supported negotiation type, maximum tolerable channel switching delay, and maximum time required for auxiliary channel measurement.

[0128] In one exemplary embodiment, the AP may carry, in beacon frames, probe response frames, association / reassociation response frames, or other types of management frames, whether auxiliary channel measurement is supported, the supported negotiation type, the maximum tolerable channel switching delay, and the maximum time required for auxiliary channel measurement.

[0129] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the second communication node may declare the negotiation types it supports, and the first communication node may initiate negotiation according to the negotiation types supported by the second communication node.

[0130] In one exemplary embodiment, the AP may declare a maximum tolerable channel handover delay. STAs whose channel handover delay exceeds the maximum tolerable channel handover delay declared by the AP need to initiate auxiliary channel measurement; otherwise, the AP may not trigger dynamic subband operation (DSO) for such STAs.

[0131] In one exemplary embodiment, the AP may declare the maximum time required for auxiliary channel measurements. The AP may determine this value based on conditions such as internal buffer size and QoS requirements. The auxiliary channel measurement duration negotiated by the AP and STA cannot exceed this limit.

[0132] In an exemplary embodiment, the STA may carry in a probe frame, an association frame, or other types of management frames whether auxiliary channel measurement is supported, the supported negotiation type, the auxiliary channel switching delay, and the minimum time required for auxiliary channel measurement.

[0133] In order for the STA to perform auxiliary channel measurement and calibration in advance, the first communication node and the second communication node need to determine the channel measurement information in advance. The channel measurement information includes at least one of the following: one or a group of auxiliary channels, the start time of the auxiliary channel measurement, the duration of the auxiliary channel measurement and the measurement interval of the auxiliary channel measurement, the channel bandwidth corresponding to the auxiliary channel, the position of the auxiliary channel in the entire transmission channel, and the auxiliary channel measurement method.

[0134] In step S1402 of this embodiment, after negotiating the channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the first communication node, the method further includes: if both the first communication node and the second communication node support the first negotiation type, according to the auxiliary channel measurement request sent by the first communication node, feeding back response information allowing the auxiliary channel measurement to the first communication node, so that the first communication node performs auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel according to the channel measurement information.

[0135] In step S1402 of this embodiment, after negotiating the channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the first communication node, the method further includes: if both the first communication node and the second communication node support the second negotiation type, receiving auxiliary channel measurement signaling sent by the first communication node; and knowing from the auxiliary channel measurement signaling that the first communication node is performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel according to the channel measurement information.

[0136] In step S1402 of this embodiment, after negotiating the channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the first communication node, the method further includes: if both the first communication node and the second communication node support the third negotiation type, sending an action frame to the first communication node to force the first communication node to perform auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel, wherein the action frame carries the channel measurement information. The interaction flow for negotiating the channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the first communication node can be referred to the interaction flow illustrated in Figure 6 above.

[0137] Step S1404: If the result of the auxiliary channel measurement is permissible and channel switching is required, a switching signaling is sent to the first communication node so that the first communication node switches to the auxiliary channel according to the switching signaling.

[0138] In step S1404 of this embodiment, the method includes: receiving the result of the auxiliary channel measurement sent by the first communication node; and sending a switching signaling to the first communication node when the result of the auxiliary channel measurement is allowed and channel switching is required, and the auxiliary channel measurement is within the measurement validity period.

[0139] In one embodiment, the method further includes: during the auxiliary channel measurement of the auxiliary channel by the first communication node, buffering data addressed to the first communication node and prohibiting the transmission of the buffered data addressed to the first communication node to the first communication node.

[0140] Through the embodiments described above, the STA can perform pre-calibration of RF and baseband on the auxiliary 40MHz channel, thereby completing the actual handover operation within a preset time. This avoids situations where the STA cannot accept or respond to the AP due to excessive handover time, or is unable to transmit data.

[0141] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods according to the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this disclosure, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk), and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0142] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program configured to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments when executed.

[0143] In one exemplary embodiment, the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media capable of storing computer programs, such as a USB flash drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard disk, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0144] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic device including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program and the processor being configured to run the computer program to perform the steps in any of the above method embodiments.

[0145] In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic device may further include a transmission device and an input / output device, wherein the transmission device is connected to the processor and the input / output device is connected to the processor.

[0146] Specific examples in this embodiment can be found in the examples described in the above embodiments and exemplary implementations, and will not be repeated here.

[0147] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the modules or steps of this disclosure described above can be implemented using general-purpose computing devices. They can be centralized on a single computing device or distributed across a network of multiple computing devices. They can be implemented using computer-executable program code, and thus can be stored in a storage device for execution by a computing device. In some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order than those presented herein, or they can be fabricated as separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated as a single integrated circuit module. Thus, this disclosure is not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0148] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Various modifications and variations can be made to this disclosure by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An auxiliary channel switching method, applied to a first communication node, comprising: When both the first and second communication nodes support auxiliary channel measurement and it is necessary to measure the auxiliary channel, the channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel is negotiated with the second communication node. The auxiliary channel is measured based on the channel measurement information, and if the result of the auxiliary channel measurement is permissible and channel switching is required, the user switches to the auxiliary channel according to the switching signaling sent by the second communication node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The channel measurement information includes at least one of the following: the start time of the auxiliary channel measurement, the duration of the auxiliary channel measurement, the measurement interval of the auxiliary channel measurement, the channel bandwidth corresponding to the auxiliary channel, the position of the auxiliary channel in the entire transmission channel, and the auxiliary channel measurement method.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, Before negotiating channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the second communication node, the method further includes: Send the first communication node capability information to the second communication node, and receive the second communication node capability information sent by the second communication node; Based on the capability information of the first communication node and the capability information of the second communication node, if the channel switching delay of the auxiliary channel is greater than the maximum tolerable channel switching delay of the second communication node, it is determined that the auxiliary channel needs to be measured.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The capability information of the first communication node includes at least one of the following parameters: whether it supports auxiliary channel measurement, supported negotiation type, auxiliary channel switching delay, and minimum time required for auxiliary channel measurement; the capability information of the second communication node includes at least one of the following parameters: whether it supports auxiliary channel measurement, supported negotiation type, maximum tolerable channel switching delay, and maximum time required for auxiliary channel measurement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, Auxiliary channel measurements are performed on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information, including: If both the first communication node and the second communication node support the first negotiation type, an auxiliary channel measurement request is sent to the second communication node. Based on the response information sent by the second communication node allowing the auxiliary channel measurement, auxiliary channel measurement is performed on the auxiliary channel according to the channel measurement information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, Auxiliary channel measurements are performed on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information, including: When both the first communication node and the second communication node support the second negotiation type, the channel measurement information is encapsulated into auxiliary channel measurement signaling; The auxiliary channel measurement signaling is sent to the second communication node, and the auxiliary channel is measured according to the channel measurement information; wherein, the auxiliary channel measurement signaling is used to notify the second communication node of the following information: the first communication node is performing an auxiliary channel measurement corresponding to the auxiliary channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, Auxiliary channel measurements are performed on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information, including: When both the first communication node and the second communication node support the third negotiation type and the first communication node receives an action frame sent by the second communication node, the auxiliary channel is measured according to the channel measurement information. The action frame carries the channel measurement information and is used to force the first communication node to perform the auxiliary channel measurement.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, Auxiliary channel measurements are performed on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information, including: When the auxiliary channel measurement method is implicit, the auxiliary channel is periodically measured based on the duration and interval of the auxiliary channel measurement in the channel measurement information; or, When the auxiliary channel measurement method is explicit measurement, the auxiliary channel is measured according to the start time and duration of the auxiliary channel measurement in the channel measurement information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, Auxiliary channel measurements are performed on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information, including: Switch to the auxiliary channel and perform the auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel according to the channel measurement information; Before the auxiliary channel measurement time corresponding to the auxiliary channel measurement ends, return from the auxiliary channel to the main channel.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, Auxiliary channel measurements are performed on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information, including: The radio frequency configuration parameters and baseband configuration parameters corresponding to the auxiliary channel are tuned to perform auxiliary channel measurements. The optimized RF configuration parameters and baseband configuration parameters are stored for use by the first communication node when switching to the auxiliary channel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein, After performing auxiliary channel measurements on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information, the method further includes: The result of the auxiliary channel measurement is sent to the second communication node, so that the second communication node sends the switching signaling to the first communication node if the result of the auxiliary channel measurement is permissible and channel switching is required; wherein, the result of the auxiliary channel measurement includes at least one of the following: the channel switching delay time corresponding to the auxiliary channel, the status information of whether the auxiliary channel can be switched, and the validity period of the auxiliary channel measurement.

12. An auxiliary channel switching method, applied to a second communication node, comprising: When both the first and second communication nodes support auxiliary channel measurement and it is necessary to measure the auxiliary channel, channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel is negotiated with the first communication node so that the first communication node can perform auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information. If the result of the auxiliary channel measurement is permissible and channel switching is required, a switching signaling is sent to the first communication node so that the first communication node switches to the auxiliary channel according to the switching signaling.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, Before negotiating channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the first communication node, the method further includes: Send the capabilities of the second communication node to the first communication node so that the first communication node determines an auxiliary channel based on the capability information of the first communication node and the capability information of the second communication node. The auxiliary channel is an auxiliary channel among a plurality of predetermined auxiliary channels whose channel switching delay is greater than the maximum tolerable channel switching delay of the second communication node.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein, After negotiating channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the first communication node, the method further includes: When both the first communication node and the second communication node support the first negotiation type, based on the auxiliary channel measurement request sent by the first communication node, the second communication node sends back response information allowing the auxiliary channel measurement to the first communication node, so that the first communication node performs auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein, After negotiating channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the first communication node, the method further includes: If both the first communication node and the second communication node support the second negotiation type, receive the auxiliary channel measurement signaling sent by the first communication node; According to the auxiliary channel measurement signaling, the first communication node is performing auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel based on the channel measurement information.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein, After negotiating channel measurement information corresponding to the auxiliary channel with the first communication node, the method further includes: When both the first communication node and the second communication node support the third negotiation type, an action frame is sent to the first communication node to force the first communication node to perform auxiliary channel measurement on the auxiliary channel, wherein the action frame carries the channel measurement information.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein, If the result of the auxiliary channel measurement indicates that channel switching is permissible and requires it, a switching signaling is sent to the first communication node, including: The system receives the result of the auxiliary channel measurement sent by the first communication node. If the result of the auxiliary channel measurement indicates that channel switching is allowed and required, and if the auxiliary channel measurement is within the measurement validity period, the system sends a switching signaling to the first communication node.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: During the auxiliary channel measurement performed by the first communication node on the auxiliary channel, data addressed to the first communication node is buffered, and transmission of the buffered data addressed to the first communication node is prohibited.

19. A computer readable storage medium, wherein, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1 to 11, or implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 12 to 18.

20. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 12 to 18.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer program which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, or implements the steps of the method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 18.

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