Communication method and communication apparatus

Abstract

The present application supports related IEEE standards, e.g. supporting protocols such as IEEE802.11be (Wi-Fi 7 / EHT), IEEE802.11bn (Wi-Fi 8 / UHR), IEEE802.11bf, IEEE 802.15, IMMW, UWB, or sensing, and can also support spark link / nearlink standard protocols. Provided are a communication method and a communication apparatus. A second station may know, by means of first information, a time at which unavailability of a first station ends, and know, on the basis of second information, that the first station requires assistance from the second station to recover medium synchronization. Thus, when unavailability of the first station ends, the second station sends a first frame to the first station so as to assist the first station in more quickly recovering a medium synchronization state, such that the first station can normally participate in channel contention and avoid missing potential transmission opportunities.

Description

Communication methods and communication devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411622584.6, filed on November 13, 2024, entitled "Communication Method and Communication Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

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

[0003] In the 802.11 protocol, in-device coexistence (IDC) addresses the interference issues caused by the coexistence of multiple wireless technologies within a site (including access points (APs) and non-access point stations (non-AP STAs)). Because 802.11 (i.e., Wi-Fi) and other wireless technologies (such as Bluetooth) may use overlapping channels, they can interfere with each other during transmission. For example, Bluetooth can interfere with Wi-Fi in the 2.4GHz band, preventing them from transmitting normally.

[0004] Since a site's data center (IDC) can cause the site to become unavailable, thus affecting communication between the local and other sites, the local site can inform the other site of its IDC information to avoid transmission failures and resource waste. However, if the IDC causes the site's channel to become unavailable, the site will be unable to properly set and update the network allocation vector (NAV) timer during the IDC period, resulting in loss of media synchronization. Therefore, how to recover the media synchronization lost due to site unavailability becomes an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method to assist a site that has lost media synchronization due to unavailability in restoring its media synchronization state.

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a first station. Unless otherwise specified, "first station" in this application can refer to the first station itself (e.g., an AP or non-AP STA), or a component of the first station (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system, such as circuitry or chips responsible for communication functions in an access point (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip)), or it can be a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the first station. For ease of description, the following explanation uses execution by the first station as an example.

[0007] The communication method includes: sending first information and second information to a second station, wherein the first information indicates the end time of the first station's unavailability, and the second information instructs the second station to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization after the first station's unavailability ends; and receiving a first frame from the second station, wherein the first frame triggers the first station to restore media synchronization.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, the first station sends first information and second information to the second station. The second station can learn from the first information when the first station's unavailability ends, and from the second information, it learns that the first station needs the second station's assistance to restore media synchronization. Therefore, after the first station's unavailability ends, the second station sends a first frame to the first station, which triggers the first station to restore media synchronization. This helps the first station restore its media synchronization state more quickly, enabling it to participate normally in channel contention and avoid losing potential transmission opportunities.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, sending the first information and the second information to the second station includes: sending a second frame to the second station, the second frame including the first information and the second information, wherein the second frame includes a target wake time (TWT) element or an aggregated control (A-Control) field; or, the second frame is an initial control frame (ICF) or an initial control response (ICR) frame.

[0010] Based on the above technical solution, the first station can send the first information and the second information to the second station through the second frame. The second frame can be a frame defined in the current related technology for transmitting unusable information, which is equivalent to adding the second information to the currently defined frame. There is no need to design a special frame for transmitting the second information, which can reduce the complexity of the first station to a certain extent.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, before sending the second information to the second site, the method further includes: determining to send the second information to the second site based on a first parameter, wherein the first parameter includes at least one of the following: the buffer state of the first site, the stream classification service (SCS) requirement of the first site, or the duration during which the first site is unavailable.

[0012] Based on the above technical solution, before sending the second information to the second station, the first station can determine whether it is necessary to send the second information based on the known first parameters. If it is determined based on the first parameters that the second information can be sent, the first station sends the second information to the second station. If it is not necessary to send the second information, the second information can be left unsent, thus avoiding unnecessary signaling overhead.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the second information is 1 bit of information.

[0014] Based on the above technical solution, the second information can be 1 bit of information. This 1 bit of information can be used to indicate whether the second station needs to assist in restoring media synchronization. This signaling design can reduce signaling overhead while satisfying the function of the second information.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving third information from the second site, the third information being used to indicate whether the second site has the ability to assist the first site in restoring media synchronization.

[0016] Based on the above technical solution, the second station can report whether it has the ability to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization through the third information. Thus, if the first station learns through the third information that the second station does not have the ability to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization, it can choose not to send the first and second information to the second station, which can reduce signaling overhead to a certain extent.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, receiving the third information from the second site includes: receiving a third frame from the second site, the third frame including an Access Point Assistance Request Support (AAR Support) subfield, the AAR Support subfield including the third information; or, receiving a fourth frame from the second site, the fourth frame including the third information, the fourth frame including at least one of the following: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, or a reassociation response frame.

[0018] Based on the above technical solution, the second station can send the aforementioned third information to the first station through the AAR Support subfield in the third frame. Alternatively, other fields can be designed to transmit the aforementioned third information, improving the flexibility of the solution. Furthermore, the AAR Support field is a field defined in the current protocol, and reusing existing fields in the current protocol to transmit the aforementioned third information can reduce signaling overhead to some extent.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first site is attached to a first multi-link device, the second site is attached to a second multi-link device, the first multi-link device further includes a third site, the second multi-link device further includes a fourth site, and the method further includes: sending fourth information and fifth information to the second site, the fourth information being used to indicate the end time of the third site's unavailability, and the fifth information being used to instruct the fourth site to assist the third site in restoring media synchronization after the third site's unavailability ends.

[0020] Based on the above technical solution, if the first station is a station attached to the first multi-link device, and the first multi-link device also includes a third station attached to the first multi-link device, the first station can indicate the end time of the unavailability of the third station to the second multi-link device through a cross-link method, so that the second multi-link device can know the unavailability information of the third station in a timely manner, and the fourth station in the second multi-link device associated with the third station can assist the third station to restore the media synchronization state more quickly after the unavailability ends.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: sending sixth information to the second station, the sixth information being used to indicate the link corresponding to the third station.

[0022] Based on the above technical solution, when indicating the unavailability of other links through cross-link means, the first station can provide the second station with the information of the link corresponding to the third station, so that the second multi-link device attached to the second station can clearly know the link that needs to be assisted in restoring media synchronization.

[0023] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the fifth information is also used to indicate the link corresponding to the third site.

[0024] Based on the above technical solution, the aforementioned fifth information can simultaneously instruct the link corresponding to the third site and instruct the fourth site to assist in the restoration of media synchronization of the third site after the third site becomes unavailable. For example, if the fifth information instructs the link corresponding to the third site, the second multi-link device attached to the second site can learn from the fifth information that the third site needs the assistance of the second multi-link device to restore the link for media synchronization. This eliminates the need for explicit instructions to assist the third site in restoring media synchronization, thus reducing signaling overhead.

[0025] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the fifth information is carried in the Access Point Assistance Request Control (AAR Control) field, and the AAR Control field also includes the fourth information.

[0026] Based on the above technical solution, the fourth information can be carried through the AAR Control field that carries link information as defined in the current protocol. This is equivalent to adding the above-mentioned fourth information to the existing frame without redesigning other frames and fields specifically for transmitting the fourth information, which can reduce signaling overhead to a certain extent.

[0027] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, sending the first information and the second information to the second station includes: broadcasting a second frame to at least one station, the second frame including the first information and the second information; or, broadcasting a second frame to at least one station, the second frame including the first information, the second information and the identification information of the second station; or, unicasting a second frame to the second station, the second frame including the first information and the second information, wherein the at least one station is a station associated with the first station, and the second station is one of the at least one stations.

[0028] Based on the above technical solution, when the first site is associated with at least one site, it can be specified that one or more sites assist in restoring media synchronization.

[0029] In conjunction with the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first site is unavailable, including: the first site is unavailable due to coexisting IDCs within the device.

[0030] Based on the above technical solution, the unavailability of the first site can be due to the unavailability caused by the IDC, thereby enabling the restoration of media synchronization after the first site loses media synchronization due to the loss of the IDC.

[0031] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the method further includes: setting a first timer when the duration of the IDC is greater than a first threshold and the IDC ends; during the effective period of the first timer and before the first frame is received, the first station performs channel contention and / or information transmission based on a first rule, wherein the first rule includes at least one of the following: not performing channel contention, setting an energy detection (ED) threshold lower than a second threshold during channel contention, sending a request to send (RTS) frame as the first frame after obtaining a transmission opportunity (TXOP), or setting an upper limit on the number of times a transmission opportunity (TXOP) can be initiated.

[0032] Based on the above technical solution, when the first site loses media synchronization due to IDC, the impact of the first site's channel contention on the communication of other devices can be reduced by setting a first timer.

[0033] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, after receiving the first frame from the second station, the method further includes: sending a response frame of the first frame to the second station; or, sending a data frame to the second station, the data frame carrying data sent from the first station to the second station.

[0034] Based on the above technical solution, the first station can send a response frame or a data frame to the second station, so that the second station can confirm that the first station has successfully restored media synchronization. In addition, the first station can send a data frame to the second station, allowing the first station to send data to the second station without having to re-contend for the channel, thus improving channel utilization efficiency.

[0035] Secondly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a second station. Unless otherwise specified, "second station" in this application can refer to the second station itself (e.g., an AP or a non-AP STA), a component of the second station (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system, such as a circuit or chip in an access point responsible for communication functions (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core)), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second station. For ease of description, the following description uses the execution by the second station as an example.

[0036] The communication method includes: receiving first information and second information from a first site, wherein the first information indicates the end time of the first site's unavailability, and the second information instructs the second site to assist the first site in restoring media synchronization after the first site's unavailability ends. After the first site's unavailability ends, a first frame is sent to the first site, the first frame being used to trigger the first site to restore media synchronization.

[0037] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, receiving the first information and the second information from the first site includes: receiving a second frame from the first site, the second frame including the first information and the second information, wherein the second frame includes a Target Wake-up Time (TWT) element or an Aggregate Control (A-Control) field; or, the second frame is an Initial Control Frame (ICF) or an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame.

[0038] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the second information is 1 bit of information.

[0039] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: sending third information to the first station, the third information being used to indicate whether the second station has the ability to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization.

[0040] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, sending the third information to the first site includes: sending a third frame to the first site, the third frame including an Access Point Assistance Request for Support (AAR Support) subfield, the AAR Support subfield including the third information; or, sending a fourth frame to the first site, the fourth frame including the third information, the fourth frame including at least one of the following: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, or a reassociation response frame.

[0041] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first site is attached to a first multi-link device, the second site is attached to a second multi-link device, the first multi-link device further includes a third site, the second multi-link device further includes a fourth site, and the method further includes: receiving fourth information and fifth information from the first site, the fourth information being used to indicate the end time of the third site's unavailability, and the fifth information being used to instruct the fourth site to assist the third site in restoring media synchronization after the third site's unavailability ends.

[0042] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving sixth information from the first site, the sixth information being used to indicate the link corresponding to the third site.

[0043] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the fifth information is also used to indicate the link corresponding to the third site.

[0044] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the fifth information is carried in the Access Point Assist Request Control (AAR Control) field, and the AAR Control field further includes the fourth information.

[0045] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, the first site is unavailable, including: the first site is unavailable due to coexisting IDCs within the device.

[0046] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations of the second aspect, after sending the first frame to the first station, the method further includes: determining that the first station has restored the media synchronization; or, receiving a response frame of the first frame from the first station; or, receiving a data frame from the first station, the data frame carrying data sent by the first station to the second station.

[0047] The technical effects of the methods shown in the second aspect above can be referenced in the first aspect and its possible designs.

[0048] Thirdly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a first multi-link device. Unless otherwise specified, the "first multi-link device" in this application can refer to the first multi-link device itself (e.g., an access point multi-link device (AP MLD) or a non-AP MLD), a component of the first multi-link device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system, such as a circuit or chip in an access point responsible for communication functions (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core)), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first multi-link device. For ease of description, the following explanation uses execution by the first multi-link device as an example.

[0049] The communication method includes: a first multi-link device sending a sixth frame to a second station through a first station; the sixth frame including fourth information and sixth information, wherein the fourth information indicates the end time of the third station's unavailability, the sixth information indicates the link corresponding to the third station, and the sixth frame instructs the second multi-link device to assist the third station in restoring media synchronization after the third station's unavailability ends. The first multi-link device receives a fifth frame from a fourth station through the third station, the fifth frame triggering the third station to restore media synchronization, wherein the second station and the fourth station are stations attached to the second multi-link device.

[0050] Based on the above technical solution, the first multi-link device includes a first station and a third station attached to the first multi-link device. The first station in the first multi-link device can indicate the end time of the unavailability of the third station to the second multi-link device through a cross-link method, so that the second multi-link device can be informed of the unavailability information of the third station in a timely manner. Furthermore, the fourth station in the second multi-link device associated with the third station can assist the third station in restoring the media synchronization state more quickly after the unavailability ends.

[0051] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the sixth frame also includes fifth information, which is used to instruct the fourth station to assist the third station in restoring media synchronization after the third station becomes unavailable.

[0052] Based on the above technical solution, the sixth frame can display fifth information indicating that the fourth station needs to assist the third station in restoring media synchronization, so that the second multi-link device can clearly know the needs of the first multi-link device based on the fifth information.

[0053] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations of the third aspect, the sixth information is carried in the Access Point Assist Request Control (AAR Control) field, and the AAR Control field also includes the fourth information.

[0054] Based on the above technical solution, the fourth information can be carried through the AAR Control field that carries link information as defined in the current protocol. This is equivalent to adding the above-mentioned fourth information to the existing frame without redesigning other frames and fields specifically for transmitting the fourth information, which can reduce signaling overhead to a certain extent.

[0055] In conjunction with the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the third site is unavailable, including: the third site is unavailable due to coexisting IDCs within the device.

[0056] Based on the above technical solution, the unavailability of the third site can be due to the unavailability caused by the IDC, thereby enabling the restoration of media synchronization after the media synchronization of the third site is lost due to the loss of the IDC.

[0057] Fourthly, a communication method is provided. This method can be executed by a second multi-link device. Unless otherwise specified, the "second multi-link device" in this application can refer to the second multi-link device itself (e.g., an AP MLD or a non-AP MLD), a component of the second multi-link device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system, such as a circuit or chip in an access point responsible for communication functions (e.g., a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a SoC chip or SIP chip containing a modem core)), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second multi-link device. For ease of description, the following description uses the execution of the second multi-link device as an example.

[0058] The communication method includes: the second multi-link device receiving a sixth frame from the first station through the second station, the sixth frame including fourth information and sixth information, the fourth information indicating the end time of the third station's unavailability, the sixth information indicating the link corresponding to the third station, and the sixth frame indicating that the second multi-link device assists the third station in restoring media synchronization after the third station's unavailability ends; the second multi-link device sending a fifth frame to the third station through the fourth station, the fifth frame triggering the third station to restore media synchronization, wherein the first station and the third station are stations attached to the first multi-link device.

[0059] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the sixth frame also includes fifth information, which is used to instruct the fourth station to assist the third station in restoring media synchronization after the third station becomes unavailable.

[0060] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the sixth information is carried in the Access Point Assist Request Control (AAR Control) field, and the AAR Control field further includes the fourth information.

[0061] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations of the fourth aspect, the third site is unavailable, including: the third site is unavailable due to the coexistence of IDCs within the device.

[0062] The technical effects of the methods shown in the fourth aspect above can be referenced in the third aspect and its possible designs.

[0063] Fifthly, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method provided in the first aspect. Specifically, the apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method provided in any of the above implementations of the first aspect, such as processing units and / or communication units.

[0064] In one implementation, the communication unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0065] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in the first site. When the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in the terminal device, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0066] In a sixth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method provided in the second aspect. Specifically, the apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method provided in any of the above implementations of the second aspect, such as processing units and / or communication units.

[0067] In one implementation, the communication unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0068] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a second station. When the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a terminal device, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0069] A seventh aspect provides a communication apparatus for performing the method provided in the third aspect. Specifically, the apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method provided in any of the above implementations of the third aspect, such as processing units and / or communication units.

[0070] In one implementation, the communication unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0071] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a first multi-link device. When the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a network device, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0072] Eighthly, a communication apparatus is provided for performing the method provided in the fourth aspect. Specifically, the apparatus may include units and / or modules for performing the method provided in any of the above implementations of the fourth aspect, such as processing units and / or communication units.

[0073] In one implementation, the communication unit can be a transceiver or an input / output interface; the processing unit can be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0074] In another implementation, the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a second multi-link device. When the device is a chip, chip system, or circuit used in a network device, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, interface circuit, output circuit, input circuit, pin, or related circuit on the chip, chip system, or circuit; the processing unit may be at least one processor, processing circuit, or logic circuit.

[0075] A ninth aspect provides a communication device comprising: a memory for storing a program; and at least one processor for executing the computer program or instructions stored in the memory to perform any of the above-described implementations of the first to fourth aspects.

[0076] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a processor for performing the methods provided in the foregoing aspects.

[0077] Unless otherwise specified, or if it does not contradict its actual function or internal logic in the relevant description, the transmission and acquisition / reception operations involved in the processor can be understood as processor output and reception, input and other operations, or as transmission and reception operations performed by radio frequency circuits and antennas. This application does not limit them in this regard.

[0078] Eleventhly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores program code for execution by a device, the program code including a method for performing any of the above-described implementations of the first to fourth aspects.

[0079] In a twelfth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method provided by any of the above-described implementations of the first to fourth aspects.

[0080] In a thirteenth aspect, a chip is provided, the chip including a processor and a communication interface, the processor reading instructions stored in a memory through the communication interface and executing the method provided by any of the above implementations of the first to fourth aspects.

[0081] Optionally, as one implementation, the chip also includes a memory that stores computer programs or instructions. The processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions stored in the memory. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the processor is used to execute the methods provided by any of the above implementation methods.

[0082] Fourteenthly, a communication system is provided, comprising a first station of the fifth aspect above and a second station of the sixth aspect above.

[0083] In a fifteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a first multi-link device of the seventh aspect above and a second multi-link device of the eighth aspect above. Attached Figure Description

[0084] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0085] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of a multi-link device.

[0086] Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram of a multi-link structure between multi-link devices.

[0087] Figure 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of an AP assistance request control field.

[0088] Figure 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of an aggregation control field.

[0089] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0090] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of signaling transmission between a first site and a second site provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0091] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of signaling transmission between a first station and a second station according to another embodiment of this application.

[0092] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a frame structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0093] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another frame structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0094] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of another frame structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0095] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of signaling transmission between a first station and a second station according to an embodiment of this application.

[0096] Figure 13 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0097] Figure 14 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0098] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0099] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of a chip system provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0100] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following points will be explained first.

[0101] First, in this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing an indication information as indicating A, it can include whether the indication information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the indication information carries A.

[0102] The information indicated by the instruction is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is a relationship between the other information and the information to be instructed. It can also indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction of specific information can be achieved by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol-defined) arrangement of various pieces of information, thereby reducing instruction overhead to some extent. At the same time, common parts of various pieces of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the instruction overhead caused by individually indicating the same information.

[0103] Second, in this application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more (including two). Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, "first," "second," and various numerical designations (e.g., "#1," "#2," etc.) are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The sequence numbers of the processes below do not imply an 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. It should be understood that the objects described in this way can be interchanged where appropriate to describe solutions other than those in the embodiments of this application. Moreover, in the embodiments of this application, terms such as "S510" are merely identifiers for descriptive convenience and do not limit the order of execution steps.

[0104] Third, in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design options. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0105] Fourth, the term "storage" in the embodiments of this application can refer to storage in one or more memories. These memories can be separate installations or integrated into an encoder, decoder, processor, or communication device. Alternatively, some memories can be separately installed, while others can be integrated into the decoder, processor, or communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and this application does not limit this.

[0106] Fifth, in the implementation of this application, "protocol" may refer to standard protocols in the field of communications, such as the NR protocol and related protocols applied in future communication systems, and this application does not limit it.

[0107] Sixth, in the embodiments of this application, the terms "of", "corresponding (relevant)", "corresponding", and "associate" can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that when their differences are not emphasized, their intended meanings are consistent.

[0108] Seventh, in the embodiments of this application, "under the circumstances", "when", and "if" can sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that when the distinction is not emphasized, their intended meanings are consistent.

[0109] Eighth, 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. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0110] Ninth, the terms "message", "information", or "information element (IE)" can be used interchangeably in this article. There are no restrictions on the names of messages, information, or frames, as long as they can achieve the corresponding functions.

[0111] Tenth, in this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, and "send information" can include direct transmission or indirect transmission through other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, and "receive information" can include direct reception from YY or indirect reception from YY through other units or modules. Besides air interface transmission or reception signals implemented at the system level, such as network devices or terminal devices, "send" can also be understood as the "output" of a chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of a chip interface. For example, a modem or system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or system-in-package (SIP) chip transmits or receives signals. "Send" or "receive" can also be performed through device components, for example, by using buses, traces, or interfaces to transmit or receive signals through several parts, modules, or chips of a device.

[0112] Eleventh, in the accompanying drawings relating to frame structures in the embodiments of this application, some examples of field lengths in the frame are given. It should be understood that the byte lengths shown in the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this application are merely examples, and in actual applications, the length of any field may change.

[0113] Twelfth, the accompanying drawings of the frame structure in the embodiments of this application provide examples of field names in the frame. It should be understood that the field names shown in the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this application are merely examples, and in actual applications, the name of any field may change.

[0114] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0115] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to wireless local area network (WLAN) scenarios. For example, they support IEEE 802.11 related standards, such as 802.11ax, 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7), also known as Extremely High Throughput (EHT), 802.11bn (Wi-Fi 8), or the next-generation Wi-Fi 8 standard. They also include 802.11ad, 802.11ay standards, or Integrated mmWave (IMMW) protocols or Spark Link / Near Link protocols. They can also be applied to wireless personal area network systems based on ultra-wideband (UWB), such as the 802.15 series standards, and to sensing systems, such as the 802.11bf series standards. The 802.11ax standard is known as the high-efficiency (HE) standard, and the 802.11be standard is known as the extremely high throughput (EHT) standard. 802.11bf includes two main categories: low-frequency (e.g., sub7GHz) and high-frequency (e.g., 60GHz) standards. Sub7GHz implementations primarily rely on 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, and next-generation standards, while 60GHz implementations primarily rely on 802.11ad, 802.11ay, and next-generation standards. 802.11ad can also be called the directional multi-gigabit (DMG) standard, and 802.11ay can also be called the enhanced directional multi-gigabit (EDMG) standard.

[0116] Although the embodiments of this application are primarily illustrated using the deployment of WLAN networks, particularly those employing the IEEE 802.11 system standard, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the various aspects involved in the embodiments of this application can be extended to other networks employing various standards or protocols, such as high-performance radio local area networks (HIPERLANs), wireless wide area networks (WWANs), wireless personal area networks (WPANs), or other networks now known or developed in the future. Therefore, regardless of the coverage area and wireless access protocol used, the various aspects provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to any suitable wireless network.

[0117] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can also be applied to various communication systems, such as: WLAN communication systems, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) systems, 5th generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR) systems, 6th generation (6G) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) networks or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks, etc.

[0118] The communication systems described above that are applicable to this application are merely illustrative examples, and the communication systems applicable to this application are not limited to these. They will be uniformly described here and will not be repeated below.

[0119] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario applicable to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication method provided by this application is applicable to data communication between access points (APs) (AP1 and AP2 shown in Figure 1) and non-access point stations (non-AP STAs) (non-AP STA1, non-AP STA2, and non-AP STA3 shown in Figure 1). APs can be referred to as access point stations, and non-access point stations can be simply referred to as non-AP stations. Specifically, the solution of this application is applicable to data communication between an AP and one or more non-AP stations (e.g., data communication between AP1 and non-AP STA1, non-AP STA2), data communication between APs (e.g., data communication between AP1 and AP2), and data communication between non-AP STAs (e.g., data communication between non-AP STA2 and non-AP STA3). Unless otherwise specified, non-AP STAs can also be simply referred to as STAs.

[0120] Access points are nodes that allow terminals (e.g., mobile phones) to access wired (or wireless) networks. They are mainly deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. Of course, they can also be deployed outdoors. An access point 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.

[0121] Specifically, the access point can be a terminal or network device with a Wi-Fi chip. This network device can be a server, router, switch, bridge, computer, mobile phone, relay station, vehicle-mounted equipment, wearable device, network device in a 5G network, network device in a 6G network, or network device in a public land mobile network (PLMN), etc., and this application embodiment is not limited to these. The access point can be a device that supports Wi-Fi standards. For example, the access point can also support one or more standards of the IEEE 802.11 series, such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, or 802.11bn, or the IMW protocol or Star Flash protocol.

[0122] Non-AP sites can be wireless communication chips, wireless sensors, or wireless communication terminals, and may also be referred to as users, user equipment (UE), access terminals, user units, user stations, mobile stations, mobile stations, remote stations, remote terminals, mobile devices, user terminals, terminals, wireless communication equipment, user agents, or user devices. Non-AP sites can be cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, IoT devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, terminal devices in 6G networks, or terminal devices in PLMNs, etc., and this application embodiment is not limited to these. Non-AP sites can be devices that support WLAN standards. For example, non-AP sites can support one or more standards or IMW protocols or Star Flash protocols from the IEEE 802.11 series, such as 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, or 802.11bn.

[0123] For example, non-AP sites can be mobile phones, tablets, set-top boxes, smart TVs, smart wearable devices, vehicle communication devices, computers, Internet of Things (IoT) nodes, sensors, smart home devices such as smart cameras, smart remote controls, smart water and electricity meters, and sensors in smart cities.

[0124] The aforementioned AP or non-AP sites may include transmitters, receivers, memory, processors, etc., wherein the transmitter and receiver are used for transmitting and receiving packet structures, respectively, the memory is used for storing signaling information and pre-agreed preset values, etc., and the processor is used for parsing signaling information and processing related data, etc.

[0125] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, some terms or concepts that may be involved in the embodiments of this application will be briefly described first.

[0126] 1. In-device coexistence (IDC): The coexistence of multiple wireless technologies within a device (including access point APs or non-access point sites STAs) may cause interference between the 802.11 protocol (i.e., Wi-Fi) and other wireless technologies (such as Bluetooth).

[0127] It should be noted that the coexistence of multiple wireless technologies within a device may lead to interference between the 802.11 protocol and other wireless technologies. This scenario can also be called coexistence (CoEx) or other names. This application does not make any limitation on this. For ease of description, the following description uses IDC as an example.

[0128] For example, IDC mainly appears on the STA side because STAs generally support multiple wireless technologies, but it may also appear on the AP side, especially in the case of mobile APs.

[0129] In the 802.11 protocol, IDC considers the interference problem caused by the coexistence of multiple wireless technologies within a device (including access points (APs) or non-AP STAs). Because the 802.11 protocol (i.e., Wi-Fi) and other wireless technologies (such as Bluetooth) may use overlapping channels, they can interfere with each other during transmission. For example, Bluetooth can interfere with Wi-Fi in the 2.4GHz band, preventing them from transmitting normally.

[0130] To avoid interference from other wireless technologies and to reduce interference from other wireless technologies when using the 802.11 protocol, the AP or STA will give way when other wireless technologies are transmitting (i.e., during IDC).

[0131] For example, an AP or STA may be completely or partially unavailable during IDC, depending on the channels occupied by other wireless technologies. Alternatively, IDC-induced unavailability can manifest in various ways, such as a device being unable to transmit for a period of time, a reduction in available bandwidth, or a decrease in the number of available spatial streams (NSS), etc.

[0132] 2. IDC Types: IDCs can be divided into periodic and non-periodic types. Generally speaking, periodic IDCs appear at certain intervals and last for a defined period of time, making them relatively easy to predict in advance; non-periodic IDCs are mostly sudden IDCs, with uncertain start times and durations, making them difficult to predict in advance.

[0133] Furthermore, data centers (IDCs) can be categorized into long-term and short-term. Periodic IDCs are generally long-term IDCs, while non-periodic IDCs are generally short-term IDCs. Since IDCs can cause equipment unavailability, equipment can inform other equipment of relevant IDC information in advance, thereby avoiding invalid transmission and resource waste. When informing other equipment of IDC information, different methods may be used considering the differences between periodic and non-periodic IDCs.

[0134] Another type of IDC occurs when a STA's peer-to-peer (P2P) transmissions with other STAs interfere with the transmission between the STA and the AP. In this case, both communication between the STA and the AP, as well as communication between the STA and other STAs, utilize the 802.11 protocol. Because the P2P transmissions occupy the STA's channel, from the AP's perspective, the STA is in an unusable state.

[0135] 3. Sub-channels: In the 802.11 protocol, APs can operate on frequency bands such as 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz. An AP occupies a specific channel on a certain frequency band, such as an 80MHz channel in 5GHz, and communicates with STAs on these channels.

[0136] A high-bandwidth channel is logically divided into 20MHz sub-channels. For example, an 80MHz channel can be divided into four 20MHz sub-channels. A basic service set (BSS) has two 20MHz sub-channels: a primary channel and a non-primary channel. The specific sub-channel selected as the primary channel is determined by the BSS configuration.

[0137] 4. Energy detection (ED) and preamble detection (PD): When the AP communicates with the STA, in order to avoid collisions, energy detection is performed on the sub-channel and preamble detection is performed on the main channel.

[0138] Energy detection can detect the strength of wireless signals on a sub-channel. If there is a strong wireless signal, the sub-channel is determined to be in a busy state. It is relatively easy to implement.

[0139] Preamble detection (PD) can detect the presence of Physical Layer Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) on the main channel and decode the detected PPDUs to extract relevant information. The information extracted from the PPDU may include a duration field, indicating how much time is needed after this PPDU to complete frame interaction. Based on the duration field obtained from PD decoding on the main channel, the device (AP or STA) may need to set a corresponding network allocation vector (NAV) timer. The NAV timer ends at the end time indicated by the duration field. Before the NAV timer ends, the device must not compete for channel space, thus protecting the transmission opportunity (TXOP) of other devices.

[0140] Generally, an AP or STA can only transmit when both the ED and PD detection results indicate that the channel is idle.

[0141] 5. Medium synchronization (or medium sync): This refers to the AP or STA maintaining synchronization with other nearby APs and STAs regarding channel status (busy or idle). In other words, the AP or STA has the latest channel status information. To maintain medium synchronization, the AP or STA continuously performs ED and PD detection.

[0142] If an AP or STA loses the latest information on the channel status, it loses media synchronization and becomes blind. For example, due to interference, a STA may be unable to perform PD for a period of time, thus failing to set or update the NAV timer. After the interference ends, the STA is unsure whether the channel is busy or idle, and channel contention may interfere with the transmission of other devices.

[0143] In current protocols, loss of media synchronization may specifically refer to certain situations, such as when transmissions occur on one link of a non-simultaneous transmit and receive link pair, causing the other link to lose media synchronization. In this application, unless otherwise specified, the cause of loss of media synchronization is not limited; for example, it could be due to IDC (Internet Data Center) causing the device to lose media synchronization. Media synchronization in this application can also be understood as NAV synchronization, meaning the device has the latest NAV information on its channel.

[0144] If a device (AP or STA) loses media synchronization for more than a certain threshold, namely the media synchronization threshold (aMediumSyncThreshold), then the device needs to set a media synchronization delay (MediumSyncDelay) timer. In 802.11be, aMediumSyncThreshold is specified by the protocol as 72µs (microseconds). After setting the MediumSyncDelay timer, the device will adopt a more conservative approach to contention and transmission, or not engage in channel contention, until the MediumSyncDelay timer reaches 0. More conservative channel contention and transmission methods may include setting a lower ED threshold, sending a request-to-send (RTS) frame as the first frame after obtaining a TXOP, setting an upper limit on the number of TXOPs initiated, and so on.

[0145] If the device receives a PPDU from another AP or STA during the period of media synchronization loss and successfully sets the NAV timer, then the device will restore media synchronization, the MediumSyncDelay timer will be reset to 0, and it can participate in channel contention and transmission normally.

[0146] 6. Multi-link device (MLD): In this embodiment of the application, a device that supports multiple links at the same time is referred to as a multi-link device.

[0147] It should be understood that the specific definition of a multi-link device can be found in the descriptions of current or future communication protocols, and this application does not impose any limitations on it. For example, a multi-link device can also be understood as a device that supports multi-link simultaneous transmission; or, a multi-link device can also be understood as a logical device or entity composed of multiple devices.

[0148] For example, the multi-link device can be an access point multi-link device (AP MLD) or a non-access point MLD (non-AP MLD). It should be noted that the names of the multi-link devices mentioned above are merely examples and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. For example, an AP MLD can also be called a multi-link AP, or with the development of communication technology, an AP MLD can have other names, which will not be listed here.

[0149] MLDs have multiple RF modules that can operate on different frequency bands. For example, an MLD can operate on all or part of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz, and high-frequency 60GHz bands. An MLD can include an AP MLD and / or a non-AP MLD.

[0150] An MLD can include one or more affiliated sites, each with its own media access control (MAC) address. For example, an AP MLD can include one or more affiliated APs, and a non-AP MLD can include one or more affiliated non-AP STAs. Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-link device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the affiliated sites of the AP MLD include AP1 and AP2. The lower MAC address of AP1 is link address 1, and the lower MAC address of AP2 is link address 2. In addition, the AP MLD also has an upper MAC address, called the MLD MAC address.

[0151] AP MLD and non-AP MLD can establish multi-link connections through signaling interaction on any link. Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram of a multi-link structure between multi-link devices provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 3, AP MLD includes AP1 and AP2. AP1 includes AP1 PHY, AP1 low-layer MAC, and high-layer MAC. AP2 includes AP2 PHY, AP2 low-layer MAC, and high-layer MAC. AP1 and AP2 share the high-layer MAC. Non-AP MLD includes STA1 and STA2. STA1 includes STA1 PHY, STA1 low-layer MAC, and high-layer MAC. STA2 includes STA2 PHY, STA2 low-layer MAC, and high-layer MAC. STA1 and STA2 share the high-layer MAC. AP1 and STA1 are connected via link 1, and AP2 and STA2 are connected via link 2.

[0152] In the IEEE 802.11be protocol, MLD supports multi-link operation technology. If different links can transmit and receive simultaneously (e.g., a multi-link device includes two links, where one link can transmit signals and the other can receive signals within the same time period), this mode is called simultaneous transmit and receive (STR) mode. If different links can only transmit or receive simultaneously (e.g., a multi-link device includes two links, where both links can only transmit signals or only receive signals within the same time period), this mode is called non-simultaneous transmit and receive (NSTR) mode. The solution provided in this application does not limit the operating mode of the multi-link device; it can be either STR mode or NSTR mode.

[0153] 7. NSTR Link Pair: In some cases, the two links of a non-AP MLD are an NSTR link pair, meaning that transmission on one link will interfere with reception on the other. When the non-AP MLD uses one link of the NSTR link pair for transmission, the other link will lose media synchronization. To solve this problem, 802.11be introduced the AP-assisted medium synchronization recovery process. The non-AP MLD can indicate in the data frame on the transmitting link (link 1) that it needs the AP MLD's assistance in restoring the media synchronization of the other link (link 2). After the transmission on link 1 is completed, the AP MLD will send a trigger frame on link 2. When the non-AP MLD receives the trigger frame on link 2, it can successfully set the NAV timer and restore the media synchronization of link 2.

[0154] Specifically, non-AP MLD can carry the AP assistance request (AAR Control) field in the data frames sent on link 1, as shown in Figure 4.

[0155] As shown in Figure 4, the AP Assistance Request Control field includes an Assisting AP Link ID bitmap field and reserved bits. The Assisting AP Link ID bitmap indicates the link that requires AP MLD assistance to restore media synchronization. AP MLD will send a trigger frame on the link indicated by the Assisting AP Link ID bitmap field after transmission on link 1 is completed. In addition, the AAR Control field has four reserved bits.

[0156] For example, as shown in Figure 5, the AAR Control field is included within the aggregated control (A-Control) field. The A-Control field is also included within the high throughput control (HT Control) field; when the first two bits of the HT Control field are set to 1, the remaining 30 bits constitute the A-Control field. The HT Control field is included in the Control Wrapper frame and can also be included in the MAC header of Quality of Service (QoS) data frames, QoS null frames, and management frames.

[0157] As shown in Figure 5, the A-Control field contains one or more control subfields. Each control subfield consists of a control ID and control information. The control ID contains 4 bits; when the control ID equals 9, the control information is AAR Control. The number of bits used for the control information varies depending on the control ID.

[0158] The preceding text, with reference to Figure 1, briefly introduced the application scenarios of the communication method provided in this application embodiment, and also introduced the basic concepts that may be involved in this application embodiment, including IDC. As can be seen from the above, IDC can cause devices to become unavailable, thereby affecting communication between devices. One method to reduce the impact of IDC characteristics on communication between devices is to have the local device inform the remote device of its own IDC information, thereby avoiding transmission failures and resource waste between devices.

[0159] For ease of understanding, the following text uses a non-AP STA as an example to introduce the scheme by which a non-AP STA informs the AP associated with it of the IDC information of the non-AP STA. The scheme by which an AP informs the non-AP STA associated with it of the IDC information of the AP is similar and will not be elaborated upon.

[0160] For example, non-AP STAs can inform IDCs of information in the following three ways:

[0161] 1) Inform IDC information through the target wake time (TWT) element.

[0162] The TWT element can indicate a service period during which communication will take place with a non-AP STA, while the non-AP STA can enter power-saving mode at other times. A non-AP STA can also use the TWT element to request a service period from the AP, thereby saving power at other times. Furthermore, a restricted TWT (rTWT) can indicate a period of time dedicated to transmitting low-latency services.

[0163] The service period indicated by a TWT is generally periodic, making it suitable for indicating periodic IDCs (Internet Data Centers). A non-AP STA can use a TWT element to indicate a periodic interval to its associated AP. During this interval, the non-AP STA will have an IDC and will therefore be in an unavailable state. Here, IDC information includes start time, duration, and period. Specific bits within the TWT element can indicate that it indicates IDC information. TWT elements indicating IDC information can be carried in a TWT setup frame.

[0164] 2) Inform IDC information via control frames. For example, inform IDC information via initial control frame (ICF) and initial control response (ICR) frames.

[0165] Non-AP STAs can indicate IDC information in control frames. For example, at the start of a TXOP, the AP sends an ICF to a non-AP STA. If the non-AP STA anticipates an IDC, it can include the IDC information in its reply ICR frame.

[0166] In this case, the IDC indicated by the non-AP STA is generally an aperiodic IDC, which is difficult to predict in advance. Therefore, the AP confirms the existence of an IDC on the non-AP STA side in a short period of time (e.g., during the TXOP) by sending an ICF at the beginning of TXOP.

[0167] IDC information can include the start time and duration of the IDC. ICF frames can be buffer status report poll (BSRP) frames, multi-user block ack request (MU-BAR) frames, etc., and ICR frames can be multi-site block acknowledgment (Multi-STA BA) frames, etc. When a non-AP STA uses a Multi-STA BA frame to indicate IDC information, the IDC information can be carried in the Per AID TID Info field.

[0168] As another example, if a non-AP STA obtains a TXOP, the non-AP STA can also send an ICF directly to the AP at the start of the TXOP, and indicate IDC information in the ICF. Here, the ICF can be a BSRP frame.

[0169] 3) Inform IDC information through the A-Control field.

[0170] Non-AP STAs can carry IDC information in the A-Control field. When a non-AP STA sends a frame containing an A-Control field, the IDC information carried in the A-Control field can include, for example, the start time, duration, and period of the non-AP STA's IDC.

[0171] The aforementioned methods of informing devices of IDC information do not consider situations where IDC causes the channels of devices (APs or non-AP STAs) to become completely unavailable (or the primary channel becomes unavailable). For example, if a device cannot properly set and update its NAV during IDC, losing media synchronization, it will still need to restore media synchronization even after IDC ends in order to compete for channel information normally. Therefore, how to assist non-AP STAs or APs that have lost media synchronization in restoring their media synchronization status is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0172] This application provides a communication method to assist a site that has lost media synchronization in restoring its media synchronization state.

[0173] The technical solutions provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of this application can be applied to multiple different scenarios, including the scenario shown in Figure 1, but are not limited to that scenario.

[0174] It should be understood that the embodiments shown below do not particularly limit the specific structure of the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiments of this application. As long as it is possible to communicate according to the method provided in the embodiments of this application by running a program that records the code of the method provided in the embodiments of this application, for example, the execution subject of the method provided in the embodiments of this application can be a receiving end device or a sending end device, or a functional module in the receiving end device or the sending end device that can call and execute the program.

[0175] Without loss of generality, the communication method provided in this application embodiment will be described in detail using the interaction between the first station and the second station as an example. The first station or the second station involved in this application embodiment can be a non-AP STA or an AP; or it can be a chip system. No specific form of the first station and the second station is limited below, as long as it can achieve the corresponding function.

[0176] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, including the following steps:

[0177] S610, the first station sends first information and second information to the second station, and correspondingly, the second station receives the first information and second information from the first station.

[0178] It should be understood that in this application, "site" can be a non-access point site (e.g., a non-AP STA) or an access point site (e.g., an AP). For example, the first site is a non-AP STA and the second site is an AP, or the first site is an AP and the second site is a non-AP STA. For example, the first site can be a site attached to a first multi-link device, and the second site can be a site attached to a second multi-link device.

[0179] Specifically, the first information indicates the end time of the first site's unavailability, and the second information indicates that the second site assists the first site in restoring media synchronization after the first site's unavailability ends. The second information instructing the second site to assist the first site in restoring media synchronization after the first site's unavailability ends can be understood as: the second information indicates that the first site requires the assistance of the second site.

[0180] In this embodiment of the application, the first site may be unavailable due to interference caused by the coexistence of multiple wireless technologies within the first site, such as the first site's IDC causing the first site to be unavailable; or, the first site may be in a dormant state; or, the first site may be unavailable for other reasons, which will not be listed here.

[0181] Optionally, if the first site becomes unavailable due to the IDC and the duration of unavailability exceeds a first threshold, the first site may set a first timer. For example, if the duration of unavailability due to the IDC exceeds aMediumSyncThreshold (72µs) defined in the current protocol, the first site may set a MediumSyncDelay timer. Alternatively, if the duration of unavailability due to the IDC is less than or equal to the first threshold, the first site may not set a first timer.

[0182] By way of example and not limitation, the first timer in this application includes, but is not limited to, the following possible forms:

[0183] As one possible implementation, the first timer could be the MediumSyncDelay timer defined in the current protocol.

[0184] As another possible implementation, the first timer can be the NAV synchronization delay (NAVSyncDelay) timer defined in the current protocol, which is generally set after the first site switches to a new operating channel.

[0185] As another possible implementation, the first timer can be a newly designed timer used to control for situations where media synchronization is lost due to IDC. For example, the first site sets an IDC media synchronization delay (IDCMediaSyncDelay) timer after the unavailability period caused by the IDC ends. The behavior of the first site after setting the IDCMediaSyncDelay timer is similar to that after setting the MediumSyncDelay timer.

[0186] It should be understood that the above implementation methods are only examples to illustrate the possible forms of the first timer, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The first timer in this application may also have other forms, which will not be illustrated here.

[0187] Optionally, the specific parameters corresponding to the ICMediumSyncDelay timer (such as the ED threshold and the upper limit of the number of TXOPs initiated) can be different from those corresponding to the MediumSyncDelay timer. For example, the severity of media synchronization loss caused by different reasons may vary, and the channel contention and transmission rules followed by the first site may also be different. The aforementioned ICMediumSyncDelay timer and MediumSyncDelay timer can be used to distinguish between different situations.

[0188] Specifically, the first timer starts timing at the end of the IDC of the first site. During the operation of the first timer (e.g., after the MediumSyncDelay timer is set until the MediumSyncDelay timer returns to 0), and before receiving a frame from the second site that triggers the first site to resume media synchronization, the first site may compete for the channel and transmit according to the first rule defined in the current protocol.

[0189] Optionally, the first station engages in channel contention and transmission based on a first rule, including the following methods:

[0190] Method 1.1: The first station adopts a more conservative approach to channel contention and transmission, or does not engage in channel contention at all. The more conservative approach to channel contention and transmission includes, but is not limited to:

[0191] Setting a lower ED threshold (e.g., setting an ED threshold lower than the second threshold), sending an RTS frame as the first frame after obtaining a TXOP, or setting an upper limit on the number of times a TXOP can be initiated, etc. The second threshold can be predefined or determined through negotiation; this application does not impose any restrictions on it.

[0192] Method 1.2: During the first timer's countdown (or the first timer's effective period), if the first station receives a frame (e.g., PPDU) from another device (e.g., AP or STA), thus successfully setting or updating the NAV timer, then the first station resumes media synchronization, and the first timer is reset to 0. The first station can then participate normally in channel contention. Here, the "other device" mentioned above can be the second station mentioned earlier.

[0193] By way of example and not limitation, the first piece of information mentioned above includes at least one of the following:

[0194] The start time of the first site being unavailable, the duration of the first site being unavailable, the remaining time of the first site being unavailable, the end time of the first site being unavailable, or the period during which the first site is unavailable, etc.

[0195] For example, if the first site is unavailable due to the IDC, the aforementioned first information may be the IDC information of the first site, such as at least one of the following: the IDC start time information of the first site, the IDC duration information of the first site, the IDC end time information of the first site, or the IDC cycle information of the first site.

[0196] For example, if the first site becomes unavailable due to hibernation, the aforementioned first information may be the hibernation information of the first site, such as the first information including at least one of the following: the start time of the hibernation of the first site, the duration of the hibernation of the first site, the end time of the hibernation of the first site, or the periodicity of the hibernation of the first site.

[0197] It should be understood that the information included in the above-mentioned first information is merely illustrative and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. This application does not limit the specific content of the first information, as long as it can be used to indicate the end time when the first site becomes unavailable. For example, if the reason for the first site becoming unavailable is the first site's data center (IDC), then the first information can be the first site's IDC information. The specific content of the IDC information is not limited, and all information related to the IDC is within the scope of protection of this application.

[0198] By way of example and not limitation, the sending of the first and second information from the first station to the second station in this application can be as follows: the first station sends a second frame to the second station, the second frame including the first and second information. The second frame may include a TWT element or an A-Control field; or, the second frame may be an ICF or ICR frame.

[0199] For example, the aforementioned second information can be 1 bit of information. For instance, the protocol stipulates that when this 1 bit of second information is set to 1, it indicates that the first station needs the assistance of the second station to restore media synchronization. It should be noted that the second information can be multiple bits of information. This application does not impose any limitation on the number of bits occupied by the second information, as long as it can indicate whether the peer station needs to assist in restoring media synchronization.

[0200] Optionally, the following uses methods 2.1 to 2.3 as examples, with the first information being the IDC information of the first site and the second information being a 1-bit information, to briefly introduce the possible forms of the second frame used to carry the IDC information and the second information of the first site in this application. For example, the second frame includes the IDC information and the 1-bit second information, indicating that when the first site informs the second site of the IDC information, it can indicate through the 1-bit indication information that the second site needs to assist in restoring media synchronization.

[0201] Method 2.1: The second frame includes a TWT element, which includes first information and second information.

[0202] In the case shown in Method 2.1, the first site can use the TWT element to indicate the first site's IDC information and second information.

[0203] For example, the TWT element indicates the periodic IDC information of the first site, which includes the IDC start time, IDC duration, and IDC cycle of the first site.

[0204] For example, the first station can carry the second information mentioned above through a bit of the TWT element. For instance, a reserved bit of the TWT element can be used to indicate that the second station needs to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization. Optionally, setting the reserved bit to 1 indicates that the second station needs to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization. The reserved bit of the TWT element can be a reserved bit in the control field of the TWT element, or a bit in the TWT parameter information field of the TWT element.

[0205] Method 2.2: The second frame includes an A-Control field, which contains first information and second information.

[0206] In the case shown in Method 2.2, the first station may carry the first station's IDC information and second information in the A-Control field of the QoSData frame, QoS Null frame, or management frame sent to the second station.

[0207] For example, the first station can use a bit in the A-Control field to indicate that the second station needs to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization. Setting the bit to 1 indicates that the second station needs to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization.

[0208] Method 2.3: The second frame can be an ICF or ICR frame, which includes first information and second information.

[0209] Optionally, after receiving the ICF from the second station, the first station may carry the first station's IDC information and second information in the reply ICR frame. The first station's IDC information includes: the start time of the first station's IDC, the duration of the first station's IDC, etc.

[0210] For example, if the ICR frame is a Multi-STA BA frame, the first site carries the IDC information of the first site in each AID TID Info field of the Multi-STA BA frame.

[0211] For example, the first station can carry the second information mentioned above using a bit of the Per AID TID Info field in the Multi-STA BA frame, such as using a bit of the Per AID TID Info field to indicate that the second station needs to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization. Optionally, setting a bit of the Per AID TID Info field to 1 indicates that the second station needs to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization.

[0212] Optionally, the first station can directly send an ICF to the second station, carrying the first station's IDC information and second information in the sent ICF. The ICF can be an ICF that requires the second station to reply with an ICR frame, or an ICF that does not require the second station to reply with an ICR frame.

[0213] For example, this ICF is a Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) frame. The first station can use a certain bit in the BSRP frame to indicate that the second station needs to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization. For example, setting the bit to 1 indicates that the second station needs to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization.

[0214] For example, if the ICF is a BSRP frame, the Special User Info field in the BSRP frame carries the IDC information and second information of the first site.

[0215] It should be understood that the implementation methods shown in 2.1 to 2.3 above are merely illustrative of the ways in which the first station sends the first information and the second information to the second station in this application, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The first station may also send the first information and the second information to the second station in other ways, such as by transmitting the first information and the second information through newly added signaling, etc., which will not be illustrated here.

[0216] For example, before the first station sends the aforementioned second information to the second station in this application, it can determine whether to send the second information to the second station based on the information of the first station. Therefore, the method flow shown in Figure 6 may further include:

[0217] S611, the first station determines the second information to send based on the first parameter.

[0218] Specifically, the first parameter is used to determine whether to send the second information, and for example, the first parameter includes at least one of the following:

[0219] The buffer status of the first site, the SCS requirement of the first site, or the duration of the first site being unavailable.

[0220] As one possible implementation, the first station can determine whether to send the second message based on its own buffer state and / or whether there is data to be sent to the second station after the first station becomes unavailable.

[0221] For example, if the first site anticipates that there is data that needs to be sent to the second site after the unavailability of the first site ends, the first site determines to send a second message instructing the second site to assist in restoring media synchronization after the unavailability ends, so as to send the data in a timely manner.

[0222] As another possible implementation, the first site can determine whether to send the second message based on its own stream classification service (SCS) requirements.

[0223] For example, if the first site anticipates that there is low-latency or high-priority data that needs to be sent to the second site after the first site becomes unavailable, the first site determines to send a second message instructing the second site to assist in restoring media synchronization after the unavailability ends, so as to send this data in a timely manner.

[0224] As another possible implementation, the first station can determine whether to send a second message based on the duration of unavailability.

[0225] For example, if the duration of the first site's unavailability is less than or equal to a first threshold, the first site determines that media synchronization will not be lost after the unavailability ends and does not need to send a second message. For instance, if the cause of the first site's unavailability is its IDC (Internet Data Center), and the duration of the IDC is less than aMediumSyncThreshold (72µs) defined in the current protocol, then the first site can assume that media synchronization will not be lost after the IDC ends, and therefore does not need to indicate that a second site is needed to assist in restoring media synchronization. In this case, the 1 bit used to indicate that the second site needs to assist in restoring media synchronization is a reserved bit that can be used for other purposes.

[0226] For example, if the duration of the first site's unavailability exceeds a first threshold, the first site will lose media synchronization and send a second message after determining that the unavailability has ended.

[0227] It should be understood that the above-described implementation of the first station determining whether to send the second information is merely an example and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. This application does not limit how the first station determines whether to send the second information. For example, the first station can also determine whether to send the second information based on historical communication data, which will not be illustrated here.

[0228] Furthermore, after receiving the first and second information mentioned above, the second station can determine the end time of the first station's unavailability based on the first information, and learn from the second information that the first station needs the second station's assistance to restore media synchronization. To assist the first station in restoring media synchronization, the second station can send a first frame to the first station after the first station's unavailability ends, triggering the first station to restore media synchronization. Therefore, the method flow shown in Figure 6 further includes:

[0229] S620, the second station sends the first frame to the first station, and correspondingly, the first station receives the first frame from the second station.

[0230] Specifically, the second station sends a first frame to the first station after the first station's unavailability ends. This first frame is used to trigger the first station to resume media synchronization. The second station can determine the end time of the first station's unavailability based on the first information.

[0231] Optionally, the first frame is used to trigger the first site to resume media synchronization. This can be understood as: the first frame is used to trigger the first site to update or set NAV so that the first site can resume media synchronization.

[0232] It should be understood that this application does not impose any limitations on how the second site determines the end time of the first site's unavailability based on the first information. For example, the first information includes the start time of the first site's unavailability and the duration of the first site's unavailability, so that the second site can determine the end time of the first site's unavailability based on the start time of the first site's unavailability and the duration of the first site's unavailability.

[0233] Optionally, if the first site becomes unavailable due to the IDC, the IDC information of the first site is used to determine the IDC end time of the first site. For example, the IDC information of the first site includes the remaining time of the first site's IDC, so that the second site can determine the IDC end time of the first site based on the remaining time of the first site's IDC.

[0234] For example, the first frame includes at least one of the following frames:

[0235] The first frame can be a trigger frame, other control frames, or data frames. The trigger frame can be a multi-user request MU-RTS frame or a BSRP frame, etc. This application does not impose any restrictions on the specific form of the first frame, as long as it can be used to trigger the first site to resume media synchronization.

[0236] Optionally, if the second station determines that the first station and other devices (non-AP STA or AP) are transmitting frames after the first station becomes unavailable, the second station may stop sending the first frame to the first station. That is, the second station may assume that the frames sent by other devices have enabled the first station to restore media synchronization.

[0237] Furthermore, considering that the second station requires time-frequency resources to send the first frame to the first station, the second station may not have the ability to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization in certain situations. Therefore, if the second station has the ability to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization after the first station becomes unavailable, the second station can give corresponding instructions to the first station so that the first station can know whether the second station has the ability to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization after the IDC. If the second station has the ability to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization after the first station becomes unavailable, the above step S610 can be executed. If the second station does not have the ability to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization after the first station becomes unavailable, the above step S610 does not need to be executed, which can avoid unnecessary signaling overhead to a certain extent.

[0238] As an example and not a limitation, in this application, the second station sends third information to the first station, which is used to indicate whether the second station has the ability to assist in restoring media synchronization. The method flow shown in Figure 6 may also include:

[0239] S612, the second station sends third information to the first station, and correspondingly, the first station receives the third information from the second station.

[0240] This third piece of information is used to indicate whether the second station has the capability to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization. Optionally, the third piece of information can be designed using the following scheme:

[0241] Method 3.1: The third information reuses fields defined in the current protocol.

[0242] In the case shown in method 3.1, step S611 above can be understood as:

[0243] The second station sends a third frame to the first station. The third frame includes an AAR Support subfield, which contains the aforementioned third information.

[0244] It should be understood that the current protocol defines that an AP MLD can instruct its associated AP to have the ability to assist a non-AP STA associated with a non-AP MLD in restoring media synchronization via instruction message #1. This assistance is limited to situations where a non-AP STA has lost media synchronization due to communication with an AP and another non-AP STA on the same NSTR link pair.

[0245] Specifically, the indication information #1 defined in the current protocol is carried in the AP Assistance Request Support subfield within the Multi-Link Device Capabilities and Operations subfield of the Common Info field in the Basic Multi-Link element. The AAR Support subfield contains 1 bit, and a value of 1 indicates that the APs attached to the AP MLD have the capability to assist in restoring media synchronization. This 1-bit information can be the third piece of information mentioned above.

[0246] In the case shown in Method 3.1, the third information can reuse the aforementioned indication information #1. That is, when indicating that the AP has the ability to assist the non-AP STA in restoring media synchronization after it becomes unavailable, the existing AAR Support subfield can be reused. Setting 1 bit of this field to 1 indicates that the AP attached to the AP MLD can send the first frame to the non-AP STA after the unavailability of the non-AP STA associated with the AP ends, to assist the non-AP STA in restoring media synchronization.

[0247] Method 3.2: The third piece of information is a newly defined field.

[0248] In the case shown in method 3.2, step S611 above can be understood as:

[0249] The second station sends a fourth frame to the first station. The fourth frame includes third information and includes at least one of the following: a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, or a reassociation response frame.

[0250] It should be understood that the method described in 3.1 above, which reuses fields defined in the current protocol, is relatively simple, but may have problems because:

[0251] In this embodiment, the second station assists the first station, which has lost media synchronization due to unavailability, in restoring media synchronization. This differs from the current protocol where the AP assists a non-AP STA, which has lost media synchronization due to transmission on an NSTR link, in restoring media synchronization. Specifically, there are two differences:

[0252] (1) In the case of loss of media synchronization caused by IDC, the non-AP STA informs the AP in advance that it needs the AP's assistance before the IDC starts, and the AP waits for the IDC to end before sending the first frame; while in the case of loss of media synchronization caused by NSTR link transmission, the non-AP STA indicates that it needs the AP's assistance in the last data frame transmitted on the NSTR link, and the AP can send the first frame immediately after the transmission on the NSTR link ends.

[0253] (2) In the case of loss of media synchronization caused by IDC, the implementation of this application may not be limited to the case of multiple links; in the case of loss of media synchronization caused by NSTR link transmission, the non-AP STA indicates on one link that the AP needs to assist in restoring media synchronization on another link.

[0254] Considering the above factors, it's possible that an AP can assist a non-AP STA in recovering from media synchronization loss caused by NSTR link transmission, but cannot assist in recovering from media synchronization loss caused by a non-AP STA's IDC, and vice versa. Therefore, reusing the fields defined in the current protocol may not adequately distinguish between these two capabilities. Thus, a new field could be defined to indicate the AP's ability to assist its associated STA in recovering media synchronization in the event of IDC loss.

[0255] In the case shown in Method 3.2, the third information can be designed similarly to the AAR Support subfield described above.

[0256] For example, a new AARC Support subfield is defined. For instance, the third piece of information could be an AP Assisted Request for Coexistence Support (AARC Support) field for coexistence issues. This AARC Support field could be carried in the Extended MLD Capabilities And Operations subfield within the Common Info field of the Basic Multi-Link element. A reserved bit of the Extended MLD Capabilities And Operations subfield is set to the AARC Support subfield. When the AARC Support subfield of the AP MLD is set to 1, it indicates the ability of the AP attached to the AP MLD to assist its associated non-AP STA in restoring media synchronization in the event of IDC media synchronization loss.

[0257] It should be noted that in the communication method shown in Figure 6, the first and second stations are a group of interconnected APs and non-AP STAs, and the devices are not required to be MLDs. Therefore, the third information mentioned above, in addition to being included in the Extended MLD Capabilities And Operations subfield of the basic multi-link element, can also be indicated in other places. For example, a reserved bit in the EHT MAC Capabilities Information field of the EHT Capabilities element can be used to indicate the ability of the second station to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization in the event of IDC media synchronization loss. The EHT Capabilities element can be carried in frames such as Beacon frames, Probe Response frames, Association Response frames, or Reassociation Response frames.

[0258] Additionally, current or future communication protocols may include a UHR Capabilities element similar to the EHT Capabilities element. In such cases, the aforementioned third information can also be indicated using a specific bit in the UHR MAC Capabilities Information field of the UHR Capabilities element. When the specific bit in the EHT MAC Capabilities Information or UHR MAC Capabilities Information field is set to 1, it indicates that the second station has the capability to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization.

[0259] It should be understood that methods 3.1 and 3.2 described above are merely illustrative of how the second site sends third information to the first site, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The second site may also send the aforementioned third information to the first site in other ways, which will not be illustrated here.

[0260] As an example and not a limitation, in this application, after the first station receives the first frame described above, it may perform the following actions:

[0261] Method 4.1: The first station sends a response frame to the second station to indicate that it has received the first frame and has restored media synchronization.

[0262] In the case shown in Method 4.1, the first station sends a response frame of the first frame to the second station.

[0263] Optionally, the response frame can be a CTS frame, a buffer status report (BSR) frame, etc.

[0264] Method 4.2: The first station sends a data frame to the second station.

[0265] In the case shown in Method 4.2, after the first station restores media synchronization based on the first frame described above, there is data to be sent to the second station. After receiving the first frame, the first station can send a data frame to the second station, which includes data.

[0266] Method 4.3: The first station may not send response frames or data frames to the second station.

[0267] In the case shown in Method 4.3, the first station may not send any frames to the second station, and the second station assumes that the first station has restored media synchronization after sending the first frame to the first station.

[0268] In this application embodiment, no specific form of the first station and the second station is limited. For ease of understanding, the following examples illustrate the signaling transmission between the first station and the second station under different forms:

[0269] Example 1: The first site is a non-AP STA, and the second site is the AP associated with that non-AP STA.

[0270] In this implementation, a non-AP STA may lose media synchronization due to unavailability (e.g., due to an IDC). In order for the AP to assist the non-AP STA in restoring media synchronization after the non-AP STA becomes unavailable, the non-AP STA can send the first and second information mentioned above to the AP. The first information indicates the end time of the non-AP STA's unavailability, and the second information indicates that the AP needs to assist the non-AP STA in restoring media synchronization.

[0271] For ease of understanding, taking the first information as the IDC information of the first site and the second information as a 1-bit indication as an example, and referring to Figure 7, we will briefly introduce the signaling transmission between the non-AP STA and AP in the case shown in Example 1.

[0272] As shown in Figure 7, when a non-AP STA informs the AP of IDC information, it can indicate that it needs the AP's assistance to restore media synchronization through a second information bit of 1 bit. After the non-AP STA's IDC ends, the AP sends the first frame to the non-AP STA. After receiving the first frame, the non-AP STA restores media synchronization and can transmit normally.

[0273] Example 2: The first site is an Access Point (AP), and the second site is a Station Target (STA) associated with that AP. For example, if the first site is a mobile AP, an Internet Data Center (IDC) may be involved.

[0274] In this implementation, the mobile AP may lose media synchronization due to unavailability (e.g., due to IDC). In order for the non-AP STA to assist the mobile AP in restoring media synchronization after the mobile AP's unavailability ends, the mobile AP can send the aforementioned first and second information to the non-AP STA. The first information indicates the end time of the mobile AP's unavailability, and the second information indicates that the non-AP STA needs to assist the mobile AP in restoring media synchronization.

[0275] For ease of understanding, taking the first information as the IDC information of the first site and the second information as a 1-bit indication as an example, and referring to Figure 8, we will briefly introduce the signaling transmission between the mobile AP and the non-AP STA in the case shown in Example 2.

[0276] As shown in Figure 8, when the mobile AP informs the non-AP STA of IDC information, it can indicate that the non-AP STA needs to assist in restoring media synchronization through a second information bit of 1 bit. After the mobile AP's IDC ends, the non-AP STA sends the first frame to the mobile AP. After receiving the first frame, the mobile AP restores media synchronization and can carry out normal transmission.

[0277] It should be noted that an AP can be associated with multiple non-AP STAs, while a non-AP STA is generally associated with one AP. Therefore, in the case shown in Example 2, an AP can specify one or more non-AP STAs associated with it to assist the AP in restoring media synchronization.

[0278] As an example, and not a limitation, an AP can instruct a non-AP STA to assist it in restoring media synchronization in the following ways:

[0279] Method 5.1: The AP broadcasts a second frame to at least one non-AP STA, the second frame including the first information and the second information. The at least one non-AP STA is a non-AP STA associated with the AP, and the second station is one of the at least one non-AP STA.

[0280] For example, if the AP becomes unavailable due to IDC, the AP broadcasts its IDC information and uses a second message to indicate whether all associated non-AP STAs need to assist the AP in restoring media synchronization.

[0281] Optionally, the way to broadcast the IDC information and second information to the AP includes: the AP sending a broadcast TWT element, or sending ICF or ICR frames in a broadcast manner, etc.

[0282] In the scenario shown in Method 5.1, if at least one of the at least one non-AP STAs associated with the AP successfully transmits the first frame, the AP can successfully restore media synchronization, and the other non-AP STAs do not need to transmit the second frame again.

[0283] Method 5.2: The AP broadcasts a second frame to at least one non-AP STA. The second frame includes the first information, the second information, and the identification information of the second site. The at least one non-AP STA is a non-AP STA associated with the AP, and the second site is one of the at least one non-AP STA.

[0284] For example, if an AP becomes unavailable due to an IDC (Internet Data Center) failure, the AP broadcasts its IDC information and adds one or more non-AP STAs (non-AP STAs) to the broadcast message to indicate which of these non-AP STAs need to assist the AP in restoring media synchronization. The non-AP STA corresponding to the indicated AID sends a second frame to the AP after the IDC failure ends. As long as at least one non-AP STA successfully sends the second frame, the AP can successfully restore media synchronization.

[0285] Method 5.3: The AP unicasts a second frame to the second station via unicast. The second frame includes the first information and the second information. The second station is one of at least one non-AP STA associated with the AP.

[0286] For example, if an AP becomes unavailable due to an IDC (Internet Data Center) failure, the AP unicasts its IDC information to a non-AP STA and indicates whether the STA needs to assist the AP in restoring media synchronization via a second message. The method by which the AP unicasts the first and second messages can be referred to methods 2.1 to 2.3 above, and will not be repeated here. Furthermore, after receiving the indication, the non-AP STA sends a second frame to the AP after the AP's IDC failure has ended.

[0287] It should be understood that the implementation methods shown in 5.1 to 5.3 above are merely illustrative of how the AP in this application instructs at least one associated non-AP STA to assist the AP in restoring media synchronization, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The AP may also instruct the non-AP STA to assist the AP in restoring media synchronization in other ways. For example, the AP may determine a certain non-AP STA as the non-AP STA to assist the AP in restoring media synchronization based on historical communication data, and send first information and second information to the non-AP STA. Examples will not be given here.

[0288] Example 3: The first site is attached to the first multi-link device, the second site is attached to the second multi-link device, the first multi-link device also includes a third site, and the second multi-link device also includes a fourth site.

[0289] In the case shown in Example 3, the first station can send the first and second information described above to the second station to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization.

[0290] Furthermore, the first station can also instruct the second multi-link device to assist the third station in restoring media synchronization via a cross-link approach. For example, the first station sends a fourth and a fifth message to the second station. The fourth message indicates the end time of the third station's unavailability, and the fifth message instructs the fourth station to assist the third station in restoring media synchronization after the third station's unavailability ends. The method flow shown in Figure 6 can also include:

[0291] S630, the first station sends the fourth and fifth information to the second station, and correspondingly, the second station receives the fourth and fifth information from the first station.

[0292] As one possible implementation, the first station also sends a sixth message to the second station, which indicates the link corresponding to the third station. Therefore, the method flow shown in Figure 6 can also include:

[0293] S640, the first station sends the sixth message to the second station, and correspondingly, the second station receives the sixth message from the first station.

[0294] In this implementation, the fifth information is similar to the second information in Example 1, and can be a specific 1-bit indication of whether the fourth station needs to send a frame after the third station becomes unavailable to assist the third station in restoring media synchronization.

[0295] As another possible implementation, the fifth piece of information mentioned above can also be used to indicate the link corresponding to the third site. In other words, the link information of the third site is used to indicate the link corresponding to the third site and the assistance the third site needs from its associated sites to restore media synchronization.

[0296] In this implementation, it can be understood that the link information corresponding to the third station can be used to indirectly instruct the third station to require the assistance of the fourth station to restore the media synchronization of the third station.

[0297] It should be understood that the cross-link indication shown in Example 3 may occur during periods when the third site is unavailable, generally in urgent situations. Therefore, if the number of bits is limited, it is not necessary to use a separate 1-bit explicit indication that a fourth site is needed to assist in restoring media synchronization. Instead, it can be specified by the protocol:

[0298] When a fourth message is sent across the link (e.g., a TWT element, ICF, ICR frame, or A-Control field carrying the IDC information of the third site is sent across the link), the fourth site sends a frame to assist the third site in restoring media synchronization after the third site becomes unavailable. In other words, sending the fourth and fifth messages across the link indirectly indicates that the fourth site needs to send a frame to assist the third site in restoring media synchronization after the third site becomes unavailable.

[0299] As one possible implementation, the fourth and fifth information mentioned above can be carried through TWT elements, ICF frames, or ICR frames.

[0300] In this implementation, as shown in Example 3 regarding cross-link indication, a sixth piece of information (e.g., a link ID bitmap) can be added to the TWT element, ICF frame, or ICR frame. The way the fourth and fifth pieces of information are carried in the TWT element, ICF frame, or ICR frame can be referred to the descriptions of methods 2.1 to 2.3 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0301] As another possible implementation, the fourth information and the link information of the third site (e.g., the fifth information) mentioned above can be carried through the A-Control field.

[0302] In this implementation, the aforementioned fifth piece of information can be understood as the link information of the third site, enabling the indication of the link corresponding to the third site and the assistance required from its associated sites to restore media synchronization. It should be understood that the A-Control field has limited available bits; if the display carries information indicating that the third site requires assistance from its associated sites to restore media synchronization, then this A-Control field needs to be additionally designed.

[0303] For example, when the fourth and fifth information described above are carried through the A-Control field, the frame carrying the A-Control field includes, but is not limited to, the following two methods:

[0304] Method 6.1: If the first station has data to send to the second station, the first station can send a QoS data frame and carry the A-Control field in the frame header of the QoS data frame. After receiving the frame, the second station can reply with a block ack (BA) frame.

[0305] Method 6.2: If the first station has no data to send to the second station, the first station can send a QoS Null frame to the second station, and carry the A-Control field in the frame header of the QoS Null frame. After receiving the frame, the second station can reply with an acknowledgment (Ack) frame.

[0306] It should be understood that the above methods 6.1 and 6.2 are merely examples to illustrate the possible forms of frames carrying the A-Control field, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. Optionally, the above A-Control field can also be carried in other frames, for example, the A-Control field can also be carried in management frames, which will not be illustrated here.

[0307] For example, the A-Control field in this application carries the above information in several possible ways, including but not limited to the following:

[0308] Method 7.1: The A-Control field can reuse the AP Assistance Request Control (AAR Control) subfield defined in the current protocol. For example, the first site is non-AP STA 1 attached to the non-AP MLD, and the second site is AP 1 attached to the AP MLD.

[0309] The AAR Control subfield defined in the current protocol contains link information, specifically on which link AP MLD assistance is needed to restore media synchronization. If the AAR Control defined in the current protocol is reused, the first station needs to control the timing of sending the AAR Control. Specifically, the first station determines that the unavailability of the third station ends earlier than the second station receives the frame carrying fourth information (such as a QoS data frame or a QoS Null frame) sent by the first station, and replies to the first station with a response frame (including BA and Ack if a response is required).

[0310] Therefore, after the second station replies with a response frame, the third station's IDC has ended, and the fourth station does not need to anticipate when the third station will become unavailable and then sends a fifth frame to compete for the channel.

[0311] In this implementation, the structure of the A-Control field can be as shown in Figure 4 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0312] Method 7.2: The A-Control field can be an updated AAR Control subfield defined in the current protocol.

[0313] In this implementation, the first station informs the second station in advance about the end time of the third station's unavailability, and the fourth station sends the fifth frame after the third station's unavailability ends.

[0314] For example, the AAR Control subfield defined in the current protocol contains 20 bits, of which the first 16 bits are link information and the last 4 bits are reserved bits. In this implementation, the AAR Control defined in the current protocol can be updated to use the 4 reserved bits to indicate the end time when the third station becomes unavailable, and the fourth station sends the fifth frame to the third station after that time.

[0315] For example, the fifth piece of information is carried in the AAR Control field, which also includes the fourth piece of information. To facilitate understanding, Figure 9 provides a simple description of the structure of the AAR Control field carrying the fourth and fifth pieces of information in this implementation.

[0316] As shown in Figure 9, the fifth piece of information can be link information (e.g., the assisting AP link ID bitmap shown in Figure 9), and the fourth piece of information is information indicating the end time of the third site's unavailability. For example, the fourth piece of information is the remaining unavailability time of the third site (e.g., the unavailability remaining time shown in Figure 9). Optionally, if the third site becomes unavailable due to the IDC, the fourth piece of information can be the IDC information of the third site, such as the remaining IDC time of the third site.

[0317] As an example, and not a limitation, the four reserved bits in the AAR Control defined in the current protocol can be used to indicate a period of time with a precision of 128µs, thus indicating a maximum of 2048µs. The time indicated by these four bits is referred to as the remaining time when the third station is unavailable. For example, after receiving the indication of the remaining time when the third station is unavailable, the second station calculates the expected end time of the third station's unavailability based on a certain current moment. That is, the end time of the third station's unavailability is the current moment plus the indicated remaining time. This time can be selected as the end time of the frame carrying the fourth information sent by the first station, or the end time of the corresponding response frame replied by the second station. After the expected end of the third station's unavailability, the fourth station sends a fifth frame to assist the third station in restoring media synchronization.

[0318] Method 7.3: The A-Control field can carry the fourth, fifth and sixth information mentioned above.

[0319] In the case shown in Method 7.2, an AP Assistance Request Control (AARC Control) subfield for coexistence issues can be defined to carry the fourth, fifth, and sixth information mentioned above and included in the A-Control field.

[0320] In the scenario shown in Method 7.2, since the AAR Control subfield defined in the current protocol has four reserved bits available, the end time of the third site's unavailability is roughly indicated by these four reserved bits. To more accurately and comprehensively indicate the third site's unavailability, a new subfield, such as the AARC Control subfield, can be defined under the A-Control field. The AARC Control subfield can have more bits to indicate link and time information related to the IDC occurrence. For example, it can be defined that when the control ID of the A-Control field is 11 (or any value other than 11 among 10 to 14), the control information is the AARC Control subfield.

[0321] As one possible implementation, the AARC Control subfield can be specified to have 25 bits, where the first 16 bits are a link ID bitmap indicating the link where the IDC occurred, and the last 9 bits indicate the remaining time the site is unavailable, for example, with a precision of 64µs, indicating a maximum of 32ms. This provides higher precision than method 7.2 and can indicate a longer remaining time when a third site is unavailable.

[0322] To facilitate understanding, Figure 10 provides a simplified description of the structure of the AARC Control field carrying the fourth, fifth, and sixth information in this implementation. The fifth information is optional; for example, if the AARC Control field carries information indicating the end time of the third site's unavailability, as well as the link information of the third site, it implicitly instructs the fourth site to assist in the media synchronization recovery of the third site after the third site's unavailability ends.

[0323] As shown in Figure 10, the sixth information can be link information (e.g., the assisting AP link ID bitmap shown in Figure 10, where the assisting AP link ID bitmap field can occupy N bits, where N is a positive integer, and for example, the value of N can be 16). The fourth information is information indicating the end time when the third site becomes unavailable, for example, the fourth information is the remaining unavailability time information of the third site (e.g., the unavailability remaining time shown in Figure 10, where the unavailability remaining time information can occupy M bits, where M is a positive integer, and for example, the value of M can be 9). Optionally, if the third site becomes unavailable due to the IDC, the fourth information can be the IDC information of the third site, such as the remaining IDC time information of the third site.

[0324] Optionally, the AARC Control field may also carry 1 bit of indication information (e.g., the fifth information shown in Figure 10) to indicate whether the third site requires assistance from the fourth site for media synchronization recovery. For example, the AARC Control subfield may be specified to have 26 bits, of which 16 bits are a link ID bitmap indicating the link where IDC occurred, 9 bits indicate the remaining time the site is unavailable, and 1 bit of indication information indicating whether the third site requires assistance from the fourth site for media synchronization recovery.

[0325] As another possible implementation, the AARC Control subfield can be specified to have 22 bits. The first 4 bits indicate a link ID, the next 9 bits indicate the start time of the site's unavailability, and the last 9 bits indicate the duration of the site's unavailability (e.g., all with a precision of 64µs). In this way, the end time of the site's unavailability is the indicated start time plus the duration. Thus, the AARC Control subfield can more flexibly and comprehensively indicate time-related information about site unavailability.

[0326] To facilitate understanding, the structure of the AARC Control field carrying the fourth, fifth, and sixth information in this implementation is briefly described with reference to Figure 11. The fifth information is optional; for example, if the AARC Control field carries information indicating the end time of the third site's unavailability, as well as the link information of the third site, it implicitly instructs the fourth site to assist in the media synchronization recovery of the third site after the third site's unavailability ends.

[0327] As shown in Figure 11, the sixth information can be link information (e.g., the assisting AP link ID shown in Figure 11, which can occupy N bits, where N is a positive integer; for example, N can be 4). The fourth information is information indicating the end time of the third site's unavailability. For example, the fourth information includes the unavailability start time information of the third site (e.g., the unavailability start time shown in Figure 11, which can occupy M bits, where M is a positive integer; for example, M can be 9) and the unavailability duration information of the third site (e.g., the unavailability remaining time shown in Figure 11, which can occupy M bits, where M is a positive integer; for example, M can be 9). Optionally, since the third site is unavailable due to IDC, the fourth information can be the IDC information of the third site, such as the fourth information including the IDC start time information and the IDC duration information of the third site.

[0328] Optionally, the AARC Control field may also carry 1 bit of indication information (e.g., the fifth information shown in Figure 11) indicating whether the third site requires assistance from the fourth site for media synchronization recovery. For example, the AARC Control subfield may be specified to have 23 bits, of which 4 bits are the link ID, indicating the link where the IDC occurred, 9 bits indicate the start time of the site unavailability, 9 bits indicate the remaining time of the site unavailability, and 1 bit of indication information indicating whether the third site requires assistance from the fourth site for media synchronization recovery.

[0329] It should be understood that the methods 7.1 to 7.3 described above are merely illustrative of how the A-Control field carries the fourth, fifth, and sixth information, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. Other carrying methods may also exist, which will not be illustrated here.

[0330] For ease of description, the above-mentioned first multi-link device is a non-AP MLD, the second multi-link device is an AP MLD associated with the non-AP MLD, the first site is a non-AP MLD including non-AP STA 1 attached to the non-AP MLD, the third site is a non-AP MLD including non-AP STA 2 attached to the non-AP MLD, the second site is an AP MLD including AP1 attached to the AP MLD, the fourth site is an AP MLD including AP2 attached to the AP MLD, and non-AP STA 1 and AP1 are associated, and non-AP STA 2 and AP2 are associated, as an example for description.

[0331] Optionally, non-AP STA 2 may lose media synchronization due to IDC. In order for AP2 to assist non-AP STA 2 in restoring media synchronization after the IDC ends, non-AP MLD can send the aforementioned fifth information when informing AP MLD of the IDC information of non-AP STA 2 through the link between non-AP STA 1 and AP1. The fifth information instructs AP2 to assist non-AP STA 2 in restoring media synchronization.

[0332] Optionally, Example 3 differs from Example 1 in that, in Example 1, the non-AP STA informs its associated AP whether it needs AP assistance to restore media synchronization before the IDC occurs. This may present some problems:

[0333] (1) The non-AP STA failed to inform the AP of IDC information in a timely manner before the IDC occurred, for example, the IDC is a non-periodic IDC that is difficult to predict in advance;

[0334] (2) The buffer status of non-AP STA changes over time, and non-AP STA has difficulty predicting in advance whether there will be data to be sent after the IDC ends.

[0335] Considering the above factors, a non-AP STA may need to inform the AP of its IDC information and whether it needs AP assistance to restore media synchronization during the IDC period (after it occurs and before it ends). Since the non-AP STA is already unavailable during the IDC period, in the case shown in Example 3, the non-AP STA can inform the AP of its IDC information and whether it needs AP assistance to restore media synchronization on another link of the MLD.

[0336] In the case shown in Example 3, if a non-AP STA is attached to a non-AP MLD, the non-AP STA can inform the IDC information and whether it needs AP assistance to restore media synchronization on another link of the non-AP MLD (different from the link where the current non-AP STA is located). After receiving this information (optionally, confirming the information on the link where the information was received), the AP associated with the non-AP STA will send the first frame after the non-AP STA's IDC ends, to assist the non-AP STA in restoring media synchronization.

[0337] To facilitate understanding, we will briefly introduce the signaling transmission between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD in the case shown in Example 3, with reference to Figure 12.

[0338] In the schematic diagram shown in Figure 12, the AP MLD has two attached APs, AP1 and AP2 as shown in Figure 12; the non-AP MLD has two attached non-AP STAs, non-AP STA 1 and non-AP STA 2 as shown in Figure 12. Considering the scenario where non-AP STA 2 experiences IDC (Initial Data Conversion), due to some reason (e.g., failure to send IDC information in advance), non-AP STA 2 informs AP2 of its IDC information and requests AP2's assistance in restoring media synchronization during the IDC period. Therefore, non-AP STA 1, which is attached to the same non-AP MLD as non-AP STA 2, sends the above information to AP1 (this information is contained in the AARC in schematic diagram 12 and sent to AP1 along with the QoS Null frame). After AP1 receives this information, AP2, which is attached to the same AP MLD as AP1, can also learn about the above information. After the IDC of non-AP STA 2 ends, AP2 sends the first frame to non-AP STA 2, and non-AP STA 2 restores media synchronization upon receiving this frame.

[0339] Taking the example of non-AP STA 2 generating IDC and informing relevant information on Link 1 (the link where AP1 and non-AP STA 1 reside) as an example, non-AP STA 2 can inform the other party of the IDC information and the fifth message indicating that AP2 needs to assist in restoring media synchronization on Link 1 through methods 2.1 to 2.3 described above. Since Example 3 shows a cross-link indication, non-AP STA 1 also sends a sixth message to AP1. The sixth message can be called IDC link information, which is used to indicate the link corresponding to the sent information.

[0340] Optionally, the IDC link information can be a link ID bitmap, which contains 16 bits, with each bit corresponding to a link between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD. When a bit in the link ID bitmap is set to 1, it indicates that the STA on the corresponding link needs assistance from its associated AP to restore media synchronization. To indicate that information sent on link 1 corresponds to link 2, the bit in the link ID bitmap corresponding to link 2 needs to be set to 1. In this way, it can be indicated which link(s) the sent information corresponds to.

[0341] The advantage of a link ID bitmap is that it can indicate multiple links, but it consumes a lot of space. Generally, the IDC information of different links is inconsistent, and it is common to indicate the information of only one link at a time. To save bits, 4 bits can also be used to indicate that a STA on a specific link needs AP assistance to restore media synchronization. This 4-bit combination has 16 possible values, each value from 0 to 14 corresponds to a link in a non-AP MLD (a value of 15 is reserved and does not correspond to any link).

[0342] In the communication method shown in Figure 6, the second station can learn the end time of the first station's unavailability through the first information, and based on the second information, it knows that the first station needs the second station's assistance to restore media synchronization. Therefore, the second station sends the first frame to the first station after the first station's unavailability ends, which helps the first station restore its media synchronization state more quickly, allowing it to participate normally in channel contention and avoid losing potential transmission opportunities.

[0343] Furthermore, in the communication method shown in Figure 6, if the first station is a station attached to the first multi-link device, and the first multi-link device also includes a third station attached to the first multi-link device, the first station can indicate the end time of the third station's unavailability to the second multi-link device through a cross-link method. This allows the second multi-link device to be promptly informed of the third station's unavailability, and the fourth station associated with the third station in the second multi-link device can assist the third station in restoring its media synchronization state more quickly after the unavailability ends. It should be noted that the first station's cross-link indication method can be understood as cross-link indication in a multi-link device scenario, that is, the multi-link device implements cross-link indication through stations attached to it. For ease of understanding, the following explanation is based on Figure 13.

[0344] In the communication method shown in Figure 13, the first multi-link device includes a first station and a third station attached to the first multi-link device, and the second multi-link device includes a third station and a fourth station attached to the second multi-link device.

[0345] Figure 13 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application, including the following steps:

[0346] S1310, the first multi-link device sends a sixth frame to the second station of the second multi-link device through the first station, and correspondingly, the second station of the second multi-link device receives the sixth frame from the first station of the first multi-link device.

[0347] Specifically, the sixth frame includes fourth information and sixth information. The fourth information is used to indicate the end time of the third site's unavailability, and the sixth information is used to indicate the link corresponding to the third site. The sixth frame is used to indicate that the second multi-link device will assist the third site in restoring media synchronization after the third site's unavailability ends.

[0348] In this embodiment of the application, the third site may be unavailable due to interference caused by the coexistence of multiple wireless technologies within the third site, such as the third site's IDC causing the third site to be unavailable; or, the third site may be in a dormant state; or, the third site may be unavailable for other reasons, which will not be listed here.

[0349] For example, the description of the sixth frame can refer to the description of the second frame carrying the first and second information in the communication method shown in Figure 6, and the descriptions of the fourth and sixth information can refer to the descriptions of the fourth and sixth information in the communication method shown in Figure 6, which will not be repeated here. For example, the sixth information is carried in the Access Point Assist Request Control (AAR Control) field, and the AAR Control field also includes the fourth information. The sixth frame can be the AAR Control field shown in Figure 9 above, including the Assist AP Link ID bitmap and the remaining time of the IDC.

[0350] Optionally, the sixth frame may also include fifth information, which instructs the fourth station to assist in restoring media synchronization of the third station after the third station becomes unavailable. For example, the sixth frame may be the AARC Control field shown in Figure 10 or Figure 11 above.

[0351] For example, the second multi-link device may instruct its associated fourth site to have the ability to assist the site associated with the fourth site in recovering from media synchronization loss caused by the IDC.

[0352] S1320, the second multi-link device sends a fifth frame to the third station of the first multi-link device through the fourth station, and correspondingly, the third station of the first multi-link device receives the fifth frame from the fourth station of the second multi-link device.

[0353] Specifically, the fifth frame is used to trigger the third station to resume media synchronization. In this embodiment, the description of the fifth frame can be referred to the description of the first frame above, and will not be repeated here.

[0354] In the communication method shown in Figure 13, the first multi-link device includes a first station and a third station attached to the first multi-link device. The first station in the first multi-link device can indicate the end time of the unavailability of the third station to the second multi-link device in a cross-link manner, so that the second multi-link device can know the unavailability information of the third station in a timely manner. Furthermore, the fourth station in the second multi-link device associated with the third station can assist the third station in restoring the media synchronization state more quickly after the unavailability ends.

[0355] It should be understood that 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.

[0356] It should also be understood that, in the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other, and the technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0357] It should also be understood that in some of the above embodiments, the examples are mainly based on devices in existing network architectures (such as a first site, a second site, a first multi-link device, or a second multi-link device, etc.). It should be understood that the specific form of the device is not limited in the embodiments of this application. For example, any device that can achieve the same function in the future is applicable to the embodiments of this application.

[0358] It is understood that, in the above-described method embodiments, the methods and operations implemented by devices (such as the first site, the second site, the first multi-link device, or the second multi-link device, etc.) can also be implemented by components of the devices (such as chips or circuits).

[0359] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above with reference to Figures 6 and 13. The above communication method is mainly described from the perspective of the interaction between the first station and the second station, and between the first multi-link device and the second multi-link device. It is understood that, in order to achieve the above functions, the first station, the second station, the first multi-link device, or the second multi-link device includes the corresponding hardware structure and / or software module for performing each function.

[0360] Those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the units and algorithm steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is implemented in hardware or by computer software driving hardware 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.

[0361] The communication device provided in this application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 14 to 16. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments. Therefore, for details not described in detail, please refer to the method embodiments above; for brevity, some details will not be repeated.

[0362] This application embodiment can divide the transmitting or receiving device into functional modules according to the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the division of functional modules according to each function as an example.

[0363] Figure 14 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device 10 provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 10 includes a transceiver module 11 and a processing module 12. The transceiver module 11 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 12 is used for data processing. In other words, the transceiver module 11 is used to perform operations related to receiving and sending, while the processing module 12 is used to perform other operations besides receiving and sending. The transceiver module 11 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0364] In one possible implementation, the device 10 may further include a storage module 13, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 12 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage module to enable the device to perform the actions of the device in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0365] In one design, the device 10 may correspond to the first station in the above method embodiments, or to a component of the first station (such as a chip).

[0366] The device 10 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to the first station in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver module 11 can be used to perform the transceiver-related operations of the first station in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 12 can be used to perform the processing-related operations of the first station in the above method embodiment.

[0367] In one possible implementation, transceiver module 11 is configured to send first information and second information to the second station. The first information indicates the end time of the first station's unavailability, and the second information instructs the second station to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization after the first station's unavailability ends. Transceiver module 11 is also configured to receive a first frame from the second station, which triggers the first station to restore media synchronization.

[0368] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG6, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S610, S610, S620, S630 and S640; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method, such as step S611.

[0369] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0370] In another design, the device 10 may correspond to the second station in the above method embodiments, or to a component of the second station (such as a chip).

[0371] The device 10 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to the second station in the above method embodiment, wherein the transceiver module 11 can be used to perform the transceiver-related operations of the second station in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 12 can be used to perform the processing-related operations of the second station in the above method embodiment.

[0372] In one possible implementation, transceiver module 11 is configured to receive first information and second information from a first site. The first information indicates the end time of the first site's unavailability, and the second information instructs the second site to assist the first site in restoring media synchronization after the first site's unavailability ends. After the first site's unavailability ends, transceiver module 11 is configured to send a first frame to the first site, the first frame triggering the first site to restore media synchronization.

[0373] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG6, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S610, S620, S630 and S640; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0374] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0375] In another design, the device 10 may correspond to the first multi-link device in the above method embodiments, or to a component (such as a chip) of the first multi-link device.

[0376] The device 10 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the first multi-link device in the above method embodiment. The transceiver module 11 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the first multi-link device in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 12 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the first multi-link device in the above method embodiment.

[0377] In one possible implementation, transceiver module 11 is configured to send a sixth frame to a second station via the first station. The sixth frame includes fourth information and sixth information, wherein the fourth information indicates the end time of the third station's unavailability, the sixth information indicates the link corresponding to the third station, and the sixth frame instructs a second multi-link device to assist the third station in restoring media synchronization after the third station's unavailability ends. Transceiver module 11 is also configured to receive a fifth frame from a fourth station via the third station, the fifth frame triggering the third station to restore media synchronization. The second station and the fourth station are stations attached to the second multi-link device.

[0378] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG13, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S1310 and S1320; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0379] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0380] In another design, the device 10 may correspond to the second multi-link device in the above method embodiments, or to a component (such as a chip) of the second multi-link device.

[0381] The device 10 can implement the steps or processes corresponding to those performed by the second multi-link device in the above method embodiments. The transceiver module 11 can be used to perform transceiver-related operations of the second multi-link device in the above method embodiments, and the processing module 12 can be used to perform processing-related operations of the second multi-link device in the above method embodiments.

[0382] In one possible implementation, transceiver module 11 is configured to receive a sixth frame from the first station via the second station. The sixth frame includes fourth information and sixth information, wherein the fourth information indicates the end time of the third station's unavailability, the sixth information indicates the link corresponding to the third station, and the sixth frame indicates that the second multi-link device assists the third station in restoring media synchronization after the third station's unavailability ends. Transceiver module 11 is also configured to send a fifth frame to the third station via the fourth station, wherein the fifth frame triggers the third station to restore media synchronization. In this implementation, the first station and the third station are stations attached to the first multi-link device.

[0383] When the device 10 is used to execute the method in FIG13, the transceiver module 11 can be used to execute the steps of sending and receiving information in the method, such as steps S1310 and S1320; the processing module 12 can be used to execute the processing steps in the method.

[0384] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0385] It should also be understood that the device 10 here is embodied in the form of a functional module. The term "module" here can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuitry, a processor (e.g., a shared processor, a proprietary processor, or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, integrated logic circuitry, and / or other suitable components supporting the described functions. In an alternative example, those skilled in the art will understand that device 10 may be specifically a first station in the above embodiments, used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the first station in the above method embodiments; or, device 10 may be specifically a second station in the above embodiments, used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the second station in the above method embodiments; or, device 10 may be specifically a first multi-link device in the above embodiments, used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the first multi-link device in the above method embodiments; or, device 10 may be specifically a second multi-link device in the above embodiments, used to execute the various processes and / or steps corresponding to the second multi-link device in the above method embodiments. To avoid repetition, further details are omitted here.

[0386] The apparatus 10 of each of the above-described schemes has the function of implementing the corresponding steps performed by the devices (such as the first site, the second site, the first multi-link device, or the second multi-link device, etc.) in the above-described methods. This function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above-described functions; for example, the transceiver module can be replaced by a transceiver (for example, the transmitting unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a transmitter, and the receiving unit in the transceiver module can be replaced by a receiver), and other units, such as the processing module, can be replaced by a processor, which respectively executes the transceiver operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

[0387] In addition, the transceiver module 11 can also be a transceiver circuit (for example, it may include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing module can be a processing circuit.

[0388] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another communication device 20 provided in an embodiment of this application. The device 20 includes a processor 21, which is used to execute computer programs or instructions stored in a memory 22, or to read data / signaling stored in the memory 22, to perform the methods in the above-described method embodiments. In one possible implementation, the processor 21 may be one or more.

[0389] As shown in Figure 15, one possible implementation of the device 20 includes a memory 22 for storing computer programs or instructions and / or data. The memory 22 may be integrated with the processor 21 or it may be separate. In another possible implementation, there may be one or more memories 22.

[0390] As shown in Figure 15, one possible implementation of the device 20 includes a transceiver 23 for receiving and / or transmitting signals. For example, a processor 21 controls the transceiver 23 to receive and / or transmit signals.

[0391] As one option, the device 20 is used to implement the operations performed by the first site, the second site, the first multilink device, or the second multilink device in the various method embodiments described above.

[0392] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0393] It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: 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).

[0394] It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, or discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

[0395] It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0396] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 30 provided in an embodiment of this application. The chip system 30 (or processing system) includes logic circuitry 31 and an input / output interface 32.

[0397] The logic circuit 31 can be a processing circuit in the chip system 30. The logic circuit 31 can be coupled to a memory unit, calling instructions from the memory unit, enabling the chip system 30 to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of this application. The input / output interface 32 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system 30, outputting processed information from the chip system 30, or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system 30 for processing.

[0398] As one approach, the chip system 30 is used to implement the operations performed by the first site, the second site, the first multilink device, or the second multilink device in the various method embodiments described above.

[0399] For example, logic circuit 31 is used to implement processing-related operations performed by the first station, the second station, the first multi-link device, or the second multi-link device in the above method embodiments; input / output interface 32 is used to implement sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments.

[0400] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the first site, the second site, the first multi-link device, or the second multi-link device in the above-described method embodiments.

[0401] For example, when the computer program is executed by a computer, it enables the computer to implement the methods performed by the first site, the second site, the first multi-link device, or the second multi-link device in the various embodiments of the above methods.

[0402] This application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by the first site, the second site, the first multi-link device, or the second multi-link device in the above-described method embodiments.

[0403] This application also provides a communication system, including the aforementioned first station and second station.

[0404] This application also provides a communication system, including the aforementioned first multi-link device and second multi-link device.

[0405] The explanations and beneficial effects of the relevant contents in any of the devices provided above can be found in the corresponding method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0406] 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.

[0407] 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.

[0408] 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.

[0409] 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.

[0410] 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.

[0411] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0412] 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 by comprising: Applied to the first site, the method includes: Send a first message and a second message to the second station. The first message is used to indicate the end time of the first station's unavailability, and the second message is used to instruct the second station to assist the first station in restoring media synchronization after the first station's unavailability ends. A first frame is received from the second site, which is used to trigger the first site to resume media synchronization.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Sending the first information and the second information to the second station includes: A second frame is sent to the second station, the second frame including the first information and the second information. The second frame includes a Target Wake-up Time (TWT) element or an Aggregate Control (A-Control) field; or, The second frame is either the Initial Control Frame (ICF) or the Initial Control Response (ICR) frame.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before sending the second information to the second station, the method further includes: Based on the first parameter, the second information will be sent to the second station. The first parameter includes at least one of the following: The buffer status of the first site, the SCS (Stream Classification Service) requirement of the first site, or the duration during which the first site is unavailable.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The second information is a 1-bit information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third information from the second site, the third information being used to indicate whether the second site has the ability to assist the first site in restoring media synchronization.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Receiving the third information from the second station includes: Receive a third frame from the second site, the third frame including an Access Point Assistance Request for Support (AAR Support) subfield, the AAR Support subfield including the third information; or, A fourth frame is received from the second station, the fourth frame including the third information, the fourth frame including at least one of the following: Beacon frame, probe response frame, association response frame, or reassociation response frame.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first site is attached to a first multi-link device, the second site is attached to a second multi-link device, the first multi-link device further includes a third site, the second multi-link device further includes a fourth site, and the method further includes: Send a fourth message and a fifth message to the second station, wherein the fourth message is used to indicate the end time of the unavailability of the third station, and the fifth message is used to instruct the fourth station to assist the third station in restoring media synchronization after the unavailability of the third station ends.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: A sixth message is sent to the second station, the sixth message being used to indicate the link corresponding to the third station.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The fifth piece of information is also used to indicate the link corresponding to the third site.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The fifth piece of information is carried in the Access Point Assist Request Control (AAR Control) field, and the AAR Control field also includes the fourth piece of information.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Sending the first and second information to the second station includes: Broadcast a second frame to at least one station, the second frame including the first information and the second information; or... Broadcast a second frame to at least one station, the second frame including the first information, the second information, and the identification information of the second station; or, The second frame is unicast to the second station, and the second frame includes the first information and the second information. Wherein, the at least one site is a site associated with the first site, and the second site is one of the at least one sites.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The first site is unavailable, including: The first site is unavailable due to the coexistence of IDCs within the device.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the duration of the IDC exceeds a first threshold and the IDC terminates, a first timer is set. During the validity period of the first timer, and before the first frame is received, the first station performs channel contention and / or information transmission based on the first rule. The first rule includes at least one of the following: The following options are available: no channel contention, setting an energy detection threshold (ED) below the second threshold during channel contention, sending a transmission request (RTS) frame as the first frame after obtaining a transmission opportunity (TXOP), or setting an upper limit on the number of times a transmission opportunity (TXOP) can be initiated.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, After receiving the first frame from the second station, the method further includes: Send a response frame of the first frame to the second station; or, A data frame is sent to the second station, the data frame carrying data sent from the first station to the second station.

15. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a second site, the method includes: Receive first information and second information from the first site, wherein the first information is used to indicate the end time of the first site's unavailability, and the second information is used to instruct the second site to assist the first site in restoring media synchronization after the first site's unavailability ends; After the first site becomes unavailable, a first frame is sent to the first site to trigger the first site to resume media synchronization.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The receiving of first information and second information from the first site includes: Receive a second frame from the first site, the second frame including the first information and the second information. The second frame includes a Target Wake-up Time (TWT) element or an Aggregate Control (A-Control) field; or, The second frame is either the Initial Control Frame (ICF) or the Initial Control Response (ICR) frame.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The second information is a 1-bit information.

18. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that, The method further includes: A third message is sent to the first site, the third message being used to indicate whether the second site has the ability to assist the first site in restoring media synchronization.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, Sending the third information to the first station includes: Send a third frame to the first site, the third frame including an Access Point Assistance Request for Support (AAR Support) subfield, the AAR Support subfield including the third information; or... A fourth frame is sent to the first station, the fourth frame including the third information, and the fourth frame including at least one of the following: Beacon frame, probe response frame, association response frame, or reassociation response frame.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that, The first site is attached to a first multi-link device, the second site is attached to a second multi-link device, the first multi-link device further includes a third site, the second multi-link device further includes a fourth site, and the method further includes: The system receives a fourth message and a fifth message from the first station, wherein the fourth message indicates the end time of the third station's unavailability and the fifth message indicates that the fourth station assists in restoring the media synchronization of the third station after the third station's unavailability ends.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The method further includes: The sixth information is received from the first site, which is used to indicate the link corresponding to the third site.

22. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The fifth piece of information is also used to indicate the link corresponding to the third site.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The fifth piece of information is carried in the Access Point Assist Request Control (AAR Control) field, and the AAR Control field also includes the fourth piece of information.

24. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 23, characterized in that, The first site is unavailable, including: The first site is unavailable due to the coexistence of IDCs within the device.

25. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 24, characterized in that, After sending the first frame to the first station, the method further includes: It has been determined that the first site has restored the media synchronization; or, Receive a response frame from the first frame received from the first site; or, Receive a data frame from the first station, the data frame carrying data sent by the first station to the second station.

26. A communication device, wherein the communication device is a first station or is applied to a first station, characterized in that, The device includes at least one processor coupled to a memory for storing computer programs or instructions, the at least one processor for executing the computer programs or instructions in the memory, causing the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

27. A communication device, wherein the communication device is a second station or is applied to a second station, characterized in that, The device includes at least one processor coupled to a memory for storing computer programs or instructions, the at least one processor for executing the computer programs or instructions in the memory, causing the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 15 to 25.

28. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a first station and a second station; wherein the first station is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14, and the second station is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 15 to 25.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 25.

30. A chip system, characterized in that, include: At least one processor is configured to retrieve and run a computer program from memory, causing a communication device equipped with the chip system to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 25.

31. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is run on a computer, it causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 25.

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