Wireless communication method and apparatus, and device

Abstract

The present application provides a wireless communication method and apparatus, and a device. The method comprises: a first station determining a first frame, wherein the first frame comprises unavailable bandwidth information of the first station and unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information; and the first station sending the first frame to an access point.

Description

Wireless communication methods, apparatus and devices

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510072054.7, filed on January 16, 2025, entitled "Wireless Communication Method, Apparatus and Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a wireless communication method, apparatus, and device. Background Technology

[0004] In related technologies, devices that support In-Device Coexistence (IDC) can include devices that support WiFi technology (hereinafter referred to as WiFi devices) and devices that support non-WiFi technology (hereinafter referred to as non-WiFi devices). The WiFi devices and non-WiFi devices can share radio frequency resources. If the time resources or frequency resources for data transmission performed by the WiFi devices and non-WiFi devices overlap, it may lead to interference between the WiFi devices and non-WiFi devices, resulting in problems such as data loss, increased latency, and reduced reliability.

[0005] Therefore, improving data transmission performance in IDC scenarios is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a wireless communication method, apparatus, and device, which is beneficial for improving data transmission performance in IDC scenarios.

[0007] Firstly, a wireless communication method is provided, comprising:

[0008] The first station determines the first frame, which includes the unavailable bandwidth information of the first station and the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information;

[0009] The first station sends the first frame to the access point.

[0010] Secondly, a wireless communication method is provided, including:

[0011] The access point receives the first frame sent by the first site;

[0012] The access point obtains the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site and / or the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information from the first frame.

[0013] In some implementations, the unavailability time information corresponding to the unavailability bandwidth information includes the start time and duration of the unavailability corresponding to the unavailability bandwidth information.

[0014] In some implementations, the second frame further includes at least one of the following:

[0015] The third indication information is used to instruct the first station to send the first frame using a non-high throughput physical layer protocol data unit (non-HT PPDU) or a physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) based on a trigger frame.

[0016] The fourth indication information is used to indicate the bandwidth of the first station when transmitting the first frame using a non-HT PPDU;

[0017] The fifth indication information is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first station.

[0018] In some implementations, the second frame includes one or more user information fields, the user information fields including an identifier field, the identifier field being used to indicate one of the following:

[0019] The identifier of the site associated with the access point;

[0020] The user information field is used to carry special user information;

[0021] The user information field is used to carry control information between the access point and its associated sites.

[0022] In some implementations, where the user information field is used for control information between the access point and its associated site, the user information field further includes at least one of the following fields:

[0023] The first indication field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site;

[0024] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0025] The second indicator field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information.

[0026] The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

[0027] In some implementations, the second frame further includes a public information field, which includes at least one of the following fields:

[0028] The third indication field is used to indicate that the first station sends the first frame using a non-high throughput physical layer protocol data unit (non-HT PPDU) or a physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) based on a trigger frame.

[0029] The fourth indication field is used to indicate the bandwidth at which the first site transmits the first frame using a non-HT PPDU;

[0030] The fifth indicator field is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first site.

[0031] In some implementations, the second frame includes a first frame verification sequence (FCS) field, a padding field, and a second FCS field, wherein the first FCS field is located before the padding field and the second FCS field is located at the end of the first frame.

[0032] In some implementations, the second frame is the Initial Control Frame (ICF), and the first frame is the Initial Control Response (ICR) frame.

[0033] In some implementations, the first frame is an ICF frame and the third frame is an ICR frame.

[0034] In some implementations, the first frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0035] The unavailable bandwidth information field is used to indicate the unavailable bandwidth information reported by the first site;

[0036] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0037] The unavailable time information field is used to indicate the unavailable time information corresponding to the reported unavailable bandwidth information;

[0038] The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

[0039] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, which is a first station, or is disposed in a first station, the communication device comprising:

[0040] The processing module is used to determine a first frame, wherein the first frame includes unavailable bandwidth information of the first site and unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information;

[0041] The transceiver module is used to send the first frame to the access point.

[0042] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, comprising:

[0043] The transceiver module is used to receive the first frame sent by the first station;

[0044] The processing module is used to obtain unavailable bandwidth information of the first site and / or unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information from the first frame.

[0045] Fifthly, a site is provided, including a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store computer programs, and the processor is used to invoke and run the computer programs stored in the memory, performing the methods described in the first aspect or its various implementations.

[0046] Sixthly, an access point is provided, including a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store computer programs, and the processor is used to call and run the computer programs stored in the memory, performing the methods in the second aspect or its implementations described above.

[0047] In a seventh aspect, a chip is provided for implementing the methods of any one of the first to second aspects or their respective implementations. Specifically, the chip includes: a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, causing a device on which the chip is installed to perform the methods of any one of the first to second aspects or their respective implementations.

[0048] Eighthly, a readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program that causes a computer to perform the methods of any one of the first to second aspects or their respective implementations.

[0049] Ninthly, a computer program product is provided, including computer program instructions that cause a computer to perform the methods of any one of the first to second aspects or their respective implementations.

[0050] In a tenth aspect, a computer program is provided that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods of any one of the first to second aspects or their respective implementations.

[0051] Through the above technical solution, the first site can report its unavailable bandwidth information and corresponding unavailable time information to the access point. In this way, the access point can use the corresponding data transmission mechanism to communicate with the first site based on the unavailable bandwidth information and corresponding unavailable time information, thereby improving the data transmission performance in the IDC scenario. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0053] Figure 2 is a schematic interactive diagram of a wireless communication method 200 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0054] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the coexistence relationship between WiFi devices and non-WiFi devices provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0055] Figure 4 is a schematic interactive diagram of another wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0056] Figure 5 is a schematic interactive diagram of another wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 6 is a schematic format diagram of a second frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 7 is a schematic format diagram of the Common Info field in a second frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0059] Figure 8 is a schematic format diagram of a user information field when a special user information flag field is invalid (e.g., the value is 0) according to an embodiment of this application.

[0060] Figure 9 is a schematic format diagram of an enhanced special user information field when a special user information flag field is valid (e.g., the value is 1) according to an embodiment of this application.

[0061] Figure 10 is a schematic format diagram of the first frame implemented by an M-BA frame according to an embodiment of this application.

[0062] Figure 11 is a schematic format diagram of a user information field for carrying an unavailability report provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0063] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0064] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0065] Figure 14 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of this application.

[0066] Figure 15 is a schematic block diagram of a chip provided according to an embodiment of this application.

[0067] Figure 16 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0068] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort regarding the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0069] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second," etc., used herein are used only to distinguish different objects and not to describe a particular order.

[0070] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, "at least one item" refers to one item or more items, "more items" refers to two items or more, and "at least two items" refers to two items or more. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions can refer to any combination of these items. For example, at least one item of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c".

[0071] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, "and / or" indicates that the connected objects can have three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can represent three scenarios: only A exists, only B exists, and both A and B exist simultaneously. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects have an "or" relationship.

[0072] It should be understood that the "instruction" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct instruction or an indirect instruction. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being obtainable through A; or it can mean that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, where B is obtainable through C, for example, B and C are related.

[0073] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, and specifically to any of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series protocols used in WLANs, such as 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn, and future 802.11 protocols. The methods provided in this application can be implemented by communication devices in a wireless communication system or by chips or processors within those devices. Accordingly, the communication device supports communication using the IEEE 802.11 series protocols. Although the embodiments of this application are mainly illustrated using a network deploying IEEE 802.11 as an example, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the various aspects involved in this application can be extended to other networks employing various standards or protocols, such as Bluetooth, high-performance radio LAN (HIPERLAN) (a wireless standard similar to IEEE 802.11, mainly used in Europe), wide area network (WAN), WLAN, personal area network (PAN), wireless personal area network systems based on ultra-wideband (UWB), sensing systems, or other networks now known or to be developed in the future. The methods provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to the IEEE 802.15 series protocols, such as the 802.15.4a protocol, the 802.15.4z protocol, or the 802.15.4ab protocol, or a future generation of UWB WPAN protocol, etc., which will not be listed one by one.The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to the following communication systems, such as Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-X (V2X) systems, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, devices used in V2X systems, IoT nodes and sensors in IoT systems, smart cameras, smart remote controls, smart water and electricity meters in smart homes, and sensors in smart cities. Alternatively, they can also be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5th-generation (5G) communication systems, and new communication systems that will emerge in future communication developments. Therefore, regardless of the coverage area and wireless access protocol used, the various aspects provided in this application can be applied to any suitable wireless network.

[0074] In the WiFi protocol, a station (abbreviated as STA) includes access point stations (abbreviated as AP STA) and non-access point stations (abbreviated as non-AP station). For the sake of simplicity, access point stations are usually called access points (abbreviated as AP), and non-access point stations are called stations (abbreviated as STA).

[0075] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication system 100 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication system 100 may include an access point 110 and a station 120. The station 120 can access the network through the access point 110.

[0076] Access points can support communication or sensing based on WiFi protocols, such as 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn, or next-generation or later protocols.

[0077] The site can support communication or sensing based on WiFi protocols, such as 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn, or next-generation or later protocols.

[0078] The communication in the communication system 100 can be communication between access points and stations, or communication between stations, or communication between access points.

[0079] WLAN systems can provide high-speed, low-latency transmission. As WLAN application scenarios continue to evolve, WLAN systems will be applied to more scenarios or industries, such as the Internet of Things industry, the Internet of Vehicles industry, the banking industry, enterprise offices, stadiums and exhibition halls, concert halls, hotel rooms, dormitories, hospital wards, classrooms, shopping malls, squares, streets, production workshops and warehouses, etc. Of course, devices that support WLAN communication or sensing (such as access points or sites) can be sensor nodes in smart cities (such as smart water meters, smart electricity meters, and smart air monitoring nodes), smart devices in smart homes (such as smart cameras, projectors, displays, televisions, speakers, refrigerators, and washing machines), nodes in the Internet of Things (IoT), entertainment terminals (such as wearable devices for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), smart devices in smart offices (such as printers, projectors, loudspeakers, and speakers), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) devices, infrastructure in daily life scenarios (such as vending machines, self-service navigation kiosks in supermarkets, self-service checkout machines, and self-service ordering machines), and equipment in large sports and music venues.

[0080] In this embodiment, an access point is a device with wireless communication capabilities, supporting communication or sensing using the WLAN protocol. It has the function of communicating or sensing with other devices in the WLAN network (such as non-AP STAs or other access points), and can also have the function of communicating or sensing with other devices. Alternatively, an access point acts as a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, primarily connecting various wireless network clients together and then connecting the wireless network to the Ethernet. This wireless communication device can be a complete device, or a chip, processing system, or functional module installed within a complete device. Devices with these chips, processing systems, or functional modules can implement the methods and functions of this embodiment under the control of the chips, processing systems, or functional modules. The AP in this embodiment is a device providing services to non-AP STAs and can support 802.11 series protocols or subsequent protocols. For example, an access point can be an access point for terminals (such as mobile phones) to enter a wired (or wireless) network, mainly deployed in homes, buildings, and parks, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters; it can also be deployed outdoors. For example, an AP can be a communication server, router, switch, bridge, or other communication entity; APs can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, repeater stations, etc.

[0081] In the embodiments of this application, the site may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, wireless device in industrial control, set-top box, wireless device in self-driving, vehicle communication device, wireless device in remote medical care, wireless device in smart grid, wireless device in transportation safety, wireless device in smart city or smart home, wireless device, wireless communication chip, etc. that support WLAN or WiFi technology.

[0082] It should be understood that Figure 1 only illustrates one access point and two sites. Optionally, the communication system 100 may include multiple access points or other numbers of sites, which is not limited in this application embodiment.

[0083] Optionally, the communication system 100 may also include other devices, such as network controllers, gateways, and other network entities, which are not limited in this application.

[0084] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, in-device coexistence (IDC) related to this application will be described.

[0085] In-Device Coexistence (IDC) refers to a device supporting multiple wireless technologies, which can include both WiFi and non-WiFi technologies, such as but not limited to BT, UWB, Zigbee, and 5G NR (5G New Radio in Unlicensed Spectrum, 5G NR-U) operating on unlicensed spectrum.

[0086] Devices supporting IDC (hereinafter referred to as IDC devices) can include devices supporting WiFi technology (hereinafter referred to as WiFi devices) and devices supporting non-WiFi technologies (hereinafter referred to as non-WiFi devices). The WiFi device can be a Station Multi-Link Device (STA MLD) or a Non-Access Point Multi-Link Device (Non-AP MLD), while the non-WiFi device can include devices supporting technologies such as BT, UWB, Zigbee, or 5G NR-U.

[0087] In this case, the WiFi device and the non-WiFi device can share radio frequency resources. If the time or frequency resources for data transmission between the WiFi device and the non-WiFi device overlap, it may lead to interference between the WiFi device and the non-WiFi device, resulting in problems such as data loss, increased latency, and reduced reliability.

[0088] In this context, a Non-AP MLD can include multiple stations that can share radio frequency resources. If the time or frequency resources used by these multiple stations to perform data transmission overlap, it will cause interference between WiFi devices, leading to problems such as data loss, increased latency, and reduced reliability.

[0089] Therefore, improving data transmission performance in IDC scenarios is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0090] The technical solutions of this application are described in detail below through specific embodiments. The above-mentioned related technologies are optional solutions and can be combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application in any way, all of which fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0091] Figure 2 is a schematic interactive diagram of a wireless communication method 200 provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the method 200 includes at least the following:

[0092] S210, the first station determines the first frame, which includes the unavailable bandwidth information of the first station and the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information;

[0093] S220, the first station sends the first frame to the access point.

[0094] Correspondingly, the access point receives the first frame sent by the first site, and can further obtain the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site and the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information from the first frame.

[0095] In some embodiments, the first site is the associated site of the access point.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first site may support IDC, for example, the first site may share radio frequency resources with the first device, and the first device may include the second site and / or non-WiFi devices, in which case the first device will interfere with the first site, wherein the first site and the second site may be attached to the same Non-AP MLD.

[0097] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the coexistence relationship between a WiFi device (including a first site (STA1)) and a non-WiFi device according to an embodiment of this application. The non-WiFi device may include devices supporting technologies such as BT, UWB, Zigbee, and 5G NR-U.

[0098] In some embodiments, the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site can indicate the bandwidth range in which the data transmission of the first site and the data transmission of the first device conflict, and the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information can indicate the time period during which the bandwidth range is unavailable.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first station may determine the unavailable bandwidth information and the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information based on the resources occupied by the data transmission of the first device and the resources occupied by the data transmission of the first station.

[0100] For example, the first station can determine that the bandwidth occupied by the data transmission of the first device on the first station's working bandwidth (or operating bandwidth) is the unavailable bandwidth of the first station, and the duration of the data transmission of the first device on the unavailable bandwidth is taken as the unavailable time of the unavailable bandwidth.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first station can indicate unavailable bandwidth on its operating bandwidth using a bitmap. For example, the unavailable bandwidth information of the first station can be indicated using K bits, with each bit corresponding to a bandwidth segment, such as 20MHz. The value of each bit indicates whether the corresponding bandwidth segment is available; for example, a value of 1 indicates availability, and a value of 0 indicates unavailability. Taking a first station with an operating bandwidth of 160MHz and K=8 as an example, if the bitmap corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information of the first station is 11110000, it can be indicated that 80~160MHz is the unavailable bandwidth of the first station.

[0102] In some embodiments, the unavailability time information corresponding to the unavailability bandwidth information includes the start time and duration of unavailability corresponding to the unavailability bandwidth information.

[0103] Therefore, in this embodiment of the application, the first site can report its unavailable bandwidth information and its corresponding unavailable time information to the access point. In this way, the access point can use the corresponding data transmission mechanism to communicate with the first site based on the unavailable bandwidth information and its corresponding unavailable time information, thereby improving the data transmission performance in the IDC scenario.

[0104] In some embodiments, the access point can determine the available bandwidth of the first site based on the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site. For example, the bandwidth of the first site's working bandwidth other than the unavailable bandwidth can be used as the available bandwidth of the first site. Furthermore, the access point can use a non-primary channel access (NPCA) mechanism to transmit data with the first site on the available bandwidth of the first site.

[0105] For example, the access point can notify the first site to switch to the available NPA main channel on the available NPA main channel. After the first site replies to the access point on the available NPA main channel, the first site and the access point can transmit data on the available NPA main channel. Using this data transmission method, the first site does not need to stop transmitting data for the entire working bandwidth, but can switch to the available NPA main channel to transmit data with the access point. This can improve the access probability of the first site, thereby improving the system resource utilization and reducing the data transmission latency of the first site.

[0106] Optionally, when the unavailable bandwidth of the first site corresponds to a short duration of continuous unavailability and the unavailable bandwidth is continuous, the access point can use the NPCA mechanism to transmit data with the first site, which can reduce the processing complexity of the access point.

[0107] In other embodiments, the access point can perform channel puncturing on the first site's operating bandwidth based on the first site's unavailable bandwidth information (i.e., perform channel puncturing on the first site's unavailable bandwidth), and then transmit data with the first site using the punctured channel. Alternatively, a Multiple Resource Unit (MRU) mechanism can be used to transmit data with the first site. This data transmission method eliminates the need for the first site to stop transmitting data across its entire operating bandwidth; it only requires puncturing the first site's unavailable bandwidth. Data transmission can then be performed on the punctured channel, increasing the access probability of the first site, thereby improving system resource utilization and reducing the data transmission latency of the first site.

[0108] Optionally, when the unavailable bandwidth of the first site has a long duration of continuous unavailability and the unavailable bandwidth is discontinuous, the access point can use channel puncturing or MRU mechanism to transmit data with the first site, which can reduce the processing complexity of the access point.

[0109] In some embodiments, the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site reported by the first site to the access point and the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information can be considered as a kind of enhanced special user information, or, an enhanced special user information between the access point and the associated site, such as IDC information.

[0110] In some embodiments, the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site and the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information can be considered as the unavailability report of the first site, which includes bandwidth unavailability information and time unavailability information.

[0111] It should be noted that the feedback of unavailable bandwidth information and corresponding unavailable time information from the first site to the access point can be initiated by the first site, i.e., not based on a request, trigger, or instruction; or it can be passively fed back based on a request, trigger, or instruction from the access point. This application does not limit this.

[0112] In some embodiments of this application, prior to S210, as shown in FIG4, the method 200 further includes:

[0113] S201, the first station receives a second frame sent by the access point. The second frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to feed back the unavailable bandwidth information of the first station, and the second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to feed back the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information.

[0114] In this embodiment, the first station sends unavailable bandwidth information and corresponding unavailable time information to the access point based on the instruction of the access point's second frame, which corresponds to a passive feedback scenario.

[0115] Optionally, the first indication information can be 1 bit, and different values ​​of this 1 bit are used to indicate whether or not the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site needs to be fed back. For example, a value of 1 indicates that feedback is required, and a value of 0 indicates that feedback is not required.

[0116] Optionally, the second indication information can be 1 bit. Different values ​​of this 1 bit are used to indicate whether the unavailable bandwidth information needs to be fed back for the corresponding unavailable time, or whether the unavailable bandwidth information does not need to be fed back for the corresponding unavailable time. For example, a value of 1 indicates that feedback is required, and a value of 0 indicates that feedback is not required.

[0117] Optionally, the access point can use an indication (e.g., 1 bit) to indicate whether the first site needs to report unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information. For example, a value of 1 indicates that the first site needs to report unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information, while a value of 0 indicates that the first site does not need to report unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information.

[0118] In some embodiments, the second frame may also include at least one of the following:

[0119] The third instruction information is used to instruct the first station to send the first frame using a non-high throughput (non-HT) Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) or a Trigger Based (TB) PPDU.

[0120] The fourth indication information is used to indicate the bandwidth of the first station when transmitting the first frame using a non-HT PPDU;

[0121] The fifth instruction is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first station.

[0122] For example, if the access point polls only the first site through the second frame, the third indication information can indicate that the first frame is sent using a non-TB PPDU (e.g., a non-HT PPDU), which helps to avoid traditional devices competing for the channel and interfering with the transmission of the second frame of the first site.

[0123] For example, if the access point polls multiple sites via the second frame, the third indication information can instruct the second frame to be sent using a TB PPDU.

[0124] In some embodiments, the first station may determine whether to transmit the first frame using a non-HT duplicate PPDU based on the third and fourth indication information. For example, if the bandwidth required by the non-HT PPDU corresponding to the first frame is 20MHz, and if the fourth indication information indicates that the bandwidth for transmitting the first frame using a non-HT PPDU is 80MHz, then it means that the first frame needs to be transmitted on an 80MHz channel including the main 20MHz channel. That is, the first frame is transmitted using a non-HT duplicate PPDU, and the bandwidth of the non-HT duplicate PPDU is 80MHz.

[0125] In other embodiments of this application, after S220, as shown in FIG5, the method 200 further includes:

[0126] S230, the first station receives a third frame sent by the access point, the third frame being a response frame or acknowledgment frame of the first frame.

[0127] In this embodiment, the first station actively feeds back the unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information to the access point.

[0128] In some embodiments of this application, the first frame further includes a sixth indication information and / or a seventh indication information, wherein the sixth indication information is used to indicate the length of the information fed back by the first station, and the seventh indication information is used to indicate the type of information fed back by the first station.

[0129] Optionally, the sixth indication information may be used to indicate, but is not limited to, at least one of the following lengths:

[0130] 0, 4 bytes, 8 bytes, 16 bytes, 32 bytes, 64 bytes, 128 bytes.

[0131] Optionally, the seventh indication information may be used to indicate the type of information exchanged within the Basic Service Set (BSS) (Intra-BSS), including, for example, at least one of the following types:

[0132] Information includes IDC information, NCPA information, Dynamic Power Save (DPS) information, Dynamic Subchannel Operation (DSO) information, and Dynamic Puncturing information.

[0133] Optionally, when the first frame is used for interaction between access points, the second indication information can also be used to indicate the type of information for inter-BSS (Inter-BSS) interaction, such as including at least one of the following types:

[0134] Coordinated Beamforming (C-BF) information, Coordinated Spatial Reuse (C-SR) information, Coordinated Time Division Multiple Access (C-TDMA) information, Coordinated Restricted Target Wake Time (C-RTWT) information, etc.

[0135] The following describes the frame structure design involved in passive feedback and active feedback scenarios, in conjunction with Examples 1 and 2.

[0136] Example 1: Passive feedback, which corresponds to the frame interaction process in Figure 4.

[0137] In this embodiment 1, the second frame is an Initial Control Frame (ICF). For example, the ICF frame can be designed based on a Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) frame, or it can be implemented based on other frames. This application does not limit this.

[0138] First, the frame structure design of the second frame involved in passive feedback will be explained.

[0139] In some embodiments of this application, the second frame includes one or more user information fields, which include an identifier field used to indicate one of the following:

[0140] The identifier of the associated site of this access point, such as the identifier of the first site, such as AID;

[0141] This user information field is used to store special user information;

[0142] The user information field is used to carry control information between the access point and its associated sites, such as the aforementioned first instruction information and / or second instruction information.

[0143] In some embodiments, the second frame includes a User Info List field, and one or more user information fields are included in the User Info List field.

[0144] In some embodiments, when the identifier field is used to indicate the identifier of the first site (e.g., the identifier field takes a value between 1 and 2006), the user information field can be used to indicate the RU resources allocated by the access point for the first site to report unavailable bandwidth information and corresponding unavailable time information.

[0145] In some embodiments, when the identifier field is used to indicate that the user information field is used to carry special user information (e.g., the identifier field value is 2007), the user information field is a special user information field. The special user information field may carry extended public information not provided in the public information field of the second frame, and the special user information field may immediately follow the public information field.

[0146] In some embodiments, when the identifier field is used to indicate that the user information field is used to carry enhanced special user information (e.g., control information between an access point and its associated sites), the user information field is an enhanced special user information field.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first indication information and / or the second indication information carried in the second frame may be considered as enhanced special user information, or enhanced special user information between an access point and an associated site, or control information between an access point and its associated site, such as IDC information.

[0148] That is, the first instruction information and / or the second instruction information can be carried through an enhanced special user information field.

[0149] Optionally, when the identifier field takes the first value, it indicates that the user information field is used to carry control information between the access point and its associated site, such as the first indication information and / or the second indication information.

[0150] Optionally, the first value can be a reserved value for the identifier field, such as 2008, or a larger value, etc.

[0151] Optionally, different reserved values ​​for the identifier field can be used to indicate that the user information field is used to carry different enhanced special user information, such as IDC information, NPCA information, or DSP information.

[0152] In some embodiments, the identification field is an AID12 field, which occupies 12 bits.

[0153] Table 1 shows an example of a correspondence between the values ​​of an identifier field and their corresponding meanings.

[0154] Table 1

[0155] It should be understood that the range of values ​​corresponding to the enhanced special user information in the examples in Table 1 above is only an example, and it can be flexibly adjusted according to the number of enhanced special user information. This application does not limit this.

[0156] In some embodiments, where the user information field is used for control information between the access point and its associated site, the user information field further includes at least one of the following fields:

[0157] The first indication field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to report unavailable bandwidth information for the first site;

[0158] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0159] The second indicator field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information.

[0160] The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

[0161] Optionally, the first indication field can indicate the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site using a bitmap method.

[0162] In some embodiments, the first indication field may be called the unavailable bandwidth information enable field, or the unavailable bandwidth feedback enable field, or it may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0163] In some embodiments, the second indication field may be called the unavailable time information enable field, or the unavailable time feedback enable field, or may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0164] Optionally, the bandwidth unit field can be 6 bits, and the values ​​and corresponding meanings of these 6 bits can be shown in Table 1.

[0165] Table 2

[0166] It should be understood that the length of the bandwidth unit field and the correspondence between the values ​​and meanings of the bandwidth unit field are merely examples and can be adjusted according to actual circumstances. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0167] In some embodiments, the second frame further includes a public information field, which includes at least one of the following fields:

[0168] The third indication field is used to indicate whether the first station sends the first frame using a non-HT PPDU or a TB PPDU, that is, it is used to carry the third indication information;

[0169] The fourth indication field is used to indicate the bandwidth used by the first site to send the first frame using a non-HT PPDU, that is, it is used to carry the fourth indication information;

[0170] The fifth indication field is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first station; that is, it is used to carry the fifth indication information.

[0171] In some embodiments, the third indication field can be 1 bit, and different values ​​of the 1 bit are used to indicate whether the first station sends the first frame using non-HT PPDU or TB PPDU. For example, a value of 1 indicates that the first frame is sent using TB PPDU, and a value of 0 indicates that the first frame is sent using non-HT PPDU.

[0172] In some embodiments, the third indication field may be referred to as a Non-HT PPDU feedback indication field, a TB PPDU feedback indication field, a PPDU type indication field, etc., but this application does not limit this to any particular type.

[0173] In some embodiments, the fourth indication field can be determined based on the number of candidate feedback bandwidths. For example, if there are four feedback bandwidths (e.g., 20MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz and 80MHz), the fourth indication field can be 2 bits, etc.

[0174] Optional, the fourth indication field may also be called the feedback bandwidth field or the feedback bandwidth control field, etc., but this application does not limit this to.

[0175] Optional, the fifth indication field may also be called the feedback length field or the feedback length control field, etc., but this application does not limit this.

[0176] In some embodiments, the second frame further includes a sixth indication field, used to indicate whether the user information field in the second frame includes a special user information field or an enhanced special user information field. For example, the sixth indication field can be 1 bit, and different values ​​of this 1 bit are used to indicate whether the user information field in the second frame includes a special user information field or an enhanced special user information field, or does not include a special user information field. For example, a value of 1 indicates that a special user information field is included, and a value of 0 indicates that a special user information field or an enhanced special user information field is not included.

[0177] Optionally, when the sixth indicator field is 1, it indicates that AID12 = 2007 to 2023 is activated.

[0178] Optionally, the sixth indicator field, also known as the special user information flag field, may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0179] Optionally, the sixth indicator field can be carried within the Common Info field in the second frame.

[0180] In some embodiments, the second frame includes a first Frame Check Sequence (FCS) field, a padding field, and a second FCS field. The first FCS field precedes the padding field, and the second FCS field is located at the end of the second frame, following the user information field in the second frame. The first FCS field is used by the first site to pre-verify the control information carried in the user information field preceding the first FCS field. The padding field is used by the access point to occupy the channel, providing sufficient processing or conversion time for the first site to reply to the first frame.

[0181] Optionally, the first FCS field may be called the intermediate FCS field, or the early FCS field, etc. This application does not limit this to any particular type.

[0182] In some embodiments, the second frame may also include a duration field, which may be set to the time required to complete the transmission of the first frame plus a short interframe space (SIFS).

[0183] It should be noted that the aforementioned first to sixth indication fields, time unit field, bandwidth unit field, and first FCS field can be implemented using existing fields in the second frame (e.g., reserved fields, or redefining existing fields), or can be implemented by adding fields in the second frame. This application does not limit this.

[0184] Figure 6 is a schematic format diagram of a second frame provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the second frame may include a duration field, which can be set to the time required to complete the transmission of the first frame plus one SIFS. The second frame may also include a first FCS field, located after the user information list field, used by the first site to pre-verify the control information carried in the user information list field before the first FCS field. The second frame may also include a Common Info field, used to carry control information for the access point's unavailability report to the first site, such as the aforementioned first indication information and / or indication information.

[0185] Figure 7 is a schematic format diagram of the Common Info field of a second frame provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, the Common Info field may include a Non-HT PPDU feedback indication field, which is used to indicate that the first station sends the first frame using Non-HT PPDU or TB PPDU, that is, to carry the third indication information.

[0186] Optionally, the Common Info field may also include a special user information flag field to indicate whether the User Info field in the User Info List field in the second frame includes a special user information flag field or an enhanced special user information field.

[0187] It should be noted that Figure 7 only illustrates the use of B22 as the feedback indication field for the Non-HT PPDU; it can also be carried by other bits, such as B60-B62, B26, B53, etc. Similarly, other bits (e.g., reserved bits) can also be used as special user information flag fields, and this application does not limit this.

[0188] Figure 8 is a schematic format diagram of a user information field when a special user information flag field is invalid (e.g., the value is 0) according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the user information field may include an AID12 field, which can indicate the AID of the first site. The user information field can be used to indicate information such as the RU resources allocated by the access point for the first site to report unavailability.

[0189] Figure 9 is a schematic format diagram of an enhanced special user information field provided in an embodiment of this application when a special user information flag field is valid (e.g., its value is 1). The AID12 field in this enhanced special user information field can take a first value (e.g., 2008), used to indicate that the enhanced special user information field is used to carry the aforementioned first indication information and / or second indication information. This enhanced special user information field includes the following fields:

[0190] The unavailable bandwidth information enable field (i.e., the first indication field) is used to indicate whether it is necessary to report the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site, that is, to carry the first indication information;

[0191] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0192] The unavailable time information enable field (i.e., the second indication field) is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information, that is, to carry the second indication information.

[0193] In this case, the first site and the access point can assume that the unit of unavailable time information is a predefined time unit, such as 64us.

[0194] Optionally, the enhanced special user information field may also exclude the bandwidth unit field. In this case, the unit of the unavailable bandwidth information may be a predefined bandwidth unit, such as 20MHz.

[0195] Optionally, the unavailable bandwidth information enable field and the unavailable time information enable field can be combined into one field, such as the unavailable information enable field, which indicates whether unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information need to be fed back.

[0196] The frame structure design of the first frame involved in this embodiment 1 will be described below.

[0197] In this embodiment 1, the first frame is an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame. For example, the ICR frame can be designed based on a Block Acknowledgment (BA) frame (e.g., an M-BA frame), or it can be implemented based on other frames; this application does not limit this.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0199] The unavailable bandwidth information field is used to indicate the unavailable bandwidth information reported by the first site;

[0200] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0201] The unavailable time information field is used to indicate the unavailable time information corresponding to the reported unavailable bandwidth information;

[0202] The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

[0203] In some embodiments, the unavailability time information field may include a start unavailability time field and a duration unavailability field, wherein the start unavailability time field is used to indicate the start unavailability time of the unavailability bandwidth information, and the duration unavailability time field is used to indicate the duration unavailability of the unavailability bandwidth information.

[0204] Optionally, the first frame may not include a bandwidth unit field. In this case, the unit of the unavailable bandwidth information may be a predefined bandwidth unit, such as 20MHz, or it may be the bandwidth unit indicated in the second frame.

[0205] Optionally, the first frame may not include a time unit field. In this case, the unit for which time information is not available may be a predefined time unit, such as 64µs, or it may be the time unit indicated by the second frame.

[0206] In some embodiments, the first frame further includes a feedback length field and / or a feedback type field, wherein the feedback length field is used to indicate the length of the information fed back by the first site, and the feedback type field is used to indicate the type of information fed back by the first site.

[0207] Table 3 shows a correspondence between the values ​​and meanings of a feedback type field.

[0208] Table 3

[0209] It should be noted that the correspondence between the values ​​of the feedback type field in Table 3 and the corresponding feedback information types is only an example. In actual applications, only a partial correspondence may be included. For example, feedback information types between BSSs may not be included, or only feedback information types within some BSSs may be included.

[0210] Figure 10 is a schematic format diagram of a first frame implemented by an M-BA frame according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 10, the first frame may include a BA information field, which may include a Per AID TID Info field. The Per AID TID Info field may include a Feedback Control field to indicate the information fed back by the first station.

[0211] For example, as shown in Figure 10, the feedback control field may include the following fields:

[0212] The unavailable bandwidth information field is used to indicate the unavailable bandwidth information reported by the first site;

[0213] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0214] The Start Unavailable Time field indicates the start time of the unavailable bandwidth information;

[0215] The "Continuous Unavailability Duration" field indicates the duration for which unavailable bandwidth information remains unavailable.

[0216] The Per AID TID Info field may also include a Starting Sequence Control field, which may include a Feedback Length field and a Feedback Type field. The Feedback Length field indicates the length of the information fed back by the first station, and the Feedback Type field indicates the type of information fed back by the first station.

[0217] As shown in Figure 10, the first frame also includes a BA control field. This feedback type field is used to indicate the type of information fed back by the first site. For example, the feedback type field can be set to 1, indicating that the information fed back by the first site is IDC information, such as the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site and its corresponding unavailable time information. Example 2: Active feedback, which can correspond to the frame interaction flow in Figure 5.

[0218] In this embodiment 2, the first frame can be an ICF frame. For example, the ICF frame can be designed based on a BSRP frame, or it can be implemented based on other frames; this application does not limit this.

[0219] In this embodiment 2, the first frame is implemented using the frame format shown in Figure 6.

[0220] In this embodiment 2, the first frame may include one or more user information fields, which are used to carry the unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information reported by the first site.

[0221] In this embodiment 2, the first frame may include a User Info List field, and one or more user information fields may be included in the User Info List field.

[0222] Optionally, when the identifier field in the user information field takes the second value, it indicates that the user information field is used to carry enhanced special user information, such as unavailable bandwidth information and corresponding unavailable time information reported by the first site.

[0223] Optionally, the second value can be a reserved value for the identifier field, such as 2008.

[0224] In some embodiments, the user information field further includes the following fields:

[0225] The unavailable bandwidth information field is used to indicate the unavailable bandwidth information reported by the first site;

[0226] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0227] The unavailable time information field is used to indicate the unavailable time information corresponding to the reported unavailable bandwidth information;

[0228] The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

[0229] In some embodiments, the unavailability time information field may include a start unavailability time field and a duration unavailability field, wherein the start unavailability time field is used to indicate the start unavailability time of the unavailability bandwidth information, and the duration unavailability time field is used to indicate the duration unavailability of the unavailability bandwidth information.

[0230] Optionally, the first frame may not include a bandwidth unit field. In this case, the unit of the unavailable bandwidth information may be a predefined bandwidth unit, such as 20MHz, or it may be the bandwidth unit indicated in the second frame.

[0231] Optionally, the first frame may not include a time unit field. In this case, the unit for which time information is not available may be a predefined time unit, such as 64µs, or it may be the time unit indicated by the second frame.

[0232] Figure 11 is a schematic format diagram of a user information field for carrying an unavailability report provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 11, the user information field may include an AID12 field to indicate a second value, representing that the user information field is used to carry enhanced special user information, such as unavailable bandwidth information and corresponding unavailable time information reported by the first site. The user information field also includes the following fields:

[0233] The unavailable bandwidth information field is used to indicate the unavailable bandwidth information reported by the first site;

[0234] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0235] The Start Unavailable Time field indicates the start time of the unavailable bandwidth information;

[0236] The "Continuous Unavailability Duration" field indicates the duration for which unavailable bandwidth information remains unavailable.

[0237] In some embodiments, the third frame may be an M-BA frame.

[0238] Optionally, the access point can send the third frame in non-HT duplicate PPDU format. For example, when the access point replies to a single station, the third frame can be in non-HT duplicate PPDU format to prevent legacy devices from competing for the channel.

[0239] Optionally, when the access point transmits the third frame using the non-HT duplicate PPDU format, the bandwidth used to transmit the third frame can be determined by the access point.

[0240] In summary, in this embodiment of the application, the first site can report its unavailable bandwidth information and its corresponding unavailable time information to the access point. In this way, the access point can use the corresponding data transmission mechanism to communicate with the first site based on the unavailable bandwidth information and its corresponding unavailable time information, thereby improving the data transmission performance in the IDC scenario.

[0241] For example, the access point can communicate with the first site using the NPCA mechanism, channel puncturing, or MRU mechanism on the first site's available bandwidth based on the first site's unavailable bandwidth information. This does not require the first site to stop data transmission across the entire working bandwidth, thereby increasing the access probability of the first site, improving system resource utilization, and reducing the data transmission latency of the first site.

[0242] [Correction 10.02.2026 based on Rule 91] The method embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to Figures 2 to 11. The device embodiments of this application have been described in detail below with reference to Figures 12 to 16. It should be understood that the device embodiments correspond to the method embodiments, and similar descriptions can be referred to the method embodiments.

[0243] Figure 12 shows a schematic block diagram of a communication device 500 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 500 may be a first station, or a component within the first station, such as a chip, circuit, or module.

[0244] As shown in Figure 12, the communication device 500 includes:

[0245] Processing module 510 is used to determine a first frame, the first frame including unavailable bandwidth information of the first site and unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information;

[0246] The transceiver module 520 is used to send the first frame to the access point.

[0247] In some embodiments, the unavailability time information corresponding to the unavailability bandwidth information includes the start time and duration of unavailability corresponding to the unavailability bandwidth information.

[0248] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 520 is further configured to:

[0249] Before sending the first frame to the access point, a second frame sent by the access point is received. The second frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to report the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site, and the second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to report the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information.

[0250] In some embodiments, the second frame further includes at least one of the following:

[0251] The third indication information is used to instruct the first station to send the first frame using a non-high throughput physical layer protocol data unit (non-HT PPDU) or a physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) based on a trigger frame.

[0252] The fourth indication information is used to indicate the bandwidth of the first station when transmitting the first frame using a non-HT PPDU;

[0253] The fifth indication information is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first station.

[0254] In some embodiments, the second frame includes one or more user information fields, the user information fields including an identification field, the identification field being used to indicate one of the following:

[0255] The identifier of the site associated with the access point;

[0256] The user information field is used to carry special user information;

[0257] The user information field is used to carry control information between the access point and its associated sites.

[0258] In some embodiments, when the user information field is used for control information between the access point and its associated site, the user information field further includes at least one of the following fields:

[0259] The first indication field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site;

[0260] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0261] The second indicator field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information.

[0262] The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

[0263] In some embodiments, the second frame further includes a public information field, which includes at least one of the following fields:

[0264] The third indication field is used to indicate that the first station sends the first frame using a non-high throughput physical layer protocol data unit (non-HT PPDU) or a physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) based on a trigger frame.

[0265] The fourth indication field is used to indicate the bandwidth at which the first site transmits the first frame using a non-HT PPDU;

[0266] The fifth indicator field is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first site.

[0267] In some embodiments, the second frame includes a first frame verification sequence (FCS) field, a padding field, and a second FCS field, wherein the first FCS field is located before the padding field and the second FCS field is located at the end of the first frame.

[0268] In some embodiments, the second frame is an Initial Control Frame (ICF), and the first frame is an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame.

[0269] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 520 is further configured to:

[0270] After sending the first frame to the access point, a third frame is received from the access point, which is a response frame to the first frame.

[0271] In some embodiments, the first frame is an ICF and the third frame is an ICR frame.

[0272] In some embodiments, the first frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0273] The unavailable bandwidth information field is used to indicate the unavailable bandwidth information reported by the first site;

[0274] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0275] The unavailable time information field is used to indicate the unavailable time information corresponding to the reported unavailable bandwidth information;

[0276] The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

[0277] Optionally, in some embodiments, the transceiver module described above may be a communication interface or transceiver, or an input / output interface of a communication chip or system-on-a-chip. The processing module described above may be one or more processors.

[0278] It should be understood that the device 500 according to the embodiments of this application may correspond to the access point in the method embodiments of this application, and the above and other operations and / or functions of each unit in the device 500 are respectively to implement the corresponding process of the access point in the embodiments of FIG2 to FIG11. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0279] Figure 13 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device 600 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 600 can be an access point, or a component within the access point, such as a chip, circuit, or module. The communication device 600 of Figure 13 includes:

[0280] The transceiver module 610 is used to receive the first frame sent by the first station;

[0281] The processing module 620 is used to obtain unavailable bandwidth information of the first site and / or unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information from the first frame.

[0282] In some embodiments, the unavailability time information corresponding to the unavailability bandwidth information includes the start time and duration of unavailability corresponding to the unavailability bandwidth information.

[0283] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 610 is further configured to:

[0284] Before receiving the first frame sent by the first station, a second frame is sent to the first station. The second frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information of the first station, and the second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information.

[0285] In some embodiments, the second frame further includes at least one of the following:

[0286] The third indication information is used to instruct the first station to send the first frame using a non-high throughput physical layer protocol data unit (non-HT PPDU) or a physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) based on a trigger frame.

[0287] The fourth indication information is used to indicate the bandwidth of the first station when transmitting the first frame using a non-HT PPDU;

[0288] The fifth indication information is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first station.

[0289] In some embodiments, the second frame includes one or more user information fields, the user information fields including an identification field, the identification field being used to indicate one of the following:

[0290] The identifier of the site associated with the access point;

[0291] The user information field is used to carry special user information;

[0292] The user information field is used to carry control information between the access point and its associated sites.

[0293] In some embodiments, when the user information field is used for control information between the access point and its associated site, the user information field further includes at least one of the following fields:

[0294] The first indication field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site;

[0295] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0296] The second indicator field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information.

[0297] The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

[0298] In some embodiments, the second frame further includes a public information field, which includes at least one of the following fields:

[0299] The third indication field is used to indicate that the first station sends the first frame using a non-high throughput physical layer protocol data unit (non-HT PPDU) or a physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) based on a trigger frame.

[0300] The fourth indication field is used to indicate the bandwidth at which the first site transmits the first frame using a non-HT PPDU;

[0301] The fifth indicator field is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first site.

[0302] In some embodiments, the second frame includes a first frame verification sequence (FCS) field, a padding field, and a second FCS field, wherein the first FCS field is located before the padding field and the second FCS field is located at the end of the first frame.

[0303] In some embodiments, the second frame is an Initial Control Frame (ICF), and the first frame is an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame.

[0304] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 610 is further configured to:

[0305] After receiving the first frame sent by the first station, a third frame is sent to the first station, the third frame being a response frame to the first frame.

[0306] In some embodiments, the first frame is an ICF and the third frame is an ICR frame.

[0307] In some embodiments, the first frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0308] The unavailable bandwidth information field is used to indicate the unavailable bandwidth information reported by the first site;

[0309] The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth;

[0310] The unavailable time information field is used to indicate the unavailable time information corresponding to the reported unavailable bandwidth information;

[0311] The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

[0312] Optionally, in some embodiments, the transceiver module may be a communication interface or transceiver, or an input / output interface of a communication chip or system-on-a-chip.

[0313] It should be understood that the apparatus 600 according to the embodiments of this application may correspond to the station in the method embodiments of this application, and the above and other operations and / or functions of each unit in the apparatus 600 are respectively to implement the corresponding process of the station in the method embodiments shown in FIG2 to FIG11. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0314] Figure 14 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 700 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 700 shown in Figure 14 includes a processor 710, which can call and run computer programs from memory to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0315] Optionally, as shown in FIG14, the communication device 700 may further include a memory 720. The processor 710 can call and run a computer program from the memory 720 to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application. For example, when the communication device 700 is a first station, the processor 710 can call and run a computer program from the memory 720 to implement the various steps of the method embodiments executed by the first station, achieving the same technical effect. When the communication device 700 is an access point, the processor 710 can call and run a computer program from the memory 720 to implement the various steps of the method embodiments executed by the access point, achieving the same technical effect.

[0316] Alternatively, the memory 720 may be a separate device independent of the processor 710, or it may be integrated into the processor 710.

[0317] Optionally, as shown in FIG14, the communication device 700 may further include a transceiver 730, and the processor 710 may control the transceiver 730 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, it may send information or data to other devices or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0318] Optionally, transceiver 730 may include a transmitter and a receiver. Transceiver 730 may further include antennas, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0319] Figure 15 is a schematic structural diagram of a chip according to an embodiment of this application. The chip 800 shown in Figure 15 includes a processor 810, which can call and run computer programs from memory to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0320] Optionally, as shown in FIG15, chip 800 may further include memory 820. Processor 810 can retrieve and run computer programs from memory 820 to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0321] Alternatively, the memory 820 may be a separate device independent of the processor 810, or it may be integrated into the processor 810.

[0322] Optionally, the chip 800 may also include an input interface 830. The processor 810 can control the input interface 830 to communicate with other devices or chips, for example, to acquire information or data sent by other devices or chips.

[0323] Optionally, the chip 800 may also include an output interface 840. The processor 810 can control the output interface 840 to communicate with other devices or chips, for example, to output information or data to other devices or chips.

[0324] In some embodiments, the input interface 830 and the output interface 840 can be implemented through the same input / output interface.

[0325] Optionally, the chip can be applied to the access point in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the access point in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0326] Optionally, the chip can be applied to the first station in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first station in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0327] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as a system-on-a-chip, system chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0328] Figure 16 is a schematic block diagram of a communication system 900 provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 16, the communication system 900 includes a station 910 and an access point 920.

[0329] The station 910 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the first station in the above method, and the access point 920 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the access point in the above method. For the sake of brevity, these will not be elaborated here.

[0330] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, the steps of the above method embodiments can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor described above can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. The storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0331] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The 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. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0332] It should be understood that the above-described memory is exemplary and not a limiting description. For example, the memory in the embodiments of this application may also be 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 link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DR RAM), etc. That is to say, the memory in the embodiments of this application is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0333] This application also provides a readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the various processes of the above method embodiments.

[0334] Optionally, the readable storage medium can be applied to the access point in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the access point in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0335] Optionally, the readable storage medium can be applied to the first station in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the first station in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0336] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the various processes of the above-described method embodiments.

[0337] Optionally, the computer program product can be applied to the access point in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the access point in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0338] Optionally, the computer program product can be applied to the first station in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the first station in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0339] This application also provides a computer program. When executed by a processor, this computer program implements the various processes of the above-described method embodiments.

[0340] Optionally, the computer program can be applied to the access point in the embodiments of this application. The computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the access point in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0341] Optionally, the computer program can be applied to the first station in the embodiments of this application. The computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the first station in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0342] 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.

[0343] 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.

[0344] 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.

[0345] 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.

[0346] 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.

[0347] 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.

[0348] 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 wireless communication method, characterized in that, include: The first station determines the first frame, which includes the unavailable bandwidth information of the first station and the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information; The first station sends the first frame to the access point.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unavailability time information corresponding to the unavailability bandwidth information includes the start time and duration of the unavailability.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before the first station sends the first frame to the access point, the method further includes: The first station receives a second frame sent by the access point. The second frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to report the unavailable bandwidth information of the first station, and the second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to report the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second frame also includes at least one of the following: The third indication information is used to instruct the first station to send the first frame using a non-high throughput physical layer protocol data unit (non-HT PPDU) or a physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) based on a trigger frame. The fourth indication information is used to indicate the bandwidth of the first station when transmitting the first frame using a non-HT PPDU; The fifth indication information is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first station.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The second frame includes one or more user information fields, the user information fields including an identifier field, the identifier field being used to indicate one of the following: The identifier of the site associated with the access point; The user information field is used to carry special user information; The user information field is used to carry control information between the access point and its associated sites.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the user information field is used for control information between the access point and its associated site, the user information field further includes at least one of the following fields: The first indication field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site; The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth; The second indicator field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information. The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

7. The method according to any one of claims 3-6, characterized in that, The second frame also includes a public information field, which includes at least one of the following fields: The third indication field is used to indicate that the first station sends the first frame using a non-high throughput physical layer protocol data unit (non-HT PPDU) or a physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) based on a trigger frame. The fourth indication field is used to indicate the bandwidth at which the first site transmits the first frame using a non-HT PPDU; The fifth indicator field is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first site.

8. The method according to any one of claims 3-7, characterized in that, The second frame includes a first frame verification sequence (FCS) field, a padding field, and a second FCS field, with the first FCS field preceding the padding field and the second FCS field following the end of the first frame.

9. The method according to any one of claims 3-8, characterized in that, The second frame is the Initial Control Frame (ICF), and the first frame is the Initial Control Response (ICR) frame.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, After the first station sends the first frame to the access point, the method further includes: The first station receives a third frame sent by the access point, the third frame being a response frame to the first frame.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first frame is an ICF frame, and the third frame is an ICR frame.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The first frame includes at least one of the following fields: The unavailable bandwidth information field is used to indicate the unavailable bandwidth information reported by the first site; The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth; The unavailable time information field is used to indicate the unavailable time information corresponding to the reported unavailable bandwidth information; The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

13. A wireless communication method, characterized in that, include: The access point receives the first frame sent by the first site; The access point obtains the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site and / or the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information from the first frame.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The unavailability time information corresponding to the unavailability bandwidth information includes the start time and duration of the unavailability.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, Before the access point receives the first frame sent by the first site, the method further includes: The access point sends a second frame to the first site. The second frame includes a first indication information and / or a second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to report the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site, and the second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to report the unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The second frame also includes at least one of the following: The third indication information is used to instruct the first station to send the first frame using a non-high throughput physical layer protocol data unit (non-HT PPDU) or a physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) based on a trigger frame. The fourth indication information is used to indicate the bandwidth of the first station when transmitting the first frame using a non-HT PPDU; The fifth indication information is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first station.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that, The second frame includes one or more user information fields, the user information fields including an identifier field, the identifier field being used to indicate one of the following: The identifier of the site associated with the access point; The user information field is used to carry special user information; The user information field is used to carry control information between the access point and its associated sites.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, When the user information field is used for control information between the access point and its associated site, the user information field further includes at least one of the following fields: The first indication field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information of the first site; The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth; The second indicator field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to provide feedback on the unavailable bandwidth information and the corresponding unavailable time information. The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15-18, characterized in that, The second frame also includes a public information field, which includes at least one of the following fields: The third indication field is used to indicate that the first station sends the first frame using a non-high throughput physical layer protocol data unit (non-HT PPDU) or a physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) based on a trigger frame. The fourth indication field is used to indicate the bandwidth at which the first site transmits the first frame using a non-HT PPDU; The fifth indicator field is used to indicate the length of the feedback information from the first site.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15-19, characterized in that, The second frame includes a first frame verification sequence (FCS) field, a padding field, and a second FCS field, with the first FCS field preceding the padding field and the second FCS field following the end of the first frame.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15-20, characterized in that, The second frame is the Initial Control Frame (ICF), and the first frame is the Initial Control Response (ICR) frame.

22. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that, After the access point receives the first frame sent by the first station, the method further includes: The access point sends a third frame to the first station, the third frame being a response frame to the first frame.

23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that, The first frame is an ICF frame, and the third frame is an ICR frame.

24. The method according to any one of claims 13-23, characterized in that, The first frame includes at least one of the following fields: The unavailable bandwidth information field is used to indicate the unavailable bandwidth information reported by the first site; The bandwidth unit field indicates the unit of the feedback information regarding unavailable bandwidth; The unavailable time information field is used to indicate the unavailable time information corresponding to the reported unavailable bandwidth information; The time unit field indicates the unit of the unavailable time information being fed back.

25. A communication device, wherein the communication device is a first station, or is disposed in a first station, characterized in that, The communication device includes: The processing module is used to determine a first frame, wherein the first frame includes unavailable bandwidth information of the first site and unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information; The transceiver module is used to send the first frame to the access point.

26. A communication device, wherein the communication device is an access point, or is disposed in an access point, characterized in that, The communication device includes: The transceiver module is used to receive the first frame sent by the first station; The processing module is used to obtain unavailable bandwidth information of the first site and / or unavailable time information corresponding to the unavailable bandwidth information from the first frame.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor and a memory for storing a computer program, the processor for calling and running the computer program stored in the memory to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 24.

28. A chip, characterized in that, include: A processor for retrieving and running a computer program from memory, causing a device having the chip mounted to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 24.

29. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, Used to store a computer program that causes a computer to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 24.

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