Multi-station coordinated transmission method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of wireless communications. Disclosed are a multi-station coordinated transmission method and apparatus. The method comprises: a first device obtaining information of a channel between the first device and a second device, interference information between the second device and at least one third device, and transmission beam information of the at least one third device, wherein the first device establishes a connection with the second device, and the first device and the at least one third device are different devices; on the basis of the information of the channel, the interference information and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, determining target transmission beam information of the first device; and sending data on the basis of the target transmission beam information. The method supports distributed processing and transmission without requiring one device to complete all tasks, and thus the overall transmission and processing efficiency can be improved. In addition, the first device in a network uses the obtained information to determine its own target transmission beam information, and thus the network transmission performance under multi-station coordination can be improved.

Description

A multi-site collaborative transmission method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510124964.5, filed on January 26, 2025, entitled "A Transmission Method and Apparatus for Multi-Site Cooperation", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of wireless communication technology, and in particular to a transmission method and apparatus for multi-site cooperation. Background Technology

[0004] The data transmission and reception mechanisms of Wi-Fi devices with multiple antennas have become a key technology in the Wi-Fi standard. To improve Wi-Fi coverage, beamforming (BF) technology was introduced. Its basic principle is that, in the case of a multi-antenna Wi-Fi transmitting system, the transmitting device adjusts the amplitude and phase of the signals radiated by the multiple antennas to form propagation in a specific desired direction, similar to concentrating signal energy in one direction for transmission. This technology is called beamforming. Beamforming can extend Wi-Fi transmission distance, enhance the signal-to-noise ratio at the receiver, and reduce interference in other directions, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0005] With the rapid development of wireless communication, wireless network optimization has become increasingly complex. To achieve efficient transmission in dense networks with multiple access points (APs) and stations (STAs), coordinated beamforming (Co-BF) technology has been proposed. Co-BF is a technique to enhance the performance of multi-AP wireless LANs. Co-BF can utilize multiple antennas from multiple APs for transmission, thereby increasing the overall network capacity and reducing the transmission latency of STAs. However, current Co-BF implementation schemes have some shortcomings, such as a lack of adaptability, high implementation complexity, high implementation cost, and a lack of design based on actual conditions and transmission requirements.

[0006] Therefore, given the practical need for multi-AP cooperative beamforming, how to design a more accurate multi-site cooperative transmission method to achieve beamforming and improve network transmission performance is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This application proposes a multi-site cooperative transmission method and apparatus for beamforming, which can improve network transmission performance.

[0008] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a multi-site collaborative transmission method. This method can be applied to a first device, or a component of the first device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first device, or a device compatible with the first device. Taking the application of this method to a first device as an example, the method includes: the first device obtaining channel information between the first device and a second device, interference information between the second device and at least one third device, and transmission beam information of at least one third device; wherein the first device and the second device establish a connection, and the first device and at least one third device are different devices; the first device determines target transmission beam information based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the interference information between the second device and at least one third device, and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device; and the first device transmits data based on the target transmission beam information.

[0009] For example, the first device is an access point, such as AP1 or AP multi-link device (MLD)1; the second device is a non-access site served / associated with AP1 (or AP MLD1), such as Non-AP STA1 or Non-AP STA MLD1; and the third device is another access point, such as AP2 or AP MLD2.

[0010] In the above method, each device in the network (such as the second device) can independently process and obtain its corresponding channel information and interference information. The first device can then obtain its corresponding channel information, interference information, and transmission beam information from the corresponding device / node, without needing a single device / node (such as the first device) to complete all transmission and processing tasks. This supports distributed processing and transmission, improving overall transmission and processing efficiency. Furthermore, the first device uses this information to determine its target transmission beam information, improving its transmission performance, such as transmission rate or transmission latency. Other first devices in the network can also follow this method, thereby improving network transmission performance under multi-site cooperation, such as spectral efficiency, transmission rate, overall throughput, or transmission latency.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the channel information between the first device and the second device is the channel state information between the first device and the second device, and the interference information between the second device and at least one third device is the channel state information between the second device and at least one third device. Through this implementation, the first device can directly obtain the channel state information between the first device and the second device, as well as the channel state information between the second device and at least one third device. Subsequently, the first device extracts features to optimize its transmit beam vector.

[0012] In another possible implementation, the channel information between the first device and the second device is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the first device and the second device; the interference information between the second device and at least one third device is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the second device and at least one third device; and the transmit beam information is a transmit beam vector. Through this implementation, the first device can obtain the feature vector of the channel state information between the first device and the second device after feature extraction, the feature vector of the channel state information between the second device and at least one third device after feature extraction, and the transmit beam vector of the at least one third device. Subsequently, the first device does not need to perform feature extraction processing and can directly use these features to optimize its own transmit beam vector, thereby reducing the processing complexity and overhead of the first device.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first device obtains interference information between the second device and at least one third device, as well as the transmit beam information of the at least one third device, including: the first device receiving the interference information between the second device and at least one third device, as well as the transmit beam information of the at least one third device, from the second device. Through this implementation, the first device can effectively obtain the interference information between the second device and at least one third device, as well as the transmit beam information of the at least one third device, through the second device.

[0014] In another possible implementation, the first device obtains interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, including: the first device receiving interference information between the second device and the at least one third device from the second device; the first device obtaining transmission beam information of the at least one third device includes: the first device sending a request message to the management device, the request message being used to request the transmission beam information of the at least one third device; and the first device receiving the transmission beam information of the at least one third device from the management device.

[0015] For example, in the above, the management device can be the main AP (or main AP MLD) in the network. The management device can also be an associated AP (or associated AP MLD) of the second device, i.e., the first device. The management device can also be a jamming AP (or jamming AP MLD) of the second device, i.e., the third device. The management device can also be an associated AP (or associated AP MLD) or a jamming AP (or jamming AP MLD) of other devices. If the management device is the first device itself, and the first device itself can obtain the transmission beam information reported by the at least one third device, then the first device does not need to perform the steps corresponding to sending request information to the management device and receiving the transmission beam information of the at least one third device from the management device.

[0016] Through this implementation, the first device can effectively obtain interference information between the second device and at least one third device through the second device. By requesting and effectively obtaining the transmission beam information of the at least one third device from the management device, it can be seen that the first device obtains the transmission beam information of the at least one third device in a flexible manner, and can reduce the transmission overhead of the second device.

[0017] In one possible implementation, if the request information includes identification information of at least one third device, the method may further include: the first device receiving the identification information of at least one third device from the second device. With this implementation, the first device can accurately request the transmission beam information of the at least one third device from the management device.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: a first device obtaining channel information between the first device and a fourth device, interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device, and transmit beam information of the at least one fifth device; wherein the first device and the fourth device establish a connection, and the first device and the fifth device are different devices; then the first device performs aggregation processing on the interference information between the second device and at least one third device and the interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device to obtain target interference information.

[0019] Based on the above, the first device determines the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the interference information between the second device and at least one third device, and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device. This can include: determining the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, the channel information between the first device and the fourth device, the transmission beam information of the at least one fifth device, and the target interference information.

[0020] For example, the first device is an access point, such as AP1 or AP MLD1, the fourth device can be another non-access site served / associated with AP1 (or AP MLD1), such as Non-AP STA2 or Non-AP STA MLD2, and the fifth device can be another access point, such as interfering AP3 or interfering AP MLD3.

[0021] Through this implementation, the first device obtains the channel information and interference information corresponding to each device it serves / associates with (including the second and fourth devices), and aggregates the interference information corresponding to each device (including the second and fourth devices) to obtain the total interference information. Then, the first device can use this information to effectively optimize the transmit beam information it uses, thereby improving the transmission performance between the first device and each device it serves / manages (including the second and fourth devices).

[0022] In one possible implementation, the first device determines its target transmission beam information by: obtaining the target transmission beam information through a communication graph model. This implementation allows the first device to effectively obtain transmission beam information and adapts to dynamic network topology changes, exhibiting strong generalization capabilities.

[0023] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a multi-site cooperative transmission method. This method can be applied to a second device, or a component of the second device (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second device, or a device compatible with the second device. Taking the application of this method to a second device as an example, the method includes: the second device performing channel measurement with a first device to obtain channel information between the first device and the second device; performing channel measurement with at least one third device to obtain interference information between the second device and at least one third device; wherein, a connection is established between the first device and the second device, and the first device and the at least one third device are different devices; the second device sending the channel information between the first device and the second device and the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device to the first device; the second device receiving data sent by the first device based on target transmit beam information, wherein the target transmit beam information is determined based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, and the transmit beam information of the at least one third device.

[0024] In the above method, each device in the network (such as the second device) can independently process and measure its corresponding channel information and interference information, and then send this information to the first device. This eliminates the need for a single device / node (such as the first device) to complete all transmission and processing tasks, thus supporting distributed processing and transmission. This improves overall transmission and processing efficiency. Furthermore, the first device can use this information to determine its target transmission beam information, improving its transmission performance, such as transmission rate or transmission latency. Other first devices in the network can also follow this method, thereby improving network transmission performance under multi-site cooperation, such as spectral efficiency, transmission rate, overall throughput, or transmission latency.

[0025] For example, the first device is an access point, such as AP1 or AP MLD1; the second device is a non-access site served / associated with AP1 or AP MLD1, such as Non-AP STA1 or Non-AP STA MLD1; and the third device is another access point, such as AP2 or AP MLD2.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the channel information between the first device and the second device is the channel state information between the first device and the second device, and the interference information between the second device and at least one third device is the channel state information between the second device and at least one third device. This implementation allows the first device to directly obtain the channel state information between the first device and the second device, as well as the channel state information between the second device and at least one third device. Subsequently, the first device extracts features to optimize its transmit beam vector.

[0027] In another possible implementation, the channel information between the first device and the second device is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the first device and the second device; the interference information between the second device and at least one third device is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the second device and at least one third device; and the transmit beam information is a transmit beam vector. This implementation allows the first device to obtain the feature vector of the channel state information between the first device and the second device after feature extraction, the feature vector of the channel state information between the second device and at least one third device after feature extraction, and the transmit beam vector of the at least one third device. Subsequently, the first device does not need to perform feature extraction processing and can directly use these features to optimize its own transmit beam vector, thereby reducing the processing complexity and overhead of the first device.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the second device obtaining the transmission beam information of at least one third device. This implementation allows the second device to obtain the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, which can then be effectively provided to other devices for subsequent use.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the second device sending transmission beam information of at least one third device to the first device. This implementation allows the first device to obtain transmission beam information of at least one third device corresponding to the second device, which can then be used in the subsequent optimization of the first device's transmission beam information.

[0030] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a multi-site cooperative transmission method, the method comprising: a second device performing channel measurement with a first device to obtain channel information between the first device and the second device; the second device performing channel measurement with at least one third device to obtain interference information between the second device and the at least one third device; wherein, a connection is established between the first device and the second device, and the first device and the at least one third device are different devices; the second device transmitting the channel information and the interference information; the first device obtaining the channel information between the first device and the second device, the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, and the transmit beam information of the at least one third device; the first device determining target transmit beam information of the first device based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, and the transmit beam information of the at least one third device; the first device transmitting data based on the target transmit beam information; and correspondingly, the second device receiving the data from the first device.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the channel information between the first device and the second device is the channel state information between the first device and the second device, and the interference information between the second device and at least one third device is the channel state information between the second device and at least one third device.

[0032] In another possible implementation, the channel information between the first device and the second device is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the first device and the second device, the interference information between the second device and at least one third device is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the second device and at least one third device, and the transmit beam information is a transmit beam vector.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the first device obtains interference information between the second device and at least one third device, as well as the transmission beam information of at least one third device, including: the first device receiving interference information between the second device and at least one third device, as well as the transmission beam information of at least one third device, from the second device.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the first device obtains interference information between the second device and at least one third device, including: the first device receiving interference information between the second device and at least one third device from the second device;

[0035] The first device obtains the transmission beam information of at least one third device, including: the first device sending a request message to a management device, the request message being used to request the transmission beam information of at least one third device; the management device receiving the request message and sending the transmission beam information of at least one third device to the first device; and the first device receiving the transmission beam information of at least one third device.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the request information includes identification information of at least one third device, and the method further includes: the second device sending identification information of at least one third device to the first device, and the first device receiving identification information of at least one third device.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: a fourth device performing channel measurement with a first device to obtain channel information between the first device and the fourth device; the fourth device performing channel measurement with at least one fifth device to obtain interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device; wherein, a connection is established between the first device and the fourth device, and the first device and at least one fifth device are different devices; the fourth device transmits the channel information between the first device and the fourth device and the interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device; correspondingly, the first device obtains the channel information between the first device and the fourth device, the interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device, and the transmit beam information of at least one fifth device; then the first device performs aggregation processing on the interference information between the second device and at least one third device and the interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device to obtain target interference information;

[0038] Based on the above, the first device determines the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the interference information between the second device and at least one third device, and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device. This includes: the first device determines the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, the channel information between the first device and the fourth device, the transmission beam information of the at least one fifth device, and the target interference information.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the first device determines its target transmission beam information by: the first device obtaining the target transmission beam information of the first device through a communication graph model.

[0040] Fourthly, this application also provides a communication device, which is a first device or a chip corresponding to the first device. The communication device has the functions of implementing the first aspect and any of the possible embodiments described above. The communication device can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0041] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor configured to support the communication device in performing corresponding functions of the first device in the method described above. The communication device may also include a memory coupled to the processor, which stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further includes interface circuitry for supporting communication between the communication device and other communication devices, such as the transmission and reception of data or signals. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0042] In one possible design, the communication device includes corresponding functional modules, each used to implement the steps in the above method. The functions can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the functions described above.

[0043] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit, which can perform the corresponding functions in the above method examples, as described in the method provided in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0044] Fifthly, this application also provides a communication device, which is a second device or a chip corresponding to a second device. The communication device has the functions to implement the second aspect described above and any of the possible embodiments therein. The communication device can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0045] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor configured to support the communication device in performing corresponding functions of the second device in the method described above. The communication device may also include a memory coupled to the processor, which stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further includes interface circuitry for supporting communication between the communication device and other communication devices, such as the transmission and reception of data or signals. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0046] In one possible design, the communication device includes corresponding functional modules, each used to implement the steps in the above method. The functions can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the functions described above.

[0047] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit and a communication unit, which can perform the corresponding functions in the above method examples, as described in the method provided in the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0048] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor is configured to implement the methods of the first aspect and any of the possible implementations thereof through logic circuits or execution code instructions.

[0049] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor is configured to implement the methods of the second aspect and any of the possible embodiments thereof through logic circuits or execution code instructions.

[0050] Eighthly, a communication system is provided, comprising the first device described in the first aspect and the second device described in the second aspect. In one possible design, the communication system further comprises at least one of the following: at least one third device, a fourth device, or at least one fifth device.

[0051] A ninth aspect provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the methods of any one of the first and second aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0052] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product storing instructions is provided, which, when executed by a processor, implement the methods of the first and second aspects and any possible implementation thereof.

[0053] Eleventhly, a chip system is provided, comprising a processor and potentially a memory, for implementing the methods of the first and second aspects and any possible embodiments thereof. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0054] It should be noted that the technical effects that can be achieved by any of the third to eleventh aspects or any of the third to eleventh aspects described above can be referred to the description of the technical effects that can be achieved by any of the first and second aspects or any of the first and second aspects described above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0055] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a WLAN network architecture applicable to an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a multi-site collaborative transmission method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a solution provided in this application;

[0058] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a method for converting / modeling a real network into a heterogeneous communication graph model provided in this application;

[0059] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of a process implemented based on a heterogeneous communication graph model provided in this application;

[0060] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the process and algorithm implementation based on the heterogeneous communication graph model provided in this application;

[0061] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a method according to one embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the interaction between multiple APs and multiple STAs provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a network deployment according to an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 9 is a performance simulation comparison diagram of an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 10 is another performance simulation comparison diagram in the embodiments of this application;

[0066] Figure 11 is a schematic flowchart of another embodiment of the method provided in this application;

[0067] Figure 12 is another performance simulation comparison diagram in the embodiments of this application;

[0068] Figure 13 is another performance simulation comparison diagram in the embodiments of this application;

[0069] Figure 14 is another performance simulation comparison diagram in the embodiments of this application;

[0070] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0071] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of a chip device structure according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0073] The scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0074] To better understand the solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, some terms, concepts, or processes involved in the embodiments of this application will be explained below. It should be noted that these explanations are intended to make the embodiments of this application easier to understand and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection claimed by this application.

[0075] (1) Beamforming:

[0076] Beamforming is a technology that combines antenna technology and digital signal processing technology. By adjusting the phase and amplitude of the signal transmitted by each antenna, the signal is focused into a narrow beam and directionally transmitted to the target user equipment. This can improve the signal quality received by wireless user equipment and increase throughput.

[0077] Beamforming technology works on the principle of interference, specifically the coherent superposition of coherent signal sources. More specifically, beamforming precisely adjusts the signals received by multiple antenna elements, weighting and combining them to form the desired ideal signal. From the perspective of the antenna pattern, this is equivalent to forming a beam pointing in a specific direction, transforming a previously omnidirectional receiving pattern into a pattern with nulls and a maximum directional lobe. The same principle can be applied to the transmitting end; by adjusting the amplitude and phase of the antenna element feed, a desired pattern shape can be formed.

[0078] In this embodiment of the application, during beamforming, the access point (AP) can calculate and generate a better transmit beam vector based on channel information (or channel state information) and interference information (such as interference channel characteristic information) from the station (STA) to transmit signals or data.

[0079] Cooperative beamforming (Co-BF) technology enables multiple access points (APs) to coordinate, thereby guiding signals more accurately and improving network throughput.

[0080] Beamforming technology can also be combined with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology to multiply the system throughput by simultaneously transmitting multiple independent spatial streams.

[0081] Beamforming can also be called beamforming or beam shaping. Cooperative beamforming can also be called synergistic beamforming or coordinated beamforming.

[0082] (2) Neural Network Processing Algorithm

[0083] In this embodiment, the neural network processing algorithm is used to perform information aggregation processing and calculation in the network, mainly responsible for processing and optimizing interference information and channel information or data in the beamforming process, and may include the following:

[0084] Information transmission and aggregation: Through the message passing mechanism in the graph neural network, the aggregation and updating of interference information and channel information between AP and STA are realized.

[0085] Optimized beamforming: Based on the transmitted interference and channel information, a better beam vector is generated and input into the neural network to generate pre-code.

[0086] Optimization using unsupervised learning methods can reduce the complexity and cost of network training by minimizing the loss function and training the graph neural network in an unsupervised manner.

[0087] (3) Channel status information (CSI):

[0088] In the field of wireless communication, CSI refers to the channel properties of a communication link. It describes the fading factors of a signal on each transmission path, that is, the value of each element in the channel gain matrix H, such as signal scattering, environmental fading (multipath fading or shadowing fading), and power decay of distance. A complete CSI can be described in three dimensions: time, frequency, and space, corresponding to the changes that the wireless channel undergoes with different time, carrier frequency, and spatial distributions, respectively.

[0089] In current wireless sensing systems, sensing devices measure and obtain CSI (Conditional Sensor Indication), and can analyze environmental changes through CSI (e.g., CSI amplitude, phase, etc.) to achieve sensing. In the embodiments of this application, CSI can also be dedicated sensing data or radar data.

[0090] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, "at least one" refers to one or more, and "more than one" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0091] Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, the ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," or "1," "2," etc. (except in special cases indicating numerical values) mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the size, content, order, timing, priority, or importance of multiple objects. For example, AP1 and AP2 are only used to distinguish different APs, and do not indicate that the size, priority, or importance of these two APs are different.

[0092] It should be noted that in this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner. In the embodiments of this application, "of," "relevant," and "corresponding" may sometimes be used interchangeably, and it should be pointed out that their intended meanings are consistent unless their distinction is emphasized.

[0093] The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, used in the following description of embodiments of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include other steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. Furthermore, the term "for indicating" used in the description of embodiments of this application can include both direct and indirect indication. When describing an indication message for indicating A, it may include whether the indication message directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, but does not necessarily mean that the indication message carries A.

[0094] The preceding text introduced some terms and concepts involved in the embodiments of this application. The following text introduces the technical background, application scenarios, and devices involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0095] The data transmission and reception mechanisms of multi-antenna Wi-Fi devices have become a key technology in the Wi-Fi standard. To improve Wi-Fi coverage, beamforming technology was introduced. Its basic principle is that, in the case of a multi-antenna Wi-Fi transmitting device, the amplitude and phase of the signals radiated by the multiple antennas are adjusted to form propagation in a specific desired direction, similar to concentrating signal energy in one direction for transmission. This technology is called beamforming. Beamforming can extend Wi-Fi transmission distance, enhance the signal-to-noise ratio at the receiver, and reduce interference in other directions, thereby improving communication efficiency.

[0096] With the rapid development of wireless communication, wireless network optimization has become increasingly complex. To achieve efficient transmission in dense multi-AP / multi-STA networks, cooperative beamforming technology has been proposed. Cooperative beamforming is a technique to enhance the performance of multi-AP wireless LANs. It utilizes multiple antennas from multiple APs for transmission, thereby increasing overall network capacity and reducing STA transmission latency. However, current cooperative beamforming schemes have some shortcomings, such as a lack of adaptability, high implementation complexity, high implementation cost, and a lack of design based on actual conditions and transmission requirements. Therefore, based on the practical needs of multi-AP cooperative beamforming, designing a more accurate multi-site cooperative transmission method to achieve beamforming and improve network transmission performance is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.

[0097] To address the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this application provide a multi-site collaborative transmission method and apparatus for beamforming, thereby improving network transmission performance. The method and apparatus are based on the same inventive concept. Since the principles underlying the problems solved by the method and apparatus are similar, their implementations can be mutually referenced, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0098] This application's embodiments can be applied to wireless local area network (WLAN) scenarios. For example, they can be applied to IEEE 802.11 system standards, such as 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, Extremely High Throughput (EHT), 802.11bf, and next-generation standards like Wi-Fi 8 or even later. Alternatively, this application's embodiments can also be applied to WLAN systems such as Internet of Things (IoT) networks or Vehicle-to-X (V2X) networks. Of course, this application's embodiments can also be applied to StarFlash communication systems and other possible communication systems, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication systems, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5th Generation (5G) systems, New Radio (NR) systems, and future communication systems.

[0099] This application can support the Spark Link / NearLink standard protocol. It can also support IEEE protocols, such as IEEE 802.11be / Wi-Fi 7 / EHT protocol, IEEE 802.11bn / UHR / Wi-Fi 8 protocol, IEEE Integrated mmWave / IMMW protocol, IEEE 802.15 / UWB protocol, or IEEE 802.11bf / sensing protocol.

[0100] The following examples illustrate how the embodiments of this application can be applied to WLAN scenarios. It should be understood that WLAN standards have evolved from 802.11a / g to 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, and the currently discussed 802.11be. 802.11n can also be called high throughput (HT); 802.11ac can also be called very high throughput (VHT); 802.11ax can also be called high efficiency (HE) or Wi-Fi 6; 802.11be can also be called EHT or Wi-Fi 7. Standards prior to HT, such as 802.11a / b / g, can be collectively referred to as non-high throughput (Non-HT).

[0101] The communication systems described above are merely illustrative examples, and the communication systems applicable to this application are not limited thereto. The communication systems provided in this application do not impose any limitations on the solutions of this application. This will be explained uniformly here and will not be repeated below.

[0102] The embodiments of this application are applicable to scenarios where multiple APs serve multiple STAs. For example, Figure 1 is a network architecture diagram of a WLAN to which this application is applicable. As shown in Figure 1, the WLAN network architecture includes multiple wireless access points (APs) and multiple station STAs. Each AP can serve multiple STAs, and each AP is equipped with an independent beamforming unit, capable of dynamically adjusting the beam direction and transmission power according to local channel state information and a preset algorithm to improve its own coverage and data transmission rate, and reduce interference to other APs and STAs. For an AP and STAs within its service range, the AP and STAs can be considered interconnected; for an AP and STAs outside its service range, the AP and STAs can be considered unconnected. A STA associated with an AP can receive and send wireless signals to that AP. A STA can also receive signals from unassociated APs. For example, as shown in Figure 1, AP1 is associated with STA1 and STA2. The channel between STA1 and AP1 is a valid channel, as is the channel between STA2 and AP1. If STA1 can also receive signals from unassociated AP2, the channel between STA1 and AP2 is an interference channel. If STA2 can also receive signals from other unassociated AP3, the channel between STA2 and AP3 is an interference channel. The channels between other APs and STAs shown in Figure 1 are described above and will not be described individually here. Furthermore, the embodiments of this application are also applicable to communication between APs, for example, APs can communicate with each other through a distributed system (DS). It should be understood that the number of APs and STAs in Figure 1 is only an example, and there can be more or fewer.

[0103] Access points are devices that allow terminal devices (such as mobile phones) to access wired (or wireless) networks. They are primarily deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. They can also be deployed outdoors. An access point acts as a bridge between wired and wireless networks, connecting various wireless network clients and then connecting the wireless network to the Ethernet. Specifically, access points can be terminal devices (such as mobile phones) or network devices (such as routers) with Wi-Fi chips, or wireless communication chips, wireless sensors, or wireless communication terminals with access point functionality. Access points can be devices that support the 802.11be standard. They can also be devices that support various WLAN standards within the 802.11 family, including 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11be next-generation.

[0104] The site can be a wireless communication chip, wireless sensor, or wireless communication terminal, and can also be referred to as a user. For example, the site can be a mobile phone supporting Wi-Fi communication, a tablet computer supporting Wi-Fi communication, a set-top box supporting Wi-Fi communication, a smart TV supporting Wi-Fi communication, a smart wearable device supporting Wi-Fi communication, an in-vehicle communication device supporting Wi-Fi communication, and a computer supporting Wi-Fi communication, etc. Optionally, the site can support the 802.11be standard. The site can also support various WLAN standards of the 802.11 family, such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11be next generation.

[0105] For example, access points and sites can be devices used in the Internet of Vehicles, IoT nodes and sensors in the Internet of Things, smart cameras, smart remote controls, smart water and electricity meters in smart homes, and sensors in smart cities.

[0106] The AP and STA involved in the embodiments of this application can be APs and STAs that comply with the IEEE 802.11 system standard. An AP is a device deployed in a wireless communication network to provide wireless communication functions for its associated STAs. The AP can serve as the hub of the communication system and is typically a network-side product that supports the MAC and PHY of the 802.11 system standard. Examples include base stations, routers, gateways, repeaters, communication servers, switches, or bridges. The base station can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, repeater stations, etc. For ease of description, the devices mentioned above are collectively referred to as APs. STAs are typically terminal products that support the 802.11 system standard's Media Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY), such as mobile phones and laptops.

[0107] It should be noted that the communication system shown in Figure 1 does not constitute a limitation on the communication systems to which the embodiments of this application are applicable. The method provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to various wireless communication systems. In addition, the solution of the embodiments of this application can be applied to, but is not limited to, dense wireless environments with stringent requirements for network performance and reliability, such as large public places, industrial IoT applications, and live streaming companies.

[0108] The communication system architecture or network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of communication system or network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application can also be applied to similar technical problems.

[0109] Unless otherwise specified in this document, the terms "first device" and "second device" are used to describe the implementing entities.

[0110] "First device" can be a network device, a device with network device functions, or a device that implements network device functions. For example, "first device" is an access network device (such as an AP or AP MLD), or "first device" can be a module (e.g., a chip or circuit) in an access network device (such as an AP or AP MLD), or it can be a module or unit (e.g., a CU, DU, or RU), logic module, or software that fully or partially implements an access network device (such as an AP or AP MLD). "First device" can also be a core network device, or a server, such as a cloud server. Alternatively, "first device" can also be a device or apparatus with sensing and / or positioning capabilities, or a device or apparatus capable of performing artificial intelligence tasks. Among these, a device capable of performing artificial intelligence tasks can also be called an artificial intelligence task execution device. "Second device" can be a terminal, a device with terminal functions, or a device that implements terminal functions. For example, a "second device" can be a terminal (such as a Non-AP STA or Non-AP MLD), a module (e.g., a chip or circuit) in a terminal (such as a Non-AP STA or Non-AP MLD), a module or unit that fully or partially implements a terminal (such as a Non-AP STA or Non-AP MLD), or a logic module or software, etc.

[0111] In the following text, the embodiments of this application are described using "first device" as a network device (such as AP or AP MLD) and "second device" as a terminal (such as Non-AP STA or Non-AP MLD) as examples. In addition, "first device" can be replaced with "first device" or "first communication device", etc., and "second device" can be replaced with "second device" or "second communication device", etc.

[0112] In this article, other devices can refer to the description of "first device" or "second device", which will not be repeated here. For example, "fourth device" can refer to the description of "second device", and "third device" or "fifth device" can refer to the description of "first device".

[0113] In this application, "send" and "receive" refer to the direction of information / data / signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, and "send information" can include direct transmission or indirect transmission through other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, and "receive information" can include receiving directly from YY or receiving indirectly from YY through other units or modules. Furthermore, "send" can also be understood as the "output" of a chip interface, and "receive" can be understood as the "input" of a chip interface. In other words, "send" or "receive" can occur between devices, such as a base station and a terminal transmitting or receiving data via an air interface. "Send" or "receive" can also occur within a device, such as transmitting or receiving data between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within a device via a bus, wiring, or interface.

[0114] It should be understood that the names of the messages (or information) in the following processes in this application are merely examples. As communication technology evolves, the names of the messages (or information, etc.) in the following processes may change. However, regardless of how the names change, as long as their meaning is the same as the function or meaning of the messages (or information, etc.) in this application, they all fall within the protection scope of this application. For example, "heterogeneous communication graph model" can be replaced with "communication graph model" or "graph model," etc.

[0115] The solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described below.

[0116] This application provides a multi-site collaborative transmission method, which can be applied to, but is not limited to, the communication system architecture shown in Figure 1. This method can be executed by a first device (or a second device), by a module of the first device (or the second device) (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or by a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first device (or the second device). Furthermore, this application does not specifically limit the specific structure of the execution subject (e.g., the first device, the second device) or the number of each execution subject (e.g., the first device, the second device) of the method provided in this application embodiment, as long as communication can be performed by running a program that records the code of the method provided in this application embodiment. For ease of description, the interaction between the first device and the second device is used as an example in the following description. The order of steps in the following processes is only an example; in actual applications, the execution order of steps in each process can be adjusted, and all or part of the following steps can be executed adaptively. Referring to Figure 2, the method provided in this application embodiment includes the following steps:

[0117] S201: The second device performs channel measurement with the first device to obtain channel information between the first device and the second device; the second device performs channel measurement with at least one third device to obtain interference information between the second device and the at least one third device.

[0118] A connection is established between the first device and the second device, and the first device and the at least one third device are different devices.

[0119] For example, the first device and the third device can be different APs (or AP MLDs), and the second device is a STA (or STA MLD). A wireless connection for transmitting wireless signals is established between the first device and the second device. No wireless connection for transmitting wireless signals is established between the first device and the third device, but the second device receives signals from the third device. In this case, the first device can be called the associated AP (or associated AP MLD) of the second device, and the third device can be called the interfering AP (or interfering AP MLD) of the second device.

[0120] In the embodiments of this application, channel measurement is performed on the second device and the first device to obtain channel information between the first device and the second device, and channel measurement is performed on the second device and each third device to obtain interference information between the second device and the corresponding third device. These can be performed synchronously or asynchronously, and there is no specific restriction on the order of execution.

[0121] The channel measurement between the second device and the first device can be performed using existing channel measurement methods to obtain uplink and / or downlink channel information, such as uplink CSI and / or downlink CSI. The uplink and / or downlink channel information between the first and second devices can be used as channel information between them, or the uplink and / or downlink channel information can be processed to obtain channel information between the first and second devices.

[0122] For each of the at least one third device mentioned above, when the second device and the third device perform channel measurement, the third device may broadcast a channel measurement signal, such as a pilot signal or a preamble signal. The second device receives the channel measurement signal from the third device and measures the channel information between the second device and the third device. The channel information between the second device and the third device may be used as interference information, or the channel information may be processed to obtain interference information.

[0123] S202: The second device sends information about the channel between the first device and the second device and interference information between the second device and the at least one third device; correspondingly, the first device obtains information about the channel between the first device and the second device and interference information between the second device and the at least one third device from the second device.

[0124] In the embodiments of this application, the two steps of the second device sending information about the channel between the first device and the second device to the first device and the second device sending interference information between the second device and the at least one third device to the first device can be sent synchronously or asynchronously, or these two types of information can be carried in the same message or sent separately. This application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0125] In one possible implementation, the second device performs channel measurement with the first device. If the first device obtains information about the channel between the first device and the second device, the step of the second device sending the information about the channel between the first device and the second device to the first device can be omitted.

[0126] In one possible implementation, the method of this application embodiment may further include: the second device obtaining the transmission beam information of the at least one third device; and the second device then sending the transmission beam information of the at least one third device to the first device. Optionally, this implementation may be executed synchronously with S203.

[0127] S203: The first device obtains the transmission beam information of the at least one third device.

[0128] In the embodiments of this application, S202 and S203 can be executed synchronously or asynchronously, and the order of execution is not limited.

[0129] Based on the above S202 and S203, in this embodiment of the application, the first device obtains information about the channel between the first device and the second device, interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, and transmission beam information of the at least one third device, which can be achieved in, but is not limited to, the following ways:

[0130] Method 1: The first device obtains interference information between the second device and at least one third device, as well as the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, including: the first device receiving interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, as well as the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, from the second device.

[0131] Based on the above method one, in one possible implementation, the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device can be a first feature vector. That is, the second device can perform feature extraction based on the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device to obtain the first feature vector. The first feature vector is used to characterize the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device.

[0132] Method 2: The first device obtains interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, including: the first device receiving interference information between the second device and the at least one third device from the second device;

[0133] The first device obtains the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, including: the first device sending a request message to the management device, the request message being used to request the transmission beam information of the at least one third device; after receiving the request message, the management device sending the transmission beam information of the at least one third device to the first device; and correspondingly, the first device receiving the transmission beam information of the at least one third device from the management device.

[0134] For example, in the above, the management device can be the main AP (or main AP MLD) in the network. The management device can also be an associated AP (or associated AP MLD) of the second device, i.e., the first device. The management device can also be a jamming AP (or jamming AP MLD) of the second device, i.e., the third device. The management device can also be an associated AP (or associated AP MLD) or a jamming AP (or jamming AP MLD) of other devices. If the management device is the first device itself, and the first device itself can obtain the transmission beam information reported by the at least one third device, then the first device does not need to perform the steps corresponding to sending request information to the management device and receiving the transmission beam information of the at least one third device from the management device.

[0135] Based on the above-described method two, in one possible implementation, the request information includes the identification information of the at least one third device. Therefore, the method in this embodiment may further include: the second device sending the identification information of the at least one third device to the first device, and correspondingly, the first device receiving the identification information of the at least one third device from the second device. Optionally, this implementation can be performed before the first device sends the request information to the management device.

[0136] In this embodiment, the channel information between the first device and the second device obtained by the first device can be, but is not limited to, channel state information between the first device and the second device, or a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the first device and the second device. The interference information between the second device and the at least one third device obtained by the first device can be, but is not limited to, channel state information between the second device and the at least one third device, or a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the second device and the at least one third device. The transmit beam information of the at least one third device can be the transmit beam vector of the at least one third device.

[0137] The interference information between the second device and the at least one third device may refer to the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device respectively, or the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device may be the total interference information after aggregating the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device respectively.

[0138] For example, there are three third devices corresponding to the second device, such as third device #1, third device #2 and third device #3; interference information #1 is measured between the second device and third device #1, interference information #2 is measured between the second device and third device #2, and interference information #3 is measured between the second device and third device #3.

[0139] The interference information obtained by the first device between the second device and the three third devices may include interference information #1, interference information #2, and interference information #3. Alternatively, the interference information obtained by the first device between the second device and the three third devices may be the interference information obtained by aggregating interference information #1, interference information #2, and interference information #3. The interference information may include channel state information or a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information.

[0140] S204: The first device determines the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the method of this application embodiment further includes: a first device obtaining channel information between the first device and a fourth device, interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device, and transmit beam information of the at least one fifth device; wherein the first device and the fourth device establish a connection, and the first device and the at least one fifth device are different devices; the first device performs aggregation processing on the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device and the interference information between the fourth device and the at least one fifth device to obtain target interference information. Optionally, this implementation can be performed before S204.

[0142] For example, the fourth device is similar to the second device described above. The fourth device can be another STA (or STA MLD) serving the first device. The first device can be called the associated AP (or associated AP MLD) of the fourth device. The at least one fifth device can be called the interfering AP (or interfering AP MLD) of the fourth device.

[0143] The channel information between the first device and the fourth device can be, but is not limited to, channel state information or a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the first device and the fourth device. The interference information between the fourth device and the at least one fifth device can be, but is not limited to, channel state information or a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the fourth device and the at least one fifth device. The transmit beam information of the at least one fifth device can be the transmit beam vector of the at least one fifth device.

[0144] For specific examples, the channel information between the first device and the fourth device can be referred to the above description of the channel information between the first device and the second device, and the interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device can be referred to the above description of the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, which will not be elaborated here.

[0145] Based on the above, when the first device executes S204, it includes: the first device determining the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, the channel information between the first device and the fourth device, the transmission beam information of the at least one fifth device, and the target interference information.

[0146] In one possible implementation, the first device determining its own target transmission beam information may include obtaining the target transmission beam information of the first device through a communication graph model.

[0147] In one possible implementation, the communication graph model described above can be modeled based on multiple nodes, which may include the first device, the second device, at least one third device, the fourth device, and at least one fifth device. The communication graph model includes graph nodes and graph edges; the types of graph nodes may include APs and STAs, and the types of graph edges may include uplink edges, downlink edges, and interference edges. An uplink edge may refer to the uplink or uplink channel from a STA to its serving / associated AP; a downlink edge may refer to the downlink or downlink channel between an AP and its serving STA; and an interference edge may refer to the interference link or interference channel between an AP and a STA outside its service range.

[0148] S205: The first device transmits data based on the target transmission beam information; correspondingly, the second device receives the data.

[0149] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: the fourth device receiving data transmitted by the first device based on the target transmission beam information. Optionally, this implementation can be executed synchronously with S205, that is, the first device transmits data based on the target transmission beam information, and correspondingly, the second and fourth devices receive the data.

[0150] In the above method, the first device obtains channel information between the first device and the second device, interference information between the second device and at least one third device, and the transmit beam information of the at least one third device. The first device and the second device establish a connection, and the first device and the at least one third device are different devices. Based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, and the transmit beam information of the at least one third device, the first device determines its target transmit beam information. The first device then transmits data based on the target transmit beam information. In this method, each device in the network can process and obtain its corresponding channel information and interference information independently. Thus, the first device can obtain its corresponding channel information, interference information, and transmit beam information from the corresponding device / node, without needing a single device to complete all processing and transmission tasks. This improves overall processing efficiency. Furthermore, by using this information to determine its own target transmit beam information, the first device can improve its transmission performance (e.g., transmission rate or transmission latency). Other first devices in the network can also refer to this method, thereby improving network transmission performance under multi-site cooperation, such as spectral efficiency, transmission rate, overall throughput, and transmission latency.

[0151] The following section uses the scheme shown in Figure 2 as an example applied to a WLAN network architecture to provide a detailed description of the scheme in this application through specific implementation methods.

[0152] In this embodiment, a graph model is built based on the network topology of the actual scenario to enable subsequent transmission and optimization analysis. Figure 3 shows a scheme architecture diagram of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, in this scheme, for a network with multiple APs and multiple STAs, firstly, a heterogeneous communication graph model is built based on multiple APs and multiple STAs to obtain a heterogeneous communication graph model; then, message passing and aggregation are performed in the heterogeneous communication graph model based on a graph neural network. During the message passing and aggregation process, APs and STAs perform: transmitting beam information and measurement channels, aggregating interference information, transmitting neighborhood interference information, and optimizing precoding; finally, the beam vector is output, which can be output by the AP as a precoded or transmitted beam vector.

[0153] The following describes the heterogeneous communication graph model in this application (i.e., an example of the communication graph model in the scheme shown in Figure 2 above) in detail through Implementation Method 1. Based on the heterogeneous communication graph model, Implementation Method 2 and Implementation Method 3 will then describe in detail the actual message transmission and aggregation process, as well as optimization analysis and other processes.

[0154] Implementation Method 1:

[0155] In Implementation Method 1, a graph model is created based on the network topology of the actual scenario to facilitate subsequent transmission and optimization analysis. In this Implementation Method 1, a heterogeneous graph model is created for a network containing multiple APs and multiple STAs, representing the physical entities and wireless links in the network as nodes and edges in the graph model.

[0156] For example, as shown in Figure 4, Figure 4(1) shows the network topology of a real-world scenario. The heterogeneous communication graph model shown in Figure 4(2) is obtained through modeling. The heterogeneous communication graph model shown in Figure 4(2) contains different types of nodes and edges. The types of nodes include AP type and STA type, and the types of edges include uplink, downlink and interference link. For each node and edge, Table 1 below shows its corresponding data characteristics. These data characteristics refer to data characteristics that are useful for optimizing the performance of the target network (such as network throughput).

[0157] As shown in Table 1, the types of graph models include graph nodes and graph edges. The types of graph nodes include AP and STA, and the types of graph edges include downlink edges (corresponding to downlink d_link), uplink edges (corresponding to uplink u_link), and interference edges (corresponding to interferes).

[0158] The type of graph node is AP, and the corresponding data features include beam vector, that is, the beam information sent by the AP itself.

[0159] The type of graph node is STA, and the corresponding data features include its own beam information and aggregated neighborhood features. Among them, the own beam information can be the beam information of the communication corresponding to the STA, and the aggregated neighborhood features can be the interference information or interference characteristic vector of the neighborhood obtained and aggregated by the STA.

[0160] The type of edge in the graph is downlink edge. Downlink edge represents the downlink between AP and the STA it serves. The corresponding data characteristics include path loss within the same AP, such as the downlink between AP1 and associated STA1, which is used to transmit path loss or channel information between AP1 and associated STA1.

[0161] The graph edge type is uplink edge, which represents the uplink from STA to its serving AP. The corresponding data characteristics include aggregated information, such as the uplink between AP1 and associated STA1, used to transmit the aggregated interference information sent by STA1 to AP1.

[0162] The edge type in the graph is interference edge. Interference edge represents the interference between AP and STA that is not within its service range. The corresponding data features include the channel information of the current link, such as the link between STA1 and non-associated AP2, the channel information or feature vector of the channel information used to transmit between STA1 and non-associated AP2, etc.

[0163] Table 1

[0164] The content shown in Table 1 above is an example. In actual applications, one or more of the above graph types, graph node types, graph edge types, or data features may include more or fewer elements. Furthermore, the graph nodes, graph edges, types of each graph node, and types of each graph edge in Table 1 may also have other commands, which are not limiting. For example, when the method of this embodiment is applied to other communication systems, the node names and data features and content in the above modeling method can be replaced with the names and data features and content of the corresponding devices or network elements in the system.

[0165] Following the above method, a real-world network scenario to be optimized can be transformed into a heterogeneous communication graph model. Furthermore, based on this heterogeneous communication graph model, the following steps are performed:

[0166] For example, the process shown in Figure 5A is implemented based on the heterogeneous communication graph model established above to improve network transmission performance. Referring to the process shown in Figure 5A, it can generally include the following:

[0167] Procedure 1: Transmitting Beam Information and Measuring Channels: Associated APs and non-associated APs periodically transmit broadcast signals (such as beacon signals) and transmit beam information (such as transmit beam vectors). The broadcast signals include channel measurement pilots or preambles, etc. Each STA measures the channels that it can monitor for interference links and signal links. Each AP takes turns transmitting channel measurement signals and transmit beam information, or multiple APs can periodically transmit together; there is no restriction on this.

[0168] Step 2, Aggregating Interference Information: Each STA aggregates the interference information received from different links to generate a total interference information. One possible implementation involves inputting path loss and beamforming information into a neural network, such as an artificial neural network (ANN), to extract interference features, and then using a pooling function to aggregate the interference information.

[0169] Step 3, Transmitting Neighborhood Interference Information: Each STA will aggregate the interference features extracted by the neural network and transmit the received total interference information to the AP associated with it.

[0170] Step 4, Optimize precoding: Each AP receives total interference information from its associated STA and inputs it into a neural network (such as an ANN) to update the currently used transmit beam vector.

[0171] As shown in Figure 5A, after obtaining the interference channel information by measuring the channel corresponding to the interference edge, the STA node can extract features from the interference channel information. Then, it aggregates the interference channel information to the associated AP node through the link / channel corresponding to the uplink edge, or the STA sends the interference channel information to the associated AP node through the link / channel corresponding to the uplink edge, and the AP node extracts features. Further, based on the features of the total interference channel information of its associated STAs, the AP calculates an optimized beamforming vector through an ANN. Finally, the AP uses the optimized beamforming vector to transmit data to its associated STAs through the link / channel corresponding to the downlink edge.

[0172] For example, as shown in Figure 5B, the AP receives the channel features h1, interference channel features h2, interference channel features h3, interference channel features h4, and interference channel features h5 within its service range. Using h1, h2, h3, h4, h5 and their corresponding weights w, it updates the currently used transmit precoding v. In one possible implementation, the edge feature m is represented as m = M(h1, h2, h3, h4, h5); the AP node feature h is represented as h = U(m); where M and U represent two neural networks.

[0173] In processes 2 and 4 above, the two neural networks (such as ANNs) used for optimization need to be trained end-to-end. The training input consists of the feature data of all edges and nodes in the current heterogeneous communication graph model, and the loss function used for training corresponds to the optimization objective. Since the types of services in the network may differ, such as download services, web browsing services, video services, and live streaming services, the optimization objective (i.e., the optimized network transmission performance) output by the neural network will be different for different service types.

[0174] For example, if the optimization objective is to maximize the network throughput, then the optimization objective can be expressed as the following equation (1):

[0175] Constraints st

[0176] If the optimization objective is to maximize the minimum user rate, then the optimization objective can be expressed as follows (2):

[0177] In the above, K represents the AP set or the total number of APs, and I k The set of STAs served by the k-th AP, i∈I k A STA served by the k-th AP, v ki That is, the beamforming vector that the k-th AP needs to optimize, v is the precoding corresponding to the STA served by the AP, and B ki Let σ represent the channel bandwidth of the k-th AP. 2 Where P is the noise power, h is the channel, and P is the noise power. k Let be the transmit power threshold for the k-th AP.

[0178] The meanings of the letters in equations (1) and (2) above can be found in the explanations of the relevant formulas. The above is an illustrative introduction.

[0179] In the first implementation method described above, for multi-AP, multi-STA networks, a heterogeneous communication graph model can be used to model the current network topology and uniformly define the attribute characteristics required for network link optimization. This allows for the use of unified information to represent networks in different scenarios. Therefore, when using multi-station cooperative transmission based on a heterogeneous communication graph model to achieve beamforming and improve network transmission performance, the following advantages can be included:

[0180] 1. The heterogeneous communication graph model corresponds to the structure and key features of the actual network. The heterogeneous communication graph model has strong interpretability and can be dynamically and quickly modeled according to the actual network.

[0181] 2. The neural network optimization algorithm designed based on the heterogeneous communication graph model has strong generalization ability and can handle dynamic model changes, such as user entry, exit, movement, or network node redeployment, without the need to retrain the algorithm.

[0182] 3. Based on the heterogeneous communication graph model, unsupervised learning can be achieved through joint design of the transmission mechanism, feature extraction network and optimization objective function. It requires no annotation and has low implementation cost. Moreover, the unsupervised gradient calculation is clear, the network training is efficient and highly feasible.

[0183] 4. Process design can be carried out according to task requirements and network structure characteristics to achieve various optimization objectives, optimization parameters, and calculations.

[0184] Implementation Method Two:

[0185] In Embodiment Two, the heterogeneous communication graph model shown in Embodiment One is used to implement information interaction and optimization goals in a real network, in order to provide a detailed description of the method of this application embodiment. Referring to Figure 6, the method flow of Embodiment Two includes the following steps:

[0186] S601: Interfering AP broadcasts pilot signals and transmit beam vectors; correspondingly, STA1 and STA2 receive the pilot signals and transmit beam vectors of the interfering AP.

[0187] In one possible implementation, the jamming AP can periodically transmit broadcast information, which includes channel measurement signals, such as pilot or preamble signals. Optionally, the broadcast information may also include the jamming AP's transmit beam vector.

[0188] In this application, the transmit beam vector of the interfering AP may not be carried in the broadcast information, but broadcast separately. The application does not impose specific restrictions on the timing or method of broadcasting the pilot signal and the transmit vector.

[0189] In one possible implementation, the transmit beam vector sent by the interfering AP can be the downlink beamforming vector currently used by the interfering AP.

[0190] In this implementation, taking AP1's current services STA1 and STA2 as an example, AP1 can be called the associated AP of STA1 and STA2, and STA1 and STA2 can be called the associated STA of AP1.

[0191] Figure 6 uses only the interfering APs to represent the interfering APs of STA1 and STA2, but this does not mean that the interfering APs of STA1 and STA2 are the same AP or that there is only one interfering AP. In the embodiments of this application, the number of interfering APs of STA1 may be one or more, and the number of interfering APs of STA2 may also be one or more. Furthermore, the interfering APs of STA1 and STA2 may be the same, different, or partially the same.

[0192] For example, the interfering APs for STA1 are AP2 and AP3, and the interfering APs for STA2 are AP2 and AP3. Or, the interfering APs for STA1 are AP2 and AP3, and the interfering APs for STA2 are AP4 and AP5. Or, the interfering APs for STA1 are AP2 and AP3, and the interfering APs for STA2 are AP2 and AP4.

[0193] Furthermore, when STA1 and STA2 correspond to different interfering APs, the broadcast pilot signals and transmitted beam vectors of the different interfering APs may be synchronized or not synchronized, and there is no time restriction.

[0194] S602a: STA1 performs channel estimation and interference calculation to obtain interference channel information 1 (an example of interference information between the second device and at least one third device in the scheme shown in Figure 2 above).

[0195] STA1 can perform channel estimation based on the pilot signal of its corresponding interfering AP to obtain the corresponding interference channel information 1.

[0196] S602b: STA2 performs channel estimation and interference calculation to obtain interference channel information 2 (an example of interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device in the scheme shown in Figure 2 above).

[0197] STA2 can perform channel estimation based on the pilot signal of its corresponding interfering AP to obtain the corresponding interference channel information 2.

[0198] S602a and S602b can be executed synchronously or asynchronously, and there are no specific restrictions on the order of their execution.

[0199] S603a: STA1 obtains the interference feature vector 1 based on the interference channel information 1.

[0200] In one possible implementation, STA1 extracts the interference channel features based on the interference channel information 1 using a neural network (such as an ANN) to obtain the interference feature vector 1.

[0201] S603b: STA2 obtains the interference feature vector 2 based on the interference channel information 2.

[0202] In one possible implementation, STA2 extracts the interference channel features based on the interference channel information 2 using a neural network (such as an ANN) to obtain the interference feature vector 2.

[0203] S603a and S603b can be executed synchronously or asynchronously, and there are no specific restrictions on the order of their execution.

[0204] In implementation method two, steps S603a and / or S603b are optional; that is, steps S603a and / or S603b can be performed or not. If step S603a is not performed, STA1 can send the interference channel information 1 to the associated AP1, and the associated AP1 can extract interference features based on the interference channel information 1 using a neural network ANN to obtain interference feature vector 1. If step S603b is not performed, STA2 can send the interference channel information 2 to the associated AP1, and the associated AP1 can extract interference features based on the interference channel information 2 using a neural network ANN to obtain interference feature vector 2.

[0205] S604a: STA1 sends interference feature vector 1 and the transmit beam vector of the interfering AP of STA1 to the associated AP1. Correspondingly, the associated AP1 receives interference feature vector 1 and the transmit beam vector of the interfering AP of STA1.

[0206] Regarding S603a and S604a above, in another possible implementation, in S603a, when STA1 extracts interference channel features based on interference channel information 1 using a neural network, it may include: extracting features from interference channel information 1 and the transmit beam information of the interfering AP of STA1 using a neural network to obtain a fused feature vector 1. The fused feature vector 1 is used to characterize interference channel information 1 and the transmit beam information of the interfering AP of STA1. Then, in S604a, STA1 sends the fused feature vector 1 to AP1, and correspondingly, AP1 receives the fused feature vector 1 sent by STA1.

[0207] S604b: STA2 sends interference feature vector 2 and the transmit beam vector of the interfering AP to the associated AP1. Correspondingly, associated AP1 receives interference feature vector 2 and the transmit beam vector of the interfering AP corresponding to STA2.

[0208] In another possible implementation of S603b and S604b, when STA2 extracts interference channel features based on interference channel information 2 using a neural network in S603b, it may include: extracting features from interference channel information 2 and the transmission beam information of the interfering AP of STA2 using a neural network to obtain a fused feature vector 2. The fused feature vector 2 is used to characterize interference channel information 2 and the transmission beam information of the interfering AP of STA2. Then, in S604b, STA2 sends the fused feature vector 2 to AP1, and AP1 receives the fused feature vector 2 sent by STA2.

[0209] S604a and S604b can be executed synchronously or asynchronously, and there are no specific restrictions on the order of execution.

[0210] S605: Associate AP1 with interference feature vector 1 and interference feature vector 2 to obtain the target interference feature vector.

[0211] STA1 and STA2 are examples of STAs associated with / served by AP1. When AP1 receives interference feature vectors reported by all STAs associated with / served by itself, it can aggregate the interference feature vectors reported by all STAs associated with it to obtain the target interference feature vector.

[0212] In one possible implementation, the neural network used for interfering information aggregation processing can be trained using unsupervised optimization. To optimize this neural network, the following loss function can be minimized.

[0213] Where θ represents the neural network parameters, K represents the set of APs or the total number of APs, and I k The set of STAs served by the k-th AP, i∈I k A STA served by the k-th AP, v ki For the beamforming vector that needs to be optimized for the k-th AP, B ki Let σ be the channel bandwidth of the k-th AP. 2 Here, h represents the noise power and the channel.

[0214] S606: Based on the target interference feature vector, the channel feature vector between AP1 and STA1, the channel feature vector between AP1 and STA2, the beam vector of the interfering AP of STA1, and the beam vector of the interfering AP of STA2, the currently used transmit beam vector is optimized to obtain the optimized transmit beam vector.

[0215] The channel feature vector between AP1 and STA1 can be obtained by performing channel measurements between AP1 and STA1 to obtain channel information, and then extracting features through a neural network. Similarly, the channel feature vector between AP1 and STA2 can be obtained by performing channel measurements between AP1 and STA2 to obtain channel information, and then extracting features through a neural network. The channel measurements between AP1 and STA1 and between AP1 and STA2 can be implemented using existing channel measurement methods, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0216] In one possible implementation, the associated AP1 optimizes the transmit beam vector currently used by AP1 based on the target interference feature vector, the channel feature vector between AP1 and STA1, the channel feature vector between AP1 and STA2, the beam vector of the interfering AP of STA1, and the beam vector of the interfering AP of STA2, and obtains the optimized transmit beam vector of AP1.

[0217] S607: Associated AP1 sends data to STA1 and STA2 based on the optimized transmit beam vector; correspondingly, STA1 and STA2 receive the data.

[0218] In S601 to S607 above, based on the heterogeneous communication graph model, the process of optimizing the transmit beam vector of AP1 is used as an example to introduce the information transmission, interference information aggregation, and beam information optimization processes. In this heterogeneous communication graph model, other APs are also included. Similarly, for other APs, the process of information transmission, interference information aggregation, and beam information optimization can be carried out by referring to S601 to S607 above. They will not be described in detail here.

[0219] For example, based on the method flow of Embodiment 2 described above, Figure 7 shows a possible flowchart of a multi-AP cooperative MU-MIMO. AP1, AP2, and AP3 broadcast pilot signals and transmit beam information, respectively, wherein AP1 is associated with STA1 and STA2. After receiving the pilot signals from each AP, STA1 measures CSI1 between STA1 and AP1, interference information 1 between STA1 and AP2, and interference information 2 between STA1 and AP3. STA1 aggregates interference information 1 and interference information 2 to obtain aggregated interference information 1. STA1 reports CSI1 between STA1 and AP1, aggregated interference information 1, transmit beam information of interfering AP2, and transmit beam information of interfering AP3 to AP1. Similarly, STA2 can follow the steps of STA1, except that the interfering APs of STA2 are AP2 and AP4.

[0220] After receiving the aggregated interference information 1 from STA1 and the aggregated interference information 2 from STA2, AP1 obtains the total interference information based on these two data points. AP1 then optimizes its current transmit beam vector based on the CSI1 between STA1 and AP1, the CSI2 between STA2 and AP1, the transmit beam information of the interfering APs from STA1 and STA2, and the total interference information. Subsequently, AP1 can use the optimized transmit beam vector to transmit data. The timing of the steps in the flowchart shown in Figure 7 is not strictly limited and can be adjusted according to transmission conditions or requirements.

[0221] For example, the performance simulation that the method of the embodiments of this application can achieve is analyzed based on the experimental parameter settings shown in Table 2 below.

[0222] Referring to Table 2, in the setup scenario, APs are first deployed in a rectangular or square layout to ensure a reasonable and typical distribution. Then, STAs are placed around each AP according to a random distribution rule, as shown in Figure 8. The channel model between the STAs and APs can adopt the Rayleigh channel model. Next, communication simulation between the STAs and APs is performed according to the set transmit power and frequency band bandwidth. Information transmission and aggregation are carried out according to the method flow shown in the above implementation method. The APs perform beamforming and then transmit data based on the obtained beam information. Based on this, the total system throughput is measured. Regarding model generalization, model training is performed in a scenario with a fixed number of APs and STAs, and the total network throughput is tested in other scenarios with different numbers of APs and STAs.

[0223] Table 2

[0224] Figures 9 and 10 illustrate performance simulation comparisons of the method of this application and other methods. Figure 9 shows a comparison of the weighted sum rate performance under different numbers of APs in the model, and Figure 10 shows a comparison of the extended performance of the model under different numbers of APs. As can be seen from Figure 9, compared with frequency division communication and interference-free control strategies, the beamforming method based on a heterogeneous communication graph model neural network in this application can significantly improve the total throughput of the system. As can be seen from Figure 10, after model training in a scenario with 6 APs cooperating, the beamforming method based on a heterogeneous communication graph model neural network in this application maintains excellent performance when extended to scenarios with different numbers of APs, demonstrating strong generalization ability.

[0225] In the first implementation method, at the software level, the heterogeneous communication graph model obtained by modeling can accurately capture the complex channel characteristics and cooperative relationships between APs and STAs, thereby improving the ability to express the topology of multi-AP networks.

[0226] Furthermore, this application proposes optimizing AP transmit beam information based on a heterogeneous communication graph model and using a neural network model / algorithm, which can improve network performance. It employs an end-to-end learning framework, using deep learning methods to adapt to dynamic channel environments, simplifying the optimization process and improving the robustness and computational efficiency of the neural network model / algorithm. In addition, this application's proposed optimization of AP transmit beam information based on a heterogeneous communication graph model and using a neural network model has strong generalization ability. After training in a fixed scenario, it can be extended to network scenarios with different numbers of APs without redesigning or adjusting the model, significantly enhancing the versatility of the neural network model / algorithm.

[0227] The implementation method of this application, which optimizes the transmit beam information of the AP based on a heterogeneous communication graph model and a neural network model / algorithm, can achieve efficient large-scale matrix operations and message passing operations, and improve the real-time computing capability of beamforming. At the same time, it unifies the AP, STA, and their interaction relationship, making implementation easier and optimizing the AP's transmit beam information more efficient.

[0228] Implementation Method 3:

[0229] In Implementation Method 3, the modeling method and heterogeneous communication graph model shown in Implementation Method 1 are also used. The main difference between Implementation Method 2 and Implementation Method 3 is the interaction process. In some WLAN networks, such as fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) networks, multiple APs are divided into primary APs and secondary APs, and all secondary APs can communicate with the primary AP. Referring to Figure 11, the method flow of Implementation Method 3 includes the following steps:

[0230] S1100: Associated AP1 and interfering AP report their transmit beam vectors to the master AP respectively; correspondingly, the master AP receives the transmit beam vectors of Associated AP1 and Interfering AP.

[0231] That is, each auxiliary AP in the network (including AP1 and the interfering AP) reports its current transmit beam vector to the main AP. The timing of each auxiliary AP reporting its current transmit beam vector to the main AP can be synchronized or asynchronous, and there is no restriction on this.

[0232] S1101: Interference AP broadcasts pilot signal; correspondingly, STA1 and STA2 receive the pilot signal of the interference AP.

[0233] Compared to S601 above, the main difference in S1101 is that the jamming AP does not transmit its own transmit beam vector. Other contents in S1101 can be referred to the description in S601 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0234] S1102a: STA1 performs channel estimation and interference calculation to obtain interference channel information 1.

[0235] S1102b: STA2 performs channel estimation and interference calculation to obtain interference channel information 2.

[0236] S1102a and S1102b can be referred to one-to-one with the descriptions in S602a and S602b above, which will not be repeated here.

[0237] S1103a: STA1 obtains the interference feature vector 1 based on the interference channel information 1.

[0238] S1103b: STA2 obtains the interference feature vector 2 based on the interference channel information 2.

[0239] S1103a and S1103b can be referred to one-to-one with the descriptions in S603a and S603b above, which will not be repeated here.

[0240] S1104a: STA1 sends interference feature vector 1 to associated AP1; correspondingly, associated AP1 receives interference feature vector 1 sent by STA1.

[0241] In one possible implementation, STA1 also sends identification information of the interfering AP to the associated AP1; or STA1 also sends indication information to the associated AP1, which is used to indicate the interfering AP of STA1.

[0242] S1104b: STA2 sends interference feature vector 2 to associated AP1; correspondingly, associated AP1 receives interference feature vector 2 sent by STA2.

[0243] In one possible implementation, STA2 also sends identification information of the interfering AP to the associated AP1; or STA2 also sends indication information to the associated AP1, which is used to indicate the interfering AP of STA2.

[0244] S1104a and S1104b can be referred to one-to-one with the descriptions in S604a and S604b above, which will not be repeated here.

[0245] S1105: Associated AP1 sends a request message to the main AP, and the main AP receives the request message accordingly.

[0246] This request information is used to request the transmit beam vectors of the jamming AP for STA1 and the jamming AP for STA2.

[0247] S1106: The master AP sends the transmit beam vectors of the interfering AP of STA1 and the interfering AP of STA2 to the associated AP1. Correspondingly, the associated AP1 receives the transmit beam vectors of the interfering AP of STA1 and the interfering AP of STA2.

[0248] If the interfering APs of STA1 and STA2 are different, the associated APs can also send different request messages to the master AP to request the transmit beam vectors of the interfering APs of STA1 and STA2 respectively.

[0249] For example, the interfering APs for STA1 are AP2 and AP3, and the interfering APs for STA3 are AP4 and AP5. After receiving the interference feature vector 1 sent by STA1, the associated AP1 can send request message 1 to the master AP. Request message 1 is used to request the transmit beam vectors of AP2 and AP3.

[0250] After receiving the interference feature vector 2 sent by STA2, associated AP1 can send request information 2 to the main AP. Request information 2 is used to request the transmit beam vectors of AP4 and AP5.

[0251] S1107: Associate AP1 with interference feature vector 1 and interference feature vector 2 to obtain the target interference feature vector.

[0252] S1107 can be referred to one by one with the description in S605 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0253] S1108: Based on the target interference feature vector, the channel feature vector between AP1 and STA1, the channel feature vector between AP1 and STA2, the beam vector of the interfering AP of STA1, and the beam vector of the interfering AP of STA2, the currently used transmit beam vector is optimized to obtain the optimized transmit beam vector.

[0254] S1108 can be referred to one by one with the description in S606 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0255] S1109: Associated AP1 uses the optimized transmit beam vector to send data to STA1 and STA2; correspondingly, STA1 and STA2 receive the data.

[0256] S1109 can be referred to one by one with the description in S607 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0257] For example, based on the method flow of Implementation Method 3, the transmit beam vector of each AP is optimized, thereby improving the transmission rate. The simulation scenario setting is the same as that shown in Implementation Method 2.

[0258] Assume each STA has 1000MB of data to be transmitted. Experiments are conducted from the following two dimensions, comparing this to a frequency division transmission strategy (i.e., round-robin transmission, with interference recalculated after each transmission):

[0259] I. Change the number of APs:

[0260] Each AP connects to 4 STAs.

[0261] Figure 12 illustrates a comparison of data transmission performance under different numbers of access points (APs). As can be seen from Figure 12, communication demand increases significantly with the increase in the number of APs. However, since the frequency division communication strategy maintains a constant utilization rate of bandwidth resources, the transmission time increases significantly with the increase in the number of APs. In contrast, the beamforming method based on a heterogeneous communication graph model neural network in this application can utilize bandwidth resources more efficiently, with a slower increase in transmission time, even tending to stabilize, demonstrating significant advantages.

[0262] II. Change the number of STAs:

[0263] The number of APs is fixed at 8, and the number of STAs connected to each AP is changed.

[0264] Figure 13 illustrates a comparison of data transmission performance with different numbers of STAs. As can be seen from Figure 13, with a fixed number of APs, the transmission time of both schemes increases as the number of connected STAs increases, because the growth in communication demand exceeds the burden of limited bandwidth resources. However, since the beamforming method based on heterogeneous communication graph model neural networks in this application can optimize bandwidth utilization through effective interference control strategies, the beamforming scheme based on heterogeneous graph neural networks consistently outperforms the frequency division communication strategy in terms of transmission time.

[0265] When sending datagrams using a File Transfer Protocol (FTP)-like service, Figure 14 shows a comparison between frequency division transmission with different numbers of access points (APs) and beamforming based on a heterogeneous communication graph model neural network in this application. As can be seen from Figure 14, when generating data packets to be transmitted using the same coefficients, under different numbers of APs, the APs using beamforming based on a heterogeneous communication graph model neural network in this application can process data packets in a timely manner, keeping the accumulated data size low. Furthermore, the APs in this application can improve bandwidth resource utilization; all STAs transmitting data complete signal transmission in a shorter time, and there is no large data accumulation at the transmitting end, saving buffer space for storing this data.

[0266] It should be understood that the above embodiments may change as the technical solutions evolve, and this application is not limited to the contents shown in the above embodiments.

[0267] It should be noted that different embodiments or some steps (e.g., any one or more steps) in different embodiments of this application can be combined with each other to form new embodiments. Furthermore, this application does not limit the inclusion of any one or more steps in different embodiments as including optional steps in a certain embodiment, mandatory steps in a certain embodiment, or both optional and mandatory steps in a certain embodiment.

[0268] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different implementation methods are consistent and can be referenced from each other.

[0269] It should be noted that the order of the steps in the embodiments of this application is determined by the logic of the scheme, and this application does not limit it.

[0270] It should be noted that the order in which different conditions are judged in the embodiments of this application is not limited by this application.

[0271] It should be noted that the terms "after" and "time" in this application do not strictly limit the specific point in time.

[0272] It should be noted that the nouns and terms used in this application are merely examples and may be other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0273] In the embodiments provided above, the methods provided by the embodiments of this application are described from the perspective of interaction between various devices. To implement the functions of the methods provided in the embodiments or implementations of this application above, the first device or the second device may include hardware structures and / or software modules, implementing the above functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether a particular function is executed in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0274] The module division in this embodiment is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division; in actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments or implementations of this application can be integrated into a single processor, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into a single module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0275] Similar to the above concept, as shown in FIG15, this application embodiment also provides a communication device 1500 for implementing the functions of the first device or the second device in the above method. For example, the communication device 1500 can be a software module or a chip system. In this application embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices. The communication device 1500 may include: a communication unit 1501 and a processing unit 1502.

[0276] In this embodiment, the communication unit 1501, also referred to as the transceiver unit, may include a sending unit and / or a receiving unit, respectively used to perform the sending and receiving steps of the first device or the second device in the above method embodiments. The processing unit 1502 may be used to read instructions and / or data from the storage module so that the communication device 1500 implements the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0277] For example, the communication device 1500 may also include a storage unit 1503, which is equivalent to a storage module and can be used to store instructions and / or data.

[0278] The communication device provided in the embodiments of this application is described in detail below with reference to Figures 15 and 16. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments. Therefore, content not described in detail can be implemented by referring to the manner shown in Figures 2 and 7 and Figure 11 above. For the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0279] The communication unit 1501 can also be referred to as a transceiver, transceiver, or transceiver device. The processing unit 1502 can also be referred to as a processor, processing board, processing module, or processing device. Optionally, the device in the communication unit 1501 used to implement the receiving function can be considered as a receiving unit, and the device in the communication unit 1501 used to implement the transmitting function can be considered as a transmitting unit; that is, the communication unit 1501 includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The communication unit 1501 can sometimes also be referred to as a transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver circuit. The receiving unit can sometimes be referred to as a receiver, receiver, or receiving circuit. The transmitting unit can sometimes be referred to as a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit.

[0280] When the communication device 1500 is applied to the first device in the process shown in Figure 2 of the above embodiment: the communication unit 1501 is used to obtain information about the channel between the first device and the second device, interference information between the second device and at least one third device, and transmission beam information of the at least one third device; wherein, the first device and the second device establish a connection, and the first device and the at least one third device are different devices; the processing unit 1502 is used to determine the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information, the interference information, and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device; the communication unit 1501 is also used to send data based on the target transmission beam information.

[0281] When the communication device 1500 is applied to the second device in the process shown in Figure 2 of the above embodiment: the communication unit 1501 is used to perform channel measurement with the first device to obtain channel information between the first device and the second device; to perform channel measurement with at least one third device to obtain interference information between the second device and the at least one third device; wherein, a connection is established between the first device and the second device, and the first device and the at least one third device are different devices; and to transmit the channel information and the interference information; the communication unit 1501 is also used to receive data transmitted by the first device based on target transmission beam information; the target transmission beam information is determined based on the channel information, the interference information, and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device. The processing unit 1502 is used to process information and / or data, etc.

[0282] The above are just examples. Processing unit 1502 and communication unit 1501 can also perform other functions. For a more detailed description, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the method embodiments shown in Figures 2, 7 and 11. They will not be repeated here.

[0283] Figure 16 shows a communication device 1600 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device shown in Figure 16 can be a hardware circuit implementation of the communication device shown in Figure 15. This communication device 1600 can be applied to the flowcharts shown above to perform the functions of the first device or the second device in the above method embodiments. For ease of explanation, Figure 16 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0284] As shown in Figure 16, the communication device 1600 includes a communication interface 1601 and a processor 1602. The communication interface 1601 and the processor 1602 are coupled to each other. It is understood that the communication interface 1601 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface, or an interface circuit such as a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the communication device 1600 may further include a memory 1603 for storing instructions executed by the processor 1602, or storing input data required by the processor 1602 to execute instructions, or storing data generated after the processor 1602 executes instructions.

[0285] When the communication device 1600 is used to implement the methods shown in FIG2, FIG7 and FIG11, the communication interface 1601 is used to implement the functions of the communication unit 1501, and the processor 1602 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 1502.

[0286] This embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the communication interface 1601, processor 1602, and memory 1603. In Figure 16, the memory 1603, processor 1602, and communication interface 1601 are connected via a communication bus 1604, which is represented by a thick line. The connection methods between other components are merely illustrative and not intended to be limiting. The communication bus 1604 can be divided into an address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 16, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0287] When the aforementioned communication device is a chip, Figure 17 shows a simplified schematic diagram of the chip's device structure. The chip 1700 includes an interface circuit 1701 and one or more processors 1702. Optionally, the chip 1700 may also include a bus. Wherein:

[0288] Processor 1702 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step of the method for determining the service node information described above can be completed through integrated logic circuits in the hardware of processor 1702 or through software instructions. Processor 1702 may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an 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 and steps disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0289] The interface circuit 1701 can be used to send or receive data, instructions or information. The processor 1702 can use the data, instructions or other information received by the interface circuit 1701 to process the data, instructions or other information, and can send the processed information out through the interface circuit 1701.

[0290] Optionally, chip 1700 also includes memory 1703, which may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provides operation instructions and data to the processor. A portion of memory 1703 may also include non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM).

[0291] Optionally, the memory stores executable software modules or data structures, and the processor can execute corresponding operations by calling the operation instructions stored in the memory (which may be stored in the operating system).

[0292] Optionally, the chip can be used in the first or second device involved in the embodiments of this application. Optionally, the interface circuit 1701 can be used to output the execution result of the processor 1702. For the multi-site cooperative transmission method provided by one or more embodiments of this application, please refer to the foregoing embodiments and implementation methods, which will not be repeated here.

[0293] It should be noted that the functions of the interface circuit 1701 and the processor 1702 can be implemented through hardware design, software design, or a combination of hardware and software; no restrictions are imposed here.

[0294] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the first device or the second device in the above method embodiments.

[0295] For example, when the computer program is executed by a computer, it enables the computer to implement the method performed by the first device or the second device in the above method embodiments.

[0296] This application also provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method described in the above method embodiments, executed by the first device or the second device.

[0297] This application also provides a chip, including a processor, for calling computer programs or computer instructions stored in the memory to cause the processor to execute the methods of the implementation shown in Figures 2, 7 and 11.

[0298] In one possible implementation, the input of the chip corresponds to the receiving operation in the implementations shown in Figures 2, 7 and 11 above, and the output of the chip corresponds to the transmitting operation in the implementations shown in Figures 2, 7 and 11 above.

[0299] Alternatively, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0300] Optionally, the chip also includes a memory that stores computer programs or computer instructions.

[0301] The processor mentioned above can be a general-purpose central processing unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits used to control the execution of a program for a multi-site cooperative transmission method in the implementations shown in Figures 2, 7, and 11. The memory mentioned above can be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0302] It should be noted that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the explanations and beneficial effects of the relevant content in any of the communication devices provided above can be referred to the corresponding service node information determination method embodiments provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0303] The module division in this embodiment is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in each embodiment of this application can be integrated into a single processor, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into a single module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0304] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will clearly understand that the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in software, the above functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media can be any available medium accessible to a computer. For example, but not limited to, computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage media, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible to a computer. Furthermore, any connection can suitably be a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of the medium. As used in embodiments of this application, disks and discs include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital video discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, wherein disks typically magnetically copy data, while discs optically copy data using lasers. The combinations above should also be included within the scope of protection for computer-readable media.

[0305] In summary, the above descriptions are merely embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made based on the disclosure of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A multi-site collaborative transmission method, characterized in that, Applied to a first device, the method includes: The system obtains channel information between the first device and the second device, interference information between the second device and at least one third device, and transmit beam information of the at least one third device; wherein the first device and the second device establish a connection, and the first device and the at least one third device are different devices; Based on the channel information, the interference information, and the transmit beam information of the at least one third device, the target transmit beam information of the first device is determined; Data is transmitted based on the target transmit beam information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The channel information is the channel state information between the first device and the second device, and the interference information is the channel state information between the second device and the at least one third device.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The channel information is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the first device and the second device, the interference information is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the second device and the at least one third device, and the transmit beam information is a transmit beam vector.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Obtaining the interference information between the second device and at least one third device, as well as the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, includes: The device receives interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, as well as the transmit beam information of the at least one third device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The step of obtaining interference information between the second device and at least one third device includes: receiving interference information between the second device and the at least one third device from the second device; Obtaining the transmission beam information of the at least one third device includes: sending a request message to a management device, the request message being used to request the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, and receiving the transmission beam information of the at least one third device from the management device.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The request information includes the identification information of the at least one third device, and the method further includes: Receive the identification information of the at least one third device from the second device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The system obtains channel information between the first device and the fourth device, interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device, and transmit beam information of the at least one fifth device; wherein the first device and the fourth device establish a connection, and the first device and the fifth device are different devices; The interference information between the second device and at least one third device and the interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device are aggregated to obtain the target interference information. Determining the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information, the interference information, and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device includes: determining the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, the channel information between the first device and the fourth device, the transmission beam information of the at least one fifth device, and the target interference information.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Determining the target transmission beam information of the first device includes: The target transmission beam information of the first device is obtained through the communication graph model.

9. A multi-site collaborative transmission method, characterized in that, Applied to a second device, the method includes: Channel measurement is performed with a first device to obtain channel information between the first device and the second device; channel measurement is performed with at least one third device to obtain interference information between the second device and the at least one third device; wherein, a connection is established between the first device and the second device, and the first device and the at least one third device are different devices; Transmit the information of the channel and the interference information; The system receives data transmitted by the first device based on target transmit beam information; the target transmit beam information is determined based on the channel information, the interference information, and the transmit beam information of the at least one third device.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The channel information is the channel state information between the first device and the second device, and the interference information is the channel state information between the second device and the at least one third device.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The channel information is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the first device and the second device, the interference information is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the second device and the at least one third device, and the transmit beam information is a transmit beam vector.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the transmission beam information of the at least one third device.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send the transmission beam information of the at least one third device to the first device.

14. A multi-site collaborative transmission method, characterized in that, The method includes: The second device performs channel measurement with the first device to obtain channel information between the first device and the second device; the second device performs channel measurement with at least one third device to obtain interference information between the second device and the at least one third device; wherein, a connection is established between the first device and the second device, and the first device and the at least one third device are different devices; the second device transmits the channel information and the interference information; The first device obtains information about the channel between the first device and the second device, interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, and transmit beam information of the at least one third device; The first device determines the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information, the interference information, and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device. The first device transmits data based on the target transmit beam information; The second device receives the data from the first device.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The channel information is the channel state information between the first device and the second device, and the interference information is the channel state information between the second device and the at least one third device.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The channel information is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the first device and the second device, the interference information is a feature vector corresponding to the channel state information between the second device and the at least one third device, and the transmit beam information is a transmit beam vector.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that, The first device obtains interference information between the second device and at least one third device, as well as the transmit beam information of the at least one third device, including: The first device receives interference information between the second device and the at least one third device, as well as the transmit beam information of the at least one third device, from the second device.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that, The first device obtains interference information between the second device and at least one third device, including: the first device receives interference information between the second device and the at least one third device from the second device; The first device obtains the transmit beam information of the at least one third device, including: The first device sends a request message to the management device, the request message being used to request the transmission beam information of the at least one third device; the management device receives the request message and sends the transmission beam information of the at least one third device to the first device, and the first device receives the transmission beam information of the at least one third device.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The request information includes the identification information of the at least one third device, and the method further includes: The second device sends the identification information of the at least one third device to the first device, and the first device receives the identification information of the at least one third device.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that, The method further includes: A fourth device performs channel measurement with a first device to obtain channel information between the first device and the fourth device; the fourth device performs channel measurement with at least one fifth device to obtain interference information between the fourth device and the at least one fifth device; wherein, a connection is established between the first device and the fourth device, and the first device and the at least one fifth device are different devices; the fourth device transmits the channel information between the first device and the fourth device and the interference information between the fourth device and the at least one fifth device; The first device obtains information about the channel between the first device and the fourth device, interference information between the fourth device and the at least one fifth device, and transmit beam information of the at least one fifth device; The first device aggregates the interference information between the second device and at least one third device and the interference information between the fourth device and at least one fifth device to obtain the target interference information. The first device determines the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information, the interference information, and the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, including: the first device determines the target transmission beam information of the first device based on the channel information between the first device and the second device, the transmission beam information of the at least one third device, the channel information between the first device and the fourth device, the transmission beam information of the at least one fifth device, and the target interference information.

21. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that, The first device determines the target transmission beam information of the first device, including: The target transmission beam information of the first device is obtained through the communication graph model.

22. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes units or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, or units or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 13.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes a processor and an input / output interface, the input / output interface being used for inputting and / or outputting information, and the processor being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, or to perform the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 13.

24. The communication device according to claim 23, characterized in that, It also includes a memory for storing a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, or the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 13.

25. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a first device and a second device, the first device being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, and the second device being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 9 to 13.

26. The communication system according to claim 25, characterized in that, It also includes one or more of the following: At least one third device, management device, fourth device, or at least one fifth device.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer-readable program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13 to be performed, or cause the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 21 to be performed.

28. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13 to be performed, or cause the method as described in any one of claims 14 to 21 to be performed.

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