Communication methods and communication devices

Abstract

Provided are communication methods and communication devices. A communication method comprises: a first non-AP STA performs communications on the basis of a first rule, the first rule being related to one or more of the following: NPCA, P-EDCA, a low capability mode, a limited operation mode, and a first type of non-AP STA, wherein the first type of non-AP STA comprises one or more of the following: a non-AP STA performing uplink transmission on the basis of an ELR PPDU, and a non-AP STA having an operating bandwidth of 20 MHz.

Description

Communication methods and communication equipment Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Technology

[0002] In communication systems, non-access point stations (non-AP STAs) need to communicate based on certain rules. However, when a non-AP STA communicates using one or more of the following methods: non-primary channel access (NPCA), prioritized enhanced distributed channel access (P-EDCA), lower capability mode, restricted operation mode, or transmission based on enhanced long range physical layer protocol data unit (ELR PPDU), the rules may not be clearly defined. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a communication method and a communication device. The various aspects covered by this application are described below.

[0004] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, comprising: a first non-AP STA communicating according to a first rule, the first rule being related to one or more of the following: NPCA, P-EDCA, lower capability mode, restricted operation mode, and a first type of non-AP STA; wherein the first type of non-AP STA includes one or more of the following: a non-AP STA performing uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU, and a non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz.

[0005] Secondly, a communication method is provided, comprising: an AP sending one or more of the following: a first frame, the first frame indicating a first bandwidth, the first bandwidth being used by a non-AP STA or a first type of non-AP STA to determine whether to switch to the NPCA main channel or whether to perform uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on a trigger frame scheduling; a second frame, the second frame indicating a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth being used by a non-AP STA or a first type of non-AP STA to determine whether to enable P-EDCA function or whether to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on an ELR PPDU; wherein the first type of non-AP STA includes one or more of the following: a non-AP STA performing uplink transmission based on an ELR PPDU, a non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz.

[0006] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, the communication device being a first non-access point station (non-AP STA), the communication device comprising: a communication unit for communicating according to a first rule, the first rule being related to one or more of the following: NPCA, P-EDCA, lower capability mode, restricted operation mode, and a first type of non-AP STA; wherein the first type of non-AP STA includes one or more of the following: a non-AP STA performing uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU, and a non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz.

[0007] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, the communication device being an AP, the communication device comprising: a communication unit configured to transmit one or more of the following: a first frame, the first frame indicating a first bandwidth, the first bandwidth being used by a non-AP STA or a first type of non-AP STA to determine whether to switch to the NPCA main channel or whether to perform uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on a trigger frame scheduling; a second frame, the second frame indicating a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth being used by a non-AP STA or a first type of non-AP STA to determine whether to enable the P-EDCA function or whether to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on an ELR PPDU; wherein, the first type of non-AP STA includes one or more of the following: a non-AP STA performing uplink transmission based on an ELR PPDU, a non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz.

[0008] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, including a transceiver, a memory, and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to invoke the computer programs in the memory to cause the communication device to perform the method described in the first or second aspect.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes a communication device to perform the method described in the first or second aspect above.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program operable to cause a communication device to perform the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0011] Eighthly, a chip is provided that includes a memory and a processor, the processor being able to call and run a computer program from the memory to implement the methods described in the first or second aspect above.

[0012] This application proposes rules related to one or more of NPCA, P-EDCA, lower capability mode, restricted operation mode, and first type of non-AP STA (such as non-AP STA based on ELR PPDU transmission), which help improve communication efficiency or reliability in relevant scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0014] Figure 2A is an example diagram of the distributed coordination function (DCF).

[0015] Figure 2B is another example diagram of DCF.

[0016] Figure 2C is another example diagram of DCF.

[0017] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the format of the EDCA Parameter Set element field.

[0018] Figure 4 shows the format diagram of the AC_BE, AC_BK, AC_VI and AC_VO Parameter Record fields.

[0019] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the format of the ACI / AIFSN field.

[0020] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the format of the ECWmin / ECWmax fields.

[0021] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the format of UHR ELR PPDU.

[0022] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the NPCA process.

[0023] Figure 9 is an example diagram of the channel access process based on P-EDCA.

[0024] Figure 10 is an example diagram of the communication process related to dynamic power save (DPS).

[0025] Figure 11A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the trigger frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 11B is an example diagram of the format of the Common Info field in Figure 11A.

[0027] Figure 11C is an example of the format of the User Info List field in Figure 11A.

[0028] Figure 12 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 13 is an example diagram of the format of the first frame provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0030] Figure 14 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0031] Figure 15 is an example diagram of the format of the second frame provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0032] Figure 16 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0033] Figure 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0035] Figure 19 is a schematic structural diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Communication system

[0038] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless fidelity (WIFI), high-performance radio local area networks (HIPELANs), wide area networks (WANs), cellular networks, or other communication systems. For example, the technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to communication systems using the 802.11 standard. Exemplarily, the 802.11 standard includes, but is not limited to, the 802.11ax standard, the 802.11be standard, the 802.11bn standard, and the next-generation 802.11 standard (post802.11bn).

[0039] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to embodiments of this application. Referring to Figure 1, the communication devices in the communication system 100 may include access point (AP) 111, AP 112, and station (STA) 121 and STA 122, wherein STA 121 can access the network through AP 111, and STA 122 can access the network through AP 112.

[0040] In some implementations, a STA can establish an association with one or more APs, after which the associated STAs and APs can communicate with each other. Referring to Figure 1, AP 111 and STA 121 can communicate after establishing an association, and AP 112 and STA 122 can communicate after establishing an association.

[0041] In some implementations, the communication in the communication system 100 can be communication between an AP and a non-AP STA, communication between two non-AP STAs, or communication between a STA and a peer STA. Here, a peer STA can refer to a device that communicates with the STA's counterpart. For example, a peer STA may be an AP or a non-AP STA.

[0042] It should be understood that Figure 1 exemplarily shows two AP STAs and two non-AP STAs. The communication system 100 may also include more AP STAs, or the communication system 100 may include other numbers of non-AP STAs. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0043] In addition, the above-mentioned communication system can be applied to scenarios involving multi-device collaboration, such as multi-AP (multi-access points) collaboration or multi-site collaboration.

[0044] In the embodiments of this application, the names of AP and / or STA are not limited. In some scenarios, AP can also be called AP STA, that is, in a sense, AP is also a type of STA. In other scenarios, STA can be called non-AP STA.

[0045] In some scenarios, the aforementioned communication equipment can also be a "multi-link device (MLD)," meaning a device that can communicate through multiple communication links. These multiple communication links can include communication links in different frequency bands, such as millimeter-wave bands and / or low-frequency bands. Typically, if the multi-link device is an access point (AP), it can also be called an "AP MLD." If the multi-link device is a non-AP STA, it can also be called a "non-AP MLD."

[0046] In this application embodiment, the AP can be a device in a wireless network. The AP can be a communication server, router, switch, bridge, or other communication entity. Alternatively, the AP can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, etc. Of course, the AP can also be a chip, circuit, or processing system within these various forms of devices, thereby implementing the methods and functions of this application embodiment. APs can be applied in various scenarios, such as sensor nodes in smart cities (e.g., smart water meters, smart electricity meters, smart air quality monitoring nodes), smart devices in smart homes (e.g., smart cameras, projectors, displays, televisions, audio equipment, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), nodes in the Internet of Things (IoT), entertainment terminals (e.g., AR, VR, and other wearable devices), smart devices in smart offices (e.g., printers, projectors, etc.), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) devices, and some infrastructure in daily life scenarios (e.g., vending machines, supermarket self-service navigation kiosks, self-service checkout machines, self-service ordering machines, etc.).

[0047] In some implementations, the role of the STA in the communication system is not absolute; in some scenarios, the STA can act as an AP. For example, in a scenario where a mobile phone connects to a router, the mobile phone can be a non-AP STA, while when the mobile phone acts as a hotspot for other mobile phones, it takes on the role of an AP.

[0048] In the embodiments of this application, the STA can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, such as one that supports the 802.11 series of protocols and can communicate with the AP or other STAs. For example, an STA is any user communication device that allows users to communicate with the AP and thus with the WLAN. STAs can be, for example, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device, etc.

[0049] In this application embodiment, the STA can also be a device that provides voice / data / image connectivity to the user, such as a handheld device, vehicle device, home device, home appliance, gaming device, etc., with wireless connection function or equipped with a wireless communication module. Examples include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, drones or aerial photography equipment, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, or future evolution of public land mobile communication networks. Terminal devices in a network (PLMN) can also be televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, kitchen appliances, door locks, fish tanks, robot vacuum cleaners, game consoles, cameras / camcorders, etc. with wireless connectivity, but this application embodiment is not limited to these.

[0050] By way of example and not limitation, in this embodiment, the STA can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Examples include smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as devices that focus on a specific type of application function and require cooperation with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the STA can also be a terminal device in an Internet of Things (IoT) system. IoT is an important component of future information technology development, and its main technical feature is connecting objects to networks through communication technologies, thereby realizing an intelligent network for human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection. In this embodiment, IoT technology can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and low terminal power consumption through technologies such as narrowband (NB).

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the STA can be a device in a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) system. The communication methods in a V2X system are collectively referred to as V2X (where X represents anything). For example, V2X communication includes: vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, or vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication, etc.

[0053] In addition, in the embodiments of this application, the STA may also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas stations. Its main functions include collecting data (some terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data from the AP, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit data to the AP.

[0054] In addition, the AP in this application embodiment can be a device for communicating with the STA. The AP can be a network device in a wireless local area network, and the AP can be used to communicate with the STA through the wireless local area network.

[0055] From the perspective of the communication standards supported by the AP, in some implementations, the AP can be a device that supports the 802.11be standard. The AP can also be a device that supports various current and future 802.11 family WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

[0056] From the perspective of the communication standards supported by the STA, in some implementations, non-AP STAs can support the 802.11be standard. Non-AP STAs can also support various current and future 802.11 family of wireless local area networks (WLAN) standards, such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

[0057] In this application embodiment, the frequency bands supported by WLAN technology are not limited. In some implementations, the frequency bands supported by WLAN technology may include, but are not limited to: low frequency bands (e.g., 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz) and high frequency bands (e.g., 45GHz, 60GHz).

[0058] It should be understood that the specific forms of STA and AP are not specifically limited in the embodiments of this application, and are merely illustrative examples.

[0059] Channel

[0060] Primary Channel: This refers to the channel shared by all member stations in the basic service set (BSS). For example, in a BSS corresponding to 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, or 80+80MHz, the primary channel is a main 20MHz channel.

[0061] Nonprimary channel: refers to any 20MHz channel other than the primary 20MHz channel within a 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, or 80+80MHz basic service set (BSS).

[0062] Primary 20MHz Channel: This refers to the 20MHz channel used to transmit 20MHz physical layer (PHY) protocol data units (PPDUs) within a basic service set (BSS) of 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, or 80+80MHz.

[0063] The primary 40MHz channel is a 40MHz channel used to transmit 40MHz physical layer (PHY) protocol data units (PPDUs) within an 80MHz, 160MHz, or 80+80MHz basic service set (BSS).

[0064] Primary 80MHz Channel: Within a 160MHz or 80+80MHz basic service set (BSS), this 80MHz channel is used to transmit 80MHz physical layer (PHY) protocol data units (PPDUs).

[0065] Primary 160MHz Channel: Within a 320MHz basic service set (BSS), this is the 160MHz channel that includes the primary 20MHz channel.

[0066] Sometimes the aforementioned main 20MHz channel, main 40MHz channel, main 80MHz channel, and main 160MHz channel are collectively referred to as the main channel.

[0067] A secondary channel is a channel associated with a primary channel and used to create a channel wider than the primary channel. In a 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, or 80+80MHz basic service set (BSS), the secondary channel is a secondary 20MHz channel.

[0068] Secondary 20MHz Channel: In the 40MHz very high throughput basic service set, the 20MHz channel adjacent to the primary 20MHz channel together forms the 40MHz channel corresponding to the 40MHz very high throughput basic service set. In the 80MHz very high throughput basic service set, the 20MHz channel adjacent to the primary 20MHz channel together forms the primary 40MHz channel corresponding to the 80MHz very high throughput basic service set. In the 160MHz or 80+80MHz very high throughput basic service set, the 20MHz channel adjacent to the primary 20MHz channel together forms the primary 40MHz channel corresponding to the 160MHz or 80+80MHz very high throughput basic service set. (In a 40MHz very high throughput(VHT)basic service set(BSS), the 20MHz channel adjacent to the primary 20MHz channel that together form the 40MHz channel of the 40MHz VHT BSS.In an 80MHz VHT BSS, the 20MHz channel adjacent to the primary 20MHz channel that together form the primary 40MHz channel of the 80MHz VHT BSS.In a 160MHz or 80+80MHz VHT BSS, the 20MHz channel adjacent to the primary 20MHz channel that together form the primary 40MHz channel of the 160MHz or 80+80MHz VHT BSS.In a VHT BSS, the secondary 20MHz channel is also the secondary channel.)

[0069] The secondary 40MHz channel: In an 80MHz very high throughput (VHT) basic service set (BSS), the 40MHz channel adjacent to the primary 40MHz channel together forms the 80MHz channel of the 80MHz VHT BSS. In a 160MHz or 80+80MHz VHT BSS, the 40MHz channel adjacent to the primary 40MHz channel together forms the primary 80MHz channel.

[0070] Secondary 80MHz Channel: In a 160MHz or 80+80MHz very high throughput (VHT) basic service set (BSS), the 80MHz channel, excluding the primary 20MHz channel, together with the primary 80MHz channel, forms the 160MHz or 80+80MHz channel corresponding to the 160MHz or 80+80MHz VHT BSS.

[0071] The Secondary 160MHz Channel: Within a 320MHz basic service set (BSS), the 160MHz channel, excluding the primary 20MHz channel, together with the primary 160MHz channel, forms the 320MHz channel corresponding to the 320MHz extremely high throughput (EHT) BSS.

[0072] Sometimes the aforementioned 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, and 160MHz channels are collectively referred to as secondary channels.

[0073] Operating Channel: This refers to the channel used to transmit beacon frames. It can be a collection of multiple channels used during operation. Specific examples include 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, or 320MHz operating channels.

[0074] Operating Channel Width (OSB) refers to the bandwidth of the channel through which the station (STA) is currently able to receive signals. Examples include 20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz, or 320MHz.

[0075] Anchor Channel: Also known as Non-Primary Channel Access (NPCA) Primary Channel, Second Primary Channel, Temporary Primary Channel, Assistant Primary Channel, Auxiliary Primary Channel, or Target Subchannel. A subchannel within the current operating channel of the basic service set, used as the primary channel when the access point and associated site perform non-primary channel access. Specifically, assuming the access point's current operating channel bandwidth is 160MHz, the subchannels include: Primary 80MHz (P80, including Primary 20MHz (P20), Secondary 20MHz (S20), Secondary 40MHz (S40, including S20-1, S20-2)), and Secondary 80MHz (S80, including S20-3, S20-4, S20-5, S20-6). For example, when access points and associated sites perform non-primary channel access, they use S20-3 as P20, S20-4 as S20, S20-5 and S20-6 as S40, and P80 as S80.

[0076] Distributed coordination function (DCF)

[0077] DCF (Distributed Channel Optimization) is the most basic channel access method. When a STA detects that the channel has changed from busy to idle during Clear Channel Assessment (CCA), it needs to continue detecting whether the channel remains idle for the Distributed Interframe Space (DIFS) period. Then, if the current random backoff counter value is 0, the STA acquires channel access, immediately transmits, and resets the random backoff counter value. Otherwise, the STA continues to detect whether the channel remains idle. Each time the channel is detected to be idle for one slot, the STA's random backoff counter value is decremented by 1 until the STA's random backoff counter value becomes 0. At this point, the STA acquires channel access, immediately transmits, and resets the random backoff counter value. During this process, if another STA competes for the channel first, the STA's random backoff counter value remains unchanged. The next time the CCA detects that the channel has changed from busy to idle, the STA's random backoff counter value will remain the same as before.

[0078] To facilitate a better understanding of DCF, a more detailed explanation of DCF is provided below. The channel access process corresponding to DCF can be seen in Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C.

[0079] [Amended to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] The fundamental access method of the MAC used by non-DMG STAs is a DCF known as carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA / CA). All STAs shall implement DCF.

[0080] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] In order for a STA to transmit, it must sense the medium to determine if another STA is transmitting. If the medium is not determined to be busy, the transmission can proceed. The CSMA / CA distributed algorithm requires a minimum specified interval between frame exchange sequences. The transmitting STA should verify that the medium is idle within this required duration before attempting to transmit. If the medium is determined to be busy, non-DMG STAs should defer until the current transmission ends, while DMG STAs may defer until the current transmission ends. After deferring, or before attempting to transmit again immediately after a successful transmission, the STA should initialize a backoff counter to a random backoff count and decrement the backoff counter by one every aSlotTime (one backoff slot) interval while the medium is idle.(For a STA to transmit,it shall sense the medium to determine if another STA is transmitting.If the medium is not determined to be busy,the transmission may proceed.The CSMA / CA distributed algorithm mandates that a gap of a minimum specified duration exists between frame exchange sequences.A transmitting STA shall verify that the medium is idle for this required duration before attempting to transmit.If the medium is determined to be busy,a non-DMG STA shall defer until the end of the current transmission,and a DMG STA may defer until the end of the current transmission.After deferral,or prior to attempting to transmit again immediately after a successful transmission,the STA shall initialize a backoff counter to a random backoff count and shall decrement the backoff counter once per interval of aSlotTime(a backoff slot)while the medium is idle.)。

[0081] [Amended 25.03.2025 according to Rule 26] The basic medium access protocol is DCF, which allows for automatic medium sharing between compatible PHYs by using CSMA / CA and a random backoff count following a busy medium condition. Furthermore, all individually addressed traffic uses an immediate positive acknowledgment (Ack frame), in which retransmission is scheduled by the sender if no Ack frame is received.

[0082] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA)

[0083] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] The EDCA mechanism provides differentiated, distributed WM access for STAs using eight different UPs. The EDCA mechanism defines four access categories (ACs) to support traffic delivery with UPs at the STAs. Six transmit queues are defined when dot11AlternateEDCAActivated is true, and four transmit queues otherwise.

[0084] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] For each AC, an enhanced variant of DCF, called EDCAF, uses a set of EDCA parameters to compete for TXOP. When transmitting data frames outside the BSS context (dot11OCBActivated is true), the EDCA parameters are either the corresponding default values ​​or the values ​​set by the SME in dot11EDCATable. For STAs operating in OCB mode, their AC's transmit queue can be cleared by calling the MLME-CANCELTX.request primitive. For non-AP STAs communicating within a non-mesh QoS BSS, the EDCA parameters used are from the EDCA parameter set elements, or (for non-AP STAs, mesh STAs, or STAs operating in OCB mode that are not yet associated with an AP of the infrastructure BSS) from the default values ​​of the parameters. The parameters used by EDCAF to control its operation are defined by dot11QAPEDCATable at the AP and by dot11EDCATable at the non-AP STA.(For each AC an enhanced variant of the DCF,called EDCAF,contends for TXOPs using a set of EDCA parameters.When communicating Data frames outside the context of a BSS(dot11OCBActivated is true),the EDCA parameters are the corresponding default values or are as set by the SME in dot11EDCATable.For a STA operating OCB the STA’s transmit queue for an AC may be cleared by the invocation of the MLME-CANCELTX.request primitive.For a non-AP STA communicating within a non-mesh QoS BSS,the EDCA parameters used are from the EDCA Parameter Set element or(for a non-AP STA prior to associating with an AP of an infrastructure BSS,a mesh STA,or a STA that operates OCB)from the default values for the parameters.The parameters used by the EDCAF to control its operation are defined by dot11QAPEDCATable at the AP and by dot11EDCATable at the non-AP STA.)。

[0085] [Amended from Rule 26, March 25, 2025] The QoS AP shall announce the EDCA parameters in selected Beacon frames and in all Probe Response and (Re)Association Response frames by including the EDCA Parameter Set element, using the MIB entry information in dot11EDCATable. If no such element has been received (e.g., prior to association in an infrastructure BSS), a non-AP QoS STA shall use the default values ​​for the parameters.

[0086] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] An AP or PCP may use a different set of EDCA parameters than it advertises to the STAs in its BSS.

[0087] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] Each EDCAF shall maintain a MAC variable CW[AC], which shall be initialized to the value of the parameter CWmin[AC] for that EDCAF's AC.

[0088] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] When the backoff procedure is invoked, the backoff counter is set to a randomly selected integer value that is uniformly distributed within the range 0 to CW[AC].

[0089] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] The duration AIFS[AC] is derived from the value AIFSN[AC] by the relation: AIFS[AC] = AIFSN[AC] × aSlotTime + aSIFSTime.

[0090] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] In an infrastructure BSS, AIFSN[AC] is advertised by an EDCA AP in the EDCA Parameter Set element in Beacon and Probe Response frames transmitted by the AP. The value of AIFSN[AC] shall be greater than or equal to 2 for non-AP STAs. The value of AIFSN[AC] shall be greater than or equal to 1 for APs.

[0091] [Amended 25.03.2025 according to Rule 26] The EDCA Parameter Set element provides information needed by STAs for the proper operation of the QoS facility. The format of the EDCA Parameter Set element is defined as follows.

[0092] [Amended 25.03.2025 according to Rule 26] For an infrastructure BSS, the EDCA Parameter Set element is used by the AP to establish policy (by changing default MIB attribute values), to change policies when accepting new STAs or new traffic, or to adapt to changes in offered load. The most recent EDCA Parameter Set element received by a STA is used to update the appropriate MIB values.

[0093] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] Figure 3 shows the format of the EDCA Parameter Set element field. Figure 4 shows the format of the AC_BE, AC_BK, AC_VI, and AC_VO Parameter Record fields. Figure 5 shows the format of the ACI / AIFSN field.

[0094] [Amended 25.03.2025 according to Rule 26] The value of the AC Index (ACI) references the Access Class (AC) corresponding to all parameters in this record. The mapping between ACI and AC is defined in Table 1. The Admission Control Enforcement (ACM) subfield indicates that admission control is required for this Access Class. If the ACM subfield is equal to 0, the corresponding Access Class does not require admission control. If the ACM subfield is set to 1, admission control must be used before transmission using the access parameters specified for this Access Class. The AIFSN subfield indicates the number of time slots a STA must wait after SIFS before triggering a backoff operation or starting transmission. The minimum value of the AIFSN subfield is 2. (The value of the AC index(ACI)references the AC to which all parameters in this record correspond.The mapping between ACI and AC is defined in Table 1.The ACM(admission control mandatory)subfield indicates that admission control is required for the AC.If the ACM subfield is equal to 0,then there is no admission control for the corresponding AC.If the ACM subfield is set to 1,admission control has to be used prior to transmission using the access parameters specified for this AC.The AIFSN subfield indicates the number of slots after a SIFS a STA defers before either invoking a backoff or starting a transmission.The minimum value of the AIFSN subfield is 2.)

[0095] [Revised according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] Table 1 ACI-to-AC coding

[0096] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] Figure 6 shows the format of the ECWmin / ECWmax fields. The ECWmin and ECWmax subfields encode the values ​​of CWmin and CWmax, respectively, in exponential form. The ECWmin and ECWmax values ​​are defined as follows: [0096.1][Amended according to Rule 26, 25.03.2025] CWmin=2 ECWmin -1; [0096.2][Amended according to Rule 26 25.03.2025] CWmax=2 ECWmax –1.

[0097] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 2025] Therefore, the minimum encoded value of CWmin and CWmax is 0, and the maximum value is 32767.

[0098] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] The TXOP limit field is specified as an unsigned integer in units of 32 microseconds. Setting the TXOP limit field to 0 has a special meaning.

[0099] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] Table 2 (Default EDCA Parameter Set element parameters if dot11OCBActivated is false and the STA is a non-sensor STA) defines the default EDCA parameters used by a non-AP STA when dot11OCBActivated is false.

[0100] [Revised according to Rule 26, March 2025] Table 2

[0101] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 2025] If dot11OCBActivated is true, the default EDCA parameter set for STAs transmitting QoS frames is given in Table 3 (Default EDCA parameter set for STA operation if dot11OCBActivated is true).

[0102] [Revised according to Rule 26, March 2025] Table 3

[0103] [Amended to Rule 26 on March 25, 2025] Enhanced Long-Range (ELR) PPDU

[0104] [Amended 25.03.2025 according to Rule 26] The UHR physical layer provides support for a new extended long range (ELR) PPDU format designed to overcome link budget imbalances between the uplink and downlink, and to improve spectrum efficiency for STAs operating further away from APs. ELR PPDUs have a fixed bandwidth of 20MHz and can be used for downlink and uplink operation in the 2.4GHz band, while they can only be used for uplink operation in the 5GHz and 6GHz bands.

[0105] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] A UHR Enhanced Long Range (ELR) PPDU can be used to overcome the link budget imbalance between downlink and uplink, or to achieve a higher data rate compared to a DSSS PPDU.

[0106] [Amended 25.03.2025 according to Rule 26] The UHR ELR PPDU is applicable to the uplink of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands, and is only applicable to the downlink of the 2.4GHz band. The UHR ELR PPDU is defined only as a PPDU with a 20MHz PPDU bandwidth, single spatial stream, and 52 subcarrier regular RU (RRU52 or 52 subcarrier RRU) with quadruple frequency domain repetition of UHR-MCS 0 and 1 in the main 20MHz channel. The UHR ELR PPDU supports the use of BCC and LDPC encoding, with a codeword block length of up to 1944 bits. The UHR ELR PPDU sets the PPDU type and compression mode subfields to 3 in the U-SIG field, and includes the ELRMAK field after the U-SIG field. (A UHR ELR PPDU is applicable for 2.4GHz,5GHz,and 6GHz bands in uplink,and only for 2.4GHz in downlink.A UHR ELR PPDU is defined only for 20MHz PPDU bandwidth,a single spatial stream and UHR-MCSs 0 and 1with four times frequency domain duplication over 52-tone regular RUs(RRU52s or 52-tone RRUs)in primary 20MHz channel.UHR ELR PPDU supports using BCC and LDPC coding with codeword block length up to 1944bits.A UHR ELR PPDU sets the PPDU Type And Compression Mode subfield in the U-SIG field to 3,and includes the ELRMARK field right after the U-SIG field.)

[0107] Figure 7 shows the format of the UHR ELR PPDU, which is used for single-user transmission (SU transmission).

[0108] Non-primary channel access (NPCA)

[0109] When the primary channel is detected to be busy, both the AP and non-AP STA can switch to a non-primary channel for transmission. Related technologies define the conditions under which APs and STAs can switch to the primary channel (NPCA primary channel) for non-primary channel access. These technologies also define the channel access rules and transmission rules for NPCA APs and NPCA STAs on the NPCA primary channel. NPCA APs and NPCA STAs on the NPCA primary channel need to send a Buffer Status Report Poll GI3 (BSRP GI3) trigger frame to initiate a transmission opportunity. The BSRP GI3 trigger frame is a BSRP trigger frame with a GI and HE / EHT LTF type field value of 3. It requests the other party to send a Multi-STA BA frame carried in a non-HT or non-HT duplicate PPDU in response.

[0110] Referring to Figure 8, the related technology proposes that APs and non-AP STAs can switch to a non-primary channel for transmission when the primary channel is detected to be busy. After the AP switches to a non-primary channel, it can query the non-AP STA's availability through multi-user request-to-send (MU-RTS) and clear-to-send (CTS) frame interactions. Furthermore, the related technology defines the conditions for APs and STAs to switch to a non-primary channel to access the primary channel (NPCA primary channel), and defines the channel access rules and transmission rules for NPCA APs and NPCA STAs on the NPCA primary channel.

[0111] Prioritized Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (P-EDCA)

[0112] The following is a detailed introduction to P-EDCA. The difference between the channel access process of P-EDCA and traditional EDCA can be seen in Figure 9.

[0113] [Amended from Rule 26, March 25, 2025] Prioritized EDCA (P-EDCA) is an enhancement of the EDCA mechanism used to reduce the access delay distribution tail for low-latency AC_VO traffic. The use of P-EDCA by a UHR STA should balance the impact on STAs that do not use P-EDCA.

[0114] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] P-EDCA is a mechanism in a UHR that allows a STA with low-latency traffic to send a backoff signal (CTS or RTS may be used) to initiate a protected short contention for pending low-latency data.

[0115] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] In P-EDCA, the STA always uses RTS / CTS for initial frame exchange and retry.

[0116] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] The duration of protected short contention is 97 microseconds, which allows for AIFSN[2]+7 slot contention.

[0117] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] This solution would provide control over the degree of collisions that may occur during use and allow for autonomous randomness or / and control by the AP.

[0118] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] The default parameters for P-EDCA for AC_VO during the protected short contention period are as follows:

[0119] [Revised according to Rule 26, March 2025] P-EDCA CWmin = 7, P-EDCA CWmax = 7;

[0120] [Revised according to Rule 26, March 2025] P-EDCA AIFSN = 2;

[0121] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] A UHR AP may advertise values ​​other than the default.

[0122] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] A STA that transmits a Defer Signal but fails to win the protected short contention will initiate a new retry.

[0123] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] Low-latency traffic is treated as AC_VO traffic.

[0124] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] There are no new mandatory synchronization requirements for the STA side.

[0125] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 25, 2025] P-EDCA will only be used by STAs in a BSS when this feature is enabled by the AP. If the AP to which that STA is associated has the P-EDCA option enabled, then the STA may use P-EDCA.

[0126] Supports dynamic power save (DPS).

[0127] In DPS technology, the AP or STA is mostly in lower capability mode (LCM). In lower capability mode, unless requested to switch to higher capability mode (capable of receiving PPDUs using larger bandwidth, a larger number of spatial streams, and more version types), the AP or STA can only receive PPDUs of specific protocol versions, such as non-HT PPDUs and non-HT duplicate PPDUs. The AP or STA will switch from lower capability mode to higher capability mode upon receiving a specific initial control frame (e.g., an RTS frame carried by a non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU, a MU-RTS trigger frame, or a BAR frame). To provide the AP or STA with handover time, the initial control frame needs to carry sufficient padding, as shown in Figure 10.

[0128] An AP that supports DPS assistance is a DPS Assisting AP. One or more non-AP STAs in the BSS that support DPS mode and have DPS mode enabled are DPS non-AP STAs. When operating in lower capability mode, a DPS non-AP STA can only receive specific versions of PPDUs with lower rates and fewer spatial streams, such as 6Mbps and / or 12Mbps and / or 24Mbps rates, one spatial stream, non-HT PPDU, and / or non-HT duplicate PPDU.

[0129] Coexistence

[0130] An AP that implements the limited operation mode (LOM) or reduced operation mode (ROM) is a LO responding AP. One or more non-AP STAs in the BSS that support the limited operation mode and are associated with the AP are LO requesting non-AP STAs. When a non-AP STA (Location Requesting STA) operates in restricted mode, its operating parameters are limited. For example, one or more of the following parameters may be changed: the number of spatial streams that can be transmitted and received is reduced; the maximum duration of transmit and receive PPDUs is reduced because other radio frequencies consume memory and processing time, thus reducing its own memory and processing requirements, and / or reducing its transmit and receive duration is beneficial for time-division transmission between different radio frequencies; the maximum modulation and coding order (MCS) of transmit and receive PPDUs is reduced because other radio frequencies consume memory and processing time, thus reducing its own memory and processing requirements, and / or using a more robust signal is beneficial for resisting interference from other radio frequency signals; low-density parity check code (LDPC) encoding is not supported because other radio frequencies consume memory and processing time, thus reducing its own memory and processing requirements; high-throughput immediate block acknowledgment (HT-immediate) is suspended. The BSS (Balance of Radio Signal) protocol reduces the received signal, thus avoiding interference from other radio frequency signals; one or more 20MHz sub-channels in the BSS operating bandwidth are unavailable, thus avoiding the use of sub-channels that are subject to interference from other radio frequency signals.

[0131] In communication systems, non-AP STAs need to communicate based on certain rules. However, when non-AP STAs use one or more of the aforementioned NPCA, P-EDCA, lower capability mode, restricted operation mode, or ELR PPDU-based transmissions for communication, the rules may not be clearly defined.

[0132] To address the aforementioned issues, embodiments of this application introduce new communication rules to improve the efficiency or reliability of the communication process. Hereinafter, the communication rules introduced in embodiments of this application will be referred to as the first rule. The first rule will be illustrated in detail below with specific examples.

[0133] Example 1: The first rule is a rule related to NPCA.

[0134] In some embodiments, the first rule relates to NPCA and the first type of non-AP STA. That is, the first rule is the rule that the first type of non-AP STA can or should follow when using NPCA technology.

[0135] The first type of non-AP STA mentioned above can include non-AP STAs that perform uplink transmission based on ELR PPDUs. In other words, the first type of non-AP STA is a non-AP STA located at the edge of the basic service area (BSA). To increase uplink transmission distance, non-AP STAs located at the BSA edge use ELR PPDUs for uplink transmission. NPCA technology was proposed to increase the system's spectrum utilization. However, as mentioned earlier, non-AP STAs that perform uplink transmission based on ELR PPDUs only occupy 20MHz of channel space for single-user transmission. Allowing such non-AP STAs to enable NPCA may reduce the system's spectrum utilization, and implementing NPCA also incurs some power consumption. However, disallowing such non-AP STAs to enable NPCA may increase their transmission latency. Therefore, the first rule can be determined by comprehensively considering the transmission latency of such non-AP STAs and the overall transmission efficiency of the system. For example, the first rule may relate to one or more of the following: whether non-AP STAs that make uplinks based on ELR PPDUs are allowed to enable NPCA functionality, or under what conditions non-AP STAs that make uplinks based on ELR PPDUs are allowed to enable NPCA functionality, or how non-AP STAs that make uplinks based on ELR PPDUs should enable NPCA functionality.

[0136] [Amended according to Rule 26, March 2025] In addition to non-AP STAs that perform uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU, the first type of non-AP STA mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also include non-AP STAs with limited operating bandwidth. For example, the first type of non-AP STA is a non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz. A non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz may include, for example, a 20MHz operating non-AP UHR STA and / or a 20MHz-only non-AP UHR STA. A 20MHz operating non-AP UHR STA may be: a non-AP UHR STA operating in a 20MHz channel width mode, such as a 20MHz-only non-AP UHR STA, or a UHR STA whose operating channel width has been reduced to 20MHz. A 20MHz-only non-AP UHR STA may be: a non-AP UHR STA that indicates in the Supported Channel Width Set subfield of the HE physical layer capability information field of the HE capability element that it only supports a 20MHz channel width in its operating frequency band. (20MHz operating non-AP UHR STA can be: A non-AP UHR STA that is operating in 20MHz channel width mode, such as a 20MHz-only non-AP UHR STA or an UHR STA that has reduced its operating channel width to 20MHz. 20MHz-only non-AP UHR STA can be: A non-AP UHR STA that indicates in the Supported Channel Width Set subfield in the HE PHY Capabilities Information field in the HE Capabilities element that it supports only 20MHz channel width for the frequency band in which it is operating.Similar to non-AP STAs that perform uplink transmission based on ELR PPDUs, a non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz will only occupy 20MHz of channel for transmission. Allowing such non-AP STAs to enable NPCA functionality may reduce the system's spectrum utilization. However, disallowing such non-AP STAs to enable NPCA functionality may increase their transmission latency. Therefore, the first rule can be determined by comprehensively considering the transmission latency of such non-AP STAs and the overall transmission efficiency of the system. For example, the first rule may be related to one or more of the following: whether non-AP STAs with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz are allowed to enable NPCA functionality, or under what conditions non-AP STAs with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz are allowed to enable NPCA functionality, or how non-AP STAs with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz should enable NPCA functionality.

[0137] The following are some examples of the first rule.

[0138] Option 1: The first rule includes uplink transmission of type 1 non-AP STAs on the NPCA main channel based on trigger frame scheduling.

[0139] As mentioned earlier, after switching from the main channel to the NPCA main channel, if Type I non-AP STAs compete for channel space on the NPCA main channel, limited by their operating bandwidth, they can only compete for channels with smaller bandwidths (such as 20MHz channels), resulting in wasted spectrum. Therefore, allowing Type I non-AP STAs to compete for channel space on the NPCA main channel may reduce the overall spectrum utilization of the system.

[0140] Based on the above considerations, in Option 1, the first rule includes: First-type non-AP STAs perform uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on trigger frame scheduling. Alternatively, first-type non-AP STAs perform uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on transmission opportunities (TXOPs) shared by the AP. Alternatively, first-type non-AP STAs do not compete for the channel on the NPCA main channel. For example, after an AP switches from the main channel to the NPCA main channel, it can compete for the NPCA main channel, while first-type non-AP STAs, after switching from the main channel to the NPCA main channel, do not compete for the channel. After an AP wins the NPCA main channel, it can send trigger frames to one or more non-AP STAs (including the aforementioned first-type non-AP STAs) to schedule them for uplink transmission, or the AP can share the TXOPs it has won with the one or more non-AP STAs. Since APs can typically compete for the NPCA main channel over a wider bandwidth, frequency resource waste can be avoided.

[0141] It should be noted that the aforementioned trigger frame can be actively transmitted by the AP or based on a request from a first-type non-AP STA. For example, in some embodiments, before switching to the NPCA primary channel, a first-type non-AP STA can send a request message to the AP associated with it, requesting the AP to schedule the first-type non-AP STA for uplink transmission on the NPCA primary channel; and / or instructing the AP to share the TXOP with the first-type non-AP STA on the NPCA primary channel.

[0142] This application embodiment does not specifically limit the type of trigger frame mentioned above. For example, the trigger frame can be the following types of trigger frames: multi-user request to send (MU-RTS) trigger frame, buffer status report poll (BSRP) trigger frame, null data physical layer protocol data unit (NDP) feedback report poll (NFRP) trigger frame, bandwidth query report poll (BQRP) trigger frame, basic trigger frame, multi-user block ack bequest (MU-BAR) trigger frame, groupcast with retries multi-user block ack Request (GCR MU-BAR) trigger frame, BSRP GI3 trigger frame, or a trigger frame newly defined by the future communication system.

[0143] As mentioned earlier, the first type of non-AP STA can be a non-AP STA that performs uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU. Currently, ELR PPDU is only used for single-user transmission and does not support trigger-based ELR PPDU transmission. Therefore, the rules can be modified to allow trigger-based ELR PPDU. Furthermore, trigger frames can be used to instruct non-AP STAs performing uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU on specific parameters of the ELR PPDU, thus better supporting trigger-based ELR PPDU transmission.

[0144] In some embodiments, the trigger frame mentioned above may be used to indicate one or more of the following parameters (parameters for ELR PPDU transmission) to a first type of non-AP STA: the STA-ID field in the U-SIG field of the ELR PPDU, the MCS field in the ELR-SIG field, the Coding field in the ELR-SIG field, the Length field in the ELR-SIG field, and the STA-ID field in the ELR-SIG field.

[0145] Accordingly, for the first type of non-AP STA, when transmitting an uplink ELR PPDU based on the indication of the trigger frame, the U-SIG field of the ELR PPDU can satisfy one or more of the following:

[0146] A PHY Version Identifier field value of 1 indicates a UHR.

[0147] A Bandwidth value of 0 indicates 20MHz;

[0148] A UL / DL field value of 1 indicates an uplink;

[0149] The BSS Color field is equal to the BSS Color value of the BSS to which the first type of non-AP STA belongs;

[0150] The TXOP field is determined based on the Duration field value of the trigger frame to indicate the duration information for NAV setting and protection of the TXOP.

[0151] The PPDU Type And Compression Mode field being 3 indicates an ELR PPDU;

[0152] The STA-ID field is 0 or determined based on the STA-ID indicated by the trigger frame.

[0153] For a type 1 non-AP STA transmitting an uplink ELR PPDU based on a trigger frame indication, the ELR-SIG field of the ELR PPDU can satisfy one or more of the following:

[0154] A value of 0 in the ELR Version Identifier field indicates a UHR ELR PPDU;

[0155] A UL / DL field value of 1 indicates an uplink;

[0156] The MCS field is determined based on the value indicated by the UL UHR-MCS field of the trigger frame;

[0157] The Coding field is determined based on the value indicated by the UL FEC Coding Type field of the trigger frame;

[0158] The Length field is determined based on the value indicated by the UL Length field of the trigger frame;

[0159] A value of 1 in the LDPC Extra OFDM Symbol field indicates the existence of an LDPC extra symbol, while a value of 0 indicates the absence of an LDPC extra symbol.

[0160] The STA-ID field is 0 or determined based on the STA-ID indicated by the trigger frame.

[0161] The trigger frame mentioned above can be a trigger frame for a first type of non-AP STA. Alternatively, the trigger frame can also be a trigger frame for any type of non-AP STA on the NPCA main channel.

[0162] In some embodiments, when the trigger frame is used to trigger uplink transmission by a non-AP STA on the NPCA main channel, the uplink transmission is based on ELR PPDUs or not based on ELR PPDUs within a first bandwidth range. This first bandwidth range can be part or all of the bandwidth range corresponding to the NPCA main channel. Setting the PPDU type of non-AP STAs operating within a certain bandwidth range to the same type can simplify the PPDU reception complexity.

[0163] For example, the first bandwidth range can be the entire bandwidth range corresponding to the NPCA main channel. That is to say, when the trigger frame is used to trigger uplink transmission of non-AP STAs on the NPCA main channel, uplink transmission is based on ELR PPDU, or uplink transmission is not based on ELR PPDU.

[0164] For example, the first bandwidth range can be an 80MHz bandwidth range in the NPCA main channel (of course, it can also be a 40MHz, 120MHz, or 160MHz bandwidth range; the following mainly uses 80MHz as an example). The 80MHz bandwidth range can also be called an 80MHz frequency subblock. That is, for non-AP STAs operating within the same 80MHz frequency subblock on the NPCA main channel, uplink transmission is either based on ELR PPDUs or not based on ELR PPDUs at all. For the 160MHz and / or 320MHz bandwidth in the NPCA main channel, a hybrid mode that simultaneously uses ELR PPDUs and does not use ELR PPDUs is allowed. In this hybrid mode, either all 80MHz frequency subblocks use ELR PPDUs, or none use ELR PPDUs at all. The minimum RU size in this hybrid mode can be, for example, 242.

[0165] The aforementioned functions of the trigger frame can be achieved through indication information carried within the trigger frame. For example, the trigger frame may include first indication information. The first indication information indicates whether the first type of non-AP STA triggered by the trigger frame performs uplink transmission based on an ELR PPDU. In one implementation, if the first indication information indicates a first value, it means that the first type of non-AP STA triggered by the trigger frame performs uplink transmission based on an ELR PPDU; and / or, if the first indication information indicates a second value, it means that the first type of non-AP STA triggered by the trigger frame does not perform uplink transmission based on an ELR PPDU, or performs uplink transmission based on a TB PPDU. For example, the first indication information can be represented by one bit; if the value of this one bit is 1, it means that the first type of non-AP STA triggered by the trigger frame performs uplink transmission based on an ELR PPDU; and / or, if the value of this one bit is 0, it means that the first type of non-AP STA triggered by the trigger frame does not perform uplink transmission based on an ELR PPDU, or performs uplink transmission based on a TB PPDU. For example, if the value of this 1 bit is 0, it indicates that the first type of non-AP STA triggered by the trigger frame performs uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU; and / or, if the value of this 1 bit is 1, it indicates that the first type of non-AP STA triggered by the trigger frame does not perform uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU, or performs uplink transmission based on TB PPDU.

[0166] For example, the trigger frame may include second indication information. The second indication information is used to indicate whether, when a non-AP STA on the NPCA main channel performs uplink transmission, it performs uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU within the first bandwidth range. In one implementation, if the second indication information indicates a first value, it means that when a non-AP STA on the NPCA main channel performs uplink transmission, it performs uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU within the first bandwidth range; and / or, if the second indication information indicates a second value, it means that when a non-AP STA on the NPCA main channel performs uplink transmission, it does not perform uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU within the first bandwidth range (or performs uplink transmission based on TB PPDU). For example, the second indication information can be represented by one bit. If the value of this one bit is 1, it indicates that when a non-AP STA on the NPCA main channel performs uplink transmission, it performs uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU within the first bandwidth range; and / or, if the value of this one bit is 0, it indicates that when a non-AP STA on the NPCA main channel performs uplink transmission, it does not perform uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU within the first bandwidth range (or performs uplink transmission based on TB PPDU). Similarly, if the value of this one bit is 0, it indicates that when a non-AP STA on the NPCA main channel performs uplink transmission, it performs uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU within the first bandwidth range; and / or, if the value of this one bit is 1, it indicates that when a non-AP STA on the NPCA main channel performs uplink transmission, it does not perform uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU (or performs uplink transmission based on TB PPDU) within the first bandwidth range.

[0167] This application does not specifically limit the way the first indication information is carried in the trigger frame. For example, a new field can be set in the trigger frame to indicate the first indication information. Alternatively, an existing field in the trigger frame can be used to indicate the first indication information. For example, the trigger frame typically contains a reserved field, which can be used to carry the first indication information. Similarly, this application does not specifically limit the way the second indication information is carried in the trigger frame. For example, a new field can be set in the trigger frame to indicate the second indication information. Alternatively, an existing field in the trigger frame can be used to indicate the second indication information. For example, the trigger frame contains a DRU / RRU indication field, which indicates the type of RU used on an 80MHz frequency subblock. This application can reuse this field to carry the second indication information.

[0168] To facilitate understanding, examples of the trigger frame format are given below with reference to Figures 11A, 11B, and 11C. Figure 11A is an example of the trigger frame format, Figure 11B is an example of the format of the Common Info field in Figure 11A, and Figure 11C is an example of the format of the User Info List field in Figure 11A.

[0169] As shown in Figures 11A to 11C, the trigger frame provided in this embodiment may include a Common Info field. This Common Info field can be an EHT variant Common Info field or a UHR variant Common Info field. The trigger frame also includes a Special User Info field. This Special User Info field can be an EHT variant Special User Info field or a UHR variant Special User Info field. The trigger frame may also include one or more User Info fields, where the User Info field can be an HE variant User Info field, and / or an EHT variant User Info field, and / or a UHR variant User Info field. A Trigger Type field value of 0 indicates that the trigger frame is a base trigger frame. The EHT variant-specific user information field or the UHR variant-specific user information field contains a one-byte-long user information field related to the trigger frame subclass.

[0170] The UL Length subfield of the Common Info field indicates the value of the L-SIG LENGTH field of the solicited TB / ELR PPDU. The first type of non-AP STA triggered by the triggering frame can determine the length of data that can be transmitted based on the value of the UL Length field, and thus determine the value of the Length field in the ELR-SIG field of the ELR PPDU, i.e., the number of ELR-Data symbols.

[0171] The UL FEC Coding Type subfield of the User Info field for non-AP STAs indicates the coding type of the requested TB / ELR PPDU. The UL FEC Coding Type subfield is set to 0 to indicate BCC and set to 1 to indicate LDPC. The first type of non-AP STA triggered by the triggering frame can determine the value of the Coding field in the ELR-SIG field of the ELR PPDU based on the value of this subfield (Set to 0 for BCC; Set to 1 for LDPC with a nominal codeword length of 648, 1296, or 1944).

[0172] The Uplink UHR Modulation and Coding Category (UL UHR-MCS) field in the User Info field for non-AP STAs indicates the UHR modulation and coding category of the TB PPDU or ELR PPDU triggered by the triggering frame. The value of this field can be used to determine the value of the MCS field in the ELR-SIG field of the ELR PPDU for the first type of non-AP STA triggered by the triggering frame (Set to 0 for BPSK with a coding rate of 1 / 2; Set to 1 for QPSK with a coding rate of 1 / 2).

[0173] In some embodiments, at least one reserved field from the public information field and / or the dedicated user information field of the trigger frame may be used to carry first indication information. The field carrying this first indication information may, for example, be referred to as the Enhanced Long-Range Indication (ELR Indication) field. This ELR Indication field is used to instruct the triggered STA (i.e., the STA corresponding to each user information field in the user information list) of a first type of non-AP STA to send an ELR PPDU. For example, an ELR Indication field of 0 indicates the sending of an ELR PPDU, and an ELR Indication field of 1 indicates the sending of a TB PPDU; or, an ELR Indication field of 1 indicates the sending of an ELR PPDU, and an ELR Indication field of 0 indicates the sending of a TB PPDU.

[0174] In some embodiments, the second indication information mentioned above can be carried in a Distributed Resource Unit (DRU), a Regular Resource Unit (RRU), or an ELR Indication field. When the ELR Indication field indicates that the STA is transmitting a TB PPDU, the DRU / RRU / ELR Indication field is used to indicate whether a DRU or RRU is requested on each 80MHz frequency subblock (To solicit a UHR TB PPDU using DRU transmission in an 80MHz frequency subblock, the corresponding bit in the DRU / RRU Indication subfield is set to 0; otherwise, it is set to 1). When the ELR Indication field indicates that the STA is transmitting an ELR PPDU, the DRU / RRU / ELR Indication field is used to indicate whether an ELR PPDU is transmitted on each 80MHz frequency subblock. For example, setting each bit of the DRU / RRU / ELR Indication field to 0 indicates that an ELR PPDU is transmitted on the corresponding 80MHz frequency sub-block, and setting each bit to 1 indicates that a TB PPDU is transmitted on the corresponding 80MHz frequency sub-block; or, setting each bit of the DRU / RRU / ELR Indication field to 0 indicates that a TB PPDU is transmitted on the corresponding 80MHz frequency sub-block, and setting each bit to 1 indicates that an ELR PPDU is transmitted on the corresponding 80MHz frequency sub-block.

[0175] Option 2: The first rule includes: if the available bandwidth of the NPCA primary channel is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first type of non-AP STA switches to the NPCA primary channel.

[0176] Alternatively, the first rule includes: if the available bandwidth of the NPCA primary channel is greater than the first bandwidth, then the first type of non-AP STA will not switch to the NPCA primary channel.

[0177] As mentioned earlier, the uplink transmission bandwidth of the first type of non-AP STA is relatively small, and if it directly competes for the NPCA main channel, it may result in a waste of spectrum resources. However, in some cases, the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel may be small, and even if the first type of non-AP STA competes for the channel on the NPCA main channel, it may not lead to excessive resource waste. Considering this, the embodiments of this application determine whether to allow the first type of non-AP STA to switch from the main channel to the NPCA main channel based on the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel.

[0178] Furthermore, in some embodiments, if a first-type non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel, the first-type non-AP STA can transmit the initial control frame based on an ELR PPDU to compete for the channel; alternatively, the first-type non-AP STA can also transmit the initial control frame based on a non-HT PPDU or a non-HT duplicate PPDU to compete for the channel. Transmitting the initial control frame based on an ELR PPDU can increase the transmission distance of the initial control frame. Transmitting the initial control frame based on a non-HT PPDU or a non-HT duplicate PPDU can be as compatible as possible with traditional STAs, thereby better protecting the transmission medium.

[0179] Optionally, in some embodiments, if a first-type non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel, the first-type non-AP STA can transmit the initial control frame based on the ELR PPDU and repeatedly transmit the initial control frame based on the non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU. This can improve the transmission distance of the initial control frame and also be as compatible as possible with traditional STAs, thus better protecting the transmission medium. This is because traditional STAs may not be able to recognize the ELR PPDU, but they can recognize the non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU. Based on the non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU, they can know that the transmission medium is occupied, thereby preventing traditional STAs from preempting the transmission medium.

[0180] The embodiments of this application do not limit the size of the first bandwidth mentioned above. For example, the first bandwidth is 20MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz, or 80MHz.

[0181] The first bandwidth can be a bandwidth predefined by the protocol. Alternatively, the first bandwidth can be a bandwidth pre-indicated by the AP. In some embodiments, referring to step S1210 in FIG12, the AP can send a first frame, which can indicate the first bandwidth. The first frame can be, for example, a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, a reassociation response frame, or an NPCA notification frame. For example, the first frame may include an NPCA operation information field, which is used to indicate the first bandwidth.

[0182] As an example, referring to Figure 13, the first frame is a beacon frame. This first frame may include an Available Bandwidth Threshold field, which indicates the available bandwidth threshold of the NPA main channel (corresponding to the first bandwidth mentioned above). When the available bandwidth of the NPA main channel is less than or equal to the bandwidth indicated by this field, a first-type non-AP STA can switch to the NPA main channel; otherwise, a first-type non-AP STA will not switch to the NPA main channel. This available bandwidth threshold may, for example, include four values: 0 for 20MHz, 1 for 40MHz, 2 for 60MHz, and 3 for 80MHz.

[0183] This application does not specifically limit the method for determining the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel in its embodiments. In some embodiments, the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is determined based on one or more of the following: the bandwidth of the first BSS, and the bandwidth occupied by the first PPDU. The first BSS mentioned here refers to the BSS to which a first type of non-AP STA belongs. The first PPDU is a PPDU transmitted by a STA in a second BSS (which is an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) with the first BSS), and the transmission of the first PPDU occupies the main channel of the first BSS. In other words, the transmission of the first PPDU triggers the STA of the first BSS to perform NPCA operation.

[0184] For example, the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is the bandwidth of the first BSS minus the bandwidth of the overlapping portion occupied by the first PPDU (the overlap between the bandwidths of the first BSS and the second BSS). Alternatively, the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is the difference between the bandwidth of the first BSS and the bandwidth of the overlapping portion occupied by the first PPDU. For instance, if the bandwidth of the first BSS is 160MHz between 5170MHz and 5330MHz, and a PPDU from the second BSS is being transmitted on the main channel of the first BSS, occupying 80MHz between 5170MHz and 5250MHz, then the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel of the first BSS is 80MHz between 5250MHz and 5330MHz.

[0185] For example, the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is the bandwidth of the first BSS minus the bandwidth of the overlapping portion occupied by the first PPDU and the bandwidth that has been punctured. Alternatively, the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is equal to the difference between the bandwidth of the first BSS and the bandwidth of the overlapping portion occupied by the first PPDU, minus the bandwidth that has been punctured. For instance, if the bandwidth of the first BSS is 160MHz from 5170MHz to 5330MHz, of which 20MHz from 5250MHz to 5270MHz is punctured, and a PPDU from the second BSS is being transmitted on the main channel of the first BSS, occupying 80MHz from 5170MHz to 5250MHz, then the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is 60MHz from 5270MHz to 5330MHz.

[0186] In the preceding text, the first rule in option 2 is a rule for non-AP STAs of the first type. In other embodiments, the first rule in option 2 can be modified to apply to other STAs (such as all STAs belonging to the same BSS as the non-AP STAs of the first type). Considering the power consumption of performing NPCA handover, the potential loss of primary channel media synchronization due to performing NPCA, and the improved spectrum utilization and reduced transmission latency brought about by performing NPCA: if the available bandwidth of the NPCA primary channel is small, then performing NPCA for non-AP STAs may be more harmful than beneficial; if the available bandwidth of the NPCA primary channel is large, then performing NPCA for non-AP STAs may be more beneficial than harmful. Therefore, within a BSS, based on meeting other conditions for NPCA, if the available bandwidth of the NPCA primary channel is greater than the first bandwidth, then any STA that supports and has enabled the NPCA function can switch to the NPCA primary channel to compete for channel; otherwise, no STA will switch to the NPCA primary channel.

[0187] In some embodiments, the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel in Option 2 can be replaced with the operating bandwidth (or minimum operating bandwidth) of the non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA. This is because when the operating bandwidth of the non-AP STA is small, performing NPCA may result in power consumption loss without fully utilizing the spectrum, while when the operating bandwidth of the non-AP STA is large, performing NPCA can fully utilize the spectrum and reduce transmission latency. For example, if the operating bandwidth of the non-AP STA is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, the non-AP STA does not switch to the NPCA main channel. Similarly, if the operating bandwidth of the non-AP STA is greater than the first bandwidth, the non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel. Likewise, if the operating bandwidth of the first type of non-AP STA is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, the first type of non-AP STA does not switch to the NPCA main channel. And again, if the operating bandwidth of the first type of non-AP STA is greater than the first bandwidth, the first type of non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel. Similarly, this first bandwidth can also be indicated by the first frame mentioned above. For example, the first frame may include an Operating Bandwidth Threshold field, which indicates the threshold of the operating bandwidth for a non-AP STA or a first-type non-AP STA (corresponding to the first bandwidth mentioned above). When the operating bandwidth of a non-AP STA is greater than the bandwidth indicated by this field, the non-AP STA or a first-type non-AP STA may switch to the NPCA main channel; otherwise, the non-AP STA or a first-type non-AP STA will not switch to the NPCA main channel. This operating bandwidth threshold may, for example, include four values: 0 for 20MHz, 1 for 40MHz, 2 for 60MHz, and 3 for 80MHz.

[0188] Option 3: The first rule includes: if the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is greater than the first bandwidth, then the first type of non-APSTA will perform uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on the scheduling of the trigger frame.

[0189] And / or, the first rule includes: if the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first type of non-AP STA transmits an initial control frame on the NPCA main channel to compete for the NPCA main channel.

[0190] The description of the first bandwidth can be found in Option 2, and will not be repeated here to avoid repetition. It should be understood that the first bandwidth mentioned in Option 2 and Option 3 can be different bandwidths. Therefore, in some embodiments, the first bandwidth mentioned in Option 3 can be replaced with a third bandwidth, but the third bandwidth can be implemented in the same way as the first bandwidth.

[0191] If a Type I non-AP STA performs uplink transmission based on triggering on the NPCA main channel, the trigger-based uplink scheduling method can be found in the description of Option 1.

[0192] As mentioned earlier, if the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first type of non-AP STA transmits the initial control frame on the NPCA main channel. The transmission method of this initial control frame can be found in Option 2.

[0193] The implementation method of the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel in Option 3 can be found in Option 2. It should be understood that, similar to Option 2, in Option 3, the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel can also be replaced by the operating bandwidth of the first type of non-AP STA.

[0194] Similar to Option 2, the first rule in Option 3 can also be modified to apply to any type of non-AP STA, i.e., the first rule includes: if the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is greater than the first bandwidth, then the non-AP STA performs uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on the scheduling of the trigger frame; and / or, if the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the non-AP STA transmits the initial control frame on the NPCA main channel to compete for the NPCA main channel.

[0195] Option 4: The first rule includes: Type 1 non-AP STAs, like other STAs, switch to the NPCA primary channel and compete for the channel under the same conditions, without being restricted by Options 1, 2, and 3.

[0196] After switching to the NPCA main channel, type 1 non-AP STAs can transmit initial control frames on the NPCA main channel to compete for the channel. The transmission method of the initial control frames can be found in Option 2, and will not be repeated here.

[0197] Option 5: The first rule includes: Type 1 non-AP STAs do not enable NPCA functionality.

[0198] The first type of non-AP STA does not enable the NPCA function, so it will not switch to the NPCA main channel to compete for the channel, thus avoiding the problem of wasted spectrum resources mentioned above.

[0199] Example 2: The first rule is a rule related to P-EDCA.

[0200] In some embodiments, the first rule relates to P-EDCA and the first type of non-AP STA. That is, the first rule is the rule that the first type of non-AP STA can or should follow when using P-EDCA technology.

[0201] The description of the first type of non-AP STA can be found in Example 1, and will not be repeated here to avoid repetition. If the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to enable the P-EDCA function, it will have a higher probability of preempting the channel compared to other types of STAs using EDCA. However, as mentioned earlier, the transmission bandwidth of the first type of non-AP STA is limited. If a large number of first type non-AP STAs are allowed to preempt the channel with a high probability of success, it may lead to a decrease in the overall transmission efficiency of the system. Therefore, the first rule can be determined by comprehensively considering the transmission latency of this type of non-AP STA and the overall transmission efficiency of the system. For example, the first rule can be related to one or more of the following: whether the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to enable the P-EDCA function, or under what conditions the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to enable the P-EDCA function.

[0202] The following are some examples of the first rule.

[0203] Option 1: The first rule includes allowing P-EDCA functionality to be enabled for type 1 non-AP STAs in the first frequency band, and / or disallowing P-EDCA functionality for type 1 non-AP STAs in the second frequency band.

[0204] Option 1 mentions a frequency range for the first band that is lower than that for the second band. The smaller the frequency range of the first band, the smaller the BSS bandwidth is typically. When the BSS bandwidth is small, allowing the first type of non-AP STA to enable P-EDCA can reduce transmission latency for such non-AP STAs without causing significant waste of spectrum resources. For example, if the first band is 2.4 GHz and the second band is 5 GHz and / or 6 GHz, and assuming the first type of non-AP STA is based on ELR PPDU transmission, in the 2.4 GHz band, the BSS bandwidth is typically 20 MHz or 40 MHz. The difference in spectrum utilization between using ELR PPDU and using non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU is relatively small; therefore, allowing the first type of non-AP STA to enable P-EDCA is permissible. In the 5GHz and / or 6GHz bands, the bandwidth of the BSS is mostly 80MHz or 160MHz. If the P-EDCA function is enabled for the first type of non-AP STA, it may significantly reduce the overall spectrum utilization of the system. Therefore, in this case, the P-EDCA function can be disabled for the first type of non-AP STA.

[0205] In some embodiments, if the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to enable P-EDCA functionality in the first frequency band, the first type of non-AP STA can transmit P-EDCA-related defer signals based on ELR PPDUs. The frame size corresponding to the defer signal is relatively small, and the rate used to transmit the defer signal based on non-HT PPDUs or non-HT duplicate PPDUs is relatively close to the rate used to transmit the defer signal based on ELR PPDUs. The difference in transmission distance and signal-to-noise ratio between the two is also relatively small. Therefore, when the first type of non-AP STA (such as a non-AP STA transmitting based on ELR PPDUs) enables P-EDCA functionality in the first frequency band, transmitting the defer signal based on ELR PPDUs can be considered.

[0206] Furthermore, in some embodiments, if a first-type non-AP STA transmits a P-EDCA-related delay signal based on an ELR PPDU, the delay signal can be repeatedly transmitted based on a non-HT PPDU or a non-HT duplicate PPDU. This can both increase the transmission distance of the delay signal and ensure compatibility with traditional STAs as much as possible, thereby better protecting the transmission medium.

[0207] In some embodiments, the first rule in Option 1 can be replaced with a rule related to the delayed signal transmission method. For example, a first type of non-AP STA is allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delayed signals based on ELR PPDU in the first frequency band; and / or, a first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delayed signals based on ELR PPDU in the second frequency band, or, P-EDCA-related delayed signals need to be transmitted based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU. The first and second frequency bands are described above and will not be repeated here.

[0208] The first rule described in Option 1 is a rule for the first type of non-AP STA. In some embodiments, the first rule described in Option 1 can also be replaced with a rule for any type of non-AP STA.

[0209] For example, the first rule includes: non-AP STAs are allowed to enable P-EDCA function in the first frequency band; and / or, non-AP STAs are not allowed to enable P-EDCA function in the second frequency band.

[0210] For example, the first rule includes: non-AP STAs are allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDUs in the first frequency band; and / or, non-AP STAs are not allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDUs in the second frequency band, or, P-EDCA-related delay signals are required to be transmitted based on non-HT PPDUs or non-HT duplicate PPDUs.

[0211] Option 2: The first rule includes allowing P-EDCA to be enabled for a first-type non-AP STA if the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than or equal to the bandwidth of the second BSS.

[0212] Alternatively, the first rule in Option 2 includes: if the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than the bandwidth of the second BSS, then P-EDCA is not allowed to be enabled for the first type of non-AP STA.

[0213] As mentioned earlier, the uplink transmission bandwidth of the first type of non-AP STA is relatively small. If the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to abandon the P-EDCA function, the probability of successful channel preemption for the first type of non-AP STA will increase, resulting in low overall spectrum utilization of the system. Considering this, the embodiments of this application introduce a second bandwidth, and allow the first type of non-AP STA to enable P-EDCA when the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than or equal to the second bandwidth. This can reduce the transmission latency of the first type of non-AP STA without causing too much waste of spectrum resources.

[0214] In some embodiments, if the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to enable P-EDCA, the first type of non-AP STA can transmit the P-EDCA-related defer signal based on ELR PPDU. The frame size corresponding to the defer signal is relatively small, and the rate used to transmit the defer signal based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU is relatively close to the rate used to transmit the defer signal based on ELR PPDU. The difference in transmission distance and signal-to-noise ratio between the two is also relatively small. Therefore, when the first type of non-AP STA (such as a non-AP STA transmitting based on ELR PPDU) enables P-EDCA, transmitting the defer signal based on ELR PPDU can be considered.

[0215] Furthermore, in some embodiments, if a first-type non-AP STA transmits a P-EDCA-related delay signal based on an ELR PPDU, the delay signal can be repeatedly transmitted based on a non-HT PPDU or a non-HT duplicate PPDU. This can both increase the transmission distance of the delay signal and ensure compatibility with traditional STAs as much as possible, thereby better protecting the transmission medium.

[0216] In some embodiments, the first rule in Option 2 can be replaced with a rule related to the delayed signal transmission method. For example, if the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than or equal to the second bandwidth, then a first type of non-AP STA is allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delayed signals based on ELR PPDU; and / or, if the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than the second bandwidth, then a non-AP STA is not allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delayed signals based on ELR PPDU, or, P-EDCA-related delayed signals need to be transmitted based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU.

[0217] The first rule described in Option 2 is a rule for the first type of non-AP STA. In some embodiments, the first rule described in Option 2 can also be replaced with a rule for any type of non-AP STA.

[0218] For example, the first rule includes: if the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than or equal to the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the non-AP STA is allowed to enable P-EDCA; and / or, if the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the non-AP STA is not allowed to enable P-EDCA.

[0219] For example, the first rule includes: if the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than or equal to the second bandwidth, then the non-AP STA is allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDU; and / or, if the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than the second bandwidth, then the non-AP STA is not allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDU, or, P-EDCA-related delay signals need to be transmitted based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU.

[0220] The embodiments of this application do not limit the size of the second bandwidth mentioned above. For example, the second bandwidth is 20MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz, or 80MHz.

[0221] The second bandwidth can be a bandwidth predefined by the protocol. Alternatively, the second bandwidth can be a bandwidth pre-indicated by the AP. In some embodiments, referring to step S1410 in FIG14, the AP can send a second frame, which can indicate the first bandwidth. The second frame can be, for example, a beacon frame, a probe response frame, an association response frame, a reassociation response frame, or an NPCA notification frame. For example, the second frame can include P-EDCA operation information used to indicate the second bandwidth. Exemplarily, the AP may change the bandwidth of the BSS for dynamic power saving. In this case, the AP can adjust the value of the second bandwidth through the second frame, thereby adjusting the number of STAs that enable P-EDCA function at different times.

[0222] For example, referring to Figure 15, the second frame may include a Preferred Enhanced Distributed Channel Access Maximum Bandwidth (P-EDCA BW Threshold) field, indicating the P-EDCA bandwidth threshold (corresponding to the second bandwidth mentioned above). When the bandwidth of the BSS is less than or equal to the bandwidth indicated by this field, the non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA may enable the P-EDCA function; otherwise, the non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA may not enable the P-EDCA function. This P-EDCA BW Threshold field may, for example, include four values: 0 for 20MHz, 1 for 40MHz, 2 for 60MHz, and 3 for 80MHz.

[0223] In some embodiments, the bandwidth of the BSS in Option 2 can be replaced with the operating bandwidth (or minimum operating bandwidth) of the non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA. For example, if the operating bandwidth of the non-AP STA is greater than or equal to the second bandwidth, the non-AP STA enables P-EDCA. Alternatively, if the operating bandwidth of the non-AP STA is less than the second bandwidth, the non-AP STA does not enable P-EDCA. Similarly, if the operating bandwidth of the first type of non-AP STA is greater than or equal to the second bandwidth, the first type of non-AP STA enables P-EDCA. Alternatively, if the operating bandwidth of the first type of non-AP STA is less than the second bandwidth, the first type of non-AP STA does not enable P-EDCA. Likewise, the second bandwidth can also be indicated by the second frame mentioned above. For example, the second frame may include a P-EDCA BW Threshold field, and this field indicates the threshold of the operating bandwidth of the non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA (corresponding to the second bandwidth described above). When the operating bandwidth of a non-AP STA or a non-AP STA of type 1 is greater than or equal to the bandwidth indicated by this field, the non-AP STA or a non-AP STA of type 1 may enable the P-EDCA function; otherwise, the non-AP STA or a non-AP STA of type 1 may not enable the P-EDCA function. This field may include, for example, four values: 0 for 20MHz, 1 for 40MHz, 2 for 60MHz, and 3 for 80MHz.

[0224] Option 3: The first rule includes non-AP STAs or first-type non-AP STAs, which can independently decide whether to transmit the delayed signal based on ELR PPDU, or based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU, without being restricted by Options 1 and 2.

[0225] For example, a non-AP STA or a first-type non-AP STA can transmit a delayed signal based on an ELR PPDU. Furthermore, a first-type non-AP STA can retransmit the delayed signal based on a non-HT PPDU or a non-HT duplicate PPDU.

[0226] For example, non-AP STA or type 1 non-AP STA transmits delayed signals based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU.

[0227] Option 4: The first rule includes disabling P-EDCA functionality for the first type of non-APSTA.

[0228] The first type of non-AP STA does not enable the P-EDCA function, so it will not preempt the channel with a high success rate, thus avoiding the problem of wasted spectrum resources mentioned earlier.

[0229] Example 3: The first rule is a rule related to a lower capability mode or a restricted operation mode.

[0230] For example, the first rule includes: if a type-1 non-AP STA operates in a lower capability mode, then the type-1 non-AP STA is permitted to send and / or receive ELR PPDUs. This lower capability mode refers to the lower capability mode associated with the DPS mode. Of course, if a type-1 non-AP STA operates in a lower capability mode, then the type-1 non-AP STA may also send and / or receive non-HT PPDUs or non-HT duplicate PPDUs.

[0231] For example, the first rule includes: if a Type 1 non-AP STA operates in a restricted operating mode due to other radio frequency interference within the STA, then the Type 1 non-AP STA is permitted to transmit and / or receive ELR PPDUs. Of course, if a Type 1 non-AP STA operates in a restricted operating mode, then the Type 1 non-AP STA may also transmit and / or receive non-HT PPDUs or non-HT duplicate PPDUs.

[0232] The first rule proposed in the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above. After determining the first rule, referring to FIG16, the first non-AP STA in the communication system can communicate according to the first rule (step S1610). The first non-AP STA mentioned here can be the first type of non-AP STA mentioned above (such as a non-AP STA transmitting based on ELR PPDU). Alternatively, the first non-AP STA can also be any other type of non-AP STA.

[0233] The ELR PPDU mentioned in the previous embodiments can also be called UHR ELR PPDU, and the non-AP STA that transmits based on ELR PPDU can be called non-AP ELR STA.

[0234] The method embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. The apparatus embodiments of this application are described in detail below. It should be understood that the descriptions of the method embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the apparatus embodiments. Therefore, any parts not described in detail can be referred to the foregoing method embodiments.

[0235] Figure 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1700 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1700 is the first non-AP STA mentioned above, and includes a communication unit 1710. The communication unit 1710 is used to communicate according to a first rule, which is related to one or more of the following: NPCA, P-EDCA, lower capability mode, restricted operation mode, and a first type of non-AP STA; wherein, the first type of non-AP STA includes one or more of the following: a non-AP STA that performs uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU, and a non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz.

[0236] In this embodiment, the communication device 1700 can be used to execute some or all of the method steps performed by the first non-AP STA in the above method embodiments. The communication device 1700 includes units or modules for executing the aforementioned method steps. The method flow has been described in detail in the foregoing embodiments. The modules in this embodiment have the same function or perform the same steps, and will not be described again here. However, those skilled in the art should know that the textual descriptions corresponding to the foregoing method embodiments can be incorporated into this embodiment and correspond to the modules in the communication device 1700.

[0237] In an optional embodiment, the communication device 1700 may be a transceiver. The communication device 1700 may also include a memory and a processor, as specifically shown in FIG19.

[0238] Figure 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1800 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1800 is the AP mentioned above, and the communication device 1800 includes a communication unit 1810. The communication unit 1810 is used to send one or more of the following: a first frame, the first frame being used to indicate a first bandwidth, the first bandwidth being used by a non-AP STA or a first type of non-AP STA to determine whether to switch to the NPCA main channel or whether to perform uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on the scheduling of a trigger frame; a second frame, the second frame being used to indicate a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth being used by a non-AP STA or a first type of non-AP STA to determine whether to enable the P-EDCA function or whether to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDU; wherein, the first type of non-AP STA includes one or more of the following: a non-AP STA performing uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU, a non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz.

[0239] In this embodiment, the communication device 1800 can be used to execute some or all of the method steps executed by the AP in the above method embodiments. The communication device 1800 includes units or modules for executing the aforementioned method steps. The method flow has been described in detail in the foregoing embodiments. The modules in this embodiment have the same function or perform the same steps, and will not be described again here. However, those skilled in the art should know that the textual descriptions corresponding to the foregoing method embodiments can be incorporated into this embodiment and correspond to the modules in the communication device 1800.

[0240] In an optional embodiment, the communication unit 1810 may be a transceiver. The communication device 1800 may also include a memory and a processor, as shown in FIG19.

[0241] Figure 19 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The dashed lines in Figure 19 indicate that the unit or module is optional. This device 1900 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. Device 1900 can be a chip or a communication device.

[0242] Apparatus 1900 may include one or more processors 1910. The processor 1910 may support apparatus 1900 in implementing the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The processor 1910 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0243] The apparatus 1900 may further include one or more memories 1920. The memories 1920 store a program that can be executed by the processor 1910, causing the processor 1910 to perform the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The memories 1920 may be independent of the processor 1910 or integrated within the processor 1910.

[0244] The device 1900 may also include a transceiver 1930. The processor 1910 can communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1930. For example, the processor 1910 can send and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1930.

[0245] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. This computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the communication device provided in this application, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the communication device in various embodiments of this application.

[0246] This application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to the communication device provided in this application embodiment, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the communication device in various embodiments of this application.

[0247] This application also provides a computer program. This computer program can be applied to the communication device provided in this application, and causes the computer to execute the methods performed by the communication device in various embodiments of this application.

[0248] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. Furthermore, the terminology used in this application is only for explaining specific embodiments of the application and is not intended to limit the application. The terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0249] In the embodiments of this application, a "field" may also be referred to as a "domain", "subfield", or "subfield". A field may occupy one or more bytes (byte / octet), or a field may occupy one or more bits (bit).

[0250] The field names defined in the embodiments of this application are merely examples, and the field may have other names.

[0251] In the embodiments of this application, the term "instruction" can be a direct instruction, an indirect instruction, or an indication of a relationship. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being able to obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, so B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that there is a relationship between A and B.

[0252] In the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean that B is determined solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0253] In the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" can indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between two things, or an association between two things, or a relationship such as instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured.

[0254] In this application embodiment, "predefined" or "preconfigured" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device (e.g., including AP and STA). This application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to what is defined in the protocol.

[0255] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0256] In the embodiments of this application, "comprising" can refer to direct inclusion or indirect inclusion. Optionally, "comprising" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be replaced with "indicating" or "used to determine". For example, "A includes B" can be replaced with "A indicates B" or "A is used to determine B".

[0257] In the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0258] In this application embodiment, the "protocol" may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communication, such as the 802.11 (WIFI) protocol and related protocols applied to future 802.11 (WIFI) communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0259] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0260] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0261] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0262] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can read or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs, DVDs) or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs), etc.

[0263] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: The first non-AP STA communicates according to a first rule, which is related to one or more of the following: non-primary channel access NPCA, preferred enhanced distributed channel access P-EDCA, lower capability mode, restricted operation mode, and first type of non-AP STA. The first type of non-AP STA includes one or more of the following: non-AP STA that performs uplink transmission based on Enhanced Long Distance Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (ELR PPDU), and non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rule includes: the first type of non-AP STA performs uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on the scheduling of trigger frames.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first type of non-AP STA performs uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on trigger frame scheduling, including: If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is greater than the first bandwidth, then the first type of non-AP STA performs uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on the scheduling of the trigger frame; or, If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is greater than or equal to the first bandwidth, the first type of non-AP STA performs uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on the scheduling of the trigger frame.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first rule also includes: If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first type of non-AP STA transmits an initial control frame on the NPCA main channel, the initial control frame being used to compete for the NPCA main channel; or, If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is less than the first bandwidth, the first type of non-AP STA transmits an initial control frame on the NPCA main channel, the initial control frame being used to compete for the NPCA main channel.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, When the trigger frame is used to trigger the uplink transmission of the non-AP STA of the NPCA main channel, the uplink transmission is based on ELR PPDU or not based on ELR PPDU within the first bandwidth range.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The trigger frame contains one or more of the following information: First indication information, the first indication information is used to indicate whether the first type of non-AP STA triggered by the trigger frame performs uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU; The second indication information is used to indicate whether the uplink transmission is based on ELR PPDU within the first bandwidth range when the non-AP STA of the NPCA main channel performs uplink transmission.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The first bandwidth range is a bandwidth range of 80MHz.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel; If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is less than the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel; If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is greater than the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA will not switch to the NPCA main channel; If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is greater than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA will not switch to the NPCA main channel.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: If the operating bandwidth of the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is greater than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel; If the operating bandwidth of the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is greater than the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel; If the operating bandwidth of the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is less than the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA will not switch to the NPCA main channel; If the operating bandwidth of the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA will not switch to the NPCA main channel.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The first type of non-AP STA transmits an initial control frame based on ELR PPDU on the NPCA main channel, the initial control frame being used to compete for the NPCA main channel.

11. The method according to claim 4 or 10, characterized in that, The first type of non-AP STA repeatedly transmits the initial control frame on the NPCA main channel based on a non-high-throughput non-HT PPDU or a non-high-throughput duplicate non-HT PPDU.

12. The method according to claim 3, 4, 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first non-AP STA receives a first frame sent by the AP, the first frame being used to indicate the first bandwidth.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first frame includes an NPCA operation information field, which is used to indicate the first bandwidth.

14. The method according to any one of claims 3, 4, 8 to 13, characterized in that, The first bandwidth is 20MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz, or 80MHz.

15. The method according to claim 3, 4 or 8, characterized in that, The available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is determined based on one or more of the following: The bandwidth of the first basic service set (BSS), where the first BSS is the BSS where the first non-AP STA is located; The bandwidth occupied by the first PPDU, which is a PPDU transmitted by the STA in the second BSS, and the transmission of the first PPDU occupies the main channel of the first BSS.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is the remaining bandwidth after deducting the bandwidth of the overlapping portion occupied by the first PPDU from the bandwidth of the first BSS. or, The available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is the remaining bandwidth after deducting the overlapping portion occupied by the first PPDU and the bandwidth that has been punched from the bandwidth of the first BSS.

17. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rule includes: non-AP STAs of the first type do not enable NPCA functionality.

18. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: The first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to enable P-EDCA function in the first frequency band; The first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to enable P-EDCA function in the second frequency band; The frequency range of the first frequency band is lower than that of the second frequency band.

19. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: The first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA allows the transmission of P-EDCA-related delayed signals based on ELR PPDU in the first frequency band; The first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDU in the second frequency band, or it is required to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU; The frequency range of the first frequency band is lower than that of the second frequency band.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The first frequency band is 2.4 GHz, and the second frequency band is 5 GHz and / or 6 GHz.

21. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: If the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than or equal to the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to enable P-EDCA; If the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to enable P-EDCA; If the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to enable P-EDCA; If the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than or equal to the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to enable P-EDCA.

22. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: If the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than or equal to the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first type of non-AP STA allows the transmission of P-EDCA-related delayed signals based on ELR PPDU; If the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than that of the second BSS, then the first type of non-AP STA allows the transmission of P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDU; If the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDU, or it is required to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU. If the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than or equal to the second bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDU, or it is required to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first non-AP STA receives a second frame sent by the AP, the second frame being used to indicate the second bandwidth.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The second frame includes P-EDCA operation information, which is used to indicate the second bandwidth.

25. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 24, characterized in that, The second bandwidth is 20MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz, or 80MHz.

26. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rule includes that non-AP STAs of the first type do not enable the P-EDCA function.

27. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rule includes: if the first type of non-AP STA is operating in a lower capability mode or a restricted operation mode, then the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to send and / or receive ELR PPDUs.

28. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Access point (AP) sends one or more of the following: The first frame indicates a first bandwidth, which is used by a non-AP STA or a first type of non-AP STA to determine whether to switch to a non-main channel to access the NPCA main channel or to perform uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on the scheduling of the trigger frame. The second frame is used to indicate the second bandwidth, which is used by non-AP STA or first type of non-AP STA to determine whether to enable the priority Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (P-EDCA) function or to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on the Enhanced Long Distance Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (ELR PPDU). The first type of non-AP STA includes one or more of the following: non-AP STA that performs uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU, and non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that, The first frame includes an NPCA operation information field, which is used to indicate the first bandwidth.

30. The method according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that, The first bandwidth is 20MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz, or 80MHz.

31. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that, The second frame includes P-EDCA operation information, which is used to indicate the second bandwidth.

32. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that, The second bandwidth is 20MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz, or 80MHz.

33. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is a first non-AP STA (non-access point station), and the communication device includes: A communication unit for communicating according to a first rule, the first rule being related to one or more of the following: Non-Master Channel Access (NPCA), Preferred Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (P-EDCA), Lower Capacity Mode, Restricted Operation Mode, and Type I Non-AP STA. The first type of non-AP STA includes one or more of the following: non-AP STA that performs uplink transmission based on Enhanced Long Distance Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (ELR PPDU), and non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz.

34. The communication device according to claim 33, characterized in that, The first rule includes: the first type of non-AP STA performs uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on the scheduling of trigger frames.

35. The communication device according to claim 34, characterized in that, The first type of non-AP STA performs uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on trigger frame scheduling, including: If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is greater than the first bandwidth, then the first type of non-AP STA performs uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on the scheduling of the trigger frame; or, If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is greater than or equal to the first bandwidth, the first type of non-AP STA performs uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on the scheduling of the trigger frame.

36. The communication device according to claim 35, characterized in that, The first rule also includes: If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first type of non-AP STA transmits an initial control frame on the NPCA main channel, the initial control frame being used to compete for the NPCA main channel; or, If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is less than the first bandwidth, the first type of non-AP STA transmits an initial control frame on the NPCA main channel, the initial control frame being used to compete for the NPCA main channel.

37. The communication device according to any one of claims 34 to 36, characterized in that, When the trigger frame is used to trigger the uplink transmission of the non-AP STA of the NPCA main channel, the uplink transmission is based on ELR PPDU or not based on ELR PPDU within the first bandwidth range.

38. The communication device according to any one of claims 34 to 37, characterized in that, The trigger frame contains one or more of the following information: First indication information, the first indication information is used to indicate whether the first type of non-AP STA triggered by the trigger frame performs uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU; The second indication information is used to indicate whether the uplink transmission is based on ELR PPDU within the first bandwidth range when the non-AP STA of the NPCA main channel performs uplink transmission.

39. The communication device according to claim 37 or 38, characterized in that, The first bandwidth range is a bandwidth range of 80MHz.

40. The communication device according to claim 33, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel; If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is less than the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel; If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is greater than the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA will not switch to the NPCA main channel; If the available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is greater than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA will not switch to the NPCA main channel.

41. The communication device according to claim 33, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: If the operating bandwidth of the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is greater than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel; If the operating bandwidth of the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is greater than the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA switches to the NPCA main channel; If the operating bandwidth of the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is less than the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA will not switch to the NPCA main channel; If the operating bandwidth of the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA will not switch to the NPCA main channel.

42. The communication device according to claim 40 or 41, characterized in that, The first type of non-AP STA transmits an initial control frame based on ELR PPDU on the NPCA main channel, the initial control frame being used to compete for the NPCA main channel.

43. The communication device according to claim 36 or 42, characterized in that, The first type of non-AP STA repeatedly transmits the initial control frame on the NPCA main channel based on a non-high-throughput non-HT PPDU or a non-high-throughput duplicate non-HT PPDU.

44. The communication device according to claim 35, 36, 40 or 41, characterized in that, The communication unit is also used for: Receive the first frame sent by the AP, the first frame being used to indicate the first bandwidth.

45. The communication device according to claim 44, characterized in that, The first frame includes an NPCA operation information field, which is used to indicate the first bandwidth.

46. ​​The communication device according to any one of claims 35, 36, 40 to 45, characterized in that, The first bandwidth is 20MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz, or 80MHz.

47. The communication device according to claim 35, 36 or 40, characterized in that, The available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is determined based on one or more of the following: The bandwidth of the first basic service set (BSS), where the first BSS is the BSS where the first non-AP STA is located; The bandwidth occupied by the first PPDU, which is a PPDU transmitted by the STA in the second BSS, and the transmission of the first PPDU occupies the main channel of the first BSS.

48. The communication device according to claim 47, characterized in that: The available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is the remaining bandwidth after deducting the bandwidth of the overlapping portion occupied by the first PPDU from the bandwidth of the first BSS. or, The available bandwidth of the NPCA main channel is the remaining bandwidth after deducting the overlapping portion occupied by the first PPDU and the bandwidth that has been punched from the bandwidth of the first BSS.

49. The communication device according to claim 33, characterized in that, The first rule includes: non-AP STAs of the first type do not enable NPCA functionality.

50. The communication device according to claim 33, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: The first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to enable P-EDCA function in the first frequency band; The first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to enable P-EDCA function in the second frequency band; The frequency range of the first frequency band is lower than that of the second frequency band.

51. The communication device according to claim 33, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: The first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA allows the transmission of P-EDCA-related delayed signals based on ELR PPDU in the first frequency band; The first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDU in the second frequency band, or it is required to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU; The frequency range of the first frequency band is lower than that of the second frequency band.

52. The communication device according to claim 50 or 51, characterized in that, The first frequency band is 2.4 GHz, and the second frequency band is 5 GHz and / or 6 GHz.

53. The communication device according to claim 33, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: If the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than or equal to the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to enable P-EDCA; If the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to enable P-EDCA; If the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to enable P-EDCA; If the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than or equal to the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to enable P-EDCA.

54. The communication device according to claim 33, characterized in that, The first rule includes one or more of the following: If the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than or equal to the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first type of non-AP STA allows the transmission of P-EDCA-related delayed signals based on ELR PPDU; If the bandwidth of the first BSS is less than that of the second BSS, then the first type of non-AP STA allows the transmission of P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDU; If the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than the bandwidth of the second BSS, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDU, or it is required to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU. If the bandwidth of the first BSS is greater than or equal to the second bandwidth, then the first non-AP STA or the first type of non-AP STA is not allowed to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on ELR PPDU, or it is required to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on non-HT PPDU or non-HT duplicate PPDU.

55. The communication device according to claim 53 or 54, characterized in that, The communication unit is also used for: Receive a second frame sent by the AP, the second frame being used to indicate the second bandwidth.

56. The communication device according to claim 55, characterized in that, The second frame includes P-EDCA operation information, which is used to indicate the second bandwidth.

57. The communication device according to any one of claims 53 to 56, characterized in that, The second bandwidth is 20MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz, or 80MHz.

58. The communication device according to claim 33, characterized in that, The first rule includes that non-AP STAs of the first type do not enable the P-EDCA function.

59. The communication device according to claim 33, characterized in that, The first rule includes: if the first type of non-AP STA is operating in a lower capability mode or a restricted operation mode, then the first type of non-AP STA is allowed to send and / or receive ELR PPDUs.

60. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is an access point (AP), and the communication device includes: A communication unit for transmitting one or more of the following: The first frame indicates a first bandwidth, which is used by a non-AP STA or a first type of non-AP STA to determine whether to switch to a non-main channel to access the NPCA main channel or to perform uplink transmission on the NPCA main channel based on the scheduling of the trigger frame. The second frame is used to indicate the second bandwidth, which is used by non-AP STA or first type of non-AP STA to determine whether to enable the priority Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (P-EDCA) function or to transmit P-EDCA-related delay signals based on the Enhanced Long Distance Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (ELR PPDU). The first type of non-AP STA includes one or more of the following: non-AP STA that performs uplink transmission based on ELR PPDU, and non-AP STA with an operating bandwidth of 20MHz.

61. The communication device according to claim 60, characterized in that, The first frame includes an NPCA operation information field, which is used to indicate the first bandwidth.

62. The communication device according to claim 60 or 61, characterized in that, The first bandwidth is 20MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz, or 80MHz.

63. The communication device according to claim 60, characterized in that, The second frame includes P-EDCA operation information, which is used to indicate the second bandwidth.

64. The communication device according to claim 63, characterized in that, The second bandwidth is 20MHz, 40MHz, 60MHz, or 80MHz.

65. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a transceiver, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a program, and the processor invokes the program in the memory and controls the transceiver to receive or transmit signals so that the communication device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 27 or 28 to 32.

66. An apparatus, characterized in that, Includes a processor for calling a program from memory to cause the apparatus to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 27 or 28 to 32.

67. A chip, characterized in that, Includes a processor for calling a program from memory, causing a device on which the chip is mounted to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 27 or 28 to 32.

68. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It contains a program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 27 or 28 to 32.

69. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 27 or 28 to 32.

70. A computer program, characterized in that, The computer program causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 27 or 28 to 32.

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