Wireless communication method, device, and system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of wireless communications and the technical field of optical communications, and provides a wireless communication method, a device, and a system. The method can be applied to an FTTR system. In the method, upon receiving data, a centralized processing device may select for the data a service antenna set from antennas of a WLAN system, so that antennas of a plurality of WLAN devices can provide transmission services for a STA, thereby improving communication performance.

Description

Wireless communication methods, devices and systems

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application filed on March 28, 2025, with application number 202510391946.3 and entitled "Wireless Communication Method, Apparatus and System", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the fields of wireless communication technology and optical communication technology, and in particular to a wireless communication method, device and system. Background Technology

[0003] In a wireless local area network (WLAN) with multiple access points (APs), each AP includes a complete baseband processing unit and a radio frequency processing unit. Each AP independently provides transmission services to a station (STA), which may result in poor communication performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a wireless communication method, device, and system that can improve communication performance. The technical solution adopted is as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a wireless communication method applied to a centralized processing device in a WLAN system. The method includes: sending a first indication message to a WLAN device in the WLAN system, wherein the first indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a first antenna set; and receiving data received by the WLAN device via an antenna in the first antenna set through a cable.

[0006] In the scheme shown in this application, in a WLAN system, a centralized processing device can instruct WLAN devices to report data received by antennas in a first antenna set, making it possible for the antennas of multiple WLAN devices to provide transmission services for STAs, thereby improving communication performance.

[0007] Optionally, the first antenna set includes one or more antennas, which may belong to the same WLAN device or different WLAN devices.

[0008] In one alternative approach, the data received via the antennas in the first antenna set is data of a first physical layer protocol data unit (PDDU). In a WLAN system, when receiving data of a second PDDU, the centralized processing device can also send a second instruction message to the WLAN device in the WLAN system, instructing the WLAN device to report the data of the second PDDU received via the antennas in the second antenna set. In this way, the antenna can be selected at the PDDU level to receive data sent by the STA, thereby improving communication performance when receiving PDDU data.

[0009] Optionally, the second antenna set includes one or more antennas, which may belong to the same WLAN device or different WLAN devices.

[0010] In one alternative approach, the first indication message indicates the number of an antenna in the first antenna set, which is represented using a number value or a bitmap. This allows for accurate antenna indication.

[0011] In one alternative approach, before sending the first indication message to the WLAN devices in the WLAN system, the centralized processing device selects a first antenna set from the antennas that received the first PPDU based on the received signal strength indication (RSSI) and / or channel state information (CSI) of the first PPDU. The channel state information refers to the channel state information between the antenna receiving the first PPDU and the transmitting STA of the first PPDU. Thus, when considering the reception of the first PPDU, a higher RSSI value indicates better reception performance, and a lower channel correlation in receiving the first PPDU results in better performance when receiving the first PPDU simultaneously. Since channel correlation is related to CSI, using RSSI and / or CSI to select antennas can improve reception performance.

[0012] In one alternative approach, the signal characteristics of a first PPDU are used to select the antenna that received the first PPDU from the antennas of the WLAN devices in the WLAN system. These signal characteristics include one or more of the following: synchronization completion time, signaling information, or frame format. The synchronization completion time is the time when the PPDU arrives at the WLAN device, indicating whether PPDUs were received at the same time. The signaling (signal, sig) information consists of relevant information about the PPDU, and the signaling information is different for each PPDU. The frame format is the encapsulation format of the PPDU. Based on these characteristics, it can be accurately determined whether different WLAN devices received the same PPDU.

[0013] In one alternative approach, before selecting an antenna, the centralized processing device receives the signal characteristics of the first PPDU sent by the WLAN device. In this way, the WLAN device reports the signal characteristics without the centralized processing device needing to determine the signal characteristics, thus saving the processing resources of the centralized processing device.

[0014] In one alternative approach, the WLAN supports multiple reception specifications, which are baseband processing reception specifications. A centralized processing device determines a first reception specification corresponding to a first antenna set, which is one of the multiple reception specifications. Based on the first reception specification, data received by the antennas in the first antenna set is processed. In this way, the reception specification is determined simultaneously with the selection of the antenna set, binding the antenna set to baseband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processing, thereby improving communication performance.

[0015] In one alternative approach, the centralized processing device can also send a third instruction message to the WLAN device, instructing the WLAN device to select a third antenna set and transmit data transmitted by the antennas in the third antenna set to the WLAN device via a cable. In this way, when transmitting data to the STA, the centralized processing device can instruct the antenna set to transmit data, making it possible for multiple WLAN device antennas to provide transmission services to the STA, thereby improving communication performance.

[0016] In one alternative approach, the data transmitted by the antennas in the third antenna set is the data of the third PPDU. When transmitting the data of the fourth PPDU, the centralized processing device sends a fourth indication message to the WLAN device. The fourth indication message instructs the WLAN device to select the fourth antenna set, and then transmit the data of the fourth PPDU transmitted by the antennas in the fourth antenna set to the WLAN device via the cable. This allows for antenna selection at the PPDU level to transmit data to the STA, thereby improving communication performance when transmitting PPDU data.

[0017] In one alternative approach, since the antennas of a WLAN device can only transmit data when idle, and whether the antennas of a WLAN device are idle is related to the air interface status of the WLAN device, the central processing device can use the air interface status of the WLAN device to select a third set of antennas from the antennas of the WLAN device before sending a third indication message. This allows the selection of an idle set of third antennas.

[0018] In one alternative approach, the process of selecting the third antenna set using the air interface status of the WLAN devices is as follows: Based on the air interface status of each WLAN device, a centralized enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) contention is conducted to obtain the contention result. Based on this contention result, a third antenna set is selected from the antennas of the WLAN system. Since transmission can only proceed if the EDCA contention is successful, the EDCA contention is performed first, and then the transmitting antenna is selected, thereby enabling the selection of the third antenna set used for transmitting data.

[0019] Optionally, considering that the data of the third PPDU is to be sent to the station (referred to as the receiving station), and that the quality of the data received by the receiving station from the third PPDU is related to the channel state information and / or the location of the receiving station, which is the channel state information between the WLAN device and the receiving station, an initial antenna set is first determined based on the channel state information between the WLAN device and the receiving station and / or the location of the station. Subsequently, using the competition result, antennas are selected from the initial antenna set to form the third antenna set, which can improve the communication performance between the antennas in the third antenna set and the receiving station.

[0020] In an alternative approach, the method further includes receiving the air interface status sent by the WLAN device. In this way, the air interface status is determined by the WLAN device, saving resources of the centralized processing device.

[0021] In one alternative approach, the WLAN supports multiple transmission specifications, which are baseband processing transmission specifications. A centralized processing device determines a first transmission specification corresponding to a third antenna set, which is one of the multiple transmission specifications. Based on the first transmission specification, data transmitted by the antennas in the third antenna set is processed. In this way, the transmission specification is determined simultaneously with the selection of the antenna set, binding the antenna set to the baseband MIMO processing, thereby improving communication performance.

[0022] In one alternative approach, the wireless communication method can be applied to various systems. For example, the WLAN system is a Fiber to the Room (FTTR) system, the centralized processing device is the master device in the FTTR system, and the WLAN device is a sub-device in the FTTR system; or...

[0023] The WLAN is a parent-child routing system, the centralized processing device is the parent router in the parent-child routing system, and the WLAN device is a child router in the parent-child routing system; or,

[0024] The WLAN is a system consisting of an access controller (AC) and an access point (AP). The centralized processing device is an access switch, or the centralized processing device is the access controller and the WLAN device is an AP.

[0025] Secondly, this application provides a wireless communication method, which is applied to a WLAN device in a WLAN, the method comprising:

[0026] The system receives a first indication message sent by a centralized processing device in the WLAN system, wherein the first indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a first antenna set;

[0027] Data received via antennas belonging to the WLAN device in the first antenna set is transmitted to the centralized processing device via a cable.

[0028] In an alternative embodiment, the data received via the antennas in the first antenna set is data from a first PPDU, and the method further includes:

[0029] The device receives a second indication message sent by the centralized processing device, the second indication message instructing the WLAN device to select a second antenna set;

[0030] Data from a second PPDU, received via an antenna belonging to the WLAN device in the second antenna set, is transmitted to the centralized processing device via a cable.

[0031] In an alternative approach, the method further includes:

[0032] The signal characteristics of the first PPDU are sent to the centralized processing device, wherein the signal characteristics include one or more of the following: synchronization completion time, signaling information, or frame format.

[0033] In an alternative approach, the method further includes:

[0034] The device receives a third indication message sent by the centralized processing device, wherein the third indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a third antenna set;

[0035] The data transmitted by the centralized processing device and sent by the antennas of the WLAN device in the third antenna set is received via cable.

[0036] Data transmitted by the antennas belonging to the WLAN device in the third antenna set is transmitted through the antennas in the third antenna set.

[0037] In an optional manner, the data transmitted by the antennas in the third antenna set is data of a third PPDU, and the method further includes: receiving a fourth indication message sent by the centralized processing device, wherein the fourth indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a fourth antenna set;

[0038] The data transmitted by the centralized processing device and sent by the antennas belonging to the WLAN device in the fourth antenna set is received via cable.

[0039] Data of the fourth PPDU, transmitted by the antennas belonging to the WLAN device in the fourth antenna set, is transmitted through the antennas in the fourth antenna set.

[0040] In an alternative approach, the method further includes sending the air interface status of the WLAN device to the centralized processing device.

[0041] The effects of the second aspect and the optional methods described above can be found in the descriptions of the first aspect and the optional methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0042] Thirdly, this application provides a communication device, which is a centralized processing device, the centralized processing device including a chip and a communication interface, the chip being used to execute the method described in the first aspect or any optional method of the first aspect;

[0043] The communication interface is used to communicate with other devices.

[0044] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device, which is a WLAN device, the WLAN device including a chip and a communication interface, the chip being used to perform the method described in the second aspect or any optional method of the second aspect;

[0045] The communication interface is used to communicate with other devices.

[0046] Fifthly, this application provides a wireless communication system, which includes a centralized processing device and a WLAN device;

[0047] The centralized processing device is used to execute the method described in the first aspect or any optional method of the first aspect; the WLAN device is used to execute the method described in the second aspect or any optional method of the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a Wi-Fi related processing unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a multi-AP networking WLAN system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a centralized baseband architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another framework of the centralized baseband architecture provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the segmentation of Wi-Fi processing function provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another application scenario provided by an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another application scenario provided by an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another application scenario provided by an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another application scenario provided by an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the data receiving process in a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the process of receiving PPDU data in a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the data transmission process in a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the process of transmitting PPDU data in a wireless communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the framework of a centralized processing device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of the framework of an AP provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the framework of a centralized processing device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of the framework of an AP provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a centralized processing device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an AP provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0068] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0069] The following describes the terminology and concepts involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0070] 1. MIMO technology refers to the technique of using multiple antennas for signal transmission and reception in the field of wireless communication. By utilizing multiple transmission paths, MIMO technology increases the spatial modulation and demodulation of data, thereby improving transmission rate and system capacity.

[0071] 2. MIMO specification is typically represented by M×N, where M represents the number of transmit antennas and N represents the number of receive antennas. For example, a 2×4 MIMO specification means that the transmitter uses two transmit antennas to send data, and the receiver uses four antennas to receive data. In this embodiment, considering that when the WLAN device sends data to the STA, the baseband processing follows the M in the MIMO specification, the MIMO specification can also be referred to as the transmit specification or transmit MIMO specification when transmitting data. Similarly, considering that when the STA sends data to the WLAN device, the baseband processing follows the N in the MIMO specification, the MIMO specification can also be referred to as the receive specification or receive MIMO specification when receiving data.

[0072] In current WLAN systems with multiple WLAN devices (all WLAN devices in this embodiment are wireless APs), regardless of whether the multiple WLAN devices use point-to-multipoint or point-to-point connections, the Wi-Fi related processing unit within each WLAN device includes a complete intermediate radio frequency (IRF) processing section and a baseband processing section. Each WLAN device independently provides services to the STA, and the communication between the various WLAN devices is via Ethernet packets, as shown in Figure 1. The IRF processing section includes an antenna, an IRF analog channel, and a digital front end (DFE). The antenna is used to transmit or receive radio frequency signals, the IRF analog channel is used to convert digital signals into radio frequency signals, or vice versa, and the DFE is used to eliminate inter-signal interference caused by lossy channels. The baseband processing section includes Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) processing, channel estimation, beamforming (BF) processing, MIMO detection and spatial mapping processing, modulation and demodulation processing, interleaving and deinterleaving processing, encoding and decoding processing, and media access control (MAC) processing. Interleaving and deinterleaving processing includes, but is not limited to, interleaving and deinterleaving, stream mapping and destream mapping, and segmentation and desegmentation. Interleaving and deinterleaving processing can also be referred to as bit-level processing. Point-to-multipoint connectivity refers to a device's port being simultaneously connected to other devices via a star network topology, while point-to-point connectivity refers to a device's port being connected to only one other device.

[0073] In this WLAN system, a STA can only communicate with one AP at a time, which may result in poor communication performance. For example, if STA2 is associated with AP1 and has moved to a location closer to AP2, but due to delayed roaming handover, it can still only communicate with AP1, which may lead to poor communication performance (see Figure 2).

[0074] Furthermore, since a STA can only communicate with one AP, and each AP has an independent antenna, the MIMO specification used for data transmission with the STA is fixed. Even if other APs in the WLAN have no signal transmission at this time and their basebands are idle, they cannot participate in the transmission to achieve better coverage performance. As shown in Figure 2, STA3 is located in the overlapping area of ​​AP1 and AP2. If AP1 and AP2 can communicate with STA3 together, a higher communication rate can be obtained.

[0075] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a baseband centralized architecture, also known as a communication system. In this architecture, a portion of the Wi-Fi processing functions are centralized into one device, referred to as a centralized processing device or a centralized baseband processing device. The remaining Wi-Fi processing functions are distributed to each access point (AP), referred to as a distributed AP. That is, each AP only undertakes a portion of the Wi-Fi processing functions. The centralized processing device and each AP communicate via a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint network, referred to as a fronthaul network. In this network, the centralized processing device and the APs are connected via cables, including but not limited to electrical cables and optical fibers. Both the APs and the centralized processing device include a fronthaul network interface for connecting to the fronthaul network. For ease of description, the Wi-Fi processing function in the centralized processing device is referred to as the first Wi-Fi processing function, and the Wi-Fi processing function in the AP is referred to as the second Wi-Fi processing function.

[0076] In some cases, the centralized processing device lacks Wi-Fi access capability, thus possessing only the first Wi-Fi processing function and not the second Wi-Fi processing function, as shown in Figure 3. Alternatively, if the centralized baseband processing device has Wi-Fi access capability, then it possesses both the first and second Wi-Fi processing functions. The first Wi-Fi processing function is implemented through chip 1, and the second Wi-Fi processing function is implemented through chip 2. Chips 1 and 2 are connected through an onboard chip interface. Alternatively, the first and second Wi-Fi processing functions can be implemented through a single integrated chip. The centralized processing device performs centralized processing on signals from itself and the AP, as shown in Figure 4.

[0077] Depending on the degree of functional centralization, centralized baseband architectures may exist in multiple forms. Under different architectures, the Wi-Fi processing functions undertaken by the centralized processing device and the access point (AP) may differ; that is, the way the first and second Wi-Fi processing functions are separated may differ under different architectures. The type of data transmitted between the centralized processing device and the AP can be divided into time-domain segmentation architecture and frequency-domain segmentation architecture. As shown in Figure 5, in the time-domain segmentation architecture, the AP only handles antenna and IRF processing, realizing the conversion and processing between analog signals and digital time-domain signals. All frequency-domain signal processing is performed on the centralized processing device. In the frequency-domain segmentation architecture, the centralized processing device and the AP exchange frequency-domain data. Multiple segmentation points exist in the frequency-domain segmentation architecture. For example, as shown in Figure 5, there are five possible frequency domain segmentation positions, namely frequency domain segmentation positions 1 to 5. When using frequency domain segmentation position 1 to segment the Wi-Fi processing function, the centralized processing device and the AP exchange received signals on each subcarrier in the frequency domain. When using frequency domain segmentation position 2 to segment the Wi-Fi processing function, the centralized processing device and the AP exchange constellation point symbols. When using frequency domain segmentation position 3 to segment the Wi-Fi processing function, the centralized processing device and the AP exchange encoded or undecoded bits. When using frequency domain segmentation position 4 to segment the Wi-Fi processing function, the centralized processing device and the AP exchange encoded or undecoded bits. When using frequency domain segmentation position 5 to segment the Wi-Fi processing function, the centralized processing device and the AP exchange information bits. The processing performed by the centralized processing device and the AP differs depending on the segmentation position, which will be explained separately later.

[0078] In other embodiments, the baseband centralized architecture includes all or part of the access points (APs) of the WLAN system.

[0079] In this application embodiment, the baseband centralized architecture can be applied to a variety of WLAN systems. The following are three WLAN systems that can be applied to it.

[0080] 1. The WLAN system is a multi-router system, also known as a parent-child routing system.

[0081] Multi-router systems can be used in homes or small offices. As shown in Figure 6, a multi-router system includes at least one sub-router device and a master router device. The sub-router devices are connected to the master router device in a point-to-point manner via cables. The master router device is connected to the optical modem via a network cable or optical port. The master router device usually does not have Wi-Fi functionality, but each sub-router device does. The master router device centrally manages and provides Wi-Fi connectivity services for the entire deployment environment.

[0082] In this embodiment, the parent router is a centralized processing device, and the child router is an access point (AP). The parent router has a first Wi-Fi processing function, and the child router has a second Wi-Fi processing function. The parent router can select one or more antenna sets of the child router for each data packet (such as PPDU) to provide transmission or reception services for the STA, and the number of antennas and MIMO specifications are variable.

[0083] 2. The WLAN system is an FTTR system.

[0084] Building upon fiber to the home / office (FTTH / O) infrastructure, to address signal coverage issues (such as WLAN signals) in home or office networks, the fiber optic cable can be extended further into the room. Optical terminal equipment (APs) providing WLAN signals are then installed inside the room, thus reducing the distance between the user terminal and the AP and improving signal quality. This technology is known as FTTR (Fiber to the Home / Office) technology.

[0085] Figure 7 illustrates the architecture of an FTTR system. In FTTH / O, the optical line terminal (OLT) is deployed in the central equipment room, while the optical network terminal (ONT) is deployed in homes or offices. The FTTR system includes a master device and at least one sub-device. The master device acts as both the ONT in the FTTH network and the upstream device for the sub-device, managing it. The sub-device can be deployed in various rooms of a home or office to provide signals to user terminals, including but not limited to mobile phones, robots, cameras, smart home appliances, office equipment, sensors, and virtual reality (VR) devices. This sub-device has the functions of an ONT and can also function as an access point (AP).

[0086] In an FTTR system with multiple sub-devices, each sub-device connects to the main device via an optical splitter, allowing each sub-device to be connected to the main device via optical fiber. The main device can centrally manage and configure all sub-devices. The main device can also be called a "main gateway," "main optical modem," "main FTTR unit (MFU)," or "main fiber unit (MFU)," etc., while sub-devices can be called "slave gateways," "slave optical modems," "sub FTTR units (SFU)," or "slave fiber units (MFU)," etc.

[0087] In this embodiment, the main device is a centralized processing device, and the sub-device is an AP. The main device has a first Wi-Fi processing function, and the sub-device has a second Wi-Fi processing function. The main device can select one or more antenna sets of the sub-devices for each data packet (such as PPDU) to provide transmission or reception services for the STA, and the number of antennas and MIMO specifications are variable.

[0088] Optionally, the main device may also have the ability to communicate with the STA. The main device may be an AP with a first Wi-Fi processing function and a second Wi-Fi processing function. In other words, the main device is a centralized processing device with a second Wi-Fi processing function.

[0089] When the WLAN system is an FTTR system, it is a centralized Wi-Fi access network (C-WAN), a centralized Wi-Fi network architecture. The core of the C-WAN architecture is that the master device collects information and makes decisions, centrally controls optical and Wi-Fi transmission, and realizes the coordinated configuration of resources for optical and wireless links.

[0090] 3. The WLAN system is a system composed of AC and AP, and is referred to as AC+AP system for short.

[0091] AC+AP systems are typically used in large enterprise networks, but they can also simplify network connections for smaller network scenarios such as homes and small businesses. The following explanation uses a large enterprise network as an example: the AC controls and manages the network, while each AP provides Wi-Fi functionality. Each AP can connect directly to the AC or connect to a wired network via an access switch, communicating with the AC through the wired network. Regardless of the method used, the connection between the AP and the access switch or AC is point-to-point.

[0092] There may be several ways to connect the network to an AC+AP system. Three methods are provided below:

[0093] Method 1, as shown in Figure 8, uses an access switch as the centralized processing device. A module with first Wi-Fi processing functionality is added to the access switch, while the Wi-Fi processing functionality of the access points (APs) is simplified, allowing the APs to retain second Wi-Fi processing functionality. In Method 1, the access switch is the centralized processing device, and the APs are wireless APs. The access switch has first Wi-Fi processing functionality, and the APs have second Wi-Fi processing functionality. The access switch can select one or more sets of AP antennas for each data packet (such as a PPDU) to provide transmission or reception services to the STA, and the number of antennas and MIMO specifications are variable.

[0094] Optionally, Method 1 can be applied to network configurations where the AC is "side-mounted".

[0095] Method 2 uses an AC (Access Controller) as the centralized processing device. A module with primary Wi-Fi processing capabilities is added to the AC, while the Wi-Fi processing functionality of the APs (Access Points) is simplified, allowing the APs to retain secondary Wi-Fi processing capabilities. In Method 2, the AC is the centralized processing device, and the APs are wireless APs. The AC has primary Wi-Fi processing capabilities, and the APs have secondary Wi-Fi processing capabilities. The AC can select one or more sets of AP antennas for each data packet (such as a PPDU) to provide transmission or reception services to the STA (Station), and the number of antennas and MIMO specifications are variable.

[0096] Method 3: Keeping the access switch and AC unchanged, a new main AP is added, which serves as a centralized processing device. The main AP connects to other APs via wired connections, as shown in Method 1 and Method 2. Method 1 (see Figure 9): The main AP connects to other APs by being "side-mounted" to the access switch or AC. In this case, data exchange between the main AP and other APs is handled through the access switch or AC. Method 2 (see Figure 10): The main AP connects to other APs through its own interface and simultaneously to the access switch or AC via cable. Thus, data from all other APs connected to the main AP directly enters the main AP. Figures 9 and 10 show three main APs, main AP1 to main AP3. In Method 3, the main AP is a centralized processing device, and the other APs are wireless APs. The main AP has a first Wi-Fi processing function, and the other APs have a second Wi-Fi processing function. The main AP can select one or more antenna sets from other APs for each data packet (such as a PPDU) to provide transmission or reception services for the STA, and the number of antennas and MIMO specifications are variable.

[0097] The wireless communication method flow is described below.

[0098] Wi-Fi is a distributed contention access protocol, meaning that multiple STAs may be transmitting or receiving data on the air interface simultaneously. Therefore, in a WLAN system, more antennas are not necessarily better for data transmission or reception. More antennas mean that transmission or reception will consume more baseband processing resources, reducing the network's ability to process multiple signals in parallel and affecting overall network throughput. Therefore, when transmitting or receiving data, while meeting communication performance requirements, a smaller number of antennas should be prioritized for transmission and reception. Thus, WLAN systems need to support dynamically adjusting the number of antennas based on the amount of data being transmitted or received.

[0099] Figure 11 illustrates the receiving process in the wireless communication method. See steps S101 to S103. In Figure 11, the WLAN device is used as an AP for example.

[0100] In step S101, the centralized processing device sends a first indication message to the AP in the WLAN system, wherein the first indication message indicates that the AP selects a first antenna set.

[0101] The first antenna set includes one or more antennas. If it includes multiple antennas, the APs to which these multiple antennas belong may be the same or different. The AP in step S101 may be all APs participating in centralized management in the WLAN system, or it may be the AP to which the antennas in the first antenna set belong.

[0102] In this embodiment, when the centralized processing device indicates that data should be received, it sends a first indication message to the AP in the WLAN system. Here, if any antenna in the first antenna set belongs to the centralized processing device, it is equivalent to the first indication message being transmitted between different modules within the device.

[0103] In one alternative approach, the first indication message indicates the number of the antenna in the first antenna set, which can be represented by a number value or by a bitmap.

[0104] In an alternative approach, the first indication message may also include an identifier indicating whether or not the recipient is participating in the reception.

[0105] In one alternative approach, the first instruction message is sent using broadcast, multicast, or unicast.

[0106] In step S102, the AP sends data received via the antennas belonging to the AP in the first antenna set to the centralized processing device through a cable.

[0107] In this embodiment, after receiving the first indication message, the AP parses the first antenna set from the first indication message. The AP determines the target antenna in the first antenna set, which belongs to both the first antenna set and the AP. The AP then transmits the data received by the target antenna to the centralized processing device via a cable.

[0108] In one alternative approach, after receiving data via the target antenna, the AP processes the data to obtain processed data, and then sends the processed data to the centralized processing device. The processing performed by the AP varies depending on the location where Wi-Fi functionality is segmented.

[0109] It should be noted that if an AP that does not have an antenna in the first antenna set receives the first indication message and determines that its own antenna is not in the first antenna set, then it ignores the first indication message. Here, the AP can use an identifier indicating whether it participates in reception to determine that its own antenna is not in the first antenna set.

[0110] In step S103, the centralized processing device receives the data via cable.

[0111] In this embodiment, after the centralized processing device receives the data sent by the AP, the data format varies depending on the different Wi-Fi function segmentation positions shown in Figure 5, and the processing performed by the centralized processing device on the data also differs. For example, when the segmentation position is a time-domain segmentation position, the AP only handles antenna and IRF processing, realizing the conversion and processing between analog signals and digital time-domain signals. That is, after the AP receives the radio frequency signal through the antenna, it converts the radio frequency signal into a digital time-domain signal through IRF processing. The data received by the centralized processing device is a digital time-domain signal. The centralized processing device first performs FFT processing on the data to obtain frequency-domain data, which is the received signal on each subcarrier in the frequency domain. Then, it sequentially performs MIMO detection, demodulation processing, deinterleaving, and decoding processing on the frequency-domain data, and finally processes it through the MAC processing module. When the segmentation position is frequency domain segmentation position 1, after receiving the digital time domain signal, the AP performs FFT processing on the digital time domain signal to obtain frequency domain data. The data received by the centralized processing device is frequency domain data. The centralized processing device sequentially performs MIMO detection, demodulation processing, deinterleaving, and decoding processing on the frequency domain data, and finally processes it through the MAC processing module. When the segmentation position is frequency domain segmentation position 2 to frequency domain segmentation position 5, MIMO detection is performed in the AP. In this case, the centralized processing device needs to send the data sent by each AP that has not undergone MIMO detection to a specific AP. The AP then performs MIMO detection and the necessary processing before sending it back to the centralized processing device, which then processes it. In another implementation, when the segmentation position is frequency domain segmentation position 2 to frequency domain segmentation position 5, MIMO detection is performed in the centralized processing device.

[0112] In one alternative approach, channel estimation using the receive specification is required during MIMO detection. However, in Wi-Fi systems, a higher receive specification is not always better. A higher receive specification means more baseband processing resources are consumed, reducing the network's ability to process multiple signals in parallel and impacting overall network throughput. Therefore, during data reception, prioritizing lower receive specifications while meeting communication performance requirements improves parallel processing capabilities. Furthermore, Wi-Fi systems are non-scheduled systems, especially during reception, where the specific receive specification used is unpredictable. Therefore, WLAN systems need to support receive specification adjustments. For example, during data reception, a WLAN system can simultaneously perform two 2×2 MIMO receptions and one 4×4 MIMO reception. This allows the WLAN system to support multiple receive specifications, indicating the MIMO detection specification when receiving data from STAs. These multiple receive specifications are related to the total number of antennas in the APs within the WLAN system. For example, if the total number of antennas is 8, the receive specification can be less than or equal to 8, such as 8, 4, or 2.

[0113] Therefore, when receiving data, in order to ensure that the WLAN system always provides reception services to the STA with a better antenna set and uses higher-specification reception specifications as needed, the centralized processing equipment also determines the reception specifications.

[0114] In one alternative approach, if the first antenna set includes multiple antennas, the centralized processing device, after receiving the data received via the multiple antennas, first performs alignment processing on the data received by the multiple antennas, and then performs channel estimation and MIMO detection processing.

[0115] The following explanation will take the received data as PPDU as an example. Refer to steps S201 to S206 in the process shown in Figure 12. In Figure 12, the explanation will take the first PPDU and the second PPDU as examples. The first PPDU and the second PPDU are any PPDU received by the AP from the STA.

[0116] In step S201, the centralized processing device sends a first indication message to the WLAN device in the WLAN system, wherein the first indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a first antenna set.

[0117] In WLAN systems, air interface occupancy is distributed. Signals received by different access points (APs) at the same time may belong to the same PPDU or different PPDUs. If they belong to different PPDUs, blindly merging signals received by multiple APs will lead to reception failure. Therefore, the signal characteristics of the PPDU are first used to determine whether the received data belongs to the same PPDU. If they belong to the same PPDU, they are then received together. These signal characteristics include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: synchronization completion time, signaling information, or frame format. The synchronization completion time refers to the time when the PPDU data arrives at the AP, indicating whether PPDUs were received at the same time. Signaling information, also known as signal information, is information extracted from the signaling field of the PPDU. Signaling information is used to indicate relevant information of the transmitted PPDU, such as rate, length, and parity information. The frame format is the encapsulation format of the PPDU, such as the encapsulation format of the physical layer PPDU. Here, since different PPDUs may have the same frame format, to accurately determine if they are the same PPDU, the synchronization completion time and / or SIG information can be used to determine whether they are the same PPDU.

[0118] Optionally, different signal characteristics correspond to different PPDUs, and the same signal characteristics correspond to the same PPDU. The centralized processing device receives the signal characteristics sent by the APs and uses these signal characteristics to determine the APs that reported the same signal characteristics. The APs that reported the same signal characteristics are considered as a group of APs that received the data of the same PPDU, and the antennas in this group of APs are determined as the antennas that received the data of that PPDU.

[0119] Alternatively, the centralized processing device receives the frame header of the PPDU sent by the AP, uses the frame header to determine the signal characteristics of the PPDU, uses the signal characteristics of the PPDU to determine a group of APs that have received the same PPDU data, and identifies the antennas in that group of APs as the antennas that have received the data of that PPDU.

[0120] Optionally, considering that a larger RSSI of a PPDU generally indicates better reception performance, and that lower channel correlation among channels receiving the same PPDU also leads to better reception performance, and that channel correlation is related to CSI, it indicates that the first antenna set is also related to the RSSI and / or CSI of the first PPDU. Therefore, the centralized processing device uses the RSSI and / or CSI of the first PPDU to select the first antenna set from the antennas that receive the first PPDU. Here, the RSSI indicates the signal strength of the first PPDU received by the antenna receiving the first PPDU, and the CSI is the CSI between the antenna receiving the first PPDU and the transmitting STA of the first PPDU.

[0121] For the first antenna and the second antenna that receive the data from the first PPDU, the channel correlation between the first channel and the second channel is determined using the first CSI and the second CSI. The first CSI is the CSI between the first antenna and the transmitting STA of the first PPDU, and the second CSI is the CSI between the second antenna and the transmitting STA. The first channel is the channel between the first antenna and the transmitting STA, and the second channel is the channel between the second antenna and the transmitting STA. In this way, the channel correlation can be calculated for each pair of antennas.

[0122] When using RSSI and CSI to select the first antenna set, the centralized processing device determines the antennas whose RSSI of the first PPDU is higher than a first threshold and whose channel correlation is less than a second threshold from the antennas that receive the data of the first PPDU, and selects the first antenna set from these antennas.

[0123] When using RSSI to select the first antenna set, the centralized processing device determines, among the antennas that receive the data of the first PPDU, the antennas whose RSSI for receiving the first PPDU is higher than a first threshold, and selects the first antenna set from these antennas.

[0124] When using CSI to select the first antenna set, the centralized processing device determines the antennas whose channel correlation is less than a second threshold among the antennas that receive the data of the first PPDU, and selects the first antenna set from these antennas.

[0125] After filtering out antennas using the RSSI and / or CSI of the first PPDU, the process of further selecting the first antenna set is as follows:

[0126] The centralized processing equipment will use the RSSI and / or CSI of the first PPDU to form the first antenna set.

[0127] Alternatively, as mentioned earlier, even if multiple antennas receive the same PPDU, it's necessary to select the appropriate antenna based on the needs to avoid excessive waste of baseband processing resources. For example, for a STA close to an AP, it might choose the nearest AP for single-AP antenna reception. In this case, selecting multiple APs for reception doesn't improve reception performance and consumes baseband resources, affecting the overall processing parallelism of the WLAN system. Therefore, the centralized processing device uses the current reception status of each PPDU in the WLAN system to comprehensively select antennas for each PPDU, maximizing the overall parallelism of the WLAN system while meeting the PPDU reception performance requirements. In other words, the antenna selection for each PPDU must comprehensively consider the reception parallelism of the WLAN system.

[0128] For example, the WLAN system is currently receiving two PPDUs, namely PPDU1 and PPDU2. The antennas of PPDU1 are determined to be antennas 1 to 4 using RSSI and / or CSI, and the antennas of PPDU2 are determined to be antennas 3 and 4 using RSSI and / or CSI. In order to improve parallelism, PPDU1 is received using antennas 1 and 2, and PPDU2 is received using antennas 3 and 4.

[0129] For example, a WLAN system is currently receiving two PPDUs, PPDU1 and PPDU2. RSSI and / or CSI are used to determine that the antennas of PPDU1 include antenna 1 and antenna 4, and RSSI and / or CSI are used to determine that the antennas of PPDU2 include antenna 3 and antenna 4. However, the RSSI received by antenna 1 for PPDU1 exceeds the target threshold, which is the minimum RSSI that can be received by a single antenna. The RSSI received by antennas 3 and 4 for PPDU2 does not exceed the target threshold. In this case, it can be determined that PPDU1 is received by antenna 1, and PPDU2 is received by antennas 3 and 4.

[0130] For example, a WLAN system is currently receiving two PPDUs, PPDU1 and PPDU2. Using RSSI and / or CSI, it is determined that the antennas of PPDU1 include antennas 1 to 3 and antenna 5, and using RSSI and / or CSI, it is determined that the antennas of PPDU2 include antennas 3 and 4. Antennas 1 and 2 belong to the same AP. In this case, antennas 1 and 2 can achieve MIMO reception. Therefore, it can be determined that PPDU1 uses antennas 1 and 2 for reception, and PPDU2 uses antennas 3 and 4 for reception.

[0131] Optionally, the CSI corresponds to the antenna or the AP, and the RSSI corresponds to the antenna or the AP. That is, the CSI is determined for each antenna, or the CSI is determined for each AP and the RSSI is determined for each antenna, or the RSSI is determined for each AP.

[0132] It should be noted that the above are merely examples of determining the antenna set, and the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto. Any scheme that can use the above information to determine the antenna set can be applied to the embodiments of this application.

[0133] Optionally, without using RSSI and CSI to select the first antenna set, the centralized processing device considers the overall parallelism of the WLAN system and selects antennas for each PPDU to optimize the overall transmission performance of the WLAN system. For example, PPDU1 is received by antennas 1 to 3, and PPDU2 is received by antennas 3 and 4. To ensure parallelism without affecting reception performance, it can be determined that antennas 1 and 2 receive PPDU1, and antennas 3 and 4 receive PPDU2. In this way, both PPDUs are received using MIMO.

[0134] Optionally, after determining the first antenna set, the centralized processing device determines the receiving specification, referred to as the first receiving specification. The centralized processing device can select the first antenna set and the first receiving specification simultaneously. When selecting the first antenna set, multiple receiving specifications supported by the WLAN system are also considered, ensuring that the number of antennas in the first antenna set corresponds to one of these multiple receiving specifications. The number of antennas in the first antenna set is equal to the first receiving specification. In one example, the multiple receiving specifications include 1, 2, and 4, and the number of antennas in the first antenna set is 1, 2, 4, or 8. The reason why the number of antennas in the first antenna set can be 8 is that during MIMO detection, the signals received by two antennas are combined into a single signal from one antenna; in this case, the receiving specification for MIMO detection is 4.

[0135] Alternatively, a neural network algorithm can be pre-trained, and the centralized processing device can input the antennas currently receiving each PPDU and the RSSI and / or CSI of each PPDU into the neural network algorithm. The output of the neural network algorithm is the antenna set and reception specifications of each PPDU.

[0136] In step S202, the AP transmits the data of the first PPDU received by the target antenna to the centralized processing device via a cable.

[0137] In step S203, the centralized processing device processes the data of the first PPDU using the first receiving specification.

[0138] In this embodiment, the centralized processing device performs channel estimation using a first receiving specification to obtain a channel estimation result. Then, using the channel estimation result and the first receiving specification, it performs MIMO detection on the data transmitted by the AP to obtain a MIMO detection result. The centralized processing device performs subsequent processing on the MIMO detection result, such as demodulation processing, deinterleaving processing, encoding / decoding processing, and MAC processing in sequence.

[0139] In step S204, the centralized processing device sends a second indication message to the WLAN device in the WLAN system, wherein the first indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a second antenna set.

[0140] When receiving data from the second PPDU, a new second antenna set is selected for the second PPDU. The second antenna set may be the same as or different from the first antenna set.

[0141] In step S205, the AP transmits the data of the second PPDU received by the target antenna to the centralized processing device via a cable.

[0142] Step S206: The centralized processing device processes the data of the second PPDU using the second receiving specification.

[0143] The processing procedures for steps S204 to S206 are described in the same way as those for steps S201 to S203, and will not be repeated here.

[0144] Using the process shown in Figure 12, at the PPDU level, an antenna set and receiving specifications are selected for each PPDU to receive data, thereby improving reception performance.

[0145] The preceding text described the receiving process in wireless communication; the following text describes the transmitting process in wireless communication. See steps S301 to S303 in Figure 13.

[0146] In step S301, the centralized processing device sends a third indication message to the AP device, wherein the third indication message instructs the AP device to select a third antenna set.

[0147] The third antenna set includes one or more antennas. If multiple antennas are included, the APs to which these multiple antennas belong may or may not be the same. The AP in step S301 may be any AP participating in centralized management in the WLAN system, or it may be any AP to which an antenna in the third antenna set belongs.

[0148] In this embodiment, when the centralized processing device sends data, it sends a third indication message to the AP device to instruct the AP to select a third antenna set for data transmission. Here, if any antenna in the third antenna set belongs to the centralized processing device, it is equivalent to the third indication message being transmitted between different modules within the device.

[0149] In one alternative approach, the third indication message indicates the number of the antenna in the third antenna set, which can be represented by a number value or by a bitmap.

[0150] In one alternative approach, the third instruction message is sent using broadcast, multicast, or unicast.

[0151] In step S302, the centralized processing device sends data transmitted by the antennas in the third antenna set to the AP device through the cable.

[0152] In this embodiment, the centralized processing device can transmit data that needs to be transmitted by the antenna via broadcast, multicast, or unicast. When transmitting data via broadcast or multicast, bitmaps can be used to transmit the data. When transmitting data via broadcast or multicast, an AP may receive data that the centralized processing device is sending to other APs; in this case, the AP ignores the data destined for those other APs.

[0153] As a centralized baseband processing device, the centralized processing unit performs centralized processing before sending data to the access point (AP). The baseband processing performed by the centralized processing unit varies depending on the architecture of the segmentation location, but it always determines the transmission specification, referred to as the primary transmission specification. In a WLAN system, a larger transmission specification is not always better. A larger transmission specification means that more baseband processing resources are consumed, reducing the network's ability to process multiple signals in parallel and affecting overall network throughput. Therefore, when sending data, while meeting communication performance requirements, MIMO with a lower transmission specification is prioritized for transmission processing. Thus, the WLAN needs to support adjustments to the transmission specification. For example, when sending data, it should be able to simultaneously perform two 2x2 beamforming weighted matrix calculations or switch to a single 4x4 beamforming matrix calculation.

[0154] When the centralized processing equipment selects the third antenna set, it can simultaneously determine the transmission specifications. When the segmentation position is a time-domain segmentation position, the centralized processing equipment uses the transmission specifications to perform beam forming processing to obtain beam forming weights. It then uses the beam forming weights and the transmission specifications to perform spatial mapping processing on the modulated data to obtain the spatial mapping result. Finally, it performs IFFT processing on the spatial mapping result to obtain time-domain data, which is then transmitted to the AP.

[0155] When the segmentation position is frequency domain segmentation position 1, the centralized processing device uses the transmission specification to perform beam forming processing to obtain the beam forming weights. It then uses the beam forming weights and the transmission specification to perform spatial mapping processing on the modulated data to obtain the spatial mapping result, and sends the spatial mapping result to the AP.

[0156] When the segmentation positions are segmentation positions 2 to 5, the centralized processing device determines the transmission specification, uses the transmission specification to perform beam forming processing, obtains the beam forming weights, and then for each antenna in the third antenna set, sends the weights corresponding to the antenna to the AP to which the antenna belongs, and the AP performs spatial mapping processing.

[0157] Optionally, the beam forming weights can be sent in a third instruction message, sent separately, or sent together with data sent from the central processing device to the AP.

[0158] In step S303, the AP transmits the data through the antennas belonging to the AP device in the third antenna set.

[0159] In this embodiment, after receiving the third indication message and the data it needs to transmit, the AP performs necessary processing on the data and then transmits it through the antenna. For example, when the segmentation position is a time-domain segmentation position, the AP sequentially performs DFE processing and IRF analog channel processing on the data to be transmitted to obtain an RF signal, which is then transmitted through the antenna. When the segmentation position is frequency-domain segmentation position 1, the AP sequentially performs IFFT processing, DFE processing, and IRF analog channel processing on the data to be transmitted to obtain an RF signal, which is then transmitted through the antenna. When the segmentation positions are frequency-domain segmentation positions 2 to 5, the AP also needs to use beam forming weights to perform spatial mapping processing on the transmitted data to obtain a spatial mapping result. Then, the spatial mapping result is sequentially processed by IFFT, DFE, and IRF analog channel processing to obtain an RF signal, which is then transmitted through the antenna.

[0160] It should be noted that when multiple AP antennas participate in transmitting the third PPDU data, each antenna transmits the third PPDU data, and multiple AP antennas can transmit the third PPDU data at the same time.

[0161] The following explanation will take the data sent as PPDU as an example. Refer to steps S401 to S406 in the process shown in Figure 14. In Figure 14, the PPDU is the third PPDU and the fourth PPDU as examples. The third PPDU and the fourth PPDU are any PPDU sent by the AP to the STA.

[0162] In step S401, the centralized processing device sends a third indication message to the AP, wherein the third indication message indicates that the AP selects a third antenna set.

[0163] In one alternative approach, the process of selecting the third antenna set and the first transmission specification for the third PPDU is as follows:

[0164] The location and deployment differences between APs result in distance intervals between them. When transmitting PPDUs, the air interface busy / idle status near each AP is different. This leads to variations in whether each AP can transmit PPDUs and the available bandwidth. Therefore, the centralized processing device needs to adjust the participating APs at the PPDU level based on air interface status and dynamically use the appropriate transmission specifications based on the total number of participating antennas. Thus, the third antenna set and transmission specifications are related to the air interface status of each AP in the WLAN system. The air interface status indicates that data can be transmitted when idle and cannot when not idle. In other words, for the third PPDU, the centralized processing device uses the air interface status of each AP in the WLAN system to determine the third antenna set and the first transmission specification. The air interface status, used to indicate the busy / idle status of the APs, is indicated by the clear channel assessment (CCA) result.

[0165] Optionally, the method of obtaining the air interface status differs depending on the segmentation location. When the segmentation location is a frequency domain segmentation location, the AP determines the air interface status and sends it to the centralized processing device, which then receives the air interface status. For example, the AP periodically performs CCA detection, obtains the CCA result, and sends the CCA result to the centralized processing device, which indicates the air interface status. When the segmentation location is a time domain segmentation location, the air interface status is determined by the centralized processing device itself. For example, the centralized processing device performs CCA detection and obtains the CCA result.

[0166] Optionally, the centralized processing device performs centralized EDCA contention based on the air interface status of the AP and the message type of the third PPDU to obtain a contention result. This result indicates whether the third PPDU data can be transmitted. If it can be transmitted, it also indicates which AP can be used to transmit the third PPDU data. The centralized processing device then uses the contention result to determine the third antenna set and the first transmission specification. For example, the centralized processing device can randomly select antennas from the determined APs to form the third antenna set and determine the first transmission specification.

[0167] Optionally, the centralized processing device obtains an initial antenna set and an initial transmission specification. The initial antenna set is either a subset of the antennas in the WLAN system or all antennas in the WLAN system, and the initial transmission specification belongs to multiple transmission specifications of the WLAN system. Then, the centralized processing device uses the competition results to determine a third antenna set and a first transmission specification from the initial antenna set and initial transmission specification.

[0168] Alternatively, a neural network algorithm can be pre-trained. The centralized processing device inputs the initial antenna set and initial transmission specifications corresponding to the STAs of each PPDU that need to be transmitted, as well as the air interface status of each AP, into the neural network algorithm. The output of the neural network algorithm is the antenna set and transmission specifications of each PPDU.

[0169] Optionally, the centralized processing device determines whether the antenna in the AP indicated by the contention result is exactly the same as the antenna in the initial antenna set. If they are exactly the same, the initial antenna set is designated as the third antenna set, and the initial transmission specification is designated as the first transmission specification. The third PPDU data is then transmitted using the third antenna set and the first transmission specification. If they are not exactly the same, the transmission of the third PPDU data can be abandoned, and the process of transmitting the third PPDU data can be restarted after a period of time. Alternatively, if they are not exactly the same, the antennas belonging to the initial antenna set are determined from the antennas indicated by the contention result. These determined antennas are combined into the third antenna set, and the transmission specification is lowered to obtain the first transmission specification. The third PPDU data is then transmitted using the third antenna set and the first transmission specification.

[0170] Optionally, there are multiple ways to determine the initial antenna set, and this application embodiment does not limit the method. Three feasible methods are provided below:

[0171] Method 1: The centralized processing device uses the CSI between each AP and the receiving STA and / or the STA's location to determine the initial antenna set. The antennas in the initial antenna set can supply the STA with PPDU data transmission, and the initial transmission specifications include the transmission specifications selectable by the STA. For example, the centralized processing device uses CSI to determine the channel correlation between the antennas of two APs. Since a lower channel correlation indicates less interference between channels, antennas with channel correlation less than a certain threshold can be placed in the initial antenna set, and these antennas can supply the STA with PPDU transmission. Another example: The STA's location can be reflected by the RSSI of the data received by the AP from the STA. The RSSI of each AP receiving data from the STA is determined, and the antennas of APs with RSSI greater than a certain threshold are grouped into an initial antenna set, which is the initial antenna set for that STA. Yet another example: The centralized processing device uses CSI to determine the channel correlation between the antennas of two APs and the RSSI of the data received by each AP from the STA. The antennas of APs with RSSI greater than a certain threshold and channel correlation less than a certain threshold are grouped into an initial antenna set, which is the initial antenna set for that STA.

[0172] Method 2: The centralized processing device divides the antenna set of the WLAN system to obtain multiple antenna combinations. PPDUs are sent to the STA using each of the multiple antenna combinations to determine the packet error rate of each antenna combination. Antenna combinations with packet error rates below a certain threshold are selected as the initial antenna set.

[0173] Method 3 involves a centralized processing device acquiring historical communication data. Antenna combinations whose communication performance with the STA exceeds a certain threshold from this historical data are selected as the initial antenna set. This communication performance includes transmission success rate, among other factors.

[0174] Alternatively, when determining the initial antenna set, other PPDUs that the WLAN system currently needs to transmit can also be considered to improve the parallel processing capability of the WLAN system.

[0175] Optionally, after determining the initial antenna set, from among the various transmission specifications of the WLAN system, a transmission specification with an indicator antenna number less than or equal to the number of antennas in the initial antenna set is selected, and the selected transmission specification is determined as the initial transmission specification. For example, the number of antennas in the initial antenna set is determined as the initial transmission specification.

[0176] Optionally, the centralized processing equipment can determine the initial antenna set and initial transmission specifications when transmitting the third PPDU.

[0177] Optionally, as described above, to ensure the parallel processing capability of the WLAN system without affecting data transmission performance, when selecting the transmitting antenna for a certain PPDU, the situation of each PPDU currently being transmitted in the WLAN system is also considered, so as to achieve a higher overall throughput of the WLAN system. For example, if PPDU1 and PPDU2 need to be transmitted, the antennas for PPDU1 are selected as antennas 1 to 3, and the antennas for PPDU2 are antennas 2 and 3, respectively, in accordance with the above method. To ensure parallelism, PPDU1 is transmitted using antennas 1 and 2, and PPDU2 is transmitted using antennas 2 and 3, with a transmission specification of 2 for both.

[0178] It should be noted that the above are merely examples for determining the antenna set and transmission specifications. This application does not limit the scope of the embodiments. Any scheme that can use the above information to determine the antenna set and transmission specifications can be applied to the embodiments of this application.

[0179] After determining the first transmission specification, the centralized processing equipment can perform spatial mapping processing using the first transmission specification according to the spatial mapping processing method in Figure 13 to obtain the data of the third PPDU to be sent to the AP.

[0180] In step S402, the centralized processing device sends the data of the third PPDU transmitted by the antenna in the third antenna set to the AP via the cable.

[0181] In step S403, the AP transmits data of the third PPDU through the antennas belonging to the AP in the third antenna set.

[0182] In step S404, the centralized processing device sends a fourth indication message to the AP, wherein the fourth indication message indicates that the AP selects a fourth antenna set.

[0183] Specifically, when transmitting data for the fourth PPDU, a new fourth antenna set is selected for the fourth PPDU. This fourth antenna set may be the same as or different from the third antenna set. Furthermore, a second transmission specification is selected for the fourth PPDU.

[0184] In step S405, the centralized processing device sends the data of the fourth PPDU transmitted by the antenna in the fourth antenna set to the AP via the cable.

[0185] In step S406, the AP transmits the data of the fourth PPDU through the antennas belonging to the AP in the fourth antenna set.

[0186] The processing steps from S404 to S406 are described in the same way as those from S401 to S403, and will not be repeated here.

[0187] In Figure 14, the third indication message and the data transmitted by the antennas in the third antenna set can be sent through the same message or through different messages.

[0188] Thus, by adopting the process shown in Figure 14, when transmitting data to the PPDU, the antenna set and transmission specification can be selected for the PPDU as needed, which can bind the antenna set and transmission specification at the PPDU level to provide better transmission service.

[0189] It should be noted that in a WLAN system, data reception service can be provided only according to the process shown in Figures 11 and 12, data transmission service can be provided only according to the process shown in Figures 13 and 14, or data reception service can be provided according to the process shown in Figures 11 and 12, and data transmission service can be provided according to the process shown in Figures 13 and 14.

[0190] To better understand the embodiments of this application, functional block diagrams of the centralized processing device and the AP are also provided below.

[0191] When the segmentation position is frequency domain segmentation position 1, Figure 15 provides a functional block diagram of the centralized processing device, and Figure 16 provides a functional block diagram of the AP. When the segmentation position is time domain segmentation position, Figure 17 provides a functional block diagram of the centralized processing device, and Figure 18 provides a functional block diagram of the AP. In Figures 15 to 18, reception and transmission are separated for the purpose of differentiation. In reality, the hardware used for reception and transmission is the same; for example, the antennas used for reception and transmission are antennas 1 to N, and the MAC processing modules used for reception and transmission are the same. In some other implementations, the hardware for transmission and reception may also be separate.

[0192] In Figure 15, the centralized processing equipment includes a MAC processing module, a centralized EDCA processing module, an encoding processing module, an interleaving processing module, a modulation module, a spatial mapping module with variable transmit specifications, a beamforming processing module with variable transmit specifications, a centralized receive control module, a channel estimation module with variable receive specifications, a MIMO detection module with variable receive specifications, a demodulation module, a deinterleaving processing module, a decoding processing module, and a fronthaul network interface. This fronthaul network interface can also be understood as a fronthaul group deframe module. Here, the centralized EDCA processing module can also be integrated into the MAC processing module. The centralized receive control module can also be integrated into the MAC processing module.

[0193] During data transmission, the centralized EDCA processing module performs EDCA contention using the air interface status to obtain the contention result. The MAC processing module uses the contention result to determine the antenna set and transmission specifications for data transmission, sends an antenna set indication message through the fronthaul network interface, and performs MAC processing on the data to obtain MAC-processed data. The encoding processing module encodes the MAC-processed data to obtain encoded data. The interleaving and other processing modules perform interleaving, stream mapping, and segmentation processing on the encoded data to obtain bit-level processed data. The modulation module modulates the bit-level processed data to obtain modulated data. The beamforming processing module with variable transmission specifications determines the beamforming weights using the transmission specifications. The spatial mapping module with variable transmission specifications performs spatial mapping on the modulated data using the beamforming weights to obtain the spatial mapping result. The fronthaul network interface sends this spatial mapping result to the AP.

[0194] During data reception, the centralized control module determines the antenna set and reception specifications for data reception and sends an antenna set indication message to the AP via the fronthaul network interface. The variable-specification channel estimation module performs channel estimation using the reception specifications to obtain the channel matrix. The variable-specification MIMO detection module uses the channel estimation matrix to perform MIMO detection on the data received from the fronthaul network interface to obtain the MIMO detection result. The demodulation module performs demodulation processing on the MIMO detection result to obtain demodulated data. The deinterleaving and other processing modules perform deinterleaving, destream mapping, and desegmentation processing on the demodulated data to obtain a bit-level processing result. The decoding module decodes the bit-level processing result to obtain a decoded result. The MAC processing module performs MAC processing on the decoded result to obtain MAC layer data. The centralized processing device performs further processing on the MAC layer data to transmit the processed data.

[0195] In Figure 16, the AP includes a fronthaul network interface, a transmit management module, a CCA detection module, an FFT module, an IFFT module, a DFE module, an IRF analog channel, an antenna, a receive management module, a synchronization detection module, a signal analysis module, and an automatic gain control (AGC) module. The transmit management module, the CCA detection module, the receive management module, and the signal analysis module are all connected to the fronthaul network interface. Specifically, when transmitting data, the IRF analog channel functions as an IRF analog transmit channel; when receiving data, the IRF analog channel functions as an IRF analog receive channel.

[0196] During data transmission, the CCA detection module performs CCA detection to obtain the air interface status and sends this status to the centralized processing device via the fronthaul network interface. The transmission management module receives the antenna set indication message and the data to be transmitted by the AP via the fronthaul network interface, distributing the data to the channels of the antennas belonging to the antenna set. The IFFT module in each channel performs IFFT processing on the data to obtain time-domain data. The DFE module processes the time-domain data, and the IRF analog channel converts the time-domain signal into a radio frequency signal. The antenna then transmits this radio frequency signal.

[0197] During data reception, the antenna receives radio frequency (RF) signals. The IRF analog channel converts these RF signals into time-domain data. The DFE module performs interference cancellation on this time-domain data. The AGC module controls the stability of the signals processed by the DFE module. The FFT module performs FFT processing on the data processed by the DFE module to obtain frequency-domain data. The synchronization detection module analyzes the frequency-domain data to determine the synchronization completion time, and the signal analysis module analyzes the frequency-domain data to obtain frame format and signaling information. The signal analysis module includes a frame format identification unit, a SIG receiving and decoding unit, and a SIG parsing unit. The frame format identification unit determines the frame format, while the SIG receiving and decoding unit and the SIG parsing unit identify and obtain the signaling information. The signal analysis module sends the synchronization completion time, frame format, and signaling information to the centralized processing device via the fronthaul network interface. The receive management module receives the antenna set indicating participation in reception via the fronthaul network interface and sends the data received by the antennas belonging to the antenna set to the centralized processing device via the fronthaul network interface.

[0198] For a detailed description of the data transmission and reception process in Figures 15 and 16, please refer to the previous text; it will not be repeated here.

[0199] In Figure 17, the centralized processing equipment includes a MAC processing module, a centralized EDCA processing module, an encoding processing module, an interleaving processing module, a modulation module, a spatial mapping module with variable transmit specifications, a beamforming processing module with variable transmit specifications, an IFFT module, a centralized receive control module, a channel estimation module with variable receive specifications, a MIMO detection module with variable receive specifications, a demodulation module, a deinterleaving processing module, a decoding processing module, a CCA detection module, an FFT module, a synchronization detection module, a signal analysis module, and a fronthaul network interface, which can also be understood as a fronthaul group deframe module. Here, the centralized EDCA processing module can also be integrated into the MAC processing module. The centralized receive control module can also be integrated into the MAC processing module.

[0200] In Figure 18, the AP includes a fronthaul network interface, a transmit management module, a DFE module, an IRF analog channel, an antenna, a receive management module, and an automatic gain control (AGC) module. The transmit management module is connected to the fronthaul network interface, and the receive management module is also connected to the fronthaul network interface. Specifically, when transmitting data, the IRF analog channel functions as an IRF analog transmit channel; when receiving data, the IRF analog channel functions as an IRF analog receive channel.

[0201] The processing in Figures 17 and 18 is similar to that in Figures 15 and 16, except that the AP only receives data according to the instruction message sent by the centralized processing device, and only sends data according to the instruction message sent by the centralized processing device, without performing CCA or determining signal characteristics. The centralized processing device receives the frame header of the PPDU sent by the AP, uses the frame header to determine the signal characteristics of the PPDU, uses the signal characteristics of the PPDU to determine the AP that received the same PPDU, and the centralized processing device performs CCA to obtain the CCA result.

[0202] In the functional block diagrams shown in Figures 15 and 17, interleaving and other processing include interleaving processing, stream mapping processing, and segmentation processing, while deinterleaving and other processing include deinterleaving processing, destream mapping processing, and desegmentation processing.

[0203] In the embodiments of this application, the modulation method may be quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) or the like.

[0204] Furthermore, for frequency domain segmentation positions 2 to 5, the functional block diagrams of the centralized processing device and the AP are similar to those in Figures 15 to 18. However, the number of processes performed in the centralized processing device is reduced, while the number of processes performed in the AP is increased. Nevertheless, the processing principles are the same, and will not be elaborated here.

[0205] In this embodiment, the centralized processing device can simultaneously perform switching between N1 low-receive-specification MIMO processes and N2 high-receive-specification MIMO processes, where N1 is greater than N2. For example, it supports switching between two 2x2 processes and one 4x2 process. This allows for flexible provision of multiple receive-specification baseband processing with relatively low baseband processing resources. Similarly, the centralized processing device can simultaneously perform switching between N1 low-transmit-specification MIMO processes and N2 high-transmit-specification MIMO processes, where N1 is greater than N2. For example, it supports switching between two 2x2 processes and one 4x2 process. This allows for flexible provision of multiple transmit-specification baseband processing with relatively low baseband processing resources.

[0206] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when transmitting data, the transmitting antenna and transmission specifications are determined based on the real-time air interface status of the AP, solving the problem of inconsistent air interface status among APs caused by Wi-Fi distributed contention, which prevents the use of the optimal antenna set and variable MIMO specifications for transmission. Moreover, there is no need to send a trigger frame on the air interface before transmitting data, reducing air interface resource overhead.

[0207] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, generally, the number of antennas indicated by the receive specification is the same as the actual number of receive antennas used. However, in some special cases, they may differ. For example, during the receive processing, when performing MIMO detection, the receive specification is 2, but the actual number of receiving antennas is 4. Before MIMO detection, the signals from two antennas are processed and combined into a single antenna signal. Similarly, the number of antennas indicated by the transmit specification is the same as the actual number of transmit antennas used. However, in some special cases, they may differ. For example, during the transmit processing, when performing spatial mapping, the transmit specification is 2, but the actual number of transmit antennas is 4. During spatial mapping, one signal is processed to obtain signals from two antennas.

[0208] The above-described solutions in the embodiments of this application can be combined arbitrarily without violating logic.

[0209] This application provides a chip for implementing the wireless communication method described above. The chip includes logic circuitry for executing the wireless communication method. In one possible implementation, the chip further includes a power supply circuit coupled to the logic circuitry, which supplies power to the logic circuitry so that it can execute the wireless communication method. Exemplarily, the logic circuitry is a digital signal processor (DSP), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), programmable logic array (PLA), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable logic device (PLD), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc.

[0210] This application embodiment also provides a centralized processing device, as shown in Figure 19. The centralized processing device includes a chip and a communication interface. The chip performs the functions of the centralized processing device in the above-described wireless communication method. The communication interface is used to communicate with other devices, such as APs and access switches. For example, if the centralized processing device is an MFU, the communication device includes an optical module.

[0211] Optionally, the centralized processing device also includes memory, and the chip, memory, and communication interface communicate via a bus. The memory may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), which may be double data rate (DDR) memory. The memory may also include non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash memory.

[0212] This application embodiment also provides an AP, as shown in FIG20. The AP includes a chip and a communication interface. The chip performs the functions of the AP in the above-described wireless communication method. The communication interface is used to communicate with other devices, including centralized processing devices and STAs, etc. When the AP is applied to an FTTR system, the communication interface includes an optical module.

[0213] Optionally, the AP also includes a memory, and the chip, memory, and communication interface communicate via a bus. For a description of the memory, see the description of memory in a centralized processing device.

[0214] Optionally, the chip integrates circuitry for implementing the aforementioned wireless communication functions and one or more interfaces. As one example, the chip integrates a memory. As another example, if the chip does not integrate a memory, it can be connected to an external memory via an interface.

[0215] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the method steps and units described in the embodiments disclosed in this application can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the steps and components of each embodiment have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0216] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed system architecture, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the functional block diagrams of the devices described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices, or modules, or may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms of connection.

[0217] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of this application, depending on actual needs.

[0218] Furthermore, the modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or in software.

[0219] In this application, the terms "first" and "second," etc., are used to distinguish identical or similar items that have substantially the same function and purpose. It should be understood that there is no logical or temporal dependency between "first" and "second," nor does it limit the quantity or order of execution. It should also be understood that although the following description uses the terms "first" and "second," etc., to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by the terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the various examples, a first PPDU can be referred to as a second PPDU, and similarly, a second PPDU can be referred to as a first PPDU. Both the first PPDU and the second PPDU can be PPDUs, and in some cases, they can be separate and distinct PPDUs.

[0220] The phrase "at least one" in the preceding text can be understood as one or more.

[0221] The phrase "A and / or B" in the preceding text can be understood to include three cases: A, B, and A and B.

[0222] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and such modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a centralized processing device in a WLAN system, and the method includes: Send a first indication message to the WLAN device in the WLAN system, wherein the first indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a first antenna set; The WLAN device receives data via an antenna in the first antenna set through a cable.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data received via the antennas in the first antenna set is data of a first physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU). The method further includes: sending a second indication message to the WLAN device, wherein the second indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a second antenna set. The WLAN device receives data from a second PPDU received via an antenna in the second antenna set through a cable.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first indication message indicates the number of the antenna in the first antenna set, wherein the number is represented using a number value or a bitmap.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Before sending the first indication message to the WLAN device in the WLAN system, the method further includes: Based on the received signal strength indication and / or channel state information of the first PPDU, the first antenna set is selected from the antennas that receive the first PPDU, wherein the channel state information is the channel state information between the antenna that receives the first PPDU and the transmitting station of the first PPDU.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the signal characteristics of the first PPDU, an antenna that receives the first PPDU is selected from the antennas of the WLAN device; wherein, the signal characteristics include one or more of synchronization completion time, signaling information, or frame format.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: The signal characteristics sent by the WLAN device are received.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The WLAN system supports multiple reception specifications, and the method further includes: Determine the first receiving specification corresponding to the first antenna set, wherein the first receiving specification belongs to one of the multiple receiving specifications; Based on the first reception specification, the data received via the antennas in the first antenna set is processed.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a third indication message to the WLAN device, wherein the third indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a third antenna set; Data transmitted by the antennas in the third antenna set is sent to the WLAN device via the cable.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The data transmitted by the antennas in the third antenna set is the data of the third PPDU. The method further includes: sending a fourth indication message to the WLAN device, wherein the fourth indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a fourth antenna set. The data of the fourth PPDU transmitted by the antennas in the fourth antenna set is sent to the WLAN device via the cable.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Before sending the third indication message to the WLAN device, the method further includes: Based on the air interface status of the WLAN device, the third antenna set is selected from the antennas of the WLAN device.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The selection of the third antenna set from the antennas of the WLAN device based on the air interface status of the WLAN device includes: Based on the air interface status of the WLAN device, a centralized enhanced distributed channel access contention is conducted to obtain the contention result; Based on the competition results, the third antenna set is selected from the antennas of the WLAN device.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the air interface status sent by the WLAN device.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that, The WLAN system supports multiple transmission specifications. Before transmitting data transmitted by the antennas in the third antenna set to the WLAN device via the cable, the method further includes: Determine the first transmission specification corresponding to the third antenna set, wherein the first transmission specification belongs to one of the multiple transmission specifications; Based on the first transmission specification, the data transmitted by the antennas in the third antenna set is processed.

14. A wireless communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a WLAN device in a WLAN system, and the method includes: The system receives a first indication message sent by a centralized processing device in the WLAN system, wherein the first indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a first antenna set; Data received via antennas belonging to the WLAN device in the first antenna set is transmitted to the centralized processing device via a cable.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The data received via the antennas in the first antenna set is data of a first physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), and the method further includes: The device receives a second indication message sent by the centralized processing device, wherein the second indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a second antenna set; Data from a second PPDU, received via an antenna belonging to the WLAN device in the second antenna set, is transmitted to the centralized processing device via a cable.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that, The method further includes: The signal characteristics of the first PPDU are sent to the centralized processing device, wherein the signal characteristics include one or more of the following: synchronization completion time, signaling information, or frame format.

17. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that, The method further includes: The device receives a third indication message sent by the centralized processing device, wherein the third indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a third antenna set; The data transmitted by the centralized processing device and sent by the antennas of the WLAN device in the third antenna set is received via cable. Data transmitted by the antennas belonging to the WLAN device in the third antenna set is transmitted through the antennas in the third antenna set.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The data transmitted by the antennas in the third antenna set is the data of the third PPDU. The method further includes: receiving a fourth indication message sent by the centralized processing device, wherein the fourth indication message instructs the WLAN device to select a fourth antenna set. The data transmitted by the centralized processing device and sent by the antennas belonging to the WLAN device in the fourth antenna set is received via cable. Data of the fourth PPDU, transmitted by the antennas belonging to the WLAN device in the fourth antenna set, is transmitted through the antennas in the fourth antenna set.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: The air interface status of the WLAN device is sent to the centralized processing device.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a chip and a communication interface, wherein the chip is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, or the method according to any one of claims 14 to 19; The communication interface is used to communicate with other devices.

21. A wireless communication system, characterized in that, The wireless communication system includes a centralized processing device and an access point; The centralized processing device is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13; The access point is used to perform the method according to any one of claims 14 to 19.

Images