Wireless communication method and communication device

Abstract

Provided are a wireless communication method and a communication device. The method comprises: a first device receives a first frame sent by a second device, the first frame carrying first time information for synchronization, and the first frame being a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame. In embodiments of the present application, the first device may send to the second device the first frame carrying the first time information for synchronization, wherein the first frame is a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame, facilitating synchronization between the first device and the second device.

Description

Wireless communication methods and communication equipment Technical Field

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

[0002] In some scenarios, synchronization is required between two communicating devices to improve the likelihood of correctly receiving information. Therefore, a synchronization solution is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a method and apparatus for wireless communication. The various aspects covered in this application are described below.

[0004] In a first aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, comprising: a first device receiving a first frame sent by a second device, the first frame carrying first time information for synchronization, the first frame being a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame.

[0005] In a second aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, comprising: a second device sending a first frame to a first device, the first frame carrying first time information for synchronization, the first frame being a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame.

[0006] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, the communication device being a first device, comprising: a receiving unit for receiving a first frame sent by a second device, the first frame carrying first time information for synchronization, the first frame being a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame.

[0007] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, the communication device being a second device, comprising: a transmitting unit, configured to transmit a first frame to a first device, the first frame carrying first time information for synchronization, the first frame being a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame.

[0008] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, including a processor, a memory, and a communication interface, wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer programs, and the processor is used to invoke the computer programs in the memory, causing the communication device to perform some or all of the steps in the methods of the above aspects.

[0009] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system including the aforementioned terminal device and / or network device. In another possible design, the system may further include other devices that interact with the communication device as described in the embodiments of this application.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes a communication device to perform some or all of the steps in the methods described above.

[0011] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program operable to cause a communication device to perform some or all of the steps of the methods described in the foregoing aspects. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

[0012] Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip including a memory and a processor, the processor being able to call and run a computer program from the memory to implement some or all of the steps described in the methods of the foregoing aspects.

[0013] In this embodiment of the application, the first device may send a first frame carrying first time information for synchronization to the second device, wherein the first frame is a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame, which helps the first device and the second device to synchronize. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 is a system architecture example diagram of a wireless communication system applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0015] Figure 2 shows an example diagram of a zero-power network.

[0016] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of how an access point (AP) triggers an ambient powered (AMP) station (STA) to transmit data.

[0017] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of N-bit time information according to an embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Communication system

[0024] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless local area networks (WLAN), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), high-performance radio local area networks (HIPELAN), wide area networks (WAN), cellular networks, or other communication systems. For example, the technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to communication systems using the 802.11 standard. Exemplarily, the 802.11 standard includes, but is not limited to, the 802.11a standard, the 802.11g standard, the 802.11ba standard, the 802.11bp standard, and next-generation 802.11 standards.

[0025] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication devices in the communication system 100 may include a first device 110 and a second device 120.

[0026] In some scenarios, such as in a Wi-Fi system, the first device 110 can be a station (STA), and the second device 120 can be an access point (AP). The AP is used to create a wireless network and provide wireless network services to the STA. STAs can access the network through the AP.

[0027] In this context, the Access Point (AP) can be a device in a wireless network. An AP can be a communication entity such as a communication server, router, switch, or bridge; alternatively, it can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, or relay stations. Of course, an AP can also be a chip, circuit, or processing system within these various types of devices to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments described in this application. APs can be applied in various scenarios, such as sensor nodes in smart cities (e.g., smart water meters, smart electricity meters, smart air quality monitoring nodes); smart devices in smart homes (e.g., smart cameras, projectors, displays, televisions, speakers, refrigerators, washing machines); nodes in the Internet of Things (IoT); entertainment terminals (e.g., AR / VR wearable devices); smart devices in smart offices (e.g., printers, projectors); vehicle-to-everything (V2X) devices; and infrastructure in everyday life scenarios (e.g., vending machines, supermarket self-service navigation kiosks, self-checkout machines, self-service ordering machines).

[0028] A STA can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, such as supporting the 802.11 series of protocols, and communicating with an AP or other STAs. For example, an STA is any user communication device that allows a user to communicate with an AP and thus with a WLAN network. STAs include, for example, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device.

[0029] STA can also be a device that provides users with voice and / or data connectivity, such as a handheld device or in-vehicle device with wireless connectivity. Examples include mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving vehicles, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, wireless terminals in smart cities, wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, or future evolution of public land mobile communication networks. Terminal devices in a network (PLMN), etc., are not limited to this in the embodiments of this application.

[0030] STA can also refer to wearable devices. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Examples include smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as devices focused on a specific application function that require interaction with other devices like smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0031] STA can also be a terminal device in the Internet of Things (IoT) system. IoT is an important part of the future development of information technology. Its main technical feature is to connect objects to the network through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network for human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection.

[0032] STA can also refer to devices within a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) system. The communication methods within a V2X system are collectively referred to as V2X, where X can represent anything. For example, V2X communication includes vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, and vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication.

[0033] In addition, STA can also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas stations. Its main functions include collecting data, receiving control information and downlink data from the AP, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit data to the AP.

[0034] In this application embodiment, the AP can be a device used to communicate with the STA. The AP can be a network device or a terminal device in a wireless local area network. The AP can be used to communicate with the STA through a wireless local area network.

[0035] From the perspective of the communication standards supported by the AP, in some implementations, the AP is a device that supports the 802.11 standard. Furthermore, the AP can also be a device that supports various current and future 802.11 family WLAN standards, including 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11ba, and 802.11a.

[0036] From the perspective of the communication standards supported by the STA, in some implementations, the STA is a device that can support the 802.11 standard. The STA can also support various current and future 802.11 family WLAN standards, such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11ba, and 802.11a.

[0037] It should be understood that the specific forms of STA and AP are not specifically limited in the embodiments of this application, and are merely illustrative examples.

[0038] Furthermore, the technical solution implemented in this application can also be extended to other scenarios beyond Wi-Fi systems. For example, in some other scenarios, the first device 110 can be a terminal device, and the second device 120 can be a network device. The network device can be a device that communicates with the terminal device. The network device can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with terminal devices located within that coverage area.

[0039] In this context, terminal equipment can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal equipment, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. Terminal equipment can be, for example, a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, and can be used to connect people, objects, and machines, such as home appliances, sensors, and electronic tags with wireless connectivity. Terminal equipment can also be a wireless terminal in a smart home, a wireless terminal in an IWSN (Internet Wireless Network), a wireless terminal in smart logistics and smart warehousing, a wireless terminal in self-driving vehicles, a wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, and a wireless terminal in a smart city, etc.

[0040] A network device can be a device used to communicate with a terminal device. A network device can also be an access network device or a radio access network device; for example, a network device can be a base station. In the embodiments of this application, the network device can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node or device that connects a terminal device to a wireless network. A base station can broadly encompass various names listed below, or can be replaced by names such as: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master station (MeNB), secondary station (SeNB), multi-mode radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, micro base station, relay node, donor node, or similar entities, or combinations thereof. A base station can also refer to a communication module, modem, or chip installed within the aforementioned equipment or apparatus. A base station can also be a mobile switching center, or a device that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, a network-side device in a 6G network, or a device performing base station functions in future communication systems. Base stations can support networks using the same or different access technologies. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or device forms used in the network equipment.

[0041] Base stations can be fixed or mobile. For example, a helicopter or drone can be configured to act as a mobile base station, and one or more cells can move depending on the location of the mobile base station. In other examples, a helicopter or drone can be configured as a device to communicate with another base station.

[0042] In some deployments, the network device in this application embodiment may refer to a CU or a DU; or, the network device may include both a CU and a DU. The gNB may also include an AAU.

[0043] Network devices and terminal devices can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; and they can also be deployed in the air on airplanes, balloons, and satellites. This application does not limit the scenario in which the network devices and terminal devices are located.

[0044] It should be understood that all or part of the functions of the communication device in this application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform such as a cloud platform.

[0045] Figure 1 illustrates two first devices 110 and one second device 120. Optionally, the communication system 100 may include a plurality of second devices 120, and the communication system 100 may also include other numbers of first devices 110.

[0046] Zero-power communication technology

[0047] Zero-power communication networks can employ power harvesting and backscattering communication technologies. A zero-power communication network consists of a network device 110 and a zero-power device 120, as shown in Figure 2. The network device 110 sends wireless power signals and downlink communication signals to the zero-power device 120, and receives backscattered signals from the zero-power device. A basic zero-power device 120 may include a power harvesting module, a backscattering communication module, and a low-power computing module. Furthermore, the zero-power device 120 may also include a memory or sensor to store basic information (such as object identification) or acquire sensor data such as ambient temperature and humidity.

[0048] In zero-power communication technology, based on the energy source and energy usage of zero-power devices, they can be divided into three categories: passive zero-power devices, semi-passive zero-power devices, and active zero-power devices.

[0049] Passive zero-power devices (ZEPDs) typically do not require an internal battery. When a ZEPD approaches a network device, it falls within the near-field range of the network device's antenna radiation. At this point, the ZEPD's antenna can generate an induced current through electromagnetic induction. This induced current powers the ZEPD, driving its low-power chip circuitry to demodulate forward link signals and modulate backward link signals. For backscatter links, ZEPDs can use backscattering to transmit signals.

[0050] As can be seen from the above introduction, passive zero-power devices do not require an internal battery to drive them, whether the transmission process is based on the forward link or the reverse link, making them truly zero-power devices.

[0051] In some implementations, the aforementioned passive zero-power device can be an electronic tag, and correspondingly, the network device can be a reader / writer of a radio frequency identification (RFID) system, used to read the contents of the electronic tag and / or to change the contents of the electronic tag.

[0052] Semi-passive zero-power devices do not have conventional batteries installed, but they can use energy harvesting modules, such as RF energy harvesting modules, to harvest radio wave energy and store the harvested energy in an energy storage unit, such as a capacitor. Once the energy storage unit has acquired energy, it can power the zero-power device to drive low-power chip circuits. This enables the demodulation of forward link signals and the modulation of backward link signals. For backscatter links, zero-power devices use backscattering to transmit signals.

[0053] As can be seen from the above introduction, semi-passive zero-power devices do not require a built-in battery to drive either the forward link transmission process or the reverse link transmission process. Although they use energy stored in capacitors during operation, the energy comes from the radio energy collected by the energy harvesting module, so they are also a true zero-power device.

[0054] Active zero-power devices can have a built-in battery. The battery powers the device, driving its low-power chip circuitry to demodulate the forward link signal and modulate the backward link signal. For the backscatter link, the active zero-power device uses backscattering for signal transmission. Therefore, the zero power consumption of this type of terminal is mainly reflected in the fact that the signal transmission in the backward link does not consume the terminal's own power, but instead uses backscattering.

[0055] Active zero-power devices can be powered by an internal battery, thus increasing their communication range and improving communication reliability. Therefore, they are used in scenarios with relatively high requirements for communication distance and read latency.

[0056] In some implementations, the aforementioned active zero-power device can be an electronic tag, and the network device can be a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader. In this case, the built-in battery can power the RFID chip inside the electronic tag, thereby increasing the read / write distance between the RFID reader and the electronic tag. On the other hand, the built-in battery can also power the RFID chip inside the electronic tag, thereby reducing the read / write latency of the RFID reader and improving communication reliability.

[0057] In addition to classifying zero-power devices based on their energy source and how they are used, they can also be classified based on their transmitter type.

[0058] First, zero-power devices based on backscattering.

[0059] These zero-power devices transmit uplink data using the backscattering method described above. These devices do not have an active transmitter for active transmission, but only a backscattering transmitter. Therefore, when this type of terminal transmits data, a network device needs to provide a carrier wave, and the terminal device uses this carrier wave for backscattering to achieve data transmission.

[0060] Second, zero-power devices based on active transmitters.

[0061] These zero-power devices use active transmitters with active transmission capabilities for uplink data transmission. Therefore, when sending data, these devices can transmit data using their own active transmitters without requiring a carrier wave from network equipment. Suitable active transmitters for zero-power devices include, for example, ultra-low-power ASK or ultra-low-power FSK transmitters. Based on current implementations, these transmitters can reduce overall power consumption to 400–600 µW when transmitting a 100 µW signal.

[0062] Third, a zero-power device that simultaneously possesses backscattering and an active transmitter.

[0063] These zero-power devices can support both backscatter and active transmitters. The device can determine which uplink transmission method to use based on different conditions (such as battery level and available ambient energy) or network device scheduling: whether to use backscatter or an active transmitter for active transmission.

[0064] Cellular Passive Internet of Things

[0065] With the application of 5G technology, the types and application scenarios of connected devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) are increasing, placing higher demands on the price and power consumption of communication equipment. Therefore, the application of battery-free, low-cost passive IoT devices has become a key technology for cellular IoT, enriching the types and number of terminals connected to 5G networks and truly realizing the Internet of Everything. Passive IoT devices can be based on existing zero-power technologies, such as RFID, and extended to suit cellular IoT.

[0066] Devices based on ambient energy

[0067] In communication systems (such as NR or WiFi systems), the battery-free and low-cost nature of communication devices is highly advantageous for deployment and maintenance. Current standards are investigating how to support ambient-powered IoT devices in NR and WiFi systems, referred to as ambient IoT devices, ambient-powered (AMP) devices, or AMP IoT devices. For ease of description, these devices will be collectively referred to as AMP devices below. The energy required for AMP devices to operate is ambient energy, such as wireless signals, solar energy, and thermal energy. AMP devices are similar to passive or semi-passive devices in zero-power communication.

[0068] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) RAN has conducted research on AMP devices, broadly classifying them into three types: Device A, Device B, and Device C. These three types of AMP devices differ in complexity and communication capabilities.

[0069] Device A does not have energy storage capabilities, and it cannot transmit signals independently. In other words, Device A uses backscattering for signal transmission.

[0070] Device B has energy storage capabilities, but it cannot transmit signals independently. In other words, Device B uses backscattering for signal transmission, and it can amplify the backscattered signal using the stored energy.

[0071] Device C has energy storage capabilities and can independently transmit signals. In other words, Device C has active signal transmission capabilities.

[0072] As can be seen from the above capability definitions, Device A has the lowest complexity and power consumption compared to Device B and Device C. For example, Device A's power consumption can be as low as 1μW, but its communication distance is limited, typically only a few meters. Device A generally requires a network device to provide a carrier signal for backscatter transmission. Device C generally has a large-capacity capacitor to store energy from the environment. Device C's power consumption can reach several hundred μW. Furthermore, Device C can actively transmit signals and has a longer communication distance. Device C can actively transmit, therefore it does not require a network device to provide a carrier signal. Device B's complexity and power consumption fall between those of Device A and Device C.

[0073] Based on the discussion of AMP equipment application scenarios in 3GPP SA1, AMP equipment can be applied to at least the following four scenarios:

[0074] Scenario 1: Object recognition, such as logistics, production line product management, and supply chain management;

[0075] Scenario 2: Environmental monitoring, such as monitoring of temperature, humidity, and harmful gases in the work environment and natural environment;

[0076] Scenario 3: Location services, such as indoor positioning, smart item finding, and production line item location.

[0077] Scenario 4: Intelligent control, such as the intelligent control of various electrical appliances in smart homes (turning on and off air conditioners, adjusting temperature), and the intelligent control of various facilities in agricultural greenhouses (automatic irrigation, fertilization).

[0078] Currently, the IEEE standards organization is developing the 802.11bp standard, aiming to introduce ambient power communication capabilities to wireless local area networks (WLANs). Utilizing ambient energy (such as radio frequency energy) for communication aims to improve the energy efficiency and autonomy of wireless devices by reducing reliance on traditional power sources. Ambient power communication technology can be applied to various scenarios, including but not limited to:

[0079] Internet of Things (IoT): By harnessing energy from the environment, IoT devices can operate for longer periods, reducing the frequency of battery replacements.

[0080] Low-power sensor networks: These networks use ambient energy to power sensors, enabling them to operate without an external power source.

[0081] Smart cities and industrial IoT: In these scenarios, devices can become self-sufficient through environmental energy communication technology, reducing maintenance costs.

[0082] Data transmission from devices based on ambient energy in WiFi systems

[0083] In the 802.11bp standard, due to the low complexity of AMP STAs (e.g., receivers only support simple modulation and demodulation methods like OOK, but not OFDM), AMP STAs do not support traditional channel access mechanisms and therefore cannot coexist with traditional equipment. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, AMP STA data transmission requires triggering by the AP to indicate available channel resources for data transmission. These channel resources are a portion of the channel occupancy obtained by the AP through CCA. For the AP to trigger AMP STA transmission, since the number of AMP STAs may be large, a more efficient approach is for the AP to allocate a certain amount of resources through a trigger frame. Multiple AMP STAs (e.g., AMP STA-1, AMP STA-2, AMP STA-3, AMP STA-4) can then use the allocated resources in a multi-user multiplexing manner.

[0084] Taking time division multiplexing (TDM) as an example of multi-user multiplexing, the AP allocates a certain number of time units (such as time slots) through a trigger frame. AMP STAs receiving this trigger frame can determine the target time unit within the time unit for transmission according to certain rules. The rules are designed to distribute AMP STAs across different time units as much as possible to reduce collisions. Referring to Figure 3, the AP sends resource scheduling information through the trigger frame, which includes four time-domain resources. When AMP STA1 to AMP STA4 select time units, different AMP STAs may select the same time unit, resulting in a collision, as shown in the collision slot in Figure 3. Alternatively, a time unit may not be selected by any AMP STA for data transmission, as shown in the empty slot in Figure 3.

[0085] Time synchronization mechanism in WiFi systems

[0086] In a WiFi system, in addition to the internal timing of each station, each station in the basic service set must maintain a timing synchronization function (TSF) timer. This TSF timer is an internal timer synchronized with the TSFs of all other stations in the basic service set. The TSF timer counts in microseconds. To ensure time synchronization among all stations in the basic service set, the AP indicates the number of microseconds that have elapsed since the network began operating via a timestamp field in the beacon frame. The timestamp field consists of 8 bytes (64 bits), and stations in the basic service set use this timestamp to adjust their local TSF timers. STAs achieve time synchronization with the AP and other stations by using a TSF aligned with the AP.

[0087] Trigger Frame

[0088] For AMP STAs, there are limitations in power consumption and complexity. For example, the receiver only supports simple modulation and demodulation methods, such as OOK, but not OFDM. For the use of known unlicensed spectrum, to ensure fairness in channel usage, if an AMP STA needs to occupy a channel for data transmission, it also needs to perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) to determine if the channel is idle. It also needs to support carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA / CA) mechanisms to ensure compatibility and coexistence with known devices. Taking a WiFi system as an example, AMP STA channel occupancy needs to support the distributed coordination function (DCF) protocol. This requires the AMP STA to detect existing physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) frames transmitted based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) to satisfy physical and virtual carrier sense, as well as request to send / clear to send (RTS / CTS) mechanisms. This is not feasible for AMP STAs. Therefore, AMP STA data transmission requires triggering by the AP to indicate the available channel resources for data transmission. These channel resources are a portion of the channel occupancy obtained by the AP through CCA.

[0089] In some scenarios, synchronization is required between two communicating devices to improve the likelihood of correctly receiving information. Therefore, a synchronization scheme is urgently needed. To address this issue, embodiments of this application provide a wireless communication method in which a first device can send a first frame carrying first time information for synchronization to a second device. The first frame is a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame, which facilitates synchronization between the first and second devices.

[0090] In this application embodiment, the second device is not limited. In some implementations, the second device can be a network device. For example, the second device can be an access point (AP) in a WiFi system. Another example is that the second device can be a base station in a cellular system. Of course, in this application embodiment, the second device can also be an intermediate node. For example, an intermediate node can provide power to the first device so that the first device can perform backscatter communication.

[0091] In this application embodiment, the first device is not limited. In some implementations, the first device can be an AMP device. For example, the first device can be an AMP STA in a WiFi system. Another example is that the first device can be an AMP terminal in a cellular system.

[0092] The wireless communication method of this application embodiment is described below with reference to FIG4. The method shown in FIG4 includes step S410.

[0093] In step S410, the second device sends a first frame to the first device. The first frame carries first time information for synchronization and includes a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame.

[0094] In some implementations, the initial time information may include timestamp information. For example, timestamp information is used to indicate the time elapsed since the network began operating, where the time may be in microseconds.

[0095] In some implementations, the field in the first frame that carries timestamp information is also called the "timestamp field," which can be used to carry 8 bytes (or 64 bits) of information.

[0096] In some implementations, if the first frame includes a beacon frame, the transmission period of the beacon frame can be determined based on the beacon interval.

[0097] In some implementations, the transmission period of beacon frames can be measured in time units (TUs), with each TU being, for example, 1024 microseconds (i.e., 1.024 milliseconds). Typically, the beacon interval can be set to 100 TUs, equivalent to 102.4 milliseconds.

[0098] As discussed above, beacon frames are typically transmitted periodically. Regardless of whether there is a communication requirement between the first and second devices, the first device needs to periodically receive beacon frames to synchronize with the second device, resulting in high energy consumption for this synchronization method. Taking the first device as an AMP device as an example, AMP devices usually only start working after completing energy harvesting. Therefore, the energy of an AMP device is very limited. If the AMP device needs to synchronize based on beacon frames, the amount of energy harvested by the AMP device that can be used for operation will be greatly reduced.

[0099] Therefore, to address the aforementioned issues, this embodiment of the application utilizes trigger frames to carry the first time information, enabling synchronization between the first and second devices. As mentioned earlier, the second device can schedule the first device to transmit data by sending trigger frames; that is, the scenario where the second device sends trigger frames typically corresponds to a communication requirement for the first device. Therefore, compared to using beacon frames, the scheme of carrying the first time information via trigger frames helps avoid the first device needing to receive beacon frames to synchronize with the second device even when there is no communication requirement, thus reducing the energy consumed by the synchronization between the first and second devices.

[0100] In some implementations, after receiving the trigger frame, the first device can synchronize with the second device based on the first time information in the trigger frame to determine the reception time of the trigger frame.

[0101] In some implementations, the first device can obtain first-time information by listening for trigger frames in the air interface, provided it has sufficient energy storage. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the second device needs to perform CCA (Computer-Assisted Acquisition) before sending the trigger frame; correspondingly, the second device can perform energy harvesting. Then, when the second device sends the trigger frame, the first device typically has enough stored energy to receive it.

[0102] As discussed above, using trigger frames to carry the initial time information helps reduce the energy consumed by the first device during synchronization. However, using trigger frames to carry the initial time information may result in higher overhead for transmitting the trigger frames.

[0103] Therefore, to address the aforementioned problems, this application proposes a method to reduce the number of bits of the first time information carried in the trigger frame. In other words, this first time information can be simplified time information. Compared to the traditional 64-bit timestamp, the simplified time information can contain fewer bits, significantly reducing its timing range. This also suits the intermittent operation characteristics of the first device (e.g., AMP STA). Intermittent operation can be understood as the first device acquiring sufficient stored energy through energy harvesting, performing work for a corresponding duration, after which the first device needs to enter the next round of energy harvesting.

[0104] In some implementations, the simplified time information (e.g., some TSF timestamps described below) can correspond to a predefined time length, or the time length corresponding to the simplified time information can be related to the transmission period of a certain type of frame. For example, the time length corresponding to the simplified time information can be determined based on the transmission period of several trigger frames. As another example, the time length corresponding to the simplified time information can be determined based on the transmission period of beacon frames, which helps ensure that within that time length, the first device can determine the monitoring time of the first frame according to a timer.

[0105] As mentioned above, carrying concise time information in the trigger frame helps reduce the overhead of transmitting the trigger frame. However, this limits the timing range related to synchronization. Carrying the first time information in the beacon frame can reduce the overhead of transmitting the trigger frame without limiting the timing range related to synchronization. However, the energy consumption required for the first device to receive the beacon frame cannot be reduced. Therefore, in order to reduce the energy consumption of the first device for synchronization while reducing the transmission overhead of the trigger frame, embodiments of this application also propose a scheme that can carry the first time information using both the beacon frame and the trigger frame.

[0106] In some implementations, the first time information includes some or all of the bits in the N-bit time information, which is used to indicate the time of the second device, or in other words, the N-bit time information is used to indicate the network time. For example, the N-bit time information can be N-bit timestamp information.

[0107] In this embodiment, the length of the N-bit time information is not limited. In some implementations, the aforementioned N-bit time information can be 64 bits. For example, the N-bit time information can be the 64-bit timestamp information described above. In other implementations, the aforementioned N-bit time information can be 32 bits. For example, the N-bit time information can be 32-bit timestamp information.

[0108] In this application embodiment, the method of obtaining the 32-bit time information is not limited. In some implementations, the 32-bit time information can be determined based on 64-bit time information. For example, the 32-bit time information can be the 32 least significant bits of the 64-bit time information. Another example is that the 32-bit time information can be the 32 most significant bits of the 64-bit time information. Yet another example is that the 32-bit time information can be the 32 middle bits of the 64-bit time information.

[0109] Taking a 32-bit time information as the middle 32 bits of a 64-bit time information as an example, the design of this 32-bit time information can be synchronized with a granularity of 32 microseconds as specified in the 802.11ba standard. In this case, the lowest 5 bits of the timestamp can be discarded. Accordingly, starting from the 6th bit from the lowest bit, N bits are taken, which can be represented as [5:5+N-1] bits, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0110] In some implementations, the aforementioned N-bit time information includes the high-order N1-bit time information and the low-order N2-bit time information. It should be understood that the low-order bits in the low-order N2-bit time information are relative to the N1-bit time information; that is, the N2-bit time information is low-order relative to the N1-bit time information, but the N2-bit time information is not necessarily the lowest N2 bit in the N-bit time information.

[0111] For example, the aforementioned N-bit time information can be composed of the high-order N1-bit time information and the low-order N2-bit time information. That is to say, the N-bit time information can be represented as N-bit time information = N1-bit time information + N2-bit time information. In this case, the N2-bit time information is the lowest N2 bit in the N-bit time information.

[0112] For example, the aforementioned N-bit time information may include N1-bit time information, N2-bit time information, and N3-bit time information. That is, the N-bit time information can be represented as N-bit time information = N1-bit time information + N2-bit time information + N3-bit time information. In this case, N2-bit time information is the least significant bit relative to N1-bit information, but it is the middle bit in the N-bit time information, as shown in Figure 5.

[0113] The first time information of the embodiments of this application has been introduced above. The following describes the way N-bit time information is carried in beacon frames and / or trigger frames in the embodiments of this application.

[0114] In some implementations, the number of bits of first time information carried in the trigger frame is less than the number of bits of first time information carried in the beacon frame. However, in this embodiment, the number of bits of first time information carried in the trigger frame can be equal to the number of bits of first time information carried in the beacon frame.

[0115] In some implementations, the first frame is the trigger frame, and the first time information is N2-bit time information, which helps reduce the overhead of transmitting the trigger frame. For an explanation of N2-bit time information, please refer to the above text.

[0116] In some scenarios, N2-bit time information is also known as a partial TSF timestamp.

[0117] In some other implementations, the first frame is a beacon frame, and the first time information is N1-bit time information. For an introduction to N1-bit time information, please refer to the above text.

[0118] In some implementations, the first frame is a beacon frame, and the first time information consists of some or all of the N-bit time information. For example, the first frame is a beacon frame, and the first time information consists of N1 bits and N2 bits; in this case, the N3 bits of time information may not be carried. Yet another example is a beacon frame, and the first time information consists of N1 bits, N2 bits, and N3 bits. A description of the N3 bits of time information can be found below.

[0119] In some scenarios, synchronization can be performed at a coarser granularity. Therefore, to reduce transmission overhead, the N3 bits of time information corresponding to the granularity in the N-bit time information may not be transmitted in the first frame. That is to say, the N-bit time information also includes N3 bits of time information, which corresponds to the synchronization granularity. The N3 bits of time information are not carried in the first frame, and N3 bits are positive integers greater than or equal to 1.

[0120] In some implementations, the granularity mentioned above refers to the smallest unit of counting used by a timer for synchronization (e.g., a TSF timer). For example, if the granularity is 1 microsecond, the timer value is incremented by 1 every 1 microsecond. For example, if the granularity is 32 microseconds, the timer value is incremented by 1 every 32 microseconds.

[0121] In this application embodiment, the combination of the beacon frame and the trigger frame is not limited. In some implementations, the trigger frame can carry N2 bits of time information, and correspondingly, the beacon frame can carry N1 bits of time information.

[0122] For example, referring to Figure 5, assume that the lowest 5 bits of the N-bit time information can be discarded (i.e., N3 is 5), and the bits corresponding to the N-bit time information are numbered sequentially starting from 0. In this case, the first time information carried in the trigger frame can start from the 6th bit from the lowest bit, taking N2 bits, meaning the first time information carried by the trigger frame corresponds to [5:5+N2-1] bits. Correspondingly, the first time information carried by the beacon frame can start from 5+N2 bits, taking N1 bits, meaning the first time information carried by the beacon frame corresponds to [5+N2:N-1] bits.

[0123] For example, as shown in Figure 5, assume that the bits corresponding to N bits of time information are numbered sequentially starting from 0, and the synchronization granularity is 2. N3 In microseconds, correspondingly, the lower N3 bits of the N-bit time information can be discarded. In this case, the first time information carried in the trigger frame can start from the N3rd bit and take N2 bits, meaning the first time information carried in the trigger frame corresponds to [N3:N3+N2-1] bits. Similarly, the first time information carried in the beacon frame can start from the N3+N2th bit and take N3 bits, meaning the first time information carried in the beacon frame corresponds to [N3+N2:N-1] bits.

[0124] For example, as shown in Figure 5, assume that the bits corresponding to N bits of time information are numbered sequentially starting from 0, and the synchronization granularity is 2. N3 In microseconds, correspondingly, the lower N3 bits of the N-bit time information can be discarded. In this case, the first time information carried in the trigger frame can start from the lower N3 bit and take N2 bits, meaning the first time information carried in the trigger frame corresponds to [N3:N3+N2-1] bits. Similarly, the first time information carried by the beacon frame can be N1 bits and N2 bits, meaning the first time information carried by the beacon frame corresponds to [N3:N-1] bits.

[0125] In this embodiment, N bits of time information are carried by a beacon frame and N2 bits of time information are carried by a trigger frame. This helps to ensure that devices that do not support synchronization based on trigger frames can synchronize. In other words, this type of device can synchronize based on beacon frames.

[0126] For example, referring to Figure 5, assume that the bits corresponding to the N-bit time information are numbered sequentially starting from 0, and that the N-bit time information includes N1-bit, N2-bit, and N3-bit time information. In this case, the first time information carried in the trigger frame can start from the N3rd bit from the least significant bit, taking N2 bits, that is, the first time information carried by the trigger frame corresponds to [N3:N3+N2-1] bits. Correspondingly, the first time information that the beacon frame can carry can be N-bit time information.

[0127] The preceding text introduced the trigger frame and / or beacon frame carrying first-time information in the embodiments of this application. The following text introduces the applicable scenarios of the trigger frame and beacon frame in the embodiments of this application.

[0128] In some scenarios, if the first device and the second device do not establish an association, the communication time between them may be relatively short. If the first device and the second device establish an association, the communication time may be relatively long. For example, for AMP STAs, in some scenarios (such as logistics scenarios), the environmental power source for AMP STAs is mainly wireless radio frequency energy. Their energy harvesting speed is low, and their energy storage is limited, thus limiting their operating time. In such scenarios, the AMP STA may not need to establish an association with the AP. For example, for an AMP STA that stores energy through a capacitor, assuming the capacitor's capacity is 24μF and the power consumption for receiving downlink frames is 10μW, then a fully charged AMP STA can support continuous reception for 2.7 seconds.

[0129] In other scenarios (such as sensor scenarios), the ambient energy of the AMP STA can come from solar energy, thermal energy, mechanical energy, etc., and its energy harvesting speed is relatively fast, which can support long-term operation. In this scenario, the AMP STA can establish and maintain a connection with the AP for environmental monitoring, industrial sensing, etc.

[0130] As mentioned above, the duration of operation of the first and second devices varies depending on the scenario, resulting in different lengths of time information required for synchronization by the first device. This is because for a given length of timestamp information, the high-order bits change slowly, while the low-order bits change rapidly. For example, a known 64-bit timestamp represents microseconds. For a TSF timer, over time, the low-order bits of the 64-bit time information recorded by the TSF timer change faster than the high-order bits, while some high-order bits remain unchanged within a certain time range. Therefore, depending on whether the first and second devices are associated or not, the length of the time information sent by the second device for synchronization will vary, and consequently, the type of the first frame carrying the different lengths of time information may also differ. The following section, in conjunction with the first condition, describes the transmission of the first frame.

[0131] In some implementations, step S410 includes: if the first condition is met, the second device sends a first frame to the first device.

[0132] In some implementations, the first condition is used to indicate that the first device has not established an association with the second device, and the first frame is a trigger frame. As mentioned above, if the first device has not established an association with the second device, the first device may only need a brief information transmission with the second device, and the first device may enter a sleep state after the transmission is completed, without any extra energy to maintain the timer. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first device can immediately synchronize with the second device based on the trigger frame, which helps to reduce the energy consumed by the first device in synchronization. On the other hand, the first time information carried in the trigger frame is N2-bit time information, that is, the low-order bits that change relatively quickly, so that the first device can synchronize only based on the low-order bits, thereby reducing the overhead required to transmit the trigger frame.

[0133] In some implementations, the first condition is used to instruct the first device to establish an association with the second device, and the first frame is a beacon frame. As mentioned above, if the first device establishes an association with the second device, the information transmission between the first device and the second device may require a relatively long time. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first device can synchronize with the second device based on the beacon frame, which helps to reduce the overhead of transmitting trigger frames. On the other hand, in this implementation, the beacon frame can carry N bits of time information, including relatively fast-changing low-order bits and relatively fast-changing high-order bits, enabling the first device to synchronize based on N bits of time information. This eliminates the requirement for the first device to support synchronization based on trigger frames, thus expanding the applicability of this embodiment.

[0134] In some implementations, the first condition is used to instruct the first device to establish an association with the second device, and the first frame includes a beacon frame and a trigger frame. As mentioned above, if the first device establishes an association with the second device, the information transmission between the first device and the second device may require a relatively long time. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first device can synchronize with the second device based on the beacon frame and the trigger frame. On the other hand, in this implementation, the beacon frame can carry N1 bits of time information, and the trigger frame can carry N2 bits of time information, which helps to reduce the overhead of transmitting the trigger frame.

[0135] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application do not limit the first condition. In some implementations, the first condition corresponds to one or more of the following: the device type of the first device; the service type of the first service to be transmitted; the data type of the data to be transmitted.

[0136] In some implementations, the first condition corresponds to the device type of the first device, wherein the device type may include one or more of the following: a tag-type device, a sensor-type device, a device based on backscatter communication, or a device based on active transmission communication.

[0137] Different types of first devices have varying energy harvesting capabilities, resulting in different synchronization durations between the first and second devices. Consequently, the number of bits of time information required for synchronization also varies, further affecting the first frame. For example, if the first device is a tag-type device, its energy harvesting capability is typically poor, and therefore, the first device does not establish a connection with the second device. In this case, the first frame can be a trigger frame.

[0138] For example, if the first device is a sensor-type device, its energy harvesting capability is usually better, and accordingly, the first device establishes a connection with the second device. In this case, the first frame may include a beacon frame and a trigger frame, or the first frame may include only a beacon frame.

[0139] For example, if the first device is based on backscatter communication, its energy harvesting capability is usually poor, and accordingly, the first device does not establish a connection with the second device. In this case, the first frame can be a trigger frame.

[0140] For example, if the first device is an active transmission communication device, its energy harvesting capability is usually better, and accordingly, the first device establishes a connection with the second device. In this case, the first frame may include a beacon frame and a trigger frame, or the first frame may include only a beacon frame.

[0141] In some implementations, the first condition corresponds to the service type of the first service to be transmitted. In some implementations, the service type of the first service may include one or more of the following: tag-type service, sensor-type service, single-transmission service, and continuous-transmission service.

[0142] For different service types, the communication duration between the first and second devices varies, and consequently, the synchronization time between them also differs. Therefore, the number of bits of time information required for synchronization also changes, further affecting the first frame. For example, if the first service is a tag-based service, the communication duration between the first and second devices is shorter, and the synchronization time is relatively shorter. In this case, the first frame can be a trigger frame.

[0143] For example, if the first service is a sensor-type service, the communication time between the first device and the second device is relatively long, and the time for the first device to maintain synchronization with the second device is also relatively long. In this case, the first frame may include a beacon frame and a trigger frame, or the first frame may include only a beacon frame.

[0144] For example, if the first service is a single-transmission type service, the communication duration between the first device and the second device is short, and the synchronization time between the first device and the second device is relatively short. In this case, the first frame can be a trigger frame.

[0145] For example, if the first service is a continuous transmission type service, the communication time between the first device and the second device is relatively long, and the time for the first device and the second device to maintain synchronization is relatively long. In this case, the first frame may include a beacon frame and a trigger frame, or the first frame may include a beacon frame.

[0146] In some implementations, the first condition corresponds to the data type of the data to be transmitted. In some implementations, the data type may include one or more of the following: tag-type data, sensor-type data, data transmitted in a single transmission, and data transmitted continuously.

[0147] The communication duration between the first and second devices varies depending on the data type, and consequently, the synchronization time required also differs. Therefore, the number of bits of time information needed for synchronization also changes, further affecting the first frame. For example, if the data type is a tag, the communication duration between the first and second devices is shorter, and the synchronization time is relatively shorter. In this case, the first frame can be a trigger frame.

[0148] For example, if the data type is sensor type, the communication time between the first device and the second device is relatively long, and the time for the first device to maintain synchronization with the second device is relatively long. In this case, the first frame may include a beacon frame and a trigger frame, or the first frame may include only a beacon frame.

[0149] For example, if the data type is a single transmission type, the communication duration between the first device and the second device is relatively short, and the synchronization time between the first device and the second device is also relatively short. In this case, the first frame can be a trigger frame.

[0150] For example, in a service where the data type is continuous transmission, the communication time between the first and second devices is relatively long, and the time for the first and second devices to maintain synchronization is also relatively long. In this case, the first frame may include both a beacon frame and a trigger frame, or the first frame may include only a beacon frame.

[0151] The preceding text introduced the scenarios applicable to the trigger frames and beacon frames in the embodiments of this application. The following text introduces the timers (e.g., TSF timers) used for synchronization in the embodiments of this application.

[0152] In some implementations, the number of bits used for synchronization in the first device is different from the number of bits used for synchronization in the second device.

[0153] As described above, the first device can synchronize with the second device based on only a portion of the N-bit time information. Therefore, the number of bits used for synchronization in the first device can be less than the number of bits used for synchronization in the second device, which helps reduce the energy required for the first device to maintain the timers. Of course, in this embodiment, the number of bits used for synchronization in the first device can be greater than the number of bits used for synchronization in the second device.

[0154] In some implementations, the number of bits corresponding to the timer used for synchronization in the first device corresponds to one or more of the following: whether the first device is associated with the second device; the device type of the first device; the service type of the first service to be transmitted; and the data type of the data to be transmitted.

[0155] Taking the number of bits corresponding to the timer of the first device and whether the first device is associated with the second device as an example, as mentioned above, the number of bits of the first time information carried in the first frame is different in the two scenarios of whether the first device is associated with the second device and whether the first device is not associated with the second device. Furthermore, the first time information is used to adjust the timer. Therefore, in some implementations, the number of bits corresponding to the timer of the first device corresponds to whether the first device is associated with the second device.

[0156] In some implementations, if the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a first value; if the first device is associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a second value, wherein the first value is less than the second value.

[0157] In some implementations, if the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device corresponds to the number of bits in the first time information carried in the trigger frame. For example, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is equal to the number of bits in the first time information carried in the trigger frame.

[0158] Taking the correspondence between the number of bits of the timer of the first device and the device type of the first device as an example, in some implementations, the device type may include one or more of the following: tag-type device, sensor-type device, backscatter communication-based device, and active transmission communication-based device.

[0159] The energy harvesting capability varies depending on the type of the first device, and consequently, whether the first device establishes a connection with the second device will also change. For example, if the first device is a tag-type device, its energy harvesting capability is usually poor, and accordingly, the first device will not establish a connection with the second device. As mentioned above, this type of first device can be synchronized based on a portion of the N-bit time information (i.e., N²-bit time information). Therefore, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to the number of bits of the first time information carried in the trigger frame. For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N² bits.

[0160] For example, if the first device is a sensor-type device, its energy harvesting capability is usually good. Accordingly, the first device establishes a connection with the second device. As mentioned above, this type of first device can be synchronized based on N bits of time information. Therefore, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to N bits of time information. For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N bits.

[0161] For example, if the first device is based on backscatter communication, its energy harvesting capability is usually poor, and accordingly, the first device does not establish a connection with the second device. As described above, for this type of first device, synchronization can be performed based on a portion of the N-bit time information (i.e., N²-bit time information). Therefore, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to the number of bits of the time information in the first device carried in the trigger frame. For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N² bits.

[0162] For example, if the first device is an active transmission communication device, its energy harvesting capability is usually better, and correspondingly, the first device establishes a connection with the second device. As mentioned above, this type of first device can be synchronized based on N bits of time information; therefore, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to N bits of time information. For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N bits.

[0163] Taking the correspondence between the number of bits of the timer of the first device and the service type of the first service to be transmitted as an example, in some implementations, the service type of the first service may include one or more of the following: tag-type service, sensor-type service, single-transmission service, and continuous transmission service.

[0164] For different service types, the communication duration between the first and second devices varies, and consequently, the synchronization duration between them also changes. For example, if the first service is a tag-type service, the communication duration between the first and second devices is shorter, and the synchronization duration is also relatively shorter. Therefore, the first device for this service type can synchronize with the second device based on a portion of the N-bit time information (i.e., N²-bit time information). Accordingly, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to the N²-bit time information. For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N² bits.

[0165] For example, if the first service is a sensor-type service, the communication time between the first and second devices is relatively long, and the synchronization time between the first and second devices is also relatively long. Therefore, the first device for this service type can synchronize with the second device based on N bits of time information (or time information other than N3 bits of time information). Accordingly, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to N bits of time information (or time information other than N3 bits of time information). For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N bits, or the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N1+N2 bits.

[0166] For example, if the first service is a single-transmission type service, the communication duration between the first and second devices is short, and the synchronization time between the first and second devices is relatively short. Therefore, the first device corresponding to this service type can synchronize with the second device based on a portion of the N-bit time information (i.e., N²-bit time information). Accordingly, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to the N²-bit time information. For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N² bits.

[0167] For example, if the first service is a continuous transmission type service, the communication time between the first device and the second device is relatively long, and the time for the first device to maintain synchronization with the second device is also relatively long. Therefore, the first device corresponding to this service type can synchronize with the second device based on N bits of time information (or time information other than N3 bits of time information). Accordingly, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to N bits of time information (or time information other than N3 bits of time information). For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N bits, or the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N1+N2 bits.

[0168] Taking the correspondence between the number of bits of the timer of the first device and the data type of the data to be transmitted as an example, in some implementations, the data type may include one or more of the following: tag-type data, sensor-type data, data transmitted in a single transmission, and data transmitted continuously.

[0169] The communication duration between the first and second devices varies depending on the data type, and consequently, the synchronization duration between them also changes. For example, if the data type is a tag, the communication duration between the first and second devices is shorter, and the synchronization duration is also relatively shorter. Therefore, the first device transmitting data of this type can synchronize with the second device based on a portion of the N-bit time information (i.e., N²-bit time information). Accordingly, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to the N²-bit time information. For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N² bits.

[0170] For example, if the data type is sensor-based, the communication time between the first and second devices is relatively long, and the synchronization time between them is also relatively long. Therefore, the first device transmitting data of this type can synchronize with the second device based on N bits of time information (or time information other than N3 bits). Accordingly, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to N bits of time information (or time information other than N3 bits). For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N bits, or the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N1+N2 bits.

[0171] For example, if the data type is a single transmission type, the communication duration between the first and second devices is relatively short, and the synchronization time between them is also relatively short. Therefore, the first device transmitting data of this type can synchronize with the second device based on a portion of the N-bit time information (i.e., N²-bit time information). Accordingly, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to the N²-bit time information. For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N² bits.

[0172] For example, if the data type is continuous transmission, the communication time between the first and second devices is relatively long, and the time for the first and second devices to maintain synchronization is also relatively long. Therefore, the first device transmitting data of this type can synchronize with the second device based on N bits of time information (or time information other than N3 bits of time information). Accordingly, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can correspond to N bits of time information (or time information other than N3 bits of time information). For example, the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N bits, or the number of bits corresponding to the timer in the first device can be N1+N2 bits.

[0173] The timer of the first device in the embodiments of this application has been introduced above. The following describes the scheme for updating the first device based on the timer in the embodiments of this application.

[0174] In some implementations, the first frame is the trigger frame. The above method also includes: the first device determining the second time information based on the first time information and the first bit, wherein the length of the first bit is N3 bits; and the first device synchronizing with the second device based on the second time information.

[0175] In some implementations, the first bit can be a hypothetical value of bits 0 to 4 representing second time information. This application does not limit the method of generating the first bit. For example, the first bit can be generated based on the implementation of the first device.

[0176] For example, suppose the first device is an AMP STA, the timer in the AMP STA is an N-bit TSF timer, and the complete time information is N-bit timestamp information. The first device obtains the N2-bit timestamp information (i.e., [5:5+N2-1] bits of timestamp information) from the N-bit timestamp information carried by the trigger frame, and updates the TSF timer using the following scheme.

[0177] First, AMP STA concatenates N2 bits of timestamp information with an implementation-specific value (hypothetical values ​​of bits 0 to 4 representing a temporary timestamp) to create a temporary timestamp (as an example of the second time information).

[0178] Then, the AMP STA adds the delay of the local PHY component that received the trigger frame, as well as the time interval between the time when a portion of the TSF timestamp field was received through the MAC / PHY interface and the current time, to the temporary timestamp. The adjustment value of the portion of the TSF timestamp is set to bits 5 through 5 + N² - 1 of the temporary timestamp.

[0179] Finally, AMP STA updates the TSF timer based on the temporary timestamp.

[0180] In some scenarios, when adjusting the timer of the first device based on the first time information, it is necessary to consider whether to carry over. In this case, it can be determined whether the timer value needs to be carried over by comparing the MSB of the N2-bit time information in the first time information with the MSB of the corresponding N2-bit time information of the timer.

[0181] In other words, the above method includes: if the MSB of the N2-bit time information in the first time information is different from the MSB of the N2-bit time information corresponding to the timer, the first device adjusts the value of the timer used for synchronization based on the first time information.

[0182] For example, as shown in Figure 5, the MSB of the N2-bit time information in the first time information is N3+N2-1 bits. If the MSB of the N2-bit time information in the first time information is different from the MSB of the N2-bit time information corresponding to the timer, the first device adjusts the timer bit N2 to N-1 based on the first time information to take carry into account.

[0183] It should be noted that the solution in this application embodiment can be applied to scenarios where the trigger frame carries only part of the time information in the N-bit time information. In this scenario, the first device can obtain N2 bits of time information but cannot obtain N1 bits of time information (i.e., the high-order bits of the N-bit time information). In this case, the first device can determine whether a carry is needed based on the MSB of the N2 bits of time information. Of course, the solution in this application embodiment can also be applied to schemes where the beacon frame carries the first time information, or schemes where the beacon frame and the trigger frame carry the first time information.

[0184] Furthermore, the method for determining carry is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In other implementations, it can also be determined whether a carry is needed based on whether the N2-bit time information in the first time information is the same as the N2-bit time information corresponding to the timer.

[0185] For example, the partial TSF timestamp value received by the first device is represented as AT, and the values ​​of bits 5 to 16 (i.e., bits N3 to N3+N2-1) in the first device's TSF timer are represented as LT[5:16]. The difference between the TSF timer value and AT will not exceed half a clock revolution, corresponding to 2... (N2-1) If LT[5:5+N2-1]>AT and LT[5:16]>((AT+2) (N2-1) modulo 2 N2), indicating that the time represented by the value of the TSF timer is slower than the time indicated by the TSF timestamp, and due to the carry of AT, the value becomes smaller, while LT[5:16] does not carry, resulting in a larger value of LT[5:16]. At this time, the first device may add a time unit to the corresponding value of the TSF timer, and the time unit corresponds to (modulo(2 (N-N2) )) value. In addition, bits 5 to 16 of the TSF timer may be set to the value of the TSF timestamp.

[0186] If LT[5:16] < AT and LT[5:16] < ((AT+2 (N2-1) ) modulo 2 N2 ), indicating that the time represented by the value of the TSF timer is faster than the time indicated by the TSF timestamp, and since AT does not carry, the value of AT is large, while LT[5:16] carries, resulting in a smaller value of LT[5:16]. At this time, the first device may subtract a time unit from the corresponding value of the TSF timer, corresponding to (modulo(2 (N-N2) )) value. In addition, bits 5 to 16 of the TSF timer may be set to the value of the TSF timestamp.

[0187] The method embodiments of the present application are described in detail above with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, and the apparatus embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to FIG. 6 to FIG. 8. It should be understood that the description of the method embodiments corresponds to the description of the apparatus embodiments, and therefore for parts not described in detail, reference may be made to the foregoing method embodiments.

[0188] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 600 shown in FIG. 6 is a first device, and the communication device 600 includes a receiving unit 610.

[0189] The receiving unit 610 is configured to receive a first frame sent by a second device, where the first frame carries first time information for synchronization, and the first frame is a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame.

[0190] In some implementations, the first time information includes part or all of bits in N-bit time information, where the N-bit time information is used to indicate the time of the second device.

[0191] In some implementations, the N-bit time information includes N1-bit time information of high bits and N2-bit time information of low bits; if the first frame is the trigger frame, the first time information is the N2-bit time information; if the first frame is the beacon frame, the first time information is the N1-bit time information; if the first frame is the beacon frame, the first time information is part or all of bits in the N-bit time information.

[0192] In some implementations, the communication device includes: if the MSB of the N2-bit time information in the first time information is different from the MSB of the N2-bit time information corresponding to the timer, a first processing unit is configured to adjust the value of the timer used for synchronization based on the first time information.

[0193] In some implementations, the N-bit time information further includes N3-bit time information, which corresponds to the granularity of the synchronization and is not carried in the first frame.

[0194] In some implementations, the first frame is the trigger frame, and the communication device further includes: a second processing unit, configured to determine second time information based on the first time information and a first bit, wherein the length of the first bit is N3 bits; and the second processing unit, configured to synchronize with the second device based on the second time information.

[0195] In some implementations, the number of bits of the first time information carried in the trigger frame is less than the number of bits of the first time information carried in the beacon frame.

[0196] In some implementations, if a first condition is met, the receiving unit is used to receive the first frame sent by the second device. The first condition is used to indicate that the first device has not established an association with the second device, and the first frame is a trigger frame. Alternatively, the first condition is used to indicate that the first device has established an association with the second device, and the first frame is a beacon frame. Or, the first condition is used to indicate that the first device has established an association with the second device, and the first frame includes both a beacon frame and a trigger frame.

[0197] In some implementations, the number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the first device is different from the number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the second device.

[0198] In some implementations, the number of bits corresponding to the timer used for synchronization in the first device corresponds to one or more of the following: whether the first device is associated with the second device; the device type of the first device; the service type of the first service to be transmitted; and the data type of the data to be transmitted.

[0199] In some implementations, if the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a first value; if the first device is associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a second value, wherein the first value is less than the second value.

[0200] In some implementations, if the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device corresponds to the number of bits in the first time information carried in the trigger frame.

[0201] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 700 shown in Figure 7 is a second device, and the communication device 700 includes a transmitting unit 710.

[0202] The sending unit 710 is configured to send a first frame to the first device, the first frame carrying first time information for synchronization, and the first frame being a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame.

[0203] In some implementations, the first time information includes some or all of the bits in the N-bit time information used to indicate the time of the second device.

[0204] In some implementations, the N-bit time information includes a high-order N1-bit time information and a low-order N2-bit time information; the first frame is the trigger frame, and the first time information is the N2-bit time information; the first frame is the beacon frame, and the first time information is the N1-bit time information; or the first frame is the beacon frame, and the first time information is some or all of the bits in the N-bit time information.

[0205] In some implementations, the N-bit time information further includes N3-bit time information, which corresponds to the granularity of the synchronization and is not carried in the first frame.

[0206] In some implementations, the number of bits of the first time information carried in the trigger frame is less than the number of bits of the first time information carried in the beacon frame.

[0207] In some implementations, if a first condition is met, the sending unit is used to send the first frame to the first device, wherein the first condition indicates that the first device has not established an association with the second device, and the first frame is a trigger frame; wherein the first condition indicates that the first device has established an association with the second device, and the first frame is a beacon frame; wherein the first condition indicates that the first device has established an association with the second device, and the first frame includes a beacon frame and a trigger frame.

[0208] In some implementations, the number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the first device is different from the number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the second device.

[0209] In some implementations, the number of bits corresponding to the timer used for synchronization in the first device corresponds to one or more of the following: whether the first device is associated with the second device; the device type of the first device; the service type of the first service to be transmitted; and the data type of the data to be transmitted.

[0210] In some implementations, if the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a first value; if the first device is associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a second value, wherein the first value is less than the second value.

[0211] In some implementations, if the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device corresponds to the number of bits in the first time information carried in the trigger frame.

[0212] In an optional embodiment, the receiving unit 610 may be a transceiver 830. The communication device 600 may also include a processor 810 and a memory 820, as shown in FIG8.

[0213] In an optional embodiment, the transmitting unit 710 may be a transceiver 830. The communication device 700 may also include a processor 810 and a memory 820, as shown in FIG8.

[0214] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. The dashed lines in Figure 8 indicate that the unit or module is optional. This device 800 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. Device 800 can be a chip, a terminal device, or a network device.

[0215] The apparatus 800 may include one or more processors 810. The processor 810 may support the apparatus 800 in implementing the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The processor 810 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0216] The apparatus 800 may further include one or more memories 820. The memories 820 store a program that can be executed by the processor 810, causing the processor 810 to perform the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The memories 820 may be independent of the processor 810 or integrated within the processor 810.

[0217] The device 800 may also include a transceiver 830. The processor 810 can communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 830. For example, the processor 810 can send and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 830.

[0218] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. This computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in this application, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0219] This application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to a terminal or network device provided in this application embodiment, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0220] This application also provides a computer program. This computer program can be applied to the terminal or network device provided in this application, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0221] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. Furthermore, the terminology used in this application is only for explaining specific embodiments of the application and is not intended to limit the application. The terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0222] In the embodiments of this application, the term "instruction" can be a direct instruction, an indirect instruction, or an indication of a relationship. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being able to obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, so B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that there is a relationship between A and B.

[0223] In the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean that B is determined solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information.

[0224] In the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" can indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between two things, or an association between two things, or a relationship such as instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured.

[0225] In this application embodiment, "predefined" or "preconfigured" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device (e.g., including terminal devices and network devices). This application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to what is defined in the protocol.

[0226] In this application embodiment, the "protocol" may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communication, such as the LTE protocol, the NR protocol, and related protocols applied to future communication systems. This application does not limit this.

[0227] In the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0228] In the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0229] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0230] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0231] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0232] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can read or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs, DVDs) or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs), etc.

[0233] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, characterized in that, include: The first device receives a first frame sent by the second device. The first frame carries first time information for synchronization. The first frame is a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first time information includes some or all of the bits in the N-bit time information, which is used to indicate the time of the second device.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The N-bit time information includes the high-order N1-bit time information and the low-order N2-bit time information. The first frame is the trigger frame, and the first time information is the N2-bit time information; The first frame is the beacon frame, and the first time information is the N1-bit time information; The first frame is the beacon frame, and the first time information is some or all of the bits in the N-bit time information.

4. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The method includes: If the MSB of the N2-bit time information in the first time information is different from the MSB of the N2-bit time information corresponding to the timer, the first device adjusts the value of the timer used for synchronization based on the first time information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The N-bit time information also includes N3-bit time information, which corresponds to the granularity of the synchronization and is not carried in the first frame.

6. The method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The first frame is the trigger frame, and the method further includes: The first device determines the second time information based on the first time information and the first bit, wherein the length of the first bit is N3 bits; The first device synchronizes with the second device based on the second time information.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The number of bits of the first time information carried in the trigger frame is less than the number of bits of the first time information carried in the beacon frame.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The first device receives a first frame sent by the second device, including: If the first condition is met, the first device receives the first frame sent by the second device. The first condition is used to indicate that the first device has not established an association with the second device, and the first frame is a trigger frame; The first condition is used to instruct the first device to establish an association with the second device, and the first frame is a beacon frame; The first condition is used to instruct the first device to establish an association with the second device, and the first frame includes a beacon frame and a trigger frame.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the first device is different from the number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the second device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The number of bits corresponding to the timer used for synchronization in the first device corresponds to one or more of the following: Whether the first device establishes an association with the second device; The device type of the first device; The service type of the first service to be transmitted; The data type of the data to be transmitted.

11. The method as described in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, If the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a first value; if the first device is associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a second value, wherein the first value is less than the second value.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9-11, characterized in that, If the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device corresponds to the number of bits in the first time information carried in the trigger frame.

13. A method for wireless communication, characterized in that, include: The second device sends a first frame to the first device. The first frame carries first time information for synchronization. The first frame is a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame.

14. The method as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The first time information includes some or all of the bits in the N-bit time information, which is used to indicate the time of the second device.

15. The method as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The N-bit time information includes the high-order N1-bit time information and the low-order N2-bit time information. The first frame is the trigger frame, and the first time information is the N2-bit time information; The first frame is the beacon frame, and the first time information is the N1-bit time information; The first frame is the beacon frame, and the first time information is some or all of the bits in the N-bit time information.

16. The method as described in claim 14 or 15, characterized in that, The N-bit time information also includes N3-bit time information, which corresponds to the granularity of the synchronization and is not carried in the first frame.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13-16, characterized in that, The number of bits of the first time information carried in the trigger frame is less than the number of bits of the first time information carried in the beacon frame.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13-17, characterized in that, The second device sends a first frame to the first device, including: If the first condition is met, the second device sends the first frame to the first device. The first condition is used to indicate that the first device has not established an association with the second device, and the first frame is a trigger frame; The first condition is used to instruct the first device to establish an association with the second device, and the first frame is a beacon frame; The first condition is used to instruct the first device to establish an association with the second device, and the first frame includes a beacon frame and a trigger frame.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13-18, characterized in that, The number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the first device is different from the number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the second device.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13-19, characterized in that, The number of bits corresponding to the timer used for synchronization in the first device corresponds to one or more of the following: Whether the first device establishes an association with the second device; The device type of the first device; The service type of the first service to be transmitted; The data type of the data to be transmitted.

21. The method as described in claim 19 or 20, characterized in that, If the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a first value; if the first device is associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a second value, wherein the first value is less than the second value.

22. The method according to any one of claims 19-21, characterized in that, If the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device corresponds to the number of bits in the first time information carried in the trigger frame.

23. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is a first device, comprising: The receiving unit is configured to receive a first frame sent by the second device, the first frame carrying first time information for synchronization, and the first frame being a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame.

24. The communication device as described in claim 23, characterized in that, The first time information includes some or all of the bits in the N-bit time information, which is used to indicate the time of the second device.

25. The communication device as described in claim 24, characterized in that, The N-bit time information includes the high-order N1-bit time information and the low-order N2-bit time information. The first frame is the trigger frame, and the first time information is the N2-bit time information; The first frame is the beacon frame, and the first time information is the N1-bit time information; The first frame is the beacon frame, and the first time information is some or all of the bits in the N-bit time information.

26. The communication device as described in claim 25, characterized in that, The communication device includes: If the MSB of the N2-bit time information in the first time information is different from the MSB of the N2-bit time information corresponding to the timer, the first processing unit is used to adjust the value of the timer used for synchronization based on the first time information.

27. The communication device as described in any one of claims 24-26, characterized in that, The N-bit time information also includes N3-bit time information, which corresponds to the granularity of the synchronization and is not carried in the first frame.

28. The communication device as described in claim 27, characterized in that, The first frame is the trigger frame, and the communication device further includes: The second processing unit is used to determine the second time information based on the first time information and the first bit, wherein the length of the first bit is N3 bits. The second processing unit is used to synchronize with the second device based on the second time information.

29. The communication device as described in any one of claims 23-28, characterized in that, The number of bits of the first time information carried in the trigger frame is less than the number of bits of the first time information carried in the beacon frame.

30. The communication device as described in any one of claims 23-29, characterized in that, If the first condition is met, the receiving unit is used to receive the first frame sent by the second device. The first condition is used to indicate that the first device has not established an association with the second device, and the first frame is a trigger frame; The first condition is used to instruct the first device to establish an association with the second device, and the first frame is a beacon frame; The first condition is used to instruct the first device to establish an association with the second device, and the first frame includes a beacon frame and a trigger frame.

31. The communication device as described in any one of claims 23-30, characterized in that, The number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the first device is different from the number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the second device.

32. The communication device according to any one of claims 23-31, characterized in that, The number of bits corresponding to the timer used for synchronization in the first device corresponds to one or more of the following: Whether the first device establishes an association with the second device; The device type of the first device; The service type of the first service to be transmitted; The data type of the data to be transmitted.

33. The communication device as described in claim 31 or 32, characterized in that, If the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a first value; if the first device is associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a second value, wherein the first value is less than the second value.

34. The communication device as described in any one of claims 31-33, characterized in that, If the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device corresponds to the number of bits in the first time information carried in the trigger frame.

35. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is a second device, including: The transmitting unit is configured to transmit a first frame to a first device, the first frame carrying first time information for synchronization, and the first frame being a beacon frame and / or a trigger frame.

36. The communication device as described in claim 35, characterized in that, The first time information includes some or all of the bits in the N-bit time information, which is used to indicate the time of the second device.

37. The communication device as described in claim 36, characterized in that, The N-bit time information includes the high-order N1-bit time information and the low-order N2-bit time information. The first frame is the trigger frame, and the first time information is the N2-bit time information; The first frame is the beacon frame, and the first time information is the N1-bit time information; The first frame is the beacon frame, and the first time information is some or all of the bits in the N-bit time information.

38. The communication device as described in claim 36 or 37, characterized in that, The N-bit time information also includes N3-bit time information, which corresponds to the granularity of the synchronization and is not carried in the first frame.

39. The communication device as described in any one of claims 35-38, characterized in that, The number of bits of the first time information carried in the trigger frame is less than the number of bits of the first time information carried in the beacon frame.

40. The communication device according to any one of claims 35-39, characterized in that, If the first condition is met, the sending unit is used to send the first frame to the first device. The first condition is used to indicate that the first device has not established an association with the second device, and the first frame is a trigger frame; The first condition is used to instruct the first device to establish an association with the second device, and the first frame is a beacon frame; The first condition is used to instruct the first device to establish an association with the second device, and the first frame includes a beacon frame and a trigger frame.

41. The communication device according to any one of claims 35-40, characterized in that, The number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the first device is different from the number of bits in the timer used for synchronization in the second device.

42. The communication device according to any one of claims 35-41, characterized in that, The number of bits corresponding to the timer used for synchronization in the first device corresponds to one or more of the following: Whether the first device establishes an association with the second device; The device type of the first device; The service type of the first service to be transmitted; The data type of the data to be transmitted.

43. The communication device as described in claim 41 or 42, characterized in that, If the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a first value; if the first device is associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device is a second value, wherein the first value is less than the second value.

44. The communication device as described in any one of claims 41-43, characterized in that, If the first device is not associated with the second device, the number of bits in the timer in the first device corresponds to the number of bits in the first time information carried in the trigger frame.

45. A communication device, characterized in that, The device includes a transceiver, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a program, and the processor invokes the program in the memory and controls the transceiver to receive or transmit signals so that the communication device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-22.

46. ​​An apparatus, characterized in that, Includes a processor for calling a program from memory to cause the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-22.

47. A chip, characterized in that, Includes a processor for calling a program from memory, causing a device on which the chip is mounted to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-22.

48. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It contains a program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-22.

49. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-22.

50. A computer program, characterized in that, The computer program causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-22.

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