Multi-Link Traffic Indication via Working-Link Beacon Mediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Special access point multi-link devices (AP MLDs) cannot send beacon frames to indicate downlink individually addressed traffics to station multi-link devices (STA MLDs), leading to incorrect reception of downlink traffic.
Innovation Solution
Implement an individually addressed traffic indication method for multiple links, where AP MLDs generate and send traffic indication information to indicate downlink traffic for both associated and non-associated STA MLDs, using management frames like beacon or probe response frames, and allocate unique AIDs to avoid ambiguity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If AP MLDs use non-transmitted BSSIDs to increase network capacity and reduce interference, then more APs can operate simultaneously, but beacon frames cannot be sent to indicate downlink individually addressed traffics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a working link as an intermediary mechanism. The working link AP MLD acts as a mediator that can send beacon frames on behalf of non-transmitted BSSID AP MLDs, enabling traffic indication without requiring the non-transmitted BSSID AP to directly transmit beacons.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the AP MLDs into working link AP MLDs and non-transmitted BSSID AP MLDs. This segmentation allows different AP MLDs to have different roles: working link AP MLDs handle beacon transmission while non-transmitted BSSID AP MLDs maintain network capacity without interfering with each other.
2Productivity
If all APs in an AP MLD use non-transmitted BSSIDs to avoid interference, then channel utilization improves, but downlink individually addressed traffic indication becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The working link AP MLD serves as an information intermediary, receiving traffic indication requirements from non-transmitted BSSID AP MLDs and conveying this information through beacon frames on the working link, thus preventing information loss while maintaining high channel utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes preliminary actions where the working link AP MLD proactively sends beacon frames containing traffic indication information before the non-transmitted BSSID AP MLD needs to transmit data, ensuring traffic indication is always available.
3Adaptability or versatility
If station multi-link devices associate with multiple AP MLDs to access different services, then service diversity increases, but correctly receiving downlink individually addressed traffics becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The working link AP MLD acts as a reliable intermediary that ensures station multi-link devices receive accurate traffic indication information from multiple AP MLDs, enabling correct reception of downlink individually addressed traffics while maintaining service diversity.
Solution Approach 2:
The beacon frame mechanism is made universal by allowing working link AP MLDs to carry traffic indication information for multiple different AP MLDs (including non-transmitted BSSID AP MLDs) in a single beacon, enabling station multi-link devices to correctly receive traffic indications from all associated APs.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application relates to the field of wireless communication, and in particular, to an individually addressed traffic indication method applicable to multiple links and a related apparatus, for example, this application is applied to a wireless local area network supporting an 802.11be standard. The method includes: A first AP of a first AP MLD generates and sends individually addressed traffic indication information, where the individually addressed traffic indication information is used to indicate whether a non-AP MLD associated with the first AP MLD has a downlink individually addressed traffic and whether a non-AP MLD associated with a second AP MLD has a downlink individually addressed traffic, and the second AP MLD is an AP MLD to which a non-transmitted AP in a multiple BSSID set in which the first AP is located belongs. This can help some APs or all APs of some AP MLDs indicate whether station multi-link devices associated with the AP MLDs have downlink individually addressed traffics, to assist the station multi-link devices in correctly receiving downlink individually addressed traffics.