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US-12627426-B2 - Communication method, and multi-link device

US12627426B2US 12627426 B2US12627426 B2US 12627426B2US-12627426-B2

Abstract

A communication method includes: providing, by a plurality of APs affiliated with a first MLD, a primary link and a nonprimary link, the first MLD being an AP MLD, the primary link being the link between a first AP affiliated with the first MLD and a first STA affiliated with a second MLD, and the nonprimary link being the link between a second AP affiliated with the first MLD and a second STA affiliated with the second MLD; and initiating, by the plurality of APs affiliated with the first MLD, data transmissions via the primary link and the nonprimary link based on synchronization of EDCA operations on the primary link and the nonprimary link.

Inventors

  • Liuming LU
  • Lei Huang
  • Chaoming Luo

Assignees

  • GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20250721

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A communication method, comprising: providing, by a plurality of access points (APs) affiliated with a first multi-link device (MLD), a primary link and a nonprimary link, the first MLD being an access point (AP) MLD, the primary link being the link between a first AP affiliated with the first MLD and a first station (STA) affiliated with a second MLD, and the nonprimary link being the link between a second AP affiliated with the first MLD and a second STA affiliated with the second MLD; and initiating, by the plurality of APs affiliated with the first MLD, data transmissions via the primary link and the nonprimary link based on synchronization of enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) operations on the primary link and the nonprimary link; wherein initiating data transmission via the primary link and the nonprimary link based on synchronization of EDCA operations on the primary link and the nonprimary link comprises: allowing, by the first AP affiliated with the first MLD, the primary link to access a medium thereof at a time of issuance of PHY-TXSTART.request for the primary link based on the EDCA operation on the primary link; and allowing, by the second AP affiliated with the first MLD, the nonprimary link to access a medium thereof at the time of issuance of PHY-TXSTART.request for the nonprimary link based on the EDCA operation on the nonprimary links.
  2. 2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: initiating, by the first AP affiliated with the first MLD, the data transmission on the primary link when a medium on the primary link is idle and the first STA AP affiliated with the first MLD obtains an EDCA TXOP in the primary link; or initiating, by the second AP affiliated with the first MLD, the data transmission of the nonprimary link together with the data transmission of the primary link when the medium on the primary link and nonprimary link is idle, a BC of the nonprimary link is already zero, and the first AP affiliated with the first MLD obtains an EDCA TXOP in the primary link.
  3. 3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: not transmitting, by the first AP affiliated with the first MLD, and keeping, by the first AP affiliated with the first MLD, a BC value of the primary link at zero when the BC value of the primary link reaches zero; or not transmitting, by the second AP affiliated with the first MLD, and keeping, by the second AP affiliated with the first MLD, a BC value of the nonprimary link at zero when the BC value of the nonprimary link reaches zero.
  4. 4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: performing, by the first AP affiliated with the first MLD, a new backoff procedure of the primary link in a case that a BC value of the primary link has already reached zero; or performing, by the second AP affiliated with the first MLD, a new backoff procedure of the nonprimary link in a case that a BC value of the nonprimary link has already reached zero.
  5. 5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein initiating transmissions via the primary link and the nonprimary link comprises: aligning, by the plurality of APs affiliated with the first MLD, start times of physical layer convergence procedure protocol data unit (PPDUs) scheduled for the transmissions on the primary link and the nonprimary link.
  6. 6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein primary link and nonprimary link (PLNPL) medium access mode subfield is specified for negotiation of one of PLNPL medium access modes during a multi-link setup between the first MLD and the second MLD, values of the PLNPL medium access mode subfield corresponding to different PLNPL medium access modes being different.
  7. 7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the primary link and nonprimary link (PLNPL) medium access mode subfield is indicated in a common Info field of a basic multi-link element.
  8. 8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the primary link and the nonprimary link are nonsimultaneous transmit and receive (NSTR) link pair.
  9. 9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the primary link and the nonprimary link are operated on PLNPL mode.
  10. 10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first MLD is a NSTR mobile AP MLD or an AP MLD operating in the PLNPL mode, and the second MLD is a non-AP MLD associated with the NSTR mobile AP MLD or a non-AP MLD operating in PLNPL mode.
  11. 11 . A multi-link device (MLD), the MLD being a first MLD and comprising: a memory configured to store instructions; a processor coupled with the memory, the processor configured to execute the instructions to cause a plurality of access points (APs) affiliated with the first MLD to perform: providing a primary link and a nonprimary link, the first MLD being an access point (AP) MLD, the primary link being the link between a first AP affiliated with the first MLD and a first station (STA) affiliated with a second MLD, and the nonprimary link being the link between a second AP affiliated with the first MLD and a second STA affiliated with the second MLD; and initiating data transmissions via the primary link and the nonprimary link based on synchronization of enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) operations on the primary link and the nonprimary link; wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the first AP affiliated with the first MLD to perform: allowing the primary link to access a medium thereof at a time of issuance of PHY-TXSTART.request for the primary link based on the EDCA operation on the primary link; and the processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the second AP affiliated with the first MLD to perform: allowing the nonprimary link to access a medium thereof at the time of issuance of PHY-TXSTART.request for the nonprimary link based on the EDCA operation on the nonprimary links.
  12. 12 . The MLD according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the first AP affiliated with the first MLD to further perform: initiating the data transmission on the primary link when a medium on the primary link is idle and the first AP affiliated with the first MLD obtains an EDCA TXOP in the primary link; or the processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the second AP affiliated with the first MLD to further perform: initiating the data transmission of the nonprimary link together with the data transmission of the primary link when the medium on the primary link and nonprimary link is idle, a BC of the nonprimary link is already zero, and the first AP affiliated with the first MLD obtains an EDCA TXOP in the primary link.
  13. 13 . The MLD according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the first AP affiliated with the first MLD to further perform: not transmitting, and keeping a BC value of the primary link at zero when the BC value of the primary link reaches zero; or the processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the second AP affiliated with the first MLD to further perform: not transmitting, and keeping a BC value of the nonprimary link at zero when the BC value of the nonprimary link reaches zero.
  14. 14 . The MLD according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the first AP affiliated with the first MLD to further perform: performing a new backoff procedure of the primary link in a case that a BC value of the primary link has already reached zero; or the processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the second AP affiliated with the first MLD to further perform: performing a new backoff procedure of the nonprimary link in a case that a BC value of the nonprimary link has already reached zero.
  15. 15 . The MLD according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the plurality of APs affiliated with the first MLD to perform: aligning start times of physical layer convergence procedure protocol data unit (PPDUs) scheduled for the transmissions on the primary link and the nonprimary link.
  16. 16 . The MLD according to claim 11 , wherein primary link and nonprimary link (PLNPL) medium access mode subfield is specified for negotiation of one of PLNPL medium access modes during a multi-link setup between the first MLD and the second MLD, values of the PLNPL medium access mode subfield corresponding to different PLNPL medium access modes being different.
  17. 17 . The MLD according to claim 16 , wherein the primary link and nonprimary link (PLNPL) medium access mode subfield is indicated in a common Info field of a basic multi-link element.
  18. 18 . The MLD according to claim 11 , wherein the primary link and the nonprimary link are nonsimultaneous transmit and receive (NSTR) link pair.
  19. 19 . The MLD according to claim 11 , wherein the primary link and the nonprimary link are operated on PLNPL mode.
  20. 20 . The MLD according to claim 11 , wherein the first MLD is a NSTR mobile AP MLD or an AP MLD operating in the PLNPL mode, and the second MLD is a non-AP MLD associated with the NSTR mobile AP MLD or a non-AP MLD operating in PLNPL mode.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 18/747,566 filed on Jun. 19, 2024, which is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2021/140608 filed on Dec. 22, 2021, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to the field of communication, in particular, to a communication method, a communication apparatus, a multi-link device, and a storage medium. BACKGROUND In IEEE 802.11be or Wi-Fi 7, a multi-link operation (MLO) is proposed to provide higher throughput, lower latency, and/or higher reliability. It should be noticed that an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) may provide multiple access points (APs) operating on a pair of links. Also, a non-AP MLD may provide multiple stations (STAs) operating on a pair of links. In nonsimultaneous transmit and receive (NSTR), data transmissions of a pair of links may be initiated with the same start time if one link of the pair of links obtains transmission opportunity (TXOP). However, in some situations, a transmission may be delayed or may lose its TXOP in one link due to the synchronization mechanism between the pair of links. SUMMARY Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure provide a communication method, a communication apparatus, a multi-link device (MLD), and a storage medium, to resolve the synchronization problem between a pair of links. According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, a communication method is provided. The communication method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps. A primary link and a nonprimary link are provided by multiple access points (APs) affiliated with a first MLD. The first MLD is an access point (AP) MLD. The primary link is connected between a first AP affiliated with the first MLD and a first station (STA) affiliated with a second MLD. The nonprimary link is connected between a second AP affiliated with the first MLD and a second STA affiliated with the second MLD. Data transmissions are initiated by the first MLD via the primary link and the nonprimary link based on synchronization of enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) operations on the primary link and the nonprimary link. According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, a communication method is provided. The communication method includes, but is not limited to, the following steps. A primary link and a nonprimary link are provided by multiple STAs of a second MLD. The second MLD is a non-AP MLD. The primary link is connected between a first AP affiliated with a first MLD and a first STA affiliated with the second MLD. The nonprimary link is connected between a second AP affiliated with the first MLD and a second STA affiliated with the second MLD. Data transmissions are initiated by the second MLD via the primary link and the nonprimary link based on synchronization of EDCA operations on the primary link and the nonprimary link. According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus includes a link providing module and a transmission initiating module. The link providing module is configured for providing a primary link and a nonprimary link. The primary link is connected between a first AP affiliated with a first MLD and a first STA affiliated with a second MLD. The nonprimary link is connected between a second AP affiliated with the first MLD and a second STA affiliated with the second MLD. The transmission initiating module is configured for initiating data transmission via the primary link and the nonprimary link based on synchronization of EDCA operations on the primary link and the nonprimary link. According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, an MLD is provided. The MLD includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store instructions. The processor is coupled with the memory and configured to execute the instructions to cause the MLD to perform the aforementioned communication method. According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, a chip is provided. The chip is used to implement the aforementioned communication method. According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores a program code to cause a computer to perform the aforementioned communication method. According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes a computer program instruction that enables a computer to execute the aforementioned communication method. According to one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, a computer program is provided. When the computer program is run on a computer, the computer program enables the computer to exec