US-20260129108-A1 - WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHOD USING MULTIPLE LINKS, AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATION TERMINAL USING SAME

US20260129108A1US 20260129108 A1US20260129108 A1US 20260129108A1US-20260129108-A1

Abstract

An AP multi-link device is disclosed. The AP multi-link device comprises: a transceiver; and a processor. During reception at any one link, when performing transmission at the second link to a non-AP multi-link device operating at a first link and a second link, which are non-simultaneous transmit and receive (STR) links not supported for transmission at another link, the processor determines whether to perform transmission at the second link for the non-AP multi-link device based on whether the non-AP multi-link device is transmitting to the first link.

Inventors

Sanghyun Kim
Geonjung KO
Juhyung Son
Jinsam Kwak

Assignees

WILUS INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251230
Priority Date: 20200504

Claims (15)

1 . An access point (AP) multi-link device comprising: a transceiver; and a processor; wherein the AP multi-link device is configured to operate on a first link and a second link corresponding to non-simultaneous transmit and receive (STR) links associated with a non-AP multi-link device, wherein transmission by the non-AP multi-link device on one of the first link or the second link is restricted for protecting transmission or reception on the other of the first link or the second link; and wherein the processor is configured to: acquire, in a channel access procedure for the second link, a random number within a contention window (CW); configure the random number as an initial value of a backoff counter for the second link; decrease the backoff counter by 1 when it is detected that a channel of the second link is idle during a slot time, wherein transmission by the AP multi-link device on the second link is not permitted when the backoff counter is not 0; determine, when the backoff counter is 0, to not transmit on the second link based on the non-AP multi-link device transmitting on the first link; and maintain a value of the CW based on determining to not transmit on the second link.
2 . The AP multi-link device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit to a device different from the non-AP multi-link device instead of the non-AP multi-link device while the non-AP multi-link device is transmitting on the first link.
3 . The AP multi-link device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to, when transmitting to the device different from the non-AP multi-link device, transmit traffic having a priority equal to or higher than traffic of the transmission to the non-AP multi-link device.
4 . The AP multi-link device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: perform synchronized transmissions on the first link and the second link, wherein the synchronized transmissions end with a time difference within a first predetermined time interval, and receive transmission following the synchronized transmissions on at least one of the first link and the second link, wherein an interval between the following transmission and the synchronized transmissions performed on a link on which the following transmission is performed is a sum of a short inter-frame space (SIFS) and the first predetermined time interval.
5 . The AP multi-link device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to, if a channel of the first link is idle when the backoff counter is 0, transmit on the first link and the second link.
6 . The AP multi-link device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to, if the channel of the first link is idle when the backoff counter is 0, start transmitting on the first link and second link with a time difference within a second predetermined time interval.
7 . A non-access point (non-AP) multi-link device comprising: a transceiver; and a processor, wherein the non-AP multi-link device is configured to operate on a first link and a second link corresponding to non-simultaneous transmit and receive (STR) links, wherein transmission by the non-AP multi-link device on one of the first link or the second link is restricted for protecting transmission or reception on the other of the first link and the second link, and the processor is configured to: acquire, in a channel access procedure for the second link, a random number within a contention window (CW); configure the random number as an initial value of a backoff counter for the second link; decrease the backoff counter by 1 when it is detected that a channel of the second link is idle during a slot time, wherein transmission by the non-AP multi-link device on the second link is not permitted when the backoff counter is not 0; determine, when the backoff counter is 0, to not transmit on the second link based on the non-AP multi-link device receiving on the first link; and maintain a value of the CW based on determining not to transmit on the second link.
8 . The non-AP multi-link device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to: receive synchronized transmissions on the first link and the second link, wherein the synchronized transmissions end on the first link and the second link with a time difference within a first predetermined time interval, and transmit following the synchronized transmissions on at least one of the first link and the second link, wherein an interval between the following transmission and the synchronized transmissions performed on a link on which the following transmission is performed is a sum of a short inter-frame space (SIFS) and the first predetermined time interval.
9 . The non-AP multi-link device of claim 7 , wherein, when a change on a frequency band of one of the first link and the second link is made, the processor is configured to transmit information on whether STR is supported.
10 . The non-AP multi-link device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit on the first link and the second link if a channel of the first link is idle for a first predetermined time when the backoff counter is 0.
11 . A method of operating an access point (AP) multi-link device, the AP multi-link device configured to operate on a first link and a second link corresponding to non-simultaneous transmit and receive (STR) links associated with a non-AP multi-link device, wherein transmission by the non-AP multi-link device on one of the first link or the second link is restricted for protecting transmission or reception on the other of the first link or the second link, the method comprising: acquiring a random number within a contention window (CW); configuring the random number as an initial value of a backoff counter for the second link; decreasing the backoff counter by 1 when it is detected that a channel is idle during a slot time, wherein transmission of the AP multi-link device on the second link is not permitted when the backoff counter is not 0; determining to not transmit on the second link based on the non-AP multi-link device transmitting on the first link; and maintaining a value of the CW after determining to not transmit on the second link.
12 . The method of claim 11 , comprising transmitting to a device different from the non-AP multi-link device instead of the non-AP multi-link device while the non-AP multi-link device is transmitting on the first link.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein transmitting to the device different from the non-AP multi-link device further comprises transmitting traffic having a priority equal to or higher than traffic of the transmission to the non-AP multi-link device.
14 . The method of claim 11 , comprising: performing synchronized transmissions on the first link and the second link, wherein the synchronized transmissions end on the first link and the second link with a time difference within a first predetermined time interval, and receiving transmission following the synchronized transmissions from at least one of the first link and the second link, wherein an interval between the following transmission and the synchronized transmissions performed on a link on which the following transmission is performed is a sum of a short inter-frame space (SIFS) and the first predetermined time interval.
15 . A method of operating a non-access point (non-AP) multi-link device, the non-AP multi-link device configured to operate on a first link and a second link corresponding to non-simultaneous transmit and receive (STR) links, wherein transmission by the non-AP multi-link device on one of the first link or the second link is restricted for protecting transmission or reception on the other of the first link and the second link, the method comprising: acquiring a random number within a contention window (CW); configuring the random number as an initial value of a backoff counter for the second link; decreasing the backoff counter by 1 when it is detected that a channel of the second link is idle during a slot time, wherein transmission by the non-AP multi-link device on the second link is not permitted when the backoff counter is not 0; determining, when the backoff counter is 0, to not transmit on the second link based on the non-AP multi-link device receiving on the first link; and maintaining a value of the CW based on determining not to transmit on the second link.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/920,787, filed Oct. 22, 2022, which is a U.S. National Phase application of International Application No. PCT/KR2021/005629, filed May 4, 2021, which claims priority to Korean Application No. 10-2020-0053435, filed May 4, 2020, Korean Application No. 10-2020-0054929, filed May 8, 2020, Korean Application No. 10-2020-0081554, filed Jul. 2, 2020, and Korean Application No. 10-2020-0087071, filed Jul. 14, 2020, under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a). Each of the above-referenced patent applications is incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless communication method using a multi-link and a wireless communication terminal using the same. Description of the Related Technology In recent years, with supply expansion of mobile apparatuses, a wireless LAN technology that can provide a rapid wireless Internet service to the mobile apparatuses has been significantly spotlighted. The wireless LAN technology allows mobile apparatuses including a smart phone, a smart pad, a laptop computer, a portable multimedia player, an embedded apparatus, and the like to wirelessly access the Internet in home or a company or a specific service providing area based on a wireless communication technology in a short range. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 has commercialized or developed various technological standards since an initial wireless LAN technology is supported using frequencies of 2.4 GHz. First, the IEEE 802.11b supports a communication speed of a maximum of 11 Mbps while using frequencies of a 2.4 GHz band. IEEE 802.11a which is commercialized after the IEEE 802.11b uses frequencies of not the 2.4 GHz band but a 5 GHz band to reduce an influence by interference as compared with the frequencies of the 2.4 GHz band which are significantly congested and improves the communication speed up to a maximum of 54 Mbps by using an OFDM technology. However, the IEEE 802.11a has a disadvantage in that a communication distance is shorter than the IEEE 802.11b. In addition, IEEE 802.11g uses the frequencies of the 2.4 GHz band similarly to the IEEE 802.11b to implement the communication speed of a maximum of 54 Mbps and satisfies backward compatibility to significantly come into the spotlight and further, is superior to the IEEE 802.11a in terms of the communication distance. Moreover, as a technology standard established to overcome a limitation of the communication speed which is pointed out as a weak point in a wireless LAN, IEEE 802.11n has been provided. The IEEE 802.11n aims at increasing the speed and reliability of a network and extending an operating distance of a wireless network. In more detail, the IEEE 802.11n supports a high throughput (HT) in which a data processing speed is a maximum of 540 Mbps or more and further, is based on a multiple inputs and multiple outputs (MIMO) technology in which multiple antennas are used at both sides of a transmitting unit and a receiving unit in order to minimize a transmission error and optimize a data speed. Further, the standard can use a coding scheme that transmits multiple copies which overlap with each other in order to increase data reliability. As the supply of the wireless LAN is activated and further, applications using the wireless LAN are diversified, the need for new wireless LAN systems for supporting a higher throughput (very high throughput (VHT)) than the data processing speed supported by the IEEE 802.11n has come into the spotlight. Among them, IEEE 802.11ac supports a wide bandwidth (80 to 160 MHz) in the 5 GHz frequencies. The IEEE 802.11ac standard is defined only in the 5 GHz band, but initial 11ac chipsets will support even operations in the 2.4 GHz band for the backward compatibility with the existing 2.4 GHz band products. Theoretically, according to the standard, wireless LAN speeds of multiple stations are enabled up to a minimum of 1 Gbps and a maximum single link speed is enabled up to a minimum of 500 Mbps. This is achieved by extending concepts of a wireless interface accepted by 802.11n, such as a wider wireless frequency bandwidth (a maximum of 160 MHz), more MIMO spatial streams (a maximum of 8), multi-user MIMO, and high-density modulation (a maximum of 256 QAM). Further, as a scheme that transmits data by using a 60 GHz band instead of the existing 2.4 GHz/5 GHZ, IEEE 802.11ad has been provided. The IEEE 802.11ad is a transmission standard that provides a speed of a maximum of 7 Gbps by using a beamforming technology and is suitable for high bit rate moving picture streaming such as massive data or non-compression HD video. However, since it is difficult for the 60 GHz frequency band to pass through an obstacle, it is disadvantageous in that the 60 GHz frequency band can be used only among devices in a short-distan