RU2834917C2 - Method of indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to multiple communication channels and to accompanying device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: wireless communication.

SUBSTANCE: steps are provided, at which: a first access point (AP) of a first multi-link device (MLD) with an AP generates and sends indication information of individually addressed traffic, which is used to indicate whether a MLD device without an AP, associated with a first MLD with an AP, has downlink individually addressed traffic, and whether the MLD device without an AP, associated with a second MLD with an AP, has downlink individually addressed traffic, and the second MLD with the AP is the MLD with the AP to which the non-transmitting AP belongs in the set of multiple basic service set identifiers (BSSID) in which the first AP is located. Therefore, some or all APs of some MLD devices with AP indicate whether station multi-link devices connected to MLD devices with APs have downlink individually addressed traffic, and station multi-link devices correctly receive downlink individually addressed traffic.

EFFECT: possibility to perform indication of downlink individually addressed traffic for multi-link devices (MLD) with access point (AP).

17 cl, 21 dwg

Description

This application claims priority over Chinese Patent Application No. 202010791117.1, filed by the National Intellectual Property Administration of China on August 7, 2020, entitled “INDIVIDUALLY ADDRESSED TRAFFIC INDICATION METHOD APPLICABLE TO MULTIPLE LINKS AND RELATED APPARATUS,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Field of technology to which the invention relates

The present application relates to the field of wireless communication technologies and, in particular, to a method for indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to multiple communication channels and to an associated device.

State of the art

To significantly increase the service transmission rate in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the IEEE 802.11ax standard additionally uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) technology, based on the existing Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology. OFDMA technology supports multiple nodes in transmitting and receiving data simultaneously. This achieves gains in the diversity of multiple stations.

The next-generation IEEE 802.11be Wi-Fi standard is referred to as the extremely high throughput (EHT) standard or Wi-Fi 7 and has a critical technical goal of significantly increasing peak throughput. WLAN devices that support the IEEE 802.11be standard can increase peak throughput and reduce latency for traffic transmission across multiple streams (the maximum number of spatial streams is 16) by using multiple frequency bands (such as the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands) and coexisting multiple channels in the same frequency band. Multiple frequency bands or multiple channels may be referred to as multiple links. A next-generation IEEE 802.11 station device that simultaneously supports multiple links is referred to as a multi-link device (MLD with AP).

However, some special access point multi-link devices (for example, all access points (APs)) contained among the access point multi-link devices are APs whose Basic Service Set identifier (BSSID) is Non-transmitted BSSID and cannot send fault frames to indicate whether the station (STA) multi-link devices associated with the access point multi-link devices have downlink unicast traffic indication information. Therefore, the station multi-link devices associated with the access point multi-link devices cannot correctly receive the downlink unicast traffic. Therefore, for some special access point multi-link devices (MLDs with APs), how to perform downlink unicast traffic indication has become an urgent issue that needs to be solved.

The essence of the invention

Embodiments of the present application provide a method for indicating unicast traffic applicable to multiple communication channels and to associated devices. This can help some APs or all APs of some MLD devices with an AP to indicate whether station multi-channel devices associated with the MLD with the AP have downlink unicast traffics to assist station multi-channel devices in correctly receiving downlink unicast traffics.

Below, the present application is described from various aspects. It should be understood that subsequent implementations and preferred results of various approaches may be mutually referenced.

According to the first approach, the present application presents a method for indicating unicast traffic applicable to multiple communication channels. The method is applied to a first MLD device with an AP, and the first AP is a reporting AP. The method for indicating unicast traffic applicable to multiple communication channels comprises the steps of: the first AP of the first MLD device with an AP generating unicast traffic indication information and sending the unicast traffic indication information over a first channel. The unicast traffic indication information is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with an AP has a downlink unicast traffic, and whether the MLD device without an access point associated with a second MLD device with an AP has a downlink unicast traffic, and the second MLD device with an AP is an MLD device with an AP to which the non-transmitting AP of the set of multiple BSSIDs belongs, in which the first AP is located. The first channel is an operating channel of the first AP.

Alternatively, the reporting AP may be an AP that sends a management frame, where the management frame contains information about multiple APs in a set of MLD devices that are associated with the reporting AP. The management frame is, for example, a fault frame or a probe response frame.

The unicast traffic indication information in this solution can not only indicate whether the non-AP MLD device associated with the first AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic, but can also help the second AP MLD device indicate whether the non-AP MLD device associated with the second AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic, and the second AP MLD is the AP MLD device to which the non-transmitting AP belongs in the multiple BSSID set in which the first AP is located. This can solve the problem that some APs or all APs of the AP MLD device cannot indicate whether the non-AP MLD associated with the AP MLD have downlink unicast traffic, so that the non-AP MLD devices associated with the AP can normally receive the downlink unicast traffic.

In addition, since it is possible that all APs of an 802.11be AP MLD are non-transmitting APs, this approach can solve the problem that AP MLDs in which all APs are non-transmitting APs cannot send unicast traffic indications, thus improving the integrity and diversity of downlink unicast traffic indications.

With reference to the first approach, in a possible implementation, the method further comprises a step in which: a first AP of the first MLD device with an AP generates and sends information about the assignment of an AID (association identifier), where the information about the assignment of an AID comprises an AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point, and the AID differs from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with an AP.

Alternatively, the AID assignment information is contained in the response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames.

Alternatively, before the second AP of the first MLD device with the AP sends a communication response frame, the method further comprises a step in which: the first AP of the first MLD device with the AP receives a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-link communication with the first MLD device with the AP.

In this solution, when an AID is assigned, it is considered that the first AP MLD device helps the second AP MLD device to indicate whether the non-AP MLD device associated with the second AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic, so that the AID assigned by the first AP MLD device to the non-AP MLD device associated with the first AP MLD device is different from the AID for the non-AP MLD device associated with the second AP MLD device, so that AID ambiguity can be avoided when the downlink unicast traffic is indicated.

According to the second approach, the present application presents a method for indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to multiple communication channels. The method is applied to an MLD without an access point. The method for indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to multiple channels comprises the steps of: a first STA of an MLD device without an access point receiving individually addressed traffic indication information on a first communication channel on which the first STA operates, and determining, in accordance with the received individually addressed traffic indication information, whether the MLD device without an access point has downlink individually addressed traffic. The unicast traffic indication information is used to indicate whether a non-AP MLD device associated with a first AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic, and whether a non-AP MLD device associated with a second AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic, and the second AP MLD device is an AP MLD device that owns a non-transmitting AP in a set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located.

Alternatively, the reporting AP may be the AP that sends a management frame, where the management frame contains information about a plurality of APs in a set of MLD devices that are paired with the reporting AP. The management frame is, for example, a fault frame or a probe response frame.

With reference to the second approach, in a possible implementation, the method further comprises the steps of: a first STA of the MLD device without an access point receiving AID assignment information; and analyzing the received AID assignment information to learn that the AID assignment information contains an AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point, where the AID differs from the AID for the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with an AP.

Alternatively, the AID assignment information is contained in the response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames.

Alternatively, before the first STA of the MLD device without an access point receives the communication response frame, the method further comprises the step of: the first STA of the MLD device without an access point generating and transmitting a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the first MLD device with the AP.

According to a third approach, the present application provides a communication device. The communication device may be a first MLD device with an AP or a chip in the first MLD device with an AP, such as a Wi-Fi chip, or may be the first AP of the first MLD device with an AP and comprises: a processing unit configured to generate unicast traffic indication information, where the unicast traffic indication information is used to indicate whether a non-AP MLD device associated with the first AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic, and whether a non-AP MLD device associated with a second AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic, and the second AP MLD device is an AP MLD device to which a non-transmitting AP belongs from a set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located; and a transceiver unit configured to send unicast traffic indication information over a first channel, where the first communication channel is an operating communication channel of the first AP.

Alternatively, the reporting AP may be an AP that sends a management frame, where the management frame contains information about a plurality of APs in a set of MLD devices that are associated with the reporting AP. The management frame is, for example, a fault frame or a test response frame.

According to the third approach, in a possible implementation, the processing unit is further configured to generate information about the AID assignment, where the information about the AID assignment comprises an AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point, and the AID differs from the AID for the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with an AP; and the transceiver unit is further configured to send information about the AID assignment.

Alternatively, the AID assignment information is contained in the response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be carried in other frames.

Alternatively, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the first MLD device with the AP.

According to a fourth approach, the present application provides a communication device. The communication device may be an MLD device without an access point or a chip in an MLD device without an access point, such as a Wi-Fi chip, or may be a first STA in an MLD device without an access point, and comprises: a transceiver unit configured to receive unicast traffic indication information on a first channel on which the first STA operates, where the unicast traffic indication information is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with an AP has downlink unicast traffic, and whether the MLD device without an access point associated with a second MLD device with an AP has downlink unicast traffic, and the second MLD device with AP is an MLD device with an AP to which a non-transmitting AP belongs in a set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located; and a processing unit configured to determine, in accordance with the received individually addressed traffic indication information, whether the MLD device without an access point has downlink individually addressed traffic.

Alternatively, the reporting AP may be an AP that sends a management frame, where the management frame contains information about a plurality of APs in a set of MLD devices that are associated with the reporting AP. The management frame is, for example, a fault frame or a test response frame.

According to the fourth approach, in a possible implementation, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive AID assignment information; and the processing unit is further configured to analyze the received AID assignment information to learn that the AID assignment information contains an AID assigned to an MLD device without an access point, where the AID differs from the AID for an MLD device without an access point associated with a second MLD device with an AP.

Alternatively, the AID assignment information is contained in the response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames.

Alternatively, the processing unit is further configured to generate a communication request frame; and the transceiver unit is further configured to send a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the first MLD device with the AP.

When implementing any of the previous approaches, one bit of the unicast traffic indication information corresponds to one MLD device without an access point, and the bit of the unicast traffic indication information is used to indicate whether the corresponding MLD device without an access point has downlink unicast traffic. The MLD device without an access point here comprises an MLD device without an access point associated with a first MLD device with an AP, and an MLD device without an access point associated with a second MLD device with an AP.

In the implementation of any of the previous approaches, one bit of the individually addressed traffic indication information corresponds to one AID of the association, and the bit of the individually addressed traffic indication information is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point, identified by the corresponding AID, has downlink individually addressed traffic. The MLD device without an access point here comprises an MLD device without an access point associated with a first MLD device with an AP, and an MLD device without an access point associated with a second MLD device with an AP.

Alternatively, the individually addressed traffic indication information is contained in the partial virtual bitmap field of the TIM element (traffic indication map, TIM).

In this solution, some bits of the TIM element of the partial virtual bitmap field are used to indicate whether the non-AP MLD device associated with the AP MLD device in which the reporting AP is located has downlink unicast traffic, and whether the non-AP MLD device associated with every second AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic. Without necessarily changing the frame format of the TIM element, one AP MLD device can help another AP MLD device indicate whether the non-AP MLD device associated with the other AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic. This can improve the flexibility of notification of downlink unicast traffic.

When implementing any of the previous approaches, the association identifiers (AIDs) corresponding to the unicast traffic indication information bits are different from each other. AID ambiguity can be avoided when indicating whether an MLD device without an access point has downlink unicast traffic.

When implementing any of the previous approaches, the unicast traffic indication information comprises a TIM block corresponding to a first MLD device with an AP and a TIM block corresponding to one second MLD device with an AP, wherein the TIM block corresponding to the first MLD device with an AP is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with an AP has downlink unicast traffic, and the TIM block corresponding to one second MLD device with an AP is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with an AP has downlink unicast traffic.

Alternatively, the individually addressed traffic indication information additionally contains an index of the second MLD device with AP, and the indices of the second MLD device with AP are in one-to-one correspondence with the corresponding TIM blocks of the second MLD device with AP.

Alternatively, one bit of one of the preceding TIM blocks corresponds to one non-AP MLD device and the TIM block bit is used to indicate whether the corresponding non-AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic.

Alternatively, the AIDs corresponding to the TIM block bits are different from each other.

Alternatively, the AID space used by the first MLD device with AP to assign an AID to the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with AP and the AID space used by the second MLD device with AP to assign an AID to the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with AP are independent of each other. The AID space here may alternatively be a set of AIDs to be assigned.

With this solution, TIM indication is performed for different AP-based MLD devices on a block-by-block basis. This can help avoid AID ambiguity for a non-AP-based MLD device associated with different AP-based MLD devices.

According to the fifth approach, the present application presents a method for assigning an AID to a multi-channel device. The method is applicable to any AP of an AP-equipped MLD device. The method for assigning an AID to a multi-channel device comprises a step in which: an AP _I of an AP-equipped MLD device generates and sends AID assignment information, where the AID assignment information comprises an AID assigned to an AP-less MLD device, the AID is different from the AID for an AP-less MLD device associated with a target AP-equipped MLD device, and the target AP-equipped MLD device is any AP-equipped MLD device in a set of AP-equipped MLD devices of an AP _i for an AP _i or the target AP-equipped MLD device is any AP-equipped MLD device in a group of sets in which the set of AP-equipped MLD devices of an AP _i is located. AP _i is any AP of the AP-equipped MLD device.

Alternatively, the AID assignment information is contained in the response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames.

Alternatively, if the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the AP MLD device pairing set of access point APi, then both the AP MLD device and the target AP MLD device both belong to the AP MLD device pairing set of access point APi. If the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the set group in which the AP MLD device pairing set of access point AP _i is located, then both the AP MLD device and the target AP MLD device both belong to the set group in which the AP MLD device pairing set of access point AP _i is located, and the set group contains the set of AP MLD devices of access point AP _i and the set of AP MLD devices of any AP other than AP _i in the set of AP MLD devices pairing set of access point AP _i .

Alternatively, before the access point AP of the MLD device with the AP sends a communication response frame, the method further comprises a step in which: the access point AP _i of the MLD device with the AP receives a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-link communication with the MLD device with the AP.

With this solution, it is assumed that the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with AP _i and the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with the target AP MLD device must be unique, in other words, they must be different from each other. AID ambiguity can be avoided by specifying whether the non-AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic.

According to the sixth approach, the present application provides a method for assigning an AID to a multi-channel device. The method is applied to any STA of the MLD device without an access point. The method for assigning an AID to a multi-channel device comprises a step in which: the STA of the MLD device without an access point receives AID assignment information and analyzes the AID assignment information to learn that the AID assignment information contains an AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point, where the AID is different from the AID for the MLD device without an access point associated with a target MLD device with an AP, and the target MLD device with AP is any MLD device with AP in a set of paired MLD devices with APs of the access point AP _i , or the target MLD device with AP is any MLD device with AP in a group of sets in which the set of paired MLD devices with APs of the access point APi is located. AP _i is any AP of the MLD device with AP.

Alternatively, the AID assignment information is contained in the response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames.

Alternatively, if the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i , then both the AP MLD device and the target AP MLD device both belong to the set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i . If the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the set group in which the set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i is located, then both the AP MLD device and the target AP MLD device both belong to the set group in which the set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i is located, and the set group contains the set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i and the set of co-located MLD devices of any AP other than AP _i in the set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i .

Alternatively, before the STA of the MLD device without an access point receives the communication response frame, the method further comprises a step in which: the STA of the MLD device without an access point generates and transmits a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the MLD device with the AP.

According to a seventh approach, the present application provides a communication device. The communication device may be an AP MLD device or a chip in an AP MLD device, such as a Wi-Fi chip, and comprises: a processing unit configured to generate AID assignment information, where the AID assignment information comprises an AID assigned to an access point-less MLD device, the AID differs from the AID for an access point-less MLD device associated with a target AP MLD device, and the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a set of pairable AP MLD devices of an access point AP _i , or the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a group of sets in which the set of pairable AP MLD devices of an access point AP _i is located; and a transceiver unit configured to send a communication response frame. AP _i is any AP of the AP MLD device.

Alternatively, the AID assignment information is contained in the response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames.

Alternatively, if the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i , the AP MLD device and the target AP MLD device both belong to the set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i . If the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a group of sets in which the set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i is located, the AP MLD device and the target AP MLD device both belong to the group of sets in which the set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i is located, and the set group contains the set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i and the set of co-located MLD devices from among any APs other than AP _i in the set of co-located MLD devices of access point AP _i .

Alternatively, the transceiver unit is further configured to receive a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the MLD device with the AP.

According to an eighth approach, the present application provides a communication device. The communication device may be an MLD device without an access point or a chip in an MLD device without an access point, such as a Wi-Fi chip, and comprises: a transceiver unit configured to receive AID assignment information from an AP of an AP MLD device; and a processing unit configured to analyze the received AID assignment information to know that the AID assignment information contains an AID assigned to an MLD without an access point, where the AID is different from the AID for an MLD device without an access point associated with a target AP MLD device, and the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a set of pairable AP MLD devices of the access point AP _i , or the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a group of sets in which the set of pairable AP MLD devices of the access point AP _i is located. AP _i is any AP for the AP MLD device.

Alternatively, the AID assignment information is contained in the response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames.

Alternatively, if the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the set of AP MLD device pairings of access point AP _i , then both the AP MLD device and the target AP MLD device both belong to the set of AP MLD device pairings of access point APi. If the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the set group in which the set of AP MLD device pairings of access point APi is located, then both the AP MLD device and the target AP MLD device both belong to the set group in which the set of AP MLD device pairings of access point AP _i is located, and the set group contains the set of AP MLD devices pairings of access point AP _i and the set of AP MLD devices pairings from among any APs other than AP _i in the set of AP MLD device pairings of access point AP _i .

Alternatively, the processing unit is further configured to generate a communication request frame; and the transceiver unit is further configured to transmit a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the MLD device with the AP.

In accordance with the ninth approach, the present application presents a communication device. The communication device is specifically a first MLD device with an AP or a first AP of the first MLD device with an AP and comprises a processor and a transceiver. The processor is configured to support the first MLD device with an AP when performing the corresponding function in the first approach of the above-presented method. The transceiver is configured to support communication between the first MLD device with an AP and a multi-channel device without an access point (also called a station multi-channel device) and to send information, a frame, a data packet, a command, etc. in the above-presented method to the station multi-channel device. The first MLD device with an AP may additionally comprise a memory. The memory is configured to communicate with the processor and the memory stores program commands and data necessary for the first MLD device with an AP.

Specifically, the processor is configured to generate individually addressed traffic indication information, where the individually addressed traffic indication information is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point, associated with the first MLD device with an AP, has a downlink individually addressed traffic, and whether the MLD device without an access point, associated with the second MLD device with an AP, has a downlink individually addressed traffic, and the second MLD device with an AP is the MLD device with an AP to which the non-transmitting AP belongs in the set of multiple BSSIDs, in which the first AP is located. The transceiver is configured to send individually addressed traffic indication information over the first communication channel, where the first communication channel is the working communication channel of the first AP.

According to the tenth approach, the present application presents a communication device. The communication device is specifically a multi-channel device without an access point (also called a station multi-channel device) or a first STA of an MLD device without an access point and comprises a processor and a transceiver. The processor is configured to support the station multi-channel device when performing the corresponding function in the above-presented method in the second approach. The transceiver is configured to support communication between the station multi-channel device and the first MLD device with AP and to receive information, a frame, a data packet, a command, etc. in the above-presented method from the first MLD device with AP. The station multi-channel device may further comprise a memory. The memory is configured to communicate with the processor and the memory stores program commands and data necessary for the station multi-channel device.

Specifically, the transceiver is configured to receive individually addressed traffic indication information on a first communication channel on which the first STA operates, where the individually addressed traffic indication information is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point, associated with the first MLD device with an AP, has a downlink individually addressed traffic, and whether the MLD device without an access point, associated with the second MLD with an AP, has a downlink individually addressed traffic, and the second MLD device with an AP is an MLD device with an AP to which a non-transmitting AP belongs in a set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located. The processor is configured to determine, in accordance with the received individually addressed traffic indication information, whether the MLD device without an access point has a downlink individually addressed traffic.

In accordance with the eleventh approach, the present application presents a communication device. The communication device is specifically an MLD device with an AP or an APi of an MLD device with an AP and comprises a processor and a transceiver. The processor is configured to support the MLD with AP when performing the corresponding function in the above-presented method in the fifth approach. The transceiver is configured to support communication between the MLD device with AP and a multi-channel device (also called a station multi-channel device) without an access point and sending information, a frame, a data packet, a command, etc. in the above-presented method to the station multi-channel device. The MLD device with AP may additionally comprise a memory. The memory is configured to communicate with the processor and the memory stores program commands and data necessary for the MLD device with AP.

Specifically, the processor is configured to generate AID assignment information, where the AID assignment information comprises an AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point, the AID differs from the AID for the MLD device without an access point associated with the target MLD device with an AP, and the target MLD device with an AP is any MLD device with an AP in a set of paired MLD devices with an AP of the access point APi or the target MLD device with an AP is any MLD device with an AP in a group of sets in which the set of paired MLD devices with an AP of the access point APi is located. The transceiver is configured to send the AID assignment information. The AID assignment information is contained in a response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames. AP _i is any AP of the MLD device with an AP.

Alternatively, the transceiver is further configured to receive a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the MLD device with the AP.

In accordance with the twelfth approach, the present application presents a communication device. The communication device is specifically a multi-channel device (also called a station multi-channel device) without an access point and comprises a processor and a transceiver. The processor is configured to support the station multi-channel device when performing the corresponding function in the above-presented method in the sixth approach. The transceiver is configured to support communication between the station multi-channel device and the MLD device with AP and to receive information, a frame, a data packet, commands, etc. in the previous method from the MLD device with AP. The station multi-channel device may further comprise a memory. The memory is configured to communicate with the processor and the memory stores program commands and data necessary for the station multi-channel device.

Specifically, the transceiver is configured to receive AID assignment information. The processor is configured to analyze the received AID assignment information to learn that the AID assignment information comprises an AID assigned to a non-AP MLD device, where the AID differs from the AID of a non-AP MLD device associated with a target AP MLD device, and the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a set of paired AP MLD devices of an access point APi or the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a group of sets in which the set of paired AP MLD devices of an access point APi is located. The AID assignment information is contained in a communication response frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames. APi is any AP of the AP MLD device.

Alternatively, the processor is further configured to generate a communication request frame; and the transceiver is further configured to send the communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the MLD device with the AP.

According to the thirteenth approach, the present application presents a microcircuit or a microcircuit system comprising an input/output interface and a data processing device. The data processing device is configured to generate individually addressed traffic indication information, where the individually addressed traffic indication information is used to indicate whether a non-access point MLD device associated with a first MLD device with an AP has downlink individually addressed traffic, and whether a non-access point MLD device associated with a second MLD device with an AP has downlink individually addressed traffic, and the second MLD device with an AP is an MLD device with an AP to which a non-transmitting AP belongs in a set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located. The input/output interface is configured to send individually addressed traffic indication information over a first communication line, where the first communication line is a working communication line of the first AP.

In a possible design, the input-output interface is configured to receive individually addressed traffic indication information over the first communication channel, where the individually addressed traffic indication information is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point, associated with the first MLD device with an AP, has a downlink individually addressed traffic, and whether the MLD device without an access point, associated with the second MLD device with an AP, has a downlink individually addressed traffic, and the second MLD device with an AP is an MLD device with an AP to which the non-transmitting AP belongs in the set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located. The data processing device is configured to determine, in accordance with the received individually addressed traffic, whether the MLD device without an access point has a downlink individually addressed traffic.

According to the fourteenth approach, the present application provides a microcircuit or a microcircuit system, including an input-output interface and a data processing device. The data processing device is configured to generate AID assignment information, where the AID assignment information comprises an AID assigned to an MLD device without an access point, the AID differs from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with a target MLD device with an AP, and the target MLD device with an AP is any MLD device with an AP in a set of compatible MLD devices with an AP of a reporting AP or the target MLD device with an AP is any MLD device with an AP in a group of sets in which a set of compatible MLD devices with an AP of an access point AP _i is located. The input-output interface is configured to send a response communication frame.

In a possible design, the input-output interface is configured to receive information about the AID assignment. The data processing device is configured to analyze the received information about the AID assignment to find out that the information about the AID assignment contains an AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point, where the AID differs from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with the target MLD device with an AP, and the target MLD device with an AP is any MLD device with an AP in a set of matching MLD devices with an AP of the reporting AP or the target MLD device with an AP is any MLD device with an AP in a group of sets in which the set of matching MLD devices with an AP of the access point APi is located.

According to the fifteenth approach, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, and the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on the computer, the computer is allowed to perform the above-presented method for indicating individually addressed traffic, applicable to multiple communication channels according to the first approach or the second approach.

According to the sixteenth approach, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, and the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on the computer, the computer is allowed to perform the above-mentioned method of assigning a communication identifier AID to a multi-channel device according to the fifth approach or the sixth approach.

According to the seventeenth approach, the present application presents a computer program product comprising instructions. When the computer program product runs on a computer, the computer is allowed to perform the above-presented method of indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to a plurality of communication channels in accordance with the first approach or the second approach.

According to the eighteenth approach, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions. When the computer program product runs on a computer, the computer is allowed to perform the above-described method of assigning a communication identifier AID to a multi-channel device according to the fifth approach or the sixth approach.

Embodiments of the present application may be implemented to assist some APs or all APs of some MLDs with APs to indicate whether station multi-channel devices associated with the MLDs with APs have downlink unicast traffics, to assist the station multi-channel devices to correctly receive downlink unicast traffics.

Brief description of the drawings

To more clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the accompanying drawings used in describing the embodiments are briefly described below.

Fig. 1 - structures of MLD with AP and MLD without access point, corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 2 - frame format of a TIM element corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 3 - frame format of a multiple BSSID element corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 4A is a structure of a communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 4B is a structure of a communication system 200 according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 4C is a structure of a communication system 300 according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 5 is an architecture of a plurality of multiple BSSID sets corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 6 is a flow chart of the sequence of operations of the method for indicating individually addressed traffic, applicable to multiple communication channels, corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 7 - a partial virtual bitmap field corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 8 - format of a partial frame of a new element corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 9 is a flow chart of the sequence of operations of the method for assigning an AID to an MLD device without an access point, corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 10a is a set of compatible MLD devices with an AP according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 10b is another set of MLD/AP compatible devices according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 10C is another set of MLD/AP compatible devices according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 11 - frame format of the AID element corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 12 is another flow chart of the sequence of operations of a method for indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to multiple communication channels, corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 13 - structure of communication device 1 corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 14 - structure of communication device 2 corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 15 - structure of communication device 3 corresponding to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 16 - the structure of the communication device 4 corresponding to an embodiment of the present application; and

Fig. 17 is a structure of a communication device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application.

Description of embodiments

Below, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application are clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

In order to better understand the method for indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to multiple communication channels and to the corresponding device, which are disclosed in the embodiments of the present application, the corresponding concepts applied in the embodiments of the present application will first be described.

1. Multi-channel device

The wireless communication system to which the embodiments of the present application are applicable may be a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a cellular network, and the method for indicating individually addressed traffic may be implemented by a communication device in the wireless communication system or on a chip or in a processor of the communication device. The communication device may be a wireless communication device that supports multiple communication channels for parallel transmission and is, for example, referred to as a multi-link device (MLD) or as a multi-band device. Compared with a device that supports only single-channel transmission, a multi-channel device has higher transmission efficiency and higher performance.

A multi-channel device comprises one or more affiliated stations (STA). An affiliated station is a logical station that can operate on one communication channel. An affiliated station can be an access point (AP) or a non-access point station (Non-AP STA). For ease of description, a multi-channel device whose affiliated station is an AP in this application may be referred to as a multi-link AP or an AP multi-link device or an AP multi-link device (AP MLD). A multi-channel device whose affiliated station is a non-access point STA may be referred to as a non-access point multi-link device or a non-AP multi-link device or a non-AP MLD. For ease of description, in the embodiments of the present application, the expression "a multi-channel device comprises an affiliated station" is also briefly described as "a multi-channel device comprises a station".

A multichannel device contains one or more affiliated stations (STAs). In other words, one multichannel device can contain multiple logical stations. Each logical station operates on a single communication channel, but multiple logical stations are allowed to operate on the same communication channel.

A multi-channel device can implement wireless communication in accordance with the 802.11 family of standards. For example, a station implementing extremely high throughput (EHT), or a station implementing the 802.11 standard, or a station compatible with a station according to the 802.11be standard, communicates with another device. Of course, the other device may be a multi-channel device or may not be a multi-channel device.

For example, the multi-channel device in this embodiment of the present application may be a device with a single antenna or may be a multi-antenna device. For example, the device may be a device with more than two antennas. The number of antennas contained in the multi-channel device is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. In the embodiments of the present application, the multi-channel device may allow services with the same access type to be transmitted over different communication channels, and even allow the same data packet to be transmitted over different communication channels; or may not allow services of the same access type to be transmitted over different communication channels, but allow services with different access types to be transmitted over different communication channels.

For example, a multi-channel device is a device with a wireless communication function, and the device may be a single device or may be a chip, a processing system, etc. installed in a single device, and the device in which the chip or the processing system is installed can implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application under the control of the chip or the processing system. For example, an MLD without an access point in the embodiments of the present application has a wireless transceiver function that can support 802.11 series protocols and can communicate with an MLD device with an AP or with another MLD device without an access point or with a single-channel device. For example, an STA of an MLD is any user communication device that allows a user to communicate with an AP and additionally communicate with a WLAN. For example, an MLD without an access point may be a user equipment that can be connected to the Internet, such as a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a portable computer, a notebook, an Ultra-mobile Personal Computer (UMPC), a pocket computer, a netbook, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or a mobile phone or an Internet of Things node in the Internet of Things, a communication device installed on a vehicle in the Internet of Vehicles, etc. An MLD without an access point may alternatively be a chip and a processing system in these terminals.

The MLD device with AP in the embodiments of the present application is a device that provides a service to the MLD device without an access point and can support 802.11 series protocols. For example, the MLD device with AP can be a communication entity such as a communication server, a router, a switch, and a network bridge, or the MLD device with AP can comprise a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node, and the like of various forms. Of course, the MLD device with AP can alternatively be a chip and a processing system in these devices of various forms, thereby realizing the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the multi-channel device can support high-speed transmission and low-latency transmission. With the continuous development of wireless LAN application scenarios, the multi-channel device can alternatively be applied to a wide variety of scenarios such as sensor nodes (such as smart water meters, smart power meters, and smart air detection nodes) in smart cities, smart devices (such as smart cameras, projectors, display screens, TVs, stereo systems, refrigerators, and washing machines) in smart homes, nodes in the Internet of Things, entertainment terminals (such as AR, VR, and other wearable devices), smart devices (such as printers and projectors) in smart offices, Internet of Vehicles devices in the Internet of Vehicles, and some infrastructures (such as vending machines, supermarket signboards, self-service checkout machines, and self-service ordering machines) in daily life scenarios. Specific forms of the MLD device without an AP and the MLD device with an AP are not particularly limited in the embodiments of the present application and are only an example for description herein. The 802.11 protocol can be either an 802.11be-compliant protocol or an 802.11be-compatible protocol.

The frequency bands in which the multi-channel device operates may include, but are not limited to, the 1 GHz sub-band, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, and 60 GHz high-frequency bands.

For example, the multi-channel device in this embodiment of the present application may be a single-antenna device or may be a multi-antenna device. For example, the multi-channel device in the embodiments of the present application may be a device with two or more antennas. The number of antennas included in the multi-channel device is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. Fig. 1 shows the structures of an MLD device with an AP and an MLD device without an access point according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 1 schematically shows the structure of an MLD device with an AP with multiple antennas and a structure of an MLD without an access point with a single antenna. The 802.11 standard emphasizes a part of the physical layer (PHY) and a part of the media access control (MAC) layer in the MLD device with an AP and in the MLD device without an access point.

2. Communication channel identifier

A channel identifier represents one station operating on one channel. In other words, if there is more than one station on one channel, the stations represent more than one channel identifier. The channel mentioned below sometimes also represents a station operating on the channel.

When data is transmitted between an MLD device with an AP and an MLD device without an AP, the channel identifier can be used to identify the channel or the station operating on the channel. Before entering into communication, the MLD device with an AP and the MLD device without an AP can negotiate or associate between the channel identifier and the channel or the station operating on the channel. Therefore, during data transmission, the channel identifier is transmitted without the need to transmit a large amount of signaling information to indicate the channel or the station operating on the channel. This reduces signaling overhead and improves transmission efficiency.

In this example, a management frame, such as a beacon frame transmitted by an MLD from an AP when establishing a basic service set (BSS), contains an element and the element contains multiple link identification information fields. The link identification information field may indicate a correspondence between a link identifier and a station operating on the link corresponding to the link identifier. The link identification information field contains not only a link identifier but also one or more of the following information: a media access control (MAC) address, an operation set, and a number of links. One or more of the MAC address, an operation set, and a number of links may indicate a single link. For an AP, the MAC address of the AP is also the basic service set identifier (BSSID) of the AP. In another example, in a multi-link communication process, an MLD with an AP and an MLD without an AP negotiate multiple link identification information fields. Multi-channel device communication means that one AP of the AP-based MLD device communicates with one STA of the non-AP-based MLD device once, and the communication can help multiple STAs of the non-AP-based MLD device communicate with multiple APs of the AP-based MLD device respectively, where one STA communicates with one AP.

In subsequent communication, the MLD device with the AP or the MLD device without an AP uses the link identifier to provide the station of the MLD device without an AP, and the link identifier may additionally provide one or more attributes of a MAC address, a set of work operations, and a number of channels of the station. The MAC address may be replaced by the link identifier of the MLD device with the AP after communication. Alternatively, if multiple stations operate on one link, the link identifier (which is a digital identifier, ID) means that it contains not only a set of operations that are performed on the link and a channel number, but also an identifier of the station operating on the link, such as a MAC address of the station or an association identifier (AID) of the station.

3. Traffic indication map element

The traffic indication map (TIM) fault frame and the delivery traffic indication map (DTIM) fault frame contain a traffic indication map (TIM) element. Fig. 2 schematically shows the frame format of the TIM element according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 2, the frame format of the TIM element field contains:

Element identifier (ID) field: Used to identify the element shown in Fig. 2 as a TIM element.

Length field: Used to identify the length of the TIM element and to collect statistics about the total length after the field, specifically the total length of the DTIM count field, the DTIM period field, the bitmap control field, and the partial virtual bitmap field expressed in bytes.

DTIM count field: It is used to indicate how many TIM fault frames appear before the next DTIM fault frame arrives, counting from the current fault frame carrying the TIM element. In other words, the DTIM count field is a count value and the count value is variable. When the value of the DTIM count field is 0, it indicates that the current fault frame is a DTIM fault frame. When the value of the DTIM count field is not 0 or is non-zero, it indicates that the current fault frame is a TIM fault frame.

DTIM period field: used to specify the duration of the DTIM fault frame period, in other words, the arrival interval, where the arrival interval is expressed in units of the TIM fault frame period. For example, if the DTIM period is set to 1, the DTIM count in each TIM element field is 0, in other words, each fault frame is a DTIM fault frame.

Bitmap control field: As shown in Fig. 2, bit 0 in the bitmap control field is used to indicate whether the AP has sent the multicast data traffic after sending the DTIM fault frame, in other words, bit 0 in the bitmap control field in the DTIM fault frame indicates whether the AP caches the multicast data traffic and does not send the multicast data traffic through the multicast AID; bits 1 to 7 in the bitmap control field are used to indicate the offset of the partial virtual bitmap, and the offset is expressed in units of bytes (namely, 8 bits).

Partial virtual bitmap: Each bit of the partial virtual bitmap field corresponds to one association identifier (AID) and is used to indicate whether the station corresponding to the AID has unicast traffic. Alternatively, each bit of the partial virtual bitmap field corresponds to one group-addressed AID and is used to indicate whether the group of stations corresponding to the group-addressed AID has unicast traffic downstream. The partial virtual bitmap field is a few bits of the traffic indication virtual bitmap field, where the traffic indication virtual bitmap field is 251 bytes long and is used to indicate whether the stations corresponding to AIDs from AID 0 to AID 2007 have unicast traffic downstream.

Each field from the Element ID field, Length field, DTIM Count field, DTIM Period field, and Bitmap Control field occupies one byte.

4. Multiple BSSID set

A set of multiple Basic Service Identifiers (a set of multiple BSSIDs, which may be referred to as a set of multiple BSSIDs) may be understood as a set of multiple cooperating APs. All cooperating APs use the same operation set, number of channels, and antenna interface. In the set of multiple BSSIDs, there is only one AP with a Transmitted BSSID, and the other APs are APs with Non-transmitted BSSIDs. The information about the set of multiple BSSIDs (namely, an element of multiple BSSIDs) is contained in a Trouble Frame or a Probe Response Frame or a Neighbor Message sent by the AP with a Transmitted BSSID. The BSSID information for the AP with a Non-transmitted BSSID is received by the station based on the Trouble Frame or the Probe Response Frame or the element of multiple BSSIDs in the Neighbor Message, etc. The BSSID of the non-broadcast BSSID AP is calculated based on the BSSID of the broadcast BSSID AP and the BSSID Index field in the Multiple BSSID-Index entry and the BSSID of the non-broadcast BSSID AP in the Non-Broadcast BSSID profile. See Draft 802.11REVmd_D3.0 for the specific method.

A set of multiple BSSIDs can alternatively be understood as containing multiple APs. Each AP controls one BSS and different APs may have different SSIDs and capabilities, such as transmission capabilities or security mechanisms.

In a multi-BSSID set, only the AP whose BSSID is the broadcast BSSID can send a beakon frame and a Probe Response frame, while the AP with a non-broadcast BSSID does not send a beakon frame. Therefore, if a Probe Request frame sent by an STA is transmitted to an AP in the multi-BSSID set whose BSSID is the non-broadcast BSSID, the AP in the multi-BSSID set whose BSSID is the broadcast BSSID helps respond by sending a Probe Response frame.

The BSSID of one of the multiple APs in the set of multiple BSSIDs is configured as a Transmitted BSSID, and the AP with the Transmitted BSSID may be referred to as a transmitted AP; the BSSIDs of the other APs are configured as Non-transmitted BSSIDs, and the AP with the Non-transmitted BSSID may be referred to as Non-transmitted APs.

The fault frame sent by the transmitting AP may contain a multiple BSSID element, and the frame format of the multiple BSSID element is shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the frame format of the multiple BSSID element according to an embodiment of the present application. The multiple BSSID element contains an element ID field, a length field, a maximum BSSID indicator field, and an additional sub-element field. The maximum BSSID indicator field is used to indicate the maximum number N of BSSIDs contained in the multiple BSSID set, and the additional sub-element field contains information about the BSSID of an AP with a non-transmittable BSSID.

The maximum number of APs allowed in a multiple BSSID set is 2 ⁿ , where n is the value indicated by the MaxBSSID Indicator field in the multiple BSSID element shown in Fig. 3 and N=2 ⁿ . Therefore, bits 1 through 2 ⁿ -1 of the traffic indication virtual bitmap field may be respectively assigned to the APs with non-transmittable BSSIDs in the multiple BSSID set to respectively indicate whether the APs with non-transmittable BSSIDs whose NonTxBSS IDs are 1 through 2 ⁿ -1 have multicast traffic. The value of the NonTxBSS ID is equal to the value of the BSSID Index field in the Multiple BSSID-Index element in the non-transmittable BSSID profile in the multiple BSSID element. The non-transmittable BSSID profile is in an additional field of the subelement.

Although embodiments of the present application are described primarily using an IEEE 802.11 network, which is deployed as an example, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the various approaches in the present application can be extended to other networks using various standards or protocols, such as, for example, Bluetooth, high performance radio LAN (HIPERLAN) (a wireless communication standard similar to the IEEE 802.11 standard and used primarily in Europe), wide area network (WAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), personal area network (PAN), or other networks that are currently known or will be developed in the future. Therefore, the various approaches presented in the present application are applicable to any applicable wireless network, regardless of the coverage level and wireless access protocol.

Fig. 4A shows the structure of a communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. In Fig. 4A, a wireless local area network is used as an example to describe the communication system 100 related to this embodiment of the present application. The communication system 100 includes a station 101 and a station 102. The station 101 and the station 102 can use multiple communication channels for communication, achieving an effect of improving performance. The station 101 may be a multi-channel device, and the station 102 may be a single-channel device, a multi-channel device, etc. In one scenario, the station 101 is an MLD device with an AP, and the station 102 is an MLD device without an access point or a station (such as a single-channel station). In another scenario, the station 101 is an MLD device without an access point, and the station 102 is an AP (such as a single-channel AP) or an MLD device with an AP. In yet another scenario, station 101 is an MLD device with an AP, and station 102 is an MLD device with an AP or AP; in yet another scenario, station 101 is an MLD device without an access point, and station 102 is an MLD device without an access point or STA (such as a single-channel station). Of course, the wireless LAN may further include other devices. The number and types of devices shown in Fig. 4A are simply examples.

Fig. 4b shows the structure of the communication system 200 according to the embodiment of the present application. Fig. 4C shows the structure of the communication system 300 according to the embodiment of the present application. Fig. 4b and 4c show the structures of the communication system 200 and the communication system 300, respectively. The communication system 200 and the communication system 300 are described as an example in which a multi-channel device in a wireless local area network communicates with other devices via a plurality of channels.

Specifically, Fig. 4b shows a communication scenario between an MLD device with an AP and an MLD device without an access point. The MLD device with an AP includes an affiliated AP 1 and an affiliated AP 2, the MLD device without an access point includes an affiliated STA 1 and an affiliated STA 2, and the MLD device with an AP and the MLD device without an access point communicate in parallel via a communication channel 1 and a communication channel 2.

Fig. 4c shows a scenario in which an AP MLD 601 communicates with an AP-less MLD 602, an AP-less MLD 603, and an STA 604. The AP MLD 601 comprises an affiliated AP 601-1 to an affiliated AP 601-3. The AP-less MLD 602 comprises three affiliated stations: STA 602-1, STA 602-2, and STA 602-3. The AP-less MLD 603 comprises two affiliated stations: STA 603-1 and STA 603-2. STA 604-1 and STA 604 are single-channel devices. The MLD device 601 with the AP can separately communicate with the MLD device 602 without the access point 602 through the communication channel 1, the communication channel 2, and the communication channel 3, communicate with the MLD device 603 without the access point through the communication channel 2 and the communication channel 3, and communicate with the STA 604 through the communication channel 1. In this example, the STA 604 operates in the 2.4 GHz band; in the MLD device 603 without the access point, the STA 603-1 operates in the 5 GHz band, and the STA 603-2 operates in the 6 GHz band; in the MLD device 602 without the access point, the STA 602-1 operates in the 2.4 GHz band, the STA 602-2 operates in the 5 GHz band, and the STA 602-3 operates in the 6 GHz band. Uplink or downlink data can be transmitted between AP 601-1 operating in the 2.4 GHz band in MLD device 601 with AP and STA 604 and STA 602-1 in MLD device 602 without an access point via communication channel 1. Uplink or downlink data can be transmitted between AP 601-2 operating in the 5 GHz band in MLD device 601 with AP 601 and STA 603-1 operating in the 5 GHz band in MLD device 603 without an access point via communication channel 2, and uplink or downlink data can be further transmitted between AP 601-2 and STA 602-2 operating in the 5 GHz band in MLD device 602 without an access point via communication channel 2. Uplink or downlink data may be transmitted between AP 601-3 operating in the 6 GHz band in MLD device 601 with AP and STA 602-3 operating in the 6 GHz band in MLD device 602 without access point via communication channel 3, and uplink or downlink data may be further transmitted between AP 601-3 and STA 603-2 in MLD device without access point via communication channel 3.

It should be understood that Fig. 4b shows only an example in which the MLD device with AP supports two frequency bands, and Fig. 4C shows only an example in which the MLD device 601 with AP supports three frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz), each frequency band corresponds to one communication channel, and the MLD device 601 with AP can operate on one or more communication channels, namely, communication channel 1, communication channel 2 or communication channel 3. On the AP side or on the STA side, the communication channel here can be further understood as a station operating on the communication channel. In practical applications, the MLD device with AP and the MLD device without AP can further support more or less frequency bands, that is, the MLD device with AP and the MLD device without AP can operate on more or less communication channels. This is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 5 shows an architecture of a plurality of multiple BSSID sets according to an embodiment of the present application. In other words, the MLD with AP shown in Fig. 5 is a collocated AP MLD set.

BSSID-1x, BSSID-1y, BSSID-2x, BSSID-2y, BSSID-2z, BSSID-4x, BSSID-4y, BSSID-4z, BSSID-3, and BSSID-5 are MAC address identifiers and are used to identify the corresponding APs. It is assumed that the AP whose MAC address identifier ends with x is a BSSID with a transmitting AP, the AP whose MAC address identifier ends with y or z is a BSSID with a non-transmitting AP, and the AP whose MAC address identifier ends with only a number is a common AP. A common AP is an AP that does not belong to a set of multiple BSSIDs. For example, a transmitting AP with a BSSID in multiple BSSID set 1 is AP 1x whose MAC address identifier is BSSID_1x, a non-transmitting AP with a BSSID in multiple BSSID set 1 is AP 1y whose MAC address identifier is BSSID_1y, a transmitting AP with a BSSID in multiple BSSID set 2 is AP 2x whose MAC address identifier is BSSID_2x, and non-transmitting APs with a BSSID in multiple BSSID set 2 include AP 2y whose address identifier is BSSID_2y and AP 2z whose MAC address identifier is BSSID_2z.

The set of MLD AP pairing devices for the reporting AP contains the following APs, where the reporting AP is the AP that sends the management frame, and the management frame contains information about the next multiple APs. The management frame is, for example, a fault frame or a probe response frame. The reporting AP contains the transmitting AP and the common AP in the BSSID set. The set of MLD AP pairing devices for the reporting AP contains the following APs:

(1) all APs that belong to the same MLD with the AP as the originating AP or all APs in the MLD with the AP in which the reporting AP is located;

(2) all APs in an AP MLD in which the non-transmitting AP is in the same set of multiple BSSIDs in which the reporting AP (or transmitting AP) is located; or all APs in an AP MLD in which the non-transmitting AP is located in the set of multiple BSSIDs in which the reporting AP (or transmitting AP) is located; and

(3) all APs in the AP-based MLD device that satisfy the following two conditions: 1) at least one AP of the AP-based MLD device is in the same set of multiple BSSIDs as an AP in the AP-based MLD device in which the reporting AP is located; and 2) there is no AP in the AP-based MLD device operating on the same link as the reporting AP.

Alternatively, when implemented, one MLD device with AP contains only one AP.

Alternatively, the reporting AP may be a common AP in an MLD with APs (such as AP3, whose MAC address identifier is BSSID_3, and AP 5, whose MAC address identifier is BSSID_5 in Fig. 5) or a transmitting AP in a set of multiple BSSIDs and may send the unicast traffic indication information described in this application.

For example, AP 1x in Fig. 5 is used as a reporting AP and then the APs included in the set of MLD pairing devices with APs for AP 1x contain:

(1) all APs in the same MLD 1 device with AP1 as AP 1x, namely AP 1x, AP 2y, and AP 3;

(2) all APs in the 3 AP MLD in which the non-transmitting AP (namely, AP 1y) is in the same set 1 of the BSSID set as AP 1x, namely, AP 1y, AP 2z, and AP 4y; and

(3) AP 2x and AP 4x contained in the MLD device with AP that satisfy the preceding conditions 1) and 2) in Fig. 5, namely, in the MLD device 2 with AP, where AP 2x in the MLD device 2 with AP and AP 2y in the MLD device 1 with AP are in the same set 2 of multiple BSSIDs, and no AP in the MLD device 2 with AP operates on the same channel as AP 1x.

In a set of multiple BSSIDs, only the AP whose BSSID is a transmitting BSSID can send a trouble frame and a probe response frame, while the AP with a non-transmitting BSSID does not send a trouble frame. Therefore, if all APs in the AP-based MLD (for example, the AP-based MLD 3 in Fig. 5) are non-transmitting APs, and since the TIM element is carried in the trouble frame, the AP-based MLD cannot indicate whether the non-AP MLD device associated with the AP-based MLD device has downlink unicast traffic. In addition, as another example, in the AP-based MLD 1 in Fig. 5, the AP 2y operating on link 2 is a non-transmitting AP. An MLD device without an AP operating on link 2 cannot receive the downlink unicast traffic notification sent by an MLD device with a non-transmitting AP via MLD device 1 with an AP associated with the MLD device without an AP.

Therefore, embodiments of the present application provide a method for indicating unicast traffic applicable to multiple communication channels. The indication of the downlink unicast traffic of the MLD device with the AP to which the non-transmitting AP belongs is contained in the signaling sent by the reporting AP, and this can help the MLD device with the AP to which the non-transmitting AP belongs to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with the MLD device with the AP has downlink unicast traffic. The technical solutions presented in this application are described in detail below with reference to additional accompanying drawings.

One or more APs in an AP MLD device shall send buffer unit (BU) indication information to non-transmitting AP MLD devices associated with the one or more APs, and one bit of the BU indication information corresponds to the AID of one non-AP MLD device. If the BU indication information bit is set to "1", it indicates that the AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic for the non-AP MLD device identified by the AID corresponding to the bit; or if the BU indication information bit is set to "0", it indicates that the AP MLD device does not have any downlink unicast traffic for the non-AP MLD device identified by the AID corresponding to the bit.

Establishing multi-channel communication

In the process of establishing a multi-link connection, the station of the MLD station device and the AP of the MLD to AP device communicate through a link request frame or a link response frame to establish a multi-link connection, specifically, each of the plural stations of the MLD station device establishes a connection with each of the plural APs of the MLD to AP device. In the link response frame sent from the AP of the MLD to AP device, one AID is assigned to each MLD station, in other words, the plural stations of the MLD station device have the same AID. The MLD to AP device and the MLD station device each have a unique MAC address of the MLD device. The MAC address of the MLD device is an index used in the upper MAC layer, such as the IP data source and destination. In other words, the data packets sent by each AP of the MLD to AP device to the same MLD station device are shared.

Option 1 implementation

Fig. 6 is a flow chart of a method for indicating unicast traffic applicable to multiple communication channels according to an embodiment of the present application. The method for indicating unicast traffic applicable to multiple communication channels is described using an example in which the method is implemented in a communication system comprising an MLD device with an AP and an MLD device without an access point. The MLD device with an AP comprises one or more APs, and the first AP is any reporting AP of the MLD device with an AP. Alternatively, the reporting AP is not a non-transmitting AP in a set of multiple BSSIDs. The MLD device without an access point comprises one or more STAs, and the first STA is any STA of the MLD device without an access point. As described above, multi-channel communication can be established between the MLD device with an AP and the MLD device without an access point, and the first AP and the first STA both operate on the first communication channel. As shown in Fig. 6, a method for indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to a plurality of communication channels comprises, but is not limited to, the following steps.

S101: a first AP of a first MLD device with an AP generates unicast traffic indication information, where the unicast traffic indication information is used to indicate whether a non-access point MLD device associated with the first MLD device with AP has a downlink unicast traffic, and whether a non-access point MLD device associated with a second MLD device with AP has a downlink unicast traffic, and the second MLD device with AP is an MLD device with AP to which a non-transmitting AP belongs in a set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located.

The individually addressed traffic indication information may be referred to as an individually addressed traffic indication field, as an individually addressed traffic indication, or as a buffer unit (BU) indication feature. This is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. The individually addressed traffic indication information may be contained in a TIM element, for example, in a TIM element field shown in Fig. 2, and the individually addressed traffic indication information is contained in a partial virtual bitmap field.

Specifically, the first AP is a reporting AP in a set of multiple BSSIDs, and the first AP belongs to a first MLD device with an AP. Therefore, the first AP of the first MLD device with an AP can generate unicast traffic indication information, and the unicast traffic indication information can contain two pieces of indication information. One piece of indication information is unicast traffic indication information of the first MLD device with AP, and is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with AP has downlink unicast traffic; the other piece of indication information is unicast traffic indication information of the MLD device with AP (namely, the second MLD device with AP), to which the non-transmitting AP belongs in the set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located, and is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with AP on the first communication channel on which the first AP operates has downlink unicast traffic. In other words, the unicast traffic indication information contains not only the unicast traffic indication of the reporting AP (the first AP), but also the unicast traffic indication of the MLD device with the AP to which other non-transmitting APs in the set of multiple BSSIDs in which the originating AP is located belong. It should be understood that the unicast traffic indication information mentioned in this application contains two parts of indication information, and this does not mean that the two parts of indication information are in different fields, both parts of information may be in the same field.

Alternatively, there are the following two possibilities for an AP-less MLD device associated with an MLD device in which a reporting AP is located: 1) all MLD devices with non-transmitting APs that establish multi-link associations with the MLD device in which the originating AP is located, where the AP-less MLD device may establish associations with some or all of the APs of the MLD device in which the reporting AP is located; or 2) an AP-less MLD device associated with a reporting AP in the MLD device in which the reporting AP is located, where the AP-less MLD device may establish associations with some or all of the APs of the MLD device in which the reporting AP is located, provided that some or all of the APs must contain the reporting AP.

Alternatively, there are also the following two possibilities for a non-AP MLD device associated with an AP MLD device to which a non-broadcasting AP belongs in a set of multiple BSSIDs in which a reporting AP is located: 1) the non-AP MLD device may specify all non-AP MLD devices that establish multi-link associations with the AP MLD device to which the non-broadcasting AP belongs, where the non-broadcasting AP MLD devices may establish associations with some or all of the APs of the AP MLD device to which the non-broadcasting AP belongs; or 2) the non-AP MLD device may specify a non-AP MLD device associated without an AP of the AP MLD device to which the non-broadcasting AP belongs, where the non-AP MLD device may establish associations with some or all of the APs of the AP MLD device to which the non-broadcasting AP belongs, provided that some or all of the APs must contain the non-broadcasting AP.

For example, in Fig. 5, AP 1x whose MAC address identifier is BSSID_1x is used as the originating AP, in other words, the first AP is AP 1x. Then, MLD device 1 with AP 1 in Fig. 5 is the first MLD device with AP, and the link on which AP 1x operates is link 1. The unicast traffic indication information generated by AP 1x contains a unicast traffic indication for a non-AP MLD device associated with the AP 1x MLD device in which AP 1x is located, and the following two possibilities exist: 1) The unicast traffic indication information may indicate whether all non-transmitting AP MLD devices establishing multi-link links with MLD 1 to AP have downlink unicast traffic, where the non-transmitting AP MLD devices may establish links with some or all of the APs of MLD 1 to AP; or 2) The unicast traffic indication information may indicate whether a non-AP MLD device associated with AP 1x of MLD 1 to AP has downlink unicast traffic, where the non-AP MLD device may establish links with some or all of the APs of MLD 1 to AP, provided that some or all of the APs must contain AP 1x.

The unicast traffic indication information generated by AP 1x further comprises an indication of unicast traffic for an MLD device without an access point associated with the MLD device 3 with AP3, for the MLD device 3 with AP to which a non-transmitting AP (namely, AP 1y) in the set 1 of multiple BSSIDs in which AP 1x is located belongs, and there are also the following two possibilities: 1) The unicast traffic indication information may indicate whether all of the MLD devices with non-transmitting APs associated with the MLD device 3 with AP have downlink unicast traffic; or 2) The unicast traffic indication information may indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with AP 1y, the MLD device 3 with AP, in the same set of multiple BSSIDs as AP 1x, has downlink unicast traffic. For example, MLD 1 without an access point communicates with AP 1y of MLD 3 with AP via link 1 and AP 2z of MLD 3 with AP communicates via link 2, MLD 2 without an access point communicates with AP 1y of MLD 3 with AP via link 1, AP 2z of MLD 3 with AP communicates via link 2 and AP 4y of MLD 3 with AP communicates via link 4, and MLD 3 without an access point communicates with AP 2z of MLD 3 with AP 3 via link 2 and AP 4y of MLD 3 with AP communicates via link 4. In the first implementation, the indication of the unicast traffic of the MLD device 3 with AP for the MLD without an access point associated with the MLD 3 with AP comprises an indication of whether the MLD device 1 without an access point, the MLD device 2 without an access point and the MLD device 3 without an access point have downlink unicast traffics. In the second implementation, the indication of the unicast traffic of the MLD device 3 with AP for the MLD device without an access point associated with the MLD device 3 with AP comprises an indication of whether the MLD device 1 without an access point and the MLD device 2 with a non-transmitting AP have downlink unicast traffics.

As another example, AP 2x whose MAC address ID is BSSID_2x is used as the originating AP, in other words, the first AP is AP 2x. Then, MLD 2 with the AP in Fig. 5 is the first MLD with the AP, and the channel on which AP 2x operates is link channel 2. The unicast traffic indication information generated by AP 2x contains not only the unicast traffic indication for the MLD device without an access point associated with the MLD device in which AP 2x is located, of the access point AP 2x, but also the unicast traffic indication for the MLD device without an access point associated with the MLD device 1 with an AP to which AP 2y of the MLD device 1 with an AP belongs, and the unicast traffic indication for the MLD device without an access point associated with the MLD device 3 with an AP to which AP 2z of the MLD device 3 with an AP belongs.

In a further embodiment, the originating AP here may not be limited to an AP of an MLD device with an AP, specifically, the originating AP here may be a single-channel device. The unicast traffic indication information generated by the originating AP comprises an unicast traffic indication for a station associated with the originating AP, the originating AP, which is used to indicate whether the STA associated with the originating AP has a downlink unicast traffic; and may further comprise an unicast traffic indication of the MLD device with the AP to which other non-transmitting APs belong in the set of multiple BSSIDs of the current communication channel, which is used to indicate whether the MLD device with the AP has a downlink unicast traffic for the MLD device without an access point associated with the MLD device with the AP.

S102: the first AP of the first MLD device with the AP sends individually addressed traffic indication information over a first communication channel, where the first communication channel is a working communication channel of the first AP.

In this embodiment of the present application, the individually addressed traffic indication information may be contained in a control frame, such as a fault frame, or in a TIM frame; or the individually addressed traffic indication information may alternatively be contained in another frame, such as a data frame or a control frame.

S103: The first STA of the MLD device without an access point receives the indication information of the individually addressed traffic on the first communication channel on which the first STA operates.

The first STA may be a station controlled by the first AP or one of the surrounding stations of the first AP. The surrounding station of the first AP includes a station controlled by the first AP and an unrelated station. The method for indicating individually addressed traffic described in this embodiment of the present application is now described, using the station controlled by the AP as an example. Alternatively, the first STA may be any station of the MLD device without an access point and may find out whether the MLD device without an access point to which the first STA belongs has downlink individually addressed traffic. Alternatively, both the first STA and the first AP both operate on the first communication channel.

S104: The first STA of the MLD device without an access point determines, according to the unicast traffic indication information, whether the MLD device without an access point has downlink unicast traffic.

Specifically, the first STA of the non-AP MLD device may analyze the received unicast traffic indication information to determine whether the non-AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic. If the unicast traffic indication information indicates that the non-AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic that needs to be received, the non-AP MLD device station may wake up from the sleep state, switch to the active state, and send a power save poll (PS-Poll) frame to the AP associated with the station to notify the MLD device of the AP in which the AP is located that the station has turned on in the active state and can start receiving downlink unicast traffic. After receiving the PS-Poll frame, the AP may respond with an acknowledgement frame and then send the downlink unicast traffic to the STA; or directly send the downlink unicast traffic to the STA after receiving the PS-Poll frame. If the unicast traffic indication information indicates that the non-AP MLD device does not have any downlink unicast traffic, the non-AP MLD device station may continue to sleep or switch from the active state to the sleep state.

It should be understood that, according to the 802.11 protocol, STA generally has two working modes: one is the non-power saving mode and the other is the power saving mode. When STA operates in the non-power saving mode, STA is in the active state (active state, which can also be referred to as the awake state), regardless of whether there is data to be transmitted on STA or not. When STA operates in the power saving mode, STA may be in the active state when transmitting data with the AP. When there is no data transmission between STA and AP, STA may be in the doze state to reduce power consumption. The STA may send a frame to the AP to notify whether the STA is in the power save mode, where the power save bit of 1 in the frame control field in the MAC header of the frame is used to notify that the STA is in the power save mode, while the power save bit of 0 in the frame control field in the MAC header of the frame is used to notify that the STA is in the non-power save mode. According to the non-AP MLD device (or MLD station), the power save bit is set for each station of the non-AP MLD device.

It can be found that in this embodiment of the present application, the unicast traffic indication information sent by the first AP (namely, the creating AP) of the MLD device with AP can not only indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with AP has a downlink unicast traffic, but can also help the second MLD device with AP indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with AP has a downlink unicast traffic, and the second MLD device with AP is the MLD device with AP to which the non-transmitting AP belongs in the set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located. This can help to solve the problem where some APs or all APs of the MLD devices with an AP cannot indicate whether the MLD devices with non-transmitting APs associated with the MLD devices with an AP have downlink unicast traffics (it should be noted that the non-transmitting APs in a set of multiple BSSIDs cannot transmit a fault frame or a test response frame that results in a failure to send an indication of the downlink unicast traffic), so that the MLD devices with non-transmitting APs associated with the AP can normally receive the downlink unicast traffics. Since there is a possibility that all APs of the MLD devices with an AP according to the 802.11be standard are non-transmitting APs, the solution provided in this embodiment of the present application can solve the problem where the MLD devices with APs whose APs are all non-transmitting APs cannot send indications of the unicast traffics, thereby improving the integrity and diversity of the indications of the downlink unicast traffics.

In a further embodiment, before step S101 in Fig. 6, the method may further comprise the following steps: S105: the first AP of the first MLD device with the AP generates AID assignment information, where the AID assignment information contains an AID assigned by the MLD device without an access point and the AID is different from the AID for the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with the AP. S106: the first AP of the first MLD device with the AP sends the AID assignment information. Accordingly, the first STA of the MLD device without an access point receives the AID assignment information. S107: the first STA of the MLD device without an access point analyzes the received AID assignment information to know that the AID assignment information contains an AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point. The AID assignment information may be contained in a response communication frame. The AID space (or set of AIDs to be assigned) used by the first AP MLD to assign an AID to the non-AP MLD associated with the first AP MLD and the AID space (or set of AIDs to be assigned) used by the second AP MLD to assign an AID to the non-AP MLD associated with the second AP MLD are the same. Alternatively, the AP MLD to which the non-transmitting AP belongs in the set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located comprises one or more AP MLDs.

Alternatively, before step S105, the method further comprises: the first STA of the MLD device without an access point sends a communication request frame to the first AP of the first MLD device with the AP, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-link communication with the first MLD device with the AP. Accordingly, the first AP of the first MLD device with the AP receives the communication request frame.

Alternatively, steps S105 and S106 may be alternatively performed by a second AP of the first MLD device with AP, and step S107 may alternatively be performed by a second STA of the MLD device without an access point. Specifically, the second AP of the first MLD device with AP generates AID assignment information, where the AID assignment information contains an AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point, and the AID is different from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with AP; and the second AP of the first MLD device with AP sends the AID assignment information. Accordingly, the second STA of the MLD device without an access point receives the AID assignment information. The second STA of the MLD device without an access point analyzes the received AID assignment information to know that the AID assignment information contains an AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point. The second AP is any AP of the first MLD device with AP, and the second STA is any STA of the MLD device without an access point.

It should be clear that when an AID is assigned, the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with the first AP MLD device is different from the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with the second AP MLD device, so that AID ambiguity can be avoided when unicast traffic of the non-AP MLD device is indicated.

The above describes a method for indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to multiple communication channels, provided in this embodiment of the present application. A specific implementation of the above-mentioned individually addressed traffic indication information is described below with reference to the method for indicating individually addressed traffic shown in Fig. 6.

(a) In the first implementation, one bit of the unicast traffic indication information corresponds to one MLD device without an access point. The value of each bit is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point corresponding to the bit has downlink unicast traffic; in other words, each bit indicates whether the MLD device without an access point corresponding to the bit has downlink unicast traffic. The MLD device without an access point here is the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with an AP and the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with an AP.

(b) In the second embodiment, the unicast traffic indication information is contained in a partial virtual bitmap field of the TIM element. Fig. 7 shows a partial virtual bitmap field according to an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 7 shows each bit of the partial virtual bitmap shown in Fig. 2. For example, the partial virtual bitmap has 251 bytes, each byte contains eight bits. As shown in Fig. 7, byte 0 contains bits 0 to 7, byte 1 contains bits 8 to 15, ..., and so on, and byte 250 contains bits 2000 to 2007. Each bit in the unicast traffic indication information corresponds to an AID of one MLD device without an access point, and each bit of the unicast traffic indication information is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point, identified by the AID corresponding to the bit, has downlink unicast traffic. It should be understood that the MLD device without an access point here is the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with an AP, and the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with an AP. Since each bit of the partial virtual bitmap field of the TIM element corresponds to one AID, the AID must be additionally assigned to the MLD device without an access point. In addition, the AID space (or a set of AIDs to be assigned) used by the first MLD device with an AP to assign an AID to the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with an AP, and the AID space (or a set of AIDs to be assigned) used by the second MLD device with an AP to assign an AID to the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with an AP are the same. Therefore, the association identifiers, AIDs, corresponding to the bits of the individually addressed traffic indication information must be unique, in other words, they must be different from each other.

Accordingly, steps S101 to S104 in Fig. 6 may be as follows: a first AP of a first MLD device with an AP generates a TIM element, where the TIM element contains unicast traffic indication information, where the unicast traffic indication information is used to indicate whether a non-access point MLD device associated with the first MLD device with an AP has downlink unicast traffic and whether a non-access point MLD device associated with a second MLD device with an AP has downlink unicast traffic, and the second MLD device with an AP is an MLD device with an AP to which a non-transmitting AP belongs in a set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located; the first AP of the first MLD device with an AP sends a TIM element on a first communication channel, where the first communication channel is an operating communication channel of the first AP; the first STA of the non-access point MLD device receives the TIM element on the first communication channel on which the first STA is operating; and the first STA of the non-AP MLD device determines, based on the TIM element, whether the non-AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic.

The TIM element may be carried in a fault frame or may be carried in another management frame, such as a TIM frame.

Alternatively, the fault frame containing the TIM element may further contain a special field, where for each MLD device without an access point that has a downlink unicast traffic to be received (whether the downlink unicast traffic exists is indicated by the TIM element), there is a corresponding special field. The special field may be a multi-channel identification field or multiple channel identification information fields, and the multiple channel identification bitmap field or the multiple channel identification information fields are used to indicate one or more channels for receiving downlink unicast traffics. One bit of the multiple channel identification bitmap field may correspond to one channel. When the value of one or more bits is a first value, such as 1, this indicates that downlink unicast traffics exist on one or more channels corresponding to the one or more bits; when the value of one or more bits is a second value, such as 0, this indicates that there is no downlink unicast traffic on one or more channels corresponding to the one or more bits. The multiple link identification information fields carry identification information to distinguish between different links. It should be understood that in the TIM element, one bit is still used to indicate whether the MLD device has downlink unicast traffic with the AP.

Alternatively, the special field may alternatively be a traffic identifier (TID) bitmap field, where the TID bitmap field is used to indicate that the received downlink unicast traffic matches one or more TIDs. Then, based on the TID to Link mapping negotiated between the AP-less MLD and the AP-enabled MLD, the AP-less MLD knows the station operating on the specific link that is used to receive the downlink unicast traffic.

In this implementation, it can be learned that some bits of the partial virtual bitmap field of the fault frame are used to indicate whether the non-AP MLD device associated with the MLD device in which the originating AP is located has downlink unicast traffic, and whether the non-AP MLD device associated with the second AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic. Without requiring a change in the frame format of the TIM element, one AP MLD device can help another AP MLD device indicate whether the non-AP MLD device associated with the other AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic. This can improve the flexibility of notification of downlink unicast traffic.

(c) Since one bit of the partial virtual bitmap field of the TIM element can indicate whether one non-AP MLD has downlink unicast traffic, if in the same set of paired AP MLD devices, some non-AP MLD devices associated with other AP MLD devices have the same AID, after receiving the fault frames, these non-transmitting AP MLD devices cannot determine the specific STA or the specific non-AP MLD device to which the downlink unicast traffic indications and/or the link bitmap indications/TID bitmap indications carried in the fault frames belong. For example, in FIG. 5, if the originating AP is AP 1x and it is assumed that the MLD device 1 without an access point is associated with AP 1x and AP 2y of the MLD device 1 with the AP on which AP 1x is located, and the link on which AP 1x operates is link 1, the non-transmitting AP on link 1 is AP 1y. When the MLD device 2 without an access point communicates with the AP 1y, AP 2z and AP 4y in the MLD device 3 with an AP in which the AP 1y is located, and the AID of the MLD device 1 without an access point matches the AID of the MLD device 2 without an access point, if the indication of the downlink unicast traffic for the MLD device without an access point in the TIM element sent by the AP 1x is 1, this can only indicate that at least one of the MLD device 1 without an access point and the MLD device 2 without an access point have the downlink unicast traffic, and the MLD device without an access point that has the downlink unicast traffic may be unknown.

Therefore, in the third embodiment, the indication of the unicast traffic indication information is performed based on the MLD device with an AP. Namely, the second MLD device with an AP, which is combined with the originating AP, corresponds to a separate TIM block, such as a partial virtual bitmap field, and the TIM block may be a new element. The new element may carry the unicast traffic indication information. The new element contains at least a TIM block corresponding to one second MLD device with an AP (the TIM block is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point, which is associated with the second MLD device with an AP, has downlink unicast traffic). Fig. 8 schematically shows a partial frame format of the new element according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 8, (identifier, ID), such as the MLD identifier or the MAC address of the MLD device, are used together to indicate that the TIM block is used to indicate whether a specific MLD device with an AP has downlink unicast traffic for the MLD device without an AP associated with the MLD device with an AP. In each TIM block, one bit may also be used to indicate whether one MLD device without an AP has downlink unicast traffic. Each bit of the TIM block can correspond to one AID and therefore an AID must be additionally assigned to each MLD without an AP.

In another implementation, a separate TIM block corresponding to the second MLD device with AP may alternatively be a TIM element and the structure of the TIM element is compatible with the structure of an existing TIM element. In this case, the TIM element does not contain an identifier of the second MLD device with AP. The TIM element of the second MLD device with AP may be located in a non-transmittable profile corresponding to a non-transmittable BSSID in a multiple BSSID element in a frame body for a management frame, where the AP corresponding to the non-transmittable BSSID belongs to the second MLD with AP and the AP corresponding to the non-transmittable BSSID and the creating AP mentioned in the previous paragraph are in the same set of multiple BSSIDs.

Here, for the third implementation, the AIDs of all non-transmitting AP MLD devices associated with the same AP MLD device must be unique, in other words, they must be different from each other, thus avoiding AID ambiguity. It should be understood that, here, the identifiers of one or more AP MLD devices in the new element sent by the originating AP must be unique, in other words, they must be different from each other. On the other hand, here, the identifiers of all AP MLD devices in the set of cooperating AP MLD devices of the originating AP must also be unique, in other words, they must be different from each other. In other words, the AID space used by the first AP MLD to assign an AID to the non-AP MLD device associated with the first AP MLD device and the AID space used by the second AP MLD to assign an AID to the non-AP MLD device associated with the second AP MLD device are independent of each other. Specifically, the AID assigned by the first MLD device without an access point to the MLD device with an AP associated with the first MLD device with an AP may be the same as the AID assigned by the second MLD device with an AP to the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with an AP. For example, in Fig. 5, if AP 1x is the creating AP, MLD device 1 with an AP is the first MLD device with an AP. It is assumed that MLD device 1 with an AP is associated with MLD device 1 with an AP and MLD device 2 with an AP is associated with MLD device 3 with an AP (one of the second MLD devices with an AP). Then, the AID assigned by MLD device 1 to MLD device 1 without an access point may be the same as the AID assigned by MLD device 3 with an AP to MLD device 2 with an AP. It should be understood that the "AID space" referred to in this application may be a set of AIDs to be assigned.

Alternatively, each TIM block may alternatively contain a link bitmap indication or a TID bitmap indication. Specifically, each TIM block may contain a special field, and the special field may be a multi-link identification bitmap field or multiple link identification information fields, or may be a TID bitmap field.

Alternatively, the new element can be carried in a fault frame or can be carried in another management frame, such as a TIM frame.

It can be learned that in the TIM indication in this implementation, the ambiguity of the AIDs of the non-transmitting AP MLD devices associated with different AP MLD devices can be avoided by distinguishing the traffics of different AP MLD devices and using the AP MLD device IDs as TIM block indices.

In order to indicate whether a non-AP MLD device associated with a first AP (namely, a reporting AP) has downlink unicast traffic and whether a non-AP MLD device associated with a second AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic, the first AP of the first AP MLD device additionally needs to assign an AID to each non-AP MLD device before generating unicast traffic indication information.

Option 2 of implementation

Embodiment 2 of the present application describes a method for assigning an AID to a multi-channel device, and the method is specifically a method for assigning an AID to an MLD device without an access point.

It should be understood that the AID is an identifier (ID) assigned by the AP to the associated STA after the association is established and can be regarded as the identifier of the associated STA. The AID can be used to identify and distinguish STAs associated with the AP, and can be used as an index in a partial frame structure to point to a specific associated STA. If the AP can support multiple BSSIDs or the fault frame or the probe response frame can carry a multiple BSSID element, the maximum number of BSSIDs that the AP can support is ²ⁿ , indicating that the range of the number of BSSIDs is [1, ²ⁿ -1], and the range of AIDs that the AP can assign to an STA is [ ²ⁿ , 2007]. Here, n may be the value of the max BSSID indicator field in the BSSID element. If the AP cannot support multiple BSSIDs or the trouble frame or probe response frame cannot carry an element of multiple BSSIDs, the range of AIDs that the AP can assign to an STA is [1, 2007].

In a small area, there may be multiple types of users or users supporting multiple types of services. If different APs are used in this small area, since each AP tries to find a channel without interference or with relatively weak interference, interference between different APs cannot be avoided. Considering this, the IEEE 802.11ax standard is provided to obtain, through virtualization, multiple APs using one AP to use it for different types of traffic or types of consumers. Therefore, one virtual AP can have one BSSID, in other words, one actual AP has multiple BSSIDs. In other words, some APs can support multiple BSSIDs.

Additionally, it should be understood that multiple STAs included in one AP-less MLD device can use the same AID, in other words, one AP-less MLD device has only one AID.

It should be understood that in practical applications, embodiment 2 of the present application may be implemented separately or may be implemented in combination with embodiment 1. This is not limited in the present application. Namely, embodiment 2 of the present application may be implemented in combination with the second implementation of the individually addressed traffic indication information in embodiment 1.

It should be understood that, similar to the set of MLD devices that are compatible with the AP of the above-mentioned reporting AP, the set of MLD devices that are compatible with the AP of any AP (for ease of description, AP _i is used as an example) contains the following APs:

(1) all APs in the MLD with APs that belong to the same device as AP _i , or all APs in the MLD with the AP in which AP _i is located;

(2) all APs in an MLD device with an AP in which the non-transmitting AP is in the same multiple-BSSID set in which AP _i is located; or all APs in an MLD device with an AP in which the non-transmitting AP is in the multiple-BSSID set in which AP _i is located; and

(3) all APs in an AP MLD device that satisfies the following two conditions: 1) at least one AP of the AP MLD device is in the same set of multiple BSSIDs as an AP in the AP MLD device in which AP _i is located; and 2) there is no AP in the AP MLD device operating on the same link as AP _i .

Fig. 9 is a flow chart of a method for assigning an AID to an MLD device without an access point according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 9, the method for assigning an AID includes the following steps, but is not limited to:

S201: AP _i of the AP MLD device generates AID assignment information, where the AID assignment information contains an AID assigned to the non-AP MLD device, this AID is different from the AID for the non-AP MLD device associated with the target AP MLD device, and the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a collocated AP MLD set for AP _i or the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a set group in which the collocated AP MLD set of the access point APi is located.

S202: The AP _i of the MLD device with AP sends AID assignment information to the STA of the MLD device without AP. Accordingly, the STA of the MLD device without AP receives the AID assignment information.

The MLD device with AP in this embodiment of the present application may be the first MLD device with AP or the second MLD device with AP of Embodiment 1 or another MLD device with AP. The API is any AP of the MLD device with AP.

Implementation A: The target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the set of paired AP MLD devices of AP _i .

In the "set of MLD devices with APs of the access point AP _i " mentioned in this embodiment of the present application, all MLD devices with APs (APs included in MLD devices with APs) are located with AP _i . Both the MLD with AP and the target MLD device with AP belong to the set of MLD devices with APs of the access point AP _i .

Specifically, the AID assignment information may carry an AID assigned to the non-AP MLD device, the AID is different from the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with the target AP MLD device, and the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the collocated AP MLD set for AP _i . In other words, an AID space or a set of AIDs to be assigned used by the AP MLD device to assign an AID to the non-AP MLD device associated with the AP MLD, and an AID space or a set of AIDs to be assigned used by the target AP MLD device to assign an AID to the non-AP MLD device associated with the target AP MLD device are the same. It should be understood that the AID assigned to the non-AP MLD device is also different from the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with the AP MLD device.

Alternatively, the MLD device without an access point associated with the MLD device with an AP in this embodiment of the present application can be understood in the following two ways: 1) all MLD devices with non-transmitting APs non-APs establishing multi-link communications with the MLD device with an AP, where the MLD without an access point can establish communications with some or all APs of the MLD device with an AP; and 2) the MLD device without an access point associated with AP _i of the MLD device with an AP, where the MLD device without an access point can establish communications with some or all APs of the MLD device with an AP, provided that some or all APs must contain AP _i . Here, AP _i is an AP in the MLD device with an AP to which an AID is assigned.

Fig. 10a shows a set of pairing MLD devices for an AP according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 10a, it is assumed that AP _i is AP 1x. Then the set of APs pairing with AP 1x includes: AP 2y, AP 1y, AP 2x, AP 3y and AP 4y. Therefore, the set of pairing MLD devices with AP 1x includes: MLD device 1 with AP and MLD device 3 with AP. Therefore, the AID, which is contained in the AID assignment information and which is assigned to the MLD device without an access point, is different from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with MLD 1 with AP, and is also different from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with MLD device 3 with AP. In other words, the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with MLD 1 with AP and the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with MLD 3 with AP must be unique, in other words, must be different from each other.

Fig. 10b shows a set of MLD devices that are paired with an AP according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 10b, it is assumed that AP _i is AP 1x. Then, the set of APs that are paired with AP 1x includes: AP 2y, AP 3x, AP 1y, AP 2z, AP 4y, AP 2x and AP 4x. Therefore, the set of MLD devices that are paired with AP 1x includes: MLD 1 with AP, MLD 2 with AP and MLD 3 with AP. Therefore, the AID that is contained in the AID assignment information and that is assigned to the MLD device without an access point is different from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with MLD 1 with AP, and is also different from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with MLD 2 with AP, and is also different from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with MLD 3 with AP. In other words, the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with MLD 1 with AP, the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with MLD 2 with AP 2, and the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with MLD 3 with AP 3 must be unique, in other words, must be different from each other.

Fig. 10c shows another set of pairing MLD devices with an AP for an AP according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 10c, it is assumed that AP _i is AP 3x. Then, the set of APs pairing with AP 3x includes: AP 1x, AP 2y, AP 2x, AP 4x, AP 1y and AP 2z. Therefore, the set of pairing MLD devices with AP for AP 3x includes: MLD 1c AP, MLD 2 c AP and MLD 3 c AP. Therefore, the AID, which is contained in the AID assignment information and which is assigned to the MLD device without an access point, is different from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with MLD 1 with AP, is also different from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with MLD 2 with AP, and is also different from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with MLD 3 with AP. In other words, the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with MLD 1 with AP, the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with MLD 2 with AP, and the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with MLD 3 with AP must be unique, in other words, must be different from each other.

Fig. 5 is also used as an example. It is assumed that AP _i is AP 4x. Then the set of APs pairing with AP 4x contains: AP 2x, AP 4y, AP 2z, AP 1y, AP 4z, AP 5, AP 1x, AP 2y, and AP 3. Therefore, the set of pairing MLD devices with APs for AP 4x contains: MLD 1 with AP, MLD 2 with AP, MLD 3 with AP, and MLD 4 with AP. Therefore, the AID contained in the AID assignment information and assigned to the MLD without an access point is different from the AID of the MLD without an access point device associated with MLD 1 with AP1, is also different from the AID of the MLD without an access point device associated with MLD 2 with AP, is also different from the AID of the MLD without an access point device associated with MLD 3 with AP, and is also different from the AID of the MLD without an access point device associated with MLD 4 with AP 4. In other words, the AID of the MLD without an access point device associated with MLD 1 with AP, the AID of the MLD without an access point device associated with MLD 2 with AP, the AID of the MLD without an access point device associated with MLD 3 with AP, and the AID of the MLD without an access point device associated with MLD 4 with AP must be unique, in other words, must be different from each other.

Implementation B: The target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the set group in which the set of matching AP MLD devices for AP _i is located.

In the "set group in which the set of MLD devices with the AP of the access point AP _i is located" mentioned in this embodiment of the present application, some MLD devices with the AP are located in combination with the AP _i , and some other MLD devices with the AP are located in combination with other APs that are outside the set of MLD devices with the AP of the access point AP _i . In other words, the set of MLD devices with the AP of the access point AP _i and the set of MLD devices with the AP other than the AP _i in the set of MLD devices with the AP of the access point AP _i constitute a set group. Here, both the AP MLD device and the target MLD device with the AP both belong to the set group in which the set of MLD devices with the AP of the access point AP _i is located.

Specifically, the set group in which the set of MLD devices that are compatible with the AP of the access point AP _i is located is formed by all APs in the set of MLD devices that are compatible with the AP of any AP of the MLD device that is compatible with AP _i (where any AP can again be understood as AP _i ). For example, as shown in Fig. 5, it is assumed that AP _i is AP 1x. Then the set of MLD devices that are compatible with the AP 1x contains MLD 1 with AP, MLD 2 with AP, and MLD 3 with AP. In addition, since the set of MLD with AP pairing devices 4 for AP 4x, in the set of MLD with AP pairing devices for AP 1x contains MLD 2 with AP, MLD 3 with AP, and MLD 4 with AP, the set group in which the set of MLD with AP pairing devices 1x is located contains MLD 1 with AP, MLD 2 with AP, MLD 3 with AP, and MLD 4 with AP. Therefore, the AID assigned by AP 1x to the MLD without an AP, the AID of the MLD without an AP associated with MLD 1 with AP, the AID of the MLD without an AP associated with MLD 2 with AP, the AID of the MLD without an AP associated with MLD 3 with AP, and the AID of the MLD without an AP associated with MLD 4 with AP are different from each other.

As shown in Fig. 10a, it is assumed that AP _i is AP 1x. Then the set of MLD pairing devices with AP 1x contains MLD 1 with AP and MLD 3 with AP. In addition, since the set of MLD pairing devices with AP for AP 3y in the set of MLD pairing devices with AP for AP 1x contains MLD 2 with AP and MLD 3 with AP, the group of sets in which the set of MLD pairing devices with AP for AP 1x is located contains MLD 1 with AP, MLD 2 with AP and MLD 3 with AP. Therefore, the AID assigned by AP 1x to the non-AP MLD device, the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with AP MLD device 1, the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with AP MLD device 2, and the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with AP MLD device 3 are different from each other.

As shown in Fig. 10b, it is assumed that AP _i is AP 1x. Then the set of coexisting MLD devices for AP 1x contains MLD 1 with AP, MLD 2 with AP, and MLD 3 with AP, and the set group in which the set of coexisting MLD devices with AP for AP 1x is located also contains MLD 1 with AP1, MLD 2 with AP, and MLD 3 with AP. Therefore, the AID assigned by AP 1x to the MLD device without an access point, the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with MLD 1 with AP, the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with MLD 2 with AP, and the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with MLD 3 with AP are different from each other.

As shown in Fig. 10c, it is assumed that AP _i is AP 3x. Then, the set of paired MLD devices with AP for AP 3x contains MLD device 1 with AP, MLD device 2 with AP and MLD device 3 with AP, and the group of sets in which the paired MLD device with AP for AP 1x is located also contains MLD 1 with AP, MLD 2 with AP and MLD 3 with AP 3. Therefore, the AID assigned to AP 1x for MLD without an access point, the AID of the MLD without an access point associated with MLD 1 with AP, the AID of the MLD without an access point associated with MLD 2 with AP and the AID of the MLD without an access point associated with MLD 3 with AP are different from each other.

Similar to implementation A, in implementation B the AID assigned to the AP-less MLD device is also different from the AID of the AP-less MLD device associated with the AP-less MLD device.

Alternatively, for assigning an AID to a single-channel STA, the AID assigned by AP _i to the single-channel STA on the current link (or the AID of the single-channel STA associated with AP _i ) is different from the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with the target AP MLD device, and the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the set of coexisting AP MLD devices of AP _i or the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the group of sets in which the set of coexisting AP MLD devices of AP _i is located.

For example, as shown in Fig. 10a, it is assumed that AP _i is AP 1x, and AP 1x operates on link 1. Then, the AID of the single-channel STA on link 1 is different from the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with MLD 1 with AP1, and is also different from the AID of the non-AP MLD associated with MLD 3 with the AP. In other words, the AID of the single-channel STA operating on link 1, the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with MLD 1 with the AP, and the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with MLD 3 with AP 3 must be unique, in other words, they must be different from each other. Additionally, it should be understood that in addition to the AID of the associated single-channel STA operating on link 1, the AID of the associated single-channel STA operating on link 2 may be the same as the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with the target AP MLD device.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 10a, it is assumed that AP _i is AP 1x, and AP 1x operates on link 1. Then the AID of the single-channel STA operating on link 1 is different from each AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with the AP MLD 1, the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with the AP MLD 2, and the AID of the non-AP MLD device associated with the AP MLD 3.

It should be understood that in a wireless communication system, the MLD ID of an AP is 0 by default, and multiple APs of MLD devices of APs share an ID (namely, ID 0). However, multiple APs of MLD devices of APs may alternatively have different IDs.

It should be further understood that the TIM indication of the cross-link may be performed for the same MLD device with an AP, for example, if AP 1 and AP 2 belong to the same MLD device with an AP, AP 1 may add the TIM information of AP 2 to the TIM indication to indicate whether AP 2 has traffic for the MLD device without an access point associated with AP 2. Therefore, the AIDs of multiple MLD devices with non-transmitting APs associated with the same MLD device with an AP are different from each other.

Therefore, if the same identifier system, such as the range [1, 2007], is used, the identifiers of multiple APs of an AP MLD device must be unique, in other words, must be different from each other; the AIDs of multiple non-transmitting AP MLD devices associated with the same AP MLD device must also be unique, in other words, must be different from each other. In this embodiment of the present application, the "AID assigned to the non-AP MLD device" is a value selected from the remaining space and must also be unique. The remaining space here refers to a set of remaining values in the range [1, 2007], other than the values that have been used and are not allowed to be used again.

Alternatively, the AID assignment information may be contained in an association response frame or may be contained in other frames. Namely, the AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point in the AID assignment information may be contained in an AID element of the association response frame. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of a frame format of an AID element existing according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 11, the AID element includes a 1-byte element identifier field, a 1-byte length field, and a 2-byte AID field.

Alternatively, the link response frame may contain information such as the link ID of each AP. The link response frame is used to confirm that a multi-link link has been established with the MLD without an AP.

S203: The STA of the MLD device without an AP analyzes the received link response frame to obtain the AID contained in the link response frame.

Alternatively, before step S201, the method further comprises the following steps: S204: the MLD STA without an access point generates an association request frame. S205: the MLD STA without an access point sends an association request frame to the AP _i of the MLD device with the AP, where the association request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-link association with the MLD device with the AP. Accordingly, the AP _i of the MLD device with the AP receives the association request frame. The association request frame may contain an identifier of the association channel of each STA of the MLD device without an access point and information about each STA.

Alternatively, after receiving the association request frame, the AP _i of the AP-based MLD device may send an acknowledgement frame to the STA of the non-AP-based MLD device, where the acknowledgement frame is used to confirm that the AP _i of the AP-based MLD device has received the association request frame.

In this embodiment of the present application, when an AID is assigned to an MLD device without an access point, the solution described in embodiment 1 is considered: an AP MLD device helps another AP MLD device to indicate whether an AP MLD device associated with the other AP MLD has downlink unicast traffic. Therefore, the AID is not an AID of an AP MLD device associated with a target AP MLD device. The target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a set of matching AP MLD devices of the access point AP _i , or the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in a group of sets in which the set of matching AP MLD set of the access point APi is located, so as to avoid ambiguity of the AID when indicating whether an AP MLD has downlink unicast traffic.

Option 3 implementation

In embodiment 3 of the present application, the problem that some APs of the AP-based MLD devices cannot indicate whether a non-AP-based MLD device associated with the AP-based MLD has downlink unicast traffic is solved by limiting the communication channel on which the non-AP-based MLD listens to the downlink unicast traffic indication. In addition, in this case, the AP of another AP-based MLD device operating on the same communication channel as the preceding multiple APs does not help the preceding multiple APs to send downlink unicast traffic indications. For example, in FIG. 5, if AP 1x is the originating AP, it is assumed that MLD 1 with the non-transmitting AP communicates with AP 2y and AP 3 of MLD 1 with the AP. If MLD 1 without an AP listens only on link 2 for the downlink unicast traffic indication, AP 2y (the non-transmitting AP in the multiple BSSID set) of MLD 1 with an AP cannot send the downlink unicast traffic indication, and furthermore, the transmitting AP in the same multiple BSSID set on the same link does not help send the downlink unicast traffic indication of the MLD in which AP 2y is located. In this case, MLD 1 with a non-transmitting AP listening on link 2 cannot receive the downlink unicast traffic indication, in other words, MLD 1 without an AP cannot determine whether MLD 1 with a non-transmitting AP has downlink unicast traffic.

Therefore, embodiment 3 of the present application presents a method for indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to multiple communication channels. Fig. 12 shows another flow chart of the method for indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to multiple communication channels according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 12, the method comprises the following steps.

S1: The reporting MLD device with AP generates a management frame such as a fault frame, where the fault frame contains a TIM element and the partial virtual bitmap field of the TIM element is used to indicate whether the non-AP MLD device associated with the AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic.

S2: The reporting AP of the MLD device sends a management frame such as a fault frame over the working link of the reporting AP.

For the specific TIM element frame format, refer to Fig. 2. For the partial virtual bitmap field frame format, refer to Fig. 7. The details are not described again here.

S3: The STA of the MLD device without an access point listens for a control frame, such as a fault frame, on one or more communication channels, where the one or more communication channels comprise a first communication channel and the first communication channel is a communication channel on which a transmitting AP operates, in a set of multiple BSSIDs, of the MLD device with an AP associated with the MLD without an access point, or operates an AP that does not belong to the set of multiple BSSIDs.

S4: The STA of the non-AP MLD device analyzes a management frame, such as a fault frame, received by listening on the link on which the originating AP is operating to determine whether the non-AP MLD device has downlink unicast traffic.

Specifically for step S3, in other words, the STA of the MLD device without an AP cannot hear a fault frame only on the link on which the non-transmitting AP in the multiple-BSSID set is located. The STA of the MLD device without an AP can hear a fault frame or another control frame on the link on which the transmitting AP included in the multiple-BSSID set or the AP that does not belong to the multiple-BSSID set is located. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, if AP 1x is the originating AP, it is assumed that the MLD device 1 without an AP communicates with AP 1x, AP 2y, and AP 3 of the MLD device 1 with an AP. If AP 1x sends a fault frame on link 1, the MLD 1 without an AP listens to the fault frame on link 1, or on link 1 and link 2, or on link 1 and link 3, or on link 3. An MLD 1 device without an access point cannot listen for a fault frame on channel 2 only.

Alternatively, the communication channels on which the MLD without an access point is listening may not contain only the communication channel on which the non-transmitting AP of the associated MLD with the AP is operating. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the communication channels on which the MLD without an access point is listening may contain communication channel 1 and communication channel 2, or communication channel 1 and communication channel 3, or communication channel 2 and communication channel 3, or communication channel 1, communication channel 2 and communication channel 3 link 3; but not only communication channel 2.

In this embodiment of the present application, it can be clarified that the communication channel on which the MLD device without an access point listens for an indication of the downlink unicast traffic is limited, so that the MLD device without an access point listens on a communication channel (for ease of description, designated as a first communication channel) on which a transmitting AP from the multiple BSSID set of the MLD device with an AP associated with the MLD without an access point operates, or on which an AP that does not belong to the multiple BSSID set operates. In addition, since the transmitting AP of the MLD device with an AP and the AP that does not belong to the multiple BSSID set can send a fault frame (the fault frame contains an indication of the downlink unicast traffic), the MLD device without an access point can receive the fault frame by listening on the first communication channel, so that it can be determined by analyzing the fault frame whether the MLD device without an access point has the downlink unicast traffic.

The preceding content describes in detail the methods presented in the present application. In order to better implement the solutions described above in the embodiments of the present application, the embodiments of the present application additionally present corresponding equipment or devices.

In the embodiments of the present application, the multi-channel device may be divided into functional modules based on the preceding examples of the method. For example, each functional module may be obtained by dividing based on each corresponding function, or two or more functions may be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module may be implemented in the form of hardware or may be implemented in the form of a functional module of software. It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the division into modules is an example and is simply a division by logical functions. In the actual implementation, another division method may be used. Next, communication devices in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail with reference to Figs. 13 to 17. The communication device is an access point of the multi-channel device with an access point or a station in a station multi-channel device. Further, the communication device may be a device in an MLD with an AP or a device in an STA of the MLD with an AP.

When an integrated unit is used, Fig. 13 shows the structure of a communication device 1 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 13, the communication device 1 includes a processing unit 11 and a transceiver unit 12.

The communication device 1 may be the first MLD device with AP or a chip in the first MLD device with AP, for example, a Wi-Fi chip, or may be the first AP of the first MLD device with AP. The first AP is the creating AP and belongs to the first MLD device with AP.

With such a design, the processing unit 11 is configured to generate individually addressed traffic indication information. The transceiver unit 12 is configured to send individually addressed traffic indication information via the first communication channel, where the first communication channel is the working communication channel of the first AP. The individually addressed traffic indication information is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point, associated with the first MLD device with an AP, has a downlink individually addressed traffic, and whether the MLD device without an access point, associated with the second MLD device with an AP, has a downlink individually addressed traffic, and the second MLD device with an AP is the MLD device with an AP to which the non-transmitting AP belongs in the set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located.

It is known that, in the communication device 1, the unicast traffic indication information generated by the processing unit 11 can not only indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with an AP has a downlink unicast traffic, but also help the second MLD device with an AP indicate whether the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with an AP has a downlink unicast traffic, and the second MLD device with an AP is the MLD device with an AP to which the non-transmitting AP belongs in the set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located. This can solve the problem that some APs or all APs of the MLD devices with an AP cannot indicate whether the MLD devices with non-transmitting APs associated with the MLD devices with an AP have a downlink unicast traffic, so that the MLD devices with non-transmitting APs associated with the AP can receive the downlink unicast traffic.

Alternatively, the processing unit 11 is further configured to generate AID assignment information, where the AID assignment information comprises an AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point, and the AID differs from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with an AP; and the transceiver unit 12 is further configured to send the AID assignment information. The AID assignment information is contained in a response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames.

Alternatively, the transceiver unit 12 is additionally configured to receive a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the communication device 1.

It should be understood that the communication device 1 in such a structure can respectively perform the embodiment 1, and the previous operations or functions of each block in the communication device 1 are separately used to implement the corresponding operations of the first AP of the first MLD device with the AP in the embodiment 1. For brevity, the details are not described again here.

Alternatively, the communication device 1 may be an MLD device with an AP or a chip in an MLD device with an AP, such as a Wi-Fi chip, or may be an AP-creating MLD device with an AP.

In another design, the processing unit 11 is configured to form a control frame, such as a fault frame, where the fault frame contains a TIM element and a partial virtual bitmap field of the TIM element is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point, associated with the MLD device with an AP, has a downlink individually addressed traffic. The transceiver unit 12 is configured to send the control frame, such as a fault frame, on an operating channel of the transceiver unit 12.

It should be understood that the communication device 1 in this construction can respectively perform the embodiment 3, and the previous operations or functions of each block of the communication device 1 are separately used to implement the corresponding operations of the AP communicating MLD device with the AP in the embodiment 3. For brevity, the details are not described again here.

Fig. 14 shows the structure of the communication device 2 according to the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 14, the communication device 2 comprises a transceiver unit 21 and a processing unit 22.

The communication device 2 may be a non-AP MLD device or a chip in a non-AP MLD, such as a Wi-Fi chip, or may be the first STA in a non-AP MLD.

In the presented design, the transceiver unit 21 is configured to receive information indicating individually addressed traffic on the first communication channel on which the communication device 2 operates. The processing unit 22 is configured to determine, in accordance with the received information indicating individually addressed traffic, whether the MLD device without an access point, in which the communication device 2 is located, has a downlink individually addressed traffic. The information indicating individually addressed traffic is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point, associated with the first MLD device with an AP, has a downlink individually addressed traffic, and whether the MLD device without an access point, associated with the second MLD device with an AP, has a downlink individually addressed traffic, and the second MLD device with an AP is an MLD device with an AP to which the non-transmitting AP belongs in the set of multiple BSSIDs in which the first AP is located.

It is known that in the communication device 2, the processing unit 22 can learn, according to the indication of the indication of the individually addressed traffic, whether the processing unit 22 has downlink individually addressed traffic, in order to ensure that the processing unit 22 can receive the downlink individually addressed traffic.

Alternatively, the transceiver unit 21 may be further configured to receive AID assignment information. The processing unit 22 may be further configured to analyze the received AID assignment information to know that the AID assignment information contains an AID assigned to a non-AP MLD device. The AID is different from the AID of a non-AP MLD device associated with the target AP MLD device, and the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the set of paired AP MLD devices of the first AP. The AID assignment information is contained in a response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames.

Alternatively, the processing unit 22 is further configured to form a communication request frame. The transceiver unit 21 is further configured to send a communication request frame to the second AP of the first MLD device with the AP. The communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the first MLD device with the AP.

It should be understood that the communication device 2 in such a structure can respectively perform embodiment 1, and the previous operations or functions of each block of the communication device 2 are separately used to implement the corresponding operations of the first STA MLD device without an access point in embodiment 1. For brevity, the details are not described again here.

Alternatively, the communication device 2 may be a non-AP MLD device or a chip in a non-AP MLD device, such as a Wi-Fi chip, or may be any STA in a non-AP MLD device.

In another design, the transceiver unit 21 is configured to listen for a control frame, such as a fault frame, on one or more communication channels, where the one or more communication channels comprise a first communication channel and the first communication channel is a communication channel on which the transmitting AP operates in a set of multiple BSSIDs of the MLD device with an AP associated with the MLD device without an access point, or an AP that does not belong to the set of multiple BSSIDs operates. The processing unit 22 is configured to analyze the control frame, such as a fault frame, received by listening on the channel on which the originating AP operates, to determine whether the MLD without an access point has downlink individually addressed traffic.

It should be understood that the communication device 2 with such a structure can respectively perform the embodiment 3, and the previous operations or functions of each block of the communication device 2 are separately used to implement the corresponding STA operations of the MLD device without an access point in the embodiment 3. For brevity, the details are not described again here.

Fig. 15 schematically shows the structure of the communication device 3 corresponding to the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 3 may be an MLD device with an AP or a chip in an MLD device with an AP, for example, a Wi-Fi chip. Alternatively, the communication device 3 corresponds to the MLD device with an AP described in embodiment 2 or any AP of the MLD device with an AP. As shown in Fig. 15, the communication device 3 comprises a processing unit 31 and a transceiver unit 32.

The processing unit 31 is configured to generate AID assignment information, where the AID assignment information comprises an AID assigned to the MLD device without an access point, the AID differs from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with the target MLD device with an AP, and the target MLD device with an AP is any MLD device with an AP in a set of matching MLD devices with an AP of the access point AP _i or the target MLD device with an AP is any MLD device with an AP in a group of sets in which the set of matching MLD devices with an AP of the access point AP _i is located. The transceiver unit 32 is configured to send the AID assignment information. AP _i is any AP of the MLD device with an AP.

Alternatively, if the target AP, the AP's MLD is any AP's MLD in the AP's MLD's APi, and the AP's MLD and the target AP's MLD belong to the AP's MLD's APi.

Alternatively, the AID assignment information is contained in the response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames.

Alternatively, the transceiver unit 32 is further configured to receive a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the MLD device with the AP.

It can be known that in the communication device 2, the AID which is assigned to the MLD device without an access point and which is contained in the AID assignment information generated by the processing unit 31 is different from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with the target MLD device with an AP. The target MLD device with an AP here is any MLD device with an AP in a set of matching MLD devices with an AP of the access point AP _i or the target MLD device with an AP is any MLD device with an AP in a group of sets of matching MLD devices with an AP of the access point AP _i . In this way, it is possible to avoid ambiguity of the AID when it is indicated whether the MLD without an access point has downlink individually addressed traffic.

It should be understood that the communication device 3 described in this embodiment of the present application can respectively perform embodiment 2, and the previous operations or functions of each block in the communication device 3 are separately used to implement the corresponding operations of the AP _i of the MLD device with the AP in embodiment 2. For brevity, the details are not described again here.

Fig. 16 schematically shows the structure of the communication device 4 according to the embodiment of the present application. The communication device 4 may be an MLD device without an access point or a chip in an MLD device without an access point, for example, a Wi-Fi chip. Alternatively, the communication device 4 corresponds to the MLD device without an access point described in embodiment 2 or any STA of the MLD device without an access point. As shown in Fig. 16, the communication device 4 includes a transceiver unit 41 and a processing unit 42.

The transceiver unit 41 is configured to receive information on the AID assignment from the access point of the MLD device with AP. The processing unit 42 is configured to analyze the received information on the AID assignment to obtain an AID that is assigned to the MLD device without an access point and that is contained in the AID assignment information, where the AID differs from the AID of the MLD device without an access point associated with the target MLD device with AP, and the target MLD device with AP is any MLD device with AP in a set of matching MLD devices with AP of the access point AP _i or the target MLD device with AP is any MLD device with AP in a group of sets in which the set of matching MLD devices with AP of the access point AP _i is located. AP _i is any AP of the MLD device with AP.

Alternatively, if the target AP MLD device is any AP MLD device in the set of cooperating AP MLD devices of AP _i , then both the AP MLD device and the target AP MLD device both belong to the set of cooperating AP MLD devices of AP _i .

Alternatively, the AID assignment information is contained in the response communication frame. It should be understood that the AID assignment information may alternatively be contained in other frames.

Alternatively, the processing unit 42 is further configured to form a communication request frame. The transceiver unit 41 is further configured to send a communication request frame, where the communication request frame is used to request the establishment of a multi-channel communication with the MLD device with the AP.

It should be understood that the communication device 4 described in this embodiment of the present application can respectively perform embodiment 2, and the previous operations or functions of each block of the communication device 4 are separately used to implement the corresponding STA operations of the MLD device without an access point in embodiment 2. For brevity, the details are not described again here.

The MLD device with AP and the MLD device without an access point in the embodiments of the present application have been described above. The following describes possible forms of the MLD product with AP and the MLD without an access point. It should be understood that any product in any form that has the functions of the MLD device with AP shown in Fig. 13 or Fig. 15 and any product in any form that has the functions of the MLD device without an access point shown in Fig. 14 or Fig. 16 are within the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present application. In addition, it should be understood that the following descriptions are merely examples and the forms of the MLD product with AP and the MLD without an access point in the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

In a possible product form, the MLD device with AP and the MLD device without access point in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented using a conventional bus architecture.

Fig. 17 schematically shows the structure of the communication device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 100 may be an MLD device with an AP, an MLD device without an access point, or a device in an MLD device with an AP or in an MLD device without an access point. As shown in Fig. 17, the communication device 1000 includes a processor 1001 and a transceiver 1002 that is internally connected to and communicates with the processor. The processor 1001 is a general-purpose processor, a specialized dedicated processor, etc. For example, the processor 1001 may be a baseband processor or a central processor. The baseband processor may be configured to process a communication protocol and transmitted data, and the central processor may be configured to control the communication device (for example, a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal, a terminal chip, a DU or a CU) to execute a computer program, process data of the computer program. The transceiver 1002 may be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, etc., and may be configured to implement a transceiver function. The transceiver 1002 may comprise a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver may be referred to as a receiver mechanism, a receiver circuit, etc., and may be configured to implement a receiving function. The transmitter may be referred to as a transmitter mechanism, a transmitter circuit, etc., and may be configured to implement a transmitting function. Alternatively, the communication device 1000 may further comprise an antenna 1003.

Alternatively, the communication device 1000 may comprise one or more memories 1004. The memory 1004 may store instructions. The instructions may be a computer program. The computer program may be executed on the communication device 1000 to allow the communication device 1000 to perform the methods described in the previous embodiments of the method. Alternatively, the memory 1004 may additionally store data. The communication device 1000 and the memory 1004 may be located separately or may be integrated together.

The processor 1001, the transceiver 1002, and the memory 1004 may be connected via a communication bus.

In the considered construction, the communication device 1000 can be configured to perform the functions of the first AP of the first MLD device with the AP in the previous embodiment 1. The processor 1001 can be configured to perform step S101 shown in Fig. 6 and/or another process presented in the present description. The transceiver 1002 can be configured to perform step S102 shown in Fig. 6 and/or another process presented in the present description.

In the considered construction, the communication device 1000 can be configured to perform the functions of the first STA of the MLD device without an access point in the previous embodiment 1. The processor 1001 can be configured to perform step S104 shown in Fig. 6 and/or another process presented in the present description. The transceiver 1002 can be configured to perform step S103 shown in Fig. 6 and/or another process presented in the present description.

In the considered construction, the communication device 1000 can be configured to perform the AP functions of the MLD device with the AP in the previous embodiment 2. The processor 1001 can be configured to perform step S201 shown in Fig. 9 and/or another process presented in the present description. The transceiver 1002 can be configured to perform step S202 shown in Fig. 9 and/or another process presented in the present description.

In the considered construction, the communication device 1000 can be configured to perform the STA functions of the MLD device without an access point in the previous embodiment 2. The processor 1001 can be configured to perform steps S203 and S204 shown in Fig. 9 and/or another process presented in the present description. The transceiver 1002 can be configured to perform step S205 shown in Fig. 9 and/or another process presented in the present description.

In the considered design, the communication device 1000 can be configured to perform the functions of the reporting AP of the MLD device with the AP in the previous embodiment 3. The processor 1001 can be configured to perform the step S1 shown in Fig. 12 and/or another process presented in the present description. The transceiver 1002 can be configured to perform the step S2 shown in Fig. 12 and/or another process presented in the present description.

In the considered design, the communication device 1000 can be configured to perform the STA functions of the MLD device without an access point in the previous embodiment 3. The processor 1001 can be configured to perform step S4 shown in Fig. 12 and/or another process presented in the present description. The transceiver 1002 can be configured to perform step S3 shown in Fig. 12 and/or another process presented in the present description.

In any of the preceding designs, the processor 1001 may comprise a transceiver configured to implement receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, or an interface circuit. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit configured to implement receiving and transmitting functions may be separated or may be integrated together. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be configured to read and write code/data. Alternatively, the transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be configured to transmit or convert a signal.

In any of the preceding constructions, the processor 1001 may store instructions. The instructions may be a computer program. The computer program is executed on the processor 1001 to allow the communication device 1000 to perform the methods described in the preceding embodiments of the method. The computer program may be stored in the processor 1000. In this case, the processor 1001 may be implemented in hardware.

In the implementation, the communication device 1000 may comprise a circuit, and the circuit may implement the sending, receiving or communicating function in the previous embodiments of the method. The processor and the transceiver described in this application may be implemented in an integrated circuit (IC), an analog IC, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), a mixed signal IC, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), on a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic device, etc. The processor and transceiver can be manufactured using various integrated circuit technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), n-type metal-oxide semiconductor (NMOS), P-type positive channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS), bipolar junction transistor (BJT), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), and gallium arsenide (GaAs).

The scope of the communication device described in this application is not limited to this and the structure of the communication device cannot be limited to Fig. 17. The communication device can be an independent device or can be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device can be:

(1) an independent integrated circuit, IC, chip, or chip system or subsystem;

(2) a set comprising one or more ICs, where, alternatively, the set of ICs may further comprise a storage device component capable of storing data and a computer program;

(3) ASIC, such as a modem;

(4) a module that can be embedded into another device;

(5) a receiver, a terminal, an intelligent terminal, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, a device built into a vehicle, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; or

(6) another device, etc.

In a possible product form, the MLD device with AP and the MLD device without access point in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented by a general-purpose processor.

A general-purpose processor that implements an MLD device with an AP comprises a data processing device and an input-output interface that is internally connected and communicates with the data processing device. In the presented design, the general-purpose processor can be configured to perform the functions of the first AP of the first MLD device with an AP in the previous embodiment 1. Namely, the data processing device is configured to perform step S101 shown in Fig. 6 and/or another technological process presented in the given description. The input-output interface is configured to perform step S102 shown in Fig. 6 and/or another technological process presented in the given description.

In another design, the general-purpose processor may be configured to perform the functions of the AP of the MLD device with the AP in the preceding embodiment 2. Namely, the data processing device is configured to perform step S201 shown in Fig. 9 and/or another process presented in the above description. The input-output interface is configured to perform step S202 shown in Fig. 9 and/or another process presented in the above description.

In yet another design, the general-purpose processor may be configured to perform the functions of the AP-creating MLD device with the AP in the preceding embodiment 3. Namely, the data processing device is configured to perform step S1 shown in Fig. 12 and/or another process flow presented in the description provided. The input/output interface is configured to perform step S2 shown in Fig. 12 and/or another process flow presented in the description provided.

A general-purpose processor that implements an MLD device without an access point comprises a data processing device and an input/output interface that is internally connected and communicates with the data processing device. In the given structure, the general-purpose processor can be configured to execute the functions of the first STA of the MLD device without an access point in the previous embodiment 1. Specifically, the data processing device is configured to execute step S104 shown in Fig. 6 and/or another process described in the given description. The input/output interface is configured to execute step S103 shown in Fig. 6 and/or another process described in the given description.

In another design, the general-purpose processor may be configured to execute the STA functions of the MLD device without an access point in the previous embodiment 2. Specifically, the data processing device is configured to execute steps S203 and S204 shown in Fig. 9 and/or another process described in the above description. The input/output interface is configured to execute step S205 shown in Fig. 9 and/or another process described in the above description.

In yet another design, the general-purpose processor may be configured to perform the functions of the STA of the MLD device without an access point in the previous embodiment 3. Namely, the data processing device is configured to perform step S4 shown in Fig. 12 and/or another process described in the above description. The input/output interface is configured to perform step S3 shown in Fig. 12 and/or another process described in the above description.

In a possible product form, the MLD device with AP and the MLD device without AP in the embodiments of the present application may alternatively be implemented using the following: one or more FPGA (field programmable gate array), PLD (field programmable logic device), controller, state machine, gate logic, discrete hardware component, any other suitable circuit, or any combination of circuits that can perform the various functions described in the present application.

It should be understood that the communication devices in the above-presented various product forms have any function of the MLD device with AP or the MLD device without an access point, presented in the previous embodiments of the method. The details are not described again here.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium stores a computer control program. When the processor executes the computer control program, the electronic device executes the method according to any of the embodiments presented above.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product. When the computer program product runs on a computer, the computer is capable of performing the method according to any of the embodiments presented above.

An embodiment of the present application further represents a communication device. The device may exist in the form of a microcircuit. The structure of the device comprises a processor and an interface circuit. The processor is configured to communicate with another device using a receiving circuit to allow the device to perform a method in accordance with any of its embodiments.

An embodiment of the present application further presents a wireless communication system comprising an MLD device with an AP and an MLD device without an access point. The MLD device with an AP and the MLD device without an access point can perform the method according to any of the presented embodiments.

The steps of the method or algorithm described in conjunction with the content disclosed in this application may be implemented by hardware or may be implemented by a processor executing software instructions. The software instructions may comprise a corresponding software module. The software module may be stored in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), in a register, on a hard disk, a removable hard disk, in read-only memory on a compact disc (CD-ROM), or in any other form of storage medium known in the art. For example, the storage medium is connected to the processor so that the processor can read information from the medium or write information to the medium. Of course, the storage medium may be a component of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC may be located in the core network interface device. Of course, the processor and the storage medium may exist in the core network interface device as discrete components.

One skilled in the art should understand that in one or more examples presented above, the functions described in this application can be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When the functions are implemented by software, the functions presented above can be stored on a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable medium includes a computer-readable storage medium and a communication medium. Communication medium includes any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. The medium can be any available medium accessible to a general-purpose computer or a special-purpose computer.

In the above specific implementations, the tasks, technical solutions and preferred results of the present application are further described in detail. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific implementations of the present application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made on the basis of the technical solutions of the present application will fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims (24)

1. A method for indicating individually addressed traffic applicable to multiple communication channels, comprising the steps of: generating, by a first access point (AP) of a first multi-channel device with an access point (MLD with AP), unicast traffic indication information, where the unicast traffic indication information is used to indicate whether a first multi-channel device without an access point (MLD without an access point) has downlink unicast traffic from a first MLD device with an AP associated with the first MLD device without an access point, and whether a second MLD device without an access point has downlink unicast traffic from a second MLD device with an AP associated with the second MLD device without an access point, and the second MLD device with AP is an MLD device with an AP to which the non-transmitting AP belongs, and the non-transmitting AP is in a set of multiple basic service set identifiers (BSSIDs) in which the first AP is located, wherein the MLD without an access point is a station multi-channel device; and sending, via the first AP of the first MLD device, information indicating the individually addressed traffic from the AP. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein one bit of the individually addressed traffic indication information corresponds to one association identifier (AID), the bit of the individually addressed traffic indication information is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point, identified by the corresponding AID, has downlink individually addressed traffic from the MLD device with an AP associated with the MLD without an access point. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication identifiers, AID, corresponding to the bits of the individually addressed traffic indication information are different from each other. 4. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1-3, in which the individually addressed traffic indication information is contained in a partial virtual bitmap field of a partial virtual bitmap (TIM) element. 5. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1-3, in which the information indicating the individually addressed traffic is located in a fault frame or in a TIM frame. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the fault frame comprises special fields and one of the special fields corresponds to one MLD device without an access point that has downlink unicast traffic and is used to indicate one or more communication channels on which the MLD device without an access point receives downlink unicast traffic. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the AID space used by the first MLD device with AP to assign an AID to the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with AP and the AID space used by the second MLD device with AP to assign an AID to the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with AP are the same. 8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the unicast traffic indication information comprises a traffic indication map (TIM) block corresponding to a first MLD device with an AP and a TIM block corresponding to one second MLD device with an AP, wherein the TIM block corresponding to the first MLD device with an AP is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point has downlink unicast traffic from the first MLD device with an AP associated with the first MLD device without an access point, and the TIM block corresponding to the one second MLD device with an AP is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point has downlink unicast traffic from a second MLD device with an AP associated with the second MLD device without an access point. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the individually addressed traffic indication information further comprises an index of the second MLD device with AP and the indices of the second MLD device with AP are in one-to-one correspondence with the corresponding TIM blocks of the second MLD device with AP. 10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein one MLD device without an access point corresponds to one bit of one of the TIM blocks and the bit of the TIM block is used to indicate whether the MLD device without an access point has downlink unicast traffic from the MLD device with an AP associated with the MLD device without an access point. 11. The method according to any one of claims 8-10, wherein the AID space used by the first MLD device with AP to assign an AID to the MLD device without an access point associated with the first MLD device with AP and the AID space used by the second MLD device with AP to assign an AID to the MLD device without an access point associated with the second MLD device with AP are independent of each other. 12. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1-7, wherein the method further comprises the steps of: generating, by the first AP of the first MLD device with the AP, association identifier (AID) assignment information, wherein the AID assignment information comprises an AID assigned to the corresponding non-access point MLD device and an AID different from another AID of the non-access point MLD device; and send, via the first AP of the first MLD device, information about the AID assignment from the AP. 13. The method according to any one of paragraphs 3-7, wherein the method further comprises the steps of: receiving, by means of the first STA of the MLD device without an access point, the AID assignment information; and analyzing, by a first STA of the non-access point MLD device, the received AID assignment information to learn that the AID assignment information contains an AID assigned to the non-access point MLD device, in which the AID is different from an AID of another non-access point MLD device. 14. A communication device applicable to an MLD device without an access point and configured to implement the method according to any of paragraphs 1-13. 15. A first access point multi-channel device (AP MLD) comprising a first AP and a second AP, wherein the first AP comprises a processor and a transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to generate unicast traffic indication information, wherein the unicast traffic indication information is used to indicate whether a first non-access point multi-channel device (non-AP MLD) has downlink unicast traffic from a first AP MLD associated with the first non-AP MLD, and whether a second non-AP MLD has downlink unicast traffic from a second AP MLD associated with the second non-AP MLD, and the second AP MLD is an AP MLD to which the non-transmitting AP belongs, and the non-transmitting AP is in a set of multiple basic service set identifiers (BSSIDs) in which the first AP is located, wherein the non-AP MLD is a station multi-channel device; and the transceiver is configured to send information indicating individually addressed traffic via a first communication channel, where the first communication channel is a working communication channel of the first AP. 16. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is permitted to perform the method of any one of paragraphs 1-13. 17. A wireless communication microcircuit comprising an input/output interface and a data processing device, in which the input/output interface is configured to receive code commands and transmit code commands to the data processing device, and the data processing device is configured to execute code commands to allow an access point or station to perform the method according to any of paragraphs 1-13.