WO2025185638A1 - Communication method and related apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and a related apparatus. The method comprises: receiving a wireless protocol data unit, the wireless protocol data unit comprising preemption indication information, and the preemption indication information being used for indicating whether preemption is allowed; determining whether a response frame exists; and, when the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, sending a preemption request frame on the basis of a determination result of the response frame. If the preemption request frame is sent during transmission of the response frame, a recipient may not be able to successfully receive the preemption request frame. According to the described technical solution, an effective sending mechanism for the preemption request frame is provided, whether the response frame exists can be determined in advance by means of such a sending mechanism, and then the preemption request frame is sent on the basis of an existence result. In this way, occurrences of a conflict between the response frame and the preemption request frame can be reduced.

Description

Communication method and related device

This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on March 7, 2024, with application number 202410276173.X, and priority to the Chinese patent application with the invention name “Communication Methods and Related Devices”, all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a communication method and related devices.

Background Art

IEEE 802.11 is one of the mainstream wireless access standards and has gained widespread commercial adoption in recent years. Low and ultra-low latency are key research objectives for wireless local area network (WLAN) standards.

Preemption is a potential technology for addressing low-latency/ultra-low-latency issues. It's mentioned in many current academic studies and proposals. Preemption works by interrupting the currently transmitting non-low-latency services and prioritizing the transmission of low-latency/ultra-low-latency services. Non-low-latency services are resumed after the low-latency/ultra-low-latency services are completed. Of course, the terms low-latency/ultra-low-latency services and non-low-latency services are relative. Non-low-latency services may also have latency requirements, but their latency requirements are longer than those of low-latency/ultra-low-latency services.

Summary of the Invention

The present application provides a communication method and related devices, providing an effective preemptive request frame sending mechanism.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, comprising: receiving a wireless protocol data unit, the wireless protocol data unit comprising: preemption indication information, the preemption indication information being used to indicate whether preemption is allowed; determining whether a response frame exists; and when the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, sending a preemption request frame according to the determination result of the response frame.

If a preemption request frame is sent during the transmission of a response frame, the receiver may not be able to successfully receive the preemption request frame. The above technical solution provides an effective mechanism for sending preemption request frames. This mechanism can pre-determine whether a response frame exists and then send the preemption request frame based on the existence of the response frame. This can reduce the possibility of conflicts between response frames and preemption request frames.

In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the wireless protocol data unit further includes: response frame indication information, the response frame indication information is used to indicate the transmission duration of the response frame, and/or, to indicate whether there is a response frame, and the determination of whether there is a response frame includes: determining whether there is a response frame based on the response frame indication information.

In the above technical solution, the response frame indication information can directly indicate whether a response frame exists and/or the duration of the response frame. In this way, the preemptive device can directly determine the response frame status based on the response frame indication information. Furthermore, if the response frame indication information indicates the transmission duration of the response frame, the preemptive device can directly determine when the response frame ends without receiving the response frame.

In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the wireless protocol data unit further includes reply strategy indication information, and the reply strategy indication information is used to indicate the reply strategy of the wireless protocol data unit, and the reply strategy includes whether a reply response frame is required; determining whether a response frame exists includes: determining whether the response frame exists according to the reply strategy indication information.

The above technical solution indirectly indicates the transmission status of the response frame by reusing the indication information in the existing rules. This eliminates the need to design additional fields to indicate the transmission status of the response frame. Therefore, the above technical solution can save fields in the wireless protocol data unit, and the saved fields can be used to carry other information.

In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the wireless protocol data unit further includes frame type indication information, where the frame type indication information is used to indicate the type of media access control MAC frame carried by the wireless protocol data unit; determining whether a response frame exists includes: determining the type of MAC frame carried by the wireless protocol data unit according to the frame type indication information; and determining whether the response frame exists according to the type of the MAC frame.

The above technical solution indirectly indicates the transmission status of the response frame by reusing the indication information in the existing rules. This eliminates the need to design additional fields to indicate the transmission status of the response frame. Therefore, the above technical solution can save fields in the wireless protocol data unit, and the saved fields can be used to carry other information.

In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the sending of the preemptive request frame based on the determination result of the response frame includes: sending the preemptive request frame when it is determined that the response frame does not exist; or sending the preemptive request frame after determining that the response frame transmission is completed when it is determined that the response frame exists.

Optionally, before sending the preemption request frame, a time interval may be waited. The time interval may be a preset time interval. For example, the time interval may be SIFS.

In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, determining that the response frame transmission is completed includes: when the response frame reception is completed, determining that the response frame transmission is completed.

In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, before sending the preemption request frame, the method further includes: performing frequency offset calibration on the preemption request frame according to the response frame.

There may be more than one communication device sending a preemption request frame. With the above technical solution, each communication device that receives a response frame can use the response frame to perform frequency offset calibration. This allows the frequencies of the preemption request frames sent by these communication devices to be aligned, thereby improving the success rate of receiving the preemption request frames.

In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, determining that the response frame transmission is completed includes: obtaining the transmission duration of the response frame; and determining that the response frame transmission is completed based on the obtained transmission duration.

In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, obtaining the transmission duration of the response frame includes: determining the transmission duration of the response frame according to a transmission rule of the response frame, where the transmission rule of the response frame includes any one or more of the following information: a bandwidth for transmitting the response frame, a number of spatial streams for transmitting the response frame, or a modulation and coding strategy for the response frame.

In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, obtaining the transmission duration of the response frame includes: obtaining the transmission duration of the response frame indicated by the response frame indication information.

In the above technical solution, the communication device sending the preemption request frame can predict the response frame's transmission duration or determine the response frame's transmission duration based on the response frame's indication information even if it has not received a response frame. In this way, even if the communication device does not receive a response frame, it can still determine when the response frame has completed transmission and can therefore send the preemption request frame based on the response frame's transmission status. This prevents conflicts between the preemption request frame and the response frame.

In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, before sending the preemption request frame, the method further includes: performing frequency offset calibration on the preemption request frame according to the wireless protocol data unit.

There may be more than one communication device sending a preemption request frame. Through the above technical solution, any communication device that has not received a response frame can use the wireless protocol data unit to perform frequency offset calibration. This allows the frequencies of the preemption request frames sent by these communication devices to be aligned, thereby improving the success rate of receiving the preemption request frames.

In conjunction with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the response frame may carry preemption indication information, where the preemption indication information is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed. The indication content in the preemption indication information carried in the response frame is exactly the same as the indication content of the preemption indication information carried in the wireless protocol data unit.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, comprising: sending a wireless protocol data unit, the wireless protocol data unit comprising: preemption indication information, the preemption indication information being used to indicate whether preemption is allowed; and receiving a preemption request frame when the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed.

In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, the wireless protocol data unit also includes any one or more of the following information: response frame indication information, reply strategy indication information, or frame type indication information, wherein the response frame indication information is used to indicate the transmission duration of the response frame, and/or, to indicate whether there is a response, the reply strategy indication information is used to indicate the reply strategy of the wireless protocol data unit, the reply strategy includes whether a reply response frame is required, and the frame type indication information is used to indicate the media intervention control MAC frame type carried by the wireless protocol data unit.

The above technical solution can directly or indirectly indicate the transmission status of the response frame. For example, the response frame indication information can directly indicate the transmission status of the response frame. This allows the receiving end of the wireless protocol data unit to directly determine the presence of a response frame and/or the transmission duration of the response frame based on the response frame indication information. The reply policy indication information and frame type indication information indirectly indicate the transmission status of the response frame using existing indication information. This saves fields in the wireless protocol data unit, which can be used to carry other information.

In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, including: a first communication device sends a wireless protocol data unit, the wireless protocol data unit including: response frame preemption indication information, the response frame preemption indication information is used to indicate the indication content of the preemption indication information carried in the response frame, the indication content of the preemption indication information including: preemption is allowed or not allowed; receiving the response frame from a third communication device, the response frame including the preemption indication information; and receiving a preemption request frame from a second communication device when the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed.

In the above technical solution, the sender of the instructing response frame carries the preemption indication information in the response frame. In this way, the communication device receiving the response frame can determine whether to allow preemption based on the response frame, and these communication devices do not need to receive the wireless protocol data unit.

In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, comprising: a second communication device receives a response frame from a third communication device, the response frame comprising: preemption indication information, the preemption indication information being used to indicate whether preemption is allowed; and when the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, sending a preemption request frame to the first communication device.

In the above technical solution, the response frame carries the preemption indication information. In this way, the communication device receiving the response frame can determine whether to allow preemption based on the response frame, and these communication devices do not need to receive the wireless protocol data unit.

In combination with the fourth aspect, in a possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, before sending the preemption request frame, the method further includes: performing frequency offset calibration on the preemption request frame according to the response frame.

There may be more than one communication device sending a preemption request frame. With the above technical solution, each communication device that receives a response frame can use the response frame element to perform frequency offset calibration. This allows the frequencies of the preemption request frames sent by these communication devices to be aligned, thereby improving the success rate of receiving the preemption request frames.

In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which includes: a third communication device receives a wireless protocol data unit from a first communication device, the wireless protocol data unit including: response frame preemption indication information, the response frame preemption indication information is used to indicate the indication content of the preemption indication information carried in the response frame, the indication content of the preemption indication information including: allowing preemption or not allowing preemption; the third communication device sends the response frame, the response frame including the preemption indication information.

In the above technical solution, the response frame carries the preemption indication information. In this way, the communication device receiving the response frame can determine whether to allow preemption based on the response frame, and these communication devices do not need to receive the wireless protocol data unit.

In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a unit for implementing the first aspect or any possible implementation method of the first aspect.

In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a unit for implementing the second aspect or any possible implementation method of the second aspect.

In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a unit for implementing the third aspect.

In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a unit for implementing the fourth aspect or any possible implementation method of the fourth aspect.

In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a unit for implementing the fifth aspect.

In the eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor, which is used to couple with a memory, read and execute instructions and/or program codes in the memory to execute the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

In the twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor, which is used to couple with a memory, read and execute instructions and/or program codes in the memory to execute the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

In the thirteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor, which is used to couple with a memory, read and execute instructions and/or program codes in the memory to execute the method provided in the third aspect.

In the fourteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor, which is used to couple with a memory, read and execute instructions and/or program codes in the memory to execute the fourth aspect or any possible implementation of the fourth aspect.

In the fifteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor, which is used to couple with a memory, read and execute instructions and/or program codes in the memory to execute the method provided in the fifth aspect.

In the sixteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a logic circuit, which is used to couple with an input/output interface and transmit data through the input/output interface to execute the first aspect or any possible implementation method of the first aspect.

In the seventeenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a logic circuit, which is used to couple with an input/output interface and transmit data through the input/output interface to execute the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

In the eighteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a logic circuit, which is used to couple with an input/output interface and transmit data through the input/output interface to execute the method provided in the third aspect.

In the nineteenth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a logic circuit, which is used to couple with an input/output interface and transmit data through the input/output interface to execute the fourth aspect or any possible implementation of the fourth aspect.

In the twentieth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip system, which includes a logic circuit, which is used to couple with an input/output interface and transmit data through the input/output interface to execute the method provided in the fifth aspect.

In aspect 21, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores program code. When the program code stored in the computer storage medium runs on a communication device, the communication device executes the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

In aspect 22, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a program code. When the program code stored in the computer storage medium runs on a communication device, the communication device executes aspect 2 or any possible implementation of aspect 2.

In the twenty-third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a program code. When the program code stored in the computer storage medium runs on a communication device, the communication device executes the method provided in the third aspect.

In aspect 24, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores program code. When the program code stored in the computer storage medium runs on a communication device, the communication device executes aspect 4 or any possible implementation of aspect 4.

In the twenty-fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a program code. When the program code stored in the computer storage medium runs on a communication device, the communication device executes the method provided in the fifth aspect.

In aspect 26, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program code, which, when the computer program code runs on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the first aspect or any possible implementation method of the first aspect.

In aspect 27, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program code, which, when the computer program code runs on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

In aspect 28, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program code, which, when executed on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the method provided in aspect 3.

In aspect 29, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program code, which, when the computer program code runs on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute aspect 4 or any possible implementation of aspect 4.

In the thirtieth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes: a computer program code, which, when the computer program code runs on a communication device, enables the communication device to execute the method provided in the fifth aspect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system to which an embodiment of the present application can be applied.

FIG2 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG3 is a schematic diagram of transmission of a wireless protocol data unit and a preemption request frame.

FIG4 is a transmission diagram of another wireless protocol data unit and a preemption request frame.

FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG6 is a transmission diagram of another wireless protocol data unit and a preemption request frame.

FIG7 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG8 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG9 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG10 is a schematic structural block diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG11 is a schematic structural block diagram of another communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG12 is a schematic structural block diagram of another communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG13 is a schematic structural block diagram of another communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG14 is a schematic structural block diagram of another communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG15 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

FIG16 is a schematic diagram of a chip system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the embodiments of this application, words such as "exemplary" and "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described in this application as "exemplary" should not be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Rather, the use of the word "exemplary" is intended to present concepts in a concrete way.

In the embodiments of the present application, “corresponding” and “relevant” may sometimes be used interchangeably. It should be noted that when the distinction between them is not emphasized, the meanings they intend to express are consistent.

The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," and "in yet other embodiments" appearing in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more but not all embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And/or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and/or B can mean: including the existence of A alone, the existence of A and B at the same time, and the existence of B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character "/" generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

The technical solution of the present application can be applied to WLAN networks, the internet of things (IoT) networks, vehicle-to-X (V2X) networks, and other networks, etc., and the present application does not specifically limit this. For example, the application scenario of the present application can be a WLAN network based on the IEEE802.11 family standard, or an IoT network based on the IEEE802.11 family standard, or a vehicle-to-X network based on the IEEE802.11 family standard, or other networks based on the IEEE802.11 family standard. The IEEE802.11 family standard can be IEEE802.11ax, IEEE802.11be, the next generation IEEE802.11 standard of IEEE802.11be, etc. The technical solution of the present application can also be applied to other WLAN networks with future standard protocols.

The data communication system provided in the embodiment of the present application includes one or more access points (APs) and one or more stations (STAs). Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system to which the embodiment of the present application can be applied. The communication system shown in Figure 1 includes AP 101, STA 111, STA 112, and STA 113. It should be noted that Figure 1 is merely a schematic diagram of a communication system. Some communication systems may include more or fewer devices than those in Figure 1, and this is not limited here, and Figure 1 is used as an example. The following further introduces the two devices, STA and AP.

The STA involved in the embodiments of the present application is a device with wireless communication capabilities, which may refer to user equipment, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device. A station may also be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, terminal device in the future 5G network or terminal device in the future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc., and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. For example, access points and stations can be devices used in the Internet of Vehicles, IoT nodes and sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT), smart cameras, smart remote controls, smart water and electricity meters in smart homes, and sensors in smart cities.

The station can support IEEE 802.11 family standards. For example, the station can support WLAN standards such as IEEE 802.11ax, IEEE 802.11be, and IEEE 802.11be's next-generation IEEE 802.11 standards. The station can also support WLAN standards of future standard protocols.

The STA in this application can be a high-efficiency (HE) STA or an extremely high-throughput (EHT) STA, or a STA applicable to a future generation of WLAN standards.

The AP involved in the embodiments of the present application can be an access point for terminal devices (such as mobile phones) to enter a wired (or wireless) network. It is mainly deployed in homes, inside buildings, and inside campuses, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. Of course, it can also be deployed outdoors. The access point is equivalent to a bridge connecting the wired network and the wireless network. Its main function is to connect various wireless network clients together and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet. Specifically, the access point can be a terminal device (such as a mobile phone) or a network device (such as a router) with a wireless fidelity (WiFi) chip. The access point can support the IEEE802.11 family of standards. For example, the access point can support WLAN standards such as IEEE802.11ax, IEEE802.11be, and the next generation IEEE802.11 standard of IEEE802.11be. The access point can also support WLAN standards of future standard protocols. The access point in this application can be a high-efficiency (HE) AP or an extremely high-throughput (EHT) AP, or it can be an access point applicable to future WLAN standards.

For ease of description, the embodiments of this application assume that the communication devices (e.g., the first and second communication devices in the embodiments) are APs or STAs when introducing the technical solutions. However, it is understood that these communication devices may also be components within a STA or AP, such as circuits, chips, or system-on-chip (SoC).

FIG2 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

201. A first communication device sends a wireless protocol data unit.

The wireless data protocol unit includes: preemption indication information and response frame indication information. The preemption indication information is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed. The response frame indication information is used to indicate the transmission duration of the response frame.

The control device that controls the transmission opportunity (TXOP) (also known as the TXOP holder) is used to instruct other devices whether to allow preemption. In some embodiments, the AP can act as a TXOP holder. In this case, the STA can send a preemption request frame to the AP. In other embodiments, the STA can act as a TXOP holder. In this case, the AP can send a preemption request frame to the STA. In other embodiments, when the STA acts as the TXOP holder, other STAs can also send preemption request frames to the STA. Therefore, the first communication device can be an AP or a component in the AP (such as a chip, circuit, SoC, etc.), or it can be a STA or a component in the STA. The second communication device mentioned in the subsequent steps can be an AP or a component in the AP, or it can be a STA or a component in the STA.

The radio frame protocol data unit can be a physical layer protocol data unit (PHY protocol data unit, PPDU) or a media access control (MAC) frame. The PPDU can be an ultra high reliability (UHR) PPDU or a PPDU of a future generation WLAN standard.

Taking the UHR PPDU as an example, in some embodiments, the UHR PPDU header may include two fields, which may carry the preemption indication information and the response frame indication information, respectively. For ease of description, the field used to carry the preemption indication information may be referred to as the preemption indication field, and the field used to carry the response frame indication information may be referred to as the response frame indication field. The length and specific indication method of the preemption indication field and the response frame indication field may be designed as needed and are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. For example, in some embodiments, the length of the response frame indication field may be 8 bits. For example, the decimal value corresponding to the value of the response frame indication field may represent the length of the response frame. For example, if the value of the response frame indication field is 0000 0000, it indicates that the length of the response frame is 0. If the value of the response frame indication field is 0000 1001, it indicates that the length of the response frame is 9 microseconds. For another example, in some embodiments, the length of the preemption indication field is 1 bit. If the value of this bit is 0, it indicates that preemption is not allowed; if the value of this bit is 1, it indicates that preemption is allowed.

In other embodiments, a single field may be used to carry both the preemption indication information and the response frame indication information. For example, in some embodiments, the UHR PPDU header may include an 8-bit field. The value of the most significant bit of this field indicates whether preemption is permitted. For example, if the value of the most significant bit is 0, preemption is not permitted; if the value of the most significant bit is 1, preemption is permitted. The remaining 7 bits of this field indicate the length of the response frame. For example, if the value of the remaining 7 bits is 000 1001, the length of the response frame is 9 microseconds; if the value of the remaining 7 bits is 000 0000, the length of the response frame is 0. For another example, in some embodiments, the UHR PPDU header may include a 2-bit field. The most significant bit of this field indicates whether preemption is permitted, and the least significant bit of this field indicates whether a response frame exists.

Similarly, if the radio frame protocol data unit is a MAC frame, one or two fields in the header of the MAC frame may also be used to carry the preemption indication information and the response frame indication information. For example, the preemption indication information and the response frame indication information may be carried in a control field (e.g., a high throughput (HT) control (HT control) field) of some MAC frames (e.g., a QoS Data frame or a QoS Null frame).

In some embodiments, if it is necessary to carry the preemption indication information and the response frame indication information respectively through two fields, then these two fields can also be located in different positions of the wireless protocol data unit. Assuming that the wireless frame protocol data unit is a PPDU, one of the preemption indication field and the response frame indication field is located in the header of the PPDU, and the other is located in the payload of the PPDU. For example, in some embodiments, the preemption indication field can be located in the header of the PPDU, and the response frame indication field can be located in the payload of the PPDU. For example, if the payload of the PPDU is a MAC frame, then the response indication field can be located in the header of the MAC frame, or, it can be located in the payload part of the MAC frame. Similarly, if the wireless protocol data unit is a MAC frame, then one of the preemption indication field and the response frame indication field is located in the header of the MAC frame, and the other is located in the payload of the MAC frame.

202. The second communication device receives the wireless protocol data unit.

203. When the second communication device determines that the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, it sends a preemption request frame according to the response frame indication information.

In some embodiments, the response frame indication information is used to indicate the length of the response frame. For ease of description, it is assumed below that the length of the response frame indicated by the response frame indication information is Len.

If the value of Len is 0, then it can also be considered that the response frame indication information indicates that there is no response frame. In this case, the preemptive request frame can be sent after the reception of the wireless protocol data unit is completed.

Referring to Figure 3 , as shown in Figure 3 , the time when the second communication device begins receiving the wireless protocol data unit is t0, the time when the second communication device completes receiving the wireless protocol data unit is t1, the time when the second communication device begins sending the preemption request frame is t2, and the time when the second communication device completes sending the preemption request frame is t3. As shown in Figure 3 , the time interval between time t1 and time t2 can be represented by ΔT. In other words, ΔT = t2 - t1.

In some embodiments, ΔT may be greater than or equal to 0. For example, ΔT may be N in microseconds (N is a number greater than 0). In another example, ΔT may be equal to a short inter-frame spacing (SIFS) or other preset duration. The length of SIFS is related to the operating frequency band of the communication device. For example, if the operating frequency band of the first communication device and the second communication device is 2.4 GHz, the length of SIFS is 10 microseconds (μs). In another example, if the operating frequency band of the first communication device and the second communication device is 5 GHz, the length of SIFS is 16 μs.

If the value of Len is greater than 0, the second communication device can determine, based on Len, that the response frame has completed transmission, and then send the preemption request frame after the response frame has completed transmission. Taking Figure 4 as an example, it is still assumed that the time when the second communication device begins receiving the wireless protocol data unit is t0, and the time when the second communication device completes receiving the wireless protocol data unit is t1. In some embodiments, the second communication device can determine that time t1+ΔT1 is the time when the response frame begins transmission (i.e., time t2 in Figure 4), and the second communication device can also determine that time t1+ΔT1+Len is the time when the response frame completes transmission (i.e., time t3 in Figure 4), where ΔT1 can be greater than or equal to 0. For example, ΔT1 can be N in microseconds (N is a number greater than 0). For another example, ΔT1 can be equal to the short inter-frame spacing (SIFS) or other preset duration. Optionally, in some embodiments, the second communication device can begin sending the preemption request frame at time t1+ΔT1+Len. Optionally, in other embodiments, there may be a time interval between the time the preemption request frame is sent and time t1+ΔT1+Len. For example, this time interval may be represented by ΔT2. In these embodiments, the time the second communication device sends the preemption request frame (i.e., time t4 in FIG. 4 ) is t1+ΔT1+Len+ΔT2. Time t5 in FIG. 4 is the time when the preemption request frame is completed.

Optionally, in some embodiments, if the second communication device determines that the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is not allowed, it may perform data transmission as needed. For example, the second communication device may receive data sent by other communication devices or send data to other communication devices. In another example, the second communication device may not perform any data transmission.

FIG5 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

501. A first communication device sends a wireless protocol data unit.

The wireless protocol data unit includes: preemption indication information and response frame indication information. The preemption indication information is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed. The response frame indication information is used to indicate whether a response frame exists.

Similar to the above embodiment, the first communication device can be an AP or a component thereof (e.g., a chip, circuit, SoC, etc.), or a STA or a component thereof. The second communication device mentioned in subsequent steps can be an AP or a component thereof, or a STA or a component thereof.

Similarly, the wireless protocol data unit can be a PPDU (such as UHR PPDU or other PPDU), or a MAC frame.

Still taking the UHR PPDU as an example, in some embodiments, the header of the UHR PPDU may include two fields, which may carry the preemption indication information and the response frame indication information, respectively. For ease of description, the field used to carry the preemption indication information may be referred to as the preemption indication field, and the field used to carry the response frame indication information may be referred to as the response frame indication field. The length and specific indication method of the preemption indication field and the response frame indication field may be designed as needed, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. For example, in some embodiments, the length of the response frame indication field may be 1 bit. For example, if the value of the response frame indication field is 0, it indicates that there is no response frame; if the value of the response frame indication field is 1, it indicates that there is a response frame. For example, in some embodiments, the length of the preemption indication field may be 1 bit. For example, if the value of the preemption indication field is 0, it indicates that preemption is not allowed; if the value of the preemption indication field is 1, it indicates that preemption is allowed.

In other embodiments, a single field may be used to carry the preemption indication information and the response frame indication information. For example, in some embodiments, the synchronization of the UHR PPDU has a 2-bit field. The highest bit value of the field is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed, and the lowest bit value of the field is used to indicate whether a response frame exists. For example, if the highest bit value of the field is 0, it indicates that preemption is not allowed; if the highest bit value of the field is 1, it indicates that preemption is allowed; if the lowest bit value of the field is 0, it indicates that there is no response frame; if the highest bit value of the field is 1, it indicates that there is a response frame.

Similarly, if the radio frame protocol data unit is a MAC frame, one or two fields in the header of the MAC frame may also be used to carry the preemptive indication information and the response frame indication information.

502. The second communication device receives the wireless protocol data unit.

503 , when the second communication device determines that the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, sends a preemption request frame according to the response frame indication information.

If the response frame indication information indicates that there is no response frame, the second communication device may send the preemption request frame after completing reception of the wireless protocol data unit. The specific implementation of the second communication device sending the preemption request frame when there is no response frame can be found in the description of the above embodiment and FIG3 , and for the sake of brevity, it is not repeated here.

In some embodiments, if the response frame indication information indicates that a response frame exists, the second communication device may receive the response frame and then send the preemptive request frame after completing reception of the response frame.

Referring to Figure 6 , as shown in Figure 6 , the time when the second communication device begins receiving the wireless protocol data unit is t0, the time when the second communication device completes receiving the wireless protocol data unit is t1, the time when the second communication device begins receiving the response frame is t2, the time when the second communication device completes receiving the response frame is t3, the time when the second communication device begins sending the preemption request frame is t4, and the time when the second communication device completes sending the preemption request frame is t5. As shown in Figure 6 , ΔT1 can be used to represent the time interval between time t2 and time t1. In other words, ΔT1 = t2 - t1. Similarly, ΔT2 can be used to represent the time interval between time t4 and time t3. In other words, ΔT2 = t4 - t3.

Optionally, in some embodiments, ΔT1 may be greater than or equal to 0. For example, ΔT1 may be N microseconds (N is a number greater than 0). In another example, ΔT may be equal to SIFS or other preset duration.

Optionally, in some embodiments, ΔT2 may be greater than or equal to 0. For example, ΔT2 may be N microseconds (N is a number greater than 0). In another example, ΔT2 may be equal to SIFS or other preset duration.

For example, in some embodiments, ΔT1 = ΔT2 = SIFS. In this case, t2 = t1 + SIFS, and t4 = t3 + SIFS.

Optionally, in some embodiments, the response frame may also carry a preemption indication information. The preemption indication information is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed. The content indicated by the preemption indication information is the same as the content indicated by the preemption indication information carried by the wireless protocol data unit. For ease of description, the preemption indication information carried in the wireless protocol data unit may be referred to as the first preemption indication information, and the preemption indication information carried in the response frame may be referred to as the second preemption indication information. If the first preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, the second preemption indication information also indicates that preemption is allowed; if the first preemption indication information indicates that preemption is not allowed, the second preemption indication information also indicates that preemption is not allowed.

In other embodiments, if the response frame indication information indicates the presence of a response frame, the second communication device does not receive the response frame. In this case, the second communication device may determine the transmission duration of the response frame based on the response frame transmission rule, and then send the preemption request frame based on the determined transmission duration. For example, if the transmission duration of the response frame determined by the second communication device is Len, the second communication device may determine that the response frame has been transmitted based on Len, and then send the preemption request frame after the response frame has been transmitted. Similarly, referring to Figure 4, Len in Figure 4 can be considered to be the response frame transmission duration determined by the second communication device.

The transmission rule of the response frame may include any one or more of the following information: the bandwidth used to transmit the response frame, the number of spatial streams used to transmit the response frame, or the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of the response frame.

Response frames are typically sent using the non-high-throughput-duplicated (non-HT-duplicated) PPDU format. If the response frame's bandwidth is the same as the bandwidth of the PPDU it responds to (this PPDU can be a radio protocol data unit, or, if the non-HT-duplicated protocol data unit is a MAC frame, a PPDU carrying a radio protocol data unit), and the response frame is sent using a single spatial stream, the response frame's frame length is also determined by the selected MCS. The response frame's MCS is the maximum MCS in the basic service set basic rate set (BSSBasicRateSet), provided it does not exceed the MCS of the PPDU it responds to. Because the BSSBasicRateSet is broadcast by the AP in beacon frames or provided by the AP during the STA association process, each associated station can obtain the BSSBasicRateSet. Therefore, the second communication device (also known as the preemptive station) can calculate the response frame duration using the aforementioned parameters.

The response frame length can satisfy the following formula:

Response frame length = physical frame header length + response frame bit length / rate, (Formula 1)

The physical frame header length can be a fixed value. Taking the non-HT PPDU as an example, the physical frame header of the non-HT PPDU includes the legacy short training field (L-STF), the legacy long training field (L-LTF), and the legacy signaling (L-SIG), and the length is fixed at 20μs.

The response frame bit length is determined by the number of spatial streams, bandwidth, and MCS of the response frame. For example, the physical layer rate for a single stream with 20 MHz bandwidth and the rate for each MCS (the base rate for each MCS) can be obtained by looking up a table. This table can be derived from simulations, empirical values, or a combination of simulations and empirical values.

The rate in formula 1 satisfies the following formula:

Rate = Rate per MCS × NSS × Bandwidth/20 MHz (Formula 2)

Where NSS is the number of spatial streams.

In other embodiments, the rate of a specific MCS, number of spatial streams NSS, and bandwidth may be obtained by looking up a table. This table may be obtained based on simulation, empirical values, or both.

If the PPDU (which can be a radio protocol data unit, or, if the non-required protocol data unit is a MAC frame, a PPDU carrying a radio protocol data unit) carries a trigger frame, the response frame uses the trigger-based PPDU (TB PPDU) format. The length of the TB PPDU is indicated by the uplink length (UL length) field in the trigger frame. Therefore, the preemptive station can determine the duration of the response frame using the UL length field.

In some embodiments, the response frame indication information may also simultaneously indicate the length of the response frame and whether a response frame exists. For example, the response frame indication information may be an 8-bit field, where the highest bit of the 8 bits is used to indicate whether a response frame exists. For example, if the highest bit is 0, it indicates that there is no response frame, and if the highest bit is 1, it indicates that there is a response frame. The remaining seven bits of the 8 bits are used to indicate the length of the response frame. For example, the binary value of the remaining 7 bits represents the length of the response frame. For example, if the value of the remaining 7 bits is 000 1001, then it means that the length of the response frame is 9 microseconds.

FIG7 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

701. A first communication device sends a wireless protocol data unit.

The wireless protocol data unit includes preemption indication information, wherein the preemption indication information is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed.

Similar to the above embodiment, the first communication device can be an AP or a component thereof (e.g., a chip, circuit, SoC, etc.), or a STA or a component thereof. The second communication device mentioned in subsequent steps can be an AP or a component thereof, or a STA or a component thereof.

Similarly, the wireless protocol data unit can be a PPDU (such as UHR PPDU or other PPDU), or a MAC frame.

Still taking the UHR PPDU as an example, in some embodiments, the header of the UHR PPDU may include a field that can be used to carry the preemption indication information. For ease of description, the field used to carry the preemption indication information can be referred to as a preemption indication field. The preemption indication field and the specific indication method can be designed as needed, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this. For example, in some embodiments, the length of the preemption indication field can be 1 bit. For example, if the value of the preemption indication field is 0, it means that preemption is not allowed; if the value of the preemption indication field is 1, it means that preemption is allowed.

Similarly, if the radio frame protocol data unit is a MAC frame, one of the headers of the MAC frame may also be used to carry the preemptive indication information.

702. The second communication device receives the wireless protocol data unit.

703 , the second communication device determines whether to allow preemption according to the preemption indication information.

704. The second communication device determines whether there is a response frame.

Optionally, in some embodiments, the second communication device may determine whether a response frame exists after determining that preemption is allowed. In other words, if the second communication device determines that preemption is not allowed based on the preemption indication information, the second communication device may not need to determine whether a response frame exists.

Optionally, in other embodiments, the second communication device may first determine whether a response frame exists, and then determine whether preemption is allowed.

In some embodiments, the wireless protocol data unit may further carry reply policy indication information, which may include a reply policy for the wireless protocol data unit. The reply policy may include: whether to reply to the wireless protocol data unit, and/or the type of response frame used to reply to the wireless protocol data unit. If the reply policy indication information indicates that the wireless protocol data unit needs to be replied, the second communication device may determine that a response frame exists; if the reply policy indication information indicates that the wireless protocol data unit does not need to be replied, the second communication device may determine that a response frame does not exist.

For example, a PPDU (this PPDU may be a wireless protocol data unit, or, if the non-required protocol data unit is a MAC frame, this PPDU is a PPDU carrying a wireless protocol data unit) may carry different frame types, and the corresponding response frame types and whether a response frame is included are also different.

If the PPDU carries a Quality of Service (QoS) data frame, the response frame is a Block Acknowledgement (BA) frame. The ACK Policy Indicator field in the Quality of Service (QoS) Control field in the QoS Data frame indicates how to respond to a response frame after the current PPDU. In other words, the ACK Policy Indicator field carries the wireless protocol data unit response policy. When B0 = 0 and B1 = 0, the receiving station will respond with a BA frame SIFS after the PPDU ends. When B0 = 1 and B1 = 0, the receiving station will not respond with any response frame SIFS after the PPDU ends. Therefore, the second communication device can determine whether a response frame exists based on the ACK Policy Indicator field in the PPDU.

In other embodiments, the wireless protocol data unit may also carry frame type indication information. The frame type indication information is used to indicate the MAC frame type. The second communication device may determine the MAC frame type based on the frame type indication information, and thereby determine whether there is a response frame based on the MAC frame type. For example, if the MAC frame type is a management frame or a block acknowledgment request (BAR) frame, it may be determined that there is a response frame. The second communication device may also determine the type of the response frame based on the MAC frame type. For example, if it is a management frame or a BAR frame, the response frame is an acknowledgment (ACK) frame.

705. When determining that preemption is allowed, the second communication device sends a preemption request frame.

Optionally, in some embodiments, when preemption request frames are allowed and there is no response frame, the second communication device may send the preemption request frame after completing the transmission of the wireless protocol data unit. The specific implementation method of the second communication device sending the preemption request frame in this case can be found in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

Optionally, in other embodiments, when preemption request frames are allowed and a response frame exists, the second communication device may receive the response frame and, after receiving the response frame, send the preemption request frame. The specific implementation of the second communication device sending the preemption request frame in this case can be found in the above embodiment and will not be described here for brevity.

Optionally, in other embodiments, when preemption request frames are permitted and a response frame exists, the second communication device does not receive the response frame. In this case, the second communication device may determine the transmission duration of the response frame and send the preemption request frame based on the determined transmission duration of the response frame. The specific implementation of the second communication device sending the preemption request frame in this case can be found in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

Optionally, in some embodiments, the response frame may also carry a preemption indication information. The preemption indication information is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed. The content indicated by the preemption indication information is the same as the content indicated by the preemption indication information carried by the wireless protocol data unit. For ease of description, the preemption indication information carried in the wireless protocol data unit may be referred to as the first preemption indication information, and the preemption indication information carried in the response frame may be referred to as the second preemption indication information. If the first preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, the second preemption indication information also indicates that preemption is allowed; if the first preemption indication information indicates that preemption is not allowed, the second preemption indication information also indicates that preemption is not allowed.

FIG8 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

801. A first communication device sends a wireless protocol data unit.

The wireless protocol data unit includes: response frame preemption indication information, where the response frame preemption indication information is used to indicate the indication content of the preemption indication information carried in the response frame, and the indication content of the preemption indication information includes: allowing preemption or not allowing preemption.

Similar to the above embodiment, the first communication device can be an AP or a component thereof (e.g., a chip, circuit, SoC, etc.), or a STA or a component thereof. The second and third communication devices mentioned in subsequent steps can be an AP or a component thereof, or a STA or a component thereof.

802. A third communication device receives the wireless protocol data unit.

803. The third communication device sends a response frame, the response frame including the preemption indication information. The preemption indication information is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed or not. The content of the preemption indication information is determined according to the response frame indication information of the wireless protocol data unit.

For example, in some embodiments, the wireless protocol data unit may be a PPDU (e.g., a UHR PPDU). A field in the header of the PPDU may contain the response frame indication information. For example, the length of this field may be 1 bit. If the value of this field is 0, the response frame indication information indicates that preemption is not allowed; if the value of this field is 0, the response frame indication information indicates that preemption is allowed. In this case, if the response frame indication information received by the third communication device indicates that preemption is not allowed, the preemption indication information in the response frame sent by the third communication device indicates that preemption is not allowed; if the response frame indication information received by the third communication device indicates that preemption is allowed, the preemption indication information in the response frame sent by the third communication device indicates that preemption is allowed. For example, the header of the response frame may include a 1-bit field for carrying the preemption indication information. If the value of this field is 0, the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is not allowed; if the value of this field is 1, the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed. It can be understood that the length and value of the field used to carry the response frame indication information, as well as the length and value of the field used to carry the preemption indication information, are only examples provided to facilitate a better understanding of the technical solution of the present application, and are not limitations on the technical solution of the present application. The length and value of the field can be determined according to actual needs, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

804. The second communication device receives the response frame.

805. The second communication device determines whether to allow preemption according to the preemption indication information carried in the response frame.

805. If the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, the second communication device may send a preemption request frame after receiving the response frame. The specific implementation of the second communication device sending the preemption request frame after receiving the response frame can be found in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

If the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is not allowed, the second communication device may communicate with other communication devices (eg, send information to the other communication devices or receive information sent by the other communication devices), or the second communication device may not perform any communication activities.

FIG9 is a schematic flowchart of another communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present application.

901. A first communication device sends a wireless protocol data unit.

The wireless protocol data unit may include preemption indication information, which is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed. A communication device (e.g., a second communication device) that receives the wireless protocol data unit may determine whether preemption is allowed based on the preemption indication information. If the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, the second communication device may send a preemption request frame. If the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is not allowed, the second communication device may communicate with other communication devices, or the second communication device may suspend communication.

For example, in some embodiments, the preemption indication information carried by the wireless protocol data unit may indicate that preemption is allowed (for ease of description, the preemption indication information indicating that preemption is allowed may be referred to as preemption indication information 1, and the indication information indicating that preemption is not allowed may be referred to as preemption indication information 2). If the second communication device receives the preemption indication information 1, the second communication device may send a preemption request frame.

Similar to the above embodiment, the first communication device may be an AP or a component thereof (e.g., a chip, circuit, SoC, etc.), or a STA or a component thereof. The second communication device, third communication device, etc. mentioned in subsequent steps may be an AP or a component thereof, or a STA or a component thereof.

902. The second communication device determines whether there is a response frame.

In some embodiments, the timing of the second communication device sending the preemption request frame can be determined based on the response frame. Therefore, in some embodiments, the wireless protocol data unit can also include an indication information, and the second communication device can determine whether there is a response frame based on the indication information.

In some embodiments, the indication information can be used to directly indicate whether a response frame exists. For example, the indication information can be the response frame indication information in the above-described embodiment. The response frame indication information can indicate whether a response frame exists and/or the length of the response frame. Therefore, the content indicated by the response frame indication information can be any of the following: only indicating whether a response frame exists, only indicating the length of the response frame, or indicating both the presence of a response frame and the length of the response frame. If the response frame indication information includes the presence of a response frame (for example, only indicating whether a response frame exists or both the presence of a response frame and the length of the response frame), the presence of a response frame can be determined directly based on the indication content. If the response frame indication information only indicates the length of the response frame, the presence of a response frame can be determined based on the length of the response frame. For example, if the length of the response frame is 0, it can be determined that a response frame does not exist; if the length of the response frame is greater than 0, it can be determined that a response frame exists. For the specific implementation of the response frame indication information, please refer to the above-described embodiment and, for the sake of brevity, will not be further described here.

In other embodiments, the indication information may indirectly indicate whether a response frame exists.

For example, the indication information may be reply policy indication information. The wireless protocol data unit may carry some information or data that needs to be sent to the third communication device. The reply policy indication information is used to indicate the third communication device's reply policy for the wireless protocol data unit. The reply policy includes whether a response frame corresponding to the wireless protocol data unit needs to be replied. In some embodiments, the reply policy may also include information such as the type of response frame. If the reply policy indication information indicates that a response frame needs to be replied, the third communication device sends a response frame. If a second communication device receives a wireless data unit carrying the reply policy indication information, the second communication device may also determine whether a response frame exists based on the reply policy indication information. For example, if the reply policy indication information indicates that a response frame needs to be replied, the second communication device may determine that a response frame exists; if the reply policy indication information indicates that a response frame does not need to be replied, the second communication device may determine that a response frame does not exist. It is understood that the third communication device determining whether a response frame needs to be sent based on the reply policy indication information is only one response frame transmission rule for determining whether a response frame needs to be sent. The third communication device may also send a response frame based on other response frame transmission rules. For example, in some embodiments, the third communication device may send a response frame upon receiving a wireless protocol data unit of a specific type or carrying specific information. In another example, the third communication device may periodically send a response frame, or determine whether to send a response frame based on the number of wireless protocol data units received. For the specific implementation of the reply policy indication information, please refer to the above embodiments and will not be further described here for the sake of brevity.

For another example, the indication information may be frame type indication information. Frame type indication information is used to indicate the MAC frame type. Different types of MAC frames may have different response policies. For example, a receiving end may need to respond with a response frame after receiving certain types of MAC frames. Therefore, the second communication device may determine whether a response frame exists based on the MAC frame type. For the specific implementation of the frame type indication information, please refer to the above embodiment and will not be further described here for the sake of brevity.

In other embodiments, the second communication device may also determine whether a response frame exists by receiving information sent by other communication devices. For example, in some embodiments, the third communication device may notify the second communication device that it will send a response frame before sending a response frame. The second communication device may determine whether a response frame exists based on the indication information from the third communication device. For example, in other embodiments, the fourth communication device may determine whether a response frame exists, and the fourth communication device may notify the second communication device whether a response frame exists. The second communication device may determine whether a response frame exists based on the indication information from the fourth communication device.

For example, in some other embodiments, the second communication device and the third communication device may be the same communication device, that is, the communication device that sends the response frame needs to perform a preemptive operation at the same time. In this case, the second communication device (third communication device) can determine that there is a response frame.

Similar to the above embodiment, the radio protocol data unit may be a PPDU or a MAC frame. Similarly, as shown in the above embodiment, the indication information for indicating whether preemption is permitted and the indication information for determining whether a response frame exists (this indication information may be referred to as response frame determination information; in other words, the response frame determination information may be response frame indication information or reply policy indication information) may be located in the header of the PPDU or MAC frame, or in both the header and payload of the PPDU, or in both the header and payload of the MAC frame. For example, in some embodiments, a field in the PPDU header is used to carry the preemption indication information, and another field in the PPDU header is used to carry the response frame determination information. For another example, in some embodiments, a field in the PPDU header is used to carry the preemption indication information, and a field in the PPDU payload is used to carry the response frame determination information. For example, if the PPDU payload is used to carry a MAC frame, then in some embodiments, a field in the MAC frame header may be used to carry the response frame determination information. In other embodiments, the payload of the MAC frame may carry the response frame determination information. For another example, in some embodiments, the header of a MAC frame may carry preemption indication information, and the payload of a MAC frame may carry response frame determination information. In the above embodiments, the preemption indication information is carried by a field in the header, while the response frame determination information is carried by the payload or by a field in the header of the information carried by the payload. In other embodiments, the response frame determination information may be carried by a field in the header, while the preemption indication information may be carried by the payload. In other embodiments, the preemption indication information and the response frame determination information may be carried by the same field. For example, in the above embodiments, an 8-bit field may carry the preemption indication information and the response frame determination information, wherein the most significant bit is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed, and the remaining 7 bits are used to indicate whether the length of the response frame is allowed.

903 , when the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, the second communication device sends a preemption request frame according to the determination result of the response frame.

For example, if it is determined that no response frame exists, the preemption request frame may be sent after the wireless protocol data unit is received. In some embodiments, the second communication device may wait for a period of time after receiving the wireless protocol data unit before sending the preemption request frame. This period of time may be ΔT in FIG3 . Regarding the implementation of how to send the preemption request frame when no response exists, please refer to the above embodiment and, for the sake of brevity, will not be repeated here.

If a response frame is determined to be present, a preemption request frame is transmitted after the response frame is transmitted. Similarly, in some embodiments, the second communication device may wait for a period of time after the response frame is transmitted before transmitting the preemption request frame. A waiting period may also exist between the response frame and the wireless protocol data unit. For a description of the transmission times and time intervals of the wireless protocol data unit, the response frame, and the preemption request frame, refer to the above embodiments.

In some embodiments, the second communication device may receive the response frame. In this case, the second communication device may determine the completion of the response frame transmission based on the reception of the response frame.

In other embodiments, the second communication device may obtain the transmission duration of the response frame transmission to determine that the response frame transmission is complete. For example, in some embodiments, the second communication device may determine the transmission duration of the response frame based on the transmission rule of the response frame. The transmission rule of the response frame includes any one or more of the following information: the bandwidth used to transmit the response frame, the number of spatial streams used to transmit the response frame, or the modulation and coding strategy of the response frame. The specific implementation method of determining the transmission duration based on the transmission rule of the response frame can be found in the above embodiment and is not further described here for the sake of brevity.

As described above, in some embodiments, the response frame indication information carried in the wireless protocol data unit may indicate the transmission duration of the response frame. Therefore, the second communication device may obtain the transmission duration of the response frame indicated by the response frame indication information, and further determine that the response frame has completed transmission based on the transmission duration indicated by the response frame indication information.

In some embodiments, there may not be a need for a period of time between the moment when the response frame transmission is completed and the preemption request. In other words, ΔT2 shown in FIG4 or FIG6 can be equal to 0. For example, if the transmission time of the response frame is determined by the second communication device itself (e.g., based on a response frame transmission rule or a response frame indication indicating the transmission duration of the response frame), then the second communication device can send the preemption request frame immediately after determining that the response frame transmission is complete.

When each STA or AP sends a wireless frame on a wireless channel, due to the instability of the radio frequency device, there will be a deviation from the predetermined frequency of the wireless channel. When a single station sends a frame, the receiving station can correct the frequency deviation between itself and the sending station through the synchronization signal of the frame header. In the method of the embodiment of the present application, the preemption request may be sent by multiple stations together. If there is a frequency deviation among these multiple stations that send the preemption request frames, the receiving station cannot align its own frequency with the multiple stations with frequency deviations at the same time, resulting in a failure to receive the wireless frame. In order to solve this problem, each station must first calibrate its own frequency with a reference frequency before sending the preemption request frame. The usual practice is to calibrate its own frequency based on a certain received frame to ensure that each station that sends the preemption request frame calibrates its own frequency based on the same wireless frame.

In some embodiments, if the second communication device receives a response frame, the second communication device may perform frequency offset calibration based on the response frame. If the second communication device does not receive a response frame, the second communication device may perform frequency offset calibration based on the wireless protocol data unit.

Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1000 shown in Figure 10 may be the second communication device in the above embodiment. The communication device 1000 may include a receiving unit 1001, a processing unit 1002, and a sending unit 1003.

The receiving unit 1001 is configured to receive a wireless protocol data unit, where the wireless protocol data unit includes preemption indication information, where the preemption indication information is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed.

The processing unit 1002 is configured to determine whether a response frame exists.

The sending unit 1003 is configured to send a preemption request frame according to a determination result of the response frame when the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed.

The receiving unit 1001 may be implemented by a receiver, the sending unit 1003 may be implemented by a transmitter, and the processing unit 1002 may be implemented by a processor.

The specific functions and beneficial effects of the receiving unit 1001, the sending unit 1003 and the processing unit 1002 can be found in the above embodiments, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be described here in detail.

Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1100 shown in Figure 11 may be the first communication device in the above embodiment. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device 1100 may include a transmitting unit 1101 and a receiving unit 1102.

The sending unit 1101 is used to send a wireless protocol data unit, where the wireless protocol data unit includes preemption indication information, where the preemption indication information is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed.

The receiving unit 1102 is configured to receive a preemption request frame when the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed.

The sending unit 1101 can be implemented by a transmitter, and the receiving unit 1102 can be implemented by a receiver. The specific functions and beneficial effects of the sending unit 1101 and the receiving unit 1102 can be found in the above embodiments, and will not be described here for brevity.

Figure 12 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1200 shown in Figure 12 may be the first communication device in the above embodiment. As shown in Figure 12, the communication device 1200 may include a transmitting unit 1201 and a receiving unit 1202.

The sending unit 1201 is used to send a wireless protocol data unit, which includes: response frame preemption indication information, which is used to indicate the indication content of the preemption indication information carried in the response frame, and the indication content of the preemption indication information includes: allowing preemption or not allowing preemption.

The receiving unit 1202 is configured to receive the response frame from the third communication device, where the response frame includes the preemption indication information.

The receiving unit 1202 is further configured to receive a preemption request frame from the second communication apparatus when the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed.

The sending unit 1201 can be implemented by a transmitter, and the receiving unit 1202 can be implemented by a receiver. The specific functions and beneficial effects of the sending unit 1201 and the receiving unit 1202 can be found in the above embodiments, and will not be described here for brevity.

Figure 13 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1300 shown in Figure 13 may be the second communication device in the above embodiment. As shown in Figure 13, the communication device 1300 includes a receiving unit 1301 and a sending unit 1302.

The receiving unit 1301 is configured to receive a response frame from a third communication device, where the response frame includes preemption indication information, where the preemption indication information is used to indicate whether preemption is allowed.

The sending unit 1302 is configured to send a preemption request frame to the first communication apparatus when the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed.

The sending unit 1302 can be implemented by a transmitter, and the receiving unit 1301 can be implemented by a receiver. The specific functions and beneficial effects of the sending unit 1302 and the receiving unit 1301 can be found in the above embodiments, and will not be described here for brevity.

Figure 14 is a schematic block diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device 1400 shown in Figure 14 may be the third communication device in the above embodiment. As shown in Figure 14, the communication device 1400 includes a receiving unit 1401 and a sending unit 1402.

The receiving unit 1401 is used to receive a wireless protocol data unit from the first communication device, and the wireless protocol data unit includes: response frame preemption indication information, and the response frame preemption indication information is used to indicate the indication content of the preemption indication information carried in the response frame, and the indication content of the preemption indication information includes: allowing preemption or not allowing preemption.

The sending unit 1402 is configured to send the response frame, where the response frame includes the preemptive indication information.

The sending unit 1402 can be implemented by a transmitter, and the receiving unit 1401 can be implemented by a receiver. The specific functions and beneficial effects of the sending unit 1402 and the receiving unit 1401 can be found in the above embodiments, and will not be described here for brevity.

It should be understood that the communication devices shown in Figures 10 to 14 are embodied in the form of functional units. The term "unit" herein may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (e.g., a shared processor, a dedicated processor, or a group processor, etc.) and memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, incorporating logic circuits, and/or other suitable components that support the described functionality.

The communication devices shown in Figures 10 to 14 implement the functions of the corresponding steps performed by the devices in the above methods (such as the first communication device, the second communication device, or the third communication device). This function can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more units corresponding to the above functions; for example, the sending unit can be replaced by a transmitter, the receiving unit can be replaced by a receiver, and other units, such as the processing unit, can be replaced by a processor, respectively performing the sending and receiving operations and related processing operations in each method embodiment.

Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 15 , the communication device 1500 includes a processor 1501. The processor 1501 is configured to execute computer programs or instructions stored in a memory 1502, or to read data/signaling stored in the memory 1502, to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, there may be one or more processors 1501.

Optionally, as shown in FIG15 , the communication device 1500 further includes a memory 1502, which is used to store computer programs or instructions and/or data. The memory 1502 may be integrated with the processor 1501, or may be separately provided. Optionally, there may be one or more memories 1502.

Optionally, as shown in Figure 15, the communication device 1500 further includes a transceiver 1503, which is used to receive and/or send signals. For example, the processor 1501 is used to control the transceiver 1503 to receive and/or send signals.

As a solution, the communication device 1500 is used to implement the operations performed by the first communication device in the above various method embodiments.

As another solution, the communication device 1500 is used to implement the operations performed by the second communication device in the above various method embodiments.

As another solution, the communication device 1500 is used to implement the operations performed by the third communication device in the above various method embodiments.

It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

It should also be understood that the memory mentioned in the embodiments of the present application can be a volatile memory and/or a non-volatile memory. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM). For example, RAM can be used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, RAM includes the following forms: static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronized DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

It should be noted that when the processor is a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, the memory (storage module) can be integrated into the processor.

It should also be noted that the memory described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

FIG16 is a schematic diagram of a chip system 1600 according to an embodiment of the present application. The chip system 1600 (or also referred to as a processing system) includes a logic circuit 1601 and an input/output interface 1602.

Logic circuit 1601 may be a processing circuit within chip system 1600. Logic circuit 1601 may be coupled to a storage unit and invoke instructions within the storage unit, enabling chip system 1600 to implement the methods and functions of various embodiments of the present application. Input/output interface 1602 may be an input/output circuit within chip system 1600, outputting information processed by chip system 1600 or inputting data or signaling information to be processed into chip system 1600 for processing.

As a solution, the chip system 1600 is used to implement the operations performed by the first communication device, the second communication device or the third communication device in the above various method embodiments.

For example, the logic circuit 1601 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the first communication device, the second communication device or the third communication device in the above method embodiment; the input/output interface 1602 is used to implement the sending and/or receiving-related operations performed by the first communication device, the second communication device or the third communication device in the above method embodiment.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for implementing the methods executed by the first communication device, the second communication device, or the third communication device in each of the above method embodiments.

For example, when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer can implement the method performed by the first communication device, the second communication device, or the third communication device in each embodiment of the above method.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computer, implement the methods performed by the first communication device, the second communication device, or the third communication device in the above-mentioned method embodiments.

The embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, comprising the aforementioned first communication device, second communication device, and third communication device. The communication system may include one second communication device or multiple second communication devices.

The explanation of the relevant contents and beneficial effects of any of the above-mentioned devices can be referred to the corresponding method embodiments provided above, which will not be repeated here.

In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. For example, the computer can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid state disk (SSD)). For example, the aforementioned available medium includes, but is not limited to, various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims (25)

A communication method, comprising: receiving a wireless protocol data unit, the wireless protocol data unit including: preemption indication information, the preemption indication information being used to indicate whether preemption is allowed; Determine whether a response frame exists; In a case where the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, a preemption request frame is sent according to the determination result of the response frame. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless protocol data unit further comprises: response frame indication information, wherein the response frame indication information is used to indicate the transmission duration of the response frame and/or to indicate whether a response frame exists. Determining whether a response frame exists includes: Determine whether the response frame exists according to the response frame indication information. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless protocol data unit further includes reply strategy indication information, wherein the reply strategy indication information is used to indicate a reply strategy of the wireless protocol data unit, and the reply strategy includes whether a reply response frame is required; Determining whether a response frame exists includes: Determine whether the response frame exists according to the reply strategy indication information. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless protocol data unit further includes frame type indication information, wherein the frame type indication information is used to indicate the type of the media access control MAC frame carried by the wireless protocol data unit; Determining whether a response frame exists includes: Determining, according to the frame type indication information, a type of the MAC frame carried by the wireless protocol data unit; Determine whether the response frame exists according to the type of the MAC frame. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sending of the preemption request frame according to the determination result of the response frame comprises: If it is determined that the response frame does not exist, sending the preemptive request frame; or In the case where it is determined that the response frame exists, after it is determined that the transmission of the response frame is completed, the preemptive request frame is sent. The method according to claim 5, wherein determining that the response frame transmission is complete comprises: In the case where the response frame reception is completed, it is determined that the response frame transmission is completed. The method according to claim 6 is characterized in that, before sending the preemption request frame, the method further comprises: performing frequency offset calibration on the preemption request frame according to the response frame. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining that the response frame transmission is complete comprises: Obtaining the transmission duration of the response frame; According to the acquired transmission duration, it is determined that the transmission of the response frame is completed. The method according to claim 8 is characterized in that the obtaining of the transmission duration of the response frame includes: determining the transmission duration of the response frame according to a transmission rule of the response frame, the transmission rule of the response frame including any one or more of the following information: a bandwidth for transmitting the response frame, a number of spatial streams for transmitting the response frame, or a modulation and coding strategy of the response frame. The method according to claim 8, wherein obtaining the transmission duration of the response frame comprises: Obtain the transmission duration of the response frame indicated by the response frame indication information. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10 is characterized in that, before sending the preemption request frame, the method further comprises: performing frequency offset calibration on the preemption request frame according to the wireless protocol data unit. A communication method, comprising: Sending a wireless protocol data unit, the wireless protocol data unit including: preemption indication information, the preemption indication information being used to indicate whether preemption is allowed; In a case where the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, a preemption request frame is received. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The wireless protocol data unit further includes any one or more of the following information: response frame indication information, reply strategy indication information, or frame type indication information, wherein: The response frame indication information is used to indicate the transmission duration of the response frame and/or to indicate whether there is a response. The reply strategy indication information is used to indicate the reply strategy of the wireless protocol data unit, and the reply strategy includes whether a reply response frame is required. The frame type indication information is used to indicate the media access control MAC frame type carried by the radio protocol data unit. A communication method, comprising: The first communication device sends a wireless protocol data unit, wherein the wireless protocol data unit includes: response frame preemption indication information, wherein the response frame preemption indication information is used to indicate the indication content of the preemption indication information carried in the response frame, and the indication content of the preemption indication information includes: allowing preemption or not allowing preemption; receiving the response frame from the third communication device, wherein the response frame includes the preemption indication information; When the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, a preemption request frame is received from the second communication device. A communication method, comprising: The second communication device receives a response frame from the third communication device, the response frame including: preemption indication information, the preemption indication information being used to indicate whether preemption is allowed; In a case where the preemption indication information indicates that preemption is allowed, a preemption request frame is sent to the first communication device. The method according to claim 15 is characterized in that, before sending the preemption request frame, the method further comprises: performing frequency offset calibration on the preemption request frame according to the response frame. A communication method, characterized in that the method comprises: The third communication device receives a wireless protocol data unit from the first communication device, the wireless protocol data unit including: response frame preemption indication information, the response frame preemption indication information being used to indicate content of preemption indication information carried in the response frame, the content of the preemption indication information including: allowing preemption or not allowing preemption; The third communication device sends the response frame, where the response frame includes the preemption indication information. A communication device, characterized in that the communication device includes a unit for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or for implementing the method according to claims 15 to 16, or for implementing the method according to claim 17. A communication device, characterized in that the communication device includes a unit for implementing the method according to claim 12 or 13, or for implementing the method according to claim 14. A communication device, characterized in that it comprises: a processor, wherein the processor is coupled to a memory, reads and executes instructions and/or program codes in the memory to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or performs the method according to claims 15 to 16, or performs the method according to claim 17. A communication device, characterized in that it includes: a processor, wherein the processor is used to couple with a memory, read and execute instructions and/or program codes in the memory to perform the method according to claim 12 or 13, or perform the method according to claim 14. A chip system, characterized in that it includes: a logic circuit, wherein the logic circuit is used to couple with an input/output interface and transmit data through the input/output interface to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or to execute the method according to claims 15 to 16, or to execute the method according to claim 17. A chip system, characterized in that it includes: a logic circuit, wherein the logic circuit is used to couple with an input/output interface and transmit data through the input/output interface to execute the method according to claim 12 or 13, or to execute the method according to claim 14. A computer-readable medium, characterized in that the computer-readable medium stores program code, and when the computer program code is run on a communication device, the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or the method according to claims 15 to 16, or the method according to claim 17. A computer-readable medium, characterized in that the computer-readable medium stores program code, and when the computer program code is run on a communication device, the communication device executes the method according to claim 12 or 13, or executes the method according to claim 14.