WO2025231851A1 - Measurement method and communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a measurement method and a communication device. The method comprises: a first device sending a first frame over a first link, wherein the first frame is related to a first measurement of a second link, and the second link is a millimeter-wave link. By means of a first frame sent over a first link, the present application can assist in implementing a first measurement of a millimeter-wave link. On the basis of a measurement result of the first measurement, a communication process of the millimeter-wave link can be optimized, thereby improving the efficiency of the millimeter-wave link.

Description

Measurement methods and communication equipment Technical Field

This application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a measurement method and a communication device.

Background Technology

In some cases, millimeter-wave links suffer from low communication efficiency. For example, before a millimeter-wave link connection is established, communication devices may lack sufficient channel information to support higher-order modulation and coding schemes (MCS) transmission. Therefore, only lower-order MCSs can be used to transmit signals on millimeter-wave links. For instance, during beamforming training (BF training) on millimeter-wave links, some training frames can only be transmitted using lower-order MCSs (e.g., the lowest-order MCS).

Summary of the Invention

This application provides a measurement method and a communication device. The various aspects covered by this application are described below.

In a first aspect, a measurement method is provided, the method comprising a first device transmitting a first frame via a first link; wherein the first frame is related to a first measurement of a second link, the second link being a millimeter-wave link.

Secondly, a measurement method is provided, the method comprising a second device detecting a first frame transmitted by a first device on a first link; wherein the first frame is related to a first measurement of a second link, the second link being a millimeter-wave link.

Thirdly, a communication device is provided, which is a first device, comprising: a transmitting unit for transmitting a first frame via a first link; wherein the first frame is related to a first measurement of a second link, and the second link is a millimeter-wave link.

Fourthly, a communication device is provided, which is a second device, the communication device comprising: a detection unit for detecting a first frame transmitted by a first device via a first link; wherein the first frame is related to a first measurement of a second link, and the second link is a millimeter-wave link.

Fifthly, a communication device is provided, including a transceiver, a memory, and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to invoke the program in the memory and control the transceiver to receive or transmit signals, so that the communication device performs some or all of the steps in the methods of the above aspects.

Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system that includes the aforementioned communication device. In another possible design, the system may further include other devices that interact with the communication device as described in the embodiments of this application.

In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes a communication device to perform some or all of the steps in the methods described above.

Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, wherein the computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program operable to cause a communication device to perform some or all of the steps of the methods described in the foregoing aspects. In some implementations, the computer program product may be a software installation package.

Ninthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip including a memory and a processor, the processor being able to call and run a computer program from the memory to implement some or all of the steps described in the methods of the foregoing aspects.

In a tenth aspect, a computer program is provided that enables a computer to perform some or all of the steps in the methods described in the foregoing aspects.

This application can assist in the first measurement of the millimeter-wave link by transmitting the first frame through the first link. Based on the measurement results of the first measurement, the communication process of the millimeter-wave link can be optimized, thereby improving the efficiency of the millimeter-wave link.

Attached Figure Description

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the wireless communication system used in the embodiments of this application.

Figure 2 is an example diagram of an SLS process.

Figure 3 is a structural example of a DMG beacon frame.

Figure 4 is a structural example of an SSW frame.

Figure 5 is a structural example of an SSW field.

Figures 6A, 6B, and 6C are examples of the structure of the SSW feedback field.

Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C are example diagrams of the structure of the payload field in a short SSW frame.

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an SSW feedback frame.

Figure 9 is an example diagram of the SLS process for high- and low-frequency collaboration.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a link measurement request frame structure.

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a link measurement report frame structure.

Figure 12 is a schematic flowchart of a measurement method provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 13 is an example diagram of a wireless communication process provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 14 is an example diagram of another wireless communication process provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a request frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 16 is an example diagram of another wireless communication process provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a response frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 18 is a schematic diagram of another request frame structure provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 19 is a schematic diagram of a trigger discovery frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a response frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 21 is an example diagram of another wireless communication process provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 22 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 23 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

Figure 24 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

Detailed Implementation

The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Communication system

The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless fidelity (WiFi), high-performance radio local area networks (HIPELANs), wide area networks (WANs), cellular networks, or other communication systems. For example, the technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to communication systems using the 802.11 standard. Exemplarily, the 802.11 standard includes, but is not limited to, the 802.11ax standard, the 802.11be standard, and next-generation 802.11 standards.

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of this application. Referring to Figure 1, the communication devices in the communication system 100 may include access points (APs) 111 and 112, and stations (STAs) 121 and 122, wherein STA 121 can access the network through AP 111, and STA 122 can access the network through AP 112.

In some implementations, a STA can establish an association with one or more APs, after which the associated STAs and APs can communicate with each other. As shown in Figure 1, AP 111 and STA 121 can communicate after establishing an association, and AP 112 and STA 122 can communicate after establishing an association.

In some implementations, the communication in the communication system 100 can be communication between an AP and a non-AP STA, communication between two non-AP STAs, or communication between a STA and a peer STA. Here, a peer STA can refer to a device that communicates with the STA's counterpart. For example, a peer STA may be an AP or a non-AP STA.

It should be understood that Figure 1 exemplarily shows two AP STAs and two non-AP STAs. The communication system 100 may also include more AP STAs, or the communication system 100 may include other numbers of non-AP STAs. This application embodiment does not limit this.

In addition, the above-mentioned communication system can be applied to scenarios involving multi-device collaboration, such as multi-AP (multi-access point) collaboration or multi-site collaboration.

In the embodiments of this application, the names of AP and/or STA are not limited. In some scenarios, AP can also be called AP STA, that is, in a sense, AP is also a type of STA. In other scenarios, STA can also be called non-AP STA.

In some scenarios, the aforementioned communication devices can also be "multi-link devices (MLDs)," meaning devices that can communicate through multiple communication links. These multiple communication links can include communication links in different frequency bands, such as millimeter-wave bands and/or low-frequency bands. Typically, if a multi-link device is an access point (AP), it can also be called a "multi-link AP." If a multi-link device is a stand-alone device (STA), it can also be called a "multi-link STA."

In this application embodiment, the AP can be a device in a wireless network. The AP can be a communication server, router, switch, bridge, or other communication entity. Alternatively, the AP can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, etc. Of course, the AP can also be a chip, circuit, or processing system within these various forms of devices, thereby implementing the methods and functions of this application embodiment. APs can be applied in various scenarios, such as sensor nodes in smart cities (e.g., smart water meters, smart electricity meters, smart air quality monitoring nodes), smart devices in smart homes (e.g., smart cameras, projectors, displays, televisions, audio equipment, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), nodes in the Internet of Things (IoT), entertainment terminals (e.g., AR, VR, and other wearable devices), smart devices in smart offices (e.g., printers, projectors, etc.), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) devices, and some infrastructure in daily life scenarios (e.g., vending machines, supermarket self-service navigation kiosks, self-service checkout machines, self-service ordering machines, etc.).

In some implementations, the role of the STA in the communication system is not absolute; in some scenarios, the STA can act as an AP. For example, in a scenario where a mobile phone connects to a router, the mobile phone can be a non-AP STA, while when the mobile phone acts as a hotspot for other mobile phones, it takes on the role of an AP.

In the embodiments of this application, the STA can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, such as one that supports the 802.11 series of protocols and can communicate with an AP or other STAs. For example, an STA is any user communication device that allows users to communicate with an AP and thus with a WLAN. STAs can be, for example, user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), 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 equipment, etc.

In this application embodiment, the STA can also be a device that provides voice/data connectivity to the user, such as a handheld device or in-vehicle device with wireless connectivity. Examples include: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), wearable devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, wireless terminals in industrial control, wireless terminals in self-driving, wireless terminals in remote medical surgery, wireless terminals in smart grids, wireless terminals in transportation safety, and wireless terminals in smart cities. The embodiments of this application do not limit the scope of the application to wireless terminals in various applications, including wireless terminals in smart homes, cellular phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in 5G networks, or terminal devices in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs).

By way of example and not limitation, in this embodiment, the STA can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Examples include smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as devices that focus on a specific type of application function and require cooperation with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the STA can also be a terminal device in an Internet of Things (IoT) system. IoT is an important component of future information technology development, and its main technical feature is connecting objects to networks through communication technologies, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and object-to-object interconnection. In this embodiment, IoT technology can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and low terminal power consumption through technologies such as narrowband (NB).

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the STA can be a device in a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) system. The communication methods in a V2X system are collectively referred to as V2X (where X represents anything). For example, V2X communication includes: vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication, or vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication, etc.

In addition, in the embodiments of this application, the STA may also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas stations. Its main functions include collecting data (some terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data from the AP, and sending electromagnetic waves to transmit data to the AP.

In addition, the AP in this application embodiment can be a device for communicating with the STA. The AP can be a network device in a wireless local area network, and the AP can be used to communicate with the STA through the wireless local area network.

From the perspective of the communication standards supported by the AP, in some implementations, the AP can be a device that supports the 802.11be standard. The AP can also be a device that supports various current and future 802.11 family WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

From the perspective of the communication standards supported by the STA, in some implementations, non-AP STAs can support the 802.11be standard. Non-AP STAs can also support various current and future 802.11 family of wireless local area networks (WLANs), such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

In this application embodiment, the frequency bands supported by WLAN technology are not limited. In some implementations, the frequency bands supported by WLAN technology may include, but are not limited to: low frequency bands (e.g., 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz) and high frequency bands (e.g., 45GHz, 60GHz).

It should be understood that the specific forms of STA and AP are not specifically limited in the embodiments of this application, and are merely illustrative examples.

millimeter wave

Millimeter waves offer many attractive advantages. For example, they have a rich spectrum available in most regions. Furthermore, their directional transmission and high propagation loss result in low interference levels and greater multiplexing opportunities. Consequently, research on millimeter waves is increasing. In particular, recent research has focused on integrated millimeter waves (IMMWs).

Millimeter waves can operate in the high-frequency bands described above. Therefore, millimeter-wave links can include high-frequency links. For example, millimeter-wave links can include 45 GHz links or 60 GHz links.

In some cases, millimeter-wave links suffer from low communication efficiency. For example, before a millimeter-wave link connection is established, it is difficult for communication devices to obtain sufficient channel information to support higher-order MCS transmission. Therefore, signals can only be transmitted using lower-order MCS on the millimeter-wave link. For instance, during beamforming training on a millimeter-wave link, some training frames can only be transmitted using a lower-order MCS (e.g., the lowest-order MCS).

To facilitate understanding, the beamforming training process will be explained below.

Beamforming training

A beamforming training process can occur between the initiator and the responder. This process allows the device to determine the optimal beam for transmission and reception through frame interactions.

For millimeter-wave links, initiators and responders can perform beamforming training on the millimeter-wave link to determine the optimal beam for transmission and reception on the millimeter-wave link.

The beamforming training process consists of two sub-processes: sector-level sweep (SLS) and beam refinement (BRP). The SLS process is explained in detail below.

SLS process

The SLS phase can include initiator sector sweep (ISS), responder sector sweep (RSS), sector sweep (SSW) feedback process, and SSW acknowledgement (Ack) process. ISS and RSS are used to train the initiator and responder beams, respectively. ISS can be regarded as the beginning of a beamforming training session.

The ISS phase executes either a transmit sector sweep (TXSS) or a receive sector sweep (RXSS). Here, TXSS indicates beamforming training of the transmit beam for the initiator, while RXSS indicates beamforming training of the receive beam for the initiator.

During the ISS or RSS phase, beam training can be performed by sending training frames. Training frames may include, for example, DMG beacon frames, SSW frames, or short SSW frames. The format of short SSW frames can be found in 802.11a.

It should be noted that if the initiator begins an ISS with the transmission of a DMG beacon frame, it should use the DMG beacon frame in all subsequent transmissions during the ISS. If the initiator begins an ISS with the transmission of an SSW frame, then the SSW frame should be used in all subsequent transmissions during the ISS.

Figure 2 illustrates an example of an SLS flow. It should be noted that only the TXSS process is shown in Figure 2 during the ISS and RSS phases. It is understood that other processes may also be included in the ISS and RSS phases, which will not be elaborated upon here.

Figure 2 illustrates this using SSW frames as an example of training frames.

As shown in Figure 2, during the ISS phase, the initiator sends SSW frames in directional mode across different sectors, and the responder receives them in quasi-omnidirectional (quasi-omin) mode.

During the RSS phase, the responder sends SSW frames in different sector modes, and the initiator receives them in quasi-omnidirectional mode. The SSW sent by the responder contains the initiator's best sector information obtained from the ISS sub-phase, such as the best transmit sector ID.

The structure of frames involved in SLS

The following illustrations, with reference to the accompanying diagrams, provide examples of the structure of some frames involved in the SLS process.

First, let's take DMG beacon frames, SSW frames, and short SSW frames as examples to explain the training frames.

Figure 3 shows an example of the structure of a DMG beacon frame. As shown in Figure 3, a DMG beacon frame may include one or more of the following fields: frame control, duration, basic service set ID (BSSID), frame body, and frame check sequence (FCS).

When the beacon frame is used as a training frame, the frame body field includes the SSW field. An explanation of the SSW field can be found below and will not be repeated here.

The duration field can represent the remaining time until the end of the beacon transmission interval (BTI).

Figure 4 shows an example of the structure of an SSW frame. As shown in Figure 4, an SSW frame can contain 26 bytes (octets), totaling 208 bits.

As shown in Figure 4, an SSW frame may include one or more of the following fields: frame control, duration, receiver address (RA), transmitter address (TA), SSW, SSW feedback, and FCS.

The SSW field can be represented by 24 bits. The SSW field can indicate one or more of the following: the transmission direction of the SSW frame, the number of frames remaining to be transmitted, the sector ID, the current antenna ID, and the receive sector scan length.

Figure 5 illustrates one possible structure for the SSW field. As shown in Figure 5, the SSW field may include one or more of the following fields: transmission direction, CDOWN, sector ID, DMG antenna ID, and RXSS length.

During the initiator TXSS, the sector ID field in the training frame can be set to a value that uniquely identifies the transmit antenna sector used when the training frame was sent. The CDOWN field in the training frame should contain the total number of transmissions remaining before the initiator TXSS ends.

The SSW feedback field can be represented by 24 bits. The structure of the SSW feedback field in SSW frames transmitted during the ISS phase and the RSS phase can be different.

Figures 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate one possible structure for the SSW feedback field.

Figure 6A illustrates the structure of the SSW Feedback field in the SSW frame during the ISS procedure. The SSW Feedback field can indicate the total number of sectors used by the initiator during the ISS phase, whether unsolicited RSS requests are received, etc.

As shown in Figure 6A, the SSW feedback field may include one or more of the following fields: total sectors in the ISS, number of receiver (RX) DMG antennas, poll required, unsolicited RSS enabled, and reserved. It should be noted that when the SSW feedback field is transmitted in the SSW frame, SSW feedback frame, and SSW acknowledgment frame, the EDMG extension identifier field can be 0. Otherwise, the EDMG extension identifier field can be 1.

If the EDMG extension flag field is 0, the sector select field contains the value of the sector ID field of the SSW field of the SSW frame received with the best quality in the previous sector scan. The DMG antenna select field represents the value of the DMG antenna ID field of the intra-frame SSW field received with the best quality in the previous sector scan.

If the EDMG extended flag subfield is 1, the sector select MSB field is appended to the sector select field, forming a separate 11-bit field representing the value of the CDOWN field in the short SSW PPDU received at best quality in the previous sector scan. The DMG antenna select MSB is appended to the DMG antenna select field, forming a 3-bit field representing the value of the RF chain identifier field in the short SSW PPDU received at best quality in the previous sector scan.

Figures 6B and 6C show the structure of the SSW feedback field of an SSW frame that is not transmitted in the ISS procedure.

Figure 6B shows the structure of the SSW feedback field in an SSW frame where the ECMG extension identifier is 1 and it is not transmitted in the ISS procedure.

As shown in Figure 6B, the SSW feedback field may include one or more of the following fields: sector select, DMG antenna select, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) report, poll required, sector select MSB, DMG antenna select MSB, and EDMG extended identifier.

Figure 6C shows the structure of the SSW feedback field in an SSW frame where the ECMG extension identifier is 0 and it is not transmitted in the ISS procedure.

As shown in Figure 6C, the SSW feedback field may include one or more of the following fields: sector selection, DMG antenna selection, SNR report, polling request, reservation, unrequested RSS enable, and EDMG extended identifier.

The SNR report field can be set to the SNR value of the frame received at the best quality during the previous sector scan and is represented in the sector selection field.

The following is an introduction to short SSW frames.

Some communication standards (such as IEEE 802.11ay) have introduced short SSW frames. A short SSW frame is a DMG control mode PPDU with a length field of 6 bytes in the PHY header, where the PPDU type field in the short SSW payload field is equal to 0. The content of the payload field depends on whether the short SSW PPDU is transmitted as part of an I-TXSS or an R-TXSS, and whether it is used for MU-MIMO beamforming training. The payload field consists of 6 bytes and is transmitted after the PHY header.

The structure of the payload field in a short SSW frame is shown in Figures 7A, 7B, or 7C. Figure 7A is an example of the payload field structure when the direction field is 0 (i.e., I-TXSS) and the addressing mode field is 0 (for SISO). Figure 7B is an example of the payload field structure when the direction field is 0 (i.e., I-TXSS) and the addressing mode field is 1 (for MIMO). Figure 7C is an example of the payload field structure when the direction field is 1 (i.e., R-TXSS).

The definitions of each field in the Short SSW Load field are shown in Table 1.

Table 1

The following explains the SSW feedback frame and the SSW confirmation frame.

After the RSS phase ends, the initiator can send an SSW feedback frame with the best sending sector to provide feedback on the responder's best sending sector ID obtained in the RSS. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an SSW feedback frame.

As shown in Figure 8, the SSW feedback frame may include one or more of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, RA, TA, SSW Feedback, BRP Request, Beamformed Link Maintenance, and FCS. For details on the SSW feedback fields, please refer to the above text. The BRP Request field may contain information related to the BRP phase, and the Beamformed Link Maintenance field may contain information related to beamforming training link maintenance.

For example, an SSW feedback frame can contain 28 bytes, or 224 bits.

After receiving the SSW feedback frame, the responder can send an SSW acknowledgment frame to the initiator using the best sending sector. The structure of the SSW acknowledgment frame can be the same as that of the SSW feedback frame.

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an SSW confirmation frame. As shown in Figure 8, SSW confirmation may include one or more of the following fields: Frame Control, Duration, RA, TA, SSW Feedback, BRP Request, Beamforming Link Maintenance, and FCS.

SLS process with high and low frequency collaboration

For millimeter waves, some technologies have proposed a high-low frequency cooperative SLS process. That is, the low-frequency link can assist the high-frequency link (i.e., the millimeter-wave link) in completing the SLS process for the high-frequency link.

Figure 9 is an example diagram of the SLS process for high- and low-frequency collaboration.

Figure 9 illustrates the method using a sub-7GHz low-frequency link and a 45/60GHz high-frequency link as examples. The method shown in Figure 9 can also be applied to other high-frequency or low-frequency links.

Figure 9 illustrates the methods using AP and STA as examples. The method shown in Figure 9 can also be performed by other types of initiators and responders.

The beamforming process shown in Figure 9 may include one or more of three phases. The three phases are: Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3.

In Phase 1, the AP and STA can interact in the low-frequency band to manage frames, indicating beamforming training parameters (such as the number of sectors) and target start time.

In Phase 2, the AP accesses the 60GHz channel and sends training signals using different sectors.

Phase 3, the STA provides feedback on the low-frequency link (e.g., optimal sector and/or possible RSSI).

The following is an explanation of each frame involved in Figure 9.

Request frames are used to exchange functions and configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. Request frames may include channel bandwidth, total number of transmit sectors, sector scan frame type, and timing synchronization function (TSF) information. The TSF information is used to achieve timing synchronization between the AP and STA.

Response frames can be used in conjunction with request frames to acknowledge and correct information. They may contain information such as channel bandwidth, total number of transmitted sectors, sector scan frame type, and time synchronization function.

Trigger discovery frames can control and trigger beamforming training. They define the start time and related parameters for Phase 2 (i.e., beamforming training on the 60GHz link). Based on trigger discovery frames, APs and non-AP STAs can enter power-saving mode while waiting for 60GHz operation, saving energy by shutting down or switching some or all of the 60GHz RF modules to a low-power state.

A trigger feedback frame can be used to trigger the sending of a feedback frame.

Feedback frames can provide information on the optimal transmit sector.

SLS MCS

Some communication protocols (such as IEEE 802.11ad) specify that during DMG beamforming training, the PPDUs transmitted during transmit sector scanning are DMG control mode PPDUs. The PPDUs transmitted during receive sector scanning are either DMG control mode or DMG SC mode PPDUs.

Before the link connection for beamforming training is established, the AP and STA lack sufficient channel information to support higher-order MCSs, and therefore can only use the lowest-order MCS for transmit sector scanning. Consequently, the DMG control mode PPDU cannot support higher-order MCSs. Examples of modulation and coding schemes for DMG control mode PPDUs are shown in Table 2. As shown in Table 2, the DMG control mode PPDU can only use MCS 0. Using a low-order MCS provides the highest reliability, but due to the low code rate, the data rate is also low.

Table 2

Compared to DMG control mode, DMG SC mode can use a higher-order MCS, thus achieving a higher data rate. Table 3 shows examples of modulation and coding schemes for DMG SC mode PPDUs.

Table 3

It should be noted that once the SLS beamforming training is complete, communication between two STAs with DMG control mode rate or higher MCS will be enabled.

Therefore, it can be seen that during the beamforming training process of millimeter-wave links, some training frames can only be transmitted using the lowest-cost MCS, resulting in low efficiency of the beamforming training process of millimeter-wave links.

To address the issue of low transmission efficiency in millimeter-wave links, this application proposes a measurement-based solution. The measurement can be used to determine the channel parameters of the millimeter-wave link. For example, the measurement can be the link measurement described below. The link measurement is explained below.

Link measurement

Link measurement procedures can be used to measure and/or estimate the signal strength of a link. For example, link measurement procedures can be used to measure link path loss and/or estimate link margin.

The link measurement process can be implemented through the link measurement request frame and the link measurement report frame.

A link measurement request frame can be sent by one STA on a link to request another STA to respond with a link measurement report frame in order to measure the link path loss and estimate the link margin.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a link measurement request frame structure.

As shown in Figure 10, a link measurement request frame may include one or more of the following fields: category, radio measurement action, dialog token, transmit power used, maximum transmit power used, and extended link measurement.

The classification field indicates the frame type. The wireless measurement action field can be used to distinguish the type of measurement frame. The session token field can be a non-zero value chosen by the STA sending the request to identify the transaction. The transmit power used field indicates the transmit power used to send a frame containing a link measurement request. The maximum transmit power used field indicates the minimum maximum power allowed for a STA to transmit in the channel. Extended link measurement can be optional. When the extended link measurement field is present, it contains an extended link measurement element.

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a link measurement report frame structure.

As shown in Figure 11, a link measurement report frame may include one or more of the following fields: classification, wireless measurement action, dialogue token, TCP report element, receive antenna ID, transmit antenna ID, RCPI, RSNI, DMG link margin, DMG link adaptation acknowledgment, and extended link measurement.

The meanings of the classification, wireless measurement action, dialogue token, and extended link measurement fields in Figure 11 are consistent with the meanings of the corresponding fields in the link measurement request frame.

TPC report elements can be used to indicate transmission power and link headroom information. The receive antenna identifier field indicates the antenna identification number used to receive the corresponding link measurement request frame. The transmit antenna identifier field indicates the antenna identification number used to transmit the link measurement report frame. The RCPI field represents the received channel power of the corresponding link measurement request frame, which is a logarithmic function of the received signal power. The RSNI field represents the signal-to-noise ratio of the received corresponding link measurement request frame. The DMG link boundary field is optional. When present, it contains a DMG link boundary element. The DMG link adaptation acknowledgment field is optional. When present, it contains a DMG link boundary adaptation acknowledgment element.

The measurement method proposed in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 12 is a schematic flowchart of a measurement method provided in an embodiment of this application.

The method shown in Figure 12 can be performed by a first device and a second device. Both the first device and the second device include the communication devices described above. Exemplarily, the first device may include an AP or a non-AP STA. The second device may include an AP or a non-AP STA. For example, the first device may include an AP, and the second device may include a non-AP STA. Alternatively, the first device may include a non-AP STA, and the second device may include an AP. Or, the first device may include a non-AP STA, and the second device may include peer non-AP STAs.

Both the first and second devices can be MLDs.

The method shown in Figure 12 may include steps S1210 and S1220.

In step S1210, the first device sends a first frame to the second device via the first link.

In step S1220, the second device may detect the first frame on the first link. Detecting the first frame on the first link by the second device may include: receiving the first frame, or not receiving the first frame. Not receiving the first frame may mean that, within a certain period of time, the second device does not detect the first frame on the first link, or fails to successfully parse the first frame.

It should be noted that this application does not restrict the order in which steps S1210 and S1220 are executed.

The first frame can be correlated with the first measurement of the second link.

In some embodiments, the second link can be a millimeter-wave link. For example, the second link can be a 45/60 GHz link. Alternatively, the second link can also be referred to as a high-frequency link.

The first link can be a different link from the second link. For example, the first link can be a low-frequency link. Exemplarily, the first link can include a sub-7GHz link or a sub-10GHz link.

Therefore, this application can use the first frame sent by the first link to assist in the first measurement of the second link. Based on the measurement results of the first measurement, the communication process of the second link can be optimized, thereby improving the efficiency of the second link (e.g., a millimeter-wave link).

It should be noted that the first device and the second device can be devices that are already associated. That is, the first device and the second device can complete the association operation before executing step S1210. The association between the first device and the second device can be completed through a first link. For example, the first device can include an access point (AP), and the second device can include a non-AP STA associated with that AP. Alternatively, the second device can include an AP, and the first device can include a non-AP STA associated with that AP.

In some embodiments, when the first link assists the second link in performing the first measurement, the communication device can obtain the channel information of the second link, thereby enabling the transmission on the second link to use a higher-order MCS, and thus improving the communication efficiency of the second link. For example, in the stage before the connection of the second link is established, the first measurement can be performed by assisting the second link with the first link based on this application, thereby enabling the communication device to obtain the channel information of the second link and improving the efficiency of frame interaction in the stage before the connection of the second link is established.

Optionally, for the sector scanning process of the second link, the measurement results of the first measurement can be used to determine the MCS of the second frame transmitted during the sector scanning process. The second frame can be a training frame in the beamforming training process described above. The training frame can include one or more of the following: DMG beacon frame, SSW frame, and short SSW frame.

For example, in related technologies, only MCS 0 can be used to transmit training frames during the transmit sector scan. However, based on this application, a higher-order MCS can be determined based on measurement results to transmit training frames during the transmit sector scan. Therefore, this application can improve the efficiency of the sector scan process of the second link, thereby improving the efficiency of beamforming training of the second link. Furthermore, it allows for flexible selection of a suitable MCS to transmit training frames, thus increasing the flexibility of sector scanning. Therefore, this application can improve the beamforming training efficiency of millimeter-wave links. A detailed analysis follows.

When determining the MCS for the second link, one or more of the following factors can be considered: channel conditions, bandwidth utilization, signal-to-noise ratio, transmission distance, and power consumption, to maximize data transmission rate and ensure communication reliability and efficiency. Higher-order MCSs have higher data and code rates, resulting in higher data transmission rates but lower reliability; lower-order MCSs have higher reliability but lower data transmission rates. Therefore, a higher-order MCS should be selected whenever possible while ensuring a certain level of reliability. The following section calculates the MCS corresponding to the millimeter-wave PHY using a VHT-MCS with a bandwidth of 40MHz and a spatial stream of 1. Table 4 shows the parameters for the VHT-MCS.

Table 4. Parameter Table for 40MHz Bandwidth, _NSS = 1VHT-MCS

Taking the 8x40MHz VHT (subcarrier spacing 312.5kHz) shown in Table 4 as an example: with a bandwidth of 320MHz and a subcarrier spacing of 2.5MHz, the number of subcarriers that can be divided is 320/2.5 = 128. Excluding null and edge subcarriers, the number of usable subcarriers is 108. Referring to IEEE 802.11ad, this example uses an SSW frame as the training frame to calculate the gain of this scheme. The size of the SSW frame is 208 bits, and the parameters shown in Table 5 can be obtained through calculation.

Table 5 Parameter Table for 8x40MHz VHT MCS

The results calculated from Table 4 show that increasing the MCS order can reduce the number of OFDM symbols corresponding to the SSW frame. Furthermore, the number of OFDM symbols using MCS 0-3 is different. Therefore, for the sake of energy saving and transmission reliability, the range of MCS adjustment for the IMMW PHY obtained by 8x 40MHz VHT can be limited to 0-3.

It should be noted that the MCS used in the second frame transmitted during the sector scanning process of the second link can be limited to a certain range, thereby preventing low reliability and high power consumption caused by excessively high MCS.

In some embodiments, the first measurement may be used to determine the channel parameters of the second link. Exemplarily, the channel parameters of the second link may include one or more of the following: link path loss, link margin, received channel power indicator (RCPI), received signal noise indicator (RSNI), signal noise ratio (SNR), etc.

Optionally, the first measurement can be a link measurement for the second link. The description of the link measurement is as above and will not be repeated here.

In some embodiments, the first frame may be used to indicate the measurement result of the first measurement.

As mentioned above, the first frame is transmitted on the first link. The first link may include a low-frequency link. Low-frequency links have low power consumption and strong penetration, which can reduce the power consumption of measurement result transmission and enhance the reliability of measurement result transmission.

It is understood that the measurement results of the first measurement for the second link can be indicated by the first link. As mentioned above, the second link may include a millimeter-wave link, and the first link may include a low-frequency link. Based on this, the low-frequency link can transmit the measurement results for the millimeter-wave link. For example, even if the connection of the millimeter-wave link has not yet been established, the measurement results of the millimeter-wave link can be obtained through the low-frequency link. Therefore, by transmitting the measurement results of the millimeter-wave link through the low-frequency link, it is easier to obtain the measurement results of the millimeter-wave link, thereby obtaining the channel information of the high-frequency link, and then adaptively implementing transmission on the millimeter-wave link according to the channel information.

Optionally, the first frame may include some or all of the fields from the measurement report frame described above. For example, the first frame may be a measurement report frame.

The following example uses the first frame as the measurement report frame, and is illustrated in conjunction with Figures 13 and 14.

Figure 13 is an example diagram of a wireless communication process provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 13 is executed by an initiator and a responder. The first device can be the responder, and the second device can be the initiator. In Figure 13, the first frame is a link measurement report frame sent by the responder. The first link is a low-frequency link, and the second link is a millimeter-wave link.

The communication process shown in Figure 13 may include steps S1310 to S1330.

In step S1310, the initiator sends a link measurement request frame in quasi-omnidirectional mode on the millimeter-wave link to request measurement of the channel quality of the millimeter wave.

Step S1320: Based on the reception status of the link measurement request, the responder sends a link measurement report frame on the low-frequency link to provide feedback on channel quality.

In step S1330, the initiator selects the modulation and coding scheme of the SSW frame based on the feedback of channel quality, and sends the SSW frame to perform initiator transmit sector scan (I-TXSS).

The communication process shown in Figure 13 can be an optimization of the SLS procedure defined in IEEE 802.11ad. It is understood that this application can refer to the SLS procedure specified in IEEE 802.11ad, adding the function of performing channel measurements via a high-frequency link and feeding back the measurement results via a low-frequency link. The process allows for the adjustment of the MCS of the training frames within a certain range.

Figure 14 is an example diagram of another wireless communication process provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 14 is performed by an initiator and a responder. The first device can be the responder, and the second device can be the initiator. In Figure 14, the first frame is a link measurement report frame sent by the responder. The first link is a sub-7GHz link (low-frequency link), and the second link is a 45/60GHz link (high-frequency link).

The communication process shown in Figure 14 may include: S1410 to S1480.

In step S1410, the initiator sends a request frame to the responder at a low frequency to set the parameters for beamforming training.

In step S1420, after receiving the request frame sent by the initiator on a low frequency, the responder sends a response frame to confirm and correct the relevant parameters.

In step S1430, if the initiator receives the response frame sent by the responder on a low frequency, it sends a trigger discovery frame at the negotiated beamforming training start time to trigger beamforming training.

In step S1440, after triggering the discovery frame, the initiator sends a link measurement request frame in quasi-omnidirectional mode on the high-frequency link to request measurement of the high-frequency link quality.

In step S1450, after receiving the link measurement request frame, the responder sends a power path measurement report frame on the low-frequency link to provide feedback on the reception status of the link measurement request frame (such as SNR).

The initiator determines the highest possible MCS to send training frames for sector scanning based on the received feedback (i.e., high-frequency link quality).

In step S1460, the initiator sends training frames on the high-frequency link with the final determined MCS to perform a transmission sector scan.

In step S1470, the sector scan ends, and the initiator sends a trigger feedback frame on the low-frequency link, indicating to the responder to send a feedback frame.

In step S1480, the responder sends a feedback frame on the low-frequency link to provide feedback on the best sector ID and the corresponding RSSI.

The communication process shown in Figure 14 can be an optimization of the high-low frequency cooperative SLS procedure. It is understood that this application can refer to the high-low frequency cooperative SLS procedure described above, adding a process of channel measurement via a high-frequency link and feedback of the measurement results via a low-frequency link, thereby adjusting the MCS of the training frames within a certain range.

In some embodiments, before sending the first frame, the channel corresponding to the first link can be maintained by frame interaction or by sending empty packets (e.g., NDP). For example, after the first link completes the transmission of the discovery frame, the channel corresponding to the first link can be maintained by frame interaction or by sending empty packets (e.g., NDP).

In some embodiments, the first device may receive a third frame. The measurement result of the first measurement may be determined based on the reception of the third frame. For example, the third frame may implement some or all of the functions of the link measurement request frame. That is, the third frame may include some or all of the fields in the link measurement request frame. Exemplarily, the third frame may be a link measurement request frame.

In some embodiments, the third frame can be transmitted in quasi-omnidirectional mode. Transmitting the third frame in quasi-omnidirectional mode allows for more accurate and comprehensive measurement results from the first measurement.

In some embodiments, the third frame may not be transmitted in a quasi-omnidirectional manner, but may instead cover the sectors that need to be scanned. The sectors that need to be scanned may be those obtained by the initiator after filtering out some sectors that do not need to be scanned based on the management frame interactions of the first link. Transmitting the third frame in a non-quasi-omnidirectional manner can concentrate the transmission power on a portion of the sectors, allowing the responder to receive the third frame more effectively.

In some embodiments, the third frame can be transmitted on the second link. That is, based on the third frame transmitted on the second link, the measurement result of the first measurement on the second link can be obtained. In other words, the third frame can be transmitted on the millimeter-wave link to perform the first measurement, while the first frame is transmitted on the first link to provide feedback on the measurement result.

In some embodiments, the third frame can be transmitted on the first link. That is, based on the third frame transmitted on the first link, the measurement results of the first measurement on the second link, which are different from those of the first link, can be obtained. Taking the first link as including a low-frequency link and the second link as including a millimeter-wave link as an example, this scheme is based on the premise that it is feasible to estimate the channel quality of the millimeter-wave link through the channel quality measurement of the low-frequency link, or that there is reciprocity between the channel quality of the low-frequency link and the high-frequency link.

Optionally, the first frame can be a link measurement report frame, and the third frame can be a link measurement request frame. The first device can determine the measurement result of the first measurement of the second link through the third frame transmitted on the first link, and feed back the first frame on the first link.

In some embodiments, the third frame can also be used to indicate functional and/or configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. That is, the third frame can have at least two functions: indicating functional and/or configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations; and obtaining measurement results by measuring the third frame.

Optionally, the third frame may be a request frame from the high- and low-frequency cooperative SLS procedure described above. For example, this request frame may also have some or all of the fields of a link measurement request frame.

Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a request frame provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 15, the request frame may include a millimeter-wave link measurement field. This millimeter-wave link measurement field can be used to perform a first measurement of the millimeter-wave link (e.g., channel quality measurement).

Optionally, the millimeter-wave link measurement field can be used to indicate one or more of the following: the transmit power used by the request frame, the minimum maximum power allowed for the STA to transmit in the channel, etc.

Optionally, the millimeter-wave link measurement field can occupy 9 bits.

Optionally, when a first measurement is required, the millimeter-wave link measurement field can be set to a value with specific meaning. Without... If the first measurement is required, the millimeter-wave link measurement field can be set to reserved.

It should be noted that the millimeter-wave link measurement field is merely an exemplary name for this field. This field can also be referred to by other names. For example, this field could be called the IMMW LF-link measurement field.

It should be noted that, in the case that the third frame is a request frame, this application does not limit the fields included in the request frame. For example, the request frame may include fields indicating one or more of the following information: total sectors in TXSS, receive sector scan length (RXSS length), expected start time for beamforming training, bandwidth (BW), RA/TA (for indicating the MAC addresses of the responder and initiator), sector scan frame type, time synchronization function (TSF) information, listen duration, etc.

The following uses Figure 16 as an example to illustrate the high- and low-frequency cooperative SLS process where the third frame is the request frame.

Figure 16 is an example diagram of a wireless communication process provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 16 is executed by an initiator and a responder. The first device can be the responder, and the second device can be the initiator. In Figure 16, the third frame is a request frame sent by the initiator. The first link is a sub-7GHz link (low-frequency link), and the second link is a 45/60GHz link (high-frequency link).

The communication process shown in Figure 16 may include steps S1610 to S1660.

In step S1610, the initiator sends a request frame to the responder via the low-frequency link to set the parameters for beamforming training while simultaneously measuring the channel quality of the low-frequency link. The request frame may contain fields related to the low-frequency link channel quality measurement.

In step S1620, after receiving the request frame sent by the initiator on the low-frequency link, the responder sends a response frame to confirm and correct the relevant parameters.

The initiator assesses the high-frequency link channel quality and determines the MCS of the high-frequency BFT based on the feedback results in the response frame.

In step S1630, the initiator sends a trigger discovery frame at the negotiated and confirmed beamforming training start time to trigger beamforming training.

In step S1640, the initiator sends training frames on the high-frequency link with the final determined MCS to perform a transmission sector scan.

In step S1650, the sector scan ends, and the initiator sends a trigger feedback frame on the low-frequency link, indicating to the responder to send a feedback frame.

In step S1660, the responder sends a feedback frame on the low-frequency link to provide feedback on the best sector ID and the corresponding RSSI.

In some embodiments, the first frame can be used not only to indicate the measurement result of the first measurement, but also to confirm or adjust functional and/or configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. For example, the first frame can be a response frame in the high-low frequency cooperative SLS procedure described above. Exemplarily, the response frame may also have some or all of the fields of the link measurement response frame.

Continuing with Figure 16 as an example, the first frame can be the response frame from step S1620. This response frame can contain a feedback field of the measurement result.

Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of a response frame provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 17, the response frame may include a feedback field. The feedback field can be used to indicate or provide feedback on the measurement result of the first measurement.

Optionally, the feedback field can occupy 9 bits.

Optionally, if a first measurement is required, the feedback field can be set to a value with specific meaning. If a first measurement is not required, the feedback field can be set to reserved. Alternatively, if the millimeter-wave link measurement field in the request frame is reserved, the feedback field in the feedback frame can also be set to reserved.

It should be noted that the "feedback field" is merely an example name for this field. This field can also be referred to by other names. For example, this field could be called the IMMW LF-link measurement feedback field.

It should be noted that this application does not limit the other fields included in the feedback frame. That is, the frame structure of the feedback frame can be adjusted. For example, an indication field can be added to the feedback frame to indicate the setting parameters required for the RSS process. For example, the indication field can indicate the number of sectors scanned by the RSS process, etc.

In some embodiments, the first device may receive a first indication frame. The first indication frame may be used to indicate or configure a first parameter associated with the first measurement.

The first parameter can be any parameter related to the first measurement. For example, the first parameter can be used to indicate whether to perform the first measurement. Alternatively, the first parameter can include parameters used during the execution of the first measurement.

In some embodiments, the first parameter may include one or more of the following: a second parameter and a third parameter.

The second parameter can be used to indicate whether to perform a measurement for the second link. Alternatively, the second parameter can be used to indicate whether to perform a first measurement. Alternatively, the second parameter can be used to indicate whether to perform a measurement for the millimeter-wave link.

The second parameter can be carried in the enable field. The enable field can occupy 1 bit. The value of the enable field can be 0 or 1. For example, an enable field of 0 indicates that a measurement of the second link is performed; an enable field of 1 indicates that no measurement of the second link is performed.

It should be noted that the "enable" field is merely an example name for the field carrying the second parameter. This field can also be called by other names. For example, the "enable" field could also be called the "IMMW link measurement enable" field.

The third parameter can be used to indicate the duration for which the receiving device waits for the measurement results. For example, the third parameter can indicate the expected waiting time for the receiving device on the first link after the third frame is sent.

It should be noted that in some cases, the device receiving the measurement results can be a second device. For example, if the first frame is used to indicate the measurement results, the device receiving the measurement results can be a second device. In other cases, the device receiving the measurement results can be a first device.

The third parameter can indicate the maximum duration for which the receiving device can wait for the measurement result. If the receiving device has not received the measurement result within the duration indicated by the third parameter, the device can stop waiting for the measurement result. In beamforming training, if the device stops waiting for the measurement result, the second frame described above can be transmitted directly using the specifications in the relevant technology (e.g., the lowest order MCS).

The third parameter can be carried in the measurement duration field. The measurement duration field can occupy 8 bits. The value indicated by the measurement duration field can correspond to the third parameter. For example, if the value indicated by the measurement duration field is n, the duration indicated by the third parameter can be (n+1)*TU or (n+1) milliseconds, etc. Here, TU can represent a time unit (TU). 1 TU can be 1024 μs.

It should be noted that if no measurement is required for the second link, the value of the measurement duration field can be reserved.

It should be noted that, in the high-low frequency cooperative SLS process, the first link can go into sleep mode after triggering the second link to perform beamforming training (e.g., after sending a trigger discovery frame) if no measurements are required for the second link.

It should be noted that the measurement duration field is merely an example name for the field carrying the third parameter. This field can also be called by other names. For example, the measurement duration field can also be called the IMMW link measurement duration field.

In some embodiments, the first indication frame may be transmitted on the first link. That is, the first link may indicate a first parameter related to a first measurement on the second link. As described above, the first link may include a low-frequency link, and the second link may include a millimeter-wave link. Therefore, this application may use the low-frequency link to assist in indicating parameters related to the first measurement of the millimeter-wave link, thereby enabling the millimeter-wave link to perform an appropriate first measurement at an appropriate time.

In some embodiments, the first indication frame may be an extension of the frames involved in the high- and low-frequency cooperation process described above. That is, the first indication frame may also have other functions.

Optionally, the first indication frame may also indicate functions and configuration parameters related to the beamforming training operation of the second link. For example, the first indication frame may be a request frame in the high-low frequency cooperation process described above.

Figure 18 is an example diagram of the format of a request frame provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 18, the request frame may include an enable field and/or a measurement duration field.

It should be noted that this application does not limit the fields included in the request frame shown in Figure 18. For example, the request frame may include one or more of the following fields: total sectors in TXSS, receive sector scan length (RXSS length), expected start time for beamforming training, bandwidth (BW), RA/TA (for indicating the MAC addresses of the responder and initiator), sector scan frame type, time synchronization function (TSF) information, listen duration, etc.

Optionally, the first indication frame can also be used to perform one or more of the following operations: control the beamforming training; trigger the beamforming training. For example, the first indication frame can be the trigger discovery frame in the high-low frequency cooperation process described above.

For example, the SLS procedure may include the following steps: Step 1, the initiator sends a request frame to the responder via a low-frequency link to set parameters for beamforming training. Step 2, after receiving the request frame from the initiator on the low-frequency link, the responder sends a response frame to confirm and correct the relevant parameters. Step 3, after receiving the response frame from the responder on the low-frequency link, the initiator sends a trigger discovery frame at the negotiated beamforming training start time to trigger beamforming training. The trigger discovery frame contains a 1-bit indicator indicating whether to perform high-frequency link channel measurement and the high-frequency link channel measurement waiting time. Step 4, if the initiator selected to perform MCS optimization in the previously sent trigger discovery frame, the initiator sends a link measurement request frame in quasi-omnidirectional mode on the high-frequency link after the trigger discovery frame to request measurement of the high-frequency link link quality. Step 5: Upon receiving the link measurement request frame, the responder sends a link measurement report frame on the low-frequency link to provide feedback on the reception status of the measurement frame (e.g., SNR). Based on this feedback, the initiator determines a high-order MCS (Multi-Sector Class) and sends a training frame for sector scanning. If the initiator does not choose to perform high-frequency link channel quality measurement, then no link quality measurement or feedback is performed, and a training frame is sent directly with MCS 0. Step 6: The initiator sends a training frame on the high-frequency link with the finally determined MCS to perform transmit sector scanning. Step 7: After the sector scanning ends, the initiator sends a trigger feedback frame on the low-frequency link, indicating to the responder to send a feedback frame. Step 8: The responder sends a feedback frame on the low-frequency link to provide feedback on the optimal sector ID and the corresponding RSSI.

Figure 19 is an example of the format of a trigger discovery frame provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 19, the trigger discovery frame may include an enable field and/or a measurement duration field.

It should be noted that this application does not limit the fields included in the trigger discovery frame shown in Figure 19. For example, the trigger discovery frame may include one or more of the following fields: start time (indicating the expected start time of beamforming training), BW, RA/TA, sector scan frame type, time synchronization function (TSF) information, listen duration, duration of each training frame, training frame interval, etc. Exemplarily, the frame structure of the trigger discovery frame can be adjusted according to the requirements of other stages of beamforming training. For example, the trigger discovery frame may include setting parameters indicating the RSS process. These setting parameters may, for example, include the number of sectors scanned during the RSS process.

In some embodiments, the first device may send a first response frame to adjust or confirm the first parameter. That is, the confirmation or adjustment process of the first parameter can be carried out by transmitting the first response frame.

It is understandable that adjusting or confirming the first response frame can make the measurement results of the first measurement more robust and reliable.

Optionally, the first response frame can be used to respond to the first indication frame. The first parameter contained in the first indication frame and the first response frame can be the same or different. If the first parameter contained in the first indication frame and the first response frame is the same, the first response frame can be used to confirm that the first device has acknowledged or approved the first parameter indicated by the first indication frame. If the first parameter contained in the first indication frame and the first response frame is different, the first response frame can be used to adjust the first parameter indicated by the first indication frame. The first device and the second device can perform subsequent operations based on the first parameter contained in the first response frame.

The first response frame may contain fields for confirming the first parameter. For example, the first response frame may contain the enable field and/or measurement duration field described above.

Optionally, the first response frame can also be used to confirm or adjust functions and configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. For example, the first response frame can be a response frame in the high-low frequency cooperative SLS procedure described above.

Figure 20 is an example diagram of a response frame format provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 20, the response frame may include an enable field and/or a measurement duration field.

It should be noted that this application does not limit the fields included in the response frame shown in Figure 20. For example, the frame structure of the response frame can be adjusted according to the requirements of other stages of beamforming training. For instance, the response frame may include setting parameters indicating the RSS process. These setting parameters may, for example, include the number of sectors scanned during the RSS process.

In some embodiments, the first response frame can be transmitted on a first link. As mentioned above, the first link may include a low-frequency link, and the second link may include a millimeter-wave link. Therefore, based on this application, the confirmation or adjustment status of the first parameter can be fed back on the low-frequency link, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the millimeter-wave link.

Continuing with the example in Figure 14, in step S1410, the request frame sent by the initiator can be a first indication frame. The request frame can indicate whether a high-frequency channel quality measurement should be performed, and the channel quality measurement waiting time. In step S1420, the response frame sent by the responder can be a first response frame. The response frame can be used to reaffirm the indication in the request frame regarding whether a high-frequency channel quality measurement should be performed, and the channel quality measurement waiting time. Furthermore, both the initiator and the responder adhere to the indications in the response frame.

In some embodiments, the first device can directly perform subsequent operations according to the instructions of the first instruction frame (e.g., perform a first measurement and report the measurement result). For example, the first device may not send a first response frame. Correspondingly, the second device may not need to wait to receive the first response frame.

For example, in a high-low frequency cooperative SLS procedure, based on the reception of request and response frames, the initiator can have some prior knowledge of the low-frequency channel, thus better determining whether MCS optimization is feasible. The initiator can trigger a discovery frame on the low frequency to indicate whether to perform high-frequency channel measurement and specify a channel measurement waiting time. Measurements are performed directly on the high-frequency link without response confirmation, and feedback is provided. Finally, based on the feedback results, the initiator selects the MCS for transmit sector scanning. The information from the low-frequency frame interactions assists the initiator in making judgments, reducing the probability of failing to receive the third frame between high-frequency links.

Optionally, in step S1410, the request frame sent by the initiator can be a first indication frame. The request frame can indicate whether a high-frequency channel quality measurement should be performed, and the channel quality measurement waiting time. The initiator and responder perform subsequent operations according to the indications in the request frame.

Optionally, if the first indication frame is a trigger discovery frame, the trigger discovery frame may not have a corresponding response frame, that is, there is no corresponding confirmation process. The initiator and the responder can perform subsequent operations according to the indication of the trigger discovery frame.

According to the technical solution proposed in this application, the first device or the second device can put the first link into a sleep state at an appropriate time. For example, after the first link completes parameter (e.g., the first parameter) negotiation (e.g., after sending the trigger discovery frame), the first link can be put into a sleep state. At the expected start time of the negotiation, the devices access the channels corresponding to the first link and the second link to perform frame exchanges for the first measurement. After completing the first measurement, the first link can continue to sleep, while the second link performs beamforming training. After the training is completed, it can then access the channel corresponding to the first link for feedback.

In some embodiments, the first frame may be used to indicate a first parameter associated with the first measurement. The description of the first parameter is detailed above and will not be repeated here.

It is understood that, based on the first frame, a first parameter related to a first measurement of the second link can be indicated via the first link. As mentioned above, the first link may include a low-frequency link, and the second link may include a millimeter-wave link. Therefore, this application can use the low-frequency link to assist in indicating the parameters related to the first measurement of the millimeter-wave link, thereby enabling the millimeter-wave link to perform an appropriate first measurement at the appropriate time.

According to the instructions in the first frame, the frame used for the first measurement can be transmitted on either the first link or the second link. For example, the first measurement can be implemented based on a link measurement request frame and a link measurement report frame. Both the link measurement request frame and the link measurement report frame can be transmitted on the second link. This approach simplifies the communication process. Alternatively, the link measurement request frame can be transmitted on the second link, and the link measurement report frame can be transmitted on the first link. This approach improves the transmission reliability of the link measurement report frame.

Taking a first link including a low-frequency link and a second link including a high-frequency link as an example, the relevant parameters for beamforming training are first negotiated through the low-frequency channel (such as the number of sectors, the expected start time, whether to perform high-frequency channel quality measurement, and the expected channel quality measurement time). After the low-frequency channel completes the negotiation (e.g., after sending the trigger discovery frame), it can enter a sleep state and access the high-frequency channel at the previously negotiated expected start time. The channel performs frame exchanges for channel quality measurement. After the channel quality measurement is completed, beamforming training continues on the high-frequency channel. Once training is complete, the low-frequency channel is then connected for feedback. Because high-frequency channels consume more power, to reduce power consumption, the high-frequency channel should only operate at the agreed-upon start time of beamforming training with the low-frequency channel or during the high-frequency channel quality measurement time, and remain dormant at other times. Understandably, in this scheme, the low-frequency channel only needs to connect twice, while the high-frequency channel only needs to connect once.

In some embodiments, the first frame may be an extension of the frames involved in the high- and low-frequency cooperation process described above. That is, the first frame may also have other functions.

Optionally, the first frame may also indicate functions and configuration parameters related to the beamforming training operation of the second link. For example, the first frame may be a request frame in the high-low frequency cooperation process described above. For example, the first frame may be the request frame shown in Figure 18.

The following explanation, with reference to Figure 21, illustrates the case where the first frame is a request frame. Figure 21 is executed by an initiator and a responder. The first device can be the initiator, and the second device can be the responder. In Figure 21, the first frame is a request frame sent by the initiator. The first link is a sub-7GHz link (low-frequency link), and the second link is a 45/60GHz link (high-frequency link).

Figure 21 may include steps S2110 to S2170.

In step S2110, the initiator sends a request frame to the responder via a low-frequency link to set the parameters for beamforming training. The request frame includes a 1-bit indicator indicating whether a high-frequency link channel quality measurement should be performed, and the channel quality measurement waiting time.

In step S2120, after receiving the request frame sent by the initiator on the low-frequency link, the responder sends a response frame.

In step S2130, the initiator receives the response frame sent by the responder on the low-frequency link, and then sends a trigger discovery frame at the negotiated beamforming training start time to trigger beamforming training.

In step S2140, if the initiator selected to perform MCS optimization in the previously sent request frame, the initiator sends a link measurement request frame in quasi-omnidirectional mode on the high-frequency link after triggering the discovery frame to request the measurement of the link quality of the high-frequency link.

Upon receiving a link measurement request frame, the responder sends a link measurement report frame on the high-frequency link to provide feedback on the reception status of the measurement frame (such as SNR). Based on the feedback, the initiator determines a high-order MCS to send training frames for sector scanning. If the initiator does not choose to perform MCS optimization, the link quality measurement and feedback process is skipped, and training frames are sent directly with MCS 0.

In step S2150, the initiator sends training frames on the high-frequency link with the final determined MCS to perform a transmission sector scan.

In step S2160, the sector scan ends, and the initiator sends a trigger feedback frame on the low-frequency link, indicating to the responder to send a feedback frame.

In step S2170, the responder sends a feedback frame on the low-frequency link to provide feedback on the best sector ID and the corresponding RSSI.

Optionally, the first frame can also be used to perform one or more of the following operations: controlling the beamforming training; triggering the beamforming training. For example, the first frame can be the trigger discovery frame in the high-low frequency collaboration process described above. Exemplarily, the first frame can be the trigger discovery frame shown in Figure 19.

In some embodiments, the first device may receive a first response frame to adjust or confirm the first parameter. That is, the confirmation or adjustment process of the first parameter can be performed by transmitting the first response frame.

Optionally, a first response frame can be used to respond to a first frame. The first frame and the first response frame may contain the same or different first parameters. If the first frame and the first response frame contain the same first parameter, the first response frame can be used to confirm that the first device has acknowledged or approved the first parameter indicated by the first frame. If the first frame and the first response frame contain different first parameters, the first response frame can be used to adjust the first parameter indicated by the first frame. The first device and the second device can perform subsequent operations based on the first parameter contained in the first response frame.

Referring again to Figure 21, in step S2120, the response frame can be used to confirm and correct the first parameter. The response frame contains a 1-bit indicator bit and a channel quality measurement waiting time, repeating the contents of the indicator bit and the channel quality measurement waiting time in the confirmation request.

The format of the first response frame can be as shown in Figure 20. A detailed explanation of the first response frame can be found above, and will not be repeated here.

It should be noted that the second link can start working at the start time of beamforming training or the start time of the first measurement, and can be in a dormant state at other times, thereby reducing the power consumption of the second link.

It should be noted that during beamforming training, if the second link fails to connect in time at the expected start time, and the management frame includes a listening time setting, the responder will begin listening to the high-frequency channel at the expected start time. If no frame is received from the initiator within the preset listening time, listening will stop, and beamforming training will terminate.

It should be noted that before beamforming training of the millimeter-wave link begins, only the link measurement request frame and the link measurement report frame can be transmitted on the millimeter-wave link to determine a suitable MCS to send the second frame.

It should be noted that the method for determining the MCS of the second frame proposed in this application can be applied to the RSS stage and/or ISS stage, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

The method embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. The apparatus embodiments of this application are described in detail below. It should be understood that the descriptions of the method embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the apparatus embodiments. Therefore, any parts not described in detail can be referred to the foregoing method embodiments.

Figure 22 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 2200 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 2200 can be a first device. The communication device 2200 may include a transmitting unit 2210.

The transmitting unit 2210 can be used to transmit a first frame via a first link; wherein the first frame is related to a first measurement of a second link. The second link is a millimeter-wave link.

In this embodiment, the communication device 2200 can be used to execute some or all of the method steps executed by the first device in the above method embodiments. For example, when the first device is the initiator, the communication device 2200 can be used to execute some or all of the method steps executed by the initiator. Similarly, when the first device is the responder, the communication device 2200 can be used to execute some or all of the method steps executed by the responder. The communication device 2200 includes units or modules for executing the method steps corresponding to the aforementioned figures. The method flow has been described in detail in the foregoing embodiments. The modules in this embodiment have the same function or execute the same steps, and will not be repeated here. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the textual descriptions corresponding to the foregoing figures can be incorporated into this embodiment and correspond to the modules in the communication device 2200.

In an optional embodiment, the transmitting unit 2210 may be a transceiver 2430. The communication device 2200 may also include a processor 2410 and a memory 2420, as shown in FIG24.

Figure 23 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 2300 provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 2300 can be a second device. The communication device 2300 may include a detection unit 2310.

The detection unit 2310 can be used to detect a first frame through a first link; wherein the first frame is related to a first measurement of a second link, and the second link is a millimeter-wave link.

In this embodiment, the communication device 2300 can be used to execute some or all of the method steps executed by the second device in the above method embodiments. For example, when the second device is the initiator, the communication device 2300 can be used to execute some or all of the method steps executed by the initiator. Similarly, when the second device is the responder, the communication device 2300 can be used to execute some or all of the method steps executed by the responder. The communication device 2300 includes units or modules for executing the method steps corresponding to the aforementioned figures. The method flow has been described in detail in the foregoing embodiments. The modules in this embodiment have the same function or execute the same steps, and will not be repeated here. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the textual descriptions corresponding to the foregoing figures can be incorporated into this embodiment and correspond to the modules in the communication device 2300.

In an optional embodiment, the detection unit 2310 may be a transceiver 2430 and/or a processor 2410. The communication device 2300 may also include a memory 2420, as shown in FIG24.

Figure 24 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. The dashed lines in Figure 24 indicate that the unit or module is optional. The apparatus 2400 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. The apparatus 2400 can be a chip or a communication device.

Apparatus 2400 may include one or more processors 2410. The processor 2410 may support apparatus 2400 in implementing the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The processor 2410 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), 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.

The apparatus 2400 may further include one or more memories 2420. The memories 2420 store a program that can be executed by the processor 2410, causing the processor 2410 to perform the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The memories 2420 may be independent of the processor 2410 or integrated within the processor 2410.

The device 2400 may also include a transceiver 2430. The processor 2410 can communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 2430. For example, the processor 2410 can send and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 2430.

This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. This computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the communication device provided in this application, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the communication device in various embodiments of this application.

This application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to the communication device provided in this application embodiment, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the communication device in various embodiments of this application.

This application also provides a computer program. This computer program can be applied to the communication device provided in this application, and causes the computer to execute the methods performed by the communication device in various embodiments of this application.

It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" in this application can be used interchangeably. Furthermore, the terminology used in this application is only for explaining specific embodiments of the application and is not intended to limit the application. The terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

In the embodiments of this application, a "field" may also be referred to as a "domain", "subfield", or "subfield". A field may occupy one or more bytes (byte/octet), or a field may occupy one or more bits (bit).

In the embodiments of this application, the term "instruction" can be a direct instruction, an indirect instruction, or an indication of a related relationship. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being obtainable through A; or it can mean that A indirectly instructs B. A can indicate B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained through C; it can also indicate that there is a relationship between A and B.

In the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined based on A. However, it should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean that B is determined solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and/or other information.

In the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" can indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between two things, or an association between two things, or a relationship such as instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured.

In this application embodiment, "predefined" or "preconfigured" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other means that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device (e.g., including AP and STA). This application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to what is defined in the protocol.

In the embodiments of this application, the term "and/or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and/or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character "/" in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

In the embodiments of this application, "comprising" can refer to direct inclusion or indirect inclusion. Optionally, "comprising" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be replaced with "indicating" or "used to determine". For example, "A includes B" can be replaced with "A indicates B" or "A is used to determine B".

In the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

In this application embodiment, the "protocol" may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communication, such as the WiFi protocol and related protocols applied to future WiFi communication systems, and this application does not limit it.

In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially 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, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can read or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state drives (SSDs)).

The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims (86)

A measurement method, characterized in that it includes: The first device sends the first frame on the first link; The first frame is related to the first measurement of the second link, which is a millimeter-wave link. According to the method of claim 1, the measurement result of the first measurement is used to determine the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used by the second frame transmitted during the sector scanning process of the second link. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first frame is used to indicate the measurement result of the first measurement. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the method further comprises: The first device receives the third frame; The measurement result is determined based on the reception of the third frame. According to the method of claim 4, the third frame is transmitted in quasi-omnidirectional mode. The method according to claim 4 or 5 is characterized in that the third frame is transmitted on the first link. The method according to claim 6, wherein the third frame is further used to indicate functions and/or configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. The method according to any one of claims 3-7 is characterized in that the first frame is further used to confirm or adjust: functional and/or configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. The method according to any one of claims 3-8, characterized in that the method further comprises: The first device receives the first indication frame; The first indication frame is used to indicate a first parameter related to the first measurement. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first indication frame is transmitted on the first link. The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the first indication frame is further configured to perform one or more of the following operations: Indicates the functions and configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations of the second link; Control the beamforming training; Trigger the beamforming training. The method according to any one of claims 9-11, characterized in that the method further comprises: The first device sends a first response frame; The first response frame is used to adjust or confirm the first parameter. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first frame is used to indicate a first parameter related to the first measurement. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first frame is further configured to perform one or more of the following operations: Indicates the functions and configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations of the second link; Control the beamforming training; Trigger the beamforming training. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the method further comprises: The first device receives the first response frame; The first response frame is used to adjust or confirm the first parameter. The method according to claim 12 or 15 is characterized in that the first response frame is further used to confirm or adjust the functions and configuration parameters related to the beamforming training operation. The method according to claim 12, 15 or 16, wherein the first response frame is transmitted on the first link. The method according to any one of claims 9-17, characterized in that the first parameter includes one or more of the following: The second parameter indicates whether to perform measurements for the second link; The third parameter indicates the duration for which the device receiving the measurement result waits for the measurement result. The method according to any one of claims 1-18, wherein the first measurement is used to determine the channel parameters of the second link. The method according to any one of claims 1-19 is characterized in that the first link is a sub-7GHz link. A measurement method, characterized in that it includes: The second device detects the first frame sent by the first device on the first link; The first frame is related to the first measurement of the second link, which is a millimeter-wave link. According to the method of claim 21, the measurement result of the first measurement is used to determine the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used by the second frame transmitted during the sector scanning process of the second link. The method according to claim 21 or 22 is characterized in that the first frame is used to indicate the measurement result of the first measurement. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that the method further comprises: The second device sends a third frame; The measurement result is determined based on the reception of the third frame. The method according to claim 24 is characterized in that the third frame is transmitted in quasi-omnidirectional mode. The method according to claim 24 or 25 is characterized in that the third frame is transmitted on the first link. The method according to claim 26, wherein the third frame is further used to indicate functions and/or configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. The method according to any one of claims 23-27 is characterized in that the first frame is further used to confirm or adjust: functional and/or configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. The method according to any one of claims 23-28, characterized in that the method further comprises: The second device sends a first indication frame; The first indication frame is used to indicate a first parameter related to the first measurement. The method according to claim 29, wherein the first indication frame is transmitted on the first link. The method according to claim 29 or 30, wherein the first indication frame is further configured to perform one or more of the following operations: Indicates the functions and configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations of the second link; Control the beamforming training; Trigger the beamforming training. The method according to any one of claims 29-31, characterized in that the method further comprises: The second device receives the first response frame; The first response frame is used to adjust or confirm the first parameter. The method according to claim 21 or 22 is characterized in that the first frame is used to indicate a first parameter related to the first measurement. The method according to claim 33, wherein the first frame is further configured to perform one or more of the following operations: Indicates the functions and configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations of the second link; Control the beamforming training; Trigger the beamforming training. The method according to claim 33 or 34, characterized in that the method further comprises: The second device sends a first response frame; The first response frame is used to adjust or confirm the first parameter. The method according to claim 32 or 35 is characterized in that the first response frame is further used to confirm or adjust the functions and configuration parameters related to the beamforming training operation. The method according to claim 32, 35 or 36 is characterized in that the first response frame is transmitted on the first link. The method according to any one of claims 29-37, characterized in that the first parameter includes one or more of the following: The second parameter indicates whether to perform measurements for the second link; The third parameter indicates the duration for which the device receiving the measurement result waits for the measurement result. The method according to any one of claims 21-38, wherein the first measurement is used to determine the channel parameters of the second link. The method according to any one of claims 21-39 is characterized in that the first link is a sub-7GHz link. A communication device, characterized in that the communication device is a first device, the communication device comprising: A transmitting unit, used to transmit the first frame via the first link; The first frame is related to the first measurement of the second link, which is a millimeter-wave link. The communication device according to claim 41 is characterized in that the measurement result of the first measurement is used to determine the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used by the second frame transmitted during the sector scanning process of the second link. The communication device according to claim 41 or 42 is characterized in that the first frame is used to indicate the measurement result of the first measurement. The communication device according to claim 43, wherein the communication device is further configured to: Receive the third frame; The measurement result is determined based on the reception of the third frame. The communication device according to claim 44 is characterized in that the third frame is transmitted in quasi-omnidirectional mode. The communication device according to claim 44 or 45 is characterized in that the third frame is transmitted on the first link. The communication device according to claim 46, wherein the third frame is further used to indicate functions and/or configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. The communication device according to any one of claims 43-47 is characterized in that the first frame is further used to confirm or adjust: functional and/or configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. The communication device according to any one of claims 43-48, characterized in that the communication device is further used for: Receive the first instruction frame; The first indication frame is used to indicate a first parameter related to the first measurement. The communication device according to claim 49 is characterized in that the first indication frame is transmitted on the first link. The communication device according to claim 49 or 50, wherein the first indication frame is further configured to perform one or more of the following operations: Indicates the functions and configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations of the second link; Control the beamforming training; Trigger the beamforming training. The communication device according to any one of claims 49-51, characterized in that the communication device is further used for: Send the first response frame; The first response frame is used to adjust or confirm the first parameter. The communication device according to claim 41 or 42 is characterized in that the first frame is used to indicate a first parameter related to the first measurement. The communication device according to claim 53, wherein the first frame is further configured to perform one or more of the following operations: Indicates the functions and configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations of the second link; Control the beamforming training; Trigger the beamforming training. The communication device according to claim 53 or 54, characterized in that the communication device is further used for: Receive the first response frame; The first response frame is used to adjust or confirm the first parameter. The communication device according to claim 52 or 55 is characterized in that the first response frame is further used to confirm or adjust the functions and configuration parameters related to the beamforming training operation. The communication device according to claim 52, 55 or 56 is characterized in that the first response frame is transmitted on the first link. The communication device according to any one of claims 49-57, characterized in that the first parameter includes one or more of the following: The second parameter indicates whether to perform measurements for the second link; The third parameter indicates the duration for which the device receiving the measurement result waits for the measurement result. The communication device according to any one of claims 41-58, wherein the first measurement is used to determine the channel parameters of the second link. The communication device according to any one of claims 41-59 is characterized in that the first link is a sub-7GHz link. A communication device, characterized in that the communication device is a second device, the communication device comprising: The detection unit is used to detect the first frame sent by the first device through the first link; The first frame is related to the first measurement of the second link, which is a millimeter-wave link. The communication device according to claim 61 is characterized in that the measurement result of the first measurement is used to determine the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used by the second frame transmitted during the sector scanning process of the second link. The communication device according to claim 61 or 62 is characterized in that the first frame is used to indicate the measurement result of the first measurement. The communication device according to claim 63, wherein the communication device comprises: The second device sends a third frame; The measurement result is determined based on the reception of the third frame. The communication device according to claim 64 is characterized in that the third frame is transmitted in quasi-omnidirectional mode. The communication device according to claim 64 or 65 is characterized in that the third frame is transmitted on the first link. The communication device according to claim 66, wherein the third frame is further used to indicate functions and/or configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. The communication device according to any one of claims 63-67 is characterized in that the first frame is further used to confirm or adjust: functional and/or configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations. The communication device according to any one of claims 63-68, characterized in that the communication device further comprises: The second device sends a first indication frame; The first indication frame is used to indicate a first parameter related to the first measurement. The communication device according to claim 69 is characterized in that the first indication frame is transmitted on the first link. The communication device according to claim 69 or 70, wherein the first indication frame is further configured to perform one or more of the following operations: Indicates the functions and configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations of the second link; Control the beamforming training; Trigger the beamforming training. The communication device according to any one of claims 69-71, characterized in that the communication device further comprises: The second device receives the first response frame; The first response frame is used to adjust or confirm the first parameter. The communication device according to claim 61 or 62 is characterized in that the first frame is used to indicate a first parameter related to the first measurement. The communication device according to claim 73, wherein the first frame is further configured to perform one or more of the following operations: Indicates the functions and configuration parameters related to beamforming training operations of the second link; Control the beamforming training; Trigger the beamforming training. The communication device according to claim 73 or 74, characterized in that the communication device further comprises: The second device sends a first response frame; The first response frame is used to adjust or confirm the first parameter. The communication device according to claim 72 or 75 is characterized in that the first response frame is further used to confirm or adjust the functions and configuration parameters related to the beamforming training operation. The communication device according to claim 72, 75 or 76 is characterized in that the first response frame is transmitted on the first link. The communication device according to any one of claims 69-77, characterized in that the first parameter includes one or more of the following: The second parameter indicates whether to perform measurements for the second link; The third parameter indicates the duration for which the device receiving the measurement result waits for the measurement result. The communication device according to any one of claims 61-78, wherein the first measurement is used to determine the channel parameters of the second link. The communication device according to any one of claims 61-79 is characterized in that the first link is a sub-7GHz link. A communication device, characterized in that it includes a transceiver, a memory, and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store a program, and the processor is used to invoke the program in the memory and control the transceiver to receive or send signals, so that the communication device performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-40. An apparatus, characterized in that it includes a processor for calling a program from a memory to cause the apparatus to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-40. A chip, characterized in that it includes a processor for calling a program from a memory, causing a device on which the chip is mounted to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-40. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that it stores a program thereon, the program causing a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-40. A computer program product, characterized in that it includes a program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-40. A computer program, characterized in that the computer program causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-40.