RU2812041C2 - Method and device for transmitting radio frames and method and device for receiving radio frames - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: means for transmitting radio frames.

SUBSTANCE: radio frame contains the first information included in the MLE element for identifying the first MLD device, so that the radio frame receiver obtains from this MLE element information regarding the first MLD device based on the first information after receiving the radio frame. The first AP generates a radio frame containing an MLE element, this MLE element contains information regarding the first MLD device, this MLE element contains first information, and this first information identifies the first MLD device. The first AP transmits this radio frame.

EFFECT: increase in the efficiency of communication.

21 cl, 17 dwg, 3 tbl

Description

This application claims the priority of China Patent Application No. 202111116089.4, which was submitted to the National Administration of China on Intellectual Property Issues on September 23, 2021 under the name “Method and device for transmitting radio personnel and method and device for receiving radio” (Radio Frame Sending Method and Apparatus, and Radio Frame READING MITHOD AND APPARATUS"), and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Field of technology to which the invention relates

This application relates to the field of radio communication technologies and, in particular, to a method and equipment for transmitting radio frames, and a method and equipment for receiving radio frames.

State of the art

As radio communication technology advances, more and more radio communication devices support multi-channel communications. For example, the device supports simultaneous communication in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz frequency bands, or supports communication on different channels in the same frequency range. This increases the speed of communication between devices. Such devices are generally called multi-link devices (MLD). These multi-channel devices may be multi-channel access point devices or multi-channel station devices.

Currently, during communication between multi-link devices, one multi-link device can transmit a radio frame containing a multi-link element (MLE) to another multi-link device. For example, the sender of a radio frame is an access point (AP) in a multi-channel access point device. The AP may feedback a probe response frame in response to a probe request frame from a station (STA). By default, the MLE element included in the probe response frame corresponds to the multi-link access point device with which the AP that sent the probe response frame is affiliated, which means that the information carried in the MLE element represents station information relative to the multi-link point device access with which the AP that sent the probe response frame is affiliated.

However, since the AP feedbacks, only in the radio frame, information about the MLD device in which the AP is located, communication efficiency is low. If an AP needs to feedback, in a radio frame, information about another MLD device, for example, if a probe request frame from an STA requests information about an MLD device containing another AP corresponding to a nontransmitted basic service set identifier identifier (nontransmitted BSSID)) over the communication channel in which this AP is located, the question of how exactly the AP will be able to feedback such a radio frame is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved.

Disclosure of the invention

This application provides a method and apparatus for transmitting radio frames, as well as a method and apparatus for receiving radio frames. The radio frame includes first information for identifying a first MLD device included in an MLE element, such that a receiver of the radio frame obtains information about the first MLD device from the MLE element based on the first information after receiving the radio frame.

The first aspect of the present application provides a method for transmitting radio frames useful for communications in wireless local area networks (WLANs). This method is carried out by a first access point (AP), or this method is carried out by a component (eg, a processor, an integrated circuit (chip) or an integrated circuit system on a chip) of the first AP. To describe this first aspect and possible embodiments of the first aspect, an example is used in which the method is implemented by a first AP. According to this method, a first AP generates a radio frame containing an MLE element, wherein the MLE element contains information about a first MLD device, the MLE element contains first information such that the first information identifies the first MLD device; and this first AP transmits the specified radio frame.

Based on the above technical solution, in the process of communication in a WLAN network, a radio frame transmitted by the first AP contains an MLE element for transmitting information regarding the first MLD device, this MLE element contains first information for identifying the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain information regarding the first MLD device from the specified MLE element based on the first information after receiving this radio frame. In other words, after receiving the radio frame, the radio frame receiver can determine, based on the first information, that the MLE element corresponds to the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain, based on the MLE element, information about stations connected to several communication channels to which the first MLD device is connected, so that the radio frame receiver communicates with this first MLD device.

In addition, compared with an implementation in which a field indirectly designating an MLD device corresponding to an MLE element is transmitted at a position other than the MLE element in a radio frame (for example, the Basic Service Set Identifier Index (BSSID Index) is transmitted in multiple BSSID-Index element in a multiple BSSID element in a radio frame to indirectly indicate the MLD with which the AP/STA is affiliated corresponding to the MLE element in the multiple BSSID element where that point is The AP/STA is designated by an SSID), in the above embodiment, since the MLE element contains the first information (in other words, the first information is carried within the MLE element), the radio frame receiver can determine, based on this MLE element, the MLD device corresponding to this to the MLE element, without any need to receive an indirect indication from outside the MLE element, so that the radio frame receiver receives information about the stations included in the first MLD device. This improves communication efficiency.

A second aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a method for receiving radio frames useful for communications in WLAN networks. This method is carried out by a station (STA), or this method is carried out by a component (eg, a processor, an integrated circuit (chip) or an integrated circuit system on a chip) in the STA station equipment. To describe this second aspect and possible embodiments of the second aspect, an example is used in which the method is carried out by an STA. According to this method, an STA receives a radio frame from a first access point AP, where this radio frame contains an MLE element such that this MLE element carries information about a first multi-link device MLD, this MLE element contains first information such that this first information identifies the first MLD device; and the STA obtains information about the first MLD device from the MLE based on the first information.

Based on the above technical solution, in the process of communication in a WLAN network, the STA serves as a receiver of radio frames. The radio frame received by the STA from the first AP contains an MLE element for transmitting information regarding the first MLD device, and the MLE element contains first information for identifying the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain information regarding the first MLD device from the MLE element based on the first information after receiving the radio frame. In other words, after receiving the radio frame, the radio frame receiver can determine, based on the first information, that the MLE element corresponds to the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain, based on the MLE element, information about stations connected to several communication channels to which the first MLD device is connected, so that the radio frame receiver communicates with this first MLD device.

In addition, compared with an implementation in which a field indirectly designating an MLD device corresponding to an MLE element is transmitted at a position other than the MLE element in a radio frame (for example, the Basic Service Set Identifier Index (BSSID Index) is transmitted in multiple BSSID-Index element in a multiple BSSID element in a radio frame to indirectly indicate the MLD with which the AP/STA is affiliated corresponding to the MLE element in the multiple BSSID element where that point is The AP/STA is designated by an SSID), in the above embodiment, since the MLE element contains the first information (in other words, the first information is carried within the MLE element), the radio frame receiver can determine, based on this MLE element, the MLD device corresponding to this to the MLE element, without any need to receive an indirect indication from outside the MLE element, so that the radio frame receiver receives information about the stations included in the first MLD device. This improves communication efficiency.

A third aspect of embodiments of the present application provides a radio frame transmission apparatus useful for WLAN communications. The apparatus may in particular be a first AP or a component (eg, a processor, an integrated circuit (chip) or an integrated circuit system on a chip) of the first AP. The first AP contains a transceiver module and a processor module. The processing module is configured to generate a radio frame, where the radio frame contains a multi-channel MLE element, this MLE element carries information regarding a first multi-channel MLD device, this MLE element contains first information, and this first information identifies the first MLD device. The transceiver module is configured to transmit a radio frame from the first AP.

Based on the above technical solution, in a WLAN communication process, a radio frame transmitted by the transceiver module contains an MLE element for transmitting information relative to the first MLD device, where this MLE element contains first information for identifying the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain information regarding the first MLD device from this MLE element based on the first information after receiving the radio frame. In other words, after receiving the radio frame, the radio frame receiver can determine, based on the first information, that this MLE element corresponds to the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain, based on the MLE element, information about stations connected to several communication channels to which the first MLD device is connected, so that the radio frame receiver communicates with this first MLD device.

In addition, compared with an implementation in which a field indirectly designating an MLD device corresponding to an MLE element is transmitted at a position other than the MLE element in a radio frame (for example, the Basic Service Set Identifier Index (BSSID Index) is transmitted in multiple BSSID-Index element in a multiple BSSID element in a radio frame to indirectly indicate the MLD with which the AP/STA is affiliated corresponding to the MLE element in the multiple BSSID element where that point is The AP/STA is designated by an SSID), in the above embodiment, since the MLE element contains the first information (in other words, the first information is carried within the MLE element), the radio frame receiver can determine, based on this MLE element, the MLD device corresponding to this to the MLE element, without any need to receive an indirect indication from outside the MLE element, so that the radio frame receiver receives information about the stations included in the first MLD device. This improves communication efficiency.

A fourth aspect of embodiments of the present application provides an apparatus for receiving radio frames used for WLAN communications. The device may particularly be an STA, or any component (eg, a processor, an integrated circuit (chip), or an integrated circuit system on a chip) of an STA. The device contains a transceiver module and a processor module. The transceiver module is configured to receive a radio frame from a first access point AP, where the radio frame contains a multi-channel MLE element, this MLE element carries information regarding a first multi-channel MLD device, this MLE element contains first information, and this first information identifies the first MLD device. . The processor module is configured to obtain information regarding the first MLD device from the MLE element based on the first information.

Based on the above technical solution, in the process of communication in a WLAN network, the device for receiving radio frames serves as a receiver of radio frames. The radio frame received by the transceiver module in the receiving equipment includes an MLE element for transmitting information regarding the first MLD device, and this MLE element contains first information for identifying the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain information regarding the first MLD device from this MLE element based on said first information after receiving the radio frame. In other words, after receiving the radio frame, the radio frame receiver can determine, based on the first information, that the MLE element corresponds to the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain, based on the MLE element, information about stations connected to several communication channels to which the first MLD device is connected, so that the radio frame receiver communicates with this first MLD device.

In addition, compared with an implementation in which a field indirectly designating an MLD device corresponding to an MLE element is transmitted at a position other than the MLE element in a radio frame (for example, the Basic Service Set Identifier Index (BSSID Index) is transmitted in multiple BSSID-Index element in a multiple BSSID element in a radio frame to indirectly indicate the MLD with which the AP/STA is affiliated corresponding to the MLE element in the multiple BSSID element where that point is The AP/STA is designated by an SSID), in the above embodiment, since the MLE element contains the first information (in other words, the first information is carried within the MLE element), the radio frame receiver can determine, based on this MLE element, the MLD device corresponding to this to the MLE element, without any need to receive an indirect indication from outside the MLE element, so that the radio frame receiver receives information about the stations included in the first MLD device. This improves communication efficiency.

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, the first AP is not affiliated with the first MLD.

Based on the above technical solution, the MLE element included in the radio frame represents information regarding the MLD device, and the first AP serves as a sender of the radio frame and is not affiliated with the first MLD device. In other words, the device (which may be a single-channel device or a multi-channel access point device) in which the first AP is located is a device different from the first MLD device. Therefore, the above technical solution can be applied in a scenario in which the first AP transmits information regarding another MLD device (first MLD device). The radio frame receiver may also obtain, when the radio frame receiver is not associated with the first AP, information regarding the first MLD device based on the radio frame transmitted by the first AP.

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the embodiments of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, the first MLD device is an MLD device in which the second AP is located in the same set of BSSIDs as the first AP. The radio frame further includes a multi-BSSID element, and this multi-BSSID element contains index information regarding the BSSID for the second AP, where the amount of this index information regarding the BSSID for the second AP is the same as the amount of the first information.

Optionally, the description that the first MLD device is an MLD device in which the second AP is located in the same set of BSSIDs where the first AP is located may also be expressed as follows: The first MLD device contains a second AP located in the same set of several Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) as the first AP.

Based on the above technical solution, when the first AP is not affiliated with the first MLD device, the first MLD device may be particularly an MLD device in which the second AP is located in the same BSSID set where the first AP is located. so that a Multiple BSSID element (also called multiple BSSID element) in a radio frame transmitted by the first AP may carry information regarding the second AP. The multiple BSSID element may carry BSSID index information for the second AP. Therefore, if the first MLD device corresponding to the MLE element in the radio frame contains the second AP, the amount of BSSID index information for the second AP in the multi-BSSID element is the same as the amount of the first information in the MLE element, to indicate that the information regarding the second AP in the multi-BSSID element and the information carried in the MLE element correspond to the same MLD (the first MLD).

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the embodiments of the present application from the first aspect to the fourth aspect, the specified MLE element contains a first profile element for the STA (Per-STA profile), this first profile for the STA contains information regarding the third point AP, and this third AP is affiliated with the first MLD device. The value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP when the first profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the third AP.

As an option, the Non-inheritance element in the first profile element for the STA does not contain the first element.

As an option, the first profile element for the STA is a fully configured element. In other words, the value of the Complete Profile field in the first profile element for the STA is 1.

Optionally, a description that the magnitude of the first element for the third AP is the same as the magnitude of the first element for the second AP when the first profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the third AP may also be expressed as follows : When the first element for a station (second AP) in a multi-BSSID element transmitted in a radio frame transmitted by the reporting station (first AP) is not present in the full profile element of the reported station (third AP), it is considered that this first element is part of the full profile element of the reported station, and the magnitude of the first element in the multi-BSSID element is the same as the magnitude of the first element in the full profile element of the reported station, unless that full profile element The reported station does not contain a non-hereditary element and the first element is present in this non-hereditary element.

Based on the above technical solution, the first MLD device may further contain a third AP different from the second AP, where the MLE element contains a first profile element for the STA for transmitting information about the third AP. Since some information about different APs in the same MLD is the same, when the first profile element for an STA does not contain the first element for the third AP, the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP points. Therefore, the first element for the third AP can inherit the first element for the second AP. This causes the radio frame receiver to determine the first element for the third AP based on the first element for the second AP transmitted in the multi-BSSID element.

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, the MLE element further comprises a first field. The first value of the first field indicates that the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP.

Based on the above technical solution, the MLE element may further include a first field. The second value of the first field indicates that the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP. In this approach, the radio frame receiver determines, based on the first field in the MLE element, that the first element for the third AP can inherit the first element for the second AP. In other words, the radio frame receiver determines, based on the first field in the MLE element, that the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP.

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the embodiments of the present application from the first aspect to the fourth aspect, the first field is located in the Multi-Link Control field in the MLE element, or the first field is located in the Common Info field ) in the MLE element.

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, the value of the first element for the second AP is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP.

Optionally, the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is located in the Frame body of the radio frame in question.

Optionally, the Non-inheritance element in the element for the second AP in an element with multiple BSSIDs does not contain the first element.

Optionally, the element for the second AP in a multi-BSSID element is a fully configured element. In other words, the value of the Complete Profile field in an element for the second AP in an element with multiple BSSIDs is 1.

Optionally, a description that the value of the first element for the second AP is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP may also be expressed as follows: When the element for the second AP in an element with multiple BSSIDs does not contain the first element for the second AP point, the value of the first element for the second AP point is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP point. Alternatively, this description may be expressed as follows: when the first element included (information designating the first element for the first AP) in the radio frame transmitted by the reporting station (the first AP) is not present in the full profile element for the second point AP in a multi-BSSID element, that first element is considered to be part of a full profile element for a second AP in a multi-BSSID element, and the value of the first element in a full profile element for a second AP in a multi-BSSID element is the same as the value of the first element in the radio frame, unless the full profile element for the second AP in the multi-BSSID element contains a non-legacy element and the first element is present in the non-legacy element.

Based on the above technical solution, since some information regarding different APs in the same set of multiple BSSIDs is the same, when the multi-BSSID element does not contain the first element for the second AP, the value of the first element for the second AP is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP point. Therefore, the first element for the second AP can inherit the first element for the first AP. This assists the radio frame receiver in determining the first element for the third AP based on the first element of the first AP transmitted in the radio frame.

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, the first MLD device includes a fourth AP. The radio frame further contains a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element, this RNR element contains information regarding the fourth AP and contains second information to identify the first MLD device. The amount of the first information is the same as the amount of the second information.

Based on the above technical solution, the radio frame further includes an RNR element for reporting specified information regarding the fourth AP, where this RNR element contains second information for identifying the first MLD device with which the fourth AP is affiliated, and the value of the first information is the same as as the value of the second information. Therefore, if the first MLD device corresponding to an MLE element in a radio frame contains a fourth AP, the value of the second information in the RNR element for identifying the first MLD device with which the fourth AP is associated is the same as the value of the first information in the MLE element. to indicate the fact that the information regarding the fourth AP in the RNR element and the information carried in the MLE element correspond to the same MLD device (the first MLD device).

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the embodiments of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, the MLE element contains a second profile element for the STA, and the second profile element for the STA contains information regarding one of the APs in the first device MLD. The value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP when the second profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for that AP in the first MLD device.

Optionally, the first MLD device may comprise at least one of the following APs: a second AP, a third AP, and/or a fourth AP; or the first MLD device may contain another AP (eg, another neighboring AP); or this first MLD may contain a may AP corresponding to any profile element for the STA carried in the MLE. It doesn't stop here.

Optionally, the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is located in the Frame body of the radio frame.

Optionally, the Non-inheritance element in the second profile element for the STA does not contain the specified first element.

As an option, the second profile element for the STA is a fully configured element. In other words, the value of the Complete Profile field in the second profile element for the STA is 1.

Optionally, a description of the fact that the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP when the element of the second profile for the STA does not contain the first element for the specified AP in the first device MLD can be expressed as follows: When the first element included (information indicating the first element for the first AP) in a radio frame transmitted by the reporting station (the first AP) is not present in the full profile element of the reported station ( AP point in the first MLD device), the first element is considered to be part of the overall profile element of the station being reported, and the magnitude of such first element in the radio frame is the same as the value of the first element in the overall profile element for the station being reported. is reported unless that full profile element for the reported station contains a non-hereditary element and the first element is present in the non-hereditary element.

Based on the above technical solution, the MLE element contains a second profile element for the STA to transmit information regarding the AP in the first MLD device. Since some information regarding the first MLD and the first AP (or the MLD in which the first AP is located) is the same, when the second profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for any AP in the first MLD, the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP. Therefore, the first element for an AP in the first MLD device may inherit the first element for the first AP. This assists the radio frame receiver in determining the first element for the AP in the first MLD device based on the first element for the first AP included in the radio frame.

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, the MLE element further comprises a first field. The second value of this first field indicates that the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP.

Based on the above technical solution, the MLE element may further include a first field. The first value of this first field indicates that the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP. In this approach, the radio frame receiver determines, based on the first field in the MLE element, that the first element for the AP in the first MLD device can inherit the first element for the first AP. In other words, the radio frame receiver determines, based on the specified first field in the MLE element, that the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP.

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, the first AP is affiliated with the first MLD device.

Based on the above technical solution, the MLE element included in the radio frame represents information regarding the first MLD device, and the first AP serves as a sender of the radio frame and is affiliated with the first MLD device. In other words, the first AP is one of the APs located in the first MLD. Therefore, such a solution can be applied to a scenario in which a first AP transmits information regarding an MLD device (first MLD device) in which the first AP is located. The radio frame receiver may obtain, if the radio frame receiver is associated with the first AP, information regarding the first MLD device based on the radio frame transmitted by the first AP.

In addition, compared with the embodiment in which the MLE element in the radio frame contains, by default, information regarding the MLD device in which the sender of the radio frame is located and does not contain indication information, in this technical solution, since the first information in this MLE element indicates the MLD device corresponding to this MLE element, the radio frame receiver can determine based on the first information that the MLD device corresponding to the first MLE element is the MLD device in which the first AP is located. In addition, such a solution can also be used in a scenario in which a radio frame contains MLE elements corresponding to MLD devices other than the sender of the radio frame. In other words, based on establishing the first information, this solution is applicable to a scenario in which a radio frame contains multiple MLE elements corresponding to multiple MLD devices (including the MLD device in which the sender of this radio frame is located, in other words, the first MLD device).

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, the MLE element contains a common information field such that the first information is located in the common information field.

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, said first information is a multi-link device identifier (MLD ID) field.

Optionally, the first information may be a field with a different name, such as a multi-channel identifier, a multi-channel device index, or a multi-channel index.

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, the radio frame further includes a fragment element located adjacent to the MLE element. The MLE element contains a first piece of information regarding the first MLD device, and the fragment element contains a second piece of information regarding the first MLD device.

Based on the above technical solution, in the process of communication in a WLAN network, the length of information that an MLE element can transmit may be fixed (for example, 255 octets). Therefore, situations where a single MLE element is not sufficient to convey information regarding the first MLD device may arise primarily due to length limitations. In such a case, different pieces of information regarding the first MLD device may be separately conveyed in the MLE element and in one or more fragment elements adjacent to that MLE element, such that the information regarding the first MLD device is transmitted in its entirety.

In addition, compared with an implementation in which different pieces of information regarding the first MLD device are transmitted in multiple non-contiguous subelements, that is, transmitted at positions other than the MLE element, in a radio frame (for example, information regarding the same device The MLD is transmitted in different subelements from data segments relative to multiple nontransmitted BSSID Profile subelement in an element with multiple BSSIDs in a radio frame), in the above technical solution, since the MLE element and one or more fragment information segments are located in the radio frames adjacent to each other, a radio frame receiver may obtain information regarding the same MLD device from an MLE element and one or more fragment information segments adjacent to said MLE element, rather than separately reading information from multiple non-contiguous sub-elements, such that the radio receiver frame receives information regarding stations from the first MLD device. This improves communication efficiency.

As an option, the number of information elements included in a fragment element is 1, this fragment element contains a length field, and the value of this length field is not greater than 255.

Optionally, a fragment element contains n information elements, the value of the length field in each information element except the last information element of the collection of n information elements is 255, where n is an integer greater than 1.

In one possible embodiment of any one of the aspects of the first aspect through the fourth aspect of the present application, the radio frame is an ML Probe Response frame.

Based on the above technical solution, the proposed communication method can be applied in the process of multi-channel sensing. After receiving the ML Probe Request frame, the first AP may generate and transmit an ML Probe Request frame to carry out the multi-channel probing process.

A fifth aspect of embodiments of the present application provides communications equipment comprising at least one processor. The at least one processor is coupled to a storage device, the storage device being configured to store a program or instructions. The at least one processor is configured to execute the program or instructions such that the hardware implements the method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible embodiments of the first aspect, or the hardware implements the method according to the second aspect or any one of the possible embodiments implementation of the second aspect.

A sixth aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more computer-executable instructions. When the processor executes said computer-executable instructions, the processor implements a method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible embodiments of the first aspect, or the processor implements the method according to the second aspect or any one of the possible embodiments of the second aspect.

A seventh aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a computer program product (or also referred to as a computer program) storing one or more computer instructions. When a processor executes the computer product, the processor implements a method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible embodiments of the first aspect, or the processor implements the method according to the second aspect or any one of the possible embodiments of the second aspect.

The eighth aspect of the embodiments of the present application proposes an integrated circuit system-on-chip. The integrated circuit system-on-chip comprises at least one processor configured to support a communication device in performing functions according to the first aspect or any one of possible embodiments of the first aspect, or configured to support a communication device performing functions according to the second aspect or whichever. - one of the possible options for implementing the second aspect.

In one possible embodiment, the system-on-chip integrated circuit further includes a storage device. This storage device is configured to store program instructions and data required by the communication device. This integrated circuit system-on-chip may contain an integrated circuit (chip), or may contain an integrated circuit and another discrete component. Optionally, the system-on-chip integrated circuit further comprises an interface circuit such that the interface circuit provides software instructions and/or data to the at least one processor.

The ninth aspect of the embodiments of the present application proposes a communication system. The communication system comprises communication equipment according to the third aspect and communication equipment according to the fourth aspect, and/or the communication system contains communication equipment according to the fifth aspect.

For information regarding the technical effects of any embodiments of aspects five through nine, please refer to the description of the technical effects of various embodiments of aspects one through four. The details will again not be described here.

From the above technical solutions, it can be understood that in the process of communication in a WLAN network, a radio frame transmitted by an AP contains an MLE element for transmitting information regarding the first MLD device, where this MLE element contains first information for identifying the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain information regarding the first MLD device from the MLE element based on said first information after receiving the radio frame. In other words, upon receiving the radio frame, the radio frame receiver can determine, based on the first information, that the MLE element in question corresponds to the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain, based on the MLE element, information about stations connected to several communication channels to which the first MLD device is connected, so that the radio frame receiver communicates with the first MLD device.

In addition, compared with an implementation in which a field indirectly designating an MLD device corresponding to an MLE element is transmitted at a position other than the MLE element in a radio frame, this field (for example, the BSSID Index ) is transmitted in a Multiple BSSID-Index element in a radio frame to indirectly indicate the MLD with which the AP/STA corresponding to the MLE element in the Multiple BSSID element is affiliated, where this AP/STA is designated by an SSID), in the above embodiment, since the MLE element contains the first information (in other words, the first information is carried within the MLE element), the radio frame receiver can determine, based on this MLE element, the MLD device , corresponding to this MLE element, without any need to receive an indirect indication from outside this MLE element, so that the radio frame receiver receives information about the stations included in the first MLD device. This improves communication efficiency.

Brief description of drawings

Fig. 1 represents a simplified diagram of a communication system according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 2 represents a simplified multi-channel association diagram according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 3 represents a simplified diagram of a radio frame according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 4a represents another simplified diagram of a radio frame according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 4b represents another simplified diagram of a radio frame according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 5 represents another simplified diagram of a communication system according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 6 is a simplified diagram of a communication method according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 7 represents another simplified diagram of a radio frame according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 8 represents another simplified diagram of a radio frame according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 9 represents another simplified diagram of a radio frame according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 10 represents another simplified diagram of a radio frame according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 11 represents another simplified diagram of a radio frame according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 12 represents another simplified diagram of a radio frame according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 13 represents another simplified diagram of a radio frame according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 14 represents another simplified diagram of a radio frame according to one embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 15 is a simplified diagram of a communication device according to one embodiment of the present application; And

Fig. 16 shows another simplified diagram of a communication device according to one embodiment of the present application.

Carrying out the invention

In embodiments of this application, mutual references between embodiments may be made to identical or similar parts. In embodiments of this application and in embodiments of methods according to these embodiments, unless otherwise specified or a logical conflict arises, terms and/or descriptions are consistent and cross-references may be made between different embodiments and between embodiments of methods within these embodiments. Technical features of different variants or implementations of methods in these variants can be combined to form new variants of implementation or methods of implementation in accordance with internal logical relationships. The following description of embodiments does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of the present application.

It can be understood that in some scenarios, certain optional features in embodiments of the present application may be implemented independently of other features, for example, in the technical solution on which these optional features are currently based, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Alternatively, in some scenarios, these optional features are combined with other features according to the requirements of a particular task. Accordingly, hardware provided in embodiments of the present application may also implement these features or functions in an appropriate manner. The details will not be described here.

As used herein, the term “several of” means two or more than two, unless otherwise defined. “At least one of the following objects (segments)” or a similar expression means any combination of single objects (segments) or more objects (segments). For example, at least one object (segment) of a, b or c may mean: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b and c, where these a, b and c can be singular or plural.

In addition, to clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used in these embodiments to distinguish between the same objects or similar objects performing substantially the same functions or serving the same goals. One skilled in the art will understand that terms such as “first” and “second” do not limit the number or sequence of execution, nor do terms such as “first” and “second” denote a clearly defined distinction. In addition, in embodiments of the present application, an expression such as “example” or “for example” is used to represent an example, illustration or description. Any embodiment or implementation designated as “example” or “for example” in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as preferable or advantageous over any other embodiment or implementation. More precisely, the use of expressions such as “example” or “for example” is intended to present the relevant concept in a concrete way to facilitate understanding.

To facilitate understanding of the method proposed in the embodiments of this application, the following describes a system architecture for implementing this method according to the embodiments of this application. It may be understood that the system architecture contemplated by the embodiments of this application is intended to more clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application and does not constitute any limitations on the technical solutions proposed by the embodiments of this application.

The technical solutions proposed in this application are applicable to the WLAN communication scenario, for example, applicable to the IEEE 802.11 family of communication system standards, for example, 802.11a/b/g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax or the following 802.11ax standard generation, for example, 802.11be or other newer next-generation standards.

Although embodiments of the present application are described using the example of a deployed WLAN network, in particular, a network using IEEE 802.11 family of standards, one skilled in the art will readily understand that aspects of the present application can be extended to other communication networks using a variety of standards or protocols, for example, such as Bluetooth, high performance radio LAN (HIPERLAN) (which is a radio standard similar to IEEE 802.11 and is used mainly in Europe), wide area network (WAN), personal area network (personal area network, PAN) or other communications networks, both already known and those that will be developed in the future. Therefore, various aspects proposed in this application are applicable to any suitable radio communication network regardless of coverage area and radio access protocols.

Alternatively, embodiments of the present application may be applicable to a radio local area network system, such as an Internet of things (IoT) network or a Vehicle to X (V2X) network. Of course, embodiments of the present application are applicable to other possible communication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE), frequency division duplex (FDD) LTE, frequency division duplex (FDD) LTE. time division duplex (TDD), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), world wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), 5th generation communication system (5G) ) and to the future 6th generation (6G) communication system.

The above-mentioned communication systems used in the present application are merely examples for description here and are not limited to the above list. Here is a general description. The details will not be described again below.

The method and device for transmitting radio frames and the method and device for receiving radio frames proposed in the embodiments of this application can be applied in a radio communication system. The radio communication system may be a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a cellular network. The method may be implemented by a communication device in a radio communication system, or by an integrated circuit (chip) or a processor in a communication device. Such a communication device may be a radio communication device capable of carrying out parallel transmissions over multiple communication channels. For example, such a communication device is called a multi-link device (MLD) or multi-band device. Compared to a device that supports transmissions on only one communication channel, a multi-channel device has higher transmission efficiency and higher throughput.

In FIG. 1 shows a simplified diagram of a communication system according to one of the variants of this application.

As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system primarily comprises at least a Multi-link AP device and at least one Multi-link non-AP STA device ( for short - multi-channel station device). These multi-channel access point device and multi-channel station device may be collectively referred to as multi-channel devices. The following is a description of such a multi-channel device.

A multi-channel device contains one or more affiliated stations (denoted as an “affiliated station STA”). An affiliate station STA is a logical station and can operate on one communication channel. An affiliate station can be an access point (AP) or a non-access point station (non-AP STA). For ease of understanding, in this application, a multi-link device whose affiliate station is an AP may be referred to as a multi-link AP or an AP multi-link device (AP MLD), and a multi-link non-AP STA device) whose affiliate station is a non-AP STA may be called a multi-channel STA or a multi-channel STA device. For ease of description, the words "multichannel device includes an affiliated station STA" may also be briefly written in embodiments of this application as "multichannel device includes an STA."

It should be noted that a multi-channel device contains several logical stations, and each of these logical stations operates on a single communication channel, however, multiple logical stations can operate on the same communication channel. The link identifier mentioned below represents one station operating on one link. In other words, if there is more than one station operating on the same link, more than one link identifier is used to represent the more than one station. The communication channel mentioned below sometimes also represents a station operating on that communication channel.

During data transmission between a multi-channel AP device and a multi-channel STA, a communication channel identifier may be used to identify one communication channel or one station operating on that single communication channel. Before communication occurs, the multi-channel AP and the multi-STA may agree or exchange messages with each other regarding the correspondence between a communication channel identifier and the communication channel itself or a station operating on that communication channel. Therefore, during data transmission, a communication channel identifier is transmitted to designate a communication channel or a station operating on that communication channel, rather than transmitting a large amount of signaling information for such designation. This reduces signaling overhead and improves transmission efficiency.

In one example, a multi-channel AP device may transmit a control frame, such as a beacon frame, during the process of establishing a basic service set (BSS), where the control frame transmits elements containing multiple link identifier information fields so that it can a correspondence be established between the communication channel identifier and the station operating in the communication channel in each information field of the communication channel identifiers. Each of the link identifier information fields contains a link identifier and further contains one or more of the following parameters: a medium access control (MAC) address, a class of operation, and a link number, where these one or more parameters are MAC -address, work class and communication channel number may indicate the communication channel. In another example, in the process of establishing a multi-channel association, the multi-channel AP device and the multi-channel station device negotiate several fields of communication channel identifier information. During subsequent communication, the AP multichannel device or station multichannel device may represent the station in the multichannel device using a communication channel identifier, and this communication channel identifier may further represent one or more of the attributes station MAC address, operating class, and channel number communications. This MAC address may alternatively be replaced by the AP multilink device association identifier associated with the station.

If multiple stations operate on the same communication channel, that communication channel identifier (which is a digital ID) not only represents the set of operations and channel number corresponding to the specified communication channel, but also represents the identifier of the station operating on the communication channel in question, for example, MAC- address or association identifier (AID) for this station.

The multi-channel device can communicate in accordance with the protocols of the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. For example, a multi-channel device may be an extremely high throughput (EHT) station, or an IEEE 802.11be standard station, or a station that supports some other standard as well as this IEEE 802.11be standard. and this station communicates with another device. Of course, this other device may or may not be a multi-channel device.

The non-AP MLD device in this application may be a radio integrated circuit (chip), a wireless (radio) sensor, or a radio terminal. For example, examples of non-AP MLD devices include a user terminal, user equipment, access equipment, subscriber station, subscriber unit, mobile station, user agent, and user equipment capable of Wi-Fi communications. The user terminal may be any of a variety of devices capable of radio communication, such as a hand-held device, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, an Internet of things (IoT) device, a computer device, another processing device, connected radio modem, and user equipment (UE) in various forms, mobile station (MS), terminal, terminal equipment, portable communications device, handheld device, portable computing device, entertainment device, gaming device or system, global positioning system (GPS) device, any other suitable device configured to communicate with a network via a radio link, or the like. In addition, a non-AP MLD device may support 802.11be or some next-generation WLAN standard beyond 802.11be. A non-AP MLD device can also support multiple WLAN standards, such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

An MLD AP in embodiments of the present application may be equipment deployed in a radio network to provide a radio function for a non-AP device associated with that MLD AP. AP MLD devices are deployed primarily in homes, indoors, and on campuses, so typical coverage ranges range from tens of meters to hundreds of meters. Of course, the AP MLD device can alternatively be deployed outdoors. This AP MLD device is equivalent to a bridge connecting a cable network to a wireless (radio) network, and is configured primarily to connect wireless network clients together and then connect the radio network to the Ethernet network. In particular, the MLD AP may be a communications device having a Wi-Fi integrated circuit (chip), such as a base station, router, gateway, repeater, communications server, switch, or bridge. The base station may take various forms, such as a macro base station, a micro base station, a repeater station, or the like. In addition, the MLD AP can support 802.11be or the next generation WLAN standard beyond 802.11be. This AP MLD can support WLAN standards such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

As described above, the multi-channel access point device and the multi-channel station device can communicate with each other using multiple radio frames, for example, an association request frame, a reassociation request frame, and a probing response frame. Different radio frames may contain a multi-link element (MLE) to convey information regarding a station in a multi-link device. An MLE element may also be referred to as a multi-channel information block.

The following uses the multi-channel device association procedure as an example to describe a particular implementation of an association request frame used in the association process. As shown in FIG. 2, in the process of establishing a multi-channel connection (or multi-channel association), one station in the multi-channel station device may transmit an association request frame to one access point in the multi-channel access point device, where this association request frame contains an MLE element for transmitting information regarding the current station in the multi-channel station device. and information regarding another station in this multi-channel device. Likewise, the association response frame returned by the access point to the station address may also contain an MLE element for conveying information regarding the current access point in the multi-channel access point device and information regarding another access point in the multi-channel device.

The above content briefly describes the system architecture of the embodiments of this application. For a better understanding of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the following describes content related to the embodiments of this application.

I. MLE Element Format

In FIG. Figure 3 shows a simplified diagram of the MLE element format. This MLE element contains an Element ID field (for example, the value of this field could be 255, as shown in Fig. 3), a Length field, an Element ID Extension field, a multi-channel control field ( Multi-Link Control), common information field (Common Info) and information field regarding communication channels (Link info). The common information field contains general information regarding multiple stations in a multi-channel device and information regarding a multi-channel device. The channel information field contains information regarding a station in each communication channel in a multi-channel device. The multi-channel control field contains an indication of the type of multi-channel element and indication information indicating which fields are not present in the general information field.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the link information field may further comprise one or more profile fields for the STA (Per-STA profile). In FIG. 3 shows an example in which the number of profile fields for an STA is x (x is greater than 1). Each profile field for an STA may further contain a subelement ID field (for example, the value of the subelement ID field may be 0, as shown in FIG. 3), a Length field, and a Data field. .

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the data field may further comprise a station control field (STA Control), a station information field (STA Info), and a station profile field (STA Profile).

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the STA profile field contains several fields. For example, in FIG. 3 the number of fields is m (x is greater than 1). The STA station profile field further contains several elements (Element). For example, in FIG. 3 the number of elements is n (n is greater than 1). In addition to this, the STA profile field further contains a Non-inheritance element (if present).

However, as shown in FIG. 3, the length of content that can be transmitted by an MLE element is limited, and the specific length of that MLE element is indicated by a length field in that MLE element. Specifically, the length field specifies the number of octets following the length field in the MLE element. For example, the size of the length field in an MLE element is 8 bits, indicating a length of 0 to 255 octets. However, the length of information that needs to be carried in an MLE element can exceed 255 octets, as a result of which only one MLE element is no longer sufficient to convey multi-channel device information.

In addition, information regarding a station in each communication channel in a multi-channel device is conveyed in a profile subelement for the STA in the communication channel information field, while the length of each profile for the STA is also limited. For example, the size of the length field in the profile for an STA is 8 bits, so the data field can contain a maximum of 255 octets. However, the station information on each link may be longer than 255 octets, resulting in only one STA profile being insufficient to convey the station information on each link.

II. Multiple BSSIDs

Today's 802.11 standard supports the properties of a multiple basic service set identifier set, multiple BSSID, or may be called a multiple BSSID set. The basic function of a set of multiple BSSIDs is to form multiple virtual APs in a single device to serve different types of STAs. These multiple virtual APs can be managed centrally to reduce management costs.

A set of multiple BSSIDs may be a combination of multiple cooperative APs such that all of the cooperative APs use the same class of operation, the same channel number, and the same antenna port. In general, in a set of multiple BSSIDs, there is an AP corresponding to a Transmitted BSSID and APs corresponding to a Nontransmitted BSSID. Information about a set of multiple BSSIDs (that is, a member with multiple BSSIDs) is conveyed in a management frame (eg, a beacon frame, a probe response frame, or a neighbor report) sent by the AP with the transmitted AP BSSID. The BSSID information regarding an AP with a non-transmitted BSSID is determined based on the multi-BSSID element or similar information in the received beacon frame, probe response frame, or neighbor report.

In addition, according to the multiple BSSID technology, one physical AP can be virtualized and converted into multiple logical APs. Each AP manages one set of BSSs. Different APs typically have different SSIDs and permissions, such as security mechanisms or transmission capabilities. One BSSID corresponding to one virtual AP from a plurality of multiple APs obtained through virtualization is configured as a Transmitted BSSID. This virtual AP may be called a Transmitted AP. BSSIDs corresponding to other APs are configured as non-transmittable BSSIDs. These virtual APs may be called nontransmitted APs. In general, multiple APs corresponding to a single element with multiple BSSIDs can also be understood as multiple cooperative AP devices resulting from the virtualization of a single AP device. Only one AP whose BSSID is the transmitted BSSID can transmit a beacon frame and a Probe Response frame. If a Probe Request frame sent by an STA is addressed to an AP whose BSSID is a non-transmitted BSSID from a set of multiple BSSIDs, the AP whose BSSID is a broadcast BSSID shall assist in response via probing response frame. A beacon frame transmitted by an AP whose BSSID is a broadcast BSSID contains an element with multiple BSSIDs, and APs whose BSSID is a non-transmitted BSSID cannot transmit a beacon frame. Association identifiers (AIDs) assigned by multiple APs to stations managed by those multiple APs share the same space, which means that AIDs assigned to stations managed by multiple APs cannot be the same.

As an option, as shown in Table. 1, a multi-BSSID element contains the following fields: element ID, length, maximum BSSID indicator, and sub-elements. The value (n) of the maximum BSSID indicator field is intended to calculate the maximum number of 2^n (in other words, 2 to the power of n) BSSIDs included in a set of multiple BSSIDs. The option subelements contain information about each non-transferable BSSID. The receiving end may calculate the value of each BSSID in a set of multiple BSSIDs based on the reference BSSID, the maximum BSSID indicator, and the BSSID index. Each BSSID contains 48 bits. The value represented by the most significant (48-n) bits in each BSSID in a set of multiple BSSIDs is equal to the value represented by the most significant (48-n) bits in the reference BSSID and the value represented by the least significant n bits in each identifier The BSSID in a set of multiple BSSIDs is obtained by performing a modulo operation on the sum of the least significant n bits of the reference BSSID and the x index value of the BSSID multiplied by 2^n. The reference BSSID (transmitted BSSID) is sent in the BSSID field in a MAC layer header for a frame (eg, a beacon frame) containing a multi-BSSID element. The specific calculation method is described in the 802.11-2016 standard.

Table 1

Element ID Length Maximum BSSID indicator Subelements that are options Number of octets 1 1 1 Variable

Table 2 contains the “option subelements” shown in Table. 1.

table 2

Subelement ID Name Expandable 0 Non-transmittable BSSID profile Non-expandable 1-220 Reserved 221 Vendor specific Vendor defined 222-255 Reserved

As an option, in Table. 2, Nontransmitted BSSID profile contains a list of elements for one or more APs or directional multi-gigabit stations (DMG STA) having non-transmitted BSSIDs .

As an option, in Table. 2, the non-transmittable BSSID profile contains, but is not limited to, the following elements.

1. For each non-transmittable BSSID, a non-transmittable BSSID capability element and a variable number of elements are included in the beacon frame.

2. A service set identifier (SSID) element and a multi-index BSSID element are included. An element with multiple BSSID indexes contains a BSSID index field.

3. If an element with multiple BSSIDs is transmitted in a beacon frame, it additionally includes an element with a First Missing PDCP SN descriptor (FMS Descriptor).

4. The following elements are not included: The Timestamp and Beacon Interval fields, the direct sequence spread spectrum parameter set (DSSS Parameter Set), the independent basic service set parameter set ( independent basic service parameter set, IBSS Parameter Set, Country, Channel Switch Announcement, Extended Channel Switch Announcement, Wide Bandwidth Channel Switch, Envelope Transmit Power Envelope and Supported Operating Classes, IBSS DFS, ERP Information, high throughput capabilities (HT Capabilities), HT Operation, capabilities VHT Capabilities, VHT Operation, SIG Beacon Compatibility, Short Beacon Interval, SIG Capabilities, SIG (SIG Operation (11ah)) and other similar elements. These elements have the same values as the corresponding elements for the AP with the transmitted BSSID.

5. Enabled non-inheritance element (optional), appearing as the last element. A non-inherited element contains identifiers (IDs) and element ID extension numbers for a sequence of elements that the non-transferable BSSID cannot be inherited from the transmitted BSSID. It should be noted that the specific content of the elements is omitted here. In particular, as shown in Table. 3, a non-legacy element contains the following fields: element ID, length, element ID extension, element ID extension list, and element ID extension list. The element ID extension number is only present when the element ID field value is 255.

Table 3. Non-hereditary element

1 octet 1 octet 1 octet One or more octets One or more octets Element ID Length Element ID extension List of element identifiers (IDs) List of element identifier (ID) extensions

One example of implementing a frame format for a multi-BSSID element to convey a set of multiple BSSIDs may be shown in FIG. 4a.

As shown in FIG. 4a, the radio frame structure contains two adjacent elements with multiple BSSIDs (Multiple BSSID element). Each of these multiple BSSID elements contains the following fields: an Element ID field (for example, the value of the element ID field is 71, as shown in Fig. 4a), a length field, a maximum BSS set ID indicator field ( Max BSSID Indicator) and the Nontransmitted BSSID Profile subelement field, or called the non-transmitted BSSID profile. There are 9 or more BSSID profile sub-element fields (0 or more Nontransmitted BSSID Profile). In FIG. 4a shows an example that uses a number of non-transmittable BSSID profile sub-element fields equal to i (where i is greater than 1).

Next, as shown in FIG. 4a, subelement i of the non-transferable BSSID profile (BSS i) contains a subelement ID field (eg, the value of this subelement ID field is 0), a length field, and a data field.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4a, the data field contains a Nontransmitted BSSID Capability element field, a Service Set Identifier element (SSID element), a Multiple BSSID-Index element, one or more elements, and a non-hereditary element ( if present). In the example shown in FIG. 4a, the non-transmittable BSSID profile sub-element i in the 1st multi-BSSID element contains elements 1 to L (L is greater than 1), and the non-transferable BSSID profile sub-element i in the 2nd multi-BSSID element contains elements with (L +1) along Y (Y is greater than L).

In the example implementation shown in FIG. 4a, in the Data portion of the non-transmittable BSSID profile sub-element, stations (STAs/APs) corresponding to elements “Element 1” to “Element L” in this Data portion may be identified by the Basic Service Set Identifier Index (BSSID Index) in the Multiple BSSID-Index element.

In particular, a multi-BSSID element contains information about multiple virtual APs in the set of multiple BSSIDs to which the AP belongs. The length field is 8 bits, which means that this element can contain a maximum of 255 octets. However, the length of information regarding multiple virtual APs may exceed 255 octets. Therefore, multiple elements with multiple BSSIDs each are used to convey information regarding multiple APs. As shown in FIG. 4a, the 1st multi-BSSID element contains the first part of information about the sets BSS 1 to BSS i, and the 2nd multi-BSSID element contains the remaining part of the information about BSS i and the information about BSS (i+1) . The contents of these two elements with multiple BSSIDs can be combined to obtain information about the sets BSS 1 to BSS (i+1). The information regarding each BSS begins with an element about the capabilities of the non-transmittable BSSID.

III. Combination of multiple BSSIDs and multilink

For a device that supports both multilink and a set of multiple BSSIDs, a collection of multiple BSSIDs may exist on each communication link, and APs from different sets of multiple BSSIDs may form an MLD, but the transmitted BSSIDs are not necessarily located in one and the same MLD device.

An example of the implementation of the structure of such a device is shown in Fig. 5.

For example, in the scenario shown in FIG. 5, there are four AP MLD devices. The AP device MLD1 contains an AP number BSSID-1x (corresponding to the L1 link), an AP number BSSID-2y (corresponding to the L2 link) and an AP number BSSID-3 (corresponding to the L3 link). The MLD2 AP device contains an AP number BSSID-1z (corresponding to the L1 link), an AP number BSSID-2x (corresponding to the L2 link) and an AP number BSSID-4y (corresponding to the L4 link). The MLD3 AP device contains an AP number BSSID-1y (corresponding to the L1 link), an AP number BSSID-2z (corresponding to the L2 link) and an AP number BSSID-4x (corresponding to the L4 link). The MLD4 AP device contains an AP with the number BSSID-4z (corresponding to the L4 communication channel). It should be noted that the communication channel number and communication channel identifier in the drawing are not formed according to the same principle. A link identifier represents a group of the following parameters to identify a specific AP: a set of operations, a link number, and the MAC address (or BSSID) of the AP.

For example, an AP number ending in "x" is the AP corresponding to the BSSID being transmitted, and an AP number not ending in "x" (such as "y" or "z") is the AP corresponding to the non-transmitted BSSID. More specifically, the set of multiple BSSIDs 1 for communication channel 1 includes a transmitted BSSID, namely BSSID-1x, and non-transmitted BSSIDs, namely BSSID-1z and BSSID-1y; a set of multiple BSSIDs 2 for communication channel 2 includes a transmission BSSID, namely BSSID-2x, and transmission BSSIDs, namely BSSID-2z and BSSID-2y; communication channel 3 contains BSSID-3 (which is considered not to belong to a set of multiple BSSIDs, so there is no need to distinguish between the transmitted BSSID and the non-transmitted BSSID); and the set of multiple BSSIDs 4 for the communication channel 4 comprises a transmittable BSSID, namely BSSID-4x, and non-transmitable BSSIDs, namely BSSID-4z and BSSID-4y.

For ease of description, the entry "AP corresponding to BSSID-n" below will be abbreviated to "AP-n". In the scenario shown in FIG. 5, n could be 1x, 1y, 1z, 2x, 2y, 2z, 3, 4x, 4y, 4z or another similar number.

In some implementation procedures, in the implementation scenario shown in FIG. 5, if the AP-1x serves as a reporting AP (radio frame sender), the radio frame sent by the AP-1x may contain an MLE element corresponding to the MLD device (AP MLD1) in which the AP-1x is located. This MLE element contains information regarding several stations (including AP-2y and AP-3) in the MLD1 AP. The frame format for the MLE element transmitted in the specified radio frame may be the same as in the implementation process shown in FIG. 3. In general, the MLE element transmitted in this radio frame is, by default, the MLE element corresponding to the MLD device in which the reporting AP is located. Therefore, the radio frame receiver determines (without the need to include additional indication information) that the MLE element transmitted in the radio frame corresponds to the MLD device in which the reporting AP is located.

For example, an AP-1x may feedback a probe response frame in response to a probe request frame from a station (STA). By default, the MLE element included in the probe response frame corresponds to the multi-link access point device (AP MLD1) with which the AP-1x that sent the probe response frame is affiliated, meaning that the information carried in the MLE element is the information relative to the multi-channel access point device with which the AP that transmitted the radio frame in question is affiliated (information regarding stations AP-2y and AP-3).

However, in this scenario, the AP-1x may need to loop back information regarding another MLD in the radio frame. For example, a probe request frame from an STA requests information regarding the MLD device (MALD2 AP or MLD3 AP) with which the AP is affiliated, corresponding to the nontransmitted BSSID on the communication link where the AP-1x is located. In this case, how the AP-1x feeds back the radio frame is a pressing technical issue that needs to be addressed urgently.

In FIG. 6 shows a simplified diagram of the communication method according to the present application. The method contains the following steps. It can be understood that, as shown in FIG. 6, this communication method refers to radio frame transmission. Therefore, this communication method may also be called a radio frame sending method or called a radio frame receiving method.

S101: A device for transmitting (sending) radio frames generates a radio frame.

In the present embodiment, the device for transmitting radio frames generates a radio frame in step S101. The radio frame contains an MLE element, this MLE element contains information regarding a first MLD device, this MLE element contains first information, and this first information identifies a first MLD device.

The device for transmitting the radio frame may be a first AP, or a component (eg, a processor, an integrated circuit (chip), or an integrated circuit system on a chip) in the first AP.

S102: The radio frame transmitting (sending) apparatus transmits the radio frame.

In the present embodiment, after generating a radio frame in step S101, the radio frame transmitting device transmits the radio frame generated by it in step S102. Accordingly, the radio frame receiving apparatus receives the specified radio frame in step S102.

The device for transmitting (sending) the radio frame may be an STA, or a component (eg, a processor, an integrated circuit (chip) or an integrated circuit system on a chip) in the STA.

Optionally, the first AP may perform preprocessing before sending the radio frame and send the result of this preprocessing in step S102. For example, this transmission preprocessing may comprise encryption, scrambling, or other similar operation. Accordingly, the STA may receive this processing result (obtained by preprocessing the radio frame by the first AP before sending) and perform reception preprocessing on this result in step S102 to obtain the radio frame. For example, the reception preprocessing may comprise decryption, descrambling, or other similar operation.

S103: The radio frame receiving apparatus obtains information regarding the first MLD device from the MLE element based on the first information.

In one possible implementation, the radio frame is an ML Probe Response frame. Specifically, the communication method shown in FIG. 6, can be applied in the multi-channel sensing process. After receiving the ML Probe Request frame, the first AP may generate and transmit an ML Probe Request frame to carry out the multi-channel probing process.

In one possible implementation, in the MLE element included in the radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102, the first information is a multi-link device identifier (MLD ID) field. In particular, the first information may alternatively be a field with a different name, such as a multi-channel identifier, a multi-channel device index, or a multi-channel index.

For example, the MLE element included in the radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102 contains a common information field, and the first information may be located in this common information field. In FIG. 7 shows an example of the implementation of the MLE element format in a radio frame. The definitions of the elements/fields shown in FIG. 7 can be found in the above description of FIG. 3. The first information may be located in the “Common Info” in the “Multi-link element” in the “Frame Body” in the radio frame. In FIG. 7 uses an example in which the first information is called “multi-channel device identifier (MLD ID)”.

In one possible implementation, at step S102, the MLE element transmitted in the radio frame corresponds to the first MLD device identified by the first information, the first AP serves as the reporting AP (sender) of the radio frame, and the association relationship between the first AP and the first MLD device can be implemented in different ways. For example, a first information value (MLD ID field) equal to 0 indicates that the MLE element in the radio frame in question contains information regarding the MLD device in which the first AP is located. A first information value (MLD ID field) equal to another value indicates that the MLE element in the radio frame contains information regarding another MLD device.

Optionally, the "other MLD device" may be an MLD device collocated with the first AP. The phrase "collocated MLD device" with the first AP can refer to an MLD device located in the same physical device as the first AP. Further, the first AP can learn, without having to perform signal detection or measurement, an attribute of the MLD device collocated with the first AP.

Optionally, the "other MLD" may alternatively be an MLD with which another AP is affiliated in the same set of multiple BSSIDs as the first AP, or it may be an MLD with which the AP is affiliated. another AP carried in the RNR element in the radio frame by the first AP, or some other possible implementation. It doesn't stop here.

The following is a description using specific examples.

Case 1: The first AP is not affiliated with the first MLD.

Specifically, the MLE element included in the radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102 represents information regarding the first MLD device, and the first AP serves as a sender of the radio frame and is not affiliated with the first MLD device. In other words, the device (which may be a single-channel device or a multi-channel access point device) in which the first AP is located is a device different from the first MLD device. Therefore, the present solution can be applied in a scenario in which the first AP transmits (sends) information regarding another MLD device (first MLD device). The radio frame receiver may also obtain, in step S103, if the radio frame receiver is not affiliated with the first AP, information regarding the first MLD based on the radio frame transmitted by the first AP.

For example, the scenario shown in FIG. 5 is used as an implementation example. For example, AP-1x serves as a reporting AP (the first AP transmitting a radio frame in step S102). When the first AP is not affiliated with the first MLD device, the first MLD device may be an MLD AP device other than the MLD1 AP device, for example, an MLD2 AP device, an MLD3 AP device, or an MLD4 AP device.

In addition, if the first AP is not affiliated with the first MLD device, the first MLD device may have multiple implementations. The following is a description using specific examples.

In one possible implementation for Option 1, the first MLD device is an MLD device that hosts a second AP belonging to the same set of BSSIDs as the first AP.

For example, the scenario shown in FIG. 5 is used as an implementation example. For example, AP-1x serves as a reporting AP (the first AP transmitting a radio frame in step S102). When the first AP is not affiliated with the first MLD, the first MLD may be an MLD to which an AP is affiliated, where the AP and the AP-1x are connected to the same link. In other words, the first MLD device is an AP MLD2 with which AP-1z is affiliated, or an AP MLD3 with which AP-1y is affiliated.

In this embodiment, the radio frame transmitted (sent) by the first AP in step S102 further includes a multiple BSSID element. This multi-BSSID element contains index information regarding the BSSID for the second AP, and the amount of this index information regarding the BSSID for the second AP is the same as the amount of the first information.

Optionally, a description of the fact that the first MLD is an MLD containing a second AP from the same set of BSSIDs as the first AP may be expressed as follows: The first MLD contains the second AP , belonging to the same set of Basic Service Set Identifiers (BSSIDs) as the first AP.

In particular, when the first AP is not affiliated with the first MLD device, the first MLD device may be an MLD device in which a second AP is located belonging to the same set of BSSIDs as the first AP, such that the multi-unit element The BSSID (Multiple BSSID element, also called multiple BSSID element) in the radio frame transmitted by the first AP may contain information regarding the second AP. This multi-BSSID element may contain index information regarding the BSSID for the second AP. Therefore, if the first MLD device corresponding to the MLE element in the radio frame contains a second AP, the amount of index information regarding the BSSID for the second AP in the multi-BSSID element is the same as the amount of the first information in the MLE element, to indicate that the fact that the information regarding the second AP in the multi-BSSID element and the information carried in the MLE element correspond to the same MLD device (the first MLD device).

The format shown in FIG. 8 is an example implementation of a multi-BSSID element included in a radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102. The definitions of the elements/fields shown in FIG. 8 can be found in the above description of FIG. 4a. In particular, when the sub-element (BSS 1) of the non-transmittable BSSID profile shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the BSS set for the second AP, then the Multiple BSSID-Index element in the Data part of the sub-element (BSS 1) of the non-transferable BSSID profile contains the BSSID Index to identify the BSSID index for the second AP. In such a case, in the radio frame transmitted in step S102, the first AP sets the same amount of index information regarding the BSSID for the second AP in the multi-BSSID element as the amount of the first information in the MLE element to indicate the fact that the information regarding the second AP in the multiple BSSID element and the information carried in the MLE element correspond to the same MLD device (the first MLD device).

The format shown in FIG. 9 is an example implementation of a multi-BSSID element and a Multi-link element (MLE) included in a radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102. The definitions of the elements/fields shown in FIG. 9 can be found in the above description of FIG. 3 and Fig. 4a. In particular, as shown in FIG. 9, the two fields indicated by the dashed frames have the same value, which means that the value of the "BSSID index" field in the multi-BSSID element is the same as the value of the "MLD device identifier" field (" MLD ID") in a multi-channel element.

In one possible implementation, the MLE element included in the radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102 contains a first profile element for the STA, this first profile element for the STA contains information regarding the third AP, and the third AP affiliated with the first MLD device. The value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP when the first profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the third AP.

For example, the scenario shown in FIG. 5 is used as an implementation example. For example, AP-1x serves as a reporting AP (the first AP transmitting a radio frame in step S102). When the first AP is not affiliated with the first MLD, the first MLD may be an MLD to which some other AP is affiliated, where the AP and the AP-1x are connected to the same link. In other words, the first MLD device is an AP MLD2 with which AP-1z is affiliated, or an AP MLD3 with which AP-1y is affiliated. Assuming that the first MLD device is an AP MLD2 device with which AP-1z is affiliated, the second AP may be AP-1z and the third AP may be AP-2x or AP-4y.

Optionally, the Non-inheritance element in the first profile element for the STA does not contain the specified first element.

Optionally, the first profile element for the STA is a fully configured element. In other words, the value of the Complete Profile field in the first profile element for the STA is 1.

Optionally, a description of the fact that the magnitude of the first element for the third AP is the same as the magnitude of the first element for the second AP when the first profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the third AP may also be expressed as follows : When the first element for a station (second AP) in a multi-BSSID element included in a radio frame transmitted by the reporting station (first AP) is not present in the full profile element for the reported station (third AP), that said first element is considered to be part of a full profile element for the reported station, and that the value of that first element in the multiple BSSID element is the same as the value of the first element in the full profile element for the reported station, unless the full profile element for the reported station carries a non-hereditary element and the first element is present in that non-hereditary element.

In particular, the first MLD device may further comprise a third AP different from the second AP, wherein the MLE element comprises a first profile element for the STA for transmitting information regarding the third AP. Since some information regarding different APs in the same MLD is the same, when the first profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the third AP, the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP points. Therefore, the first element for the third AP can inherit the first element for the second AP. This assists the radio frame receiver in determining the first element for the third AP in step S103 based on the first element for the second AP transmitted in the multi-BSSID element.

In addition, the MLE element included in the radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102 may further include a first field. The first value of this first field indicates that the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP. In particular, the MLE element may further comprise a first field. The first value of this first field indicates that the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP. In this approach, the radio frame receiver determines, based on the first field in the MLE element in step S103, that the first element for the third AP can inherit the first element for the second AP. In other words, the radio frame receiver determines, based on the first field in the MLE element in step S103, that the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP.

Next, the first field is located in the Multi-Link Control field in the MLE element, or the first field is located in the Common Info field in the MLE element.

The format shown in FIG. 10 is an example implementation of a multi-BSSID element and a Multi-link element (MLE) included in a radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102. The definitions of the elements/fields shown in FIG. 10 can be found in the above description of FIG. 3 and Fig. 4a. In FIG. 10, for example, the first field is called “Inheritance Mode” (where this first field may alternatively be called something else). The first field is located in the “Common Info” field in the “Multi-Link element (MLE)”.

The format shown in FIG. 11 is another implementation example. Unlike the format shown in FIG. 10, the first field in the frame structure shown in FIG. 11, is located in the “Multi-Link Control” field in the “Multi-Link element (MLE)”.

In one possible embodiment, the value of the first element for the second point AP is the same as the value of the first element for the first point AP.

Optionally, the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is located in the Frame body of the radio frame.

Optionally, the Non-inheritance element in the element for the second AP in a multi-BSSID element does not contain the specified first element.

Optionally, the element for the second AP in a multiple BSSID element is a fully configured element. In other words, the value of the Complete Profile field in this element for the second AP in an element with multiple BSSIDs is 1.

Optionally, a description of the fact that the magnitude of the first element for the second AP is the same as the magnitude of the first element for the first AP may also be expressed as follows: When the element for the second AP in an element with multiple BSSIDs does not contain the first element for the second AP point, the value of the first element for the second AP point is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP point. Alternatively, this description may be expressed as follows: when the first element included (information designating the first element for the first AP) in the radio frame transmitted by the reporting station (the first AP) is not present in the full profile element for the second AP in a multiple BSSID element, that first element is considered to be part of the full profile element for the second AP in the multiple BSSID element, and that the value of this first element in the full profile element for the second AP in the multiple BSSID element is the same as the value of such first element in the radio frame, unless that full profile element for the second AP in the multi-BSSID element contains a non-legacy element and the first element is present in that non-legacy element.

Based on the above technical solution, since some information regarding different APs in the same set of multiple BSSIDs is the same, when the multi-BSSID element does not contain the first element for the second AP, the value of that first element for the second AP is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP point. The first element for the second AP can inherit the first element for the first AP. This assists the radio frame receiver in determining the first element for the third AP in step S103 based on the first element for the first AP transmitted in the radio frame.

In another possible implementation of Option 1, the first MLD device contains a fourth AP, where information regarding this fourth AP is transmitted in an RNR element in the radio frame.

The radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102 further contains an RNR element, where this RNR element contains information regarding the fourth AP and contains second information for identifying the first MLD device. The amount of the first information is the same as the amount of the second information. In particular, the radio frame further contains an RNR element for reporting information regarding the fourth AP. The RNR element contains second information identifying the first MLD with which the fourth AP is affiliated, and the value of the first information is the same as the value of the second information. Therefore, if the first MLD device corresponding to an MLE element in a radio frame contains a fourth AP, the value of the second information in the RNR element for identifying the first MLD device with which the fourth AP is associated is the same as the value of the first information in the MLE element. to indicate that the information regarding the fourth AP in the RNR element and the information carried in the MLE element correspond to the same MLD device (the first MLD device).

Optionally, the first MLD device may comprise at least one of the following APs: a second AP, a third AP, and/or a fourth AP; or the first MLD device may contain another AP (eg, another neighboring AP); or the first MLD may contain an AP corresponding to any profile element for the STA carried in the MLE. It doesn't stop here.

In FIG. Figure 12 shows an example implementation of an RNR element.

In particular, for an AP, the abbreviated neighbor report element is transmitted in a control frame, for example, in a beacon frame or in a probing response frame. During scanning, the STA receives an association frame sent by an AP to obtain information about surrounding APs, and then selects a suitable AP for association.

It should be noted that in this embodiment and in subsequent embodiments, a neighbor AP may specifically be one of the APs located around the AP (denoted here as a target AP) that has transmitted the specified Reduced neighbor report element. abbreviated element RNR). For example, a neighbor AP is an AP connected to another link in the MLD AP device in which the target AP is located. As another example, a neighboring AP is an AP adjacent to a target AP. As another example, a neighboring AP is an AP detected in the operating area of a target AP. As another example, a neighboring AP is an AP that is Co-located with the target AP. Alternatively, the AP point is determined in another way. This is not specifically limited here.

In particular, the RNR element indicates information about one or more neighboring APs on a particular channel. FIG. 12 shows a frame format for an RNR element containing an Element ID field and a Length field indicating the length of the information to be transmitted. In addition, each RNR element contains information fields about one or more neighboring APs (Neighbor AP info). The following will describe the information included in each AP neighbor information field with reference to FIG. 12. Each AP neighbor information field contains the following information.

1. Header field for information about target beacon transmission times (target beacon transmission times information header, TBTT info Header).

2. Operating Class field: Indicates the operating class to which the operating channel of the reporting neighbor AP belongs. In this field, values such as 0 and 255 are reserved.

3. Channel Number field: which indicates the channel number corresponding to the operating channel of the reporting neighbor AP. Here, the value 0 in the channel number field is reserved. In addition, the STA can determine the specific channel location of the AP in the frequency range based on the operation class field and the channel number field.

4. TBTT info set field: which contains one or more TBTT information fields. In addition, the frame format for each TBTT information field may be implemented in the embodiment shown in FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 12, each TBTT information field may contain the following information.

a. Neighbor AP TBTT offset field: This field indicates the offset between the beacon timings for the reporting neighbor AP's BSS and the beacon timings for the reporting BSS. This shift is measured in time units (TU), and one TU unit is equal to 1024 μs (microseconds) or 1 ms (millisecond). A value of 254 indicates an offset of 254 TU units or more, and a value of 255 indicates an unknown offset amount. The number of bits occupied by this field can be equal to 1.

b. BSS Set Identifier (BSSID) Field: The field indicates the BSS Set ID corresponding to the reporting BSS. The number of octets occupied by this field can be 0 or 6. This field is optional.

c. Short Service Set Identifier (Short SSID) field: The field indicates the identifier of the service set to which the BSS belongs. The number of octets occupied by this field can be 0 or 4. This field is optional.

d. BSS Parameter Field: The field indicates the parameter related to the BSS set. The number of octets occupied by this field can be 0 or 1. This field is optional.

e. 20 MHz power spectral density (PSD) field: The field indicates the maximum transmit power spectral density. This field is optional. The number of octets occupied by this field can be 0 or 1.

f. Multi-Link Device Parameters Field: This field specifies parameters specific to the MLD device. The number of octets occupied by this field can be 0 or 3. The MLD Device Parameters field contains the following subfields:

a multi-link device identifier (MLD ID) subfield, which occupies 8 bits and indicates the device identifier of the MLD AP; a Link ID subfield, which occupies 4 bits and indicates the Link ID corresponding to the reporting neighbor AP; BSS Parameters Change Count subfield, which occupies 8 bits and indicates the BSS parameter change count; and a Reserved subfield, which occupies 4 bits. When a key change occurs at the reporting AP, the number in the BSS set parameter change counter is incremented. Otherwise, the number in the BSS set parameter change counter remains unchanged.

Therefore, when the "multi-channel device identifier (MLD ID) subfield" in the multi-channel device parameters (MLD Parameters) field shown in FIG. 12 corresponds to the first MLD device in which the fourth AP is located, the “multi-channel device identifier (MLD ID) subfield” in the MLD Parameters field identifies the first MLD device with which the fourth AP is affiliated. In such a case, in the radio frame transmitted in step S102, the first AP sets the same value of the “multi-channel device identifier (MLD ID) subfield” in the MLD Parameters field as the value of the first information in the MLE element to indicate that the first MLD device with which the fourth AP is affiliated is identified by the "MLD ID subfield" in the MLD Parameters field, and that the information carried in the MLE element corresponds to the same MLD device (to the first MLD device).

Further, the MLE included in the radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102 contains a second profile element for the STA, so that the second profile element for the STA carries information regarding the AP in the first MLD. The value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP when the second profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the AP in the first MLD device.

Optionally, the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is located in the Frame body of the radio frame.

Optionally, the Non-inheritance element in the second profile element for the STA does not contain the specified first element.

As an option, the second profile element for the STA is a fully configured element. In other words, the value of the Complete Profile field in the second profile element for the STA is 1.

Optionally, a description of the fact that the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP when the second profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the AP in the first MLD device can also be expressed as follows: When the first element included (information indicating the first element for the first AP) in the radio frame transmitted by the reporting station (the first AP) is not present in the complete profile element for the reporting station (the AP in the first MLD device), this first element is considered to be part of a full profile element for the reported station, and the magnitude of this first element in the radio frame is the same as the magnitude of the first element in the full profile element for the reported station, unless the full profile element for the reported station contains a non-legacy element and the specified first element is present in the non-legacy element.

Based on the above technical solution, the MLE element contains a second profile element for the STA to transmit information regarding the AP in the first MLD device. Since some information regarding the first MLD is the same as corresponding information regarding the first AP (or the MLD in which the first AP is located), when the second profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the AP in the first MLD, the value of the first element for the point AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first point AP. Therefore, the first element for an AP in the first MLD device may inherit the first element for the first AP. This assists the radio frame receiver in determining the first element for the AP in the first MLD device in step S103 based on the first element for the first AP transmitted in the radio frame.

In addition, the MLE element may further include a first field. The second value of the first field indicates that the value of the first element for a point in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first point AP. In particular, the MLE element may further comprise a first field. The second value of the first field indicates that the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP. In this approach, the radio frame receiver determines, based on the first field in the MLE element in step S103, that the first element for the AP in the first MLD device can inherit the first element for the first AP. In other words, the radio frame receiver determines, based on the first field in the MLE element in step S103, that the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP.

Optionally, refer to the above descriptions (including FIG. 10 and FIG. 11) for a description of the procedure for implementing the first field. The details will again not be described here.

Option 2: The first AP is affiliated with the first MLD.

In Option 2, the MLE element included in the radio frame represents information regarding the first MLD device, and the first AP serves as the sender of the radio frame and is affiliated with this first MLD device. In other words, the first AP is one of the APs in the first MLD. Therefore, such a solution can be applied in a scenario in which the first AP transmits information regarding the MLD device (first MLD device) in which the first AP is located. The radio frame receiver may obtain, in step S103, if the radio frame receiver is associated with the first AP, information regarding the first MLD based on the radio frame transmitted by the first AP.

In addition, compared with the implementation in which the MLE element in the radio frame contains, by default, information regarding the MLD device where the sender of the radio frame is located, and does not contain indication information, in this technical solution, since the first information in the element MLE designates an MLD device corresponding to this MLE element, the radio frame receiver can determine in step S103, based on the first information, that the MLD device corresponding to the first MLE element is an MLD device in which the first AP is located. In addition, such a solution can also be used in a scenario in which a radio frame contains MLE elements corresponding to MLD devices other than the sender of the radio frame. In other words, based on establishing the first information, this solution is applicable to a scenario in which a radio frame contains multiple MLE elements corresponding to multiple MLD devices (including the MLD device in which the sender of the radio frame is located, in other words, the first MLD device).

For example, the scenario shown in FIG. 5 is used as an implementation example. For example, AP-1x serves as a reporting AP (the first AP transmitting a radio frame in step S102). When the first AP is affiliated with the first MLD device, the first MLD device may be an AP device MLD1, which means that the information regarding the first MLD device carried in the MLE element contains information regarding the stations AP-2y and AP-3.

In conclusion, based on the description of Option 1 and Option 2, it can be understood that the radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102 contains an MLE element for transmitting information regarding the first MLD device, where this MLE element contains first information for identifying the first MLD device . Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain information regarding the first MLD device from the MLE element based on the first information in step S103 after receiving the radio frame. In other words, after receiving the radio frame, the radio frame receiver can determine, based on the first information, that the MLE element corresponds to the first MLD device in step S103. Compared to an implementation in which a radio frame cannot carry an MLE element corresponding to another MLD device, because the MLE element in this radio frame contains, by default, information regarding the MLD device in which the sender of the radio frame is located, and does not contain indication information , in this technical solution, based on establishing the first information, an MLE element transmitted in a radio frame may contain an MLE element corresponding to an MLD device other than the sender of the radio frame. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain, based on the MLE element, information about stations,

connected to multiple communication channels to which the first MLD device is connected, such that the radio frame receiver communicates with the first MLD device.

In addition, compared with an implementation in which a field indirectly designating an MLD device corresponding to an MLE element is transmitted at a position other than the MLE element in a radio frame (for example, the Basic Service Set Identifier Index (BSSID Index) is transmitted in multiple BSSID-Index element in a multiple BSSID element in a radio frame to indirectly indicate the MLD with which the AP/STA is affiliated corresponding to the MLE element in the multiple BSSID element where that point is The AP/STA is designated by an SSID), in the above embodiment, since the MLE element contains the first information (in other words, the first information is carried within the MLE element), the radio frame receiver can determine, based on this MLE element, the MLD device corresponding to this to the MLE element in step S103, without any need to receive an indirect indication from outside the MLE element, so that the radio frame receiver obtains information about the stations included in the first MLD device in step S103. This improves communication efficiency.

In the implementation scenario shown in FIG. 5, if an AP-1x serves as a reporting AP (sender of a radio frame), the radio frame transmitted by this AP-1x may contain MLE elements corresponding to the MLD devices (AP MLD2 and AP MLD3) in which the other points are located APs belonging to the same set of multiple BSSIDs (set of multiple BSSIDs 1 on link 1) as AP-1x, one of these MLE elements, contains information regarding multiple stations (including AP-2x and AP4y) in the MLD2 AP, and another MLE element contains information about several stations (including AP-2z and AP-4x) in the MLD3 AP.

The MLE element for transmitting multi-station information (including AP-2x and AP-4y) in an MLD2 AP device is used as an example. This MLE element is carried in the Data part of the profile sub-element of the non-transmittable BSSID (BSS set i, in other words, the BSS set corresponding to point AP-1z) in the format shown in FIG. 4a. For example, this MLE element is located in any one of the elements - from “Element 1 (Element 1)” to “Element L (Element L)”.

Due to limitations on the length of each "Element", when the MLD2 AP device contains a large amount of information, multiple non-transmittable BSSID profile sub-elements may be used to convey a single MLE element corresponding to the MLD2 AP device. For information about the implementation procedure, please refer to the implementation example shown in FIG. 4b. Compared with the implementation procedure shown in FIG. 4a, procedure in FIG. 4b details that the “Element L” in the Data portion of the non-transmittable BSSID profile sub-element contains an MLE element portion (for an example implementation of an MLE element, please refer to the description of FIG. 3), and the “L+ element 1 (Element L+1)" in the Data portion of another non-transferable BSSID profile subelement contains another portion of that MLE element. From the above description of It FIG. 4a, it can be understood that the Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID Index) in the Multiple BSSID-Index element can identify the station (STA/AP) corresponding to elements "Element 1" to " element L (Element L)” in the data part (Data). In other words, in the implementation example shown in FIG. 4b, the BSSID Index value of the Multiple BSSID-Index element is the BSSID of AP-1z, to indirectly indicate that the MLE element carried by “Element L” ) and element L+1 (Element L+1)” belongs to the MLD device with which the AP-1z point is affiliated.

However, in the example implementation shown in FIG. 4b, if an MLE element transmitted in a radio frame needs to be fragmented due to a large length, since the transmission in the case of fragmentation of an MLE element transmitted in an element with multiple BSSIDs is complex, the parsing complexity becomes high for the radio frame receiver.

Therefore, according to the communication method shown in FIG. 6, the above problem can be solved by improving the information transmitted in a radio frame.

In one possible implementation, the radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102 further contains a fragment element adjacent to the MLE element. The MLE element contains a first piece of information regarding the first MLD device, and the fragment element contains a second piece of information regarding the first MLD device.

In particular, during WLAN communication, the length of information that an MLE element can transmit may be fixed (eg, 255 octets). Therefore, due to length limitations, a situation may arise where a single MLE element is not sufficient to convey information regarding the MLD device. In such a case, various pieces of information regarding the first MLD device may be separately transmitted in the MLE element and in one or more fragment elements adjacent to the MLE element, such that the information regarding the first MLD device is transmitted in its entirety.

In addition, compared to an implementation in which different pieces of information regarding an MLD device are transmitted in multiple non-contiguous subelements, that is, transmitted at locations other than the location of the MLE element in a radio frame, (e.g., information about the same the MLD device is transmitted in different subelements of data parts of several subelements of a non-transmitted BSSID Profile subelement in an element with multiple BSSIDs in a radio frame), in the above technical solution, since the MLE element and one or more segments of fragment information are located nearby in a radio frame, the radio frame receiver may obtain information regarding the same MLD device from the MLE element and one or more fragment information segments adjacent to the MLE element in step S103, rather than separately reading information from multiple non-adjacent sub-elements from for the purpose of obtaining station information regarding the first MLD device in step S103. This improves communication efficiency.

Compared with the implementation procedure shown in FIG. 4b, in the above technical solution, when the information carried in the MLE element in a radio frame is relatively long, fragmentation is required (for example, it is necessary to perform fragmentation when the length of the MLE element is greater than 255 octets). Since the MLE element is no longer located in a single element with multiple BSSIDs, as shown in FIG. 4b, but is outside this multi-BSSID element, there is no need to fragment this multi-BSSID element since this multi-BSSID element is no longer excessively long.

For example, when an MLE element is fragmented separately, the MLE element may be split into one MLE element and one or more fragment elements.

The format shown in FIG. 13 is one example implementation of a multi-BSSID element, a Multi-link element (MLE), and a Fragment element included in a radio frame transmitted by the first AP in step S102. The definitions of the elements/fields shown in FIG. 13 can be found in the above description of FIG. 3 and Fig. 4a.

In the example shown in FIG. 13, the number of information elements included in the fragment element is 1, this fragment element contains a length field, and the value of this length field is not more than 255.

The format shown in FIG. 14 is another example implementation. Unlike the frame structure shown in FIG. 13, the frame structure shown in FIG. 14, contains several fragment elements (Fragment element).

In the example shown in FIG. 14, the fragment element contains n information elements, the value in the length field of each of these n information elements except for the last information element is 255, where n is an integer greater than 1.

Above, the present application is described in terms of methods, and the following text describes the present application in terms of hardware.

In FIG. 15 shows a simplified diagram of communications equipment 1500 according to one embodiment of the present application. This communication equipment 1500 includes a processor module 1501 and a transceiver module 1502.

In one embodiment, communications equipment 1500 may be a radio frame transmission device configured to implement the radio frame transmission method of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. Accordingly, the processor module 1501 and the transceiver module 1502 may be configured to implement the following procedure.

Processing module 1501 is configured to generate a radio frame, where the radio frame comprises a multi-channel MLE element, the MLE element contains information regarding a first multi-channel MLD device, the MLE element contains first information, and the first information identifies the first MLD device.

Transceiver module 1502 is configured to transmit the specified radio frame to the first AP.

Based on the above technical solution, in the process of communication in a WLAN network, a radio frame transmitted by the transceiver module 1502 contains an MLE element for transmitting information regarding the first MLD device, where the MLE element contains first information for identifying the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain information regarding the first MLD device from the MLE element based on said first information after receiving the radio frame. In other words, after receiving the radio frame, the radio frame receiver can determine, based on the first information, that the MLE element corresponds to the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain, based on the MLE element, information about stations connected to several communication channels to which the first MLD device is connected, so that the radio frame receiver communicates with the first MLD device.

In addition, compared with an implementation in which a field indirectly designating an MLD device corresponding to an MLE element is transmitted at a position other than the MLE element in a radio frame (for example, the Basic Service Set Identifier Index (BSSID Index) is transmitted in multiple BSSID-Index element in a multiple BSSID element in a radio frame to indirectly indicate the MLD with which the AP/STA is affiliated corresponding to the MLE element in the multiple BSSID element where that point is The AP/STA is designated by an SSID), in the above embodiment, since the MLE element contains the first information (in other words, the first information is carried within the MLE element), the radio frame receiver can determine, based on this MLE element, the MLD device corresponding to this to the MLE element, without any need to receive an indirect indication from outside the MLE element, so that the radio frame receiver receives information about the stations included in the first MLD device. This improves communication efficiency.

In another implementation, communications equipment 1500 may alternatively be a radio frame receiving apparatus configured to implement the radio frame receiving method of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. Accordingly, the processor module 1501 and the transceiver module 1502 may be configured to perform the following procedures.

The transceiver module 1502 is configured to receive a radio frame from a first access point AP, where the radio frame contains a multi-channel MLE element, this MLE element contains information regarding a first multi-channel MLD device, this MLE element contains first information, and this first information identifies the first MLD device.

Processing module 1501 is configured to obtain information regarding the first MLD device from the MLE element based on the first information.

Based on the above technical solution, in the process of communication in a WLAN network, the device for receiving radio frames serves as a receiver of radio frames. The radio frame received by the transceiver module 1502 in the receiving equipment includes an MLE element for transmitting information regarding the first MLD device, and this MLE element contains first information for identifying the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain information regarding the first MLD device from the MLE element based on the first information after receiving the radio frame. In other words, after receiving the radio frame, the radio frame receiver can determine, based on the first information, that the MLE element corresponds to the first MLD device. Therefore, the radio frame receiver can obtain, based on the MLE element, information regarding stations connected to multiple communication channels to which the first MLD device is connected, so that the radio frame receiver communicates with the first MLD device.

In addition, compared with an implementation in which a field indirectly designating an MLD device corresponding to an MLE element is transmitted at a position other than the MLE element in a radio frame (for example, the Basic Service Set Identifier Index (BSSID Index) is transmitted in multiple BSSID-Index element in a multiple BSSID element in a radio frame to indirectly indicate the MLD with which the AP/STA is affiliated corresponding to the MLE element in the multiple BSSID element where that point is The AP/STA is designated by an SSID), in the above embodiment, since the MLE element contains the first information (in other words, the first information is carried within the MLE element), the radio frame receiver can determine, based on this MLE element, the MLD device corresponding to this to the MLE element, without any need to receive an indirect indication from outside the MLE element, so that the radio frame receiver receives information about the stations included in the first MLD device. This improves communication efficiency.

In one possible implementation, the first AP is not affiliated with the first MLD device.

In one possible implementation, the first MLD device is an MLD device in which a second AP is located that belongs to the same set of BSSIDs as the first AP. The radio frame further includes a multi-BSSID element, and the multi-BSSID element contains index information regarding the BSSID for the second AP, where the amount of index information regarding the BSSID for the second AP is the same as the amount of the first information.

Optionally, a description of the fact that the first MLD device is an MLD device in which a second AP is located, belonging to the same set of BSSIDs as the first AP, can be expressed as follows: The first MLD device contains the second point An AP belonging to the same set of multiple BSSIDs as the first AP.

In one possible implementation, the MLE element contains a first profile element for the STA (Per-STA profile), the first profile for the STA contains information regarding the third AP, and this third AP is affiliated with the first MLD device. When the first profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the third AP, the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP.

In one possible implementation, the MLE element further contains a first field. The first value of the first field indicates that the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP.

In one possible implementation, the first field is located in the Multi-Link Control field in the MLE element, or the first field is located in the Common Info field in the MLE element.

In one possible embodiment, the value of the first element for the second point AP is the same as the value of the first element for the first point AP.

Optionally, the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is located in the Frame body of the radio frame.

In one possible implementation, the first MLD device includes a fourth AP. The radio frame further contains a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element. This RNR element contains information regarding the fourth AP and contains second information to identify the first MLD device. The amount of this first information is the same as the amount of the second information.

In one possible implementation, the MLE element contains a second profile element for the STA, and this second profile element for the STA contains information regarding the AP in the first MLD device. When the second profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the AP in the first MLD, the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP.

Optionally, the first MLD device may comprise at least one of the following APs: a second AP, a third AP, and a fourth AP; or this first MLD device may contain another AP (eg, another neighboring AP); or this first MLD may contain an AP corresponding to any profile element for the STA carried in the MLE. It doesn't stop here.

Optionally, the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is located in the Frame body of the radio frame.

In one possible implementation, the MLE element further contains a first field. The second value of the first field indicates that the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD device is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP.

In one possible implementation, the first AP is affiliated with the first MLD device.

In one possible implementation, the MLE element contains a common information field, and the first information is located in this common information field.

In one possible implementation, the first information is a multi-link device identifier (MLD ID) field.

As an option, the first information may alternatively be a field under a different name, such as a multi-channel identifier, a multi-channel device index, or a multi-channel index.

In one possible implementation, the radio frame further contains a fragment element adjacent to the MLE element. The MLE element contains a first piece of information regarding a first device in the MLD, and the fragment element contains a second piece of information regarding a first device in the MLD.

Optionally, the number of information elements included in a fragment element is 1, this fragment element contains a length field, and the value of this length field is not greater than 255.

Optionally, a fragment element contains n information elements, the value of the length field in each information element except the last element of the collection of n information elements is 255, where n is an integer greater than 1.

In one possible implementation, the radio frame is an ML Probe Response frame.

It should be noted that the communication equipment 1500 may be further configured to implement the above other embodiments and achieve the corresponding beneficial effects. Please refer to the options above for details. The details will again not be described here.

In FIG. 16 is a simplified diagram of the structure of a communication device 1600 according to one embodiment of the present application. This communication device 1600 includes a processor 1601 and a transceiver 1602.

The communication device 1600 may be a radio frame transmission device, a radio frame reception device, or an integrated circuit (chip) in the radio frame transmission equipment or in the radio frame reception equipment.

In FIG. 16 shows only the main components of the communication device 1600. In addition to the processor 1601 and the transceiver 1602, the communication device may include a storage device 1603 and input/output hardware (not shown).

The processor 1601 is configured primarily to: process communication protocol and communication data, control all communication equipment, execute downloadable software programs, and process data from these programs. The storage device 1603 is configured primarily to store programs and data. Transceiver 1602 may include RF circuitry and an antenna. The high-frequency circuit is configured mainly to: perform conversion between a video signal and a high-frequency signal and process the high-frequency signal. The antenna is configured primarily to receive and transmit high frequency signal in the form of electromagnetic waves. Input/output hardware, such as a touch screen, display, or keyboard, is configured primarily to receive user input and output data to the user.

The processor 1601, the transceiver 1602, and the storage device 1603 may be connected via a communication bus.

After the communication device is powered on, processor 1601 can read a program from storage device 1603, interpret and execute instructions from that program, and process program data. When data needs to be transmitted wirelessly (via radio), processor 1601 processes the video data to be transmitted and transmits the video signal to the high frequency circuitry. This high-frequency circuit performs high-frequency video signal processing and then transmits the resulting high-frequency signal in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When the data is transmitted to the communications equipment, the RF circuitry receives the RF signal through an antenna, converts the RF signal into a video signal, and transmits the resulting video signal to the processor 1601. The processor 1601 converts the video signal into data for processing.

In any one of the above embodiments, processor 1601 may include a communication interface for performing receive and transmit functions. For example, this communication interface may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, or an interface circuit. Said transceiver circuit, interface or interface circuit for performing the reception and transmission functions may be separate or may be integrated together. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be configured to read and write code/data, or may be configured to transmit signals.

In any one of the above embodiments, processor 1601 may store instructions. These instructions may be a computer program. When this computer program is executed by the processor 1601, the communication device 1600 may implement the method described in the above method embodiments. This computer program may be stored in processor 1601. In such a case, processor 1601 may be implemented as hardware.

In one embodiment, the communication device 1600 may perform a transmit, receive, or communication function in any one of the above method variations. The processor and communication interface described herein may be implemented as an integrated circuit (IC), an analog integrated circuit (IC), a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), or a processing integrated circuit (IC). mixed signal, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), printed circuit board (PCB), electronic device, or other similar object. The processor and communication interface can be manufactured using various integrated circuit (IC) technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, N-channel metal oxide semiconductor structures (N-channel Metal-oxide-semiconductor, NMOS), metal-oxide-semiconductor structures with a P-type channel (positive channel metal oxide semiconductor, PMOS), bipolar transistors (Bipolar Junction Transistor, BJT), bipolar CMOS structures (BiCMOS ), silicon-germanium (SiGe) structures, and gallium arsenide (GaAs) circuits.

In another embodiment, the RF circuitry and antenna may be located independently of the video processor. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuitry and antenna may be located remotely and independently of the communications device.

The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be:

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

(2) a kit comprising one or more integrated circuits ICs, where optionally, the stack of IC circuits may further comprise a storage component for storing data and instructions;

(3) an ASIC circuit, such as a modem;

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

(5) receiver, intelligent terminal, radio communication device, hand-held device, mobile module, vehicle-mounted device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device; or

(6) other device or similar object.

During implementation, processor 1601 may be configured to perform, for example, but not limited to, video signal and data processing; and the transceiver 1602 may be configured to perform, for example, but not limited to, receiving and transmitting high frequency signals. The components listed above may be individually located on integrated circuits (chips) independently of one another, or at least some or all of the components may be located on the same integrated circuit (chip). For example, the processor may be further divided into an analog video processor and a digital video processor. The analog video processor and transceiver may be integrated on the same integrated circuit (chip), and the digital video processor may be located independently on the chip. As integrated circuit technology continues to evolve, more components can be integrated on the same integrated circuit (chip). For example, a video digital processor may be integrated on a single integrated circuit (chip) with multiple application processors (eg, but not limited to, a geometry processor and a media processor). Such an integrated circuit can be called a system on chip. Whether components are independently located on different integrated circuits (chips) or integrated on one or more integrated circuits usually depends on the specific requirements of the product design. The specific form of implementation of the above components is not limited to the considered version of this application.

Embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable medium for storing information. This computer-readable storage medium stores computer program code. When the processor executes this computer program code, the electronic device implements the method according to any one of the above embodiments.

Embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product. When the computer program product is operated on a computer, the computer implements a method according to any one of the above embodiments.

Embodiments of the present application further propose communications equipment. This communication device may be implemented in the form of an integrated circuit (chip). The hardware structure contains a processor and an interface circuit. The processor is configured to communicate with other hardware through an interface circuit so that the hardware can implement the method according to any one of the above embodiments.

Embodiments of the present application further propose a WLAN-based communication system comprising a device for transmitting radio frames and a device for receiving radio frames. The radio frame transmitting apparatus and the radio frame receiving apparatus may implement the method according to any one of the above embodiments.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in conjunction with the subject matter of this application may be implemented by hardware or may be implemented by a processor executing software instructions. These software instructions may contain a corresponding software module. This software module may be stored in a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory device, an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), in a register, on a hard disk, on a removable hard disk, in a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or on some other type of storage medium well known in the art. For example, an information storage medium is coupled to a processor such that the processor can read information from and write information to the medium. Of course, such a storage medium may be part of the processor. The processor and storage media may be located in an ASIC circuit. In addition, the ASIC circuitry may be located in a backbone interface device. Of course, the processor and storage medium may exist in such a backbone interface device as discrete components.

One skilled in the art will be aware that in one or more of the examples above, the functions described herein may be implemented by hardware, downloadable software, firmware, or a combination of these components. When functions are implemented by software, they may be stored on a computer-readable medium, or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on such a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable medium for storing information and a communication medium, where the transmission medium may be any medium facilitating the transfer of a computer program from one location to another. The storage medium may be any existing medium accessible to a general purpose or special purpose computer.

Although the present application has been described with reference to embodiments thereof, in the course of practicing this protected application, one skilled in the art may understand and implement other modifications of the described embodiments upon examination of the accompanying drawings, the specification, and the accompanying Claims. In these claims, the term “comprising” does not exclude another component or another step, and the singular terms “a” or “one” do not exclude the plural. One processor or other module can perform several functions listed in the Claims. Some means (components and steps) are written in dependent claims that differ from one another, but this does not mean that such means cannot be combined to achieve a better effect.

The objects, techniques, and beneficial effects are further described in detail in the above specific embodiments. It should be understood that the above description represents only specific embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements or improvements made based on the technical solutions of this application will fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims (36)

1. A method for transmitting radio frames, comprising the steps of: generating, using the first access point (AP), a radio frame, wherein the radio frame contains a multi-link element (MLE), and the MLE contains information regarding the first multi-link device (MLD), wherein the MLE contains a multi-link device identifier (MLD ID) field, and the MLD ID identifies a first MLD, wherein the first AP is not affiliated with the first MLD, the first MLD is an MLD in which a second AP belonging to the same set of BSSIDs as the first AP is located; And transmitting, using the first AP, the specified radio frame. 2. A method for receiving radio frames, comprising the steps of: receiving, from a first access point (AP), a radio frame, wherein said radio frame contains a multi-link element (MLE), the MLE contains a multi-link device identifier (MLD ID) field, the MLD ID identifies the first MLD, wherein the first AP is not affiliated with the first MLD , the first MLD is an MLD in which a second AP belonging to the same set of BSSIDs as the first AP is located; And obtaining information regarding the first MLD from the MLE based on the MLD ID field. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, in which the radio frame further comprises a multi-BSSID element, said multi-BSSID element contains index information regarding the BSSID for the second AP, wherein the amount of said index information regarding the BSSID for the second AP is the same as the amount of the first information. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the MLE comprises a first profile element for the STA, said first profile element for the STA contains information regarding a third AP, and said third AP is affiliated with the first MLD; And when the first profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the third AP, the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the MLE element further comprises a first field, wherein the first value of said first field indicates that the value of the first element for the third AP is the same as the value of the first element for the second AP. 6. The method according to claim 5, in which the first field is located in the multi-channel control field in the MLE; or The first field is located in the general information field in the MLE. 7. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 3-6, in which the value of the first element for the second AP is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP. 8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, in which the first MLD contains a fourth AP; wherein the radio frame further comprises a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element, said RNR containing information regarding the fourth AP and containing second information for identifying the first MLD, wherein the amount of said second information is the same as the amount of the first information. 9. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-8, wherein the MLE contains a second profile element for the STA, and said second profile element for the STA contains information regarding the AP in the first MLD; And when the second profile element for the STA does not contain the first element for the AP in the first MLD, the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the MLE further comprises a first field, wherein the second value of said first field indicates that the value of the first element for the AP in the first MLD is the same as the value of the first element for the first AP. 11. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-10, in which the MLE contains a common information field, wherein the MLD ID is located in the specified common information field. 12. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-11, wherein the radio frame further includes a fragment element adjacent to the MLE; wherein The MLE contains a first piece of information regarding the first MLD, and the fragment element contains a second piece of information regarding the first MLD. 13. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 1-12, in which the radio frame is a multi-channel sounding response frame. 14. A device for transmitting radio frames, containing a transceiver module and a processor module, characterized in that it is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims. 1 and 3-13. 15. A device for receiving radio frames, containing a transceiver module and a processor module, characterized in that it is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims. 2-13. 16. A multi-channel device (MLD) of an access point (AP), containing a transceiver module and a processor module, characterized in that it is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims. 1 and 3-13. 17. Multi-channel station (STA) characterized in that it is configured to implement the method according to any one of paragraphs. 2-13. 18. A communication device comprising at least one processor coupled to a storage device, wherein the storage device is configured to store a program or instructions; A at least one processor is configured to execute said program or instructions, such that the device implements the method according to any one of claims. 1, 3-13. 19. A communication device comprising at least one processor coupled to a storage device, wherein the storage device is configured to store a program or instructions; A at least one processor is configured to execute said program or instructions, such that the device implements the method according to any one of claims. 2-13. 20. A machine-readable storage medium storing program commands that cause, upon execution of said program commands, the implementation of the method according to any one of claims. 1, 3-13. 21. A machine-readable storage medium storing program commands that cause, upon execution of said program commands, the implementation of the method according to any one of claims. 2-13.