Communication method and communication apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025240821-A1
Application number	US-202519176480-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 11, 2025
Priority date	Oct 14, 2022
Publication date	Jul 24, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure receives a first frame including a first element used to request to set up an individual target wake time (TWT) service period (SP). The first element includes first information that indicates a first link on which an individual TWT SP is requested to be set up, and second information that indicates N second links on which individual TWT SPs are requested to be set up. The N second individual TWT SPs set up on the N second links need to be aligned with a first individual TWT SP on the first link. The approach sets up the first individual TWT SP on the first link and sets up the N second individual TWT SPs on the N second links based on the first element, and performs communication on the corresponding N second links based on the first individual TWT SP and the N second individual TWT SPs.

First claim

1 . A communication method, comprising:
receiving a first frame, wherein
the first frame comprises a first element used to request to set up an individual target wake time (TWT) service period (SP), the first element comprising first information and second information;
the first information indicates a first link on which an individual TWT SP is requested to be set up;
the second information indicates N second links on which individual TWT SPs are requested to be set up;
the N second individual TWT SPs set up on the N second links need to be aligned with a first individual TWT SP on the first link;
the N second individual TWT SPs correspond one-to-one to the N second links;
the first link and the N second links are communication links between a transmit device and a receive device;
the N second links are different links; and
N is a positive integer;
setting up the first individual TWT SP on the first link and setting up the N second individual TWT SPs on the N second links based on the first element; and performing communication on the corresponding N second links based on the first individual TWT SP and the N second individual TWT SPs.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first element comprises third information that indicates information about the first individual TWT SP; the information about the first individual TWT SP comprises a start time of the first individual TWT SP; the setting up the first individual TWT SP on the first link and setting up the N second individual TWT SPs on the N second links based on the first element comprises:
setting up the first individual TWT SP on the first link based on the information about the first individual TWT SP;
determining information about the N second individual TWT SPs comprising a start time of the second individual TWT SP, wherein the start time of the second individual TWT SP is determined based on the start time of the first individual TWT SP; and
setting up the N second individual TWT SPs on the N second links based on the information about the N second individual TWT SPs.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second individual TWT SP is aligned with the first individual TWT SP after the start time of the second individual TWT SP is determined based on the start time of the first individual TWT SP.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a start time (TWT j ) of the second individual TWT SP satisfies the following formula:

TWT
j

=

TWT
i

+

TWT
offset

,

wherein
TWT i is the start time of the first individual TWT SP, and a value of TWT offset is equal to a difference between a time synchronization function (TSF) timer of the first link and a TSF timer of the second link.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first element further comprises fourth information indicating that the first element comprises the second information.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein, when the first element is a TWT element, the fourth information is an aligned TWT field in a control field of the TWT element.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein when the first element is a TWT element, the first information is a link ID bitmap field or a link ID field in a TWT parameter information field of the TWT element, and the second information is an aligned TWT bitmap field in the TWT parameter information field.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
sending a second frame that comprises a second element, the second element comprises fifth information that indicates that the receive device confirms accepting setup of the individual TWT SPs on the first link and the N second links.

9 . A communication method, comprising:
generating a first frame, wherein
the first frame comprises a first element used to request to set up an individual target wake time (TWT) service period (SP), the first element comprising first information and second information;
the first information indicates a first link on which an individual TWT SP is requested to be set up;
the second information indicates N second links on which individual TWT SPs are requested to be set up;
the N second individual TWT SPs set up on the N second links need to be aligned with a first individual TWT SP on the first link;
the N second individual TWT SPs correspond one-to-one to the N second links;
the first link and the N second links are communication links between a transmit device and a receive device;
the N second links are different links; and
N is a positive integer; and
sending the first frame.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein
the first element comprises third information that indicates information about the first individual TWT SP; and the information about the first individual TWT SP comprises a start time of the first individual TWT SP.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the second individual TWT SP being aligned with the first individual TWT SP comprises:
aligning a start time of the second individual TWT SP with the start time of the first individual TWT SP.

12 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first element further comprises fourth information indicating that the first element comprises the second information.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein, when the first element is a TWT element, the fourth information is an aligned TWT subfield in a control field of the TWT element.

14 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein when the first element is a TWT element, the first information is a link ID bitmap field or a link ID field in a TWT parameter information field of the TWT element, and the second information is an aligned TWT bitmap subfield in the TWT parameter information field.

15 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving a second frame that comprises a second element, the second element comprises fifth information that indicates that the receive device confirms accepting setup of the individual TWT SPs on the first link and the N second links.

16 . A communication apparatus, comprising:
a memory; and a processor, that is operatively coupled to the memory, to:
receive a first frame, wherein
the first frame comprises a first element used to request to set up an individual target wake time (TWT) service period (SP), the first element comprising first information and second information;
the first information indicates a first link on which an individual TWT SP is requested to be set up;
the second information indicates N second links on which individual TWT SPs are requested to be set up;
the N second individual TWT SPs set up on the N second links need to be aligned with a first individual TWT SP on the first link;
the N second individual TWT SPs correspond one-to-one to the N second links;
the first link and the N second links are communication links between a transmit device and a receive device;
the N second links are different links; and
N is a positive integer;

set up the first individual TWT SP on the first link and set up the N second individual TWT SPs on the N second link

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lin Yousi
• Gan Ming

Classifications

• H04W52/0229

  where the received signal is a wanted signal · CPC title

• H04W52/0235 Primary

  where the received signal is a power saving command · CPC title

• H04W52/0248

  dependent on the time of the day, e.g. according to expected transmission activity · CPC title

• H04W52/0216 Primary

  using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame · CPC title

• H04W84/12 Primary

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title