CN116017782A

CN116017782A - Main link updating method, device, equipment and storage medium

Info

Publication number: CN116017782A
Application number: CN202211563367.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李金桦
Original assignee: Yibin Jimi Photoelectric Co Ltd
Current assignee: Yibin Jimi Photoelectric Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-12-07
Filing date: 2022-12-07
Publication date: 2023-04-25

Abstract

The invention discloses a main link updating method, a main link updating device, main link updating equipment and a storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: the second multi-link device sends a first message through the first link, and the first logic entity sending the first message is indicated to be closed in the message; the first multi-link device reads a first message on a first link, determines a new main link, and sends an update message to the second multi-link device through the first link, wherein the message indicates the new main link; the second multi-link device sends an acknowledgement message to the first multi-link device through the first link or the new main link; the first multi-link device updates the primary link if it receives the acknowledgement message, or waits for a remaining period of time to close the first logical entity after sending the update message or after a timeout period for switching the primary link. The invention can ensure that the multi-link equipment can not be interrupted by communication caused by link management, and ensure the continuity of the business of the multi-link equipment.

Description

Main link updating method, device, equipment and storage medium

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular, to a method, an apparatus, a device, and a storage medium for updating a main link.

Background

802.11be systems, also known as extremely high throughput (EHT, extremely High Throughput) systems, enhance functionality through a range of system characteristics and mechanisms to achieve extremely high throughput. As the use of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) continues to grow, it is increasingly important to provide wireless data services in many environments, such as homes, businesses, and hotspots. In particular, video traffic will continue to be the dominant traffic type in many WLAN deployments. The throughput requirements of these applications are evolving due to the advent of 4k and 8k video (20 Gbps uncompressed rate). New high throughput, low latency applications such as virtual or augmented reality, gaming, remote offices, and cloud computing will proliferate (e.g., latency for real-time gaming is less than 5 milliseconds).

In view of the high throughput and stringent real-time delay requirements of these applications, users desire to support their applications over a WLAN with higher throughput, higher reliability, less delay and jitter, and higher power efficiency. The 802.11be system aims to ensure the competitiveness of WLAN by further improving the overall throughput and reducing the delay while ensuring backward compatibility and coexistence with legacy technology standards. 802.11 compatible devices operating in the 2.4GHz,5GHz and 6GHz frequency bands.

Disclosure of Invention

When a multi-link end device connects to a multi-link access point device, it is common to establish connections on multiple links and to monitor or transmit data on the multiple links. The multiple links are started at the same time, so that larger electric quantity of the equipment is consumed, and most of terminal equipment is battery-powered equipment, so that the long-term use of the multiple links for data transmission can cause the excessively rapid consumption of the electric quantity of the battery. The terminal device may use a power saving mode, only enable one link, set it as a main link for communication with the access point device, and set other links as a sleep state, so that power consumption may be reduced. However, when the multilink access point device performs access point management, it is possible to suspend or terminate an operating logical access point, and for the multilink terminal device that enables only the link connected to the logical access point, communication failure may be caused. In view of the above, the present invention provides a method, apparatus, device and storage medium for updating a main link, which ensure the continuity of the service of the multi-link device.

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for updating a main link, including:

transmitting a first message through a first link, wherein the first message indicates to close a first logic entity transmitting the first message;

Receiving a first update message sent by a first multi-link device through a first link, wherein the first update message indicates that an update main link is a second link, and the first link is an original main link of the first multi-link device;

if the remaining time length of closing the first logic entity is greater than or equal to the timeout period of switching the main link of the first multi-link device, a first confirmation message is sent to the first multi-link device through the first link within the timeout period;

if the remaining time length of closing the first logic entity is smaller than the timeout time length of switching the main link of the first multi-link device, a first confirmation message is sent to the first multi-link device through the second link within the timeout time length, or the first confirmation message is sent to the first multi-link device through the first link within the remaining time length, and if the first confirmation message is not successfully sent, the first confirmation message is sent to the first multi-link device through the second link within the timeout time length.

In a possible implementation manner, the remaining duration of closing the first logic entity is indicated in the first message.

In a possible implementation manner, the first message includes a mapping relationship between a service identifier and a link, and the mapping relationship between the service identifier and the link indicates that all service identifiers are mapped to a second link, so that the first multi-link device selects a new main link.

In a possible implementation manner, the mapping relationship between the service identifier and the link indicates that no service identifier is mapped to the first link, and is used for indicating to close the first logic entity.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

sending a second message through a second link, wherein the second message indicates the first logical entity recovery time and the first logical entity recovery time, and indicates that all service identifiers are mapped to the first link;

and after the time of recovering the first logic entity, receiving a second update message sent by the first multi-link device through a first link, wherein the second update message indicates that an update main link is the first link.

In a possible implementation manner, after the receiving, through the first link, the second update message sent by the first multilink device, the method further includes:

and sending a second acknowledgement message to the first multilink device through the first link.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

transmitting a third message over the second link, the third message indicating an increase in the first logical entity;

receiving a multi-link reconfiguration request message sent by the first multi-link device through a second link, wherein the multi-link reconfiguration request message indicates to increase the first link and the first link is an auxiliary link;

and sending a multi-link reconfiguration response message to the first multi-link device through the second link, wherein the multi-link reconfiguration response message indicates whether to approve the request.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for updating a main link, including:

receiving a first message sent by second multi-link equipment through a first link, wherein the first message indicates to close a first logic entity sending the first message;

transmitting a first update message to the second multi-link device through a first link, wherein the first update message indicates that an update main link is a second link;

if a first confirmation message sent by the second multi-link device is received, updating the main link from the first link to the second link; or after waiting for the timeout period of switching the main link or closing the residual period of the first logic entity after sending the first updating message, updating the main link from the first link to the second link.

In a possible implementation manner, the remaining duration of closing the first logic entity is indicated in the first message, and if a first acknowledgement message sent by the second multi-link device is received, the main link is updated from the first link to the second link; or after waiting for a timeout period for switching the primary link or a remaining period for closing the first logical entity after sending the first update message, updating the primary link from the first link to the second link, including:

if the remaining time length of closing the first logic entity is longer than or equal to the timeout period of switching the main link, if a first confirmation message sent by the second multi-link device is received through the first link, updating the main link from the first link to the second link; or after waiting for the timeout period after sending the first update message, updating the main link from the first link to the second link;

if the residual time length of closing the first logic entity is less than the timeout time length of switching the main link, waking up the second logic entity operating on the second link, and if a first confirmation message sent by the second multi-link device is received through the second link or the first link, updating the main link from the first link to the second link; or after waiting for the timeout period or the remaining period after sending the first update message, updating the primary link from the first link to the second link.

In a possible implementation manner, the first message includes a mapping relationship between a service identifier and a link, where the mapping relationship between the service identifier and the link indicates that all service identifiers are mapped to a second link, and the method further includes:

and selecting a second link as a new main link according to the mapping relation between the service identifier and the link.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

receiving a second message sent by the second multi-link device through a second link, wherein the second message indicates the first logical entity recovery time and the first logical entity recovery time, and indicates that all service identifiers are mapped to the first link;

after the time of recovering the first logic entity, sending a second update message to the second multi-link device through a first link, wherein the second update message indicates that an update main link is the first link;

if a second acknowledgement message sent by the second multi-link device is received through the first link, updating the main link from the second link to the first link; or after waiting for the timeout period after sending the first update message, updating the primary link from the second link to the first link.

In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes:

receiving a third message sent by the second multi-link device through a second link, wherein the third message indicates to increase the first logic entity;

transmitting a multi-link reconfiguration request message to the second multi-link device through a second link, wherein the multi-link reconfiguration request message indicates to increase a first link and the first link is an auxiliary link;

receiving a multi-link reconfiguration response message sent by the second multi-link device through a second link, wherein whether the request is agreed is indicated in the multi-link reconfiguration response message;

and if the request is indicated to be granted in the multi-link reconfiguration response message, setting the first link as the auxiliary link.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a main link updating apparatus, including a link updating module, where the link updating module is configured to perform the following steps:

In a possible implementation manner, the link updating module is further configured to perform the following steps:

In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a main link updating apparatus, including a link updating module, where the link updating module is configured to perform the following steps:

In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides an electronic device comprising a memory, a processor and a computer program stored on the memory, the processor executing the computer program to implement the method of the first or second aspect.

In a sixth aspect, the present invention provides a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program which when executed by a processor implements the method of the first or second aspect.

In a seventh aspect, the present invention provides a computer program product comprising computer readable code, or a non-transitory computer readable storage medium carrying computer readable code, which when run in an electronic device, causes a processor in the electronic device to perform the method of the first or second aspect.

It should be noted that, the apparatus according to the third aspect is configured to perform the method provided in the first aspect, the apparatus according to the fourth aspect is configured to perform the method provided in the second aspect, the electronic device according to the fifth aspect, the storage medium according to the sixth aspect, and the computer program product according to the seventh aspect are configured to perform the method provided in the first aspect or the second aspect, so that the same advantages as those of the method provided in the first aspect or the second aspect can be achieved, and the present invention will not be repeated.

The invention updates the main link when the original main link needs to be closed through the update message for indicating to update the main link, so that the multi-link equipment cannot be interrupted by communication caused by link management, and the continuity of the multi-link equipment service is ensured. In addition, the invention can also send the confirmation message to the multi-link device through the original main link or the new main link of the multi-link device according to the residual time length of closing the original main link and the timeout time length of switching the main link of the multi-link device, and if the multi-link device receives the confirmation message, the main link is updated, or after the update message is sent, the main link is updated after waiting for the residual time length of closing the original main link or the timeout time length of switching the main link, thereby avoiding the service interruption caused by the failure of the multi-link device to successfully receive the confirmation message and the failure of updating the main link in time.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for updating a main link according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In order to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the following description will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. While the present disclosure has been described in terms of an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it should be understood that each aspect of the disclosure may be separately provided as a complete solution. The following embodiments and features of the embodiments may be combined with each other without conflict.

In embodiments of the present invention, "at least one" means one or more, and "a plurality" means two or more. In order to clearly describe the technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention, in the embodiment of the present invention, the words "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish identical items or similar items having substantially the same function and effect, and those skilled in the art will understand that the words "first", "second", etc. do not limit the number and execution order, but merely illustrate and distinguish between the objects of the description, without dividing the order, nor do they indicate that the number of devices or messages in the embodiment of the present invention is particularly limited, and cannot constitute any limitation of the embodiment of the present invention. The term "comprising" is used to indicate the presence of the features stated hereafter, but does not exclude the addition of other features.

Firstly, the multilink technology according to the present invention will be briefly described, and in a multilink scenario, generally one physical device may include a plurality of logical entities, where the physical device may refer to devices such as a mobile phone, a television, and a projector, and the logical entity may refer to a logical unit in the physical device, and belongs to a virtual function module. One logical entity corresponds to one transceiver, each logical entity can independently manage data transmission and reception, and each logical entity independently operates on one link, and such a physical device is called a Multi-link device (MLD). In the embodiment of the invention, the logic entity in the multi-link terminal equipment is called a logic terminal, and the logic entity in the multi-link access point equipment is called a logic access point.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, the communication system includes a multi-link terminal device STA MLD and a multi-link access point device AP MLD, where the multi-link terminal device STA MLD includes three logical terminals STA1, STA2, and STA3, and the multi-link access point device AP MLD includes three logical access points AP1, AP2, and AP3.STA1 is connected to AP1, STA2 is connected to AP2, STA3 is connected to AP3, and the embodiment of the present invention assumes that AP1 operates on a 2.4GHz link, sets a link identifier as link1, AP2 operates on a 5GHz link, sets a link identifier as link2, AP3 operates on a 6GHz link, and sets a link identifier as link3.

It should be understood that fig. 1 is only a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system, and in an embodiment of the present invention, the number, types, etc. of devices in the communication system are not limited, for example, more terminals or access points may be included, and the terminals and the access points may be multi-link devices, or may be single-link devices, or the number of logical entities in different multi-link devices may also be different. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the term "Access Point (AP)" in accordance with the principles and functions described herein may also be used to describe an access port or any other access point capable of receiving and transmitting wireless signals within a network architecture, and thus, the use of an access point is merely exemplary.

With continued reference to fig. 1, the STA MLD may use or not use the power saving mode as needed, and when using the power saving mode, the STA MLD only listens or transmits data on its main link, and the secondary link is in a sleep state and may be awakened for data transmission. The manner in which STA MLD enters the power save mode may refer to the prior art, and a method of enabling the power save mode is given as an example below.

S1001, the AP MLD sends a broadcast message (such as a beacon message) through the AP1, wherein the broadcast message comprises link identifiers of the APs 1-AP3, a capability indication ML powersaving support of whether a multi-link power saving mode is supported and a power saving mode timeout duration transition timeout. In the embodiment of the present invention, ML powersaving support is set to 1, which indicates that the multilink power saving mode is supported; transition timeout is configured to instruct the STA MLD to perform the longest duration of waiting for the corresponding operation after sending the multi-link power saving mode message, i.e., after sending the multi-link power saving mode message, if the STA MLD receives the response message of the AP MLD, then perform the corresponding operation after receiving the response message of the AP MLD, if the response message of the AP MLD is not received, then wait transition timeout for the duration indicated by the multi-link power saving mode message after sending the multi-link power saving mode message, e.g., the STA MLD sends a multi-link power saving request message, then instruct that the STA MLD enters the longest duration of waiting for the multi-link power saving mode after sending the multi-link power saving request message, i.e., after sending the multi-link power saving request message, if the STA MLD receives the multi-link power saving response message indicating the grant request, then enter the multi-link power saving mode after receiving the multi-link power saving response message of the AP MLD, if the multi-link power saving response message of the AP d is not received, then wait transition timeout for the duration indicated by the STA d sends a multi-link power saving update message (for updating the main link), then instruct that the main link is not received, and if the main link update message is received, and the main link update time is acknowledged after the main link update message is received, the primary link is updated from the original primary link to the new primary link after waiting for a duration indicated by transition timeout after the multilink power save update message is sent.

It should be noted that, whether the multi-link power saving mode capability indication ML powersaving support and the power saving mode timeout period transition timeout are supported may be included in the broadcast message or may be included in other messages, such as a probe response message (e.g., ML probe response message) or a connection response message (e.g., association response message).

S1002, the STA1 reads the broadcast message sent by the AP1, and obtains the link identifiers of the AP1 and the AP 2.

S1003, the STA1 sends a probe request message (such as an ML probe request message) to the AP1, wherein the message comprises link identifiers link1, link2 and link3.

S1004, the AP1 receives the probe request message, and sends a probe response message (such as ML probe response message) to the STA1, where the message includes system parameters of the AP1, AP2 and AP3 corresponding to the link identifiers link1, link2 and link3.

In S1005, STA1 sends a connection request message (e.g. Association request message) to AP1, where the message includes operation parameters of STA1, STA2 and STA3 and corresponding operation links, and in this embodiment, STA1 is set to operate in link1, STA2 is set to operate in link2, and STA3 is set to operate in link3.

S1006, the AP1 sends a connection response message (e.g. Association response message) to the STA1, where the message indicates the successfully established link, including link1, link2, and link3, and includes the operation parameters on each link, and the connection identifier AID allocated to the STA MLD.

If the STA MLD needs to save power consumption, and the capability parameter ML powersaving support of the connected AP MLD indicates that the multi-link power saving mode is supported, the main logic terminal can be determined according to information such as power, signal strength and the like, other logic terminals are used as auxiliary logic terminals, the main logic terminal is used for normal communication with the AP MLD, including monitoring broadcast messages, receiving data and sending data, the auxiliary logic terminal is in a sleep mode when the auxiliary logic terminal is normal, and when larger data needs to be sent or received, the STA MLD can wake up the auxiliary logic terminal to send or receive data autonomously or under the instruction of the AP MLD. The embodiment of the invention assumes that the signal intensity of the AP1 measured by the STA1 is maximum, the link operated by the STA1 is in the 2.4GHz frequency band, the power is lower, the STA1 is selected as a main logic terminal, and meanwhile, the link1 where the main logic terminal is positioned is taken as a main link.

S1007, the STA MLD sends a Multi-link power-saving request message (such as Multi-link Powersaving request message) to the AP MLD through the STA1 on the link1, wherein the message comprises the following parameters:

primary link: the identifier of the link operated by the main logic terminal, that is, the identifier of the main link, is set as link1 in this embodiment;

MLPS mode enabled: an indication of whether a multilink power save mode is enabled, if set to 1, indicates enablement; set to 0, indicating deactivation, the present embodiment is set to 1;

DL wake enabled (optional): whether the downlink wake-up auxiliary logic terminal is supported or not is set to be 1, and the identification is started; set to 0, indicating deactivation.

S1008, the AP MLD receives the Multi-link power saving request message on the link1 through the AP1, and sends a Multi-link power saving response message (such as Multi-link Powersaving response message) to the STA MLD on the link1 through the AP1, wherein the message comprises a state parameter Status, and if the AP MLD agrees with the request of the STA MLD1, the value of the state parameter Status is set as SUCCESS, which indicates that the request is agreed; if the AP MLD does not agree with the request of STA MLD1, the value of the Status parameter Status is set to REJECT, indicating that the request is not agreed.

S1009, STA MLD receives the multi-link power saving response message on the link1 through STA1, if the state parameter value contained in the multi-link power saving response message is SUCCESS, power saving operation is performed according to the requested power saving parameter; if the state parameter value contained therein is REJECT, the current mode is maintained for operation, i.e., normal operation is maintained without performing power saving operation.

If the STA MLD does not receive the multi-link power saving response message within the timeout period of the power saving mode after sending the multi-link power saving request message, the multi-link power saving request message is not repeatedly sent; if the multi-link power saving response message is not received after the timeout period of the power saving mode after the multi-link power saving request message is sent, the multi-link power saving request message is sent to the AP MLD again or the multi-link power saving mode is entered.

In the multi-link power saving mode, the STA MLD reads the broadcast message of the AP1 on the link1 only through a logic terminal STA1 belonging to the STA MLD, transmits data to the AP1 on the link1 only through the STA1, and receives the data transmitted by the AP1 on the link1 only through the STA1; the STA MLD may set a threshold T1, and wake up the secondary logic terminal STA2 or/and STA3 to send data on the secondary link2 or/and link3 when the data buffer size is greater than the threshold T1.

After the STA MLD enters a multi-link power saving mode, the AP MLD only sends data to the STA1 on a link indicated by a Primary link, namely the link1 through the AP 1; if the DL wake enabled value is 1, the AP MLD may send a start message to the STA MLD according to the parameter DL wake buffer Threshold or setting a threshold T2, where the start message indicates a link to be awakened when the data buffer size is greater than the threshold DL wake buffer Threshold or T2; after receiving the start message, the STA MLD can send a response message to the AP MLD on the main link and other links that need to be awakened according to the link indicated in the start message; the AP MLD may transmit data to the STA MLD on the link that received the response message.

In some embodiments, the STA MLD may actively request termination of the power save mode according to its own policy, such as termination of the power save mode according to no need to save power consumption or traffic type needs, etc. For example, STA MLD sends a Multi-link power saving notification message (such as Multi-link Powersaving notify message) to AP MLD on link1 by STA1, and the message contains the following parameters:

MLPS mode enabled: an indication of whether the multilink power save mode is enabled, this embodiment is set to 0, indicating a disable.

The STA MLD waits for the duration indicated by the parameter transition timeout after sending the multi-link power saving notification message, terminates the power saving mode, and the primary and secondary logic terminals are in an active state and can all read the broadcast message, receive the data sent by the AP MLD and send the data to the AP MLD.

In some embodiments, the STA MLD may actively request to switch the primary link according to its own policy, for example, determine that the new primary link is link2 according to signal quality or traffic type requirements of the primary link, and so on. For example, STA MLD sends a Multi-link power save update message (such as Multi-link Powersaving update message) to AP MLD on link1, where the new main link is indicated, for example, the Multi-link power save update message may include the following parameters:

primary link: the identifier of the link operated by the main logic terminal, that is, the identifier of the main link, is set as link2 in this embodiment, that is, the main link is updated from link1 to link2;

MLPS mode enabled: an indication of whether the multilink power save mode is enabled, this embodiment is set to 1, indicating enablement.

Optionally, the multi-link power save update message may also contain the following parameters:

PPrimary link: the identification of the original main link is set as link1 in this embodiment;

TPrimary link: the identifier of the new main link is set as link2 in this embodiment;

After sending the multi-link power saving update message, the STA MLD waits for the duration indicated by the parameter transition timeout, updates the multi-link power saving mode, updates the main link from link1 to link2, i.e. wakes up the logic terminal STA2 operating on link2, and puts the logic terminal STA1 operating on link1 in a dormant state. Optionally, if the STA MLD receives the Multi-link power saving update confirmation message (such as Multi-link Powersaving confirm message) sent by the AP MLD and confirms that the Multi-link power saving update message of the STA MLD is received, the STA MLD updates the Multi-link power saving mode after receiving the Multi-link power saving update confirmation message, and updates the primary link from link1 to link2.

In other embodiments, the STA MLD may also switch the primary link according to the indication of the AP MLD, for example, the AP MLD needs to shut down the operation of the AP1, such as suspending or terminating the operation of the AP1, or the AP MLD needs to communicate with the STA MLD through other links (such as link 2) for load balancing. For example, the AP MLD sends a Multi-link power save update message (such as a Multi-link Powersaving update message) to the STA MLD on link1, where the new main link is indicated, for example, the Multi-link power save update message may include the following parameters:

Primary link: the identification of the main link is set as link2 in this embodiment, that is, the main link is updated to be link2;

update cause (optional): the reason for updating the main link is set as suspend, indicating to suspend the logic access point of the original main link, set as stop, indicating to terminate the logic access point of the original main link, set as balance, and indicate to balance the load;

And the STA MLD receives the multi-link power-saving update message sent by the AP MLD, updates the multi-link power-saving mode, and updates the Primary link from the original Primary link (namely link 1) to the link indicated by the Primary link (namely link 2).

Alternatively, when the AP MLD decides to turn off the AP1, the AP MLD may only inform the STA MLD to turn off the operation of the AP1, determine a new main link by the STA MLD, inform the AP MLD of the determined new main link, and then update the multi-link power saving mode. Fig. 2 is a flowchart of a main link updating method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2, the main link updating method includes the following:

s201, the AP MLD sends a broadcast message through the AP1, and the broadcast message indicates to close the operation of the AP 1.

For example, if the AP MLD decides to suspend the operation of AP1, the following parameters may be included in the broadcast message:

switch timer: the duration from the reception of the broadcast message to the suspension of the operation of the AP1, i.e., the remaining duration of the suspension of the operation of the AP 1. In the embodiment of the invention, because the time for the message to reach the receiver from the sender is very short, the time for the message to propagate can be ignored, namely, the moment when the sender sends the message is assumed to be the same as the moment when the receiver receives the message.

TID TO link map: in the embodiment of the invention, all service identifiers are mapped to the link2, all or part of service identifiers are mapped to the link3, and furthermore, no service identifier is mapped to the link1, and the setting can be used for indicating to suspend the operation of the AP 1.

It should be understood that other parameters for indicating to suspend the operation of the AP1 may be included in the broadcast message, so long as the parameters can be indicated, the AP MLD may notify the STA MLD through other messages, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

For example, if the AP MLD decides to terminate the operation of the AP1, the broadcast message may include a multi-Link reconfiguration information element Reconfiguration Multi-Link element, which may include a parameter delete timer for indicating a time period from receiving the broadcast message to terminating the operation of the AP1, and if the broadcast message includes the parameter delete timer with a value other than null, the operation of the AP1 may be indicated to terminate, and in other embodiments, the operation of the AP1 may be indicated to terminate by other parameters.

In some embodiments, after sending the broadcast message, the AP MLD may locally enable a switch timer, the value of which is the same as the value of the parameter switch timer or delete timer (if included in the broadcast message) in the broadcast message, to indicate the remaining duration of turning off (suspending or terminating) the AP 1.

S202, the STA MLD reads the broadcast message sent by the AP1 through the STA1, determines a new main link, and sends a multi-link power-saving update message to the AP MLD through the STA1, wherein the new main link is indicated in the message.

Specifically, the STA MLD reads the operation of the AP1 indicated to be closed in the broadcast message, and determines a new main link, and in the embodiment of the present invention, if it is determined that the new main link is link2, and if link2 (except link 1) with the best signal quality can be selected as the main link according to the signal quality, a multi-link power saving update message is sent to the AP MLD on link1, where examples of parameters included in the multi-link power saving update message are as follows:

primary link: the identification of the main link is set as link2 in this embodiment, that is, the main link is updated from link1 to link2;

Optionally, if the broadcast message includes a parameter TID TO link map, the STA MLD may further determine a new main link according TO the parameter, for example, a link TO which all service identifiers are mapped is selected as a main link, which is link2 in the embodiment of the present invention.

In some embodiments, after sending the multi-link power save update message, the STA MLD may locally enable a transition timer with a value set to a value of transition timeout for indicating a timeout period for the STA MLD to switch the primary link.

And S203, the AP MLD sends a multi-link power saving update confirmation message to the STA MLD through the AP1 or the AP2 according to the residual time length of closing the AP1 and the timeout time length of switching the main link by the STA MLD.

In some embodiments, the AP MLD receives the multi-link power save update message sent by the STA MLD through the AP1, and locally enables a transition timer, the value of which is set to a value of transition timeout, for indicating the timeout period for the STA MLD to switch the primary link.

If the remaining time period of closing the AP1 is greater than or equal to the timeout period of the STA MLD switching main link, for example, if the switching timer expires outside the transition timer running time, then a multi-link power saving update confirmation message is sent to the STA MLD on link1 through the AP1 within the period indicated by transition timeout (i.e., the timeout period of the STA MLD switching main link), for example, within the transition timer running time.

If the remaining duration of closing the AP1 is less than the timeout duration of the STA MLD switching main link, for example, the switch timer expires within the transition timer running time, then a multi-link power saving update confirmation message is sent to the STA MLD on link2 through the AP2 within the duration indicated by transition timeout (i.e., the timeout duration of the STA MLD switching main link), for example, within the transition timer running time; or transmitting a multi-link power saving update confirmation message to the STA MLD on link1 through the AP1 in the residual time of closing the AP1 (namely before closing the AP 1), if the transmission is not successful, not transmitting any more, and at the moment, terminating the operation of the switching timer after the switching timer is up; or first try to send a multi-link power saving update confirmation message to STA MLD on link1 through AP1 during the remaining period of closing AP1 (i.e. before AP1 closes), if not successfully sent, then during the period indicated by transition timeout (i.e. the timeout period of switching the main link by STA MLD), for example, during the running time of the switching timer, send a multi-link power saving update confirmation message to STA MLD on link2 through AP2, and at this time, after the switching timer expires, the switching timer continues to run.

And S204, if the STA MLD receives the multi-link power-saving update confirmation message sent by the AP MLD, updating the main link, or after waiting for the timeout duration or the residual duration after sending the multi-link power-saving update message, updating the main link.

In some embodiments, if the broadcast message in step S201 includes a parameter switch timer (or delete timer), the STA MLD may locally enable a switch timer having the same value as the parameter switch timer (or delete timer) in the broadcast message after receiving the broadcast message, to indicate the remaining duration of the suspended (or terminated) AP 1. Further, the STA MLD may perform operations according to the remaining duration of closing the AP1 and the timeout duration of switching the primary link, so as to ensure that the STA MLD updates the primary link in time, which is exemplified as follows:

if the remaining time period of closing the AP1 is greater than or equal to the timeout period of switching the main link, for example, when the switching timer expires after the running time of the switching timer, the STAMLD updates the multi-link power saving mode after receiving the multi-link power saving update confirmation message sent by the AP MLD through link1, that is, the main link is updated from link1 to link2 indicated by the Primary link parameter in the multi-link power saving update message, if the multi-link power saving update confirmation message is not received on link1, and updates the multi-link power saving mode after waiting for the duration indicated by transition timeout after sending the multi-link power saving update message (i.e., the timeout period of switching the main link by the STAMLD), for example, updates the multi-link power saving mode after the expiration of the switching timer.

If the remaining duration of closing the AP1 is less than the timeout duration of switching the main link, for example, the switching timer expires within the running time of the switching timer, the STA MLD wakes up the logic terminal STA2 operating on the link2, updates the multi-link power saving mode if a multi-link power saving update confirmation message sent by the AP MLD is received on the link1 or the link2, and updates the multi-link power saving mode after waiting for the duration indicated by transition timeout after sending the multi-link power saving update message (i.e., the timeout duration of switching the main link by the STA MLD), for example, after the expiration of the switching timer; or if the multi-link power saving update confirmation message sent by the AP MLD is received on link1, updating the multi-link power saving mode, and if the multi-link power saving update confirmation message is not received on link1, updating the multi-link power saving mode after waiting for the rest period of closing the AP1 after sending the multi-link power saving update message, for example, updating the multi-link power saving mode after the expiration of the switching timer.

In some embodiments, after suspending the operation of the AP1 for a period of time, the AP MLD may resume the operation of the AP1 according to its own policy, and notify the STA MLD of the information indicating that the AP1 resumes the operation, for example, the AP MLD sends a broadcast message through the main link2 of the STA MLD, the STA MLD instructs to resume the operation of the AP1 in the broadcast message, reads the broadcast message indicating that the AP1 resumes the operation on the main link2, and may determine whether to switch the main link to the link1, if the main link needs to be switched to the link1, the STA2 sends a multi-link power-saving update message to the AP MLD on the link1, or instructs to update the main link to be the link1 in the message, and updates the multi-link power-saving mode after the STA MLD receives a multi-link power-saving update acknowledgement message sent by the AP MLD on the link2 or the link1, that the main link is updated to the link1, that is the logical terminal STA1 operating on the link1 is read on the main link2, and if the logical terminal STA2 operating on the link1 needs to switch to the link1 is in the sleep state, or does not receive the multi-link power-saving update acknowledgement message after the multi-link power-saving update acknowledgement message is received, and the multi-link power-saving update acknowledgement message is indicated after the multi-link power-saving update message is received in the message is indicated on the link time period of the link.

Further, the AP MLD may include the following parameters in the broadcast message indicating to resume the operation of the AP 1:

switch timer: the duration between the reception of the broadcast message and the restoration of the operation of the AP1, i.e., the remaining duration of the AP1 is restored.

TID TO link map: in the embodiment of the invention, all service identifiers are mapped to the link1, all or part of service identifiers are mapped to the link2, and all or part of service identifiers are mapped to the link3. In other embodiments, a portion of the service identifier may be mapped to the link1, so long as there is a service identifier mapped to the link1, which may be used to indicate to resume operation of the AP 1.

The STA MLD reads a broadcast message indicating to resume the operation of the AP1 through the STA1, if the main link is decided to be switched to the link1, after the duration indicated by the parameter switch timer in the broadcast message, the STA1 sends a multi-link power saving update message to the AP MLD on the link1, the message indicates to update the main link to be the link1, and updates the multi-link power saving mode after receiving a multi-link power saving update confirmation message sent by the AP MLD on the link1, updates the main link from the link2 to the link1, or does not receive the multi-link power saving update confirmation message, and waits for the duration indicated by transition timeout after sending the multi-link power saving update message (namely, the timeout duration of the main link is switched by the STAMLD).

In some embodiments, after terminating the operation of AP1 for a period of time, AP MLD may re-set AP1, i.e. add AP1, and notify STA MLD of information of re-setting AP1, e.g. by operating on AP2 modification broadcast message on main link2 of STA MLD, increase the number of supported maximum access points by 1, add AP1 information in neighboring access point report information element, STA MLD may determine whether to switch main link to link1 after obtaining the indication of re-setting AP1, if the main link is switched to link1, send multi-link power saving update message indicating to update main link to link1 to AP MLD, if not switching main link, may perform the following operations:

s4001, STA MLD reads the broadcast message of AP MLD newly added with AP1 through STA2, sends a multi-link reconfiguration request message (such as ML reconfiguration request message) to AP MLD through STA2 on link2, indicates to add link1, and sets link1 as the secondary link, where the multi-link reconfiguration request message may include the following parameters:

link ID: the link identifier is set as the identifier of the link to be added, and the link1 is set in the embodiment of the invention;

reconfiguration Operation Type: the reconfiguration type is set as add link, and the link is indicated to be added;

MLPS link: whether the link is a multilink power saving mode link, namely whether the link is an auxiliary link or not, the embodiment of the invention is set to be an enable, and the indication is the multilink power saving mode link, namely the auxiliary link.

S4002, AP MLD receives the multi-link reconfiguration request message sent by STAMLD on link2 through AP2, and sends a multi-link reconfiguration response message (such as ML reconfiguration response message) to STAMLD, wherein the message indicates whether to approve the request.

S4003, STAMLD receives the multi-link reconfiguration response message sent by AP MLD on link2, if the message indicates the consent request, link1 is set as the auxiliary link, namely, the logic terminal STA1 operating on link1 is in a dormant state.

The main link updating method in the power saving mode is described in detail above, and it should be noted that the main link updating method may be applicable to main link updating in other situations, which is not described in detail in the embodiments of the present invention.

The embodiment of the invention also provides a main link updating device, which comprises a link updating module, wherein the link updating module is used for executing the following steps:

In an alternative example, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above apparatus may be specifically an AP MLD in the above embodiment, and the apparatus may be configured to perform each flow and/or step corresponding to the AP MLD in the above method, which is not repeated herein.

In an alternative example, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above apparatus may be specifically configured as the STA MLD in the above embodiment, and the apparatus may be configured to perform each flow and/or step corresponding to the STA MLD in the above method, which is not repeated herein.

It should be understood that the apparatus herein is embodied in the form of functional modules. The term module herein may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (application specific integrated circuit, ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (e.g., a shared, dedicated, or group processor, etc.) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that support the described functionality. The device has the function of realizing the corresponding steps in the method; the above functions may be implemented by hardware, or may be implemented by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the functions described above. In an embodiment of the invention, the device may also be a chip or a system of chips, for example: system on chip (SoC). The invention is not limited herein.

The embodiment of the invention also provides an electronic device, and fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the electronic device provided by the embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 3, the device 300 comprises a processor 301, a memory 302 and a communication interface 303, wherein the processor 301, the memory 302 and the communication interface 303 are in communication with each other via a bus 304, and instructions executable by the processor 301 are stored in the memory 302, and are loaded and executed by the processor 301 to control the communication interface 303 to send signals and/or receive signals.

It should be understood that the apparatus 300 may be specifically configured as the STA MLD or the AP MLD in the above embodiments, or the functions of the STA MLD or the AP MLD in the above embodiments may be integrated in the apparatus 300, and the apparatus 300 may be configured to perform the respective steps and/or flows corresponding to the STA MLD or the AP MLD in the above embodiments. Alternatively, the memory 302 may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provide instructions and data to the processor 301. A portion of memory 302 may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory 302 may also store information of the device type. The processor 301 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 301, and when the processor 301 executes the instructions, the processor 301 may perform corresponding steps and/or flows in the above-described method embodiments.

It should be appreciated that in embodiments of the present invention, the processor may be a central processing unit (centralprocessing unit, CPU), the processor may also be other general purpose processors, digital Signal Processors (DSPs), application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may be any conventional processor or the like.

In implementation, the steps of the above method may be performed by integrated logic circuits of hardware in a processor or by instructions in the form of software. The steps of a method disclosed in connection with the embodiments of the present invention may be embodied directly in a hardware processor for execution, or in a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor for execution. The software modules may be located in a random access memory, flash memory, read only memory, programmable read only memory, or electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, etc. as well known in the art. The storage medium is located in a memory, and the processor executes instructions in the memory to perform the steps of the method described above in conjunction with its hardware. To avoid repetition, a detailed description is not provided herein.

The above embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any other combination. When implemented in software, the above-described embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product comprises one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer program are loaded or executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in accordance with embodiments of the present invention are produced in whole or in part. The computer may be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable apparatus. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website site, computer, server, or data center to another website site, computer, server, or data center by wired (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that contains one or more sets of available media. The usable medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium. The semiconductor medium may be a solid state disk.

It should be understood that, in various embodiments of the present invention, the sequence numbers of the foregoing processes do not mean the order of execution, and the order of execution of the processes should be determined by the functions and internal logic thereof, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention. The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules, that is, may be located in one place, or may be distributed over a plurality of network modules, where some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purposes of the embodiment of the present invention.

In the several embodiments provided by the present invention, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus, device and method may be implemented in other manners. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the modules is merely a logical function division, and there may be other manners of dividing the modules or components into multiple modules or components when actually implemented, or multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted, or not performed. Alternatively, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed with each other may be an indirect coupling or communication connection via some interfaces, devices or modules, which may be in electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative modules and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, or combinations of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the solution. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

The foregoing is merely illustrative of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art will readily recognize that variations or substitutions are within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for updating a primary link, comprising:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message indicates a remaining duration to shut down the first logical entity.

3. The method for updating a main link according to claim 1, wherein the first message includes a mapping relationship between service identifiers and links, and the mapping relationship between service identifiers and links indicates that all service identifiers are mapped to a second link, so that the first multi-link device can select a new main link.

4. A method of updating a primary link according to claim 3, wherein the mapping of the service identity to the link indicates that no service identity is mapped to the first link for indicating that the first logical entity is closed.

5. The method for updating a main link according to claim 1, further comprising:

6. The method for updating a main link according to claim 5, further comprising, after said receiving a second update message sent by said first multi-link device via a first link:

7. The method for updating a main link according to claim 1, further comprising:

8. A method for updating a primary link, comprising:

9. The method for updating a primary link according to claim 8, wherein the first message indicates a remaining duration for closing the first logical entity, and wherein the primary link is updated from the first link to the second link if the first acknowledgement message sent by the second multi-link device is received; or after waiting for a timeout period for switching the primary link or a remaining period for closing the first logical entity after sending the first update message, updating the primary link from the first link to the second link, including:

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first message includes a mapping relationship between service identifiers and links, and wherein the mapping relationship between service identifiers and links indicates that all service identifiers are mapped to a second link, and further comprising:

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the mapping relationship between the service identifier and the link indicates that no service identifier is mapped to the first link, and is used to indicate to close the first logical entity.

12. The method for updating a main link according to claim 8, further comprising:

13. The method for updating a main link according to claim 8, further comprising:

14. A main link updating device, comprising a link updating module, wherein the link updating module is configured to perform the following steps:

15. The primary link updating apparatus of claim 14, wherein the link updating module is further configured to perform the steps of:

16. The primary link updating apparatus of claim 14, wherein the link updating module is further configured to perform the steps of:

17. A main link updating device, comprising a link updating module, wherein the link updating module is configured to perform the following steps:

18. The primary link updating apparatus of claim 17, wherein the link updating module is further configured to perform the steps of:

19. The primary link updating apparatus of claim 17, wherein the link updating module is further configured to perform the steps of:

20. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor and a computer program stored on the memory, characterized in that the processor executes the computer program to implement the method of any one of claims 1-13.

21. A computer readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, characterized in that the computer program, when being executed by a processor, implements the method of any of claims 1-13.