CN107211453B - A channel access method and channel access device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of wireless communication, in particular to channel access methods and an inter-channel device, which are used for solving the technical problem of low uplink access efficiency.A time parameter of a round of trigger access process can be reserved by an Access Point (AP) in the embodiment of the invention, so that a Station (STA) can execute trigger access according to the indication of the AP, and Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) access can be executed in the interval of executing the trigger access, thereby improving the uplink access efficiency.

Description

A channel access method and channel access device

technical field

The present invention relates to the field of wireless communication technologies, and in particular, to a channel access method and a channel access device.

Background technique

OFDMA (English: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access, Chinese: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) technology is one of the key technologies of the next-generation WiFi (English: Wireless Fidelity, Chinese: wireless fidelity technology), which can significantly improve MAC ( English: Media Access Control, Chinese: Media Access Control Layer) access efficiency. At present, in order to further improve the access efficiency on the one hand, and to ensure the synchronization quality of OFDMA parallel access on the other hand, the method of triggering the OFDMA uplink access by the AP (English: Access Point, Chinese: Access Point) has gradually received attention . Especially for high-density scenarios, it is imperative to introduce efficient parallel access and transmission mechanisms. It can be seen that the AP-triggered OFDMA uplink access method is expected to become one of the important technologies of the next-generation WiFi.

In addition to the OFDMA uplink access mode, if the STA wants to access the channel, it can also perform the access through the DCF (English: Distributed Coordination Function, Chinese: Distributed Coordination Function) uplink access mode. Generally speaking, the AP-triggered OFDMA uplink access mode is only suitable for new STAs supporting new standards, and for traditional (English: Legacy) STAs, the channel can only be accessed through the DCF access mode.

However, the current system either only supports the AP-triggered OFDMA uplink access mode, or only supports the DCF access mode, that is, the two uplink access modes cannot exist at the same time. Because, if the two methods exist in a system at the same time, the STA in the system, especially the new STA, is likely to be triggered by the AP when preparing for DCF access, which may make it impossible for the STA to choose what to do. Access to the AP will eventually lead to access failure.

That is, in the prior art, it is difficult to coordinate and coexist these two uplink access modes, so the system can only choose one of them, resulting in low uplink access efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide a channel access method and a channel access device, which are used to solve the technical problem of low uplink access efficiency.

A first aspect of the present invention provides a channel access method, applied to WLAN, including:

The access point AP schedules at least two rounds of the Trigger access process, the AP sends a broadcast message during scheduling the current round of the Trigger access process, and the broadcast message includes a time parameter for reserving the next round of the Trigger access process.

With reference to the first aspect, in a first possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the time parameter for reserving the next round of Trigger access process specifically includes:

The AP determines the time parameter of the next round of Trigger access process according to the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume in the current round of Trigger access process, where the time parameter includes the start of the next round of Trigger access process Time or the time interval between the current Trigger access process and the next Trigger access process.

In combination with the first possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in the second possible implementation manner of the first aspect, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is greater than the threshold value, the next round of Trigger access process starts. Time is the end time of this round of Trigger access process.

In combination with the first possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in the third possible implementation manner of the first aspect, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is less than or equal to the threshold value, the next round of Trigger access There is a time interval between the target start time of the process and the end time of the current Trigger access process, and the time interval is used for DCF access.

With reference to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementation manners of the first possible implementation manner to the third possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in the fourth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the This round of Trigger access is scheduled through management frames.

With reference to the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fourth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in the fifth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the The broadcast message sent by the AP is carried by the control frame, management frame or data frame sent by the AP, including: the CTS frame used to respond to the RTS or the BA frame used to confirm the successful reception of the received data, the Beacon frame or the Probe response frame, in the data frame the signaling part.

With reference to the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fifth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in the sixth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the The Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling. In the centralized control phase, OFDMA mode, CSMA mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of the two are adopted.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a channel access method, applied to WLAN, including:

The station STA receives a broadcast message, and the broadcast message includes a time parameter of the Trigger access process;

The STA determines the guard interval of the Trigger access process according to the broadcast information;

The STA performs DCF access outside the guard interval of the Trigger access procedure.

With reference to the second aspect, in a first possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the DCF access specifically includes:

If the STA completes the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access procedure, the DCF access is successful;

If the STA fails to complete the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access procedure, the STA records the value of the backoff counter, the DCF access is suspended, and the STA participates in the Trigger access procedure.

With reference to the first possible implementation manner of the second aspect, in the second possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the DCF access is suspended, and the STA participating in the Trigger access process specifically includes:

If the STA successfully accesses in a scheduling manner within the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, the STA cancels the DCF access, and clears the value of the recorded backoff counter;

If the STA fails to access in a scheduling manner within the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, the STA restores the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continues the DCF access. .

With reference to the first possible implementation manner of the second aspect, in a third possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the method further includes: if the STA does not receive a trigger access within the guard interval of the trigger access process In the Trigger frame of the Trigger access process, the STA restores the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continues the DCF access.

In combination with the second aspect or any one of the possible implementations from the first possible implementation to the third possible implementation of the second aspect, in the fourth possible implementation of the second aspect, the The time parameter includes the start time of the Trigger access process or the time interval of different rounds of the Trigger access process.

With reference to the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fourth possible implementation manner of the second aspect, in the fifth possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the The broadcast message is carried by the control frame, management frame or data frame sent by the AP, including: the CTS frame used to respond to the RTS or the BA frame used to confirm the successful reception of the received data, the Beacon frame or the Probe response frame, the signaling in the data frame part.

With reference to the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fifth possible implementation manner of the second aspect, in the sixth possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the The Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling. In the centralized control phase, OFDMA mode, CSMA mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of the two are adopted.

A third aspect of the present invention provides an AP, including a scheduling module and a sending module; wherein:

The scheduling module is configured to schedule at least two rounds of Trigger access processes, and send a broadcast message through the sending module during scheduling the current round of Trigger access processes, where the broadcast message includes the time for reserving the next round of Trigger access processes parameter.

With reference to the third aspect, in a first possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the AP further includes a determining module for reserving a time parameter of the next round of Trigger access process, and the determining module is specifically configured to: according to The number of access conflicts or the traffic volume in the current round of Trigger access process, determine the time parameter of the next round of Trigger access process, and the time parameter includes the start time of the next round of Trigger access process or the current round of Trigger access process The time interval between the Trigger access process and the next round of Trigger access process.

In combination with the first possible implementation manner of the third aspect, in the second possible implementation manner of the third aspect, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is greater than the threshold value, the next round of Trigger access process starts. Time is the end time of this round of Trigger access process.

In combination with the first possible implementation manner of the third aspect, in the third possible implementation manner of the third aspect, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is less than or equal to the threshold value, the next round of Trigger access There is a time interval between the target start time of the process and the end time of the current Trigger access process, and the time interval is used for DCF access.

With reference to the third aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the third possible implementation manner of the third aspect, in the fourth possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the This round of Trigger access is scheduled through management frames.

With reference to the third aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fourth possible implementation manner of the third aspect, in the fifth possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the The broadcast message sent by the AP is carried by the control frame, management frame or data frame sent by the AP, including: the CTS frame used to respond to the RTS or the BA frame used to confirm the successful reception of the received data, the Beacon frame or the Probe response frame, in the data frame the signaling part.

With reference to the third aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fifth possible implementation manner of the third aspect, in the sixth possible implementation manner of the third aspect, the The Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling. In the centralized control phase, OFDMA mode, CSMA mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of the two are adopted.

A fourth aspect of the present invention provides an STA, including:

a receiving module, configured to receive a broadcast message, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter of the Trigger access process;

a determining module, configured to determine the guard interval of the Trigger access process according to the broadcast information;

The operation module is used to perform DCF access outside the guard interval of the Trigger access process.

With reference to the fourth aspect, in a first possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the operation module is used for DCF access, specifically:

If the STA completes the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access procedure, the DCF access is successful;

If the STA fails to complete the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the value of the backoff counter is recorded, the DCF access is terminated, and the STA participates in the Trigger access process.

With reference to the first possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in the second possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the operation module is specifically configured to suspend the DCF access, and the STA participates in the Trigger access process, specifically:

If the STA successfully accesses the Trigger in the scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, the DCF access is cancelled, and the value of the recorded backoff counter is cleared;

If the STA fails to access the Trigger in the scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, restore the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continue the DCF access .

With reference to the first possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in the third possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the operation module is further configured to: if the receiving module does not fail within the guard interval of the Trigger access process After receiving the Trigger frame of the Trigger access process, after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process is restored, and the DCF access is continued.

With reference to the fourth aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the third possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in the fourth possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the The time parameter includes the start time of the Trigger access process or the time interval of different rounds of the Trigger access process.

With reference to the fourth aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fourth possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in the fifth possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the The broadcast message is carried by the control frame, management frame or data frame sent by the AP, including: the CTS frame used to respond to the RTS or the BA frame used to confirm the successful reception of the received data, the Beacon frame or the Probe response frame, the signaling in the data frame part.

With reference to the fourth aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fifth possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, in the sixth possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, the The Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling. In the centralized control phase, OFDMA mode, CSMA mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of the two are adopted.

A fifth aspect of the present invention provides an AP including a memory, a processor and a transceiver connected to the same bus;

the memory for storing instructions;

The processor is configured to execute the instruction, schedule at least two rounds of the Trigger access process, and send a broadcast message through the transceiver during scheduling the current round of the Trigger access process, where the broadcast message includes reserving the next round of Trigger access The time parameter of the access procedure.

With reference to the fifth aspect, in a first possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the processor is further configured to reserve time parameters for the next round of Trigger access procedures, specifically: according to the current round of Trigger access procedures The number of access collisions or traffic in The time interval of the Trigger access process.

In combination with the first possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, in the second possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is greater than the threshold value, the next round of Trigger access process starts Time is the end time of this round of Trigger access process.

With reference to the first possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, in the third possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is less than or equal to the threshold value, the next round of Trigger access There is a time interval between the target start time of the process and the end time of the current Trigger access process, and the time interval is used for DCF access.

With reference to the fifth aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the third possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, in the fourth possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the This round of Trigger access is scheduled through management frames.

With reference to the fifth aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fourth possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, in the fifth possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the The broadcast message sent by the processor through the transceiver is carried by the control frame, management frame or data frame sent by the AP, including: the CTS frame used to respond to the RTS or the BA frame used to confirm the successful reception of the received data, the Beacon frame or the Probe frame The response frame, the signaling part of the data frame.

With reference to the fifth aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fifth possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, in the sixth possible implementation manner of the fifth aspect, the The Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling. In the centralized control phase, OFDMA mode, CSMA mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of the two are adopted.

A sixth aspect of the present invention provides a STA, comprising a memory, a processor and a transceiver connected to the same bus;

the memory for storing instructions;

the transceiver, configured to receive a broadcast message, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter of the Trigger access process;

The processor is configured to execute the instruction to determine the guard interval of the Trigger access process according to the broadcast information; and perform DCF access outside the guard interval of the Trigger access process.

With reference to the sixth aspect, in a first possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the processor is used for DCF access, specifically:

If the STA completes the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access procedure, the DCF access is successful;

If the STA fails to complete the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the value of the backoff counter is recorded, the DCF access is terminated, and the STA participates in the Trigger access process.

With reference to the first possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, in the second possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the processor is specifically configured to suspend the DCF access, and the STA participates in the Trigger access process, specifically:

If the STA successfully accesses the Trigger in the scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, the DCF access is cancelled, and the value of the recorded backoff counter is cleared;

If the STA fails to access the Trigger in the scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, restore the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continue the DCF access .

With reference to the first possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, in a third possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the processor is further configured to: if the transceiver is not After receiving the Trigger frame of the Trigger access process, after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process is restored, and the DCF access is continued.

With reference to the sixth aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the third possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, in the fourth possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the The time parameter includes the start time of the Trigger access process or the time interval of different rounds of the Trigger access process.

With reference to the sixth aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fourth possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, in the fifth possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the The broadcast message is carried by the control frame, management frame or data frame sent by the AP, including: the CTS frame used to respond to the RTS or the BA frame used to confirm the successful reception of the received data, the Beacon frame or the Probe response frame, the signaling in the data frame part.

With reference to the sixth aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first possible implementation manner to the fifth possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, in the sixth possible implementation manner of the sixth aspect, the The Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling. In the centralized control phase, OFDMA mode, CSMA mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of the two are adopted.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the AP can schedule at least two rounds of Trigger access, and the AP can send a broadcast message during the process of scheduling the current round of Trigger access, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter for reserving the next round of Trigger access , so that after receiving the broadcast message, the STA can wait for the trigger of the AP according to the time parameter included in the broadcast message, that is, the STA is equivalent to knowing where the next round of Trigger access will be. so that you can wait for access at the correct time. And, for example, the Trigger access process is the OFDMA uplink access process, then, just because the time parameter of the subsequent Trigger access process is known, then the STA performs the Trigger access gap (that is, after the last Trigger access process is completed). , and before the start time of the next Trigger access process), DCF access can be performed, so as to minimize the conflict between DCF access and Trigger access, so that a system can support two uplink access technologies at the same time, then , through the DCF access, it is possible to ensure that the traditional STA accesses the AP as much as possible, and through the Trigger access, the efficiency of the uplink access can be improved as much as possible, so that the uplink access process of the STA in the system becomes more efficient and reliable.

Description of drawings

1A is a system schematic diagram of a typical WLAN deployment scenario;

FIG. 1B is a flowchart of an OFDMA uplink access process triggered by an AP;

Fig. 2 is the flow chart of DCF access process;

3A is a flowchart of a channel access method in an embodiment of the present invention;

3B is a schematic diagram of a frame structure of a general frame of a MAC layer in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of another channel access method in an embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a sub-flow diagram of a part of a process in which a STA coordinates Trigger access and DCF access in an embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a sub-flow diagram of a part of a process in which a STA coordinates Trigger access and DCF access in an embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a sub-flow diagram of a part of a process in which a STA coordinates Trigger access and DCF access in an embodiment of the present invention;

8 is a structural block diagram of an AP in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a structural block diagram of an STA in an embodiment of the present invention;

10 is a schematic structural diagram of an AP in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a STA in an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

First, the application scenarios of the embodiments of the present invention are introduced.

The embodiments of the present invention can be applied to WLAN (English: Wireless Local Area Networks, Chinese: Wireless Local Area Network). The WLAN may include multiple basic service sets (abbreviation: BSS, English: Basic Service Set), and the network nodes in the basic service set are: Station (English: Station, abbreviation: STA), the station includes an access point type station (abbreviation: AP, English: Access Point) and a non-access point type station (English: None Access Point Station, abbreviation: Non-AP STA). Each basic service set may contain one AP and multiple Non-AP STAs associated with the AP.

An access point type site (abbreviation: AP, English: Access Point), also called a wireless access point or a hotspot, etc. APs are access points for mobile users to access wired networks. They are mainly deployed in homes, buildings, and campuses, with a typical coverage radius ranging from tens of meters to hundreds of meters. Of course, they can also be deployed outdoors. AP is equivalent to a bridge connecting wired network and wireless network. Its main function is to connect various wireless network clients together, and then connect the wireless network to Ethernet. At present, the standard mainly adopted by the AP is the IEEE (English: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Chinese: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 series. Specifically, the AP may be a terminal device or a network device with a WiFi chip. Optionally, the AP can be a device that supports the 802.11ax standard, and further optionally, the AP can be a device that supports 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a and other WLANs (English: Wireless Local Area Network, Chinese : wireless LAN) standard equipment.

A non-access point station (English: None Access Point Station, referred to as: Non-AP STA) can be a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor or a wireless communication terminal. For example: mobile phones that support wireless fidelity (English: Wireless Fidelity, referred to as: WiFi) communication functions, tablet computers that support WiFi communication functions, set-top boxes that support WiFi communication functions, smart TVs that support WiFi communication functions, smart TVs that support WiFi communication functions Wearable devices and computers that support WiFi communication. Optionally, the station may support the 802.11ax standard, and further optionally, the station may support multiple WLAN standards such as 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, and 802.11a.

FIG. 1A is a system schematic diagram of a typical WLAN deployment scenario, including one AP and 4 STAs, and the AP communicates with STA1, STA2, STA3 and STA4 respectively. In this system, the STA can be divided into a primary STA or a secondary STA by the AP. The primary STA sends a message to the AP, so that the AP obtains the uplink data length of the primary STA, and the secondary STA obtains the uplink data length of the primary STA by listening to the message of the primary STA and compares the uplink data sent by itself with the uplink data sent by the primary STA. Align. It should be noted that the number of secondary STAs may be one or more.

Taking FIG. 1A as an example, the access process in the prior art will be described. For the system shown in FIG. 1A , generally only one uplink access mode is supported, that is, the system shown in FIG. 1A either only supports the DCF access mode, or only supports the AP-triggered OFDMA uplink access mode.

If the system only supports DCF access, then, for example, if any STA in FIG. 1A wants to access the channel, the STA can use the DCF mode to access by itself. In this way, STAs can only access the channels one by one by themselves, and the access efficiency is low.

If the system only supports OFDMA uplink access triggered by the AP, the AP can send the Trigger message by broadcasting, and the STA that receives the Trigger message can access the channel. This access mode can access more STAs at one time, and the access efficiency is high. However, this access mode only supports the new version of STA. For example, among the four STAs shown in FIG. 1A , STA1 and STA4 are STAs of the old version, and STA2 and STA3 are STAs of the new version. Then, for example, these four STAs have received the Trigger message, then STA2 and STA3 can receive access the channel, but STA1 and STA4 cannot access the channel. It can be seen that although this method has high access efficiency, it cannot cover all STAs, so that some STAs may not be able to access the channel.

Next, taking FIG. 1A as the hardware architecture, the OFDMA uplink access process and the DCF access process triggered by the AP are respectively introduced.

Please refer to FIG. 1B , which is a specific flow of an OFDMA uplink access process triggered by an AP.

Step 101: The AP sends a Trigger (Chinese: trigger) frame to trigger OFDMA uplink access. APs can send Trigger frames by broadcasting. Go to step 102 .

Step 102: The STA that needs to send uplink data receives the Trigger frame and waits for SIFS (English: ShortInterframe Space, Chinese: Short Frame Interval), and then randomly selects a sub-channel to send an RTX (Chinese: Send Request) frame to the AP to request data transmission . Go to step 103. Among them, RTX is a message in the next-generation WiFi, which is similar to the function of RTS in the current WiFi 802.11 protocol. For example, among the 4 STAs shown in FIG. 1A , STA1 and STA4 are STAs of old versions, and STA2 and STA3 are STAs of new versions, so the STAs here can only be STA2 or STA3 in FIG. 1A .

Step 103: After receiving the RTX frames sent by multiple STAs in parallel through OFDMA and waiting for the SIFS, the AP sends a CTX (Chinese: allow to send) frame to schedule resources for the STAs that successfully send the RTX. Go to step 104. Among them, CTX is a message in the next-generation WIFI, which is similar to the function of CTS in the current WiFi802.11 protocol.

In this step, the AP may only send the CTX frame to the STA that is determined to be able to send uplink data. For example, if the AP receives a total of 5 RTX frames sent by STAs, and the current channel is only 4, the AP may only select 4 STAs from them and send CTX frames to these 4 STAs, but the STAs that have not received the CTX frames Naturally, uplink data cannot be sent. The specific AP may select the four STAs according to the priorities of uplink data sent by different STAs, or may select the four STAs in any other possible manner.

In addition, the resource scheduling described here may refer to allocating a channel to the STA, so that the STA can transmit uplink data on the channel allocated to the STA.

Step 104: The STA receiving the CTX transmits uplink data on the corresponding sub-channel according to the scheduling result. Go to step 105.

Step 105: After the AP successfully receives the uplink data, it sends a BA (English: BlockAcknowledgement, Chinese: Block Acknowledgement) frame to the STA that transmits the uplink data to confirm the successful transmission of the uplink data.

Please refer to FIG. 2 , which is a specific flow of the DCF access process.

Step 201: When the STA has uplink data that needs to be sent, it first monitors the idle state of the channel. If the idle time of the channel lasts for DIFS (English: Distributed Inter-frame Spacing, Chinese: Distributed Inter-frame Spacing), the backoff counter is turned on, Execute the backoff procedure. This STA may be any of the STAs in Figure 1A.

During the backoff process, if the channel is busy again, the backoff process is suspended, and the backoff process is continued after the channel is idle again and DIFS is maintained. When the backoff counter reaches 0, go to step 202, otherwise, stay at step 201.

Step 202: The STA sends an RTS (English: Request To Send, Chinese: Request To Send) frame to the AP to request to send uplink data. Go to step 203 .

Step 203: After receiving the RTS, the AP waits for the SIFS, and replies to the STA with a CTS (English: Clear To Send, Chinese: Clear to Send) to instruct the STA to perform uplink data transmission. Go to step 204 .

Step 204: The STA transmits uplink data to the AP after receiving the CTS and waiting for the SIFS. Go to step 205 .

Step 205: After the uplink data transmission ends and the AP waits for the SIFS, the AP sends an ACK (English: Acknowledgement, Chinese: Confirmation) frame to the STA to confirm the successful transmission.

In order to make the purposes, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments These are some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Additionally, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein. The term "and/or" in this article is only an association relationship to describe the associated objects, indicating that there can be three kinds of relationships, for example, A and/or B, it can mean that A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and A and B exist independently B these three cases. In addition, the character "/" in this text, unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the related objects before and after are an "or" relationship.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 3A , an embodiment of the present invention provides a channel access method. The method can be applied to WLAN (English: Wireless Local Area Networks, Chinese: Wireless Local Area Network). The main process of the method is described as follows.

Step 301: The AP schedules at least two rounds of Trigger access process, the AP sends a broadcast message during scheduling the current round of Trigger access process, and the broadcast message includes a time parameter for reserving the next round of Trigger access process.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the time parameter for reserving the next round of Trigger access process specifically includes:

The AP determines the time parameter of the next round of Trigger access process according to the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume in the current round of Trigger access process, where the time parameter includes the start of the next round of Trigger access process Time or the time interval between the current Trigger access process and the next Trigger access process.

The traffic volume in the current round of Trigger access process refers to how many STAs participate in the current round of Trigger access process.

For example, if the AP wants to know the number of access conflicts in the current Trigger access process, it can be obtained through power detection. After the AP triggers this round of Trigger access, the AP can detect the power of each channel. Under normal circumstances, only one STA is sending data in a channel, so the power detected on this channel should be relatively stable, and if there is a channel conflict, then the detected power on the conflicting channel should be The power may be relatively high, for example, it may be several times the normal power. Then, for example, if the power detected on a channel is three times the normal channel power, it can be known that there are three STAs colliding on this channel. It can be known that the number of access collisions on this channel is 3. The same processing is performed on each channel, and the total number of access conflicts in the current round of Trigger access process can be obtained.

For example, if the AP knows the number of STAs that collide during the current round of Trigger access (ie, the number of access conflicts), it is equivalent to knowing how many STAs in the current round of Trigger access have not completed the access. For another example, the AP knows the traffic volume in the current Trigger access process, which is equivalent to knowing how many STAs need to access the channel. Therefore, the AP can determine the time parameter of the next round of Trigger access process according to the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume in the current round of Trigger access process.

For example, if the number of access conflicts is large, or if the traffic volume is large, the AP can set the interval between the current Trigger access process and the next Trigger access process to be smaller, that is, let the next Trigger access process be smaller. The access process starts as soon as possible, so that more STAs can access the channel as soon as possible and improve the channel access efficiency.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is greater than the threshold value, the start time of the next round of Trigger access process is the end time of this round of Trigger access process.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is less than or equal to the threshold value, the target start time of the next round of Trigger access process and the end time of the current round of Trigger access process exist time. interval, the time interval is used for DCF access.

That is, if the number of access conflicts is too large, or the traffic volume is too large, the AP can control that there is no time interval between the next round of Trigger access process and the current round of Trigger access process, and the current round of Trigger access process is completed immediately. In the next round of Trigger access process, try to ensure that more STAs can access the channel as soon as possible to improve the channel access efficiency.

However, if the number of access conflicts is small or the traffic volume is small, the AP can set a certain time interval between the current trigger access process and the next trigger access process. In this way, the STA is performing the trigger access process. The DCF access process can also be performed in the gaps between the STAs, so that the STAs of the old version can also access the channel. While improving the channel access efficiency, try to enable all types of STAs to send uplink data. The length of the specific time interval between two rounds of Trigger access procedures may be set according to the specific number of access conflicts or traffic, which is not limited in the present invention.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the threshold value may be set according to the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume.

When the threshold value is set according to the number of access collisions, the threshold value may be, for example, the value of the number of access collisions. For example, in the random access process, the 20MHz bandwidth is divided into 9 competing sub-channels. If two or more STAs perform random access on more than 4 channels, the AP considers that the current number of access conflicts is high, or Currently, there are many STAs that need to access the channel and the traffic volume is large, so the start time of triggering the next round of Trigger access process is, for example, the end time of the current round of Trigger access process.

When the threshold value is set according to the traffic volume, the threshold value may be the amount of data that needs to be transmitted currently. For example, the AP buffers a large amount of data that needs to be delivered. When the buffered data cannot be delivered in one downlink frame, or the received uplink transmission request cannot be delivered in one uplink frame, the AP triggers the next round of Trigger reception. The start time of the access process is, for example, the end time of the current Trigger access process.

In addition, in this embodiment of the present invention, the time parameter may include the start time of the next round of Trigger access process, or may include the time interval between the current round of Trigger access process and the next round of Trigger access process. However, if the time parameter includes the time interval between the current round of Trigger access process and the next round of Trigger access process, it can be considered that the AP only reserved the next round of Trigger access process, or it can also be regarded as the AP Multiple rounds of Trigger access procedures have been reserved.

That is, if it is considered that the AP has only reserved the next round of Trigger access process, after the current round of Trigger access process is completed, the next round of Trigger access process is performed after the time interval included in the time parameter has passed.

If it is considered that the AP has reserved multiple rounds of Trigger access process, then after the current round of Trigger access process is completed, after the time interval included in the time parameter has elapsed, the next round of Trigger access process is performed. After the access process is completed, after the time interval included in the time parameter has elapsed, the next round of the Trigger access process is performed, and so on.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the current Trigger access process is scheduled through a management frame.

That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, the next round of Trigger access process can be scheduled by the broadcast message sent by the current round of Trigger access process, then the current round of Trigger access process can be understood as the first Trigger access process, Since there is no previous round of Trigger access process for scheduling, the current round of Trigger access process may be scheduled by a management frame, for example, the management frame may be a Beacon (Chinese: Beacon) frame.

Referring to FIG. 3B , it is a schematic diagram of a frame structure of a general frame of a MAC layer in an embodiment of the present invention.

The frame structure includes a MAC (English: Media Access Control, Chinese: Media Access Control) Header (header), a variable-length frame body and a frame check sequence. In Figure 3B, Frame control (Chinese: Frame Control), (Chinese: Frame Length), Address (Chinese: Address) 1, 2, 3, Sequence Control (Chinese: Sequence Control) and HT (English: High Throughput, Chinese: The high throughput) control (Chinese: Control) field constitutes the MAC Header, that is, the MAC Header contains frame control information, frame length information, address information, sequence control information, QoS (English: Quality of Service, Chinese: Quality of Service) information, and HT control information, etc.

Among them, the Frame control field contains some control information of the frame, such as frame type, subtype, etc.; the Duration field indicates the time that the occupied channel will still occupy the channel after the frame ends; the SequenceControl field gives the Sequence number and fragment number of MSDU (English: MAC Service Data Unit, Chinese: Media Access Control Service Data Unit) or MMPDU (English: MAC management protocol data unit, Chinese: Media Access Control Management Protocol Data Unit); HT control field Control information related to HT or VHT (English: very highthroughput, Chinese: ultra-high throughput) is given; there are four fields (ie Addressl-4) for address information, which are used to indicate which STA or STA the data packet is. Sent by the AP, which is the destination STA or AP.

Address 1 is used to indicate the address of the receiver, Address 2 is used to indicate the address of the sender, and Address 3 is used to indicate the source or destination address.

Frame Body (Chinese: Frame Body), used to carry the specific information of the frame.

FCS (English: Frame Check Sequence, Chinese: Frame Check Sequence), used for verification.

When a certain frame is a management frame, its frame format is basically the same as that of FIG. 3B, except that the management frame does not have the Address4 field in FIG. 3B.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast message sent by the AP is carried by a control frame, a management frame, or a data frame sent by the AP, including: a traditional CTS frame used to respond to RTS or a block used to confirm that the received data is successfully received. Acknowledgment (BA) frame, Beacon frame or Probe response (Chinese: Probe response) frame, the signaling part of the data frame.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the CTS frame may refer to a traditional CTS frame, or may also refer to a newly modified CTS frame applicable to IEEE802.11.

Among them, the RTS frame, the CTS frame and the BA frame belong to the control frame, the Beacon frame and the Probe response frame belong to the management frame, and the signaling part in the data frame belongs to the data frame.

In this embodiment of the present invention, if the broadcast message is carried in the management frame, the broadcast message may be carried in the Frame Body part of the management frame.

If the broadcast message is carried in the signaling part of the data frame, a field may be directly added to the signaling part of the data frame to carry the broadcast message.

If the broadcast message is carried in the control frame, a field may also be directly added to the control frame to carry the broadcast message.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling. In the centralized control phase, OFDMA mode and CSMA (English: Carrier Sense Multiple Access, Chinese: Carrier Sense Multiple Access) with collision avoidance are adopted. multiple access) mode or a hybrid access mode of the two. Wherein, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, OFDMA is used as an example for illustration.

In this embodiment of the present invention, after the AP sends the broadcast message, the STA can receive the broadcast message. In this way, the STA can perform the Trigger access procedure according to the time parameter included in the broadcast message, and if there is a time interval between the two rounds of the Trigger access procedure, the STA can perform the DCF between the two rounds of the Trigger access procedure access process.

In this way, the AP performs scheduling, so that the two access modes of Trigger access and DCF access can be well coordinated, so as to reduce the conflict between the DCF access process and the Trigger access process as much as possible, so that a system can simultaneously By supporting these two uplink access technologies, the traditional STA access to AP can be guaranteed as much as possible through DCF access, and the efficiency of uplink access can be improved as much as possible through Trigger access, making the uplink access process of STAs in the system more efficient. More efficient and reliable.

Further, in this embodiment of the present invention, after the AP sends the broadcast message, if the start time of the next round of Trigger access process reserved by the AP arrives, the AP sends a Trigger frame to the STA to start the Trigger access process.

Referring to FIG. 4 , based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention provides another channel access method, and the method can be applied to a WLAN. Specifically, step 303 in FIG. 3 is that the AP sends the broadcast message, and the STA can receive it after sending, and then FIG. 4 is a method performed by one of the STAs that has received the broadcast message. The main flow of the method is described as follows.

Step 401: the STA receives a broadcast message, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter of the Trigger access process;

Step 402: the STA determines the guard interval of the Trigger access process according to the broadcast information;

Step 403: The STA performs DCF access outside the guard interval of the Trigger access procedure.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the guard interval may be a period of time, for example, a period from a time before the start time of the Trigger access process to a time after the start time of the Trigger access process may be set For the guard interval, the guard interval is set to avoid conflict between the DCF access process and the Trigger access process as much as possible. During the time period of the guard interval, the STA cannot access the channel in the way of DCF.

For example, if the time parameter included in the broadcast message received by the STA includes the start time of the next round of Trigger access procedure, the STA may introduce a guard interval before and after the start time. For example, if the start time is 12:00:01:112, the start time of the guard interval set by the STA for the start time may be 12:00:01:106, and the end time may be 12:00:01:118 . That is, an interval can be introduced for protection before and after the start time of a Trigger access procedure. Of course, in the above example, the interval introduced before and after the start time of the Trigger access process is the same (both are 6 milliseconds). In practical applications, the interval introduced before and after the start time of the Trigger access process can also be different. The same, it can be determined according to the actual situation or the system preset. In addition, the above numerical values are for example only and do not represent actual conditions.

The DCF access is performed outside the guard interval of the Trigger access procedure, that is, the DCF access is performed when the Trigger access is not performed. For example, the current time is 12:00:01:108, and the start time of the next round of Trigger access process is 12:00:01:112. Although it has not reached the start time of the next round of Trigger access process, it is the start time of the next round of Trigger access process. The start time of the guard interval set at the start time of the secondary trigger access process is 12:00:01:106, that is, the guard interval has been entered, then the STA cannot perform DCF access at this time.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the DCF access specifically includes:

If the STA completes the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access procedure, the DCF access is successful;

If the STA fails to complete the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access procedure, the STA records the value of the backoff counter, suspends the DCF access, and the STA participates in the Trigger access procedure.

In this embodiment of the present invention, when Trigger access is not performed, the STA may perform a back-off process corresponding to the DCF, that is, start the back-off counter. When the start time of the guard interval of the next round of Trigger access process is reached, if the back-off process has not ended, the value of the back-off counter is recorded, the back-off process is suspended, and the trigger message sent by the AP is waited for. The Trigger access process is performed, and when the start time of the guard interval of the next round of Trigger access process is reached, if the backoff process has ended, the DCF access of the STA is successful, and the STA does not perform Trigger access at this time.

For example, the current time is 12:00:01:100, the start time of the next round of Trigger access process is 12:00:01:112, and the start time of the guard interval set for the start time of this round of Trigger access process is 12:00:01:106, then the STA can perform a back-off process and start the back-off counter. When reaching 12:00:01:106, if the backoff process has not ended, it is necessary to record the value of the backoff counter, suspend the backoff process, and wait for the trigger message (ie Trigger frame) sent by the AP to be received. When reaching 12:00:01:106, if the back-off process has ended, the STA performs DCF access successfully.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the DCF access is suspended, and the STA participating in the Trigger access process specifically includes:

If the STA successfully accesses the Trigger in the scheduling mode in the Trigger's scheduling time slot, the STA cancels the DCF access and clears the value of the recorded backoff counter;

If the STA fails to access the Trigger in the scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, the STA restores the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continues the DCF access.

That is, if the STA fails to complete the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, records the value of the backoff counter, and then the STA performs the Trigger access successfully, the STA can cancel the DCF access, and can change the value of the backoff counter to the value of the backoff counter. clear.

However, if the STA fails to complete the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the value of the backoff counter is recorded, and then the STA fails to perform the Trigger access, the STA can save the value from the Trigger access process after the guard interval of the Trigger access process. The value of the back-off counter starts to continue counting, that is, the DCF access continues to be performed.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes:

If the STA does not receive the Trigger frame of the Trigger access process within the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the STA restores the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continues DCF access.

That is, if the STA fails to complete the backoff before the guard interval of the trigger access procedure, the value of the backoff counter is recorded, and the STA waits to perform the trigger access. However, in the end, the STA does not receive the Trigger frame sent by the AP and cannot perform Trigger access. Then, after the guard interval of the Trigger access process ends, for example, at the end of the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the STA can start from before. The stored value of the back-off counter starts to continue counting, that is, the DCF access continues to be performed.

It can be seen that in this embodiment of the present invention, the STA has the on-site protection capability. Even if the Trigger access is unsuccessful, the STA can continue to perform the DCF access from the state when the DCF access was suspended, which reduces the time required for the STA to perform the DCF access. , which improves the DCF access efficiency.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the time parameter includes a start time of the Trigger access process or a time interval of different rounds of Trigger access processes.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast message is carried by a control frame, a management frame or a data frame sent by the AP, including: a CTS frame used to respond to the sending request RTS or a BA frame used to confirm that the received data is successfully received. , Beacon frame or Probe response frame, the signaling part of the data frame.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling, and an OFDMA mode, a CSMA mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of the two is adopted in the centralized control phase.

The process of FIG. 4 is a process corresponding to the process of FIG. 3 . Contents that are not described in detail in the process of FIG. 4 have already been introduced in the process of FIG. 3 , so they will not be described in detail.

Please refer to FIG. 5 , which is a sub-flow diagram of a part of the process of STA coordinating Trigger access and DCF access. A sub-flow diagram of part of the process of performing DCF access in a Trigger access gap.

Step 501: The STA performs the DCF backoff procedure in the interval of the Trigger access procedure. Go to step 502 . Before step 501, the STA needs to receive the broadcast message sent by the AP, where the broadcast message carries a time parameter for reserving the next round of Trigger access process.

Step 502: The STA determines whether the backoff ends before the start time of the guard interval of the next round of Trigger access process arrives. If yes, go to step 503 .

Step 503: If the backoff ends before the protection duration reaches the time, the STA directly transmits the uplink data through the transmission mode corresponding to the DCF. Process ends.

Please refer to FIG. 6 , which is a sub-flow diagram of a part of the process for the STA to coordinate Trigger access and DCF access. If the judgment result of step 502 is that the backoff does not end before the start time of the guard interval of the next round of Trigger access process arrives, then step 601 of FIG. 6 is executed.

Step 601: If the backoff does not end before the start time of the guard interval of the next round of Trigger access process arrives, the STA records the value of the backoff counter, the DCF access is terminated, and the STA participates in the Trigger access process. That is, the STA starts to wait for the AP to send the Trigger frame. If the STA receives the Trigger frame within the guard interval, step 602 is performed, and if the STA does not receive the Trigger frame within the guard interval, step 603 is performed.

Step 602: If the STA receives the Trigger frame within the guard interval, the STA executes the Trigger access procedure.

Step 603: If the STA does not receive the Trigger frame within the guard interval, after the guard interval, the STA restores the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continues the DCF access.

Please refer to FIG. 7 , which is a sub-flow diagram of a part of the process for the STA to coordinate Trigger access and DCF access. After step 602, according to whether the STA performs the Trigger access procedure successfully, the steps in the flow of FIG. 7 are also included.

Step 701: If the STA receives the Trigger frame within the guard interval, the STA executes the Trigger access procedure. Step 701 and step 602 can be understood as the same step. If the STA performs the Trigger access successfully, step 702 is performed, and if the STA fails to perform the Trigger access, step 703 is performed.

Step 702: If the STA succeeds in accessing the Trigger in a scheduling manner within the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, the STA cancels the DCF access.

Step 703: If the STA fails to access the Trigger in a scheduling manner within the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, after the guard interval, the STA restores the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continues DCF access.

Referring to FIG. 8 , based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention provides an AP, where the AP may include a scheduling module 801 and a sending module 802 .

The scheduling module 801 is configured to schedule at least two rounds of Trigger access process, and send a broadcast message through the sending module 802 during scheduling the current round of Trigger access process, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter for reserving the next round of Trigger access process.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the AP further includes a determining module for reserving a time parameter of the next round of Trigger access process, and the determining module is specifically configured to: according to the current round of Trigger access process. The number of access conflicts or the traffic volume, determine the time parameter of the next round of Trigger access process, the time parameter includes the start time of the next round of Trigger access process or the current round of Trigger access process and the next round of Trigger access process The time interval of the access procedure.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is greater than the threshold value, the start time of the next round of Trigger access process is the end time of this round of Trigger access process.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is less than or equal to the threshold value, the target start time of the next round of Trigger access process and the end time of the current round of Trigger access process exist time. interval, the time interval is used for DCF access of the distributed point coordination function.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the current Trigger access process is scheduled through a management frame.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast message sent by the AP is carried by a control frame, a management frame or a data frame sent by the AP, including: a CTS frame for responding to RTS or a BA for confirming that the received data is successfully received. Frame, Beacon frame or Probe response frame, the signaling part of the data frame.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling, and an OFDMA mode, a CSMA mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of the two is adopted in the centralized control phase.

Referring to FIG. 9 , based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention provides an STA, where the STA may include a receiving module 901 , a determining module 902 , and an operating module 903 .

A receiving module 901, configured to receive a broadcast message, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter of the Trigger access process;

a determining module 902, configured to determine the guard interval of the Trigger access process according to the broadcast information;

The operation module 903 is configured to perform DCF access outside the guard interval of the Trigger access process.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the operation module 903 is used for DCF access, specifically:

If the STA completes the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access procedure, the DCF access is successful;

If the STA fails to complete the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the value of the backoff counter is recorded, the DCF access is terminated, and the STA participates in the Trigger access process.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the operation module 903 is specifically configured to suspend the DCF access, and the STA participates in the Trigger access process, specifically:

If the STA successfully accesses the Trigger in the scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, the DCF access is cancelled, and the value of the recorded backoff counter is cleared;

If the STA fails to access the Trigger in the scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, restore the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continue the DCF access .

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the operation module 903 is further configured to: if the receiving module 901 does not receive the Trigger frame of the Trigger access process within the guard interval of the Trigger access process, then the guard interval of the Trigger access process is performed. After that, the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process is restored, and the DCF access is continued.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the time parameter includes a start time of the Trigger access process or a time interval of different rounds of Trigger access processes.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast message is carried by a control frame, a management frame, or a data frame sent by the AP, including: a CTS frame used to respond to RTS or a BA frame used to confirm that the received data is successfully received, Beacon Frame or Probe response frame, the signaling part of the data frame.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling, and an OFDMA mode, a CSMA mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of the two is adopted in the centralized control phase.

Referring to FIG. 10 , based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention provides an AP, including a memory 1001 connected to a bus 1000 , a processor 1002 , and a transceiver 1003 .

The memory 1001 is used to store the instructions required by the processor 1002 to perform tasks;

The processor is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory 1001, schedule at least two rounds of Trigger access procedures, and send a broadcast message through the transceiver 1003 during scheduling of the current round of Trigger access procedures, where the broadcast message includes reserving the next round The time parameter of the Trigger access process.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the processor 1002 is further configured to reserve a time parameter of the next round of Trigger access process, specifically: according to the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume in the current round of Trigger access process, A time parameter of the next round of Trigger access process is determined, and the time parameter includes the start time of the next round of Trigger access process or the time interval between the current round of Trigger access process and the next round of Trigger access process.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is greater than the threshold value, the start time of the next round of Trigger access process is the end time of this round of Trigger access process.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, if the number of access conflicts or the traffic volume is less than or equal to the threshold value, the target start time of the next round of Trigger access process and the end time of the current round of Trigger access process exist time. interval, the time interval is used for DCF access.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the current Trigger access process is scheduled through a management frame.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast message sent by the processor 1002 through the transceiver 1003 is carried by a control frame, a management frame or a data frame sent by the AP, including: a CTS frame or a CTX frame for responding to RTS, for Confirm the BA frame, Beacon frame or Probe response frame that the received data is successfully received, and the signaling part of the data frame.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling, and an OFDMA mode, a CSMA mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of the two is adopted in the centralized control phase.

Referring to FIG. 11 , based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention provides an STA, including a memory 1101 , a processor 1102 , and a transceiver 1103 connected to a bus 1100 .

The memory 1101 is used to store the instructions required by the processor 1102 to perform tasks;

A transceiver 1103, configured to receive a broadcast message, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter of the Trigger access process;

The processor 1102 is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory 1101, determine the guard interval of the Trigger access process according to the broadcast information; and perform DCF access outside the guard interval of the Trigger access process.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the processor 1102 is used for DCF access, specifically:

If the STA completes the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access procedure, the DCF access is successful;

If the STA fails to complete the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the value of the backoff counter is recorded, the DCF access is terminated, and the STA participates in the Trigger access process.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the processor 1102 is specifically configured to suspend the DCF access, and the STA participates in the Trigger access process, specifically:

If the STA successfully accesses the Trigger in the scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, the DCF access is cancelled, and the value of the recorded backoff counter is cleared;

If the STA fails to access the Trigger in the scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, restore the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continue the DCF access .

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the processor 1102 is further configured to: if the transceiver 1103 does not receive the Trigger frame of the Trigger access process within the guard interval of the Trigger access process, then the guard interval of the Trigger access process After that, the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process is restored, and the DCF access is continued.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the time parameter includes a start time of the Trigger access process or a time interval of different rounds of Trigger access processes.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast message is carried by a control frame, a management frame, or a data frame sent by the AP, including: a CTS frame used to respond to RTS or a BA frame used to confirm that the received data is successfully received, Beacon Frame or Probe response frame, the signaling part of the data frame.

Optionally, in this embodiment of the present invention, the Trigger access process is a process used to trigger centralized control or scheduling, and an OFDMA mode, a CSMA mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of the two is adopted in the centralized control phase.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the AP can schedule at least two rounds of Trigger access, and the AP can send a broadcast message during the process of scheduling the current round of Trigger access, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter for reserving the next round of Trigger access , so that after receiving the broadcast message, the STA can wait for the trigger of the AP according to the time parameter included in the broadcast message, that is, the STA is equivalent to knowing where the next round of Trigger access will be. so that you can wait for access at the correct time. And, for example, the Trigger access process is the OFDMA uplink access process, then, just because the time parameter of the subsequent Trigger access process is known, then the STA performs the Trigger access gap (that is, after the last Trigger access process is completed). , and before the start time of the next Trigger access process), DCF access can be performed, so as to minimize the conflict between DCF access and Trigger access, so that a system can support two uplink access technologies at the same time, then , through the DCF access, it is possible to ensure that the traditional STA accesses the AP as much as possible, and through the Trigger access, the efficiency of the uplink access can be improved as much as possible, so that the uplink access process of the STA in the system becomes more efficient and reliable.

Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of the description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional units is used for illustration. The internal structure of the device is divided into different functional units to complete all or part of the functions described above. For the specific working process of the system, apparatus and unit described above, reference may be made to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and details are not described herein again.

In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, apparatus and method may be implemented in other manners. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are only illustrative. For example, the division of the unit or the unit is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be Combinations can either be integrated into another system, or some features can be omitted, or not implemented. On the other hand, the shown or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, and may be in electrical, mechanical or other forms.

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

In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically alone, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware, or may be implemented in the form of software functional units.

The integrated unit, if implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the present application can be embodied in the form of software products in essence, or the parts that contribute to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solutions, and the computer software products are stored in a storage medium , including several instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or a processor (processor) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, Read-Only Memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), Random Access Memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), magnetic disk or optical disk and other media that can store program codes .

As mentioned above, the above embodiments are only used to describe the technical solutions of the present application in detail, but the descriptions of the above embodiments are only used to help understand the method and the core idea of the present invention, and should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, which should all be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (42)

1, channel access method, applied to wireless local area network WLAN, comprising:

an Access Point (AP) schedules at least two Trigger access processes, the AP sends broadcast messages in the scheduling Trigger access process of the current round, the broadcast messages contain time parameters for reserving the lower Trigger access process of the round, and the time parameters comprise the starting time of the lower Trigger access process or the time interval between the Trigger access process of the current round and the Trigger access process of the lower rounds.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time parameter of the rounds of Trigger access under the subscription specifically includes:

and the AP determines the time parameter of the lower Trigger access process according to the access conflict number or the traffic in the Trigger access process of the current round.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein if the number of access collisions or the traffic volume is greater than , the start time of the lower Trigger access procedure is the end time of the Trigger access procedure in the current round.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein if the number of access collisions or traffic volume is smaller than or equal to limit, there is a time interval between the target start time of the lower round Trigger access procedure and the end time of the current round Trigger access procedure, and the time interval is used for DCF access.

5. The method according to , wherein the Trigger access procedure of the current round is scheduled by a management frame.

6. The method according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the broadcast message sent by the AP is carried by a control frame, a management frame or a data frame sent by the AP, and comprises a clear-to-send CTS frame for responding to a Request To Send (RTS) or a Block Acknowledgement (BA) frame for acknowledging successful receipt of received data, a Beacon frame or a Probe response frame, and a signaling part in the data frame.

7. The method according to , wherein the Trigger access procedure is a procedure for triggering centralized control or scheduling, and the centralized control stage employs Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) mode, Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of both.

8, channel access method, applied to wireless local area network WLAN, comprising:

a station STA receives broadcast messages, wherein the broadcast messages contain time parameters for triggering a Trigger access process;

the STA determines a guard interval of a Trigger access process according to the broadcast information;

and the STA performs DCF access outside a guard interval of the Trigger access process.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the DCF accessing specifically comprises:

if the STA finishes the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the DCF access is successful;

and if the STA fails to finish backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the STA records the value of a backoff counter, the DCF access is suspended, and the STA participates in the Trigger access process.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the DCF access suspension, and the STA participating in the Trigger access procedure specifically comprises:

if the STA is successfully accessed in a scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, the STA cancels DCF access and resets the recorded value of the backoff counter;

and if the STA fails to access in a scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, the STA recovers the value of a backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continues DCF access.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises: if the STA does not receive the Trigger frame of the Trigger access process within the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the STA recovers the value of the backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continues the DCF access.

12. The method of any of claims 8-11, wherein the time parameter comprises a start time of the Trigger access procedure or a time interval of a different round of Trigger access procedures.

13. The method as claimed in , wherein the broadcast message is carried by a control frame, a management frame or a data frame sent by the AP, and comprises a clear-to-send CTS frame for responding to a request to send RTS or a block acknowledgement BA frame for acknowledging successful receipt of received data, a Beacon Beacon frame or a Probe response frame, and a signaling part in the data frame.

14. The method according to of any of claims 8-11, wherein the Trigger access procedure is a procedure for triggering centralized control or scheduling, and wherein the centralized control phase employs Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) mode, Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) mode with collision avoidance, or a hybrid access mode of both.

15, kinds of access point AP, characterized by comprising a scheduling module and a sending module, wherein:

the scheduling module is configured to schedule at least two Trigger access procedures, and send broadcast messages through the sending module in a process of scheduling Trigger access for a current round, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter for reserving the Trigger access procedure for a next round, and the time parameter includes a start time of the Trigger access procedure for the next round or a time interval between the Trigger access procedure for the current round and the Trigger access procedure for a next rounds.

16. The AP of claim 15, wherein the AP further comprises a determining module configured to subscribe to a time parameter of a next rounds of Trigger access procedures, and the determining module is specifically configured to determine the time parameter of the next rounds of Trigger access procedures according to the number of access collisions or traffic volume in the current round of Trigger access procedures.

17. The AP of claim 16, wherein if the number of access collisions or traffic volume is greater than , the start time of the lower Trigger access procedure is the end time of the Trigger access procedure in the current round.

18. The AP of claim 16, wherein if the number of access collisions or traffic is less than or equal to limits, there is a time interval between the target start time of the lower round Trigger access procedure and the end time of the current round Trigger access procedure, and the time interval is used for DCF access.

19. The AP of any , wherein the Trigger access procedure of the current round is scheduled by a management frame.

20. The AP of any of claims 15-18, wherein the broadcast message sent by the AP is carried by a control frame, a management frame, or a data frame sent by the AP, and includes a clear-to-send CTS frame for responding to a request to send RTS or a block acknowledgement BA frame for acknowledging successful receipt of received data, a Beacon frame or a Probe response frame, and a signaling portion of the data frame.

21. The AP of any , wherein the Trigger access procedure is a procedure for triggering centralized control or scheduling, and wherein the centralized control stage employs an OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) scheme, a CSMA (carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance) scheme, or a hybrid access scheme of the two.

22, station STA, comprising:

a receiving module, configured to receive broadcast messages, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter for triggering a Trigger access procedure;

a determining module, configured to determine a guard interval in the Trigger access process according to the broadcast information;

and the operation module is used for performing DCF access outside a guard interval of the Trigger access process.

23. The STA of claim 22, wherein the operation module is configured for DCF access, and specifically is configured to:

if the STA finishes the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the DCF access is successful;

and if the STA fails to finish backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, recording the value of a backoff counter, stopping DCF access, and allowing the STA to participate in the Trigger access process.

24. The STA of claim 23, wherein the operation module is specifically configured to perform the DCF access suspension, and wherein the STA participates in the Trigger access procedure, and specifically:

if the STA is successfully accessed to the Trigger in a scheduling mode within the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, canceling DCF access, and clearing the recorded value of the backoff counter;

and if the STA fails to access the Trigger in a scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, recovering the value of a backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continuing the DCF access.

25. The STA of claim 23, wherein the operation module is further to: if the receiving module does not receive the Trigger frame of the Trigger access process within the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the value of a backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process is recovered after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and the DCF access is continued.

26. The STA of any , wherein the time parameter comprises a start time of the Trigger access procedure or a time interval of a different round of Trigger access procedure.

27. An STA as claimed in any of claims 22-25, wherein the broadcast message is carried by a control frame, a management frame or a data frame sent by the AP, including a clear-to-send CTS frame for responding to a request to send RTS or a block acknowledgement BA frame for acknowledging successful receipt of received data, a Beacon frame or a Probe response frame, a signaling part in a data frame.

28. An STA as claimed in any , wherein the Trigger access procedure is a procedure used to Trigger centralized control or scheduling, and employs OFDMA, CSMA with collision avoidance, or a hybrid of both, during the centralized control phase.

29, an access point AP, comprising a memory, a processor, and a transceiver connected to a common bus;

the memory to store instructions;

the processor is configured to execute the instruction, schedule at least two Trigger access procedures, and send broadcast messages through the transceiver in scheduling the Trigger access procedure of the current round, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter of a Trigger access procedure under a subscription, and the time parameter includes a start time of the Trigger access procedure of the next round or a time interval between the Trigger access procedure of the current round and the Trigger access procedure of the next rounds.

30. The AP of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured to reserve a time parameter of a lower rounds of Trigger access procedures, and specifically, determine the time parameter of the lower rounds of Trigger access procedures according to the number of access conflicts or traffic volume in the current round of Trigger access procedures.

31. The AP of claim 30, wherein if the number of access collisions or traffic volume is greater than limit, the start time of the lower Trigger access procedure is the end time of the Trigger access procedure in the current round.

32. The AP of claim 30, wherein if the number of access collisions or traffic is less than or equal to limits, there is a time interval between the target start time of the lower round Trigger access procedure and the end time of the current round Trigger access procedure, and the time interval is used for DCF access.

33. The AP of any , wherein the Trigger access procedure of the current round is scheduled by a management frame.

34. The AP of any , wherein the broadcast message sent by the processor through the transceiver is carried by a control frame, a management frame, or a data frame sent by the AP, and includes a clear-to-send CTS frame for responding to a request to send RTS or a block acknowledgement BA frame for acknowledging successful receipt of received data, a Beacon frame or a Probe response frame, a signaling portion of a data frame.

35. The AP of any , wherein the Trigger access procedure is a procedure for triggering centralized control or scheduling, and wherein the centralized control phase employs an OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) scheme, a CSMA (carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance) scheme, or a hybrid access scheme of the two.

36, station STA, comprising a memory, a processor and a transceiver connected to the same bus;

the memory to store instructions;

the transceiver is configured to receive broadcast messages, where the broadcast message includes a time parameter for triggering a Trigger access procedure;

the processor is used for executing the instruction, determining a guard interval of the Trigger access process according to the broadcast information, and performing DCF access outside the guard interval of the Trigger access process.

37. The STA of claim 36, wherein the processor is configured for DCF access, and specifically:

if the STA finishes the backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, the DCF access is successful;

and if the STA fails to finish backoff before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, recording the value of a backoff counter, stopping DCF access, and enabling the STA to participate in the Trigger access process.

38. The STA of claim 37, wherein the processor is specifically configured to perform the DCF access abort, and wherein the STA is involved in the Trigger access procedure and is specifically configured to:

if the STA is successfully accessed to the Trigger in a scheduling mode within the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, canceling DCF access, and clearing the recorded value of the backoff counter;

and if the STA fails to access the Trigger in a scheduling mode in the scheduling time slot of the Trigger, after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, recovering the value of a backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continuing the DCF access.

39. The STA of claim 37, wherein the processor is further to: and if the transceiver does not receive the Trigger frame of the Trigger access process in the guard interval of the Trigger access process, after the guard interval of the Trigger access process, restoring the value of a backoff counter before the guard interval of the Trigger access process, and continuing the DCF access.

40. The STA of any , wherein the time parameter comprises a start time of the Trigger access procedure or a time interval of a different round of Trigger access procedure.

41. The STA of any , wherein the broadcast message is carried by a control frame, a management frame, or a data frame sent by the AP, and comprises a clear-to-send (CTS) frame for responding to a Request To Send (RTS) or a Block Acknowledgement (BA) frame for acknowledging successful receipt of received data, a Beacon frame or a Probe response frame, and a signaling part in the data frame.

42. An STA as claimed in any , wherein the Trigger access procedure is a procedure used to Trigger centralized control or scheduling, and employs OFDMA, CSMA with collision avoidance, or a hybrid of both, during the centralized control phase.

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