IP Library › Granted Patent US 12665957

Granted Patent B2

US 12665957 · App. 18/550,362 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Method and apparatus for defining entire profile sub-field in ML element for ml reconfiguration in wireless LAN system

Inventors: Namyeong Kim (Seoul, KR); Jinsoo Choi (Seoul, KR); Insun Jang (Seoul, KR); Sunhee Baek (Seoul, KR)

Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.

H04L69/14 H04W76/15 H04W84/02

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12665957
App. No.: 18/550,362
Granted: Jun 23, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Proposed are a method and apparatus for transmitting an ML element for ML reconfiguration in a wireless LAN system. In particular, a reception MLD generates a first ML element for ML reconfiguration. The reception MLD transmits the first ML element to a transmission MLD through a first link. The first ML element includes a profile sub-element of a second reception STA. The profile sub-element of the second reception STA includes a first STA control field. The first STA control field includes an entire profile sub-field. When a value of the entire profile sub-field is 1, the profile sub-element of the second reception STA includes entire information for the ML reconfiguration. When the value of entire profile sub-field is 0, the profile sub-element of the second reception STA does not include any information for the ML reconfiguration.

Claims (93)

1 . A method performed by a non-access point (non-AP) multi-link device (MLD) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the method comprising:

generating, by a first non-AP station (STA) affiliated with the non-AP MLD, a first reconfiguration multi-link (ML) element; and

transmitting, by the first non-AP STA, the first reconfiguration ML element to a first AP affiliated with an AP MLD,

wherein the first AP operating on a first link and a second AP operating on a second link are affiliated with the AP MLD,

wherein the first non-AP STA operating on the first link and a second non-AP STA operating on the second link are affiliated with the non-AP MLD,

wherein the first reconfiguration ML element includes a profile subelement of the second non-AP STA,

wherein the profile subelement of the second non-AP STA includes a first STA control field,

wherein the first STA control field includes a complete profile subfield,

wherein, based on a value of the complete profile subfield being 1, the profile subelement of the second non-AP STA includes complete information for ML reconfiguration,

wherein the first STA control field further includes a first link identifier (ID) subfield and a first reconfiguration operation type subfield,

wherein the first link ID subfield includes identifier information of a link for the ML reconfiguration is indicated,

wherein the first reconfiguration operation type subfield indicates a type of a reconfiguration operation,

wherein, based on a value of the first reconfiguration operation type subfield being a first value, the type of the reconfiguration operation is set to Delete Link, and

wherein, based on a value of the first reconfiguration operation type subfield being a second value, the type of the reconfiguration operation is set to Add Link.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein, based on a value of the complete profile subfield being 0, the profile subelement of the second non-AP STA does not include any information for the ML reconfiguration, and

wherein the ML reconfiguration is a method of changing a state of some links without performing an association process, a reassociation process, or a disassociation process for all links of the AP and non-AP MLDs.

3 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein a third AP is further affiliated with the AP MLD,

wherein a third non-AP STA is further affiliated with the non-AP MLD, and

wherein, for the AP and non-AP MLDs, the first and second links are established, and a third link that can be connected between the third AP and the third non-AP STA is not established.

4 . The method of claim 3 ,

wherein based on the third link being added or the second link being modified due to a connection from the second AP to the third AP based on the ML reconfiguration, the value of the complete profile subfield is set to 1, and the complete information for the ML reconfiguration includes identifier information of the third link and complete information of the second non-AP STA, and

wherein, based on the second link being deleted based on the ML reconfiguration, the value of the complete profile subfield is set to 0.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein, based on identifier information of the third link is being included in the first link ID subfield and the value of the first reconfiguration operation type subfield being the second value:

based on there is no link connected to the second non-AP STA, an operation to add the third link is requested, and

based on there is a link connected to the second non-AP STA, an operation to modify the second link is requested through a connection from the second AP to the third AP.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, based on identifier information of the second link being included in the first link ID subfield and the value of the first reconfiguration operation type subfield being the first value, an operation to delete the second link is requested.

7 . The method of claim 3 ,

wherein the first STA control field further includes a second link ID subfield,

wherein the second link ID subfield includes identifier information of a link to which the second non-AP STA is currently connected,

wherein, based on identifier information of the third link being included in the first link ID subfield, the second link ID subfield being reserved, and the value of the first reconfiguration operation type subfield being the second value, an operation to add the third link is requested,

wherein, based on identifier information of the second link being included in the first link ID subfield, and the second link ID subfield being reserved, and the value of the first reconfiguration operation type subfield being the first value, an operation to delete the second link is requested,

wherein, based on identifier information of the third link being included in the first link ID subfield, the second link ID subfield including identifier information of the second link, and the value of the first reconfiguration operation type subfield being the second value, an operation to modify the second link is requested through a connection from the second AP to the third AP.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving, by the first non-AP STA, a second reconfiguration ML element from the first AP,

wherein the second reconfiguration ML element includes a profile subelement of the second AP,

wherein the profile subelement of the second AP includes a second STA control field,

wherein the second STA control field includes a second reconfiguration operation type subfield, a third link ID subfield, and a fourth link ID subfield,

wherein the second reconfiguration operation type subfield includes information a type of the reconfiguration operation,

wherein the third link ID subfield includes identifier information of a link to be changed by the second non-AP STA,

wherein the fourth link ID subfield includes identifier information of a link to be changed by the AP MLD,

wherein a fourth AP is further affiliated with the AP MLD,

wherein a fourth non-AP STA is further affiliated with the non-AP MLD,

wherein, for the AP and non-AP MLDs, a fourth link that can be connected between the fourth AP and the fourth non-AP STA is not established.

9 . The method of claim 8 ,

wherein, based on the first link ID subfield including identifier information of the third link, the second link ID subfield including identifier information of the second link, and the value of the first reconfiguration operation type subfield being the second value, the operation to modify the second link is requested through the connection from the second AP to the third AP, and

wherein, based on the third link ID subfield including identifier information of the third link, the fourth link ID subfield including an identifier of a link for the fourth AP, and the value of the second reconfiguration operation type subfield being equal to the value of the first reconfiguration operation type subfield, the operation of modifying the second link is responded through a connection from the second AP to the fourth AP.

10 . The method of claim 8 ,

wherein, based on the first link ID subfield including identifier information of the third link, the second link ID subfield including reserved, and the value of the first reconfiguration operation type subfield being the second value, the operation to add the third link is requested, and

wherein, based on the third link ID subfield including identifier information of the third link, the fourth link ID subfield including an identifier of the fourth link, and the value of the second reconfiguration operation type subfield being equal to the value of the first reconfiguration operation type subfield, an operation of adding the fourth link other than the third link is responded.

11 . The method of claim 8 ,

wherein the first and second reconfiguration ML elements further include an ML control field,

wherein the ML Control field includes a type subfield for types of the first and second reconfiguration ML elements.

12 . A non-access point (non-AP) multi-link device (MLD) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the non-AP MLD comprising:

a memory;

a transceiver; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver,

wherein processor is configured to:

generate, by a first non-AP station (STA) affiliated with the non-AP MLD, a first reconfiguration multi-link (ML) element; and

transmit, by the first non-AP STA, the first reconfiguration ML element to a first AP affiliated with an AP MLD,