IP Library Granted Patent US 12672051
Granted Patent B2
US 12672051 · App. 18/363,728 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Access point and wireless communication method

Inventors: Chaoming Luo (Dongguan, CN); Lei Huang (Singapore, SG); Liuming Lu (Dongguan, CN); Pei Zhou (Dongguan, CN)
Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
H04W48/16H04W48/14H04W84/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12672051
App. No.
18/363,728
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An access point (AP) and a wireless communication method are provided. The wireless communication method includes performing, by an AP, a first sensing discovery and a second sensing discovery which are integrated or independent with a multilink discovery. In the first sensing discovery, the AP transmits, to a station (STA), essential sensing capabilities of the reporting AP and/or one or more reported APs. In the second sensing discovery, the AP transmits, to the STA, complete sensing capabilities of the reporting AP and/or the one or more reported APs.

Claims (26)

1 . A wireless communication method, comprising:

performing, by an access point (AP), a first sensing discovery and a second sensing discovery which are independent with a multilink discovery, wherein in the first sensing discovery, the AP transmits a first frame to a station (STA), wherein a frame body of the first frame comprises an Extended Capabilities Element field carrying essential sensing capabilities of a reporting AP and/or one or more reported APs, wherein the essential sensing capabilities comprise a SENS Supported Capability carried in a SENS Supported subfield of the Extended Capabilities Element field, and in the second sensing discovery, the AP transmits a second frame to the STA, wherein a frame body of the second frame comprises an SENS Element carrying complete sensing capabilities of the reporting AP and/or the one or more reported APs.

2 . The wireless communication method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensing discovery comprises a multi-link device (MLD)-level discovery, and in the MLD-level discovery, the AP transmits, to the STA, the first frame carrying the essential sensing capabilities of the reporting AP and/or the one or more reported APs, wherein the first frame comprises a beacon frame and/or a probe response.

3 . The wireless communication method of claim 2 , wherein the essential sensing capabilities of the reporting AP and/or the one or more reported APs comprise an indication on whether the reporting AP and/or the one or more reported APs support sensing or not.

4 . The wireless communication method of claim 3 , wherein the indication comprises an AP level or a MLD level.

5 . The wireless communication method of claim 4 , wherein the indication comprising the MLD level is in a priority list.

6 . The wireless communication method of claim 2 , wherein in the MLD-level discovery, the reporting AP carries the SENS Supported subfield to indicate whether the reporting AP supports sensing or not; and/or the reporting AP carries the SENS Supported subfield for the one or more reported APs in a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element.

7 . The wireless communication method of claim 3 , wherein in the MLD-level discovery, the reporting AP carries the SENS Supported SubField to indicate whether the AP MLD, with which the reporting AP is affiliated, supports sensing or not; and/or the reporting AP carries the indication in a basic variant ML element and/or the basic variant ML element contained in a multiple basic service set identifier (BSSID) element; and/or the reporting AP carries a modified target beacon transmission time (TBTT) information set for the one or more reported APs in a RNR element.

8 . The wireless communication method of claim 7 , wherein the reporting AP is corresponding to a transmitted BSSID in the multiple BSSID element and the reporting AP is affiliated with the AP MLD.

9 . The wireless communication method of claim 7 , wherein the reporting AP is corresponding to a transmitted BSSID in the multiple BSSID element and the reporting AP is not affiliated with the AP MLD.

10 . The wireless communication method of claim 3 , wherein in the MLD-level discovery, the reporting AP carries a bitmap subfield to indicate whether the APs, which are affiliated with the same AP MLD as the reporting AP, support sensing or not.

11 . The wireless communication method of claim 1 , wherein the first frame further comprises a media access control (MAC) header, and the MAC header comprises at least one of a frame control field, a duration field, address fields, a sequence control field, and a HT control field.

12 . The wireless communication method of claim 1 , wherein the SENS Element comprises an Element ID field, a length field and an Element ID Extension field, and each of the Element ID field, the length field and the Element ID Extension field comprises 8 bits.

13 . The wireless communication method of claim 1 , wherein the SENS Element specifies Scheduling capabilities: pre-determined sensing session timing information.

14 . A wireless communication method, comprising:

performing, by a station (STA), a first sensing discovery and a second sensing discovery which are independent with a multilink discovery, wherein in the first sensing discovery, the STA receives, from an access point (AP), a first frame, wherein a frame body of the first frame comprises an Extended Capabilities Element field carrying essential sensing capabilities of a reporting AP and/or one or more reported APs, wherein the essential sensing capabilities comprise a SENS Supported Capability carried in a SENS Supported subfield of the Extended Capabilities Element field, and in the second sensing discovery, the STA receives, from the AP, a second frame, wherein a frame body of the second frame comprises an SENS Element carrying complete sensing capabilities of the reporting AP and/or the one or more reported APs.

15 . The wireless communication method of claim 14 , wherein the first sensing discovery comprises a multi-link device (MLD)-level discovery, and in the MLD-level discovery, the STA receives, from the AP, the first frame carrying the essential sensing capabilities of the reporting AP and/or the one or more reported APs, wherein the first frame comprises a beacon frame and/or a probe response.

16 . The wireless communication method of claim 15 , wherein the essential sensing capabilities of the reporting AP and/or the one or more reported APs comprise an indication on whether the reporting AP and/or the one or more reported APs support sensing or not.

17 . The wireless communication method of claim 16 , wherein the indication comprises an AP level or a MLD level.

18 . The wireless communication method of claim 17 , wherein the indication comprising the MLD level is in a priority list.

19 . The wireless communication method of claim 15 , wherein in the MLD-level discovery, the reporting AP carries the SENS Supported subfield to indicate whether the reporting AP supports sensing or not; and/or the reporting AP carries the sensing supported subfield for the one or more reported APs in a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element.

20 . An access point (AP), comprising:

a memory;

a transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver;

wherein the processor is configured to perform a first sensing discovery and a second sensing discovery which are independent with a multilink discovery, wherein in the first sensing discovery, the transceiver transmits a first frame to a station (STA), wherein a frame body of the first frame comprises an Extended Capabilities Element field carrying essential sensing capabilities of a reporting AP and/or one or more reported APs, wherein the essential sensing capabilities comprise a SENS Supported Capability carried in a SENS Supported subfield of the Extended Capabilities Element field, and in the second sensing discovery, the transceiver transmits a second frame to the STA, wherein a frame body of the second frame comprises an SENS Element carrying complete sensing capabilities of the reporting AP and/or the one or more reported APs.