Wireless communication device, wireless communication terminal, and wireless communication method

1 . A wireless communication device comprising:

control circuitry configured to control communication with a plurality of other wireless communication devices over a plurality of links including a first link and one or more second links,

wherein the communication includes:

prior to transmitting a first downlink frame to the plurality of other wireless communication devices in the first link, the first downlink frame to include first information regarding transmission of first uplink frames by the plurality of other wireless communication devices in the first link, determining, on a basis of environment information regarding a communication environment of the first link and at least one of the second links, whether an entirety of second information is to be included in the first downlink frame or only a first portion, less than the entirety, of the second information is to be included in the first downlink frame, the second information being information regarding transmission of second uplink frames by at least one of the plurality of other wireless communication devices in at least one of the second links; and

transmitting the first downlink frame to the plurality of other wireless communication devices in the first link,

wherein, based on the determining, the transmitted first downlink frame includes:

the first information, and

one of:

the entirety of the second information, or

only the first portion of the second information, and

wherein the environment information is at least one of:

a difference between random waiting times of the first link and at least one of the second links, or

an average access delay of at least one of the second links.

2 . The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the second information includes at least one of:

identification information for identifying the at least one of the second links,

transmission resource information for the at least one of the second links,

information regarding a frame transmission length of the at least one of the second links, or

information regarding a transmission stream for the at least one of the second links.

3 . The wireless communication device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the control circuitry is configured to control, prior to performing the communication, receive enhanced multi-link multi-radio (EMLMR) information transmitted from at least one of the plurality of other wireless communication devices, and

wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine, in a case where the second information includes the information regarding the transmission stream, a number of transmission streams to be used for to be used for at least one of the second links on a basis of the EMLMR information.

4 . The wireless communication device according to claim 1 ,

wherein, when the control circuitry determines that only the first portion of the second information is to be included in the first downlink frame, the communication further includes transmitting a second downlink frame in at least one of the second links, the second downlink frame including a remaining portion of the second information regarding the transmission of the second uplink frames in at least one of the second links,

wherein a start time of the second downlink frame follows a start time of the first downlink frame, and

wherein an end time of the second downlink frame is aligned with an end time of the first downlink frame.

5 . The wireless communication device according to claim 4 , wherein the communication includes:

receiving a first trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) on the first link in response to the first information,

receiving a second TB PPDU on at least one of the second links in response to the first portion and the remaining portion of the second information, and

simultaneously transmitting a block acknowledgment to the first and second TB PPDUs on the first link and at least one of the second links.

6 . The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein, based on the first downlink frame including the entirety of the second information, the communication includes:

receiving a first trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) on the first link in response to the first downlink frame,

receiving a second TB PPDU on at least one of the second links in response to the first downlink frame, and

simultaneously transmitting a block acknowledgment to the first and second TB PPDUs on the first link and at least one of the second links.

7 . A wireless communication method performed by control circuitry of a wireless communication device, the wireless communication method comprising:

controlling communication with a plurality of other wireless communication devices over a plurality of links including a first link and one or more second links,

wherein the communication includes:

prior to transmitting a first downlink frame to the plurality of other wireless communication devices in the first link, the first downlink frame to include first information regarding transmission of first uplink frames by the plurality of other wireless communication devices in the first link, determining, on a basis of environment information regarding a communication environment of the first link and at least one of the second links, whether an entirety of second information is to be included in the first downlink frame or only a first portion, less than the entirety, of the second information is to be included in the first downlink frame, the second information being information regarding transmission of second uplink frames by at least one of the plurality of other wireless communication devices in at least one of the second links; and

transmitting the first downlink frame to the plurality of other wireless communication devices in the first link,

wherein, based on the determining, the transmitted first downlink frame includes:

the first information, and

one of:

the entirety of the second information, or

only the first portion of the second information, and

wherein the environment information is at least one of:

a difference between random waiting times of the first link and at least one of the second links, or

an average access delay of at least one of the second links.

8 . The wireless communication method according to claim 7 ,

wherein, when the control circuitry determines that only the first portion of the second information is to be included in the first downlink frame, the communication includes transmitting a second downlink frame in at least one of the second links, the second downlink frame including a remaining portion of the second information regarding the transmission of the second uplink frames in at least one of the second links,

wherein a start time of the second downlink frame follows a start time of the first downlink frame, and

wherein an end time of the second downlink frame is aligned with an end time of the first downlink frame.

9 . The wireless communication method according to claim 8 , wherein the communication includes:

receiving a first trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) on the first link in response to the first information,

receiving a second TB PPDU on at least one of the second links in response to the first portion and the remaining portion of the second information, and

simultaneously transmitting a block acknowledgment to the first and second TB PPDUs on the first link and at least one of the second links.

10 . The wireless communication method according to claim 7 , wherein, based on the first downlink frame including the entirety of the second information, the communication includes:

receiving a first trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU) on the first link in response to the first information,

receiving a second TB PPDU on at least one of the second links in response to the second information, and

simultaneously transmitting a block acknowledgment to the first and second TB PPDUs on the first link and at least one of the second links.

11 . A wireless communication terminal comprising:

control circuitry configured to control communication with a wireless communication device over a plurality of links including a first link and one or more second links,

wherein the communication includes:

receiving a first downlink frame from the wireless communication device in the first link, the first downlink frame to include first information regarding transmission of a first uplink frame by the wireless communication terminal to the wireless communication device in the first link;

determining whether an entirety of second information is included in the first downlink frame or only a first portion, less than the entirety, of the second information is included in the first downlink frame, the second information being information regarding transmission of a second uplink frame by the wireless communication terminal to the wireless communication device in at least one of the second links;

receiving the second downlink frame on at least one of the second links; and

based on determining that the entirety of the second information is included in the first downlink frame, transmitting the second uplink frame to the wireless communication device in at least one of the second links only based on the first downlink frame without relying on the second downlink frame, or

based on determining that only the first portion of the second information is included in the first downlink frame, transmitting the second uplink frame to the wireless communication device in at least one of the second links based on the first downlink frame and the second downlink frame.

12 . The wireless communication terminal according to claim 11 , wherein the second information includes at least one of:

identification information for identifying the at least one of the second links,

transmission resource information, information regarding a frame transmission length, or

information regarding a transmission stream.

13 . The wireless communication terminal according to claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to transmit, prior to performing the communication, enhanced multi-link multi-radio (EMLMR) information to the wireless communication device.

14 . The wireless communication terminal according to claim 12 ,

wherein the control circuitry is configured to change a number of transmission streams to be used in the first link and the at least one of the second links on a basis of the information regarding the transmission stream, the information regarding the transmission stream having been determined by the wireless communication device based on the transmitted EMLMR information, and

wherein the communication includes causing at least one of the first link or the at least one of the second links to transmit another frame with the changed number of transmission streams.

15 . The wireless communication terminal according to claim 11 ,

wherein a start time of the second downlink frame follows a start time of the first downlink frame, and

wherein an end time of the second downlink frame is aligned with an end time of the first downlink frame.

16 . The wireless communication terminal according to claim 15 ,

wherein the first uplink frame is a first trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU),

wherein the second uplink frame is a second TB PPDU, and

wherein the communication includes simultaneously receiving a block acknowledgment to the first and second TB PPDUs on the first link and at least one of the second links.

17 . A wireless communication method performed by control circuitry of a wireless communication terminal, the wireless communication method comprising:

controlling communication with a wireless communication device over a plurality of links including a first link and one or more second links,

wherein the communication includes:

receiving a first downlink frame from the wireless communication device in the first link, the first downlink frame to include first information regarding transmission of a first uplink frame by the wireless communication terminal to the wireless communication device in the first link;

determining whether an entirety of second information is included in the first downlink frame or only a first portion, less than the entirety, of the second information is included in the first downlink frame, the second information being information regarding transmission of a second uplink frame by the wireless communication terminal to the wireless communication device in at least one of the second links;

receiving the second downlink frame on at least one of the second links; and

based on determining that the entirety of the second information is included in the first downlink frame, transmitting the second uplink frame to the wireless communication device in at least one of the second links only based on the first downlink frame without relying on the second downlink frame, or

based on determining that only the first portion of the second information is included in the first downlink frame, transmitting the second uplink frame to the wireless communication device in at least one of the second links based on the first downlink frame and the second downlink frame.

18 . The wireless communication method according to claim 17 ,

wherein a start time of the second downlink frame follows a start time of the first downlink frame, and

wherein an end time of the second downlink frame is aligned with an end time of the first downlink frame.

19 . The wireless communication method according to claim 18 ,

wherein the first uplink frame is a first trigger-based physical layer protocol data unit (TB PPDU),

wherein the second uplink frame is a second TB PPDU, and

wherein the communication includes simultaneously receiving a block acknowledgment to the first and second TB PPDUs on the first link and at least one of the second links.