Communication method and apparatus

1 . A communication method, applied to a first multi-link device (MLD) operating in an enhanced multi-link single radio (EMLSR) mode, comprising:

performing, by the first MLD, a second listening operation, wherein the second listening operation comprises: the first MLD performing a clear channel assessment (CCA) and receiving an initial control frame of a frame exchange sequence transmitted by an access point (AP) MLD through an affiliated station that operates on an EMLSR link in an awake state; and

performing, by the first MLD, a first listening operation, wherein the first listening operation is used for a first station on the first MLD to receive a groupcast frame using a first receiving capability;

wherein the first MLD switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation at a target time or before the target time;

wherein the number of spatial streams of the first listening operation is greater than or equal to the number of spatial streams of the second listening operation;

wherein the first station is a station corresponding to a first link on the first MLD, and the first station is used to listen to the first link; and the first link is a link for transmitting the groupcast frame; wherein the first link is a link in the EMLSR link; and the first MLD is a non-access point (non-AP) MLD;

wherein the first listening operation is performed after the first MLD is switched from the second listening operation to the first listening operation, and the first listening operation enables a second station not to perform listening;

wherein the second station is a station on the first MLD, and the second link is a link in the EMLSR link other than the first link.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the first MLD switches from the first listening operation to the second listening operation after the groupcast frame is received completely.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein after performing the second listening operation, affiliated stations, corresponding to all links in the EMLSR link that are in the awake state, of the first MLD are in a listening state, wherein a capability of each station in the EMLSR link to perform a listening operation is limited.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a target initial control frame carries a specified padding duration.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein performing, by the first MLD, the first listening operation, comprises:

performing, by the first MLD, the first listening operation based on first information.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the first information is used for the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at the target time or before the target time.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the target time comprises a first time point, and the first time point comprises at least one of:

an expected groupcast frame transmission time point; or

a target beacon transmission time (TBTT) of an expected delivery traffic indication map (DTIM) beacon frame.

8 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the first information is determined based on a first indication, and the first indication is used to indicate whether to perform the first listening operation after determining that the groupcast frame needs to be received.

9 . A first multi-link device (MLD), operating in an enhanced multi-link single radio (EMLSR) mode and comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, and the processor is configured to invoke and run the computer program stored in the memory, to cause the first MLD to perform:

performing a second listening operation, wherein the second listening operation comprises: the first MLD performing a clear channel assessment (CCA) and receiving an initial control frame of a frame exchange sequence transmitted by an access point (AP) MLD through an affiliated station that operates on an EMLSR link in an awake state; and

performing a first listening operation, wherein the first listening operation is used for a first station on the first MLD to receive a groupcast frame using a first receiving capability;

wherein the first MLD switches from the second listening operation to the first listening operation at a target time or before the target time;

wherein the number of spatial streams of the first listening operation is greater than or equal to the number of spatial streams of the second listening operation;

wherein the first station is a station corresponding to a first link on the first MLD, and the first station is used to listen to the first link; and the first link is a link for transmitting the groupcast frame; wherein the first link is a link in the EMLSR link; and the first MLD is a non-access point (non-AP) MLD;

wherein the first listening operation is performed after the first MLD is switched from the second listening operation to the first listening operation, and the first listening operation enables a second station not to perform listening;

wherein the second station is a station on the first MLD, and the second link is a link in the EMLSR link other than the first link.

10 . The first MLD according to claim 9 , wherein

the first MLD switches from the first listening operation to the second listening operation after the groupcast frame is received completely.

11 . The first MLD according to claim 9 , wherein after performing the second listening operation, affiliated stations, corresponding to all links in the EMLSR link that are in the awake state, of the first MLD are in a listening state, wherein a capability of each station in the EMLSR link to perform a listening operation is limited.

12 . The first MLD according to claim 9 , wherein a target initial control frame carries a specified padding duration.

13 . The first MLD according to claim 9 , wherein the first MLD is configured to perform the first listening operation based on first information.

14 . The first MLD according to claim 13 , wherein the first information is used for the first MLD to perform the first listening operation at the target time or before the target time.

15 . The first MLD according to claim 9 , wherein the target time comprises a first time point, and the first time point comprises at least one of:

an expected groupcast frame transmission time point; or

a target beacon transmission time (TBTT) of an expected delivery traffic indication map (DTIM) beacon frame.