Access point (AP) multi-link device discovery method and related apparatus

Inventors: Ming Gan (Shenzhen, CN); Guogang Huang (Shenzhen, CN); Yiqing Li (Shenzhen, CN); Yifan Zhou (Dongguan, CN); Mengshi Hu (Shenzhen, CN); Dandan Liang (Shenzhen, CN)

Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

H04W48/16 H04W48/08 H04W84/12

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12696179
App. No.: 18/473,542
Granted: Jul 28, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Embodiments of this application provide access point (AP) multi-link device discovery methods and related apparatuses and computer-readable storage media, which can be applied, for example, to a wireless local area network (WLAN) supporting 802.11be. An example method includes: sending, by a station (STA), a probe request frame, wherein the probe request frame carries at least one link identifier of at least one AP for requesting information of the at least one AP, and the STA is affiliated to a STA MLD; and receiving, by the STA from an AP MLD, a probe response frame, wherein the probe response frame carries the information of the at least one AP requested by the STA.

Claims (27)

1 . A method, comprising:

sending, by a station (STA), a probe request frame, wherein the probe request frame carries a link identifier of an access point (AP) for requesting information of the AP and a multi-link device (MLD) identifier of an AP MLD with which the AP is affiliated, the STA is affiliated to a STA MLD; and

receiving, by the STA from a reporting AP, a probe response frame, wherein the probe response frame carries the information of the AP requested by the STA.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the probe request frame comprises an MLD element, and an MLD common information field of the MLD element comprises the MLD identifier.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the MLD element carries an MLD index present field indicating whether the MLD common information field includes the MLD identifier.

4 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the MLD element carries the link identifier of the AP.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reporting AP is affiliated with the AP MLD.

6 . An apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory storing program instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to:

send a probe request frame, wherein the probe request frame carries a link identifier of an access point (AP) for requesting information of the AP and multi-link device (MLD) identifier of an AP MLD with which the AP is affiliated, the apparatus is affiliated to a station (STA) MLD; and

receive, from a reporting AP, a probe response frame, wherein the probe response frame carries the information of the AP requested by the apparatus.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the probe request frame comprises an MLD element, and an MLD common information field of the MLD element comprises the MLD identifier.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the MLD element carries an MLD index present field indicating whether the MLD common information field includes the MLD identifier.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the MLD element carries the link identifier of the AP.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the reporting AP is affiliated with the AP MLD.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a hardware of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to:

send a probe request frame, wherein the probe request frame carries a link identifier of an access point (AP) for requesting information of the AP and a multi-link device (MLD) identifier of an AP MLD with which the AP is affiliated, the apparatus is affiliated to a STA MLD; and

receive, from a reporting AP, a probe response frame, wherein the probe response frame carries the information of the AP requested by the apparatus.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the probe request frame comprises an MLD element, and an MLD common information field of the MLD element comprises the MLD identifier.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the MLD element carries an MLD index present field indicating whether the MLD common information field includes the MLD identifier.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the MLD element carries the link identifier of the AP.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the reporting AP is affiliated with the AP MLD, or the AP is in the AP MLD to which a nontransmitted AP in a same multiple Basic Service Set identifier (BSSID) set as the reporting AP is affiliated.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the AP is in the AP MLD to which a nontransmitted AP in a same multiple Basic Service Set identifier (BSSID) set as the reporting AP is affiliated.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the AP is affiliated with a same AP MLD as the reporting AP, the MLD identifier is set to 0.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the AP is not affiliated with any AP MLD, and the MLD identifier is set to 255.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the MLD identifier has a length of one byte.