Devices for traffic indication in wireless local area networks, and chip
View Patent ↗An access point (AP) for traffic indication in a wireless local area network (WLAN), where the AP is affiliated with an AP multi-link device (MLD) which is configured with a first link on which the AP is parking and at least one second link, and the AP includes: a processor, configured to set a Beacon frame which includes a traffic indication map (TIM) element and at least one Extended TIM element, where the TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for a first link of the AP MLD, and the at least one Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for the at least one second link of the AP MLD, and a transceiver, configured to send the Beacon frame to a plurality of stations (STAs).
1 . An access point (AP) for traffic indication in a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the AP is affiliated with an AP multi-link device (MLD) which is configured with a first link on which the AP is parking and at least one second link, and the AP comprises:
a processor, configured to set a frame which comprises a traffic indication map (TIM) element and an Extended TIM element, wherein the TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for the first link of the AP MLD, and the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for the at least one second link of the AP MLD, and
a transceiver, configured to send the frame to a plurality of stations (STAs),
wherein the processor is further configured to set the TIM element and the Extended TIM element according to a traffic indication virtual bitmap for each link of the AP MLD maintained by the AP MLD,
wherein the TIM element comprises a first Element ID field, a first Length field, a first delivery traffic indication map (DTIM) Count field, a first DTIM Period field, a first Bitmap Control field and a first Partial Virtual Bitmap (PVB) field, and the Extended TIM element comprises a second Element ID field, a second Length field, an Element ID Extension field, a second DTIM Count field, a second DTIM Period field, a Link Info field, a second Bitmap Control field and a second PVB field, wherein the first DTIM Count field in the TIM element and the second DTIM Count field in the Extended TIM element are set to a same value, and the first DTIM Period field in the TIM element and the second DTIM Period field in the Extended TIM element are set to a same value.
2 . The AP according to claim 1 , wherein the traffic indication virtual bitmap for each link of the AP MLD is maintained based on an association identifier (AID) space for each link of the AP MLD, wherein the AID space for each link of the AP MLD is maintained by the AP MLD and/or a corresponding AP affiliated with the AP MLD.
3 . The AP according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to put the TIM element and the Extended TIM element together in the Beacon-frame.
4 . The AP according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to locate the Extended TIM element immediately after the TIM element in the frame.
5 . The AP according to claim 1 , wherein the Extended TIM element comprises one or more Extended TIM elements, and the processor is further configured to set each of the one or more Extended TIM elements in the frame to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for a corresponding second link of the AP MLD.
6 . The AP according to claim 5 , wherein the Link Info field in each of the one or more Extended TIM elements comprises a Link ID field which is set to indicate a link ID of the corresponding second link of the AP MLD.
7 . The AP according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to set the Extended TIM element in the frame to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for one or more of the at least one second link of the AP MLD.
8 . The AP according to claim 7 , wherein the Extended TIM element comprises one or more than one first field, and each first field includes the Link Info field which is set to indicate a link ID of a corresponding second link, and the second PVB field for the corresponding second link.
9 . The AP according to claim 8 , wherein the number of the first field is equal to the number of the at least one second link of the AP MLD.
10 . The AP according to claim 8 , wherein each first field further comprises a Bitmap size field which is set to indicate a length of the second PVB field in octets.
11 . A station (STA) for traffic indication in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the STA comprising:
a transceiver, configured to receive a frame from an access point (AP) affiliated with an AP multi-link device (MLD) which is configured with a first link on which the AP is parking and at least one second link, wherein the frame comprises a traffic indication map (TIM) element and an Extended TIM element, wherein the TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for the first link of the AP MLD, and the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for the at least one second link of the AP MLD, and
a processor, configured to decode the received frame to determine whether any unicast and/or groupcast traffic is buffered at any AP for the STA or any STA affiliated with a same non-AP MLD with the STA,
wherein the TIM element and the Extended TIM element are set according to a traffic indication virtual bitmap for each link of the AP MLD maintained by the AP MLD,
wherein the TIM element comprises a first Element ID field, a first Length field, a first delivery traffic indication map (DTIM) Count field, a first DTIM Period field, a first Bitmap Control field and a first Partial Virtual Bitmap (PVB) field, and the Extended TIM element comprises a second Element ID field, a second Length field, an Element ID Extension field, a second DTIM Count field, a second DTIM Period field, a Link Info field, a second Bitmap Control field and a second PVB field, wherein the first DTIM Count field in the TIM element and the second DTIM Count field in the Extended TIM element are set to a same value, and the first DTIM Period field in the TIM element and the second DTIM Period field in the Extended TIM element are set to a same value.
12 . The STA according to claim 11 , wherein the traffic indication virtual bitmap for each link of the AP MLD is maintained based on an association identifier (AID) space for each link of the AP MLD, wherein the AID space for each link of the AP MLD is maintained by the AP MLD and/or a corresponding AP affiliated with the AP MLD.
13 . The STA according to claim 11 , wherein the TIM element and the Extended TIM element are put together in the frame.
14 . The STA according to claim 13 , wherein the Extended TIM element is located immediately after the TIM element in the frame.
15 . The STA according to claim 11 , wherein the Extended TIM element comprises one or more Extended TIM elements, and each of the one or more Extended TIM elements in the frame is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for a corresponding second link of the AP MLD.
16 . The STA according to claim 15 , wherein the Link Info field in each of the one or more Extended TIM elements comprises a Link ID field which is set to indicate a link ID of the corresponding second link of the AP MLD.
17 . The STA according to claim 11 , wherein the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for one or more of the at least one second link of the AP MLD.
18 . The STA according to claim 17 , wherein the Extended TIM element includes one or more than one first field, and each first field includes the Link Info field which is set to indicate a link ID of a corresponding second link, and the second PVB field for the corresponding second link,
wherein the number of the first field is equal to the number of the at least one second link of the AP MLD.
19 . The STA according to claim 18 , wherein each first field further comprises a Bitmap size field which is set to indicate a length of the second PVB field in octets.
20 . A chip, comprising:
a transceiver, configured to receive a frame from an access point (AP) affiliated with an AP multi-link device (MLD) which is configured with a first link on which the AP is parking and at least one second link, wherein the frame comprises a traffic indication map (TIM) element and an Extended TIM element, wherein the TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for the first link of the AP MLD, and the Extended TIM element is set to indicate unicast and groupcast addressed traffic indication information for the at least one second link of the AP MLD, and
a processor, configured to decode the received frame to determine whether any unicast and/or groupcast traffic is buffered at any AP for a station (STA) or any STA affiliated with a same non-AP MLD with the STA,
wherein the TIM element and the Extended TIM element are set according to a traffic indication virtual bitmap for each link of the AP MLD maintained by the AP MLD,
wherein the TIM element comprises a first Element ID field, a first Length field, a first delivery traffic indication map (DTIM) Count field, a first DTIM Period field, a first Bitmap Control field and a first Partial Virtual Bitmap (PVB) field, and the Extended TIM element comprises a second Element ID field, a second Length field, an Element ID Extension field, a second DTIM Count field, a second DTIM Period field, a Link Info field, a second Bitmap Control field and a second PVB field, wherein the first DTIM Count field in the TIM element and the second DTIM Count field in the Extended TIM element are set to a same value, and the first DTIM Period field in the TIM element and the second DTIM Period field in the Extended TIM element are set to a same value.