Conflict mitigation for enhanced multi-link single-radio (EMLSR) links between multi-link devices
This disclosure relates to multi-link communications in wireless communication networks. Some aspects more specifically relate to conflict mitigation techniques for enhanced multi-link single-radio (EMLSR) links between multi-link devices. In some examples, an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) and a non-AP MLD may communicate via two enhanced multi-link single-radio (EMLSR) links, one of which may be an anchor link of the non-AP MLD. In some examples, the non-AP MLD may maintain a beacon drop count representing a number of beacons that it has dropped on its anchor link since its last successful receipt of a beacon. In some examples, when the beacon drop count satisfies a beacon drop threshold, the non-AP MLD may transmit a packet on the non-anchor link to initiate a communication pause for the non-anchor link, so that it can receive a beacon on the anchor link.
1 . A non-access point (non-AP) multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
a processing system that includes processor circuitry and memory circuitry that stores code, the processing system configured to cause the non-AP MLD to:
update a beacon drop count for a first enhanced multi-link single-radio (EMLSR) link with an access point (AP) MLD in association with there being a conflict between a beacon reception interval for the first EMLSR link and a data communication interval for a second EMLSR link with the AP MLD; and
transmit a packet to the AP MLD in association with initiating a communication pause for the second EMLSR link in accordance with the updated beacon drop count satisfying a threshold.
2 . The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the packet comprises a request-to-send (RTS) frame or a clear-to-send (CTS)-to-self frame.
3 . The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the packet comprises a frame including a network allocation vector (NAV) indicating a duration of the communication pause.
4 . The non-AP MLD of claim 3 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the non-AP MLD to set the NAV in accordance with a multi-user request-to-send (MU-RTS) reception interval duration, a clear-to-send (CTS) transmission interval duration, a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) reception interval duration, or a beacon reception interval duration.
5 . The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the packet comprises a quality-of-service (QoS) null frame.
6 . The non-AP MLD of claim 5 , wherein the QoS null frame includes a power management (PM) subfield indicating that the non-AP MLD is to operate in a power saving (PS) mode.
7 . The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the non-AP MLD to reset the beacon drop count in association with the transmission of the packet to the AP MLD.
8 . The non-AP MLD of claim 7 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the non-AP MLD to:
update the beacon drop count again in accordance with a conflict, subsequent to the reset of the beacon drop count, between a second beacon reception interval for the first EMLSR link and a second data communication interval for the second EMLSR link; and
refrain from initiating a second communication pause for the second EMLSR link in accordance with the again-updated beacon drop count not satisfying the threshold.
9 . The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the non-AP MLD to:
receive, from the AP MLD via the second EMLSR link, during a data communication exchange on the second EMLSR link, a second packet that includes a first multi-user request-to-send (MU-RTS) frame; and
drop a second MU-RTS frame transmitted on the first EMLSR link by the AP MLD during the data communication exchange on the second EMLSR link.
10 . A method for wireless communication by a non-access point (non-AP) multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
updating a beacon drop count for a first enhanced multi-link single-radio (EMLSR) link with an access point (AP) MLD in association with there being a conflict between a beacon reception interval for the first EMLSR link and a data communication interval for a second EMLSR link with the AP MLD; and
transmitting a packet to the AP MLD in association with initiating a communication pause for the second EMLSR link in accordance with the updated beacon drop count satisfying a threshold.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the packet comprises a request-to-send (RTS) frame or a clear-to-send (CTS)-to-self frame.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the packet comprises a frame including a network allocation vector (NAV) indicating a duration of the communication pause.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising setting the NAV in accordance with a multi-user request-to-send (MU-RTS) reception interval duration, a clear-to-send (CTS) transmission interval duration, a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) reception interval duration, or a beacon reception interval duration.
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the packet comprises a quality-of-service (QoS) null frame.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the QoS null frame includes a power management (PM) subfield indicating that the non-AP MLD is to operate in a power saving (PS) mode.
16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising resetting the beacon drop count in association with the transmission of the packet to the AP MLD.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
updating the beacon drop count again in accordance with a conflict, subsequent to the reset of the beacon drop count, between a second beacon reception interval for the first EMLSR link and a second data communication interval for the second EMLSR link; and
refraining from initiating a second communication pause for the second EMLSR link in accordance with the again-updated beacon drop count not satisfying the threshold.
18 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, from the AP MLD via the second EMLSR link, during a data communication exchange on the second EMLSR link, a second packet that includes a first multi-user request-to-send (MU-RTS) frame; and
dropping a second MU-RTS frame transmitted on the first EMLSR link by the AP MLD during the data communication exchange on the second EMLSR link.