Methods and systems for multi-link operations
Disclosed herein includes A first wireless multilink device (MLD) including a transceiver configured to send, to a second wireless MLD, a request for multi-link reconfiguration. The transceiver may be configured to receive, from the second wireless MLD, a response to the request for the multi-link reconfiguration. The multi-link reconfiguration may include configuring to implement at least one of: adding a link, removing a link or switching one end of a link, between the first wireless MLD and the second wireless MLD. The first wireless MLD and the second wireless MLD may maintain connection via at least one link during the multi-link reconfiguration.
1 . A method comprising:
sending, by a first wireless multilink device (MLD) to a second wireless MLD, a request for multi-link reconfiguration; and
receiving, by the first wireless MLD from the second wireless MLD, a response to the request for the multi-link reconfiguration,
wherein the first wireless MLD and the second wireless MLD maintain connection via at least one link during the multi-link reconfiguration,
wherein the request comprises a link-mapping information field that comprises (1) one or more end point description fields describing one or more end points of a link, respectively, and (2) an action field,
wherein the action field includes one of a first value indicative of adding the link, a second value indicative of removing the link, or a third value indicative of switching one end of the link, between the first wireless MLD and the second wireless MLD,
wherein the sending the request for multi-link reconfiguration comprises:
determining that the action field includes the third value and the one or more end point description fields describe the one or more end points of the link as a result of the switching, and
configuring the request as a request for switching the one end of the link between the first wireless MLD and the second wireless MLD from a first station (STA) to a second STA according to the one or more end point description fields, while the other end of the link is not changed.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first wireless MLD is an access point (AP) MLD, and the second wireless MLD is a non-AP MLD; or
the first wireless MLD is a non-AP MLD, and the second wireless MLD is an AP MLD.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the link is between an AP station (STA) of the AP MLD and a non-AP STA of the non-AP MLD.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the request includes a ML reconfiguration information element (IE), the ML reconfiguration IE comprising the link-mapping information field for the AP STA or the non-AP STA.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more end point description fields include at least one of: an AP end point description, or a non-AP STA end point description.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request and the response each comprises:
an enhanced trigger (EHT) action frame; or
a fast transition action frame.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request comprises a basic service set (BSS) transition management request frame including at least one of: an indication that the request is for multi-link configuration, or a BSS transition candidate list entries field that indicates zero or more of: neighbor report elements, reduced neighbor report elements or basic variant multi-link elements.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the response comprises a basic service set (BSS) transition management response frame including a BSS transition candidate list entries field that indicates zero or more of: neighbor report elements, reduced neighbor report elements or basic variant multi-link elements.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request includes a recommended configuration for the multi-link reconfiguration.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the response includes:
an indication of accepting the recommended configuration; or
at least one of: an indication of rejecting the recommended configuration, or an alternative recommended configuration for the multi-link reconfiguration.
11 . A first wireless multilink device (MLD) comprising:
one or more processors; and
a transceiver configured to:
send, to a second wireless MLD, a request for multi-link reconfiguration; and
receive, from the second wireless MLD, a response to the request for the multi-link reconfiguration,
wherein the first wireless MLD and the second wireless MLD maintain connection via at least one link during the multi-link reconfiguration, and
wherein the request comprises a link-mapping information field that comprises (1) one or more end point description fields describing one or more end points of a link, respectively, and (2) an action field,
wherein the action field includes one of a first value indicative of adding the link, a second value indicative of removing the link, or a third value indicative of switching one end of the link, between the first wireless MLD and the second wireless MLD,
wherein in sending the request for multi-link reconfiguration, the one or more processors are configured to:
determine that the action field includes the third value and the one or more end point description fields describe the one or more end points of the link as a result of the switching, and
configure the request as a request for switching the one end of the link between the first wireless MLD and the second wireless MLD from a first station (STA) to a second STA according to the one or more end point description fields, while the other end of the link is not changed.
12 . The first wireless MLD of claim 11 , wherein:
the first wireless MLD is an access point (AP) MLD, and the second wireless MLD is a non-AP MLD; or
the first wireless MLD is a non-AP MLD, and the second wireless MLD is an AP MLD.
13 . The first wireless MLD of claim 12 , wherein the link is between an AP station (STA) of the AP MLD and a non-AP STA of the non-AP MLD.
14 . The first wireless MLD of claim 13 , wherein the request includes a ML reconfiguration information element (IE), the ML reconfiguration IE comprising the link-mapping information field for the AP STA or the non-AP STA.
15 . The first wireless MLD of claim 11 , wherein the one or more end point description fields include at least one of: an AP end point description, or a non-AP STA end point description.
16 . The first wireless MLD of claim 11 , wherein the request and the response each comprises:
an extremely high throughput (EHT) action frame; or
a fast transition action frame.
17 . The first wireless MLD of claim 11 , wherein:
the request comprises a basic service set (BSS) transition management request frame including at least one of: an indication that the request is for multi-link configuration, or a BSS transition candidate list entries field that indicates zero or more of: neighbor report elements, reduced neighbor report elements or basic variant multi-link elements; and
the response comprises a basic service set (BSS) transition management response frame including a BSS transition candidate list entries field that indicates zero or more of: neighbor report elements, reduced neighbor report elements or basic variant multi-link elements.
18 . A method comprising:
sending, by a first wireless multilink device (MLD) to a second wireless MLD, a notification including a first recommendation on multi-link reconfiguration;
in response to receiving the notification, modifying, by the second wireless MLD, the first recommendation and sending, to the first wireless MLD, a request for multi-link reconfiguration including the modified first recommendation; and
in response to receiving the request, determining, by the first wireless MLD, whether the request is accepted or rejected, and sending a response including a result of the determination to the second wireless MLD,
wherein the first wireless MLD and the second wireless MLD maintain connection via at least one link during the multi-link reconfiguration, and
wherein the request comprises a link-mapping information field that comprises (1) one or more end point description fields describing one or more end points of a link, respectively, and (2) an action field,
wherein the action field includes one of a first value indicative of adding the link, a second value indicative of removing the link, or a third value indicative of switching one end of the link, between the first wireless MLD and the second wireless MLD,
wherein the sending the request for multi-link reconfiguration comprises:
determining that the action field includes the third value and the one or more end point description fields describe the one or more end points of the link as a result of the switching, and
configuring the request as a request for switching the one end of the link between the first wireless MLD and the second wireless MLD from a first station (STA) to a second STA according to the one or more end point description fields, while the other end of the link is not changed.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the first wireless MLD is an access point (AP) MLD, and the second wireless MLD is a non-AP MLD.