Multi-link device association and reassociation

1. A first-device, comprising:

wherein the first-device is configured to be currently associated with and coupled to a second-device over a wireless communications link; and

wherein the first-device is configured to,

store a current association setup between the first-device and the second-device;

identify a unique identifier of the second-device;

transmit a reassociation request frame to a third-device;

wherein at least one of the second-device and third-device is an AP multi-link-device (AP-MLD);

wherein the reassociation request frame is configured to request a new association with the third-device and includes the unique identifier of the second-device;

receive a response frame from the third-device; and

wherein the response frame includes an indication that request was successful.

2. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the first-device is a non-AP MLD;

wherein the second-device is single-link AP; and

wherein the third-device is an AP-MLD and the request is for a new multi-link setup with the third-device.

3. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the first-device is a non-AP-STA;

wherein the second-device is an AP-MLD; and

wherein the third-device is a single-link-AP and the request is for a new single-link setup with the third-device.

4. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the first-device is a non-AP MLD;

wherein the second-device is an AP-MLD; and

wherein the third-device is an AP-MLD.

5. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the unique identifier of the second-device is an MLD MAC address of the second-device if the second-device is an AP-MLD.

6. The device of claim 5 :

wherein the unique identifier of the second-device is indicated by a current AP address field in the reassociation request frame.

7. The device of claim 5 :

wherein the MLD MAC address of the second-device identifies an MLD management entity of the second-device.

8. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the second-device is an AP-MLD and a set of single-link APs are affiliated with the second-device; and

wherein the unique identifier of the second-device is a MAC address of at least one of the single-link-APs.

9. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the reassociation request frame is based on a move of the first-device from the second-device to the third-device.

10. The device of claim 9 :

wherein the second-device and the third-device are AP-MLDs; and

wherein the first-device physically moves from an AP-MLD coverage area of the second-device to an AP-MLD coverage area of the third-device.

11. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the reassociation request frame is based on a switch of a setup between the first-device and the second-device; and

wherein the third-device is an AP within the second-device.

12. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the reassociation request frame is based on a switch of a setup from the first-device and the second-device to the first-device and the third-device.

13. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the response frame includes an indication whether a single-link association or a multi-link association has been setup based on the reassociation request frame.

14. The device of claim 13 :

wherein the single-link association or multi-link association indication is embedded in a status code field within the response frame.

15. The device of claim 1 :

wherein, except for the unique identifier, the reassociation request frame is same as a reassociation request frame between a non-AP single-link device and an AP single-link device.

16. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the first-device is a logical non-AP-MLD with which a set of physical non-AP-STAs (stations) are affiliated;

wherein the second-device is a logical AP-MLD with which a set of physical APs are affiliated and having a set of communications links;

wherein the first-device is configured to have a current multi-link association with the second-device;

wherein at least one of the non-AP-STAs is configured to transmit the reassociation request frame to the second-device requesting a new single-link association with one of the physical APs affiliated with the second-device; and

wherein the reassociation request frame,

includes a unique identifier identifying an address of the second-device with which the non-AP-STA is currently linked to; and

includes an indication that the non-AP-STA intends to now associate with just one of the physical APs that are affiliated with the second-device on a preselected communications link within the set of communications links.

17. The device of claim 16 :

wherein the first-device is configured to receive the response frame from the second-device that includes an indication in a status code field that the non-AP-STA is now associated with the one of the physical APs on the preselected communications link.

18. The device of claim 1 :

wherein after receiving the response frame from the third-device, a default TID-to-link mapping is applied between the first-device and the third-device.

19. The device of claim 18 :

wherein the first-device is a non-AP-MLD, the second-device is a first-AP-MLD, and the third-device is a second-AP-MLD; and

wherein the first-device is further configured to,

receive a request frame from the third-device that requests a specific Traffic Identifier (TID)-to-link mapping; and

transmit a response frame to the third-device to indicate that the requested TID-to-link mapping is accepted.

20. The method of claim 19 :

further comprising transmitting the instructions over a communications medium.

21. The device of claim 18 :

wherein the third-device is an AP-MLD including an affiliated set of communications links; and

wherein all of the affiliated communications links have been mapped to the TID by default.

22. The device of claim 1 :

wherein after the first-device receives the response frame, the first-device is configured to transmit an additional wireless Traffic Identifier (TID) frame announcing a set of TID requirements; and

wherein the first-device is configured to receive an additional TID to communications link mapping frame from the third-device acknowledging that the set of TID requirements have been successfully implemented.

23. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the second-device and the third-device are AP-MLDs;

wherein the first-device transmits the reassociation request frame to the third-device when the first-device physically moves away from the second-device and requests a new communications link setup with the third-device; and

wherein the reassociation request frame to the third-device includes a MAC address of the second-device.

24. The device of claim 1 :

wherein the first-device is a non-AP-STA affiliated with a non-AP-MLD;

wherein the second-device and the third-device are AP-MLDs;

wherein the first-device non-AP-STA requests reassociation with just one physical AP in the third-device AP-MLD on a preselected single communications link, and then at least one of,

excludes the non-AP-MLD's multi-link capabilities on communications links other than the preselected single communications link;

disables all links with the non-AP-MLD other than the preselected single communications link; and/or

instructs the non-AP-MLD to request that the third-device AP-MLD not enable other communications links.

25. A method of distributing instructions, stored on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium, for configuring first-device, wherein the instructions include:

storing a current association setup between the first-device and a second-device over a wireless communications link;

identifying a unique identifier of the second-device;

transmitting a reassociation request frame to a third-device;

wherein at least one of the second-device and third-device is an AP multi-link-device (AP-MLD);

wherein the reassociation request frame is configured to request a new association with the third-device and includes the unique identifier of the second-device; and

receiving a response frame from the third-device;

wherein the response frame includes an indication that the request was successful.

26. A first-AP-MLD (multi-link-device) for wireless communication, comprising:

wherein the first-AP-MLD is configured to receive a reassociation request frame from a non-AP-MLD;

wherein the non-AP-MLD has previously stored,

a current association setup with a second-AP-MLD; and

a unique identifier of the second-AP-MLD;

wherein the reassociation request frame was configured to request a new association with the first-AP-MLD and includes the unique identifier of the second-AP-MLD;

transmit a response frame from the first-AP-MLD to the non-AP-MLD; and

wherein the response frame includes an indication that request was successful.

27. The device of claim 26 :

wherein the unique identifier of the second-AP-MLD is an MLD MAC address of the second-AP-MLD.

28. The device of claim 26 :

wherein the unique identifier of the second-AP-MLD is indicated by a current AP address field in the reassociation request frame.