Link setup for multilink operation
In a wireless local area network (LAN) system, an STA of a multi-link device (MLD) may transmit MAC addresses of other STAs included in the same MLD as the STA in a link setup step. The MAC addresses of other STAs may be included multi-link address information. The multi-link address information may be included in a Multi-link Element defined in a conventional Management frame such as a Beacon Frame, a Probe Response Frame, an Association Request Frame, and an Association Response Frame.
1. A method in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the method comprising:
receiving, by a first station (STA) of a receiving multi-link device (MLD), an Association Request frame including multi-link information from a transmitting MLD, wherein the receiving MLD includes the first STA and a second STA, wherein the first STA operates on a first link, and the second STA operates on a second link, wherein the multi-link information includes information related to the first link and the second link,
wherein the multi-link information further includes a Multi-link control field, a common info field which is contiguous to the Multi-link control field, and a link info field which is contiguous to the common info field, wherein the common info includes an MLD media access control (MAC) address field of the transmitting MLD, wherein the Multi-link control field includes an MLD MAC Address Present field related to presence of the MLD media access control (MAC) address field, wherein the link info field includes a MAC address field of each STA,
wherein the multi-link information further includes information related to whether the first link and the second link are a simultaneous transmit and receive, STR, link set or a non-STR link set; and
transmitting, by the first STA of the receiving MLD, an Association Response frame including multi-link address information to the transmitting MLD, wherein the multi-link address information includes a media access control (MAC) address of the second STA.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving MLD further includes a third STA, and the third STA operates in a third link,
wherein the multi-link information further includes information related to the third link, and
wherein the multi-link address information further includes a MAC address of the third STA.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the MAC address of the second STA and the MAC address of the third STA are included in the multi-link address information in an order of link identifiers (IDs) of links in which the second STA and third STA operate.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the MAC address of the second STA and the MAC address of the third STA are included in the multi-link address information in an order of STA IDs of the second STA and the third STA.
5. A receiving multi-link device (MLD) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, comprising:
a first station (STA); and
a second STA,
wherein the first STA operates on a first link, and the second STA operates on a second link;
wherein the first STA is configured to:
receive an Association Request frame including multi-link information including information related to the first link and the second link from a transmitting MLD,
wherein the multi-link information further includes a Multi-link control field, a common info field which is contiguous to the Multi-link control field, and a link info field which is contiguous to the common info field, wherein the common info includes an MLD media access control (MAC) address field of the transmitting MLD, wherein the Multi-link control field includes an MLD MAC Address Present field related to presence of the MLD media access control (MAC) address field, wherein the link info field includes a MAC address field of each STA,
wherein the multi-link information further includes information related to whether the first link and the second link are a simultaneous transmit and receive, STR, link set or a non-STR link set; and
transmit an Association Response frame including multi-link address information to the transmitting MLD, wherein the multi-link address information includes a media access control (MAC) address of the second STAA.
6. The receiving MLD of claim 5 , wherein the receiving MLD further includes a third STA, and the third STA operates in a third link,
wherein the multi-link information further includes information related to the third link, and
wherein the multi-link address information further includes a MAC address of the third STA.
7. The receiving MLD of claim 6 , wherein the MAC address of the second STA and the MAC address of the third STA are included in the multi-link address information in an order of link identifiers (IDs) of links in which the second STA and third STA operate.
8. The receiving MLD of claim 6 , wherein the MAC address of the second STA and the MAC address of the third STA are included in the multi-link address information in an order of STA IDs of the second STA and the third STA.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting MLD includes a third STA and a fourth STA, and
wherein the multi-link information further includes information that the first STA communicates with the third STA and that the second STA communicates with the fourth STA.
10. The receiving MLD of claim 5 , wherein the transmitting MLD includes a third STA and a fourth STA, and
wherein the multi-link information further includes information that the first STA communicates with the third STA and that the second STA communicates with the fourth STA.
11. A method in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the method comprising:
transmitting, by a first station (STA) of a transmitting multi-link device (MLD), an Association Request frame including multi-link information to a third STA of a receiving MLD, wherein the transmitting MLD includes the first STA and a second STA, wherein the first STA operates on a first link, and the second STA operates on a second link, wherein the multi-link information includes information related to the first link and the second link,
wherein the multi-link information further includes a Multi-link control field, a common info field which is contiguous to the Multi-link control field, and a link info field which is contiguous to the common info field, wherein the common info includes an MLD media access control (MAC) address field of the transmitting MLD, wherein the Multi-link control field includes an MLD MAC Address Present field related to presence of the MLD media access control (MAC) address field, wherein the link info field includes a MAC address field of each STA,
wherein the multi-link information further includes information related to whether the first link and the second link are a simultaneous transmit and receive, STR, link set or a non-STR link set; and
receiving, by the first STA of the transmitting MLD, an Association Response frame including multi-link address information from the third STA of the receiving MLD, wherein the multi-link address information includes a media access control (MAC) address of a fourth STA of the receiving MLD.
12. A transmitting multi-link device (MLD) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, comprising:
a first station (STA); and
a second STA,
wherein the first STA operates on a first link, and the second STA operates on a second link;
wherein the first STA is configured to:
transmit an Association Request frame including multi-link information including information related to the first link and the second link to a third STA of a receiving MLD,
wherein the multi-link information further includes a Multi-link control field, a common info field which is contiguous to the Multi-link control field, and a link info field which is contiguous to the common info field, wherein the common info includes an MLD media access control (MAC) address field of the transmitting MLD, wherein the Multi-link control field includes an MLD MAC Address Present field related to presence of the MLD media access control (MAC) address field, wherein the link info field includes a MAC address field of each STA,
wherein the multi-link information further includes information related to whether the first link and the second link are a simultaneous transmit and receive, STR, link set or a non-STR link set; and
receive an Association Response frame including multi-link address information from the third STA of the receiving MLD, wherein the multi-link address information includes a media access control (MAC) address of a fourth STA of the receiving MLD.