Context updates for multi-link devices
A first access point (AP) of an AP multi-link device (MLD) is associated with a first communication link, and one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD are associated with one or more respective secondary communication links of the AP MLD. The first AP of the AP MLD generates a frame including a first change sequence field and one or more secondary change sequence fields. The first change sequence field indicates a presence or absence of a critical update associated with the first communication link, and each of the one or more secondary change sequence fields indicates a presence or absence of a critical update associated with a corresponding secondary communication link of the AP MLD. The first AP of the AP MLD transmits the frame over the first communication link of the AP MLD to a station (STA) of a STA MLD.
1. A non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more memories that store code, the processing system configured to cause a wireless station (STA) of the non-AP MLD to:
transmit, to an AP MLD, a request frame comprising a link identifier (ID) associated with an AP of the AP MLD to add to a multi-link (ML) context between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD;
receive, in response to the request frame, a response frame comprising a multi-link element (MLE) indicating profile information of a communication link added to the ML context in accordance with the link ID of the request frame; and
communicate with the AP MLD in accordance with the profile information of the communication link added to the ML context.
2. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the STA of the non-AP MLD to:
transmit, to the AP MLD, a second request frame comprising a request to delete a second communication link from the ML context; and
receive, in response to the second request frame, a second response frame indicating an acceptance of the request to delete the second communication link from the ML context.
3. The non-AP MLD of claim 2 , wherein the second communication link is deleted from the ML context in accordance with the acceptance of the request.
4. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the STA of the non-AP MLD to:
switch from communicating via a first communication link of the ML context to the communication link added to the ML context.
5. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the STA of the non-AP MLD to:
transmit a frame indicating a change to one or more operation parameters associated with the communication link, wherein the communication link is updated in accordance with the change to the one or more operation parameters.
6. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the STA of the non-AP MLD to:
transmit a packet indicating that the STA is capable of operating via one or more communication links of the ML context.
7. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the STA of the non-AP MLD to:
transmit a packet indicating one or more of a channel number, a basic service set identifier (BSSID), or a frequency range for a respective communication link of the ML context.
8. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein:
the communication link added to the ML context corresponds to one or more of a first wireless channel, a first basic service set identifier (BSSID), or a first frequency range; and
a second communication link of the ML context corresponds to one or more of a second wireless channel different than the first wireless channel, a second BSSID different than the first BSSID, or a second frequency range different than the first frequency range.
9. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the response frame is received from the AP or from a second AP of the AP MLD different than the AP.
10. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the STA of the non-AP MLD to:
transmit one or both of a frame indicating one or more capabilities of the STA or one or more security parameters of the STA.
11. An access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more memories that store code, the processing system configured to cause an AP of the AP MLD to:
receive, from a wireless station (STA) of a non-AP MLD, a request frame comprising a link identifier (ID) associated with an AP of the AP MLD to add to a multi-link (ML) context between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD;
transmit, in response to the request frame, a response frame comprising a multi-link element (MLE) indicating profile information of a communication link added to the ML context in accordance with the link ID of the request frame; and
communicate with the STA in accordance with the profile information of the communication link added to the ML context.
12. The AP MLD of claim 11 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the AP of the AP MLD to:
receive, from a second STA of the non-AP MLD, a second request frame comprising a request to delete a second communication link from the ML context; and
transmit, in response to the second request frame, a second response frame indicating an acceptance of the request to delete the second communication link from the ML context.
13. The AP MLD of claim 12 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the AP of the AP MLD to:
delete the second communication link from the ML context in accordance with the second response frame indicating the acceptance of the request.
14. The AP MLD of claim 11 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the AP of the AP MLD to:
switch from communicating via a first communication link of the ML context to the communication link added to the ML context.
15. The AP MLD of claim 11 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the AP of the AP MLD to:
receive a frame indicating a change to one or more operation parameters associated with the communication link; and
update the communication link in accordance with the change to the one or more operation parameters.
16. The AP MLD of claim 11 , wherein:
the communication link added to the ML context corresponds to one or more of a first wireless channel, a first basic service set identifier (BSSID), or a first frequency range; and
a second communication link of the ML context corresponds to one or more of a second wireless channel different than the first wireless channel, a second BSSID different than the first BSSID, or a second frequency range different than the first frequency range.
17. The AP MLD of claim 11 , wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the AP of the AP MLD to:
transmit a packet indicating one or more of a channel number, a basic service set identifier (BSSID), or a frequency range for a respective communication link of the ML context.
18. The AP MLD of claim 11 , wherein the response frame is transmitted to the STA or to a second STA of the non-AP MLD different than the STA.
19. A non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more memories that store code, the processing system configured to cause a wireless station (STA) of the non-AP MLD to:
transmit, to an AP MLD, a request frame comprising a link identifier (ID) associated with an AP of the AP MLD to delete from a multi-link (ML) context between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD;
receive, in response to the request frame, a response frame indicating to delete a communication link from the ML context in accordance with the link ID of the request frame; and
communicate with the AP MLD in accordance with deleting the communication link from the ML context in accordance with the response frame indicating to delete the communication link from the ML context.
20. An access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more memories that store code, the processing system configured to cause an AP of the AP MLD to:
receive, from a wireless station (STA) of a non-AP MLD, a request frame comprising a request a link identifier (ID) associated with the AP of the AP MLD to delete from a multi-link (ML) context between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD;
transmit, in response to the request frame, a response frame indicating to delete a communication link from the ML context in accordance with the link ID of the request frame; and
communicate with the STA in accordance with deleting the communication link from the ML context in accordance with the response frame indicating to delete the communication link from the ML context.