Granted Patent B2

US 12,389,480 · App. 18/382,782 · Granted Aug 12, 2025

Inventors: Namyeong Kim (Seoul, KR); Jeongki Kim (Seoul, KR); Jinsoo Choi (Seoul, KR); Insun Jang (Seoul, KR)

Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.

H04W76/15H04W28/08H04W84/12

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. A method in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the method comprising:

receiving, by an access point multi-link device (AP MLD), a multi-link probe request frame from a non-AP MLD; and

transmitting, by the AP MLD, a multi-link probe response frame to the non-AP MLD,

wherein a first AP operating on a first link and a second AP operating on a second link are affiliated with the AP MLD,

wherein a first non-AP STA operating on the first link and a second non-AP STA operating on the second link are affiliated with the non-AP MLD,

wherein the multi-link probe request frame allows the first non-AP STA to request partial information on the second AP, based on the multi-link probe request frame carrying a Per-STA Profile subfield for the second AP,

wherein the Per-STA Profile subfield for the second AP includes a first request element and a first Complete Profile Requested subfield of a first STA Control field,

wherein a value of the first Complete Profile Requested subfield is set to 0, and

wherein the partial information on the second AP is requested based on the first request element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein based on the first non-AP STA requesting complete information on the second AP, the value of the first Complete Profile Requested subfield is set to 1, and the Per-STA Profile subfield for the second AP does not include the first request element,

wherein the complete information on the second AP is requested based on the Per-STA Profile subfield for the second AP.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a third AP operating on a third link is further affiliated with the AP MLD,

wherein a third non-AP STA operating on the third link is further affiliated with the non-AP MLD,

wherein the multi-link probe request frame further includes a Per-STA Profile subfield for the third AP,

wherein the Per-STA Profile subfield for the third AP includes a second Complete Profile Requested subfield of a second STA Control field.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein based on the first non-AP STA requesting partial information on the third AP, a value of the second Complete Profile Requested subfield is set to 0, and the Per-STA Profile subfield for the third AP further includes a second request element, and

wherein the partial information on the third AP is requested based on the second request element.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first request element includes first identifier information indicating the partial information on the second AP,

wherein the second request element includes second identifier information indicating partial information on the third AP,

wherein the multi-link probe response frame is configured based on the values of the first and second Complete Profile Requested subfields and the first and second request elements.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein based on the first non-AP STA requesting complete information on the third AP, a value of the second Complete Profile Requested subfield is set to 1, and the Per-STA Profile subfield for the third AP does not include a second request element,

wherein the complete information on the third AP is requested based on the Per-STA Profile subfield for the third AP.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-link probe request frame includes a third request element and a multi-link element,

wherein based on the first non-AP STA requesting partial information on the first AP, partial information on the first AP is requested based on the third request element;

wherein the Per-STA Profile subfields for the second and third APs are included in the multi-link element.

8. An access point multi-link device (AP MLD) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the AP MLD comprising:

a memory;

a transceiver; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver,

wherein processor is configured to:

receive a multi-link probe request frame from a non-AP MLD; and

transmit a multi-link probe response frame to the non-AP MLD,

wherein a first AP operating on a first link and a second AP operating on a second link are affiliated with the AP MLD,

wherein a first non-AP STA operating on the first link and a second non-AP STA operating on the second link are affiliated with the non-AP MLD,

wherein the multi-link probe request frame allows the first non-AP STA to request partial information on the second AP, based on the multi-link probe request frame carrying a Per-STA Profile subfield for the second AP,

wherein the Per-STA Profile subfield for the second AP includes a first request element and a first Complete Profile Requested subfield of a first STA Control field,

wherein a value of the first Complete Profile Requested subfield is set to 0, and

wherein the partial information on the second AP is requested based on the first request element.

9. A method in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a non-access point multi-link device (non-AP MLD), a multi-link probe request frame to an AP MLD; and

receiving, by the non-AP MLD, a multi-link probe response frame from the AP MLD,

wherein a first AP operating on a first link and a second AP operating on a second link are affiliated with the AP MLD,

wherein a first non-AP STA operating on the first link and a second non-AP STA operating on the second link are affiliated with the non-AP MLD,

wherein the multi-link probe request frame allows the first non-AP STA to request partial information on the second AP, based on the multi-link probe request frame carrying a Per-STA Profile subfield for the second AP,

wherein the Per-STA Profile subfield for the second AP includes a first request element and a first Complete Profile Requested subfield of a first STA Control field,

wherein a value of the first Complete Profile Requested subfield is set to 0, and

wherein the partial information on the second AP is requested based on the first request element.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein based on the first non-AP STA requesting complete information on the second AP, the value of the first Complete Profile Requested subfield is set to 1, and the Per-STA Profile subfield for the second AP does not include the first request element,

wherein complete information on the second AP is requested based on the Per-STA Profile subfield for the second AP.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a third AP operating on a third link is further affiliated with the AP MLD,

wherein a third non-AP STA operating on the third link is further affiliated with the non-AP MLD,

wherein the multi-link probe request frame further includes a Per-STA Profile subfield for the third AP,

wherein the Per-STA Profile subfield for the third AP includes a second Complete Profile Requested subfield of a second STA Control field.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein based on the first non-AP STA requesting partial information on the third AP, a value of the second Complete Profile Requested subfield is set to 0, and the Per-STA Profile subfield for the third AP further includes a second request element, and

wherein partial information on the third AP is requested based on the second request element.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first request element includes first identifier information indicating the partial information on the second AP,

wherein the second request element includes second identifier information indicating partial information on the third AP.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein based on the first non-AP STA requesting complete information on the third AP, a value of the second Complete Profile Requested subfield is set to 1, and the Per-STA Profile subfield for the third AP does not include a second request element,

wherein the complete information on the third AP is requested based on the Per-STA Profile subfield for the third AP.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the multi-link probe request frame includes a third request element and a multi-link element,

wherein based on the first non-AP STA requesting partial information on the first AP, partial information on the first AP is requested based on the third request element;

wherein the Per-STA Profile subfields for the second and third APs are included in the multi-link element.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (19)