Tunneled direct-link setup channel switching with non-simultaneous transmit and receive operation
Methods and apparatuses for facilitating avoidance of NSTR constraint violation caused by TDLS channel switching and link enablement in multi-link operation (MLO) in a wireless local area network. The methods include determining to switch a frequency channel used by a first tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) direct link from a first frequency channel to a second frequency channel, wherein the TDLS direct link is formed between a station (STA) of a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) and a corresponding peer STA, generating a TDLS channel switch notification message that includes an indication that the first TDLS direct link is switching from the first to the second frequency channel, and transmitting, to an AP MLD with which the non-AP MLD is associated, on an MLO link, the TDLS channel switch notification message, wherein MLO links are formed between STAs of the non-AP MLD and APs of the AP MLD.
1. A non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) comprising:
a plurality of stations (STAs), wherein each STA of the plurality of STAs comprise a transceiver configured to:
transmit or receive first signals on a multi-link operation (MLO) link between the STA and a corresponding AP of an AP MLD with which the non-AP MLD is associated, and
transmit or receive second signals on a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) direct link between the STA and a corresponding peer STA operating at the other end of the TDLS direct link; and
a processor operably coupled to the transceivers, the processor configured to:
determine to switch a frequency channel used by a first TDLS direct link from a first frequency channel to a second frequency channel, and
generate a TDLS channel switch notification message that includes an indication that the first TDLS direct link is switching from the first frequency channel to the second frequency channel,
wherein one or more of the transceivers corresponding to the STAs affiliated with the non-AP MLD are further configured to transmit, to the AP MLD on one of the MLO links between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD, the TDLS channel switch notification message.
2. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine whether the second frequency channel forms a non-simultaneous transmit/receive (NSTR) link pair with one of the MLO links, and
generate the TDLS channel switch notification message based on a determination that the second frequency channel forms the NSTR link pair with the one of the MLO links.
3. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is further configured to generate a second TDLS channel switch notification message that includes an indication that the first TDLS direct link is switching from the second frequency channel to the first frequency channel, and
the one or more of the transceivers are further configured to transmit, to the AP MLD on one of the MLO links, the second TDLS channel switch notification message.
4. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is configured to generate the TDLS channel switch notification message as one of a control frame, a management frame, or a data frame, and
the generated control frame, management frame, or data frame includes an indication that a TDLS channel switch for the first TDLS direct link is occurring and an indication that a target channel of the TDLS channel switch is the second frequency channel.
5. The non-AP MLD of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the transceivers are further configured to receive, from the AP MLD on one of the MLO links, a TDLS channel switch acknowledgement message as an acknowledgement of receipt of the TDLS channel switch notification message by the AP MLD.
6. The non-AP MLD of claim 5 , wherein one or more of the transceivers are further configured to begin a TDLS transmission over the first TDLS direct link on the second frequency channel after receiving the TDLS channel switch acknowledgement message.
7. The non-AP MLD of claim 5 , wherein:
the processor is further configured to determine, after the TDLS channel switch notification message has been transmitted, whether a waiting period has ended, and
one or more of the transceivers are further configured to begin a TDLS transmission over the first TDLS direct link on the second frequency channel at a time that is the earlier of (i) after receiving the TDLS channel switch acknowledgement message and (ii) after a determination that the waiting period has ended.
8. An access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) comprising:
a plurality of APs that each comprise a transceiver configured to:
transmit or receive first signals on a multi-link operation (MLO) link between the APs and corresponding first stations (STAs) of a non-AP MLD with which the AP MLD is associated, wherein a first tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) direct link is formed between a first STA of the first non-AP MLD and a corresponding peer STA operating at the other end of the first TDLS direct link,
wherein one or more of the transceivers are further configured to receive, from the non-AP MLD on one of the MLO links between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD, a TDLS channel switch notification message that includes an indication that the first TDLS direct link is switching from a first frequency channel to a second frequency channel; and
a processor operably coupled to the transceivers, the processor configured to determine, based on the TDLS channel switch notification message, that the first TDLS direct link either is switching or has switched from the first frequency channel to the second frequency channel.
9. The AP MLD of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine, based on the TDLS channel switch notification message, whether the second frequency channel forms a non-simultaneous transmit/receive (NSTR) link pair with one of the MLO links, and
refrain from activating the one of the MLO links based on a determination that the second frequency channel forms the NSTR link pair with the one of the MLO links.
10. The AP MLD of claim 8 , wherein:
the one or more of the transceivers are further configured to receive, from the non-AP MLD on one of the MLO links, a second TDLS channel switch notification message that includes an indication that the first TDLS direct link is switching from the second frequency channel to the first frequency channel, and
the processor is further configured to determine, based on the second TDLS channel switch notification message, that the first TDLS direct link either is switching or has switched from the second frequency channel to the first frequency channel.
11. The AP MLD of claim 8 , wherein:
the TDLS channel switch notification message is one of a control frame, a management frame, or a data frame, and
the control frame, management frame, or data frame includes an indication that a TDLS channel switch for the first TDLS direct link is occurring and an indication that a target channel of the TDLS channel switch is the second frequency channel.
12. The AP MLD of claim 8 , wherein:
the processor is further configured to generate a TDLS channel switch acknowledgement message as an acknowledgement of receipt of the TDLS channel switch notification message by the AP MLD, and
one or more of the transceivers are further configured to transmit, to the non-AP MLD on one of the MLO links, the TDLS channel switch acknowledgement message.
13. The AP MLD of claim 12 , wherein a TDLS transmission begins over the first TDLS direct link on the second frequency channel after receipt of the TDLS channel switch acknowledgement message by the non-AP MLD.
14. The AP MLD of claim 12 , wherein a TDLS transmission begins over the first TDLS direct link on the second frequency channel at a time that is the earlier of (i) after receipt of the TDLS channel switch acknowledgement message by the non-AP MLD and (ii) after a determination that a waiting period has ended.
15. A method of wireless communication performed by a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD), the method comprising:
determining to switch a frequency channel used by a first tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) direct link from a first frequency channel to a second frequency channel, wherein the first TDLS direct link is formed between a station (STA) of the non-AP MLD and a corresponding peer STA operating at the other end of the TDLS direct link;
generating a TDLS channel switch notification message that includes an indication that the first TDLS direct link is switching from the first frequency channel to the second frequency channel; and
transmitting, to an AP MLD with which the non-AP MLD is associated, on a multi-link operation (MLO) link between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD, the TDLS channel switch notification message, wherein MLO links are formed between STAs of the non-AP MLD and APs of the AP MLD.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining whether the second frequency channel forms a non-simultaneous transmit/receive (NSTR) link pair with one of the MLO links; and
generating the TDLS channel switch notification message based on a determination that the second frequency channel forms the NSTR link pair with the one of the MLO links.