IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,652,549
Granted Patent B2
US 12,652,549 · App. 18/169,057 · Granted Jun 9, 2026

Critical BSS parameter management method applicable to multiple link and related apparatus

Inventors: Ming Gan (Shenzhen, CN); Jian Yu (Shenzhen, CN); Yunbo Li (Shenzhen, CN); Yuchen Guo (Shenzhen, CN); Xun Yang (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
H04W24/02H04W48/08H04W76/15H04W76/20H04W84/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,652,549
App. No.
18/169,057
Granted
Jun 9, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A critical basic service set (BSS) parameter management method applicable to multiple links and a related apparatus are provided. The provided method and apparatus relate to the wireless communication field, particularly, a wireless local area network supporting the 802.11be standard. The method includes: a first access point (AP) in a first AP multilink-device (MLD) generates and sends a first frame, wherein the first frame indicates critical BSS parameter update count values corresponding to a plurality of APs in the first AP MLD and critical BSS parameter update count values corresponding to a plurality of APs in a second AP MLD, and the second AP MLD is an AP MLD to which a nontransmitted AP belongs in a multiple BSSID set including the first AP.

Claims (55)

1 . A critical basic service set (BSS) parameter management method applicable to multiple links, the method comprising:

sending, by a station (STA), a request frame on a first link to an access point multi-link device (AP MLD) associated with a non-access point multi-link device (non-AP MLD),

wherein the request frame indicates that the STA requests a critical basic service set (BSS) parameter update count value of a second AP that works on a second link of the AP MLD; and

receiving, by the STA, a response frame carrying the critical BSS parameter update count value of the second AP that works on the second link of the AP MLD,

wherein the response frame comprises a multi-link (ML) element, and a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element,

wherein the ML element comprises a multi-link device (MLD) common information field that carries the critical BSS parameter update count value and a link identifier,

wherein the critical BSS parameter update count value and the link identifier are associated with a first AP,

wherein the RNR element comprises one or more target beacon transmission time (TBTT) information set fields,

wherein each of the one or more TBTT information set fields includes one or more TBTT information fields, and each of the one or more TBTT information fields corresponds to the second AP,

wherein each of the one or more TBTT information fields comprises the critical BSS parameter update count value, the link identifier, and a multi-link device (MLD) ID,

wherein a combination of the link identifier and the MLD ID identifies the second AP as working on the second link of the AP MLD, and

wherein one piece of the critical BSS parameter update count value is used to determine whether a critical BSS parameter in a BSS managed by the second AP is updated.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second AP is in the non-AP MLD and the method further comprises:

based on the received critical BSS parameter update count value being different from a previously received critical BSS parameter update count value, receiving, by a STA associated with the second AP in the non-AP MLD, a beacon frame sent by the first AP to obtain a latest critical BSS parameter.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises updating, by a STA in the non-AP MLD, a locally stored critical BSS parameter update count value to the critical BSS parameter update count value.

4 . A communication apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor and causing the communications apparatus to:

send a request frame on a first link to an access point multilink device (AP MLD) associated with a non-access point multilink device (non-AP MLD),

wherein the request frame indicates that a station (STA) requests a critical basic service set (BSS) parameter update count value of a second AP that works on a second link of the AP MLD; and

receive a response frame carrying the critical BSS parameter update count value of the second AP that works on the second link of the AP MLD,

wherein the response frame comprises a multi-link (ML) element, and a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element,

wherein the ML element comprises a multi-link device (MLD) common information field that carries the critical BSS parameter update count value and a link identifier,

wherein the critical BSS parameter update count value and the link identifier are associated with a first AP,

wherein the RNR element comprises one or more target beacon transmission time (TBTT) information set fields,

wherein each of the one or more TBTT information set fields includes one or more TBTT information fields, and each of the one or more TBTT information fields corresponds to the second AP,

wherein each of the one or more TBTT information fields comprises the critical BSS parameter update count value, the link identifier, and a multi-link device (MLD) ID,

wherein a combination of the link identifier and the MLD ID identifies the second AP as working on the second link of the AP MLD, and

wherein one piece of the critical BSS parameter update count value is used to determine whether a critical BSS parameter in a BSS managed by the second AP is updated.

5 . The communication apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the programming instructions which cause the communications apparatus to:

based on the received critical BSS parameter update count value being different from a previously received critical BSS parameter update count value, receive a beacon frame to obtain a latest critical BSS parameter.

6 . The communication apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the programming instructions which cause the communications apparatus to the communications apparatus to:

update a locally stored critical BSS parameter update count value to the critical BSS parameter update count value.

7 . A communication apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor and causing the communications apparatus to:

receive, on a first link, a request frame sent by a station (STA) in a non-access point multilink device (non-AP MLD) associated with an access point multilink device (AP MLD),

wherein the request frame indicates that the STA requests a critical basic service set (BSS) parameter update count value of a second AP that works on a second link of the AP MLD; and

send a response frame carrying the critical BSS parameter update count value of the second AP that works on the second link of the AP MLD,

wherein the response frame comprises a multi-link (ML) element, and a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element,

wherein the ML element comprises a multi-link device (MLD) common information field that carries the critical BSS parameter update count value and a link identifier,

wherein the critical BSS parameter update count value and the link identifier are associated with a first AP,

wherein the RNR element comprises one or more target beacon transmission time (TBTT) information set fields,

wherein each of the one or more TBTT information set fields includes one or more TBTT information fields, and each of the one or more TBTT information fields corresponds to the second AP,

wherein each of the one or more TBTT information fields comprises the critical BSS parameter update count value, the link identifier, and a multi-link device (MLD) ID,

wherein a combination of the link identifier and the MLD ID identifies the second AP as working on the second link of the AP MLD, and

wherein one piece of the critical BSS parameter update count value is used to determine whether a critical BSS parameter in a BSS managed by the second AP is updated.

8 . The communication apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the programming instructions which cause the communications apparatus to:

send a beacon frame comprising a latest critical BSS parameter.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the received critical BSS parameter update count value being different from a previously received critical BSS parameter update count value, sending, by a STA of the non-AP MLD, a probe request frame to request a latest critical BSS parameter of the AP.

10 . The communication apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the programming instructions which cause the communications apparatus to:

based on the received critical BSS parameter update count value being different from a previously received critical BSS parameter update count value, send a probe request frame to request a latest critical BSS parameter of the AP.

11 . The communication apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor further executes the programming instructions which cause the communications apparatus to:

receive a probe request frame requesting a latest critical BSS parameter of the AP.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2025
From: GAN, MING; YU, JIAN; LI, YUNBO; GUO, YUCHEN; YANG, XUN
To: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 072529/0161 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202010821468.2 · Aug 14, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2021112618 · Aug 13, 2021
Related Publication 20230199527A1 · Jun 22, 2023
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