# US 11,445,431 B2 · Multi-link communication

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- Number: US 11,445,431 B2
- Document ID: US11445431B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/926,644
- Filed: 2020-07-10
- Published: 2021-01-14
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-07-12
- Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Inventors: Abhishek Pramod Patil; George Cherian; Alfred Asterjadhi; Sai Yiu Duncan Ho; Lochan Verma; Yanjun Sun
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445431B2

## CPC

- H04W 48/08: Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery (signalling during connection H04W76/00)
- H04L 1/1621: {Group acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message defining a range of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers}
- H04W 4/23: for mobile advertising
- H04W 8/245: {from a network towards a terminal}
- H04W 12/73: Access point logical identity
- H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
- H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
- H04W 74/0808: using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
- H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers
- H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections
- H04L 1/1685: {the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal}
- H04W 48/12: using downlink control channel
- H04W 80/02: Data link layer protocols
- H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
- H04W 88/02: Terminal devices
- H04W 88/10: adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points
- H04W 92/02: Inter-networking arrangements
- H04W 92/10: between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatuses for associating a wireless communication device such as a wireless station (STA) of a STA multi-link device (MLD) with an access point (AP) MLD that includes a first AP associated with a first communication link of the AP MLD and includes one or more secondary APs associated with one or more respective secondary communication links of the first AP MLD. The first AP includes one or more virtual APs, and the first AP and the one or more virtual APs of the first AP belong to a first multiple basic service set identifier (BSSID) set associated with the first communication link. The AP MLD transmits a frame including a first element carrying discovery information for the first AP and the one or more virtual APs belonging to the first multiple BSSID set, and including a second element carrying discovery information for the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD associated with the one or more respective secondary communication links of the first AP MLD.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for wireless communication performed by a first access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
generating a frame by a first AP of the first AP MLD associated with a first communication link of the first AP MLD, the first AP MLD further including one or more secondary APs associated with one or more respective secondary communication links of the first AP MLD, the first AP including one or more virtual APs, the first AP and the one or more virtual APs of the first AP belonging to a first multiple basic service set identifier (BSSID) set associated with the first communication link, the frame comprising:
a first element carrying discovery information for the one or more virtual APs belonging to the first multiple BSSID set; and
a second element carrying discovery information for the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD associated with the one or more respective secondary communication links of the first AP MLD, wherein the second element includes a multi-link element including one or more per-link profile subelements, each per-link profile subelement of the one or more per-link profile subelements carrying the discovery information for a corresponding secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD and carrying an identifier (ID) field carrying an identifier that uniquely identifies a corresponding secondary communication link of the one or more secondary communication links; and
transmitting the frame on the first communication link.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a multi-link association request or a multi-link probe request from a first wireless station (STA) of a STA MLD; and
transmitting one or both of association information or discovery information for the first AP and the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD to the first STA of the STA MLD based on the request.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
associating the STA MLD with the first AP MLD based at least in part on the request; and
communicating with the STA MLD on one or more of the first communication link or the one or more secondary communication links based on the association.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the multi-link association request or the multi-link probe request includes a multi-link element carrying capability information of one or more secondary STAs of the STA MLD.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the frame further comprises an identifier (ID) field carrying a first identifier that uniquely identifies one or both of the first AP or a respective secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs that is affiliated with the first AP MLD.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the frame further comprises one or more second ID fields, each field of the one or more second ID fields carrying a corresponding second identifier that uniquely identifies one or both of a second AP MLD of one or more second AP MLDs with which a respective virtual AP of the one or more virtual APs is affiliated, or a secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs that is affiliated with the second AP MLD.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein:
the first identifier comprises one or more of a first link identifier that identifies the secondary AP affiliated with the first AP MLD, or a first MLD identifier that identifies the first AP MLD; and
each identifier of the one or more second identifiers comprises one or more of a second link identifier that identifies a respective secondary AP that is affiliated with the second AP MLD, or a second MLD identifier that identifies the second AP MLD.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein each secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs belongs to a respective secondary multiple BSSID set of one or more secondary multiple BSSID sets.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first AP is associated with a transmitted BSSID, and each virtual AP of the one or more virtual APs is associated with a corresponding non-transmitted BSSID of one or more non-transmitted BSSIDs.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the first element comprises a multiple BSSID element including one or more non-transmitted SSID profiles, each profile of the one or more non-transmitted BSSID profiles including an identifier (ID) field carrying an identifier that uniquely identifies one or both of a respective AP of the first AP and the one or more virtual APs or a respective AP MLD of the first AP MLD and one or more second AP MLDs.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein each per-link profile subelement carries operating parameters of the corresponding secondary AP of the first AP MLD, the operating parameters indicating at least one of a high-throughput (HT) operation, very high-throughput (VHT) operation, high efficiency (HE) operation, extremely high-throughput (EHT) operation, enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters, multi-user (MU) EDCA parameters, uplink (UL) orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) random access (UORA) parameters, target wait time (TWT) parameters, fast initial link setup (FILS) parameters, or spatial reuse (SR) parameters.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein each per-link profile subelement carries capability information of the corresponding secondary AP of the first AP MLD, the capability information indicating at least one of high-throughput (HT) capabilities, very high-throughput (VHT) capabilities, high efficiency (HE) capabilities, high efficiency (HE) 6 GHz Band Capabilities, or extremely high-throughput (EHT) capabilities.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the frame further indicates operating parameters of a respective AP and one or more corresponding virtual APs included in the respective AP, the respective AP and the one or more corresponding virtual APs belonging to a corresponding secondary multiple BSSID set of the one or more secondary multiple BSSID sets.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the frame further comprises a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element carrying one or more neighbor AP information fields, each field of the one or more neighbor AP information fields carrying the unique link ID of a corresponding secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the frame further comprises an MLD common element or field carrying common attributes shared by each secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD, the multi-link element further comprising a control field indicating a presence or absence of one or more of the common attributes in the MLD common element or field.

### Claim 16

A first access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
at least one modem;
at least one processor communicatively coupled with the at least one modem; and
at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor in conjunction with the at least one modem, causes the AP MLD to perform operations comprising:
generating a frame by a first AP of the first AP MLD associated with a first communication link of the first AP MLD, the first AP MLD further including one or more secondary APs associated with one or more respective secondary communication links of the first AP MLD, the first AP including one or more virtual APs, the first AP and the one or more virtual APs of the first AP belonging to a first multiple basic service set identifier (BSSID) set associated with the first communication link, the frame comprising:
a first element carrying discovery information for the one or more virtual APs belonging to the first multiple BSSID set; and
a second element carrying discovery information for the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD associated with the one or more respective secondary communication links of the first AP MLD, wherein the second element comprises a multi-link element including one or more per-link profile subelements, each per-link profile subelement of the one or more per-link profile subelements carrying the discovery information for a corresponding secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD and including an identifier (ID) field carrying an identifier that uniquely identifies a corresponding secondary communication link of the one or more secondary communication links; and
transmitting the frame on the first communication link.

### Claim 17

A method for wireless communication performed by a wireless station (STA) multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
receiving a frame from a first access point (AP) of a first AP MLD on a first communication link of the first AP MLD, the first AP MLD further including one or more secondary APs associated with one or more respective secondary communication links of the first AP MLD, the first AP including one or more virtual APs, the first AP and the one or more virtual APs of the first AP belonging to a first multiple basic service set identifier (BSSID) set associated with the first communication link, the frame comprising:
a first element carrying discovery information for the one or more virtual APs belonging to the first multiple BSSID set; and
a second element carrying discovery information for the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD associated with the one or more respective secondary communication links of the first AP MLD, wherein the second element comprises a multi-link element including one or more per-link profile subelements, each per-link profile subelement of the one or more per-link profile subelements carrying the discovery information for a corresponding secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD and including an identifier (ID) field carrying an identifier that uniquely identifies a corresponding secondary communication link of the one or more secondary communication links.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
transmitting, by a first STA of the STA MLD, a multi-link association request or a multi-link probe request to the first AP MLD on the first communication link; and
receiving one or both of association information or discovery information for the first AP and the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD based on the multi-link association request.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising:
associating the STA MLD with the first AP MLD based at least in part on the request; and
communicating with the first AP MLD on one or more of the first communication link or the one or more secondary communication links based on the association.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the multi-link association or the multi-link probe request includes a multi-link element carrying capability information of one or more secondary STAs of the STA MLD.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the frame further comprises an identifier (ID) field carrying a first identifier that uniquely identifies one or both of the first AP or a respective secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs that is affiliated with the first AP MLD.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the frame further comprises one or more second ID fields, each field of the one or more second ID fields carrying a corresponding second identifier that uniquely identifies one or both of a second AP MLD of one or more second AP MLDs with which a respective virtual AP of the one or more virtual APs is affiliated, or a secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs that is affiliated with the second AP MLD.

### Claim 23 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the first AP is associated with a transmitted BSSID, and each virtual AP of the one or more virtual APs is associated with a corresponding non-transmitted BSSID of one or more non-transmitted BSSIDs.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the first element comprises a multiple BSSID element including one or more non-transmitted BSSID profiles, each profile of the one or more non-transmitted BSSID profiles including an identifier (ID) field carrying an identifier that uniquely identifies one or both of a respective AP of the first AP and the one or more virtual APs or a respective AP MLD of the first AP MLD and one or more second AP MLDs.

### Claim 25 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein each per-link profile subelement carries operating parameters of the corresponding secondary AP of the first AP MLD, the operating parameters indicating at least one of enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) parameters, multi-user (MU) EDCA parameters, uplink (UL) orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) random access (UORA) parameters, target wait time (TWT) parameters, fast initial link setup (FILS) parameters, or spatial reuse (SR) parameters.

### Claim 26 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein each per-link profile subelement carries capability information of the corresponding secondary AP of the first AP MLD, the capability information indicating at least one of high-throughput (HT) capabilities, very high-throughput (VHT) capabilities, high efficiency (HE) capabilities, high efficiency (HE) 6 GHz Band Capabilities, or extremely high-throughput (EHT) capabilities.

### Claim 27 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the frame further indicates operating parameters of a respective AP and one or more corresponding virtual APs included in the respective AP, the respective AP and the one or more corresponding virtual APs belonging to a corresponding secondary multiple BSSID set of the one or more secondary multiple BSSID sets.

### Claim 28 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the frame further comprises a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element including one or more neighbor AP information fields, each field of the one or more neighbor AP information fields carrying the unique link ID of a corresponding secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the frame further includes an MLD common element or field carrying common attributes shared by each secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the AP MLD, the multi-link element further including a control field indicating a presence or absence of one or more of the common attributes in the MLD common element or field.

### Claim 30

A wireless station (STA) multi-link device (MLD), comprising:
at least one modem;
at least one processor communicatively coupled with the at least one modem; and
at least one memory communicatively coupled with the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor in conjunction with the at least one modem, causes the STA MLD to perform operations comprising:
receiving a frame from a first access point (AP) of a first AP MLD on a first communication link of the first AP MLD, the first AP MLD further including one or more secondary APs associated with one or more respective secondary communication links of the first AP MLD, the first AP including one or more virtual APs, the first AP and the one or more virtual APs of the first AP belonging to a first multiple basic service set identifier (BSSID) set associated with the first communication link, the frame comprising:
a first element carrying discovery information for the one or more virtual APs belonging to the first multiple BSSID set; and
a second element carrying discovery information for the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD associated with the one or more respective secondary communication links of the first AP MLD, wherein the second element comprises a multi-link element including one or more per-link profile subelements, each per-link profile subelement of the one or more per-link profile subelements carrying the discovery information for a corresponding secondary AP of the one or more secondary APs of the first AP MLD and including an identifier (ID) field carrying an identifier that uniquely identifies a corresponding secondary communication link of the one or more secondary communication links.