# US 12,003,437 B2 · Cooperative communication method, apparatus, and system

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- Number: US 12,003,437 B2
- Document ID: US12003437B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/564,347
- Filed: 2021-12-29
- Published: 2022-04-21
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-07-02
- Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yunbo Li; Ming Gan; Yuchen Guo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003437B2

## CPC

- H04L 5/0035: {Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment}
- H04W 74/002: {Transmission of channel access control information}
- H04L 5/0053: {Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals}
- H04W 72/20: Control channels or signalling for resource management
- H04W 74/0816: with collision avoidance
- H04W 80/02: Data link layer protocols
- H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
- H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A cooperative communication method receives an announcement frame from a master access point. The announcement frame includes a duration field, a value of the duration field is set to a first duration, an end time of the first duration is not later than an end time of a target trigger frame or is not later than a start time of a target trigger based (TB) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the target trigger frame is a next radio frame of the announcement frame, the target TB PPDU is a response frame for the target trigger frame, the target trigger frame comprises a second trigger frame, and the target TB PPDU comprises a second TB PPDU. The slave access point sends the second trigger frame to a second station associated with the slave access point, and receives the second TB PPDU from the second station.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cooperative communication method, the method comprising:
receiving, by a slave access point, an announcement frame from a master access point, the announcement frame comprising a duration field, a duration field value of the duration field is set to a first duration, a first duration end time of the first duration is not later than a target trigger frame end time of a target trigger frame or the first duration end time is not later than a start time of a target trigger based (TB) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the target trigger frame is a next radio frame of the announcement frame, the target TB PPDU is a response frame for the target trigger frame, the target trigger frame comprising a second trigger frame, and the target TB PPDU comprising a second TB PPDU;
sending, by the slave access point, the second trigger frame to a second station associated with the slave access point; and
receiving, by the slave access point, the second TB PPDU from the second station.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein before the sending, by the slave access point, the second trigger frame to the second station, the method further comprises:
determining, by the slave access point, that a transmitter address in the announcement frame is the same as a media access control (MAC) address recorded by the slave access point, and the transmitter address is of a station that sets a basic network allocation vector (basic NAV) for the slave access point.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein a second trigger frame duration field value of a duration field of the second trigger frame is determined according to a preset rule.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, wherein the preset rule comprising one of:
the value of the duration field of the second trigger frame is set to be equal to a length of time of an SIFS+a length of transmission time of the second TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+a length of transmission time of a second block acknowledgment (BA)+the length of time of the SIFS+a fixed length of time, wherein the second BA is a response frame for the second TB PPDU;
the value of the duration field of the second trigger frame is set to be equal to the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the second TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the second BA+the length of time of the SIFS; or
the value of the duration field of the second trigger frame is set to be equal to the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the second TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the second BA.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein the fixed length of time comprising one of:
a length of transmission time of an acknowledgment (ACK) frame;
a length of transmission time of the announcement frame at the lowest rate; or
a length of transmission time of the announcement frame.

### Claim 6

A cooperative communication method, the method comprising:
sending, by a master access point, an announcement frame, the announcement frame comprising a duration field, a duration field value of the duration field is set to a first duration, a first duration end time of the first duration is not later than a target trigger frame end time of a target trigger frame or the first duration end time is not later than a start time of a target trigger based (TB) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the target trigger frame is a next radio frame of the announcement frame, the target TB PPDU is a next radio frame of the target trigger frame, the target trigger frame comprising a first trigger frame, and the target TB PPDU comprising a first TB PPDU;
sending, by the master access point, the first trigger frame to a first station associated with the master access point; and
receiving, by the master access point, the first TB PPDU from the first station.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein a first trigger frame duration field value of a duration field of the first trigger frame is determined according to a preset rule.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the preset rule comprising one of:
the value of the duration field of the first trigger frame is set to be equal to a length of time of an SIFS+a length of transmission time of the first TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+a length of transmission time of a first block acknowledgment (BA)+the length of time of the SIFS+a fixed length of time, wherein the first BA is a response frame for the first TB PPDU;
the value of the duration field of the first trigger frame is set to be equal to the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the first TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the first BA+the length of time of the SIFS; or
the value of the duration field of the first trigger frame is set to be equal to the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the first TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+the length of time of the first BA.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein the fixed length of time comprising one of:
a length of transmission time of an acknowledgment (ACK) frame;
a length of transmission time of the announcement frame at the lowest rate; or
a length of transmission time of the announcement frame.

### Claim 10

A communications apparatus, the communications apparatus comprising:
a processing module; and
a transceiver module in communication with the processing module, the transceiver module is configured to receive an announcement frame from a master access point, the announcement frame comprising a duration field, a duration field value of the duration field is set to a first duration, a first duration end time of the first duration is not later than a target trigger frame end time of a target trigger frame or the first duration end time is not later than a start time of a target trigger based (TB) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the target trigger frame is a next radio frame of the announcement frame, the target TB PPDU is a response frame for the target trigger frame, the target trigger frame comprising a second trigger frame, and the target TB PPDU comprising a second TB PPDU;
the processing module is configured to generate the second trigger frame;
the transceiver module is further configured to send the second trigger frame to a second station associated with the communications apparatus; and
the transceiver module is further configured to receive the second TB PPDU from the second station.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The communications apparatus according to claim 10, wherein
the processing module is further configured to: before the transceiver module sends the second trigger frame to the second station, determine that a transmitter address in the announcement frame is the same as a media access control (MAC) address recorded by the communications apparatus, and the transmitter address is of a station that sets a basic network allocation vector (basic NAV) for the communications apparatus.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The communications apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a second trigger frame duration field value of a duration field of the second trigger frame is determined according to a preset rule.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The communications apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the preset rule comprising one of:
the value of the duration field of the second trigger frame is set to be equal to a length of time of an SIFS+a length of transmission time of the second TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+a length of transmission time of a second block acknowledgment (BA)+the length of time of the SIFS+a fixed length of time, wherein the second BA is a response frame for the second TB PPDU;
the value of the duration field of the second trigger frame is set to be equal to the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the second TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the second BA+the length of time of the SIFS; or
the value of the duration field of the second trigger frame is set to be equal to the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the second TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the second BA.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The communications apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the fixed length of time comprising one of:
a length of transmission time of an acknowledgment (ACK) frame;
a length of transmission time of an announcement frame at the lowest rate; or
a length of transmission time of an announcement frame.

### Claim 15

A communications apparatus, the communications apparatus comprising:
a transceiver module; and
a processing module in communication with the transceiver module, the processing module is configured to generate an announcement frame, the announcement frame comprising a duration field, a duration field value of the duration field is set to a first duration, a first duration end time of the first duration is not later than a target trigger frame end time of a target trigger frame or the first duration end time is not later than a start time of a target trigger based (TB) physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU), the target trigger frame is a next radio frame of the announcement frame, the target TB PPDU is a next radio frame of the target trigger frame, the target trigger frame comprising a first trigger frame, and the target TB PPDU comprising a first TB PPDU;
the transceiver module is configured to send the announcement frame;
the processing module is further configured to generate the first trigger frame;
the transceiver module is further configured to send the first trigger frame to a first station associated with the communications apparatus; and
the transceiver module is further configured to receive the first TB PPDU from the first station.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The communications apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a first trigger frame duration field value of a duration field of the first trigger frame is determined according to a preset rule.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The communications apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the preset rule comprising one of:
the value of the duration field of the first trigger frame is set to be equal to a length of time of an SIFS+a length of transmission time of the first TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+a length of transmission time of a first block acknowledgment (BA)+the length of time of the SIFS+a fixed length of time, wherein the first BA is a response frame for the first TB PPDU;
the value of the duration field of the first trigger frame is set to be equal to the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the first TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the first BA+the length of time of the SIFS; or
the value of the duration field of the first trigger frame is set to be equal to the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the first TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+the length of time of the first BA.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The communications apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the fixed length of time comprising one of:
a length of transmission time of an acknowledgment (ACK) frame;
a length of transmission time of an announcement frame at the lowest rate; or
a length of transmission time of an announcement frame.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The communications apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the announcement frame comprising a preset time field; and
correspondingly, the duration field value of the duration field of the target trigger frame is set based on a value of the preset time field.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The communications apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the value of the preset time field is set to be equal to a length of time of an SIFS+a length of transmission time of the target TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+a length of transmission time of a target block acknowledgment (BA)+the length of time of the SIFS+a length of transmission time of a next radio frame of the target BA, and the target BA is a response frame for the target TB PPDU; or
the value of the preset time field is set to be equal to the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the target TB PPDU+the length of time of the SIFS+the length of transmission time of the target BA.