# US 12,010,626 B2 · Restricted TWT operations for multi-link devices

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- Number: US 12,010,626 B2
- Document ID: US12010626B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/332,628
- Filed: 2023-06-09
- Published: 2023-10-12
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-03-22
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Rubayet Shafin; Boon Loong Ng; Peshal Nayak; Ahmed Atef Ibrahim Ibrahim; Vishnu Vardhan Ratnam
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010626B2

## CPC

- H04W 52/0258: {controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day}
- H04W 52/0216: {using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame}
- H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections
- H04W 76/28: Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
- H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers
- H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
- Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatuses for facilitating restricted target wake time (TWT) operation in a wireless local area network. The apparatuses include a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) comprising a plurality of stations (STAs) and a processor. Each STA comprises a transceiver configured for broadcast TWT operation on multi-link operation (MLO) links with corresponding APs of an AP MLD. The processor is operably coupled to the transceivers, and configured to negotiate a broadcast TWT schedule over a first link between a first STA and a first AP of the AP MLD, apply the broadcast TWT schedule to the group of links, negotiate a restricted TWT schedule with the AP MLD over at least one link of the group of links, and establish the restricted TWT schedule on one or more links of the at least one link.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) associated with a wireless network, the non-AP MLD comprising:
at least two non-AP stations (STAs) affiliated with the non-AP MLD; and
a processor coupled to the at least two non-AP STAs, the processor configured to:
set up at least two links with an AP MLD that includes at least two APs affiliated with the AP MLD, each link being set up between a non-AP STA affiliated with the non-AP MLD and a corresponding AP affiliated with the AP MLD,
negotiate, with the AP MLD, traffic identifier (TID)-to-link mapping on at least one link between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD, and
transmit or receive a target wake time (TWT) element over a link between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD, wherein the TWT element indicates at least one TID among a set of TIDs that are mapped on the link through the negotiated TID-to-link mapping.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The non-AP MLD of claim 1, wherein a membership for a restricted TWT (R-TWT) schedule is negotiated on the link between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The non-AP MLD of claim 1, wherein traffic belongs to the at least one TID indicated in the TWT element is identified as latency sensitive traffic in a downlink direction or an uplink direction for a R-TWT operation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The non-AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the at least one TID is indicated in a restricted TWT Traffic Information field of the TWT element.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The non-AP MLD of claim 4, wherein the at least one TID is indicated in a restricted TWT Downlink TID Bitmap subfield or a restricted TWT Uplink TID Bitmap subfield of the restricted TWT Traffic Information field.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The non-AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the at least one TID indicated in the TWT element is limited to the set of TIDs that are mapped on the link through the negotiated TID-to-link mapping.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The non-AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the TID-to-link mapping indicates at least one link on which frames belongs to a TID are allowed to be sent.

### Claim 8

An access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) associated with a wireless network, the AP MLD comprising:
at least two APs affiliated with the AP MLD; and
a processor coupled to the at least two APs, the processor configured to:
set up at least two links with a non-AP MLD that includes at least two non-AP stations (STAs) affiliated with the non-AP MLD, each link being set up between an AP affiliated with the AP MLD and a corresponding non-AP STA affiliated with the non-AP MLD,
negotiate, with the non-AP MLD, traffic identifier (TID)-to-link mapping on at least one link between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD, and
transmit or receive a target wake time (TWT) element over a link between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD, wherein the TWT element indicates at least one TID among a set of TIDs that are mapped on the link through the negotiated TID-to-link mapping.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The AP MLD of claim 8, wherein a membership for a restricted TWT (R-TWT) schedule is negotiated on the link between the AP MLD and the non-AP MLD.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The AP MLD of claim 8, wherein traffic belongs to the at least on TID indicated in the TWT element is identified as latency sensitive traffic in a downlink direction or an uplink direction for a restricted TWT operation.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The AP MLD of claim 8, wherein the at least one TID is indicated in a restricted TWT Downlink TID Bitmap subfield or a restricted TWT Uplink TID Bitmap subfield of a restricted TWT Traffic Information field of the TWT element.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The AP MLD of claim 8, wherein the at least one TID indicated in the TWT element is limited to the set of TIDs that are mapped on the link through the negotiated TID-to-link mapping.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The AP MLD of claim 8, wherein the TID-to-link mapping indicates at least one link on which frames belongs to a TID are allowed to be sent.

### Claim 14

A method for a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) associated with a wireless network, the method comprising:
establishing at least two links with an AP MLD, the non-AP MLD including at least two non-AP stations (STAs) affiliated with the non-AP MLD, the AP MLD including at least two APs affiliated with the AP MLD, wherein each link is set up between a non-AP STA affiliated with the non-AP MLD and a corresponding AP affiliated with the AP MLD;
negotiating, with the AP MLD, traffic identifier (TID)-to-link mapping on at least one link between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD;
transmitting or receiving a target wake time (TWT) element over a link between the non-AP MLD and the AP MLD, wherein the TWT element indicates at least on TID among a set of TIDs that are mapped on the link through the negotiated TID-to-link mapping.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein a membership for a restricted TWT (R-TWT) schedule is negotiated on the link between the non-AP MLD and AP MLD.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein traffic belongs to the at least on TID indicated in the TWT element is identified as latency sensitive traffic in a downlink direction or an uplink direction for a restricted TWT operation.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one TID is indicated in a restricted TWT Traffic Information field of the TWT element.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one TID is indicated in a restricted TWT Downlink TID Bitmap subfield or a restricted TWT Uplink TID Bitmap subfield of the restricted TWT Traffic Information field.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one TID indicated in the TWT element is limited to the set of TIDs that are mapped on the link through the negotiated TID-to-link mapping.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the TID-to-link mapping indicates at least one link on which frames belong to a TID are allowed to be sent.