US 12,587,949 B2Granted

Communication apparatus and communication method for EHT virtualization with multi-link devices

AssigneePanasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America

InventorsRojan Chitrakar, Lei Huang, Yoshio Urabe

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Abstract

Communication devices and methods for EHT virtualization for MLD devices. are provided. One exemplary embodiment provides an Access Point (AP) included in a plurality of APs affiliated with an AP Multi-link Device (MLD), wherein each of the plurality of APs advertises a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID), and provides a link identified by a Link Identifier (ID), the AP comprising: circuitry, which in operation, generates a frame carrying a multi-link element containing information about the AP MLD and the plurality of APs; and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits the frame on a link, the Multi-link element indicating a Link ID of the link on which the frame is transmitted.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An Access Point (AP) Multi-Link Device (MLD), comprising:

a first affiliated AP that corresponds to a first Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) belonging to a first multiple BSSID set for a first channel, the first BSSID being a first transmitted BSSID;
and
a second affiliated AP that corresponds to a second BSSID belonging to a second multiple BSSID set for a second channel, the second BSSID being a second transmitted BSSID or a second nontransmitted BSSID,
wherein the first affiliated AP advertises a first common Service Set Identifier (SSID) for the first BSSID and the second BSSID over the first channel, and in case the second BSSID is the second transmitted BSSID, the second affiliated AP advertises the first common SSID for the first BSSID and the second BSSID over the second channel, and
wherein the first affiliated AP comprises:
circuitry, which, in operation, generates a frame carrying a Multi-Link element for the AP MLD and a Multiple BSSID element for another AP MLD, the Multi-Link element comprising an MLD MAC Address subfield indicating an MLD MAC Address of the AP MLD and a link ID subfield indicating a link ID of the first channel, and the Multiple BSSID element comprising a nontransmitted BSSID profile of a first nontransmitted BSSID of the first multiple BSSID set;
and
a transmitter, which, in operation, transmits the generated frame on the first channel.

5 more elements

A communication method for an Access Point (AP) Multi-Link Device (MLD), wherein the AP MLD comprises a first affiliated AP that corresponds to a first Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) belonging to a first multiple BSSID set for a first channel, the first BSSID being a first transmitted BSSID, and comprises a second affiliated AP that corresponds to a second BSSID belonging to a second multiple BSSID set for a second channel, the second BSSID being a second transmitted BSSID or a second nontransmitted BSSID, wherein the first affiliated AP advertises a first common Service Set Identifier (SSID) for the first BSSID and the second BSSID over the first channel, and in case the second BSSID is the second transmitted BSSID, the second affiliated AP advertises the first common SSID for the first BSSID and the second BSSID over the second channel,

wherein the communication method comprises:
generating, by the first affiliated AP, a frame carrying a Multi-Link element for the AP MLD and a Multiple BSSID element for another AP MLD, the Multi-Link element comprising an MLD MAC Address subfield indicating an MLD MAC Address of the AP MLD and a link ID subfield indicating a link ID of the first channel, and the Multiple BSSID element comprising a nontransmitted BSSID profile of a first nontransmitted BSSID of the first multiple BSSID set;
and
transmitting, by the first affiliated AP, the generated frame on the first channel.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/002,443Filed 1 Jun 2021
Priority: SG 10202005958Q22 Jun 2020
Published: US 2023/0232315 A120 Jul 2023
Granted: 24 Mar 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04W 48/12
Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery: using downlink control channel
H04L 12/4641
Interconnection of networks: virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN]
H04W 48/16
Access restriction ; Network selection; Access point selection: discovering, processing access restriction or access information
H04W 76/15
Connection setup: setup of multiple wireless link connections