# US 12,604,348 B2 · Communication apparatus and communication method for multi-link peer to peer communication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,604,348 B2 - Document ID: US12604348B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/256,585 - Filed: 2021-03-10 - Published: 2024-02-01 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-10 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America - Inventors: Rojan Chitrakar; Yoshio Urabe; Rajat Pushkarna - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12604348B2 ## CPC - H04W 76/12: Setup of transport tunnels - H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals} - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract The present disclosure provides communication apparatuses and methods for multi-link peer-to-peer communication, the communication apparatus being a communication apparatus of a plurality of communication apparatuses affiliated with a first multi-link device (MLD), each of the plurality of communication apparatuses operating in a corresponding link of the first MLD, the communication apparatus comprising: circuitry, which in operation, generates a request frame, the request frame being one of a discovery request frame to discover a peer-to-peer communication capability of another communication apparatus, or a setup request frame to request setup of one or more direct links, the request frame carrying a multi-link (ML) indication identifying that the communication apparatus is affiliated with the first MLD; and a transmitter, which in operation, transmits the request frame in a link. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A first non-Access Point (non-AP) multi-link device (MLD) including a plurality of affiliated stations (STAs), the non-AP MLD comprising: a transmitter, which, in operation, transmits a Tunnelled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) Setup Request frame via an Access Point (AP) to a second non-AP MLD, the TDLS Setup Request frame including a first TDLS Multi-Link element that contains a first MLD MAC address information, wherein the first TDLS Multi-Link element includes a Type subfield that is set to indicate TDLS and a Common Information field that carries the first MLD MAC address information; and a receiver, which, in operation, receives a TDLS Setup Response frame via the AP from the second non-AP MLD. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The first non-AP MLD according to claim 1, wherein the TDLS Setup Request frame carries a first TDLS Peer Key (TPK) handshake message; the TDLS Setup Response frame carries a second TPK handshake message; and the transmitter, in operation, transmits via the AP a TDLS Setup Confirmation frame that carries a third TPK handshake message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The first non-AP MLD according to claim 2, wherein the TDLS Setup Request frame includes a Robust Security Network element (RSNE), a Timeout Interval element and a Fast BSS Transition element (FTE) added to the first TDLS Multi-Link element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The first non-AP MLD according to claim 1, wherein prior to transmission of the TDLS Setup Request frame, the transmitter, in operation, transmits a TDLS Discovery Request frame via the AP to the second non-AP MLD; and the receiver, in operation, receives a TDLS Discovery Response frame on a direct link from the second non-AP MLD. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The first non-AP MLD according to claim 4, wherein the TDLS Discovery Request frame includes a Link Identifier element that contains a BSSID subfield. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The first non-AP MLD according to claim 4, wherein the TDLS Discovery Request frame includes a second Multi-Link element that contains a second MLD MAC address information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The first non-AP MLD according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter, in operation, transmits a request frame indicating a quiet time period for protecting a direct link communication on the direct link. ### Claim 8 A communication method for a first non-Access Point (non-AP) multi-link device (MLD) including a plurality of affiliated stations (STAs), the communication method comprising: transmitting a Tunnelled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) Setup Request frame via an Access Point (AP) to a second non-AP MLD, the TDLS Setup Request frame including a first TDLS Multi-Link element that contains a first MLD MAC address information, wherein the first TDLS Multi-Link element includes a Type subfield that is set to indicate TDLS and a Common Information field that carries the first MLD MAC address information; and receiving a TDLS Setup Response frame via the AP from the second non-AP MLD. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The communication method according to claim 8, wherein the TDLS Setup Request frame carries a first TDLS Peer Key (TPK) handshake message; the TDLS Setup Response frame carries a second TPK handshake message; and the communication method comprising: transmitting via the AP a TDLS Setup Confirmation frame that carries a third TPK handshake message. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The communication method according to claim 9, wherein the TDLS Setup Request frame includes a Robust Security Network element (RSNE), a Timeout Interval element and a Fast BSS Transition element (FTE) added to the first TDLS Multi-Link element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The communication method according to claim 8, wherein prior to transmission of the TDLS Setup Request frame, the communication method comprising: transmitting a TDLS Discovery Request frame via the AP to the second non-AP MLD; and receiving a TDLS Discovery Response frame on a direct link from the second non-AP MLD. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The communication method according to claim 11, wherein the TDLS Discovery Request frame includes a Link Identifier element that contains a BSSID subfield. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The communication method according to claim 11, wherein the TDLS Discovery Request frame includes a second Multi-Link element that contains a second MLD MAC address information. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The communication method according to claim 11, comprising transmitting a request frame indicating a quiet time period for protecting a direct link communication on the direct link.