Multi-link communication method and related device

Abstract

A multi-link communication method and apparatus are provided. The method includes generating, by a first station, a radio frame. The first station is one of multiple stations comprised in a first multi-link device. The multiple stations comprised in the first multi-link device work on multiple links. The multiple links comprise a first link on which the first station works. The method further includes sending, on the first link by the first station, the radio frame to a second station. The radio frame includes at least two management frames. The at least two management frames are generated by at least two stations that work on different links in the first multi-link device. The second station is one of multiple stations included in a second multi-link device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multi-link communication method, the method comprising:
 generating, by a first station, a radio frame, the first station being one of multiple stations comprised in a first multi-link device, wherein the multiple stations comprised in the first multi-link device work on multiple links, and the multiple links comprise a first link on which the first station works; and   sending, on the first link by the first station, the radio frame to a second station, the radio frame comprising at least two management frames, the at least two management frames are generated by at least two stations that work on different links in the first multi-link device, and the second station is one of multiple stations comprised in a second multi-link device.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the radio frame comprises at least two pieces of link indication information, one piece of link indication information corresponds to one management frame, and the link indication information indicating a link corresponding to the management frame. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the link indication information is a link information element, the link information element comprises identification information of the link corresponding to the management frame, and the identification information of the link comprises at least one of a band identifier, a channel number, or an operating class. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the link indication information is a multi-band element, and the multi-band element comprises a band identifier, a channel number, and an operating class. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the radio frame comprises at least two cyclic redundancy check fields, one cyclic redundancy check field corresponds to one management frame, and the cyclic redundancy check field is used to check correctness of the management frame and the link indication information. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the radio frame comprises first indication information, and the first indication information indicating a number of the at least two management frames. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the radio frame comprises second indication information, and the second indication information indicating a total length of the at least two management frames and the at least two pieces of link indication information. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein when frame types and subtypes of the at least two management frames are the same, the at least two management frames comprise a first management frame and another management frame other than the first management frame, the first management frame comprises a first type information element and a second type information element, the another management frame comprises the second type information element, the first type information element carries common information of the at least two management frames, and the second type information element carries unique information of each management frame. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein one information element comprises an indication field, the indication field comprises a first value or a second value, the first value indicating that the information element is the first type information element, and the second value indicating that the information element is the second type information element. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the radio frame comprises a temporary starting sequence number, and the temporary starting sequence number indicating a frame sequence of the first management frame in the at least two management frames. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, on the first link by the first station, a response frame sent by the second station;   wherein the response frame is a block acknowledgment frame, a starting sequence number field in the block acknowledgment frame is set to the temporary starting sequence number, the block acknowledgment frame comprises a block acknowledgment bitmap, and the block acknowledgment bitmap indicating that the second station starts, from the first management frame, acknowledgment on whether the at least two management frames are correctly received.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 sending, on the first link by the second station, a response frame to the second station;   wherein the response frame is a block acknowledgment frame, a starting sequence number field in the block acknowledgment frame is set to the temporary starting sequence number, the block acknowledgment frame comprises a block acknowledgment bitmap, and the block acknowledgment bitmap indicating that the second station starts, from the first management frame, acknowledgment on whether the at least two management frames are correctly received.   
     
     
         13 . A multi-link communication method, the method comprising:
 receiving, on a first link by a second station, a radio frame sent by a first station, the first station comprising one of multiple stations comprised in a first multi-link device, the second station comprising one of multiple stations comprised in a second multi-link device, the multiple stations comprised in the second multi-link device work on multiple links, the multiple links comprise the first link on which the second station works, the radio frame comprises at least two management frames, and the at least two management frames are generated by at least two stations that work on different links in the first multi-link device.   
     
     
         14 . A first multi-link communication apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a generation module configured to generate a radio frame via a first station, the first station comprising one of multiple stations comprised in a first multi-link device, wherein the multiple stations comprised in the first multi-link device work on multiple links, and the multiple links comprise a first link on which the first station works; and   a sending module configured to send, on the first link via the first station, the radio frame to a second station, the radio frame comprising at least two management frames, the at least two management frames are generated by at least two stations that work on different links in the first multi-link device, and the second station is one of multiple stations comprised in a second multi-link device.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the radio frame comprises at least two pieces of link indication information, one piece of link indication information corresponds to one management frame, and the link indication information indicating a link corresponding to the management frame. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the link indication information is a link information element, the link information element comprises identification information of the link corresponding to the management frame, and the identification information of the link comprises at least one of a band identifier, a channel number, or an operating class. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the link indication information is a multi-band element, and the multi-band element comprises a band identifier, a channel number, and an operating class. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the radio frame comprises at least two cyclic redundancy check fields, one cyclic redundancy check field corresponds to one management frame, and the cyclic redundancy check field is used to check correctness of the management frame and the link indication information. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the radio frame comprises first indication information, and the first indication information indicating a number of the at least two management frames. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the radio frame comprises second indication information, and the second indication information indicating a total length of the at least two management frames and the at least two pieces of link indication information.