Patent Description:
A frequency range of a newly opened <NUM> band is more than <NUM>. An unassociated non-access station (Non AP Station) or a non-access station (Non AP Station) in a roaming state needs to actively scan the band more than <NUM> to obtain information about a surrounding access point AP. The following manner is used: continuously switching to each channel of the band more than <NUM>, sending a probe request frame Probe Request through broadcasting to obtain a probe response frame responded with by a surrounding AP, and then selecting an appropriate AP for association. However, disadvantages of this method are long duration, high energy consumption, and unnecessary congestion on the <NUM> band. <CIT> describes for apparatuses, devices, systems and methods of a Fast Basic Service Set (BSS) Transition (FT). <CIT> describes systems and methods for accessing an initial channel by a STA which can comprise the steps of: the STA receiving, via a first band from a multiband AP, a scanning frame comprising a neighboring AP information element, wherein the neighboring AP information element comprises information for a second band which is an operating band for the neighboring AP. <CIT> describes a wireless communication method and a wireless communication terminal, which using a trigger frame to allocate a resource unit. Document IEEE <NUM> Wireless LANs, Resolution for CID <NUM>, discloses that a bit in a Neighbor Report element can also be used to provide an indication of a co-located BSS.

The invention is defined in the appended independent claims. Further embodiments are provided by the dependent claims.

It should be understood that, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application may be applied to various communications systems, such as: a Global System for Mobile Communications (global system of mobile communication, GSM), a code division multiple access (code division multiple access, CDMA) system, a wideband code division multiple Access (wideband code division multiple access, WCDMA) system, a general packet radio service (general packet radio service, GPRS) system, a universal mobile telecommunications system (universal mobile telecommunication system, UMTS), a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (worldwide interoperability for microwave access, WiMAX) communications system, a future <NUM> communications system, or other various wireless communication systems using radio access technologies.

<FIG> is a possible application scenario according to an embodiment of this application. It should be understood that, a station in this embodiment of this application includes an access station (AP, Access Point) and a non-access station STA (Non-AP Station). In other words, application scenarios of this embodiment of this application include scenarios in which an AP performs sending to a STA, a STA performs sending to an AP, an AP performs sending to an AP, and a STA performs sending to a STA. <FIG> is merely an example, and does not represent all application scenarios of this embodiment of this application.

A frequency range of a newly opened <NUM> band is more than <NUM>. An unassociated station or a station STA in a roaming state needs to actively scan the band more than <NUM> to obtain information about a surrounding AP. The following manner is used: continuously switching to each channel of the band more than <NUM>, sending a probe request frame Probe Request through broadcasting to obtain a probe response frame responded with by a surrounding AP, and then selecting an appropriate AP for association. However, disadvantages of this method are long duration, high energy consumption, and unnecessary congestion on the <NUM> band. For example, (<NUM>) it is prohibited for the unassociated station or the station in the roaming state to send the broadcast probe request frame; (<NUM>) it is prohibited for the station to send an <NUM>. 11n data packet HT PPDU and an <NUM>. 11ac data packet VHT PPDU on <NUM>; (<NUM>) BSS information on the <NUM> band including a <NUM> operation information field is broadcast on <NUM> and <NUM>, where the <NUM> operation information field includes a BSS bandwidth, a main channel, and a channel access mechanism. The unassociated station or the station in the roaming state is associated with and communicates with the AP on <NUM> by using the BSS information on the <NUM> band that is received on <NUM>/<NUM>.

The following describes the solutions in the embodiments of this application by using an example in which an AP sends a first frame to a STA on a <NUM> band and/or a <NUM> band.

<FIG> is a flowchart of an information indication method according to the claimed invention.

An AP generates a first frame, where the first frame includes address information of an AP operating on a <NUM> band.

In S101, specifically, the first frame generated by the AP may be a beacon frame, a probe response frame, a neighbor report frame, or another management frame. As shown in <FIG>, a <NUM> operation information field is newly added to an HE operation element (HE Operation Element) included in the beacon frame, the probe response frame, the neighbor report frame, and another management frame. The address information is located in the <NUM> operation information field. Other fields in the HE operation element are the same as other fields in an HE operation element in <NUM>. For example, the other fields include an element ID (identifier, identifier) field, a length field, an element ID extension field, an HE operation parameter field, a BSS (basic service set, basic service set) color information field, a basic HE-MCS (high efficiency-modulation and coding scheme, high efficiency-modulation and coding scheme) and NSS (number of spatial streams, number of spatial stream) set field, a VHT (very high throughput, very high throughput) operation information field, and a maximum co-located basic service set indication max co-located BSSID (BSS identifier) field.

<FIG> shows the <NUM> operation information field. The <NUM> operation information field includes a main channel field, a channel control field, a channel central frequency segment <NUM> field, a channel central frequency segment <NUM> field, and address information of a station operating on the <NUM> band.

In a possible implementation, the address information is a MAC address of the station operating on the <NUM> band, or a BSSID of a BSS in which the station operating on the <NUM> band is located. In another possible implementation, when a BSSID of a BSS in which the station operating on the <NUM> band is located is a BSSID in a BSSID set, the address information is a transmitted BSSID (transmitted BSSID) in the BSSID set rather than a non-transmitted BSSID (Non-transmitted BSSID). Only one BSSID in the BSSID set is a transmitted BSSID, and a remaining BSSID is a non-transmitted BSSID. An AP corresponding to the transmitted BSSID needs to transmit a beacon frame. The beacon frame includes a multi-BSSID element for indicating BSSIDs in the multi-BSSID set, and BSS information of the corresponding AP. An AP corresponding to the non-transmitted BSSID may transmit a beacon frame. However, the beacon frame does not include a multi-BSSID element.

In this embodiment of this application, by using the address information that is of the AP operating on the <NUM> band and that is in the first frame, the AP can accurately indicate an address of the AP operating on the <NUM> band. Therefore, an unassociated STA or a STA in a roaming state can be accurately associated with and directionally communicate with the AP operating on the <NUM> band, after learning of the address of the AP operating on the <NUM> band.

The channel control field includes a <NUM>-bit channel bandwidth (values <NUM> to <NUM> respectively correspond to a <NUM> channel bandwidth, a <NUM> channel bandwidth, an <NUM> channel bandwidth, and a <NUM> channel bandwidth, and values <NUM> to <NUM> are reserved values and are not used), and a <NUM>-bit channel access field (a value <NUM> indicates that EDCA is prohibited to be used to preempt a channel on a <NUM> channel, a value <NUM> indicates that EDCA is allowed to be used to preempt a channel on the <NUM> channel, and values <NUM> to <NUM> are reserved values and are not used). It should be noted that the channel access field mentioned in this embodiment may not exist. In this case, the STA is always allowed to contend for a channel on the <NUM> band in the EDCA manner and send a frame to another STA after the preemption.

The main channel is a main channel on which the AP operates on <NUM>. The channel bandwidth field, the channel central frequency segment <NUM> field, and the channel central frequency segment <NUM> field jointly indicate channel information of a BSS that is established by the AP on <NUM>. The channel information includes a channel start frequency, a channel central frequency, a BSS bandwidth, and a frequency location of the main channel.

The channel central frequency segment <NUM> field and the channel central frequency segment <NUM> field are referred to as a channel central frequency. In a next generation of <NUM>. 11ax, for example, EHT, the bandwidth is further increased, and a quantity of frequency segments is further increased. In this case, a corresponding channel central frequency may include two or more segment fields. Setting methods are similar.

For a <NUM> BSS bandwidth, a <NUM> BSS bandwidth, and an <NUM> BSS bandwidth, a channel central frequency segment <NUM> is set to a central frequency sequence number of a BSS bandwidth. For a <NUM> BSS bandwidth, a channel central frequency segment <NUM> is set to a central frequency sequence number of primary <NUM> of the <NUM> BBS bandwidth. For a BSS bandwidth of <NUM> + <NUM>, a channel central frequency segment <NUM> is set to a central frequency sequence number of primary <NUM>.

For a <NUM> BSS bandwidth, a <NUM> BSS bandwidth, and an <NUM> BSS bandwidth, a channel central frequency segment <NUM> field is a reserved value <NUM>. For a <NUM> BSS bandwidth, a channel central frequency segment <NUM> is set to a central frequency sequence number of the <NUM> BBS bandwidth. For a BSS bandwidth of <NUM> + <NUM>, a channel central frequency segment <NUM> is set to a central frequency sequence number of secondary <NUM>.

A value of the channel bandwidth field and that of the channel central frequency <NUM> field jointly indicate the BSS bandwidth. This is specifically shown in Table <NUM>.

The foregoing <NUM> operation information field may be applied not only to <NUM>. 11ax, but also to the next generation of <NUM>. In the next generation of <NUM>. 1ax, the channel bandwidth field in channel control field indicates that the bandwidth needs to be extended to more bandwidth sets, for example, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>. In the next generation of <NUM>. 1ax, the <NUM> operation information field may be included in an EHT operation element.

Referring to the HE operation element in the first frame, a specific structure of the HE operation parameter field in the HE operation element is shown in <FIG>. The HE operation parameter field includes indication information for indicating whether the address information appears. One bit or one sub-field is used in the HE operation parameter field to indicate whether the address information appears in the <NUM> operation information field. When the indication information for indicating whether the address information appears is a first value, for example, <NUM>, the address information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band appears in the <NUM> operation information field, which indicates that the address information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band is the address information in the <NUM> operation information field, for example, a MAC address of the AP operating on the <NUM> band or a BSSID of a BSS in which the AP operating on the <NUM> band is located. When the indication information for indicating whether the address information appears is a second value, for example, <NUM>, the address information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band does not appear in the <NUM> operation information field, which indicates that the address information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band is a sending address of a frame (except a neighbor report frame or a frame including a neighbor element) for sending the <NUM> operation information field, or a BSSID of the AP that sends the <NUM> operation information field. When the first frame is the neighbor report frame or the frame including the neighbor element, and the indication information for indicating whether the address information appears is the second value, for example, <NUM>, the address information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band does not appear in the <NUM> operation information field, which indicates that the address information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band is a BSSID in the neighbor report frame for sending the <NUM> operation information field or a BSSID in the neighbor element of the frame including the neighbor element.

In another implementation, if an address information appearance field of the HE operation parameter field does not exist, the "address information of the station operating on the <NUM> band" field of the <NUM> operation information field keeps appearing.

As shown in <FIG>, the HE operation parameter field further includes a <NUM> operation information appearance field for indicating whether the <NUM> operation information field appears. When a value of the <NUM> operation information appearance field is set to a first value, for example, <NUM>, it indicates that the <NUM> operation information field appears in the HE operation element, and implicitly indicates that the AP also establishes a BSS on <NUM>. When the value of the <NUM> operation information field is set to a second value, for example, <NUM>, it indicates that the <NUM> operation information field does not appear in the HE operation element, and implicitly indicates that the AP does not establish a BSS on <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, other indication bits in the HE operation parameter field are the same as those in an HE operation parameter field in <NUM>. The other indication bits include default PE (packet extension, packet extension) duration, a TWT (target wake-up time, target wake-up time) request, a TXOP (transmission of opportunity, transmission of opportunity) duration RTS (require to send, require to send) threshold, VHT operation information appearance, a basic service set co-located BSS, ER SU (extended range single user, extended range single user) prohibition, a <NUM> operation information appearance indication bit, and the like.

Further, the <NUM> operation information field further includes TSF information and beacon frame information. The TSF information includes TSF difference information or a TSF value. The beacon frame information includes a beacon frame interval or a target beacon frame transmission time. The TSF difference information indicates a difference between a time stamp of an AP operating on <NUM> and a time stamp of an AP that transmits the <NUM> information field on <NUM> and/or <NUM>. The TSF value indicates the time stamp of the AP operating on <NUM>. The beacon frame interval indicates an interval at which the AP on <NUM> transmits beacon frames. The target beacon frame transmission time indicates a transmission time of a latest beacon frame of the AP on <NUM>. TSF (time stamp field, time stamp field) difference information/a TSF value and the beacon frame interval/the target beacon frame transmission time are newly added to the <NUM> operation information field. In the four parameters, the first two parameters are TSF parameters, and the following two parameters are beacon frame parameters. Any one of the first two parameters may be combined with any one of the following two parameters. For example, as shown in <FIG>, the TSF difference information and the beacon frame interval are newly added to the <NUM> operation information field; as shown in <FIG>, the TSF value and the target beacon frame transmission time are newly added to the <NUM> operation information field.

In another implementation, a target beacon frame transmission time difference needs to be added to the <NUM> operation information field. The target beacon frame transmission time difference indicates a difference between a target beacon frame transmission time of the AP on <NUM> and the AP that transmits the <NUM> operation information field on <NUM>/<NUM>.

It should be noted that a quantity of bytes occupied by each newly added parameter in the foregoing figure may also be another byte quantity. For example, the TSF difference information occupies one byte.

In this embodiment of this application, the AP newly adds the TSF information and the beacon frame information to the <NUM> operation information field. Therefore, an unassociated STA or a STA in a roaming state can infer a time at which the AP operating on the <NUM> band sends a beacon frame, and effectively listen to a corresponding channel on the <NUM> band for the beacon frame sent by the AP operating on the <NUM> band to further learn of information about an associated BSS and clock synchronization information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band, after learning of the TSF information and the beacon frame information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band. This facilitates passive scanning.

The AP sends the first frame on the <NUM> band and/or the <NUM> band.

The STA receives the first frame on the <NUM> band and/or the <NUM> band, where the first frame includes the address information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band.

In S201, the STA receives the first frame in S101 on the <NUM> band and/or the <NUM> band. The first frame includes the <NUM> operation information field, and the <NUM> operation information field includes a main channel, a channel bandwidth, a channel central frequency, and the address information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band.

After the STA receives the <NUM> operation information field, if a value of the channel access field in the <NUM> operation information field is set to allowing preemption of a channel on the <NUM> band through EDCA (enhanced distributed channel access, enhanced distributed channel access), the STA sends a probe request frame to the AP on the main channel indicated by BSS information on the <NUM> band, then obtains a probe response frame responded with by the AP, and is further associated with the AP by using subsequent processes of exchanging an authentication request frame/an authentication response frame, an association request frame/an association response frame, and the like.

The STA sends a second frame on the <NUM> band, where a receiving address of the second frame is an address in the address information or a sending address of sending the first frame/a BSSID field of the first frame.

In S202, as described in S201, the STA sends the second frame to the AP on the main channel indicated by the BSS information on the <NUM> band, and the receiving address of the second frame is the address in the address information. For example, the STA performs active scanning or passive scanning on the main channel indicated by the BSS information on the <NUM> band. For example, the STA sends the probe request frame to the AP, and a receiving address of the probe request frame is set to the address information that is of the station operating on the <NUM> band and that is in the <NUM> operation information field, for example, in the <NUM> operation information field, a MAC address of the station operating on the <NUM> band or a BSSID of a BSS in which the station operating on the <NUM> band is located.

The BSSID field in the second frame is set to the BSSID field or the MAC address field of the AP in the <NUM> operation information field.

In another possible manner of setting the receiving address of the probe request frame, when indication information for indicating whether the address information appears is a first value, for example, <NUM>, the receiving address of the request frame is set to address information that is of an AP operating on the <NUM> band and that is in the <NUM> operation information field, for example, in the <NUM> operation information field, a BSSID of the AP operating on the <NUM> band or a MAC address of the AP operating on the <NUM> band.

The BSSID field in the second frame is set to the BSSID field or the MAC address field of the AP in the <NUM> operation information field. When the indication information for indicating whether the address information appears is a second value, for example, <NUM>, the receiving address of the request frame is set to a sending address of a frame (except a neighbor report frame or a frame including a neighbor element) for sending the <NUM> operation information field, or a BSSID of the AP that sends the <NUM> operation information field.

When the first frame is the neighbor report frame or the frame including the neighbor element, and the indication information for indicating whether the address information appears is the second value, for example, <NUM>, the address information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band does not appear in the <NUM> operation information field, which indicates that the address information of the AP operating on the <NUM> band is the receiving address of the second frame and the receiving address of the second frame is set to a BSSID in the neighbor report frame for sending the <NUM> operation information field or a BSSID in the neighbor element of the frame including the neighbor element.

The BSSID field in the second frame is set to a BSSID field in the frame that carries the HE Operation Element (except the neighbor report frame or the frame including the neighbor element) and is used to send the HE operation element; or is set to a BSSID in the neighbor report frame for sending the <NUM> operation information field, or a BSSID in the neighbor element in the frame including the neighbor element.

In another possible manner of setting the receiving address of the probe request frame, when the AP operating on the <NUM> band corresponds to a BSSID of a BSSID set, that is, the AP operates in a virtual BSS state, a receiving address of the probe request frame that is sent by the STA on the <NUM> band is a transmitted BSSID, and an AP of the transmitted BSSID responds with a probe response frame including information about a multi-BSSID element and another non-transmitted BSSID. After receiving the probe response frame responded with by the AP of the transmitted BSSID, the STA may further select an appropriate virtual AP for association based on information about each AP, for example, a BSS load status.

It should be noted that if the channel access field in the <NUM> operation information field is set to not allowing preemption of a channel on <NUM> through EDCA, the STA cannot actively preempt a channel on the <NUM> band through the EDCA manner to send a data packet to the AP, but can only be associated with the AP through passive scanning. For example, the STA listens to a beacon frame, and then is associated with the AP based on information included in the obtained beacon frame; or the STA waits for the AP to send a trigger frame, and sends an information frame of an association request in response to the trigger frame to be associated with the AP. The information frame of the association request includes a probe request frame, an authentication request frame, an association request frame, and the like.

Processes of exchanging the probe request frame/the probe response frame, the authentication request frame/the authentication response frame, and the association request frame/the association response frame are all related to two handshakes. To be specific, the STA first sends a request frame, and receives an acknowledgement frame responded with by the AP; then the AP sends a response frame; and finally the STA replies with an acknowledgement frame.

When a neighbor AP operates on the <NUM> band, and a BSSID of a BSS in which the neighbor AP is located is a BSSID in the BSSID set, that is, the neighbor AP operates in a virtual BSS state, this embodiment of this application further provides the following solutions:.

The AP sends a management frame (for example, a neighbor report frame) on a <NUM>/<NUM>/<NUM> band or the like (or may be another band). The management frame includes a neighbor report element. As shown in <FIG>, the neighbor report element includes an element ID field, a length field, a BSSID field, a BSSID information field, an operation class field, a channel number field, a PHY type field, and an optional sub-element field.

The operation class field and the channel number field jointly indicate a band on which the neighbor AP operates, and the channel number indicates a main channel on which the neighbor AP operates.

As shown in <FIG>, a co-location AP field is added to the BSSID information. The co-location AP field is set to a first value. For example, the co-location AP field is set to "<NUM>", which indicates that a neighbor AP corresponding to the BSSID in the neighbor report element and an AP that sends the neighbor report element are co-located, that is, share a same antenna interface share the same antenna connector (or the two APs are a in multi-band device). The co-location AP field is set to a second value. For example, the co-location AP field is set to "<NUM>", which indicates that a neighbor AP corresponding to the BSSID in the neighbor report element and an AP that sends the neighbor report element are not co-located, that is, does not share a same antenna interface share the same antenna connector (or the two APs are not a multi-band device).

When the co-location AP field in the BSSID information is set to the first value, the neighbor AP operates on the <NUM> band, and the BSSID of the BSS in which the neighbor AP is located is a BSSID in the BSSID set, that is, the neighbor AP operates in the virtual BSS state, an optional sub-element in the neighbor report element in <FIG> includes a multi-BSSID element. As shown in <FIG>, the multi-BSSID element includes an element ID, a length, a maximum BSSID indication, and an optional sub-element. The maximum BSSID indication indicates that a maximum quantity of BSSIDs included in the multi-BSSID set is n. The optional sub-element includes information about each non-transmitted BSSID. In this case, the BSSID in the neighbor report element shown in <FIG> is a reference BSSID for calculating a value of each BSSID in the BSSID set. The receive-end STA may calculate the value of each BSSID in the multi-BSSID set based on the reference BSSID and the maximum BSSID indication. Values of high-order (<NUM>-n) bits of each BSSID in the multi-BSSID set are the same as values of high-order (<NUM>-n) bits of the reference BSSID. Values of low-order n bits of each BSSID in the multi-BSSID set are obtained through performing modulo on <NUM>n and a sum of a value of a sequence number n of the BSSID and each of values of low-order n bits of the reference BSSID. For a specific calculation method, refer to the <NUM>-<NUM> standard protocol.

When the co-location AP field in the BSSID information is set to a first value, the neighbor AP operates on the <NUM> band, and the BSSID of the BSS in which the neighbor AP is located is a BSSID in the BSSID set, that is, the neighbor AP operates in the virtual BSS state, an optional sub-element in the neighbor report element in <FIG> includes a multi-BSSID element, and information indicating the transmitted BSSID further needs to be added. In a manner, the neighbor report element further needs to include a multi-BSSID sequence number element. As shown in <FIG>, the multi-BSSID sequence number element includes an element ID, a length, a BSSID sequence number, a DTIM period (optional), and a DITM count (optional). The BSSID sequence number indicates a location n of the BSSID in the multi-BSSID set. In this case, the BSSID sequence number in <FIG> is a sequence number of the transmitted BSSID.

In another manner, a <NUM>-byte BSSID sequence number or a <NUM>-byte transmitted BSSID field is directly added to the neighbor report element.

In a possible implementation, in <FIG>, the co-location AP field may be extended to a field. The extended field is referred to as a co-location multi-band AP field. A first value of the co-location multi-band AP field such as <NUM> indicates that a reported AP is not a multi-band AP. A second value of the co-location multi-band AP field such as <NUM> indicates that the reported AP is a first reported AP of the multi-band AP. A third value of the co-location multi-band AP field such as <NUM> indicates that the reported AP is a last reported AP of the multi-band AP. A fourth value of the co-location multi-band AP field such as <NUM> indicates that the reported AP is an intermediate reported AP in the multi-band AP. There may be a plurality of intermediate reported APs. A fifth value of the co-location multi-band AP field such as <NUM> indicates that the reported AP and the reporting AP may be co-located.

In another possible implementation, in <FIG>, the co-location AP field indicates only whether the neighbor AP corresponding to the BSSID in the neighbor report element and the AP that sends the neighbor report element are co-located.

In <FIG>, a multi-band field is added to indicate whether the neighbor AP indicated by the BSSID in the neighbor report element is located in a multiple-band device, wherein the multiple-band comprises <NUM> band.

The reported AP may also be referred to as a neighbor AP or an AP indicated by the BSSID in the neighbor element, and the reporting AP is an AP that transmits a neighbor report element.

On a STA side, the STA receives a management frame (for example, a neighbor report frame) sent by the AP. The management frame includes a neighbor report element. If the co-location AP field in the BSSID information field of the neighbor report element is set to <NUM>, it indicates that the neighbor AP corresponding to the BSSID field operates on the <NUM> band. Based on the BSSID, an operation class, and a channel number, the STA sends, on a channel indicated by the channel number on corresponding <NUM>, a unicast information frame of an association request to a neighbor AP operating on the <NUM> band, so that the neighbor AP performs association and communication. The information frame of the association request includes frames such as a probe request frame, an authentication request frame, and an association request frame. If the co-location AP in the BSSID information field is set to <NUM>, the STA continues to listen to a channel.

The foregoing method is based on prohibition on an unassociated station or a station in a roaming state from sending a broadcast probe request frame. In another implementation, the unassociated station or the station in the roaming state is prohibited from sending a broadcast probe request frame whose BSSID field is wildcard BSSID and/or whose SSID element is wildcard SSID, and the unassociated station or the station in the roaming state is allowed to send a broadcast probe request frame whose BSSID field is not wildcard BSSID or whose SSID element is not wildcard SSID. In this case, after surrounding APs receive the broadcast probe request frame, only an AP that meets a condition responds with a probe response frame, rather than all the surrounding APs respond with probe response frames. The condition is as follows: <NUM>. An SSID of an extended service set ESS (extended service set) of the AP matches the SSID of the received probe request frame; <NUM>. a BBSID of the AP matches the BSSID of the received probe request frame.

On an AP side, a frame for sending a <NUM> information field carries a MAC address or a BSSID of an AP, or a frame for sending a neighbor report element carries a MAC address or a BSSID of a neighbor AP. Alternatively, a frame for sending a neighbor report element carries an SSID of an ESS in which a neighbor AP is located, and carries an SSID element or an SSID list element as a sub-element of the neighbor element.

On the STA side, the BSSID field in the broadcast probe request frame sent by the station needs to be set to the BSSID in the <NUM> information field, or the sending address or the BSSID field in the frame for sending the <NUM> information field, or the BSSID in the neighbor report element, or the transmitted BSSID indicated in the neighbor report element. The SSID instead of the wildcard SSID is specified by the SSID element in the broadcast probe request frame. Optionally, an SSID list element is further carried. The specified SSID is from an SSID element or an SSID list element included in the received frame carrying the neighbor report element.

The foregoing embodiments of this application provide an information indication method. The following embodiments of this application provide an information indication apparatus. It should be understood that the information indication apparatus in the embodiments of this application has any function of the information indication apparatus in the foregoing method.

As shown in <FIG>, an information indication apparatus includes:
a processing unit <NUM>, configured to generate a first frame, where the first frame includes address information of a station operating on a <NUM> band; and a transceiver unit <NUM>, configured to send the first frame on a <NUM> band and/or a <NUM> band.

The information indication apparatus shown in <FIG> has any function of the sender station (for example, an AP) in the foregoing method. For details, refer to the description of the foregoing method.

As shown in <FIG>, an information indication apparatus includes:.

The information indication apparatus shown in <FIG> has any function of the station (for example, a STA) in the foregoing method. For details, refer to the description of the foregoing method.

The information indication apparatus provided in the foregoing embodiments of this application may be implemented in a plurality of product forms. For example, the information indication apparatus may be configured as a general-purpose processing system. For example, the information indication apparatus may be implemented by using a general bus architecture. For example, the information indication apparatus may be implemented by an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), and so on. The following provides several possible product forms of the information indication apparatus in the embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the following is merely an example, and the possible product forms in the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.

<FIG> is a structural diagram of a possible product form of an information indication apparatus according to an embodiment of this application.

In a possible product form, the information indication apparatus may be an information indication device, and the information indication device includes a processor <NUM> and a transceiver <NUM>. Optionally, the information indication device may further include a storage medium <NUM>.

In another possible product form, the information indication apparatus is also implemented by a general-purpose processor, that is, implemented by a commonly called chip. The general-purpose processor includes a processor <NUM> and a transceiver interface <NUM>/transceiver pin <NUM>. Optionally, the general-purpose processor may further include a storage medium <NUM>.

In another possible product form, the information indication apparatus may also be implemented by using the following components: one or more FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), a PLD (programmable logic device), a controller, a state machine, a gate logic, a discrete hardware component, any other suitable circuit, or any combination of circuits that can perform various functions described in this application.

It should be understood that, the term "and/or" in this specification describes only an association relationship for describing associated objects and represents that three relationships may exist.

A person of ordinary skill in the art may be aware that, in combination with the examples described in the embodiments disclosed in this specification, method steps and units may be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination thereof. To clearly describe the interchangeability between the hardware and the software, the foregoing has generally described steps and compositions of each embodiment according to functions. A person of ordinary skill in the art may use different methods to implement the described functions for each particular application, but it should not be considered that the implementation goes beyond the scope of this application.

In addition, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be implemented through some interfaces, indirect couplings or communication connections between the apparatuses or units, or electrical connections, mechanical connections, or connections in other forms.

Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual requirements to achieve the objectives of the solutions of the embodiments in this application.

When the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, the integrated unit may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on such an understanding, the technical solutions of this application essentially, or the part contributing to the prior art, or all or some of the technical solutions may be implemented in a form of a software product. The software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for instructing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to perform all or some of the steps of the methods described in the embodiments of this application. The foregoing storage medium includes: any medium that can store program code, such as a USB flash drive, a removable hard disk, a read-only memory (read-only memory, ROM), a random access memory (random access memory, RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disc.

Claim 1:
An information indication method, comprising:
generating (S101), by a reporting access point, AP, a first frame, wherein the first frame comprises a neighbor report element, the neighbor report element comprises a basic service set identifier, BSSID field and a BSSID information field, the BSSID information field comprises a co-location AP field and a multi-band field, the co-location AP field indicates whether a neighbor AP indicated by the BSSID field and the reporting AP are co-located, the multi-band field is used to indicate whether the neighbor AP is located in a multiple-band device, wherein the multiple-band device comprises a <NUM> AP;
sending (S102), by the reporting AP, the first frame to a station, STA on a <NUM> band or a <NUM> band.