Multi-link traffic steering with traffic indication map

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and devices related to multi-link traffic steering. A device may establish one or more links with a station multi-link device (STA MLD), wherein the STA MLD comprises one or more logical entities defining separate station devices. The device may generate a traffic indication map (TIM) bitmap of a plurality of bits, wherein one or more bits are associated with an association identification (AID) corresponding to the STA MLD. The device may set the one or more bits to a first value to indicate that there is data to be retrieved by the STA MLD on any of the one or more links. The device may generate one or more beacon frames each comprising a same TIM element, wherein the TIM element comprises the TIM bitmap. The device may cause to send one or more beacon frames on each of the one or more links.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device, the device comprising processing circuitry coupled to storage, the processing circuitry configured to:
 establish one or more links with a station multi-link device (STA MLD), wherein the STA MLD comprises one or more logical entities defining separate station devices;   generate a traffic indication map (TIM) bitmap of a plurality of bits, wherein one or more bits are associated with an association identification (AID) corresponding to the STA MLD;   set the one or more bits to a first value to indicate that there is data to be retrieved by the STA MLD on any of the one or more links;   generate one or more beacon frames each comprising a same TIM element, wherein the TIM element comprises the TIM bitmap; and   cause to send one or more beacon frames on each of the one or more links.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the STA MLD uses a AID index to lookup the corresponding bit in the TIM bitmap. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein a TIM bit of the TIM bitmap is set to 1 to indicate that one or more BUs are available for the STA MLD to receive. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more BUs are retrieved by the STA MLD on any enabled link of the one or more links. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to set an additional bit to indicate a preference to retrieve the data by the STA MLD using a first link of the one or more links. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the STA MLD wakes up the first link to be in an active state based on the preference indicated in the additional bit. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the STA MLD keeps the rest of its one or more links in a doze state while the first link is in the active state. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 assign a first AID to a first link of the STA MLD;   assign a second AID to a second link of the STA MLD; and   assign a first bit in the TIM bitmap to be associated with the first AID indicating an availability of traffic destined to a first STA of the STA MLD associated with the first link; and   assign a second bit in the TIM bitmap to be associated with the second AID indicating the availability of traffic destined to a second STA of the STA MLD associated with the second link.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless signals. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , further comprising an antenna coupled to the transceiver to cause to send the one or more beacon frames. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:
 establishing one or more links with a station multi-link device (STA MLD), wherein the STA MLD comprises one or more logical entities defining separate station devices;   generating a traffic indication map (TIM) bitmap of a plurality of bits, wherein one or more bits are associated with an association identification (AID) corresponding to the STA MLD;   setting the one or more bits to a first value to indicate that there is data to be retrieved by the STA MLD on any of the one or more links;   generating one or more beacon frames each comprising a same TIM element, wherein the TIM element comprises the TIM bitmap; and   causing to send one or more beacon frames on each of the one or more links.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the STA MLD uses a AID index to lookup the corresponding bit in the TIM bitmap. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein a TIM bit of the TIM bitmap is set to 1 to indicate that one or more BUs are available for the STA MLD to receive. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more BUs are retrieved by the STA MLD on any enabled link of the one or more links. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise setting an additional bit to indicate a preference to retrieve the data by the STA MLD using a first link of the one or more links. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the STA MLD wakes up the first link to be in an active state based on the preference indicated in the additional bit. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the STA MLD keeps the rest of its one or more links in a doze state while the first link is in the active state. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 assigning a first AID to a first link of the STA MLD;   assigning a second AID to a second link of the STA MLD; and   assigning a first bit in the TIM bitmap to be associated with the first AID indicating an availability of traffic destined to a first STA of the STA MLD associated with the first link; and   assigning a second bit in the TIM bitmap to be associated with the second AID indicating the availability of traffic destined to a second STA of the STA MLD associated with the second link.   
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 establishing, by one or more processors, one or more links with a station multi-link device (STA MLD), wherein the STA MLD comprises one or more logical entities defining separate station devices;   generating a traffic indication map (TIM) bitmap of a plurality of bits, wherein one or more bits are associated with an association identification (AID) corresponding to the STA MLD;   setting the one or more bits to a first value to indicate that there is data to be retrieved by the STA MLD on any of the one or more links;   generating one or more beacon frames each comprising a same TIM element, wherein the TIM element comprises the TIM bitmap; and   causing to send one or more beacon frames on each of the one or more links.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the STA MLD uses a AID index to lookup the corresponding bit in the TIM bitmap.