Roaming methods, devices and equipment

Abstract

This application provides a roaming method, apparatus, and device. The method includes: a first access point receiving a first frame sent by a station, the first frame being used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of a plurality of candidate access points or roaming-related information of a target access point, wherein the first frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in a listening state, and the second indication information being used to indicate whether it is necessary for the first access point to switch from a listening state to a wake-up state; the first access point sending a second frame to the station, the second frame including roaming-related information of a plurality of candidate access points, or the second frame including roaming-related information of a target access point, the target access point being selected from a plurality of candidate access points.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to a roaming method, apparatus, and device. Background Technology

[0002] In order to cope with the uncertainty of network traffic, Dynamic PowerSave (DPS) technology has been introduced in related technologies. Based on this DPS technology, wireless network devices can switch between low-capacity mode and high-capacity mode (or, between listening state and wake-up state). However, wireless network devices can only send data after entering high-capacity mode (or wake-up state).

[0003] In related technologies, when a terminal senses that the signal strength received from the current service access point has dropped to a certain threshold due to reasons such as mobility, the site can trigger a seamless roaming operation to complete the switching of the associated access point from the current service access point to the target access point.

[0004] However, when at least one of the site, service access point, and candidate access point is in a listening state, it will result in a failure to respond in a timely manner during roaming, thus preventing the completion of the roaming process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a roaming method, apparatus, and device that can ensure the completion of a seamless roaming process.

[0006] Firstly, a roaming method is provided, including:

[0007] The first access point receives a first frame sent by the station. The first frame is used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points or roaming-related information of the target access point. The first frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in the listening state. The second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary for the first access point to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0008] The first access point sends a second frame to the site, the second frame including roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points, or the second frame including roaming-related information of a target access point selected from multiple candidate access points.

[0009] Secondly, a roaming method is provided, including:

[0010] The site sends a first frame to the first access point. The first frame is used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points or roaming-related information of a target access point. The first frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in the listening state. The second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary for the first access point to switch from the listening state to the awake state. The target access point is selected from multiple candidate access points.

[0011] The station receives a second frame sent by the first access point. The second frame includes roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points, or the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target access point.

[0012] In some implementations, when the site supports using an access point in a listening state as a target access point, the first indication information is used to indicate the need to collect roaming-related information of the access point in a listening state; or

[0013] If the site does not support using an access point in a listening state as a target access point, the first indication information is used to indicate that it is not necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in a listening state.

[0014] In some implementations, when the first access point is in a listening state, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state; or, when the first access point is in the awake state, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first access point does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0015] In some implementations, the first frame may further include third indication information, which indicates that the target access point to which the site roams is determined by the site or by the first access point.

[0016] In some implementations, when the third indication information indicates that the target access point is determined by the site, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the plurality of candidate access points; or

[0017] When the third indication information indicates that the target access point is determined by the first access point, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target access point.

[0018] In some implementations, the second frame also includes fourth indication information, which indicates whether the station needs to switch from listening state to awake state.

[0019] In some implementations, when the site is in a listening state, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the site needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0020] In some implementations, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the plurality of candidate access points. If the plurality of candidate access points includes a candidate access point in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the candidate access point in the listening state includes the energy-saving information of the candidate access point.

[0021] In some implementations, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target access point. When the target access point is in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the target access point includes energy-saving information of the target access point.

[0022] In some implementations, the energy-saving information includes at least one of the following:

[0023] Does it support energy-saving mode?

[0024] Energy saving status;

[0025] Awakening cycle;

[0026] The latency requirement for switching from listening mode to awake mode.

[0027] In some implementations, before the station sends the first frame to the first access point, the method further includes:

[0028] The station receives a fifth frame sent by the first access point, wherein the fifth frame includes a sixth indication information and / or a seventh indication information, the sixth indication information being used to indicate whether the station needs to switch from a listening state to a wake-up state, and the seventh indication information being used to indicate whether the station initiates roaming.

[0029] In some implementations, the first frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0030] The first field indicates whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information from access points that are in a listening state;

[0031] The second field is used to indicate whether the first access point needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state.

[0032] The third field is used to indicate whether the target access point to which the site roams is determined by the site itself or by the first access point.

[0033] In some implementations, the second frame includes multiple first elements, each first element carrying roaming-related information of a candidate access point; or, the second frame includes a single first element carrying roaming-related information of a target access point.

[0034] In some implementations, the first element includes at least one of the following fields:

[0035] The seventh field indicates whether power-saving mode is supported;

[0036] The eighth field is used to indicate the energy-saving status;

[0037] The ninth field indicates the wake-up period;

[0038] The tenth field indicates the latency requirement for switching from the listening state to the awake state.

[0039] In some implementations, the second frame also includes a fourth field indicating whether the site needs to switch from listening state to awake state.

[0040] In some implementations, the fifth frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0041] The eleventh field indicates whether the site needs to switch from listening state to awake state;

[0042] The twelfth field indicates whether the site has initiated roaming.

[0043] Thirdly, a roaming method is provided, including

[0044] The candidate access point receives a third frame sent by the first access point. The third frame is used to request roaming-related information of the candidate access point. The third frame includes fifth indication information, which is used to indicate whether the candidate access point needs to switch from listening state to awake state.

[0045] The candidate access point sends a fourth frame to the first access point, the fourth frame including roaming-related information of the candidate access point.

[0046] In some implementations, when the candidate access point is in a listening state, the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the candidate access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state; or, when the candidate access point is in an awake state, the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the candidate access point does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0047] In some implementations, when the candidate access point is in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the candidate access point in the fourth frame includes the energy-saving information of the candidate access point.

[0048] In some implementations, the third frame includes a fifth field indicating whether the candidate access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0049] In some implementations, the third frame also includes multiple sixth fields, each corresponding to a candidate access point. The sixth field is used to indicate the configuration of the first access point to provide roaming-related information feedback for the corresponding candidate access point.

[0050] In some implementations, the sixth field includes at least one of the following subfields:

[0051] The first subfield is used to indicate the identification information of the candidate access point;

[0052] The second subfield is used to indicate the resource unit (RU) resources allocated for the roaming-related information feedback of the candidate access point;

[0053] The third subfield is used to indicate the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used by the candidate access point to feed back roaming-related information;

[0054] The fourth subfield is used to indicate the target received power that the candidate access point needs to meet to provide feedback on roaming-related information.

[0055] In some implementations, the fourth frame includes a first element, which carries roaming-related information of the candidate access point.

[0056] In some implementations, the first element includes at least one of the following fields:

[0057] The seventh field indicates whether power-saving mode is supported;

[0058] The eighth field is used to indicate the energy-saving status;

[0059] The ninth field indicates the wake-up period;

[0060] The tenth field indicates the latency requirement for switching from the listening state to the awake state.

[0061] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, wherein the communication device is a first access point, or the communication device is disposed in the first access point, comprising:

[0062] The receiving module is used to receive a first frame sent by the station. The first frame is used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points or roaming-related information of the target access point. The first frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in the listening state. The second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary for the first access point to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0063] The sending module is configured to send a second frame to the site, the second frame including roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points, or the second frame including roaming-related information of a target access point selected from multiple candidate access points.

[0064] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, wherein the communication device is a station, or the communication device is disposed in the station, comprising:

[0065] The sending module is used to send a first frame to a first access point. The first frame is used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points or roaming-related information of a target access point. The first frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in a listening state. The second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary for the first access point to switch from a listening state to a wake-up state. The target access point is selected from multiple candidate access points.

[0066] The receiving module is configured to receive a second frame sent by the first access point, wherein the second frame includes roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points, or the second frame includes roaming-related information of a target access point.

[0067] Sixthly, a communication device is provided, wherein the communication device is a candidate access point, or the communication device is disposed in the candidate access point, comprising:

[0068] The receiving module is used to receive a third frame sent by the first access point. The third frame is used to request roaming-related information of the candidate access point. The third frame includes fifth indication information, which is used to indicate whether the candidate access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0069] The sending module is used to send a fourth frame to the first access point, the fourth frame including roaming-related information of the candidate access point.

[0070] A seventh aspect provides an access point including a processor and a memory. The memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to invoke and run the computer program stored in the memory to perform the methods of any one of the first to third aspects or their respective implementations.

[0071] Eighthly, a chip is provided for implementing the methods of any one of the first to second aspects or their respective implementations. Specifically, the chip includes: a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, causing a device on which the chip is mounted to perform the methods of any one of the first to third aspects or their respective implementations.

[0072] Ninthly, a readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program that causes a computer to perform the methods of any one of the first to third aspects or their respective implementations.

[0073] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising computer program instructions that cause a computer to perform the methods of any one of the first to third aspects or their respective implementations.

[0074] Eleventhly, a computer program is provided that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods of any one of the first to third aspects or their respective implementations.

[0075] Through the above technical solution, when the STA sends the first frame requesting roaming-related information, it can wake up the serving AP in a listening state by carrying a second indication information in the first frame. In this way, the serving AP can switch from the listening state to the awake state based on the second indication information, thus enabling it to respond promptly to the first frame sent by the STA. This ensures the smooth execution of the seamless roaming process for the STA in scenarios where the serving AP is in a listening state. It avoids the latency and signaling overhead caused by the STA needing to perform full 802.1X authentication and four-way handshake operations to join a new AP because the serving AP is in a listening state and therefore unable to respond to the STA's roaming request. And / or,

[0076] When a STA sends its first frame requesting roaming-related information, it can include a first indication in the first frame to indicate the need to collect roaming-related information from APs in a listening state. The serving AP can then collect this information based on the first indication. This expands the range of target APs that the STA can choose from, allowing it to select a more suitable target AP and ensuring higher data transmission quality. Attached Figure Description

[0077] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system applicable to embodiments of this application.

[0078] Figure 2 This is a schematic interactive diagram of a roaming method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0079] Figures 3 to 10 This is a signaling interaction diagram of the seamless roaming solution provided in this application.

[0080] Figure 11 This is a schematic format diagram of a first frame implemented through action frames, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0081] Figure 12 This is a schematic format diagram of a second frame implemented through action frames, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0082] Figure 13 This is a schematic format diagram of a third frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0083] Figure 14 This is a schematic format diagram of a fourth frame provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0084] Figure 15 This is a schematic format diagram of a first element provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0085] Figure 16 This is a schematic format diagram of a fifth frame implemented by a trigger frame, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0086] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0087] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0088] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0089] Figure 20 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of this application.

[0090] Figure 21 This is a schematic block diagram of a chip provided according to an embodiment of this application.

[0091] Figure 22 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0092] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort regarding the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0093] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second," etc., used herein are used only to distinguish different objects and not to describe a particular order.

[0094] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, "at least one item" refers to one item or more items, "more items" refers to two items or more, and "at least two items" refers to two items or more. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions can refer to any combination of these items. For example, at least one item of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c".

[0095] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, "and / or" indicates that the connected objects can have three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can represent three scenarios: only A exists, only B exists, and both A and B exist simultaneously. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects have an "or" relationship.

[0096] It should be understood that the "instruction" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct instruction or an indirect instruction. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being obtainable through A; or it can mean that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, where B is obtainable through C, for example, B and C are related.

[0097] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to wireless local area network (WLAN) systems, and are applicable to any of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series protocols used in WLANs, such as 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn, and future 802.11 protocols. The methods provided in this application can be implemented by communication devices in a wireless communication system or by chips or processors within those devices. Accordingly, the communication device supports communication using the IEEE 802.11 series protocols. Although the embodiments of this application are mainly illustrated using a network deploying IEEE 802.11 as an example, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the various aspects involved in this application can be extended to other networks employing various standards or protocols, such as Bluetooth, high-performance radio LAN (HIPERLAN) (a wireless standard similar to IEEE 802.11, mainly used in Europe), wide area network (WAN), WLAN, personal area network (PAN), wireless personal area network systems based on ultra-wideband (UWB), sensing systems, or other networks now known or to be developed in the future. The methods provided in the embodiments of this application can be applied to the IEEE 802.15 series protocols, such as the 802.15.4a protocol, the 802.15.4z protocol, or the 802.15.4ab protocol, or a future generation of UWB WPAN protocol, etc., which will not be listed one by one.The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to the following communication systems, such as Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-X (V2X) systems, narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, devices used in V2X systems, IoT nodes and sensors in IoT systems, smart cameras, smart remote controls, smart water and electricity meters in smart homes, and sensors in smart cities. Alternatively, they can also be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5th-generation (5G) communication systems, and new communication systems that will emerge in future communication developments. Therefore, regardless of the coverage area and wireless access protocol used, the various aspects provided in this application can be applied to any suitable wireless network.

[0098] In the WiFi protocol, a station (abbreviated as STA) includes access point stations (abbreviated as AP STA) and non-access point stations (abbreviated as non-AP station). For the sake of simplicity, access point stations are usually called access points (abbreviated as AP), and non-access point stations are called stations (abbreviated as STA).

[0099] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a communication system 100 applicable to embodiments of this application is shown. The communication system 100 may include an access point 110 and a station 120. The station 120 can access the network through the access point 110.

[0100] Access points can support communication or sensing based on WiFi protocols, such as 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn, or next-generation or later protocols.

[0101] The site can support communication or sensing based on WiFi protocols, such as 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11be, 802.11bn, or next-generation or later protocols.

[0102] The communication in the communication system 100 can be communication between access points and stations, or communication between stations, or communication between access points.

[0103] WLAN systems can provide high-speed, low-latency transmission. As WLAN application scenarios continue to evolve, WLAN systems will be applied to more scenarios or industries, such as the Internet of Things industry, the Internet of Vehicles industry, the banking industry, enterprise offices, stadiums and exhibition halls, concert halls, hotel rooms, dormitories, hospital wards, classrooms, shopping malls, squares, streets, production workshops and warehouses, etc. Of course, devices that support WLAN communication or sensing (such as access points or sites) can be sensor nodes in smart cities (such as smart water meters, smart electricity meters, and smart air monitoring nodes), smart devices in smart homes (such as smart cameras, projectors, displays, televisions, speakers, refrigerators, and washing machines), nodes in the Internet of Things (IoT), entertainment terminals (such as wearable devices for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), smart devices in smart offices (such as printers, projectors, loudspeakers, and speakers), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) devices, infrastructure in daily life scenarios (such as vending machines, self-service navigation kiosks in supermarkets, self-service checkout machines, and self-service ordering machines), and equipment in large sports and music venues.

[0104] In this embodiment, an access point is a device with wireless communication capabilities, supporting communication or sensing using the WLAN protocol. It has the function of communicating or sensing with other devices in the WLAN network (such as non-AP STAs or other access points), and can also have the function of communicating or sensing with other devices. Alternatively, an access point acts as a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, primarily connecting various wireless network clients together and then connecting the wireless network to the Ethernet. This wireless communication device can be a complete device, or a chip, processing system, or functional module installed within a complete device. Devices with these chips, processing systems, or functional modules can implement the methods and functions of this embodiment under the control of the chips, processing systems, or functional modules. The AP in this embodiment is a device providing services to non-AP STAs and can support 802.11 series protocols or subsequent protocols. For example, an access point can be an access point for terminals (such as mobile phones) to enter a wired (or wireless) network, mainly deployed in homes, buildings, and parks, with a typical coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters; it can also be deployed outdoors. For example, an AP can be a communication server, router, switch, bridge, or other communication entity; APs can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, repeater stations, etc.

[0105] In the embodiments of this application, the site may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, wireless device in industrial control, set-top box, wireless device in self-driving, vehicle communication device, wireless device in remote medical care, wireless device in smart grid, wireless device in transportation safety, wireless device in smart city or smart home, wireless device, wireless communication chip, etc. that support WLAN or WiFi technology.

[0106] It should be understood that Figure 1 Only one access point and two sites are shown in the example. Optionally, the communication system 100 may include multiple access points or other numbers of sites. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0107] Optionally, the communication system 100 may also include other devices, such as network controllers, gateways, and other network entities, which are not limited in this application.

[0108] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the energy-saving technologies related to this application will be described.

[0109] Energy saving was proposed to address the problem of unnecessary power consumption by wireless network devices during inactive periods such as when the network is not in use or when network traffic load is low. For example, in some scenarios, the Target Wake Time (TWT) mechanism has been introduced to improve the energy efficiency of wireless networks and optimize network resource utilization. The TWT mechanism allows the AP and STA to establish a TWT time periodic table and negotiate to determine the wake-up time of the STA, enabling the STA to periodically switch between doze and wake states. However, this planned energy saving method is only suitable for application scenarios with regular communication needs, especially for those where data transmission time and frequency can be predicted. By planning the active and dormant periods of the devices in advance, the needs of resource consumption and data transmission can be effectively balanced.

[0110] The IEEE 802.11bn Task Group (TGbn) introduced Dynamic Power Save (DPS) technology to address the uncertainty of network traffic and achieve dynamic, unplanned power saving. Specifically, two modes are defined: low-capacity mode and high-capacity mode. Low-capacity mode corresponds to the listening state, and high-capacity mode corresponds to the wake-up state. In low-capacity mode, only frames with small bandwidth, single spatial stream, and low modulation and coding scheme (MCS) are supported for reception. In high-capacity mode, frames can be received or transmitted with normal capabilities. For an AP in low-capacity mode, it can switch from low-capacity mode to high-capacity mode after receiving an Initial Control Frame (ICF), and then reply with an Initial Control Response (ICR) frame to indicate a successful mode switch. The AP only communicates with the STA after completing the state transition.

[0111] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the roaming technology related to this application will be described.

[0112] When a STA detects a drop in signal strength received from its current serving AP to a certain threshold due to mobility or other reasons, it can trigger a seamless roaming operation to switch the associated AP from the current serving AP to the target AP. For example, the STA can select the target AP by measuring the radio spectrum resources of candidate APs.

[0113] However, when at least one of the STA, Serving AP, and Candidate AP is in a listening state, it will cause a failure to respond in a timely manner during roaming, resulting in the inability to complete the roaming process. In this case, how to perform effective roaming is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0114] For example, when a candidate AP is in a listening state, it cannot respond to the roaming request of the STA, causing the STA to ignore it as a candidate AP. This may result in the STA failing to select a candidate AP that can provide the best quality of service as the target AP.

[0115] For example, when the serving AP is in listening state, it cannot respond to the roaming request initiated by the STA, which makes it impossible to complete the roaming process. This may degenerate into the process of adding a new AP without an associated node, which requires the execution of the full 802.1X authentication and four-way handshake operation, resulting in significant latency and signaling overhead.

[0116] The technical solutions of this application are described in detail below through specific embodiments. The above-mentioned related technologies are optional solutions and can be combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application in any way, all of which fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0117] Figure 2 This is a schematic interactive diagram of the roaming method 200 according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the method 200 includes at least the following:

[0118] S201, the first access point (i.e., the first AP) receives the first frame sent by the station (i.e., the STA). The first frame is used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points (i.e., candidate APs), or to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of the target access point (i.e., the target AP).

[0119] S202, the first access point sends a second frame to the site, wherein the second frame includes roaming-related information of multiple candidate APs, or the second frame includes roaming-related information of a target AP, which is selected from multiple candidate APs.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first AP is the Serving AP of the STA, or the Source AP, that is, the first AP is the AP currently associated with the STA.

[0121] Optionally, in the embodiments of this application, the AP may belong to a cooperative set, which may be a set of APs formed by the first AP and multiple neighboring APs through multi-AP cooperation. The candidate AP may be other APs in the cooperative set besides the first AP.

[0122] It should be noted that this collaboration set can also be called a multi-AP collaboration set, collaboration group, multi-AP collaboration group, etc., and this application does not limit it in this way.

[0123] In some embodiments, the first AP may support power-saving modes, such as including but not limited to DPS mode. When the first AP supports power-saving modes, the first AP can switch between listening state and wake-up state.

[0124] In some embodiments, the candidate AP may support power-saving modes, such as including but not limited to DPS mode. When the candidate AP supports power-saving modes, the candidate AP can switch between listening state and wake-up state.

[0125] In some embodiments, the STA may support power-saving modes, such as including but not limited to DPS mode. When the STA supports power-saving modes, the AP can switch between listening state and wake-up state.

[0126] In this embodiment, the listening state can be replaced by the first capability mode, and the awake state can be replaced by the second capability mode. The capability of the device (e.g., STA, first AP, or candidate AP) in the first capability mode is lower than that of the device in the second capability mode.

[0127] In the embodiments of this application, the first capability mode can also be referred to as low capability mode, low capability state, low power consumption state, or low power consumption monitoring state; the second capability mode can also be referred to as high capability mode, high capability state, high power consumption state, or high power consumption wake-up state.

[0128] In some embodiments, in the listening state, the device (e.g., STA, first AP, or candidate AP) only supports data reception and does not support data transmission; in the wake-up state, the device can support normal data transmission or reception.

[0129] It should be understood that, among bandwidth, spatial stream, and MCS, the device's capabilities in the wake-up state must satisfy one or more of these requirements to be higher than its capabilities in the listening state, while the capabilities of the other items can be the same. It should be noted that the above example only uses bandwidth, spatial stream, and MCS as examples of device capabilities, but this application is not limited to these; the device's capabilities may also include, but are not limited to, other options that can characterize the device.

[0130] In some embodiments, the first frame may be referred to as a Roaming Target Request frame, or a Roaming Info Request frame, or a Roaming Request frame, or may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0131] In some embodiments, the second frame may be referred to as a Roaming Target Response frame, or a Roaming Info Response frame, or a Roaming Response frame, or may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0132] In some embodiments of this application, the first frame includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0133] The first instruction information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of APs that are in a listening state;

[0134] The second instruction information is used to indicate whether the first AP needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state;

[0135] The third instruction information is used to indicate whether the target AP to which the STA roams is determined by the STA or by the first AP.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of APs in the listening state. This can be understood as: the first indication information is used to indicate whether to use APs in the listening state as candidate APs for STA to perform roaming, or in other words, whether to include APs in the listening state in the selection range of target APs for STA to perform roaming.

[0137] In some embodiments, when the STA supports using an AP in a listening state as a target AP, or when the STA uses an AP in a listening state as a candidate AP, the first indication information is used to indicate that roaming-related information of the AP in a listening state needs to be collected.

[0138] In other embodiments, if the site does not support using an AP in a listening state as a target AP, or if the STA does not use an AP in a listening state as a candidate AP, the first indication information is used to indicate that it is not necessary to collect roaming-related information of APs in a listening state.

[0139] In some embodiments, the first frame sent by the STA includes first indication information, which indicates the need to collect roaming-related information of APs in a listening state. In this case, the first AP can collect roaming-related information of APs in a listening state based on the first indication information. Thus, when selecting a target AP to which the STA can roam, not only APs in an active state but also APs in a listening state can be considered, expanding the range of target APs and helping the site select a more suitable target AP, thereby ensuring the quality of subsequent data transmission.

[0140] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of APs in a listening state. This can also be replaced by indicating whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of APs in power-saving mode (e.g., DPS mode). For example, if the STA supports using an AP in power-saving mode as a target AP, or if the STA uses an AP in power-saving mode as a candidate AP, the first indication information indicates that it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of APs in power-saving mode. As another example, if the STA does not support using an AP in power-saving mode as a target AP, or if the STA does not use an AP in power-saving mode as a candidate AP, the first indication information indicates that it is not necessary to collect roaming-related information of APs in power-saving mode. The following explanation uses the example of whether the first indication information needs to collect roaming-related information of APs in a listening state, but this application is not limited to this.

[0141] In some embodiments, the second indication information is used to indicate whether the first AP needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state, which can be replaced by: the second indication information is used to indicate whether the first AP should be woken up.

[0142] In some embodiments, when the first AP is in a listening state, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first AP needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state; or, when the first AP is in the awake state, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first AP does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0143] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the serving AP is in a listening state, the STA can wake up the serving AP by carrying second indication information in the first frame when sending the first frame requesting roaming-related information. In this way, the serving AP can switch from the listening state to the awake state based on the second indication information, thereby responding to the first frame sent by the STA in a timely manner. This ensures the smooth execution of the seamless roaming process of the STA in the scenario where the serving AP is in a listening state. It can avoid the problem of latency and signaling overhead caused by the STA having to perform a complete 802.1X authentication and four-way handshake operation to join a new AP because the serving AP is in a listening state and cannot respond to the STA's roaming request.

[0144] Optionally, "the first AP is in listening or awake state" can mean that the first AP is in listening or awake state when the STA sends the first frame.

[0145] In some embodiments, the STA and the first AP can learn each other's energy-saving state, such as whether they are in a listening state or an awake state, through frame interaction. For example, before entering energy-saving mode, the first AP can send a management frame to the STA, which carries the first AP's energy-saving parameters, such as the switching delay from listening state to awake state. The STA can then determine whether the first AP is in a listening state or an awake state based on the energy-saving parameters carried in the management frame. Similarly, before entering energy-saving mode, the STA can also send a management frame to the first AP, which carries the STA's energy-saving parameters, such as the switching delay from listening state to awake state. The first AP can then determine whether the STA is in a listening state or an awake state based on the energy-saving parameters carried in the management frame.

[0146] In some embodiments, the second frame may further include fourth indication information, which indicates whether the STA needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state. For example, if the STA is in the listening state when the first AP sends the second frame, the fourth indication information may indicate that the STA needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state; or, if the STA is in the wake-up state when the first AP sends the second frame, the fourth indication information may indicate that the STA does not need to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state.

[0147] In some embodiments, the third indication information is used to indicate whether the target AP to which the STA roams is determined by the STA or by the first AP, and may also be replaced by:

[0148] The third indication information is used to indicate that the first frame is used to request roaming-related information for multiple candidate APs, or the third indication information is used to request roaming-related information for a target AP.

[0149] Alternatively, it can be understood that when the third indication information is used to indicate that the target AP is determined by the STA, the first frame is used to request roaming-related information from multiple candidate APs; or, when the third indication information is used to indicate that the target AP is determined by the first AP, the first frame is used to request roaming-related information from the target AP.

[0150] In some embodiments, when the third indication information indicates that the target AP is determined by the STA, the second frame includes roaming-related information of multiple candidate APs, which the STA uses to determine the target AP based on the roaming-related information of the multiple candidate APs; or, when the third indication information indicates that the target AP is determined by the first AP, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target AP.

[0151] In some embodiments, the plurality of candidate APs may be considered to constitute a candidate AP list.

[0152] Therefore, in this embodiment of the application, the site can obtain the candidate AP list through the serving AP, instead of the site needing to obtain the candidate AP list through wireless spectrum resource measurement, which helps to reduce the power consumption of the site.

[0153] In some embodiments, when the second frame includes roaming-related information for multiple candidate access points, the station can perform channel probing on these candidate access points based on the roaming-related information and determine the target AP based on the channel probing results. For example, the STA can perform channel probing on all candidate APs in the candidate AP list and then select the target AP based on the channel probing results of all candidate APs. For example, the AP with the best channel probing results can be selected as the target AP. Alternatively, the STA can perform channel probing on the candidate APs in the candidate AP list sequentially, and after finding a candidate AP that meets the requirements as the target AP, it will not perform channel probing on subsequent candidate APs. As an example and not a limitation, the requirements may include, but are not limited to, a channel probing result (e.g., a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI)) greater than a preset threshold.

[0154] Therefore, in this embodiment of the application, the site can perform a channel probing process based on the candidate AP list provided by the serving AP, and determine the final roaming AP based on the channel probing results, which is beneficial to selecting an AP that can provide better data transmission quality for the site as the target AP.

[0155] In some embodiments, when the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target access point, the site may also perform channel probing on the target candidate access point based on the roaming-related information, and determine whether to use the target AP as the final roaming AP based on the channel probing results. For example, if the channel probing results of the target AP meet the requirements, determining the target AP as the final roaming AP helps ensure that the target AP can provide the site with the required services. By way of example and not limitation, the requirements may include, but are not limited to, a channel probing result (e.g., RSSI) greater than a preset threshold.

[0156] In some embodiments of this application, after selecting a target AP (e.g., decided by a first AP or by the STA), the STA can switch from the serving AP to the target AP. For example, the STA can switch from the serving AP to the target AP through a Fast Basic Service Set Transition (FT) procedure. This FT procedure omits 802.1X authentication and the four-way handshake process, reducing signaling overhead and latency during roaming. Optionally, this FT procedure can be an over-the-air FT procedure, or an over-the-DS FT procedure; this application does not limit this. As another example, the STA can also switch from the serving AP to the target AP using a shared Pairwise Transient Key (PTK) architecture. It should be noted that the above-described methods for the STA to switch from the serving AP to the target AP are merely examples; the STA can also switch from the serving AP to the target AP in other ways, and this application does not limit these methods.

[0157] The roaming-related information in this application embodiment may include, but is not limited to, access point-related information used for roaming selection and / or roaming handover, such as, but not limited to, AP configuration information or capability information such as regulatory class, channel number, physical layer type, AP reachability, security, mobility domain, and quality of service (QoS).

[0158] In some embodiments, roaming-related information may also include energy-saving information, such as, but not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0159] Does it support power saving mode, such as DPS mode?

[0160] Energy saving status;

[0161] The awakening period, or the duration of being in an awake state;

[0162] The latency requirements for switching from listening state to awake state, such as ICF padding requirements.

[0163] In some embodiments, the energy-saving state includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0164] Energy saving mode not activated;

[0165] It has entered energy-saving mode and is in a waking state;

[0166] It has entered power-saving mode and is in monitoring mode.

[0167] In some embodiments, roaming-related information for candidate APs may include energy-saving information for the candidate APs.

[0168] For example, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the multiple candidate APs. If the multiple candidate APs include a candidate AP in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the candidate AP in the listening state may include the energy-saving information of the candidate AP.

[0169] In some embodiments, the energy-saving information of the candidate AP may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0170] Does the candidate AP support power saving mode, for example, does the candidate AP support DPS mode?

[0171] Energy-saving status of candidate APs;

[0172] The awakening period of a candidate AP, or in other words, the duration of time a candidate AP remains in an awake state;

[0173] The latency requirements for a candidate AP to switch from listening state to awake state, such as the padding requirements of ICF.

[0174] In some embodiments, the power-saving information of the candidate AP can be used by the STA to determine the timing or method for performing channel probing with the candidate AP. For example, if the power-saving information of the candidate AP indicates that the candidate AP is in a wake-up state, the STA can directly perform a channel probing process with the candidate AP to determine whether the channel quality between the STA and the candidate AP meets the requirements; or, if the power-saving information of the candidate AP indicates that the candidate AP is in a listening state, the STA needs to first wake up the candidate AP (e.g., by performing ICF and ICR frame exchanges to wake up the candidate AP), and then perform a channel probing process with the candidate AP to determine whether the channel quality between the STA and the candidate AP meets the requirements.

[0175] In some embodiments, roaming-related information of the target AP may include energy-saving information of the target AP.

[0176] For example, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target AP. If the target access point is in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the target AP may include the energy-saving information of the target AP.

[0177] In some embodiments, the energy-saving information of the target AP may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0178] Does the target AP support power saving mode, for example, does the target AP support DPS mode?

[0179] The energy-saving status of the target AP;

[0180] The awakening period of the target AP, or in other words, the duration of the target AP in the awakening state;

[0181] The latency requirement for the target AP to switch from listening state to awake state, for example, the padding requirement of ICF.

[0182] In some embodiments, the power-saving information of the target AP can be used to determine the timing or method for the STA and the target AP to perform channel probing. For example, if the power-saving information of the target AP determines that the target AP is in a wake-up state, the STA can directly perform a channel probing process with the target AP to determine whether the channel quality between the STA and the target AP meets the requirements, that is, to determine whether the target AP is the AP to which the STA will ultimately roam; or, if the power-saving information of the target AP determines that the target AP is in a listening state, the STA needs to wake up the target AP first (e.g., by performing ICF and ICR frame exchanges to wake up the target AP), and then perform a channel probing process with the target AP to determine whether the channel quality between the STA and the target AP meets the requirements, that is, to determine whether the target AP is the AP to which the STA will ultimately roam.

[0183] In some embodiments of this application, after S201, method 200 further includes:

[0184] The first AP sends a third frame to the candidate AP, which is used to request roaming-related information from the candidate AP;

[0185] The first AP receives the fourth frame sent by the candidate AP, which includes roaming-related information of the candidate AP.

[0186] In some embodiments, the third frame includes fifth indication information, which indicates whether the candidate AP needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state.

[0187] In some embodiments, the fifth indication information is used to indicate whether the candidate AP needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state, which can be replaced by: the fifth indication information is used to indicate whether the candidate AP should be woken up.

[0188] In some embodiments, when the candidate AP is in a listening state, the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the candidate AP needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state, that is, to wake up the candidate AP; or, when the candidate AP is in the awake state, the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the candidate AP does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state, that is, not to wake up the candidate AP.

[0189] Therefore, in this embodiment of the application, when the candidate AP is in a listening state, the serving AP can wake up the candidate AP by carrying the fifth indication information in the third frame when sending the third frame to request the roaming-related information of the candidate AP. In this way, the candidate AP can switch from the listening state to the awake state based on the fifth indication information, so that it can respond to the third frame sent by the candidate AP in a timely manner. This avoids the problem that the serving AP ignores the candidate AP because the candidate AP cannot respond in time, which would cause the STA to fail to select an AP that can provide higher service quality as the target AP.

[0190] In some embodiments, when the candidate AP is in a listening state, the roaming-related information in the fourth frame sent by the candidate AP may include the power-saving information of the candidate AP. The specific implementation of the roaming-related information and power-saving information of the candidate AP is described in the foregoing embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0191] In some embodiments, the first AP can collect roaming-related information of each candidate AP by polling signaling interaction with each candidate AP in the plurality of candidate APs, or it can collect roaming-related information of the plurality of candidate APs by simultaneously interacting with the channels of the plurality of candidate APs by orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA). This application does not limit this.

[0192] For example, if some candidate APs are in a listening state, the first AP can collect roaming-related information for each candidate AP by polling them individually. Specifically, the first AP can send a third frame to each candidate AP in turn and receive a fourth frame from each candidate AP, thereby obtaining the roaming-related information for each candidate AP.

[0193] For example, when multiple candidate APs are not in a listening state, the first AP can simultaneously interact with multiple candidate APs via OFDMA to collect roaming-related information. Specifically, the first AP can send a third frame to request roaming-related information from multiple candidate APs. These candidate APs can then reply with a fourth frame via OFDMA, carrying their respective roaming-related information. In this case, the third frame may include resource unit (RU) allocation information indicating the first AP's response to the roaming-related information of each candidate AP.

[0194] Optionally, "candidate AP is in listening state or awake state" can mean that the candidate AP is in listening state or awake state when the first AP sends the third frame.

[0195] In some embodiments, the third frame is also called an AP Info Request frame, or a Roaming AP Info Request frame, or may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0196] In some embodiments, the fourth frame is also called the AP Info Response frame, or the Roaming AP Info Response frame, or may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0197] In some embodiments of this application, prior to S201, method 200 further includes:

[0198] The first AP sends a fifth frame to the STA, wherein the fifth frame includes a sixth indication information and / or a seventh indication information. The sixth indication information is used to indicate whether the STA needs to switch from listening state to wake-up state, and the seventh indication information is used to indicate whether the STA should initiate roaming.

[0199] In some embodiments, the sixth indication information is used to indicate whether the STA needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state, which can be replaced by: the sixth indication information is used to indicate whether the STA should be woken up.

[0200] In some embodiments, when the STA is in a listening state, the fifth frame may include a sixth indication message to indicate that the STA needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state; or, when the STA is in the wake-up state, the fifth frame may include a sixth indication message to indicate that the STA does not need to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state.

[0201] Optionally, "STA is in listening or awake state" can mean that the STA is in listening or awake state when the first AP sends the fifth frame.

[0202] In some embodiments, roaming can be initiated by the STA itself. For example, when the STA detects that the signal quality received from the serving AP is below a certain threshold, it determines to initiate roaming. This application does not specifically limit the reasons for the STA to initiate roaming.

[0203] In other embodiments, the STA initiating roaming may also be determined by the first AP. For example, the first AP can determine the time for the STA to initiate roaming through methods such as mobility prediction. This application does not specifically limit the reason for the first AP to trigger the STA to initiate roaming.

[0204] In some embodiments, when the STA is in a listening state, the first AP can trigger the STA to initiate roaming. For example, when determining to trigger the STA to initiate roaming, the first AP can send a fifth frame to the STA, carrying a sixth indication information and a seventh indication information. The sixth indication information is used to instruct the STA to switch from the listening state to the awake state, and the seventh indication information is used to instruct the STA to initiate roaming. Further, the STA can send the aforementioned first frame based on the fifth frame.

[0205] In some embodiments, when the STA is in a listening state, the target AP can be decided by the first AP, which helps to reduce the processing complexity of the STA and thus reduce the power consumption of the STA.

[0206] In summary, the embodiments of this application provide a unified seamless roaming process that can be applied to seamless roaming when at least one of the roles of STA, serving AP and candidate AP is in power-saving mode (e.g., listening state). Only the indication information in the first frame, third frame and fifth frame needs to be set accordingly to meet the roaming requirements of different scenarios.

[0207] For example, when only the candidate AP is in the listening state, the first AP can set the fifth indication information in the third frame to require the candidate AP to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0208] For example, when the first AP is in listening mode, the STA can set the second indication information in the first frame to require the first AP to switch from listening mode to wake-up mode.

[0209] For example, when the candidate AP and the first AP are in the listening state, the STA can set the second indication information in the first frame to require the first AP to switch from the listening state to the awake state, and the first AP can set the fifth indication information in the third frame to require the candidate AP to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0210] For example, when the STA is in listening mode, the first AP can set the sixth indication information in the fifth frame to indicate that the STA needs to switch from listening mode to wake-up mode.

[0211] For example, when the STA and the candidate AP are in the listening state, the first AP can set the sixth indication information in the fifth frame to indicate that the STA needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state, and the first AP can set the fifth indication information in the third frame to indicate that the candidate AP needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state.

[0212] The roaming solution provided in this application will be described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0213] It should be noted that the following description only uses the example of one STA performing roaming, one candidate AP in listening state, and one candidate AP not in power-saving mode. It can also be extended to scenarios where multiple STAs perform roaming, multiple candidate APs are in listening state, and multiple candidate APs are in non-power-saving mode. This application is not limited to this.

[0214] In this embodiment, "the candidate AP is not in power-saving mode" can mean that the candidate AP is always in an awake state. For example, when the candidate AP supports power-saving mode, the candidate AP does not switch between listening state and awake state and is always in an awake state. The meaning of "the serving AP or STA is not in power-saving mode" in the following text is similar and will not be repeated here.

[0215] Example 1: The candidate AP is in power saving mode.

[0216] In this embodiment 1, the candidate APs include AP1 and AP2, wherein the STA, the serving AP and AP1 are not in power-saving mode, and AP2 is in the listening state of power-saving mode.

[0217] The following sections will explain the specific interaction process for two scenarios: the target AP is decided by the STA and the service AP.

[0218] Example 1-1: Target AP is decided by STA

[0219] Figure 3 This application illustrates a signaling interaction flow based on Embodiment 1-1. For example... Figure 3 As shown, it may include the following steps:

[0220] Step 1: The STA sends a first frame to the serving AP, requesting roaming information about the candidate AP. Optionally, the STA may send the first frame to the serving AP when it detects that the signal quality of the serving AP has degraded to a certain threshold. It should be noted that the timing of the STA sending the first frame is only an example, and the STA may also send the first frame based on other conditions; this application does not limit this.

[0221] In this embodiment 1-1, the first frame may include the following information:

[0222] The first instruction information is used to indicate that roaming-related information of APs in the listening state needs to be collected, that is, APs in the listening state are considered as candidate APs.

[0223] The second instruction information is used to indicate that the service AP does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state;

[0224] The third instruction information is used to indicate that the target AP is determined by the STA.

[0225] In this embodiment 1-1, the serving AP can collect roaming-related information of all candidate APs through polling.

[0226] Step 2: The serving AP sends a third frame to AP1 based on the first frame to request roaming-related information from AP1.

[0227] The third frame includes a fifth indication message. Since AP1 is not in power-saving mode, the fifth indication message can indicate that AP1 does not need to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0228] Step 3: AP1 replies with a fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes roaming-related information for AP1.

[0229] Since AP1 is not in power-saving mode, the roaming information for AP1 may not include AP1's power-saving information.

[0230] Step 4: The serving AP sends a third frame to AP2 based on the first frame to request roaming-related information from AP2.

[0231] The third frame includes a fifth instruction message. Since AP2 is in a listening state, the fifth instruction message can indicate that AP2 needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state. In other words, the fifth instruction message is used to instruct AP2 to wake up.

[0232] Step 5: AP2 replies with the fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes roaming-related information for AP2.

[0233] Specifically, AP2 can first switch from listening state to awake state based on the fifth instruction information, and then reply to the service AP with the fourth frame in awake state. After replying with the fourth frame, AP2 switches back from awake state to listening state.

[0234] Since AP2 is in power-saving mode, the roaming-related information for AP2 can include AP2's power-saving information.

[0235] It should be understood that the order in which the serving AP requests roaming-related information from the candidate AP is merely an example. The serving AP may also request roaming-related information from AP2 first, and then request roaming-related information from AP1, or it may request roaming-related information from both AP1 and AP2 simultaneously. This application does not limit this.

[0236] Step 6: The serving AP sends a second frame to the STA, which includes roaming-related information for AP1 and AP2. Since AP2 is in power-saving mode, the roaming-related information for AP2 may include AP2's power-saving information.

[0237] Optionally, the second frame may include a fourth indication message to indicate that the STA does not need to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0238] Step 7: Based on the roaming-related information fed back by the serving AP, the STA performs channel probing on AP1 and AP2 in sequence, and determines the target AP based on the channel probing results.

[0239] Since AP2 is in listening mode, an ICF frame needs to be sent to AP2 to wake it up before performing channel probing on AP2. The channel probing process can then be performed on AP2 after AP2 replies with an ICR frame.

[0240] Optionally, the STA can perform channel probing on all candidate APs and then select the target AP based on the channel probing results of all candidate APs. For example, it can select the AP with the best channel probing results as the target AP.

[0241] Optionally, the STA can also perform channel probing on candidate APs sequentially. After finding a candidate AP that meets the requirements as the target AP, it will not perform channel probing on subsequent candidate APs. The requirements may include, but are not limited to, channel probing results (e.g., RSSI) being greater than a preset threshold.

[0242] Example 1-2: Target AP decided by serving AP

[0243] Figure 4 This application illustrates a signaling interaction flow based on embodiments 1-2. For example... Figure 4 As shown, it may include the following steps:

[0244] Step 1: The STA sends a first frame to the serving AP, requesting the serving AP to provide roaming-related information about the target AP. Optionally, the STA may send the first frame to the serving AP when it detects that the signal quality of the serving AP has degraded to a certain threshold. It should be noted that the timing of the STA sending the first frame is only an example, and the STA may also send the first frame based on other conditions; this application does not limit this.

[0245] In this embodiment 1-2, the first frame may include the following information:

[0246] The first instruction information is used to indicate that roaming-related information of APs in the listening state needs to be collected, that is, APs in the listening state are considered as candidate APs.

[0247] The second instruction information is used to indicate that the service AP does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state;

[0248] The third instruction information is used to indicate that the target AP is determined by the serving AP.

[0249] In these embodiments 1-2, the serving AP can collect roaming-related information of all candidate APs through polling.

[0250] Step 2: The serving AP sends a third frame to AP1 based on the first frame to request roaming-related information from AP1.

[0251] The third frame includes a fifth indication message. Since AP1 is not in power-saving mode, the fifth indication message can indicate that AP1 does not need to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0252] Step 3: AP1 replies with a fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes roaming-related information for AP1.

[0253] Since AP1 is not in power-saving mode, the roaming information for AP1 may not include AP1's power-saving information.

[0254] Step 4: The serving AP sends a third frame to AP2 based on the first frame to request roaming-related information from AP2.

[0255] The third frame includes a fifth instruction message. Since AP2 is in a listening state, the fifth instruction message can indicate that AP2 needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state. In other words, the fifth instruction message is used to instruct AP2 to wake up.

[0256] Step 5: AP2 replies with the fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes roaming-related information for AP2.

[0257] Specifically, AP2 can switch from listening state to awake state based on the fifth indication information. In awake state, it replies with the fourth frame to the service AP. After replying with the fourth frame, AP2 switches back from awake state to listening state.

[0258] Since AP2 is in power-saving mode, the roaming-related information for AP2 can include AP2's power-saving information.

[0259] It should be understood that the order in which the serving AP requests roaming-related information from the candidate AP is merely an example. The serving AP may also request roaming-related information from AP2 first, and then request roaming-related information from AP1, or it may request roaming-related information from both AP1 and AP2 simultaneously. This application does not limit this.

[0260] Step 6: The serving AP determines the target AP based on the roaming-related information of the collected candidate APs.

[0261] Step 7: The serving AP sends a second frame to the STA, which includes roaming-related information of the target AP.

[0262] If the target AP is AP2, the roaming-related information of the target AP can include AP2's energy-saving information.

[0263] Optionally, the second frame may include a fourth indication message to indicate that the STA does not need to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0264] Step 8: The STA performs a channel probing process on the target AP based on the roaming-related information of the target AP fed back by the serving AP, and determines the target AP as the AP to which the STA will ultimately roam based on the channel probing results.

[0265] For example, if the channel sounding results meet the requirements, the target AP can be used as the final AP to which the STA roams. Optionally, meeting the requirements for channel sounding results may include, but is not limited to, the target AP's channel sounding results (e.g., RSSI) being greater than a preset threshold.

[0266] Optionally, if the target AP is AP1, the STA can directly perform the channel probe process on AP1. If the target AP2 is AP2, since AP2 is in listening mode, the STA needs to send an ICF frame to AP2 to wake up AP2 before performing the channel probe process on AP2. After AP2 replies with an ICR frame, the STA can then perform the channel probe process on AP2.

[0267] Example 2: The service AP is in power saving mode.

[0268] In this embodiment 2, the candidate APs include AP1 and AP2. STA, AP1 and AP2 are not in power-saving mode, and the serving AP is in a power-saving mode listening state.

[0269] The following sections will explain the specific interaction process for two scenarios: the target AP is decided by the STA and the service AP.

[0270] Example 2-1: Target AP is decided by STA

[0271] Figure 5 This application illustrates a signaling interaction flow according to embodiment 2-1. For example... Figure 5 As shown, it may include the following steps:

[0272] Step 1: The STA sends a first frame to the serving AP, requesting roaming information about the candidate AP. Optionally, the STA may send the first frame to the serving AP when it detects that the signal quality of the serving AP has degraded to a certain threshold. It should be noted that the timing of the STA sending the first frame is only an example, and the STA may also send the first frame based on other conditions; this application does not limit this.

[0273] In this embodiment 2-1, the first frame may include the following information:

[0274] The first instruction information is used to indicate that roaming-related information of APs in the listening state needs to be collected, that is, APs in the listening state are considered as candidate APs.

[0275] The second instruction message is used to instruct the service AP to switch from listening state to awake state;

[0276] The third instruction information is used to indicate that the target AP is determined by the STA.

[0277] Step 2: Based on the second indication information in the first frame, the service AP switches from the listening state to the awake state and replies with an ICR frame to the STA.

[0278] In this embodiment 2-1, the serving AP can collect roaming-related information of all candidate APs via OFDMA.

[0279] Step 3: The serving AP sends a third frame to request roaming-related information from the candidate AP.

[0280] The third frame includes a fifth indication message, which indicates that the candidate AP does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0281] Optionally, the third frame may include RU allocation information for AP1 and AP2 to feed back roaming-related information, which is used by AP1 and AP2 to feed back roaming-related information via OFDMA.

[0282] Step 4: AP1 and AP2 each reply with a fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes their own roaming information.

[0283] Step 5: The serving AP sends a second frame to the STA, which includes roaming-related information for AP1 and roaming-related information for AP2.

[0284] Optionally, the second frame may include a fourth indication message to indicate that the STA does not need to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0285] After the service AP replies with the second frame, the service AP switches from the awake state back to the listening state.

[0286] Step 6: Based on the roaming-related information fed back by the serving AP, the STA performs channel probing on AP1 and AP2 in sequence, and determines the target AP based on the channel probing results.

[0287] Optionally, the STA can perform channel probing on all candidate APs and then select the target AP based on the channel probing results of all candidate APs. For example, it can select the AP with the best channel probing results as the target AP.

[0288] Optionally, the STA can also perform channel probing on candidate APs sequentially. After finding a candidate AP that meets the requirements as the target AP, it will not perform channel probing on subsequent candidate APs. The requirements may include, but are not limited to, channel probing results (e.g., RSSI) being greater than a preset threshold.

[0289] Example 2-2: Target AP decided by serving AP

[0290] Figure 6This application illustrates a signaling interaction flow according to Embodiment 2-2. For example... Figure 6 As shown, it may include the following steps:

[0291] Step 1: The STA sends a first frame to the serving AP, requesting the serving AP to provide roaming-related information about the target AP. Optionally, the STA may send the first frame to the serving AP when it detects that the signal quality of the serving AP has degraded to a certain threshold. It should be noted that the timing of the STA sending the first frame is only an example, and the STA may also send the first frame based on other conditions; this application does not limit this.

[0292] In this embodiment 2-2, the first frame may include the following information:

[0293] The first instruction information is used to indicate that roaming-related information of APs in the listening state needs to be collected, that is, APs in the listening state are considered as candidate APs.

[0294] The second instruction message is used to instruct the service AP to switch from listening state to awake state;

[0295] The third instruction information is used to indicate that the target AP is determined by the serving AP.

[0296] Step 2: Based on the second indication information in the first frame, the service AP switches from the listening state to the awake state and replies with an ICR frame to the STA.

[0297] In this embodiment 2-2, the serving AP can collect roaming-related information of all candidate APs via OFDMA.

[0298] Step 3: The serving AP sends a third frame to request roaming-related information from the candidate AP.

[0299] The third frame includes a fifth indication message, which indicates that the candidate AP does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0300] Optionally, the third frame may include RU allocation information for AP1 and AP2 to feed back roaming-related information, which is used by AP1 and AP2 to feed back roaming-related information via OFDMA.

[0301] Step 4: AP1 and AP2 each reply with a fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes their own roaming information.

[0302] Step 5: The serving AP determines the target AP based on the roaming information collected from the candidate APs.

[0303] Step 6: The serving AP sends a second frame to the STA, which includes roaming-related information of the target AP.

[0304] Optionally, the second frame may include a fourth indication message to indicate that the STA does not need to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0305] After the serving AP replies with the second frame, the serving AP switches from the awake state back to the listening state. Step 7: The STA performs a channel probe on the target AP based on the roaming-related information of the target AP fed back by the serving AP, and determines the target AP as the AP to which the STA will ultimately roam based on the channel probe results.

[0306] For example, if the channel sounding results meet the requirements, the target AP can be used as the final AP to which the STA roams. Optionally, meeting the requirements for channel sounding results may include, but is not limited to, channel sounding results (e.g., RSSI) being greater than a preset threshold.

[0307] Example 3: Both the serving AP and the candidate AP are in listening state.

[0308] In this embodiment 3, the candidate APs include AP1 and AP2. Neither STA nor AP1 is in power-saving mode, while the serving AP and AP2 are in power-saving mode listening state.

[0309] The following sections will explain the specific interaction process for two scenarios: the target AP is decided by the STA and the service AP.

[0310] Example 3-1: Target AP decided by STA

[0311] Figure 7 This application illustrates a signaling interaction flow according to embodiment 3-1. For example... Figure 7 As shown, it may include the following steps:

[0312] Step 1: The STA sends a first frame to the serving AP, requesting roaming information about the candidate AP. Optionally, the STA may send the first frame to the serving AP when it detects that the signal quality of the serving AP has degraded to a certain threshold. It should be noted that the timing of the STA sending the first frame is only an example, and the STA may also send the first frame based on other conditions; this application does not limit this.

[0313] In this embodiment 3-1, the first frame may include the following information:

[0314] The first instruction information is used to indicate that roaming-related information of APs in the listening state needs to be collected, that is, APs in the listening state are considered as candidate APs.

[0315] The second instruction message is used to instruct the service AP to switch from listening state to awake state;

[0316] The third instruction information is used to indicate that the target AP is determined by the STA.

[0317] Step 2: Based on the second indication information in the first frame, the service AP switches from the listening state to the awake state and replies with an ICR frame to the STA.

[0318] In this embodiment 3-1, the serving AP can collect roaming-related information of candidate APs through polling.

[0319] Step 3: The serving AP sends a third frame to AP1 to request roaming-related information from AP1.

[0320] The third frame includes a fifth indication message, which indicates that AP1 does not need to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state.

[0321] Step 4: AP1 replies with a fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes roaming-related information for AP1.

[0322] Step 5: The serving AP sends a third frame to AP2 to request roaming-related information from AP2.

[0323] The third frame includes a fifth indication message, which indicates that AP2 needs to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0324] Step 6: AP2 replies with the fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes roaming-related information for AP2.

[0325] Since AP2 is in listening mode, the roaming-related information of AP2 may include AP2's power-saving information.

[0326] Specifically, AP2 can first switch from listening state to awake state based on the fifth instruction information, and reply to the service AP with the fourth frame in awake state. After AP2 replies with the fourth frame, AP2 switches back to listening state from awake state.

[0327] Step 7: The serving AP sends a second frame to the STA, which includes roaming-related information for AP1 and roaming-related information for AP2.

[0328] Optionally, the second frame may include a fourth indication message to indicate that the STA does not need to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0329] After the service AP replies with the second frame, the service AP switches from the awake state back to the listening state.

[0330] Step 8: Based on the roaming-related information fed back by the serving AP, the STA performs channel probing on AP1 and AP2 in sequence, and determines the target AP based on the channel probing results.

[0331] Since AP2 is in listening mode, an ICF frame needs to be sent to AP2 to wake it up before performing channel probing on AP2. The channel probing process can then be performed on AP2 after AP2 replies with an ICR frame.

[0332] Optionally, the STA can perform channel probing on all candidate APs and then select the target AP based on the channel probing results of all candidate APs. For example, it can select the AP with the best channel probing results as the target AP.

[0333] Optionally, the STA can also perform channel probing on candidate APs sequentially. After finding a candidate AP that meets the requirements as the target AP, it will not perform channel probing on subsequent candidate APs. The requirements may include, but are not limited to, channel probing results (e.g., RSSI) being greater than a preset threshold.

[0334] Example 3-2: Target AP decided by serving AP

[0335] Figure 8 This application illustrates a signaling interaction flow according to embodiments 3-2. For example... Figure 8 As shown, it may include the following steps:

[0336] Step 1: The STA sends a first frame to the serving AP, requesting the serving AP to provide roaming-related information about the target AP. Optionally, the STA may send the first frame to the serving AP when it detects that the signal quality of the serving AP has degraded to a certain threshold. It should be noted that the timing of the STA sending the first frame is only an example, and the STA may also send the first frame based on other conditions; this application does not limit this.

[0337] In this embodiment 3-2, the first frame may include the following information:

[0338] The first instruction information is used to indicate that roaming-related information of APs in the listening state needs to be collected, that is, APs in the listening state are considered as candidate APs.

[0339] The second instruction message is used to instruct the service AP to switch from listening state to awake state;

[0340] The third instruction information is used to indicate that the target AP is determined by the serving AP.

[0341] Step 2: Based on the second indication information in the first frame, the service AP switches from the listening state to the awake state and replies with an ICR frame to the STA.

[0342] In this embodiment 3-2, the serving AP can collect roaming-related information of all candidate APs through polling.

[0343] Step 3: The serving AP sends a third frame to AP1 to request roaming-related information from AP1.

[0344] The third frame includes a fifth indication message, which indicates that AP1 does not need to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state.

[0345] Step 4: AP1 replies with a fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes roaming-related information for AP1.

[0346] Step 5: The serving AP sends a third frame to AP2 to request roaming-related information from AP2.

[0347] The third frame includes a fifth indication message, which indicates that AP2 needs to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0348] Step 6: AP2 replies with the fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes roaming-related information for AP2.

[0349] Since AP2 is in listening mode, the roaming-related information of AP2 may include AP2's power-saving information.

[0350] Specifically, AP2 can first switch from listening state to awake state based on the fifth instruction information, and reply to the service AP with the fourth frame in awake state. After AP2 replies with the fourth frame, AP2 switches back to listening state from awake state.

[0351] Step 7: The serving AP determines the target AP based on the roaming-related information of the collected candidate APs.

[0352] Step 8: The serving AP sends a second frame to the STA, which includes roaming-related information of the target AP.

[0353] If the target AP is AP2, the roaming-related information of the target AP can include AP2's energy-saving information.

[0354] Optionally, the second frame may include a fourth indication message to indicate that the STA does not need to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0355] After the service AP replies with the second frame, the service AP switches from the awake state back to the listening state.

[0356] Step 9: The STA performs a channel probing process on the target AP based on the roaming-related information fed back by the serving AP, and determines the target AP as the AP to which the STA will ultimately roam based on the channel probing results.

[0357] For example, if the channel sounding results meet the requirements, the target AP can be used as the final AP to which the STA roams. Optionally, meeting the requirements for channel sounding results may include, but is not limited to, channel sounding results (e.g., RSSI) being greater than a preset threshold.

[0358] Optionally, if the target AP is AP1, the STA can directly perform the channel probe process on AP1. If the target AP2 is AP2, since AP2 is in listening mode, the STA needs to send an ICF frame to AP2 to wake up AP2 before performing the channel probe process on AP2. After AP2 replies with an ICR frame, the STA can then perform the channel probe process on AP2.

[0359] Example 4: STA is in energy-saving mode.

[0360] In this embodiment 4, the candidate APs include AP1 and AP2. The serving AP, AP1 and AP2 are not in power-saving mode, and the STA is in the listening state of power-saving mode.

[0361] In this embodiment 4, since the STA is in power-saving mode, the target AP is decided by the serving AP in order to reduce the power consumption of the STA.

[0362] Figure 9 This application illustrates a signaling interaction flow according to Embodiment 4. Figure 9 As shown, it may include the following steps:

[0363] Step 1: The serving AP sends the fifth frame to the STA. The fifth frame includes the following content:

[0364] The sixth instruction is used to indicate that the STA needs to switch from listening mode to wake-up mode;

[0365] The seventh instruction message is used to instruct the STA to initiate roaming.

[0366] When the STA is in listening mode, even if the STA detects that the signal quality of the serving AP has dropped to a certain threshold, it cannot actively trigger the roaming operation. This may fall back to the process of the STA joining a new AP. This process requires the execution of the complete 802.1X authentication and four-way handshake process, resulting in large latency and signaling overhead.

[0367] Therefore, in this embodiment 4, the serving AP can send a fifth frame at an appropriate time to wake up the STA and instruct the STA to initiate roaming operations, which helps to avoid the above-mentioned problems, such as the time when the STA needs to perform roaming, which is determined by the serving AP through mobility detection and other methods.

[0368] Step 2: The STA switches from the listening state to the awake state based on the sixth instruction information and sends the first frame to the serving AP to request the serving AP to provide roaming-related information of the target AP.

[0369] In this embodiment 4, the first frame may include the following information:

[0370] The first instruction information is used to indicate that roaming-related information of APs in the listening state needs to be collected, that is, APs in the listening state are considered as candidate APs.

[0371] The second instruction information is used to indicate that the service AP does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state;

[0372] The third instruction information is used to indicate that the target AP is determined by the serving AP.

[0373] After the STA sends the first frame, it switches back to listening mode.

[0374] In this embodiment 4, the serving AP can collect roaming-related information of candidate APs via OFDMA.

[0375] Step 3: The serving AP sends a third frame to request roaming-related information from the candidate AP.

[0376] The third frame includes a fifth indication that indicates that the candidate AP does not need to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state.

[0377] Optionally, the third frame may include RU allocation information for AP1 and AP2 to feed back roaming-related information, which is used by AP1 and AP2 to feed back roaming-related information via OFDMA.

[0378] Step 4: AP1 and AP2 each reply with a fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes their own roaming information.

[0379] Step 5: The serving AP determines the target AP based on the roaming information collected from the candidate APs.

[0380] Step 6: The serving AP sends a second frame to the STA, which includes roaming-related information of the target AP.

[0381] The second frame may include a fourth indication message, which indicates that the STA needs to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0382] Step 7: The STA switches from the listening state to the awake state based on the fourth indication information, and performs a channel probing process on the target AP based on the roaming-related information of the target AP fed back by the serving AP. Based on the channel probing results, it determines whether to use the target AP as the AP to which the STA will eventually roam.

[0383] For example, if the channel sounding results meet the requirements, the target AP can be used as the final AP to which the STA roams. Optionally, meeting the requirements for channel sounding results may include, but is not limited to, channel sounding results (e.g., RSSI) being greater than a preset threshold.

[0384] Step 8: The STA and the target AP perform a re-authentication and re-association process. During this process, the STA can indicate its energy-saving information to the target. After completing the re-association and re-authentication, the STA switches back to the listening state.

[0385] For example, the power management mode of the STA can be indicated by a single bit in the capability information field of the reassociation frame to notify the target AP of its own energy-saving information.

[0386] Example 5: STA and candidate AP are in power saving mode.

[0387] In this embodiment 5, the candidate APs include AP1 and AP2. The serving AP and AP1 are not in power-saving mode, while STA and AP2 are in power-saving mode listening state.

[0388] In this embodiment 5, since the STA is in power-saving mode, the target AP is decided by the serving AP in order to reduce the power consumption of the STA.

[0389] Figure 10 This application illustrates a signaling interaction flow according to Embodiment 5. Figure 10 As shown, it may include the following steps:

[0390] Step 1: The serving AP sends the fifth frame to the STA. The fifth frame includes the following content:

[0391] The sixth instruction is used to indicate that the STA needs to switch from listening mode to wake-up mode;

[0392] The seventh instruction message is used to instruct the STA to initiate roaming.

[0393] When the STA is in listening mode, even if the STA detects that the signal quality of the serving AP has dropped to a certain threshold, it cannot actively trigger the roaming operation. This may fall back to the process of the STA joining a new AP. This process requires the execution of the complete 802.1X authentication and four-way handshake process, resulting in large latency and signaling overhead.

[0394] Therefore, in this embodiment 5, the serving AP can send a fifth frame at an appropriate time to wake up the STA and instruct the STA to initiate roaming operations, which helps to avoid the above-mentioned problems, such as the time when the STA needs to perform roaming, which is determined by the serving AP through mobility detection and other methods.

[0395] Step 2: The STA switches from the listening state to the awake state based on the sixth instruction information and sends the first frame to the serving AP to request the serving AP to provide roaming-related information of the target AP.

[0396] In this embodiment 5, the first frame may include the following information:

[0397] The first instruction information is used to indicate that roaming-related information of APs in the listening state needs to be collected, that is, APs in the listening state are considered as candidate APs.

[0398] The second instruction information is used to indicate that the service AP does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state;

[0399] The third instruction information is used to indicate that the target AP is determined by the serving AP.

[0400] After the STA sends the first frame, it switches back to listening mode.

[0401] Optionally, in this embodiment 5, the serving AP can collect roaming-related information of candidate APs through polling.

[0402] Step 3: The serving AP sends a third frame to AP1 to request roaming-related information from AP1.

[0403] The third frame includes a fifth indication message, which indicates that AP1 does not need to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state.

[0404] Step 4: AP1 replies with a fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes roaming-related information for AP1.

[0405] Step 5: The serving AP sends a third frame to AP2 to request roaming-related information from AP2.

[0406] The third frame includes a fifth indication message, which indicates that AP2 needs to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0407] Step 6: AP2 replies with the fourth frame to the serving AP, which includes roaming-related information for AP2.

[0408] Since AP2 is in listening mode, the roaming-related information of AP2 can include AP2's power-saving information.

[0409] Specifically, AP2 can first switch from listening state to awake state based on the fifth instruction information, and reply to the service AP with the fourth frame in awake state. After AP2 replies with the fourth frame, AP2 switches back to listening state from awake state.

[0410] Step 7: The serving AP determines the target AP based on the roaming-related information of the collected candidate APs.

[0411] Step 8: The serving AP sends a second frame to the STA, which includes roaming-related information of the target AP.

[0412] The second frame may include a fourth indication message, which indicates that the STA needs to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0413] Step 9: The STA switches from the listening state to the awake state based on the fourth indication information, and performs a channel detection process on the target AP based on the roaming-related information of the target AP fed back by the serving AP. Based on the channel detection results, the STA determines the target AP as the AP to which it will ultimately roam.

[0414] For example, if the channel sounding results meet the requirements, the target AP can be used as the final AP to which the STA roams. Optionally, meeting the requirements for channel sounding results may include, but is not limited to, channel sounding results (e.g., RSSI) being greater than a preset threshold.

[0415] Optionally, if the target AP is AP1, the STA can directly perform the channel probe process on AP1. If the target AP2 is AP2, since AP2 is in listening mode, the STA needs to send an ICF frame to AP2 to wake up AP2 before performing the channel probe process on AP2. After AP2 replies with an ICR frame, the STA can then perform the channel probe process on AP2.

[0416] Step 10: The STA and the target AP perform a re-authentication and re-association process. During this process, the STA can indicate its energy-saving information to the target. After completing the re-association and re-authentication, the STA switches back to the listening state.

[0417] For example, the power management mode of the STA can be indicated by a single bit in the capability information field of the reassociation frame to notify the target AP of its own energy-saving information.

[0418] The frame structure design involved in the embodiments of this application will be described below.

[0419] First, we will explain the first and second frames of the interaction between the service AP and STA.

[0420] In some embodiments of this application, the first frame can be implemented by an action frame. For example, a new action frame can be added to implement the functions of the first frame, such as indicating whether to request roaming-related information of a candidate access point or a target access point, indicating whether to wake up the serving AP, and indicating whether to use an AP in a listening state as a candidate AP.

[0421] In one embodiment, the Action frame includes an Action field. When the Action field takes the first value, it indicates that the Action frame is the first frame. Optionally, the first value can be a reserved value of the Action field, such as 6, or it can be other values.

[0422] In one embodiment, the first frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0423] The first field indicates whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information from access points that are in a listening state;

[0424] The second field indicates whether the first AP needs to switch from listening state to awake state;

[0425] The third field indicates whether the target AP to which the site roams is determined by the STA or by the first AP.

[0426] Optionally, the first field may be called the Power Saving AP Info Collect indication field, or it may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0427] Optionally, the first field can be 1 bit. For example, a value of 1 indicates that roaming-related information of access points in the listening state is collected, and a value of 0 indicates that roaming-related information of access points in the listening state is not collected.

[0428] Optionally, the second field may be called the Wake Up Indication field, or it may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0429] Optionally, the second field can be 1 bit. For example, if the value of this 1 bit is 1, it indicates that the service AP needs to be woken up, that is, it indicates that the service AP needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state (corresponding to the scenario in Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 3 where the service AP is in the listening state). If the value is 0, it indicates that the service AP does not need to be woken up, that is, the service AP does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state (corresponding to the scenario in Embodiment 1, Embodiment 4 and Embodiment 5 where the service AP is not in the power saving mode).

[0430] Optionally, the third field may be called the Decision Flag field, or it may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0431] Optionally, the third field can be 1 bit. For example, a value of 1 indicates that the target AP is decided by the STA, or in other words, the STA requests roaming-related information of the candidate AP (corresponding to the scenarios in Embodiments 1-1, 2-1, and 3-1); a value of 0 indicates that the target AP is decided by the serving AP, or in other words, the STA requests roaming-related information of the target AP (corresponding to the scenarios in Embodiments 1-2, 2-2, 3-2, 4, and 5). Alternatively, the indication can be reversed, and this application does not limit this.

[0432] Figure 11 This is a schematic format diagram of a first frame implemented through action frames, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 11 As shown, the action frame may include an action field, where a first value indicates that the action frame is the first frame. The first frame may include a roaming target request control field, used to carry control information related to the roaming request (such as the aforementioned first indication information, second indication information, and third indication information). For example, the roaming target request control field may include the following fields:

[0433] The Energy Saving AP Information Collection Indication field is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information from access points that are in a listening state;

[0434] The wake-up indicator field is used to indicate whether the first AP needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state;

[0435] The decision instruction field indicates whether the target AP to which the site roams is determined by the STA or by the first AP.

[0436] The specific implementation of each of the above fields is described in the relevant description of the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0437] It should be understood that Figure 11 The frame structure of the first frame in the example, the position of each field in the frame, and the number of bits occupied are merely examples and can be adjusted according to actual needs. This application does not limit this. Furthermore, the name of the roaming target request control field is merely an example and can be replaced with other names, such as roaming request control field. This application does not limit this.

[0438] In some embodiments of this application, the second frame can be implemented by an Action frame. For example, a new Action frame can be added to implement the function of the second frame, such as having the function of feeding back roaming-related information of candidate access points or target access points to the STA and indicating whether to wake up the STA.

[0439] In one embodiment, the Action frame includes an Action field. When the Action field takes a second value, it indicates that the Action frame is the second frame. Optionally, the second value can be a reserved value of the Action field, such as 7, or it can be other values.

[0440] In one embodiment, the second frame includes a fourth field indicating whether the STA needs to switch from listening state to wake-up state, i.e., whether to wake up the STA.

[0441] Optionally, the fourth field may be called the Wake Up Indication field, or it may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0442] Optionally, the fourth field can be 1 bit. For example, if the value of this 1 bit is 1, it indicates that the STA needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state (corresponding to the scenario in Embodiments 4 and 5 where the STA is in the listening state). If the value is 0, it indicates that the STA does not need to be woken up, that is, the STA does not need to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state (corresponding to the scenario in Embodiments 1-3 where the STA is not in the power-saving mode).

[0443] In some embodiments, the second frame includes a plurality of first elements, each first element being used to carry roaming-related information of a candidate access point; or, the second frame includes a first element, the first element being used to carry roaming-related information of a target access point.

[0444] In some embodiments, the first element may be referred to as the Neighbor Report Element, or the Neighbor AP Report Element, or may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0445] Figure 12 This is a schematic format diagram of a second frame implemented through action frames, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 12 As shown, the action frame may include an action field, where a second value indicates that the action frame is a second frame. The second frame may include a roaming target response control field, used to carry control information related to roaming response (such as the aforementioned fourth indication information). For example, the roaming target response control field may include a wake-up indication field, used to indicate whether the STA needs to switch from listening state to wake-up state. The second frame also includes a proximity reporting element, used to carry roaming-related information of the target AP; alternatively, the second frame may include multiple proximity reporting elements, used to carry roaming-related information of multiple candidate APs.

[0446] It should be understood that Figure 12The frame structure, the position of each field in the frame, and the number of bits occupied in the example second frame are merely examples and can be adjusted according to actual needs. This application does not impose any limitations on this. Furthermore, the name of the roaming target response control field is merely an example and can be replaced with other names, such as roaming response control field. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0447] The following describes the third and fourth frames of the interaction between the serving AP and the candidate AP.

[0448] In some embodiments of this application, the third frame can be implemented by an Action frame. For example, a new Action frame can be added to implement the function of the third frame, such as requesting roaming-related information from candidate APs and indicating whether to wake up candidate APs.

[0449] In some embodiments, the third frame includes a fifth field for indicating whether the candidate AP needs to switch from listening state to wake-up state.

[0450] Optionally, the fifth field may be called the Wake Up Indication field, or it may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0451] Optionally, the fifth field can be 1 bit. For example, if the value of this 1 bit is 1, it indicates that the candidate AP needs to be woken up, that is, it indicates that the candidate AP needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state (corresponding to the scenario in Embodiment 1, Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 5 where the candidate AP is in the listening state). If the value is 0, it indicates that the candidate AP does not need to be woken up, that is, the candidate AP does not need to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state (corresponding to the scenario in Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 4 where the candidate AP is not in the power saving mode).

[0452] In some embodiments, the third frame may further include multiple sixth fields, each corresponding to a candidate AP. These sixth fields indicate the configuration by which the first access point provides roaming-related information to the corresponding candidate AP, such as RU allocation information. Optionally, when the first AP collects roaming-related information from multiple candidate APs via OFDMA, the third frame may include these multiple sixth fields.

[0453] In some embodiments, the sixth field includes, but is not limited to, at least one of the following subfields:

[0454] The first subfield is used to indicate the identification information of the candidate AP, such as BSSID;

[0455] The second subfield is used to indicate the RU resources allocated for roaming-related information feedback for candidate APs;

[0456] The third subfield is used to indicate the MCS used by the candidate AP to provide roaming-related information;

[0457] The fourth subfield is used to indicate the target receive power that the candidate AP needs to meet to provide roaming-related information.

[0458] Optionally, the sixth field may be called the Candidate AP Info field, the Neighbor AP Info field, or other names.

[0459] Optionally, the plurality of sixth fields may be included in the candidate AP Info List field, which may also be called the Neighbor AP Info List field.

[0460] Figure 13 This is a schematic format diagram of a third frame provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 13 As shown, the third frame may include an AP information request control field, used to carry control information related to the AP information request (such as the aforementioned fifth indication information). For example, the AP information request control field may include a wake-up indication field, used to indicate whether the candidate AP needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state. Optionally, the second frame may also include a Candidate APInfo List field, wherein the Candidate APInfo List field includes multiple candidate AP information fields, each candidate AP information field being used to indicate the configuration for providing roaming-related information for a candidate AP, such as RU allocation information.

[0461] like Figure 13 As shown, the candidate AP information field may include at least one of the following fields:

[0462] The BSSID field (corresponding to the first subfield) is used to indicate the identification information of the candidate AP, such as the BSSID;

[0463] The RU allocation field (corresponding to the second subfield) is used to indicate the RU resources allocated for roaming-related information feedback for candidate APs;

[0464] The HE-MCS field (corresponding to the third subfield) is used to indicate the MCS used by the candidate AP to feed back roaming-related information;

[0465] The Target Receive Power field (corresponding to the fourth subfield) is used to indicate the target receive power that the candidate AP needs to meet to feed back roaming-related information.

[0466] It should be understood that Figure 13 The frame structure, the position of each field in the frame, and the number of bits occupied in the example third frame are merely examples and can be adjusted according to actual needs. This application does not impose any limitations on these aspects. Furthermore, the name of the AP information request control field is merely an example and can be replaced with other names, such as Candidate AP Information Request Control. This application does not impose any limitations on this aspect.

[0467] In some embodiments of this application, the fourth frame can be implemented using an Action frame. For example, a new Action frame can be added to implement the function of the fourth frame, namely, to feed back roaming-related information to the serving AP.

[0468] In some embodiments, the fourth frame includes a first element that carries roaming-related information about candidate access points. This first element may be called a Neighbor Report Element, or a Neighbor AP Report Element, or other names are not limited to this application.

[0469] Figure 14 This is a schematic format diagram of a fourth frame provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 14 As shown, the fourth frame may include a proximity reporting element to carry roaming-related information of the candidate AP, such as energy-saving information of the candidate AP.

[0470] The following describes the structural design of the first element in the second or fourth frame.

[0471] In some embodiments, the first element may include at least one of the following fields:

[0472] The seventh field indicates whether power-saving mode is supported;

[0473] The eighth field is used to indicate the energy-saving status;

[0474] The ninth field indicates the wake-up period;

[0475] The tenth field is used to indicate the latency requirements for switching from the listening state to the awake state, such as the ICF padding requirements.

[0476] Optionally, the seventh field, or the Power Saving Support Indication (PS) field, is used to indicate whether power saving mode is supported. For example, a value of 1 indicates that power saving mode is supported, and a value of 0 indicates that power saving mode is not supported.

[0477] Optionally, when the first element is used to carry roaming-related information of the candidate AP, the seventh field is used to indicate whether the candidate AP supports power-saving mode; when the first element is used to carry roaming-related information of the target AP, the seventh field is used to indicate whether the target AP supports power-saving mode.

[0478] Optional, the eighth field, or Power Saving Status (PS Status) field, is used to indicate the power saving status, and may indicate at least one of the following power saving statuses:

[0479] Entering non-energy-saving mode, in which case it is not necessary to collect its energy-saving information;

[0480] It enters energy-saving mode and is in listening mode. In this state, it can collect energy-saving information.

[0481] It enters energy-saving mode and is in an awake state. In this state, energy-saving information can be collected.

[0482] Optionally, when the first element is used to carry roaming-related information of the candidate AP, the eighth field is used to indicate the energy-saving status of the candidate AP; when the first element is used to carry roaming-related information of the target AP, the eighth field is used to indicate the energy-saving status of the target AP.

[0483] Optionally, the ninth field, or Wake Up Time field, is used to indicate the wake-up time.

[0484] Optionally, when the first element is used to carry roaming-related information of the candidate AP, the ninth field is used to indicate the wake-up period of the candidate AP; when the first element is used to carry roaming-related information of the target AP, the seventh field is used to indicate the wake-up period of the target AP.

[0485] Optionally, the ninth field can be encoded as 8 bits, where B6 to B0 can be set to time values, and the highest bit B7 can be used to indicate the time unit of the wake-up period. For example, a B7 value of 0 indicates a time unit of 256µs, and a B7 value of 1 indicates a time unit of 1TU. This wake-up period can be used to determine whether the AP is in a wake-up state. If it is not in a wake-up state, the STA needs to wake up the AP according to the delay requirements indicated by the tenth field in order to perform subsequent channel probing and re-authentication / re-association processes.

[0486] Optional, the tenth field, or ICF requirement field, is used to indicate the latency requirements for the AP to switch from listening state to wake-up state, such as ICF requirements.

[0487] Optionally, when the first element is used to carry roaming-related information of the candidate AP, the tenth field is used to indicate the latency requirement for the candidate AP to switch from the listening state to the awake state; when the first element is used to carry roaming-related information of the target AP, the tenth field is used to indicate the latency requirement for the target AP to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0488] Figure 15 This is a schematic format diagram of a first element provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 15 As shown, the first element may include the following fields to carry energy-saving information for the candidate AP or the target AP:

[0489] The Power Saving Support Indication (PS Support indication) field indicates whether power saving mode is supported.

[0490] The Power Saving Status (PS Status) field indicates the power saving status.

[0491] The Wake Up Time field indicates the wake-up time.

[0492] The ICF requirement field indicates the latency requirement for switching from listening state to awake state, such as the ICF padding requirement.

[0493] The first element may also include at least one of the following fields, used to carry other roaming-related information for the candidate AP or the target AP:

[0494] Fields such as Regulatory Class, Channel Number, PHY Type, AP Reachability, Security, Mobility Domain, and Quality of Service (QoS) are used to carry configuration or capability information for candidate or target APs.

[0495] The following describes the frame structure design of the fifth frame sent before the first frame in the embodiments of this application.

[0496] In some embodiments of this application, the fifth frame can be implemented by a trigger frame. For example, a new trigger frame type can be added to implement the function of the fifth frame, such as indicating whether to wake up the STA and whether to initiate roaming.

[0497] In one embodiment, the trigger frame includes a trigger type field. When the trigger type field takes the third value, it indicates that the trigger frame is the fifth frame. Optionally, the third value can be a reserved value of the trigger type field, such as 8, or it can be other values.

[0498] In one specific embodiment, the fifth frame can be designed based on the ICF frame; therefore, the fifth frame is also called the ICF Enhanced frame or Enhanced ICF.

[0499] In some embodiments, the fifth frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0500] The eleventh field indicates whether the STA needs to switch from listening state to wake-up state;

[0501] The twelfth field indicates whether the STA has initiated roaming.

[0502] Optionally, the eleventh field may be called the Wake Up Indication field, or it may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0503] Optionally, the eleventh field can be 1 bit. For example, if the value of this 1 bit is 1, it indicates that the STA needs to be woken up, that is, it indicates that the STA needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state (corresponding to the scenario in Embodiments 4 and 5 where the STA is in the listening state). If the value is 0, it indicates that the STA does not need to be woken up, that is, the STA does not need to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state (corresponding to the scenario in Embodiments 1-3 where the STA is not in the power-saving mode).

[0504] Optionally, the twelfth field may be called the Roaming Indication field, or it may be replaced with other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0505] Optionally, the twelfth field can be 1 bit. For example, a value of 1 indicates that the STA should initiate roaming, and a value of 0 indicates that roaming should not be initiated.

[0506] Figure 16 This is a schematic format diagram of a fifth frame implemented through a trigger frame, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 16 As shown, the trigger frame may include a trigger type field, which indicates a third value, signifying that the trigger frame is the fifth frame. The fifth frame also includes the following fields:

[0507] The Wake Up Indication field indicates whether the STA should be woken up.

[0508] The Roaming Indication field is used to indicate whether the STA has initiated roaming.

[0509] It should be understood that Figure 16 The frame structure, the position of each field in the frame, and the number of bits occupied in the fifth frame example are only examples and can be adjusted according to actual needs. This application does not limit them.

[0510] It should be noted that each field in the frame in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by existing fields (e.g., reserved fields, or redefining existing fields) or by adding new fields, and this application does not limit this.

[0511] In summary, the embodiments of this application provide a seamless roaming solution. When at least one of the roles of STA, serving AP and candidate AP is in power-saving mode (e.g., listening state), the device in power-saving mode can be woken up and put into wake-up state through cooperation between STA, serving AP or AP, thereby completing the seamless roaming process and balancing device power saving and seamless roaming operation.

[0512] Furthermore, when the candidate AP or the serving AP is in power-saving mode, the STA or the serving AP can make the decision on the target AP, enabling more flexible and faster roaming.

[0513] Furthermore, considering APs in energy-saving mode when selecting a target AP can broaden the range of target APs and help select the AP that can provide the best service quality as the target AP.

[0514] The above text combined Figures 2 to 16 The method embodiments of this application are described in detail below, in conjunction with... Figures 17 to 22 The present application describes the device embodiments in detail. It should be understood that the device embodiments correspond to the method embodiments, and similar descriptions can be referred to the method embodiments.

[0515] Figure 17 A schematic block diagram of a communication device 400 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The communication device 400 may be a first access point, or a component within the first access point, such as a chip, circuit, or module.

[0516] like Figure 17 As shown, the communication device 400 includes:

[0517] The receiving module 410 is used to receive a first frame sent by the station. The first frame is used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points or roaming-related information of the target access point. The first frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in the listening state. The second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary for the first access point to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0518] The sending module 420 is used to send a second frame to the site, the second frame including roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points, or the second frame including roaming-related information of a target access point, the target access point being selected from multiple candidate access points.

[0519] In some embodiments, when the site supports using an access point in a listening state as a target access point, the first indication information is used to indicate the need to collect roaming-related information of the access point in a listening state; or

[0520] If the site does not support using an access point in a listening state as a target access point, the first indication information is used to indicate that it is not necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in a listening state.

[0521] In some embodiments, when the first access point is in a listening state, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state; or, when the first access point is in the awake state, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first access point does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0522] In some embodiments, the first frame further includes third indication information for indicating that the target access point to which the site roams is determined by the site or by the first access point.

[0523] In some embodiments, where the third indication information indicates that the target access point is determined by the site, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the plurality of candidate access points; or

[0524] When the third indication information indicates that the target access point is determined by the first access point, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target access point.

[0525] In some embodiments, the second frame further includes fourth indication information, which indicates whether the site needs to switch from listening state to awake state.

[0526] In some embodiments, when the site is in a listening state, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the site needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0527] In some embodiments, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the plurality of candidate access points. If the plurality of candidate access points includes a candidate access point in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the candidate access point in the listening state includes the energy-saving information of the candidate access point.

[0528] In some embodiments, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target access point. When the target access point is in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the target access point includes energy-saving information of the target access point.

[0529] In some embodiments, the energy-saving information includes at least one of the following:

[0530] Does it support energy-saving mode?

[0531] Energy saving status;

[0532] Awakening cycle;

[0533] The latency requirement for switching from listening mode to awake mode.

[0534] In some embodiments, after the receiving module 410 receives the first frame sent by the station, the sending module 420 is further configured to: send a third frame to the candidate access point, the third frame being used to request roaming-related information of the candidate access point, wherein the third frame includes fifth indication information, the fifth indication information being used to indicate whether the candidate access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state;

[0535] The receiving module 410 is further configured to: receive a fourth frame sent by the candidate access point, the fourth frame including roaming-related information of the candidate access point.

[0536] In some embodiments, when the candidate access point is in a listening state, the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the candidate access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state; or, when the candidate access point is in the awake state, the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the candidate access point does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0537] In some embodiments, when the candidate access point is in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the candidate access point in the fourth frame includes the energy-saving information of the candidate access point.

[0538] In some embodiments, before the receiving module 410 receives the first frame sent by the station, the sending module 420 is further configured to: send a fifth frame to the station, wherein the fifth frame includes a sixth indication information and / or a seventh indication information, the sixth indication information being used to indicate whether the station needs to switch from a listening state to a wake-up state, and the seventh indication information being used to indicate whether the station initiates roaming.

[0539] In some embodiments, when the site is in a listening state, the sixth indication information is used to instruct the site to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0540] In some embodiments, the first frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0541] The first field indicates whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information from access points that are in a listening state;

[0542] The second field is used to indicate whether the first access point needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state.

[0543] The third field is used to indicate whether the target access point to which the site roams is determined by the site itself or by the first access point.

[0544] In some embodiments, the second frame includes a plurality of first elements, each first element being used to carry roaming-related information of a candidate access point; or, the second frame includes a first element, the first element being used to carry roaming-related information of a target access point.

[0545] In some embodiments, the second frame further includes a fourth field for indicating whether the site needs to switch from listening state to awake state.

[0546] In some embodiments, the third frame includes a fifth field for indicating whether the candidate access point needs to switch from a listening state to a wake-up state.

[0547] In some embodiments, the third frame further includes a plurality of sixth fields, each sixth field corresponding to a candidate access point, the sixth field being used to indicate the configuration of the first access point to provide roaming-related information indication for the corresponding candidate access point.

[0548] In some embodiments, the sixth field includes at least one of the following subfields:

[0549] The first subfield is used to indicate the identification information of the candidate access point;

[0550] The second subfield is used to indicate the resource unit (RU) resources allocated for the roaming-related information feedback of the candidate access point;

[0551] The third subfield is used to indicate the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used by the candidate access point to feed back roaming-related information;

[0552] The fourth subfield is used to indicate the target received power that the candidate access point needs to meet to provide feedback on roaming-related information.

[0553] In some embodiments, the fourth frame includes a first element, which carries roaming-related information of the candidate access point.

[0554] In some embodiments, the first element includes at least one of the following fields:

[0555] The seventh field indicates whether power-saving mode is supported;

[0556] The eighth field is used to indicate the energy-saving status;

[0557] The ninth field indicates the wake-up period;

[0558] The tenth field indicates the latency requirement for switching from the listening state to the awake state.

[0559] In some embodiments, the fifth frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0560] The eleventh field indicates whether the site needs to switch from listening state to awake state;

[0561] The twelfth field indicates whether the site has initiated roaming.

[0562] Optionally, in some embodiments, the aforementioned transmitting or receiving module unit may be a communication interface or transceiver, or an input / output interface of a communication chip or system-on-a-chip.

[0563] It should be understood that the apparatus 400 according to the embodiments of this application may correspond to the first access point in the method embodiments of this application, and the above and other operations and / or functions of each unit in the apparatus 400 are respectively for implementing Figures 2 to 16 The corresponding process of the first access point in the embodiment will not be described in detail here for the sake of simplicity.

[0564] Figure 18 This is a schematic block diagram of another communication device 500 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 500 can be a station, or a component within a station, such as a chip, circuit, or module. Figure 18 The communication device 500 includes:

[0565] The sending module 510 is used to send a first frame to a first access point. The first frame is used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points or roaming-related information of a target access point. The first frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in a listening state. The second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary for the first access point to switch from a listening state to a wake-up state. The target access point is selected from multiple candidate access points.

[0566] The receiving module 520 is used to receive a second frame sent by the first access point, wherein the second frame includes roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points, or the second frame includes roaming-related information of a target access point.

[0567] In some embodiments, when the site supports using an access point in a listening state as a target access point, the first indication information is used to indicate the need to collect roaming-related information of the access point in a listening state; or

[0568] If the site does not support using an access point in a listening state as a target access point, the first indication information is used to indicate that it is not necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in a listening state.

[0569] In some embodiments, when the first access point is in a listening state, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state; or, when the first access point is in the awake state, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first access point does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0570] In some embodiments, the first frame further includes third indication information for indicating that the target access point to which the site roams is determined by the site or by the first access point.

[0571] In some embodiments, where the third indication information indicates that the target access point is determined by the site, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the plurality of candidate access points; or

[0572] When the third indication information indicates that the target access point is determined by the first access point, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target access point.

[0573] In some embodiments, the second frame further includes fourth indication information, which indicates whether the site needs to switch from listening state to awake state.

[0574] In some embodiments, when the site is in a listening state, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the site needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0575] In some embodiments, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the plurality of candidate access points. If the plurality of candidate access points includes a candidate access point in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the candidate access point in the listening state includes the energy-saving information of the candidate access point.

[0576] In some embodiments, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target access point. When the target access point is in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the target access point includes energy-saving information of the target access point.

[0577] In some embodiments, the energy-saving information includes at least one of the following:

[0578] Does it support energy-saving mode?

[0579] Energy saving status;

[0580] Awakening cycle;

[0581] The latency requirement for switching from listening mode to awake mode.

[0582] In some embodiments, before the sending module 510 sends the first frame to the first access point, the receiving module 520 is further configured to: receive a fifth frame sent by the first access point, wherein the fifth frame includes a sixth indication information and / or a seventh indication information, the sixth indication information being used to indicate whether the station needs to switch from a listening state to a wake-up state, and the seventh indication information being used to indicate whether the station initiates roaming.

[0583] In some embodiments, the first frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0584] The first field indicates whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information from access points that are in a listening state;

[0585] The second field is used to indicate whether the first access point needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state.

[0586] The third field is used to indicate whether the target access point to which the site roams is determined by the site itself or by the first access point.

[0587] In some embodiments, the second frame includes a plurality of first elements, each first element being used to carry roaming-related information of a candidate access point; or, the second frame includes a first element, the first element being used to carry roaming-related information of a target access point.

[0588] In some implementations, the first element includes at least one of the following fields:

[0589] The seventh field indicates whether power-saving mode is supported;

[0590] The eighth field is used to indicate the energy-saving status;

[0591] The ninth field indicates the wake-up period;

[0592] The tenth field indicates the latency requirement for switching from the listening state to the awake state.

[0593] In some embodiments, the second frame further includes a fourth field for indicating whether the site needs to switch from listening state to awake state.

[0594] In some embodiments, the fifth frame includes at least one of the following fields:

[0595] The eleventh field indicates whether the site needs to switch from listening state to awake state;

[0596] The twelfth field indicates whether the site has initiated roaming.

[0597] Optionally, in some embodiments, the aforementioned transmitting or receiving module may be a communication interface or transceiver, or an input / output interface of a communication chip or system-on-a-chip.

[0598] It should be understood that the apparatus 500 according to the embodiments of this application may correspond to the station in the method embodiments of this application, and the above and other operations and / or functions of each unit in the apparatus 500 are respectively for implementing Figures 2 to 16 The corresponding processes of the site in the method embodiment shown are not described in detail here for the sake of simplicity.

[0599] Figure 19 This is a schematic block diagram of another communication device 600 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 600 can be a candidate access point, or a component within a candidate access point, such as a chip, circuit, or module. Figure 19 The communication device 600 includes:

[0600] The receiving module 610 is used to receive a third frame sent by the first access point. The third frame is used to request roaming-related information of the candidate access point. The third frame includes fifth indication information, which is used to indicate whether the candidate access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0601] The sending module 620 is used to send a fourth frame to the first access point, the fourth frame including roaming-related information of the candidate access point.

[0602] In some embodiments, when the candidate access point is in a listening state, the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the candidate access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state; or, when the candidate access point is in the awake state, the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the candidate access point does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

[0603] In some embodiments, when the candidate access point is in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the candidate access point in the fourth frame includes the energy-saving information of the candidate access point.

[0604] In some embodiments, the third frame includes a fifth field for indicating whether the candidate access point needs to switch from a listening state to a wake-up state.

[0605] In some embodiments, the third frame further includes a plurality of sixth fields, each sixth field corresponding to a candidate access point, the sixth field being used to indicate the configuration of the first access point to provide roaming-related information indication for the corresponding candidate access point.

[0606] In some embodiments, the sixth field includes at least one of the following subfields:

[0607] The first subfield is used to indicate the identification information of the candidate access point;

[0608] The second subfield is used to indicate the resource unit (RU) resources allocated for the roaming-related information feedback of the candidate access point;

[0609] The third subfield is used to indicate the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used by the candidate access point to feed back roaming-related information;

[0610] The fourth subfield is used to indicate the target received power that the candidate access point needs to meet to provide feedback on roaming-related information.

[0611] In some embodiments, the fourth frame includes a first element, which carries roaming-related information of the candidate access point.

[0612] In some embodiments, the first element includes at least one of the following fields:

[0613] The seventh field indicates whether power-saving mode is supported;

[0614] The eighth field is used to indicate the energy-saving status;

[0615] The ninth field indicates the wake-up period;

[0616] The tenth field indicates the latency requirement for switching from the listening state to the awake state.

[0617] Optionally, in some embodiments, the aforementioned transmitting or receiving module unit may be a communication interface or transceiver, or an input / output interface of a communication chip or system-on-a-chip.

[0618] It should be understood that the apparatus 600 according to the embodiments of this application may correspond to the candidate access point in the method embodiments of this application, and the above and other operations and / or functions of each unit in the apparatus 600 are respectively for implementing Figures 2 to 16 The corresponding processes for candidate access points in the embodiments described herein will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0619] Figure 20 This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 700 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 20 The communication device 700 shown includes a processor 710, which can call and run computer programs from memory to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0620] Optionally, such as Figure 20 As shown, the communication device 700 may further include a memory 720. The processor 710 can call and run a computer program from the memory 720 to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application. For example, when the communication device 700 is a station, the processor 710 can call and run a computer program from the memory 720 to implement the various steps of the method embodiments executed by the station, achieving the same technical effect. When the communication device 700 is an access point, the processor 710 can call and run a computer program from the memory 720 to implement the various steps of the method embodiments executed by the access point, achieving the same technical effect.

[0621] Alternatively, the memory 720 may be a separate device independent of the processor 710, or it may be integrated into the processor 710.

[0622] Optionally, such as Figure 16 As shown, the communication device 700 may also include a transceiver 730, and the processor 710 may control the transceiver 730 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, it may send information or data to other devices or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0623] Optionally, transceiver 730 may include a transmitter and a receiver. Transceiver 730 may further include antennas, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0624] Figure 21 This is a schematic structural diagram of the chip according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 21The chip 800 shown includes a processor 810, which can call and run computer programs from memory to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0625] Optionally, such as Figure 21 As shown, chip 800 may further include memory 820. Processor 810 can retrieve and run computer programs from memory 820 to implement the methods described in this embodiment.

[0626] Alternatively, the memory 820 may be a separate device independent of the processor 810, or it may be integrated into the processor 810.

[0627] Optionally, the chip 800 may also include an input interface 830. The processor 810 can control the input interface 830 to communicate with other devices or chips, for example, to acquire information or data sent by other devices or chips.

[0628] Optionally, the chip 800 may also include an output interface 840. The processor 810 can control the output interface 840 to communicate with other devices or chips, for example, to output information or data to other devices or chips.

[0629] Optionally, the chip can be applied to the first access point in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the first access point in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0630] Optionally, the chip can be applied to the site in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the site in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0631] Optionally, the chip can be applied to the candidate access point in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the candidate access point in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0632] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as a system-on-a-chip, system chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0633] Figure 22 This is a schematic block diagram of a communication system 900 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 22 As shown, the communication system 900 includes a site 910, a first access point 920, and a candidate access point 930.

[0634] The site 910 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the site in the above method, the first access point 920 can be used to implement the corresponding functions implemented by the first access point in the above method, and the candidate access point 930 can be used to implement the related functions implemented by the candidate access point in the above method. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0635] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of this application may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, the steps of the above method embodiments can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor described above can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. The storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0636] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced Synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0637] It should be understood that the above-described memory is exemplary and not a limiting description. For example, the memory in the embodiments of this application may also be static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DRRAM), etc. That is to say, the memory in the embodiments of this application is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0638] This application also provides a readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the various processes of the above method embodiments.

[0639] Optionally, the readable storage medium can be applied to the first access point in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the first access point in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0640] Optionally, the readable storage medium can be applied to the candidate access point in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the candidate access point in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0641] Optionally, the readable storage medium can be applied to the site in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the site in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0642] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the various processes of the above-described method embodiments.

[0643] Optionally, the computer program product can be applied to the first access point in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the first access point in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0644] Optionally, the computer program product can be applied to the candidate access point in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the candidate access point in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0645] Optionally, the computer program product can be applied to the site in the embodiments of this application, and the computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the site in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0646] This application also provides a computer program. When executed by a processor, this computer program implements the various processes of the above-described method embodiments.

[0647] Optionally, the computer program can be applied to the first access point in the embodiments of this application. The computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the first access point in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0648] Optionally, the computer program can be applied to the candidate access point in the embodiments of this application. The computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the candidate access point in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0649] Optionally, the computer program can be applied to the site in the embodiments of this application. The computer program causes the processor to execute the corresponding process implemented by the site in the method embodiments of this application. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0650] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0651] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0652] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0653] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0654] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0655] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0656] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A roaming method, characterized in that, include: The first access point receives a first frame sent by the station. The first frame is used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points or roaming-related information of the target access point. The first frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in the listening state. The second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary for the first access point to switch from the listening state to the awake state. The first access point sends a second frame to the site, the second frame including roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points, or the second frame including roaming-related information of a target access point selected from multiple candidate access points.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the site supports using an access point in a listening state as a target access point, the first indication information is used to indicate that roaming-related information of the access point in a listening state needs to be collected. or If the site does not support using an access point in a listening state as a target access point, the first indication information is used to indicate that it is not necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in a listening state.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the first access point is in a listening state, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state; or, when the first access point is in the awake state, the second indication information is used to indicate that the first access point does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The first frame also includes third indication information, which indicates that the target access point to which the site roams is determined by the site or by the first access point.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, If the third indication information indicates that the target access point is determined by the site, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the plurality of candidate access points; or When the third indication information indicates that the target access point is determined by the first access point, the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target access point.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The second frame also includes a fourth indication, which indicates whether the site needs to switch from listening state to awake state.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the site is in a listening state, the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the site needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The second frame includes roaming-related information of the plurality of candidate access points. If the plurality of candidate access points includes a candidate access point in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the candidate access point in the listening state includes the energy-saving information of the candidate access point.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The second frame includes roaming-related information of the target access point. When the target access point is in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the target access point includes the energy-saving information of the target access point.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The energy-saving information includes at least one of the following: Does it support energy-saving mode? Energy saving status; Awakening cycle; The latency requirement for switching from listening mode to awake mode.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, After the first access point receives the first frame sent by the station, the method further includes: The first access point sends a third frame to the candidate access point. The third frame is used to request roaming-related information of the candidate access point. The third frame includes fifth indication information, which is used to indicate whether the candidate access point needs to switch from listening state to awake state. The first access point receives a fourth frame sent by the candidate access point, the fourth frame including roaming-related information of the candidate access point.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, When the candidate access point is in a listening state, the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the candidate access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state; or, when the candidate access point is in an awake state, the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the candidate access point does not need to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, When the candidate access point is in a listening state, the roaming-related information of the candidate access point in the fourth frame includes the energy-saving information of the candidate access point.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, Before the first access point receives the first frame sent by the station, the method further includes: The first access point sends a fifth frame to the station, wherein the fifth frame includes a sixth indication information and / or a seventh indication information, the sixth indication information being used to indicate whether the station needs to switch from a listening state to a wake-up state, and the seventh indication information being used to indicate whether the station initiates roaming.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, When the site is in a listening state, the sixth indication information is used to instruct the site to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1-15, characterized in that, The first frame includes at least one of the following fields: The first field indicates whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information from access points that are in a listening state; The second field is used to indicate whether the first access point needs to switch from the listening state to the wake-up state. The third field is used to indicate whether the target access point to which the site roams is determined by the site itself or by the first access point.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1-16, characterized in that, The second frame includes multiple first elements, each first element being used to carry roaming-related information of a candidate access point; or, the second frame includes a single first element, the single first element being used to carry roaming-related information of a target access point.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The second frame also includes a fourth field indicating whether the site needs to switch from listening state to awake state.

19. The method according to any one of claims 11-13, characterized in that, The third frame includes a fifth field, which indicates whether the candidate access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The third frame also includes multiple sixth fields, each of which corresponds to a candidate access point. The sixth field is used to indicate the configuration of the first access point to provide roaming-related information feedback to the corresponding candidate access point.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The sixth field includes at least one of the following subfields: The first subfield is used to indicate the identification information of the candidate access point; The second subfield is used to indicate the resource unit (RU) resources allocated for the roaming-related information feedback of the candidate access point; The third subfield is used to indicate the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used by the candidate access point to feed back roaming-related information; The fourth subfield is used to indicate the target received power that the candidate access point needs to meet to provide feedback on roaming-related information.

22. The method according to any one of claims 11-13, characterized in that, The fourth frame includes a first element, which carries roaming-related information of the candidate access point.

23. The method according to claim 17 or 22, characterized in that, The first element includes at least one of the following fields: The seventh field indicates whether power-saving mode is supported; The eighth field is used to indicate the energy-saving status; The ninth field indicates the wake-up period; The tenth field indicates the latency requirement for switching from the listening state to the awake state.

24. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The fifth frame includes at least one of the following fields: The eleventh field indicates whether the site needs to switch from listening state to awake state; The twelfth field indicates whether the site has initiated roaming.

25. A roaming method, characterized in that, include: The site sends a first frame to the first access point. The first frame is used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points or roaming-related information of a target access point. The first frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in the listening state. The second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary for the first access point to switch from the listening state to the awake state. The target access point is selected from multiple candidate access points. The station receives a second frame sent by the first access point. The second frame includes roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points, or the second frame includes roaming-related information of the target access point.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that, Before the station sends the first frame to the first access point, the method further includes: The station receives a fifth frame sent by the first access point, wherein the fifth frame includes a sixth indication information and / or a seventh indication information, the sixth indication information being used to indicate whether the station needs to switch from a listening state to a wake-up state, and the seventh indication information being used to indicate whether the station initiates roaming.

27. A roaming method, characterized in that, include: The candidate access point receives a third frame sent by the first access point. The third frame is used to request roaming-related information of the candidate access point. The third frame includes fifth indication information, which is used to indicate whether the candidate access point needs to switch from listening state to awake state. The candidate access point sends a fourth frame to the first access point, the fourth frame including roaming-related information of the candidate access point.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is a first access point, or the communication device is disposed in the first access point, including: The receiving module is used to receive a first frame sent by the station. The first frame is used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points or roaming-related information of the target access point. The first frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in the listening state. The second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary for the first access point to switch from the listening state to the awake state. The sending module is configured to send a second frame to the site, the second frame including roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points, or the second frame including roaming-related information of a target access point selected from multiple candidate access points.

29. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is a station, or the communication device is located in the station, including: The sending module is used to send a first frame to a first access point. The first frame is used to request the first access point to provide roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points or roaming-related information of a target access point. The first frame includes first indication information and / or second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary to collect roaming-related information of access points in a listening state. The second indication information is used to indicate whether it is necessary for the first access point to switch from a listening state to a wake-up state. The target access point is selected from multiple candidate access points. The receiving module is configured to receive a second frame sent by the first access point, wherein the second frame includes roaming-related information of multiple candidate access points, or the second frame includes roaming-related information of a target access point.

30. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is a candidate access point, or the communication device is disposed in the candidate access point, including: The receiving module is used to receive a third frame sent by the first access point. The third frame is used to request roaming-related information of the candidate access point. The third frame includes fifth indication information, which is used to indicate whether the candidate access point needs to switch from the listening state to the awake state. The sending module is used to send a fourth frame to the first access point, the fourth frame including roaming-related information of the candidate access point.

31. A communication device, characterized in that, include: A processor and a memory for storing a computer program, the processor for calling and running the computer program stored in the memory to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 26, or the method as claimed in claim 27.

32. A readable storage medium, characterized in that, Used to store a computer program that causes a computer to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24, or the method as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 26, or the method as claimed in claim 27.

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