Cell-free network based access point association method, base station and storage medium

Abstract

This invention discloses an access point association method, base station, and storage medium based on a non-cellular network. Access points (APs) within the non-cellular network are grouped into multiple AP groups. A synchronization signal block (SSB) signal is sent to a user terminal through the primary AP in each AP group. The PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the strongest SSB signal is received from all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located. The user terminal is located based on the PRACH signal to obtain its location information. A target AP is determined from the APs based on the PRACH signal strength and location information, and the user terminal is associated with the target AP. The primary and secondary APs in the AP group interact with the terminal to determine its location information. The target AP is determined based on the PRACH signal strength received by all APs in the terminal's AP group and the terminal's location information. Subsequent information transmission between the base station and the terminal directly uses the associated target AP as the access point, eliminating the need to search for an access point from numerous APs, thus achieving reliable and efficient access for the user terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wireless communication transmission technology, and in particular to an access point association method, base station, and storage medium based on a non-cellular network. Background Technology

[0002] Cellular distributed networking is a novel cellular networking approach and a key technology for improving the performance of 5G systems. In a cellular distributed Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system, multiple distributed access points (APs) cooperate to serve multiple users on the same time-frequency resources. Unlike the random access technology of existing 5G New Radio (NR), cellular distributed access requires truly breaking through the limitations of cellular networks, supporting wide-area coverage, implementing a decentralized access method, and establishing the connection between user equipment (UE) and APs in the cellular system.

[0003] Existing 5G NR relies on beamforming methods and maximum power correlation strategies to achieve access and association between UEs and access points (APs). However, this approach faces challenges in accessing edge users. Therefore, in cellular-free distributed networking, achieving decentralized UE access during random access and utilizing the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) signal to establish association between UEs and APs is a problem that current technologies urgently need to address. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an access point association method, base station, and storage medium based on non-cellular networks, enabling users to efficiently access access points.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, an access point association method based on a non-cellular network is provided, comprising: grouping access points (APs) within the non-cellular network to generate multiple AP groups, wherein each AP group includes a primary AP and at least two secondary APs;

[0006] The main AP in the AP group sends a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) signal to the user terminal, and receives the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest reception power through all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located.

[0007] The user terminal is located based on the PRACH signal to obtain the location information of the user terminal;

[0008] The target AP is determined from the APs based on the strength of the PRACH signal and the location information, and the user terminal is associated with the target AP.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, an access point association device based on a non-cellular network is provided, comprising: an AP grouping module, configured to group access points (APs) within the non-cellular network to generate multiple AP groups, wherein each AP group includes a main AP and at least two sub-APs;

[0010] The signal transmission module is used to send a synchronization signal block (SSB) signal to the user terminal through the main AP in the AP group, and to receive the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest reception power through all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located.

[0011] The positioning module is used to locate the user terminal based on the PRACH signal and obtain the location information of the user terminal.

[0012] The AP association module is used to determine the target AP from the APs based on the strength of the PRACH signal and the location information, and associate the user terminal with the target AP.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, a base station is provided, the base station comprising:

[0014] At least one processor; and

[0015] A memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein,

[0016] The memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the at least one processor, the computer program being executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the method described in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for causing a processor to execute and implement the method described in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] The technical solution of this invention involves grouping access points (APs) within a non-cellular network and interacting with user terminals through primary and secondary APs within the AP group to determine the location information of the user terminals. Based on the PRACH signal strength received by all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located and the user terminal's location information, a target AP compatible with the user terminal within the network is identified and associated. On one hand, during subsequent information transmission between the base station and the user terminal, the associated target AP can be directly used as the access point, eliminating the need to search for an access point from numerous APs, thus achieving efficient access for the user terminal. On the other hand, users at the edge of the original base station can obtain the service of the target AP based on their location information, thereby achieving reliable access for the user terminal.

[0019] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention. Other features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an access point association method based on a non-cellular network according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of AP grouping results provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of SSB signal transmission according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of signal interaction provided according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effectiveness of UE contention resolution according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of an access point association method based on a non-cellular network according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an access point association device based on a non-cellular network according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the base station structure provided according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an access point association method based on a non-cellular network, as provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This embodiment is applicable to situations where user terminals associate with access points. The method can be executed by a base station, and the device can be implemented in hardware and / or software. Figure 1 As shown, the method includes:

[0034] Step S101: Group the access points (APs) in the non-cellular network to generate multiple AP groups.

[0035] Optionally, multiple AP groups are obtained by grouping access points (APs) within the non-cellular network, including: obtaining the total number of access points (APs) and a working frequency band synchronization grid table, wherein the working frequency band synchronization grid table contains the correspondence between the total number of APs and the Synchronization Signal and PBCH (SSB) block pattern; querying the working frequency band synchronization grid table according to the total number of access points (APs) to obtain the corresponding SSB pattern; determining the number of primary APs within the non-cellular network according to the SSB pattern; and clustering the APs within the non-cellular network according to the number of primary APs to generate multiple AP groups.

[0036] Optionally, the method further includes: determining the AP located at the center position within each AP group; designating the AP located at the center position as the primary AP within each AP group, and designating the remaining APs within each AP group (excluding the primary AP) as child APs; or, obtaining the primary AP circular queue corresponding to each AP group, wherein the primary AP circular queue contains candidate primary APs within each AP group; switching the AP at the head of the primary AP circular queue at a specified period; designating the AP at the head of the queue as the primary AP of the AP group, and designating the remaining APs within each AP group (excluding the primary AP) as child APs.

[0037] It's worth noting that an AP group contains one main AP and at least two sub-APs. Therefore, during the subsequent access process of a user terminal, an AP group can guarantee that three APs will receive the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal, meeting the base station's requirement to determine the user terminal's location. This requirement is reflected in the implementation process of determining the SSB pattern based on the total number of APs in Table 1 (operating frequency band synchronization grid) and in Table 2 (determining the number of main APs based on the SSB pattern). For example, when the total number of APs is 16, the SSB pattern is determined to be A, the total number of APs is determined to be 4, and each AP group includes one main AP and three sub-APs, meeting the requirement.

[0038] Specifically, base stations can configure operating parameters in batches through a high-level intelligent operation and maintenance system, or configure operating parameters independently locally through a configuration file. This implementation does not limit the specific method by which the base station determines the operating parameters. The operating parameters may include the operating frequency band, SSB subcarrier spacing, and the total number of APs, and the base station performs operations according to the determined operating parameters.

[0039] The 5G NR protocol uses a Synchronization Raster (SR) to indicate the frequency location of the Service Band Substation (SSB). The Global Synchronization Channel Number (GSCN) is the corresponding number of the SSB's frequency location within the synchronization raster. This implementation follows this concept and designs a working frequency band synchronization raster table. After obtaining the operating parameters, the base station can refer to the pre-set working frequency band synchronization raster table and determine the SSB pattern based on the total number of Access Points (APs). This implementation does not completely limit the content of the working frequency band synchronization raster table; Table 1 below shows an example of a working frequency band synchronization raster table:

[0040] Table 1

[0041]

[0042] The operating frequency band synchronization grid table shown in Table 1 is also stored on the user terminal side. This table reflects the base station's comprehensive consideration of operating parameters, such as the operating frequency band, SSB subcarrier spacing, and the total number of APs, when selecting an SSB. A basic principle is that when there are many high-frequency bands and a large number of APs, the SSB pattern corresponding to the larger number of primary APs should be selected. The advantage of this design for the operating frequency band synchronization grid table is that it allows for more flexible configuration to ensure coverage of the service area.

[0043] Specifically, after obtaining the SSB pattern, the number of primary APs in the non-cellular network can be obtained by referring to the primary AP number determination list. This embodiment does not completely limit the correspondence of the primary AP number determination list. Table 2 below shows an example of the primary AP number determination list:

[0044] Table 2

[0045] SSB drawing Number of main APs AP Index A 4 0-3 B 8 0-7 C 16 0-15 D 32 0-31

[0046] Table 2 records the correspondence between SSB patterns, the number of primary APs, and AP indices. For example, when the total number of APs in the non-cellular network is 20, and the SSB pattern is determined to be A based on the total number of 20, the number of primary APs in the non-cellular network can be determined to be 4, and the indices of the 4 primary APs are 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Of course, this embodiment is only an example and does not limit the number of primary APs in the non-cellular network.

[0047] Specifically, after determining the number of primary APs, the APs in the non-cellular network are clustered using K-Means clustering based on the number of primary APs to obtain multiple AP groups. This implementation does not limit the specific clustering method used. For example, when the number of primary APs is determined to be 4, the APs in the entire non-cellular service area can be clustered into four AP groups, and each AP group contains one primary AP and at least two child APs, such as... Figure 2 The diagram shows the obtained AP grouping results. Of course, this embodiment only uses K-Means clustering as an example for illustration, and does not limit the specific clustering method.

[0048] It should be noted that when determining the primary AP in each AP group, the AP group defaults to selecting a primary AP based on the cluster center location. Specifically, the AP located at the center of each AP group is designated as the primary AP, and the remaining APs are designated as child APs. Each AP group consists of one primary AP and four child APs, and each primary AP is numbered using the AP Index in Table 1. During the initial UE access phase, the primary AP is responsible for transmitting SSB signals and receiving PRACH signals, while the child APs are only responsible for receiving PRACH signals. However, since the primary AP within the AP group transmits the SSB signal after AP grouping, there is a broadcast coverage distance issue when the AP group is large. To address this issue, a primary AP cyclic mechanism is introduced, which requires a primary AP cyclic queue. This mechanism is triggered by the maximum distance between APs within the AP group. If the maximum distance between APs exceeds the effective reachable distance of the SSB signal, the primary AP cyclic mechanism must be used. Specifically, the leading AP in the master AP circular queue is switched periodically, and the leading AP always sends the SSB signal as the master AP. This updates the master APs in each AP group based on the switched leading AP. This implementation does not define specific rules for the master AP circular queue. For example, K-Means clustering can be used within the AP group to select the K intra-group cluster centers as candidate master APs and place them in the master AP circular queue, or all APs in the AP group can be placed in the master AP circular queue.

[0049] Step S102: The main AP in the AP group sends a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) signal to the user terminal, and receives the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest reception power through all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located.

[0050] Optionally, the synchronization signal block (SSB) signal is sent to the user terminal through the master AP in the AP group, including: generating the synchronization signal block (SSB) signal according to the SSB pattern and the AP group; sending the synchronization signal block (SSB) signal to the user terminal through the master AP in the AP group; wherein the SSB signal contains the index of the sending master AP, AP Index.

[0051] Specifically, SSB signals are generated based on SSB patterns and AP groups. Unlike the SSB Index parameter in the System Information Block (SIB) 1 signal in the 5G NR protocol, this application uses the AP Index parameter determined by the SSB pattern to distinguish SSB signals within one SSB transmission cycle in a non-cellular service area. Existing SSB signals are generated based on beamforming methods, with each SSB Index covering a specified direction of the beam. The SSB signals in this application provide omnidirectional coverage, with each AP Index transmitted by the main AP in an AP group, covering a non-cellular service area. The main APs transmit SSB signals in turn within a cycle according to the AP Index, such as... Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the SSB signal transmission of this application, using SSB pattern A and an SSB transmission period of 10ms as an example. The main APs (Access Points) transmit SSB signals alternately within the period. Generating SSB signals based on the SSB pattern and AP groups ensures omnidirectional and full-coverage SSB signals received by user terminals, improving coverage area and ensuring reliable user terminal access. Furthermore, it facilitates decentralized user terminal access, and the AP groups have scalability, fully adapting to scenarios with multiple AP points.

[0052] Optionally, the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest received power can be received through all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located. This includes: receiving the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest received power and the PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship through all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located. The PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship includes the correspondence between the index of each master AP and the PRACH signal preamble. The PRACH signal is generated by the user terminal by obtaining the AP Index from the SSB signal with the strongest received power, obtaining the available PRACH signal preamble from the PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship according to the AP Index, and generating the PRACH signal preamble.

[0053] Specifically, the base station will packetize PRACH signals across the entire non-cellular service area in the non-cellular network, generating a PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship. This mapping relationship contains the correspondence between each master AP and its PRACH signal, such as... Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the format of the PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship. This mapping relationship specifies the PRACH signal preambles and their quantities that a user terminal (UE) can use when receiving SSB signals from different primary APs. Taking SSB transmission mode SSB diagram A as an example, assuming a total of 64 PRACH signal preambles are available within one non-cellular service area in the system, and with 4 primary APs, the non-cellular service area can be divided into 4 AP groups. All PRACH signal preambles are assigned to the AP groups managed by the primary APs, and each user accessing a primary AP can use 16 PRACH signal preambles.

[0054] In one specific implementation, the user terminal (UE) obtains the SSB signal transmission frequency and sub-carrier space (SCS) through SSB scanning, demodulates the primary synchronization signal / secondary synchronization signal (PSS / SSS) to obtain the total number of access points (APs), and obtains the SSB pattern from the system operating frequency band, SCS, and total number of APs as shown in Table 1. The UE receives SSB signals transmitted by all primary APs within one cycle according to the SSB time-frequency resources specified in the SSB pattern, compares the signal strengths, selects the strongest SSB signal as the target SSB signal, and demodulates it to obtain the specified PRACH signal preamble. For example, if it is determined that the primary AP at AP Index 0 transmits the strongest SSB signal, then according to... Figure 4 The PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship shown obtains available PRACH signal preamble formats of 0-15. A PRACH signal preamble is randomly selected from these 0-15 formats to generate a PRACH signal for transmission. All APs within the non-cellular service area can receive the PRACH signal sent by the user terminal UE. However, the base station only uses the PRACH signal received by the AP group corresponding to the primary AP at AP Index 0 to calculate the transmission delay (Time Advanced, TA). The AP group containing the primary AP at AP Index 0 is referred to as the AP group where the user terminal UE resides, and the other AP groups are referred to as the AP groups where the user terminal does not reside.

[0055] Step S103: Locate the user terminal based on the PRACH signal and obtain the location information of the user terminal.

[0056] Optionally, the user terminal is located based on the PRACH signal to obtain the user terminal's location information, including: calculating the transmission delay and transmission input angle based on the PRACH signal; locating the user terminal based on the transmission delay and transmission input angle to obtain the user terminal's location information; or, calculating the signal strength based on the PRACH signal, locating the user terminal based on the signal strength to obtain the user terminal's location information.

[0057] Among them, such as Figure 5 The diagram illustrates the signal interaction in this embodiment. After powering on, the user terminal (UE) performs SSB search according to the frequency intervals specified in the protocol, sorting the SSB signals received at different frequency points based on the Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP). The UE selects the frequency domain location of the SSB with the highest RSRP as the receiving frequency point to receive the SSB signal, obtaining the SSB signal frequency location and subcarrier spacing. The UE obtains the total number of access points (APs) by demodulating the PSS / SSS signals in the SSB, and obtains the SSB pattern, i.e., the current SSB signal transmission mode, based on the total number of APs. Since the SSB signal contains the SSB's System Information Block (SIB1), and the parameters in SIB1 specify the PRACH signal preamble available to the UE, after receiving all SSB signals within one cycle, the UE compares the SSB signal strength within that cycle, selects the SSB signal with the highest strength, demodulates it to obtain SIB1, and acquires all available PRACH signal preambles specified in the non-cellular service area. The UE randomly selects a PRACH preamble from 16 available PRACH preambles based on the AP Index and PRACH preamble mapping relationship in the SSB signal SIB1, generates a PRACH signal, and sends it to all APs. All APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located share the SSB signal information, jointly receive the PRACH signal sent by the UE containing the corresponding PRACH preamble, and calculate the Time Advanced (TA), Angle of Arrival (AoA), or Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). It is worth noting that APs not in the same AP group as the user terminal cannot calculate TA and other information due to incompatible PRACH preamble formats.

[0058] Specifically, all APs in an AP group simultaneously receive the PRACH signal (MSG1) sent by the UE. The base station calculates the transmission delay (TA) based on the PRACH signal and optionally calculates the input angle of the antenna array (AoA), storing the calculated TA and AoA on the base station side; or storing the RSSI. Base stations in areas without cellular service can choose different positioning algorithms to determine the UE's location based on the scenario. The first method uses the TA calculated and stored in one AP group combined with the AoA to calculate the UE's specific location; the second method uses the RSSI stored in the AP group to calculate the UE's location.

[0059] Specifically, for the first location information calculation method: First, the TA and AoA are calculated based on the PRACH signal received by the AP. Then, the calculated and stored TA is combined with the AoA to calculate the UE's location information. In this method, all APs in the AP group need to calculate their TAs individually, but only APs with antenna arrays need to calculate their AoAs. This is because AoA is optional in the first location information calculation method and is used to assist TA positioning and improve positioning accuracy. The AP can calculate the TA and AoA and report it to the base station, or the AP can transmit the PRACH signal to the base station to calculate the TA and AoA. This implementation does not specify the specific implementation method.

[0060] The calculation of TA, the essence of the PRACH signal sent by the user terminal to all APs is the ZC sequence x u (n), after a certain time delay τ (the transmission delay is the TA that needs to be calculated), arrives at the AP. Let's assume that the TA is located at sampling point n. τ At that point, the ZC sequence received by the AP is x. u (nn τ The base station obtains 16 available PRACH signal preambles based on the main AP Index, and thus generates 16 local ZC sequences. According to the orthogonality property, only the ZC sequence generated by the preamble that is the same as the PRACH signal preamble selected by the user terminal will produce a peak with the ZC sequence received by the AP.

[0061] The AP side uses a local ZC sequence. u (n) The sequence x after shifting m sampling points u (nm) and the received ZC sequence x u (nn τ Calculate the relevant operations to obtain the relevant function |C u (m)|, related function|C u (m)|The sampling point where the peak value is obtained is n τ .

[0062]

[0063] Where m represents the local ZC sequence x u (n) The number of shifted sampling points; n represents the sampling point position, n τ This indicates the sampling point position corresponding to the time delay, and N represents the length of the ZC sequence; Indicates peak value; x u (nm) represents the sequence after shifting the local ZC sequence by m sampling points. This represents the transpose of the ZC sequence received by the AP, C u (m) represents the result of correlation operation between the local ZC sequence shifted by m sampling points and the ZC sequence received by the AP.

[0064] Based on the sampling characteristics, the sampling point position n corresponding to the time delay is calculated. τ Then the transmission delay can be further calculated. This transmission delay is the TA that needs to be solved. Where T... c N represents the sampling time. fft n represents the number of samples within the sampling time. τ This indicates the location of the sampling point corresponding to the time delay.

[0065] The calculation of AoA, assuming that the antenna arrays of APs in the AP group are homogeneous and isotropic, can be expressed by the following formula (2) when an AP's antenna array receives a PRACH signal sent by a UE with an input angle AoA of θ:

[0066] Y=a(θ)x+N (2)

[0067] Where Y represents the PRACH signal matrix received by the AP, x represents the PRACH signal transmitted by the UE, a(θ) represents the steering vector of the antenna array, and N represents the additive white Gaussian noise matrix.

[0068] The covariance matrix of Y is obtained according to the following formula (3):

[0069] R Y =E[YY H (3)

[0070] Where Y represents the PRACH signal matrix received by the AP, Y H Let R be the conjugate transpose of Y. Y Let E[·] denote the covariance matrix of Y, and E[·] denote the expected value.

[0071] According to the following formula (4), the covariance matrix R Y Eigenvalue decomposition is performed to obtain the signal subspace and noise subspace of the PRACH signal matrix:

[0072]

[0073] Among them, U X The signal subspace representing the PRACH signal matrix. U represents the transpose of the signal subspace of the PRACH signal matrix. N Represents the noise subspace of the PRACH signal matrix. Σ represents the transpose of the noise subspace of the PRACH signal matrix. X The eigenvector matrix representing the PRACH signal matrix, Σ N This represents the noise eigenvector matrix of the PRACH signal matrix.

[0074] According to U in formula (4) N and By utilizing the orthogonality between the signal space and the noise space, the spatial spectrum function of the AP antenna array can be constructed based on algorithms such as Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC). The AP side performs a step search in the angular domain. When the spatial spectrum function reaches its maximum value, the angle θ corresponding to its spectral peak is the transmission input angle AoA.

[0075] Specifically, after the AP calculates the TA and AoA, it can use the TA and AoA to perform joint positioning of the user terminal (UE). Assume the UE's location coordinates to be located are (x, y), and the known coordinates of the i-th AP are (x, y). i ,y i The distance equation between the UE and the i-th AP can be established according to the following formula (5):

[0076] r i 2 =(cτ) i ) 2 =(x i -x) 2 +(y i -y) 2 (5)

[0077] Where c is the speed of radio waves, r i τ represents the distance between the UE and the i-th AP. i It is the TA calculated by the i-th AP.

[0078] Each AP in the AP group where the UE is located can establish a distance equation with the UE. The first AP is selected as the reference AP and denoted as AP1. The distance squared difference equation can be established as follows:

[0079] r i 2 -r1 2 =(cτ)i ) 2 -(cτ1) 2 (6)

[0080] Using formulas (5) and (6), formula (5) can be transformed into:

[0081]

[0082] Where, r i,1 =r i -r1=c(τ i -τ1) represents the distance difference between the i-th AP and the UE, and between the 1-th AP and the UE, x i,1 =x i -x1 and y i,1 =y i -y1 represents the coordinate difference between the i-th AP and the 1st AP. This represents the sum of squares of the coordinates of the i-th AP. Let i represent the sum of squares of the coordinates of the reference AP, i.e., AP1, where i = 2, 3, ..., M, and M is the total number of APs participating in positioning in the AP group where the UE is located. The UE's position coordinates (x, y) are the physical quantities to be solved.

[0083] Assuming that the AP can always provide at least one AoA measurement value for the UE, the auxiliary equation of the following formula (8) can be established based on the AoA measurement value.

[0084] x j tanθ j -y j =x tanθ j -y (8)

[0085] Where, θ j Let AoA be the result of the calculation of the j-th AP, (x j ,y j (x, y) represents the position coordinates of the j-th AP, and the position coordinates (x, y) of the UE are the physical quantities to be solved.

[0086] Using the above formulas (7) and (8), a linear equation as shown in formula (9) can be established:

[0087]

[0088] Therefore, the error vector Ψ corresponding to the UE position is shown in the following formula (10):

[0089]

[0090] in, This is an estimated value of the UE's location. It can be obtained by solving formula (10) using methods such as least squares. This allows us to obtain the UE's location.

[0091] Specifically, for the second location information calculation method: first, store the RSSI of the PRACH signal received by the AP, and then use the stored RSSI to calculate the UE's location information. RSSI positioning has lower hardware requirements and lower power consumption, but lower positioning accuracy, which can meet the positioning needs when the base station's computing power is tight. Assuming the UE's location coordinates to be located are (x, y), the attenuation expression formula of the signal strength of the PRACH signal received by the i-th AP is as shown in (11):

[0092]

[0093] Where, d i P represents the Euclidean distance between the i-th AP and the UE. i This indicates that the distance between the i-th AP and the UE is d. i The PRACH signal received power at a reference distance of d0 is given by P0, where P0 represents the PRACH signal reference power at a reference distance of d0, β represents the path attenuation factor (its value depends on the specific environment), and n... i This represents the shading effect, with a mean of 0 and a variance of . The noise is Gaussian white noise, and M represents the total number of APs in the AP group to which the UE is located that participate in RSSI positioning.

[0094] During random access, the AP is unaware of the PRACH signal reference power P0 on the UE side. Treating P0 as an unknown, an RSSI positioning algorithm that simultaneously estimates the UE location and P0 is employed. Equation (11) is modified to obtain the following equation (12).

[0095]

[0096] Converting formula (12) to exponential form and performing a first-order Taylor expansion yields the following formula (13).

[0097]

[0098] in, N i This indicates that the mean is 0 and the variance is . A random variable.

[0099] Will Expressed in coordinate form, formula (13) can be expressed in vector form to obtain the following formula (14).

[0100]

[0101] Therefore, the error vector Ψ corresponding to the UE position can be specifically represented by the following formula (15):

[0102]

[0103] in, This is an estimated value of the UE's location. It can be obtained by solving formula (15) using numerical algorithms such as least squares. This allows us to obtain the UE's location.

[0104] Step S104: Determine the target AP from the APs based on the strength and location information of the PRACH signal, and associate the user terminal with the target AP.

[0105] Optionally, the target AP is determined from the APs based on the strength and location information of the PRACH signal, and the user terminal is associated with the target AP, including: selecting a first type of AP from the AP group where the user terminal is not located based on the location information; selecting a second type of AP from the AP group where the user terminal is located based on the strength of the PRACH signals received by all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located; using the first type of AP and the second type of AP as target APs; and associating the user terminal with the target AP.

[0106] Optionally, the first type of APs can be selected from the AP group where the non-user terminal is located based on the location information, including: obtaining a transmission distance threshold according to a first specified rule; determining the distance between each AP in the AP group where the non-user terminal is located and the user terminal based on the location information; and selecting APs whose distance is less than the transmission distance threshold as the first type of APs.

[0107] Optionally, based on the strength of the PRACH signals received by all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located, a second type of AP is selected from the AP group where the user terminal is located, including: obtaining a signal strength threshold according to a second specified rule; obtaining the strength of the PRACH signals received by all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located; and selecting APs with PRACH signal strength greater than the signal strength threshold as the second type of AP.

[0108] Specifically, after the base station obtains the location information of the terminal user using the AP, it can use the nearest association scheme to associate the user. In areas without cellular service, the base station will select the K APs with the strongest signal strength and closest distance to the UE from the AP group where the UE is located and the adjacent AP groups as the UE's alternative access points. The selection of K is related to the signal strength and distance. In order to reduce storage pressure and ensure association reliability, the number of target APs can be determined by the following formula (16):

[0109] K = max{3, |D < D} bd |+|P>P th |} (16)

[0110] Among them, P thD represents the PRACH signal strength selection threshold of the AP group to which the UE belongs. bd This represents the threshold for PRACH signal transmission distance centered on the UE, |D<D bd | represents the number of first-class APs in the AP group that are within the signal transmission distance threshold of the UE location, not the user terminal's location; |P>P th | indicates the number of Category 2 APs in the AP group where the UE is located that have a signal strength selection threshold. Furthermore, the total number of Category 1 and Category 2 APs must be no less than 3.

[0111] It should be noted that the PRACH signal transmission distance threshold in this embodiment can be obtained using multiple rules. The first specified rule includes: Rule A, setting the PRACH signal transmission distance threshold table according to engineering experience and simulation; Rule B, sorting rule, sorting the distances of the UE to the APs in the adjacent AP group, selecting the top 5% of APs with the smallest distances, and using the APs at the UE's distance in the top 5% as the PRACH signal transmission distance threshold; Rule C, signal attenuation rule, calculating the path loss of the PRACH signal with the transmission distance, and using the distance at the maximum allowable path loss of the PRACH as the PRACH signal transmission distance threshold; Rule D, other optional threshold algorithms. In this embodiment, the PRACH signal strength threshold can also be obtained using various rules. The second specified rule includes: rule a, setting a PRACH signal strength selection threshold table based on engineering experience and simulation; rule b, calculating the average value of the PRACH signal strength within the AP group and using the average value as the PRACH signal strength selection threshold; rule c, using a machine learning classification algorithm, training a classifier to classify the PRACH signal strength within the AP group into two categories: strong and weak, and using the classification boundary value as the PRACH signal strength selection threshold; and rule d, other optional threshold algorithms.

[0112] Specifically, after identifying the target AP, the user terminal can be associated with it. This enables edge user terminals to reliably and efficiently access the AP, preparing for subsequent information interaction between the UE and the base station. In other words, associating the user terminal with the target AP generates an AP association service list for the UE on the base station side. This association service list is established using PRACH signals during the UE's access process, without adding any overhead to the UE side. The base station can use this association to alleviate the pressure on base station resource scheduling and utilize the association service list for load balancing during subsequent service data communication, improving the overall utilization rate of AP resources in the non-cellular network, alleviating network congestion caused by user aggregation, and enhancing the user service experience.

[0113] It should be noted that this embodiment can also reduce the UE contention distance by using AP grouping and PRACH signal preamble grouping, thus solving the UE contention problem. One scenario of existing UE contention problems is that UE1 and UE2 select the same PRACH signal preamble in the AP group, and the base station cannot distinguish user access, leading to an access error. For example... Figure 6 The diagram illustrates the effectiveness of UE contention resolution. For example, after grouping APs, based on... Figure 4 It can be determined that the range of usable PRACH signal preambles for the primary AP within each AP group is different. Therefore Figure 6 UE1 and UE2, located in the first AP group, can only send PRACH signal preambles within the range of [0-15], while UE3, located in another AP group, can only send PRACH signal preambles within the range of [32-47]. Therefore, UE1 will not compete with UE3, but will only compete with UE2, which is nearby, thus reducing the competition distance between UEs. Since UE1 and UE2 are located in the same AP group, even if competition occurs, there will be no large error in positioning, which can ensure that TA is calculated correctly and the subsequent access process of the UE is completed.

[0114] It should be noted that in this embodiment, after calculating the UE's location through AP grouping, the APs can be regrouped based on UE hotspot conditions. This allocates more APs to local hotspot areas within non-cellular service areas, resolving the hotspot issue. Specifically, this is achieved by calculating the average load difference between APs in different groups. If the average load difference exceeds a threshold, hotspot balancing is triggered. Hotspot balancing utilizes the UE locations calculated from the initial AP grouping, employs the K-Means clustering algorithm to group UEs, and then redistributes APs based on the number of UEs in each group after clustering. The allocation principle is that the more users in each cluster, the more APs are allocated. Therefore, hotspot balancing adopts a user-centric AP allocation, improving AP utilization, enhancing inter-group balance within AP groups, and indirectly improving intra-group balance. This forms the foundation for subsequent accurate association between UEs and APs.

[0115] In this embodiment, the access points (APs) within the non-cellular network are grouped, and the main AP and sub-APs in the AP group interact with the user terminal. The location information of the user terminal is determined based on the interaction results. The target AP in the network that is compatible with the user terminal is determined and associated based on the PRACH signal strength received by all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located and the location information of the user terminal. Thus, when the base station transmits information with the user terminal in the future, the associated target AP can be directly used as the access point without having to search for an access point from among many APs, thereby achieving reliable and efficient access for the user terminal.

[0116] Example 2

[0117] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of an access point association method based on a non-cellular network provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. After associating a user terminal with a target AP, this embodiment further includes generating an AP service list for the user terminal based on the association result, and saving the AP service list. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the method includes:

[0118] Step S201: Group the access points (APs) in the non-cellular network to generate multiple AP groups.

[0119] Optionally, the access points (APs) within the non-cellular network are grouped into multiple AP groups, including: obtaining the total number of access point APs and a synchronization grid table for the operating frequency band, wherein the synchronization grid table contains the correspondence between the total number of APs and the synchronization signal block (SSB) pattern; querying the synchronization grid table based on the total number of access point APs to obtain the corresponding synchronization signal block (SSB) pattern; determining the number of primary APs within the non-cellular network based on the synchronization signal block (SSB) pattern; and clustering the APs within the non-cellular network according to the number of primary APs to generate multiple AP groups.

[0120] In step S202, the main AP in the AP group sends a synchronization signal block (SSB) signal to the user terminal, and receives the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest reception power through all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located.

[0121] Optionally, the synchronization signal block (SSB) signal is sent to the user terminal through the master AP in the AP group, including: generating the synchronization signal block (SSB) signal according to the SSB pattern and the AP group; sending the synchronization signal block (SSB) signal to the user terminal through the master AP in the AP group; wherein the SSB signal contains the index of the sending master AP, AP Index.

[0122] Optionally, the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest received power is received from all APs in the AP group to which the user terminal is located. This includes receiving the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest received power and the PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship from all APs in the AP group to which the user terminal is located. The PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship includes the correspondence between the index of each master AP and the PRACH signal preamble.

[0123] The PRACH signal is generated by the user terminal by obtaining the AP Index from the SSB signal with the strongest received power, obtaining the available PRACH signal preamble from the PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship based on the AP Index, and generating the PRACH signal preamble.

[0124] Step S203: Locate the user terminal based on the PRACH signal and obtain the location information of the user terminal.

[0125] Optionally, the user terminal is located based on the PRACH signal to obtain the user terminal's location information, including: calculating the transmission delay, transmission input angle, and signal strength based on the PRACH signal; locating the user terminal based on the transmission delay and transmission input angle to obtain the user terminal's location information; or, locating the user terminal based on the signal strength to obtain the user terminal's location information.

[0126] Step S204: Determine the target AP from the APs based on the strength and location information of the PRACH signal, and associate the user terminal with the target AP.

[0127] Optionally, the target AP is determined from the APs based on the strength and location information of the PRACH signal, and the user terminal is associated with the target AP, including: selecting the first type of AP from the AP group where the user terminal is not located based on the location information; and selecting the second type of AP from the AP group where the user terminal is located based on the strength of the PRACH signal received by all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located.

[0128] Use the first and second type APs as target APs; associate user terminals with target APs.

[0129] Step 205: Generate an AP service list for the user terminal based on the association results, and save the AP service list.

[0130] Specifically, in this embodiment, after associating the user terminal with the target AP, an AP service list is generated based on the association result. For example, if UE1 is associated with primary AP1, AP1-1 and AP1-2 which are in the same AP group as primary AP1, and AP2-1 which is in the same AP group as primary AP2, then the AP service list for UE1 shown in Table 3 below can be generated:

[0131] Table 3

[0132]

[0133] Of course, this embodiment only uses UE1 as an example. The method for obtaining the AP service list of other terminals is roughly the same, and will not be described in detail here. After obtaining the AP service list of the user terminal, the base station will save the AP service list. Thus, when it is necessary to interact with the user terminal, it can directly determine the AP by querying the AP service list and interact with the user terminal through the determined AP.

[0134] In this implementation, access points (APs) within the non-cellular network are grouped, and the primary and secondary APs within each AP group interact with the user terminal to obtain the user terminal's location information. Based on the PRACH signal strength received by all APs in the user terminal's AP group and the user terminal's location information, a target AP compatible with the user terminal is identified and associated with it, thereby achieving reliable and efficient user access. Furthermore, an AP service list for the user terminal is generated based on the association results and saved. This allows for subsequent information exchange with the user terminal by directly querying the AP service list and interacting with the user terminal through the identified AP, thus improving the efficiency of information exchange.

[0135] Example 3

[0136] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an access point association device based on a non-cellular network, provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Figure 8 As shown, the device includes: an AP packet module 310, a signal transmission module 320, a positioning module 330, and an AP association module 340.

[0137] The AP grouping module 310 is used to group access points (APs) in the non-cellular network to generate multiple AP groups, wherein each AP group contains one main AP and at least two sub-APs.

[0138] The signal transmission module 320 is used to send the synchronization signal block SSB signal to the user terminal through the main AP in the AP group, and to receive the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest reception power through all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located.

[0139] The positioning module 330 is used to locate the user terminal based on the PRACH signal and obtain the location information of the user terminal.

[0140] AP association module 340 is used to determine the target AP from among the APs based on the strength and location information of the PRACH signal, and associate the user terminal with the target AP.

[0141] Optionally, the AP grouping module is used to obtain the total number of access points (APs) and the operating frequency band synchronization grid table, wherein the operating frequency band synchronization grid table contains the correspondence between the total number of APs and the synchronization signal block (SSB) pattern.

[0142] Based on the total number of access points (APs), the corresponding synchronization signal block (SSB) pattern is obtained by querying the synchronization grid table of the working frequency band.

[0143] The number of primary access points in the non-cellular network is determined based on the synchronization signal block (SSB) pattern.

[0144] The access points (APs) in the non-cellular network are clustered according to the number of primary APs to generate multiple AP groups.

[0145] Optionally, the device also includes a master AP determination module for determining the AP located at the center within each AP group;

[0146] The AP located at the center is designated as the primary AP in each AP group, and the remaining APs in each AP group after removing the primary AP are designated as child APs.

[0147] or,

[0148] Obtain the primary AP circular queue corresponding to each AP group, where the primary AP circular queue contains the candidate primary APs in each AP group;

[0149] The leading AP in the main AP circular queue is switched at a specified period.

[0150] The first AP in the queue is designated as the primary AP of the AP group, and the remaining APs in each AP group after removing the primary AP are designated as child APs.

[0151] Optionally, a signal transmission module is used to generate a synchronization signal block SSB signal based on the SSB pattern and AP group;

[0152] The main AP in the AP group sends a synchronization signal block (SSB) signal to the user terminal.

[0153] The SSB signal contains the AP Index of the sending master AP.

[0154] Optionally, the signal transmission module is also used to receive, through all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located, the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest received power and the PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship. The PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship includes the correspondence between the AP Index of each master AP and the PRACH signal preamble.

[0155] The PRACH signal is generated by the user terminal by obtaining the AP Index from the SSB signal with the strongest received power, obtaining the available PRACH signal preamble from the PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship based on the AP Index, and generating the PRACH signal preamble.

[0156] Optional, a positioning module for calculating the transmission delay and input angle based on the PRACH signal;

[0157] The user terminal is located based on the transmission delay and the transmission angle to obtain the user terminal's location information;

[0158] Alternatively, the signal strength can be calculated based on the PRACH signal, and the user terminal can be located based on the signal strength to obtain the user terminal's location information.

[0159] Optionally, the AP association module includes: a first type of AP determination submodule, used to filter out the first type of APs from the AP group where the user terminal is located based on location information;

[0160] The second type of AP determination submodule is used to filter out the second type of APs from the AP group where the user terminal is located based on the strength of the PRACH signal received by all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located.

[0161] The AP association submodule is used to identify the first type of AP and the second type of AP as target APs.

[0162] Associate the user terminal with the target AP.

[0163] Optionally, the first type of AP determination submodule is used to obtain the transmission distance threshold according to the first specified rule; determine the distance between each AP in the AP group where the non-user terminal is located and the user terminal according to the location information; and identify APs whose distance is less than the transmission distance threshold as the first type of AP.

[0164] Optionally, the second type of AP determination submodule is used to obtain a signal strength threshold according to a second specified rule; obtain the strength of the PRACH signal received by all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located; and identify APs whose PRACH signal strength is greater than the signal strength threshold as the second type of AP.

[0165] Optionally, the device also includes an AP service list storage module, used to generate an AP service list for the user terminal based on the association results, wherein the AP service list contains the target AP;

[0166] Save the AP service list.

[0167] The access point association device based on non-cellular networks provided in this embodiment of the invention can execute the access point association method based on non-cellular networks provided in any embodiment of the invention, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of the method execution.

[0168] Example 4

[0169] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a base station 10 that can be used to implement embodiments of the present invention is shown. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processors, cellular phones, smartphones, wearable devices (e.g., helmets, glasses, watches, etc.), and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the implementation of the invention described and / or claimed herein.

[0170] like Figure 9 As shown, base station 10 includes at least one processor 11 and a memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) 12, random access memory (RAM) 13, etc., communicatively connected to at least one processor 11. The memory stores computer programs executable by at least one processor. The processor 11 can perform various appropriate actions and processes based on the computer program stored in the ROM 12 or loaded from storage unit 18 into the RAM 13. The RAM 13 can also store various programs and data required for the operation of base station 10. The processor 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via bus 14. Input / output (I / O) interface 15 is also connected to bus 14.

[0171] Multiple components in base station 10 are connected to I / O interface 15, including: input unit 16, such as keyboard, mouse, etc.; output unit 17, such as various types of displays, speakers, etc.; storage unit 18, such as disk, optical disk, etc.; and communication unit 19, such as network card, modem, wireless transceiver, etc. Communication unit 19 allows base station 10 to exchange information / data with other devices through computer networks such as the Internet and / or various telecommunications networks.

[0172] Processor 11 can be a variety of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of processor 11 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various special-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various processors running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. Processor 11 performs the various methods and processes described above, such as access point association methods based on non-cellular networks.

[0173] In some embodiments, the non-cellular access point association method can be implemented as a computer program tangibly contained in a computer-readable storage medium, such as storage unit 18. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed on base station 10 via ROM 12 and / or communication unit 19. When the computer program is loaded into RAM 13 and executed by processor 11, one or more steps of the non-cellular access point association method described above can be performed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, processor 11 can be configured to perform the non-cellular access point association method by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).

[0174] Various embodiments of the systems and techniques described above herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, integrated circuit systems, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), payload-programmable logic devices (CPLDs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various embodiments may include implementations in one or more computer programs that can be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be a dedicated or general-purpose programmable processor, capable of receiving data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and transmitting data and instructions to the storage system, the at least one input device, and the at least one output device.

[0175] Computer programs used to implement the methods of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These computer programs may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, such that when executed by the processor, the computer programs cause the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be performed. The computer programs may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, or as a standalone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0176] In the context of this invention, a computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible medium that may contain or store a computer program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. Alternatively, a computer-readable storage medium may be a machine-readable signal medium. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include electrical connections based on one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0177] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on an electronic device having: a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user; and a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user provides input to the electronic device. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form (including sound input, voice input, or tactile input).

[0178] The systems and technologies described herein can be implemented in computing systems that include backend components (e.g., as data servers), or computing systems that include middleware components (e.g., application servers), or computing systems that include frontend components (e.g., user computers with graphical user interfaces or web browsers through which users can interact with implementations of the systems and technologies described herein), or any combination of such backend, middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can be interconnected via digital data communication of any form or medium (e.g., communication networks). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), blockchain networks, and the Internet.

[0179] A computing system can include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally located far apart and typically interact through communication networks. The client-server relationship is created by computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship with each other. The server can be a cloud server, also known as a cloud computing server or cloud host, which is a hosting product within the cloud computing service system to address the shortcomings of traditional physical hosts and VPS services, such as high management difficulty and weak business scalability.

[0180] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used, with steps reordered, added, or deleted. For example, the steps described in this invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution of this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0181] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. An access point association method based on non-cellular networks, applied to a base station, characterized in that, The method comprises: grouping access points (APs) in a cell-free network into a plurality of AP groups, wherein each AP group comprises one master AP and at least two slave APs; sending, by the master AP in the AP group, a synchronization signal block (SSB) signal to a user terminal, and receiving, by all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located, a PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest received power; locating the user terminal according to the PRACH signal to obtain location information of the user terminal; determining a target AP from the APs according to the strength of the PRACH signal and the location information, and associating the user terminal with the target AP; the grouping of the APs in the cell-free network into the plurality of AP groups comprises: obtaining a total number of APs and a working frequency band synchronization raster table, wherein the working frequency band synchronization raster table comprises a correspondence between the total number of APs and a synchronization signal block (SSB) pattern; querying the working frequency band synchronization raster table according to the total number of APs to obtain a corresponding SSB pattern; determining a number of master APs in the cell-free network according to the SSB pattern; clustering the APs in the cell-free network according to the number of master APs to generate the plurality of AP groups.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: determining an AP located at a center position in each AP group; taking the AP located at the center position as the master AP in each AP group, and taking the remaining APs in each AP group except the master AP as the slave APs; alternatively, obtaining a master AP cyclic queue corresponding to each AP group, wherein the master AP cyclic queue comprises a candidate master AP in each AP group; switching the AP at the head of the master AP cyclic queue at a specified period; taking the AP at the head of the master AP cyclic queue as the master AP of the AP group, and taking the remaining APs in each AP group except the master AP as the slave APs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The sending, by the master AP in the AP group, of the SSB signal to the user terminal comprises: generating the SSB signal according to the SSB pattern and the AP group; sending, by the master AP in the AP group, the SSB signal to the user terminal; wherein the SSB signal comprises an index AP Index of the sending master AP.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The receiving, by all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located, of the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest received power comprises: receiving, by all APs in the AP group where the user terminal is located, the PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB signal with the strongest received power and a PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship, wherein the PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship comprises a correspondence between an index AP Index of each master AP and a PRACH signal preamble, The PRACH signal is generated based on a PRACH signal preamble according to the AP Index obtained from a PRACH signal preamble mapping relationship.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The positioning of the user terminal according to the PRACH signal comprises: calculating a transmission time delay and a transmission angle of incidence according to the PRACH signal; positioning the user terminal according to the transmission time delay and the transmission angle of incidence to obtain the position information of the user terminal; or, calculating a signal strength according to the PRACH signal, and positioning the user terminal according to the signal strength to obtain the position information of the user terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, The target AP is determined from the AP according to the strength of the PRACH signal and the position information, and the user terminal is associated with the target AP, comprising: filtering a first type of AP from a group of APs in which the user terminal is not located according to the position information; filtering a second type of AP from the group of APs in which the user terminal is located according to the strength of the PRACH signal received by all APs in the group of APs in which the user terminal is located; taking the first type of AP and the second type of AP as the target AP; associating the user terminal with the target AP.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The filtering of the first type of AP from the group of APs in which the user terminal is not located according to the position information comprises: obtaining a transmission distance threshold value according to a first specified rule; determining the distance between each AP in the group of APs in which the user terminal is not located and the user terminal according to the position information; taking the APs whose distance is less than the transmission distance threshold value as the first type of AP.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein, The filtering of the second type of AP from the group of APs in which the user terminal is located according to the strength of the PRACH signal received by all APs in the group of APs in which the user terminal is located comprises: obtaining a signal strength threshold value according to a second specified rule; obtaining the strength of the PRACH signal received by all APs in the group of APs in which the user terminal is located; taking the APs whose strength of the PRACH signal is greater than the signal strength threshold value as the second type of AP.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein, After the association of the user terminal with the target AP, the method further comprises: generating an AP service list for the user terminal according to the association result, wherein the AP service list contains the target AP; saving the AP service list.

10. An access point association device based on a non-cellular network, characterized in that, The method comprises: an AP grouping module for grouping access points (APs) in a cell-free network to generate a plurality of AP groups, wherein each AP group contains one master AP and at least two sub-APs; a signal transmission module for transmitting a synchronization signal block (SSB) to a user terminal through a master AP in an AP group, and receiving a PRACH signal fed back by the user terminal based on the SSB with the strongest received power through all APs in the AP group in which the user terminal is located; A positioning module is configured to position the user terminal according to the PRACH signal and obtain position information of the user terminal; An AP association module is configured to determine a target AP from the APs according to the strength of the PRACH signal and the position information, and associate the user terminal with the target AP; The AP grouping module is configured to obtain a total number of access points (APs) and a working frequency band synchronization raster table, wherein the working frequency band synchronization raster table contains a corresponding relationship between the total number of APs and a synchronization signal block (SSB) pattern; The working frequency band synchronization raster table is queried according to the total number of APs to obtain a corresponding SSB pattern; The number of master APs in the cell-free network is determined according to the SSB pattern; The APs in the cell-free network are clustered according to the number of master APs to generate a plurality of AP groups.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The device further includes a master AP determination module configured to determine an AP at a central position in each AP group; The AP at the central position is taken as a master AP in each AP group, and the remaining APs in each AP group except the master AP are taken as sub-APs. Alternatively, A master AP cyclic queue corresponding to each AP group is obtained, wherein the master AP cyclic queue contains a candidate master AP in each AP group; The head AP of the master AP cyclic queue is switched at a specified period; The head AP is taken as a master AP of the AP group, and the remaining APs in each AP group except the master AP are taken as sub-APs.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The positioning module is configured to calculate a transmission delay and a transmission angle of arrival (AoA) according to the PRACH signal; The user terminal is positioned according to the transmission delay and the transmission AoA to obtain position information of the user terminal; Alternatively, a signal strength is calculated according to the PRACH signal, and the user terminal is positioned according to the signal strength to obtain position information of the user terminal.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The AP association module is configured to filter a first type of AP from an AP group in which the user terminal is located according to the position information; A second type of AP is filtered from the AP group in which the user terminal is located according to the strength of the PRACH signal received by all APs in the AP group in which the user terminal is located; The first type of AP and the second type of AP are taken as the target AP; The user terminal is associated with the target AP.

14. A base station, characterized by The base station includes: at least one processor; and a memory connected to the at least one processor in communication; wherein The memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the at least one processor, and the computer program is executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to execute the method of any one of claims 1-9.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium stores computer instructions for enabling the processor to execute the method of any one of claims 1-9 when executed.

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