A method, system and device for coordinating signaling messages

Abstract

The application relates to the communication technical field, discloses a method, system and device for cooperatively sending signaling messages by a control node in wireless networking, which can reduce unnecessary competition and conflict and reduce waste of air interface resources. The method is that the control node sends a first indication message in a current period, the first indication message is used for cooperatively sending signaling messages by a first network node and a second network node; wherein the cooperation adopts any one of the following modes: simultaneous sending, a sending time interval less than a specified value, and a sending time interval greater than a time interval required by a signaling message sent in the previous time.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a method, system and device for cooperative signaling message transmission. BACKGROUND

[0002] Traditional wireless networking methods usually use a single router to achieve, but limited by the high frequency characteristics and transmit power of the router, it is difficult to achieve strong signal coverage. When there are obstacles, the wireless signal will be weaker, especially for large houses.

[0003] In order to expand the wireless network, there are multiple access points (APs) connected by wired or wireless methods to provide wireless network services together. For example, one wireless networking method is the AP controller (AC) + AP networking mode, where the AC is responsible for managing all APs. Another wireless networking method is the wireless mesh networking mode, where multiple nodes with the same status are connected by wired or wireless methods to form multiple paths.

[0004] However, as the demand for wireless networks increases, the number of APs in the wireless network is also increasing. Each AP will periodically or burstily send signaling messages (such as management frames, control frames, etc.). In the case of a large number of network nodes in the wireless network, since each network node needs to compete for the air interface to send signaling messages, it may cause unnecessary competition and conflict problems. SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a method, system and device for cooperative signaling message transmission, which can reduce unnecessary competition and conflict and reduce waste of air interface resources.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a method for cooperative signaling message transmission. The method includes: a control node sending a first indication message in a current period, the first indication message being used for cooperative signaling message transmission by a first network node and a second network node; wherein the cooperation adopts any of the following ways: simultaneous transmission, transmission time interval less than a specified value, transmission time interval greater than the time interval required for the signaling message transmitted in the previous time.

[0007] In the method, through management and control of the control node in the wireless networking, multiple network nodes can be cooperatively instructed by the control node to send signaling messages in an orderly manner. Compared with the manner in the related art that each network node needs to occupy air interface resources by means of contention to send signaling messages each time, the application can reduce unnecessary contention and conflict and reduce waste of air interface resources through cooperative instruction of the control node to multiple network nodes to send signaling messages.

[0008] In a possible design, the method further includes: when the control node receives signal strength of the second network node sent by the first network node, or receives signal strength of the first network node sent by the second network node; the control node determines that there is an overlap between signal coverage areas of the first network node and the second network node.

[0009] In this design, through determination of whether there is an overlap between signal coverage areas of network nodes, the control node can determine a manner of sending signaling messages by network nodes in a more accurate manner in combination with distribution of the signal coverage areas. For example, if there is no overlap between the first network node and the second network node, the control node can preferentially instruct in a cooperative manner to use a manner of simultaneous sending or a manner of sending time interval being less than a specified value, to reduce occupation of air interface resources. If there is an overlap between the first network node and the second network node, the control node can preferentially instruct in a cooperative manner to use a manner of sending time interval being greater than a sending time interval required for a signaling message sent in a previous time. In this way, through management and control of the control node, not only can unnecessary contention and conflict be reduced, but also waste of air interface resources can be reduced.

[0010] In a possible design, when the cooperation is the simultaneous sending, or the sending time interval is less than the specified value, the method further includes: the control node determines a sending power parameter of the first network node and the second network node in a next period; and the control node carries the sending power parameter in a first indication message sent in the next period; wherein the sending power parameter is used to indicate a sending power used by the first network node and the second network node to send a signaling message, and the sending power used in the next period is not completely same as sending power parameters used in multiple periods before the next period.

[0011] In this design, because there is an overlap between signal coverage areas of network nodes, there can be a problem that a terminal device cannot correctly parse a signaling message. Based on this, the control node can change power between two network nodes with an overlap between signal coverage areas, so that the overlap position has a dynamic change feature. Therefore, the problem that a terminal device cannot correctly parse a signaling message all the time when the terminal device is located at the overlap position can be reduced.

[0012] In a possible design, the transmission power of the first network node is original power, and the transmission power of the second network node is changed power, where the changed power includes increased power or decreased power; or the transmission power of the first network node is changed power, and the transmission power of the second network node is original power; or the transmission power of the first network node is original power, and the transmission power of the second network node is original power.

[0013] In this design, the power between the two network nodes with overlapping signal coverage areas is changed, so that the overlapping position has the characteristic of dynamic change. Therefore, the problem that the terminal device cannot correctly parse the signaling message when located at the overlapping position can be reduced.

[0014] In a possible design, the manner in which the first network node and the second network node transmit signaling messages in the current period is different from the manners in the plurality of periods before the current period.

[0015] In this design, because of the overlapping between the signal coverage areas of the network nodes, the terminal device cannot correctly parse the signaling message. Based on this, the control node can also change the manner in which the first network node and the second network node transmit signaling messages, to reduce the probability that the terminal device cannot correctly parse the signaling message.

[0016] In a possible design, the first indication message further includes a transmission mode indication parameter, where the transmission mode indication parameter is used to indicate that the first network node and the second network node transmit signaling messages or transmit signaling messages according to the channel contention mechanism; and the transmission mode corresponding to the transmission of signaling messages by the first network node and the second network node in the current period is different from the transmission modes corresponding to the transmission of signaling messages in the plurality of periods before the current period.

[0017] In this design, the control node can also indicate whether the network node needs to transmit signaling messages according to the channel contention mechanism, according to the actual situation of the wireless networking. For example, if there are many conflicts in the current period when the network nodes do not transmit signaling messages according to the channel contention mechanism according to the indication of the control node, the control node can instruct the network nodes to transmit signaling messages according to the indication and the channel contention mechanism in the next period. In this way, the signaling message cooperative transmission can be flexibly adjusted for various scenarios that may exist in the wireless networking, so that unnecessary contention and conflicts can be reduced, and the occupied time of the air interface resource can be reduced.

[0018] In a possible design, when the quantity of network nodes comprised in the wireless networking is greater than or equal to a preset quantity threshold, after the control node receives the signal strength of the second network node sent by the first network node or receives the signal strength of the first network node sent by the second network node, the method further includes: when the control node determines that the signal strength of the second network node sent by the first network node is greater than or equal to a preset signal strength threshold or determines that the signal strength of the first network node sent by the second network node is greater than or equal to the preset signal strength threshold, the control node determines that there is an overlap between the signal coverage areas of the first network node and the second network node.

[0019] In this design, in the scenario where the quantity of network nodes comprised in the wireless networking is large, there is usually more overlap between the signal coverage areas of the network nodes, thereby causing the control node to have a large amount of calculation. When there is an overlap between the signal coverage areas of the network nodes and the scanned signal strengths are greater, there is usually more interference when the signaling message is sent, and therefore this design can reduce the calculation amount of the control node by setting the preset signal strength threshold.

[0020] In a possible design, the method further includes: the control node sends a second indication message to the first network node and the second network node, where the second indication message is used to instruct the first network node and the second network node to send an enhanced message to the connected terminal device, and the second indication message comprises one or a combination of the following information: enhanced message type, enhanced message quantity, enhanced message sending time interval, and enhanced message sending rate; and the enhanced message is used to enhance the signal strength of the received signaling message by the connected terminal device.

[0021] In this design, the control node can also instruct the network nodes to send an enhanced message to the connected terminal, thereby avoiding the problem of signal strength deterioration caused by the terminal receiving multiple signaling messages sent by the network nodes.

[0022] In a possible design, the signaling message is a broadcast signaling message.

[0023] In this design, in the wireless networking, after the network nodes collectively send a broadcast signaling message to the terminal device in the wireless networking, in order to improve the signal strength of the terminal device, the control node instructs the network nodes to send an enhanced message to the connected terminal device, so as to realize the enhancement of the signal strength of the signaling message received by the terminal device from the connected network nodes.

[0024] In one possible design, if the control node sends the first indication message via broadcast, the first indication message includes: the identifier of the first network node, the transmission time of the signaling message of the first network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration, the identifier of the second network node, and the transmission time of the signaling message of the second network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration; if the control node sends the first indication message via unicast, the first indication message sent by the control node to the first network node includes: the identifier of the first network node, the transmission time of the signaling message of the first network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration, and the first indication message sent by the control node to the second network node includes: the identifier of the second network node, and the transmission time of the signaling message of the second network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration.

[0025] In this design, the control node can send the first indication message to the network node in multiple ways (broadcast or unicast), thereby meeting the collaborative indication needs in more scenarios. In specific implementation, the method by which the control node sends the first indication message can be determined according to the actual scenario.

[0026] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide another method for collaboratively sending signaling messages. The method includes: a first network node receiving a first indication message sent by the control node in the current period, the first indication message being used to coordinate the first network node and a second network node to send signaling messages; the first network node sending signaling messages according to the first indication message; wherein the coordination adopts any of the following methods: simultaneous sending, a sending time interval less than a specified value, or a sending time interval greater than the time interval required for the signaling message sent earlier.

[0027] In one possible design, the method further includes: the first network node detecting the signal strength of the second network node; the first network node sending the signal strength of the second network node to the control node, so that the control node determines that there is an overlap between the signal coverage areas of the first network node and the second network node.

[0028] In one possible design, when the coordination is simultaneous transmission or the transmission time interval is less than a specified value, the method further includes: the first network node determining the transmission power parameter of the first network node carried in the first indication message; wherein the transmission power parameter is used to indicate the transmission power used by the first network node and the second network node when transmitting signaling messages, and the transmission power used in the next cycle is not exactly the same as the transmission power parameters used in the previous multiple cycles; the first network node determines the transmission power used when transmitting signaling messages based on the transmission power parameter.

[0029] In one possible design, the first network node determines the transmission power used when sending signaling messages based on the transmission power parameters, including: the first network node determines the transmission power as the original power or a modified power based on the transmission power parameters, wherein the modified power includes increasing the power or decreasing the power.

[0030] In one possible design, the first indication message further includes a transmission mode indication parameter, which is used to instruct the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages or to send signaling messages according to a channel contention mechanism; wherein the transmission mode corresponding to the first network node and the second network node sending signaling messages in the current period is not exactly the same as the transmission mode corresponding to the sending of signaling messages in the previous multiple periods.

[0031] In one possible design, the method further includes: the first network node receiving a second indication message sent by the control node, the second indication message containing one or a combination of the following information: enhanced message type, enhanced message quantity, enhanced message transmission time interval, and enhanced message transmission rate; wherein the enhanced message is used by the connected terminal device to enhance the signal strength of the received signaling message; the first network node sends the enhanced message to the connected terminal device according to the second indication message.

[0032] In one possible design, the first network node sends an enhanced message to the connected terminal device according to the second indication message, including: the first network node detecting the connected terminals and the transmission status of the enhanced message; and sending the enhanced message to the connected terminal that meets preset detection conditions according to the second indication message; wherein the preset detection conditions include, but are not limited to, one or a combination of the following conditions:

[0033] (1) The traffic of the connected terminal is less than or equal to the preset traffic threshold;

[0034] (2) The number of enhanced messages sent in the current preset period is less than or equal to the preset number threshold;

[0035] (3) The connected terminal is in a non-sleep state;

[0036] (4) The connected terminal does not have energy-saving requirements;

[0037] (5) The number of queues for enhanced message sending is less than the queuing threshold.

[0038] In this design, after receiving the instruction message from the control node to send an enhanced message, the network node can also send the enhanced message based on the actual situation of the connected terminal device. This allows the energy-saving needs of the terminal device and the sending status of the enhanced message to be taken into account, thus ensuring the needs of various scenarios.

[0039] In one possible design, the signaling message is a broadcast signaling message.

[0040] In one possible design, when the first indication message is a broadcast message, the first indication message includes: the identifier of the first network node, the transmission time of the signaling message of the first network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration, the identifier of the second network node, and the transmission time of the signaling message of the second network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration; when the first indication message is a unicast message, the first indication message includes: the identifier of the first network node, and the transmission time of the signaling message of the first network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration.

[0041] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a collaborative system for collaboratively sending signaling messages. The system includes a control node, a first network node, and a second network node. The control node can execute the method provided in any possible design of the first aspect above, the first network node can execute the method provided in any possible design of the second aspect above, and the method executed by the second network node can refer to the method executed by the first network node in any possible design of the second aspect.

[0042] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide an apparatus for collaboratively sending signaling messages, the apparatus comprising a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The functions performed by the transceiver unit and the processing unit may correspond to the steps of the control node involved in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect described above.

[0043] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide an apparatus for collaboratively sending signaling messages, the apparatus comprising a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The functions performed by the transceiver unit and the processing unit may correspond to the steps performed by the first network node in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0044] Sixthly, embodiments of this application also provide a network device, the network device including one or more processors and a memory, the memory being coupled to the processor, the memory storing computer program code, the computer program code including computer instructions. The processor executes the computer instructions in the memory to perform the methods provided in any possible design of the first aspect above. Optionally, the network device may also include a display screen. The display screen is used to display information to a user upon triggering by the processor. Optionally, the network device further includes a communication interface, the processor being coupled to the communication interface. The communication interface may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; when the network device is a chip included in the network device, the communication interface may be the chip's input / output interface. Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, and the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0045] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a network device, the network device including one or more processors and a memory, the memory being coupled to the processor, the memory storing computer program code, the computer program code including computer instructions. The processor executes the computer instructions in the memory to perform the methods provided in any possible design of the second aspect above. Optionally, the network device may further include a display screen. The display screen is used to display information to a user upon triggering by the processor. Optionally, the network device further includes a communication interface, the processor being coupled to the communication interface. The communication interface may be a transceiver or an input / output interface; when the network device is a chip included in the network device, the communication interface may be the chip's input / output interface. Optionally, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, and the input / output interface may be an input / output circuit.

[0046] Eighthly, embodiments of this application also provide a wireless networking system, including the network device as provided in the fifth aspect above, and at least one network device as provided in the sixth aspect above.

[0047] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a computer, enables the implementation of a method provided in any possible design of the first aspect, or enables the implementation of a method provided in any possible design of the second aspect.

[0048] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product comprising: computer program code, which, when executed by a processor of a network device, causes the network device to perform the method in any possible design of the first aspect, or causes the network device to perform the method in any possible design of the second aspect.

[0049] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application also provide a chip for reading and executing software programs stored in a memory to implement the method in any possible design of the first aspect above, or to implement the method in any possible design of the second aspect above. The memory may be connected to the chip, or the memory may be built into the chip.

[0050] For details on the beneficial effects of any of the second to eleventh aspects mentioned above, please refer to the beneficial effects of the various possible designs in the first aspect mentioned above; they will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0051] Figure 1 This is one of the schematic diagrams of a wireless local area network provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 2 A second schematic diagram of a wireless local area network scenario provided in this application embodiment;

[0053] Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrating a scenario where a terminal device receives signaling messages, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0054] Figure 4 The third schematic diagram of a wireless local area network scenario provided in this application embodiment;

[0055] Figure 5 One of the interactive schematic diagrams of a method for collaboratively sending signaling messages provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 6 This is the second interactive schematic diagram of a method for collaboratively sending signaling messages provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a network node group provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a collaborative scenario provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 9a One of the scenario diagrams illustrating a transmission mode provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 9b A second schematic diagram illustrating a transmission mode provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 10 This is an example diagram illustrating a first instruction message as shown in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 11An example diagram illustrating a second instruction message as shown in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 12 The third interactive schematic diagram of a method for collaboratively sending signaling messages provided in this application embodiment;

[0064] Figure 13 A flowchart illustrating a method for collaboratively sending signaling messages, provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device for collaboratively sending signaling messages according to an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of another apparatus for collaboratively sending signaling messages in an embodiment of this application;

[0067] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0068] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to the field of wireless communication, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) communication systems that use wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology.

[0069] See Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a wireless local area network (WLAN) scenario provided by an embodiment of this application. In this WLAN, the wireless network can be extended primarily through an AC+AP wireless networking mode. The WLAN may include: AC 101, multiple APs (such as...) Figure 1 The diagram shows AP 102a and AP 102b, and the multiple stations (STAs) connected to each AP (e.g., AP 102a and AP 102b). Figure 1 The diagram shows STA 103a connected to AP 102a, STA 103b connected to AP 102b, and STA 103c connected to AP 102c. Additionally, the wireless LAN may also include a switch 104 (e.g., a gateway switch) and a router 105; or it may include other network nodes. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the wireless network.

[0070] In a wireless LAN, the Access Control (AC) is responsible for aggregating data from different Access Points (APs) and connecting it to the communication network. It also manages AP configuration, wireless user authentication, management, broadband access, and security. An Access Point (AP) is a wireless device that provides wireless access and data access, allowing other wireless devices in the WLAN to connect. A Targeting Station (STA) is a wireless terminal device that connects to the AP, including mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, and wireless terminal devices in smart homes. Switches in this WLAN enable message exchange between the AC and APs, allowing network interconnection at the network layer and above. Routers are used for interconnection between this WLAN and the Internet and wide area networks (WANs) for information transmission.

[0071] See Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another wireless local area network (WLAN) scenario provided in an embodiment of this application. In this WLAN, the wireless network can be extended primarily through a wireless mesh network, which can also be called a multi-hop network. The WLAN may include: a mesh gateway 201, a mesh router 202, mesh clients 203 accessing any mesh router 202, or a smaller WLAN (such as...). Figure 2 The AP 102b shown is connected to one of the mesh routers 202. Mesh gateway 201 represents a router with gateway / bridge functionality; mesh routers 202 can be interconnected to form multiple transmission paths.

[0072] It should be noted that, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The examples shown are only optional implementations of wireless networking, and this application does not limit the specific implementation of wireless networking.

[0073] As described in the background section, in Wi-Fi technology, wireless devices such as STAs and APs (Access Points) occupy air interface resources to send or receive signals and data over the air. However, with increasing demands on wireless networks, the number of APs within a wireless network is also increasing. Each AP periodically or burstily sends signaling messages (also called "signaling frames," which can be management frames, control frames, etc.). When there are many network nodes in a wireless network, the need for each node to compete for air interface space to send signaling messages can lead to unnecessary contention and conflicts.

[0074] For example, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario where a terminal device receives signaling messages according to an embodiment of this application. In current wireless networking, before sending a signaling message, the AP first listens to the air interface status. If it detects that the air interface has been idle for a continuous period of time, it will perform random backoff. However, during the random backoff process, two or more APs may send messages at the same time after performing random backoff, leading to a conflict problem. Figure 3 In the example of the second signaling cycle, when the terminal device (which may also be referred to as "terminal" in the following embodiments) receives signaling messages, there is a conflict problem in which it cannot correctly receive the signaling messages from the two APs because it receives signaling messages from two APs at the same time.

[0075] Furthermore, in wireless LANs, a lower modulation and coding order is typically used to ensure that STAs can correctly receive signaling messages, resulting in a longer air interface time when sending signaling messages. Moreover, the more APs there are in a wireless LAN, the longer the total air interface time is spent sending signaling messages in the wireless network.

[0076] Currently, in wireless local area networks (WLANs), there are technologies that involve the rational planning of access point (AP) deployment through network planning. Furthermore, within WLANs configured using these technologies, signaling message transmission is controlled and managed. For example, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another scenario of a wireless local area network (WLAN) provided in an embodiment of this application. In this WLAN, some access points (APs) in areas with better signal coverage are selected to send signaling messages, while other APs do not send signaling messages. For example, in... Figure 4Within the area defined by the dashed ellipse, AP 102a sends signaling messages, while AP 102b does not. This reduces the total number of signaling messages sent in the wireless network, thereby reducing the total time spent on the air interface. However, in reality, wireless LANs typically lack network planning, making it difficult to effectively manage signaling messages using this technical solution. Furthermore, the fact that some APs do not send signaling messages may cause them to be stored in their corresponding coverage areas, affecting the reception of signaling messages, for example... Figure 4 Signaling messages may not be received in the elliptical region outside the coverage area corresponding to AP 102a.

[0077] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a method for collaboratively sending signaling messages. By using a control node in a wireless network to coordinate the sending of signaling messages by various network nodes within the network, unnecessary contention and conflicts can be reduced, thus minimizing the waste of air interface resources. Furthermore, this method enables multiple network nodes to send signaling messages simultaneously, thereby reducing air interface occupancy time.

[0078] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0079] See Figure 5 This is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a method for collaboratively sending signaling messages provided in an embodiment of this application. This method is applicable to wireless networks comprising a control node and multiple network nodes. The control node can be, for example, a... Figure 1 AC in, or can also be Figure 2 Any mesh router, etc. Network nodes can be, for example, any mesh router. Figure 1 The AP (e.g., the first network node is) in the middle Figure 1 AP 102a and the second network node are Figure 1 AP 102b in the document, or it can also be for Figure 2 The mesh router in this application. It should be noted that this embodiment does not limit the specific types and numbers of control nodes and network nodes, or the specific form of wireless networking. For ease of understanding, the following embodiments use an AC+AP wireless networking method, with the control node being an AC and the network node being an AP, as examples.

[0080] S501. The control node sends a first indication message in the current period (also referred to as the "signaling period" in this embodiment). The first indication message is used to coordinate the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages. For example, the control node can coordinate the sending of signaling messages to network nodes based on at least one of the following: its default configuration (e.g., default configuration to coordinate the first and second network nodes in one coordination mode, or the first and third network nodes in another coordination mode), the busy status of the air interface (e.g., if the air interface is busy, multiple network nodes can be coordinated to send simultaneously; conversely, if the air interface is idle, network nodes can be coordinated to send sequentially), the distribution of network nodes in the wireless network, and the signal strength of network nodes. This application does not specifically limit this. It should be noted that this embodiment uses the first and second network nodes as examples to illustrate the method of coordinated signaling message sending provided by this application. When there are more network nodes in the wireless network, the coordination methods between other network nodes can be referred to the methods used to coordinate the first and second network nodes, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0081] The collaboration can be achieved in any of the following ways:

[0082] Method 1: Simultaneous Transmission. For example, in a wireless network scenario where network nodes have high-precision clock synchronization, the control node can instruct the transmission times of the first and second network nodes. For instance, the AC instructs AP102a to send a signaling message at 08:00, and can also instruct it to send periodically at 5-minute intervals. Similarly, the AC instructs AP102b to also send a signaling message at 08:00, and also instructs it to send periodically at 5-minute intervals. This method of coordinating AP102a and AP102b to send signaling messages is called simultaneous transmission. Another example: if the network nodes in the wireless network do not have high-precision clock synchronization, the control node can also instruct the transmission delay times of the first and second network nodes. For example, the AC instructs AP102a to have a delay of 5 seconds, and then instructs AP102b to have a delay of 4 seconds one second later. This example can also achieve simultaneous transmission of AP102a and AP102b.

[0083] Method 2: Transmission time interval less than a specified value. In this method, it is not necessary to restrict the first and second network nodes to send signaling messages at the same time; a certain transmission time interval is allowed. For example, the transmission time of the first and second network nodes sending signaling messages may be less than the frame header length of the signaling frame, allowing for a certain overlap.

[0084] Method 3: The transmission time interval is greater than the time interval required for the signaling message sent earlier. In this method, the first network node and the second network node send signaling messages sequentially. This avoids conflicts when the first and second network nodes send signaling messages. Optionally, the control node can instruct the first and second network nodes to send signaling messages according to the channel contention mechanism; that is, the first or second network node sends the signaling message only after it has secured the air interface.

[0085] It should be noted that in methods two and three above, this application does not limit the order in which the control node instructs the first network node and the second network node to send signals, and this order can be determined according to the actual scenario. Optionally, the control node may instruct the first network node to send signaling messages before the second network node; or, it may instruct the first network node to send signaling messages after the second network node; or, the control node may instruct the first network node to send signaling messages before the second network node in the current cycle, and instruct the first network node to send signaling messages after the second network node in the next cycle. This application does not limit this.

[0086] Furthermore, in the implementation of this application, the control node sending the first indication message to the first network node and the second network node can be implemented in various ways, such as unicast, multicast, or broadcast. For example, if the control node uses unicast, S501 may include S501a and S501b. S501a may be the control node sending indication message 1 to the first network node in the current period. Indication message 1 contains an indication from the control node to the first network node to send a signaling message, such as the identifier of the first network node and the transmission time of the signaling message of the first network node determined by the control node according to the coordination. S501b may be the control node sending indication message 2 to the second network node in the current period. Indication message 2 contains an indication from the control node to the second network node to send a signaling message, such as the identifier of the second network node and the transmission time of the signaling message of the second network node determined by the control node according to the coordination. Indication message 1 and indication message 2 are used by the control node to coordinate the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages. In another example, if the control node uses multicast or broadcast, the first instruction message may include instructions from the control node to the first network node and instructions to the second network node. For example, it may include the identifier of the first network node, the transmission time of the signaling message of the first network node determined by the control node according to the coordination, the identifier of the second network node, and the transmission time of the signaling message of the second network node determined by the control node according to the coordination. In this way, the first network node or the second network node can determine its own transmission time from the first instruction message.

[0087] S502a, The first network node sends a signaling message according to the received first instruction message.

[0088] S502b: The second network node sends a signaling message based on the received first instruction message.

[0089] In this method, the control node in the wireless network manages and controls multiple network nodes to send signaling messages in an orderly manner according to the control node's instructions. Compared to related technologies where each network node needs to compete for air interface resources to send a signaling message each time, this application can reduce unnecessary competition and conflicts and reduce the waste of air interface resources by having the control node coordinate the sending of signaling messages by multiple network nodes.

[0090] It should be noted that in scenarios using methods one and two, interference from signal overlap between network nodes may occur, potentially leading to signaling message reception conflicts at the terminal device due to the presence of overlapping coverage areas.

[0091] In one optional embodiment, the control node may use a method different from the method used in previous cycles when coordinating the first and second network nodes to send signaling messages in the current cycle. For example, the AC may control AP 102a and AP102b to use method one above to coordinate the first and second network nodes to send signaling messages in cycles 1 and 2, method two above to coordinate the first and second network nodes to send signaling messages in cycles 3 and 4, and method three above to coordinate the first and second network nodes to send signaling messages in cycles 5 and 6. In this way, by changing the method used by the coordinating network nodes to send signaling messages, the waste of air interface resources can be reduced in scenarios where signaling message reception conflicts are minimized. For example, AP 102a, AP 102b, and AP102c each require 1 second of air interface resources to send signaling messages. If only method three (such as the channel contention mechanism in related technologies) is used to send signaling messages, at least 3 seconds of air interface resources will be required in total. However, in the scenario using method one, only 1 second of air interface resources is required, and in the scenario using method two, the cumulative time of air interface resource occupation is also less than 3 seconds. Therefore, the cumulative occupation time of air interface resources can be reduced, which means that the waste of air interface resources can be reduced.

[0092] In another optional embodiment, the control node can also set the power parameters of the first network node and the second network node to realize the dynamic change of the overlapping coverage area between the network nodes, thereby solving the signaling message conflict problem that may exist when the first network node and the second network node send signaling messages in coordination using the above methods one and two.

[0093] The following is passed Figure 6 The implementation method of this embodiment will be described below. This embodiment can be mainly divided into three parts, including transmission power parameter calculation, signaling parameter distribution, and signaling cooperative transmission. These three parts will be introduced below.

[0094] (I) Calculation of Transmission Power Parameters

[0095] Step 601: The control node receives the signal strength of the second network node sent by the first network node, or receives the signal strength of the first network node sent by the second network node.

[0096] For example, in combination Figure 1 As shown, the first network node (assumed to be AP 102a) can obtain the signal strength between itself and one or more other APs in the wireless network through active or passive scanning. Let's assume it obtains the signal strength of the second network node (assumed to be AP 102b). Then, AP 102a can send the obtained signal strength information from AP 102b to the control node (AC 101) in any form. It can be understood that the form in which AP 102a sends the signal strength information can be pre-set; and its form can be, for example, a signal strength matrix (e.g., each row of the matrix can correspond to an AP, and each column can also correspond to an AP; at a certain position in the matrix, it can represent the signal strength detected by the AP corresponding to the row of the matrix corresponding to the AP corresponding to the column of the matrix at that position), a signal strength list (e.g., the list can contain signal strength information of other APs that the AP can detect), etc. Similarly, AP 102b can also obtain the signal strength information of AP 102a and send it to AC 101.

[0097] In this application, AC 101 can instruct APs to send signal strength information; APs can also be pre-configured to periodically and proactively send signal strength information to AC 101, and this application does not limit this. Furthermore, in a wireless network, all APs can send signal strength information to AC 101, or only some APs can send signal strength information to AC 101; alternatively, in a wireless network, different AP groups can be set up, with some AP groups containing APs that send signal strength information to AC 101, etc.

[0098] Step 602: Based on the information received in step 601, the control node determines that there is an overlap between the signal coverage areas of the first network node and the second network node.

[0099] For example, assuming AC 101 can obtain the signal strength information sent by AP 102a, AP 102b and AP 102c respectively, AC 101 can make pairwise judgments on the APs to determine whether there is overlap in the signal coverage areas between the APs.

[0100] Optionally, if the signal strength information sent by the first network node includes the signal strength of the second network node, or the signal strength information sent by the second network node includes the signal strength of the first network node, the control node can determine that there is an overlap between the signal coverage areas of the first network node and the second network node. For example, if the signal strength information sent by AP 102a includes the signal strength of AP 102c, then AC 101 can determine that there is an overlap between the signal coverage areas of AP 102a and AP 102b; while if the signal strength information sent by AP 102a does not include the signal strength of AP 102c, then AC 101 can determine that there is no overlap between the signal coverage areas of AP 102a and AP 102c.

[0101] Alternatively, in scenarios involving a large number of network nodes in a wireless network, the signal coverage areas of these nodes often overlap, leading to a significant computational burden on the control node. In this application, when the number of network nodes in the wireless network is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the control node, after receiving the signal strength of the second network node transmitted by the first network node, or receiving the signal strength of the first network node transmitted by the second network node, can further determine whether the signal strength of the second network node transmitted by the first network node is greater than or equal to the preset signal strength threshold, or vice versa. This determines an overlap between the signal coverage areas of the first and second network nodes. It is understood that when the signal coverage areas of network nodes overlap, and the higher the signal strength detected by each node, the greater the interference when sending signaling messages. Therefore, setting a preset signal strength threshold can reduce the computational burden on the control node. It should be noted that the preset signal strength threshold can be pre-set, determined based on historical experience, etc., and this application does not limit its implementation in this regard.

[0102] In the above example, the overlap between signal coverage areas indicates that at a certain location, the STA can simultaneously receive signaling messages from two APs, and the power of the signaling messages from the two APs is the same (in this embodiment, the location that meets this condition can be defined as an "overlapping coverage area," and the two APs with overlapping coverage areas can be defined as "overlapping APs"), thus causing the STA to be unable to correctly receive the signaling messages. For example, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a network node group provided in an embodiment of this application. There are three overlapping coverage areas between AP 101a and AP 102b, namely overlapping coverage area 1, overlapping coverage area 2, and overlapping coverage area 3. If a STA is located in any of these overlapping coverage areas and simultaneously receives signaling messages from both AP 102a and AP 102b, there is a problem of not being able to correctly distinguish between the signaling messages originating from AP 102a and AP 102b respectively.

[0103] Based on the information described in step 602, since there may be overlapping coverage areas between APs, there is a possibility that STAs may be unable to correctly parse signaling messages. Therefore, in this application, the AC can configure the power of the two overlapping APs to vary, thereby enabling the overlapping coverage area between the APs to dynamically change. This reduces the problem of STAs being unable to correctly parse signaling messages when located in the overlapping coverage area.

[0104] Step 603: The control node determines the transmission power parameters of the first network node and the second network node in the next cycle; wherein, the transmission power parameters are used to indicate the transmission power used by the first network node and the second network node when transmitting signaling messages, and the transmission power used in the next cycle is not exactly the same as the transmission power parameters used in the previous multiple cycles.

[0105] For example, the AC can use different power levels when instructing the AP to send signaling messages multiple times, thereby enabling dynamic changes in the overlapping coverage area between APs.

[0106] For example, the transmit power parameter can directly or indirectly indicate the transmit power used by the first network node and the second network node when transmitting signaling messages.

[0107] In one optional embodiment, it is assumed that 0 represents the original power of the network node's transmission power, and other non-zero values ​​represent changed power, such as -1 representing a power reduction and +1 representing a power increase. Furthermore, in this application, different levels can be set when changing power, such as -1 representing a one-level power reduction, -2 representing a two-level power reduction, etc. In actual implementation, specific configuration can be made as needed. AC 101 determines the transmission power of AP 102a and AP 102b, which can be expressed in any of the following ways:

[0108] 1) The AP 102a is the original power of the network node, and the AP 102b is the changed power, which includes increasing the power or decreasing the power.

[0109] 2) AP 102a is a power changer, and AP 102b is a network node whose transmission power is the original power.

[0110] 3) The transmission power of AP 102a as a network node is the original power, and the transmission power of AP 102b as a network node is the original power.

[0111] Refer to Table 1 below for an example of a transmission power parameter provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0112] Table 1

[0113]

[0114]

[0115] As shown in Table 1 above, the AC can periodically set the transmit power parameters of AP 102a and AP 102b to achieve periodic changes in the overlapping coverage area between AP 102a and AP 102b. It should be noted that, in this implementation, the AC can also instruct the transmit power parameters of the two APs included in the overlapping AP to change dynamically and non-periodically. For example, the AC can randomly determine the transmit power parameters of the two APs included in the overlapping AP based on the fact that the power used when instructing the APs to send signaling messages is not exactly the same on multiple occasions, thereby achieving dynamic changes in the overlapping coverage area.

[0116] Furthermore, if the AC obtains multiple sets of overlapping APs, such as (AP 102a, AP 102b) as described above, it may also include (AP 102b, AP 102c). These sets of overlapping APs can be sorted in descending order of signal strength. The AC can then process the overlapping APs starting with the ones with the strongest signal strength, determining the transmit power parameters of each set of overlapping APs one by one. Moreover, assuming that both sets of overlapping APs contain the same AP, such as AP 102b, after determining the transmit power parameters of AP 102b based on one set of overlapping APs containing AP 102b, when determining the transmit power parameters of the other AP in the other set, the transmit power parameters of the other AP can be further determined based on the transmit power parameters of AP 102b.

[0117] In another optional embodiment, the transmission power parameter can also be the real-time transmission power determined by combining the adjustment method of the network node's transmission power as shown in Table 1, which is either the original power or the changed power. That is, the real-time transmission power used by the AP when sending signaling messages can be directly indicated by the AC side, or it can be further determined by the AP side based on the AC's indication of whether to adjust the power.

[0118] (II) Signaling Parameter Issuance

[0119] Step 501': The control node carries the transmission power parameter in the first indication message sent in the next cycle.

[0120] For example, the AC may send a first indication message to the AP with information including but not limited to the following:

[0121] (1) Signaling type

[0122] The signaling types that the AC instructs the AP to send may include, but are not limited to, beacon frames and probe request frames.

[0123] (2) The first parameter used to achieve collaboration

[0124] The coordination by which the AC instructs the AP to send data may include, but is not limited to: simultaneous sending, sending at a time interval less than a specified value, and sending at a time interval greater than the time interval required for the signaling message sent earlier.

[0125] Optionally, the AC can instruct the AP to send a transmission time T. If T = 0, it means the AP sends the signaling message immediately after receiving the instruction message; if T ≠ 0, it means the AP sends the message after a delay of T time interval after receiving the instruction message. For example, for AP 102a and AP 102b, the AC can instruct AP 102a to send T1 and AP 102b to send T2. It can be understood that, for example, AP 102a is unaware of the AC coordinating the sending of signaling messages with AP 102a and AP 102b; AP 102a simply sends the signaling message according to the T indicated by the AC.

[0126] Furthermore, AC can determine T1 and T2 respectively based on the methods used to determine the coordination of AP 102a and AP 102b. See also Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a collaborative scenario provided by an embodiment of this application. Assume that the AC determines that the method used for collaborative signaling message transmission between AP 102a and AP 102b is a transmission time interval less than a specified value, such as... Figure 8 Signaling message 1 is a signaling message sent by AP102a, and signaling message 2 is a signaling message sent by AP102b. The transmission time interval is T'. If AC sends indication messages to both AP102a and AP102b at the same time, it can be understood that T1+T'=T2.

[0127] It is understood that, in the implementation of this application, through the calculation of the transmission power parameters in the first part, the AC can instruct multiple APs to prioritize the use of Mode 1 and Mode 2 for coordination when sending signaling messages, thereby reducing the occupation of air interface resources. Based on the fact that the AC instructs APs to use slightly different transmission power parameters, even if the STA receives signaling messages from multiple APs simultaneously, the signaling messages can still be correctly parsed even when the APs use different transmission powers. Therefore, this application can reduce air interface occupation time and reduce the occurrence of conflicts caused by contention.

[0128] (3) Transmission power parameters

[0129] Based on the foregoing description, the transmission power parameter can be an AC indirectly instructing the AP whether to adjust the power, and then the AP can further determine the real-time transmission power when sending signaling messages based on the instruction message; or it can be an AC directly instructing the AP on the real-time transmission power when sending signaling messages.

[0130] (4) Sending mode indication parameters

[0131] The transmission mode in which the AC instructs the AP to transmit can be: sending signaling messages according to the instruction of the first instruction message (also referred to as "fully synchronous transmission mode" in this embodiment), or sending signaling messages according to the first instruction message and the channel contention mechanism (also referred to as "partially synchronous transmission mode" in this embodiment). The fully synchronous transmission mode means that the AP sends signaling messages according to the AC's instruction. For example, if the transmission time interval T = 0, the AP sends the signaling message immediately after parsing the instruction message, without needing to check the air interface status. The partially synchronous transmission mode means that after receiving the AC's instruction message, the AP can further send signaling messages based on its own transmit / receive status, the detection results of the wireless network, or after winning the air interface contention.

[0132] Furthermore, in the implementation of this application, the transmission modes corresponding to the first network node and the second network node when coordinating the transmission of signaling messages in multiple cycles are not entirely the same. For example, if the control node determines that the previous signaling cycle used the first transmission mode, it instructs the first network node to use the second transmission mode in the current signaling cycle through the first indication message. See also... Figure 9a This is a schematic diagram illustrating a transmission mode provided in an embodiment of this application. In two adjacent signaling cycles, assuming the AC instructs three APs to simultaneously transmit signaling messages based on the first transmission mode, a fully synchronous transmission mode is used. See also... Figure 9b This is a schematic diagram illustrating another transmission mode provided in an embodiment of this application. In two adjacent signaling cycles, assuming that the AC instructs three APs to simultaneously transmit signaling messages based on the first transmission mode in the previous signaling cycle, and to transmit signaling messages based on the second transmission mode and using a contention-based method in the subsequent signaling cycle, then a fully synchronous transmission mode is used.

[0133] It is understandable that the AC instructs the AP to have a certain degree of flexibility in the signaling message sending mode, which can be configured according to the actual scenario. For example, different sending modes and coordination methods can be adopted, and periodic or non-periodic changes can be achieved. The AC can configure it according to the actual scenario in the wireless network.

[0134] Based on the specific information that the first instruction message can contain as described above, please refer to... Figure 10 This is an example diagram illustrating an indication message according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to Table 2 below, the indication message sent by the AC to the AP may include the following parameters, along with a brief explanation of the meaning of each parameter:

[0135] Table 2

[0136]

[0137]

[0138] In Table 2, the "frame type" parameter can be determined by agreeing on the mapping relationship between frame type and type; alternatively, it can be determined using the original frame type in the 802.11 protocol. The "trans interval" parameter, if T is 0, means the AP sends the message immediately upon receiving the indication message; if T is not 0, the AP sends the message after a delay of T. The "frame power" parameter can be the transmission power parameter described in the previous embodiments. The "frame power" parameter can be set to 1 to send signaling messages according to the indication, and 2 to send signaling messages according to the indication and channel contention mechanism. The "reserve" parameter can be a reserved bit for extending some parameters related to signaling frame transmission.

[0139] (III) Signaling Coordination Transmission

[0140] S502a, The first network node sends a signaling message according to the received first instruction message.

[0141] S502b: The second network node sends a signaling message based on the received first instruction message.

[0142] To improve the effectiveness of the STA in receiving signaling messages sent by the AP, in this application, the control node can also send a second indication message to the first network node and the second network node. The second indication message instructs the first network node and the second network node to send enhancement messages to the connected terminal. These enhancement messages are used by the connected terminal device to enhance the signal strength of the received signaling messages. The second indication message may include, but is not limited to, one or a combination of the following information:

[0143] (1) Enhance message types

[0144] For example, the types of enhancement messages can include, but are not limited to, management frames, control frames, and data frames. In this embodiment, the AP can determine how to send enhancement messages to the STA based on the enhancement message type, thereby enhancing the signal strength of the signaling messages received by the STA. For example, the STA can pre-store a mapping relationship between enhancement message types and enhancement methods, thereby determining what kind of enhancement processing to perform on the signaling messages based on the received enhancement messages.

[0145] (2) Increase message count

[0146] Optionally, the number of enhancement messages that the AC instructs the AP to send can be determined based on factors such as the wireless network connectivity or the desired enhancement effect. It's understood that the more enhancement messages sent, the better the enhancement effect.

[0147] (3) Increase the message sending interval

[0148] Similar to how the AC instructs the AP to send signaling messages, the AC can also instruct the AP to send enhancement messages at intervals Tz. For example, if Tz = 0, the AP can send multiple enhancement messages consecutively; if Tz ≠ 0, the AP can send an enhancement message at regular intervals, the interval of which can be determined by Tz.

[0149] (4) Increase message sending rate

[0150] For example, in order to reduce air interface downtime, the AC can instruct the AP to increase the message transmission rate.

[0151] It should be noted that the second instruction message may also contain other information for instructing the AP to send enhanced messages, such as instructing the AP to send the message in the manner of unicast, multicast, or broadcast. This application does not limit the specific content of the second instruction message.

[0152] Based on the specific information that the second instruction message can contain as described above, please refer to... Figure 11 This is an example diagram illustrating a second indication message according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to Table 3 below, the second indication message sent by the AC to the AP may include the following parameters, along with a brief explanation of the meaning of each parameter:

[0153] Table 3

[0154]

[0155] Among them, the “enhanced packet type” parameter in Table 3 can be determined by the agreed-upon mapping relationship between frame type and type, or by 802.11 in conjunction with the original frame type; the “enhanced packet rate” parameter can be represented by the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) value; the “reserve” parameter can extend a series of parameters related to the transmission of enhanced frames.

[0156] In one optional embodiment, after instructing multiple APs included in the wireless network to centrally send broadcast signaling messages, the AC can instruct the APs to send enhancement messages to ensure the signal strength of STAs connected to each AP, as well as the message transmission and reception performance. See also Figure 12 This is an interactive schematic diagram of a method for collaboratively sending signaling messages provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0157] Step 1201: The control node configures each network node to send a second instruction message for enhanced message transmission.Figure 12 The example uses the first and second network nodes, assuming the terminal is connected to the first network node and synchronized with its clock with high precision. In this case, the terminal can receive broadcast signaling messages sent centrally by multiple access points (APs).

[0158] Step 1202a: The control node sends a second instruction message to the second network node.

[0159] Step 1202b: The control node sends a second instruction message to the first network node.

[0160] Step 1202c: The control node sends a second instruction message to itself.

[0161] Steps 1202a to 1202c indicate that the control node instructs each network node to send enhanced messages. It can be understood that the control node in this application is also a network node in the wireless network, therefore the control node can also instruct itself to send enhanced messages.

[0162] Step 1203: The control node configures each network node to send the first instruction message for broadcast signaling messages.

[0163] Step 1204a: The control node sends a first instruction message to the second network node.

[0164] Step 1204b: The control node sends a first instruction message to the first network node.

[0165] Step 1204c: The control node sends a first instruction message to itself.

[0166] Step 1205a: The control node sends a broadcast signaling message.

[0167] Step 1205b: The second network node sends a broadcast signaling message.

[0168] Step 1205c: The first network node sends a broadcast signaling message.

[0169] Steps 1203 to 1205c represent the process by which the AC instructs the AP in the wireless network to send a broadcast signaling message, and the AP sends the broadcast signaling message.

[0170] Step 1206: The first network node sends an enhanced message to the connected terminal.

[0171] Step 1207: The first network node sends an enhanced message.

[0172] Following the second and first instruction messages, considering that sending enhanced messages to the terminal will increase the terminal's power consumption, further, taking any network node in the wireless network as an example (assuming it is the first network node), the power consumption of the terminal receiving the control node's message will increase. See also... Figure 13 This is another interactive flowchart of a method for collaboratively sending signaling messages provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0173] Before step 1206, the first network node detects the connected terminals and the transmission status of enhanced messages; according to the second indication message, it sends enhanced messages to connected terminals that meet the preset detection conditions. Specifically, this can be implemented as follows:

[0174] Step 1301: The AP starts a timer and iterates through the connected STAs.

[0175] Step 1302a: Does the current traffic of the STA reach the traffic threshold? If it does, proceed to step 1303a; if not, proceed to step 1302b. It should be noted that this step involves judging each STA that the AP has iterated through from step 1301. For example, if STA1 and STA2 are iterated through, the AP can perform traffic detection on STA1 and STA2 separately.

[0176] Step 1303a: If the traffic meets the traffic threshold requirement, then send.

[0177] Step 1302b: Check if the number of enhanced messages sent has reached a preset threshold. If it has, return to step 1301 and wait for processing in the next signaling cycle; if not, proceed to step 1302c. For example, the AP can detect the number of enhanced messages sent in the current signaling cycle. If the number of messages sent in the current signaling cycle has reached the preset threshold, it can return to step 1301 and wait for processing in the next signaling cycle.

[0178] Step 1302c: Is STA in a sleep state? If yes, proceed to step 1303b; otherwise, proceed to step 1302d.

[0179] Step 1303b: If the STA has energy-saving requirements, do not send an enhancement message; otherwise, send an enhancement message. For example, if the STA has enabled power-saving mode, when the AP detects this scenario, it will not send an enhancement message to avoid waking up the STA and causing it to consume power.

[0180] Step 1302d: Check if the queue for enhanced message transmission has reached the queuing threshold. If it has, proceed to step 1303d; otherwise, proceed to step 1303c.

[0181] Step 1303c: Send an enhancement message to the connected STA.

[0182] Step 1303d: Enhance the message queuing list and send it only when there is free space.

[0183] It should be noted that, in the implementation of this application, the execution order between steps 1302a and 1302d is not limited and can be defined according to the actual scenario. The AP can also choose to capture some steps from 1302a to 1302d for judgment; this application does not impose any restrictions on this. The preset traffic threshold, preset quantity threshold, or queuing threshold can be configured by the AC and can be flexibly changed according to the actual usage scenario; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0184] This application also provides a system for collaboratively sending signaling messages. The system may include the control node, first network node, and second network node described in the above method embodiments. The control node can perform the functions described in the above method embodiments; the first network node can perform the functions described in the above method embodiments; and the second network node can perform the functions described in the above method embodiments. It should be noted that this application does not limit the type and number of control nodes and network nodes included in the system (this application only uses one control node, first network node, and second network node as an example), and the specific settings can be made according to the actual scenario.

[0185] Based on the same inventive concept as the above method embodiments, this application also provides a device 1400 for collaboratively sending signaling messages, such as... Figure 14 As shown, the device can be installed on the control node. The device 1400 for collaboratively sending signaling messages includes a transceiver unit 1401 and a processing unit 1402. The device 1400 can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiments. The optional transceiver unit 1401 and processing unit 1402 can be interconnected via a communication line 1403. The communication line 1403 can be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The communication line 1403 can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 14 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0186] The processing unit 1402 is used to determine the method of coordinating the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages in the current period; the transceiver unit 1401 is used to send a first indication message in the current period, the first indication message being used to coordinate the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages; wherein, the coordination adopts any one of the following methods: simultaneous sending, sending time interval less than a specified value, and sending time interval greater than the time interval required for the signaling message sent earlier.

[0187] In one possible design, the transceiver unit 1401 is further configured to receive the signal strength of the second network node sent by the first network node, or to receive the signal strength of the first network node sent by the second network node; the processing unit 1402 is further configured to determine, when the control node receives the signal strength of the second network node sent by the first network node, or receives the signal strength of the first network node sent by the second network node, that there is an overlap between the signal coverage areas of the first network node and the second network node.

[0188] In one possible design, when the coordination is simultaneous transmission or the transmission time interval is less than a specified value, the processing unit 1402 is further configured to determine the transmission power parameters of the first network node and the second network node in the next cycle; the transceiver unit 1401 is configured to carry the transmission power parameters in a first indication message transmitted in the next cycle; wherein the transmission power parameters are used to indicate the transmission power used by the first network node and the second network node when transmitting signaling messages, and the transmission power used in the next cycle is not exactly the same as the transmission power parameters used in the previous multiple cycles.

[0189] In one possible design, the transmission power of the first network node is the original power, and the transmission power of the second network node is a modified power, wherein the modified power includes increasing power or decreasing power; or, the transmission power of the first network node is the modified power, and the transmission power of the second network node is the original power; or, the transmission power of the first network node is the original power, and the transmission power of the second network node is the original power.

[0190] In one possible design, the method used in the current cycle to coordinate the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages is not entirely the same as the method used in the previous multiple cycles.

[0191] In one possible design, the first indication message further includes a transmission mode indication parameter, which is used to instruct the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages or to send signaling messages according to a channel contention mechanism; wherein the transmission mode corresponding to the first network node and the second network node sending signaling messages in the current period is not exactly the same as the transmission mode corresponding to the sending of signaling messages in the previous multiple periods.

[0192] In one possible design, when the number of network nodes in the wireless network is greater than or equal to a preset number threshold, the processing unit 1402 is used to receive the signal strength of the second network node sent by the first network node, or after receiving the signal strength of the first network node sent by the second network node, when it is determined that the signal strength of the second network node sent by the first network node is greater than or equal to a preset signal strength threshold, or when it is determined that the signal strength of the first network node sent by the second network node is greater than or equal to a preset signal strength threshold, the control node determines that there is an overlap between the signal coverage areas of the first network node and the second network node.

[0193] In one possible design, the processing unit 1402 is further configured to send a second indication message to the first network node and the second network node. The second indication message is used to instruct the first network node and the second network node to send enhanced messages to the connected terminal device, and the second indication message includes one or a combination of the following information: enhanced message type, enhanced message quantity, enhanced message transmission time interval, and enhanced message transmission rate; wherein the enhanced messages are used by the connected terminal device to enhance the signal strength of the received signaling messages.

[0194] In one possible design, the signaling message is a broadcast signaling message.

[0195] In one possible design, if the control node sends the first indication message via broadcast, the first indication message includes: the identifier of the first network node, the transmission time of the signaling message of the first network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration, the identifier of the second network node, and the transmission time of the signaling message of the second network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration; if the control node sends the first indication message via unicast, the first indication message sent by the control node to the first network node includes: the identifier of the first network node, the transmission time of the signaling message of the first network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration, and the first indication message sent by the control node to the second network node includes: the identifier of the second network node, and the transmission time of the signaling message of the second network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration.

[0196] In another example, Figure 14 The apparatus for coordinating the transmission of signaling messages shown can also be located on a network node. In this example, the transceiver unit 1401 is used to receive a first indication message sent by the control node in the current period, the first indication message being used to coordinate the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages; the processing unit 1402 is used to send signaling messages according to the first indication message; wherein the coordination adopts any of the following methods: simultaneous transmission, transmission time interval less than a specified value, and transmission time interval greater than the time interval required for the signaling message sent earlier.

[0197] In one possible design, the processing unit 1402 is used to detect the signal strength of the second network node; the transceiver unit 1401 is used to send the signal strength of the second network node to the control node, so that the control node determines that there is an overlap between the signal coverage areas of the first network node and the second network node.

[0198] In one possible design, when the coordination is simultaneous transmission or the transmission time interval is less than a specified value, the processing unit 1402 is configured to determine the transmission power parameter of the first network node carried in the first indication message; wherein the transmission power parameter is used to indicate the transmission power used by the first network node and the second network node when transmitting signaling messages, and the transmission power used in the next cycle is not exactly the same as the transmission power parameters used in the previous multiple cycles; the processing unit 1402 is configured to determine the transmission power used when transmitting signaling messages based on the transmission power parameter.

[0199] In one possible design, when the processing unit 1402 determines the transmission power used when transmitting signaling messages based on the transmission power parameters, it is specifically configured to: determine whether the transmission power is the original power or a modified power based on the transmission power parameters, wherein the modified power includes increasing the power or decreasing the power.

[0200] In one possible design, the first indication message further includes a transmission mode indication parameter, which is used to instruct the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages or to send signaling messages according to a channel contention mechanism; wherein the transmission mode corresponding to the first network node and the second network node sending signaling messages in the current period is not exactly the same as the transmission mode corresponding to the sending of signaling messages in the previous multiple periods.

[0201] In one possible design, the transceiver unit 1401 is further configured to receive a second indication message sent by the control node, the second indication message containing one or a combination of the following information: enhanced message type, enhanced message quantity, enhanced message transmission time interval, and enhanced message transmission rate; wherein the enhanced message is used by the connected terminal device to enhance the signal strength of the received signaling message; the transceiver unit 1401 is further configured to send the enhanced message to the connected terminal device according to the second indication message.

[0202] In one possible design, when the processing unit 1402 sends an enhanced message to the connected terminal device according to the second indication message, it is specifically used to: detect the connected terminal and the sending status of the enhanced message; and send an enhanced message to the connected terminal that meets the preset detection conditions according to the second indication message.

[0203] The preset detection conditions include, but are not limited to, one or a combination of the following conditions for the message:

[0204] The traffic of the connected terminal is less than or equal to the preset traffic threshold;

[0205] The number of enhanced messages sent in the current preset period is less than or equal to the preset number threshold;

[0206] The connected terminal is in a non-sleep state;

[0207] The connected terminal does not have energy-saving requirements;

[0208] The number of queues for enhanced message delivery is less than the queuing threshold.

[0209] In one possible design, the signaling message is a broadcast signaling message.

[0210] In one possible design, when the first indication message is a broadcast message, the first indication message includes: the identifier of the first network node, the transmission time of the signaling message of the first network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration, the identifier of the second network node, and the transmission time of the signaling message of the second network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration; when the first indication message is a unicast message, the first indication message includes: the identifier of the first network node, and the transmission time of the signaling message of the first network node determined by the control node according to the collaboration.

[0211] It should be noted that the module division in the embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents a logical functional division. 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 functional units in the various embodiments of this application may be integrated into one processing unit, exist as separate physical entities, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The integrated units described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional units.

[0212] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it 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 related technologies, or all or part 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.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of 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.

[0213] Based on the same concept as the above-mentioned method of collaboratively sending signaling messages, such as Figure 15As shown in the illustration, this application embodiment also provides a structural schematic diagram of another apparatus 1500 for collaboratively transmitting signaling messages. Apparatus 1500 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments, and reference can be made to the description in the above method embodiments. Apparatus 1500 may include one or more processors 1501. Processor 1501 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the apparatus for collaboratively transmitting signaling messages (e.g., base station, terminal, or chip, etc.), execute software programs, and process data from the software programs. The apparatus for collaboratively transmitting signaling messages may include a transceiver unit to implement signal input (reception) and output (transmission). For example, the transceiver unit may be a transceiver, an RF chip, etc.

[0214] The apparatus 1500 includes one or more processors 1501, which can implement the methods shown in the embodiments described above.

[0215] Optionally, in addition to implementing the methods of the embodiments shown above, the processor 1501 may also implement other functions.

[0216] Optionally, in one design, the processor 1501 can execute instructions that cause the device 1500 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. The instructions can be stored, in whole or in part, within the processor, such as instruction 1503, or in whole or in part, in a memory 1502 coupled to the processor, such as instruction 1504. Alternatively, instructions 1503 and 1504 can be used together to cause the device 1500 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0217] In another possible design, device 1500 may include one or more memories 1502 storing instructions 1504, which can be executed on a processor to cause device 1500 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memories may also store data. The processor may also optionally store instructions and / or data. For example, one or more memories 1502 may store the correspondences described in the above embodiments, or related parameters or tables involved in the above embodiments. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0218] In another possible design, device 1500 may also include transceiver 1505 and antenna 1506. Processor 1501, which may be called a processing unit, controls the device (terminal or base station). Transceiver 1505, which may be called a transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver unit, is used to realize the device's transmission and reception functions through antenna 1506.

[0219] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by the integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor 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. This storage medium is located in memory; the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0220] 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. 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. 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 dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0221] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a computer, implements the method for collaboratively sending signaling messages in any of the method embodiments described above.

[0222] This application also provides a computer program product that, when executed by a computer, implements the method for collaboratively sending signaling messages in any of the method embodiments described above.

[0223] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0224] like Figure 16 As shown, this application embodiment also provides a chip 1600, including an input / output interface 1601 and a logic circuit 1602. The input / output interface 1601 is used to receive / output code instructions or information, and the logic circuit 1602 is used to execute code instructions or, according to information, to perform the method of co-transmitting signaling messages in any of the method embodiments shown above.

[0225] Chip 1600 can implement the functions shown in the processing unit and / or transceiver unit in the above embodiments.

[0226] 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, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of the various examples have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. 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 implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0227] Those skilled in the art will clearly 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.

[0228] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways.

Claims

1. A method for sending signaling messages in a wireless local area network, characterized in that, include: The control node in the wireless local area network sends an indication message to the first network node and the second network node in the wireless local area network. The indication message is used to indicate the delay time for the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages over the air interface, so that the first network node and the second network node send the signaling messages simultaneously. The signaling messages are beacon frames. The indication message carries a transmission power parameter; wherein the transmission power parameter is used to indicate the transmission power used by the first network node and the second network node when sending the signaling message.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the control node receives the signal strength of the second network node sent by the first network node, or receives the signal strength of the first network node sent by the second network node, the control node determines that there is an overlap between the signal coverage areas of the first network node and the second network node.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first network node's transmission power is the original power, and the second network node's transmission power is the modified power, whereby the modified power includes either increasing or decreasing the power; or, The first network node's transmission power is the modified power, and the second network node's transmission power is the original power; or, The transmission power of the first network node is the original power, and the transmission power of the second network node is the original power.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method used in the current cycle to coordinate the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages is not entirely the same as the method used in the previous multiple cycles.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The instruction message also includes a sending mode instruction parameter, which is used to instruct the first network node and the second network node to send signaling messages.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the number of network nodes in the wireless local area network is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the control node receives the signal strength of the second network node sent by the first network node, or receives the signal strength of the first network node sent by the second network node, and then the method further includes: When the control node determines that the signal strength of the second network node transmitted by the first network node is greater than or equal to a preset signal strength threshold, or determines that the signal strength of the first network node transmitted by the second network node is greater than or equal to a preset signal strength threshold, the control node determines that there is an overlap between the signal coverage areas of the first network node and the second network node.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The control node instructs the first network node and the second network node to send enhancement messages to the connected terminal devices, the enhancement messages being used by the connected terminal devices to enhance the signal strength of the received signaling messages.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signaling message is a broadcast signaling message.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Also includes: The first network node in the wireless local area network receives the instruction message sent by the control node in the wireless local area network; The first network node sends the signaling message according to the delay time and the transmission power parameter in the indication message.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first network node detected the signal strength of the second network node; The first network node sends the signal strength of the second network node to the control node.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The instruction message also carries the identifier of the first network node.

12. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first network node sends the enhanced message to the connected terminal device.

13. A system for sending signaling messages, characterized in that, The system includes a control node, a first network node, and a second network node; wherein... The control node is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-8, 11; The first network node is used to receive the indication message and send the signaling message according to the indication message; The second network node is used to receive the indication message and send the signaling message according to the indication message.

14. A control node device in a wireless local area network, characterized in that, The device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit, and the device is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-8 and 11.

15. A control node device in a wireless local area network, characterized in that, The device includes a processor that executes instructions to cause the device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-8 and 11.

Images