Communication method and device

Abstract

A communication method and device are applied to the technical field of communication, can be applied to a wireless local area network system of 802.11 series protocols such as an IEEE802.11a / b / g protocol, an 802.11 n protocol, an 802.11 ac protocol, an 802.11 ax protocol, an 802.11 be protocol, an 802.11 bn protocol, an integrated millimeter wave (IMMW) protocol and the like, and can also be applied to a WPAN system supporting UWB, a sensing system and the like. The STA communicates with the first AP, in the process of communication between the STA and the first AP, the STA and the second AP maintain a connection state, and the MAC address when the STA communicates with the first AP is the same as the MAC address when the STA and the second AP maintain the connection state; and the STA switches to the second AP and communicates with the second AP. According to the method provided by the embodiment of the invention, the time delay of network switching is effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of wireless network technology, wireless routers and hotspots that support Wi-Fi wireless networks almost all support the 5GHz frequency band, and the Wi-Fi 6E standard that supports the 6GHz frequency band is about to be released. Routers and other hotspots can simultaneously support multiple networks in the 2G, 5G and other frequency bands, and even support multiple networks in the same frequency band, such as supporting guest networks.

[0003] Usually, a household uses one or more routers, which will open at least two networks such as the 2GHz and 5GHz frequency bands at the same time. Generally, multiple terminal devices (such as computers, mobile phones, and tablets) are connected to a network formed by the router hotspot. When the network quality deteriorates and the network switching is triggered, it will cause a large delay in network switching.

[0004] Therefore, how to reduce the delay is a problem that technicians in this field are currently studying. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and device, which can effectively reduce the delay of switching networks and reduce the delay of station (STA) data transmission and reception.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to a Wi-Fi device such as a STA, or can be applied to a Wi-Fi chip or module, which can be set in a STA, and the method includes:

[0007] Communicate with a first access point (access point, AP), during the process of the STA communicating with the first AP, the STA maintains a connection state with a second AP, and the medium access control (medium access control, MAC) address when the STA communicates with the first AP is the same as the MAC address when the STA maintains a connection state with the second AP; the STA switches to the second AP and communicates with the second AP.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present application, by maintaining a connection status with a second AP during communication with a first AP, the site can quickly and effectively switch to the second AP, thereby reducing the delay in switching the network, allowing the site to transmit data as uninterruptedly as possible, reducing the delay in STA data transmission and reception, and improving user experience.

[0009] In a possible implementation manner, during the communication between the STA and the second AP, the STA and the first AP maintain a connection state.

[0010] In the embodiment of the present application, the MAC address when the STA communicates with the second AP is the same as the MAC address when the STA maintains a connection with the first AP.

[0011] In a possible implementation manner, during the communication between the STA and the second AP, the STA maintains a connection state with a third AP.

[0012] In the embodiment of the present application, when a STA is communicating with a certain AP, the STA may maintain a connection state with one or more APs (APs other than the certain AP).

[0013] In a possible implementation, the first AP and the second AP belong to the same extended service set (ESS), or the second AP and the first AP have different service set identifiers (SSID). Generally speaking, when the first AP and the second AP belong to the same ESS, when the STA communicates with the two APs respectively through different MAC addresses, the two APs will be considered to be different STAs. For example, the second AP will consider the STA communicating with the first AP and the STA communicating with the second AP to be different STAs, so the second AP will re-initiate the connection, resulting in interruption of the STA's communication.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present application, when the first AP and the second AP belong to the same ESS, the STA communicates with the first AP and the second AP respectively through the same MAC address, which can effectively avoid the situation where the second AP re-initiates a connection and causes the STA's communication to be interrupted, thereby reducing the delay in STA data transmission and reception and improving the user experience.

[0015] In a possible implementation manner, the STA stores information about the second AP.

[0016] In a possible implementation manner, the STA maintaining a connection state with the second AP includes: the STA maintaining a connection state with the second AP through a media access control MAC layer and a physical (PHY) layer;

[0017] The STA communicating with the first AP includes: the STA communicating with the first AP through a MAC layer, a PHY layer, and a transmission control protocol / internet protocol (TCP / IP) layer.

[0018] In a possible implementation manner, the switching to the second AP includes: when a first switching condition is met, the STA switches to the second AP.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the switching to the second AP includes: switching to the second AP when at least one of the following is satisfied: the signal quality between the STA and the first AP is less than or equal to a quality threshold; the communication link between the STA and the first AP is disconnected; the signal quality between the STA and the first AP is less than the signal quality between the STA and the second AP.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the switching to the second AP includes: switching to the second AP when at least one of the following items is met: the amount of cached data of the STA is greater than or equal to a data amount threshold; the probability of the STA successfully sending data is less than or equal to a probability threshold; the delay between the STA sending data and receiving a response frame to the data is greater than or equal to a delay threshold.

[0021] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: switching to the first AP, and the STA communicating with the first AP.

[0022] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: switching to a third AP, and the STA communicates with the third AP.

[0023] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which is used to execute the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation. The communication device includes a module having the function of executing the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation.

[0024] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, the communication device comprising a processor, configured to execute the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation. The processor is configured to execute a program stored in a memory, and when the program is executed, the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation is executed.

[0025] In a possible implementation manner, the memory is located outside the above communication device.

[0026] In a possible implementation manner, the memory is located within the above-mentioned communication device.

[0027] In the embodiment of the present application, the processor and the memory may also be integrated into one device, that is, the processor and the memory may also be integrated together. Exemplarily, the communication device may be a chip.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver, and the transceiver is used to receive information or send information. Exemplarily, the communication device may be a Wi-Fi device.

[0029] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a logic circuit and an interface, and the logic circuit and the interface are coupled; the interface is used to input and / or output information, and the logic circuit is used to execute the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation method.

[0030] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which is used to store a computer program. When the computer program is run on a computer, the method shown in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation is executed.

[0031] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program or a computer code, and when the computer program product is run on a computer, the method shown in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation is executed.

[0032] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program. When the computer program runs on a computer, the method shown in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation is executed.

[0033] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes a STA and an AP, and the STA is used to execute the method shown in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 2 It is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 5a and Figure 5bIt is a scenario schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figures 6a to 6c It is a flow chart of a communication provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 7a and Figure 7b is a flow chart of communication method A;

[0040] Figure 8 It is a simulation schematic diagram provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figures 9 to 11 It is a structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] To facilitate understanding of the technical solution of the present application, the present application will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0043] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification, claims and drawings of this application are only used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units that are not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units that are inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0044] The "embodiment" mentioned in this article means that the specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It can be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0045] In the present application, "at least one (item)" means one or more, "more than one" means two or more, "at least two (items)" means two or three and more than three, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. "Or" means that two relationships may exist, such as only A exists, only B exists; when A and B are not mutually exclusive, it can also mean that there are three relationships, such as only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c".

[0046] The embodiment of the present application provides a communication method and device, which can effectively reduce the delay of switching networks, thereby reducing the delay of STA sending and receiving data. In the embodiment of the present application, before switching networks, the STA can establish a backup link in advance, such as establishing a connection between the STA and the second AP to form a backup link, and the STA can also continue to communicate data with the first AP. Therefore, when the site needs to switch networks, it can directly switch to the second AP. Thereby, the delay of network switching can be effectively reduced, the situation of network disconnection can be improved, the delay of STA sending and receiving data can be reduced, and the user experience can be improved.

[0047] The following introduces the communication system involved in the embodiments of the present application.

[0048] The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to WLAN systems, such as Wi-Fi, etc. The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the IEEE 802.11 series of protocols, such as 802.11a / b / g protocol, 802.11n protocol, 802.11ac protocol, 802.11ax protocol, 802.11be protocol, 802.11bn protocol, integrated millimeter wave (IMMW) protocol or next generation protocol, etc., which are not listed one by one. The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to wireless personal area network (WPAN) based on ultra wideband (UWB) technology. The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the IEEE802.15 series of protocols, such as 802.15.4a protocol, 802.15.4z protocol or 802.15.4ab protocol, or a future generation of UWB WPAN protocol, etc., which are not listed one by one. The technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to the following communication systems, for example, the Internet of Things (IoT) system, the Vehicle to X (V2X), the Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) system, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the fifth generation (5G) communication system, and new communication systems emerging in the future communication development.

[0049] WLAN systems can provide high-speed and low-latency transmission. With the continuous evolution of WLAN application scenarios, WLAN systems will be applied to more scenarios or industries, such as the Internet of Things industry, the Internet of Vehicles industry or the banking industry, corporate offices, sports stadiums and exhibition halls, concert halls, hotel rooms, dormitories, wards, classrooms, supermarkets, squares, streets, production workshops and warehouses, etc. Of course, devices that support WLAN communication or perception (such as access points or sites) can be sensor nodes in smart cities (such as smart water meters, smart electricity meters, smart air detection nodes), smart devices in smart homes (such as smart cameras, projectors, display screens, televisions, speakers, refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), nodes in the Internet of Things, entertainment terminals (such as wearable devices such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)), smart devices in smart offices (such as printers, projectors, loudspeakers, speakers, etc.), Internet of Vehicles devices in the Internet of Vehicles, infrastructure in daily life scenarios (such as vending machines, self-service navigation desks in supermarkets, self-service cash registers, self-service ordering machines, etc.), and equipment in large sports and music venues.

[0050] Although the embodiments of the present application mainly take WLAN as an example, especially the network applied to the IEEE 802.11 series of standards. For example, the embodiments of the present application can support Wi-Fi 7, which can also be called extremely high throughput (extremely high-throughput, EHT); for example, the embodiments of the present application can support Wi-Fi 8, which can also be called ultra-high reliability (ultra high reliability, UHR) or ultra-high reliability and throughput (ultra high reliability and throughput, UHRT), and support IMW, etc., which are not listed one by one here. The various aspects involved in the embodiments of the present application can be extended to other networks that adopt various standards or protocols. For example, Bluetooth, high-performance radio LAN (HIPERLAN) (a wireless standard similar to the IEEE 802.11 standard, mainly used in Europe) and wide area network (WAN) or other networks now known or developed later.

[0051] In a possible implementation, the method provided in the embodiment of the present application may be implemented by a communication device in a communication system. For example, the communication device may be an access point (AP) or a station (STA).

[0052] An access point is a device with wireless communication function, supports communication or perception using WLAN protocol, has the function of communicating or perceiving with other devices in the WLAN network (such as non-AP STA or other access points), and of course, can also have the function of communicating or perceiving with other devices. Alternatively, an access point is equivalent to a bridge connecting a wired network and a wireless network, and its main function is to connect various wireless network clients together, and then connect the wireless network to the Ethernet. In a WLAN system, an access point can be called an access point station (AP STA). The device with wireless communication function can be a complete device, or a chip, a processing system or a functional module installed in the complete device, and the device installed with these chips or processing systems or functional modules can implement the method and function of the embodiment of the present application under the control of the chip or processing system or functional module. The AP in the embodiment of the present application is a device that provides services for non-AP STA, and can support 802.11 series protocols or subsequent protocols. For example, an access point can be an access point for a terminal (such as a mobile phone) to enter a wired (or wireless) network, which is mainly deployed in homes, buildings and parks, with a typical coverage radius of tens of meters to hundreds of meters. Of course, it can also be deployed outdoors. For another example, the AP may be a communication entity such as a communication server, a router, a switch, a bridge, etc.; the AP may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, etc. Of course, the AP may also be a chip or a processing system or module in the above-mentioned various forms of equipment, so as to realize the method and function of the embodiment of the present application.

[0053] STA is a device with wireless communication function, supports communication or perception using WLAN protocol, and has the ability to communicate or perceive with other non-AP STA or access points in the WLAN network. In the WLAN system, the station can be called a non-access point station (non-AP STA). For example, STA is any user communication device that allows the user to communicate or perceive with the AP and then communicate with the WLAN. The device with wireless communication function can be a complete device, or a chip or processing system or functional module installed in the complete device. The device installed with these chips or processing systems or functional modules can implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application under the control of the chip or processing system or functional module. For example, STA can be a wireless communication chip, a wireless sensor or a wireless communication terminal, etc., and can also be called a user. For another example, STA can be a mobile phone supporting Wi-Fi communication function, a tablet supporting Wi-Fi communication function, a set-top box supporting Wi-Fi communication function, a smart TV supporting Wi-Fi communication function, a smart wearable device supporting Wi-Fi communication function, a vehicle-mounted communication device supporting Wi-Fi communication function, and a computer supporting Wi-Fi communication function. Of course, STA can also be a chip or processing system or module in the above-mentioned various forms of devices, so as to implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0054] Exemplarily, the communication system to which the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied may include access points and stations. For example, the embodiment of the present application may be applicable to the scenario of communication or perception between AP and STA, between AP and AP, or between STA and STA in WLAN, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. Optionally, the AP may communicate or perceive with a single STA, or the AP may communicate or perceive with multiple STAs at the same time. Specifically, the communication or perception between the AP and multiple STAs can be divided into downlink transmission in which the AP sends signals to multiple STAs at the same time, and uplink transmission in which multiple STAs send signals to the AP. Among them, the WLAN communication protocol can be supported between the AP and the STA, between the AP and the AP, and between the STA and the STA. The communication protocol may include the IEEE802.11 series of protocols, such as 802.11n / 802.11ac / 802.11ax / 802.11be / 802.11bn protocols, and of course, it is also applicable to protocols after 802.11bn.

[0055] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The communication system may include one or more APs and one or more STAs. Figure 1An access point such as AP1 and three stations such as STA1, STA2 and STA3 are shown in FIG. Figure 1 The communication between AP1 and STA1 shown in FIG. 1 , or the communication between AP1 and STA1, STA2), or the communication between AP and AP (such as Figure 1 ), or, for communication between STAs (such as Figure 1 The method provided in the embodiment of the present application may be applicable to, but not limited to, uplink / downlink transmission of a single user, uplink / downlink transmission of multiple users, vehicle-to-everything (V2X, X can represent anything), device-to-device (D2D). For example, the V2X may include: vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) or vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication.

[0056] Understandable, Figure 1 The STA is a mobile phone and the AP is a router as an example, which does not limit the types of AP and STA in the embodiments of the present application. Figure 1 Only one AP and three STAs are shown for example, but the number of the APs or STAs may be more or less, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0057] The following introduces the communication method involved in the embodiments of the present application.

[0058] Figure 2It is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method can be applied to a first communication device, a second communication device, and a third communication device. As an example, the first communication device, the second communication device, and the third communication device may be Wi-Fi chips or modules or processing systems set in different Wi-Fi devices, etc. As another example, the first communication device may be a STA, and the second communication device and the third communication device may be different APs. As another example, the first communication device, the second communication device, and the third communication device may all be multi-link devices (multi-link device, MLD), such as the first communication device may be a non-AP MLD, the second communication device and the third communication device may be different AP MLDs, etc., and the embodiments of the present application will not be listed one by one. For ease of description, the following description is made by taking the first communication device as a STA, the second communication device as a first AP, and the third communication device as a second AP as an example, but it should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. For relevant descriptions on STA and AP, etc., please refer to Figure 1 , which will not be described in detail here. Figure 2 As shown, the method includes:

[0059] 201. A STA communicates with a first AP. During the communication between the STA and the first AP, the STA maintains a connection with a second AP. A MAC address when the STA communicates with the first AP is the same as a MAC address when the STA maintains a connection with the second AP.

[0060] The STA maintaining a connection state with the second AP may include: the STA maintaining a connection state with the second AP through the MAC layer and the PHY layer. That is, the STA and the second AP can maintain a connection state through the Wi-Fi protocol layer; or, the STA establishes a backup link in advance, and the backup link can be used for the STA to maintain a connection state with the second AP, or the backup link is a link between the STA and the second AP. When establishing a backup link, the STA may not obtain the IP address of the second AP, so that the STA can maintain a connection state with the second AP. If the STA does not obtain the IP address of the second AP, TCP / IP communication may not be performed. The embodiment of the present application is illustrated by the second AP as an example, but in actual applications, the STA can maintain a connection state with one or more APs. For example, in addition to being able to maintain a connection state with the second AP, the STA can also maintain a connection state with a third AP (that is, the STA can establish one or more backup links in advance), etc., which are not listed one by one here. For the relevant description of the STA maintaining a connection state with the third AP, reference can be made to the description of the STA maintaining a connection state with the second AP.

[0061] The communication between the STA and the first AP includes: the STA communicates with the first AP through the MAC layer, the PHY layer and the TCP / IP layer. That is to say, the STA needs to transmit data with the first AP through the TCP / IP layer; or, the STA can maintain a communication state with the first AP through the MAC layer, the PHY layer and the TCP / IP layer; or, the STA may have a communication link, and the communication link is used for the STA to maintain a communication state with the first AP. For example, the STA can send a data frame to the first AP. Another example is that the STA can receive a data frame from the first AP. Another example is that the STA can sense the first AP, etc. The specific way in which the STA communicates with the first AP is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0062] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a communication scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 In the figure, AP1 represents the first AP, AP2 represents the second AP, and the horizontal axis represents time. Before the switching moment (i.e., earlier than the switching moment), the solid line represents the communication link between the STA and AP1, and the dotted line represents the link between the STA and AP2 that remains connected, such as the backup link. For example, the STA can maintain the connection state with AP2 by sending an empty frame (no data exchange) such as a null data packet (NDP) frame to AP2. Exemplarily, the frequency at which the STA sends an empty frame to AP2 can be less than the frequency of communication between the STA and AP1. The method of maintaining the connection state by using an empty frame can effectively reduce power consumption. For another example, the STA can notify AP2 to maintain a sleep state, such as the STA sending an empty frame to AP2, and the MAC header of the empty frame may include a powersave field, which can be used to indicate whether the AP remains in a sleep state. After the switching moment (i.e., later than the switching moment), the solid line represents the communication link between the STA and AP2, and the dotted line represents the link between the STA and AP1 that remains connected, such as the backup link. For the relevant description after the switching moment, please refer to the description before the switching moment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0063] As an example, the first AP and the second AP may belong to the same ESS. For roaming scenarios, that is, when the first AP and the second AP belong to the same ESS, when the STA communicates with the two APs respectively through different MAC addresses, the two APs will be considered to be different STAs. For example, the second AP will think that the STA communicating with the first AP and the STA communicating with the second AP are different STAs, so the second AP will re-initiate the connection, resulting in interruption of STA communication. In an embodiment of the present application, when the first AP and the second AP belong to the same ESS, the STA communicates with the first AP and the second AP respectively through the same MAC address, which can effectively avoid the situation where the second AP re-initiates the connection and causes the interruption of STA communication, thereby improving the efficiency of network switching, and also reducing the delay of STA data transmission and reception, thereby improving user experience.

[0064] As another example, the SSID of the second AP is different from that of the first AP. As a result, the STA can quickly switch to the second AP, effectively reducing the access delay caused by the need to execute the switching process. There is a method A. For example, for networks with different SSIDs, when the STA communicates with one AP, it will not remain connected to another AP. Instead, when the switching needs to be performed, the STA disconnects from the one AP and establishes communication with another AP. As a result, the STA cannot communicate legally during the process of establishing a connection with another AP, resulting in a large delay in the STA sending and receiving data. Compared with the above-mentioned method A, the embodiment of the present application can effectively avoid the process of STA disconnecting communication and establishing communication with another AP, reduce the delay of network switching, reduce the delay of STA sending and receiving data, achieve no disconnection as much as possible, and improve user experience.

[0065] As another example, the STA may store information about a second AP. The information about the second AP may include at least one of the SSID, password, or encryption method of the second AP. In other words, the STA stores information about the APs to which it has been historically connected. For example, the second AP stored by the STA may belong to the same ESS as the first AP, or the SSID of the second AP is different from that of the first AP. In practical applications, the STA may maintain a connection with one or more APs, so the STA may also store information about the one or more APs. For example, the STA may store information about the second AP, as well as information about the third AP, etc., which are not listed here one by one.

[0066] The first AP and the second AP shown in the embodiment of the present application may be different Wi-Fi devices, or different frequency bands, or different frequency bands in the same Wi-Fi device, or different links in the same Wi-Fi device, etc. Figure 4 This is another communication scenario schematic diagram provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 The example is shown with the STA being a mobile phone and the AP being a router, but this should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the STA can communicate with the first AP via the 5 GHz frequency band and maintain a connection with the second AP via the 2.4 GHz frequency band. The STA caches data 1 to data 4, where data 1 to data 3 can be data frames transmitted by the STA via 5 GHz, and data 4 can be an empty frame transmitted by the STA via 2.4 GHz. Among them, the STA can use the same MAC address, such as Figure 4 The STA shown can maintain a communication state with the AP connected to 5 GHz and a connection state with the AP connected to 2.4 GHz through MAC-A1.

[0067] For example, when the STA maintains a connection with the second AP and the third AP, the first AP and the second AP may belong to the same ESS, and the SSIDs of the first AP and the third AP are different. Alternatively, the first AP, the second AP, and the third AP belong to the same ESS. Alternatively, the SSIDs of the first AP, the second AP, and the third AP are different. The relationship between the first AP, the second AP, and the third AP is not listed one by one.

[0068] 202. The STA switches to a second AP and communicates with the second AP.

[0069] As an example, during the process of STA communicating with the second AP, the STA can maintain a connection state with the first AP. As another example, during the process of STA communicating with the second AP, the STA can maintain a connection state with the third AP. As yet another example, during the process of STA communicating with the second AP, the STA can maintain a connection state with the first AP and the third AP at the same time. For relevant instructions on the connection state, please refer to step 201, which will not be described in detail here. For relevant instructions on the communication between the STA and the second AP, please refer to the description of the communication between the STA and the first AP in step 201, which will not be described in detail here. The MAC address when the STA communicates with the second AP is the same as the MAC address when the STA maintains a connection state with other APs (such as the first AP or the third AP, etc.). The link for the STA to communicate with the second AP can be called a communication link, and the link when the STA maintains a connection state with other APs (such as the first AP or the third AP, etc.) is called a backup link.

[0070] Exemplarily, when the first switching condition is met, the STA can switch to the second AP. The first switching condition can be related to signal quality, or to the service delay of the STA, or to the tolerance of the STA's service to signal quality, etc. Exemplarily, the first switching condition can be at least one of the following:

[0071] First, the signal quality between the STA and the first AP is less than or equal to the quality threshold. If the network quality between the STA and the first AP is not good, or if the signal quality (or network quality) between the STA and the first AP deteriorates, the STA can switch to the second AP. In this way, it can be ensured in real time that the STA can use a network with good quality for communication.

[0072] Second, the communication link between the STA and the first AP is disconnected. The specific reason for the disconnection of the communication link is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0073] Third, the signal quality between the STA and the first AP is lower than the signal quality between the STA and the second AP, for example, the signal quality of the communication link is lower than the communication quality of the backup link.

[0074] Fourth, the amount of data cached by the STA is greater than or equal to the data amount threshold. If a large amount of data is cached in the cache queue of the STA, the reason for caching this amount of data may be that the signal quality between the STA and the first AP is less than or equal to the quality threshold.

[0075] Fifth, the probability that the STA successfully sends data is less than or equal to the probability threshold. For example, the STA sends data through the PHY layer, and the probability of receiving an acknowledgment (ACK) frame of the data is less than or equal to the probability threshold. The ACK frame is a control frame. The switching condition shown here can also be replaced by: the probability that the STA fails to send data is greater than or equal to the probability threshold. For example, the STA sends data through the PHY layer, and the probability of receiving a negative acknowledgment (NACK) frame of the data is greater than or equal to the probability threshold. The NACK frame is a control frame. When the probability that the STA successfully sends data is equal to the probability threshold, the STA can switch to the second AP, or the STA may not switch to the second AP. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific value of the probability threshold.

[0076] Sixth, the delay between the STA sending data and receiving the response frame of the data is greater than or equal to the delay threshold. For example, the time between the time when the STA sends data through the PHY layer and the time when it receives the response frame of the data frame can be called the delay. The response frame can be a data frame. Exemplarily, the above data may include a heartbeat packet or a network diagnostic tool (packet internet groper, PING) packet. The heartbeat packet or PING packet listed here can be application-level data. In other words, when the application delay of the STA is greater than or equal to the delay threshold, it means that the application delay of the STA is too large and the AP needs to be switched.

[0077] In one possible implementation, Figure 2 The method shown may also include:

[0078] 203. The STA switches to the first AP, and the STA communicates with the first AP.

[0079] Exemplarily, when the second switching condition is met, the STA may switch to the first AP.

[0080] Exemplarily, the second switching condition may be at least one of the following:

[0081] First, the signal quality between the STA and the second AP is less than or equal to the quality threshold. If the network quality between the STA and the second AP is not good, the STA can switch to other APs (such as the first AP or the third AP, etc.). Second, the communication link between the STA and the second AP is disconnected. Third, the signal quality between the STA and the second AP is less than the signal quality between the STA and other APs. Fourth, the amount of cached data of the STA is greater than or equal to the data volume threshold. Fifth, the probability of the STA successfully sending data is less than or equal to the probability threshold. Sixth, the delay between the STA sending data and the response frame receiving data is greater than or equal to the delay threshold.

[0082] For the relevant description of the second switching condition, please refer to the first switching condition, which will not be described in detail here.

[0083] Exemplarily, the above step 203 may also be replaced by: the STA switches to a third AP, and the STA communicates with the third AP.

[0084] For the relevant description of the third AP, please refer to the description of step 201, which will not be described in detail here.

[0085] In the embodiment of the present application, by maintaining the connection status with the second AP during the communication with the first AP, the station can be quickly and effectively switched to the second AP, thereby reducing the delay of switching the network.

[0086] In the embodiment of the present application, the STA can effectively reduce the delay of data transmission and reception during the network switching process by establishing a backup link in advance. Especially in the scenario of network switching, the embodiment of the present application can effectively guarantee the network quality of the STA and reduce the delay caused by network switching.

[0087] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application is described below in conjunction with specific scenarios.

[0088] Figure 5a Schematic diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5aHere, STA takes a terminal device as an example, and AP takes a router as an example. Figure 5a The initial state in the example is that the terminal device is connected to the router's A network (such as Figure 5a The first AP shown in FIG. 1 ), and the router also has multiple networks, such as network M (such as Figure 5a The second AP shown), network N, etc. The router may cover multiple networks, such as network A, network M, and network N. The network A, network M, and network N shown above may correspond to different APs in the router. For example, the network covered by the router may be a roaming network with the same SSID. Or, Figure 5a The first AP and the second AP shown may be APs with different SSIDs. In the initial state, the terminal device has communicated with the network A through the first link, that is, the terminal device communicates with the first AP through the communication link. Figure 5a The intersection of the arrow and the dotted line in is the moment when the STA performs AP switching, or the time period when the STA performs AP switching.

[0089] For example, Figure 5a As shown, STA can perform the following steps:

[0090] 501. The STA scans and finds a second AP, for example, the second AP belongs to the same ESS as the first AP or stores information of the second AP.

[0091] The STA scans and finds the same ESS network or the saved network M, and there is a possibility of establishing a backup link.

[0092] Since AP can be used to provide wireless signals, AP and network can be mutually replaceable in the embodiments of the present application. For example, network M can be replaced by the second AP, network A can be replaced by the first AP, etc., which will not be listed one by one. When it comes to specific examples, AP can be replaced by network, and the same applies to the following description. 502. STA performs association and key negotiation to establish a connection with the second AP.

[0093] If the STA is not connected to network M or the signal quality (or network quality) of network M is better than the signal quality of the connected network A, the STA can establish a connection with the second AP through steps such as association and key negotiation, and establish a connection with the network M scanned by the STA through the backup link. The link established between the STA and the first AP can be the first link.

[0094] 503. The STA maintains a connection with the second AP.

[0095] 504. When the signal quality between the STA and the first AP deteriorates, the STA maintains a connection with the first AP.

[0096] When the signal quality on the first link deteriorates and the signal quality on the backup link is better, the STA can stop communicating with network A and maintain the connection state with network A.

[0097] 505. The STA communicates with the second AP.

[0098] 506. Scan and discover a third AP, and maintain a connection with the third AP or maintain a connection with the first AP.

[0099] 507. The signal quality between the STA and the second AP deteriorates, and the STA maintains a connection with the second AP.

[0100] When the signal quality of network M deteriorates and the signal quality of the backup link becomes better, the STA can stop communicating with network A and maintain the connection with network M.

[0101] 508. The STA communicates with the first AP.

[0102] In a specific implementation, the STA may also continuously execute the above steps according to the switching conditions, or execute the above steps cyclically based on actual needs, etc. For example, the STA may continue to execute the above steps 502 to 508; or execute the above steps 504 to 508, etc., which are not listed here one by one. Figure 5a This is just an example. In a specific implementation, STA can also perform Figure 5a More or fewer steps are not described in detail here.

[0103] Compared with dual Wi-Fi, in dual Wi-Fi, users can see or STAs communicate on two links at the same time. Although the method provided in the embodiment of the present application can have multiple links, these multiple links are not used for concurrent data communication, and one of the multiple links is used for communication.

[0104] Figure 5b is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5b The method shown can be applied to Figures 2 to 4 as well as Figure 5a In the method shown. Figure 5bThe original network in the network can be understood as the first AP, and the new network can be understood as the second AP. Exemplarily, the initial state can be that the STA has connected to the network, such as the STA communicating with the original network. Then the STA determines whether there is a network that can be backed up, that is, the STA can scan and discover a new network. In the case of a network that can be backed up, the STA can determine whether it supports multiple backup networks, such as the STA can determine whether it supports the ability to maintain a connection state through the backup network. In the case of supporting this capability, the STA can determine whether the trigger condition is met, such as the STA can determine whether it is necessary to connect to the backup network. For example, when the signal quality of the original network is very strong, such as greater than a certain signal quality, the STA may not be connected to the backup network, but remain connected to the original network (that is, the STA can communicate with the original network). For another example, when the signal quality of the original network is less than the above-mentioned signal quality, the STA can be connected to the backup network, thereby maintaining a connection state with the backup network. When the STA maintains a connection state with the backup network, the STA still maintains a communication state with the original network. When the switching condition is met, the STA can switch to a new network (that is, the above-mentioned backup network). If the switching conditions are not met, the STA can continue to maintain the connection with the backup network and communicate with the original network. For instructions on switching conditions, please refer to Figure 2 , which will not be described in detail here.

[0105] like Figure 5b As shown, when there is no network that can be backed up, or the STA does not support multiple backup networks, or the STA does not support the ability to maintain a connection state through the backup network, the STA can continue to communicate with the original network and maintain the connection with the original network. The original network and the new network shown in the embodiment of the present application are relative. For example, before the STA switches, it can communicate with the original network and maintain a connection with the new network; after the STA switches, it can communicate with the new network and maintain a connection with the original network (or other networks). The description of the original network and the new network is also applicable to other embodiments.

[0106] The STA may execute the above-mentioned determination steps, or the STA may not execute the above-mentioned determination steps, but execute the result after the determination is satisfied under the corresponding conditions.

[0107] In a specific implementation, the steps performed by STA can be compared to Figure 5b The steps shown are more or less, and the embodiments of the present application are for Figure 5b The steps shown are not limiting. Figure 5b The method shown can be combined with other embodiments, such as Figure 2 or Figure 5a or Figure 6a etc. can be applied Figure 5bFor example, Figure 2 In the method shown, when the STA communicates with the first AP, it can follow Figure 5b The judgment method shown determines whether the STA can switch to the second AP. The specific manner of combining is not described in detail here.

[0108] Figure 6a It is a flow chart of the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 6a In the example, network A is the original network of STA, or the network communicating with STA, or, in the initial state, STA maintains communication with network A. Figure 6b As shown, the network A may be an ESS environment, such as network A and network M are ESS networks with the same SSID. As another example, Figure 6c As shown, the network A and the network M may be networks with different SSIDs. Figure 6c In the STA, one or more networks previously connected are saved, such as one or more of network B, network C, network N (only as an example), etc. Figure 6b and Figure 6c A detailed description of the method shown can be found in Figure 6a , which will not be described in detail below.

[0109] like Figure 6a As shown, the STA has been connected to the network A, and the link between the STA and the network A can be called an original link or a first link, etc., and the name of the link is not limited.

[0110] STA initiates scanning and discovers network M. Then STA performs association, key negotiation and other steps to establish a connection with network M. When STA communicates with network A, it can maintain a connection with network M. The link between the STA and network M can be called a second link, etc., and the name of the link is not limited. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific process of STA association and key negotiation.

[0111] If the switching conditions are met, the STA can switch to network M and inform network A that the STA will no longer communicate with it. For example, the STA can send a trigger message to network A, which can be used to indicate that network A no longer maintains a communication state with the STA; or, the trigger message can be used to deactivate the communication state between network A and the STA.

[0112] STA communicates with network A. STA can also maintain connection with network A or other networks. For example, the other network can be one or more of network B, network C, network M, and network N.

[0113] about Figure 6a A detailed description of the method shown can be found in Figure 2 , Figure 5a , Figure 5b Etc., which will not be described in detail here.

[0114] There is a communication method A. When the terminal is connected to the router, when the terminal needs to switch networks, it generally needs to switch to the same ESS network when the network quality is poor. If it is a roaming network, it needs to switch to the same ESS network through the roaming process. Figure 7a As shown in the figure, network A and network M are the same ESS network. When the STA needs to switch networks, roaming will be triggered, network A will be notified to sleep, and data will be cached. Then it will connect to network M. During the period from when the STA notifies network A to sleep to when the STA connects to network M, the instantaneous service delay of the STA will increase by more than 300ms. Figure 7b As shown in the figure, if there is no roaming network, the STA needs to disconnect from network A, which will cause the STA to lose network connection and increase service delay. Figure 7a and Figure 7b The specific steps of the method shown will not be described in detail in the embodiments of the present application.

[0115] Relative to Figure 7a and Figure 7b For the method shown in FIG. 1 , the embodiment of the present application can effectively improve the delay caused by the above network switching process, or the situation where the STA is disconnected from the network and the service delay increases. In the embodiment of the present application, one or more backup networks (or backup links) are established before the STA switches the network. In other words, compared with Figure 7a and Figure 7b The serial mode of STA and original network, STA and backup network shown in the figure, the parallel mode of STA and original network, STA and backup network in the embodiment of the present application. Therefore, in the case of poor signal quality between the STA and the original network, there is no need to perform a switching process (including roaming process), and the backup link can be switched to, thereby effectively reducing the delay of network switching, thereby reducing the delay of sending and receiving data.

[0116] Figure 8 It is a simulation schematic diagram corresponding to the method provided in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 The first line shown from top to bottom is the one using Figure 7a The simulation results of the method shown, the second line from top to bottom is the simulation result of the method provided by the embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 The figure shows the ping delay of the test tool. Figure 8 It can be seen that the roaming handover delay in the method shown in the embodiment of the present application is almost not affected by the roaming process. However, for method A, the roaming delay is 400+ms.

[0117] According to the method shown in the embodiment of the present application, in an ESS network, the concurrency of the backup link can effectively reduce the waiting time of the original link (such as the communication link shown above) due to scanning and connection during roaming, thereby reducing the latency. In networks with different SSIDs, by establishing a backup link in advance, the connection switching time caused by the reconnection process due to poor communication link quality, broken links, etc. can be effectively reduced. Therefore, by establishing a backup link or backup network (such as the second AP shown above) in advance, the latency can be effectively reduced, and the user's "never disconnected" experience can be guaranteed as much as possible, and the latency of switching networks can also be significantly reduced.

[0118] The following is an introduction to the communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0119] The present application divides the functional modules of the communication device according to the above method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. Figures 9 to 11 The communication device according to the embodiment of the present application is described in detail.

[0120] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application, such as Fig. 9 As shown, the communication device includes a processing module 901 and a transceiver module 902. The transceiver module 902 can implement corresponding communication functions, and the processing module 901 is used for data processing. For example, the transceiver module 902 can also be called a communication interface or a communication module.

[0121] In some embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be used to execute the actions performed by the communication device in the above method embodiment. In this case, the communication device can be a WLAN device or a chip or functional module configured in the WLAN device, etc. The transceiver module 902 is used to execute the STA's transceiver related operations in the above method embodiment, and the processing module 901 is used to execute the STA processing related operations in the above method embodiment.

[0122] Exemplarily, the processing module 901 is used to communicate with the first AP. For example, the processing module 901 can communicate with the first AP through the transceiver module 902; or, communicate with the second AP through the transceiver module 902, etc. Alternatively, the transceiver module 902 is used to input or receive a data frame from the first AP, and then input the data frame to the processing module 901. Alternatively, the processing module 901 is used to generate a data frame and output the data frame to the transceiver module 902; the transceiver module 902 can be used to send or output the data frame. The relevant descriptions of the processing module and the transceiver module are also applicable below and will not be described in detail below.

[0123] The processing module 901 is further configured to switch to a second AP.

[0124] The processing module 901 is further configured to communicate with the second AP.

[0125] Optionally, the above-mentioned communication device may further include a storage module, which may be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 901 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage module so that the communication device implements the above-mentioned method embodiment.

[0126] It can be understood that the specific description of the transceiver module and the processing module shown in the embodiment of the present application is only an example. For the specific functions or execution steps of the transceiver module and the processing module, please refer to the above-mentioned method embodiment and will not be described in detail here.

[0127] In the above embodiments, the description of each term can refer to the introduction in the above method embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

[0128] The above describes the communication device of the embodiment of the present application, and the following describes the possible product forms of the communication device. It should be understood that any device having the above Fig. 9 Any form of product with the functions of the communication device described above falls within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application. It should also be understood that the following description is only an example and does not limit the product form of the communication device of the embodiments of the present application to this.

[0129] In one possible implementation, Fig. 9In the communication device shown, the processing module 901 may be one or more processors, the transceiver module 902 may be a transceiver, or the transceiver module 902 may also be a sending module and a receiving module, the sending module may be a transmitter, the receiving module may be a receiver, and the sending module and the receiving module are integrated into one device, such as a transceiver. In the embodiment of the present application, the processor and the transceiver may be coupled, etc., and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the connection mode of the processor and the transceiver. In the process of executing the above method, the process of sending information in the above method can be understood as the process of outputting the above information by the processor. When outputting the above information, the processor outputs the above information to the transceiver so that it is transmitted by the transceiver. After the above information is output by the processor, it may also need to be processed in other ways before it reaches the transceiver. Similarly, the process of receiving information in the above method can be understood as the process of the processor receiving the input information. When the processor receives the input information, the transceiver receives the above information and inputs it into the processor. Furthermore, after the transceiver receives the above information, the above information may need to be processed in other ways before it is received by the processor.

[0130] like Fig.10 As shown, the communication device 100 includes one or more processors 1020 and a transceiver 1010 .

[0131] In some embodiments of the present application, the communication device may be used to execute the steps or functions performed by the STA in the above method embodiments.

[0132] Exemplarily, the processor 1020 is used to communicate with the first AP. For example, the processor 1020 can communicate with the first AP through the transceiver 1010. Alternatively, the transceiver 1010 is used to receive a data frame from the first AP and then input the data frame to the processor 1020. Alternatively, the processing module 901 is used to generate a data frame and output the data frame to the transceiver 1010; the transceiver 1010 can be used to send the data frame. The relevant description of the processor and the transceiver will not be described in detail below.

[0133] The processor 1020 is further configured to switch to the second AP and communicate with the second AP.

[0134] The specific description of the transceiver and the processor shown in the embodiments of the present application is only an example. For the specific functions or execution steps of the transceiver and the processor, reference can be made to the above-mentioned method embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0135] In the above embodiments, the description of each term can also refer to the introduction in the above method embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0136] exist Fig.10In various implementations of the communication device shown, the transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, wherein the receiver is used to perform a receiving function (or operation) and the transmitter is used to perform a transmitting function (or operation). The transceiver is used to communicate with other devices / devices through a transmission medium.

[0137] Optionally, the communication device 100 may further include one or more memories 1030 for storing program instructions and / or data, etc. The memory 1030 is coupled to the processor 1020. The coupling in the embodiment of the present application is an indirect coupling or communication connection between devices, units or modules, which may be electrical, mechanical or other forms, and is used for information exchange between devices, units or modules. The processor 1020 may operate in conjunction with the memory 1030. The processor 1020 may execute program instructions stored in the memory 1030. Optionally, at least one of the one or more memories may be included in the processor.

[0138] The specific connection medium between the transceiver 1010, the processor 1020 and the memory 1030 is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. Fig.10 In the embodiment, the memory 1030, the processor 1020 and the transceiver 1010 are connected via a bus 1040. Fig.10 The connections between the other components are shown in bold lines, which are only for illustration and are not intended to be limiting. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Fig.10 Only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0139] In the embodiments of the present application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component, etc., and may implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of the present application may be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware processor, or may be executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor, etc.

[0140] In the embodiment of the present application, the memory may include, but is not limited to, non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), read-only memory (ROM) or portable read-only memory (CD-ROM), etc. The memory is any storage medium that can be used to carry or store program codes in the form of instructions or data structures and can be read and / or written by a computer (such as the communication device shown in the present application), but is not limited to this. The memory in the embodiment of the present application can also be a circuit or any other device that can realize a storage function, for storing program instructions and / or data.

[0141] Exemplarily, the processor 1020 is mainly used to process the communication protocol and communication data, and to control the entire communication device, execute the software program, and process the data of the software program. The memory 1030 is mainly used to store the software program and data. The transceiver 1010 may include a control circuit and an antenna. The control circuit is mainly used to convert the baseband signal and the radio frequency signal and process the radio frequency signal. The antenna is mainly used to send and receive radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves. The input and output devices, such as a touch screen, a display screen, a keyboard, etc., are mainly used to receive data input by the user and output data to the user.

[0142] When the communication device is turned on, the processor 1020 can read the software program in the memory 1030, interpret and execute the instructions of the software program, and process the data of the software program. When data needs to be sent wirelessly, the processor 1020 performs baseband processing on the data to be sent, and outputs the baseband signal to the RF circuit. The RF circuit performs RF processing on the baseband signal and then sends the RF signal outward in the form of electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts the RF signal into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor 1020. The processor 1020 converts the baseband signal into data and processes the data.

[0143] In another implementation, the RF circuit and antenna may be arranged independently of the processor performing baseband processing. For example, in a distributed scenario, the RF circuit and antenna may be arranged independently of the communication device in a remote manner.

[0144] It is understandable that the communication device shown in the embodiment of the present application may also have Fig.10The embodiments of the present application do not limit the number of components and the like. The methods executed by the processor and the transceiver shown above are only examples, and the specific steps executed by the processor and the transceiver can refer to the methods described above.

[0145] In another possible implementation, Fig. 9 In the communication device shown, the processing module 901 may be one or more logic circuits, and the transceiver module 902 may be an input / output interface, or a communication interface, or an interface circuit, or an interface, etc. Alternatively, the transceiver module 902 may be a sending module and a receiving module, the sending module may be an output interface, and the receiving module may be an input interface, and the sending module and the receiving module may be integrated into one module, such as an input / output interface. Fig.11 As shown, Fig.11 The communication device shown includes a logic circuit 1101 and an interface 1102. That is, the processing module 901 can be implemented by the logic circuit 1101, and the transceiver module 902 can be implemented by the interface 1102. The logic circuit 1101 can be a chip, a processing circuit, an integrated circuit or a system on chip (SoC) chip, etc., and the interface 1102 can be a communication interface, an input / output interface, a pin, etc. For example, Fig.11 The above communication device is used as an example of a chip, and the chip includes a logic circuit 1101 and an interface 1102 .

[0146] In the embodiment of the present application, the logic circuit and the interface may also be coupled to each other. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific connection method between the logic circuit and the interface.

[0147] In some embodiments of the present application, the communication device may be used to execute the steps or functions performed by the STA in the above method embodiments.

[0148] Exemplarily, the logic circuit 1101 is used to communicate with a first AP; and switch to a second AP to communicate with the second AP.

[0149] It can be understood that the specific description of the logic circuit and interface shown in the embodiments of the present application is only an example. For the specific functions or execution steps of the logic circuit and interface, etc., reference can be made to the above-mentioned method embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0150] In the above embodiments, the description of each term can also refer to the introduction in the above method embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0151] It can be understood that the communication device shown in the embodiment of the present application can implement the method provided in the embodiment of the present application in the form of hardware, or can implement the method provided in the embodiment of the present application in the form of software, etc., and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this.

[0152] An embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes a first communication device and a second communication device. The description of the first communication device and the second communication device can be referred to above.

[0153] In addition, the present application also provides a computer program, which is used to implement the operations and / or processing performed by the STA in the method provided by the present application.

[0154] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which computer codes are stored. When the computer codes are executed on a computer, the computer executes the operations and / or processes performed by the STA in the method provided by the present application.

[0155] The present application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer code or a computer program. When the computer code or the computer program runs on a computer, the operations and / or processing performed by the STA in the method provided by the present application are executed.

[0156] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the modules can be a logical function division. There can be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or modules, or it can be an electrical, mechanical or other form of connection.

[0157] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as modules may or may not be physical modules, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0158] In addition, each functional module in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated into a module processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional modules.

[0159] If the integrated module is implemented in the form of a software function module 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 the present application is essentially or partly contributed to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a readable storage medium, including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned readable storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk or optical disk and other media that can store program code.

[0160] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Communicate with a first access point AP, wherein during the communication between the STA and the first AP, the STA maintains a connection with a second AP, and a media access control MAC address when the STA communicates with the first AP is the same as a MAC address when the STA maintains a connection with the second AP; Switch to the second AP and communicate with the second AP.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that During the communication between the STA and the second AP, the STA and the first AP maintain a connection state.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first AP and the second AP belong to the same extended service set ESS, or the second AP and the first AP have different service set identifiers SSID.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The STA stores the information of the second AP.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The STA and the second AP maintaining a connection state includes: the STA and the second AP maintaining a connection state through a media access control MAC layer and a physical PHY layer; The STA communicating with the first AP includes: The STA communicates with the first AP via the MAC layer, the PHY layer and the Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol TCP / IP layer.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The switching to the second AP includes: When at least one of the following conditions is met, switching to the second AP is performed: The signal quality between the STA and the first AP is less than or equal to a quality threshold; The communication link between the STA and the first AP is disconnected; The signal quality between the STA and the first AP is lower than the signal quality between the STA and the second AP.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The switching to the second AP includes: When at least one of the following conditions is met, the STA switches to the second AP: The probability that the STA successfully sends data is less than or equal to the probability threshold; The delay between the STA sending data and receiving a response frame of the data is greater than or equal to the delay threshold.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The STA switches to the first AP and communicates with the first AP.

9. A communication device, characterized in that: include: a processing module, configured to communicate with a first access point AP, wherein during the communication device communicating with the first AP, the communication device maintains a connection state with a second AP, and a media access control MAC address when the communication device communicates with the first AP is the same as a MAC address when the communication device maintains a connection state with the second AP; The processing module is further configured to switch to the second AP and communicate with the second AP.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that During the process of the communication device communicating with the second AP, the communication device maintains a connection state with the first AP.

11. The device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The first AP and the second AP belong to the same extended service set ESS, or the second AP and the first AP have different service set identifiers SSID.

12. The device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that: The communication device stores information of the second AP.

13. The device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that: The communication device and the second AP maintain a connection state, comprising: the communication device and the second AP maintain a connection state through a media access control MAC layer and a physical PHY layer; The communication device communicating with the first AP includes: the communication device communicating with the first AP through the MAC layer, the PHY layer and the transmission control protocol / internet protocol TCP / IP layer.

14. The device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that: The switching to the second AP includes: When at least one of the following conditions is met, switching to the second AP is performed: The signal quality between the communication device and the first AP is less than or equal to a quality threshold; The communication link between the communication device and the first AP is disconnected; A signal quality between the communication device and the first AP is less than a signal quality between the communication device and the second AP.

15. The device according to any one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that: The switching to the second AP includes: The communication device switches to the second AP when at least one of the following conditions is met: The probability that the communication device successfully sends data is less than or equal to a probability threshold; The time delay between the communication device sending data and receiving a response frame of the data is greater than or equal to a time delay threshold.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The processing module is further used to switch to the first AP, and the communication device communicates with the first AP.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

18. A communication device, characterized in that: comprising a logic circuit and an interface, wherein the logic circuit and the interface are coupled; The interface is used to input and / or output information, and the logic circuit is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-8.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program. When the computer program is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is executed.

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