Access method, electronic device and storage medium

Through the channel switching mechanism or connection reconfiguration method, the slave channel information of the access point is notified to the terminal, which solves the problem of unbalanced utilization of master-slave channel resources in the evolution of Wi-Fi standard, realizes full utilization of channel resources and fast access, and improves real-time.

CN119893635BActive Publication Date: 2025-08-12CLOURNEY SEMICONDUCTOR +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510337025.9
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-03-21
Publication Date
2025-08-12
Estimated Expiration
2045-03-21

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

During the evolution of Wi-Fi standards, terminals need to continuously iterate to adapt to the new mechanism, resulting in uneven utilization of master-slave channel resources, and terminals are prone to crowding when accessing channels, unable to make full use of channel resources, affecting real-time.

Method used

Through the channel switching mechanism or connection reconfiguration method, the slave channel information of the access point is notified to the terminal, so that it can access the slave channel, avoid upgrading and iterating the terminal, and realize more full utilization of channel resources and fast access.

Benefits of technology

Without upgrading the terminal, unbalanced utilization of master-slave channel resources is avoided, and all channel resources are fully utilized to achieve fast access and improve real-time performance.

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Abstract

The present application relates to the field of Wi-Fi technology, and discloses an access method, electronic device, and storage medium. The access method is applied to an access point, comprising: utilizing a channel switching mechanism or a connection reconfiguration method to notify the terminal of the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel of the access point, so that the terminal can initiate a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel; and when the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel supports the access of the terminal, authenticating and associating the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel, so that the terminal can operate on the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel. At least, it is beneficial to avoid unbalanced utilization of the master and slave channel resources of the access point without upgrading the iterative terminal, make more full use of all channel resources, and avoid congestion when the terminal accesses the channel, so as to achieve fast access and thus have better real-time performance.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) technology, and in particular to an access method, an electronic device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Wi-Fi technology is a wireless local area network (LAN) technology based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, a standard developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). It allows electronic devices to connect to a local area network (LAN) and, in turn, the internet via wireless signals, enabling data transmission and communication. Currently, Wi-Fi standards are constantly evolving, with new mechanisms introduced throughout the evolutionary process to meet users' increasingly stringent real-time and high-reliability requirements.

[0003] However, as Wi-Fi standards continue to evolve, terminals also need to be continuously iterated to adapt to the new mechanisms proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide an access method, electronic device, and storage medium that, at least without upgrading or iterating terminals, help avoid unbalanced utilization of primary and secondary channel resources at access points, more fully utilize all channel resources, and avoid congestion when terminals access channels, thereby achieving rapid access and better real-time performance, and adapting to the requirements of evolved Wi-Fi standards.

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present application, a first aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides an access method, which is applied to an access point, and the method includes: using a channel switching mechanism or a connection reconfiguration method to notify the terminal of the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel of the access point, so that the terminal can initiate a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel; when the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports access of the terminal, authenticating and associating the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, so that the terminal operates on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present application, the second aspect of the embodiments of the present application also provides an electronic device, comprising: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor so that the at least one processor can execute the access method as described in any embodiment of the present application.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present application, a third aspect of the embodiments of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the access method as described in any embodiment of the present application.

[0008] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present application has at least the following advantages:

[0009] By utilizing a channel switching mechanism or a connection reconfiguration method, the channel information of the secondary channel of the access point is notified to the terminal, so that the terminal can initiate a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel based on the acquired information, and achieve the purpose of accessing the terminal to the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel if permitted. In this process, the channel switching mechanism or the connection reconfiguration method can be supported by terminals that only support Wi-Fi standards before the Wi-Fi 8 standard, such as terminals that only support the Wi-Fi 6 standard and the Wi-Fi 7 standard. In other words, terminals that only support the Wi-Fi 6 standard and the Wi-Fi 7 standard can access the secondary channel without being restricted by the status of the primary channel. This is beneficial to avoid unbalanced utilization of the primary and secondary channel resources of the access point without upgrading the iterative terminal, make more full use of all channel resources, and avoid congestion when the terminal accesses the channel, so as to achieve fast access and thus have better real-time performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by pictures in the corresponding drawings. These exemplifications do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are represented as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0011] Figure 1 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of the channel bandwidth of the access point involved in the access method provided in the embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Figure 2 is a flowchart of an access method provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 3 is a flowchart of an access method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 4 is a flowchart of an access method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 5 is a flowchart of an access method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 6 is a flowchart of an access method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 7 is a flowchart of an access method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 8 is a flowchart of an access method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 9 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of channels of access points and virtual access points involved in the access method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 10 is an interaction flow chart involved in an access method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a communication process involved in an access method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 12 This is a simplified connection diagram in a multi-connection scenario involving an access method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 13 This is a simplified schematic diagram of connection switching in a multi-connection scenario involved in an access method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a connection switching process involved in an access method provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 15 It is a structural diagram of an electronic device provided in another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] As can be seen from the background technology, as Wi-Fi standards continue to evolve, terminals have to iterate accordingly to adapt to new mechanisms. Otherwise, they will not be able to meet users' increasingly high real-time and high reliability requirements.

[0027] Analysis has revealed that terminals must iterate with the evolution of Wi-Fi standards because, at least partially, the evolution of Wi-Fi standards accompanies the emergence of new mechanisms, and terminals need to adapt to these mechanisms. Taking the use of secondary channels as an example, the bandwidth of a connection in the Wi-Fi standard is divided into primary and secondary channels. For example, for a connection with the maximum bandwidth of 320MHz supported by Wi-Fi 7, the bandwidth can be divided into 160MHz primary and 160MHz secondary channels. During access, Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) binary backoff is performed on the primary channel. Before finally accessing the channel, a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) is performed on all primary and secondary channels. A Clear Channel Assessment is a channel detection. If the energy within the measurement window is above a threshold, the channel is considered busy; if it is below the threshold, the channel is considered idle. During channel access, a final idle channel assessment is performed. The assessment results and corresponding actions are as follows: 1. If both the primary and secondary channels are busy, the channel is not accessed. 2. If the primary channel is busy and the secondary channel is idle, the channel is not accessed. 3. If both the primary and secondary channels are idle, the channel is accessed. 4. If both the primary and secondary channels are idle, the primary channel is accessed. In the aforementioned channel access methods, when the primary channel is busy and the secondary channel is idle, channel utilization can be insufficient. Furthermore, channel underutilization can occur when a large number of narrowband terminals access access points that occupy a wider bandwidth. For example, a large number of 40MHz terminals access a 160MHz access point. To address this issue, the next-generation Wi-Fi standard (Wi-Fi 8, also known as 802.11bn) proposes a secondary channel access mechanism. This allows terminals to access the secondary channel for transmission when the primary channel is busy and the secondary channel is idle. This mechanism primarily involves two approaches: 1. Considering that the operating bandwidth of the access point and terminal remains constant, or the operating bandwidth is fixed, and the terminal's operating frequency does not change. If the primary channel is busy and the secondary channel is idle on the access point and terminal operating channel bandwidth, the terminal or access point directly accesses the secondary channel. 2. Consider a scenario where the access point supports a wide maximum bandwidth, such as 320MHz or 160MHz, but the terminal supports a narrower bandwidth, such as 40MHz or 80MHz. The terminal can dynamically switch to a secondary channel with a lighter access point load, or to a granularity within a single secondary channel. For example, if the access point supports a maximum bandwidth of 320MHz, the primary channel is 160MHz and the secondary channel is also 160MHz. The secondary channel can be divided into two 80MHz sub-slave channels (or a granularity of 80MHz). In this case, when the terminal accesses the secondary channel, it switches to a different granularity or secondary channel, similar to frequency hopping.Obviously, the above mechanism requires the development of corresponding terminals to cooperate. For existing Wi-Fi terminals, such as Wi-Fi 6 (also known as 802.11ax) or Wi-Fi 7 (also known as 802.11be) terminals, this method cannot be used for secondary channel access, and therefore cannot fully utilize channel resources.

[0028] To solve the above technical problems, an access method, an electronic device, and a storage medium are provided in an embodiment of the present application. The channel information of the slave channel of the access point is notified to the terminal by using a channel switching mechanism or a connection reconfiguration method, so that the terminal can initiate a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel based on the acquired information, and achieve the purpose of accessing the terminal to the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel when permitted. In this process, the channel switching mechanism or the connection reconfiguration method can be supported by terminals that only support Wi-Fi standards before the Wi-Fi 8 standard, such as terminals that only support the Wi-Fi 6 standard and the Wi-Fi 7 standard. In other words, terminals that only support the Wi-Fi 6 standard and the Wi-Fi 7 standard can be accessed to the slave channel without being restricted by the status of the master channel. This is beneficial to avoid unbalanced resource utilization of the master and slave channels of the access point without upgrading the iterative terminal, make more full use of all channel resources, and avoid congestion when the terminal accesses the channel, so as to achieve fast access and thus have better real-time performance.

[0029] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application more clear, each embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many technical details are provided in each embodiment of the present application to help readers better understand the present application. However, even without these technical details and various variations and modifications based on the following embodiments, the technical solutions claimed in the present application can still be implemented.

[0030] The following embodiments are divided for the convenience of description and should not constitute any limitation on the specific implementation of the present application. The various embodiments can be combined with each other and referenced to each other without contradiction.

[0031] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an access method, which is applied to an access point (AP). The access point, by combining the access mechanism process of the Wi-Fi standard supported by the terminal, accesses the terminal to the corresponding frequency band of the secondary channel without being restricted by the primary channel state, thereby fully utilizing the channel resources of the secondary channel and eliminating the need to upgrade or iterate the terminal.

[0032] The channel bandwidth provided by the access point can be as follows: Figure 1As shown, it is divided into two parts: the main channel bandwidth and the slave channel bandwidth. It should be noted that the division of the slave channel and the main channel is not limited in the embodiment of the present application: for example, the access point can provide a 160MHz channel bandwidth, that is, an 80MHz main channel and an 80MHz slave channel; for another example, the access point can provide an 80MHz channel bandwidth, that is, a 40MHz main channel and a 40MHz slave channel; for another example, the 40MHz main channel in the 80MHz channel bandwidth provided by the access point is included in the 80MHz main channel of the 160MHz channel bandwidth provided by another access point, that is, different channel bandwidths are allowed to be organized in the form of main channel overlap or inclusion, and the bandwidth of the main channel and the slave channel are allowed to be different, etc., which will not be listed here one by one.

[0033] It should be noted that Figure 2 For example only, the primary and secondary channels do not necessarily share the entire access point's channel bandwidth. Instead, they can have an isolation band (or isolation bandwidth) to prevent interference between the primary and secondary channels. Furthermore, the channel bandwidth provided by an access point to the primary and secondary channels is not necessarily continuous. For example, in some cases, some channel bandwidth may be unavailable or conflict with existing systems. In this case, channel puncturing is necessary to allocate the available portion to the primary and secondary channels. The specific bandwidth allocated to the primary and secondary channels can be specified using a bitmap (e.g., using a bitmap to indicate the unavailable portion).

[0034] In addition, the access point can be a single-link device or a multi-link device (MLD).

[0035] The following will describe the access method provided in the embodiment of the present application in conjunction with relevant processes.

[0036] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown, the access method process may include the following steps:

[0037] Step 201: using a channel switching mechanism or a connection reconfiguration method, notifying a terminal of access information of a frequency band corresponding to a secondary channel of an access point, so that the terminal can initiate a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel according to the access information.

[0038] Step 202: If the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports terminal access, authenticate and associate the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, so that the terminal operates on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel.

[0039] In this way, the channel information of the secondary channel of the access point is notified to the terminal by utilizing the channel switching mechanism or the connection reconfiguration method, so that the terminal can initiate the process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel based on the acquired information, and achieve the purpose of accessing the terminal to the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel if permitted. In this process, the channel switching mechanism or the connection reconfiguration method can be supported by terminals that only support Wi-Fi standards before the Wi-Fi 8 standard, such as terminals that only support the Wi-Fi 6 standard and the Wi-Fi 7 standard. In other words, terminals that only support the Wi-Fi 6 standard and the Wi-Fi 7 standard can be accessed to the secondary channel without being restricted by the status of the primary channel. This is beneficial to avoid unbalanced utilization of the primary and secondary channel resources of the access point without upgrading the iterative terminal, make more full use of all channel resources, and avoid congestion when the terminal accesses the channel, so as to achieve fast access and thus have better real-time performance.

[0040] For the convenience of understanding for those skilled in the art, Figure 2 The steps in the illustrated embodiment are explained.

[0041] In step 201, the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel of the access point is notified to the terminal using a channel switching mechanism or a connection reconfiguration method, so that the terminal can initiate a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel. In this embodiment of the present application, the information frame used to notify the terminal of the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel is not limited. It can be understood that in the process involved in the existing channel switching mechanism or the connection reconfiguration method, the information frame transmitted from the access point to the terminal includes multiple types of information frames, such as beacon frames, probe response frames, etc. Therefore, the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel can be transmitted from the access point to the terminal via beacon frames and / or probe response frames. Of course, the above is only an example. In some embodiments, other information frames can also be used, which are not listed here one by one.

[0042] It should be noted that utilizing the channel switching mechanism or connection reconfiguration method effectively configures a virtual access point for the access point in the frequency band corresponding to the channel. Specifically, the access point is configured with the access information on the frequency band corresponding to the channel to correspond to a virtual access point. In some embodiments, the basic service set identifier (BSSID) of the virtual access point can be configured to be the same as the access point's BSSID. Access points and virtual access points can be distinguished by their respective operating channel information; the operating channel information includes at least one of the following: primary channel frequency, primary channel bandwidth, secondary channel frequency, secondary channel bandwidth, and channel category.

[0043] It should also be noted that the access point in the embodiments of the present application may be attached to a multi-connection device (i.e., a multi-connection access point device), or may not be attached to a multi-connection access point device. In some embodiments, when the access point is attached to a multi-connection access point device, the access information on the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel corresponds to another access point attached to the multi-connection access point device, and the other access point on the multi-connection access point device operates on the slave channel of the access point. In addition, the access point also meets at least one of the following conditions: the basic multi-link element (Basic multi-link element) transmitted by the access point carries the channel information of the slave channel or the master channel of the access point, as well as the channel information of other connections provided by the multi-connection device; or, when the access point is attached to a multi-connection access point device and access to the multi-connection access point device involves simultaneous access to the access point and another access point operating on the slave channel of the access point, the resources of the slave channel of the access point do not support terminal access. This can prevent multiple terminals attached to the same multi-connection device (i.e., a multi-connection non-access point device) from simultaneously accessing the primary channel and the secondary channel of the same access point attached to the same multi-connection access point device, thereby avoiding the problem of channel competition among multiple terminals in the same multi-connection non-access point device.

[0044] In step 202, if the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports terminal access, the terminal is authenticated and associated with another access point operating in the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, so that the terminal operates in the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel. This embodiment of the present application does not limit the determination of whether the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports terminal (non-AP Station, non-AP STA) access, nor does it limit the authentication and association methods between the terminal and the channel. These are already described in the relevant art and will not be further elaborated here.

[0045] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the access point's determination of whether to support terminal access to the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel. For example, in some embodiments, when the access point is affiliated with a multi-connected access point device and access by multi-connected non-access point devices involves simultaneous access to both the secondary channel and the primary channel, the access point's frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel does not support terminal access. In other words, multi-connected non-access point devices are not allowed to simultaneously access both the primary and secondary channels of the same access point. This is primarily to address potential channel contention issues, i.e., situations where multi-connected non-access point devices simultaneously access both the primary and secondary channels of the same access point and constantly switch between them. This avoids waste of resources and adversely impacts access efficiency and communication performance. For example, in some embodiments, when the access point is affiliated with a single-connected device and the channel resource utilization on the secondary channel is less than a preset value, the access point determines that terminal access to the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel is supported. For another example, in some embodiments, when the access point is affiliated with a single-connected device and the channel resource utilization on the primary channel is less than a preset value, the access point determines that terminal access to the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel is not supported. These examples are not listed here one by one.

[0046] It should also be noted that, for terminal access, the terminal access is completed by authenticating and associating the terminal with the corresponding access point. The terminal can then use the associated channel for communication, which will not be described in detail here or later.

[0047] In some embodiments, if the connection reconfiguration method is used, then, Figure 3 As shown, the access method process may include the following steps:

[0048] Step 301, periodically sending a first beacon frame on the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel, wherein the first beacon frame is a beacon frame carrying access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel, for the terminal to initiate a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel.

[0049] Step 302: If the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports terminal access, authenticate and associate the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, so that the terminal operates on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel.

[0050] In this way, based on the above-mentioned embodiment, the terminal is notified of the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel through the beacon frame, so that the terminal is notified of the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel during the scanning phase. Therefore, the terminal can obtain the channel information from the slave channel as quickly as possible without continuing the information frame transmitted in the subsequent access process, thereby minimizing the resources required to notify the terminal of the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel and saving resources.

[0051] In some embodiments, if a channel switching mechanism is used, then, Figure 4As shown, the access method process may include the following steps:

[0052] Step 401: receiving a probe request frame sent by a terminal according to access information of the frequency band corresponding to the access point on the frequency band corresponding to the primary channel of the access point.

[0053] Step 402: When the frequency band corresponding to the primary channel of the access point does not support terminal access, a probe response frame carrying access information of the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel is sent to the terminal.

[0054] Step 403: If the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports terminal access, authenticate and associate the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, so that the terminal operates on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel.

[0055] In this way, based on the aforementioned embodiment, the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel is notified to the terminal through the existing channel switching mechanism, and the terminal is triggered to initiate the access process to the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel. At this time, less processing is required on the access point, so the implementation difficulty is lower and the cost required is less.

[0056] It should be noted that when the channel switching mechanism is used to notify the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel, the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel is included in the channel switching element of the detection response frame, and the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel is the target switching channel in the channel switching element. The access point does not perform channel switching at the moment when the channel switching element indicates to perform channel switching.

[0057] It is understood that, according to the provisions of relevant existing Wi-Fi standards, after obtaining access information for the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel, the terminal can then initiate a probe request frame to inform the access point of its own access requirements. The terminal can also bypass the probe request frame and directly send an authentication request frame to inform the access point of its own access requirements, that is, directly enter the authentication phase of the access process. This embodiment of the present application is not limited to this, and an example will be used below to illustrate this.

[0058] In some embodiments, if the process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel is initiated by a detection request frame, then, Figure 5 As shown, the access method process may include the following steps:

[0059] Step 501: using a channel switching mechanism or a connection reconfiguration method, notifying a terminal of access information of a frequency band corresponding to a secondary channel of an access point, so that the terminal can initiate a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel according to the access information.

[0060] Step 502: On the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel, a probe request frame sent by the terminal according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel is received.

[0061] Step 503 , detecting whether the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel supports terminal access, if not, executing step 504 , if yes, executing step 505 .

[0062] Step 504: Send a probe response frame carrying access information of the frequency band corresponding to the access point to the terminal, so that the terminal performs channel switching and initiates a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the access point.

[0063] Step 505: authenticate and associate the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, so that the terminal operates on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel.

[0064] In this way, based on the aforementioned embodiment, within the processing range of the terminal, the service provided by the probe response frame is fully utilized to support the terminal requesting access to the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel to switch to the access point when the terminal cannot access the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel (according to the definition of the relevant Wi-Fi standard, if the request to access the access point is successful, the terminal will access the primary channel of the access point). This makes the access process more flexible and increases the probability of successful access of the terminal, thereby providing a better user experience.

[0065] In some embodiments, if the authentication request frame is used to initiate the process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel, then, Figure 6 As shown, the access method process may include the following steps:

[0066] Step 601: using a channel switching mechanism or a connection reconfiguration method, notifying the terminal of access information of a frequency band corresponding to a secondary channel of the access point, so that the terminal can initiate a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel according to the access information.

[0067] Step 602: On the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel, in the case where no probe request frame is received from the terminal, an authentication request frame is received from the terminal according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel.

[0068] Step 603 , detecting whether the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel supports terminal access, if not, executing step 604 , if yes, executing step 605 .

[0069] Step 604: deny terminal access.

[0070] Step 605: authenticate and associate the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, so that the terminal operates on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel.

[0071] In some examples, denying access to the terminal may be achieved by sending an authentication response frame carrying access denial to the terminal.

[0072] Thus, based on the above embodiments, within the processing range of the terminal, the service provided by the authentication response frame is fully utilized, so that the terminal can directly and timely obtain the access result and switch to other access points when needed, which is conducive to improving user experience.

[0073] It should be noted that Figure 6 This information is provided primarily for ease of understanding. In practice, step 605 actually corresponds to sending an authentication response frame carrying an authentication success message to the terminal, informing the terminal that authentication has been successful. The terminal then proceeds to initiate an association request frame. If the access point permits association, it responds with an association response frame permitting association. This completes the access process, allowing the terminal to operate on the frequency band corresponding to the access point's secondary channel. This has been described in the relevant art and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0074] It should be noted that Figure 2-Figure 6 This is mainly provided for understanding the access situation of the slave channel. In the application process, it can also be combined with the access of the master channel. For example, in some embodiments, Figure 7 As shown, the access method process may include the following steps:

[0075] Step 701: Periodically send a second beacon frame, wherein the second beacon frame is a beacon frame carrying access information of a frequency band corresponding to an access point.

[0076] Step 702: Receive, on the frequency band corresponding to the primary channel of the access point, a probe request frame sent by the terminal according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the access point.

[0077] Step 703: When the frequency band corresponding to the primary channel of the access point does not support terminal access, a detection response frame carrying access information of the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel is sent to the terminal, so that the terminal can initiate a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel.

[0078] Step 704: If the frequency band corresponding to the primary channel of the access point supports terminal access, authenticate and associate the terminal with the access point so that the terminal operates on the frequency band corresponding to the primary channel of the access point.

[0079] Step 705 : In the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel, in the case where the probe request frame sent by the terminal is not received, an authentication request frame sent by the terminal according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel is received.

[0080] Step 706: If the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel does not support terminal access, deny terminal access.

[0081] Step 707: If the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports terminal access, authenticate and associate the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, so that the terminal operates on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel.

[0082] It should be noted that whether terminal access is supported can be determined through load balancing, etc., which has been explained in the relevant technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0083] It should also be noted that Figure 7 The embodiment shown is only an example. In some embodiments, other combinations can also be considered, which will not be listed one by one here.

[0084] In some embodiments, further considering the possible handover situation after access, taking the access point belonging to a multi-connection access point device as an example, such as Figure 8 As shown, the access method process may include the following steps:

[0085] Step 801: using a channel switching mechanism or a connection reconfiguration method, notifying a terminal of access information of a frequency band corresponding to a secondary channel of an access point, so that the terminal can initiate a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel according to the access information.

[0086] Step 802: If the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports terminal access, authenticate and associate the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, so that the terminal operates on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel.

[0087] Step 803: Receive a link reconfiguration notify frame sent by a terminal associated with the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel or the frequency band corresponding to the primary channel of the access point, to trigger handover of the terminal to another access point on the frequency band corresponding to the access point and the secondary channel.

[0088] In this way, based on the aforementioned embodiment, a post-access switching scheme is further provided, so that a terminal that has accessed the frequency band corresponding to the primary channel of the access point can be switched to access the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, and a terminal that has accessed the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel can be switched to access the frequency band corresponding to the primary channel of the access point, so that access can be flexibly adjusted, which is conducive to providing a more stable and reliable connection for the terminal, thereby improving the user experience.

[0089] It should be noted that Figure 8 The embodiment shown is mainly in Figure 2 In some embodiments, step 803 may also be combined with Figure 3-Figure 7 In any of the embodiments, a switching solution after access is provided, which will not be described in detail here.

[0090] It should also be noted that Figure 2-Figure 8 The processing of information frames involved in the relevant steps of the illustrated embodiment is substantially the same as the definition of existing information frames. For example, beacon frames and probe response frames may also carry basic multi-connection elements. According to the relevant definition, in the access method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the basic multi-connection element transmitted by the access point carries channel information of the access point's secondary channel or primary channel, as well as channel information of other connections provided by the multi-connection access point device, thereby notifying terminals affiliated with the multi-connection access point device of information about the multi-connection, so as to facilitate access. Of course, the above is only an example and can also be combined with the content of other information frames, which will not be listed here one by one.

[0091] For existing access points (or devices compliant with 802.11be or 802.11ax), when the maximum supported bandwidth is 160 MHz, as shown in Table 1 below, assume the access point supports channel 50, which consists of an 80 MHz primary channel (channel 42) and an 80 MHz secondary channel (channel 58). If the primary channel of channel 50 is busy and the secondary channel is idle, the 160 MHz occupied by channel 50 is underutilized. This can be achieved by deploying an access point for channel 58 (the secondary channel) (this is not done by actually deploying hardware on the access point, but by making the terminal perceive the channel as an access point). Terminals can access this secondary channel by connecting to the virtual access point corresponding to the secondary channel, rather than deploying hardware on the access point. This newly deployed access point has its own primary channel on channel 58 (within the 80 MHz bandwidth), with a bandwidth of either 20 MHz or 40 MHz. In other words, a virtual access point is activated on the secondary channel of the access point. Terminals can then access the secondary channel based on the services they support by connecting to the virtual access point corresponding to the secondary channel. Those skilled in the art may understand this as the meaning of reusing multiple connections in an existing multi-connection device.

[0092] Table 1 Distribution of Wi-Fi channels at 5 GHz (partial)

[0093]

[0094] Specifically, if Figure 9 As shown, in an access point, the concept of temporary connection (temp link) is introduced to form a corresponding access point ( Figure 9 ) and a corresponding virtual access point ( Figure 9The access point (virtual) is a temporary connection (represented by "access point (virtual)" in the figure). The access point (virtual) connection occupies the secondary channel of the access point. Then, the access point switches the terminal between the access point and the access point (virtual) based on their load (such as the number of terminals connected to each, throughput, etc.). Figure 9 In the access point, it is equivalent to an additional connection. Temporary connections play a supporting role. When the channel is not fully utilized (for example, there are many terminals with a maximum working bandwidth of 40MHz or 20MHz accessing the access point), some of the terminals can be switched to the temporary connection of the access point (virtual). Figure 9 The master channel and slave channel are shown as an example.

[0095] For the relevant parameters in the information mentioned in the above embodiment:

[0096] The two connections (the access point connection and the access point (virtual) connection) use the same basic service set identifier.

[0097] The two connections use the same Service Set Identifier (SSID), which can be a default value provided when the access point device is powered on, or configured in advance.

[0098] Connection ID (link ID): For non-multi-connection devices, temporary connections do not have connection IDs (for ease of implementation, temporary connections do not have connection IDs. Temporary connections are only access point (virtual) connections, which is equivalent to providing a virtual access point. Or the connection ID is not read, etc.); for multi-connection devices, the connection ID of the access point (virtual) connection is different from the connection ID of the access point connection (because from the perspective of a multi-connection terminal, the access point (virtual) only exists to replace the access point when load balancing is performed, or the access point only exists to replace the access point (virtual) when load balancing is performed).

[0099] Of course, based on the above parameters, relevant information frames also need to carry corresponding channel information when necessary. Taking the first and second beacon frames as an example, the first beacon frame needs to include the access point's channel information, while the second beacon frame needs to include the access point's (virtual) channel information. The purpose of sending the second beacon frame is to make the current access point (virtual) appear identical to other access points, allowing for adaptation to numerous conventional terminals (legacy non-AP STAs). The presence of the access point (virtual) effectively initiates a new connection on the access point's secondary channel, fully utilizing the frequency band of the access point's secondary channel. The channel information for the access point and the access point (virtual) can include channel bandwidth, primary channels within their respective channel bandwidths, and more.

[0100] It should be noted that in some cases, multiple access points (virtual) can be configured, all operating on the access point's secondary or primary channel. This allows for finer granularity in channel (or secondary channel) access, better load balancing, and optimal spectrum resource utilization. The maximum operating bandwidth supported by an access point is 160 MHz. One access point (virtual) operates in the lower 40 MHz of the access point's secondary channel, while another operates in the upper 40 MHz of the access point's secondary channel. For simplicity, the following examples will use a single access point (virtual) operating on the access point's secondary channel as an example.

[0101] To facilitate those skilled in the art to better understand the access method provided in the above embodiments, the following describes two cases involving a multi-connection device and a non-multi-connection device.

[0102] In a scenario where a non-multi-connection terminal accesses an access point, if the terminal requesting access does not transmit a probe request frame but instead directly requests access to the access point or access point (virtual) using a received beacon frame (first beacon frame or second beacon frame), load balancing must be performed during the terminal access process, by accepting or rejecting the terminal's connection.

[0103] If a newly connected terminal transmits a probe request frame, a probe response frame can be returned to inform the terminal of the load balancing result between the connection to the access point and the connection to the (virtual) access point. The content of the probe response frame corresponding to different load balancing results can be as follows:

[0104] If the access point or access point (virtual) currently requesting access can support access, it replies with a general probe response frame, that is, it does not contain a channel switching element.

[0105] If the access point or access point (virtual) currently requesting access cannot support access, a channel switch element is included in the probe response frame. The purpose of including the channel switch element is to inform the terminal that the current access point will change channels. The channel switch element also carries the target channel information and recommends that the terminal connect to the target channel. It is important to emphasize that although the channel switch element is included, the access point itself does not perform channel switching. Specifically:

[0106] If the current access point does not support the terminal's access, it will include a channel switch element in the probe response frame returned to the terminal. The target channel information in the channel switch element is the access point's (virtual) channel information, directing the terminal to the access point, making the terminal believe that the access point is about to switch channels to the access point's (virtual) channel. However, the access point does not (and does not need to) perform channel switching.

[0107] If the current access point is a virtual access point and does not support the terminal's access, the probe response frame returned to the terminal carries a channel switch element. The target channel information in the channel switch element is the access point's channel information, directing the terminal to the access point. This tricks the terminal into thinking that the virtual access point is about to switch channels to the access point's channel. Of course, the virtual access point does not (and does not need to) perform channel switching.

[0108] by Figure 10 Taking the process shown as an example, a terminal sends a probe request frame to an access point. The access point makes an initial access determination based on load information. If access is supported, it returns a normal probe response frame. If access is not supported, it returns a probe response frame carrying a channel switch element, suggesting that the terminal connect to the target channel indicated in the channel switch element. However, the access point sending the probe response frame does not perform channel switching itself.

[0109] If the access point does not receive a probe request frame from a terminal during the initial access process, or the terminal does not transmit a probe request frame, the terminal will learn about the access point through its beacon frame and directly send an authentication request frame to express its willingness to access. The access point will then reply with an authentication response frame. The terminal will then send an association request frame. The access point will then decide whether to support the terminal's access based on its load. If so, it will send an association response frame indicating that it accepts the terminal's connection. If not, it will send an association response frame indicating that it does not accept the terminal's connection.

[0110] At this point, the terminal cannot be directed to another access point. The only way to control the load balancing of the access point is to accept or reject new access terminals and lose connected terminals (switch to other access points).

[0111] For the above description, combined with Figure 9From an access point perspective, an access point (virtual) connection is located precisely on its own slave channel: the bandwidth of one connection overlaps the bandwidth of the other connection's slave channel. The two connections partially overlap. When a terminal associates to an access point (virtual) and operates on the access point's (virtual) channel, from the access point's perspective, the terminal operates precisely on its own slave channel. When the access point supports a wider bandwidth than the terminal, or when the access point's primary channel is unavailable but its slave channel is, connecting the terminal to the access point (virtual) improves channel resource utilization. For already connected non-multi-connected terminals (i.e., terminals not attached to a multi-connected non-access point device), dynamic switching between access points and access points (virtual) is not possible. Load balancing can only be achieved by accepting or rejecting access requests (or association requests, or authentication requests) from newly connected devices.

[0112] When faced with multiple non-access point devices accessing the network, such as Figure 11 As shown, a multi-connected non-AP device can choose to access an AP or an AP (virtual) during initial access, or switch between the AP and AP (virtual) channels after access, based on the load balancing of the APs. This allows the multi-connected non-AP device to select and adjust the access channel between the AP and AP (virtual) channels during initial access and after access, fully utilizing spectrum resources. Connection switching can occur continuously during the access process, and detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0113] For terminals attached to multi-connected non-AP devices, it is not recommended to connect the terminal (of the multi-connected non-AP device) to an AP and a virtual AP, respectively. This is because the two connections will constantly compete for the channel, preventing the full benefit of secondary channel access and causing scheduling confusion.

[0114] In some cases, it may be possible to Figure 12 In the connection mode shown, only one of the access point and access point (virtual) is selected for connection. Figure 12 In the example, one terminal of the multi-connection access point device is connected to an access point, and other terminals of the multi-connection non-access point device are connected to other access points of the multi-connection access point device.

[0115] That is, when establishing a connection, the access point in a multi-connected device establishes a connection with the terminals in the multi-connected device through the access point, while the access point (virtual) does not establish a connection with the terminals in the multi-connected device. This is mainly because access points in China generally have two frequency bands: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. We assume that the access point and access point (virtual) operate in 5GHz, while other connections operate in 2.4GHz. According to the 802.11be standard, when a multi-connected terminal is associated, the connections cannot overlap.

[0116] To ensure that terminals of multi-connected devices do not access the access point and the access point (virtual) at the same time, the following methods can be used for access:

[0117] 1. When a multi-connected non-AP device accesses, the basic multi-connected element of the beacon frame broadcast by the multi-connected AP device carries all AP information. However, the multi-connected AP device only indicates support for multi-connected non-AP device access in an Association Response frame if the multi-connected non-AP device requests access to the AP (or AP (virtual)) and its other APs using an Association Request frame. If the multi-connected non-AP device requests access to both the AP and the AP (virtual) using an Association Request frame, the multi-connected AP device indicates support for multi-connected non-AP device access in an Association Response frame.

[0118] 2. By carrying the basic multi-connection element in the beacon frame, that is, when the multi-connection access point device hopes that a terminal (multi-connection non-access point device) will access the access point, the basic multi-connection element includes the access point and the access point information corresponding to other connections, and the basic multi-connection element is included in the beacon frame and the probe response frame. The beacon frame is broadcast to support the new terminal access, so that the terminal can achieve access through the authentication request frame and the association request frame; when the multi-connection access point device hopes that a terminal (multi-connection non-access point device) will access the access point (virtual), the basic multi-connection element includes the access point (virtual) and the access point information corresponding to other connections, and the basic multi-connection element is included in the beacon frame and the probe response frame. The beacon frame is broadcast to support the new terminal access, so that the terminal can achieve access through the authentication request frame and the association request frame.

[0119] After access is achieved using the above solution, switching between the slave channel and the master channel is supported. That is, for a multi-connection non-access point device that has already been connected, load balancing can be achieved by accepting or rejecting the connection request of the new access terminal. Selecting terminals on the multi-connection non-access point device to access certain connections to complete load balancing. Figure 13 As shown, a terminal with an established connection can switch between the access point and the access point (virtual), but can only switch one connection at a time.

[0120] The switching process can be as follows Figure 14As shown, after a terminal of a multi-connection non-access point device connects to the multi-connection access point device, the multi-connection access point device first transmits a link reconfiguration notification frame to the multi-connection non-access point device, and then the multi-connection non-access point device responds. If the multi-connection non-access point device agrees to the handover, a link reconfiguration request frame is sent to the multi-connection access point device, indicating that the terminal wants to delete the connection with the access point (assuming that the terminal on the multi-connection non-access point is already connected to an access point with a corresponding access point (virtual) on the multi-connection access point) and establish a connection with the access point (virtual). If the multi-connection access point device agrees to the handover, a link reconfiguration response frame is sent to the multi-connection non-access point device; otherwise, the current connection is maintained.

[0121] It should be noted that although dynamic switching between access points and access points (virtual) is supported for multi-connected devices, frequent switching is not recommended, nor is it recommended to allow terminals with multi-connected non-access point devices to be connected to both access points and access points (virtual) simultaneously through switching.

[0122] It's also important to note that an access point and an access point (virtual) are not completely incapable of simultaneously connecting to the same multi-connected device. In some cases, a multi-connected device is allowed to connect to both an access point and an access point (virtual) simultaneously, but it is not supported to operate on both the access point and the access point (virtual) at the same time. For example, if you can send and receive on the access point, you cannot send and receive on the access point (virtual), and vice versa.

[0123] Obviously, in the above example, for the terminal side, it is only connected to the current access point, and there is no concept of master-slave channels.

[0124] From the above description, it can be seen that when the access point hopes that a terminal will access itself (but does not want a terminal to access the access point (virtual)), if the access point is an access point (no longer belonging to a multi-connection access point device), it periodically sends a beacon frame containing its own information, and the probe response frame returned to the terminal does not carry a channel switching element, but contains a basic multi-connection element in the broadcast beacon frame and the probe response frame (this is mainly due to the fact that the access point (virtual) is equivalent to forming a virtual access point, resulting in two connections being provided on an access point device. Therefore, the parameters in the multi-connection scenario are used adaptively), and the base multi-connection element contains the access point and other access point information (does not contain the access point (virtual) information (STA profile); If an access point is attached to a multi-connection device, it periodically transmits beacon frames containing its own information and basic multi-connection elements. The basic multi-connection elements do not include information about the access point (virtual), even if the access point (virtual) is already active. In this case, the access point (virtual) serves as a secondary device and does not want new terminals to connect to it. Therefore, the access point (virtual) periodically transmits beacon frames containing its own information to synchronize with devices not associated with the access point (virtual). These beacon frames do not carry the basic multi-connection elements. Simultaneously, the probe response frames returned to the terminal carry the channel switch element, which contains target channel information (the access point's channel). However, the access point (virtual) does not switch channels to the access point. This prevents non-access point devices with multiple connections from obtaining multi-connection information (implemented via the basic multi-connection elements) through the access point (virtual) beacon frames, preventing them from accessing the access point (virtual).

[0125] Correspondingly, when an access point does not wish for terminals to access it (desiring terminals to access the access point (virtual)), if the access point is an active access point, it periodically transmits beacon frames containing its own information to synchronize with non-multi-connected devices associated with the access point. The probe response frames it returns to the terminal include a channel switch element, which also includes target channel information (the access point (virtual)'s channel). This notifies the terminal that the access point is about to switch to the access point (virtual)'s channel (but the access point itself does not perform channel switching), causing the channel to switch to the access point (virtual)'s channel. If the access point is an access point affiliated with a multi-connected device, it periodically transmits beacon frames without the basic multi-connected element. In this case, the access point (virtual) periodically transmits beacon frames carrying its own information and the basic multi-connected element. The basic multi-connected element does not contain access point information, even though the access point has been activated. Furthermore, the probe response frames it returns to the terminal do not include the channel switch element, but do include the basic multi-connected element, which contains information about the access point (virtual) and other access points (but does not contain access point information). This indicates that the access point (virtual) hopes to have access from new terminals, and its auxiliary role is enhanced, and multi-connection non-access point devices cannot obtain multi-connection information through the beacon frame of the access point, and therefore cannot access through the access point.

[0126] Of course, the above are only examples, and in some embodiments, they can be implemented in combination with other methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0127] In addition, to facilitate understanding of the above-described determination of whether terminal access is supported in the art, load balancing will be used as an example for explanation below.

[0128] In some embodiments, an access point cannot proactively schedule terminals already associated with an access point to switch to a new access point (virtual). However, if the access point is overloaded, a probe response frame can be sent to a terminal requesting new access to the access point, suggesting that the terminal access a less loaded access point (virtual). Alternatively, if the access point is overloaded, a probe response frame can be sent to a terminal requesting new access to the access point (virtual). This is essentially equivalent to setting up a virtual access point (virtual) on the access point's secondary channel.

[0129] As for how to decide whether to support or recommend association to an access point or an access point (virtual), it can be determined based on the load of the access point and the load of the access point (virtual), or based on the number of users associated with the access point and the number of users associated with the access point (virtual), etc., thereby adjusting the terminals residing on the access point and the access point (virtual).

[0130] When determining access based on both access point and (virtual) access point loads (i.e., load balancing), terminals with heavy traffic can be switched to lighter-loaded access points based on the traffic volume over a period of time. For example, the load of both access points and (virtual) access points is calculated every five minutes, and then terminals with heavier traffic are switched to lighter-loaded terminals. This involves selecting terminals with the highest low-priority traffic volume during that period and switching them to the (virtual) access point.

[0131] Based on the number of users associated with an access point and the number of users associated with a (virtual) access point, the number of terminals associated with the access point and the number of terminals associated with the (virtual) access point can be adjusted to ensure that the number of terminals residing on the access point and the number of terminals residing on the (virtual) access point are consistent. For example, adjustments can be made every five minutes to switch terminals on the side with more users to the side with fewer users. These terminals include those with the highest low-priority traffic during that time period.

[0132] Of course, other strategies can also be adopted, such as based on the average delay of terminal access to the channel (which can be replaced by the average delay of access to the access point or access point (virtual) channel). Specifically, terminals associated with an access point or access point (virtual) access channel will undergo an enhanced distributed channel access binary backoff process, which causes access delay. Similarly, access points or access points (virtual) also experience delays when accessing the channel. Based on these delays, when the delay exceeds a certain time, some terminals with excessive access delays are adjusted to switch from access point to access point (virtual), or from access point (virtual) to access point. This is not listed here.

[0133] It should be noted that, in some cases, in order to facilitate implementation and reduce complexity, frequent switching of the terminal between access points and access points (virtual) within a short period of time (eg, less than 1 second) in a frequency hopping manner is not performed.

[0134] The step division of the above various methods is only for the purpose of clear description. During implementation, they can be combined into one step or some steps can be split and decomposed into multiple steps. As long as they include the same logical relationship, they are all within the scope of protection of this application; adding insignificant modifications or introducing insignificant designs to the algorithm or process without changing the core design of the algorithm and process are all within the scope of protection of this application.

[0135] The second aspect of the embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, such as Figure 15As shown, it includes: at least one processor 1501; and a memory 1502 that is communicatively connected to the at least one processor 1501; wherein the memory 1502 stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor 1501, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor 1501 to enable the at least one processor 1501 to execute the access method described in any of the above method embodiments.

[0136] The memory 1502 and processor 1501 are connected using a bus. The bus may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, connecting various circuits of one or more processors 1501 and memory 1502. The bus may also connect various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits. These are all well known in the art and are therefore not described further herein. The bus interface provides an interface between the bus and the transceiver. The transceiver may be a single component or multiple components, such as multiple receivers and transmitters, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. Data processed by the processor 1501 is transmitted over a wireless medium via an antenna. Furthermore, the antenna receives data and transmits it to the processor 1501.

[0137] The processor 1501 is responsible for managing the bus and general processing, and may also provide various functions, including timing, peripheral interfaces, voltage regulation, power management, and other control functions. The memory 1502 may be used to store data used by the processor 1501 when performing operations.

[0138] It is not difficult to find that this embodiment is an embodiment of an apparatus system corresponding to the method embodiment, and this embodiment can be implemented in conjunction with the method embodiment. The relevant technical details mentioned in the method embodiment are still valid in this embodiment, and to reduce repetition, they are not repeated here. Accordingly, the relevant technical details mentioned in this embodiment can also be applied to the method embodiment.

[0139] Another aspect of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that implements the above method embodiment when executed by a processor.

[0140] That is, those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the above-mentioned embodiments can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a program. The program is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for causing a device (which may be a single-chip microcomputer, chip, etc.) or a processor to execute all or part of the steps in the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: a USB flash drive, a mobile hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, etc., various media that can store program code.

[0141] It is not difficult to find that this embodiment is a storage medium embodiment corresponding to the method embodiment, and this embodiment can be implemented in conjunction with the method embodiment. The relevant technical details mentioned in the method embodiment are still valid in this embodiment, and to reduce repetition, they are not repeated here. Accordingly, the relevant technical details mentioned in this embodiment can also be applied to the method embodiment.

[0142] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above embodiments are specific embodiments for implementing the present application, and that in actual applications, various changes may be made thereto in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An access method, characterized in that: Applied to an access point, the method includes: Notifying the terminal of access information of the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel of the access point by using a channel switching mechanism or a connection reconfiguration method, so that the terminal initiates a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel; If the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports access by the terminal, authenticating and associating the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, so that the terminal operates on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel; The terminal supports Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7, and the other access point is a virtual access point corresponding to the access information configuration on the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel of the access point.

2. The access method according to claim 1, wherein: Using a connection reconfiguration method, notifying a terminal of access information of a frequency band corresponding to a secondary channel of the access point, comprising: A first beacon frame is periodically sent on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, wherein the first beacon frame is a beacon frame carrying access information of the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel.

3. The access method according to claim 1, wherein: In a case where the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports access by the terminal, before authenticating and associating the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, the method further includes: receiving, on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, a probe request frame sent by the terminal according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel; detecting whether a frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports access by the terminal; After detecting whether the corresponding frequency band of the secondary channel supports access by the terminal, the method further includes: When the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel does not support access by the terminal, sending a probe response frame carrying access information of the frequency band corresponding to the access point to the terminal, so that the terminal performs channel switching and initiates a process of accessing the frequency band corresponding to the access point; The access information of the frequency band corresponding to the access point is included in the channel switching element of the detection response frame, and the frequency band corresponding to the access point is the target switching channel in the channel switching element; the channel switching element indicates that no other access point performs channel switching at the moment of channel switching.

4. The access method according to claim 1, wherein: Using a channel switching mechanism, notifying the terminal of access information of a frequency band corresponding to a secondary channel of the access point, including: receiving, on a frequency band corresponding to a primary channel of the access point, a probe request frame sent by the terminal according to access information of the frequency band corresponding to the access point; When the frequency band corresponding to the primary channel of the access point does not support access by the terminal, sending a probe response frame carrying access information of the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel to the terminal; The access information of the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel is included in the channel switching element of the detection response frame, the frequency band corresponding to the slave channel is the target switching channel in the channel switching element, and the access point does not perform channel switching at the moment when the channel switching element indicates channel switching.

5. The access method according to claim 1, wherein: In a case where the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports access by the terminal, before authenticating and associating the terminal with another access point operating on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, the method further includes: In the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel, when no detection request frame sent by the terminal is received, receiving an authentication request frame sent by the terminal according to the access information of the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel; detecting whether a frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports access by the terminal; After detecting whether the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel supports access by the terminal, the method further includes: In a case where the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel does not support access by the terminal, the terminal access is denied.

6. The access method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The access information on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel corresponds to a virtual access point, the virtual access point and the access point have the same basic service set identifier, and the access point and the virtual access point are distinguished from each other by their respective different working channel information; wherein the working channel information includes at least one of the following information: primary channel frequency, primary channel bandwidth, secondary channel frequency, secondary channel bandwidth, and channel category.

7. The access method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The access point is attached to a multi-connection access point device, and the access information on the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel corresponds to another access point attached to the multi-connection access point device and operating on the secondary channel of the access point; The access point also meets at least one of the following conditions: The basic multi-connection element transmitted by the access point carries channel information of a secondary channel or a primary channel of the access point, as well as channel information of other connections provided by the multi-connection access point device; or, when access to the multi-connection access point device involves simultaneous access to the access point and another access point operating on a secondary channel of the access point, resources of the secondary channel of the access point do not support access by the terminal.

8. The access method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: In the case where the access point is attached to a multi-connection access point device, the method further includes: A connection reconfiguration notification frame is received from the terminal associated with the frequency band corresponding to the secondary channel or the frequency band corresponding to the primary channel of the access point, so as to trigger switching of the terminal between the access point and another access point operating on the secondary channel of the access point.

9. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: at least one processor; as well as, a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein, The memory stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the access method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the access method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented.

Citation Information

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