Advertisement of wireless connection quality estimates

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication in which an access point (AP) may advertise internet connection quality information in a beacon transmit or probe request. The AP may measure one or more metrics associated with Internet access and provide an indication of the metrics in an information element sent to one or more stations (STAs). In some examples, the Internet connection quality information element may include one or more fields associated with connection metrics such as Internet reachability, link latency, available uplink bandwidth, and available downlink bandwidth. The STA may seek the Internet connectivity quality information element and may decide whether to connect to the AP based on the indicated metric.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application No. 17 / 940,892, filed by Kumar on September 8, 2022, entitled "ADVERTISEMENT OF WIRELESS CONNECTION QUALITY ESTIMATION," which is assigned to the assignee of this application and is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The following relates to wireless communications, including wireless connection quality estimation. Background Art

[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and the like. These systems may be multiple access systems that can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). A wireless network (e.g., a WLAN, such as a Wi-Fi (e.g., an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11) network) may include an AP that can communicate with one or more stations (STAs) or mobile devices. An AP may be coupled to a network such as the Internet, and may enable mobile devices to communicate via the network (or to communicate with other devices coupled to an access point). A wireless device may communicate bidirectionally with a network device. For example, in a WLAN, a STA may communicate with an associated AP via a DL and a UL. A DL (or forward link) may refer to a communication link from an AP to a station, and a UL (or reverse link) may refer to a communication link from a station to an AP.

[0005] In some cases, a STA may have one or more applications that use Internet-hosted services, and a high-quality Internet connection (e.g., a connection with sufficient bandwidth to support the expected Internet traffic) is desired. However, in order to determine the quality of the connection between the AP and the Internet, the STA must connect to the AP and then collect relevant metrics (e.g., latency and available bandwidth). In the event that the AP does not have a connection to the Internet of sufficient quality (e.g., due to high congestion, transient backhaul issues, AP overload, other clients consuming available backhaul), such procedures may result in the STA making an unproductive connection to the AP, and the STA must then connect to another AP and perform the same or similar process. Such connections and processes may reduce network efficiency due to, among other aspects, the resources consumed to make the connection and collect connection metrics multiple times. Summary of the invention

[0006] The systems, methods, and devices of the disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

[0007] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication at a wireless station. The method includes: receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point; and sending an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria.

[0008] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication at a wireless station. The apparatus includes a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: receive a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point; and send an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria.

[0009] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in another apparatus for wireless communication at a wireless station. The apparatus includes: a component for receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point; and a component for sending an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria.

[0010] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a wireless station. The code includes instructions executable by a processor to: receive a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point; and send an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria.

[0011] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication at a wireless access point. The method includes: sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message including a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point; and receiving an association request for Internet access via the wireless access point from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations.

[0012] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication at a wireless access point. The apparatus includes a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions can be executed by the processor to cause the apparatus to: send a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message including a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point; and receive an association request for Internet access via the wireless access point from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations.

[0013] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in another apparatus for wireless communication at a wireless access point. The apparatus includes: means for sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message including a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point; and means for receiving an association request for Internet access via the wireless access point from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations.

[0014] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a wireless access point. The code includes instructions executable by a processor to: send a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message including a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point; and receive an association request for Internet access via the wireless access point from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figures 1 to 4 Each illustrates an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN) supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5An example of a process flow for supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0017] Figure 6 , Fig. 7A and Figure 7B A block diagram of a device supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 A block diagram of a device supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Fig.10 A block diagram of a communications manager supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimates in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Fig.11 A diagram of a system including a device supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation is shown in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig.12 and Fig.13 A block diagram of a device supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Fig.14 A block diagram of a communications manager supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimates in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Fig.15 A diagram of a system including a device supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation is shown in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figures 16 to 22 A flow chart illustrating a method of supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Many applications operating at wireless stations (STAs) may use Internet-hosted services and may require a reliable Internet connection to provide such services. In some systems, in order to evaluate the quality of the link between an access point (AP) and the Internet, a STA (e.g., a client device) may connect to an AP and collect statistics related to the quality of the associated Internet connection, among other aspects. This may cause the STA to connect (such as a Wi-Fi connection), which is ineffective and wasteful in some cases. For example, in an example where the AP has relatively high traffic and / or a relatively high number of served STAs, congestion may cause a poor Internet connection associated with the AP. In addition, the AP's Internet connection may be affected by other factors, such as transient backhaul problems, AP overloads, and / or other client traffic consumption available backhaul, etc. In order to evaluate the quality of the Internet link, the STA may implement its own Internet reachability test and use network quality metrics to help drive roaming or reconnection decisions. However, these tests rely on the STA first connecting to the AP and then performing tests with the AP. This will increase access latency, which may in turn lead to a poor user experience, and in some cases, may cause users to disable Wi-Fi and use different (e.g., cellular) connections instead.

[0026] Various aspects generally relate to techniques for notification of wireless connection quality estimation, and more specifically, to techniques for sending Internet connection quality information in a signal, such as in a beacon or a probe request. For example, an Internet connection quality information element (IE) may be sent (e.g., broadcast) with one or more beacon frames or probe requests from an AP. The AP may measure one or more metrics associated with Internet access and provide an indication of the metrics to the STA in the IE. In some examples, the Internet connection quality IE may include one or more fields, such as an Internet accessibility field that may provide a binary indication of Internet accessibility to the AP, an Internet link latency field, an uplink bandwidth field indicating available uplink bandwidth, and / or a downlink bandwidth field indicating available downlink bandwidth, as well as other examples. The STA may detect and / or determine the Internet connection quality IE, and decide whether to connect to the AP based on metrics related to the Internet connection quality IE. In some examples, the STA may make a steering decision between different APs or between a cellular connection and an AP connection based on deciding whether to connect to the AP. Such a decision may be made without connecting to the AP and without performing separate tests for one or more different APs. In some examples, the proposed metrics may be combined with one or more metrics associated with the wireless local area network—such as the Quality of Service (QoS) enhanced basic service set (QBSS) load IE metric that provides a local network load metric for the BSS—to provide additional information that can be used by a STA to select an AP for network access.

[0027] Certain aspects of the subject matter described herein may be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. The techniques employed by the described APs and STAs may enable AP selection based on the connection quality advertised by the APs, which may reduce access latency. In some implementations, selecting an AP based on the advertised Internet connection quality may enhance STA operation by selecting an AP with a suitable connection quality and avoiding different APs that cannot reach the Internet or have poor connection quality. In some implementations, the STA may use the advertised connection quality to avoid roaming to an AP with a relatively poor connection or no Internet connection. In some implementations, the operations performed by the APs and STAs may support improvements in power consumption, connection latency, communication reliability, and throughput of the APs and STAs based on determining that the advertised Internet connection quality of the AP is sufficient for the STA (e.g., based on the connection with the AP having sufficient Internet connection quality to support the STA's expected Internet traffic).

[0028] Aspects of the present disclosure are initially described in the context of a wireless local area network (WLAN). Aspects of the present disclosure are also described in the context of a channel hopping scheme and process flow. Aspects of the present disclosure are further illustrated and described by and with reference to apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, and flow charts associated with managing a hopping TWT for a wireless network.

[0029] Figure 1 A WLAN 100 (also referred to as a Wi-Fi network) configured according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The WLAN 100 may include an AP 102 and a plurality of associated STAs 104, which may represent devices such as mobile stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptops, display devices (e.g., TVs, computer monitors), or printers. The AP 102 and associated stations 104 may represent a BSS or ESS. The various STAs 104 in the network are able to communicate with each other through the AP 102. A coverage area 110 of the AP 102 is also shown, which may represent a BSA of the WLAN 100. An extended network station (not shown) associated with the WLAN 100 may be connected to a wired or wireless distribution system that may allow multiple APs 102 to be connected in an ESS.

[0030] In WLAN 100, a communication device (e.g., AP 102) may advertise the quality of an Internet connection. For example, AP 102 may send an Internet connection quality information element (IE) with a beacon frame or a probe request. Such an AP 102 may measure one or more metrics associated with Internet access and provide an indication of the metrics to STA 104 in an IE. STA 104 may look for the Internet connection quality IE and may decide whether to connect to AP 102 based on the indicated metrics and one or more connection quality criteria (e.g., whether AP 102 has Internet connectivity, one or more thresholds associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access, or any combination thereof). In some examples, STA 104 may make a steering decision between different APs 102 or between a cellular connection and an AP 102 connection. Such a decision may be made without connecting to AP 102 and without performing a separate test for one or more different APs 102. In some examples, the proposed metrics may be combined with one or more metrics associated with a wireless local area network, such as a QBSS Load IE metric that provides a local network load metric for a BSS, to provide additional information that may be used at a STA 104 to select an AP 102 for network access.

[0031] Although not in Figure 1 102, but the STA 104 may be located at the intersection of more than one coverage area 110 and may be associated with more than one AP 102. A single AP 102 and a set of associated STAs 104 may be referred to as a BSS. An ESS is a set of connected BSSs. A distribution system (not shown) may be used to connect the APs 102 in an ESS. In some cases, the coverage area 110 of the AP 102 may be divided into sectors (also not shown). The WLAN 100 may include APs 102 of different types (e.g., urban areas, home networks) with different and overlapping coverage areas 110. Two STAs 104 may also communicate directly via a direct wireless link 125, regardless of whether the two STAs 104 are in the same coverage area 110. Examples of direct wireless links 120 may include Wi-Fi direct connections, Wi-Fi tunneling direct link setup (TDLS) links, and other group connections. STA 104 and AP 102 may communicate according to WLAN radio and baseband protocols for physical and MAC layers from IEEE 802.11 and versions including, but not limited to, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11a, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ad, 802.11ah, 802.11ax. In other implementations, peer-to-peer connections or ad hoc networks may be implemented within WLAN 100.

[0032] In some cases, a STA 104 (or AP 102) may be detectable by the central AP 102, but may not be detected by other STAs 104 in the coverage area 110 of the central AP 102. For example, one STA 104 may be located at one end of the coverage area 110 of the central AP 102, while another STA 104 may be located at the other end. Therefore, the two STAs 104 may communicate with the AP 102, but may not be able to receive each other's transmissions. This may cause transmission collisions of the two STAs 104 in a contention-based environment (e.g., CSMA / CA) because the STAs 104 may not refrain from transmitting over each other. STAs 104 whose transmissions cannot be identified but are within the same coverage area 110 may be referred to as hidden nodes. CSMA / CA may be supplemented by the exchange of RTS packets sent by the transmitting STA 104 (or AP 102) and CTS packets sent by the receiving STA 104 (or AP 102). This can alert other devices within range of the transmitter and receiver that they are not transmitting for the duration of the primary transmission. RTS / CTS can therefore help mitigate the hidden node problem.

[0033] Figure 2 An example of a WLAN 200 supporting a hopping TWT for managing a wireless network according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. According to some aspects, the WLAN 200 may be an example of a WLAN. For example, the WLAN 200 may be a network that implements at least one of the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. The WLAN 200 may include a plurality of STAs 204. As described above, each STA 204 may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a mobile device, a mobile handset, a wireless handset, an access terminal (AT), a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), or a subscriber unit, etc. The STA 204 may represent various devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptop computers, display devices (e.g., TVs, computer monitors, navigation systems, etc.), music or other audio or stereo equipment, remote control devices ("remote controls"), printers, kitchen or other household appliances, remote control keys (key fobs) (e.g., for passive keyless entry and start (PKES) systems), etc.

[0034] WLAN 200 is an example of a peer-to-peer (P2P), ad hoc, or mesh network. STAs 204 can communicate directly with each other via P2P wireless links 210 (without using an intermediate AP). In some implementations, WLAN 200 is an example of a neighbor awareness network (NAN). NAN operates according to the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) Neighbor Awareness Network (also referred to as NAN) standard specification. NAN-compatible STAs 204 (hereinafter also referred to as "NAN devices 204") use a data packet routing protocol for path selection (such as the Hybrid Wireless Mesh Protocol (HWMP)) to send and receive NAN communications (for example, in the form of Wi-Fi packets, including frames that comply with IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards (such as those defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or its amendments, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be)) to and from each other via a wireless P2P link 210 (hereinafter also referred to as a "NAN link").

[0035] A NAN network generally refers to a collection of NAN devices that share a common NAN parameter set, which includes: the time period between consecutive discovery windows, the duration of the discovery window, the NAN beacon interval, and the NAN discovery channel. The NAN ID is an identifier representing a specific NAN parameter set used within the NAN network. The NAN network is dynamically self-organizing and self-configuring. The NAN devices 204 in the network automatically establish a self-organizing network with other NAN devices 204 so that network connectivity can be maintained. Each NAN device 204 is configured to relay data for the NAN network so that the various NAN devices 204 can collaborate in data distribution within the network. Therefore, a message can be sent from a source NAN device to a destination NAN device by propagating along a path that jumps from one NAN device to the next NAN device until it reaches the destination.

[0036] Each NAN device 204 is configured to send two types of beacons: NAN discovery beacons and NAN synchronization beacons. When the NAN device 204 is turned on, or otherwise when the NAN functionality is enabled, the NAN device periodically sends NAN discovery beacons (e.g., every 100 TUs, every 128 TUs, or another suitable period) and NAN synchronization beacons (e.g., every 512 TUs or another suitable period). Discovery beacons are management frames sent between discovery windows to facilitate the discovery of NAN clusters. A NAN cluster is a collection of NAN devices within a NAN network that are synchronized to the same clock and discovery window schedule using a time synchronization function (TSF). In order to join a NAN cluster, the NAN device 204 passively scans for discovery beacons from other NAN devices. When two NAN devices 204 enter each other's transmission range, they will discover each other based on such discovery beacons. The corresponding master preference value determines which NAN device in the NAN device 204 will become the master device. If no NAN cluster is discovered, the NAN device 204 may start a new NAN cluster. When the NAN device 204 starts a NAN cluster, it assumes the master role and broadcasts a discovery beacon. Additionally, a NAN device may choose to participate in more than one NAN cluster within a NAN network.

[0037] The links between NAN devices 204 in a NAN cluster are associated with a discovery window (the time and channel where NAN devices converge). At the beginning of each discovery window, one or more NAN devices 204 may send a NAN synchronization beacon, which is a management frame used to synchronize the timing of NAN devices within the NAN cluster to the timing of the master device. The NAN device 204 may then send a multicast or unicast NAN service discovery frame directly to other NAN devices within the service discovery threshold and in the same NAN cluster during the discovery window. The service discovery frame indicates the services supported by the corresponding NAN device 204.

[0038] In some examples, the NAN devices 204 may exchange service discovery frames to confirm whether both devices support ranging operations. The NAN devices 204 may perform such ranging operations ("ranging") during the discovery window. Ranging may involve exchanging fine timing measurement (FTM) frames (such as those defined in IEEE 802.11-REVmc). For example, the first NAN device 204 may send a unicast FTM request to multiple peer NAN devices 204. The peer NAN devices 204 may then send a response to the first NAN device 204. The first NAN device 204 may then exchange the number of FTM frames with each of the peer NAN devices 204. The first NAN device 204 may then determine the range between itself and each peer device 204 based on the FTM frames and send a range indication to each peer NAN device 204. For example, the range indication may include a distance value or an indication of whether the peer NAN device 204 is within a service discovery threshold (e.g., 3 meters (m)) of the first NAN device 204. NAN links between NAN devices within the same NAN cluster may survive over multiple discovery windows as long as the NAN devices remain within each other's service discovery thresholds and synchronized with the anchor master device of the NAN cluster.

[0039] Some NAN devices 204 may also be configured to communicate wirelessly with other networks, such as with a Wi-Fi WLAN or a wireless (e.g., cellular) wide area network (WWAN), which in turn may provide access to external networks, including the Internet. For example, the NAN device 204 may be configured to associate and communicate with an AP or base station 202 of a WLAN or WWAN network, respectively, via a Wi-Fi or cellular link 212. In such instances, the NAN device 204 may include software-enabled AP (SoftAP) functionality, enabling a STA to operate as a Wi-Fi hotspot to provide access to external networks to other NAN devices 204 via an associated WLAN or WWAN backhaul. Such a NAN device 204, referred to as a NAN concurrent device, is capable of operating in a NAN network as well as another type of wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi BSS. In some such implementations, the NAN device 204 may advertise the ability to provide such AP services to other NAN devices 204 in a service discovery frame.

[0040] There are two general NAN service discovery messages: publish messages and subscribe messages. Generally speaking, publish is a mechanism for an application on a NAN device to make selected information about the capabilities and services of the NAN device available to other NAN devices, while subscribe is a mechanism for an application on a NAN device to collect selected types of information about the capabilities and services of other NAN devices. A NAN device may generate and send a subscription message when requesting other NAN devices operating within the same NAN cluster to provide a specific service. For example, in active subscriber mode, a subscription function executed within a NAN device may send a NAN service discovery frame to actively seek the availability of a specific service. A publishing function executed within a publishing NAN device that is capable of providing the requested service may, for example, send a publish message in response to satisfying the criteria specified in the subscription message to reply to the subscribing NAN device. The publish message may include a range parameter indicating a service discovery threshold, which represents the maximum distance at which the subscribing NAN device can utilize the service of the publishing NAN device itself. NAN may also use publish messages in an unsolicited manner, for example, a publishing NAN device may generate and send a publish message to make its service discoverable by other NAN devices operating within the same NAN cluster. In passive subscriber mode, the subscribing function does not initiate the transfer of any subscription messages, instead, the subscribing function looks for matches in received publish messages to determine the availability of the desired service.

[0041] The discovery window is followed by a transmission opportunity period. This period includes multiple resource blocks. A NAN device link (NDL) refers to a resource block negotiated between NAN devices for NAN operation. NDL may include more than one "hop". The number of hops depends on the number of devices between the device providing the service and the device consuming or subscribing to the service. An example of a two-hop NDL includes three NAN devices: a provider, a subscriber, and an agent that relays information between the provider and the subscriber. In this configuration, the first hop refers to the communication of information between the provider and the agent, and the second hop refers to the communication of information between the agent and the subscriber. NDL may refer to a subset of NAN devices capable of one-hop service discovery, but NDL may also be capable of service discovery and subscription over multiple hops (multi-hop NDL).

[0042] There are two general types of NDL: paging NDL (P-NDL) and synchronization NDL (S-NDL). Each common resource block (CRB) of P-NDL includes a paging window (PW) followed by a transmission window (TxW). All NAN devices participating in P-NDL operate in a state of receiving frames during the paging window. Generally speaking, participating NAN devices wake up during the paging window to listen to the paging channel to determine whether there is any traffic buffered for the corresponding device. For example, a NAN device with pending data for transmission to another NAN device may send a traffic notification message to the other NAN device during the paging window to notify the other NAN device of the buffered data. If there is available data, the NAN device remains awake during the transmission window to exchange data. If there is no data to be transmitted, the NAN device may transition back to a sleep state during the transmission window to save power. If the NAN device has buffered data available to the peer, it sends a paging message to its NDL peer during the paging window. The paging message includes, for example, a MAC address or identifier of the destination device for which the data is available. A NAN device listed as a receiver in a received paging message sends a trigger frame to the sending device and remains awake during a subsequent sending window to receive data. The NDL sender device sends buffered data to the receiving device from which the NDL sender device received the trigger frame during the sending window. A NAN device that establishes S-NDL with a peer NAN device can send data frames to the peer starting from each S-NDL CRB without sending a paging message in advance.

[0043] Figure 3 An example of a WLAN 300 supporting a hopping TWT for managing a wireless network according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. According to some aspects, the WLAN 300 may be an example of a mesh network, an IoT network, or a sensor network. The WLAN 300 may include a plurality of wireless communication devices 314. The wireless communication device 314 may represent a variety of devices, such as a display device (e.g., a TV, a computer monitor, a navigation system, etc.), a music or other audio or stereo device, a remote control device ("remote control"), a printer, a kitchen or other household appliance, and the like.

[0044] In some implementations, the wireless communication device 314 senses, measures, collects, or otherwise obtains and processes data, and then sends such raw or processed data to the intermediate device 312 for subsequent processing or distribution. Additionally or alternatively, the intermediate device 312 may send control information, digital content (e.g., audio or video data), configuration information, or other instructions to the wireless communication device 314. The intermediate device 312 and the wireless communication device 314 may communicate with each other via a wireless link 316. In some implementations, the wireless link 316 includes a Bluetooth link or other PAN or short-range communication link.

[0045] In some examples, the intermediate device 312 may also be configured to wirelessly communicate with other networks, such as with a Wi-Fi WLAN or a wireless (e.g., cellular) wide area network (WWAN), which in turn may provide access to external networks, including the Internet. For example, the intermediate device 312 may be configured to associate and communicate with an AP 302 of a WLAN network via a Wi-Fi link 318, which may also serve various STAs 304. In some implementations, the intermediate device 312 is an example of a network gateway (e.g., an IoT gateway). In this way, the intermediate device 312 may act as an edge bridge that provides Wi-Fi core backhaul for an IoT network including a wireless communication device 314. In some implementations, the intermediate device 312 may be configured to analyze, pre-process, and aggregate data received from a wireless communication device 314 locally at the edge before sending the data to other devices or external networks via a Wi-Fi link 318. The intermediate device 312 may also be configured to provide additional security for the IoT network and the data it transmits.

[0046] Figure 4 An example of a WLAN 400 that supports advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The WLAN 400 may implement or be implemented by one or more aspects of the WLAN 100, the WLAN 200, and the WLAN 300. For example, the WLAN 400 may include a first AP 402-a, a second AP 402-b, and one or more STAs 404, which may be as described in reference to Figures 1 to 3 Examples of the corresponding devices described.

[0047] exist Figure 4 In an example of , AP 402 may transmit an Internet connection quality IE 410 that may be received at STA 404. Internet connection quality IE 410 may be sent, for example, in a beacon transmission or in a probe response. For example, a first AP 402-a may send a first Internet connection quality IE 410-a, and a second AP 402-b may send a second Internet connection quality IE 410-b. STA 404 may receive each of the Internet connection quality IEs 410 and select an AP 402 based on one or more metrics provided in the associated Internet connection quality IE 410 and one or more connection quality criteria (e.g., whether AP 102 has Internet connectivity, one or more thresholds associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access, or any combination thereof). STA 404 may send an association request 415 to the selected AP 402. In some examples, Internet connection quality IE 410 may be a vendor IE.

[0048] In some examples, the Internet connection quality IE 410 may be broadcast with each beacon frame and may include multiple fields that provide associated connection metrics. For example, the Internet connection quality IE 410 may include an Internet reachability field that may provide a binary indication of Internet reachability to the AP, an Internet link latency field, an uplink bandwidth field that indicates available uplink bandwidth, and a downlink bandwidth field that indicates available downlink bandwidth. The STA 404 may make steering decisions between different APs 402 or between a cellular link with a cellular network entity 420 and a link with an AP 402 without being connected to any AP. In some examples, the AP 402 may periodically update the metrics provided with the Internet connection quality IE 410. For example, the metrics may be updated every 50 beacon frames, but other periodicities may be used.

[0049] Such techniques may allow STA 404 to avoid connecting to an AP 402 that cannot reach the Internet or has a relatively poor connection metric. In addition, such techniques may allow STA 404 to avoid roaming to an AP 402 that cannot reach the Internet. Additionally, STA 404 and AP 402 may avoid sending a variety of different packets associated with Internet reachability and connection quality testing, which may help enhance network efficiency. Techniques as discussed herein may also enable STA 404 to efficiently direct data on less loaded APs 402 without having to connect to every available AP, and may also efficiently direct data on multiple wireless network types (e.g., in an example where the estimated available AP 402 Internet quality is less than the quality observed on a cellular, STA 404 may decide to remain on a cellular despite the presence of a Wi-Fi connection via AP 402). In some examples, the proposed metrics may be combined with 802.11k QBSS Load IE metrics, and STA 404 may evaluate metrics associated with the WLAN associated with AP 402 and Internet connectivity metrics to obtain an indication of the quality of the network link between the client and the Internet.

[0050] Figure 5 An example of a process flow 500 for supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. In some examples, the process flow 500 may include example operations associated with the AP 502 and the STA 504, which may be as described in reference to Figures 1 to 4The operations performed by the AP 502 and the STA 504 may support improvements to communications between one or both of the STA 504 and the AP 502. In the following description of the process flow 500, the operations between the STA 504 and the AP 502 may occur in a different order or at a different time than shown. Some operations may also be omitted from the process flow 500, and other operations may be added to the process flow 500.

[0051] At 505, AP 502 may determine one or more Internet connection metrics. For example, AP 502 may determine whether the Internet is reachable, and in the example that the Internet is reachable, AP 502 may determine one or more of Internet link latency, available uplink bandwidth, or available downlink bandwidth. At 510, AP 502 may send a beacon frame or a probe response including an Internet connection quality IE providing the determined Internet connection metric.

[0052] At 515, the STA 504 may determine whether the Internet connection available at the AP 502 is sufficient based on a connection quality criterion. For example, the STA 504 may determine whether the AP 502 has Internet connectivity, one or more thresholds associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access, or any combination thereof. At 520, the STA 504 may send an association request to the AP 502 based on determining that the Internet connection via the AP 502 will be sufficient for the STA 504.

[0053] Figure 6 An example of a wireless communication device 600 that supports managing a hopping TWT of a wireless network according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 600 may be a STA (such as the one described above with reference to Figure 1 In some implementations, the wireless communication device 600 may be an example of a device used in an AP (such as the one of the STAs 104 described above). Figure 1 The wireless communication device 600 is an example of a device in the AP 102 described above. The wireless communication device 600 is capable of sending and receiving wireless communications in the form of, for example, wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device can be configured to send and receive packets in the form of physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data units (PPDUs) and medium access control (MAC) protocol data units (MPDUs) that comply with IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards (such as those defined by the IEEE 802.11-2016 specification or its amendments, including but not limited to 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be).

[0054] The wireless communication device 600 may be or may include a chip, system on chip (SoC), chipset, package, or device including one or more modems 604 (e.g., Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 compatible) modems). In some implementations, one or more modems 604 (collectively, “modems 604”) additionally include a WWAN modem (e.g., a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compatible modem). In some implementations, the wireless communication device 600 also includes one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements 602 (collectively, “processors 602”) coupled to the modems 604. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 600 additionally includes one or more radio components 606 (collectively, “radio components 606”) coupled to the modems 604. In some implementations, the wireless communication device 600 also includes one or more memory blocks or elements 608 (collectively, “memory 608”) coupled to the processor 602 or the modem 604.

[0055] The modem 604 may include an intelligent hardware block or device, such as, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or the like. The modem 604 is generally configured to implement the PHY layer, and in some specific implementations, also implements a portion of the MAC layer (e.g., a hardware portion of the MAC layer). For example, the modem 604 is configured to modulate packets and output the modulated packets to the radio component 606 for transmission on the wireless medium. The modem 604 is similarly configured to obtain modulated packets received by the radio component 606 and demodulate the packets to provide demodulated packets. In addition to the modulator and demodulator, the modem 604 may also include digital signal processing (DSP) circuits, automatic gain control (AGC) circuits, decoders, decoders, multiplexers, and demultiplexers. For example, when in a transmit mode, data obtained from the processor 602 may be provided to an encoder, which encodes the data to provide decoded bits. The decoded bits may then be mapped to a number (N SS ) spatial streams for spatial multiplexing or several (N STSThe decoded bits in each stream may then be mapped to points in a modulation constellation (using the selected MCS) to provide modulated symbols. The modulated symbols in the corresponding spatial stream or space-time stream may be multiplexed, transformed via an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) block, and then provided to a DSP circuit (e.g., for Tx windowing and filtering). The digital signal may then be provided to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The resulting analog signal may then be provided to a frequency upconverter and ultimately to a radio component 606. In a specific implementation involving beamforming, the modulated symbols in the corresponding spatial stream are provided to the IFFT block after being pre-decoded via a steering matrix.

[0056] When in receive mode, the DSP circuit is configured to acquire a signal including modulated symbols received from the radio component 606, for example, by detecting the presence of the signal and estimating initial timing and frequency offset. The DSP circuit is further configured to digitally condition the signal, for example, using channel (narrowband) filtering and analog impairment conditioning (such as correcting I / Q imbalance) and by applying digital gain to ultimately obtain a narrowband signal. The output of the DSP circuit can then be fed to the AGC, which is configured to use information extracted from the digital signal (e.g., in one or more received training fields) to determine the appropriate gain. The output of the DSP circuit is also coupled to a demultiplexer that demultiplexes the modulated symbols when multiple spatial streams or space-time streams are received. The demultiplexed symbols can be provided to a demodulator that is configured to extract the symbols from the signal and, for example, calculate a log-likelihood ratio (LLR) for each bit position of each subcarrier in each spatial stream. The demodulator is coupled to a decoder that can be configured to process the LLRs to provide decoded bits. The decoded bits may then be descrambled and provided to the MAC layer (processor 602) for processing, evaluation, or interpretation.

[0057] The radio component 606 generally includes at least one radio frequency (RF) transmitter (or "transmitter chain") and at least one RF receiver (or "receiver chain") that can be combined into one or more transceivers. For example, each of the RF transmitter and receiver may include various analog circuits, including at least one power amplifier (PA) and at least one low noise amplifier (LNA), respectively. The RF transmitter and RF receiver may in turn be coupled to one or more antennas. For example, in some specific implementations, the wireless communication device 600 may include or be coupled to multiple transmit antennas (each transmit antenna having a corresponding transmit chain) and multiple receive antennas (each receive antenna having a corresponding receive chain). The symbols output from the modem 604 are provided to the radio component 606, which then transmits the symbols via the coupled antennas. Similarly, the symbols received via the antennas are obtained by the radio component 606, which then provides the symbols to the modem 604.

[0058] The processor 602 may include an intelligent hardware block or device designed to perform the functions described herein, such as, for example, a processing core, a processing block, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD) (such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), a discrete gate or transistor logic, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof. The processor 602 processes information received through the radio component 606 and the modem 604, and processes information to be output by the modem 604 and the radio component 606 to be sent through the wireless medium. For example, the processor 602 may implement at least a portion of the control plane and the MAC layer, which is configured to perform various operations related to the generation, transmission, reception and processing of MPDUs, frames or packets. In some specific implementations, the MAC layer is configured to generate an MPDU to provide to the PHY layer for decoding, and receive decoded information bits from the PHY layer for processing as an MPDU. The MAC layer may be further configured to allocate time and frequency resources, such as for OFDMA and other operations or technologies. In some implementations, the processor 602 can generally control the modem 604 to cause the modem to perform the various operations described above.

[0059] The memory 608 may include a tangible storage medium, such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM) or a combination thereof. The memory 608 may also store non-transitory processor or computer executable software (SW) code containing instructions that, when executed by the processor 602, cause the processor to perform various operations for wireless communication described herein, including the generation, transmission, reception, and interpretation of MDPUs, frames, or packets. For example, various functions of the components disclosed herein or various blocks or steps of the methods, operations, processes, or algorithms disclosed herein may be implemented as one or more modules of one or more computer programs.

[0060] Fig. 7A An example of a wireless communication device supporting a hopping TWT for managing a wireless network according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. For example, AP 702 may be a reference Figure 1 The AP 702 is described as an example implementation. The AP 702 includes a wireless communication device (WCD) 710 (although the AP 702 itself may also be generally referred to as a wireless communication device, as used herein). For example, the wireless communication device 710 may be a reference Fig. 9 The example implementation of the wireless communication device 900 described above. The AP 702 also includes a plurality of antennas 720 coupled to the wireless communication device 710 to send and receive wireless communications. In some implementations, the AP 702 additionally includes an application processor 730 coupled to the wireless communication device 710 and a memory 740 coupled to the application processor 730. The AP 702 also includes at least one external network interface 750 that enables the AP 702 to communicate with a core network or a backhaul network to obtain access to an external network including the Internet. For example, the external network interface 750 may include one or both of a wired (e.g., Ethernet) network interface and a wireless network interface (such as a WWAN interface). Components of the above components may communicate directly or indirectly with other components of the components via at least one bus. The AP 702 also includes a housing that contains the wireless communication device 710, the application processor 730, the memory 740, and at least portions of the antenna 720 and the external network interface 750.

[0061] Figure 7B An example of a wireless communication device supporting a hopping TWT for managing a wireless network according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. For example, STA 704 may be a reference Figure 1 The example implementation of STA 704 is described. STA 704 includes a wireless communication device 715 (although STA 704 itself may also be generally referred to as a wireless communication device as used herein). For example, the wireless communication device 715 may be a reference Fig. 9The example implementation of the wireless communication device 900 described above. The STA 704 also includes one or more antennas 725 coupled to the wireless communication device 715 to send and receive wireless communications. The STA 704 additionally includes an application processor 735 coupled to the wireless communication device 715 and a memory 745 coupled to the application processor 735. In some implementations, the STA 704 also includes a user interface (UI) 755 (such as a touch screen or a keypad) and a display 765, which can be integrated with the UI 755 to form a touch screen display. In some implementations, the STA 704 may also include one or more sensors 775, such as, for example, one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or altitude sensors. Components of the above components can communicate directly or indirectly with other components of the components through at least one bus. The STA 704 also includes a housing that contains the wireless communication device 715, the application processor 735, the memory 745, and at least portions of the antenna 725, the UI 755, and the display 765.

[0062] Figure 8 A block diagram of a device 805 supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 805 may be an example of aspects of a STA as described herein. The device 805 may include a receiver 810, a transmitter 815, and a communication manager 820. The device 805 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0063] The receiver 810 may provide means for receiving information (such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof) associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to notifications of wireless connection quality estimates). The information may be communicated to other components of the device 805. The receiver 810 may utilize a single antenna, or a set of multiple antennas.

[0064] The transmitter 815 may provide means for transmitting signals generated by other components of the device 805. For example, the transmitter 815 may transmit information (such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof) associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to notifications of wireless connection quality estimates). In some examples, the transmitter 815 may be co-located with the receiver 810 in a transceiver component. The transmitter 815 may utilize a single antenna, or a set of multiple antennas.

[0065] The communication manager 820, the receiver 810, the transmitter 815, or various combinations thereof or various components thereof may be examples of means for performing various aspects of notification of wireless connection quality estimation as described herein. For example, the communication manager 820, the receiver 810, the transmitter 815, or various combinations thereof or components thereof may support methods for performing one or more of the functions described herein.

[0066] In some examples, the communication manager 820, the receiver 810, the transmitter 815, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (e.g., in a communication management circuit). The hardware may include a processor, a DSP, a CPU, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, a microcontroller, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof that is configured as or otherwise supports components for performing the functions described herein. In some examples, a processor and a memory coupled to the processor may be configured to perform one or more functions described herein (e.g., by executing instructions stored in the memory by the processor).

[0067] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the communication manager 820, the receiver 810, the transmitter 815, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in code executed by a processor (e.g., as communication management software or firmware). If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functionality of the communication manager 820, the receiver 810, the transmitter 815, or various combinations or components thereof may be performed by a general purpose processor (e.g., configured as or otherwise supporting components for performing the functionality described in the present disclosure), a DSP, a CPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, a microcontroller, or any combination of these or other programmable logic devices.

[0068] In some examples, the communication manager 820 can be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receive, obtain, monitor, output, send) using or otherwise cooperating with the receiver 810, the transmitter 815, or both. For example, the communication manager 820 can receive information from the receiver 810, transmit information to the transmitter 815, or integrate with the receiver 810, the transmitter 815, or a combination of both to obtain information, output information, or perform various other operations as described herein.

[0069] The communication manager 820 may support wireless communications at a wireless station according to examples as disclosed herein. For example, the communication manager 820 may be configured to or otherwise support components for receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point. The communication manager 820 may be configured to or otherwise support components for sending an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria.

[0070] By including or configuring a communication manager 820 according to the examples described herein, the device 805 (e.g., a processor controlling the receiver 810, the transmitter 815, the communication manager 820, or a combination thereof or otherwise coupled thereto) may support techniques for wireless connection quality estimation party notifications that may reduce access latency, avoid roaming to APs with relatively poor or no Internet connectivity, provide improvements in power consumption and connection latency, and enhance the reliability of communications.

[0071] Fig. 9 A block diagram of a device 905 supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 905 may be an example of aspects of the device 805 or STA 104 as described herein. The device 905 may include a receiver 910, a transmitter 915, and a communication manager 920. The device 905 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0072] The receiver 910 may provide means for receiving information (such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof) associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to notifications of wireless connection quality estimates). The information may be communicated to other components of the device 905. The receiver 910 may utilize a single antenna, or a set of multiple antennas.

[0073] The transmitter 915 may provide means for transmitting signals generated by other components of the device 905. For example, the transmitter 915 may transmit information (such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof) associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to notifications of wireless connection quality estimates). In some examples, the transmitter 915 may be co-located with the receiver 910 in a transceiver component. The transmitter 915 may utilize a single antenna, or a set of multiple antennas.

[0074] The device 905 or its various components may be examples of components for performing various aspects of the notification of wireless connection quality estimation as described herein. For example, the communication manager 920 may include a connection quality component 925, an association request component 930, or any combination thereof. The communication manager 920 may be an example of various aspects of the communication manager 820 as described herein. In some examples, the communication manager 920 or its various components may be configured to use or otherwise cooperate with the receiver 910, the transmitter 915, or both to perform various operations (e.g., receive, obtain, monitor, output, send). For example, the communication manager 920 may receive information from the receiver 910, transmit information to the transmitter 915, or be integrated with the receiver 910, the transmitter 915, or both in combination to obtain information, output information, or perform various other operations as described herein.

[0075] The communication manager 920 may support wireless communications at a wireless station according to examples as disclosed herein. The connection quality component 925 may be configured to or otherwise support components for receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point. The association request component 930 may be configured to or otherwise support components for sending an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria.

[0076] Fig.10 A block diagram of a communication manager 1020 supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The communication manager 1020 can be an example of aspects of the communication manager 820, the communication manager 920, or both as described herein. The communication manager 1020 or its various components can be examples of components for performing various aspects of notification of wireless connection quality estimation as described herein. For example, the communication manager 1020 may include a connection quality component 1025, an association request component 1030, an Internet access metric component 1035, a connection selection component 1040, a network load metric component 1045, or any combination thereof. Each of these components can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0077] The communication manager 1020 can support wireless communications at a wireless station according to examples as disclosed herein. The connection quality component 1025 can be configured to or otherwise support components for receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point. The association request component 1030 can be configured to or otherwise support components for sending an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria.

[0078] In some examples, connection quality component 1025 can be configured or otherwise support components for receiving a second message from at least a second wireless access point, the second message comprising a second beacon message or a second probe response, the second beacon message or the second probe response indicating a second network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the second wireless access point. In some examples, connection quality component 1025 can be configured or otherwise support components for wherein sending the association request to the first wireless access point is further based on comparing the first network connection quality to the second network connection quality.

[0079] In some examples, the first message includes a beacon frame transmission that includes an information element that provides one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point. In some examples, the one or more metrics may include an Internet reachability indication indicating whether Internet access is available via the first wireless access point, an Internet link latency indication indicating latency associated with an Internet connection of the first wireless access point, an available uplink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the first wireless access point, an available downlink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the first wireless access point, or any combination thereof.

[0080] In some examples, to support the sending, the connection selection component 1040 may be configured or otherwise support components for selecting the first wireless access point for Internet connection based on the first network connection quality and at least one other network connection quality associated with Internet access via at least one other network entity different from the first wireless access point. In some examples, the connection selection component 1040 may be configured or otherwise support components for selecting a different network entity other than the first wireless access point for Internet connection based on the first network connection quality and at least one other network connection quality associated with Internet access via the different network entity. In some examples, the first wireless access point is associated with a first wireless local area network, and the different network entity is associated with a second wireless local area network or a cellular radio access network.

[0081] In some examples, one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point are updated by the first wireless access point according to a first periodicity associated with the first wireless access point.

[0082] In some examples, the one or more Internet connection quality criteria include one or more of: whether the first wireless access point has Internet connectivity, one or more thresholds associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access, or any combination thereof.

[0083] In some examples, connection selection component 1040 can be configured or otherwise support means for monitoring one or more messages from one or more other wireless access points, the one or more messages each indicating an associated network connection quality associated with a respective one of the one or more other wireless access points. In some examples, connection selection component 1040 can be configured or otherwise support means for selecting a second wireless access point for Internet connection based at least in part on a second network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the second wireless access point indicating that Internet connectivity is available via the second wireless access point.

[0084] In some examples, connection selection component 1040 may be configured as or otherwise support means for selecting a network entity associated with a cellular radio access network for Internet access based on one or more of the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point being below a threshold.

[0085] In some examples, the network load metric component 1045 can be configured to or otherwise support components for receiving a local area load metric information element and an Internet connection quality information element from each of the two or more wireless access points, the local area load metric information element indicating one or more load metrics of the associated wireless local area network, and the Internet connection quality information element indicating one or more Internet access metrics. In some examples, the network load metric component 1045 can be configured to or otherwise support components for selecting a first wireless access point from the two or more wireless access points based on the local area load metric information element and the Internet connection quality information element of each of the two or more wireless access points. In some examples, the local area load metric information element is a quality of service enhanced basic service set load information element indicating one or more load metrics of the associated wireless local area network.

[0086] Fig.11A diagram of a system including a device 1105 that supports advertisements for wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 1105 may be an example of a device 805, a device 905, or a STA as described herein or include components of these devices. The device 1105 may include components for two-way voice and data communications, including components for sending and receiving communications, such as a communication manager 1120, an I / O controller 1110, a transceiver 1115, an antenna 1125, a memory 1130, a code 1135, and a processor 1140. These components may be in electronic communication or otherwise coupled (e.g., operatively, communicatively, functionally, electronically, electrically) via one or more buses (e.g., a bus 1145).

[0087] I / O controller 1110 can manage input signals and output signals of device 1105. I / O controller 1110 can also manage peripheral devices that are not integrated into device 1105. In some cases, I / O controller 1110 can represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some cases, I / O controller 1110 can utilize an operating system, such as or another known operating system. In some other cases, I / O controller 1110 may represent or interact with a modem, keyboard, mouse, touch screen, or similar device. In some cases, I / O controller 1110 may be implemented as part of a processor (such as processor 1140). In some cases, a user may interact with device 1105 via I / O controller 1110 or via hardware components controlled by I / O controller 1110.

[0088] In some cases, the device 1105 may include a single antenna 1125. However, in some other cases, the device 1105 may have more than one antenna 1125, which may be capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. The transceiver 1115 may communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas 1125, a wired or wireless link, as described herein. For example, the transceiver 1115 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 1115 may also include a modem for modulating packets, and providing the modulated packets to one or more antennas 1125 for transmission, and demodulating packets received from one or more antennas 1125. The transceiver 1115, or the transceiver 1115 and one or more antennas 1125 may be examples of transmitters 815, transmitters 915, receivers 810, receivers 910, or any combination thereof or components thereof as described herein.

[0089] Memory 1130 may include RAM and ROM. Memory 1130 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 1135 including instructions that, when executed by processor 1140, cause device 1105 to perform various functions described herein. In some cases, memory 1130 may contain BIOS, etc., which may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0090] The processor 1140 may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor 1140 may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In some other cases, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor 1140. The processor 1140 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., a memory 1130) to cause the device 1105 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks that support notification of wireless connection quality estimation). For example, the device 1105, or a component of the device 1105, may include a processor 1140 and a memory 1130 coupled to or to the processor 1140, and the processor 1140 and the memory 1130 are configured to perform the various functions described herein.

[0091] The communication manager 1120 may support wireless communications at a wireless station according to examples as disclosed herein. For example, the communication manager 1120 may be configured to or otherwise support components for receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point. The communication manager 1120 may be configured to or otherwise support components for sending an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria.

[0092] By including or configuring a communication manager 1120 according to the examples described herein, the device 1105 can support technology for wireless connection quality estimation party announcements that can reduce access latency, avoid roaming to APs with relatively poor or no Internet connectivity, provide improvements in power consumption and connection latency, and enhance the reliability of communications.

[0093] Fig.12A block diagram of a device 1205 supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 1205 may be an example of aspects of an AP as described herein. The device 1205 may include a receiver 1210, a transmitter 1215, and a communication manager 1220. The device 1205 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0094] The receiver 1210 may provide means for receiving information (such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof) associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to notifications of wireless connection quality estimates). The information may be communicated to other components of the device 1205. The receiver 1210 may utilize a single antenna, or a set of multiple antennas.

[0095] The transmitter 1215 may provide means for transmitting signals generated by the other components of the device 1205. The transmitter 1215 may utilize a single antenna, or a set of multiple antennas.

[0096] The communication manager 1220, the receiver 1210, the transmitter 1215, or various combinations thereof or various components thereof may be examples of means for performing various aspects of notification of wireless connection quality estimation as described herein. For example, the communication manager 1220, the receiver 1210, the transmitter 1215, or various combinations thereof or components thereof may support methods for performing one or more of the functions described herein.

[0097] In some examples, the communication manager 1220, the receiver 1210, the transmitter 1215, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (e.g., in a communication management circuit). The hardware may include a processor, a DSP, a CPU, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, a microcontroller, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof configured as or otherwise supporting components for performing the functions described herein. In some examples, a processor and a memory coupled to the processor may be configured to perform one or more functions described herein (e.g., by executing instructions stored in the memory by the processor).

[0098] Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the communication manager 1220, the receiver 1210, the transmitter 1215, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in code executed by a processor (e.g., as communication management software or firmware). If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functionality of the communication manager 1220, the receiver 1210, the transmitter 1215, or various combinations or components thereof may be performed by a general purpose processor (e.g., configured as or otherwise supporting components for performing the functionality described in the present disclosure), a DSP, a CPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, a microcontroller, or any combination of these or other programmable logic devices.

[0099] In some examples, communication manager 1220 may be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receive, obtain, monitor, output, send) using or otherwise cooperating with receiver 1210, transmitter 1215, or both. For example, communication manager 1220 may receive information from receiver 1210, transmit information to transmitter 1215, or be integrated with receiver 1210, transmitter 1215, or a combination of both to obtain information, output information, or perform various other operations as described herein.

[0100] The communication manager 1220 may support wireless communications at a wireless access point according to examples as disclosed herein. For example, the communication manager 1220 may be configured to or otherwise support components for sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message comprising a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point. The communication manager 1220 may be configured to or otherwise support components for receiving an association request for Internet access via the wireless access point from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations.

[0101] By including or configuring a communication manager 1220 according to the examples described herein, the device 1205 (e.g., a processor controlling the receiver 1210, the transmitter 1215, the communication manager 1220, or a combination thereof or otherwise coupled thereto) may support techniques for wireless connection quality estimation party notifications that may reduce access latency, avoid roaming to APs with relatively poor or no Internet connectivity, provide improvements in power consumption and connection latency, and enhance the reliability of communications.

[0102] Fig.13A block diagram 1300 of a device 1305 supporting advertisement of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 1305 may be an example of aspects of the device 1205 or AP 102 as described herein. The device 1305 may include a receiver 1310, a transmitter 1315, and a communication manager 1320. The device 1305 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0103] The receiver 1310 may provide means for receiving information (such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof) associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to notifications of wireless connection quality estimates). The information may be communicated to other components of the device 1305. The receiver 1310 may utilize a single antenna, or a set of multiple antennas.

[0104] The transmitter 1315 may provide means for transmitting signals generated by the other components of the device 1305. The transmitter 1315 may utilize a single antenna, or a set of multiple antennas.

[0105] Device 1305 or its various components may be examples of components for performing various aspects of notification of wireless connection quality estimation as described herein. For example, communication manager 1320 may include connection quality component 1325, association request component 1330, or any combination thereof. Communication manager 1320 may be an example of various aspects of communication manager 1220 as described herein. In some examples, communication manager 1320 or its various components may be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receive, obtain, monitor, output, send) using or otherwise cooperating with receiver 1310, transmitter 1315, or both. For example, communication manager 1320 may receive information from receiver 1310, transmit information to transmitter 1315, or be integrated with receiver 1310, transmitter 1315, or a combination of both to obtain information, output information, or perform various other operations as described herein.

[0106] The communication manager 1320 may support wireless communications at a wireless access point according to examples as disclosed herein. The connection quality component 1325 may be configured to or otherwise support components for sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message comprising a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point. The association request component 1330 may be configured to or otherwise support components for receiving an association request for Internet access via the wireless access point from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations.

[0107] Fig.14 A block diagram of a communication manager 1420 supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The communication manager 1420 can be an example of aspects of the communication manager 1220, the communication manager 1320, or both as described herein. The communication manager 1420 or its various components can be examples of components for performing various aspects of notification of wireless connection quality estimation as described herein. For example, the communication manager 1420 can include a connection quality component 1425, an association request component 1430, an Internet access metric component 1435, a network load metric component 1440, or any combination thereof. Each of these components can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0108] The communication manager 1420 may support wireless communications at a wireless access point according to examples as disclosed herein. The connection quality component 1425 may be configured to or otherwise support components for sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message comprising a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point. The association request component 1430 may be configured to or otherwise support components for receiving an association request for Internet access via the wireless access point from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations.

[0109] In some examples, the first message includes a beacon frame transmission or a probe response that includes an information element that provides one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point. In some examples, the one or more metrics associated with Internet access include one or more of the following: an Internet reachability indication indicating whether Internet access is available via the wireless access point, an Internet link latency indication indicating latency associated with an Internet connection of the wireless access point, an available uplink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the wireless access point, an available downlink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the wireless access point, or any combination thereof.

[0110] In some examples, connection quality component 1425 can be configured to or otherwise support means for repeatedly transmitting a first message according to a first periodicity, the first message having an updated network connection quality indication associated with one or more updated metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point. In some examples, the first periodicity corresponds to a predetermined amount of beacon frame transmissions.

[0111] In some examples, network load metric component 1440 can be configured to or otherwise support components for sending, in the first message, a local area load metric information element indicating one or more load metrics of a wireless local area network associated with the wireless access point and an Internet connection quality information element indicating one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point. In some examples, the local area load metric information element is a quality of service enhanced basic service set load information element indicating one or more load metrics of the wireless local area network associated with the wireless access point.

[0112] Fig.15 A diagram of a system including a device 1505 that supports advertisements for wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 1505 may be an example of a device 1205, a device 1305, or an AP as described herein or include components of these devices. The device 1505 may include components for two-way voice and data communications, including components for sending and receiving communications, such as a communication manager 1520, a network communication manager 1510, a transceiver 1515, an antenna 1525, a memory 1530, a code 1535, a processor 1540, and an inter-AP communication manager 1545. These components may be in electronic communication or otherwise coupled (e.g., operatively, communicatively, functionally, electronically, electrically) via one or more buses (e.g., a bus 1550).

[0113] The network communication manager 1510 can manage communications with the core network (eg, via one or more wired backhaul links). For example, the network communication manager 1510 can manage the transfer of data communications of client devices such as one or more STAs 104.

[0114] In some cases, the device 1505 may include a single antenna 1525. However, in some other cases, the device 1505 may have more than one antenna 1525, which may be capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. The transceiver 1515 may communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas 1525, a wired or wireless link, as described herein. For example, the transceiver 1515 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 1515 may also include a modem for modulating packets, and providing the modulated packets to one or more antennas 1525 for transmission, and demodulating packets received from one or more antennas 1525. The transceiver 1515, or the transceiver 1515 and one or more antennas 1525 may be examples of transmitters 1215, transmitters 1315, receivers 1210, receivers 1310, or any combination thereof or components thereof as described herein.

[0115] Memory 1530 may include RAM and ROM. Memory 1530 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 1535 including instructions that, when executed by processor 1540, cause device 1505 to perform various functions described herein. In some cases, memory 1530 may contain BIOS, etc., which may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0116] Processor 1540 may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, processor 1540 may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In some other cases, the memory controller may be integrated into processor 1540. Processor 1540 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., memory 1530) to cause device 1505 to perform various functions (e.g., various functions or tasks supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimation). For example, device 1505, or a component of device 1505, may include processor 1540 and memory 1530 coupled to or coupled to processor 1540, and processor 1540 and memory 1530 are configured to perform various functions described herein.

[0117] The inter-station communication manager 1545 may manage communications with other APs 102 and may include a controller or scheduler for controlling communications with STAs 104 in coordination with other APs 102. For example, the inter-station communication manager 1545 may coordinate scheduling of transmissions to APs 102 for various interference mitigation techniques such as beamforming or joint transmission. In some examples, the inter-station communication manager 1545 may provide an X2 interface within an LTE / LTE-A wireless communication network technology to provide communications between APs 102.

[0118] The communication manager 1520 may support wireless communications at a wireless access point according to examples as disclosed herein. For example, the communication manager 1520 may be configured to or otherwise support components for sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message comprising a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point. The communication manager 1520 may be configured to or otherwise support components for receiving an association request for Internet access via the wireless access point from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations.

[0119] By including or configuring a communication manager 1520 according to the examples described herein, the device 1505 can support technology for wireless connection quality estimation party announcements that can reduce access latency, avoid roaming to APs with relatively poor or no Internet connectivity, provide improvements in power consumption and connection latency, and enhance the reliability of communications.

[0120] Fig.16 A flowchart illustrating a method 1600 for supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of the method 1600 may be implemented by a STA or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1600 may be implemented by a STA or a component thereof as described in reference to Figures 1 to 11 The STA described herein performs. In some examples, the STA may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the STA to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the STA may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the described functions.

[0121] At 1605, the method may include: receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point. The operations of 1605 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1605 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 The connection quality component 1025 is used to perform.

[0122] At 1610, the method may include sending an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria. The operations of 1610 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1610 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 The association request component 1030 is used to execute.

[0123] Fig.17 A flowchart illustrating a method 1700 for supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of the method 1700 may be implemented by a STA or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1700 may be implemented by a STA or a component thereof as described in reference to Figures 1 to 11 The STA described herein performs. In some examples, the STA may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the STA to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the STA may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the described functions.

[0124] At 1705, the method may include: receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point. The operations of 1705 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1705 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 The connection quality component 1025 is used to perform.

[0125] At 1710, the method may include: receiving a second message from at least a second wireless access point, the second message including a second beacon message or a second probe response, the second beacon message or the second probe response indicating a second network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the second wireless access point. The operations of 1710 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1710 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 The connection quality component 1025 is used to perform.

[0126] At 1715, the method may include sending an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria. The operations of 1715 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1715 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 The association request component 1030 may be executed. In some cases, sending the association request to the first wireless access point is further based on comparing the first network connection quality with the second network connection quality.

[0127] Fig.18 A flowchart illustrating a method 1800 for supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of the method 1800 may be implemented by a STA or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1800 may be implemented by a STA or a component thereof as described in reference to Figures 1 to 11 The STA described herein performs. In some examples, the STA may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the STA to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the STA may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the described functions.

[0128] At 1805, the method may include: receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point. The operations of 1805 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1805 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10The connection quality component 1025 is used to perform.

[0129] At 1810, the method may include sending an association request to a first wireless access point based on a first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria. The operations of 1810 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1810 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 The association request component 1030 is used to execute.

[0130] At 1815, the method may include selecting the first wireless access point for Internet connection based on the first network connection quality and at least one other network connection quality associated with Internet access via at least one other network entity different from the first wireless access point. The operations of 1815 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1815 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 The connection selection component 1040 is executed.

[0131] Fig.19 A flowchart illustrating a method 1900 for supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of the method 1900 may be implemented by a STA or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 1900 may be implemented by a STA or a component thereof as described in reference to Figures 1 to 11 The STA described herein performs. In some examples, the STA may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the STA to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the STA may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the described functions.

[0132] At 1905, the method may include: receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point. The operations of 1905 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1905 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 The connection quality component 1025 is used to perform.

[0133] At 1910, the method may include: receiving a local area load metric information element and an Internet connection quality information element from each of two or more wireless access points, the local area load metric information element indicating one or more load metrics of the associated wireless local area network, and the Internet connection quality information element indicating one or more Internet access metrics. The operations of 1910 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1910 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10The network load measurement component 1045 is used to perform.

[0134] At 1915, the method may include: selecting a first wireless access point from the two or more wireless access points based on a local area load metric information element and an Internet connection quality information element of each of the two or more wireless access points. The operations of 1915 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1915 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 The network load measurement component 1045 is used to perform.

[0135] At 1920, the method may include sending an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria. The operations of 1920 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 1920 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 The association request component 1030 is used to execute.

[0136] Fig. 20 A flowchart illustrating a method 2000 for supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of the method 2000 may be implemented by a STA or an AP or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 2000 may be implemented by a STA or an AP or components thereof as described herein. Figures 1 to 11 The STA or as referenced Figures 1 to 5 and Figures 12 to 15 In some examples, the STA or AP may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the STA or AP to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the STA or AP may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the described functions.

[0137] At 2005, the method may include: sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message including a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via a wireless access point. The operations of 2005 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 2005 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 and Fig.14 The connection quality component 1025 or the connection quality component 1425 is executed.

[0138] At 2010, the method may include: receiving an association request for Internet access via a wireless access point from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations. The operations of 2010 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 2010 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 and Fig.14The association request component 1030 or the association request component 1430 is used for execution.

[0139] Fig.21 A flowchart illustrating a method 2100 for supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of the method 2100 may be implemented by a STA or an AP or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 2100 may be implemented by a STA or an AP or components thereof as described herein. Figures 1 to 11 The STA or as referenced Figures 1 to 5 and Figures 12 to 15 In some examples, the STA or AP may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the STA or AP to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the STA or AP may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the described functions.

[0140] At 2105, the method may include: sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message including a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via a wireless access point. The operations of 2105 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 2105 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 and Fig.14 The connection quality component 1025 or the connection quality component 1425 is executed.

[0141] At 2110, the method may include: repeatedly sending a first message according to a first periodicity, the first message having an updated network connection quality indication associated with one or more updated metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point. The operations of 2110 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 2110 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 and Fig.14 The connection quality component 1025 or the connection quality component 1425 is executed.

[0142] At 2115, the method may include receiving an association request for Internet access via a wireless access point from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations. The operations of 2115 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 2115 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 and Fig.14 The association request component 1030 or the association request component 1430 is used for execution.

[0143] Fig. 22A flowchart illustrating a method 2200 for supporting notification of wireless connection quality estimation according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The operations of the method 2200 may be implemented by a STA or an AP or components thereof as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 2200 may be implemented by a STA or an AP or components thereof as described herein. Figures 1 to 11 The STA or as referenced Figures 1 to 5 and Figures 12 to 15 In some examples, the STA or AP may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the STA or AP to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the STA or AP may use dedicated hardware to perform various aspects of the described functions.

[0144] At 2205, the method may include: sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message including a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message including a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via a wireless access point. The operations of 2205 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 2205 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 and Fig.14 The connection quality component 1025 or the connection quality component 1425 is executed.

[0145] At 2210, the method may include sending, in a first message, a local area load metric information element and an Internet connection quality information element, the local area load metric information element indicating one or more load metrics of a wireless local area network associated with the wireless access point, and the Internet connection quality information element indicating one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point. The operations of 2210 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 2210 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 and Fig.14 The network load measurement component 1045 or the network load measurement component 1440 is executed.

[0146] At 2215, the method may include receiving an association request for Internet access via a wireless access point from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations. The operations of 2215 may be performed according to examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 2215 may be performed as described in reference to Fig.10 and Fig.14 The association request component 1030 or the association request component 1430 is used for execution.

[0147] The following provides an overview of various aspects of the disclosure:

[0148] Aspect 1: A method for wireless communication at a wireless station, comprising: receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point; and sending an association request to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria.

[0149] Aspect 2: The method according to Aspect 1 also includes: receiving a second message from at least a second wireless access point, the second message including a second beacon message or a second probe response, the second beacon message or the second probe response indicating a second network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the second wireless access point, wherein sending the association request to the first wireless access point is further based at least in part on comparing the first network connection quality with the second network connection quality.

[0150] Aspect 3: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 2, wherein the first message comprises a beacon frame transmission, the beacon frame transmission comprising an information element providing the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point.

[0151] Aspect 4: A method according to Aspect 3, wherein the one or more metrics include: an Internet reachability indication indicating whether Internet access is available via the first wireless access point; an Internet link latency indication indicating the latency associated with the Internet connection of the first wireless access point; an available uplink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the first wireless access point; an available downlink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the first wireless access point; or any combination thereof.

[0152] Aspect 5: A method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein the sending includes: selecting the first wireless access point for Internet connection based at least in part on the first network connection quality and at least one other network connection quality associated with Internet access via at least one other network entity different from the first wireless access point.

[0153] Aspect 6: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5 also includes: selecting the different network entity for Internet connection based at least in part on the first network connection quality and at least one other network connection quality associated with Internet access via a different network entity other than the first wireless access point.

[0154] Aspect 7: The method according to aspect 6, wherein the first wireless access point is associated with a first wireless local area network, and the different network entity is associated with a second wireless local area network or a cellular radio access network.

[0155] Aspect 8: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point are updated by the first wireless access point according to a first periodicity associated with the first wireless access point.

[0156] Aspect 9: A method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the one or more Internet connection quality criteria include one or more of the following: whether the first wireless access point has Internet connectivity, one or more thresholds associated with the one or more metrics associated with Internet access, or any combination thereof.

[0157] Aspect 10: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 9 further includes: monitoring one or more messages of one or more other wireless access points, each of the one or more messages indicating an associated network connection quality associated with a corresponding wireless access point among the one or more other wireless access points; and at least partially based on a second network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via a second wireless access point, Internet connectivity can be used to select the second wireless access point for Internet connection via the second wireless access point.

[0158] Aspect 11: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10 further includes: selecting a network entity associated with a cellular radio access network for Internet access based at least in part on one or more of the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point being lower than a threshold.

[0159] Aspect 12: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11 further includes: receiving a local load metric information element and an Internet connection quality information element from each of two or more wireless access points, the local load metric information element indicating one or more load metrics of an associated wireless local area network, and the Internet connection quality information element indicating one or more Internet access metrics; and selecting the first wireless access point from the two or more wireless access points based at least in part on the local load metric information element and the Internet connection quality information element of each of the two or more wireless access points.

[0160] Aspect 13: The method according to aspect 12, wherein the local area load metric information element is a quality of service enhanced basic service set load information element indicating the one or more load metrics of the associated wireless local area network.

[0161] Aspect 14: A method for wireless communication at a wireless access point, comprising: sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message comprising a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point; and receiving an association request for Internet access via the wireless access point from at least a first wireless station among the one or more wireless stations.

[0162] Aspect 15: The method according to aspect 14, wherein the first message includes a beacon frame transmission or a probe response, the beacon frame transmission or the probe response includes an information element providing the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point.

[0163] Aspect 16: A method according to Aspect 15, wherein the one or more metrics include: an Internet reachability indication indicating whether Internet access is available via the wireless access point; an Internet link latency indication indicating the latency associated with the Internet connection of the wireless access point; an available uplink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the wireless access point; an available downlink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the wireless access point; or any combination thereof.

[0164] Aspect 17: The method according to any one of Aspects 14 to 16 further includes: repeatedly sending the first message according to a first periodicity, the first message having an updated network connection quality indication associated with one or more updated metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point.

[0165] Aspect 18: The method according to aspect 17, wherein the first periodicity corresponds to a predetermined amount of beacon frame transmissions.

[0166] Aspect 19: The method according to any one of Aspects 14 to 18 further includes: sending a local load metric information element and an Internet connection quality information element in the first message, the local load metric information element indicating one or more load metrics of the wireless local area network associated with the wireless access point, and the Internet connection quality information element indicating the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point.

[0167] Aspect 20: The method according to aspect 19, wherein the local area load metric information element is a quality of service enhanced basic service set load information element indicating the one or more load metrics of the wireless local area network associated with the wireless access point.

[0168] Aspect 21: An apparatus for performing wireless communications at a base station, comprising: a processor; and a memory, the memory being coupled to the processor and storing instructions, the instructions being executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 13.

[0169] Aspect 22: An apparatus for performing wireless communication at a base station, comprising: at least one component for performing the method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 13.

[0170] Aspect 23: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a wireless station, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform the method according to any one of aspects 1 to 13.

[0171] Aspect 24: An apparatus for wireless communication at a wireless access point, comprising: a processor; and a memory, the memory being coupled to the processor and storing instructions, the instructions being executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Aspects 14 to 20.

[0172] Aspect 25: An apparatus for wireless communication at a wireless access point, comprising: at least one component for performing the method according to any one of aspects 14 to 20.

[0173] Aspect 26: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a wireless access point, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform the method according to any one of aspects 14 to 20.

[0174] It should be noted that the methods described herein describe possible implementations, and that the operations and steps may be rearranged or otherwise modified and other implementations are possible. In addition, aspects from two or more of the methods may be combined.

[0175] The technology described herein can be used for various wireless communication systems, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) and other systems. The terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably. Code division multiple access (CDMA) systems can implement radio technologies such as CDMA2000, Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA). CDMA2000 covers IS-2000, IS-95 and IS-856 standards. IS-2000 versions are commonly referred to as CDMA2000 1X, 1X, etc. IS-856 (TIA-856) is commonly referred to as CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, High Speed ​​Packet Data (HRPD), etc. UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and other variants of CDMA. Time division multiple access (TDMA) systems can implement radio technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). An Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) system can implement radio technologies such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE802.20, Flash-OFDM, etc.

[0176] One or more wireless communication systems described herein may support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, each station may have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different stations may be approximately aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, each station may have different frame timing, and transmissions from different stations may not be aligned in time. The techniques described herein may be used for synchronous operation or asynchronous operation.

[0177] Downlink transmissions described herein may also be referred to as forward link transmissions, and uplink transmissions may also be referred to as reverse link transmissions. Each communication link described herein—including, for example, Figure 1 and 2 A wireless communication system may include one or more carriers, where each carrier may be a signal composed of multiple subcarriers (e.g., waveform signals of different frequencies).

[0178] The descriptions set forth herein in conjunction with the accompanying drawings describe example configurations and do not represent all examples that may be implemented or within the scope of the claims. The term "exemplary" as used herein means "used as an example, instance, or illustration" and does not mean "better than" or "better than other examples." The specific embodiments include specific details to provide an understanding of the described techniques. However, these techniques may be practiced without these specific details. In some cases, in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form.

[0179] In the drawings, similar components or features may have the same reference label. In addition, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a dash and a second label to distinguish between the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description applies to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label, regardless of the second reference label.

[0180] The information and signals described herein may be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and methods. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips mentioned throughout the specification may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0181] The various illustrative blocks and modules described in conjunction with the disclosure herein may be implemented or executed using a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0182] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium, or sent via a computer-readable medium. Other examples and specific implementations are within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described herein may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hard wiring, or a combination of any of these items. The features that implement the functions may also be physically located at different locations, including being distributed so that the various parts of the functions are implemented at different physical locations. In addition, as used herein, including in the claims, as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items followed by phrases such as "at least one of" or "one or more of"), "or" indicates an inclusive list, such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C represents A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (in other words, A and B and C). In addition, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should not be interpreted as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, an exemplary step described as "based on condition A" may be based on both condition A and condition B. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "based at least in part on."

[0183] Computer-readable media include both non-transient computer storage media and communication media, including any media that promotes computer programs to be transferred from one place to another.Non-transient storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general or special-purpose computer.By way of example and not limitation, non-transient computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transient media that can be used to carry or store the desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a general or special-purpose computer or a general or special-purpose processor.In addition, any connection is appropriately referred to as computer-readable media.For example, if software is sent from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves are included in the definition of medium. As used herein, disk and disc include CD, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc, where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0184] The description herein is provided to enable those skilled in the art to implement or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but conforms to the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication by a wireless station, comprising: receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point; as well as An association request is sent to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a second message from at least a second wireless access point, the second message comprising a second beacon message or a second probe response, the second beacon message or the second probe response indicating a second network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the second wireless access point, Wherein sending the association request to the first wireless access point is further based at least in part on comparing the first network connection quality to the second network connection quality.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises a beacon frame transmission including an information element providing the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more metrics include: an Internet reachability indication indicating whether Internet access is available via the first wireless access point; an Internet link latency indication indicating a latency associated with an Internet connection of the first wireless access point; an available uplink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the first wireless access point; the available downlink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the first wireless access point; or Any combination of them.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises: The first wireless access point is selected for Internet connection based at least in part on the first network connection quality and at least one other network connection quality associated with Internet access via at least one other network entity different from the first wireless access point.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The different network entity is selected for Internet connection based at least in part on the first network connection quality and at least one other network connection quality associated with Internet access via a different network entity other than the first wireless access point.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first wireless access point is associated with a first wireless local area network and the different network entity is associated with a second wireless local area network or a cellular radio access network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point are updated by the first wireless access point according to a first periodicity associated with the first wireless access point.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more Internet connection quality criteria comprise one or more of: whether the first wireless access point has Internet connectivity, one or more thresholds associated with the one or more metrics associated with Internet access, or any combination thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: monitoring one or more messages from one or more other wireless access points, the one or more messages each indicating an associated network connection quality associated with a respective one of the one or more other wireless access points; as well as Internet connectivity via the second wireless access point is available for selecting the second wireless access point for Internet connection based at least in part on a second network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the second wireless access point.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A network entity associated with a cellular radio access network is selected for Internet access based at least in part on one or more of the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point being below a threshold.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from each of the two or more wireless access points, a local area load metric information element and an Internet connection quality information element, the local area load metric information element indicating one or more load metrics of an associated wireless local area network and the Internet connection quality information element indicating one or more Internet access metrics; as well as The first wireless access point is selected from the two or more wireless access points based at least in part on the local area load metric information element and the Internet connection quality information element of each of the two or more wireless access points.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the local area load metric information element is a quality of service enhanced basic service set load information element indicating the one or more load metrics of the associated wireless local area network.

14. A method for wireless communication at a wireless access point, comprising: sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message comprising a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point; as well as An association request for Internet access via the wireless access point is received from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first message comprises a beacon frame transmission or a probe response, the beacon frame transmission or the probe response comprising an information element providing the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more metrics include: an internet reachability indication indicating whether internet access is available via the wireless access point; an internet link latency indication indicating a latency associated with an internet connection of the wireless access point; an available uplink bandwidth of said Internet connection of said wireless access point; the available downlink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the wireless access point; or Any combination of them.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: The first message is repeatedly sent according to a first periodicity, the first message having an updated network connection quality indication associated with one or more updated metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first periodicity corresponds to a predetermined amount of beacon frame transmissions.

19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: A local area load metric information element and an Internet connection quality information element are sent in the first message, the local area load metric information element indicating one or more load metrics of a wireless local area network associated with the wireless access point, and the Internet connection quality information element indicating the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the local area load metric information element is a quality of service enhanced basic service set load information element indicating the one or more load metrics of the wireless local area network associated with the wireless access point.

21. An apparatus for wireless communication at a wireless station, comprising: processor; and A memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: receiving a first message from a first wireless access point, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, the beacon message or the probe response indicating a first network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point; as well as An association request is sent to the first wireless access point based on the first network connection quality and one or more Internet connection quality criteria.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: receiving a second message from at least a second wireless access point, the second message comprising a second beacon message or a second probe response, the second beacon message or the second probe response indicating a second network connection quality associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the second wireless access point, Wherein sending the association request to the first wireless access point is further based at least in part on comparing the first network connection quality to the second network connection quality.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first message comprises a beacon frame transmission including an information element providing the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the first wireless access point.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more metrics include: an Internet reachability indication indicating whether Internet access is available via the first wireless access point; an Internet link latency indication indicating a latency associated with an Internet connection of the first wireless access point; an available uplink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the first wireless access point; the available downlink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the first wireless access point; or Any combination of them.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions for sending are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: The first wireless access point is selected for Internet connection based at least in part on the first network connection quality and at least one other network connection quality associated with Internet access via at least one other network entity different from the first wireless access point.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more Internet connection quality criteria comprise one or more of: whether the first wireless access point has Internet connectivity, one or more thresholds associated with the one or more metrics associated with Internet access, or any combination thereof.

27. An apparatus for wireless communication at a wireless access point, comprising: processor; and A memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the following operations: sending a first message to one or more wireless stations, the first message comprising a beacon message or a probe response, and the first message comprising a network connection quality indication associated with one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point; as well as An association request for Internet access via the wireless access point is received from at least a first wireless station of the one or more wireless stations.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first message comprises a beacon frame transmission or a probe response, the beacon frame transmission or the probe response comprising an information element providing the one or more metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the one or more metrics include: an internet reachability indication indicating whether internet access is available via the wireless access point; an internet link latency indication indicating a latency associated with an internet connection of the wireless access point; an available uplink bandwidth of said Internet connection of said wireless access point; the available downlink bandwidth of the Internet connection of the wireless access point; or Any combination of them.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: The first message is repeatedly sent according to a first periodicity, the first message having an updated network connection quality indication associated with one or more updated metrics associated with Internet access via the wireless access point.

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