Method and system for configuring multi-link operation in wireless networking device

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system for configuring multi-link operation in a wireless networking device. An example method for configuring a multi-link operation (MLO) for a service set identifier (SSID) configured on a wireless networking device is presented. The MLO configurator system receives an MLO selection, the MLO selection specifying one or more radio frequency (RF) bands corresponding to the SSID. The MLO configurator system then determines an MLO configuration for the SSID based on the MLO selection and a radio configuration of the wireless networking device. The radio configuration specifies one or more operable RF bands on a plurality of radios of the wireless networking device and the MLO configuration specifies an MLO set of RF bands selected from the operable RF bands. Once the MLO configuration for the SSID is determined, the MLO configurator system causes the wireless networking device to communicate with the client device over the SSID via the MLO group RF band for the SSID.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11be standard (commonly referred to as Wi-Fi 7) is the successor to the IEEE 802.11ax standard (commonly referred to as Wi-Fi 6), and it promises to significantly improve the speed and stability of wireless connections while providing lower latency and the ability to seamlessly manage more connections than existing technologies. This is achieved at least in part due to a feature proposed in Wi-Fi 7 called Multi-Link Operation (MLO). MLO enables devices to simultaneously send and receive data across different frequency bands and channels, such as the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band, the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, and the 6 GHz Wi-Fi band. While MLO allows access points and client devices to communicate simultaneously across different frequency bands, the configuration of MLO can be challenging due to advanced RF filtering techniques that allow the AP to operate using several combinations of frequency bands and sub-bands within such frequency bands. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] One or more examples of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the following drawings. The drawings are provided for illustration purposes only and depict examples only.

[0003] Figure 1 Depicted is a block diagram of an example network environment in which various examples presented herein may be implemented.

[0004] Figure 2 Depicted is a block diagram of a wireless networking device in which various examples presented herein may be implemented.

[0005] Figure 3 Depicted is an example MLO configuration user interface (UI) presented by the MLO configurator system to enable a user to input MLO selections.

[0006] Figure 4 A flow chart of an example method for locally configuring MLO at a wireless networking device is depicted.

[0007] Figure 5 A flow chart of another example method for locally configuring MLO at a wireless networking device is depicted.

[0008] Figure 6 Depicted is a flow diagram of another example method for configuring an MLO by an MLO configurator system hosted on a cloud.

[0009] Figure 7 A block diagram of an example computing system is depicted.

[0010] The drawings are not exhaustive and do not limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The Multi-Link Operation (MLO) feature of Wi-Fi 7 enables wireless devices to merge multiple frequency bands into a single seamless wireless connection, unlike previous Wi-Fi standards that allowed connections between two devices on a single frequency band. Specifically, with the introduction of Wi-Fi 7, client devices can now span multiple frequency bands while connected to an access point (AP), which significantly increases the potential bandwidth available to clients. Specifically, by enabling client devices to utilize multiple frequency bands simultaneously, MLO can provide faster and more reliable wireless connections even in areas with high network traffic. This makes Wi-Fi 7 a significant upgrade over previous Wi-Fi standards and is expected to improve the user experience for users who rely on wireless networks for their daily activities.

[0012] In addition, with the recent development of wireless communication technology, wireless networking devices such as APs are equipped with advanced radio frequency (RF) filters. These advanced RF filters allow the AP to operate in one of several modes, where the radio devices in the AP operate using a specific RF band combination consistent with customer deployment requirements. Each mode of the AP defines a corresponding radio configuration, which specifies the radio frequency bands in which each radio device operates. Table 1 presented below lists some such example modes of an AP with three radio devices (radio device A, radio device B, and radio device C). In Table 1, the abbreviations FB, HB, and LB refer to "full band", "higher band", and "lower band", respectively.

[0013]

[0014]

[0015] Table 1: Example RF configuration for an AP with three radios

[0016] HB and LB may be frequency ranges within a given Wi-Fi band (e.g., a 5 GHz Wi-Fi band or a 6 GHz Wi-Fi band). Specifically, for a given Wi-Fi band, HB may include a frequency range in the upper half of the given Wi-Fi band, and LB may include a frequency range in the lower half of the given Wi-Fi band. Table 2 shows an example frequency range in each of the Wi-Fi bands listed in Table 1.

[0017] Wi-Fi Band / Sub-band Frequency Range 2.4GHz FB 2401MHz–2495MHz 5GHz FB 5150MHz–5895MHz 6GHz FB 5945MHz–7125MHz 5GHz LB 5150MHz-5330MHz 5GHz HB 5490MHz-5895MHz 6GHz LB 5945MHz-6425MHz 6GHz HB 6525MHz-7125MHz

[0018] Table 2: Example frequency ranges

[0019] One possible way to configure MLO for an AP is to create a centralized control at the AP level that can enable or disable MLO for an AP. Such an MLO configuration can group all service set identifiers (SSIDs) created for each RF band supported on the AP. For example, if an AP is configured with SSIDs ("Guest" and "Corporate") that support both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands, then enabling MLO for the AP would mean that the "Guest" and "Corporate" SSIDs would be part of the MLO group across the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands. However, this approach may not be ideal for enterprise deployments, where administrators require finer granular control in the MLO configuration. Additionally, in the case where the AP supports the above-mentioned modes, this approach may not be easily scalable. Specifically, changes in AP modes may require reconfiguration of the MLO groups, resulting in increased manual effort for administrators.

[0020] Furthermore, manual configuration of MLO for each SSID may require an administrator to ensure that all SSIDs on all RF bands are included in the correct MLO groups. Especially in larger enterprise environments, management may become difficult and time consuming as the number of SSIDs and RF bands supported by APs increases. Additionally, any changes to the MLO configuration will require the administrator to manually update each group, which may be error prone and time consuming.

[0021] To address these challenges presented by the above configuration options, in an example consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure, a processor-based system is presented that simplifies MLO configuration while providing greater flexibility and control to IT administrators. The processor-based system can be deployed locally within a wireless networking device or hosted in a cloud infrastructure. In one example, the proposed processor-based system enables an intuitive user interface that allows an administrator to enable MLO on a per-SSID basis, as well as select the RF bands to be included in each MLO group. Based on the selection of the RF bands to be included in each MLO group, the processor-based system automatically configures the MLO group for the SSID based on the AP's radio configuration.

[0022] According to the examples presented herein, a processor-based system receives an MLO selection (e.g., via a user interface) that specifies one or more RF bands corresponding to an SSID configured on a wireless networking device (e.g., an AP). The processor-based system then determines a radio configuration for the AP that identifies one or more operable RF bands on multiple radios of the AP. Specifically, the radio configuration of the AP defines what RF bands each radio is configured to operate with. Then, based on the MLO selection and the radio configuration of the AP, the processor-based system determines an MLO configuration for the SSID. The MLO configuration specifies an MLO group RF band selected from the operable RF bands. Once the MLO configuration is determined, the processor-based system enables the AP to communicate with a client device over the SSID via the MLO group RF band for the SSID.

[0023] As can be appreciated, the proposed processor-based system allows MLO to be configured on a per-SSID basis, thereby providing finer control over which SSIDs are included in MLO groups and how these groups are formed across different RF bands. Furthermore, by providing a user-friendly interface, the proposed processor-based system simplifies the MLO configuration process and enables administrators to quickly and easily define MLO groups that suit the specific needs of their organization. This in turn will help improve overall network performance and user experience for all wireless network users.

[0024] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. It should be clearly understood that the drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and description. Although several examples are described in this document, modifications, adaptations and other implementations are possible. Therefore, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosed examples. On the contrary, the proper scope of the disclosed examples can be defined by the appended claims.

[0025] Before describing in detail examples of the disclosed systems and methods, it is useful to describe example network installations in which these systems and methods may be implemented in various applications. Figure 1 A system 100 is illustrated in which the various examples presented herein may be implemented. For example, the system 100 may be implemented for any setting, in a home setting or in an organization, such as a business, an educational institution, a government entity, a healthcare institution, or other organization. The system 100 may include an IT infrastructure 102 or both an IT infrastructure 102 and an MLO configurator system 104. Figure 1, although the MLO configurator system 104 is shown as being external to the IT infrastructure 102, in some examples, the MLO configurator system 104 may be part of the IT infrastructure 102. In some examples, wireless networking devices deployed in the IT infrastructure 102 may be configured to implement the functionality of the MLO configurator system 104 (see Figure 2 ).

[0026] The IT infrastructure 102 may be a small-scale device network or a large-scale device network. For example, a small-scale device network may be a home network. For example, a large-scale device network may be an organization, a university, a utility space (e.g., a shopping mall, an airport, a train station, a bus station, a stadium, etc.), or an office network that hosts a large number of network devices. The IT infrastructure 102 may span more than one site, such as a room, a floor of a building, a building, or any other space that may host network devices. The IT infrastructure 102 may be a private network, such as a network that may include security and access controls to limit access to authorized users of the private network.

[0027] The IT infrastructure 102 may include several devices that communicate with each other and / or with any external devices or systems outside the IT infrastructure 102. The IT infrastructure 102 may include wireless networking devices such as AP 108 and client devices 112. In addition, in some examples, the IT infrastructure 102 may optionally include a controller 114 that communicates with the external network 106. It should be noted that the examples presented herein are not subject to Figure 1 112 and the controller 114. In some examples, the AP 108, the client device 112, and the controller 114 may be configured to communicate with other devices using wireless communication technologies specified in one or more IEEE 802.11 standard specifications. The AP 108 may act as an access point for a local network established in the IT infrastructure 102 and / or an external network 106 for the client device 112. The AP 108 may be a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware configured to provide wireless network connectivity to the client device 112. The AP 108 may communicate with a client device (e.g., the client device 112) according to one or more IEEE 802.11 standard specifications.

[0028] The network 106 may be a public or private network such as the Internet, or another communications network that allows connectivity between the IT infrastructure 102 and the MLO configurator system 104. The network 106 may include third-party telecommunication lines, such as telephone lines, broadcast coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, satellite communications, cellular communications, etc. In some examples, the network 106 may include any number of intermediate network devices, such as switches, routers, gateways, servers, and / or controllers, that are not directly part of the IT infrastructure 102 but that facilitate communications between various parts of the IT infrastructure 102 and between the IT infrastructure 102 and any other network-connected entities. Examples of client devices 112 may include desktop computers, laptop computers, servers, web servers, authentication servers, authentication-authorization-accounting (AAA) servers, Domain Name System (DNS) servers, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers, Internet Protocol (IP) servers, virtual private network (VPN) servers, network policy servers, mainframes, tablet computers, e-readers, netbook computers, televisions and similar monitors (e.g., smart TVs), content receivers, set-top boxes, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, smart phones, virtual terminals, video game consoles, virtual assistants, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc.

[0029] AP 108 can be implemented using one or more radio devices to help the AP communicate with other wirelessly capable devices. Each radio device can operate on a corresponding range in a radio frequency range known as a Wi-Fi band, such as a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band, a 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, a 6 GHz Wi-Fi band, etc. With the support of the IEEE Wi-Fi 7 802.11be standard, key features such as MLO can be presented for dynamically and flexibly utilizing the radio devices on AP 108 to provide some new opportunities for channels that are subject to delivering higher throughput and low latency. In addition, with the latest advances in wireless communication technology, wireless networking devices such as AP 108 can be equipped with advanced RF filters. These advanced RF filters can allow AP 108 to operate in one of several RF configurations (see Table 1), where the radio device in AP 108 operates using a specific RF band combination consistent with customer deployment requirements.

[0030] The AP 108 can communicate with the controller 114 through a corresponding connection 116, which can include a wired and / or wireless interface. The controller 114 can provide communication with the network 106 for the IT infrastructure 102, but it may not be the only communication point of the network 106 for the IT infrastructure 102. In some examples, the controller 114 can communicate with the network 106 with the help of a router (not shown). In other implementations, the controller 114 can provide router functions to devices in the IT infrastructure 102. In some examples, the controller 114 can be a wireless local area network (WLAN) controller. The controller 114 can be operable to configure and manage network devices such as those at the IT infrastructure 102 and can also manage network devices at other remote sites (if present) within the IT infrastructure 102. The controller 114 can be operable to configure and / or manage switches, routers, access points, and / or client devices connected to the network. The controller 114 itself can be an AP or provide the functions of an AP.

[0031] It will be appreciated that with recent advances in technology, wireless networking devices such as AP 108 include multiple radios that can operate on corresponding frequency bands (hereinafter referred to as Wi-Fi bands or simply bands). Moreover, depending on network requirements, the radio configuration of the radio may be changed. The term radio configuration may refer to the details of the frequency bands operable on a given radio. In such a dynamic network environment, managing the MLO configuration on the AP may be challenging without system management. According to the examples presented herein, the MLO configurator system 104 simplifies the MLO configuration task for network administrators by helping to dynamically configure the MLO group for the AP 108 with minimal initial manual input.

[0032] The MLO configurator system 104 may be deployed on a cloud platform hosted on a public, private, or hybrid cloud external to the IT infrastructure 102. In some examples, the MLO configurator system 104 may be implemented as one or more computing systems, such as computers, controllers, servers, or storage systems. In some examples, the MLO configurator system 104 may be an electronic device having hardware processing resources 118, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs), semiconductor-based microprocessors, and / or other hardware devices suitable for retrieving and executing instructions 122 stored in a machine-readable storage medium 120 (described later). In some other examples, the MLO configurator system 104 may be implemented as a software resource, such as a software application, a virtual machine (VM), a container, a containerized application, or a pod. In some examples, the MLO configurator system 104 may be implemented as a service or "software as a service" (SAAS) running on a "cloud computing" environment. The MLO configurator system 104 may be provided as a standalone product / service or a packaged solution that may be used on a one-time full product / solution purchase or on a pay-per-use basis.

[0033] exist Figure 1 In some other examples not shown in FIG. 1 , the MLO configurator system 104 can be deployed within the IT infrastructure 102. In such an implementation, the MLO configurator system 104 can be connected to the controller 114 or the AP 108. In some other examples, the MLO configurator system 104 can be implemented in a wireless networking device such as the AP 108 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 2 In an alternative implementation, the controller 114 may be configured to operate as the MLO configurator system 104.

[0034] The machine-readable storage medium 120 of the MLO configurator system 104 may be non-transitory and alternatively referred to as a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that does not cover transient propagation signals. The machine-readable storage medium 120 may be any electronic, magnetic, optical, or other type of storage device that can store data and / or executable instructions. Examples of the machine-readable storage medium 120 may include random access memory (RAM), non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), storage drives (e.g., solid-state drives (SSDs) or hard disk drives (HDDs)), flash memory, etc. The machine-readable storage medium 120 may be encoded with instructions 122 for configuring the MLO. Although not shown, in some examples, the machine-readable storage medium 120 may be encoded with certain additional executable instructions to perform any other operations performed by the MLO configurator system 104 without limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0035] The processing resource 118 may be a physical device, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), other hardware device capable of retrieving and executing instructions stored in the machine-readable storage medium 120, or a combination thereof. The processing resource 118 may fetch, decode, and execute instructions 122 stored in the machine-readable storage medium 120 to configure the MLO. As an alternative or in addition to executing the instructions 122, the processing resource 118 may include at least one integrated circuit (IC), control logic, electronic circuit, or a combination thereof, at least one integrated circuit (IC), control logic, electronic circuit, or a combination thereof, including a plurality of electronic components for performing the functions intended to be performed by the MLO configurator system 104. In some examples, when the MLO configurator system 104 is implemented as a virtual resource (e.g., a VM, a container, or a software application), the processing resource 118 and the machine-readable storage medium 120 may represent, respectively, a processing resource and a machine-readable storage medium of a host system that hosts the MLO configurator system 104 as a virtual resource.

[0036] In an example consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure, the MLO configurator system 104 facilitates configuring multi-link operations for a wireless networking device (e.g., the AP 108) by means of a processing resource 118 executing instructions 122. In some examples, the processing resource 118 may execute one or more of the instructions 122 to perform a combination of Figures 4 - 6 Specifically, the MLO configurator system 104 may enable an intuitive user interface (see Figure 3 ), the user interface allows the administrator to enable MLO on a per SSID basis and select the RF bands to be included in each MLO group. Based on the selection of the RF bands to be included in each MLO group, the MLO configurator system 104 automatically configures the MLO group for the SSID based on the radio configuration of the AP. Figure 6 To describe additional details regarding how a cloud-hosted MLO configurator system (such as, MLO configurator system 104) configures MLO.

[0037] It can be appreciated that the proposed MLO configurator system 104 allows for configuration of MLO on a per SSID basis, thereby providing finer control over which SSIDs are included in MLO groups and how these groups are formed across different RF bands. Furthermore, by providing a user-friendly interface, the proposed processor-based system simplifies the MLO configuration process and enables administrators to quickly and easily define MLO groups that fit the specific needs of their organization. This in turn will help improve overall network performance and user experience for all wireless network users.

[0038] Reference now Figure 2 , presents a block diagram of an example wireless networking device 200. In some examples, Figure 2 The wireless networking device 200 may be an AP, a WLAN controller, or a router. Specifically, according to an example of the present disclosure, the wireless networking device 200 is configured to have a local capability to configure MLO. The wireless networking device 200 may include multiple radio devices, such as radio devices 202A, 202B, and 202C (hereinafter collectively referred to as radio devices 202A-202C), so that the wireless networking device 200 can communicate with other wireless-capable devices on one or more Wi-Fi frequency bands. In addition, in order to enable efficient configuration of MLO and thereby allow the wireless networking device 200 to communicate with client devices simultaneously on more than one frequency band, the wireless networking device 200 includes an MLO configurator system 204.

[0039] The radios 202A-202C allow the wireless networking device 200 to communicate with a client device (not shown) or any other device with wireless capabilities in accordance with one or more IEEE 802.11 standard specifications. The radios 202A-202C may include a transmitter and / or a receiver to facilitate data communication. In some examples, the radios 202A-202C may include electronic devices (e.g., signal processing circuits, such as but not limited to amplifiers, modulators, demodulators, phase shifters, signal comparators, signal conditioning circuits, etc.) for processing signals received and / or transmitted by the wireless networking device 200. In some examples, each of the radios 202A-202C may operate at one or more frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band, 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, or 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band) or any sub-band within such frequency bands. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the radios 202A-202C may operate at any suitable frequency band and comply with any suitable (multiple) types of wireless communication standards now known and later developed. In addition, despite Figure 2 Wireless networking device 200 is shown as including three radios, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that wireless networking device 200 may include any suitable number of radios.

[0040] In addition, wireless networking device 200 may include multiple antennas (not shown), such as antennas connected to each of radio devices 202A-202C. In some examples, such antennas can transmit and / or receive directional signals, omnidirectional signals, or a combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the antennas may include any suitable (multiple) types of antennas now known or later developed.

[0041] In addition, the wireless networking device 200 may include processing resources 206 and / or machine-readable storage media 208 for causing the wireless networking device 200 to perform several operations that will be described in more detail below. The processing resources 206 may be physical devices, such as CPUs, microprocessors, GPUs, FPGAs, ASICs, other hardware devices capable of retrieving and executing instructions stored in the machine-readable storage media 208, or a combination thereof. The processing resources 206 may retrieve, decode, and execute instructions stored in the machine-readable storage media 208 to configure the MLO on the wireless networking device 200. As an alternative or in addition to executing instructions, the processing resources 206 may include at least one integrated circuit (IC), control logic, electronic circuitry, or a combination thereof, including multiple electronic components for performing the functions intended to be performed by the wireless networking device 200.

[0042] The machine-readable storage medium 208 may be non-transitory and alternatively referred to as a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that does not cover transient propagating signals. The machine-readable storage medium 208 may be any electronic, magnetic, optical, or other type of storage device that can store data and / or executable instructions. Examples of the machine-readable storage medium 208 may include RAM, NVRAM, EEPROM, storage drive (e.g., SSD or HDD), flash memory, etc. The machine-readable storage medium 208 may be encoded using the MLO configurator system 204, which helps configure the MLO for the wireless networking device 200. The MLO configurator system 204 includes program data 210 and instructions 212 for configuring the MLO. Although not shown, in some examples, the machine-readable storage medium 208 may be encoded using certain additional executable instructions to perform any other operations performed by the wireless networking device 200 without limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0043] In some examples, program data 210 may include UI data 214, MLO selection data 216, MLO preference data 218, radio configuration data 220, and MLO configuration data 222. Specifically, UI data 214 may store information that processing resource 206 uses to create an MLO configuration UI for a user (e.g., see Figure 3) to provide input for MLO configuration. MLO selection data 216 can be a data repository representing user input received by the MLO configurator system via the MLO configuration UI. In addition, MLO preference data 218 represents MLO preferences determined based on the user input stored in the MLO selection data 216. In addition, radio configuration data 220 can represent details related to the operating Wi-Fi band on each of the radio devices 202A-202C; and MLO configuration data 222 stores MLO configurations determined for one or more of the SSIDs advertised by the wireless networking device 200. In conjunction with Figures 4 - 6 The methods described in describe details related to receiving user input and identifying radio configurations, MLO preferences, and MLO configurations.

[0044] According to examples consistent with the present disclosure, the wireless networking device 200 may execute the MLO configurator system 204 by the processing resource 206 executing the instructions 212 to configure the MLO for the SSID operating on the wireless networking device 200. Specifically, in some examples, the processing resource 206 may execute one or more instructions in the instructions 212 to perform a combination of Figure 4 and Figure 5 Describe the method steps.

[0045] Reference now Figure 3 , presents an example MLO configuration UI 300 that enables a user to provide MLO configuration input. In one example, the MLO configuration UI 300 may be provided by Figure 2 The MLO configurator system 204 is created and displayed as part of the device configuration console or as a standalone web console and can be accessed using a URL or a predefined IP address. In another example, the MLO configuration UI 300 can be created by Figure 1 The MLO configurator system 104 creates and is displayed on a web page that can be accessed using a URL or predefined IP address. In some examples, Figure 2 The MLO configurator system 204 can create the MLO configuration UI 300 based on the UI data 214 stored in the machine-readable storage medium 208.

[0046] The MLO configuration UI 300 displays the SSID for which the user wants to configure MLO (based on the user's selection of a particular SSID). In addition, the MLO configuration UI 300 may include several input objects 302, 304, 306, and 308 for receiving user input. For purposes of illustration, the input objects 302, 304, 306, and 308 are shown as check boxes. The use of other types of suitable input objects is also contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure. By operating (e.g., checking or unchecking) the input object 302, the user may toggle (e.g., enable or disable) the MLO feature for the SSID. In addition, by operating the input objects 304, 306, and 308, the user may select two or more Wi-Fi bands to include in the MLO group for the SSID. As an example, by operating the input objects 304, 306, and 308, the user may select two or more of the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band, the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, or the 6 GHz Wi-Fi band to include in the MLO group for the SSID. As will be appreciated, the MLO configuration UI 300 may include more or fewer band selection input objects depending on the number of Wi-Fi bands. In addition, as technology advances, the MLO configuration UI 300 may be updated to include newer Wi-Fi bands or remove any obsolete Wi-Fi bands.

[0047] Now go to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , a flowchart describing an example method for configuring MLO. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The steps shown in FIG. 1 can be performed on any suitable device, such as a wireless networking device (e.g., Figure 2 In some examples, a suitable device may include a computer program product adapted to retrieve and execute instructions stored in a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., Figure 2 The processing resources and machine-readable storage medium may be examples of processing resources 206 and machine-readable storage medium 208 representing wireless networking device 200. As an alternative or in addition to retrieving and executing instructions, the processing resources may include one or more electronic circuits including electronic components for performing the functions of the one or more instructions, such as FPGAs, ASICs, or other electronic circuits.

[0048] Figure 4A method 400 is depicted for configuring MLO for an SSID operable on a wireless networking device via an MLO configurator system hosted locally at the wireless networking device, according to one example. At step 402, the MLO configurator system receives an MLO selection that specifies one or more radio frequency (RF) bands corresponding to the SSID configured on the wireless networking device. In one example, the MLO configurator system receives an MLO selection from a UI (e.g., Figure 3 The MLO configuration UI 300 of the embodiment of the present invention receives an MLO selection. The MLO selection specifies the Wi-Fi bands selected to be included in the MLO group for the SSID. In one example, the user can choose to enable MLO for all bands (e.g., for the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band, the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, and the 6 GHz Wi-Fi band).

[0049] Additionally, at step 404, the MLO configurator system determines an MLO configuration for the SSID based on the MLO selection and the radio configuration of the wireless networking device. The radio configuration of the wireless networking device specifies one or more operable RF bands on multiple radio devices (e.g., radio devices 202A-202C) of the wireless networking device. For example, the wireless networking device can be configured to operate in any of the modes specified in Table 1, which in turn can specify the radio configuration of the wireless networking device. For example, for operation of the wireless networking device in Mode 3 (Split 5GHz, see Table 1), the radio devices 202A, 202B, and 202C can operate on 5GHz HB, 5GHz LB, and 6GHz FB, respectively. Therefore, 5GHZHB, 5GHz LB, and 6GHz FB are determined as operating bands for the wireless networking device. The MLO configurator system can process (e.g., by executing in Figure 5 The vector operations described in (a) above are used to configure the radio configuration of the wireless networking device and the MLO selection to determine the MLO configuration. The MLO configuration specifies an MLO group RF band selected from one or more operable RF bands. In an example where the wireless networking device operates in Split 5 GHz mode and the MLO selection specifies all bands for enabling MLO, the MLO configuration may define an MLO group RF band that includes all of 5 GHz HB, 5 GHz LB, and 6 GHz FB. Figure 5 Describes the detailed steps used to determine the MLO configuration.

[0050] After the MLO configuration defining the MLO group RF band is determined, at step 406, the wireless networking device may communicate with the client device via the SSID using the MLO configuration determined in step 404. Specifically, the wireless networking device may communicate with the client device connected via the SSID via the MLO group RF band identified in the MLO configuration.

[0051] Move to Figure 5 , presents another example method 500 for configuring MLO for an SSID operable on a wireless networking device via an MLO configurator system hosted locally at the wireless networking device. Specifically, Figure 5 The method 500 describes the Figure 4 For the sake of brevity, this article will not repeat the steps that have been described in detail in the method 400. Figure 4 At step 502, the MLO configurator system of the wireless networking device presents an MLO configuration UI (e.g., Figure 3 300). The MLO configuration UI displays the SSID and several input objects to enable the user to provide MLO selection input. The user can select appropriate options via the MLO configuration UI, which can trigger certain inputs to the MLO configurator system for the SSID. At step 504, the MLO configurator system receives user input indicating an MLO selection via the MLO configuration UI. Specifically, the MLO selection can indicate that the Wi-Fi bands of interest to the user are included in the MLO group for the SSID.

[0052] In addition, at step 506, the MLO configurator system may determine an MLO preference for the SSID based on the MLO selection. In one example, to determine the MLO preference, the MLO configurator system may first determine a band-wise MLO preference MLO(X) for each of the supported bands or sub-bands X, where X indicates a Wi-Fi band or a sub-band within a Wi-Fi band (hereinafter referred to as a band). If the total number of bands supported by the wireless networking device is M, the value of X may be between 0 and M-1. The value of MLO(X) indicates whether band X is preferred in the user input. If band X is selected in the user input, MLO(X) is set to 1. However, if band X is not selected in the user input, MLO(X) is set to 0. For an AP that supports 5 bands (i.e., M=5, 0≤X≤4) (such as a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band and sub-bands 5 GHz LB, 5 GHz HB, 6 GHz LB, and 6 GHz HB), the value of the band-wise MLO preference may be:

[0053] ML0(0) = 0 or 1, depending on the selection of the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band;

[0054] ML0(1) = 0 or 1, depending on the selection of the 5 GHz LB Wi-Fi sub-band;

[0055] ML0(2) = 0 or 1, depending on the selection of the 5 GHz HB Wi-Fi sub-band;

[0056] ML0(3) = 0 or 1, depending on the selection of the 6 GHz LB Wi-Fi sub-band; and

[0057] ML0(4) = 0 or 1, depending on the selection of the 6 GHz HB Wi-Fi sub-band.

[0058] For such an AP supporting the above five bands, if the MLO selection indicates that the user has selected all three bands for MLO via the MLO configuration UI, the value of the MLO preference in terms of bands may be:

[0059] MLO(0)=1;

[0060] MLO(1)=1;

[0061] MLO(2)=1;

[0062] MLO(3) = 1; and

[0063] MLO(4)=1.

[0064] In one example, the MLO preference - MLO(P) can be determined as the vector sum of the band-wise MLO preferences. The MLO preference can be determined using the following example relationship.

[0065] MLO(P)=[MLO(0),MLO(1),MLO(2),…,MLO(M-1)]

[0066] For the above example of an AP supporting 5 frequency bands (M=5), the MLO preference may be expressed as:

[0067] MLO(P)=[MLO(0),MLO(1),MLO(2),MLO(3),MLO(4)]

[0068] MLO(P)=[1,1,1,1,1].

[0069] In addition, at step 508, the MLO configurator system may determine the band configuration of a wireless networking device. The band configuration specifies one or more operable RF bands configured for each radio. In one example, to determine the band configuration, the MLO configurator system may first determine, for each radio in the radios of the wireless networking device, a radio-specific band configuration - Band(Y, X), where Y (0 ≤ Y ≤ N) indicates the radio of the wireless networking device and N indicates the maximum number of radios installed in the wireless networking device. For an AP that includes three radios (N = 3) and supports five bands (M = 5), the Y values are 0, 1, and 2, representing radio 202C, radio 202B, and radio 202A, respectively; and the X values are 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, representing the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz LB, 5 GHz HB, 6 GHz LB, and 6 GHz HB bands, respectively. Thus, the respective band configurations may be represented as follows.

[0070] Band(0,0) = 1

[0071] Band(0,1) = 0

[0072] Band(0,2) = 0

[0073] Band(0,3) = 0

[0074] Band(0,4) = 0

[0075] Band(1,0) = 0

[0076] Band(1,1) = 1

[0077] Band(1,2) = 1

[0078] Band(1,3) = 0

[0079] Band(1,4) = 0

[0080] Band(2,0) = 0

[0081] Band(2,1) = 0

[0082] Band(2,2) = 0

[0083] Band(2,3) = 1

[0084] Band(2,4) = 1

[0085] For a given value of the individual band configuration Band(Y, X), 1 indicates that radio device Y is operable on band X. In other words, band X is an operable band for radio device Y. For example, Band(2, 3) = 1 indicates that radio device 202A operates on the 6 GHz LB.

[0086] Once the individual band configuration Band(Y, X) is determined, the MLO configurator system determines the radio device-specific band configuration represented as R(Y). The MLO configurator system can determine the radio device-specific band configuration by aggregating the radio device-specific band configurations. In some examples, the MLO configurator system can perform vector addition of the radio device-specific band configurations. The radio device-specific band configuration can be represented using the following vector formula.

[0087] R(Y) = [Band(Y,1), Band(Y,2), …, Band(Y,M - 1)]

[0088] Thus, the radio device-specific band configurations for radio device Radio 202C, radio device Radio 202B, and radio device Radio202A can be represented as R(0), R(1), and R(2) respectively, where:

[0089] R(0) = [Band(0,0), Band(0,1), Band(0,2), Band(0,3), Band(0,4)] = [1, 0, 0, 0, 0];

[0090] R(1) = [Band(1,0), Band(1,1), Band(1,2), Band(1,3), Band(1,4)] = [0, 1, 1, 0, 0]; and

[0091] R(2) = [Band(2,0), Band(2,1), Band(2,2), Band(2,3), Band(2,4)] = [0, 0, 0, 1, 1].

[0092] Once the radio device-specific band configuration is determined, at step 510, the MLO configurator system can determine the radio configuration of the wireless networking device by aggregating the radio device-specific band configurations. In some examples, the MLO configurator system can perform vector addition of the radio device-specific band configurations of each of the multiple radio devices. The vector sum representing the radio configuration (RC_N) of the wireless networking device can be represented as:

[0093] RC_N = R(0) + R(1) + … + R(N - 1),

[0094] Continuing with the above example, radio configuration RC_3 can be represented as:

[0095] RC_3 = R(0) + R(1) + R(2) = [1, 1, 1, 1, 1].

[0096] At step 512, the MLO configurator system can determine the MLO configuration for the SSID based on the MLO preference for the SSID (see step 506) and the radio configuration of the wireless networking device (see step 510). The MLO configuration specifies an MLO group of RF bands selected from one or more operable RF bands. In one example, the MLO configurator system can perform a vector multiplication of the MLO preference (MLO(P)) and the radio configuration (RC_N). The following expression represents the MLO configuration (MLO_Config), and such vector multiplication is performed by the MLO configurator system.

[0097] MLO_Config = MLO(P) × RC_N.

[0098] For the ongoing example, where the AP has three radios capable of supporting five bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band, 5 GHz LB, 5 GHz HB, 6 GHz LB, and 6 GHz HB) and where for a given SSID, the user selects each of the three Wi-Fi bands 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz Wi-Fi bands for MLO, the MLO configuration can be represented as:

[0099] MLO_Config = [1, 1, 1, 1, 1] × [1, 1, 1, 1, 1] = [1, 1, 1, 1, 1]. The value of MLO_Config [1, 1, 1, 1, 1] indicates that for a given SSID, each of the operating bands in the operating bands on each radio can be considered an MLO group band. For the given example, the MLO group bands are 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz LB, 5 GHz HB, 6 GHz LB, and 6 GHz HB.

[0100] After the MLO configuration that defines the MLO group of RF bands is determined, at step 514, the wireless networking device can communicate with the client device via the SSID using the MLO configuration determined at step 512. Specifically, the wireless networking device can communicate with the client device connected via the SSID via the MLO group of RF bands identified in the MLO configuration.

[0101] Now referring to Figure 6 , a flowchart of an example method 600 for configuring MLO is depicted. Figure 6The steps shown can be performed by an MLO configurator system, e.g., an MLO configurator system 104 hosted on a cloud platform.

[0102] At step 602, the MLO configurator system receives an MLO selection that specifies one or more radio frequency (RF) bands corresponding to an SSID configured on a wireless networking device. In one example, the MLO configurator system receives the MLO selection from an MLO configuration UI. In such a case, the MLO configurator system presents the MLO configuration UI on a web page accessible by the user using a specific URL or IP address. User input via the MLO configuration UI specifies Wi-Fi bands selected to be included in the MLO group for the SSID.

[0103] Additionally, at step 604, the MLO configurator system identifies the radio configuration of the wireless networking device. The radio configuration of the wireless networking device specifies one or more operable RF bands on multiple radio devices of the wireless networking device. Specifically, in one example, the MLO configurator system can query the wireless networking device for details providing the Wi-Fi bands on which each of the radio devices is operating. In another example, the wireless networking device is configured to periodically update the MLO configurator system with the operating bands of each of its radio devices. The MLO configurator can then maintain a database of the operating bands and use this information to determine the radio configuration of the wireless networking device. Details of determining the radio configuration have been described in conjunction with Figure 5 describe the details of determining the radio configuration.

[0104] Additionally, at step 606, the MLO configurator system determines an MLO configuration for the SSID based on the MLO selection and the radio configuration of the wireless networking device. The radio configuration specifies one or more operable RF bands on multiple radio devices (e.g., radio devices 202A - 202C) of the wireless networking device. For example, the wireless networking device can be configured to operate in any of the modes specified in Table 1, which in turn can specify the radio configuration of the wireless networking device. For example, for the wireless networking device operating in mode 3 (Split 5GHz, see Table 1), radio devices 202A, 202B, and 202C can operate on 5GHz HB, 5GHz LB, and 6GHz FB, respectively. Thus, 5GHZ HB, 5GHz LB, and 6GHz FB are determined as the operating bands for the wireless networking device. The MLO configurator system can process (e.g., by performing at Figure 5Radio configuration and MLO selection of the wireless networking device) to determine the MLO configuration as described in the vector operations). The MLO configuration specifies an MLO group RF band selected from one or more operable RF bands. In an example where the wireless networking device operates in Split5GHz mode and the MLO selection specifies all the bands for enabling MLO, the MLO configuration can define an MLO group RF band that includes all of 5GHz HB, 5GHz LB, and 6GHz FB. In combination with Figure 5 Describes the detailed steps for determining the MLO configuration.

[0105] After the MLO configuration that defines the MLO group RF band is determined, at step 608, the MLO configurator system can instruct the wireless networking device to communicate with the client device via the SSID using the MLO configuration determined at step 606. Specifically, the wireless networking device can communicate with the client device connected via the SSID via the MLO group RF band identified in the MLO configuration.

[0106] Figure 7 A block diagram of an example computing system 700 in which various examples described herein can be implemented is depicted. In one example, the computing system 700 can be configured to operate as a wireless networking device (e.g., an AP) such as Figure 2 the wireless networking device 200 and can perform various operations described in one or more of the previous figures. In another example, the computing system 700 can be any system in a cloud infrastructure and capable of hosting an MLO configurator system to configure MLO. Examples of devices and / or systems that can be implemented as the computing system 700 can include desktop computers, laptop computers, servers, web servers, authentication servers, AAA servers, DNS servers, DHCP servers, IP servers, VPN servers, network policy servers, mainframes, tablet computers, e-readers, netbook computers, televisions and similar monitors (e.g., smart TVs), content receivers, set-top boxes, PDAs, mobile phones, smartphones, smart terminals, dumb terminals, virtual terminals, video game consoles, virtual assistants, Internet of Things devices, etc.

[0107] The computing system 700 may include: a bus 702 or other communication mechanism for transferring information; a hardware processor, also referred to as processing resources 704; and a machine-readable storage medium 705 coupled to the bus 702 for processing information. In some examples, the processing resources 704 may include one or more CPUs, semiconductor-based microprocessors, and / or other hardware devices suitable for retrieving and executing instructions stored in the machine-readable storage medium 705. The processing resources 704 may extract, decode, and execute instructions for configuring the MLO for the SSID. As an alternative or addition to retrieving and executing instructions, the processing resources 704 may include one or more electronic circuits, and one or more electronic circuits include electronic components for performing the functions of one or more instructions, such as FPGAs, ASICs, or other electronic circuits.

[0108] In some examples, the machine-readable storage medium 705 may include a main memory 706, such as RAM, cache, and / or other dynamic storage devices, and the main memory 706 is coupled to the bus 702 for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processing resources 704. The main memory 706 may also be used to store temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions to be executed by the processing resources 704. When such instructions are stored in a storage medium accessible by the processing resources 704, the computing system 700 becomes a dedicated machine customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions. The machine-readable storage medium 705 may also include a read-only memory (ROM) 708 or other static storage devices coupled to the bus 702 for storing static information and instructions for the processing resources 704. In addition, in the machine-readable storage medium 705, a storage device 710 (such as a magnetic disk, optical disc, or USB thumb drive (flash drive), etc.) may be provided and coupled to the bus 702 for storing information and instructions.

[0109] In some examples, the computing system 700 may be coupled to a display 712, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) (or touch-sensitive screen), via the bus 702 for displaying information to a computer user. In some examples, an input device 714 including alphanumeric keys and other keys (physical or software generated and displayed on a touch-sensitive screen) may be coupled to the bus 702 for transmitting information and command selections to the processing resources 704. In addition, in some examples, another type of user input device, such as a cursor control 716, may be connected to the bus 702. The cursor control 716 may be a mouse, trackball, or cursor direction keys. The cursor control 716 may transmit direction information and command selections to the processing resources 704 to control the movement of the cursor on the display 712. In some other examples, the same direction information and command selections as the cursor control may be achieved without a cursor by receiving touches on a touch screen.

[0110] In some examples, computing system 700 may include a user interface module for implementing a GUI, which may be stored in a mass storage device as executable software code executed by one or more computing devices. The module and other modules may include, for example, components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, programs, subroutines, program code segments, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables.

[0111] Computing system 700 also includes a network interface 718 coupled to bus 702. Network interface 718 provides two-way data communication coupled to one or more network links, and one or more network links are connected to one or more local networks. For example, network interface 718 may be an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) card, a cable modem, a satellite modem, or a modem providing a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, network interface 718 may be a Local Area Network (LAN) card or a wireless communication unit (e.g., a Wi-Fi chip / module).

[0112] In some examples, machine-readable storage medium 705 (e.g., one or more of main memory 706, ROM 708, or storage device 710) stores instructions 707, which, when executed by processing resource 704, may cause processing resource 704 to perform one or more of the methods / operations described above. Instructions 707 may be stored on any one of main memory 706, ROM 708, or storage device 710. In some examples, instructions 707 may be distributed across one or more of main memory 706, ROM 708, or storage device 710. In some examples, when executed by processing resource 704, instructions 707 may cause processing resource 704 to perform Figures 4 - 6 one or more of the methods described in any of

[0113] Unless otherwise expressly stated, the terms and phrases used in this document and their variants shall be construed as open-ended rather than restrictive. By way of example of the foregoing, the term "including" shall be understood to mean "including but not limited to", etc. The term "example" is used to provide exemplary instances of the items under discussion, rather than an exhaustive or limiting list thereof. The term "a" or "an" shall be understood to mean "at least one", "one or more", etc. In some cases, the presence of broadening words and phrases such as "one or more", "at least", "but not limited to" or other similar phrases shall not be construed to mean that a narrower case is intended or required where such broadening phrases may not be present. Additionally, as used herein, the term "and / or" refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of the associated listed items. It will also be understood that, unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise indicates, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements shall not be limited by these terms, as these terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

Claims

1. A method comprising: Receiving, by a processor disposed in the wireless networking device, a multi-link operation (MLO) selection, the multi-link operation (MLO) selection specifying one or more radio frequency (RF) bands corresponding to a service set identifier (SSID) configured on the wireless networking device; determining, by the processor, an MLO configuration for the SSID based on the MLO selection and a radio configuration of the wireless networking device, wherein the radio configuration specifies one or more operable RF bands on a plurality of radios of the wireless networking device, and wherein the MLO configuration specifies an MLO group of RF bands selected from the one or more operable RF bands; and The MLO configuration is used, by the processor, to communicate with a client device via the SSID.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more operable RF bands include a full radio frequency range of an RF band that can be used for wireless local area network (WLAN) communication or a sub-frequency range in one or more RF bands in the RF band that can be used for the WLAN communication.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the MLO selection comprises: Presenting a user interface UI to a user through the processor; as well as User input indicative of the MLO selection is received, by the processor, via the UI.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: An MLO preference is determined by the processor based on the MLO selection, wherein the MLO preference includes the one or more RF bands, and the user preference within the one or more RF bands includes one or more RF sub-bands in the MLO group RF band for the SSID.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: determining, by the processor, for each radio of the plurality of radios, a frequency band configuration, the frequency band configuration specifying the one or more operable RF frequency bands for the each radio configuration; as well as The radio configuration of the wireless networking device is determined, by the processor, by aggregating the frequency band configurations of the plurality of radios.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the frequency band configuration of each of the plurality of radio devices is represented as a vector, wherein aggregating the frequency band configurations comprises performing vector addition of the frequency band configurations of each of the plurality of radio devices.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the MLO preference and the radio configuration are represented as vectors, and wherein determining the MLO configuration comprises performing vector multiplication of the MLO preference and the radio configuration.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless networking device is an access point.

9. A method comprising: Receiving, by a processor communicatively coupled to the wireless networking device, a multi-link operation (MLO) selection specifying one or more radio frequency (RF) bands corresponding to a service set identifier (SSID) configured on the wireless networking device; identifying, by the processor, a radio configuration that specifies one or more operable RF bands on a plurality of radios of the wireless networking device; determining, by the processor, an MLO configuration for the SSID based on the MLO selection and a radio configuration of the wireless networking device, wherein the MLO configuration specifies an MLO group of RF bands selected from the one or more operational RF bands; and The processor instructs the wireless networking device to communicate with a client device via the SSID using the MLO configuration.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the MLO selection comprises: Presenting a user interface UI to a user through the processor; as well as User input indicative of the MLO selection is received, by the processor, via the UI.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: An MLO preference is determined by the processor based on the MLO selection, wherein the MLO preference includes the one or more RF bands, and the user preference within the one or more RF bands includes one or more RF sub-bands in the MLO group RF band for the SSID.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: determining, by the processor, for each radio of the plurality of radios, a frequency band configuration, the frequency band configuration specifying the one or more operable RF frequency bands for the each radio configuration; as well as The radio configuration of the wireless networking device is determined, by the processor, by aggregating the frequency band configurations of the plurality of radios.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the frequency band configuration of each radio in the plurality of radios is represented as a vector, wherein aggregating the frequency band configurations comprises: A vector addition of the frequency band configuration for each of the plurality of radios is performed, by the processor.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the MLO preference and the radio configuration are represented as vectors, and wherein determining the MLO configuration comprises: A vector multiplication of the MLO preferences and the radio configuration is performed, by the processor.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the processor is hosted on a cloud infrastructure communicatively coupled to the wireless networking device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless networking device is an access point.

17. A wireless networking device, comprising: a plurality of radios for communicating over one or more operable RF frequency bands; as well as A machine-readable storage medium storing executable instructions; a processor coupled to the plurality of radios and the machine-readable storage medium, wherein the processor is configured to execute one or more of the instructions to: receiving a multi-link operation (MLO) selection specifying one or more radio frequency (RF) bands corresponding to a service set identifier (SSID) configured on the wireless networking device; as well as determining an MLO configuration for the SSID based on the MLO selection and a radio configuration of the wireless networking device, wherein the radio configuration specifies the one or more operable RF bands on the plurality of radios of the wireless networking device, and wherein the MLO configuration specifies an MLO group of RF bands selected from the one or more operable RF bands, and One or more of the radios communicate with client devices via the SSID using the MLO configuration.

18. The wireless networking device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to execute one or more of the instructions to: Presenting a user interface UI to the user; and User input indicative of the MLO selection is received via the user interface.

19. A wireless networking device according to claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to execute one or more of the instructions to determine an MLO preference based on the MLO selection, wherein the MLO preference includes the one or more RF bands, and the user preferences within the one or more RF bands include one or more RF sub-bands in the MLO group RF band for the SSID.

20. The wireless networking device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to execute one or more of the instructions to: determining, for a radio of the plurality of radios, a frequency band configuration, the frequency band configuration specifying the one or more operable RF frequency bands for the radio configuration; and The radio configuration of the wireless networking device is determined by aggregating the frequency band configurations of the plurality of radios.

Images