Coverage blind area mitigation

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising means for determining that a first access point and a second access point are in a coordination protocol and a device is in a first wireless communication session with the first access point; and determining that the device is located in the coverage blind area of the first access point. The apparatus further comprises means for sending, to a second access point, a request for the second access point indicating whether the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; and means for receiving, from the second access point, an indication that the second access point is adapted to provide a second wireless communication session with the device. The apparatus further comprises means for negotiating authorization of a second wireless communication session between the device and a second access point; and means for authorizing a second wireless communication session between the device and a second access point.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Example embodiments may relate to systems, methods, and / or computer programs for wireless networks. Specifically, example embodiments relate to coverage hole mitigation in wireless networks. Background Art

[0002] In a computer network, a wireless access point (AP) is a network hardware device that allows Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 network)-compatible client devices to wirelessly connect to a wired network and other client devices. An AP is typically connected to a router as a stand-alone device (either directly or indirectly via a wired network), but an AP can also be an integral part of the router itself. In a wireless local area network (WLAN), several nodes can also work in coordination via direct wired or wireless connections. In some WLAN implementations, APs may work together in a scheme called multi-access point coordination (MAPC) in the future. Two or more APs can coordinate some operations. Such coordination can include mitigating coverage holes of the APs.

[0003] Coverage holes have an adverse impact on the user's Wi-Fi experience because they cause radio link failures when the user moves into areas with poor coverage. Therefore, detecting and mitigating the effects of coverage holes is generally important in Wi-Fi and wireless networks. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The scope of protection sought by the various embodiments of the present invention is defined by the independent claims. Embodiments and features described in this specification that are not within the scope of the independent claims (if any) should be construed as examples that help in understanding the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0005] According to a first aspect, a device is described that includes components for: determining that a first access point and a second access point are in a coordination protocol and that the device is in a first wireless communication session with the first access point; determining that the device is located in a coverage hole of the first access point; sending to the second access point a request for the second access point to indicate whether the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; receiving from the second access point an indication that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; negotiating authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; and authorizing the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0006] The device may be the first access point.

[0007] The components for determining that the first access point and the second access point are in a coordination protocol may include: components for determining that the first access point and the second access point are part of a multi-access point coordination MAPC group.

[0008] A request for the second access point to indicate whether the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device may include: a request to indicate whether the device is within the coverage area for the second access point. An indication that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device includes: an indication that the device is within the coverage area for the second access point.

[0009] An indication that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device may include: information about the second access point's ability to host the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0010] The apparatus may further include: components for reviewing information and determining whether to authorize the second wireless communication session based on the information.

[0011] Information about the second access point's ability to host the second wireless communication session may include at least one of the following: at least one radio frequency band supported by the second access point; the position of the second access point relative to the device; received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements; at least one condition under which the second access point is capable of hosting the second wireless communication session; a bandwidth allocation that can be provided by the second access point for hosting the second wireless communication session.

[0012] Components for negotiating authorization of the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point may include: components for comparing the received information about the second access point's ability to host the second wireless communication session with a threshold; and components for authorizing the second wireless communication session when it is determined that the information meets the threshold.

[0013] Components for negotiating authorization of the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point may include: components for verifying that the second access point is in communication with the device.

[0014] Components for verifying that the second access point is in communication with the device may include at least one of the following: components for receiving from the second access point at least one piece of information indicating that the second access point is in communication with the device; or components for sending to the second access point at least one piece of information indicating that the second access point is in communication with the device.

[0015] The apparatus may further include: components for determining that the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point has started. The apparatus may further include: components for monitoring the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point. The apparatus may further include: components for determining that the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point has been terminated.

[0016] The apparatus may further include components for determining that the device is no longer in a coverage blind spot of the first access point, including components for receiving a reassociation request from the device.

[0017] According to a second aspect, an apparatus is described that includes components for: determining that a first access point and a second access point are in a coordination protocol and that the device is in a first wireless communication session with the first access point; determining, based on receiving at least a first signal from the device, that the device is in a coverage blind spot of the first access point; sending an indication to the first access point that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; negotiating with the first access point an authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; and receiving from the first access point an authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0018] The apparatus may be the second access point.

[0019] The at least first signal may include a probe request message.

[0020] The components for determining that the first access point and the second access point are in a coordination protocol may include components for determining that the first access point and the second access point are part of a multi-access point coordination (MAPC) group.

[0021] The indication that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device may include an indication that the device is within the coverage range of the second access point.

[0022] The indication that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device may include information about the second access point's ability to host the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0023] The information about the second access point's ability to host the second wireless communication session includes at least one of the following: at least one radio frequency band supported by the second access point; the position of the second access point relative to the device; received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements; at least one condition under which the second access point can host the second wireless communication session; and the bandwidth allocation that can be provided by the second access point for hosting the second wireless communication session.

[0024] The apparatus may further include components for verifying that the device is authenticated by the first access point and / or associated with the first access point.

[0025] Components for verifying that a device is authenticated by a first access point and / or associated with a first access point include at least one of the following: a component for receiving from the first access point at least one piece of information for indicating that the first access point is in communication with the device; or a component for sending to the first access point at least one piece of information for indicating that a second access point is in communication with the device.

[0026] The apparatus may further include: a component for starting a second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; a component for monitoring the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point. The apparatus may further include: a component for terminating the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0027] The apparatus may further include: a component for receiving from the first access point and / or the device a disassociation request for ending the second wireless communication session. The apparatus may further include: a component for ending the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0028] According to a third aspect, an apparatus is described, the apparatus including components for: identifying that the device is in a first wireless communication session with a first access point; identifying that the device is located in a coverage blind area of the first access point; sending at least a first signal to a second access point, where the first signal includes a probe request for a second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; receiving from the second access point an acknowledgement that is part of a coordination protocol formed by the first access point and the second access point and that the second access point is suitable for providing the second wireless communication session; and starting the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0029] The apparatus may be the device.

[0030] The apparatus may further include: a component for monitoring whether the device is still located in the coverage blind area of the first access point, including a component for scanning to receive at least one signal from the first access point. The apparatus may further include: a component for sending an association or re-association request from the device to the first access point.

[0031] According to a fourth aspect, a method is described, the method including the following: determining that a first access point and a second access point are in a coordination protocol and that the device is in a first wireless communication session with the first access point; determining that the device is located in a coverage blind area of the first access point; sending to the second access point a request for indicating whether the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; receiving from the second access point an indication that the second access point is suitable for providing the second wireless communication session with the device; negotiating authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; and authorizing the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0032] According to a fifth aspect, a method is described, the method comprising the following: determining that a first access point and a second access point are in a coordination protocol and that a device is in a first wireless communication session with the first access point; determining, based on receiving at least a first signal from the device, that the device is located in a coverage blind spot of the first access point; sending an indication to the first access point that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; negotiating with the first access point an authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; and receiving from the first access point an authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0033] According to a sixth aspect, a method is described, the method comprising the following: identifying that a device is in a first wireless communication session with a first access point; identifying that the device is located in a coverage blind spot of the first access point; sending at least a first signal to a second access point, wherein the first signal includes a probe request for a second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; receiving from the second access point a confirmation that the second access point is part of a coordination protocol formed by the first access point and the second access point and that the second access point is suitable for providing the second wireless communication session; and starting the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0034] According to a seventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a set of instructions which, when executed on a device, are configured to cause the device to perform the method defined by any of the foregoing methods.

[0035] According to an eighth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing the method defined by any of the foregoing methods. Description of the Drawings

[0036] Example embodiments will now be described by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in the

[0037] drawings:

[0038] Figure 1 The network architecture of a Wi-Fi communication system is shown by way of example.

[0039] Figure 2 The coverage blind spot is shown by way of example.

[0040] Figure 3 The coverage blind spot is shown by way of example.

[0041] Figure 4 The coverage blind spot mitigation process is shown by way of example.

[0042] Figure 5A first method for coverage hole mitigation is shown by way of example.

[0043] Figure 6 A flow chart of the decision making process at a host AP is shown by way of example.

[0044] Figure 7 A flow chart of the decision making process at a visited AP is shown by way of example.

[0045] Figure 8 The negotiation and association sharing process is shown by way of example.

[0046] Figure 9 A flow chart of a decision making process at a device is shown by way of example.

[0047] Figure 10 A flow chart of the decision making process at a host AP is shown by way of example.

[0048] Figure 11 A second method for coverage hole mitigation is shown by way of example.

[0049] Figure 12 A flow chart of the decision making process at a visited AP is shown by way of example.

[0050] Figure 13 A flow chart of the decision making process at a host AP is shown by way of example.

[0051] Figure 14 A third method for coverage hole mitigation is shown by way of example.

[0052] Figure 15 A block diagram of an apparatus is shown by way of example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Coverage holes are a major source of customer complaints against Wi-Fi vendors and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Coverage holes are areas where an AP or base station (BS) cannot provide acceptable service to its associated users due to poor signal propagation (e.g., attenuation due to the medium and physical obstructions).

[0054] Commercial Wi-Fi APs may include proprietary coverage hole detection and mitigation mechanisms that are executed at the Radio Resource Management (RRM) layer. The main drawback of existing methods is that they perform coverage hole mitigation by transmit power adjustment. Thus, potentially detected holes are attempted to be solved by increasing the transmit power level to cover as large an area as possible and reach all devices that wish to connect to the AP. This method may lead to increased interference because the AP tends to use higher power, which may severely affect the performance in the Overlapping Basic Service Set (OBSS). Additionally, even with the maximum power, the AP can only reach a limited coverage area. Therefore, mitigation of coverage holes is not ensured, and improved techniques are needed.

[0055] Figure 1 Depicted is an example embodiment of a communication system 100 that includes: a Wi-Fi access point 120, a Wi-Fi client 110, and a controller 130 configured to control the association of the Wi-Fi client with the Wi-Fi access point. Figure 1 The communication system 100 of the example embodiment is an instance of a possible Wi-Fi system provided in view of the background information disclosed herein. Figure 1 The communication system 100 is not intended to provide a limitation to the present disclosure.

[0056] The communication system 100 includes: a collection of Wi-Fi clients 100-1 to 110-C (collectively referred to as Wi-Fi clients 110), a collection of Wi-Fi access points (APs) 120-1 to 120-A (collectively referred to as Wi-Fi APs 120), a Wi-Fi access controller 130, and a communication network 140. The Wi-Fi clients 110 may be associated with the Wi-Fi APs 120 based on Wi-Fi access control functions supported by the Wi-Fi access controller 130 to obtain network access to the communication network 140. Alternatively, each Wi-Fi AP 120 may operate autonomously and / or independently. For example, each Wi-Fi AP 120 may have its own Wi-Fi access controller (not shown). The communication network 140 accessed by the Wi-Fi clients 110 via the Wi-Fi APs 120 may include: any (multiple) communication networks that may be utilized by the Wi-Fi clients 110, such as public communication networks, private communication networks, etc., and various combinations thereof (e.g., Internet-related networks, enterprise networks, data center networks, etc., and various combinations thereof).

[0057] The Wi-Fi client 110 includes any device that can be associated with a Wi-Fi AP 120 to obtain network access to the communication network 140. The Wi-Fi client 110 can support various IEEE 802.11 standards, such as one or more of the following: 802.11 (Wi-Fi 0, 2.4 GHz), 802.11b (Wi-Fi 1, 2.4 GHz), 802.11a (Wi-Fi 2, 5 GHz), 802.11g (Wi-Fi 3, 5 GHz), 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4, 2.4 / 5 GHz), 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5, 5 GHz), 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6, 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz), 802.11b (Wi-Fi1, 2.4 GHz), 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7, 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz), etc. The Wi-Fi client 110 can support one or more Wi-Fi radio frequency bands (e.g., single-band, dual-band, tri-band, etc.), and these bands (e.g., one or more of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, etc.) can be used by the Wi-Fi client 110 for communication with the Wi-Fi AP 120. In Figure 1 the example of, for the sake of clarity, each client in the Wi-Fi client 110 is depicted as a dual-band device that supports both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band; however, it should be understood that the Wi-Fi client 110 can include: single-band devices (e.g., only support one of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, etc.), multi-band devices that support other numbers or combinations of Wi-Fi radio frequency bands, etc., and various combinations thereof. In this document, the Wi-Fi client 110 can also be interchangeably referred to as a "device". For example, the Wi-Fi client 110 / device can include: computers, smartphones, TVs, home control devices, appliances, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc.

[0058] The latest IEEE 802.11be standard has introduced an architecture through which multiple bands can be simultaneously operated by a single entity, which is called a multi-link device MLD. The MLD communicates with both the Wi-Fi AP 120 and the Wi-Fi client 110.

[0059] The Wi-Fi AP 120 is configured to support communication of the Wi-Fi client 110 via the communication network 140. The Wi-Fi AP 120 may support various IEEE standards, such as one or more of the following: 802.11 (Wi-Fi 0, 2.4 GHz), 802.11b (Wi-Fi 1, 2.4 GHz), 802.11a (Wi-Fi 2, 5 GHz), 802.11g (Wi-Fi 3, 5 GHz), 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4, 2.4 / 5 GHz), 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5, 5 GHz), 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6, 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz), 802.11b (Wi-Fi 1, 2.4 GHz), 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7, 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz), etc. The Wi-Fi AP 120 may support one or more Wi-Fi bands, which (e.g., one or more of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, etc.) may be used by the Wi-Fi client 110 for communication with the Wi-Fi AP 120. Each of the Wi-Fi APs 120 supports a set of Wi-Fi radios 121 (schematically, Wi-Fi AP 120-1 supports Wi-Fi radios 121-11 and 121-12, and Wi-Fi AP 120-A supports Wi-Fi radios 121-A1 and 121-A2), and this set of Wi-Fi radios 121 is configured to support Wi-Fi-based communication of the Wi-Fi client 110. In Figure 1 the example, for clarity purposes, each of the Wi-Fi APs 120 is depicted as a dual-band device supporting the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band; however, it should be understood that the Wi-Fi AP 120 may include: a single-band device (e.g., supporting only one of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, etc.), a multi-band device supporting other numbers or combinations of Wi-Fi radio bands, etc., and various combinations thereof. The Wi-Fi AP 120 is configured to support controlling the association of the Wi-Fi client 110 with the Wi-Fi AP 120. The Wi-Fi AP is configured to: support controlling the association of the Wi-Fi client 110 with the Wi-Fi AP 120 by receiving an association request from the Wi-Fi client 110, where the Wi-Fi client 110 requests to associate with a specific Wi-Fi radio band of the Wi-Fi AP 120, and the Wi-Fi AP 120 accepts or rejects the association request to allow or block the association of the Wi-Fi client 110 with the Wi-Fi AP 120. It should be understood that herein, the Wi-Fi AP 120 may also be referred to as a Wi-Fi router.

[0060] The Wi-Fi access controller 130 is configured to support controlling the association of the Wi-Fi client 110 with the Wi-Fi AP 120. The Wi-Fi access controller 130 may be configured to support controlling the association of the Wi-Fi client 110 with the Wi-Fi AP 120 based on the Wi-Fi access control information 131, which is determined by the Wi-Fi access controller 130 (shown as the Wi-Fi access control information 131 maintained on the Wi-Fi access controller 130), and provided by the Wi-Fi access controller 130 to the Wi-Fi AP 120 for use by the Wi-Fi AP 120 to control the association of the Wi-Fi client 110 with the Wi-Fi AP 120. The Wi-Fi access control information 131 maintained on the Wi-Fi AP 120 may be used by the Wi-Fi AP 120 to process association requests from the Wi-Fi client 110, enabling the Wi-Fi AP 120 to control the association of the Wi-Fi client 110 with the Wi-Fi AP 120 and the Wi-Fi radio frequency band of the Wi-Fi AP 120. In some Wi-Fi communication systems, the control of the association may be directly accomplished by the Wi-Fi AP 120 to which the Wi-Fi client 110 attempts to associate. In other Wi-Fi communication systems, the control of the association may be implemented through a centralized system (e.g., using 802.1x), where a server is responsible for managing user associations. In a centralized system, the Wi-Fi AP 120 may simply forward the association request to the server. The disclosure herein can be applied to both methods of controlling the association.

[0061] Figure 2 An example embodiment of a communication system including a Wi-Fi access point 1 (AP1) 201, a Wi-Fi access point 2 (AP2) 202, and a device 203 is depicted. AP1 201 and AP2 202 may correspond to the Wi-Fi AP 120 depicted in Figure 1 and may also be referred to as Wi-Fi routers. The device 203 may be as Figure 1One of the Wi-Fi clients 110 depicted. Device 203 can be a portable computing device, which includes a communication device, and the communication device includes, but is not limited to, the following types of devices: mobile station (mobile phone), smart phone, personal digital assistant, handheld device, device using a wireless modem (such as an alarm or measurement device, etc.), laptop computer and / or touch screen computer, tablet computer, game console, notebook, vehicle, fixed wireless access (FWA), and multimedia device. It should be understood that device 203 can also be an almost exclusive uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips onto the network. Device 203e can also be a device capable of operating in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, which is a scenario in which objects are equipped with the ability to transfer data over a network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

[0062] Figure 2 The example embodiments shown can be located in any building, such as a house, commercial building, or apartment building, or alternatively, can be located in an outdoor location.

[0063] AP1 201 is in a first communication session with device 203, and thus device 203 is authenticated and associated with AP1 201. The authentication and / or association can be carried out through known mechanisms and standardized messages, such as via probe requests and responses, authentication requests and responses, and association requests and responses. AP2 202 is not currently authenticated or associated with device 203.

[0064] AP1 201 and AP2 202 are in a coordination protocol. The coordination protocol can be a MAPC group. MAPC (Multi-Access Point Coordination Scheme) should be included in Wi-Fi 8, and the standardization for Wi-Fi 8 has started and is expected to be completed in the future. Thus, AP1 201 and AP2 202 can share information about associated and authenticated devices (such as device 203). 1) The association protocol (such as the MAPC group) means that AP1 201 and AP2 202 can communicate with each other using MAPC-specific signaling. Additional access points (not shown) can form part of the MAPC group.

[0065] AP1 201 has a high coverage area 204 and a low coverage area 205. The high coverage area 204 has the strongest radio signal, and the low coverage area 205 has a lower-strength radio signal. Device 203 is located in the coverage blind spot area 206 of AP1 201. The coverage blind spot of AP1 201 is the area not covered by AP1 201, which means the signal strength of AP1 is not strong enough to reach the area where device 203 is located. AP2 also has a high coverage area 207 with strong signal strength. Device 203 is located within the high coverage area 207 of AP2 202. Therefore, it would be ideal if the device could use AP2 202 instead of AP1 201 to provide improved services. Although AP2 202 is not currently certified or associated with device 203, the proposed apparatus and method provide a solution that allows this operation through a coordination protocol.

[0066] Figure 3 Another example embodiment of a communication system is shown. In Figure 3 it, Figure 2 the example of

[0067] is shown by way of illustration as an apartment building. The coverage blind spot area 206 of AP1 201 is located in Apartment 1, where the signal strength of AP1 201 is not sufficient to reach device 203. However, AP2 202 in Apartment 2 may have sufficient signal strength to serve device 203 in the coverage blind spot. Figure 3 By leveraging the advantages of MAPC in Wi-Fi 8, the disclosure provided herein presents a new method for mitigating coverage blind spots. Through the MAPC framework, private APs are able to exchange and transfer the association of users among themselves. The proposed method can be highly relevant in residential scenarios such as

[0068] Figure 4An overview of the coverage blind spot mitigation process between the proposed AP1 201, AP2 202, and device 203 is shown by way of example. There are several steps in the proposed coverage blind spot mitigation process, including Prerequisite 1, Prerequisite 2, Step 1 - Coverage Blind Spot Detection, Step 2 - User Association Transfer, Step 3 - Access Occurrence, and Step 4 - Return to Home. Each of these steps related to "host AP-initiated" and "visited AP-initiated" coverage blind spot mitigation will be discussed in turn below.

[0069] Host AP-Initiated Coverage Blind Spot Mitigation

[0070] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method 500 according to an example embodiment is shown by way of example. Each element of the flowchart can include one or more operations. These operations can be performed in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. For example, these operations can be performed by components alone or in combination, where the components can include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the operations to be performed.

[0071] The method 500 can be performed by a host AP (e.g., AP1 201). Herein, this can be referred to as "host AP-initiated" coverage blind spot mitigation. The method 500 is triggered by coverage blind spot detection performed at the host AP, which has been previously authenticated and associated with the device 203 and is in a coordination protocol with a visited AP (e.g., AP2 202).

[0072] Prerequisites

[0073] Figure 5 The method 500 can include: a first operation 501 of determining that a first access point AP1 201 and a second access point AP2 202 are in a coordination protocol. The first operation 501 can include: determining that AP1 201 and AP2 202 are part of a MAPC group. In other words, the coordination protocol is a MAPC coordination protocol. This means that AP1 201 and AP2 202 can communicate with each other using MAPC-specific signaling. Determining that AP1 201 and AP2 202 are in a coordination protocol is the first prerequisite of the method 500 (e.g., as Figure 4as shown by "Precondition 1". The first operation further includes: determining that the device 203 is in a first wireless communication session with the AP1 201. Determining that the device 203 is in a first wireless session with the AP1 201 may include: determining that the device 203 is associated with the AP1 201, and / or the device 203 has been authenticated by the AP1 201. Thus, the device 203 is trusted by the AP1 201. Determining that the device 203 is associated with the AP1 201 and has been authenticated by the AP1 201 is the second precondition of the method 500 (e.g., as Figure 4 shown by "Precondition 2").

[0074] Coverage Blind Spot Detection

[0075] The method 500 may include: a second operation 502 of determining that the device 203 is located in a coverage blind area of the AP1 201. Determining that the device 203 is located in a coverage blind area of the AP1 201 may include: performing coverage blind area detection at the AP1 201 by detecting whether the device 203 is away from the AP1 201 within a certain time period. For example, if the device 203 is detected to be out of the coverage range for 5 seconds because no communication is received and it does not roam, the coverage blind area can be detected at the AP1 201. Figure 4 Step 1) of depicts the coverage blind area detection, which shows that the AP1 203 attempts to reach the device 203 and is not received. The AP1 201 may send multiple transmissions and / or retransmissions to the device 203, which are not received, and the AP1 201 does not receive a reply from the device. When the coverage blind area is detected, the device 203 is considered to be out of the range of the AP1 201, and thus, there is no communication between the device 203 and the AP1 201.

[0076] User Association Transfer

[0077] The method 500 may include: a third operation 503 of sending a request to the AP2 202 for the AP2 202 to indicate whether the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device 203. The third operation 503 is used to find a suitable AP that the device 203 can access. The request may include: a request indicating whether the device 203 is located within the coverage range of the AP2 202 and thus whether it can provide a second wireless communication session. The AP1 201 sends a request to locate the device 203 in its neighboring area by sending a "Find Visited AP" message to other nearby APs. This process may be repeated for a maximum number of retries and / or for a specific time period.

[0078] When a request is received from AP1 201, a nearby AP2 202 that coordinates with AP1 evaluates whether device 203 is within its coverage area. For this purpose, existing signaling (e.g., probing and beacons) can be utilized. If device 203 is within the range of AP2 202, AP2 202 sends a "Find Visited AP" reply to AP1 201 to indicate the presence of device 203 within its coverage area, plus the likelihood of AP2 202 temporarily serving device 203 in a second wireless communication session.

[0079] Method 500 may include: a fourth operation 504 of receiving from AP2 202 an indication that AP2 202 is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device. This indication is a "Find Visited AP" reply sent from AP2 202 to AP1 201. This indication may include an indication that device 203 is within the coverage area for AP2 202. This indication may also include: information about the ability of AP2 202 to host a second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2.

[0080] The third operation 503 and the fourth operation 504 are related to Figure 5 step 2.1 shown in, step 2.1 being related to finding a visited / host AP.

[0081] Figure 6 A flowchart 600 of steps that AP1 201 can use to send a "Find Visited AP" and receive a reply from a potential AP that can provide a second communication session is shown. At step 601, AP1 202 authenticates and associates with device 203 according to the preconditions discussed herein. At step 602, AP1 201 detects a coverage blind spot for device 203. At step 603, AP1 201 sends a "Find Visited AP" request to neighboring APs. For example, AP1 201 can send a broadcast message to neighboring APs in the same MAPC group. At step 604, a timer is employed. The timer sets a maximum duration T max , during which AP1 201 will continue to search for a response to the "Find Visited AP" request. At step 605, when the timer expires at the maximum duration T maxAfter expiration at step 606, AP1 201 proceeds to step 606, at which time AP1 201 collects replies to the "Find Visited AP" request, which responses may include the "Find Visited AP" reply from AP2 202. At step 607, AP1 may alternatively or simultaneously continue to retry sending the "Find Visited AP" until a predetermined retry count is met. Retrying to send the "Find Visited AP" request may be (re)activated as necessary depending on the specific implementation. For example, if the search fails, the entire process may be retried after 1 minute. If a valid reply is not received, then at step 610, as indicated by AP1 201, the request to find the AP that the device 203 is to visit has failed. At step 608, if at least one valid reply to the "Find Visited AP" request is received, then, for example, based on the information received from the potential visited APs in the reply, AP1 201 selects which AP should serve as a visited AP. At step 609, AP1 201 proceeds with user association transfer and negotiation for the selected AP (eg, AP2 202).

[0082] Figure 7 Flowchart 700 illustrates steps that AP2 202 may take to send a reply to a "Find Visited AP" request. Figure 7 The following diagram shows the relationship between the AP and the visitor from the perspective of a potential visited AP (e.g., AP2 202). Figure 6 201. At step 701, AP2 receives a "Find Visited AP" request (e.g., from AP1 201). At step 702, upon receiving the request, AP2 looks for device 203, which may be accomplished via conventional signaling. At step 703, AP2 202 checks to see if the device is within range so that AP2 202 can be used to provide a second wireless communication session. Step 703 may also include collecting information about AP2 202's capabilities for hosting a second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2. At step 704, AP2 202 sends a "Find Visited AP" response, which may then be received by AP1 201.

[0083] The information about the capabilities of AP2 202 for hosting the second wireless communication session may include at least one of the following: at least one radio frequency band supported by AP2 202, the location of AP2 202 relative to the device 202, a received signal strength indicator RSSI measurement, at least one condition under which AP2 202 may host the second wireless communication session, and a bandwidth allocation for hosting the second wireless communication session that may be provided by AP2 202. This information is useful because it allows AP1 201 to determine whether AP2 202 is an appropriate AP for the device to access in the second communication session.

[0084] Method 500 may also optionally include: reviewing the information and determining whether to authorize the second wireless communication session based on the information. AP1 201 may review the information to ensure that good service can be maintained for device 203.

[0085] Method 500 may include a fifth operation 505 of negotiating authorization for a second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202.

[0086] Negotiating authorization for a second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202 may include: verifying that AP2 202 is in communication with device 203. This ensures the verifiability and authenticity of the process via a two-way challenge. Verifying that AP2 202 is in communication with device 203 may include: receiving at least one piece of information from AP2 202 for indicating that AP2 202 is in communication with device 203. For example, AP1 201 may challenge AP2 202 to ensure that it actually sees device 203. To this end, AP2 202 may obtain some information from device 203 (e.g., a key that unlocks a private secret stored by AP1 201 when hashed with the user's identity), which when processed by AP1, allows such verification to be performed. Verifying that AP2 202 is in communication with the device may additionally and / or alternatively include: sending at least one piece of information to AP2 202 for indicating that AP2 202 is in communication with the device. AP2 202 may challenge AP1 201 to ensure that device 203 is indeed authenticated by AP1 201. AP2 202 may obtain some information from device 203 and send it to AP1 201. When AP1 201 completes the challenge and provides a response, AP2 202 can verify that AP1 201 is indeed the host AP of device 203. This is beneficial because communication between AP1 201 and device 203 is not required, so coverage blind spots can be avoided, and a new process is provided to mitigate the negative coverage impact of coverage blind spots.

[0087] Authorization of a second wireless communication session between a negotiation device and AP2 202 may optionally include: comparing information received regarding the ability of AP2 202 to host the second wireless communication session with a threshold; and based on determining that the information meets the threshold, selecting to authorize the second wireless communication session. For example, AP1 201 may receive information indicating that the bandwidth allocation of AP2 202 is insufficient to serve device 203. In such a scenario, the second wireless communication session is not selected for authorization because this would not provide an enhanced user experience. Alternatively, AP1 201 may receive information indicating that the bandwidth allocation of AP2 202 is sufficient to serve device 203. In such a scenario, the second wireless communication session is selected for authorization to mitigate a detected coverage dead zone. AP1 201 evaluates the information to determine whether the association transfer is effective from the perspective of performance goals (e.g., whether the RSSI from AP2 202 at device 203 exceeds a given threshold, whether the load of AP2 202 is below a given threshold, whether the allocated bandwidth for accessing device 203 exceeds a given threshold, etc.). If the verification of the previous step is affirmative, AP1 sends the information required for the association of STA1 (i.e., device 203) to be transferred to AP2.

[0088] In some scenarios, multiple responses may be received from several different APs. In such cases, the selection of the best AP can be done by AP1 201 by evaluating the information provided by each AP. The information can be reviewed according to predetermined criteria to determine the most suitable AP for hosting device 203 in the second wireless communication session. Thus, the most suitable service provider can be selected to provide the second wireless communication session.

[0089] Method 500 may include a sixth operation 506 of authorizing a second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202. As previously described, this authorization may be based on information received at AP1 201.

[0090] The fifth operation 505 and the sixth operation 506 are related to Figure 4 step 2.2 shown in, and step 2.2 is related to the negotiation and association sharing between AP1 and AP 202.

[0091] Figure 8An overview of the negotiation and association sharing process between AP1 201 and AP2 202 is shown by way of example. At step 1.1, AP1 201 challenges AP2 202 and receives a response to the challenge at step 1.2. At step 1.3, AP1 201 verifies the response of AP2 202 to the challenge to determine whether AP2 202 is in communication with device 203 associated with AP1 201. In this way, the authenticity of the process can be verified. For example, AP2 202 can transfer some public keys or information from device 203 to AP1 201. Such public keys or information (e.g., a piece of dynamic information in information that cannot be reused in the future) are wirelessly obtained by AP2 202, thus confirming the presence of device 203 within the coverage of AP2 202. At step 1.4, AP1 201 notifies AP2 202 of its acceptance or rejection of the challenge.

[0092] At Figure 8 step 2.1 of, AP2 202 challenges AP1 201 and receives a response to the challenge at step 2.2. At step 2.3, AP2 202 verifies the response of AP1 201 to the challenge to determine whether device 203 is authenticated by AP1 201. For example, AP2 202 can obtain some information from device 203 and send it to AP1 201. At step 2.4, AP2 202 notifies AP1 201 of its acceptance or rejection of the challenge. Steps 1.1 to 1.4 can be executed independently of steps 2.1 to 2.4 or simultaneously with steps 2.1 to 2.4. In addition, the negotiation and association sharing process can include only steps 1.1 to 1.4, or only steps 2.1 to 2.4, or both steps 1.1 to 1.4 and steps 2.1 to 2.4.

[0093] At Figure 8 step 3.1 of, AP2 202 sends the terms and conditions for hosting device 203, which includes information about the following items: the capabilities of AP2 202 (e.g., supported frequency bands), the location of AP2 202 relative to device 203 (e.g., sensed RSSI), and the conditions under which device 203 can be served (e.g., only 20% of the bandwidth can be allocated to access device 203). At step 3.2, AP1 201 verifies the information to determine whether to authorize the transfer of the association for AP2 202 and device 203 to start a second wireless communication session. At step 3.3, authorization for the second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 occurs, and the transfer of the association between AP1 201 and device 203 is transferred to the association between AP2 202 and device 203.

[0094] Access Occurs

[0095] Once authorization occurs, a second wireless communication session between AP2 202 and device 203 takes place. Method 500 may optionally include: determining that the second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202 has started, for example, by maintaining continuous communication with AP2 202 to determine that AP2 202 is still in contact with device 203.

[0096] Method 500 may also optionally include: monitoring the second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202. The second wireless communication session is detected to ensure that performance requirements are met. In this sense, both device 203 and AP2 202 may decide to terminate the association hosting when certain conditions are met (e.g., poor signal from the visited AP, excessive load from the access STA, etc.). If this is the case, a standard disassociation message is used to terminate the access. AP1 201 and AP2 202 may exchange some signaling to notify the reason for the disassociation.

[0097] The access occurrence is Figure 4 related to steps 3.1 to 3.3 shown in

[0098] Return to Home

[0099] Method 500 may also optionally include: determining that the second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202 has been terminated. Method 500 may also optionally include: terminating the second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202. Device 203 accessing AP2 202 should continue to monitor the channel to check if its home AP (AP1 201) is within range again.

[0100] The "return to home" process may also include: at AP1 201, receiving information about the reason for which the second communication session has been terminated. This information may include a reason code for the termination and, optionally, a report / summary of the terminated communication.

[0101] Figure 9 An example "return to home" process from the device 203 side is shown in Figure 9FIG. 900 is a flow chart showing the steps in which device 203 can be used to return to being affiliated with AP1 201. At step 901, the device continues to scan channels for a connection to AP1 201 and at step 902 waits for a beacon received from AP1. At step 903, if no beacon is received from AP1 201, device 203 continues to wait while optionally maintaining a second wireless communication session with AP2 202. At step 902, if a beacon is received from AP1 201, device 203 can optionally evaluate the RSSI measurement for the AP1 201 beacon to determine if it is strong enough such that the first wireless communication session can be re-established. Ideally, the RSSI measurement will be strong enough such that the service at device 203 is not interrupted. At step 904, once the RSSI reaches the reconnection threshold, a re-association request is sent at step 905 to AP1 201 to re-establish the first wireless communication session. At step 906, it is determined whether the re-association is successful. If successful at step 907, device 203 returns to being affiliated with AP1 201. Alternatively, if not successful, device 203 returns to the start of flow chart 900 and restarts steps 901 to 906 at step 901.

[0102] Figure 10 The same process described in relation to Figure 9 is shown from the perspective of the host AP (e.g., AP1 201). Figure 10 FIG. 1000 is a flow chart showing the steps in the return to affiliation process at AP1 201. At step 1001, AP1 201 receives a re-association request from device 203. The re-association request referred to herein means that device 203 re-joins and / or reconnects to host AP 201. At step 1002, AP1 201 also has a process for evaluating the RSSI measurement for the AP1 201 beacon to determine if it is strong enough such that the first wireless communication session can be re-established. At step 1002, if the RSSI does not meet the reconnection threshold, at step 1003 the re-association request is rejected and at step 1004 a response message is sent to convey this to device 203. At step 1002, if the RSSI meets the reconnection threshold, at step 1005 the re-association request is accepted, at step 1004 a response message is also sent to convey this to device 203, and device 203 disassociates from the second wireless communication session and re-starts the first wireless communication session.

[0103] After the RSSI reaches the reconnection threshold at step 904, at step 905 a re-association request is sent to AP1 201 to re-establish the first wireless communication session.

[0104] Coverage Blind Spot Mitigation Initiated by the Accessed AP

[0105] Figure 11 A flowchart of method 1100 according to an exemplary embodiment is shown by way of example. Each element of the flowchart may include one or more operations. These operations can be performed in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. For example, these operations can be performed by components alone or jointly, where the components may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the operations to be performed.

[0106] Method 1100 can be performed by an accessed AP (e.g., AP2 202). This may be referred to herein as "coverage blind spot mitigation initiated by the accessed AP". Method 1100 is triggered by coverage blind spot detection performed at device 203. An accessed AP in a coordination protocol with a host AP (e.g., AP2 201) can initiate a process to find the host AP and potentially host device 203 in a second wireless communication session to mitigate the coverage blind spot.

[0107] Figure 4 The steps listed and previously discussed for coverage blind spot mitigation also apply to the "coverage blind spot mitigation initiated by the accessed AP" process, which includes Prerequisite 1, Prerequisite 2, Step 1 - Coverage Blind Spot Detection, Step 2 - User Association Transfer, Step - 3 Access Occurs, Step 4 - Return to Home.

[0108] Prerequisites

[0109] Method 1100 may include: a first operation 1101 of determining that AP1 201 and AP2 202 are in a coordination protocol and that device 203 is in a first wireless communication session with AP1 201. These prerequisites can be established in the same manner as previously discussed herein in relation to Figure 5 the relevant discussion.

[0110] Specifically, determining that the first access point and the second access point are in a coordination protocol may include: determining that the first access point and the second access point are part of a multi - access point coordination (MAPC) group. The MAPC group framework can be implemented to allow the access AP to learn that device 203 is in a coverage blind spot. Because of the MAPC framework, device 203 can explicitly convey to AP2 202 that it is in a coverage blind spot (since both devices are in the same MAPC group).

[0111] Coverage Blind Spot Detection

[0112] Method 1100 may include: a second operation 1102 of determining that the device 203 is located in a coverage blind area of the AP1 201. Determining that the device 203 is in a coverage blind area may include receiving at least a first signal from the device 203. The AP2 202 may be notified by the device 203 that it is located in the coverage blind area of the AP1 201. The first signal from the device may include a probe message. The device 203 may detect the loss of connectivity with the AP1 201 and detect the presence of the AP2 202. For example, if the (re)association request from the device 203 to the AP1 201 times out, the coverage blind area detection is performed on the device side. The AP2 202 may receive a probe request message from the device 203 indicating that it is in a coverage blind area. Determining the coverage blind area may be achieved through standard beacon and probe mechanisms and a coverage blind area detection mechanism.

[0113] User Association Transfer

[0114] Method 110 may include: a third operation 1103 of sending an indication to a first access point that a second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device. The indication that the AP2 202 is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device 203 may include: an indication that the device 203 is located within the coverage area for the AP2 202. The indication that the AP2 202 is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device 203 may include: information about the ability of the AP2 202 to host the second wireless communication session between the device 203 and the AP2 202.

[0115] The information about the ability of the AP2 202 to host the second wireless communication session may include at least one of the following: at least one radio frequency band supported by the AP2 202, the location of the AP2 202 relative to the device 202, a received signal strength indicator RSSI measurement, at least one condition under which the AP2 202 can host the second wireless communication session, and the bandwidth allocation that can be provided by the AP2 202 for hosting the second wireless communication session. This information is useful because it allows the AP1 201 to determine whether the AP2 202 is a suitable AP for the device to access during the second communication session.

[0116] Figure 12 Flowchart 1200 shows the steps by which the AP2 202 can be used to send a "Find Host AP" and receive a reply from the host AP in a first communication session with the device 203.

[0117] At step 1201, device 203 detects a coverage blind spot for device 203 in the first communication session with AP1 201, and at step 1202, device 203 attempts to find and connect to the visited AP. At step 1203, AP2 202 detects device 203 located in the coverage blind spot. AP2 202 perceives the device, for example, by reading its MAC address from the probe request message. AP2 202 can also receive an indication of the host AP from device 203. At step 1204, AP2 202 sends a "Find Host AP" request to neighboring APs, aiming to find the host AP for device 203 (e.g., AP1 201 in this case). The "Find Host AP" request can indicate to AP1 201 that device 203 is within the coverage of the AP pool in its same pre-agreed MAPC set.

[0118] At step 1205, AP2 202 waits for a response from the host AP. At step 1206, a timer is used. The timer sets a maximum duration T max , during which AP2 202 will continue to search for a response to the "Find Host AP" request. After the timer expires at the maximum duration T max , AP2 202 proceeds to step 1208, where AP2 202 collects the replies to the "Find Host AP" request, and these responses can include the "Find Host AP" reply from AP2 202. After collecting the replies, the visited AP2 202 determines whether it can associate and transfer to the second wireless communication session. At step 1207, AP2 can alternatively or simultaneously continue to retry sending the "Find Host AP" until a pre-determined retry count has been met. If no reply is received, at step 1209, an indication is made at AP2 202 that the request to find the host AP for device 203 has failed. This indication can be transmitted back to device 203. At step 1208, if a reply to the "Find Host AP" request is received, AP2 202 determines whether to proceed with the second wireless communication session based on the information received from AP1 201 and / or device 203. For example, this information can be related to the bandwidth required to support device 203. At step 1210, AP2 202 proceeds with user association transfer and negotiation with the host AP (e.g., AP1 201).

[0119] Figure 13 Flowchart 1300 shows the steps that AP1 201 can use to send a reply to the "Find Host AP" request. Figure 13 Shows from the perspective of the host AP (e.g., AP1 201) and Figure 12The same process as the relevant description. At step 1301, AP1 201 receives a "Find Host AP" request from AP2 202. At step 1302, when the request is received, AP1 201 checks that device 203 is within the coverage blind spot range and the connection has not been re-established. At step 1303, AP1 201 sends a reply to the "Find Host AP" request. If the reply is affirmative, the negotiation of the association transfer begins and the second wireless communication session is authorized. If the reply is negative, the second wireless communication session is not authorized. AP1 201 decides whether to allow the second wireless communication session between AP2 202 and device 203 based on the information received from AP2 202 in the request.

[0120] Method 1100 may include: a fourth operation 1104 of negotiating the authorization of the second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202 with AP1 201. The negotiation of the authorization may be established in the same manner as the previously discussed relevant to Figure 5 and Figure 8 in this article. This includes ensuring the verifiability and authenticity of the process via a two-way challenge and comparing the received information about the ability of AP2 202 to host the second wireless communication session with a threshold to select the authorization of the second wireless communication session. Therefore, method 1100 may also include: verifying that the device is authenticated and / or associated with the first access point.

[0121] Verifying whether AP2 202 is in communication with the device may include: receiving at least one piece of information from AP2 202 indicating that AP2 202 is in communication with device 203. For example, AP1 201 may challenge AP2 202 to ensure that it does indeed see device 203. To this end, AP2 203 may obtain some information from device 203 (e.g., a key that unlocks the private secret stored by AP1 when hashed with the user's identity), and this information, when processed by AP1, allows such verification to be performed. Verifying that AP2 202 is in communication with the device may additionally and / or alternatively include: sending at least one piece of information to AP2 202 indicating that AP2 202 is in communication with the device. AP2 202 may challenge AP1 201 to ensure that device 203 is indeed authenticated by AP1 201. AP2 202 may obtain some information from device 203 and send it to AP1 201. When AP1 201 completes the challenge and provides a response, AP2 202 can verify that AP1 201 is indeed the host AP of device 203.

[0122] Method 1100 may include: a sixth operation 1105 of receiving, from AP1 201, authorization for a second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202. The authorization may be based on information received at AP1 201.

[0123] Access Occurs

[0124] Once the authorization occurs, the second wireless communication session between AP2 202 and device 203 takes place. Method 1100 may optionally include: initiating the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0125] Method 1100 may also optionally include: at AP2 202, monitoring the second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202. The second wireless communication session is detected to ensure that performance requirements are met. In this sense, both device 203 and AP2 202 may decide to terminate the association hosting when certain conditions are met (e.g., poor signal from the visited AP, excessive load from the access STA, etc.). If this is the case, a standard disassociation message is used to terminate the access. The disassociation message may include: signaling for conveying a given reason for the disassociation, which may include, for example, at least one of the following items: device 203 disappears, weak wireless signal, insufficient allocated bandwidth.

[0126] The access that occurs may be established in the same manner as previously discussed herein in relation to Figure 5 the relevant previous discussion.

[0127] Return to Home

[0128] Method 1100 may also optionally include: terminating the second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202. Device 203 accessing AP2 202 should continue to monitor the channel to check whether its host AP (AP1 201) is within range again.

[0129] Method 1100 may also optionally include: receiving a disassociation request for ending the second wireless communication session from AP1 201 and / or device 203; and ending the second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202.

[0130] The return home process may be established in the manner of the previous discussion herein in relation to Figure 5 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 the relevant previous discussion.

[0131] Coverage Blind Spot Mitigation at Device Angle

[0132] For completeness, hereinafter in connection with Figure 14Provides mitigation of the coverage blind spot of the angle of device 203.

[0133] Figure 14 A flowchart of method 1400 according to an example embodiment is shown by way of example. Each element of the flowchart may include one or more operations. The operations may be performed in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. For example, the operations may be performed by components individually or jointly, where the components may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the operations to be performed.

[0134] Method 1400 may be performed by device 203.

[0135] Method 1400 may include: a first operation 1401 of identifying that the device is in a first wireless communication session with AP1 201.

[0136] Method 1400 may include: a second operation 1402 of identifying that device 203 is located in the coverage blind spot of AP1 201. This may be established by determining that no signal is received from AP1 201.

[0137] Method 1400 may include: a third operation 1403 of sending at least a first signal to AP2 202. The first signal may include: a probe request for a second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

[0138] Method 1400 may include: a fourth operation 1404 of receiving from the second access point that AP1 201 and AP2 202 form part of a coordination protocol and that AP2 202 is suitable for providing confirmation of the second wireless communication session.

[0139] Method 1400 may include: a fifth operation 1405 of starting a second wireless communication session between device 203 and AP2 202.

[0140] Method 1400 may optionally include: monitoring whether the device is still located in the coverage blind spot of AP1 201 by scanning to receive at least one signal from AP1 201; and sending an association or re-association request from device 203 to AP1 201.

[0141] The advantage of all the proposed solutions discussed herein is that device 203 does not need to authenticate itself to AP2 202 by virtue of this method, because both AP1 201 and AP2 202 form part of a coordination protocol (such as a MACP group), where device 203 is trusted by AP1 201 as the host AP. This saves operational and computational resources because unnecessary security and authorization processes are not required to use AP2 202 to mitigate the coverage blind spot.

[0142] Example Device

[0143] Figure 15 A block diagram of an apparatus capable of performing the (multiple) methods disclosed herein is shown by way of example. Illustrated is device 1500, which may include, for example, a mobile communication device, such as Figure 2 AP1 201 and / or AP2 202 and / or device 203. Included in device 1500 is a processor 1510, which may include, for example, a single-core or multi-core processor, where a single-core processor includes one processing core and a multi-core processor includes more than one processing core. Processor 1510 may generally include a control device. Processor 1510 may include more than one processor. Processor 1510 may be a control device. The processing core may include, for example, a Cortex-A8 processing core manufactured by ARM Holdings or a Steamroller processing core designed by Advanced Micro Devices Corporation. Processor 1510 may include at least one Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and / or Intel Atom processor. Processor 1510 may include at least one application specific integrated circuit ASIC. Processor 1510 may include at least one field programmable gate array FPGA. Processor 1510 may be a component for performing the method steps in device 1500. Processor 1510 may be configured at least in part by computer instructions to perform actions.

[0144] The processor may include circuitry, or consist of circuitry, configured to perform method stages in accordance with example embodiments described herein. As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) only hardware circuit implementations, such as implementations in only analog and / or digital circuitry, and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as, as applicable: (i) combinations of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware, and (ii) any portions of (multiple) hardware processors with software (including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device, such as a mobile phone or network node, to perform various functions), and (c) (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions of (multiple) microprocessors, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but where the software may not be present when not needed for operation.

[0145] The definition of circuitry is suitable for all uses of the term in this application (including in any claims). As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses implementations of only hardware circuits or processors (or multiple processors) or portions of hardware circuits or processors along with their accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also encompasses a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0146] Device 1500 may include a memory 1520. Memory 1520 may include random access memory and / or persistent memory. Memory 1520 may include at least one RAM chip. Memory 1520 may include, for example, solid state, magnetic, optical, and / or holographic memory. Memory 1520 may be at least partially accessible to processor 1510. Memory 1520 may be at least partially included in processor 1510. Memory 1520 may be a component for storing information. Memory 1520 may include computer instructions that processor 1510 is configured to execute. When computer instructions configured to cause processor 1510 to perform certain actions are stored in memory 1520 and device 1500 is generally configured to operate using the computer instructions from memory 1520 under the guidance of processor 1510, processor 1510 and / or at least one of its processing cores may be considered to be configured to perform the certain actions. Memory 1520 may be at least partially external to device 1500 but accessible to device 1500.

[0147] Device 1500 may include a transmitter 1530. Device 1500 may include a receiver 1540. Transmitter 1530 and receiver 1540 may be configured to send and receive information respectively according to at least one cellular or non-cellular standard. Transmitter 1530 may include more than one transmitter. Receiver 1540 may include more than one receiver. Transmitter 1530 and / or receiver 1540 may be configured to operate according to, for example: Global System for Mobile Communications, GSM, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, WCDMA, 5G, Long Term Evolution, LTE, IS-95, Wireless Local Area Network, WLAN, Ethernet, and / or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, WiMAX standard.

[0148] Device 1500 may include a user interface UI 1560. UI 1560 may include at least one of the following: a display, a keyboard, a touch screen, a vibrator arranged to signal the user by causing device 1500 to vibrate, a speaker, and a microphone.

[0149] Device 1500 may include, or be arranged to receive, a user identity module 1570. The user identity module 1570 may include, for example, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card that may be installed in the device 1500. The user identity module 1570 may include information identifying the subscription of the user of the device 1500. The user identity module 1570 may include password information that may be used to authenticate the identity of the user of the device 1500, and / or facilitate encryption of the transmitted information, and to bill the user of the device 1500 for communications effected via the device 1500.

[0150] The processor 1510 may be equipped with a transmitter arranged to output information from the processor 1510 to other devices included in the device 1500 via electrical conductors internal to the device 1500. Such a transmitter may include a serial bus transmitter arranged to output information, for example, via at least one electrical conductor to the memory 1520 for storage therein. Alternatively to the serial bus, the transmitter may include a parallel bus transmitter. Similarly, the processor 1510 may include a receiver arranged to receive information in the processor 1510 from other devices included in the device 1500 via electrical leads internal to the device 1500. Such a receiver may include a serial bus receiver arranged to receive information, for example, via at least one electrical lead from the receiver 1540 for processing in the processor 1510. Alternatively to the serial bus, the receiver may include a parallel bus receiver.

[0151] The processor 1510, the memory 1520, the transmitter 1530, the receiver 1540, the NFC transceiver 1550, the UI 1560, and / or the user identity module 1570 may be interconnected in a variety of different ways via electrical leads internal to the device 1500. For example, each of the above devices may be individually connected to a main bus internal to the device 1500 to allow the devices to exchange information. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, this is merely an example, and various ways of interconnecting at least two of the above devices may be selected according to embodiments.

[0152] If not otherwise stated, or otherwise made clear from the context, stating that two entities are different means that they perform different functions. This does not necessarily mean that they are based on different hardware. That is, each of the entities described in this specification may be based on different hardware, or some or all of the entities may be based on the same hardware. This does not necessarily mean that they are based on different software. That is, each of the entities described in this specification may be based on different software, or some or all of the entities may be based on the same software. Each of the entities described in this specification may be embodied in the cloud.

[0153] The term "component" as used in the specification and claims may refer to one or more individual elements configured to perform the respective functionality, or it may refer to several elements performing such functionality. Further, several functions described in the claims may be performed by the same individual component or the same combination of components. For example, performing such functionality may be implemented by a processor executing instructions stored in a memory of the device in the device.

[0154] Implementations of any of the above boxes, devices, systems, techniques or methods include (by way of non-limiting example) implementations in hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuitry or logic, general purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices or some combination thereof. Some embodiments may be implemented in the cloud.

[0155] It should be understood that the above are currently only considered as examples. However, it should be noted that the description of these examples is given only by way of example and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for communication, comprising: means for determining that a first access point and a second access point are in a coordination protocol and that the device is in a first wireless communication session with the first access point; means for determining that the device is located in a coverage blind area of the first access point; means for sending to the second access point a request for the second access point, which is used to indicate whether the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; means for receiving from the second access point an indication that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; means for negotiating an authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; and means for authorizing the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is the first access point.

3. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the means for determining that the first access point and the second access point are in the coordination protocol comprises: means for determining that the first access point and the second access point are part of a multi-access point coordination (MAPC) group.

4. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, The request for the second access point, which is used to indicate whether the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device, includes: a request indicating whether the device is located within the coverage area of the second access point; and / or wherein the indication that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device includes: an indication that the device is located within the coverage area of the second access point.

5. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the indication that the second access point is adapted to provide a second wireless communication session with the device comprises: Information about the ability of the second access point to host the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

6. The device according to claim 5, further comprising: means for evaluating the information and determining whether to authorize the second wireless communication session based on the information.

7. The device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the information about the ability of the second access point to host a second wireless communication session includes at least one of the following: at least one radio frequency band supported by the second access point; the position of the second access point relative to the device; received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements; at least one condition under which the second access point is capable of hosting the second wireless communication session; the bandwidth allocation for hosting the second wireless communication session that can be provided by the second access point.

8. The device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the means for negotiating the authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point includes: means for comparing the received information about the ability of the second access point to host a second wireless communication session with a threshold; and means for authorizing the second wireless communication session when it is determined that the information meets the threshold.

9. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the means for negotiating the authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point includes: means for verifying that the second access point is in communication with the device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the component for verifying that the second access point is in communication with the device comprises at least one of the following: a component for receiving from the second access point at least one piece of information indicating that the second access point is in communication with the device; or a component for sending to the second access point at least one piece of information indicating that the second access point is in communication with the device.

11. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one of the following: a component for determining that the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point has started; a component for monitoring the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; a component for determining that the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point has been terminated.

12. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a component for determining that the device is no longer located in the coverage blind area of the first access point, including receiving a reassociation request from the device.

13. A communication apparatus, comprising: a component for determining that a first access point and a second access point are in a coordination protocol and that the device is in a first wireless communication session with the first access point; a component for determining that the device is located in a coverage blind area of the first access point based on receiving at least a first signal from the device; a component for sending to the first access point an indication that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; a component for negotiating with the first access point an authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; and a component for receiving from the first access point the authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is the second access point.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the at least first signal comprises a probe request message.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the component for determining that the first access point and the second access point are in the coordination protocol comprises: A component for determining that the first access point and the second access point are part of a multi-access point coordination MAPC group.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the indication that the second access point is adapted to provide a second wireless communication session with the device comprises: An indication that the device is located within the coverage range of the second access point.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the indication that the second access point is adapted to provide a second wireless communication session with the device comprises: Information about the second access point's ability to host a second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the information about the second access point's ability to host a second wireless communication session comprises at least one of the following: at least one radio frequency band supported by the second access point; the position of the second access point relative to the device; received signal strength indicator RSSI measurements; at least one condition under which the second access point is capable of hosting the second wireless communication session; a bandwidth allocation for hosting the second wireless communication session that can be provided by the second access point.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 19, further comprising: Components for verifying that the device is authenticated by the first access point and / or associated with the first access point.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the components for verifying that the device is authenticated by the first access point and / or associated with the first access point include at least one of the following: A component for receiving from the first access point at least one piece of information for indicating that the first access point is in communication with the device; or A component for sending to the first access point at least one piece of information for indicating that the second access point is in communication with the device.

22. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 21, further comprising at least one of the following: A component for starting the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; A component for monitoring the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; A component for terminating the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

23. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22, further comprising: A component for receiving from the first access point and / or the device a disassociation request for ending the second wireless communication session; A component for ending the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

24. A communication apparatus, comprising: A component for identifying that the device is in a first wireless communication session with a first access point; A component for identifying that the device is located in a coverage blind area of the first access point; A component for sending at least a first signal to a second access point, wherein the first signal includes: a probe request for a second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; A component for receiving from the second access point a confirmation that is part of a coordination protocol formed by the first access point and the second access point and that the second access point is suitable for providing the second wireless communication session; and A component for starting the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the apparatus is the device.

26. The apparatus according to any one of claims 24 or 25, further comprising: A component for monitoring whether the device is still located in the coverage blind area of the first access point, including a component for scanning to receive at least one signal from the first access point; And A component for sending an association or re-association request from the device to the first access point.

27. A communication method, comprising: Determining that a first access point and a second access point are in a coordination protocol and that a device is in a first wireless communication session with the first access point; Determining that the device is located in a coverage blind area of the first access point; Sending to the second access point a request for indicating whether the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; Receiving from the second access point an indication that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; Negotiate authorization of the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; and Authorize the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

28. A method for communication, comprising: Determine that a first access point and a second access point are in a coordination protocol and that a device is in a first wireless communication session with the first access point; Based on receiving at least a first signal from the device, determine that the device is located in a coverage blind area of the first access point; Send an indication to the first access point that the second access point is suitable for providing a second wireless communication session with the device; Negotiate authorization of the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point with the first access point; and Receive from the first access point the authorization for the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

29. A method for communication, comprising: Identify that a device is in a first wireless communication session with a first access point; Identify that the device is located in a coverage blind area of the first access point; Send at least a first signal to a second access point, where the first signal includes: a probe request for a second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point; Receive from the second access point a confirmation that is part of a coordination protocol formed by the first access point and the second access point and that the second access point is suitable for providing the second wireless communication session; and Initiate the second wireless communication session between the device and the second access point.

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