Automatic frequency control device

Abstract

Techniques for using automatic frequency coordination (AFC for short) in a wireless communication network are described in the present invention. A network controller of a wireless communication network may receive spectrum availability information for operating a plurality of access points (APs) for Wi-Fi communications, the spectrum availability information being obtained by the plurality of APs according to a location of the plurality of APs or a location of the network controller. The network controller further configures a plurality of APs of the wireless communication network to perform Wi-Fi communication based on the spectrum availability information.

Description

[0001]

Cross-reference

[0002] This disclosure claims the benefit of priority based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 480,320, filed on January 18, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to Wi-Fi communications, and more particularly to using automatic frequency coordination (AFC) in wireless communication networks. [Background Technology]

[0004] Unless otherwise indicated herein, the methods described in this section are not prior art to the claims listed below and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section. The use of the 6 GHz spectrum for wireless communications is regulated by various government rules in jurisdictions such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The 6 GHz spectrum has been used for point-to-point Earth-to-satellite communications, i.e., sending and receiving data between ground stations and satellites. Another use of the 6 GHz spectrum is for point-to-point wireless backhaul links between nodes in a wireless communication network, such as backhaul links between communication nodes installed on various buildings. However, due to the increasing demand for short-range wireless communications (e.g., Wi-Fi) and the lack of available wireless spectrum, the 6 GHz spectrum is currently being adapted for use in short-range (e.g., Wi-Fi) communications. This is because the 6 GHz spectrum is used for point-to-point communications in selected locations, leaving it free to be reused for other types of communications in other locations. This reuse of the 6 GHz spectrum is contingent upon the absence of obstacles that would render such reuse infeasible. As used herein, the 6 GHz spectrum may include various operating bands ranging from 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz. [Summary of the invention]

[0005] The following summary is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the following summary is intended to introduce the concepts, highlights, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious technologies described herein. Selected embodiments are further described in the detailed description. Therefore, the following summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to propose solutions or solutions to the above problems. More specifically, the various solutions proposed in this disclosure relate to the use of automatic frequency coordination (AFC) in wireless communication networks.

[0007] In one aspect, a method may include receiving, at a network controller of a wireless communication network, spectrum availability information for operating a plurality of access points (APs) for Wi-Fi communication, the spectrum availability information being obtained by the plurality of APs based on locations of the plurality of APs or a location of the network controller. The method may also include configuring, by the network controller, the plurality of APs of the wireless communication network to perform Wi-Fi communication based on the spectrum availability information.

[0008] In another aspect, an apparatus may include a transceiver configured to perform wireless communications and a processor coupled to the transceiver. A network controller of a wireless communication network implemented by the processor may receive spectrum availability information for operating multiple access points (APs) for Wi-Fi communications, the spectrum availability information being obtained by the APs based on locations of the APs or a location of the network controller. The network controller implemented by the processor may also configure the APs of the wireless communication network to perform Wi-Fi communications based on the spectrum availability information.

[0009] It is worth noting that although the description provided herein may be in the context of certain wireless access technologies, networks, and network topologies (such as Wi-Fi), the concepts, solutions, and any variants / derivatives thereof may be implemented in other types of wireless access technologies, networks, and network topologies, such as, but not limited to, Bluetooth, ZigBee, infrared, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, 5th Generation (5G), New Radio (NR), Internet of Things (IoT), Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the examples described herein.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a part of this disclosure. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, explain the principles of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, as some components may be shown out of proportion to their actual dimensions in order to clearly illustrate the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an example network environment in which various proposed solutions according to the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0012] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example communication system, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 3 is an example flow chart of a first example process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 4 is an example flow chart of a second example process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Specific implementation method]

[0015] Detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matter are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are merely illustrative embodiments of the claimed subject matter, which may be embodied in a variety of forms. The present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations listed herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are intended to make the description of the present disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the following description, details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0016] Overview

[0017] Implementations according to the present disclosure involve communicating with a wireless communication network (e.g.

[0014] Various techniques, methods, schemes, and / or solutions for using automatic frequency control (AFC) for specific spectrum associated with Wi-Fi networks are disclosed. In accordance with the present disclosure, many possible solutions may be implemented individually or in combination. That is, while these possible solutions may be described individually below, two or more of these possible solutions may be implemented in one or another combination.

[0018] In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) maintains an exclusion database that lists existing point-to-point occupancy of the 6 GHz spectrum, such as the locations of existing point-to-point transmitters and receivers using the 6 GHz spectrum, identifiers of these transmitters and receivers, the width of the communication paths between these transmitters and receivers, etc. The FCC uses this information to designate exclusion zones that contain existing point-to-point users of the 6 GHz spectrum, and within these zones, no further use of the 6 GHz spectrum is permitted. Outside the exclusion zones, wireless communication devices can operate indoors at a reduced power level (e.g., low power) within the 6 GHz spectrum. Similarly, wireless communication devices (e.g., access points) can operate at a higher power level (e.g., standard power) within the 6 GHz spectrum when indoors or outdoors, when the wireless communication device is not within an exclusion zone and has obtained permission from the FCC. Therefore, a wireless communication device such as an access point can contact the FCC's Automatic Frequency Coordination (AFC) server, which has access to the exclusion database. The wireless communication device can provide the device's location and initiate a query to learn the power limit under which the device is allowed to operate on the AFC server. In turn, the FCC's AFC server may check the exclusion database and send a response indicating whether the wireless communication device is permitted to operate using the 6 GHz spectrum in that location and, if so, the power limit at which the device is permitted to operate.

[0019] In particular, in some cases, an independent access point (AP) may contact an AFC server using its geographic coordinates, a measurement of the accuracy of the determined geographic coordinates (e.g., an error range in meters), the antenna height of the AP, the FCC identifier (ID) of the AP, the serial number of the AP, etc. The AP contacting the AFC server may determine its location, such as the geographic coordinates and the accuracy of its location, by various methods. For example, an outdoor AP may determine its location by a satellite-based radio navigation system (e.g., GPS). However, for an AP located indoors, the use of a satellite-based radio navigation system may not be possible. Therefore, in other cases, the AP may obtain its location by manual configuration input by a user, by an application installed on the AP or by an application installed on another device communicating with the AP (e.g., a smartphone), and / or the like.

[0020] In other cases, the AP may use a proxy server to contact the AFC server, such as where the AP is part of an enterprise deployment. In this case, the proxy server may contact the FCC's AFC server on behalf of the AP and provide the AP's geographic coordinates, a measurement of the accuracy of the determined geographic coordinates, the AP's antenna height (e.g., altitude), the AP's FCC ID, the AP's serial number, etc. For example, this information may be encoded in accordance with the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) AFC Device Interface Specification 1.3.2 and transmitted to the AFC server via the proxy server. Once the proxy server receives a response from the AFC server indicating whether the AP is allowed to operate in the 6 GHz spectrum (and the applicable power limits), the proxy server may forward this information to the AP. In this way, using a proxy server may eliminate the need for each AP in an enterprise deployment to individually contact the AFC server.

[0021] However, there is currently no definition of )The related 6GHz spectrum uses the AFC protocol. A Wi-Fi mesh network uses multiple Wi-Fi certified access points (e.g., five access points) to work together to form a unified wireless communication network, providing better wireless coverage, higher throughput bandwidth, and better spectrum usage. Therefore, it is necessary to provide solutions for the use of AFC in wireless communication networks.

[0022] refer to Figure 1 , the network environment 100 may include a plurality of communication entities, such as communication entities 110, 120, and 130, which communicate via wireless communication (e.g., a WLAN compliant with one or more Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards). The plurality of communication entities 110-130 may be access points (APs) forming a wireless communication network, such as Wi-Fi network. The APs in this hierarchical network may be controlled by a software-controlled node, namely, network controller 140. Network controller 140 may be an application implemented on a local computing device, such as one of APs 110-130, or virtual software implemented on a virtual computing platform (e.g., a cloud computing service provider), among others. Network controller 140 may be configured to collect and store information regarding the functionality and wireless communication capabilities of APs 110-130. In turn, network controller 140 may assign APs 110-130 to perform certain tasks. For example, network controller 140 may assign AP 110 to scan for neighboring APs within communication range of AP 110. Once AP 110 completes the scan, AP 110 may send the scanned neighboring AP data back to network controller 140. Network controller 140 may use the neighboring AP data for spectrum planning, such as allocating and configuring APs 110-130 to use specific communication channels to avoid interference between neighboring APs. This allocation and configuration of APs 110-130 may result in a wireless communication network that optimizes bandwidth usage, network latency, and other aspects. According to various proposed solutions of the present disclosure, the wireless communication network may be further adapted to use the 6 GHz spectrum through AFC. For example, the APs 110-130 may be configured to use the 6 GHz spectrum when permitted by an external server 150 (e.g., an AFC server of the FCC). In general, the APs (e.g., The Wi-Fi network may contact the FCC's AFC server when it is able to determine and / or configure the corresponding location, has an FCC ID, has a manufacturer ID, and obtains AFC certification. However, the network controller 140 may not be able to act as a proxy server for the APs 110-130 due to the lack of the FCC ID and / or manufacturer ID.

[0023] According to a first proposed solution of the present disclosure, a network controller 140 of a wireless communication network may be configured to obtain a location. For example, the location may include a set of geographic coordinates. In various embodiments, the network controller 140 may obtain the location through manual configuration input by a user, an application that is part of the network controller 140 or an application installed on an access point (AP) in communication with the network controller 140, or another device (e.g., a smartphone) that communicates directly with the network controller 140 or with an AP in communication with the network controller 140.

[0024] The network controller 140 may then distribute the location of the network controller 140 to all APs (e.g., APs 110-130) in the wireless communication network. In some cases, the network controller 140 may adjust the location of the network controller 140 to improve accuracy before sending the location to each AP based on the network relationship between the network controller 140 and each AP and / or other information. For example, the network controller 140 may add a longitude offset and / or a latitude offset to a set of geographic coordinates belonging to the location of the network controller 140 based on information from a network topology map, measured signal strengths of one or more APs, known or calculated distances between the network controller 140 and the APs, proximity measurements between APs, and directional relationships between the network controller 140 and various APs. The distribution of the location by the network controller 140 may be accompanied by a command instructing the AP to send a spectrum availability request to an AFC server including the location. Each AP may communicate with the AFC server using a network connection, such as an Internet connection. In some cases, each AP may also communicate with the network controller 140 using a network connection.

[0025] Alternatively, the network controller 140 may initially query all APs of the wireless communication network whether they are capable of operating in the 6 GHz spectrum. For example, in response to such a query, each AP of the wireless communication network may be configured to send a response that includes an indication (e.g., a capability bit value) indicating whether the AP is capable of wireless communication (e.g., Wi-Fi communication) in the 6 GHz spectrum. Accordingly, the network controller 140 may distribute the location to one or more APs that have indicated they are capable of operating in the 6 GHz spectrum. The network controller 140 may distribute the location via unicast, i.e., sending the location individually to each AP via a one-to-one transmission, or via multicast, i.e., sending the location in a transmission directed to multiple APs simultaneously.

[0026] Each AP of the wireless communication network that receives the location of the network controller 140 may individually send a spectrum availability request to the AFC server to inquire about the spectrum availability for operating in the 6 GHz spectrum. The spectrum availability request of each AP may include the location provided by the network controller 140 (e.g., geographic coordinates), an accuracy measurement of the location (e.g., error range in meters), the antenna height of the AP, the FCC identifier (ID) of the AP, the serial number of the AP, etc.

[0027] In response, the AFC server may send a spectrum availability response to each AP. After receiving the corresponding spectrum availability response for its spectrum availability request, each AP may forward the spectrum availability response to the network controller 140. Each spectrum availability response may include a corresponding indication of the spectrum availability of the corresponding AP in the 6 GHz spectrum, wherein the corresponding indication of the spectrum availability includes multiple channels. For example, each channel may be a specific 10-20 MHz spectrum segment. Each spectrum availability indication provided by the AFC server to each AP may be valid for a predetermined time (e.g., 24 hours). Once the network controller 140 receives the spectrum availability information, i.e., all spectrum availability responses with corresponding spectrum availability indications, the network controller 140 may configure each AP in the wireless communication network that received the spectrum availability response according to the available spectrum indicated by the AFC server.

[0028] Configuration of the APs may include the network controller 140 allocating channels from the spectrum availability responses for use by the APs, using a coordination logic that enables the overall wireless communication network to achieve optimal performance (e.g., highest data throughput, lowest network latency, etc.) based on its network-wide knowledge. For example, a first spectrum availability response from a first AP may include ten channels, and a second spectrum availability response from a second AP may include another ten channels. Thus, the network controller 140 may allocate one or more channels of a first spectrum to the first AP while allocating one or more channels of a second spectrum to the second AP. In such an example, allocating a particular channel to the first AP may enable the first AP to avoid interference from another AP or another network, while allocating a particular second channel may improve the outdoor performance of the second AP.

[0029] Furthermore, in some cases, the spectrum availability response of the AP may indicate that the AFC server has not allocated any available spectrum in the 6 GHz spectrum to the AP, for example, because the AP is located in an exclusion zone. In this case, the network controller 140 may also exclude the AP from being configured to use the 6 GHz spectrum for wireless communication.

[0030] Once a wireless communication network (e.g. An AP of a Wi-Fi network is assigned one or more specific 6 GHz spectrum channels by the network controller 140. The AP may use the one or more specific channels for inter-AP communication with other APs in the network, as well as for uplink and downlink communication with wireless communication devices (e.g., stations (STAs) connected to the APs). For example, AP 110 may use one or more of its assigned channels to communicate with STAs 160 and 165, while AP 130 may use one or more of its assigned channels to communicate with STAs 170 and 175. This use of the 6 GHz spectrum by the AP may continue until the spectrum availability indicated by the AFC server expires. At this point, the network controller 140 may trigger the APs of the wireless communication network to request additional 6 GHz spectrum availability in the same manner.

[0031] According to a second proposed approach of the present disclosure, each AP 110-130 may be configured to determine its location. For example, the location determined by each AP may include a set of geographic coordinates. In various embodiments, the AP may obtain its location through manual configuration input by a user, an application installed on the AP, a satellite-based radio navigation system receiver (e.g., a GPS receiver) on the AP, or a device (e.g., a smartphone) in communication with the AP or an application on the device.

[0032] Subsequently, each AP (e.g., APs 110-130) of the wireless communication network may individually send a spectrum availability request to the AFC server to request spectrum availability for operating in the 6 GHz spectrum. The spectrum availability request of each AP may include the location of the AP (e.g., geographic coordinates), an accuracy measurement of the location (e.g., an error range in meters), the antenna height of the AP, the FCC identifier (ID) of the AP, the serial number of the AP, etc. In some embodiments, the AP may be configured to determine its location and send the location in the spectrum availability request to the AFC server when the AP is capable of wireless communication (e.g., Wi-Fi communication) in the 6 GHz spectrum.

[0033] In response, the AFC server may send a spectrum availability response to each AP. After receiving the corresponding spectrum availability response for its spectrum availability request, each AP may forward the spectrum availability response to the network controller 140. Each spectrum availability response may include a corresponding indication of the spectrum availability of the corresponding AP in the 6 GHz spectrum, wherein the corresponding indication of the spectrum availability includes multiple channels. For example, each channel may be a specific 10-20 MHz spectrum segment. Each spectrum availability indication of the AFC server may be valid for a predetermined time (e.g., 24 hours). In some cases, each AP may include a capability indication (e.g., a capability bit value) in the forwarded spectrum availability response, indicating whether the AP is currently capable of operating in the 6 GHz spectrum. Each AP may communicate with the AFC server using a network connection, such as an Internet connection. In some cases, each AP may also communicate with the network controller 140 using a network connection.

[0034] Once the network controller 140 receives the spectrum availability information, i.e., all spectrum availability responses with corresponding spectrum availability indications, the network controller 140 may configure each AP in the wireless communication network that receives the spectrum availability response and is capable of operating in the 6 GHz spectrum according to the available spectrum indicated by the AFC server.

[0035] Configuration of the AP may include the network controller 140 assigning channels in the spectrum availability response for use by the AP, using coordination logic to enable the entire wireless communication network to achieve optimal performance (e.g., highest data throughput, lowest network latency, etc.) based on its network-wide knowledge. For example, the spectrum availability response of a first AP may include ten channels, and the spectrum availability response of a second AP may include another ten channels. Thus, the network controller 140 may assign one or more channels of the first spectrum to the first AP, while assigning one or more channels of the second spectrum to the second AP. In such an example, assigning a particular channel to the first AP may enable the first AP to avoid interference from another AP or another network, while assigning a particular second channel may improve the outdoor performance of the second AP. In addition, in some cases, the spectrum availability response of an AP may indicate that the AP has not been assigned any available spectrum in the 6 GHz spectrum by the AFC server, for example because the AP is located in an exclusion zone. In this case, the network controller 140 may also exclude the AP from being configured to use the 6 GHz spectrum for wireless communication.

[0036] Once a wireless communication network (e.g. An AP of a Wi-Fi network) is allocated one or more specific channels of the 6 GHz spectrum by the network controller 140. The AP can use the one or more specific channels to communicate with other APs in the network, as well as to communicate uplink and downlink with wireless communication devices (e.g., stations (STAs) connected to the APs). For example, AP 110 can use one or more of its allocated channels to communicate with STAs 160 and 165, and AP 130 can use one or more of its allocated channels to communicate with STAs 170 and 175. This use of the 6 GHz spectrum by the AP may continue until the spectrum availability indicated by the AFC server expires. At this point, the network controller 140 may trigger the APs of the wireless communication network to request additional 6 GHz spectrum availability in the same manner.

[0037] It should be understood that although Figure 1 An example wireless communication network including APs 110-130 is shown, but a wireless communication network according to the present disclosure may include any number of APs. Figure 1 The example wireless communication network shown is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Furthermore, while the various schemes described above are directed to the 6 GHz spectrum and channels within the 6 GHz spectrum, it should be understood that these schemes can be applied in a similar manner to other spectrums, such as currently or future designated shared spectrums, which in some cases can be used by multiple types of communications and / or wireless access technologies.

[0038] Example Implementations

[0039] Figure 2 An example communication system 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, having an example apparatus 210 and an example apparatus 220. Each apparatus 210 and apparatus 220 can perform various functions to implement the schemes, techniques, processes, and methods described herein for using automatic frequency coordination (AFC) in a wireless communication network, including the scenarios / schemes described above and the processes described below.

[0040] Each device 210 and 220 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a user equipment (UE), such as a portable or mobile device, a wearable device, a wireless communication device, or a computing device. For example, each device 210 and 220 may be implemented in a smartphone, a smartwatch, a personal digital assistant, a digital camera, or a computing device (such as a tablet, a laptop, or a notebook computer). Each device 210 and 220 may also be part of a machine-type device, which may be a STA, such as an AP STA or a non-AP STA. For example, each device 210 and 220 may be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center. Alternatively, device 210 may be implemented as an AP, and device 220 may be implemented as a computing device of a virtual computing platform hosting network controller 140. Each device 210 and 220 may be implemented in the form of one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, or one or more complex instruction set computing (CISC) processors. Each of the apparatus 210 and the apparatus 220 may include Figure 2 , such as processor 212 and processor 222, respectively. Each device 210 and device 220 may also include one or more other components not related to the embodiments of the present disclosure (such as an internal power supply, a display device and / or a user interface device), so for the sake of brevity and simplicity, Figure 2 These components are not shown in the and are not described below.

[0041] In one aspect, each of processors 212 and 222 can be implemented as one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, or one or more complex instruction set computing (CISC) processors. That is, although the singular term "processor" is used herein to refer to processors 212 and 222, in some implementations of the present disclosure, each of processors 212 and 222 can include multiple processors, while in other implementations, it can be a single processor. In another aspect, each of processors 212 and 222 can be implemented in the form of hardware (and optionally firmware), with electronic components including, for example, but not limited to, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more varactors, configured and arranged to achieve specific purposes according to the present disclosure. In other words, in at least some implementations, each of processors 212 and 222 is a special-purpose machine specifically designed, arranged, and configured to perform specific tasks, including various implementations of automatic frequency coordination (AFC) in wireless communication networks.

[0042] In some implementations, the device 210 may further include a transceiver 216 coupled to the processor 212 and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, the device 210 may further include a memory 214 coupled to the processor 212 and capable of being accessed by the processor 212 and storing data. In some implementations, the device 220 may further include a transceiver 226 coupled to the processor 222 and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, the device 220 may further include a memory 224 coupled to the processor 222 and capable of being accessed by the processor 222 and storing data. Thus, the devices 210 and 220 may communicate wirelessly via the transceiver 216 and the transceiver 226, respectively.

[0043] Each of the apparatus 210 and the apparatus 220 may be a communication entity capable of communicating with each other using various proposed solutions of the present disclosure. For example, the apparatus 210 may be an example implementation of the communication entity 110 (or the first communication entity), and the apparatus 220 may be an example implementation of the communication entity 120 (or the second communication entity). In the network environment 100. To facilitate a better understanding, a description of the operation, functionality, and capabilities of each apparatus 210 and apparatus 220 is provided below, which is performed in the context of a wireless communication environment, wherein the apparatus 210 is implemented as or as a communication apparatus or a device to be accessed, and the apparatus 220 is implemented as or as an access point (AP) or wireless router of a communication network (e.g., a Wi-Fi network). According to various proposed solutions of the present disclosure, the processor 222 of the apparatus 220 may be configured to execute application functions that provide automatic frequency coordination (AFC) for use in a wireless communication network, including the functions of the network controller 140. It is also worth noting that although the example implementations described below are provided in the context of wireless communication, the same implementations may also be implemented in other types of networks.

[0044] In some aspects of the proposed scheme for using AFC in a wireless communication network, according to the present disclosure, apparatus 210 may be implemented as or as an example AP of the wireless communication network (the network may have multiple APs), and apparatus 220 may be implemented as or as a computing device that supports the execution of a network controller of the wireless communication network. Thus, processor 222 of apparatus 220 may provide the location of the network controller to multiple APs of the wireless communication network.

[0045] In addition, the processor 222 may receive spectrum availability information from the plurality of APs for operating the plurality of APs for Wi-Fi communication, wherein the spectrum availability information is obtained by the plurality of APs based on the location of the network controller. In addition, the processor 222 may configure the plurality of APs of the wireless communication network to perform Wi-Fi communication based on the spectrum availability information.

[0046] In some implementations, the processor 222 of the device 220 can obtain the location of the network controller from a manual configuration entered by a user, an application that is part of the network controller or an application installed on an AP that communicates with the network controller, or another device that communicates directly with the network controller or with an AP that communicates with the network controller.

[0047] In some implementations, the network controller may be an application installed on the AP or a virtual application executing on a virtual computing platform.

[0048] In some implementations, the plurality of APs may be a subset of a plurality of APs of a wireless communication network, where the plurality of APs have indicated to a network controller their ability to communicate wirelessly in the 6 GHz spectrum.

[0049] In some implementations, when providing the location of the network controller, the processor 222 of the device 220 may provide the location to multiple APs individually via unicast or simultaneously via multicast.

[0050] In some implementations, spectrum availability information can be obtained by the plurality of APs from a server accessing a database, where the database stores information including information of existing users that exclude using the 6 GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi communications within a geographic area, the geographic area including the location.

[0051] In some implementations, each AP may send a spectrum availability request including a location to the server, so that the server provides a spectrum availability response for each spectrum availability request including a corresponding indication of spectrum availability for each AP in the 6 GHz spectrum.

[0052] In these implementations, the server's indication of spectrum availability for each of the plurality of APs includes a plurality of corresponding channels in the 6 GHz spectrum for use by each AP. Furthermore, in these implementations, configuring the plurality of APs for Wi-Fi communication may include configuring a particular AP to use one or more of the plurality of channels to communicate with one or more other APs or one or more stations (STAs) in the corresponding indication of spectrum availability.

[0053] In some implementations, the 6 GHz spectrum may include an operating band from 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz.

[0054] In another aspect of some proposed solutions for using automatic frequency control (AFC) in a wireless communication network, according to the present disclosure, apparatus 210 may be implemented in an example AP of a wireless communication network (wherein there may be multiple APs), and apparatus 220 may be implemented in a computing device executed by a network controller supporting the wireless communication network. Accordingly, processor 222 of apparatus 220 may receive spectrum availability information for operating multiple APs of the wireless communication network for Wi-Fi communication, the spectrum availability information being obtained by the multiple APs based on the locations of the multiple APs. Furthermore, processor 222 may configure the multiple APs of the wireless communication network to perform Wi-Fi communication based on the spectrum availability information.

[0055] In some implementations, the network controller may be an application installed on the AP or a virtual application executing on a virtual computing platform.

[0056] In some implementations, the location of one of the APs is determined by manual configuration entered by a user, an application installed on the AP, a satellite-based radio navigation system receiver of the AP, a device in communication with the AP, or an application on the device.

[0057] In some implementations, spectrum availability information may be obtained by the plurality of APs from a server that accesses a database storing existing information including exclusions from use of the 6 GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi communications within a geographic area that includes locations of the plurality of APs.

[0058] In some implementations, each AP can send a spectrum availability request to the server, which includes the corresponding location of each AP, so that the server provides a spectrum availability response for each spectrum availability request, which includes a corresponding indication of the spectrum availability of each AP in the 6GHz spectrum.

[0059] In some implementations, when receiving spectrum availability information, the processor 222 of the apparatus 220 may receive spectrum availability indications from multiple APs.

[0060] Further in these implementations, the spectrum availability indication for one or more APs may include a plurality of corresponding channels for use by each AP in the 6 GHz spectrum. Furthermore, in these implementations, configuring the plurality of APs for Wi-Fi communication in the 6 GHz spectrum may include configuring a particular AP to use one or more of the plurality of channels to communicate with one or more other APs or one or more stations (STAs) in the corresponding spectrum availability indication.

[0061] In some implementations, the plurality of APs may be a subset of a plurality of APs of a wireless communication network, wherein the plurality of APs have the capability of wirelessly communicating in the 6 GHz spectrum.

[0062] In some implementations, the 6 GHz spectrum may include an operating band from 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz.

[0063] Example Process

[0064] Figure 3 An example process 300 is shown according to an implementation of the present disclosure. Process 300 may be an example implementation of the scheme described above, whether in part or in whole, with respect to using AFC in a wireless communication network according to the present disclosure. Process 300 may represent one aspect of a feature implementation of apparatus 210 and / or apparatus 220. Process 300 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions as shown in steps 310 and 320. Although illustrated as discrete steps, various steps of process 300 may be divided into more steps, combined into fewer steps, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation. Furthermore, the steps of process 300 may be performed in a sequential manner. Figure 3Process 300 may be performed in the order shown, or in a different order. Process 300 may be implemented by apparatus 210 and apparatus 220. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 300 is described below in the context of apparatus 210 being implemented as an example AP (of which there may be multiple APs) of a wireless communication network and apparatus 220 being implemented as a computing device executed by a network controller supporting the wireless communication network. Process 300 may begin at step 310.

[0065] At step 310 , process 300 may include processor 222 receiving spectrum availability information for operating multiple APs for Wi-Fi communication, the spectrum availability information being obtained by the multiple APs based on locations of a network controller. Process 300 may proceed from step 310 to step 320 .

[0066] At step 320 , process 300 may include processor 222 configuring a plurality of APs of the wireless communication network to conduct Wi-Fi communications based on the spectrum availability information.

[0067] In some implementations, process 300 may include the processor 222 obtaining the location of the network controller from a manual configuration input by a user, an application that is part of the network controller or an application installed on an AP in communication with the network controller, or another device in communication with the network controller directly or with an AP in communication with the network controller. In some implementations, the location of the network controller may be accurately adjusted based on the locations of the plurality of APs to compensate for the network relationship between the network controller and each AP, the respective distances between the network controller and each AP, or proximity measurements between the plurality of APs, and then provided by the network controller to the plurality of APs.

[0068] In some implementations, the network controller may be an application installed on the AP or a virtual application executing on a virtual computing platform.

[0069] In some implementations, when providing the location of the network controller, process 300 may include processor 222 providing to multiple APs individually via unicast or simultaneously via multicast.

[0070] In some implementations, spectrum availability information can be obtained by the plurality of APs from a server that accesses a database storing existing information including exclusions for Wi-Fi communications in a particular spectrum, the geographic area including the location.

[0071] In some implementations, the plurality of APs may be a subset of a plurality of APs of a wireless communication network, where the plurality of APs have indicated to a network controller their ability to operate in a particular GHz spectrum.

[0072] In some implementations, spectrum availability information may be provided by each AP sending a spectrum availability request to a server, the request including a location, and receiving a spectrum availability response from the server including a corresponding indication of spectrum availability for each AP in a particular spectrum.

[0073] In this implementation, the spectrum availability indication for each of the plurality of APs may include a plurality of corresponding frequency channels in the specific frequency spectrum for use by each AP, such that the spectrum availability indication is sent by each of the plurality of APs to the network controller. Furthermore, in this implementation, configuring the plurality of APs for Wi-Fi communication includes coordinating or instructing, by the processor 222, each AP to communicate with one or more other APs or one or more STAs using a particular corresponding frequency channel from the plurality of corresponding frequency channels in the specific frequency spectrum.

[0074] In some implementations, the specific spectrum may include an operating band in the 6 GHz spectrum or other designated spectrum. In some implementations, the server may be a government server.

[0075] Figure 4 An example process 400 is shown according to one implementation of the present disclosure. Process 400 may be an example implementation of part or all of the above-described scheme involving the use of AFC with a wireless communication network according to the present disclosure. Process 400 may represent one aspect of a feature implementation of apparatus 210 and / or apparatus 220. Process 400 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions as shown in steps 410 and 420. Although shown as discrete steps, various steps of process 400 may be divided into more steps, combined into fewer steps, or omitted depending on the desired implementation. In addition, the steps of process 400 may be performed in a sequential manner. Figure 4 Process 400 may be performed in the order shown, or in a different order. Process 400 may be implemented by apparatus 210 and apparatus 220. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 400 is described below in the context of apparatus 210 implemented in an example AP (possibly multiple APs) of a wireless communication network and apparatus 220 implemented in a computing device executed by a network controller supporting the wireless communication network. Process 400 may begin at step 410.

[0076] At 410 , process 400 may include processor 222 of device 220 receiving spectrum availability information for operating multiple APs in a wireless communication network for Wi-Fi communication, the spectrum availability information being obtained by the multiple APs based on locations of the multiple APs.

[0077] At 420 , process 400 may include the operation of processor 222 configuring a plurality of APs of the wireless communication network for Wi-Fi communication based on the spectrum availability information.

[0078] In some implementations, the network controller may be an application installed on the AP or a virtual application executing on a virtual computing platform.

[0079] In some implementations, the location of one of the APs is determined by a manual configuration entered by a user, an application installed on the AP, a satellite-based radio navigation system receiver of the AP, a device in communication with the AP, or an application on the device.

[0080] In some implementations, spectrum availability information may be obtained by the plurality of APs from a server that accesses a database storing existing information including exclusions from using a particular spectrum for Wi-Fi communications within a geographic area that includes the locations of the plurality of APs.

[0081] In some implementations, spectrum availability information is provided by each AP sending a spectrum availability request to a server, the request including the corresponding location of each AP, and receiving a spectrum availability response from the server, the response including the corresponding indication of spectrum availability of each AP in a specific spectrum.

[0082] In some implementations, when receiving spectrum availability information, process 400 may include processor 222 receiving spectrum availability indications from a plurality of APs.

[0083] Furthermore, in such an implementation, the spectrum availability indication of one or more APs in the plurality of APs may include a plurality of corresponding frequency channels in the specific frequency spectrum for use by each AP, such that the spectrum availability indication is sent by each AP in the plurality of APs to the network controller. Furthermore, in such an implementation, configuring the plurality of APs for Wi-Fi communication may include coordinating or instructing, by the processor 222, each AP to communicate with one or more other APs or one or more STAs using a particular corresponding frequency channel in the plurality of corresponding frequency channels in the specific frequency spectrum.

[0084] In some implementations, the plurality of APs may be a subset of a plurality of APs of a wireless communication network, wherein the plurality of APs have the capability of wirelessly communicating in a particular frequency spectrum.

[0085] In some implementations, the specific spectrum may include an operating band in the 6 GHz spectrum or other designated spectrum. In some implementations, the server may be a government server.

[0086] Additional Notes

[0087] The described subject matter sometimes shows different components contained within different components or connected to different other components. It should be understood that these depicted architectures are merely examples, and in fact many other architectures can be implemented to achieve the same functionality. Conceptually, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively "associated" so as to achieve the desired functionality. Therefore, any two components combined to achieve a particular functionality herein can be considered "associated" so as to achieve the desired functionality, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components. Similarly, any two components so associated can also be considered "operationally connected" or "operationally coupled" to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components that can be so associated can also be considered "operationally coupled" to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operational coupling include, but are not limited to, physically matable and / or physically interactive components and / or wirelessly interactive and / or wirelessly interactive components and / or logically interactive and / or logically interactive components.

[0088] Furthermore, with respect to the use of virtually any plural and / or singular term herein, one having technical skill can translate from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural as appropriate to the context and / or application. For the sake of clarity, various singular / plural permutations may be explicitly listed herein.

[0089] Furthermore, the skilled artisan will understand that, generally, the terms used herein, particularly in the appended claims, such as the bodies of the appended claims, are generally intended to be “open” terms, e.g., the term “comprising” should be interpreted as “including, but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “including” should be interpreted as “including, but not limited to,” and the like. The skilled artisan will further understand that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such intent will be explicitly stated in the claim, and in the absence of such statement, no such intent is present. For example, to aid understanding, the following appended claims may contain the use of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of these phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite article “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to containing only one such recitation, even if the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and an indefinite article, e.g., “a” and / or “an” should be interpreted as “at least one” or “one or more”; the same applies to the use of definite articles to introduce claim recitations. Furthermore, even when a specific number of claim recitations is explicitly stated, skilled artisans will recognize that such statement should be interpreted as at least the number of the recitations. For example, the simple statement "two recitations," without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations. Furthermore, where a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, such construction is generally intended to be in the conventional sense understood by skilled artisans. For example, "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc. Where a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, such construction is generally intended to be in the conventional sense understood by skilled artisans. For example, "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc. Skilled artisans will further understand that virtually any disjunctive word and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to encompass the possibility of one term, either term, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[0090] As can be seen from the foregoing, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein for illustrative purposes, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Therefore, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, and the true scope and spirit are indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. An automatic frequency control method, comprising: Receiving, at a network controller of a wireless communication network, spectrum availability information for operating a plurality of access points (APs) for Wi-Fi communication, the spectrum availability information being obtained by the plurality of APs based on locations of the plurality of APs or a location of the network controller; as well as A plurality of APs of the wireless communication network are configured by a network controller to perform Wi-Fi communication based on spectrum availability information. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network controller is an application installed on the AP or a virtual application executed on a virtual computing platform.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location of the network controller is obtained through a manual configuration input by a user, an application that is part of the network controller or an application installed on an AP that communicates with the network controller, or another device that communicates directly with the network controller or with the AP that communicates with the network controller.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location of an AP among the plurality of APs is determined by a manual configuration input by a user, an application installed on the AP, a satellite-based radio navigation system receiver of the AP, a device in communication with the AP, or an application on the device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position of the network controller is precision-adjusted based on the positions of the plurality of APs to compensate for a network relationship between the network controller and each AP, a corresponding distance between the network controller and each AP, or proximity measurements between the plurality of APs, and then provided to the plurality of APs. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the location of the network controller is provided by the network controller to the plurality of APs individually through unicast or simultaneously through multicast.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spectrum availability information is obtained by the plurality of APs from a server accessing a database, the database storing existing information including exclusions from using a specific spectrum for Wi-Fi communication within a geographic area, the geographic area including locations of the plurality of APs or a location of a network controller.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of APs are a subset of a plurality of APs of the wireless communication network, and the plurality of APs have indicated to the network controller their ability to operate in a particular frequency spectrum.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the spectrum availability information is obtained by each AP sending a spectrum availability request to a server, the request including the corresponding location of each AP or the location of the network controller, and receiving a spectrum availability response from the server, the response including the corresponding indication of the spectrum availability of each AP in a specific spectrum.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the server's corresponding indication of spectrum availability for each AP in a plurality of APs includes a plurality of corresponding channels for use by each AP, and receiving spectrum availability information at the network controller includes receiving the corresponding indication of spectrum availability sent to the network controller by each AP in a plurality of APs.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein configuring the plurality of APs for Wi-Fi communication comprises coordinating or instructing, by a network server, each AP to communicate with one or more other APs or one or more stations (STAs) using a specific corresponding frequency channel among a plurality of corresponding frequency channels in a specific frequency spectrum. 12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the specific spectrum comprises an operating frequency band in a 6 GHz spectrum or other designated spectrum.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the server is a government server.

14. An automatic frequency control device comprising: a transceiver configured for wireless communication; as well as a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor being configured to: At a network controller implemented by the apparatus, spectrum availability information for operating a plurality of access points (APs) in a wireless communication network for Wi-Fi communication is received, the spectrum availability information being obtained by the plurality of APs based on locations of the plurality of APs or a location of the network controller; as well as The network controller configures multiple APs in the wireless communication network based on the spectrum availability information to perform Wi-Fi communication.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the network controller is an application installed on the AP or a virtual application executed on a virtual computing platform.

16. The apparatus as described in claim 14, wherein the spectrum availability information is obtained by the plurality of APs from a server accessing a database, the database storing information including information of existing users who are excluded from using a specific spectrum for Wi-Fi communication in a specific geographic area, the geographic area including locations of the plurality of APs or a location of the network controller.

17. The device as described in claim 16, wherein the spectrum availability information is provided by each AP of the multiple APs sending a spectrum availability request to the server, the request including the corresponding location of each AP or the location of the network controller, and receiving a spectrum availability response including a corresponding indication of the spectrum availability of each AP in the specific spectrum.

18. The device as described in claim 16, wherein the server's corresponding indication of spectrum availability for each AP includes multiple corresponding channels for use by each AP in the specific spectrum, and wherein receiving the spectrum availability information at the network controller includes receiving the corresponding indication of spectrum availability sent to the network controller by each AP in the multiple APs.

19. The apparatus as described in claim 18, wherein configuring the multiple APs to perform Wi-Fi communication includes coordinating or instructing each AP, by the network server, to communicate with one or more other APs or one or more stations (STAs) using a specific corresponding channel among a plurality of corresponding channels in the specific spectrum.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the specific spectrum comprises an operating frequency band in a 6 GHz spectrum or other designated spectrum.

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