Signal strength mapping for guiding clients

Abstract

Methods, components, devices, and systems are provided for booting a wireless device in a multi-AP environment based on target AP information. The target AP information comprises signal intensity data of a specific area where the wireless device is located. The coverage areas of the plurality of APs are each partitioned into zones, and a unique identifier is assigned to each zone. When the wireless device is first eligible to boot in a particular zone, it generates a measurement report associated with the zone in the measurement map. When the wireless device is subsequently eligible to steer in the zone, previously collected target AP information in the measurement map is used to steer the wireless device to the target AP rather than generating another measurement report.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications and, more particularly, to directing client devices in a multiple access point environment using signal strength data associated with zones.

[0002] Related technical description

[0003] A wireless local area network (WLAN) can be formed by one or more wireless access points (APs) that provide a shared wireless communication medium for use by multiple client devices, also known as wireless stations (STAs). The fundamental building block of a WLAN that complies with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series of standards is the Basic Service Set (BSS) managed by the AP. Each BSS is identified by a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) announced by the AP. The AP periodically broadcasts beacon frames to enable any STA within the AP's wireless range to establish or maintain a communication link with the WLAN.

[0004] In some implementations, multiple APs may be connected together to form an extended BSS (ESS). For example, many office and home wireless networks configured to operate as an ESS may include a root AP and several satellite APs, such as relay or repeater APs. The root AP may provide backhaul connections to other networks (such as the Internet), and the repeater APs may extend the effective wireless coverage area of the root AP. In some other implementations, multiple APs may be configured to operate as a mesh network. In a mesh network, APs may be directly connected to each other in a non-hierarchical manner, which allows APs to collaborate with each other to efficiently route data to and from STAs. Some mesh networks may be dynamically self-organizing and self-configuring, which may reduce installation overhead and allow dynamic load balancing in the network.

[0005] Typically, each STA is associated with a single AP (the associated AP) at a time and relies on its associated AP to receive data. In a multi-AP environment, a STA can move within the wireless network and benefit from switching its association from the associated AP to one of multiple other APs ("candidate APs") that can provide better service than the associated AP. Summary of the Invention

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

[0007] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in an access point (AP). The AP includes at least one memory. The AP includes at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one memory and operable to cause the AP to receive information about a second segmented coverage area associated with a second AP. The processor is operable to associate a unique identifier with each of a plurality of zones. The plurality of zones includes at least one zone from a first segmented coverage area associated with the AP and at least one zone from a second segmented coverage area. The processor is operable to cause the AP to receive target AP information associated with at least one zone from the plurality of zones. The target AP information is used to direct a wireless device to the corresponding AP.

[0008] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method performed by a first access point (AP) in a multiple access point (AP) environment. The method includes receiving information about a second segmented coverage area associated with a second AP. The method includes associating a unique identifier with each of a plurality of zones. The plurality of zones includes at least one zone from the first segmented coverage area associated with the first AP and at least one zone from the second segmented coverage area. The method includes receiving target AP information associated with at least one zone from the plurality of zones. Using the target AP information, the method directs a wireless device to the corresponding AP.

[0009] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in an access point (AP). The AP includes means for receiving information about a second segmented coverage area associated with a second AP. The AP includes means for associating a unique identifier with each of a plurality of zones. The plurality of zones includes at least one zone from the first segmented coverage area associated with the AP and at least one zone from the second segmented coverage area. The AP includes means for receiving target AP information associated with at least one zone from the plurality of zones. The target AP information is used to direct a wireless device to the corresponding AP.

[0010] In some examples, these methods and APs may assign target AP information associated with a zone to neighboring zones.

[0011] In some examples of these methods and APs, target AP information associated with a zone may include signal strength information. Details of one or more specific implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. Note that the relative dimensions of the following figures may not be drawn to scale. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1A An example multiple access point (AP) wireless network environment is shown.

[0013] Figure 1B An example multi-AP wireless network environment employing client guidance is shown.

[0014] Figure 2A An example multi-AP wireless network environment is shown having a first AP and a second AP.

[0015] Figure 2B An example is shown in which a first AP and a second AP each estimate a first coverage area and a second coverage area associated with the first AP and the second AP, respectively.

[0016] Figure 2C An example is shown in which a first AP and a second AP each divide a first coverage area and a second coverage area, respectively.

[0017] Figure 2D An example is shown in which the second AP shares information about the second divided coverage area with the first AP.

[0018] Figure 2E An example is shown in which the first AP merges identifiers of the first segmented coverage area and the second segmented coverage area.

[0019] Figure 2F An example is shown where a first AP communicates a merged identifier to a second AP.

[0020] Figure 3A An example multi-AP wireless network environment with a first AP, a second AP, a third AP, and wireless stations (STAs) is shown.

[0021] Figure 3B An example of a STA moving back and forth over a small area in a multi-AP wireless network environment is shown.

[0022] Figure 3C An example is shown of generating multiple measurement reports for a STA as the STA moves around over a small area.

[0023] Figure 3D An example of the respective coverage areas of the first AP, the second AP, and the third AP is shown after the coverage area has been divided into zones and after a unique identifier has been associated with each zone.

[0024] Figure 3E An example of a measurement map including measurement reports associated with multiple zones is shown.

[0025] Figure 3F An example of making a steering decision for an STA based on a measurement map is shown.

[0026] Figure 4AAn example multi-AP wireless network environment with a first AP, a second AP, a third AP, and STAs is shown.

[0027] Figure 4B Examples of areas within a multi-AP wireless network environment are shown where STAs in the environment are eligible for bootstrapping.

[0028] Figure 4C An example of STAs within a region is shown.

[0029] Figure 4D An example is shown in which STAs in an area are directed from a first AP to a second AP.

[0030] Figure 4E An example of the respective coverage areas of the first AP, the second AP, and the third AP is shown after the coverage area has been divided into zones and after a unique identifier has been associated with each zone.

[0031] Figure 4F An example of a measurement map including measurement reports associated with a zone in which a STA is located is shown.

[0032] Figure 4G An example of making a guidance decision based on a measurement map and a guidance threshold is shown.

[0033] Figure 5A An example multi-AP wireless network environment with a first AP, a second AP, a third AP, and STAs is shown.

[0034] Figure 5B An example of the respective coverage areas of the first AP, the second AP, and the third AP is shown after the coverage area has been divided into zones and after a unique identifier has been associated with each zone.

[0035] Figure 5C An example of measurement reports associated with some zones in a segmented coverage area is shown.

[0036] Figure 5D An example of zones that are grouped together with adjacent zones due to similar signal strength characteristics associated with each of the adjacent zones is shown.

[0037] Figure 6A An example of a measurement map associated with a first STA in a multi-AP wireless network environment having a first AP, a second AP, and a third AP is shown.

[0038] Figure 6B This shows an example in which the first AP associates the measurement values in the measurement map of the first STA with the second STA, given that the first STA and the second STA are comparable.

[0039] Figure 7A An example of measurement values of certain areas of a STA in a multi-AP wireless network environment having a first AP and a second AP is shown.

[0040] Figure 7B An example of a measurement value of a zone estimated using the measurement values of neighboring zones is shown.

[0041] Figure 8A An example of a multi-AP environment is shown having a first AP and a second AP associated with first and second segmented coverage areas, respectively.

[0042] Figure 8B An example is shown in which measurement values of a region for a first frequency band are used to estimate measurement values of the region for a second frequency band.

[0043] Figure 9 A flow chart illustrating an example process that can be performed at a wireless AP that supports using target AP information of a zone to guide a STA is shown.

[0044] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating an example process for using target AP information of a zone to guide a STA in a multi-AP environment is shown.

[0045] Figure 11 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device that supports bootstrapping using target AP information is shown.

[0046] The same reference numbers and names in different drawings represent the same elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The following description is directed to certain specific examples to illustrate the innovative aspects of the present disclosure. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a variety of different ways. Some or all of the examples described may be implemented in a manner that is compatible with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the IEEE 802.15 standard, or the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The described examples may be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals in accordance with one or more of the Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G, or 5G (New Radio (NR)) standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The described examples may be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals in accordance with one or more of the following technologies or techniques: code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), spatial division multiple access (SDMA), rate splitting multiple access (RSMA), multi-user shared access (MUSA), single-user (SU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), and multi-user (MU) MIMO. The described examples may also be implemented using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of a wireless personal area network (WPAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), a wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), or an Internet of Things (IoT) network.

[0048] Various aspects generally relate to wireless communications, and more specifically to bootstrapping a wireless device in a multi-access point (AP) environment. Some aspects more specifically relate to bootstrapping a wireless device to one or more APs in a multi-AP environment, or bootstrapping a wireless device between one or more APs in a multi-AP environment. When a wireless device located in a given zone of a multi-AP environment initially becomes eligible for bootstrapping, the AP associated with the wireless device transmits an initial measurement request, and the wireless device generates an initial measurement report. In a setup where the APs in the multi-AP environment are stationary, additional measurement requests and response measurement reports transmitted when the wireless device subsequently becomes eligible for bootstrapping in the given zone include the same information as the initial measurement requests and reports. These redundant measurement requests and reports flood the medium, and thus lead to delayed bootstrapping and failed bootstrapping attempts.

[0049] Steering a wireless device to a "target AP" may be associated with target AP information. The target AP information may include information associated with a previous steering attempt. The target AP information may be included in a measurement report transmitted by the wireless device in response to a measurement request. The target AP information may include the signal strength of the wireless device in a given zone relative to multiple APs in the environment and, therefore, may identify a target AP for the given zone. In various aspects, the target AP for a given zone is the AP among the multiple APs that has the best signal strength characteristics for the wireless device in that zone.

[0050] In some aspects, each AP in a multi-AP environment divides its respective coverage area into smaller zones or blocks and assigns a preliminary identifier to each zone within its coverage area. The preliminary identifier may be a number or other identifier that can be used to identify the respective zone. In some aspects, each AP communicates information about these zones (including the preliminary identifier associated with each zone) to a multi-AP controller or root AP. Since each AP can independently assign a preliminary identifier to a zone within its respective coverage area, the same preliminary identifier can be assigned to zones associated with the coverage areas of multiple APs. In one aspect, the multi-AP controller or root AP merges the identifiers associated with each zone so that each zone within any AP's coverage area is globally associated with a unique identifier. Information about each zone (including its unique identifier) can be communicated to each AP in the environment. Target AP information about each zone obtained when the wireless device initially qualifies for booting in the zone can be communicated to each AP and can populate a measurement map identifying the corresponding target AP for the zone. Use the target AP information generated in conjunction with previous bootstrapping attempts to bootstrap wireless devices within a particular zone. Using such techniques, additional and redundant measurement reports and requests can be potentially avoided each time a wireless device qualifies for bootstrapping.

[0051] Certain aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. Measurement requests and reports generated each time a wireless device becomes eligible for bootstrapping can include redundant information. Segmenting the coverage area associated with each AP into smaller zones and associating a target AP with at least one of these zones, given the measurement reports transmitted by the wireless device in connection with previous bootstrapping attempts, can eliminate the need to generate redundant measurement reports in connection with each subsequent bootstrapping attempt. Reducing these measurement reports and associated requests each time a wireless device becomes eligible for bootstrapping can free up the medium, potentially allowing for faster handoffs and an improved user experience. Reducing these redundant reports and associated requests can also increase the power efficiency of the wireless device.

[0052] In the following description, many specific details are set forth, such as examples of specific components, circuits, and processes used to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. As used herein, the term "coupled" means directly connected or connected through one or more intermediate components or circuits. The term "associated AP" or "serving AP" refers to an AP that is associated with a given device, such as a client station (STA) (such as a communication channel or link is established between the AP and the given STA). The term "unassociated AP" refers to an AP that is not associated with a given STA (such as no communication channel or link is established between the AP and the given STA, and thus the AP and the given STA may not have exchanged data frames). Unassociated APs may also be referred to as "candidate APs" herein, and the terms "unassociated AP" and "candidate AP" are used interchangeably herein.

[0053] The terms "effective throughput" and "throughput" may refer to the effective data rate of a wireless channel or link between two wireless devices (such as between a STA and an AP). In the following description, the term "effective throughput" may be used interchangeably with the term "throughput." For example, the effective throughput of an AP may indicate the available bandwidth of the wireless channel on which the AP operates, and thus may also indicate the amount of traffic on the wireless channel.

[0054] A local network within a home, apartment, business, or other area may include various devices that utilize the local network to communicate with each other or with devices in another network. For example, a local network may provide local devices with access to an upstream network (such as the internet via a broadband network). A local network (or local area network (LAN), sometimes also referred to as a wireless local area network (WLAN)) may include one or more access points (APs) to provide wireless coverage for the local network. One or more APs may communicate with each other in a multiple-AP (or multi-AP) environment. Each AP in the network may have different hardware capabilities that provide different options for wireless coverage (such as 2.4 GHz support, 5 GHz support, 6 GHz support, dual-band single radio support, dual-band dual concurrent radio (DBDC) support, etc.). Each AP utilizes one or more channels within a frequency band. A channel may refer to a frequency (or range) used by an AP to communicate with devices that have a wireless association with the AP. Similarly, devices utilize channels to communicate with an AP (via a wireless association). In some implementations, an AP may be equipped with more than one radio and may be capable of operating on more than one channel (such as a DBDC device).

[0055] Typically, one of the APs in a multi-AP environment can be a root AP or central AP, and the other APs use the logical topology between each other AP and the root AP for automatic path or routing selection. A local network that can coordinate between two or more APs to manage the topology or aggregate wireless coverage area can be called a self-organizing network (SON). In such a specific implementation, a SON protocol can be used between two or more APs to coordinate wireless channel configuration or other specific implementation settings.

[0056] The device may select an associated AP from multiple APs in a multi-AP environment (or the device may select an associated AP). The selection of the associated AP may be associated with or based on the signal strength of the wireless signal, or by estimating or measuring the highest effective throughput received from each of the multiple APs. In addition to or in lieu of the AP, a frequency band may be selected. For example, the device may select a 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz frequency band from among the frequency bands available for communication between the device and the AP.

[0057] Typically, a device can use the information available to the device to select a first AP and the frequency band of the first AP; however, the first AP (or a logical entity that implements logic for controlling the operation of a network with multiple APs (such as a multi-AP controller)) may have access to more information about the topology and performance of the APs in the network than is available to the device. Therefore, the first AP can optimize the network or improve service to the STA by directing the STA to a different AP (which will become the STA's new associated AP). Directing refers to any activity that causes a STA to wirelessly associate with a second AP instead of maintaining its association with the first AP. Directing may also be referred to as reassociation activity, movement, transfer, relocation, transition, switching, relocation, handover, etc. Directing may, but does not necessarily, involve physical or geographical movement of the STA. In a mesh network implementation, directing may involve seamlessly handing over a STA from one AP to another without changing layer 7 connectivity (i.e., the IP address of the directed STA may not change with the directing).

[0058] There may be various reasons for directing a device. For example, a device may be directed to a different AP to perform load balancing in the network. In another example, because higher-frequency wireless signals generally have a shorter range than lower-frequency wireless signals, a device moving away from a dual-band AP may obtain better throughput by switching from the higher frequency band to the lower frequency band (such as switching from the 5 GHz band to the 2.4 GHz band). In yet another example, although higher-frequency wireless signals may have higher data rates than lower-frequency wireless signals, if the higher frequency band is congested, the device may obtain better throughput by switching from the higher frequency band to the less congested lower frequency band. Other factors or conditions for directing a device may include backhaul performance, network topology, performance characteristics (such as throughput, effective throughput, bandwidth, latency, errors, jitter, etc.), the location of the newly connected device, the intensity of communication between the device and the AP (such as bandwidth, burstiness, type of traffic, etc.), the device's assigned priority, changes in Quality of Service (QoS), other performance requirements of the device, or changes in the BSS capabilities of the AP.

[0059] Figure 1AAn example multi-AP wireless network 100 environment is shown. The wireless network 100 includes multiple APs and STAs, such as APs 110-116 and STA 1-STA 4. APs 110-116 may form a wireless local area network (WLAN) that allows APs 110-116 and stations STA 1-STA 4 (and potentially other wireless communication devices) to communicate with each other over a shared wireless medium. The shared wireless medium may be divided into multiple channels, multiple resource units (Ru), or both. APs 110-116 may each include an assigned unique MAC address, which is programmed into the AP by, for example, the manufacturer of the access point. Similarly, each of the stations STA 1-STA 4 may also be assigned a unique MAC address. In some implementations, the wireless network 100 may correspond to a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless network and may support single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) and multi-user (MU-MIMO) communications. In some implementations, wireless network 100 can support Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communications.

[0060] The wireless network 100 or wireless communication network may also be an example of a wireless personal area network (PAN) in addition to being an example of a WLAN. In some implementations, the wireless network 100 is a Wi-Fi network and is defined by the IEEE 802.11 series of standards. In some other implementations, the wireless network 100 is a An example of a network, and stations STA1-STA4 are compliant devices. In some additional implementations, the wireless network 100 may include one or more of the following wireless communication technologies: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), BLE mesh, ZigBee, low-power IoT, LTE, or 5G. Furthermore, in some implementations, the wireless network 100 may be implemented as a hybrid network and may support both wired and wireless communication technologies, multiple wired communication technologies, or multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, one or more of the APs 110-116 may support both IEEE 802.11 and Power Line Communication (PLC) protocols. In some other examples, the APs 110-116 may support a combination of IEEE 802.11 and PLC protocols, a combination of IEEE 802.11 and a coaxial cable (Coax)-based communication protocol, a combination of IEEE 802.11 and an Ethernet-based communication protocol, a combination of IEEE 802.11 and a Bluetooth communication protocol, a combination of IEEE 802.11 and an LTE communication protocol, a combination of IEEE 802.11 and a 5G communication protocol, and various other suitable combinations.

[0061] In some implementations, the wireless network 100 can be implemented as an ad hoc, peer-to-peer (P2P), or mesh network. For example, the wireless network 100 can be an example of an EasyMesh network. An EasyMesh network is a mesh network that operates in accordance with the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) standard specification for routing traffic in a multi-AP environment. For example, the EasyMesh network can operate in accordance with the WFA EasyMesh specification version 5.0 (2022), a subsequent version or a previous version of the EasyMesh standard specification, or both.

[0062] Each of the stations STA1-STA4 may be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a mobile device, a mobile phone, a wireless phone, an access terminal (AT), a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), or a subscriber unit, among other examples. Each of the stations STA1-STA4 may represent various devices, such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), other handheld devices, a netbook, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a Google notebook, an extended reality (XR) headset, a wearable device, a display device (e.g., a TV (including a smart TV), a computer monitor, a navigation system, etc.), a music or other audio or stereo device, a remote control device ("remote control"), a printer, a kitchen appliance (including a smart refrigerator) or other household appliance, a remote key (e.g., for a passive keyless entry and start (PKES) system), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and a vehicle, among other examples.

[0063] APs 110 - 116 may be any suitable device that allows one or more of stations STA1 - STA4 to connect to wireless network 100 or another network, such as a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), or the Internet.

[0064] In some implementations, each of the APs 110-116 may periodically broadcast beacon frames to enable stations STA1-STA4 and other wireless devices within their wireless range to establish and maintain a communication link with a corresponding one of the APs 110-116. The beacon frames, which are typically broadcast according to a target beacon transmit time (TBTT) schedule, may include a timing synchronization function (TSF) value for one or more of the APs 110-116. For example, stations STA1-STA4 may synchronize their own local TSF values with the broadcast TSF value, such that all stations STA1-STA4 are synchronized with each other and with the APs 110-116. In some aspects, the beacon frames may indicate downlink (DL) data transmissions to stations STA1-STA4 and may solicit or schedule uplink (UL) data transmissions from stations STA1-STA4.

[0065] In some implementations, AP 110 may operate as a root AP (RAP), and each of APs 111-116 may operate as a satellite AP (SAP), such as a relay, repeater, or range extender AP. Root AP 110 may facilitate communication between root AP 110 and satellite APs 111-116, and may also facilitate communication between the WLAN and other networks or systems. In some aspects, for example, root AP 110 may be connected to a backend network 120, such as a LAN, WAN, MAN, communication service provider network, the Internet, or any combination thereof, via a wired connection 121 (such as via Ethernet or PLC), or alternatively via a wireless connection, or even a hybrid communication link. Root AP 110 may be a central access point (CAP) or router communicatively coupled to backend network 120 or a broadband network. Alternatively, root AP 110 may be separate from or collocated with a gateway device. A gateway device, such as a modem or router, may provide access to backend network 120. For example, the gateway device may be coupled to the backend network 120 via a cable, fiber optic, power line, or DSL network connection. The root AP 110 may be connected to each of the satellite APs 111-116 via a wireless connection, a wired connection, or both.

[0066] In some implementations, the root AP 110 may be or may include a multi-AP (MAP) proxy 130 and a MAP controller 135. The MAP proxy 130 may allow the root AP 110 to provide wireless services to multiple client devices (such as stations STA1-STA4) and communicate with one or more of the APs 111-116. The MAP controller 135 may coordinate channel planning for the APs 110-116 and their associated client devices and may configure one or more aspects of the downstream APs 111-116. For example, the MAP controller 135 may directly provide wireless services to the fourth station STA4.

[0067] Despite Figure 1A 1-4. In the example of FIG, , the MAP controller 135 is depicted as part of the root AP 110, but the MAP controller 135 may be separate from the root AP 110. In some other implementations, the root AP 110 may include the MAP controller 135 but may not include the MAP proxy 130 (and may not provide wireless services to client devices such as stations STA1-STA4).

[0068] Each of the satellite APs 111-116 may be or include a MAP proxy 130 that allows the satellite APs 111-116 to provide wireless services to multiple client devices, such as stations STA1-STA4. The MAP proxy 130 may also allow the corresponding satellite AP 111-116 to communicate with downstream satellite APs or upstream satellite APs (or both). For example, the MAP proxy 130 may directly provide wireless services to the fourth station STA4. In some implementations, the satellite APs 111-116 may be used to extend the wireless coverage area of the root AP 110, for example, by operating as relay devices or range extenders.

[0069] for Figure 1A In the example wireless network 100, a first station STA1 is currently associated with a first AP 111, a second station STA2 is currently associated with a second AP 112, a third station STA3 is currently associated with a third AP 113, and a fourth station STA4 is currently associated with a root AP 110. In some implementations, each of the root AP 110 and the satellite APs 111-116 may define its own basic service set (BSS), and all client devices associated with a given AP may be included within the BSS of the given AP. In some other implementations, the group of the root AP 110 and the satellite APs 111-116 may form an extended basic service set (ESS), and all client devices associated with the group of the root AP 110 and the satellite APs 111-116 may be included within the ESS.

[0070] The MAP controller 135 may be used to assign operating channels to the root AP 110 and one or more of the satellite APs 111-116 in a manner that optimizes network performance by taking into account the impact that each of the satellite APs 111-116 (and their corresponding client devices) may have on the network. In some implementations, the MAP controller 135 may provide centralized channel selection planning for the network based on a plurality of network parameters observed by one or more of the satellite APs 111-116. The network parameters may include, for example, channel conditions, interference, traffic load, traffic patterns, service requirements of client devices, available channels, and other network utilization information observed by one or more of the satellite APs 111-116. In some aspects, the satellite APs 111-116 may obtain, select, ascertain, or determine one or more network parameters and send the obtained, selected, ascertained, or determined network parameters to the root AP 110.

[0071] In some implementations, the root AP 110 may use the MAP controller 135 to ascertain, determine, or establish that one or more of the stations STA1-STA4 are eligible for bootstrapping. In some examples, the MAP controller 135 may ascertain, determine, or establish that one or more of the stations STA1-STA4 are eligible for bootstrapping when the signal strength of the AP associated with the respective STA becomes less than or equal to a signal strength threshold (also referred to as a "bootstrapping eligibility threshold"). The MAP controller 135 may ascertain, determine, or establish that a STA (such as one of STA1-STA4) is eligible for bootstrapping when the STA moves away from its associated AP such that the signal strength of the associated AP becomes less than or equal to the bootstrapping eligibility threshold. Alternatively, the MAP controller 135 may ascertain, determine, or establish that a STA is eligible for bootstrapping when, for example, an obstruction or interference degrades wireless communication between the associated AP and the STA, such that the signal strength of the associated AP becomes less than or equal to the bootstrapping eligibility threshold. The bootstrapping eligibility threshold may be set by the AP's manufacturer or may be user-configurable. In some examples, the bootstrapping eligibility threshold may be adaptively modified, such as by the MAP controller 135, based on network conditions and configuration.

[0072] In some implementations, in the case where the signal strength of the candidate AP is greater than the signal strength of the associated AP, the MAP controller 135 may direct the STA eligible for directing from its associated AP to the candidate AP. The candidate AP to which the STA is to be directed (e.g., because the signal strength of the candidate AP is greater than the signal strength of the associated AP) may also be referred to herein as a "target AP."

[0073] In some implementations, the MAP controller 135 may direct the STAs in association with or based on one or more additional or other factors, such as changes in load balance on the APs 110-116, changes in the traffic pattern of the network, changes in the location of the stations STA1-STA4, changes in bandwidth or service requirements of the stations STA1-STA4, changes in channel conditions, changes in interference, changes in operating channels, changes in the capacity of the APs 110-116, changes in the available air time of the APs 110-116, or any combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the root AP 110 may use the MAP controller 135 to generate one or more channel selection plans for the network. The channel selection plans may be used to dynamically assign operating channels to the APs 111-116 in a manner that takes into account the impact that each of the APs 111-116 (and their respective client devices) may have on the network, thereby optimizing network performance.

[0074] A steering algorithm may be associated with a wireless protocol, such as the IEEE 802.11 protocol. In some aspects, the steering algorithm may be associated with a measurement request sent to a STA (such as by an associated AP or MAP controller 135) and a report generated by the STA in response. In some examples, the steering algorithm may be associated with or based on the IEEE 802.11k protocol. When a STA qualifies for steering, such as when the signal strength of an associated AP is equal to or below a steering eligibility threshold, an AP operating according to the IEEE 802.11k protocol may solicit measurements from the STA using a measurement request. The measurement request sent to the STA according to the IEEE 802.11k protocol may include, for example, the channel and BSSID associated with the root AP, which may be the same channel and BSSID associated with each candidate AP in a mesh network. The STA may generate a report in response to the measurement request and send the report to the associated AP, MAP controller 135, or both. The report may include the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) or similar information for the associated AP and the candidate APs associated with that BSSID. In the event that the RSSI of the candidate AP is better than the RSSI of the associated AP, the steering algorithm may steer the STA from the associated AP to the candidate AP. Measurement requests and response reports generated according to the IEEE 802.11k protocol may also be referred to herein as 11k requests and 11k reports, respectively. In some implementations, the measurement reports may additionally or alternatively include smart monitoring reports.

[0075] In some aspects, the steering algorithm may employ the IEEE 802.11mc protocol. The IEEE 802.11mc protocol enables two wireless devices (such as a STA and an AP) to collaboratively estimate the distance between them. For example, the two devices can estimate the distance between them by measuring the round-trip time (RTT). To measure RTT, the STA and AP may exchange bursts of messages. Both the STA and AP may record the time of departure (TOD) and time of arrival (TOA) of the messages, and the TOA and TOD may be used to calculate the RTT. Once the RTT is calculated, the RTT and the speed of light may be used to calculate the distance between the devices.

[0076] In some implementations, the APs 110-116 may be configured to operate as a mesh network, such as an EasyMesh network operating in accordance with the WFA EasyMesh specification version 5.0 (2022) or a subsequent or previous version of the EasyMesh standard specification, or another mesh network. In a mesh network, the APs 110-116 may be directly wirelessly connected to each other in a non-hierarchical manner, which allows the APs to collaborate with each other to efficiently route data to and from STAs. Some mesh networks may be referred to as self-organizing networks (SONs). In a SON topology, the root AP 110 and the APs 111-116 do not need to be equipped with either a MAP agent 130 or a MAP controller 135. In some mesh network implementations, the root AP 110 or any of the APs 111-116 may be implemented as a SON controller. In some implementations, the SON controller may be configured to provide functionality similar to the MAP controller described herein.

[0077] In some implementations, one or more of the APs 110-116 can monitor channel conditions for channels currently used by the APs 110-116 in the wireless network 100. If the root AP 110 (in a root and satellite AP configuration) or another AP (in a mesh or SON configuration) ascertains, determines, or establishes that a better effective throughput may be available on another channel or frequency band (such as due to traffic on the current channel, channel interference caused by a neighboring wireless network, etc.), the root AP 110 or the other AP can switch channels, for example, by broadcasting a channel switch announcement. In response, the APs 111-116 can coordinate their channel switching operations with the root AP 110 or the other AP. Because stations STA1-STA4 may need to reassociate with their respective associated APs when switching channels, the root AP 110 or the other AP can select or schedule a time to initiate a channel switch operation based, at least in part, on one or more characteristics of traffic flows associated with the stations STA1-STA4, for example, to minimize service interruption caused by the channel switch operation.

[0078] Figure 1B An example multi-AP wireless network 100 environment with client guidance is shown. The wireless network 100 is similar to the Figure 1A The wireless network 100 is described and includes the same APs 110-116 and stations STA1-STA4. Figure 1B As depicted, a first station STA1 is currently associated with a first AP 111 , a second station STA2 is currently associated with a second AP 112 , a third station STA3 is currently associated with a third AP 113 , and a fourth station STA4 is currently associated with a root AP 110 .

[0079] STA2 initially associates with the second AP 112 via an association 182, such as a fronthaul channel 182. When STA2 becomes eligible for bootstrapping, such as when it moves away from the second AP 112 so that the signal strength of STA2 relative to the second AP 112 is equal to or below a bootstrapping eligibility threshold, the second AP 112 may transmit a measurement request to STA2. The measurement request may be, for example, an 11k request including a BSSID and an associated frequency channel. STA2 may generate and send a response report, such as an 11k report, to the second AP 112, the response report including the signal strength of the second AP 112 and other candidate APs 110, 111, 113, 114, 115, and 116 for the channel. The report may include additional information, such as information that allows the second AP 112 or the MAP controller 135 to ascertain, determine, or establish whether to generate a channel switch announcement. Figure 1B In the example shown in FIG1 , the 11k report indicates that the signal strength of the third AP 113 is better than the signal strength of the second AP 112. Therefore, the second AP 112 may direct STA2 (or facilitate its directing together with the MAP controller 135) to the third AP 113. More specifically, the second AP 112 may drop the first fronthaul channel 182 to the second station STA2 and enable the second station STA2 to establish a wireless association with the third AP 113 on the second fronthaul channel 183.

[0080] In one aspect, each AP in a multi-AP environment may estimate its respective coverage area. Each AP may segment its respective estimated coverage area and assign a preliminary identifier to each segment or zone of the segmented coverage area. The preliminary identifiers associated with the zones of the multiple segmented coverage areas may be communicated to a root AP, such as a MAP controller. The MAP controller may merge the preliminary identifiers and assign a globally unique identifier to each zone of each segmented coverage area. In some aspects, assigning a unique identifier to each zone of each segmented coverage area may involve overwriting at least one preliminary identifier associated with an overlapping zone (i.e., a zone associated with the segmented coverage areas of more than one AP). The root AP (such as a MAP controller associated with the root AP) may communicate the unique identifier for each zone to each AP in the multi-AP environment. Signal strength data generated when a wireless device initially becomes eligible for bootstrapping may be associated with at least some zones. When a wireless device subsequently becomes eligible for bootstrapping in a zone, the signal strength data for that zone may be used to make bootstrapping decisions.

[0081] Figure 2A An example multi-AP wireless network environment 200 is shown with a first AP 202 and a second AP 204. The wireless network environment (or network) 200 can be a mesh network, such as an EasyMesh network or another mesh network. In various aspects, the first AP 202 can be Figure 1A The second AP 202 may be an example of a root AP 110 and includes a MAP controller and a MAP proxy. Figure 1A In some implementations, network 200 may be a SON; in these implementations, first AP 202 may not have a MAP controller, and each of APs 202 and 204 may be equipped with a SON controller that is typically configured to perform the functions of a MAP controller.

[0082] Figure 2B An example is shown in which a first AP and a second AP each estimate a first coverage area 206 and a second coverage area 208 associated with the first AP 202 and the second AP 204, respectively. Each of the first AP 202 and the second AP 204 can estimate its respective coverage area 206 and 208 using one or more of any number of suitable coverage area estimation techniques. For example, each of the first AP 202 and the second AP 204 can estimate its respective coverage area 206 and 208 using Wi-Fi sensing by obtaining channel state information (CSI) to characterize the environment 200. Alternatively, for example, each of the first AP 202 and the second AP 204 can employ IEEE 802.11mc techniques (such as the Fine Time Measurement (FTM) protocol) to characterize the environment 200 by measuring the RTT of signals. Alternatively or in addition, each of the first AP 202 and the second AP 204 can estimate its respective coverage area 206 and 208 by evaluating its transmit power (Tx power), antenna position, or both. In some examples, each of the first AP 202 and the second AP 204 can estimate its respective coverage area 206 and 208 by using a heat map or other suitable technique. The technique used by the first AP 202 to estimate its coverage area 206 and the technique used by the second AP 204 to estimate its coverage area 208 can be quite different and can depend on the capabilities of the respective APs, for example. For example, if the AP 202 supports Wi-Fi sensing or the IEEE 802.11mc protocol, the AP 202 can employ the Wi-Fi sensing or IEEE 802.11mc protocol to estimate its coverage area 206. Alternatively, if the AP 204 does not support Wi-Fi sensing or the IEEE 802.11mc protocol, the AP 204 can employ Tx power, antenna position, or a different technique to estimate its coverage area 208.

[0083] exist Figure 2B In the example shown, AP 202 has estimated its coverage area as coverage area 206, and AP 204 has estimated its coverage area as coverage area 208. Figure 2BCoverage areas 206 and 208 are shown as being symmetrical (in this example, each being circular), but those skilled in the art will appreciate that this is merely an example and that coverage areas 206 and 208 may be conceivable to have any regular or irregular shape. Additionally, one coverage area (such as coverage area 206) may be a different size or shape than another coverage area (such as coverage area 208).

[0084] Figure 2C An example is shown in which the first AP 202 and the second AP 204 each partition the first coverage area 206 and the second coverage area 206, respectively. Each of the first AP 202 and the second AP 204 may further assign a preliminary (or temporary) identifier 1-n to each zone. Figure 2C In the example shown, the first AP 202 has divided its coverage area 206 into zones and has assigned a preliminary identifier 1-40 to each zone. The second AP 204 has similarly divided its coverage area 208 into zones and has assigned a preliminary identifier 1-40 to each zone. The first AP 202 and the second AP 204 may employ any suitable positioning technology to divide their respective coverage areas and identify the location of each zone within the coverage area, such as RTT measurements, measurements obtained from a global positioning system (GPS) or other sensors associated with the AP, and techniques associated with the IEEE 802.11mc protocol.

[0085] Each zone 1 - 40 in the respective segmented coverage areas 206 and 208 may also be referred to herein as a segment, a block, or a section, and these terms are used interchangeably herein. Figure 2C The rectangular shape of each zone 1-40 shown is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting. In some examples, one or more of the zones 1-40 may adopt another shape (such as a circle, square, triangle, or other regular or irregular shape). The shape, size, and number of zones in the coverage area may depend on one or more factors (such as the shape or size of the coverage area, the number of APs and STAs, and network characteristics) and may be adaptively modified as discussed herein. In one aspect, the shape and size of the zones 1-40 may be user-configurable.

[0086] Figure 2D An example is shown in which the second AP 204 shares information about the second segmented coverage area 208 with the first AP 202. The information sent by the second AP 204 to the first AP 202 may include location data associated with each zone 1-40 in the second segmented coverage area 208 (such as geographic coordinates, the location of a zone relative to another zone, and the size of the zone) and its preliminary identifier 1-40.

[0087] Coverage areas 206 and 208 in environment 200 may overlap with each other (see Figure 2D ). Specifically, in this example, the zones in the first coverage area 206 that are preliminarily identified as zones 17-40 overlap with the zones in the second coverage area 208 that are preliminarily identified as zones 1-24. Each of these overlapping zones may have more than one identifier associated with it. For example, the zone associated with the preliminary identifier 17 of the first coverage area 206 is also associated with the preliminary identifier 1 of the second coverage area 208 (i.e., "17 / 1"), the zone associated with the preliminary identifier 18 of the first coverage area 206 is also associated with the preliminary identifier 2 of the second coverage area 208 (i.e., "18 / 2"), and so on. In addition, the same preliminary identifier may be associated with two different zones (e.g., preliminary identifier 31 is associated with the overlapping zone (i.e., "31 / 15"), and another zone is associated only with the second coverage area 208). Therefore, the preliminary identifier may not necessarily uniquely identify each zone in each of the divided coverage areas 206 and 208.

[0088] Figure 2E FIG2 shows an example in which the first AP 202 merges the identifiers of the first segmented coverage area 206 and the second segmented coverage area 208. Specifically, the first AP 202 may assign a globally unique identifier to each zone in each coverage area 206 and 208 to uniquely identify each zone. Figure 2E , on the left, the first AP 202 disassociates the preliminary identifiers assigned to the zones by the second AP 204 from each overlapping zone. For example, the first AP 202 may disassociate the zone associated with preliminary identifier 17 by the first AP 202 and with preliminary identifier 1 by the second AP from the preliminary identifier 1 assigned to the zone by the second AP 202 (as illustrated by identifier 1 being crossed out). Similarly, the first AP 202 may disassociate zones associated with preliminary identifiers 18-40 by the first AP 202 and zones associated with preliminary identifiers 2-24 by the second AP, respectively, from the preliminary identifiers 2-24 assigned by the first AP 202. The first AP 202 may also sequentially renumber the remaining zones associated with the second AP 204 (e.g., the zone initially associated with preliminary identifier 25 by the second AP 206 may be assigned identifier 41 by the first AP 202 so that it is sequentially aligned with the last zone 40 of the first segmented coverage area, and so on). In this way, the identification schemes of regions can be merged. By merging segment or region identifiers in this way, e.g. Figure 2E As shown on the right, the first AP 202 may assign or cause to be assigned a globally unique identifier 1-56 to each zone to allow each zone (including overlapping zones) to be uniquely identified. The merged identifier for some zones (such as zones 1-16) may be the same as the preliminary identifier associated with those zones.

[0089] Figure 2F An example is shown in which the first AP 202 communicates a combined (or unique or final) identifier to the second AP 204. For example, the first AP 202 can communicate the location data for each zone 1-56 along with its unique identifier to the second AP 204. This can enable each of the first AP 202 and the second AP 204 to uniquely identify each zone (including any overlapping zones) in each of the segmented coverage areas 206 and 208. These techniques for uniquely identifying each zone can be extended to environments with any number of APs.

[0090] Figure 3A An example multi-AP wireless network environment 300 is shown with a first AP 302, a second AP 304, a third AP 306, and a wireless station (STA) 308. The first AP 302 may be a first AP 302, a second AP 304, a third AP 306, and a wireless station (STA) 308. Figure 1A and Figure 2A The second AP 304 and the third AP 306 may each be a reference AP. Figure 1A Described in AP 111-116 or reference Figure 2A The multi-AP wireless network 300 may be a mesh network (such as an EasyMesh network) or another multi-AP network. The station 308 may be Figure 1A An example of one of the stations STA1-STA4 in .

[0091] Figure 3B An example of a STA in a multi-AP wireless network environment 300 moving back and forth over a small area 310 is shown. STA 308 may repeatedly move back and forth over the small area 310 over a period of time, such as over a few minutes, an hour, or a day. For example, environment 300 may be associated with an office setting, and area 310 may be located between the office of a user of station 308 and a printer used by the user.

[0092] Figure 3CAn example is shown in which multiple measurement reports 312A-312J are generated for STA 308 as STA 308 moves across a small area 310. In this example, each time STA 308 moves across area 310, STA 308 may become eligible for steering. For example, as STA 308 moves across small area 310, the signal strength of an associated AP (such as AP 302) may equal or become below a steering eligibility threshold, which may cause the associated AP to transmit a measurement request to STA 308. STA 308 may respond with one of measurement reports 312A-312J. In one aspect, each measurement request may be an 11k request, and each of measurement reports 312A-312J may be an 11k report. As described above, each 11k report 312A-312J may include RSSI or similar information for the associated AP (AP 302 in this example) and candidate APs 304 and 306.

[0093] exist Figure 3C In the example of FIG, it is shown that ten 11k reports 312A-312C have been generated as the station 308 moves back and forth over the small area 310. Because each 11k report 312A-312J is generated while the STA 308 is within the small area 310, each 11k report 312A-312J includes substantially the same or similar RSSI information for the associated AP 302 and the candidate APs 304 and 306. Although Figure 3C Although a single station 308 is shown, environment 300 may include a large number of stations, and each time any of these stations moves over small area 310, multiple redundant measurement requests and reports may be generated. These redundant measurement requests and reports may flood the medium and, therefore, affect medium contention and user experience. In addition, because multiple active scans of environment 300 including redundant information must be performed, resources of stations such as STA 308 may be unnecessarily consumed.

[0094] Figure 3D 1 shows an example of the respective coverage areas 314, 316, and 318 of the first AP 302, the second AP 304, and the third AP 306 after the coverage areas 314, 316, and 318 have been divided into zones and after a unique identifier 1-80 has been associated with each zone. Each of the coverage areas 314, 316, and 318 may have been estimated and divided by the respective APs 302, 304, and 306, as described above with reference to FIG. Figures 2A to 2C As described above, a unique identifier 1-80 may have been associated with each zone by the first AP 302 (such as a MAP controller associated with the first AP 302), as described above with reference to Figures 2D to 2EAdditionally, the first AP 302 may have communicated the unique identifier 1-80 for each zone to the second AP 304 and the third AP 306, as described above with reference to Figure 2F described.

[0095] Figure 3E An example of a measurement graph 320 including measurement reports associated with multiple zones is shown. The first AP 302 or associated AP can monitor the location of the station 308 using any suitable location monitoring process, for example, using one or more of RTT measurements, measurements obtained from a global positioning system (GPS) or other sensor associated with the station 308, Wi-Fi sensing, and the IEEE 802.11mc protocol. When the station 308 is within a particular zone 1-80 and initially becomes eligible for bootstrapping, such as when the signal strength of the associated AP becomes less than or equal to a bootstrapping eligibility threshold, the associated AP can transmit a measurement request to the station 308, and the station 308 can respond with a measurement report. As described, the measurement report can be an 11k report or another suitable report indicating the signal strength of the associated AP and the candidate APs.

[0096] The measurement report may be stored to allow for subsequent access in measurement map 320. In some examples, first AP 302 may store the measurement report locally or elsewhere, such as on the "cloud" or other remote storage device. For example, in the event that first AP 302 is not the associated AP, the associated AP may communicate the measurement report to first AP 302 for storage. In some examples, the measurement report may be stored locally on each of APs 302, 304, and 306, remotely so that it is accessible to each AP 302, 304, and 306, or both. In this manner, as station 308 moves through environment 300 and becomes eligible for guidance in one or more of the various zones 1-80, a measurement report indicating the signal strength of the associated AP and candidate APs for STA 308 in one or more of the various zones 1-80 may be stored. The measurement report for one or more zones in the segmented coverage area that is accessible when making subsequent guidance decisions for the STA may also be referred to herein as a "target AP report" or "target AP information." The target AP information associated with one or more zones can provide a STA with the signal strengths of multiple APs in the one or more zones, and thus, can identify the AP with the best signal strength characteristics in a given area for a given STA. In some implementations, the measurement graph 320 can be a collection of target AP information for multiple zones. The measurement graph 320 may also be interchangeably referred to herein as a signal strength graph 320.

[0097] In some examples, the measurement map 320 may include measurement reports associated with multiple zones (such as at least some of zones 1-80), generated over time as the STA 308 becomes eligible for guidance in those zones. The measurement reports 320 may therefore include signal strength characteristics of each of the associated AP and candidate APs for each of the multiple zones. The measurement map 320 may be used by an AP (such as the first AP 302 or the associated AP) to make guidance decisions for the STA 308. The measurement map 320 may include target AP information for fewer than all zones 1-80.

[0098] Figure 3F An example of making a steering decision for STA 308 based on measurement map 320 is shown. For example, assuming that region 310 ( Figure 3C ) corresponds to Figure 3F 306. When a station 308 first becomes eligible for bootstrapping in zone 27, an associated AP, such as first AP 302, may send a measurement request to the station 308, and the station 308 may respond with a measurement report that includes the signal strengths of the associated AP 302 and other APs 304 and 306. In this example, AP 304 may be the target AP, i.e., the AP to which the station 308 is to be bootstrapping, because the signal strength of AP 304 in zone 27 exceeds the signal strength of AP 302 in zone 27. Thus, when the station 308 is in zone 27 and initially becomes eligible for bootstrapping, a measurement report may be generated by the STA 308, and the associated AP 302 may bootstrapping the station 308 to the target AP 304 in view of the measurement report. The signal strengths of the APs 302, 304, and 306 in zone 27, as provided in the measurement report, may also be stored in the diagram 320. The next time station 308 associates with first AP 302 and becomes eligible for bootstrapping in zone 27, first AP 302 can steer station 308 to target AP 304 based on the signal strength (or target AP) information for segment 27 in diagram 320. First AP 302 can make this bootstrapping decision without generating additional measurement requests and reports, which would show the same or similar data as already provided in diagram 320. Thus, transmitting multiple redundant measurement requests and reports related to bootstrapping station 308 in zone 27 can be avoided, freeing up the medium and potentially allowing for faster handoffs. Reducing these redundant reports and associated requests can also increase the power efficiency of STA 308. Consequently, the user experience can be improved.

[0099] In the same manner, when STA 308 is eligible for guidance in another zone (such as zone 2), first AP 302 (or, in the case of a SON, an associated AP) may check whether map 320 includes signal strength data for that zone. If map 320 includes signal strength data for that zone (such as zone 2), a guidance decision may be made based on map 320 without generating another measurement request and report. Alternatively, if map 320 does not include signal strength data for that zone (such as zone 2), a measurement request may be transmitted to STA 308 and a response report, or portions thereof, may be stored in map 320, so that subsequent guidance decisions for STA 308 in that zone may be made based on map 320 without generating additional redundant reports.

[0100] In some implementations, APs 302, 304, and 306 can estimate and segment their respective coverage areas 314, 316, and 318 during the onboarding process to allow generation of map 320 to begin during or shortly after the onboarding process. In some implementations, zones 1-80 and map 320 can be updated to facilitate guidance decisions based on the latest data. In some examples, zones 1-80 and map 320 can be updated periodically (such as daily, weekly, or monthly). Alternatively or in addition, zones 1-80 or map 320 can be updated using a time interval set by the manufacturer of APs 302, 304, and 306 or by a user. In some implementations, all or part of map 320 can be regenerated to account for displacement of APs 302, 304, and 306 from their original locations, thereby potentially affecting target AP information associated with one or more zones. In these examples, first AP 302 may continuously or periodically monitor the locations of APs 302 , 304 , and 306 to ensure that map 320 includes current data.

[0101] Figure 4A An example multi-AP wireless network environment 400 is shown with a first AP 402, a second AP 404, a third AP 406, and a STA 408. The first AP 402, the second AP 404, and the third AP 406 may be the same as those described above. Figure 3A The first AP 302, the second AP 304, and the third AP 306 are described as examples. The STA 408 may be the same as the one described above. Figure 3A An example of the discussed STA 308. The multi-AP wireless network 400 may be a mesh network (such as an EasyMesh network) or another multi-AP network.

[0102] Figure 4B An example of region R1 within multi-AP wireless network environment 400 is shown, where STA 408 is eligible for bootstrapping. For example, when station 408 is within region R1, its signal strength may be less than or equal to a bootstrapping eligibility threshold.

[0103] Figure 4C An example of STA 408 within region R1 is shown. In this example, station 408 is associated with AP 402. As described, when STA 408 is within region R1 and eligible for booting in a conventional scenario, associated AP 402 may transmit a measurement request (such as an 11k request), and STA 408 may respond with a measurement report that includes the signal strength of associated AP 402 and candidate APs 404 and 406.

[0104] Figure 4D An example is shown in which a STA 408 in region R1 is directed from a first AP (ie, associated AP) 402 to a second AP 404. For example, the STA 408 may be directed by the associated AP 402 to the candidate AP 404 because the signal strength of the candidate AP 404 is greater than the signal strength of the associated AP 402. Figure 4D In the example shown in FIG4 , a station 408 may be directed from the associated AP 402 to the second AP 404 even when the difference between the signal strengths of the two APs is small when the station 408 is in region R1. This may lead to undesirable results, especially when the difference in signal strength between the associated AP and the candidate AP is small enough that it does not significantly affect service to the STA 408 in practice. In a conventional approach, a STA 408 in region R1 may be directed from the first AP 402 to the second AP 404 multiple times during a period of time, even in situations where the signal strength of the second AP 404 is only slightly better than the signal strength of the first AP 402. Similarly, a STA 408 in region R1 may be repeatedly directed from the second AP 404 to the first AP 402 even in situations where the signal strength of the first AP 402 is slightly greater than the signal strength of the second AP. In a case where the marginal difference in signal strength of the associated AP and the candidate AP is too small to improve service to the STA 408, such repeated steering of the STA 408 in region R1 from the first AP 402 to the second AP 404 and back to the first AP 402 may waste resources of the STA 408 and adversely affect the user experience.

[0105] In some aspects, in situations where the signal strength of a candidate AP exceeds the signal strength of an associated AP and the difference between the signal strengths of the candidate and associated APs equals or exceeds a threshold (also referred to as a "steering threshold"), the associated AP 402 (such as a MAP controller) may steer the STA 408 from its associated AP to the candidate AP. In situations where the signal strength of the candidate AP is slightly better than that of the associated AP, using the steering threshold may allow the STA 408 to continue associating with the associated AP. The steering threshold may be set by the manufacturer of the APs 402, 404, and 406. In some examples, the steering threshold may be user-configurable. In some examples, the steering threshold may be adaptively modified (such as by a MAP controller associated with the first AP 402) based on an evaluation of the performance characteristics of the STA 408.

[0106] Figure 4E 4 shows an example of the respective coverage areas 412, 414, and 416 of the first AP 402, the second AP 404, and the third AP 406 after the coverage areas 412, 414, and 416 have been divided into zones 1-80 and after a unique identifier has been associated with each zone, as described above with reference to FIG. Figure 3D Station 408 is shown in zone 27 in region R1, currently associated with AP 402, and eligible for bootstrapping.

[0107] Figure 4F An example of a measurement graph 420 is shown that includes a measurement report associated with zone 27, where STA 408 is located. Zone 27 is within region R1, and STA 408 is currently associated with AP 402. The report provided in graph 420 may have been generated when STA 408 was initially eligible to be booted in zone 27. Graph 420 shows that although second AP 404 has better signal strength characteristics in zone 27 relative to associated AP 402, the difference between the signal strengths of associated AP 402 and candidate AP 404 is minimal (1 dBm in this example). Figure 4F In the example shown, the guided threshold 422 is set to 5 dBm. The guided threshold 422 may be stored as part of the map 420 or may be provided elsewhere.

[0108] Figure 4GAn example of making steering decisions based on measurement graph 420 and steering threshold 422 is shown. Specifically, STA 408 is not steered to candidate AP 402 even if the signal strength of candidate AP 404 is better than the signal strength of associated AP 402 because the difference in signal strength between associated AP 402 and candidate AP 404 does not exceed steering threshold 422. Alternatively, STA 408 may be steered to candidate AP 404 in situations where the difference between the signal strengths of associated AP 402 and candidate AP 404 is greater than or equal to steering threshold 422. Using steering threshold 422 can potentially limit steering of STA 408 to situations where STA 408 is more likely to see service improvement from steering.

[0109] Figure 5A An example multi-AP wireless network environment 500 is shown with a first AP 502, a second AP 504, a third AP 506, and a STA 508. The first AP 502, the second AP 504, and the third AP 506 may be the same as those described above. Figure 3A The examples of the first AP 302, the second AP 304 and the third AP 306 are described. The STA 508 may be the same as that described above with reference to FIG. Figure 3A The example of STA 308 discussed. The multi-AP wireless network 500 can be a mesh network (such as an EasyMesh network) or another multi-AP network. Figure 5A In FIG, an imaginary boundary line L1 is shown for illustrative purposes to divide the environment 500 into regions 510 and 512. 5A to 5D In the example of FIG, area 510 is served (if any) by a single AP (AP 502 in this example). Other APs (ie, AP 504 and AP 506) may not provide service and may not be seen by STAs 508 in area 510.

[0110] Figure 5B 1-80 and after a unique identifier has been associated with each zone. Each coverage area 514, 516, and 518 may have been estimated and segmented by the respective AP 502, 504, and 506, as described above with reference to FIG. Figures 2A to 2C As described above, a unique identifier 1-80 may have been associated with each zone by the first AP 502, as described above with reference to Figures 2D to 2E Additionally, the first AP 502 may have communicated the unique identifier 1-80 for each zone to the second AP 504 and the third AP 506, as described above with reference to Figure 2F described.

[0111] Figure 5C An example of measurement reports associated with some of the zones 1-80 in the segmented coverage areas 514, 516, and 518 is shown. As described above, measurement reports associated with a particular zone may have been generated when the STA 508 initially became eligible to boot in that zone. The measurement reports associated with the various zones 1-80 may be stored in a directory such as the one described above with reference to FIG. Figure 4F In the figure discussed with respect to Figure 420.

[0112] Figure 5C STA 508 in the example is located in zone 4 and is eligible for bootstrapping. Figure 5C In the example of , target AP information for zone 4 is currently unknown because station 508 may not have previously qualified to steer in zone 4. However, measurement reports are associated with zones adjacent to zone 4, and measurement reports may have been generated and stored when station 508 was previously qualified to steer in these adjacent zones. Figure 5C In the example shown in FIG4 , target AP information (i.e., measurement reports or signal strength data) is associated with each of zones 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14, which are adjacent to zone 4. The target AP information for adjacent zones 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 indicates that the first AP 502 serves these zones alone. The first AP 502 can ascertain, determine, or establish, based on the signal strength data for zones adjacent to zone 4, that zone 4 is also unlikely to be served by either the second AP 504 or the third AP 506. Therefore, when STA 508 is eligible to be directed in zone 4, the associated AP 502 can forgo transmitting a measurement request, even if signal strength data for zone 4 has not been previously collected. Thus, the generation of measurement reports that do not produce actionable data can be avoided.

[0113] Figure 5DAn example of zone 4 being grouped with neighboring zones 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 due to similar signal strength characteristics associated with each of those neighboring zones is shown. Specifically, in this example, first AP 502 (such as its MAP controller) may group each of zones 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 in group 520 along with zone 4 because zone 4 is also unlikely to be served by either of APs 504 and 506 (or may be served only by AP 502). In some examples, zones may be grouped with neighboring zones in this manner if a particular number of neighboring zones have the same or comparable signal strength characteristics. For example, where each of the three zones above the zone in question is served by no more than one AP, the zone may be grouped with those three zones. Or, for example, where the same AP has the best signal strength characteristics among those neighboring zones, the zone may be grouped with two zones on each side of the zone in question. Figure 5D In the example of 520, STA 508 may not transmit any measurement request when it is eligible to be directed in any zone within group 520. In some examples, a group (such as group 520) may include two or more zones whose signal strengths are estimated using signal strength data of neighboring zones.

[0114] Figure 6A An example of a measurement graph 620A associated with a first STA 608A in an example multi-AP wireless network environment 600 having a first AP 602, a second AP 604, and a third AP 606 is shown. Specifically, Figure 6A Respective coverage areas 614, 616, and 618 associated with first AP 602, second AP 604, and third AP 606 are shown after the coverage areas 614, 616, and 618 have been divided into zones 1-80 and after a unique identifier has been associated with each zone. Measurement map 620A includes target AP information for several zones.

[0115] In some implementations, in situations where a first STA and a second STA are comparable, a measurement map associated with the first STA can be assigned to the second STA. For example, in an example where a complete or partial measurement map is already associated with the first STA, the complete or partial measurement map can be associated with the second STA that subsequently joins the network, given the comparability or similarity between the first STA and the second STA. Assigning the measurement map associated with the first STA to the second STA can reduce or eliminate measurement requests and reports that would otherwise need to be generated to repopulate the second STA's measurement map.

[0116] Figure 6BFIG. 6 shows an example in which the first AP 602 associates the measurement values in the signal strength graph 620A of the first STA 608A with the second STA 608B, given the comparability of the first STA 620A and the second STA 602B. Specifically, Figure 6B A measurement graph 620B for a second STA 608B is shown, which includes the same per-zone measurements as the measurement graph 620A. In some implementations, the first AP 602 (such as a MAP controller associated therewith) can compare the first STA 608A and the second STA 608B when the second STA 608B joins the network environment 600. If the first AP 602 ascertains, determines, or establishes that the first STA 608A and the second STA 608B are comparable, the first AP 602 can assign the measurement values in the graph 620A for the first STA 608A to the graph 620B for the second STA 608B. For example, the first AP 602 can ascertain, determine, or establish that the first STA 608A and the second STA 608B are comparable if they are of the same model, are iterations of the same model, or are manufactured by the same manufacturer. In some implementations, in situations where the measured values of STA 608B in multiple zones are the same or comparable to the measured values of first STA 608A in those zones, first AP 602A can assign the measurement values of graph 620A to graph 620B. These techniques can allow some or all measurement reports associated with STA 608A to be reused for STA 608B without having to generate all new measurement reports for STA 608B.

[0117] Figure 7A An example of measurement values for certain zones of a STA 708 in a multi-AP wireless network environment 700 having a first AP 702 and a second AP 704 is shown. A first segmented coverage area 714 may be associated with the first AP 702, and a second segmented coverage area 716 may be associated with the second AP 704. Zones 33, 34, 35, 41, 43, 49, 50, and 51 each have measurement values associated with them, each of which may have been generated when the STA 708 first became eligible to bootstrap in that zone. Zone 42 is framed between zones 33, 34, 35, 41, 43, 49, 50, and 51 and is shown as having no measurement values associated with it. This may be because the STA 708 may not yet be eligible to bootstrap in zone 42.

[0118] In some implementations, the first AP 702 (such as a MAP controller associated with the first AP 702) can use measured measurements of neighboring zones to approximate the zone's measurements.

[0119] Figure 7BAn example of the measurement value of zone 42 estimated using the measurement values of neighboring zones 33, 34, 35, 41, 43, 49, 50, and 51 is shown. Figure 7B , STA 708 has moved to region 42, with which no measurements may have been previously associated.

[0120] exist Figure 7A In the example of FIG4 , the first AP 702 is an associated AP. Before the first AP 702 transmits a measurement request when it is in zone 42, the first AP 702 (such as a MAP controller) can ascertain, determine, or establish that some or all of zones 33, 34, 35, 41, 43, 49, 50, and 51 adjacent to zone 42 have measurement values associated therewith. The first AP 702 can use the measurement values of the neighboring zones to estimate the measurement values of zone 42. Thus, the measurement values of zone 42 can be estimated without transmitting measurement requests and reports for zone 42, which can free up resources and potentially result in faster handoffs and an improved user experience.

[0121] In some implementations, the first AP 702 can estimate the signal strength of the AP 702 in zone 42 by averaging the signal strength of the AP 702 in each of zones 33, 34, 35, 41, 43, 49, 50, and 51 surrounding the zone 42. The first AP 702 can similarly estimate the signal strength of the AP 704 in zone 42 by averaging the signal strength of the AP 704 in each of zones 33, 34, 35, 41, 43, 49, 50, and 51 surrounding the zone 42. In this manner, the estimated measurement value 720 of each of the AP 702 and the AP 704 of the STA 708 can be associated with the zone 42.

[0122] Figure 8A An example of a multi-AP environment 800 is shown with a first AP 802 and a second AP 804 associated with a first segmented coverage area 814 and a second segmented coverage area 816, respectively. Figure 8A It is shown that measurements have been collected for STA 808 for zones 28, 41, 42, 46, and 61 of a first frequency band (in this example, the 2.4 GHz band). For example, these measurements may have been collected when STA 808 operating in the first frequency band first became eligible to boot in these zones. Figure 8A Also shown is that measurements have been collected for STA 808 for zones 28, 41, 42, and 61 of the second frequency band (the 5 GHz band in this example). Measurements for zone 46 of the second frequency band are not currently available.

[0123] In some aspects, the first AP 802 (such as its MAP controller) can use the measured values for the zone of the second frequency band to estimate the measured values for the zone of the first frequency band. In some implementations, the first AP 802 can use the measured values for the zone of the second frequency band to estimate the measured values for the zone of the first frequency band by comparing the measured values for the first frequency band and the second frequency band in other zones. For example, in Figure 8B In the example shown in FIG1 , the first AP 802 may ascertain, determine, or establish that the actual measured values for zones 28, 41, 42, and 61 for the 2.4 GHz band are, on average, approximately 10 dBm greater than the actual measured values for the 5 GHz band. Given this relationship in other zones, the first AP 802 may estimate that the measured values for the 5 GHz band in a given zone may be 10 dBm less than the actual measured values for the 2.4 GHz band in that zone.

[0124] Figure 8B An example is shown in which the measured values of the zone 46 for the first frequency band (the 2.4 GHz band in this example) are used to estimate the measured values of the zone for the second frequency band (the 5 GHz band in this example). Figure 8B STA 808 is shown in zone 46. Zone 46 is shown as having measurements associated with the 2.4 GHz band, but may not have previous measurements associated with the 5 GHz band. STA 808 may operate in the 5 GHz band and may be eligible for bootstrapping. However, instead of generating a measurement request and report for the 5 GHz band in zone 46, first AP 802 may estimate that the measurements for the 5 GHz band in zone 46 are 10 dBm less than the measurements for the 2.4 GHz band in that zone. Therefore, AP 802 can use the relationship between actual measurements for the first and second bands in other zones to estimate the measurements for the current zone.

[0125] In some implementations, the first AP 802 may use RSSI conversion parameters configured by the manufacturer of the STA or by the user to ascertain, determine, or establish a measurement value for a region of the first frequency band using a measurement value for the second frequency band. For example, the RSSI conversion parameters may indicate that the difference between the RSSI of a STA in the first frequency band is 10 dBm greater than the RSSI of the STA in the second frequency band. In these examples, the first AP 802 may use the measurement value (such as an actual measurement value or an estimated measurement value) for the region of the first frequency band to estimate the measurement value of the second frequency band, and vice versa.

[0126] As described, in examples, the size and number of partitioned zones can be user-configurable. In one aspect, first AP 802 can modify the size of one or more zones. An excessive number of zones that partition coverage areas 814 and 816 can increase the complexity of environment 800 and degrade guidance performance. In some implementations, in examples where adjacent zones have identical or comparable measurements, first AP 808 can merge adjacent zones together. This can allow for optimization of the size and number of zones and avoid scenarios where many small adjacent zones have identical or comparable measurements.

[0127] Figure 9 A flow chart illustrating an example process 900 that can be performed at a wireless AP that supports using target AP information of a zone to guide a STA is shown. The operations of process 900 can be implemented by a wireless AP or its components as described herein. For example, process 900 can be performed by a wireless communication device operating as a wireless AP or within a wireless STA (such as a reference Figure 1A In some examples, process 900 may be performed by a wireless AP (such as the wireless communication device 110 described in the respective references). Figure 2A 、 Figure 3A 、 Figure 4A 、 Figure 5A 、 Figure 6A 、 Figure 7A and Figure 8A The wireless AP may be executed by one of the APs 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, or 802 described herein or another suitable AP. In a specific implementation, the wireless AP may include a MAP controller and a MAP agent. In some cases, the multi-AP environment may be a SON, and the wireless AP may be any AP in the SON environment.

[0128] At block 902, a wireless (or "first") AP may receive information regarding a split coverage area associated with a second AP. The split coverage area associated with the second AP may be, for example, a reference Figure 2C 208 or another segmented coverage area associated with the second AP 204. At block 904, the first AP may associate a unique identifier with each of the plurality of zones. The plurality of zones may include at least one zone from the first segmented coverage area associated with the first AP and at least one zone from the second segmented coverage area associated with the second AP. At block 906, the first AP may receive target AP information associated with at least one zone in the plurality of zones so that the target AP information is used to direct the wireless device to the corresponding AP.

[0129] Although Figure 9While the process for bootstrapping one STA is illustrated, multiple STAs can be bootstrapped at once using target AP information associated with zones in which the STA is eligible for bootstrapping. In some implementations, target AP information can be stored remotely (such as on a cloud server) in addition to or in contrast to the root AP. In some implementations, the target AP information can be used by these cloud servers or another computing device, rather than a MAP controller or AP, to make bootstrapping decisions.

[0130] Figure 10 A flow chart illustrating an example process for using target AP information for a zone to guide a STA in a multi-AP environment is shown. The operations of process 1000 may be implemented by one or more wireless APs or components thereof as described herein.

[0131] Process 1000 may begin at block 1002. At block 1004, the coverage areas of multiple APs in a multi-AP environment may be divided into zones, and a first AP (such as a MAP controller associated therewith) may associate a unique identifier with each zone. At block 1006, the zones may be updated periodically or using user-specified criteria. Zones may also be updated at block 1006 in situations where one or more APs have moved from their original locations.

[0132] At block 1008, an AP (such as an associated AP) may monitor whether a STA in a multi-AP environment is eligible for bootstrapping. For example, the first AP or the associated AP may check whether the signal strength of the associated AP is less than or equal to a bootstrapping eligibility threshold. At block 1010, if the STA is not eligible for bootstrapping, the process may return to block 1008 and continue monitoring the STA. Alternatively, if the STA is eligible for bootstrapping at block 1010, at block 1012, the first AP or the associated AP may locate the zone in which the STA is currently located. For example, the first AP or the associated AP may use one or more of the following to ascertain, determine, or obtain the location of the STA: RTT measurements, measurements obtained from a global positioning system (GPS) or other sensors associated with the STA, Wi-Fi sensing, and the IEEE 802.11mc protocol.

[0133] At block 1014, the first or associated AP may ascertain, determine, or establish whether target AP information for the zone in which the STA is currently located is available in the measurement map. If target AP information for the zone is not available, at block 1016, the associated AP may transmit a measurement request and may obtain a measurement report generated by the STA in response (such as an 11k request and report or other report indicating the signal strength of APs in the zone). At block 1018, the first or associated AP may use the measurement report to guide the STA (e.g., using a guidance threshold). At block 1020, target AP information (such as information indicating the respective signal strengths of multiple APs in the zone) may be associated with the zone in the measurement map. Process 1000 may return to block 1008 to monitor when the STA subsequently becomes eligible for guidance.

[0134] Alternatively, if the target AP information for the zone is included in the measurement map at block 1014, then at block 1022, the first AP or the associated AP may use the target AP information in the measurement map to steer the STA to the target AP. In some examples, in a case where the signal strength of the target AP is greater than the signal strength of the associated AP, the STA may be steered from the associated AP to the target AP. In some examples, when the signal strength of the target AP is greater than the signal strength of the associated AP and the difference between the signal strengths of the target AP and the associated AP exceeds a steering threshold, the STA may be steered from the associated AP to the target AP. Process 1000 may return to block 1008 to monitor whether the STA is eligible for steering.

[0135] Figure 11 A block diagram of an example wireless communication device 1100 that supports using target AP information for bootstrapping is shown. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 is configured or operable to perform respective references to Figure 9 and Figure 10 In various examples, the wireless communication device 1100 may be a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device that may include: one or more modems (such as a Wi-Fi (IEEE 1102.11) modem or a cellular modem (such as a 3GPP 4G LTE or 5G compatible modem); one or more processors, processing blocks, or processing elements (collectively, “processor” 1102); one or more radio components (collectively, “radio component” 1112); and one or more memories or storage blocks (collectively, “memory” 1104).

[0136] The wireless communication device 1100 includes a processor component 1102, a memory component 1104, a display component 1106, a user interface component 1108, a modem component 1110, and a radio component 1112. Portions of one or more of the components 1106, 1108, 1110, and 1112 may be implemented at least in part in hardware or firmware. In some examples, at least some of the components 1106, 1108, 1110, and 1112 of the device 1100 are at least in part implemented by the processor and implemented as software stored in the memory. For example, portions of one or more of the display component 1106, the user interface component 1108, and the modem component 1110 may be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or "code") that can be executed by the processor 1102 to perform the functions or operations of the corresponding modules.

[0137] In some implementations, processor 1102 may be a component of a processing system. A processing system may generally refer to a system or a series of machines or components that receives inputs and processes those inputs to produce a set of outputs (which may be passed to, for example, other systems or components of device 1100). For example, the processing system of device 1100 may refer to a system that includes various other components or subcomponents of device 1100 (such as a processor or a transceiver or a communication manager or other components or combinations of components of device 1100). The processing system of device 1100 may interface with other components of device 1100 and may process information (such as inputs or signals) received from other components or output information to other components. For example, a chip or modem of device 1100 may include a processing system, a first interface for outputting information, and a second interface for receiving information. In some implementations, the first interface may refer to an interface between the processing system of the chip or modem and a transmitter, allowing device 1100 to transmit information output from the chip or modem. In some specific implementations, the second interface may refer to an interface between a processing system of a chip or modem and a receiver, so that the device 1100 can obtain information or signal input and transmit the information to the processing system. A person skilled in the art will readily recognize that the first interface can also obtain information or signal input, and the second interface can also output information or signal output.

[0138] The processor 1102 is capable of, configured to, or operable to process information received through the radio 1112 and the modem 1110, and to process information to be output by the modem 1110 and the radio 1112 for transmission over a wireless medium. The processor 1102 may perform logical and arithmetic operations using program instructions stored in the memory 1104. The instructions in the memory 1104 may be executable (e.g., by the processor 1102) to implement the methods described herein. In some examples, the processor 1102, together with the memory 1104, is capable of, configured to, or operable to segment a network coverage area into zones and guide STAs using target AP information associated with these zones.

[0139] The memory 1104 is capable, configured, or operable to store instructions and data and to communicate instructions and data to and from the processor 1102 .

[0140] The user interface 1108 can be any device that allows a user to interact with the wireless communication device 1100, such as a keyboard, mouse, microphone, etc. In various aspects, the user interface 1108 can be integrated with the display component 1106 to present a touch screen.

[0141] Modem 1110 is capable, configured, or operable to modulate packets and output the modulated packets to radio 1112 for transmission over a wireless medium. Modem 1110 is similarly configured to obtain modulated packets received by radio 1112 and demodulate the packets to provide demodulated packets.

[0142] The radio 1112 includes at least one radio frequency transmitter and at least one radio frequency receiver, which may be combined into one or more transceivers. The transmitter and receiver may be coupled to one or more antennas. In some aspects, the processor 1102, memory 1104, modem 1110, and radio 1112 may collectively facilitate wireless communication between the wireless communication device 1100 and other wireless communication devices over multiple frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz).

[0143] In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 may be a device for communicating with an AP (such as a wireless communication device 1100). Figure 1A 、 Figure 2A 、 Figure 3A 、 Figure 4A 、 Figure 5A 、 Figure 6A 、 Figure 7A and Figure 8A2, 302, 402, 502, 602, 702, or 802 described herein) or another suitable AP, such as an associated AP or a target AP. In some other examples, the wireless communication device 1100 may be an AP that includes such a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device and multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 1100 is capable of sending and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device may be configured or operable to send and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs that comply with one or more of the IEEE 1102.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 also includes or may be coupled to an application processor, which may be further coupled to another memory. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 also includes at least one external network interface that enables communication with a core network or a backhaul network to gain access to an external network, including the Internet.

[0144] In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 may be a device for use in a STA (such as a reference Figure 1A STA1-STA4 described above, or another STA). In some other examples, the wireless communication device 1100 may be a STA that includes such a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device and multiple antennas. The wireless communication device 1100 is capable of sending and receiving wireless communications, for example, in the form of wireless packets. For example, the wireless communication device may be configured or operable to send and receive packets in the form of physical layer PPDUs and MPDUs that comply with one or more of the IEEE 1102.11 series of wireless communication protocol standards. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 also includes or may be coupled to an application processor, which may be further coupled to another memory. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 also includes a user interface (UI) (such as a touch screen or keypad) and a display, which may be integrated with the UI to form a touch screen display. In some examples, the wireless communication device 1100 may also include one or more sensors, such as one or more inertial sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or altitude sensors.

[0145] Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0146] 1. A method performed by a first access point (AP) in a multiple access point (AP) environment, the method comprising:

[0147] receiving information about a second segmented coverage area associated with a second AP;

[0148] associating a unique identifier with each of a plurality of zones, the plurality of zones including at least one zone from a first segmented coverage area associated with the first AP and at least one zone from the second segmented coverage area; and

[0149] receiving target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones;

[0150] The target AP information is used to guide the wireless device to the corresponding AP.

[0151] 2. The method of clause 1 , wherein the target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones comprises a signal strength value of the wireless device in the at least one of the plurality of zones relative to each of the first AP and the second AP.

[0152] 3. The method of any one of clauses 1 or 2, wherein the first segmented coverage area and the second segmented coverage area have overlapping portions.

[0153] 4. A method according to any one of clauses 1, 2 or 3, further comprising associating a preliminary identifier with a region of the plurality of regions that is located in the overlapping portion.

[0154] 5. The method of any one of clauses 1, 2, 3, or 4, further comprising, when the wireless device is in a specific zone among the plurality of zones, receiving the target AP information associated with the specific zone.

[0155] 6. The method of any of clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, further comprising updating at least one of the plurality of zones in response to a shift in the position of at least one of the first AP and the second AP.

[0156] 7. The method of any of clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, further comprising assigning the target AP information associated with a particular zone among the plurality of zones to a neighboring zone.

[0157] 8. A method according to any one of clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, further comprising assigning the target AP information associated with the specific zone to a second wireless device in the specific zone based at least in part on a similarity between the wireless device and the second wireless device.

[0158] 9. A method according to any one of clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, further comprising merging the at least two of the multiple zones based at least in part on the target AP information associated with the at least two of the multiple zones.

[0159] 10. A method according to any one of clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9, further comprising associating the target AP information with a zone in the plurality of zones based at least in part on a measurement report, the measurement report comprising at least one item selected from the group consisting of an 802.11k report and a smart monitoring report.

[0160] 11. A method according to any one of clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10, the method further comprising associating at least one of the plurality of zones with the wireless device based at least in part on a location of the wireless device; wherein the location of the wireless device is associated with at least one item selected from the group consisting of: a reading from a global positioning system (GPS), an 802.11mc report, and Wi-Fi sensing.

[0161] 12. An access point (AP), comprising:

[0162] at least one memory; and

[0163] at least one processor, the at least one processor and the at least one storage

[0164] The AP is communicatively coupled to the AP and operable to cause the AP to:

[0165] receiving information about a second segmented coverage area associated with a second AP;

[0166] associating a unique identifier with each of a plurality of zones, the plurality of zones including at least one zone from a first segmented coverage area associated with the AP and at least one zone from the second segmented coverage area; and receiving target AP information associated with at least one zone of the plurality of zones;

[0167] The target AP information is used to guide the wireless device to the corresponding AP.

[0168] 13. The AP of clause 12, wherein the target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones comprises the

[0169] A signal strength value of a wireless device relative to each of the AP and the second AP.

[0170] 14. The AP of any of clauses 12 or 13, wherein the first segmented coverage area and the second segmented coverage area have overlapping portions.

[0171] 15. The AP of any of clauses 12, 13 or 14, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to associate a temporary identifier with a zone of the plurality of zones that is located in the overlapping portion.

[0172] 16. The AP of any one of clauses 12, 13, 14, or 15, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to, when the wireless device is in a particular zone among the plurality of zones, receive the target AP information associated with the particular zone.

[0173] 17. The AP of any one of clauses 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to update at least one of the plurality of zones in response to a shift in the position of at least one of the AP and the second AP.

[0174] 18. The AP of any of clauses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or 17, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to periodically update the plurality of zones.

[0175] 19. The AP of any of clauses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18, wherein a size of one of the plurality of zones is the same as a size of another of the plurality of zones.

[0176] 20. The AP of any of clauses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to assign the target AP information associated with a particular zone among the plurality of zones to a neighboring zone.

[0177] 21. An AP according to any one of clauses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to assign the target AP information associated with a second wireless device in the specific zone based at least in part on a similarity between the wireless device and the second wireless device in the specific zone.

[0178] 22. An AP according to any one of clauses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21, wherein the at least one processor is further capable of operating to merge the at least two of the multiple zones based at least in part on the target AP information associated with the at least two of the multiple zones.

[0179] 23. The AP of any of clauses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, or 22, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to associate the target AP information with a zone of the plurality of zones based at least in part on measurement reports;

[0180] The measurement report includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of an 802.11k report and a smart monitoring report.

[0181] 24. An AP as described in any of clauses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 or 23, wherein:

[0182] The at least one processor is further operable to associate at least one of the plurality of zones with the wireless device based at least in part on a location of the wireless device; and

[0183] The location of the wireless device is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of: a reading from a global positioning system (GPS), an 802.11mc report, and Wi-Fi sensing.

[0184] 25. Under clauses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 or

[0185] 24, wherein the AP is associated with at least one of the plurality of zones

[0186] The target AP information includes a signal strength value of the wireless device in a first frequency band.

[0187] 26. The AP of clause 25, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to estimate a target AP value in a second frequency band based on the signal strength value of the wireless device in the first frequency band.

[0188] 27. Pursuant to clauses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,

[0189] The AP of any of 24, 25, or 26, wherein each unique identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers is communicated to the second AP.

[0190] 28. An access point (AP), comprising:

[0191] means for receiving information regarding a second segmented coverage area associated with a second AP;

[0192] means for associating a unique identifier with each of a plurality of zones, the plurality of zones including at least one zone from a first segmented coverage area associated with the AP and at least one zone from the second segmented coverage area; and

[0193] means for receiving target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones;

[0194] The target AP information is used to guide the wireless device to the corresponding AP.

[0195] 29. The AP of clause 28, wherein the target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones comprises the

[0196] A signal strength value of a wireless device relative to each of the AP and the second AP.

[0197] 30. The AP of any of clauses 28 or 29, wherein the first segmented coverage area and the second segmented coverage area have overlapping portions.

[0198] 31. The AP of any of clauses 28, 29, or 30, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to associate a temporary identifier with a zone of the plurality of zones that is located in the overlapping portion.

[0199] 32. The AP of any one of clauses 28, 29, 30, or 31, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to receive the target AP information associated with a particular zone among the plurality of zones when the wireless device is in the particular zone.

[0200] 33. The AP of any one of clauses 28, 29, 30, 31 or 32, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to update at least one of the plurality of zones in response to a shift in position of at least one of the AP and the second AP.

[0201] 34. The AP of any of clauses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 or 33, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to periodically update the plurality of zones.

[0202] 35. The AP of any of clauses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 or 34, wherein a size of one of the plurality of zones is the same as a size of another of the plurality of zones.

[0203] 36. An AP according to any one of clauses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 or 35, the AP further comprising a method for associating the target with a particular zone of the plurality of zones.

[0204] AP information is assigned to components in neighboring zones.

[0205] 37. An AP according to any one of clauses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 or 36, wherein the at least one processor is further capable of operating to assign the target AP information associated with the particular zone to a second wireless device in the particular zone based at least in part on a similarity between the wireless device and the second wireless device.

[0206] 38. An AP according to any one of clauses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 or 37, wherein the at least one processor is further capable of operating to merge the at least two of the multiple zones based at least in part on the target AP information associated with the at least two of the multiple zones.

[0207] 39. The AP of any of clauses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, or 38, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to associate the target AP information with a zone of the plurality of zones based at least in part on measurement reports;

[0208] The measurement report includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of an 802.11k report and a smart monitoring report.

[0209] 40. An AP as described in any of clauses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 or 39, wherein:

[0210] The at least one processor is further operable to associate at least one of the plurality of zones with the wireless device based at least in part on a location of the wireless device; and

[0211] The location of the wireless device is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of: a reading from a global positioning system (GPS), an 802.11mc report, and Wi-Fi sensing.

[0212] 41. Under clauses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 or

[0213] 40, wherein the AP is associated with at least one of the plurality of zones

[0214] The target AP information includes a signal strength value of the wireless device in a first frequency band.

[0215] 42. The AP of clause 41, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to estimate a target AP value in a second frequency band based on the signal strength value of the wireless device in the first frequency band.

[0216] 43. Under clauses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, or 38,

[0217] The AP of any of 39, 40, 41 or 42, wherein each unique identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers is communicated to the second AP.

[0218] 44. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to: receive information about a second segmented coverage area associated with a second AP; associate a unique identifier with each of a plurality of zones, the plurality of zones including at least one zone from the first segmented coverage area associated with the first AP and at least one zone from the second segmented coverage area; and receive target AP information associated with at least one zone of the plurality of zones; wherein the target AP information is used to direct a wireless device to a corresponding AP.

[0219] 45. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to clause 44, wherein the target AP information associated with at least one of the multiple zones includes a signal strength value of the wireless device in the at least one of the multiple zones relative to each of the first AP and the second AP.

[0220] 46. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 44 or 45, wherein the first segmented coverage area and the second segmented coverage area have overlapping portions.

[0221] 47. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 44, 45, or 46, wherein the processor further associates a preliminary identifier with a region of the plurality of regions that is located in the overlapping portion.

[0222] 48. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of clauses 44, 45, 46, or 47, wherein when the wireless device is in a particular zone among the plurality of zones, the processor receives the target AP information associated with the particular zone.

[0223] 49. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of clauses 44, 45, 46, 47, or 48, wherein the processor updates at least one of the plurality of zones in response to a shift in the position of at least one of the first AP and the second AP.

[0224] 50. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of clauses 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, or 49, wherein the processor assigns the target AP information associated with a particular zone among the plurality of zones to a neighboring zone.

[0225] 51. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 or 50, wherein the processor assigns the target AP information associated with a second wireless device in the specific zone based at least in part on a similarity between the wireless device and the second wireless device in the specific zone.

[0226] 52. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any one of clauses 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 or 51, wherein the processor merges the at least two of the multiple zones based at least in part on the target AP information associated with the at least two of the multiple zones.

[0227] 53. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any one of clauses 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 or 52, wherein the processor associates the target AP information with a zone in the plurality of zones based at least in part on a measurement report, the measurement report comprising at least one item selected from the group consisting of an 802.11k report and a smart monitoring report.

[0228] 54. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of clauses 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, or 53, wherein the processor associates at least one of the plurality of zones with the wireless device based at least in part on a location of the wireless device; wherein the location of the wireless device is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of: a reading from a global positioning system (GPS),

[0229] 802.11mc reporting and Wi-Fi sensing.

[0230] As used herein, the term "determining" encompasses a wide variety of actions, and thus, "determining" may include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, searching (such as via searching in a table, database, or other data structure), inferring, ascertaining, measuring, and the like. Additionally, "determining" may include receiving (such as receiving information), accessing (such as accessing data stored in a memory), sending (such as sending information), and the like. Additionally, "determining" may include resolving, selecting, obtaining, choosing, establishing, and other such similar actions.

[0231] As used herein, a phrase referring to "at least one of" a list of items refers to any combination of those items (including single members). For example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to encompass: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc. As used herein, unless expressly indicated otherwise, "or" is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense. For example, "a or b" may include only a, only b, or a combination of a and b.

[0232] As used herein, unless expressly indicated otherwise, the phrase "based on" is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense. For example, unless expressly indicated otherwise, "based on" may be used interchangeably with "based at least in part on," "associated with," or "in accordance with." Specifically, unless the context indicates "based only on 'one'" or an equivalent, whether "based on 'one'" or "based at least in part on 'one'" can be based on 'one' alone or on a combination of 'one' and one or more other factors, conditions, or information.

[0233] The various illustrative components, logical elements, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. This interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been generally described in terms of their functionality and exemplified in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0234] Various modifications to the examples described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other examples without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles, and the novel features disclosed herein.

[0235] Additionally, various features described in this specification in the context of separate examples may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented in multiple examples individually or in any suitable subcombination. Thus, although features may be described above as functioning in a particular combination and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be deleted from the combination, and a claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variations of the subcombination.

[0236] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or to perform all illustrated operations to achieve the desired result. In addition, the accompanying drawings may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of a flow chart or a flow diagram. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the example processes schematically illustrated. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the illustrated operations. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. In addition, the separation of the various system components in the examples described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all examples, but it should be understood that the program components and systems described can usually be integrated together in a single software product, or be packaged into multiple software products.

Claims

1. A method performed by a first access point (AP) in a multiple access point (AP) environment, the method comprising: receiving information about a second segmented coverage area associated with a second AP; associating a unique identifier with each of a plurality of zones, the plurality of zones including at least one zone from a first segmented coverage area associated with the first AP and at least one zone from the second segmented coverage area; as well as receiving target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones; The target AP information is used to guide the wireless device to the corresponding AP.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones comprises a signal strength value of the wireless device in the at least one of the plurality of zones relative to each of the first AP and the second AP. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first segmented coverage area and the second segmented coverage area have overlapping portions. 4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising associating a preliminary identifier with a region of the plurality of regions that is located in the overlapping portion. 5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, when the wireless device is in a specific zone among the plurality of zones, receiving the target AP information associated with the specific zone. 6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating at least one of the plurality of zones in response to a shift in a position of at least one of the first AP and the second AP. 7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising assigning the target AP information associated with a specific zone among the plurality of zones to a neighboring zone.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning the target AP information associated with a second wireless device in a specific zone to the second wireless device based at least in part on a similarity between the wireless device and the second wireless device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising merging at least two of the plurality of zones based at least in part on the target AP information associated with the at least two of the plurality of zones.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the target AP information with a zone of the plurality of zones based at least in part on measurement reports, the measurement reports comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of: 802.11k reports and smart monitoring reports.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating at least one of the plurality of zones with the wireless device based at least in part on a location of the wireless device; wherein the location of the wireless device is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of: a reading from a Global Positioning System (GPS), an 802.11mc report, and Wi-Fi sensing.

12. An access point (AP), comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one memory and operable to cause the AP to: receiving information about a second segmented coverage area associated with a second AP; associating a unique identifier with each of a plurality of zones, the plurality of zones including at least one zone from a first segmented coverage area associated with the AP and at least one zone from the second segmented coverage area; as well as receiving target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones; The target AP information is used to guide the wireless device to the corresponding AP.

13. The AP of claim 12, wherein the target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones comprises a signal strength value of the wireless device in the at least one of the plurality of zones relative to each of the AP and the second AP. The AP of claim 12 , wherein the first segmented coverage area and the second segmented coverage area have overlapping portions.

15. The AP of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to associate a temporary identifier with a zone of the plurality of zones that is located in the overlapping portion.

16. The AP of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to, when the wireless device is in a specific zone among the plurality of zones, receive the target AP information associated with the specific zone.

17. The AP of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to update at least one of the plurality of zones in response to a shift in the location of at least one of the AP and the second AP.

18. The AP of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to periodically update the plurality of zones.

19. The AP of claim 12, wherein a size of one of the plurality of zones is the same as a size of another of the plurality of zones.

20. The AP of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to assign the target AP information associated with a particular zone among the plurality of zones to a neighboring zone.

21. The AP of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to assign the target AP information associated with a second wireless device in a specific zone based at least in part on a similarity between the wireless device and the second wireless device.

22. The AP of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to merge at least two of the plurality of zones based at least in part on the target AP information associated with the at least two of the plurality of zones.

23. The AP of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to associate the target AP information with a zone in the plurality of zones based at least in part on a measurement report; wherein the measurement report comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of an 802.11k report and a smart monitoring report.

24. The AP of claim 12, wherein: The at least one processor is further operable to associate at least one of the plurality of zones with the wireless device based at least in part on a location of the wireless device; and The location of the wireless device is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of: a reading from a global positioning system (GPS), an 802.11mc report, and Wi-Fi sensing.

25. The AP of claim 12, wherein the target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones comprises a signal strength value of the wireless device in a first frequency band.

26. The AP of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to use the signal strength value of the wireless device in the first frequency band to estimate a target AP value in a second frequency band.

27. The AP of claim 12, wherein each unique identifier of the plurality of unique identifiers is communicated to the second AP.

28. An access point (AP), comprising: means for receiving information regarding a second segmented coverage area associated with a second AP; means for associating a unique identifier with each of a plurality of zones, the plurality of zones including at least one zone from a first segmented coverage area associated with the AP and at least one zone from the second segmented coverage area; and means for receiving target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones; The target AP information is used to guide the wireless device to the corresponding AP.

29. The access point of claim 28, further comprising means for assigning the target AP information associated with a particular zone among the plurality of zones to a neighboring zone.

30. The access point of claim 28, wherein the target AP information associated with at least one of the plurality of zones comprises a signal strength value of the wireless device in the at least one of the plurality of zones relative to each of the first AP and the second AP.

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