A roaming dispatch method, apparatus and system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a roaming scheduling method, device and system, which can be applied to a fiber to the room (FTTR) scenario. A master device is connected with a first slave device and a second slave device through an optical network, and the first slave device and the second slave device both support communication with a STA through multiple communication protocols. The master device receives a first message sent by the first slave device and a second message sent by the second slave device, the first message including a STA associated with the first slave device through at least one communication protocol, and the second message including a STA associated with the second slave device through at least one communication protocol. The master device sends a third message to the first slave device and the second slave device according to the first message and the second message, the third message being used to instruct a target STA associated with the first slave device through a target communication protocol to roam to the second slave device through the target communication protocol. The advantages of centralized scheduling of the master device are brought into play, unified management of roaming relationships is achieved, and stable network experience is beneficially ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to a roaming scheduling method, apparatus and system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technology, fiber optic transmission is increasingly being used in communication systems, among which fiber to the room (FTTR) is a crucial component of optical networks. An FTTR system consists of a main device and sub-devices, connected via optical fiber. The main device, acting as an optical network terminal (ONT) or optical network unit (ONU) in a passive optical network (PON), is connected to the optical line terminal (OLT) at the operator's central office via optical fiber.

[0003] Currently, various short-range protocols are supported by stations (STAs) in the market, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Starfly, ZigBee, radio frequency identification (RFID), and ultra-wide band (UWB). Due to the unique advantages of each protocol in terms of technology, ecosystem, frequency band, and use cases, it is unlikely that any single protocol will dominate the market in the short term. For a considerable period, the market will likely remain characterized by the coexistence of multiple protocols. In FTTR scenarios where multiple protocols coexist, each protocol currently decides roaming handover based on its own rules, which can easily lead to topology chaos. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a roaming scheduling method, apparatus, and system that leverages the advantages of centralized scheduling by the main equipment, achieves unified management of roaming relationships, and helps ensure a stable network experience.

[0005] Firstly, this application provides a roaming scheduling method. A master device is connected to a first sub-device and a second sub-device via an optical network. Both the first and second sub-devices support communication with stations (STAs) via multiple communication protocols. This roaming scheduling method is executed by the master device. Specifically, the master device receives a first message sent by the first sub-device, the first message including STAs associated with the first sub-device via at least one communication protocol. The master device receives a second message sent by the second sub-device, the second message including STAs associated with the second sub-device via at least one communication protocol. The master device sends a third message to the first and second sub-devices based on the first and second messages, the third message indicating that a target STA associated with the first sub-device via a target communication protocol should roam to a location associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol.

[0006] In this implementation, the master device can aggregate the roaming relationships reported by each sub-device with the STA, thereby more rationally scheduling the various communication protocols of the sub-devices to determine whether the current roaming relationship between each sub-device and the STA needs to be updated. This leverages the advantages of centralized scheduling by the master device, achieves unified management of roaming relationships, and helps ensure a stable network experience.

[0007] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the service priority of at least one communication protocol of the first sub-device, and the second message includes the service priority of at least one communication protocol of the second sub-device, providing the master device with more effective reference information for roaming decisions. For example, if a certain communication protocol of the first sub-device has a high proportion of high-priority services, a more stable roaming relationship is tended to be established for that communication protocol of the first sub-device.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the first message includes communication quality information for at least one communication protocol of the first sub-device, and the second message includes communication quality information for at least one communication protocol of the second sub-device. The communication quality information includes at least one of signal energy, modulation and coding scheme, communication rate, transmission delay, signal-to-noise ratio, error vector amplitude, and bit error rate, providing the master device with more effective reference information for roaming decisions. For example, if the communication quality of a certain communication protocol of the first sub-device is poor, the roaming relationship of that communication protocol of the first sub-device is likely to be adjusted to improve the communication quality.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the online duration of STAs associated with at least one communication protocol of the first sub-device, and the second message includes the online duration of STAs associated with at least one communication protocol of the second sub-device, providing the master device with more effective reference information for roaming decisions. For example, the master device can learn information related to user behavior through this information, thereby predicting possible STA movements and adjusting roaming relationships based on the predictions.

[0010] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the temperature of the first sub-device, and the second message includes the temperature of the second sub-device, providing the master device with more effective reference information for roaming decisions. For example, if the temperature of the first sub-device is high and there is a risk of overheating, the load may be reduced by decreasing the roaming relationship of the first sub-device.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the third message includes a first sub-message and a second sub-message. The first sub-message includes the identifier of the first sub-device and a first roaming scheme, and the second sub-message includes the identifier of the second sub-device and a second roaming scheme. Both the first and second roaming schemes are used to instruct a target STA associated with the first sub-device via a target communication protocol to roam to a location associated with the second sub-device via the same target communication protocol. In other words, the master device can broadcast the third message to both the first and second sub-devices. The first sub-device selectively receives the first sub-message, and the second sub-device selectively receives the second sub-message, ensuring that both the first and second sub-devices receive their respective roaming schemes in a timely manner.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the first roaming scheme is further used to instruct the first sub-device to maintain its association with the first STA through the first communication protocol, and the second roaming scheme is further used to instruct the second sub-device to maintain its association with the second STA through the second communication protocol. In other words, the roaming scheme provided by the master device can both instruct roaming switching and maintain the current roaming relationship, ensuring the comprehensiveness of the roaming scheme.

[0013] In some possible implementations, after the master device sends the third message, the target STA associates with the second sub-device using all of the multiple communication protocols. That is, the second sub-device is a more suitable device for association for the target STA, causing the STA to switch to associating with the sub-device that has better signal quality.

[0014] In some possible implementations, before the master device sends the third message, the first sub-device associates with the target STA via two communication protocols sharing the same frequency band among the various communication protocols, including the target communication protocol. In this implementation, the main purpose of roaming is to avoid co-channel interference, thereby ensuring that communication protocols sharing the same frequency band have good communication quality.

[0015] In some possible implementations, the first sub-device carries more traffic than the second sub-device before the master device sends the third message. In this implementation, the primary purpose of roaming is to achieve load balancing and temperature control.

[0016] In some possible implementations, the multiple communication protocols include at least two of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Sparklink Low Energy (SLE), Zigbee, radio frequency identification (RFID), and ultra-wide bandgap (UWB).

[0017] In some possible implementations, the main device is a main FTTR unit (MFU) or a main fiber unit (MFU), and the first and second sub-devices are sub FTTR units (SFU) or sub fiber units (SFU).

[0018] Secondly, this application provides a roaming scheduling method, in which a master device and a sub-device are connected via an optical network. The sub-device supports communication with STAs via multiple communication protocols, and the roaming scheduling method is executed by the sub-device. Specifically, the sub-device sends a first message to the master device, the first message including STAs associated with the sub-device via at least one communication protocol. The sub-device receives a second message sent by the master device based on the first message, the second message indicating that a target STA associated with a first sub-device via a target communication protocol should roam to a STA associated with a second sub-device via the target communication protocol. The sub-device is either the first sub-device or the second sub-device.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the service priority of at least one of the multiple communication protocols.

[0020] In some possible implementations, the first message includes communication quality information of at least one of the multiple communication protocols, the communication quality information including at least one of signal energy, modulation and coding scheme, communication rate, transmission delay, signal-to-noise ratio, error vector amplitude, and bit error rate.

[0021] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the online duration of the STA associated with at least one of the multiple communication protocols.

[0022] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the temperature of the sub-device.

[0023] In some possible implementations, the second message includes a first sub-message and a second sub-message. The first sub-message includes the identifier of the first sub-device and a first roaming scheme. The second sub-message includes the identifier of the second sub-device and a second roaming scheme. Both the first roaming scheme and the second roaming scheme are used to instruct a target STA associated with the first sub-device via a target communication protocol to roam to a target STA associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol.

[0024] In some possible implementations, the first roaming scheme is further used to indicate that the association between the first sub-device and the first STA remains unchanged through the first communication protocol, and the second roaming scheme is further used to indicate that the association between the second sub-device and the second STA remains unchanged through the second communication protocol.

[0025] In some possible implementations, the sub-device is the second sub-device, and after the sub-device receives the second message, the target STA associates with the sub-device through all of the multiple communication protocols.

[0026] In some possible implementations, the sub-device is the first sub-device, and before the sub-device receives the second message, the sub-device is associated with the target STA through a communication protocol with the same frequency bands in two of the multiple communication protocols, the two communication protocols with the same frequency bands including the target communication protocol.

[0027] In some possible implementations, the traffic carried by the first sub-device is greater than the traffic carried by the second sub-device before the master device sends the second message.

[0028] In some possible implementations, after the sub-device receives the second message sent by the master device according to the first message, the method further includes: the sub-device performing roaming handover according to the second message. This is equivalent to the sub-device implementing roaming handover based on the roaming scheme provided by the master device; that is, roaming handover is uniformly decided and initiated by the master device, which helps avoid topology chaos caused by sub-devices deciding roaming handover based on the rules of each communication protocol itself.

[0029] In some possible implementations, the multiple communication protocols include at least two of Wi-Fi, BLE, SLE, Purple Bee Protocol, RFID, and UWB.

[0030] In some possible implementations, the master device is an MFU and the sub-device is an SFU.

[0031] Thirdly, this application provides a master device, which is connected to a first sub-device and a second sub-device via an optical network. Both the first and second sub-devices support communication with STAs via multiple communication protocols. The master device includes a transceiver unit. The transceiver unit is configured to: receive a first message sent by the first sub-device, the first message including STAs associated with the first sub-device via at least one communication protocol; receive a second message sent by the second sub-device, the second message including STAs associated with the second sub-device via at least one communication protocol; and send a third message to the first and second sub-devices based on the first and second messages, the third message indicating that a target STA associated with the first sub-device via a target communication protocol roams to a location associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol.

[0032] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the service priority of at least one communication protocol of the first sub-device, and the second message includes the service priority of at least one communication protocol of the second sub-device.

[0033] In some possible implementations, the first message includes communication quality information of at least one communication protocol of the first sub-device, and the second message includes communication quality information of at least one communication protocol of the second sub-device. The communication quality information includes at least one of signal energy, modulation and coding scheme, communication rate, transmission delay, signal-to-noise ratio, error vector amplitude, and bit error rate.

[0034] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the online duration of STAs associated with at least one communication protocol of the first sub-device, and the second message includes the online duration of STAs associated with at least one communication protocol of the second sub-device.

[0035] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the temperature of the first sub-device, and the second message includes the temperature of the second sub-device.

[0036] In some possible implementations, the third message includes a first sub-message and a second sub-message. The first sub-message includes the identifier of the first sub-device and a first roaming scheme. The second sub-message includes the identifier of the second sub-device and a second roaming scheme. Both the first roaming scheme and the second roaming scheme are used to instruct a target STA associated with the first sub-device via a target communication protocol to roam to a target STA associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol.

[0037] In some possible implementations, the first roaming scheme is further used to indicate that the association between the first sub-device and the first STA remains unchanged through the first communication protocol, and the second roaming scheme is further used to indicate that the association between the second sub-device and the second STA remains unchanged through the second communication protocol.

[0038] In some possible implementations, after the master device sends the third message, the target STA associates with the second sub-device through all of the multiple communication protocols.

[0039] In some possible implementations, before the master device sends the third message, the first sub-device associates with the target STA through a communication protocol with two identical frequency bands among the multiple communication protocols, the two identical frequency bands including the target communication protocol.

[0040] In some possible implementations, the first sub-device carries more traffic than the second sub-device before the master device sends the third message.

[0041] In some possible implementations, the multiple communication protocols include at least two of Wi-Fi, BLE, SLE, Purple Bee Protocol, RFID, and UWB.

[0042] In some possible implementations, the master device is an MFU, and the first sub-device and the second sub-device are SFUs.

[0043] Fourthly, this application provides a sub-device, in which a master device and a sub-device are connected via an optical network. The sub-device supports communication with a STA via multiple communication protocols, and includes a transceiver unit. The transceiver unit is configured to: send a first message to the master device, the first message including STAs associated with the sub-device via at least one communication protocol; and receive a second message sent by the master device according to the first message, the second message indicating that a target STA associated with a first sub-device via a target communication protocol roams to a second sub-device associated with the target communication protocol, wherein the sub-device is either the first sub-device or the second sub-device.

[0044] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the service priority of at least one of the multiple communication protocols.

[0045] In some possible implementations, the first message includes communication quality information of at least one of the multiple communication protocols, the communication quality information including at least one of signal energy, modulation and coding scheme, communication rate, transmission delay, signal-to-noise ratio, error vector amplitude, and bit error rate.

[0046] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the online duration of the STA associated with at least one of the multiple communication protocols.

[0047] In some possible implementations, the first message includes the temperature of the sub-device.

[0048] In some possible implementations, the second message includes a first sub-message and a second sub-message. The first sub-message includes the identifier of the first sub-device and a first roaming scheme. The second sub-message includes the identifier of the second sub-device and a second roaming scheme. Both the first roaming scheme and the second roaming scheme are used to instruct a target STA associated with the first sub-device via a target communication protocol to roam to a target STA associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol.

[0049] In some possible implementations, the first roaming scheme is further used to indicate that the association between the first sub-device and the first STA remains unchanged through the first communication protocol, and the second roaming scheme is further used to indicate that the association between the second sub-device and the second STA remains unchanged through the second communication protocol.

[0050] In some possible implementations, the sub-device is the second sub-device, and after the sub-device receives the second message, the target STA associates with the sub-device through all of the multiple communication protocols.

[0051] In some possible implementations, the sub-device is the first sub-device, and before the sub-device receives the second message, the sub-device is associated with the target STA through a communication protocol with the same frequency bands in two of the multiple communication protocols, the two communication protocols with the same frequency bands including the target communication protocol.

[0052] In some possible implementations, the traffic carried by the first sub-device is greater than the traffic carried by the second sub-device before the master device sends the second message.

[0053] In some possible implementations, the sub-device further includes a processing unit, which, after receiving a second message sent by the master device according to the first message, performs roaming switching according to the second message.

[0054] In some possible implementations, the multiple communication protocols include at least two of Wi-Fi, BLE, SLE, Purple Bee Protocol, RFID, and UWB.

[0055] In some possible implementations, the master device is an MFU and the sub-device is an SFU.

[0056] Fifthly, this application provides a master device for performing the method as described in any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0057] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a sub-device for performing the method as described in any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0058] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a master device, which includes a processor and an interface, the interface being used to transmit and receive signals, and the processor being used to execute the method described in any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0059] In an eighth aspect, this application provides a sub-device including a processor and an interface, the interface being used for transmitting and receiving signals, and the processor being used for performing the method as described in any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0060] Ninthly, this application provides a communication system including a master device and a plurality of sub-devices, wherein the master device is configured to perform the method described in any embodiment of the first aspect, and the sub-devices are configured to perform the method described in any embodiment of the second aspect.

[0061] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a chip for performing the methods described in any of the embodiments of the first or second aspect.

[0062] In one aspect, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the method described in any of the embodiments of the first or second aspect to be implemented.

[0063] In a twelfth aspect, this application provides a computer program product including program instructions that, when executed, implement the method described in any of the embodiments of the first or second aspect above. Attached Figure Description

[0064] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a possible WLAN network architecture;

[0065] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the FTTH / O system architecture;

[0066] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the FTTR system architecture;

[0067] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a scenario where multiple protocols coexist in a P2MP system.

[0068] Figure 5 A flowchart of a roaming scheduling method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0069] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of the roaming scheduling method in the embodiments of this application;

[0070] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of the roaming scheduling method in the embodiments of this application;

[0071] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of the roaming scheduling method in the embodiments of this application;

[0072] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the main device in one embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the main device in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a sub-device in an embodiment of this application;

[0075] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the sub-device in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0076] This application provides a roaming scheduling method, apparatus, and system. The master device can aggregate the roaming relationships reported by each sub-device with the STA, thereby more rationally scheduling the various communication protocols of the sub-devices for roaming, determining whether the current roaming relationship between each sub-device and the STA needs to be updated, leveraging the advantages of centralized scheduling by the master device, realizing unified management of roaming relationships, and helping to ensure a stable network experience.

[0077] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following points are made:

[0078] First, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0079] Second, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more (including two). "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the textual description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can mean: a, or, b, or, c, or, a and b, or, a and c, or, b and c, or, a, b, and c. Here, a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0080] Third, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical designations (e.g., #1, #2) are merely for descriptive convenience and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. For example, they can be used to distinguish different indication information.

[0081] Fourth, the terms “comprising” and “having” and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product or device.

[0082] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a possible WLAN network architecture. Figure 1As shown, the wireless local area network (WLAN) architecture includes a wireless controller (also referred to as a "control node" in this embodiment), wireless access points (also referred to as "network nodes" in this embodiment), and terminal devices. The wireless controller is used to configure services and radio frequency for the access points. The wireless access point (AP) is used to provide service access to associated stations (STAs). Terminal devices, acting as STAs, can be associated with the access point.

[0083] Terminal devices can include mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers with mobile terminal devices, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, and computer-embedded mobile devices, etc. Examples include Personal Communication Service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and other devices. Terminal devices can also be computers, tablets, e-readers, and smart home devices such as smart TVs and smart speakers. As an example and not a limitation, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices or smart wearable devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices; they achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Wearable smart devices in a broad sense include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can perform all or part of their functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets, smart helmets, and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0084] In some possible scenarios, Wi-Fi is one of the technologies of WLAN, and "WLAN" in this application embodiment can also be called "Wi-Fi". For example, "WLAN system" can also be called "Wi-Fi system", and "WLAN signal" can also be called "Wi-Fi signal".

[0085] With the development of communication technology, optical fiber transmission is increasingly used in communication systems, with FTTR being a crucial component of optical networks. An FTTR system consists of a main device and sub-devices, connected via optical fiber. The main device, acting as an optical network terminal (ONT) or optical network unit (ONU) in a passive optical network (PON), connects to the optical line terminal (OLT) at the operator's central office via optical fiber.

[0086] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a fiber-to-the-home / office (FTTH / O) system architecture. It connects upstream network-side equipment (such as switches and routers) and downstream ONTs via an optical distribution network (ODN). The ODN includes passive optical splitters for optical power distribution, a trunk fiber connecting the passive optical splitters and the OLT, and branch fibers connecting the passive optical splitters and ONTs. When transmitting downlink signals, the downlink signal sent by the OLT is transmitted to each ONT through the splitter, and the ONT selectively receives the downlink data belonging to itself from the downlink signal. When transmitting uplink signals, the uplink signals sent by N ONTs are combined into a single optical signal by the splitter and transmitted to the OLT.

[0087] Building upon FTTH / O, to address signal coverage issues (such as wireless LAN (WLAN) signals) in home or office networks, fiber optic cables can be extended further into the room. Optical terminal equipment (APs) providing WLAN signals are installed inside the room, thus reducing the distance between the user terminal and the AP and improving signal quality. This technology is called FTTR.

[0088] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the FTTR system architecture. In FTTH / O, the OLT is deployed in the central equipment room, while the ONT is deployed in homes or offices. The master device in the FTTR network acts as both an ONT in the FTTH network and an upstream device for the FTTR sub-devices, managing them. The master device can also function as a wireless access point (AP). Sub-devices in FTTR can be deployed in various rooms of homes or offices to provide signal to user terminals. These sub-devices possess both ONT and wireless AP functions.

[0089] Multiple sub-devices can be deployed in an FTTR, each connected to the main device via an optical splitter. The main device can manage and configure all sub-devices centrally. The main device can also be called a "main gateway," "main optical modem," "main FTTR unit (MFU)," or "main fiber unit (MFU)," while sub-devices can be called "sub-gateways," "sub-optical modems," "slave gateways," "slave optical modems," "sub FTTR units (SFU)," or "subfiber units (SFU)," etc.

[0090] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application can be applied to any point-to-multipoint (P2MP) communication system. This P2MP communication system specifically includes a master device and multiple sub-devices, and the master device can collaboratively manage the multiple sub-devices. For example, in... Figure 2 In the FTTH / O scenario shown, the master device can be an OLT, and the slave device can be an ONU. For example, in... Figure 3 In the FTTR scenario shown, the master device can be an MFU, and the slave device can be an MFU.

[0091] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario where multiple protocols coexist in a P2MP system. For example... Figure 4 As shown, in some possible scenarios, for the wireless AP function of the sub-device, the sub-device supports communication with the STA through multiple communication protocols. This is equivalent to the sub-device providing the STA with wireless access functionality using multiple communication protocols. This scenario can be called a multi-protocol coexistence scenario or a multi-mode coexistence scenario. For example, communication protocols include, but are not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), SparkLink Low Energy (SLE), Zigbee, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and Ultra Wide Bandwidth (UWB). Bluetooth Low Energy can also be referred to as Bluetooth, and SparkLink Low Energy can also be referred to as SparkLink. Figure 4 For example, the sub-device can connect to terminal devices such as mobile phones, TVs, or robot vacuums via Wi-Fi; the sub-device can connect to terminal devices such as robot vacuums via StarFlash; and the sub-device can connect to terminal devices such as mobile phones or wireless headphones via Bluetooth.

[0092] For the aforementioned multi-protocol coexistence scenario, this application provides a roaming scheduling method. Roaming refers to a STA moving from association with one sub-device to association with another sub-device, or roaming refers to a STA moving from association with one frequency point (e.g., 2.4GHz) of a sub-device to association with another frequency point (e.g., 5GHz). It should be noted that STA association with a sub-device can be understood as STA accessing the sub-device or STA establishing a communication connection with the sub-device. The association relationship between STA and sub-device can also be called a roaming relationship. In this application embodiment, the sub-device supports association with the STA through multiple communication protocols.

[0093] In this embodiment, the master device can aggregate the roaming relationships reported by each sub-device with the STA, thereby more rationally scheduling the roaming of various communication protocols of the sub-devices to determine whether the current roaming relationship between each sub-device and the STA needs to be updated. This leverages the advantages of centralized scheduling by the master device, achieves unified management of roaming relationships, and helps ensure a stable network experience. The roaming scheduling method provided in this embodiment is described in detail below.

[0094] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a roaming scheduling method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the interaction between the master device and the slave device can include multiple stages. For example, before the roaming scheduling stage, the interaction between the master device and the slave device can also include, but is not limited to, the initialization stage, the synchronization stage, and the online registration stage. This application embodiment mainly describes the process of the roaming scheduling stage; the specific methods of the initialization stage, the synchronization stage, and the online registration stage are not elaborated here. The roaming scheduling stage can include multiple rounds of roaming scheduling. For example, each round of roaming scheduling can be performed periodically. For ease of explanation, this application embodiment uses any one round of roaming scheduling as an example for illustration. Figure 5 The embodiment shown uses sub-device 1 and sub-device 2 involved in roaming scheduling as examples for illustration. In actual applications, roaming scheduling may involve more sub-devices, which are not limited here.

[0095] 101. Sub-device 1 acquires the STA associated with at least one communication protocol.

[0096] Considering that sub-device 1 supports communication with STA via multiple communication protocols, sub-device 1 can obtain information about STAs associated with at least one communication protocol and report it to the master device, thereby providing the master device with information about the current roaming relationship between sub-device 1 and STA via at least one communication protocol. For example, sub-device 1 may associate with STA1 via Wi-Fi, sub-device 1 may associate with STA2 via Bluetooth and StarFlash, and so on.

[0097] Optionally, sub-device 1 also acquires the service priority of at least one communication protocol. Taking Wi-Fi as an example, sub-device 1 acquires the quality of service (QoS) distribution of all Wi-Fi-based services, i.e., the proportion of each type of service. For example, services can be divided into AC-voice (VO), AC-video (VI), AC-best-effort (BE), and AC-background (BK) streams according to access category (AC), where VO and VI have higher service priorities, and BE and BK have lower service priorities.

[0098] Optionally, sub-device 1 also acquires communication quality information for at least one communication protocol. This communication quality information includes at least one of signal energy, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), communication rate, transmission delay, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), error vector magnitude (EVM), and bit error rate (BER). The communication rate can also reflect throughput, which can be understood as data flow. Signal energy can be represented by received signal strength indication (RSSI).

[0099] Optionally, sub-device 1 may also obtain the online duration of at least one STA associated with a communication protocol. Taking the example of sub-device 1 associating with STA1 and STA2 via Wi-Fi, sub-device 1 obtains the duration of STA1's association with sub-device 1 via Wi-Fi and the duration of STA2's association with sub-device 1 via Wi-Fi.

[0100] Optionally, sub-device 1 may also acquire the temperature of sub-device 1, for example, specifically the chip temperature of sub-device 1.

[0101] 102. Sub-device 2 acquires the STA associated with at least one communication protocol.

[0102] Similar to sub-device 1 in step 101, sub-device 2 supports communication with STA through multiple communication protocols. Sub-device 2 can obtain STA associated through at least one communication protocol and report it to the master device, thereby providing the master device with the current roaming relationship between sub-device 2 and STA through at least one communication protocol.

[0103] Optionally, sub-device 2 also acquires the service priority of at least one communication protocol. Optionally, sub-device 2 also acquires the communication quality information of at least one communication protocol. Optionally, sub-device 2 also acquires the online duration of the STA associated with at least one communication protocol. Optionally, sub-device 2 also acquires its temperature, for example, specifically the chip temperature of sub-device 2.

[0104] It should be understood that the information type acquired by sub-device 2 is similar to that acquired by sub-device 1. For details, please refer to the relevant introduction in step 101 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0105] 103. Sub-device 1 sends message 1 to master device.

[0106] Message 1 sent by sub-device 1 to master device carries the STA associated with it through at least one communication protocol, which sub-device 1 has obtained. In other words, sub-device 1 reports its current roaming relationship with the STA through at least one communication protocol to master device. In order to facilitate master device identification of sub-device 1, message 1 also carries the identifier of sub-device 1, which may be sub-device 1's ID, sub-device 1's IP address, or sub-device 1's MAC address, etc.

[0107] Optionally, message 1 may also include the service priority of at least one communication protocol obtained by sub-device 1. Optionally, message 1 may also include communication quality information of at least one communication protocol obtained by sub-device 1. Optionally, message 1 may also include the online duration of the STA associated with the at least one communication protocol obtained by sub-device 1. Optionally, message 1 may also include the temperature of sub-device 1.

[0108] This application does not limit the specific format of message 1. Message 1 may include multiple fields. Table 1 below provides the fields that may be included in message 1, the length of each field, and its definition. As shown in Table 1, message 1 includes the following fields: sub-device information, roaming relationship, roaming scheduling reference information, and sub-device temperature.

[0109] The sub-device information field is used to indicate the identifier of the sub-device. For example, the identifier of the sub-device includes the sub-device ID, the sub-device IP address, and / or the sub-device MAC address.

[0110] The roaming relationship field is used to indicate the STAs associated with the sub-device through various communication protocols. For example, the roaming relationship field indicates the identifier of the STA associated with the sub-device through various communication protocols. The identifier of the STA includes the STA ID, the STA IP address and / or the STA MAC address.

[0111] The roaming scheduling reference information field is used to indicate the reference information provided by the sub-device to the master device for roaming scheduling. For example, the roaming scheduling reference information field includes the service priority of each communication protocol, the communication quality information of each communication protocol, and / or the online duration of the STA associated with each communication protocol.

[0112] The sub-device temperature field is used to indicate the temperature of the sub-device, for example, the chip temperature of the sub-device.

[0113] This application does not limit the name or length of each field in message 1. In other words, Table 1 provided in this application embodiment is only one possible example, and those skilled in the art can make flexible modifications based on it. For example, the name of any field in Table 1 can be changed. For example, the byte length of any field in Table 1 can be changed, or the length of any field can also be measured in bits. For example, the indication content corresponding to the value of any field in Table 1 can also be changed.

[0114] Table 1

[0115]

[0116] 104. Sub-device 2 sends message 2 to master device.

[0117] Message 2 sent by sub-device 2 to master device carries the STA associated with it through at least one communication protocol, which sub-device 2 has obtained. In other words, sub-device 2 reports its current roaming relationship with the STA through at least one communication protocol to master device. In order to facilitate master device identification of sub-device 2, message 2 also carries the identifier of sub-device 2, which may be sub-device 2's ID, sub-device 2's IP address, or sub-device 2's MAC address, etc.

[0118] Optionally, message 2 may also include the service priority of at least one communication protocol obtained by sub-device 2. Optionally, message 2 may also include communication quality information of at least one communication protocol obtained by sub-device 2. Optionally, message 2 may also include the online duration of the STA associated with the at least one communication protocol obtained by sub-device 2. Optionally, message 2 may also include the temperature of sub-device 2.

[0119] This application does not limit the specific format of message 2. For example, the format of message 2-1 is similar to that of message 1. Please refer to the relevant introduction in step 103 above. It will not be repeated here.

[0120] 105. The master device determines the roaming plan based on the messages reported by sub-device 1 and sub-device 2.

[0121] The master device integrates the messages reported by sub-devices 1 and 2 to make decisions and determine the roaming plan. It should be noted that the roaming plan determined by the master device includes the following aspects: First, the master device determines the roaming relationships that sub-device 1 and sub-device 2 need to maintain. For example, the roaming relationship between sub-device 1 and STA1 via communication protocol 1 remains unchanged, and the roaming relationship between sub-device 2 and STA2 via communication protocol 2 remains unchanged. Second, the master device determines the roaming relationships that sub-device 1 and sub-device 2 need to adjust. For example, if a target STA associated with sub-device 1 via a target communication protocol needs to roam to a STA associated with sub-device 2 via the target communication protocol, this is equivalent to sub-device 1 disconnecting its current communication connection with sub-device 1 via the target communication protocol, and sub-device 2 establishing a communication connection with sub-device 1 via the target communication protocol. This approach leverages the advantages of centralized scheduling by the master device, achieving unified management of roaming relationships and contributing to a stable network experience.

[0122] It should be noted that the embodiments of this application do not limit the specific way in which the main device determines the roaming scheme. Some possible examples are introduced below.

[0123] In one example, based on the service priority of at least one communication protocol reported by each sub-device, if the proportion of high-priority services of a certain communication protocol of sub-device 1 is relatively high, a more stable roaming relationship is tended to be established for that communication protocol of sub-device 1.

[0124] In one example, based on the communication quality information of at least one communication protocol reported by each sub-device, if the communication quality of a certain communication protocol of sub-device 1 is poor, the roaming relationship of that communication protocol of sub-device 1 is tended to be adjusted to improve the communication quality.

[0125] In one example, based on the online duration of STAs associated with at least one communication protocol reported by each sub-device, the master device can learn information related to user behavior from this information, thereby predicting possible STA movements and adjusting roaming relationships accordingly.

[0126] In one example, based on the temperatures reported by each sub-device, if sub-device 1 has a high temperature and is at risk of overheating, the load is reduced by decreasing the roaming relationships of sub-device 1.

[0127] 106. The master device sends message 3 to sub-device 1 and sub-device 2.

[0128] Message 3, sent by the master device to both sub-devices 1 and 2, indicates the roaming plan determined by the master device. In one example, message 3 indicates that the roaming relationship between sub-device 1 and STA1 via communication protocol 1 remains unchanged. In another example, message 3 indicates that the roaming relationship between sub-device 2 and STA2 via communication protocol 2 remains unchanged. In yet another example, message 3 indicates that a target STA associated with sub-device 1 via a target communication protocol will roam to a STA associated with sub-device 2 via the target communication protocol.

[0129] In one possible implementation, the master device broadcasts message 3 to sub-devices 1 and 2. Message 3 includes sub-message 1 and sub-message 2. Sub-device 1 selectively receives sub-message 1 belonging to itself, and sub-device 2 selectively receives sub-message 2 belonging to itself. For example, message 3 sent by the master device includes a downlink frame, which is divided into multiple segments. Each segment carries the identifier and roaming scheme of the corresponding sub-device. Each sub-device can selectively receive the roaming scheme corresponding to itself in the downlink frame by identifying the identifier corresponding to itself.

[0130] For example, roaming scheme 1 for sub-device 1 includes: the roaming relationship between sub-device 1 and STA1 via communication protocol 1 remains unchanged, and the target STA associated with sub-device 1 via the target communication protocol roams to be associated with sub-device 2 via the target communication protocol. Similarly, roaming scheme 2 for sub-device 2 includes: the roaming relationship between sub-device 2 and STA2 via communication protocol 2 remains unchanged, and the target STA associated with sub-device 1 via the target communication protocol roams to be associated with sub-device 2 via the target communication protocol. In one example, the roaming relationship of the target STA via the target communication protocol involves switching from sub-device 1 to sub-device 2. Roaming scheme 1 for sub-device 1 and roaming scheme 2 for sub-device 2 may include some identical content, i.e., the target STA associated with sub-device 1 via the target communication protocol roams to be associated with sub-device 2 via the target communication protocol.

[0131] This application does not limit the specific format of message 3. Message 3 may include multiple fields. Table 2 below provides the fields that may be included in message 3, the length of each field, and its definition. As shown in Table 2, message 3 includes the following fields: sub-device information and roaming plan.

[0132] The sub-device information field is used to indicate the identifier of the sub-device. For example, the identifier of the sub-device includes the sub-device ID, the sub-device IP address, and / or the sub-device MAC address.

[0133] The roaming plan field indicates the roaming plan determined by the master device. In one example, a portion of the bytes in the roaming plan field indicates the communication protocol and STA for the current roaming relationship; for example, for roaming plan 1 provided to sub-device 1, it may indicate that the roaming relationship associated with STA1 via communication protocol 1 remains unchanged; for example, for roaming plan 2 provided to sub-device 2, it may indicate that the roaming relationship associated with STA2 via communication protocol 2 remains unchanged. In one example, a portion of the bytes in the roaming plan field indicates the communication protocol and STA involved in the roaming handover; for example, the roaming handover involves the target communication protocol and the target STA. For sub-device 1 currently associated with the target STA via the target communication protocol, this is equivalent to indicating that sub-device 1 disconnects its communication connection with the target STA via the target communication protocol. In one example, a portion of the bytes in the roaming plan field indicates the target sub-device involved in the roaming handover; for example, sub-device 2 is the target sub-device for the roaming handover. Combining the communication protocol and STA involved in the roaming handover, this is equivalent to indicating that sub-device 2 establishes a communication connection with the target STA via the target communication protocol.

[0134] This application does not limit the name or length of each field in message 3. In other words, Table 2 provided in this application embodiment is only one possible example, and those skilled in the art can make flexible modifications based on it. For example, the name of any field in Table 2 can be changed. For example, the byte length of any field in Table 2 can be changed, or the length of any field can also be measured in bits. For example, the indication content corresponding to the value of any field in Table 2 can also be changed.

[0135] Table 2

[0136]

[0137] 107. Sub-device 1 executes the roaming plan based on message 3.

[0138] Sub-device 1 can obtain roaming scheme 1 provided by the master device from message 3 and execute roaming scheme 1. In one example, roaming scheme 1 includes maintaining the roaming relationship between sub-device 1 and STA1 through communication protocol 1, and sub-device 1 needs to maintain the communication connection with STA1 through communication protocol 1. In another example, roaming scheme 1 includes roaming a target STA associated with sub-device 1 through a target communication protocol to roaming with sub-device 2 through a target communication protocol. Sub-device 1 needs to disconnect the communication connection with the target STA through the target communication protocol. This is equivalent to sub-device 1 implementing roaming handover for the target STA according to roaming scheme 1 provided by the master device. That is, the roaming handover is initiated by the master device, which is different from the existing scheme where roaming handover is initiated by the sub-device or STA. It should be understood that the specific process of roaming handover also involves the interaction between the sub-device and the STA. Each communication protocol has corresponding mechanisms for roaming handover, and the specific process of roaming handover will not be elaborated here.

[0139] 108. Sub-device 2 executes the roaming plan based on message 3.

[0140] Sub-device 2 can obtain roaming scheme 2 provided by the master device from message 3. In one example, roaming scheme 2 includes maintaining the roaming relationship between sub-device 2 and STA2 via communication protocol 2, and sub-device 2 needs to maintain the communication connection with STA2 via communication protocol 2. In another example, roaming scheme 2 includes roaming from a target STA associated with sub-device 1 via a target communication protocol to one associated with sub-device 2 via the target communication protocol. Sub-device 2 needs to establish a communication connection with the target STA via the target communication protocol, which means that sub-device 2 can perform roaming handover for the target STA according to roaming scheme 2 provided by the master device.

[0141] The roaming scheduling method described below, based on embodiments of this application, provides some possible application scenarios.

[0142] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of the roaming scheduling method in this application. For example... Figure 6 As shown, taking a robot vacuum cleaner as an example in the network architecture, the robot vacuum cleaner supports association with sub-devices through communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, StarFlash and RFID. The robot vacuum cleaner is simultaneously within the coverage area of ​​sub-device 1 and sub-device 2.

[0143] Before the master device makes roaming decisions, the robot vacuum cleaner associates with sub-device 1 via Wi-Fi and with sub-device 2 via RFID and GPS. The master device determines the roaming plan based on the information reported by sub-devices 1 and 2. For example, the master device determines that sub-device 2 is a more suitable device for the robot vacuum cleaner to associate with based on the communication quality information of each communication protocol. Therefore, a reasonable roaming plan provided by the master device is: the robot vacuum cleaner needs to roam until it associates with sub-device 2 via Wi-Fi, while maintaining the association between the robot vacuum cleaner and sub-device 2 via GPS and RFID. After the master device sends the roaming plan to sub-devices 1 and 2, the robot vacuum cleaner completes the Wi-Fi roaming process, meaning the robot vacuum cleaner associates with sub-device 2 via Wi-Fi, GPS, and RFID, improving the Wi-Fi communication quality. It can be seen that... Figure 6 The main purpose of roaming in the scenario shown is to ensure that the STA switches to a sub-device with better signal quality.

[0144] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of the roaming scheduling method in this application. For example... Figure 7 As shown, taking a robot vacuum cleaner as an example in the network architecture, the robot vacuum cleaner supports association with sub-devices through communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, StarFlash and RFID. The robot vacuum cleaner is simultaneously within the coverage area of ​​sub-device 1 and sub-device 2.

[0145] Before the master device makes roaming decisions, the robot vacuum cleaner connects to sub-device 1 via Wi-Fi and satellite flash. Since both Wi-Fi and satellite flash operate on the 2.4GHz band, the master device can detect co-channel interference based on information reported by sub-device 1. Therefore, a reasonable roaming solution provided by the master device is: the robot vacuum cleaner needs to roam until it connects to sub-device 2 via satellite flash, while maintaining its connection with sub-device 1 via Wi-Fi. After the master device sends the roaming solution to sub-devices 1 and 2, the robot vacuum cleaner completes the satellite flash roaming process, that is, the robot vacuum cleaner connects to sub-device 1 via Wi-Fi and to sub-device 2 via satellite flash. It can be seen that... Figure 7 The main purpose of roaming in the scenario shown is to avoid co-channel interference, so that communication protocols with the same frequency band can have better communication quality.

[0146] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of the roaming scheduling method in this application. For example... Figure 8 As shown, taking a robot vacuum cleaner as an example in the network architecture, the robot vacuum cleaner supports association with sub-devices through communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, StarFlash and RFID. The robot vacuum cleaner is simultaneously within the coverage area of ​​sub-device 1 and sub-device 2.

[0147] Before the master device makes roaming decisions, the robot vacuum cleaner associates with sub-device 1 via Wi-Fi, RFID, and RFID. The master device can detect high load or overheating in sub-device 1 based on information reported by sub-devices 1 and 2, and also detect low load or low temperature in sub-device 1, indicating a risk of overload or overheating, impacting user experience. Therefore, a reasonable roaming scheme provided by the master device is: the robot vacuum cleaner needs to roam until it associates with sub-device 2 via RFID and RFID, while maintaining its existing association with sub-device 1 via Wi-Fi. After the master device sends the roaming scheme to sub-devices 1 and 2, the robot vacuum cleaner completes the roaming process via RFID and RFID, i.e., it associates with sub-device 1 via Wi-Fi and with sub-device 2 via RFID and RFID. It can be seen that... Figure 8 The main purpose of roaming in the scene shown is to achieve load balancing and temperature control.

[0148] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the main device in one embodiment of this application. Figure 9 As shown, the main device includes a processing unit 201 and a transceiver unit 202. Specifically, the transceiver unit 202 is used to perform the above-described... Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the master device performs message sending and receiving operations. For example, the transceiver unit 202 can perform the above-described operations. Figure 5 Steps 103, 104, and 106 in the illustrated embodiment. Processing unit 201 is used to execute the above steps. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, in addition to message sending and receiving, other operations of the master device, such as those performed by the processing unit 201, can be executed as described above. Figure 5 Step 105 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0149] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the main device in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the main device includes a processor 301 and an interface 302, which are interconnected via a line. The interface 302 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. The interface 302 is used to receive signals from other devices outside the main device and transmit them to the processor 301, or to send signals from the processor 301 to other devices outside the main device. It should be noted that the interface 302 is used to perform the above-described... Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the master device performs message sending and receiving operations. For example, interface 302 can perform the above-described operations. Figure 5 Steps 103, 104, and 106 in the illustrated embodiment are executed by processor 301. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, in addition to message sending and receiving, other operations of the master device can be performed, for example, the processor 301 can execute the above-described operations. Figure 5Step 105 in the illustrated embodiment. In some possible implementations, the processor 301 includes the processing unit 201 described above, and the interface 302 includes the transceiver unit 202 described above. Optionally, the host device may further include a memory 303, wherein the memory 303 is used to store program instructions and data.

[0150] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a sub-device in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the sub-device includes a processing unit 401 and a transceiver unit 402. In one example, the transceiver unit 402 is used to perform the above-described... Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the sub-device 1 performs message sending and receiving operations. For example, the transceiver unit 402 can perform the above-described operations. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, steps 103 and 106 are performed; the processing unit 401 is used to execute the above steps. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, in addition to message sending and receiving, other operations of the sub-device 1, such as those performed by the processing unit 401, can be executed as described above. Figure 5 Steps 101 and 107 are shown in the embodiment. In one example, the transceiver unit 402 is used to perform the above. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the sub-device 2 performs message sending and receiving operations. For example, the transceiver unit 402 can perform the above-described operations. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, steps 104 and 106 are performed; the processing unit 401 is used to execute the above steps. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, in addition to message sending and receiving, other operations of the sub-device 2, such as those performed by the processing unit 401, can be executed as described above. Figure 5 Steps 102 and 108 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0151] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the sub-device in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the sub-device includes a processor 501 and an interface 502, which are interconnected via a line. The interface 502 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. The interface 502 is used to receive signals from other devices outside the sub-device and transmit them to the processor 501, or to send signals from the processor 501 to other devices outside the sub-device. In one example, the interface 502 is used to perform the above-described actions. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the sub-device 1 performs message sending and receiving operations. For example, interface 502 can execute the above-described... Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, steps 103 and 106 are performed; the processor 501 is used to execute the above steps. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, in addition to message sending and receiving, other operations of the sub-device 1 can be performed, for example, the processor 501 can execute the above-described operations. Figure 5Steps 101 and 107 are shown in the illustrated embodiment. In one example, interface 502 is used to perform the above. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the sub-device 2 performs message sending and receiving operations. For example, interface 502 can execute the above-described... Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, steps 104 and 106 are performed; processor 501 is used to execute the above steps. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, in addition to message sending and receiving, other operations of the sub-device 2 can be performed, for example, the processor 501 can execute the above-described operations. Figure 5 Steps 102 and 108 are shown in the illustrated embodiment. In some possible implementations, the processor 501 includes the processing unit 401 described above, and the interface 502 includes the transceiver unit 402 described above. Optionally, the sub-device may further include a memory 503, wherein the memory 503 is used to store program instructions and data.

[0152] This application also provides a chip. The chip integrates circuitry for implementing the functions of the processor 301 or processor 501 described above, and one or more interfaces. As an example, the chip integrates a memory. As another example, when the chip does not integrate a memory, it can be connected to an external memory via the interface. The chip can perform the method steps of any one or more of the foregoing embodiments. Alternatively, the chip can implement the actions performed by the processing and transmission device in the foregoing embodiments based on program code stored in the memory.

[0153] As an example, the chip in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, any conventional processor, or a processing circuit that implements a specific function.

[0154] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium including a program or instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the method performed as described in the above method embodiments to be implemented.

[0155] It should be understood that the processor mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, integrated circuit, etc. When implemented in software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor that reads software code stored in memory. The memory can exist independently and be connected to the processor, or the memory can be integrated with the processor.

[0156] As an example, the processor in the embodiments of this application can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, any conventional processor, or a processing circuit that implements a specific function.

[0157] In embodiments of this application, the memory may be random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage medium. Of course, the storage medium may also be a component of the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. Additionally, the ASIC may reside in a network device or a terminal device. Alternatively, the processor and storage medium may exist as discrete components in the network device or terminal device.

[0158] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented entirely or partially by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0159] When implemented in hardware, the methods provided in this application embodiment may be implemented without reading software code or instructions. For example, they may be implemented using a CPU, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof.

[0160] When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions of the embodiments of this application are performed. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a terminal device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in or transmitted through a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access, or a data storage device such as a server integrating one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD); or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state disk (SSD).

[0161] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A roaming scheduling method, characterized in that, The master device is connected to a first sub-device and a second sub-device via an optical network. Both the first and second sub-devices support communication with the site STA via multiple communication protocols, including WLAN and StarFlash. The method includes: The master device receives a first message sent by the first sub-device, the first message including the STA associated with the first sub-device through at least one communication protocol; The master device receives a second message sent by the second sub-device, the second message including the STA associated with the second sub-device through at least one communication protocol; The master device makes a decision based on the first message and the second message to determine whether a target STA associated with the first sub-device via one of the target communication protocols, WLAN and StarSignal, will roam to be associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol, and to determine whether the association between the first sub-device or the second sub-device and the target STA via the other communication protocol, WLAN and StarSignal, remains unchanged. The master device sends a third message to the first sub-device and the second sub-device, the third message being used to indicate that the target STA associated with the first sub-device via the target communication protocol roams to remain associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol, and that the association between the first sub-device or the second sub-device and the target STA via the other communication protocol remains unchanged.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first message includes the service priority of at least one communication protocol of the first sub-device, and the second message includes the service priority of at least one communication protocol of the second sub-device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first message includes communication quality information of at least one communication protocol of the first sub-device, and the second message includes communication quality information of at least one communication protocol of the second sub-device. The communication quality information includes at least one of signal energy, modulation and coding scheme, communication rate, transmission delay, signal-to-noise ratio, error vector amplitude, and bit error rate.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first message includes the online duration of STAs associated with at least one communication protocol of the first sub-device, and the second message includes the online duration of STAs associated with at least one communication protocol of the second sub-device.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first message includes the temperature of the first sub-device, and the second message includes the temperature of the second sub-device.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The third message includes a first sub-message and a second sub-message. The first sub-message includes the identifier of the first sub-device and a first roaming scheme. The second sub-message includes the identifier of the second sub-device and a second roaming scheme. Both the first roaming scheme and the second roaming scheme are used to instruct a target STA associated with the first sub-device via a target communication protocol to roam to a target STA associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first roaming scheme is further used to indicate that the association between the first sub-device and the first STA remains unchanged through the first communication protocol, and the second roaming scheme is further used to indicate that the association between the second sub-device and the second STA remains unchanged through the second communication protocol.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, After the master device sends the third message, the target STA associates with the second sub-device through all of the multiple communication protocols.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before the master device sends the third message, the first sub-device associates with the target STA through a communication protocol with the same frequency band among the multiple communication protocols, the two communication protocols with the same frequency band including the target communication protocol.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Before the master device sends the third message, the traffic carried by the first sub-device is greater than the traffic carried by the second sub-device.

11. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The main device is a Fiber to the Room (MFU), and the first and second sub-devices are Fiber to the Room (SFU) sub-devices.

12. A roaming scheduling method, characterized in that, The master device and the slave device are connected via an optical network. The slave device supports communication with the site STA via multiple communication protocols, including WLAN and StarFlash. The method includes: The sub-device sends a first message to the master device, the first message including the STA associated with the sub-device through at least one communication protocol; The sub-device receives a second message sent by the master device according to the first message. The second message is used to indicate that the STA associated with the first sub-device via a target communication protocol of WLAN and StarScan remains unchanged when it roams to the STA associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol, and the association between the first sub-device or the second sub-device and the target STA via another communication protocol of WLAN and StarScan. The sub-device is either the first sub-device or the second sub-device.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The first message includes the service priority of at least one of the multiple communication protocols.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The first message includes communication quality information of at least one of the multiple communication protocols, and the communication quality information includes at least one of signal energy, modulation and coding scheme, communication rate, transmission delay, signal-to-noise ratio, error vector amplitude, and bit error rate.

15. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The first message includes the online duration of the STA associated with at least one of the multiple communication protocols.

16. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The first message includes the temperature of the sub-device.

17. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The second message includes a first sub-message and a second sub-message. The first sub-message includes the identifier of the first sub-device and a first roaming scheme. The second sub-message includes the identifier of the second sub-device and a second roaming scheme. Both the first roaming scheme and the second roaming scheme are used to instruct a target STA associated with the first sub-device via a target communication protocol to roam to a target STA associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, The first roaming scheme is further used to indicate that the association between the first sub-device and the first STA remains unchanged through the first communication protocol, and the second roaming scheme is further used to indicate that the association between the second sub-device and the second STA remains unchanged through the second communication protocol.

19. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The sub-device is the second sub-device. After the sub-device receives the second message, the target STA associates with the sub-device through all of the multiple communication protocols.

20. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The sub-device is the first sub-device. Before the sub-device receives the second message, the sub-device is associated with the target STA through a communication protocol with the same frequency band among the multiple communication protocols, and the communication protocol with the same frequency band includes the target communication protocol.

21. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, Before the master device sends the second message, the traffic carried by the first sub-device is greater than the traffic carried by the second sub-device.

22. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, After the sub-device receives the second message sent by the master device according to the first message, the method further includes: The sub-device performs roaming switching based on the second message.

23. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The main device is a Fiber to the Room (MFU) main unit, and the sub-device is a Fiber to the Room (SFU) sub-device.

24. A main device, characterized in that, The master device is connected to a first sub-device and a second sub-device via an optical network. Both the first and second sub-devices support communication with the site STA via multiple communication protocols, including WLAN and Starlink. The master device includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit is used for: Receive a first message sent by the first sub-device, the first message including the STA associated with the first sub-device through at least one communication protocol; Receive a second message sent by the second sub-device, the second message including the STA associated with the second sub-device through at least one communication protocol; The processing unit is configured to: make a decision based on the first message and the second message to determine whether a target STA associated with the first sub-device via a target communication protocol of WLAN and StarScan will roam to an association with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol, and to determine whether the association between the first sub-device or the second sub-device and the target STA via another communication protocol of WLAN and StarScan remains unchanged; The transceiver unit is configured to: send a third message to the first sub-device and the second sub-device, the third message being configured to indicate that the target STA associated with the first sub-device via the target communication protocol roams to remain associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol, and that the association between the first sub-device or the second sub-device and the target STA via the other communication protocol remains unchanged.

25. A sub-device, characterized in that, The master device and the slave device are connected via an optical network. The slave device supports communication with the STA (Station) via multiple communication protocols, including WLAN and StarFlash. The slave device includes a transceiver unit, which is used for: Send a first message to the master device, the first message including the STA associated with the sub-device through at least one communication protocol; The master device receives a second message sent according to the first message. The second message indicates that the STA associated with the first sub-device via a target communication protocol of WLAN and StarScan remains associated with the second sub-device via the target communication protocol, and the association between the first sub-device or the second sub-device and the target STA via another communication protocol of WLAN and StarScan remains unchanged. The sub-device is the first sub-device or the second sub-device.

26. A main device, characterized in that, The main device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

27. A sub-device, characterized in that, The sub-device is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 23.

28. A communication system, characterized in that, The communication system includes a master device and a sub-device, the master device being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, and the sub-device being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 23.

29. A chip, characterized in that, The chip is used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 23.

Images