Electronic devices and methods for managing roaming scans

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for managing roaming scans are provided. The electronic device includes: a transceiver; at least one processor; and a memory configured to store instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: associate with a Basic Service Set (BSS) included in an Extended Service Set (ESS), wherein the BSS corresponds to an Access Point (AP) associated with a distribution system of a wireless network; receive capability information from the AP indicating whether at least one additional BSS is included in the ESS; determine whether roaming scans are permitted based on the capability information; based on the determination that roaming scans are permitted: monitor roaming trigger conditions; and based on the determination that roaming trigger conditions are met, perform a roaming scan according to the capability information; and based on the determination that roaming scans are not permitted, continue associating with the BSS without monitoring roaming trigger conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosure relates to roaming scans in the management of wireless networks (e.g., wireless local area network (WLAN) systems according to IEEE 802.11). Background Technology

[0002] A Wi-Fi station (STA) can connect to a BSS included in an Extended Service Set (ESS), for example, by establishing a link with a Wi-Fi access point (AP) corresponding to a Basic Service Set (BSS). When a STA leaves the range of an AP and leaves a BSS, it can perform a roaming scan to identify other BSSs that the STA in the same ESS can roam to before disconnecting from the ESS. A STA can also perform a roaming scan when, for example, an AP decides to terminate the link (e.g., when the AP is restarting or overloaded), or when link quality degrades.

[0003] In some scenarios, this behavior can be beneficial. For example, when an ESS includes more than one BSS, roaming scans allow the STA to find new BSSs, and the STA can move its association to the new BSS, thus avoiding disconnection from the ESS. However, in small networks (e.g., networks containing only one BSS), this behavior may be wasteful and undesirable. However, because there may be no mechanism for the AP to notify the STA that the AP is an independent device and that no other BSSs have been found in the ESS, the STA may need to perform these roaming scans regardless of the size of the ESS.

[0004] Similar issues may exist for ESSs that consist of only a single physical AP hosting multiple BSSs, or in other non-scalable or non-extendable ESSs (e.g., ESSs with a known set of member BSSs that cannot be changed). An AP may be able to notify a STA of multiple BSSs, but may not be able to communicate to the STA that all of the multiple BSSs are known and that there are no other APs (or no other BSSs) in the distribution system corresponding to the ESS. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to the disclosed aspects, an electronic device includes: a transceiver; at least one processor; and a memory configured to store instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: associate with a basic service set (BSS) included in an extended service set (ESS), wherein the BSS corresponds to an access point (AP) associated with a distribution system of a wireless network; receive capability information from the AP indicating whether at least one additional BSS is included in the ESS; determine whether roaming scanning is permitted based on the capability information; based on the determination that roaming scanning is permitted: monitor roaming trigger conditions; and based on the determination that roaming trigger conditions are met, perform a roaming scan according to the capability information; and based on the determination that roaming scanning is not permitted, continue associating with the BSS without monitoring roaming trigger conditions.

[0006] According to the disclosed aspects, a method for managing roaming scans is performed by at least one processor included in an electronic device, and includes: associating with a Basic Service Set (BSS) included in an Extended Service Set (ESS), wherein the BSS corresponds to an Access Point (AP) associated with a distribution system of a wireless network; receiving capability information from the AP indicating whether at least one additional BSS is included in the ESS; determining whether roaming scans are permitted based on the capability information; based on the determination that roaming scans are permitted: monitoring roaming trigger conditions; and based on the determination that roaming trigger conditions are met, performing a roaming scan according to the capability information; and based on the determination that roaming scans are not permitted, continuing to associate with the BSS without monitoring roaming trigger conditions.

[0007] According to the disclosed aspects, an electronic device includes: a transceiver; at least one processor; and a memory configured to store instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: connect to an access point (AP) associated with a distribution system of a wireless network, wherein the AP corresponds to a basic service set (BSS) included in an extended service set (ESS); receive capability information from the AP indicating the number of BSSs included in the ESS; determine whether to enable roaming functionality based on the capability information; based on the determination that roaming functionality is enabled: monitor roaming trigger conditions; and based on the determination that roaming trigger conditions are met, perform a roaming scan according to the capability information; and based on the determination that roaming functionality is disabled, continue to connect to the AP without monitoring roaming trigger conditions. Attached Figure Description

[0008] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the disclosed specific embodiments will become clearer from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0009] Figure 1 The overall structure of an example wireless communication system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0010] Figure 2A wireless communication system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0011] Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C This is a diagram illustrating an example of performing a roaming scan according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of performing a roaming scan according to an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of determining not to perform a roaming scan according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for managing roaming scans according to an embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0015] As discussed above, a Wi-Fi station (STA) can connect to a BSS included in an Extended Service Set (ESS), for example, by establishing a link with a Wi-Fi access point (AP) corresponding to a Basic Service Set (BSS). The STA can perform roaming scans to identify other BSSs within the same ESS, for example, when the STA leaves the range of an AP and leaves the BSS, when the AP decides to terminate the link, or when link quality degrades. However, in some cases, frequent full roaming scans may not be desirable.

[0016] Therefore, embodiments may allow STAs to receive capability information about the capabilities of an ESS, which allows STAs to better assess and manage their roaming scanning behavior. According to embodiments, the capability information may indicate the number of BSSs included in the ESS, for example, by indicating whether the ESS includes only one BSS or includes multiple BSSs, and may also provide additional information about any BSSs that may be included in the ESS. Examples of capability information and roaming scanning behavior according to embodiments are described in more detail below.

[0017] The terminology used as disclosed is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. Unless the context clearly specifies otherwise, the singular form includes the plural indicator. Terms and words used herein (including technical or scientific terms) may have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Terms typically defined in dictionaries may be interpreted as having the same or similar meaning as in the context of the relevant field. Unless otherwise defined, these terms should not be construed as having an ideal or overly formal meaning. Even if a term is defined in the disclosure, it should not be construed as excluding the disclosed embodiments in other circumstances.

[0018] According to one or more embodiments, an electronic device may represent at least one of various types of electronic devices. Electronic devices may include, for example, network devices, routers, access point devices, terminal stations in wireless systems, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliances. According to the disclosed embodiments, the electronic device is not limited to those described above.

[0019] Figure 1 An example structure of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0020] Throughout this disclosure, examples relating to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 Wireless LAN (WLAN) standard are described, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. However, embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, some embodiments may be applied with minor modifications to other communication systems with similar technical backgrounds and channel configurations (e.g., cellular communication systems such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A, New Radio, Wireless Broadband (WiBro), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)), or short-range communication systems such as Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (NFC)) without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, the wireless communication system 100 may include a first STA 101-1, a second STA 101-2, a third STA 101-3, a fourth STA 101-4, a first access point (AP) 102-1, and a second AP 102-2. The first AP 102-1 and the second AP 102-2 may access a network 103, which may include the Internet, an Internet Protocol (IP) network, a distributed network (DN), or any other network.

[0022] The first AP 102-1 can provide access to network 103 within the first BSS 104 to the first STA 101-1, the second STA 101-2, the third STA 101-3, and the fourth STA 101-4. The second AP 102-2 can provide access to network 103 within the second BSS 105 to the third STA 101-3 and the fourth STA 101-4. According to an embodiment, the first BSS 104 and the second BSS 105 can be included in a single ESS and therefore correspond to a single Service Set Identifier (SSID).

[0023] In an embodiment, the first AP 102-1 may communicate with at least one of the first STA 101-1, the second STA 101-2, the third STA 101-3, and the fourth STA 101-4 based on IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi or any other WLAN access technology.

[0024] In some embodiments, an AP (e.g., the first AP 102-2 and / or the second AP 102-2) may be referred to as a router, gateway, etc. In some embodiments, a STA (e.g., the first STA 101-1, the second STA 101-2, the third STA 101-3, and / or the fourth STA 101-4) may be referred to as a mobile station, subscriber station, terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, user equipment, user, etc. An STA may be a mobile device (such as a mobile phone, laptop computer, wearable device, etc.) or a fixed device (such as a desktop computer, smart TV, etc.).

[0025] Figure 2 A wireless communication system 200 according to a disclosed embodiment is shown. Figure 2 The diagram shows STA 201 and AP 202 communicating with each other in a wireless communication system 200. In an embodiment, STA 201 may be referred to as a first electronic device and AP 202 as a second electronic device, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. Figure 2 Each of AP 202 and STA 201 can be any device that communicates in or is configured to communicate in the wireless communication system 200, and can be referred to as a device for wireless communication. In some embodiments, STA 201 may correspond to at least one of a first STA 101-1, a second STA 101-2, a third STA 101-3, and a fourth STA 101-4.

[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, STA 201 may include a first antenna 205, a first transceiver 206, a first processor 208, and a first memory 210. Similarly, AP 202 may include a second antenna 211, a second transceiver 212, a second processor 214, and a second memory 216.

[0027] In one embodiment, the first antenna 205, the first transceiver 206, the first processor 208, and the first memory 210 may be included in a single package, or may be included in separate packages. In another embodiment, the second antenna 211, the second transceiver 212, the second processor 214, and the second memory 216 may be included in a single package, or may be included in separate packages.

[0028] In this embodiment, the first antenna 205 can receive signals from the second antenna 211 and provide the received signals to the first transceiver 206, and can also transmit signals provided from the first transceiver 206 to the second antenna 211. Similarly, the second antenna 211 can receive signals from the first antenna 205 and provide the received signals to the second transceiver 212, and can also transmit signals provided from the second transceiver 212 to the first antenna 205.

[0029] In one embodiment, the first transceiver 206 can process signals received from the AP 202 via the first antenna 205 and can provide the processed signals to the first processor 208. In another embodiment, the first transceiver 206 can process signals provided from the first processor 208 and output the processed signals via the first antenna 205. The second transceiver 212 can similarly perform the functions described above by the first transceiver 206.

[0030] In an embodiment, the first transceiver 206 and the second transceiver 212 may include one or more circuits (such as a low-noise amplifier, mixer, filter, power amplifier, oscillator, etc.).

[0031] In an embodiment, the first processor 208 can extract information transmitted by the AP 202 by processing signals received from the first transceiver 206. For example, the first processor 208 can extract information by demodulating and / or decoding the signals received from the first transceiver 206.

[0032] In one embodiment, the first processor 208 may generate a signal including information to be sent to the AP 202 and provide the signal to the first transceiver 206. In another embodiment, the first processor 208 may provide the signal generated by encoding and / or modulating data to be sent to the AP 202 to the first transceiver 206. The second processor 214 may similarly perform the above functions performed by the first processor 208 for information transmitted by the STA 201 and information to be sent to the STA 201.

[0033] In the embodiments, the first processor 208 and the second processor 214 may include programmable components (such as a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), etc.), may include reconfigurable components (such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and may include components that provide fixed functions (such as intellectual property (IP) cores).

[0034] In one embodiment, the first processor 208 may include or access a first memory 210 storing data and / or a series of instructions. In another embodiment, the second processor 214 may include or access a second memory 216 storing data and / or a series of instructions.

[0035] Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C This is a diagram illustrating an example of performing a roaming scan according to an embodiment. Figure 3A As shown, the wireless communication system 300 may include a distribution system (DS) 301, a first access point (AP) 311 corresponding to a first BSS 321, a second access point (AP) 312 corresponding to a second BSS 322, and an STA 330. According to an embodiment, the DS 301 can be used to connect the first AP 311 and the second AP 312, and can allow the first BSS 321 and the second BSS 322 to be included in a single ESS.

[0036] like Figure 3A As shown, STA 330 may be associated with or connected to the first AP 311, and therefore may be included in the first BSS 321. However, as Figure 3B As shown, when STA 330 moves away from the first AP 311, STA 330 may observe a decrease in the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) corresponding to the first AP 311. This may trigger STA 330 to perform a roaming scan 331 to attempt to detect other BSSs that may be included in the ESS corresponding to DS 301. However, embodiments are not limited to this, and roaming scan 331 may be triggered based on satisfying one or more of a plurality of roaming trigger conditions. According to embodiments, the plurality of roaming trigger conditions may include at least one of the following: determining that the detected RSSI is below a threshold RSSI value, determining that the channel utilization of the channel corresponding to the first BSS 321 is above a threshold channel utilization, detecting beacon loss, receiving a deauthentication frame and / or deassociation frame from the first AP 311, receiving a BSS handover management (BTM) request from the first AP 311, and (e.g., when the link between STA 330 and the first AP 311 is in a 2.4 GHz band shared with the Bluetooth link) determining that a Bluetooth link has been established through STA 330. However, these are merely examples, and the embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, according to an embodiment, multiple roaming trigger conditions may include any other type of roaming trigger condition.

[0037] According to embodiments, different types of roaming scans may exist. For example, a full-channel scan may represent a roaming scan in which STA 330 scans all channels on which STA 330 can find BSSs in the same ESS as the first BSS 321. Conversely, a cached channel scan may represent a roaming scan in which STA 330 scans only channels on which BSSs in the same ESS are known to exist. According to embodiments, reducing the scan type from a full-channel scan to a cached channel scan can provide significant time and power savings. For example, for a tri-band STA device, a full-channel scan can take more than 3000 milliseconds (ms), while a cached channel scan with three cached channels can be completed in significantly less time (e.g., approximately 240 ms).

[0038] like Figure 3C As shown, based on roaming scan 331, STA 330 can detect the second AP 312 and identify the second AP 312 as a suitable candidate. Therefore, STA 330 can move its association from the first AP 311 to the second AP 312, and thus can be included in the second BSS 322.

[0039] The roaming procedure described above can be beneficial in the presence of a second AP 312, or at least in the possibility of such a presence. However, in other cases, the roaming procedure may not be beneficial. For example, some home networks may consist of only a single AP, which may not have a scalable DS and therefore may not allow the addition of a second AP. Therefore, in these and some other cases, the roaming procedure described above may be undesirable or even wasteful.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating another example of performing a roaming scan according to an embodiment. (See diagram for example.) Figure 4 As shown, the wireless communication system 400 may include a DS 401, an AP 411 corresponding to the BSS 421, and a STA 430. Unlike the wireless communication system 300 discussed above, the wireless communication system 400 may include only a single AP (e.g., AP 411). Therefore, the ESS corresponding to the DS 401 may include only a single BSS (e.g., BSS 421).

[0041] exist Figure 4In the example shown, STA 430 can still perform the roaming process as described above even if no other BSS is included in the ESS. For example, STA 430 can continue to monitor roaming trigger conditions and can still be triggered to perform roaming scan 431 based on roaming trigger conditions. For example, STA 430 can continue to monitor the RSSI corresponding to AP 411 and can perform a roaming scan based on determining that the RSSI is below a threshold RSSI value. STA 430 can continue to monitor the channel utilization of the channel corresponding to BSS 421 and can perform roaming based on determining that the channel utilization is above a threshold channel utilization value. Similarly, STA 430 can perform a roaming scan based on at least one of the following: detecting that a beacon loss has occurred, receiving a deauthentication frame and / or deassociation frame from AP 411, receiving a BTM request from AP 411, and (e.g., when the link between STA 430 and AP 411 is in the 2.4 GHz band) determining that a Bluetooth link has been established through STA 430.

[0042] However, since no other BSSs are included in the ESS, all of these roaming scans may be wasteful and potentially harmful. For example, by performing these roaming scans, STA 430 could introduce latency into already challenged links, reducing throughput and increasing power consumption without any benefit. The end-user experience may be further degraded because STA 430 may be delaying its eventual disconnection from AP 411 to perform the roaming scan. This problem can be further exacerbated when AP 411 is a non-multi-link operation (MLO) dual-band AP with different ESSs (e.g., different SSIDs) per band. For example, the need to perform roaming scans prevents STA 430 from rapidly dropping from a higher band to a lower band as STA 430 moves away from AP 411, which could extend the amount of time STA 430 experiences degraded links.

[0043] However, because the wireless communication system 400 may not include a mechanism that allows the AP 411 to notify the STA 430 that it is an independent device and that no other BSSs are to be found in the ESS, the STA 430 may need to perform these roaming scans regardless of the size of the ESS. A similar problem may exist for ESSs consisting only of a single physical AP hosting multiple BSSs, or in other non-scalable ESSs. In these cases, the AP may notify the STA of multiple BSSs, but may not be able to convey all known information from the multiple BSSs, and there may be no other AP (or no other BSS) in the distribution system corresponding to the ESS.

[0044] For example, the Neighbor Report (NR) and Simplified Neighbor Report (RNR) elements can be used to notify STAs of other APs, but the absence of NR / RNR elements cannot be interpreted as an explicit indication that no other AP (or BSS) is included in a particular ESS, and the presence of NR / RNR elements does not guarantee that all APs (or BSSs) are indicated. Furthermore, the ESS Report element allows an AP to announce that it is part of a planned ESS, and if so, that the AP is located at the edge of the ESS coverage area; however, because the AP is the only one in the ESS, it may not be allowed to announce that it is located at the edge. As another example, 802.11ax describes a “Complete List of Non-TxBSSID Profiles” that can be used to indicate that a frame carrying this element includes a complete list of unsent BSSID profiles. When multiple BSSID capabilities are supported, an unsent BSSID can represent a BSSID corresponding to one of the BSSs, which is not explicitly sent but can be derived from information encoded in probe responses, beacon and directed multi-gigabit (DMG) beacon frames, and neighbor reports. MBSSIDs can be specifically used for BSSs using the same primary channel and PHY capabilities, and these BSSs typically belong to different ESSs, thus a list of SSIDs can be used. However, even a complete list of unsent BSSID profiles cannot be used as an indication of the presence of other BSSs in an ESS. Some meshing algorithms may have path selection protocols, but these algorithms may not be able to efficiently communicate that no other AP (or BSS) is included in a particular ESS. Furthermore, Radio Data Systems (RDS) may include mechanisms for signal frequency modulation (FM) (e.g., alternative frequencies), but may not be able to provide an empty list of frequencies.

[0045] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of managing roaming scan behavior according to an embodiment. Figure 5 As shown, the wireless communication system 500 may include a DS 501, an AP 511 corresponding to a BSS 521, and an STA 530. Similar to the wireless communication system 400 described above, the wireless communication system 500 may include only a single AP (e.g., AP 411), and the ESS corresponding to the DS 501 may include only a single BSS (e.g., BSS 521).

[0046] Reference above Figure 4Different examples are described, but embodiments may allow STA 530 to receive capability information about the capabilities of the ESS, which allows STA 530 to better assess and manage its roaming scan behavior. According to an embodiment, STA 530 may receive capability information from AP 511, and the capability information may indicate, for example, the number of BSSs included in the ESS by indicating that the ESS includes only one or more BSSs. Because roaming within the ESS is not feasible when only one BSS exists, the capability information allows STA 530 to determine whether to interrupt or suppress the aforementioned roaming process.

[0047] As an example, the capability information received from AP 511 may indicate that BSS 521 is the only BSS included in the ESS corresponding to DS 501. Based on the capability information, STA 530 may determine that roaming is not required and should not be enabled. Therefore, STA 530 may determine not to perform any part of the roaming process described above. For example, when STA 530 is connected to AP 511 (and BSS 521 and the corresponding ESS), STA 530 may determine not to monitor any roaming trigger conditions or metrics and may determine not to perform any roaming scan. Therefore, if STA 530 loses its connection to AP 511, STA 530 may be able to disconnect from the ESS more quickly without performing any roaming scan, and thus may be able to move more quickly to alternative connections (such as other ESSs or other types of networks (e.g., cellular networks)).

[0048] although Figure 5 The example shown includes only a single AP 511 (and therefore only a single BSS 521), but the embodiment is not limited to this. As another example, capability information received from AP 511 may indicate that multiple BSSs are included in the ESS corresponding to DS 501, and may indicate additional information about the multiple BSSs. For example, the capability information may indicate channel information about the channels used by the multiple BSSs, and / or other information identifying the multiple BSSs, and may also indicate that the identified multiple BSSs are the only BSSs present in the ESS.

[0049] For example, capability information received from AP 511 may indicate that the ESS is explicitly limited to one and only one physical AP (e.g., AP 511). For an ESS consisting of only one physical AP, STA 530 may only need to perform roaming scans on channels where BSSs are known to exist. Therefore, based on the capability information, STA 530 may determine not to perform a full channel scan and may only perform cached channel scans corresponding to the known BSSs associated with AP 511.

[0050] For example, STA 530 can continue monitoring the RSSI corresponding to AP 511, and based on determining that the RSSI is below a threshold RSSI value, can perform roaming scans only on other known channels. STA 530 can continue monitoring the channel utilization of the channel corresponding to BSS 521, and based on determining that the channel utilization is above a threshold channel utilization value, can perform roaming scans only on other known channels. Similarly, STA 530 can perform roaming scans only on other known channels based on at least one of the following: detecting that a beacon loss has occurred, receiving a BTM request from AP 511, and (e.g., when the link between STA 530 and AP 511 is in the 2.4 GHz band) determining that a Bluetooth link has been established through STA 530. Furthermore, STA 530 can simply disconnect from AP 511 without performing a roaming scan based on receiving a deauthentication frame and / or unassociation frame from AP 511. According to embodiments, only known channels can be scanned until the expected AP is found.

[0051] Furthermore, in non-scalable ESSs that are not limited to a single physical AP, capability information can still indicate channel information about channels used by multiple BSSs and / or other information identifying multiple BSSs, and can also indicate that the identified multiple BSSs are the only BSSs present in the ESS. According to an embodiment, a non-scalable ESS can refer to an ESS having a known and unchangeable set of member BSSs. Therefore, even in these non-scalable ESSs that include more than one AP, capability information can allow STA 530 to avoid full channel scanning and perform only cached channel scanning.

[0052] Therefore, even in cases where STA 530 still performs roaming scans, the embodiments allow for optimization of these roaming scans. For example, because the capability information according to the embodiments allows STA 530 to explicitly know all BSSs included in the ESS, the STA can determine not to perform a full channel scan and can therefore perform a cached channel scan based only on the known BSSs. Thus, if STA 530 loses its connection to the AP, STA 530 can be able to disconnect from the ESS more quickly after only a short roaming scan and can therefore be able to move more quickly to alternative connections (such as other ESSs or other types of networks (e.g., cellular networks)).

[0053] As another example, capability information can instruct STA 530 that the ESS will assist STA 530 to reduce or eliminate the need for STA 530 to perform roaming scans. For example, capability information received from AP 511 can indicate that multiple BSSs are included in the ESS, and can also instruct the ESS to commit to, for example, using BTM to control the STA. Therefore, even if the capability information received by STA 530 does not directly indicate additional information (such as channel information about all BSSs included in the ESS), capability information can still allow STA 530 to reduce or eliminate the amount of roaming scans performed. For example, based on capability information, STA 530 can determine not to perform a roaming scan, or can determine to perform a roaming scan only based on receiving a BTM request, or can simply accept a BTM request. Therefore, STA 530 can determine not to monitor any roaming triggering conditions other than BTM requests.

[0054] According to an embodiment, capability information may be included in one or more transmissions received by STA 530 from AP 511, or in one or more transmissions received from additional APs associated with the ESS when multiple APs and BSSs are included in the ESS.

[0055] For example, capability information may be included in one or more capability bits in the extended capability / UHR capability element included in a beacon sent by an Ultra-High Reliability (UHR) AP. For example, based on receiving a beacon including capability bits configured to signal that the ESS is explicitly limited to one and only one BSS, the STA 530 may determine not to perform any roaming scan. However, embodiments are not limited to this. For example, in some embodiments, capability information may also be transmitted using at least one of the following: other broadcast frames (e.g., probe responses), and unicast frames (e.g., Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) responses, action frames) received before association, during association (e.g., in association responses), and after association. According to embodiments, frames transmitted before or during association may not be protected. Furthermore, capability information may be included in NR / RNR or other reports, for example by extending the NR / RNR to explicitly convey that no other neighboring cells are available.

[0056] According to embodiments, capability information may be included in multiple different elements or transmissions, and may be received by STA 530 at multiple times or in multiple stages, for example. For example, capability information may include first capability information included in a first transmission (e.g., a beacon), and second capability information included in a later transmission (e.g., NR / RNR). According to embodiments, the first capability information may indicate that the second capability information is available for request by STA 530. For example, the first capability information may indicate whether the ESS includes one and only one BSS, and if the ESS includes multiple BSSs, the second capability information may indicate additional information about the multiple BSSs. For example, the second capability information may indicate information identifying the multiple BSSs (e.g., channel information about the channels used by the multiple BSSs), or it may indicate that the ESS will assist STA 530 (e.g., the ESS is committed to using BTM to control the STA). According to embodiments, capability information may be protected to ensure it is not tampered with. For example, mechanisms such as beacon protection, management frame protection, or any other type of protected transmission may be used.

[0057] Therefore, the embodiments may allow the STA 530 to perform reduced roaming procedures, or to completely interrupt or suppress them. Thus, the embodiments can provide reduced latency and increased throughput in scenarios with low link quality by reducing or eliminating the burden of performing roaming scans.

[0058] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a process 600 for managing roaming scans according to an embodiment. In some embodiments, Figure 6 One or more processing blocks may be performed by one or more of the elements discussed above (e.g., STA 201, AP 202, wireless communication system 500, DS 501, AP 511, STA 530, and one or more of the elements included therein).

[0059] like Figure 6 As shown, in operation S601, process 600 may include associating with a BSS included in the ESS via an electronic device, wherein the BSS corresponds to an AP associated with a DS for a wireless network. In an embodiment, the electronic device may correspond to STA 530, the BSS may correspond to BSS 521, the AP may correspond to AP 511, the DS may correspond to DS 501, and the wireless network may correspond to the wireless communication system 500 discussed above.

[0060] like Figure 6 As further shown, in operation S602, process 600 may include receiving capability information from the AP indicating whether at least one additional BSS is included in the ESS. In an embodiment, the capability information may indicate the number of BSSs included in the ESS.

[0061] like Figure 6 As further shown, in operation S603, process 600 may include determining whether roaming scanning is permitted based on capability information. In an embodiment, determining whether roaming scanning is permitted may include determining whether to enable or disable the roaming function of the electronic device. Based on determining that roaming scanning is not permitted (e.g., determining that roaming function is disabled) (N of operation S603), process 600 may proceed to operation S604, which may include continuing association with the BSS without performing any roaming procedures (e.g., not monitoring roaming trigger conditions and not performing roaming scanning). Based on determining that roaming scanning is permitted (e.g., determining that roaming function is enabled) (Y of operation S603), process 600 may proceed to operation S605, which may include monitoring at least one roaming trigger condition.

[0062] like Figure 6 As further shown, in operation S606, process 600 may include determining whether at least one roaming trigger condition is met. Based on the determination that at least one roaming trigger condition is not met (N in operation S606), process 600 may return to operation S605. Based on the determination that at least one roaming trigger condition is met (Y at operation S606), process 600 may proceed to operation S607, which may include performing a roaming scan based on capability information.

[0063] In an embodiment, process 600 may further include: determining that roaming scanning is not permitted based on capability information indicating that no additional BSS is included in the ESS.

[0064] In an embodiment, process 600 may further include: determining whether roaming scanning is permitted based on capability information indicating that at least one additional BSS is included in the ESS (e.g., the ESS includes multiple BSSs).

[0065] In an embodiment, the capability information may also indicate all associated channel information among a plurality of additional BSSs, and the process 600 may further include performing a roaming scan as a cached channel scan based on the channel information.

[0066] In this embodiment, the roaming triggering condition may correspond to at least one of the following: RSSI corresponding to the AP, channel utilization of the channel corresponding to the BSS, receiving a deauthentication frame from the AP, detecting beacon loss, and establishing a Bluetooth link via an electronic device. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and other roaming triggering conditions may exist.

[0067] In an embodiment, the capability information may also instruct the ESS to commit to using the BTM to control the electronic device, and the process 600 may also include determining whether the roaming trigger condition is met based solely on receiving the BTM request from the AP.

[0068] In this embodiment, the wireless network may be an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 WLAN.

[0069] In an embodiment, capability information may be included in at least one of beacons, probe responses, pre-association unicast frames, association responses, ANQP responses, action frames, NRs, and RNRs.

[0070] although Figure 6 An example block of process 600 is shown, but in some implementations, process 600 may include... Figure 6 The boxes depicted in the diagram may be fewer, different, or arranged differently than additional boxes. Alternatively or optionally, processing two or more of the 600 boxes can be performed in parallel, or they can be combined in any order.

[0071] The terminology disclosed herein and used therein is not intended to limit the technical features set forth herein to particular embodiments, and includes various changes, equivalents, or substitutions for corresponding embodiments. Regarding the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to denote similar or related elements. Unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form of the noun corresponding to an item may include one or more things. As used herein, each of the phrases such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C” may include any or all possible combinations of the items listed together in the corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, terms such as “first” and “second” or “first” and “second” may be used simply to distinguish corresponding components from other components and do not limit the components in other respects (e.g., importance or order). It will be understood that, whether or not the terms “operably” or “communically” are used, if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being “combined”, “combined to”, “connected to”, or “attached to” another element (e.g., a second element), this means that the element can be directly (e.g., via a wire) combined with the other element, wirelessly connected to the other element, or connected to the other element via a third element.

[0072] As used in conjunction with the public disclosure, the term "module" can include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and is used interchangeably with other terms such as logic, logic block, section, or circuit. A module can be a single integral component or its smallest unit or part adapted to perform one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, a module can be implemented as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0073] As illustrated in one or more embodiments herein, software may be implemented including one or more instructions stored in a machine-readable storage medium. For example, a machine's processor may invoke at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and, under the processor's control, execute at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium, with or without one or more other components. This allows the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to the invoked at least one instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. The term "non-transitory" simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), but this term does not distinguish between data that is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and data that is temporarily stored in the storage medium.

[0074] According to embodiments, methods according to one or more disclosed embodiments may be included and provided in a computer program product. The computer program product can be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., an optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or via an app store (e.g., the Play Store). TM The computer program product may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). If distributed online, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or at least temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium (such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an app store's server, or a relay server).

[0075] According to one or more embodiments, each of the components described above (e.g., a module or program) may include a single entity or multiple entities. According to one or more embodiments, one or more of the components described above may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Optionally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, according to one or more embodiments, the integrated component may still perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as the corresponding one of the multiple components performed before integration. According to one or more embodiments, operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more operations may be performed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0076] According to one or more embodiments, in a non-volatile storage medium storing instructions, the instructions can be configured to cause at least one processor to perform at least one operation when executed by at least one processor. The at least one operation may include: displaying an application screen of a running application on a display; identifying a data input field included in the application screen; identifying a data type corresponding to the data input field; displaying at least one external electronic device capable of providing data corresponding to the identified data type around the electronic device; receiving data corresponding to the identified data type from an external electronic device selected from the at least one external electronic device via a communication module; and inputting the received data into the data input field.

[0077] The disclosed embodiments described in this specification and accompanying drawings are presented as specific examples only to explain the technical content according to the disclosed embodiments and to aid in understanding the disclosed embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosed embodiments. Therefore, the scope of the one or more disclosed embodiments should be interpreted as encompassing all variations or modifications of the technical spirit derived from the one or more disclosed embodiments other than those disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising: a transceiver; at least one processor; and a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: associate with a basic service set included in an extended service set, wherein the basic service set corresponds to an access point associated with a distribution system of a wireless network; receive, from the access point, capability information indicating whether at least one additional basic service set is included in the extended service set; determine whether to allow a roaming scan based on the capability information; based on a determination to allow the roaming scan: monitor a roaming trigger condition; and based on a determination that the roaming trigger condition is satisfied, perform the roaming scan according to the capability information; and based on a determination to not allow the roaming scan, continue to associate with the basic service set without monitoring the roaming trigger condition. the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to: 2.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, based on the capability information indicating that no additional basic service set is included in the extended service set, determine to not allow the roaming scan. the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to: 3.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, based on the capability information indicating that the at least one additional basic service set is included in the extended service set, determine to allow the roaming scan. the capability information further indicates channel information associated with all of the at least one additional basic service set, and 4.The electronic device of claim 3, wherein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to perform the roaming scan as a cached channel scan based on the channel information and not scan any other channel. the roaming trigger condition corresponds to at least one of a received signal strength indicator corresponding to the access point, a channel utilization of a channel corresponding to the basic service set, receiving a deauthentication frame from the access point, detecting a beacon loss, and establishing a Bluetooth link by the electronic device. 5.The electronic device of claim 4, wherein, the capability information further indicates that the extended service set is committed to control the electronic device using basic service set switch management, and 6.The electronic device of claim 3, wherein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to determine that the roaming trigger condition is satisfied based on receiving, from the access point, only a basic service set switch management request. the wireless network is an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11 wireless local area network.

7. The electronic device of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, the capability information is included in at least one of a beacon, a probe response, a pre-association unicast frame, an association response, an access network query protocol response, an action frame, a neighbor report, and a simplified neighbor report. 8.The electronic device of claim 7, wherein, 9.A method of managing a roaming scan, the method being performed by at least one processor included in an electronic device, and the method comprising: associating with a basic service set included in an extended service set, wherein the basic service set corresponds to an access point associated with a distribution system of a wireless network; receiving, from the access point, capability information indicating whether at least one additional basic service set is included in the extended service set; determining whether to allow a roaming scan based on the capability information; based on a determination to allow the roaming scan: monitoring a roaming trigger condition; and based on a determination that the roaming trigger condition is satisfied, performing the roaming scan according to the capability information; and ​ Based on the determination that roaming scanning is not allowed, the association with the basic service set continues without monitoring roaming trigger conditions.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: Based on the indication that there is no additional capability information for including the basic service set in the extended service set, it is determined that roaming scanning is not allowed.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising: Based on the capability information indicating that at least one additional basic service set is included in the extended service set, roaming scans are determined to be permitted.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The capability information also indicates all associated channel information with the at least one additional basic service set, and The method further includes performing a roaming scan as a cached channel scan based on channel information, without scanning any other channels.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The roaming trigger condition corresponds to at least one of the following: received signal strength indicator corresponding to the access point, channel utilization of the channel corresponding to the basic service set, receiving a deauthentication frame from the access point, detecting beacon loss, and establishing a Bluetooth link through an electronic device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein, The capability information also indicates that the extended service set is committed to using basic service set switching management to control electronic devices, and The method further includes determining whether roaming triggering conditions are met based solely on receiving a basic service set handover management request from the access point.

15. The method of any of claims 9 to 14, wherein, Wireless networks are defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 Wireless LAN.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, Capability information is included in at least one of the following: beacon, probe response, pre-association unicast frame, association response, access network query protocol response, action frame, neighbor cell report, and simplified neighbor cell report.

17. An electronic device comprising: transceiver; At least one processor; as well as The memory is configured to store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: Connect to an access point associated with a distribution system for a wireless network, wherein the access point corresponds to a basic service set included in an extended service set; Receive capability information from the access point indicating the number of basic service sets included in the extended service set; Whether to enable roaming functionality is determined based on capability information; Based on the determination that roaming functionality is enabled: monitoring roaming trigger conditions; and based on the determination that the roaming trigger conditions are met, performing a roaming scan according to capability information; and Based on the determination that roaming is disabled, the connection to the access point continues without monitoring roaming trigger conditions.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein, When the instruction is executed by the at least one processor, it also causes the at least one processor to: Based on the capability information indication, including the number of basic service sets in the extended service set being equal to one, it is determined that roaming functionality is disabled, and Based on the capability information indicating that the number of basic service sets included in the extended service set is greater than one, it is determined that the roaming function is enabled.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein, When the instruction is executed by the at least one processor, it also causes the at least one processor to: Based on the roaming function being enabled, and based on the capability information indicating all associated channel information included in at least one additional basic service set in the extended service set, the roaming scan is performed as a cached channel scan.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein, When the instruction is executed by the at least one processor, it also causes the at least one processor to: Based on the roaming function being enabled, and based on the capability information indicating that the extended service set is committed to using basic service set switching management to control the electronic device, the roaming triggering conditions are determined to be met only based on receiving a basic service set switching management request from the access point.

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