A client booting method, apparatus, device, and medium

Abstract

This application discloses a client guidance method, apparatus, device, and medium, relating to the field of wireless local area network (WLAN) technology and applied to a WLAN controller. The method includes: acquiring a probe request frame sent by a wireless client through the current access point; parsing capability information elements in the probe request frame to identify the generation type of the wireless client and the supported link frequency band combinations; the capability information elements include EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements, and the generation type at least includes types supporting multi-link operation and seamless mobility domain; determining a target access point and a guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point based on the generation type, link frequency band combinations, and network status information; generating a guidance instruction according to the target access point and the guidance strategy and sending it to the wireless client through the current access point, so that the wireless client can access the target access point according to the guidance instruction. This method can accurately identify the generation type of the client and intelligently guide the client.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wireless local area network technology, and in particular to a client booting method, apparatus, device, and medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid iteration of wireless LAN technology, next-generation wireless communication standards such as WiFi 7 and WiFi 8 have been launched and gradually commercialized. Multi-generational heterogeneous WiFi networks have become the mainstream deployment form. Among them, WiFi 7 supports multi-link operation (MLO) to achieve bandwidth aggregation and improve throughput, while WiFi 8's seamless mobility domain (SMD) feature enables low-latency, zero-interruption roaming, meeting the high requirements of diverse services such as industrial IoT, XR / AR, and high-definition video conferencing. Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Order No. 62, "Regulations on Radio Frequency Allocation of the People's Republic of China," the 6425–7125MHz frequency band is explicitly allocated for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) systems (i.e., 5G / 6G), meaning that WiFi is disabled across the entire 6GHz band. Therefore, next-generation WiFi networks can only be deployed based on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, further posing localized adaptation requirements for access control of multi-generational clients.

[0003] Existing wireless client access control methods are mostly designed for single WiFi networks, such as the WiFi6E client guidance scheme based on the 6GHz band, which cannot adapt to the deployment constraints of the 2.4+5GHz band. Moreover, traditional methods determine the access point only through a single parameter such as received signal strength indication and adopt a uniform frequency band guidance strategy. This cannot accurately identify high-generation client types that support multi-link operation and seamless mobility domain, nor can it provide targeted guidance based on the client's link frequency band combination capabilities and actual network conditions.

[0004] In summary, accurately identifying the generational type of clients and intelligently guiding them to the access point is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of this invention is to provide a client guidance method, apparatus, device, and medium capable of accurately identifying the generational type of the client and intelligently guiding the client to associate with the access point. The specific solution is as follows: In a first aspect, this application discloses a client booting method applied to a wireless LAN controller, comprising: Acquire probe request frames sent by wireless clients through the current access point; The capability information elements in the probe request frame are parsed to identify the generation type of the wireless client and the supported link frequency band combination; wherein, the capability information elements include EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements, and the generation type includes at least a first type that supports multi-link operation and a second type that supports the seamless mobility domain. The generation type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information are input into a preset prediction guidance engine to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point. A boot instruction is generated based on the target access point and the boot policy, and the boot instruction is sent to the wireless client through the current access point so that the wireless client can access the target access point according to the boot instruction.

[0006] Optionally, the step of inputting the generation type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information into a preset prediction guidance engine to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point includes: When the generation type is the first type, the first type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information are input to the preset prediction guidance engine to obtain the current optimal access point and multi-link operation mode output by the prediction guidance engine. The current optimal access point is taken as the target access point, and a multi-link guidance strategy is generated based on the MAC address of the target access point, the link combination information in the target access point that matches the link frequency band combination, and the multi-link operation mode to guide the wireless client to associate with the target access point.

[0007] Optionally, generating the boot instructions based on the target access point and the boot policy includes: When the guidance strategy is a multi-link guidance strategy, an enhanced multi-link information element is constructed, which includes the MAC address of the target access point, the link combination information, the multi-link operation mode, and the 6GHz band disable flag; the link combination information includes the BSSID and channel parameters of each link; The enhanced multi-link information element is embedded in the probe response frame to form a guidance instruction.

[0008] Optionally, the multi-link operation mode includes simultaneous transmit / receive mode, enhanced multi-link single-radio mode, or non-simultaneous transmit / receive mode. The process by which the prediction guidance engine outputs the multi-link operation mode includes: When both the target access point and the wireless client support radio frequency isolation and the received signal strength indication of each link is higher than the preset threshold, the simultaneous transmit and receive mode is output. When the wireless client does not support RF isolation but supports fast frequency band switching, the enhanced multi-link single-RF mode is output. When the wireless client does not support radio frequency isolation and fast frequency band switching, the asynchronous transmit / receive mode is output.

[0009] Optionally, the step of inputting the generation type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information into a preset prediction guidance engine to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point includes: When the generation type is the second type, the second type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information are input to a preset prediction guidance engine to obtain the prediction handover event output by the prediction guidance engine; wherein, the prediction handover event includes the access point to be switched and the handover time window; When the predicted handover event meets the preset triggering conditions, the access point to be handed over is taken as the target access point, and the preset association context of the wireless client is transmitted to the target access point through the control plane of the seamless mobility domain. Based on the MAC address of the target access point, a seamless mobility domain identifier, a context token corresponding to the preset association context, and the handover time window are used to generate a seamless mobility domain guidance policy to guide the wireless client to associate with the target access point.

[0010] Optionally, generating the boot instructions based on the target access point and the boot policy includes: When the guidance strategy is a seamless mobility domain guidance strategy, a seamless mobility domain information element is constructed, including the MAC address of the target access point, the seamless mobility domain identifier, the context token, the handover time window, the multi-access point coordination action bitmap, and the frequency band support information; wherein, different bits in the multi-access point coordination action bitmap are used to indicate whether joint transmission is enabled and whether resource unit reservation is enabled, and the flag bit corresponding to the 6GHz frequency band in the frequency band support information is 0. The seamless mobility domain information element is embedded in the BTM request frame to form a boot instruction.

[0011] Optionally, after transmitting the preset association context of the wireless client to the target access point through the control plane of the seamless mobility domain, the method further includes: Within the switching time window, the current access point and the target access point are controlled to simultaneously send the same data frames to the wireless client through the multi-access point coordination interface to achieve joint transmission, and the target access point is controlled to reserve resource units for the wireless client.

[0012] Optionally, transmitting the preset association context of the wireless client to the target access point through the control plane of the seamless mobility domain includes: The encryption key information, multi-link operation link status parameters, EDCA access category parameters, and quality of service parameters of the wireless client are transmitted to the target access point via a wired backplane or a wireless relay in the seamless mobility domain.

[0013] Optionally, the prediction guidance engine includes a mobility trajectory predictor, a traffic classifier, a load predictor, and a decision fusion unit; The mobile trajectory predictor is used to predict the optimal target access point for future moments based on the historical received signal strength indication of each access point and the estimated mobile speed of the wireless client. The service classifier is used to identify the service type and latency sensitivity level based on the service flow characteristics of the wireless client. The load predictor is used to predict the load status at future times based on the historical channel utilization of each access point. The decision fusion unit is used to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy based on the output results of the mobile trajectory predictor, the service classifier and the load predictor under preset frequency band constraints.

[0014] Optionally, the network status information includes the channel utilization rate of each access point, the received signal strength indication of each access point, the estimated mobile speed of the wireless client, and service flow characteristics.

[0015] Optionally, the preset triggering conditions include: The mobile trajectory predictor predicts that the signal strength of the wireless client will be lower than a preset signal threshold at a future time, and the prediction confidence level exceeds a preset confidence threshold. Furthermore, the load predictor predicts that the channel utilization rate to the target access point will be lower than a preset load threshold at the future time. Furthermore, the decision fusion unit determines to perform a switching operation.

[0016] Optionally, the link frequency band combination includes at least one of a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz low-frequency band, and a 5 GHz high-frequency band; wherein the 5 GHz low-frequency band is 5150-5350 MHz, and the 5 GHz high-frequency band is 5725-5850 MHz.

[0017] Optionally, the client bootstrapping method further includes: Before sending the boot command to the wireless client, a fallback boot strategy is pre-configured according to the generation type of the wireless client; If the wireless client fails to complete the association with the target access point within the preset waiting time, the fallback guidance strategy is triggered. Specifically, when the generation type is the first type, a traditional single-link frequency band guidance strategy is executed to guide the wireless client to access the target access point via a single link; when the generation type is the second type, an 802.11r fast roaming strategy is executed to guide the wireless client to complete the roaming handover within a preset time delay.

[0018] Secondly, this application discloses a client boot device applied to a wireless local area network controller, comprising: The request acquisition module is used to acquire probe request frames sent by wireless clients through the current access point; An identification module is used to parse the capability information elements in the probe request frame to identify the generation type of the wireless client and the supported link frequency band combination; wherein, the capability information elements include EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements, and the generation type includes at least a first type that supports multi-link operation and a second type that supports the seamless mobility domain. The guidance strategy generation module is used to input the generation type, the link frequency band combination and network status information into a preset prediction guidance engine, so as to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point through the prediction guidance engine; The access module is configured to generate a guidance instruction based on the target access point and the guidance policy, and send the guidance instruction to the wireless client through the current access point, so that the wireless client can access the target access point according to the guidance instruction.

[0019] Thirdly, this application discloses an electronic device, including: Memory, used to store computer programs; A processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the steps of the aforementioned disclosed client booting method.

[0020] Fourthly, this application discloses a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program; wherein, when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the aforementioned disclosed client booting method.

[0021] As can be seen, this application acquires probe request frames sent by wireless clients through the current access point via a wireless LAN controller; parses the capability information elements in the probe request frames to identify the generation type and supported link band combinations of the wireless client; wherein, the capability information elements include EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements, and the generation type includes at least a first type supporting multi-link operation and a second type supporting seamless mobility domain; inputs the generation type, the link band combination, and network status information into a preset prediction and guidance engine to determine the target access point and a guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point; generates guidance instructions based on the target access point and the guidance strategy, and sends the guidance instructions to the wireless client through the current access point, so that the wireless client accesses the target access point according to the guidance instructions.

[0022] Beneficial Effects: This application, by analyzing the EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements in the probe request frame, can accurately identify the generational type of wireless clients, clearly distinguishing between the first type supporting multi-link operation and the second type supporting seamless mobility domain. Simultaneously, it extracts the link frequency band combinations supported by the client, overcoming the limitation of traditional methods in identifying the unique technical characteristics of high-generation clients. This achieves accurate classification of different types of clients in multi-generational heterogeneous networks, laying the foundation for subsequent differentiated guidance and adapting to the technical characteristics differences of multi-generational clients. Furthermore, this application discloses a predictive guidance engine to determine the target access point and guidance strategy. This process relies not only on the client's generational type and link frequency band combinations but also integrates network state information for decision-making. Compared to existing technologies that passively respond based solely on static information in the probe request frame, this invention can more comprehensively and accurately evaluate the actual state of each candidate access point, thereby selecting a better target access point for the client, improving the guidance success rate and the service quality after client access. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a client bootstrapping method disclosed in this application; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a specific client bootstrapping method disclosed in this application; Figure 3This is a flowchart of another specific client bootstrapping method disclosed in this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a client-side boot device disclosed in this application; Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of an electronic device disclosed in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Existing wireless client access control methods are mostly designed for single WiFi networks, such as WiFi6E client guidance schemes based on the 6GHz band, which cannot adapt to the deployment constraints of the 2.4+5GHz bands. Furthermore, traditional methods determine the access point based on a single parameter such as received signal strength, employing a uniform band guidance strategy. This fails to accurately identify high-generation client types that support multi-link operation and seamless mobility domains, nor can it provide targeted guidance based on the client's link band combination capabilities and actual network conditions. Therefore, this application discloses a client guidance method, apparatus, device, and medium that can accurately identify the client's generation type and intelligently guide the client to the access point.

[0027] See Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this application discloses a client bootstrapping method applied to a wireless local area network controller. The method includes: Step S11: Obtain the probe request frame sent by the wireless client through the current access point.

[0028] In this embodiment, when a wireless client enters the network coverage area, it will actively send a probe request frame to the current access point to scan for available wireless networks. The wireless LAN controller obtains the probe request frame through the current access point.

[0029] Step S12: parse the capability information elements in the probe request frame to identify the generation type of the wireless client and the supported link frequency band combination; wherein, the capability information elements include EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements, and the generation type includes at least a first type that supports multi-link operation and a second type that supports the seamless mobility domain.

[0030] In this embodiment, by parsing the capability information elements in the probe request frame, the generation type of the wireless client can be accurately identified, clearly distinguishing between the first type of wireless client that supports multi-link operation and the second type that supports seamless mobility domain. At the same time, the combination of link frequency bands supported by the client is extracted, breaking through the limitation of traditional methods that cannot identify the exclusive technical characteristics of high-generation clients. This achieves accurate classification of different types of clients in multi-generational heterogeneous networks, laying the foundation for subsequent differentiated guidance and adapting to the differences in technical characteristics of multi-generational clients.

[0031] It should be noted that this application, by parsing the capability information elements in the probe request frame, can not only identify the first type (i.e., WiFi 7) supporting Multi-Link Operation (MLO) and the second type (i.e., WiFi 8) supporting Seamless Mobility Domain (SMD), but also traditional WiFi 5, WiFi 6 clients, and future new generation client types. In other words, the capability information elements carried in the probe request frame contain multiple fields related to the client's generation type. This application achieves accurate differentiation of generation types by parsing the capability information elements corresponding to different standard versions.

[0032] For example, for WiFi 5 clients: the probe request frame may carry VHT (Very High Throughput) capability information elements, but does not contain higher generation capability elements other than HT (High Throughput). This application identifies it as a WiFi 5 client by detecting the presence of VHT capability elements and the absence of higher generation capability elements. It should be noted that WiFi 5 clients only support the 5 GHz band and do not support multi-link operation in the 2.4 GHz band.

[0033] For WiFi 6 clients: the probe request frame can carry HE (High Efficiency) capability information elements. This application identifies a WiFi 6 client by detecting the presence of HE capability elements. It should be noted that WiFi 6 clients do not support EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements; they only support single-link operation (i.e., working on only one frequency band at a time) and do not support multi-link aggregation. Specifically, they support the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands.

[0034] For WiFi 7 clients, the probe request frame carries both an EHT (Extremely High Throughput) capability element and a Multi-Link Element (MLE). This application confirms the client's support for WiFi 7's extremely high throughput feature by parsing the EHT capability element, and confirms its support for Multi-Link Operation (MLO) by parsing the Multi-Link Element. Furthermore, it extracts the link information field from the MLE to obtain the client's supported link frequency band combinations (such as the 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, and their sub-bands). For WiFi 8 clients, the probe request frame may carry an SMD (Seamless Mobility Domain) capability information element. This application confirms the client's support for WiFi 8's ultra-high reliability feature by parsing the UHR capability element, and confirms its support for the Seamless Mobility Domain by parsing the SMD capability information element. WiFi 8 clients also support multi-link operation, and their link frequency band identification method is similar to that of WiFi 7. By parsing the UHR capability element and the Multi-Link Element (MLE) carried in the probe request frame, the supported link frequency band combinations are extracted.

[0035] It should be noted that the link frequency band combination includes at least one of the following: a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz low-frequency band, and a 5 GHz high-frequency band; wherein the 5 GHz low-frequency band is 5150-5350 MHz, and the 5 GHz high-frequency band is 5725-5850 MHz. That is, regardless of the generation type, this application ultimately outputs the link frequency band information supported by the wireless client, which includes at least one of the following: a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz low-frequency band (5150-5350 MHz), and a 5 GHz high-frequency band (5725-5850 MHz). For clients that only support a single frequency band (such as some WiFi 5 and WiFi 6 clients), the link frequency band information contains only one frequency band; for clients that support multi-link aggregation (such as WiFi 7 and WiFi 8 clients), the link frequency band information contains a combination of two or more frequency bands, providing a basis for subsequent multi-link guidance strategies.

[0036] It should also be noted that, due to differences in spectrum planning policies in different countries or regions, the 6GHz band may not be fully open for Wi-Fi use in some countries or regions. Therefore, this application may also use the 6GHz band as one of the link band combinations when the 6GHz band complies with local spectrum control policies and available frequency band combinations are selected, and the technical solution of this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0037] Step S13: Input the generation type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information into a preset prediction guidance engine to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point through the prediction guidance engine.

[0038] In this embodiment, when determining the target access point and guidance strategy, the decision is made not only based on the generation type of the client and the combination of link frequency bands, but also by comprehensively considering network status information. Compared with the prior art, which only passively responds based on static information in the probe request frame, the present invention can more comprehensively and accurately evaluate the actual status of each candidate access point, thereby selecting a better target access point for the client, improving the guidance success rate and the service quality after the client accesses the network.

[0039] Step S14: Generate a guidance instruction based on the target access point and the guidance policy, and send the guidance instruction to the wireless client through the current access point, so that the wireless client can access the target access point according to the guidance instruction.

[0040] In this embodiment, a guidance instruction is generated based on the determined target access point and guidance strategy, and sent to the wireless client through the current access point, so that the wireless client can access the current optimal target access point according to the guidance instruction.

[0041] Furthermore, to further improve the robustness and compatibility of the method in this application, this application also includes a fallback guidance mechanism. Specifically, the method of this application further includes: before sending the guidance instruction to the wireless client, pre-configuring a fallback guidance strategy according to the generation type of the wireless client; if it is detected that the wireless client has not completed the association with the target access point within a preset waiting time, the fallback guidance strategy is triggered; wherein, when the generation type is the first type, a traditional single-link frequency band guidance strategy is executed to guide the wireless client to access the target access point through a single link; when the generation type is the second type, an 802.11r fast roaming strategy is executed to guide the wireless client to complete the roaming handover within a preset delay. That is, if the wireless client fails to successfully associate with the target access point within the preset waiting time, or if the client association fails and returns an error code, the fallback guidance strategy is triggered. The controller either downgrades to either a traditional frequency band bootstrapping strategy or an 802.11r fast roaming strategy. The traditional frequency band bootstrapping strategy guides the client to associate with a single link of the target access point based solely on simple parameters such as received signal strength. In this case, the client will complete access using a traditional single-link method (rather than multi-link aggregation), suitable for the first type of wireless client. The 802.11r fast roaming strategy guides the client to complete roaming handover according to the standard fast roaming protocol. While the client cannot achieve zero-interruption handover, it can still complete roaming within a few hundred milliseconds of latency, ensuring basic service continuity, suitable for the second type of wireless client. The client is guided to associate with the target access point using the traditional method, ensuring basic network access and preventing complete network failure. Through this fallback bootstrapping mechanism, this application can automatically downgrade to a more compatible traditional bootstrapping method when intelligent bootstrapping fails, avoiding situations where the client cannot access the network, thus improving bootstrapping efficiency while ensuring basic network availability.

[0042] As can be seen, this application, by analyzing the EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements in the probe request frame, can accurately identify the generational type of wireless clients, clearly distinguishing between the first type supporting multi-link operation and the second type supporting seamless mobility domain. Simultaneously, it extracts the link frequency band combinations supported by the client, overcoming the limitation of traditional methods in identifying the unique technical characteristics of high-generation clients. This achieves accurate classification of different types of clients in multi-generational heterogeneous networks, laying the foundation for subsequent differentiated guidance and adapting to the differences in technical characteristics among multi-generational clients. Furthermore, this application discloses a predictive guidance engine to determine the target access point and guidance strategy. This process relies not only on the client's generational type and link frequency band combinations but also integrates network state information for decision-making. Compared to existing technologies that passively respond based solely on static information in the probe request frame, this invention can more comprehensively and accurately evaluate the actual state of each candidate access point, thereby selecting a better target access point for the client, improving the guidance success rate and the service quality after client access.

[0043] See Figure 2 As shown, this application discloses a specific client bootstrapping method. Compared to the previous embodiment, this embodiment further explains and optimizes the technical solution. Specifically, it includes: Step S21: Obtain the probe request frame sent by the wireless client through the current access point.

[0044] Step S22: parse the capability information elements in the probe request frame to identify the generation type of the wireless client and the supported link frequency band combination; wherein, the capability information elements include EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements, and the generation type includes at least a first type that supports multi-link operation and a second type that supports the seamless mobility domain.

[0045] It should be noted that Multi-Link Operation (MLO) supports multiple inter-link cooperation modes, including: Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STR), where the client simultaneously transmits and receives data on two or more links, with sufficient RF isolation (typically greater than 30dB) between links to prevent interference and achieve maximum aggregate bandwidth. This mode is suitable for deployment scenarios with good link signal quality and isolation conditions. Enhanced Multi-Link Single Radio (eMLSR), where the client transmits and receives data on a primary link while continuously monitoring the channel status on a secondary link. When the primary link condition deteriorates, it can quickly switch to the secondary link, balancing coverage and data rate at a lower hardware cost. This mode is suitable for scenarios with lower RF isolation requirements. Non-Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (NSTR), where the client operates in a time-division multiplexing manner across multiple links, transmitting and receiving data on only one link at a time, while the other links are in a listening or dormant state. This mode has the lowest RF isolation requirements and is suitable for scenarios with limited hardware capabilities or complex deployment environments. Based on the actual hardware capabilities and channel conditions of the client and the target access point, this application uses a predictive guidance engine to automatically recommend the optimal operating mode.

[0046] Step S23: When the generation type is the first type, the first type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information are input to the preset prediction guidance engine to obtain the current optimal access point and multi-link operation mode output by the prediction guidance engine.

[0047] In this embodiment, the prediction guidance engine is an intelligent decision-making module that integrates multi-dimensional information. When the generation type of the wireless client is the first type, it can select the optimal target access point and recommend the most suitable multi-link operation mode for the first type of wireless client (WiFi7 client that supports multi-link operation) based on the generation capability of the client, the link frequency band support, and the real-time network status.

[0048] Specifically, it should be noted that the prediction guidance engine includes a motion trajectory predictor, a service classifier, a load predictor, and a decision fusion unit. The motion trajectory predictor is used to predict the optimal target access point for future moments based on the historical received signal strength indications of each access point and the estimated movement speed of the wireless client. The service classifier is used to identify service types and latency sensitivity levels based on the service flow characteristics of the wireless client. The load predictor is used to predict the load status for future moments based on the historical channel utilization of each access point. The decision fusion unit is used to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy based on the output results of the motion trajectory predictor, the service classifier, and the load predictor under preset frequency band constraints.

[0049] In other words, the prediction guidance engine comprises four core components: a mobile trajectory predictor, a traffic classifier, a load predictor, and a decision fusion unit, with built-in Chinese frequency band constraints (i.e., 2.4GHz + 5GHz). Specifically, the mobile trajectory predictor can employ a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network or a Transformer model to predict the client's future location and signal strength trends based on the historical Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) time series of each access point and the estimated movement speed of the wireless client. Specifically, the mobile trajectory predictor takes as input the client's RSSI time series relative to each candidate access point over a past period (e.g., 10 seconds), combines it with the client's current movement speed and direction, and outputs the predicted RSSI value and prediction confidence of each candidate access point after T seconds (T is configurable, ranging from 0.5 to 5 seconds). For example, if it predicts that the client's current access point's RSSI will be below -75dBm and the target access point's RSSI will be above -65dBm in 2 seconds, the mobile trajectory predictor outputs that target access point as the optimal candidate.

[0050] The service classifier can specifically employ a lightweight deep neural network (DNN) to identify service types and latency sensitivity levels based on the service flow characteristics of wireless clients. Specifically, the service classifier takes into account the data packet interval distribution (e.g., mean, variance, percentiles) and packet size statistics (e.g., average packet length, packet length distribution) of the client's service flow, and outputs service classification results, including but not limited to: real-time control services (e.g., industrial automation commands, highest latency sensitivity), video services (e.g., high-definition video conferencing, medium latency sensitivity), and general data services (e.g., web browsing, file downloads, lowest latency sensitivity). The service classification results directly influence the selection of guidance strategies: for high latency-sensitive services, guidance strategies need to prioritize link quality and handover continuity; for general data services, maximizing throughput can be prioritized.

[0051] The load predictor employs a Random Forest or Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM) model to predict future load status based on historical channel utilization at each access point. Specifically, the load predictor takes into account the historical channel utilization time-series data (sampling period of 0.5 seconds) of each link at each access point (2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz low-frequency band, and 5 GHz high-frequency band) and outputs the predicted load status (such as channel utilization percentage, queue depth, etc.) of each link at each access point after T seconds. The load predictor also supports frequency band-specific prediction, distinguishing load conditions across different frequency bands and providing a basis for multi-link combination selection. For example, when the 5 GHz low-frequency band has a high load (>70%) while the 5 GHz high-frequency band has a low load (<30%), the load predictor will tend to recommend using the 5 GHz high-frequency band as the primary link.

[0052] The decision fusion unit, under preset frequency band constraints, comprehensively determines the target access point and guidance strategy based on the outputs of the mobility trajectory predictor, service classifier, and load predictor. Specifically, the decision fusion unit first overlays the preset frequency band constraints (i.e., excluding any 6GHz links and only allowing the 2.4GHz, 5GHz low-frequency band, and 5GHz high-frequency band), and then performs weighted fusion of the candidate access point list output by the mobility trajectory predictor, the latency sensitivity level output by the service classifier, and the load status of each link output by the load predictor, outputting the final target access point, recommended link combinations, and recommended multi-link operation mode.

[0053] Specifically, the multi-link operation mode includes simultaneous transmit / receive mode, enhanced multi-link single-radio mode, or asynchronous transmit / receive mode; wherein, the process by which the prediction guidance engine outputs the multi-link operation mode includes: when both the target access point and the wireless client support radio frequency isolation and the received signal strength indication of each link is higher than a preset threshold, the simultaneous transmit / receive mode is output; when the wireless client does not support radio frequency isolation but supports fast band switching, the enhanced multi-link single-radio mode is output; when the wireless client does not support radio frequency isolation and does not support fast band switching, the asynchronous transmit / receive mode is output.

[0054] In the first specific implementation, if both the target access point and the wireless client support RF isolation (i.e., the RF isolation between each link meets the requirements for simultaneous transmission and reception, typically requiring an isolation greater than 30dB) and the received signal strength indication of each link is higher than a preset threshold (e.g., -70dBm), the decision fusion unit outputs the Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STR) mode. STR mode allows the client to simultaneously transmit and receive on multiple links, achieving maximum aggregate bandwidth. It is suitable for high-density enterprise WiFi deployments on the same floor, especially in environments where two 5 GHz channels do not overlap and have good RF isolation.

[0055] In the second specific implementation, when the wireless client does not support RF isolation (i.e., cannot achieve simultaneous transmission and reception) but supports fast band switching, the decision fusion unit outputs Enhanced Multi-Link Single Radio (eMLSR). eMLSR mode allows the client to remain active on the primary link while simultaneously listening or quickly switching on the secondary link, ensuring both coverage and throughput. This mode is suitable for scenarios requiring a balance between coverage and speed, such as using the 2.4GHz band for wall penetration coverage and the 5GHz band for the primary data link.

[0056] In the third specific implementation, when neither of the above two conditions is met (i.e., the client does not support RF isolation and does not support fast band switching), the decision fusion unit outputs the Non-Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (NSTR) mode. NSTR mode is the most basic MLO operating mode, where the client operates time-divisionally across multiple links. Although the aggregated bandwidth is not as high as STR mode, it is still superior to single-link operation. This mode is suitable for coverage edge and multi-obstacle scenarios, with the 2.4GHz band providing coverage assurance and the 5GHz band providing rate supplementation.

[0057] Furthermore, the network status information includes channel utilization of each access point, received signal strength indication of each access point, estimated movement speed of the wireless client, and service flow characteristics. Channel utilization reflects the congestion level of each frequency band; received signal strength indication reflects the signal quality between the client and each access point; estimated movement speed reflects the client's movement status, allowing for more aggressive guidance strategies during low-speed movement and requiring a longer handover time window during high-speed movement; and service flow characteristics reflect the client's service type and quality of service requirements.

[0058] It should be noted that the mobile trajectory predictor, service classifier, and load predictor in the prediction guidance engine are all machine learning models trained on historical data. The training dataset for the mobile trajectory predictor includes RSSI sampling data under different movement speeds and environments; the training dataset for the service classifier includes packet interval and packet size labeled samples for various typical services; and the training dataset for the load predictor includes time-series data of channel utilization for each access point under different load scenarios. During actual operation, the controller can periodically collect actual guidance results and network status change data to incrementally update or retrain the above models to continuously improve prediction accuracy.

[0059] Step S24: Take the current optimal access point as the target access point, and generate a multi-link guidance strategy to guide the wireless client to associate with the target access point based on the MAC address of the target access point, the link combination information in the target access point that matches the link frequency band combination, and the multi-link operation mode.

[0060] In this embodiment, the controller determines the current optimal access point output by the prediction guidance engine as the target access point (i.e., the target AP-MLD, a multi-link access point device). The MAC address of the target AP-MLD is a unique identifier in the wireless network, used by the client to identify and associate the target AP-MLD. Link combination information is determined by matching the link frequency band combinations supported by the client with the link frequency band combinations available from the target AP-MLD. Under the constraint of the 2.4+5 GHz frequency band, the link combinations available from the target AP-MLD include, but are not limited to: a combination of 5GHz low-frequency band and 5GHz high-frequency band, a combination of 5GHz high-frequency band and 2.4GHz, and a combination of 5GHz low-frequency band and 2.4GHz. In this embodiment, the controller selects the optimal link combination as a component of the guidance strategy based on the client's link frequency band capabilities and the current network status. That is, the final generated multi-link guidance strategy includes the following information: the MAC address of the target access point, the BSSID and channel parameters of each link (only 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz links), and the recommended multi-link operation mode. It should be noted that WiFi 7 link combination prioritizes two 5GHz sub-bands (5150–5350 MHz and 5725–5850 MHz) for STR aggregation to obtain maximum bandwidth; when the client RSSI is below the threshold in the 5GHz sub-band, it switches to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz high-band eMLSR combination to ensure coverage.

[0061] Step S25: When the guidance strategy is a multi-link guidance strategy, construct an enhanced multi-link information element including the MAC address of the target access point, the link combination information, the multi-link operation mode, and the 6GHz band disable flag; the link combination information includes the BSSID and channel parameters of each link.

[0062] In this embodiment, the controller defines a new type of information element based on the existing Reduced Neighbor Report (RNR) element, namely the Enhanced Multi-Link Information Element (Enhanced MLE). The specific field structure of this information element is as follows: MLD MAC address field (6 bytes): Used to carry the multi-link device media access control address of the target AP-MLD. The client initiates multi-link association to the target AP-MLD based on this address.

[0063] Link Combination Field (Bitmask, 1 byte): Used to indicate the combination of link bands available to the target AP-MLD. The bitmask is defined as follows: bit0 = 2.4 GHz band, bit1 = 5 GHz low-frequency band (5150-5350 MHz), bit2 = 5 GHz high-frequency band (5725-5850 MHz). For example, a bitmask value of 0b011 indicates support for a combination of 5 GHz low-frequency band and 5 GHz high-frequency band; a bitmask value of 0b101 indicates support for a combination of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz high-frequency band.

[0064] BSSID and channel parameters for each link: For each link, the BSSID (6 bytes) and channel parameters are carried. Channel parameters include the channel center frequency (e.g., 2412MHz indicates the first channel at 2.4GHz), channel bandwidth (e.g., 40MHz, 80MHz, 160MHz), etc. For 2.4GHz links, the maximum channel bandwidth is 40MHz; for 5GHz low-frequency links, the maximum channel bandwidth is 80MHz; for 5GHz high-frequency links, the maximum channel bandwidth is 80MHz (some configurations support 160MHz).

[0065] Recommended Multilink Operation Mode Field (1 byte): Used to carry the recommended multilink operation mode output by the predictive bootstrapping engine. Example values ​​are as follows: 0x01 indicates simultaneous transmit / receive mode (STR), 0x02 indicates enhanced multilink single radio mode (eMLSR), and 0x03 indicates non-simultaneous transmit / receive mode (NSTR).

[0066] 6 GHz Band Disable Flag (1 byte): Indicates that the 6 GHz band is unavailable to the client. When this flag is set to 0x01, the 6 GHz band is forcibly disabled, and the client will not attempt to associate with a 6 GHz band access point.

[0067] Step S26: Embed the enhanced multi-link information element into the probe response frame to form a boot instruction, and send the boot instruction to the wireless client through the current access point so that the wireless client can access the target access point according to the boot instruction.

[0068] In this embodiment, the constructed enhanced multi-link information element is embedded into the neighbor report field or custom information element field of the probe response frame to form a complete guidance instruction, and then the probe response frame is forwarded to the wireless client through the current access point.

[0069] Upon receiving a probe response frame carrying an enhanced MLE, the client performs the following operations: Parses the MLD MAC address field in the enhanced MLE to identify the unique identifier of the target AP-MLD; parses the link combination field and the BSSID and channel parameters of each link to obtain the link configuration information available from the target AP-MLD; parses the recommended MLO mode field to obtain the multi-link operation mode recommended by the controller; identifies the 6GHz band disable flag to confirm that the 6GHz band is unavailable, and only attempts to establish connections on the 2.4GHz and / or 5GHz bands. Subsequently, based on the above information, the client initiates a Multi-Link Association Request to the target AP-MLD, completing the multi-link association on the recommended links according to the recommended MLO mode. After the controller confirms successful association, it synchronizes the WPA3-SAE PMK (Pairwise Master Key) cache, QoS policy, and VLAN tag to the target AP-MLD, completing the entire boot process. WPA3-SAE stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 - Simultaneous Authentication of Equals.

[0070] In a specific application scenario of this application, it is assumed that an enterprise campus deploys a hybrid network of WiFi 6 APs and WiFi 7 AP-MLDs (multi-link access point devices) (each AP-MLD provides two links: 2.4G / 40MHz and 5H GHz / 160MHz, supporting STR mode). When a WiFi 7 laptop enters the campus, it sends a probe request to the current WiFi 6 AP. The probe request carries EHT (Extremely High Throughput) capability (IE) (supporting 2×160MHz aggregation) and MLE (two links: 2.4G+5G, supporting STR mode). The controller identifies it as the first type supporting multi-link operation, selects the target AP-MLD through an AI guidance engine, and recommends STR mode. The enhanced MLE constructed by the controller includes the target AP-MLD's MLD MAC address, the BSSIDs and channel parameters (80MHz+160MHz) of the two links (5GHz low-frequency band and 5GHz high-frequency band), the STR mode recommendation byte, and the 6GHz band disable flag. The current WiFi 6 AP will forward the probe response frame carrying this enhanced MLE to the laptop. Based on this, the laptop initiates a multi-link association with the target AP-MLD and establishes a 5L+5H dual-link STR association. The measured aggregate throughput is 1.85 Gbps, which is about 210% higher than that of single-link WiFi 6.

[0071] For more detailed processing procedures of steps S21 and S22, please refer to the relevant content disclosed in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0072] As can be seen, this application accurately identifies the first type of client supporting multi-link operation by parsing the EHT capability element and multi-link information element in the probe request frame. It then utilizes a predictive guidance engine that includes a motion trajectory predictor, a service classifier, a load predictor, and a decision fusion unit to output the current optimal access point and recommended multi-link operation mode based on network status information. Furthermore, it constructs an enhanced multi-link information element carrying the target access point's MLD MAC address, each link's BSSID and channel parameters, MLO mode, and a 6GHz band disable flag. This element is embedded in the probe response frame and sent to the client, guiding it to access the target access point with the optimal link combination and MLO mode. This achieves intelligent differentiated guidance for WiFi 7 multi-link clients, significantly improving multi-link aggregation throughput and the accuracy of guidance decisions.

[0073] See Figure 3 As shown, this application discloses a specific client bootstrapping method. Compared to the previous embodiment, this embodiment further explains and optimizes the technical solution. Specifically, it includes: Step S31: Obtain the probe request frame sent by the wireless client through the current access point.

[0074] Step S32: parse the capability information elements in the probe request frame to identify the generation type of the wireless client and the supported link frequency band combination; wherein, the capability information elements include EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements, and the generation type includes at least a first type that supports multi-link operation and a second type that supports the seamless mobility domain.

[0075] Step S33: When the generation type is the second type, the second type, the link frequency band combination, and the network status information are input to the preset prediction guidance engine to obtain the prediction handover event output by the prediction guidance engine; wherein, the prediction handover event includes the access point to be switched and the handover time window.

[0076] In this embodiment, when the controller identifies the wireless client as a second type (i.e., WiFi 8) supporting the seamless mobility domain by parsing the capability information elements in the probe request frame, it inputs the second type, link band combination, and network status information into a preset prediction guidance engine. This prediction guidance engine is an intelligent decision-making system that integrates multiple dedicated models and can output predicted handover events, including the access point to be handed over and the handover time window. It should be noted that the predicted handover event is a prediction result output by the prediction guidance engine based on a comprehensive analysis of the future movement trajectory and signal quality change trends of the wireless client, used to trigger the guidance process in advance.

[0077] In a specific implementation, the prediction guidance engine includes a motion trajectory predictor, a service classifier, a load predictor, and a decision fusion unit. The motion trajectory predictor predicts the optimal target access point for future moments based on the historical received signal strength indicators of each access point and the estimated movement speed of the wireless client. The service classifier identifies service types and latency sensitivity levels based on the service flow characteristics of the wireless client. The load predictor predicts the load status for future moments based on the historical channel utilization of each access point. The decision fusion unit determines the target access point and the guidance strategy based on the outputs of the motion trajectory predictor, the service classifier, and the load predictor, under preset frequency band constraints. The network state information includes the channel utilization of each access point, the received signal strength indicators of each access point, the estimated movement speed of the wireless client, and service flow characteristics.

[0078] Specifically, the motion trajectory predictor in the prediction guidance engine predicts the signal strength change trend of the client within a preset time window (e.g., configurable, from 0.5 to 5 seconds in the future) based on the historical received signal strength indication time sequence of each access point (e.g., RSSI sequence sampled at 1Hz over the past 10 seconds) and the estimated moving speed of the wireless client (obtainable through RSSI change rate or Doppler shift estimation). When the prediction result indicates that the client will leave the optimal service area of ​​the current access point at a future time, the motion trajectory predictor outputs the access point to be switched, i.e., the predicted optimal target access point in the future, along with the corresponding prediction confidence level. Simultaneously, the decision fusion unit integrates the latency sensitivity level output by the service classifier and the future load status of each candidate access point output by the load predictor to determine the recommended switching time window. This switching time window is a time interval used to instruct the client to complete the link migration within this time window to avoid further signal deterioration leading to service interruption. The length of the switching time window can be dynamically adjusted according to the type of business: for latency-sensitive businesses (such as industrial real-time control and XR applications), the switching time window is set to be shorter (such as 0.5 to 1 second) to achieve fast switching; for ordinary data businesses, the switching time window can be appropriately widened (such as 2 to 5 seconds).

[0079] For more specific details regarding the prediction guidance engine and network state information, please refer to the relevant content disclosed in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0080] Furthermore, the preset triggering conditions include: the mobile trajectory predictor predicts that the signal strength of the wireless client will be lower than a preset signal threshold in the future, and the prediction confidence exceeds a preset confidence threshold; the load predictor predicts that the channel utilization of the target access point will be lower than a preset load threshold in the future; and the decision fusion unit determines to execute a handover operation. That is, when the following three conditions are met simultaneously, the preset triggering conditions are determined to be met: the mobile trajectory predictor predicts that the signal strength of the wireless client will be lower than a preset signal threshold in the future (e.g., within 0.5 to 5 seconds, configurable), and the prediction confidence exceeds a preset confidence threshold (default 85%); the load predictor predicts that the channel utilization of the target access point will be lower than a preset load threshold in the future; and the decision fusion unit determines, based on the above prediction results, that a handover operation needs to be executed. This triggering condition enables this application to achieve proactive guidance, which, compared to traditional passive response guidance, can trigger the handover process 2 to 3 seconds earlier, significantly reducing service interruption time.

[0081] Step S34: When the predicted handover event meets the preset triggering conditions, the access point to be handed over is taken as the target access point, and the preset association context of the wireless client is transmitted to the target access point through the control plane of the seamless mobility domain.

[0082] In this embodiment, when the predicted handover event meets the preset triggering conditions, the controller immediately determines the access point to be handed over as the target access point multi-link device (target AP-MLD) and performs context preset transmission through the control plane of the Seamless Mobility Domain (SMD).

[0083] In a specific implementation, transmitting the preset association context of the wireless client to the target access point through the control plane of the Seamless Mobility Domain includes: transmitting the encryption key information, multi-link operation link state parameters, EDCA access category parameters, and quality of service parameters of the wireless client to the target access point through a wired backplane or a wireless relay within the Seamless Mobility Domain.

[0084] In other words, the pre-configured association context can specifically include the wireless client's encryption key information (such as WPA3-SAE paired master key (PMK) cache, or SM2 negotiation key material), multi-link operation link status parameters (such as MLO link status, including the connection status and configuration information of each link), EDCA (Enhanced Distributed Channel Access) access category parameters and service quality parameters (including industrial QoS binding flow descriptors, service flow identifiers, etc.), which are transmitted to the target access point via a wired backplane (such as Ethernet) or a wireless relay within the seamless mobility domain. After receiving the pre-configured association context, the target access point caches this information locally and reserves resources for the client.

[0085] Furthermore, after transmitting the preset association context of the wireless client to the target access point through the control plane of the seamless mobility domain, the process further includes: within the handover time window, controlling the current access point and the target access point to simultaneously send the same data frames to the wireless client via a multi-access point coordination interface to achieve joint transmission, and controlling the target access point to reserve resource units for the wireless client. Specifically, MAPC (Multi-AP Coordination) joint transmission can be implemented within 0.5 seconds before and after the handover window, that is, coordinating the current access point and the target access point to simultaneously send critical data frames to the client to ensure that the client does not lose any data packets during link migration; resource unit (RU) reservation ensures that the client can immediately obtain the required wireless resources after switching to the target access point without waiting for scheduling.

[0086] Step S35: Based on the MAC address of the target access point, the seamless mobility domain identifier, the context token corresponding to the preset association context, and the handover time window, generate a seamless mobility domain guidance policy to guide the wireless client to associate with the target access point.

[0087] In this embodiment, the controller generates a seamless mobility domain (SMD) bootstrapping policy based on the target access point's MAC address, the SMD identifier, the context token corresponding to the preset associated context, and the handover time window. This policy guides the wireless client to associate with the target access point. The target access point's MAC address, i.e., the multi-link device media access control address (MLD MAC address) of the target AP-MLD, uniquely identifies the target access point. The SMD identifier identifies the seamless mobility domain to which the client belongs, ensuring zero-disruption roaming service when the client hands over within the same domain. The context token, a unique 4-byte identifier corresponding to the preset associated context, associates the client with the preset context cache. Upon receiving a bootstrapping instruction carrying this token, the client can quickly match and retrieve the preset associated context from the target AP-MLD without re-performing the WPA3 authentication handshake. The handover time window instructs the client to complete the link-level migration within the specified time window; it is typically 2 bytes long and can be in milliseconds or time units.

[0088] Step S36: When the guidance strategy is a seamless mobility domain guidance strategy, construct a seamless mobility domain information element including the MAC address of the target access point, the seamless mobility domain identifier, the context token, the handover time window, the multi-access point coordination action bitmap, and the frequency band support information; wherein, different bits in the multi-access point coordination action bitmap are used to indicate whether joint transmission is enabled and whether resource unit reservation is enabled, and the flag bit corresponding to the 6GHz frequency band in the frequency band support information is 0.

[0089] In this embodiment, the controller defines a new type of information element based on the original information elements—the Seamless Mobility Domain Information Element (SMD IE). The specific field structure of this information element is as follows: Seamless Mobility Domain ID field (4 bytes): Identifies the seamless mobility domain to which the client belongs, ensuring that handovers across APs are performed within the domain.

[0090] Target AP-MLD MAC field (6 bytes): Multilink device media access control address of the target access point.

[0091] Context token field (4 bytes): Used to associate with a pre-set context cache. The client can quickly match the pre-set associated context based on this token.

[0092] Recommend switching the time window field (2 bytes): Instructs the client to complete the link-level migration within the specified time window.

[0093] Multi-Access Point Coordination Action Bitmap (MAPC Action Bitmap, 1 byte): Used to indicate the specific actions of multi-AP coordination. The meanings of different bits are as follows: bit0 indicates whether Joint Transmission (Joint TX) is enabled, bit1 indicates whether Resource Unit Reservation (RU Reservation) is enabled, and the remaining bits are reserved for future expansion (such as simultaneous transmission, beam coordination, etc.).

[0094] Frequency band support byte (1 byte): Used to indicate the frequency band information supported by this end. The bit definitions are as follows: bit0 = 2.4 GHz frequency band support flag, bit1 = 5 GHz frequency band support flag, bit2 (6 GHz frequency band corresponding flag bit) is forced to 0, indicating that the 6 GHz frequency band is not available.

[0095] Step S37: Embed the Seamless Mobility Domain Information element into the BTM request frame to form a boot instruction, and send the boot instruction to the wireless client through the current access point so that the wireless client can access the target access point according to the boot instruction.

[0096] In this embodiment, the controller embeds the constructed Seamless Mobility Domain Information Element (SMD IE) into the information element field of the BSS Transition Management Request Frame (BTM Request Frame) to form a complete boot instruction. The BTM Request Frame is then sent to the wireless client through the current access point.

[0097] Upon receiving a BTM request frame carrying the SMD IE, the client performs the following operations: parses the SMD domain ID to confirm the handover belongs to the same seamless mobility domain; parses the target AP-MLD MAC address to identify the unique identifier of the target access point; parses the context token to quickly match the pre-defined associated context from the local or target access point without re-performing the WPA3 authentication handshake; parses the suggested handover time window to initiate a link-level migration within the specified time window; parses the MAPC action bitmap to determine whether joint transmission and resource unit reservation are enabled; and parses the frequency band support bytes to confirm that the 6 GHz band is unavailable, attempting to establish a connection only on the 2.4 GHz and / or 5 GHz bands. Subsequently, the client completes the link-level migration to the target access point within the suggested handover time window. Since the associated context is pre-defined, no re-performing of the WPA3 handshake is required during the handover process, achieving zero-disruption handover. Simultaneously, within the MAPC joint transmission window, both the current access point and the target access point send the same data frames to the client, ensuring zero packet loss during the handover.

[0098] In a specific application scenario of this application, a smart factory deploys eight WiFi 8 AP-MLDs forming a seamless mobility domain. AGVs (WiFi 8, supporting distributed MLO and SMD) move within the factory at 1.2 m / s, running real-time industrial control services (latency requirement <5 ms). The prediction guidance engine detects the RSSI decline trend of the AGV: the current 5G link RSSI of AP-MLD-A is -68 dBm, with a change rate of -4 dB / s. The AI ​​engine predicts that the client will leave the current AP-MLD's optimal service area within 2 seconds and needs to switch to AP-MLD-B after 1.8 seconds, with a confidence level of 94%. Based on this, the decision fusion unit outputs a predicted switching event, where the access point to be switched to is AP-MLD-B, and the suggested switching time window is 0.9 seconds (i.e., the client should complete the link migration within 0.9 seconds), determining that the preset triggering conditions are met. By outputting a predicted handover event containing the access point to be switched and the handover time window, this application enables advance prediction of WiFi 8 client handover needs, providing accurate timing basis for subsequent context pre-configuration transmission and MAPC joint transmission. The controller immediately pre-configures the AGV context (WPA3-SAEPMK, 5G MLO link status, industrial QoS (Quality of Service) parameters) to AP-MLD-B through the SMD control plane and triggers the MAPC joint transmission window (0.5 seconds, with AP-MLD-A and AP-MLD-B simultaneously sending industrial control frames). Then, it sends a BTM request to the AGV through the current AP-MLD-A, carrying the SMD IE (including the MLD MAC address of AP-MLD-B, SMD domain ID, context token, suggested handover window = 0.9 seconds, and MAPC action bitmap). The AGV completes the link-level migration to AP-MLD-B within the suggested window. The handover results were as follows: end-to-end latency increment of 1.6 ms, zero loss of service data packets, no WPA3 re-handshake, meeting the latency budget of IEEE 802.1Qbv industrial Ethernet, and fully complying with the requirements of ultra-high reliability scenarios such as industrial TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) and AR / VR.

[0099] As can be seen, this application accurately identifies the second type of client supporting the seamless mobility domain by parsing the capability information elements in the probe request frame. Utilizing a prediction guidance engine that includes a mobility trajectory predictor, service classifier, load predictor, and decision fusion unit, it comprehensively predicts handover events and determines preset trigger conditions based on network state information. When it predicts that the client will leave the current AP's optimal service area within 2 seconds and the confidence level exceeds a threshold, it transmits the associated context, such as encryption key information, MLO link state parameters, EDCA parameters, and QoS parameters, to the target access point through the SMD control plane. Simultaneously, it controls the joint transmission between the current access point and the target access point and reserves RU resources within the handover time window through the MAPC coordination interface. Then, it constructs an SMD information element carrying the target access point's MLD MAC address, SMD domain ID, context token, handover time window, MAPC action bitmap, and 6GHz disable flag, embeds it in the BTM request frame, and sends it to the client to guide it to complete a zero-interruption handover. This achieves proactive prediction of WiFi 8 client handover needs 2-3 seconds in advance, with a handover latency increment of less than 2ms, zero data packet loss, and no need for re-authentication, meeting millisecond-level latency requirements.

[0100] See Figure 4 As shown in the figure, this application discloses a client booting device applied to a wireless local area network controller. The device includes: The request acquisition module 11 is used to acquire the probe request frame sent by the wireless client through the current access point; The identification module 12 is used to parse the capability information elements in the probe request frame to identify the generation type of the wireless client and the supported link frequency band combination; wherein, the capability information elements include EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements, and the generation type includes at least a first type that supports multi-link operation and a second type that supports the seamless mobility domain. The guidance strategy generation module 13 is used to input the generation type, the link frequency band combination and network status information into a preset prediction guidance engine, so as to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point through the prediction guidance engine; Access module 14 is used to generate a guidance instruction based on the target access point and the guidance policy, and send the guidance instruction to the wireless client through the current access point, so that the wireless client can access the target access point according to the guidance instruction.

[0101] As can be seen, this application, by analyzing the EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements in the probe request frame, can accurately identify the generational type of wireless clients, clearly distinguishing between the first type supporting multi-link operation and the second type supporting seamless mobility domain. Simultaneously, it extracts the link frequency band combinations supported by the client, overcoming the limitation of traditional methods in identifying the unique technical characteristics of high-generation clients. This achieves accurate classification of different types of clients in multi-generational heterogeneous networks, laying the foundation for subsequent differentiated guidance and adapting to the differences in technical characteristics among multi-generational clients. Furthermore, this application discloses a predictive guidance engine to determine the target access point and guidance strategy. This process relies not only on the client's generational type and link frequency band combinations but also integrates network state information for decision-making. Compared to existing technologies that passively respond based solely on static information in the probe request frame, this invention can more comprehensively and accurately evaluate the actual state of each candidate access point, thereby selecting a better target access point for the client, improving the guidance success rate and the service quality after client access.

[0102] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Specifically, it may include: at least one processor 21, at least one memory 22, a power supply 23, a communication interface 24, an input / output interface 25, and a communication bus 26. The memory 22 stores a computer program, which is loaded and executed by the processor 21 to implement the relevant steps in the client booting method executed by the electronic device disclosed in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0103] In this embodiment, the power supply 23 is used to provide operating voltage for each hardware device on the electronic device 20; the communication interface 24 can create a data transmission channel between the electronic device 20 and external devices, and the communication protocol it follows can be any communication protocol applicable to the technical solution of this application, and is not specifically limited here; the input / output interface 25 is used to acquire external input data or output data to the outside world, and its specific interface type can be selected according to specific application needs, and is not specifically limited here.

[0104] The processor 21 may include one or more processing cores, such as a quad-core processor or an octa-core processor. The processor 21 may be implemented using at least one hardware form selected from DSP (Digital Signal Processing), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and PLA (Programmable Logic Array). The processor 21 may also include a main processor and a coprocessor. The main processor, also known as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), is used to process data in the wake-up state; the coprocessor is a low-power processor used to process data in the standby state. In some embodiments, the processor 21 may integrate a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), which is responsible for rendering and drawing the content to be displayed on the screen. In some embodiments, the processor 21 may also include an AI (Artificial Intelligence) processor, which is used to handle computational operations related to machine learning.

[0105] In addition, the memory 22, as a carrier for resource storage, can be a read-only memory, random access memory, disk or optical disk, etc. The resources stored on it include operating system 221, computer program 222 and data 223, etc., and the storage method can be temporary storage or permanent storage.

[0106] The operating system 221 manages and controls the various hardware devices and computer programs 222 on the electronic device 20 to enable the processor 21 to perform calculations and processing on the massive amounts of data 223 in the memory 22. The operating system 221 can be Windows, Unix, Linux, etc. The computer program 222, in addition to including a computer program capable of performing the client booting method executed by the electronic device 20 as disclosed in any of the foregoing embodiments, may further include computer programs capable of performing other specific tasks. The data 223 may include data received by the electronic device from external devices, as well as data collected by its own input / output interface 25.

[0107] Furthermore, embodiments of this application also disclose a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when loaded and executed by a processor, implements the client booting method steps disclosed in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0108] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since it corresponds to the method disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to in the method section.

[0109] Those skilled in the art will further recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of the various examples have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0110] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented directly by hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of both. The software module can be located in random access memory (RAM), main memory, read-only memory (ROM), electrically programmable ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM, registers, hard disk, removable disk, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or any other form of storage medium known in the art.

[0111] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0112] The above provides a detailed description of a client booting method, apparatus, device, and storage medium provided by the present invention. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only intended to help understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of the present invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

Claims

1. A client bootstrapping method, characterized in that, Applications to wireless LAN controllers include: Acquire probe request frames sent by wireless clients through the current access point; The capability information elements in the probe request frame are parsed to identify the generation type of the wireless client and the supported link frequency band combination; wherein, the capability information elements include EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements, and the generation type includes at least a first type that supports multi-link operation and a second type that supports the seamless mobility domain. The generation type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information are input into a preset prediction guidance engine to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point. A boot instruction is generated based on the target access point and the boot policy, and the boot instruction is sent to the wireless client through the current access point so that the wireless client can access the target access point according to the boot instruction.

2. The client bootstrapping method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of inputting the generation type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information into a preset prediction guidance engine, so as to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point through the prediction guidance engine, includes: When the generation type is the first type, the first type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information are input to the preset prediction guidance engine to obtain the current optimal access point and multi-link operation mode output by the prediction guidance engine. The current optimal access point is taken as the target access point, and a multi-link guidance strategy is generated based on the MAC address of the target access point, the link combination information in the target access point that matches the link frequency band combination, and the multi-link operation mode to guide the wireless client to associate with the target access point.

3. The client bootstrapping method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of generating boot instructions based on the target access point and the boot policy includes: When the guidance strategy is a multi-link guidance strategy, an enhanced multi-link information element is constructed, which includes the MAC address of the target access point, the link combination information, the multi-link operation mode, and the 6GHz band disable flag; the link combination information includes the BSSID and channel parameters of each link; The enhanced multi-link information element is embedded in the probe response frame to form a guidance instruction.

4. The client bootstrapping method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The multi-link operation modes include simultaneous transmit / receive mode, enhanced multi-link single-radio mode, or non-simultaneous transmit / receive mode. The process by which the prediction guidance engine outputs the multi-link operation mode includes: When both the target access point and the wireless client support radio frequency isolation and the received signal strength indication of each link is higher than the preset threshold, the simultaneous transmit and receive mode is output. When the wireless client does not support RF isolation but supports fast frequency band switching, the enhanced multi-link single-RF mode is output. When the wireless client does not support radio frequency isolation and fast frequency band switching, the asynchronous transmit / receive mode is output.

5. The client bootstrapping method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of inputting the generation type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information into a preset prediction guidance engine, so as to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point through the prediction guidance engine, includes: When the generation type is the second type, the second type, the link frequency band combination, and network status information are input to a preset prediction guidance engine to obtain the prediction handover event output by the prediction guidance engine; wherein, the prediction handover event includes the access point to be switched and the handover time window; When the predicted handover event meets the preset triggering conditions, the access point to be handed over is taken as the target access point, and the preset association context of the wireless client is transmitted to the target access point through the control plane of the seamless mobility domain. Based on the MAC address of the target access point, a seamless mobility domain identifier, a context token corresponding to the preset association context, and the handover time window are used to generate a seamless mobility domain guidance policy to guide the wireless client to associate with the target access point.

6. The client bootstrapping method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of generating boot instructions based on the target access point and the boot policy includes: When the guidance strategy is a seamless mobility domain guidance strategy, a seamless mobility domain information element is constructed, including the MAC address of the target access point, the seamless mobility domain identifier, the context token, the handover time window, the multi-access point coordination action bitmap, and the frequency band support information; wherein, different bits in the multi-access point coordination action bitmap are used to indicate whether joint transmission is enabled and whether resource unit reservation is enabled, and the flag bit corresponding to the 6GHz frequency band in the frequency band support information is 0. The seamless mobility domain information element is embedded in the BTM request frame to form a boot instruction.

7. The client bootstrapping method according to claim 6, characterized in that, After transmitting the preset association context of the wireless client to the target access point through the control plane of the seamless mobility domain, the method further includes: Within the switching time window, the current access point and the target access point are controlled to simultaneously send the same data frames to the wireless client through the multi-access point coordination interface to achieve joint transmission, and the target access point is controlled to reserve resource units for the wireless client.

8. The client bootstrapping method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The transmission of the wireless client's pre-defined association context to the target access point via the control plane of the seamless mobility domain includes: The encryption key information, multi-link operation link status parameters, EDCA access category parameters, and quality of service parameters of the wireless client are transmitted to the target access point via a wired backplane or a wireless relay in the seamless mobility domain.

9. The client bootstrapping method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The prediction guidance engine includes a motion trajectory predictor, a service classifier, a load predictor, and a decision fusion unit. The mobile trajectory predictor is used to predict the optimal target access point in the future based on the historical received signal strength indication of each access point and the estimated mobile speed of the wireless client. The service classifier is used to identify the service type and latency sensitivity level based on the service flow characteristics of the wireless client. The load predictor is used to predict the load status at future times based on the historical channel utilization of each access point. The decision fusion unit is used to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy based on the output results of the mobile trajectory predictor, the service classifier and the load predictor under preset frequency band constraints.

10. The client bootstrapping method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The network status information includes the channel utilization rate of each access point, the received signal strength indication of each access point, the estimated moving speed of the wireless client, and the service flow characteristics.

11. The client bootstrapping method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The preset trigger conditions include: The mobile trajectory predictor predicts that the signal strength of the wireless client will be lower than a preset signal threshold at a future time, and the prediction confidence exceeds a preset confidence threshold. Furthermore, the load predictor predicts that the channel utilization rate of the target access point will be lower than a preset load threshold at the future time. Furthermore, the decision fusion unit determines to perform a switching operation.

12. The client bootstrapping method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The link frequency band combination includes at least one of the following: a 2.4 GHz band, a 5 GHz low-frequency band, and a 5 GHz high-frequency band; wherein the 5 GHz low-frequency band is 5150-5350 MHz, and the 5 GHz high-frequency band is 5725-5850 MHz.

13. The client bootstrapping method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, Also includes: Before sending the boot command to the wireless client, a fallback boot strategy is pre-configured according to the generation type of the wireless client; If the wireless client fails to complete the association with the target access point within the preset waiting time, the fallback guidance strategy is triggered. Specifically, when the generation type is the first type, a traditional single-link frequency band guidance strategy is executed to guide the wireless client to access the target access point via a single link; when the generation type is the second type, an 802.11r fast roaming strategy is executed to guide the wireless client to complete the roaming handover within a preset time delay.

14. A client booting device, characterized in that, Applications to wireless LAN controllers include: The request acquisition module is used to acquire probe request frames sent by wireless clients through the current access point; An identification module is used to parse the capability information elements in the probe request frame to identify the generation type of the wireless client and the supported link frequency band combination; wherein, the capability information elements include EHT capability elements and multi-link information elements, and the generation type includes at least a first type that supports multi-link operation and a second type that supports the seamless mobility domain. The guidance strategy generation module is used to input the generation type, the link frequency band combination and network status information into a preset prediction guidance engine, so as to determine the target access point and the guidance strategy for guiding the wireless client to associate with the target access point through the prediction guidance engine; The access module is configured to generate a guidance instruction based on the target access point and the guidance policy, and send the guidance instruction to the wireless client through the current access point, so that the wireless client can access the target access point according to the guidance instruction.

15. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: Memory, used to store computer programs; A processor for executing the computer program to implement the steps of the client bootstrapping method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Used to store a computer program; wherein, when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the client bootstrapping method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

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