Automatic non-WIFI channel allocation

Abstract

This application relates to automatic non-Wi-Fi channel allocation. A network management system (NMS) technique for determining the non-Wi-Fi channel allocation for an access point (AP) is disclosed. In an example, the NMS is configured to determine neighboring APs at the site based on radio data from a frequency band scanned at the site. The NMS determines a non-Wi-Fi channel to be allocated to the non-Wi-Fi transceiver of an AP, which does not interfere with the operating channels of the non-Wi-Fi transceivers of one or more neighboring APs, and does not interfere with the operating channels of the AP's Wi-Fi radio or the operating channels of neighboring APs operating in the same frequency band as the AP's non-Wi-Fi transceiver. The NMS is also configured to send a message to the AP to cause the AP to operate its non-Wi-Fi transceiver on the allocated non-Wi-Fi channel.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 19 / 456,834, filed January 22, 2026, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 758,677, filed February 14, 2025, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to computer networks, and more specifically, to radio resource management in wireless networks. Background Technology

[0004] Commercial locations or sites (such as offices, hospitals, airports, stadiums, or retail stores) typically install sophisticated wireless network systems (including networks of wireless access points (APs)) throughout the premises to provide wireless network services to one or more wireless client devices (or simply "clients"). An AP is a physical electronic device that enables other devices to wirelessly connect to a wired network using various wireless network protocols and technologies, such as one or more wireless LAN protocols including IEEE 802.11 (i.e., "Wi-Fi"), Bluetooth / Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), mesh networking protocols such as ZigBee, or other wireless network technologies.

[0005] To provide a wireless network, an access point (AP) is configured for wireless communication in one or more wireless frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and / or 6 GHz). Each frequency band includes multiple channels. At any given time, an AP can be assigned to operate (e.g., transmit and receive wireless signals) on a specific one of the multiple channels within each of one or more wireless frequency bands. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Generally, this disclosure describes a technique for a network management system (NMS) for wireless networks to automatically assign non-Wi-Fi channels to non-Wi-Fi transceivers at access points (APs) to avoid overlap or interference with the Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi operating channels of the AP and neighboring APs. Conventional Wi-Fi channel assignment techniques may not be able to identify or take into account the non-Wi-Fi transceivers and their operating channels at APs. Instead, administrators can manually configure channel assignments for non-Wi-Fi transceivers. However, non-Wi-Fi operating channels may overlap with a portion of the frequencies within the same frequency band as Wi-Fi operating channels, leading to performance degradation for both non-Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi operating channels. In such cases, administrators may need to manually reconfigure non-Wi-Fi channel assignments to avoid Wi-Fi operating channels within the same frequency band. When an organization includes hundreds of sites and thousands of APs, manually reconfiguring non-Wi-Fi channels for APs may be impractical. Furthermore, administrators may find it challenging to determine when the non-Wi-Fi channel assignment of an AP results in interference with the operating channels of other non-Wi-Fi transceivers and with Wi-Fi operating channels, as some non-Wi-Fi devices can only transmit periodically.

[0007] The disclosed technology enables NMS to determine the allocation of Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels to avoid interference between Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels on the same frequency band, instead of requiring manual reallocation. NMS uses scanned radio data of the frequency band to determine the neighboring APs of the AP at the site. NMS determines which channels on that frequency band to allocate to non-Wi-Fi transceivers that do not interfere with the Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi operating channels of the AP and its neighboring APs, and assigns the channel to the non-Wi-Fi transceiver.

[0008] The technology described in this application provides one or more technical improvements that offer practical advantages. For example, this technology enables NMS to optimize the allocation of both Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels and avoid assigning overlapping Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels to the same AP and / or adjacent AP clusters. NMS provides automated channel allocation to preemptively avoid overlapping channel allocation between Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels to optimize wireless performance, rather than requiring administrators to manually allocate and reallocate channels to avoid overlap.

[0009] Details of one or more examples of the technology of this application are set forth in the following figures and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of these technologies will be apparent from the specification and figures, as well as from the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1AThis is a diagram of an example network system including a network management system configured to automatically assign WIFI channels and non-WIFI channels to access points, based on one or more technologies of this disclosure.

[0011] Figure 1B It shows Figure 1A A block diagram providing further examples and details of the network system.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of an example access point device according to one or more technologies of this disclosure.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of an example network management system based on one or more technologies disclosed herein.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of an example user device apparatus based on one or more technologies of this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of an example network node (such as a router or switch) according to one or more technologies of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a diagram of an example wireless channel in a frequency band according to one or more techniques of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 7A , Figure 7B This is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example network topology according to one or more technologies disclosed herein.

[0018] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation for determining a non-WIFI channel allocation according to one or more techniques disclosed herein. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Figure 1A This is a diagram of an example network system 100 comprising a network management system (NMS) 130 configured to automatically assign Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels to access points (APs) according to one or more technologies disclosed herein. The example network system 100 includes multiple sites 102A-102N, at which a network service provider manages one or more wireless networks 106A-106N respectively. Although in Figure 1A In this document, each site 102A-102N is shown as including a single wireless network 106A-106N, but in some examples, each site 102A-102N may include multiple wireless networks, and this disclosure is not limited to this aspect.

[0020] Each site 102A-102N includes multiple network access server (NAS) devices 108A-108N, such as access points (APs) 142, switches 146, or routers 147. NAS devices 108 may include any network infrastructure device capable of authenticating and authorizing client devices to access the corporate network. For example, site 102A includes multiple APs 142A-1 to 142A-M. Similarly, site 102N includes multiple APs 142N-1 to 142N-M. Each AP 142 can be any type of wireless access point, including but not limited to commercial or enterprise APs, routers, or any other device connected to a wired network and capable of providing wireless network access to client devices within the site.

[0021] To provide wireless network 106, AP 142 is configured to conduct wireless communication via Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi protocols in one or more wireless frequency bands. For example, the wireless frequency bands may include, but are not limited to, the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, the 6 GHz band, and / or any other lower or higher frequency bands. Each frequency band includes multiple channels. At any given time, each Wi-Fi radio of each AP 142 is assigned to operate on a specific channel among the multiple channels (e.g., transmitting and receiving wireless signals). Channel allocation may be performed by, for example, a Wireless Resource Manager (RRM) 140 of NMS 130, another RRM or similar module of one or more NAS devices 108, or another computing device configured to manage wireless resources in the wireless network.

[0022] In addition to one or more Wi-Fi radios, AP 142 may be configured with one or more non-Wi-Fi transceivers for wireless communication according to one or more non-Wi-Fi protocols. For example, one or more non-Wi-Fi protocols may include, but are not limited to, Electronic Shelf Tags (ESL) High Frequency (HF), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Ultra Wideband (UWB), Zigbee, and / or other types of non-Wi-Fi protocols. AP 142 may use one or more non-Wi-Fi transceivers to communicate with UE 148 via non-Wi-Fi protocols. For example, the AP in AP 142 may include an ESL transceiver, connected locally or via a USB port (also known as a "don't"), to wirelessly communicate with ESL tags or devices via the ESL HF protocol.

[0023] Each site 102A-102N also includes multiple client devices, otherwise referred to as User Equipment (UE) devices, typically referred to as Client Device 148 or UE 148. For example, multiple UEs 148A-1 to 148A-N are currently located at site 102A. Similarly, multiple UEs 148N-1 to 148N-N are currently located at site 102N. Each UE 148 can be any type of wireless client device, including but not limited to mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless terminals, smartwatches, smart rings, or other wearable devices. UE 148 may also include IoT client devices, such as printers, security devices, environmental sensors, appliances, or any other device configured to communicate over one or more wireless networks 106.

[0024] UE 148 may include a device that communicates wirelessly on a radio band via a Wi-Fi protocol or a non-Wi-Fi protocol. UE 148 may include a device, such as an ESL, that communicates using a non-Wi-Fi protocol on the same frequency band carrying the Wi-Fi communication of UE 148. For example, an ESL may communicate using the ESL HF protocol on a 2.4 GHz band that also carries Wi-Fi communication to obtain price updates and other information from a system managing the ESL. UE 148 may include an ESL, which is a compact device configured to display product information (e.g., prices, discounts, information about the product itself, etc.) via a digital display (e.g., an e-ink display) received from a system managing the ESL. Organizations (such as retail stores) may use ESLs to display product information while enabling updates to product information without requiring employees to physically adjust price tags (e.g., to enable automated real-time or near-real-time price adjustments).

[0025] To provide wireless network services to UE 148 and / or communicate via wireless network 106, AP 142 and other wired client-side devices at site 102 are directly or indirectly connected to one or more network devices (e.g., switches, routers, gateways, etc.) via physical cables (e.g., Ethernet cables). Figure 1A In the example, site 102A includes switch 146A, one or more APs 142A-1 to 142A-M at site 102A can be connected to the switch, and switch 146A can then be connected to router 147A. Similarly, site 102N includes switch 146N, one or more APs 142N-1 to 142N-M at site 102N can be connected to the switch, and switch 146N can then be connected to router 147N. Although in Figure 1AThe illustration appears to show each site 102 comprising a single switch 146 and a single router 147; however, in other examples, each site 102 may include more or fewer switches and / or routers. Furthermore, access points (APs) and other wired client-side devices at a given site may connect to two or more switches and / or routers. In some examples, interconnected switches and routers comprise a wired local area network (LAN) at site 102 hosting the wireless network 106. Additionally, two or more switches at a site may be interconnected with each other and / or connected to two or more routers, and two or more routers may be interconnected with each other and / or connected to other routers at other sites, for example, via a mesh or partial mesh topology in a central branch architecture forming at least a portion of a wide area network (WAN).

[0026] Example network system 100 also includes various networking components for providing networking services within a wired network, including (as an example) an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server 110 for authenticating users and / or UE 148, a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server 116 for dynamically assigning network addresses (e.g., IP addresses) to UE 148 during authentication, a domain name system (DNS) server 122 for resolving domain names to network addresses, multiple servers 128A-128X (collectively referred to as "Server 128") (e.g., web server, database server, file server, etc.), and an NMS 130. Figure 1A As shown, various devices and systems of network 100 are coupled together via one or more networks 104 (e.g., the Internet and / or corporate intranets).

[0027] exist Figure 1A In the example, NMS 130 is a cloud-based computing platform for managing wireless networks 106A-106N at one or more sites 102A-102N. As further described herein, NMS 130 provides an integrated suite of management tools and implements various technologies disclosed herein. Typically, NMS 130 can provide a cloud-based platform for wireless network data acquisition, monitoring, activity logging, reporting, predictive analytics, network anomaly identification, and alarm generation. In some examples, NMS 130 outputs notifications (such as alerts, warnings, graphical indicators on dashboards, log messages, text / SMS messages, email messages, etc.) and / or recommendations regarding wireless network issues to site or network administrators (“administrators”) who interact with and / or operate management device 111. Furthermore, in some examples, NMS 130 operates in response to configuration input received from administrators who interact with and / or operate management device 111.

[0028] The NMS 130 monitors network data associated with the wireless networks 106A-106N at each of the sites 102A-102N to deliver a high-quality wireless network experience to end users, IoT devices, and clients at the sites. Network data may include multiple states or parameters indicative of one or more aspects of wireless network performance. Data can be acquired, collected, and / or received from numerous sources, including client devices, access points (APs), switches, routers, gateways, firewalls, etc. Network data may be stored in a database, such as the network data store 136 within the NMS 130, or in an external database. Typically, the NMS 130 can provide a cloud-based platform for network data acquisition, monitoring, activity logging, reporting, predictive analytics, network anomaly detection, and alert generation. In some examples, the NMS 130 uses a combination of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science techniques to optimize user experience and streamline operations across any or more of the wireless access, wired access, and software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) domains.

[0029] The administrator and management device 111 may include IT personnel and administrator computing devices associated with one or more sites 102. The management device 111 may be implemented as any suitable device for presenting output and / or accepting user input. For example, the management device 111 may include a display. The management device 111 may be a computing system, such as a mobile or non-mobile computing device operated by a user and / or an administrator. The management device 111 may, for example, represent a workstation, laptop or notebook computer, desktop computer, tablet computer, or any other computing device that can be operated by a user and / or present a user interface according to one or more aspects of this disclosure. The management device 111 may be physically separate from the NMS 130 and / or located in a different location from the NMS 130, such that the management device 111 can communicate with the NMS 130 via network 104 or other communication means.

[0030] In some examples, one or more of the NAS device 108 (e.g., AP 142), switch 146, and router 147 may be connected to edge devices 150A-150N via physical cables (e.g., Ethernet cables). Edge device 150 includes a cloud-managed wireless local area network (LAN) controller. Each edge device 150 may include a field device at site 102 that communicates with NMS 130 to extend certain microservices from NMS 130 to field NAS device 108 while using NMS 130 and its distributed software architecture for scalable and resilient operation, management, troubleshooting, and analysis.

[0031] Each network device of network system 100 (e.g., AP 142, switch 146, router 147, UE 148, edge device 150, and any other server or device attached to or forming part of network system 100) may include a system log or error log module, wherein each of these network devices records the status of the network device, including normal operating status and error conditions. Throughout this disclosure, one or more of the network devices of network system 100 (e.g., AP 142, switch 146, router 147, and UE 148) may be considered “third-party” network devices when owned by and / or associated with an entity different from NMS 130, such that NMS 130 does not directly receive, collect, or otherwise access the recorded status and other data of the third-party network devices. In some examples, edge device 150 may provide a proxy through which the recorded status and other data of the third-party network devices may be reported to NMS 130.

[0032] Although the technology described in this application is executed by NMS 130 in this example, the technology described herein can be executed by any other computing device, system, and / or server, and this application is not limited thereto. For example, one or more computing devices configured to perform the functions of the technology disclosed herein may reside in a dedicated server or be included in any other server besides NMS 130, or may be distributed throughout network 100 and may or may not be part of NMS 130.

[0033] NMS 130 may include a Virtual Network Assistant (VNA) 132 that analyzes network data received from one or more NAS devices 108 in the wireless network and, in some cases, UE 148, to provide real-time insights for IT operations and simplify troubleshooting, and to automatically take remedial actions or provide recommendations to proactively resolve wireless network problems. VNA 132 may, for example, include a network data processing platform configured to handle concurrent streams of hundreds or thousands of network data from UE 148, sensors, and / or agents associated with AP devices 142 and / or nodes within network 104. Example SLE metrics may include connection time, throughput, successful connections, capacity, AP health, and / or any other metrics that may indicate one or more aspects of wireless network performance. Network service providers may also implement systems that automatically identify the root causes(s) of any SLE metric(s) that do not meet thresholds and / or automatically implement one or more remedial actions to address the root causes, thereby automatically improving wireless network performance. In some examples, VNA 132 may obtain SLE data from one or more client devices 148.

[0034] The Radio Resource Manager (RRM) 134 of the NMS 130 can monitor one or more metrics at each site 102A-102N to learn and optimize the RF environment at each site. For example, RRM 134 can monitor coverage and capacity SLE metrics for the wireless network 106 at site 102 based on interference observed by the scanning radio and / or the data radio of AP 142 to identify potential SLE coverage and / or capacity problems in the wireless network 106. RRM 134 can use the interference observed by the scanning radio and / or the data radio of AP 142 to adjust the radio device settings of the APs at each site to address identified problems. For example, RRM 134 can determine the channel and transmit power distribution on all APs 142 in each network 106A-106N. RRM 134 can monitor events, power, channels, bandwidth, and the number of clients connected to each AP. RRM 134 can further automatically change or update the configuration of one or more APs 142 at site 102 with the aim of improving coverage and capacity SLE metrics, and thus providing users with an improved wireless experience.

[0035] RRM 134 may assign an operating channel to each transceiver or radio of each AP 142 as part of managing the wireless network 106. RRM 134 may determine the wireless channel assigned to an AP (e.g., AP 142A-1) based in part on information relating to channel interference from neighboring APs 142A at site 102A. In an example, AP 142A-1 experiences interference on its assigned operating channel caused by neighboring APs assigned overlapping channels in the same frequency band. In some examples, RRM 134 obtains network information from AP 142A-1 indicating that the AP experiences interference on its assigned channel. RRM 134 may determine that AP 142A-1 should be reassigned to a different channel to avoid interference. RRM 134 determines an updated channel assignment for AP 142A-1 and instructs AP 142A-1 to switch to the updated channel assignment.

[0036] In some examples, RRM 134 can determine the channel allocation of AP 142 periodically (e.g., hourly or daily). In other instances, RRM 134 can be triggered asynchronously to determine part or all of the channel allocation of AP 142 based on one or more events or factors, such as indications of channel interference, currently operating channels being blacklisted, and / or other factors.

[0037] The AP 142 managed by the NMS 130 may experience degraded performance due to communication on overlapping Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi operating channels in the same frequency band. Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi wireless channels may overlap at one or more frequencies within the same frequency band. The AP 142 may communicate using both the Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi protocols in the same frequency band. The AP 142 may communicate via its dongle and / or wireless interface in a frequency band shared by both Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi protocols. For example, one or more APs 142 may be configured to communicate via Wi-Fi in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands, while also being configured to communicate via the ESL HF protocol in the same frequency band as the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. For example, in the 2.4 GHz band, Wi-Fi channel 1 overlaps in frequency with ESL HF channels 0 and 1, and partially overlaps with ESL HF channel 2. Adjacent APs operating on both Wi-Fi Channel 1 and ESL HF Channel 1 in AP142 may cause interference, resulting in performance degradation as Wi-Fi radios and non-Wi-Fi transceivers attempt to transmit and receive signals on similar frequencies using different wireless protocols. For example, performance degradation caused by the overlap of Wi-Fi and ESL HF channels can lead to a decrease in communication sessions with UE 148 and / or a significant increase in the amount of time required for UE 148 to update the price displayed on the ESL channel.

[0038] Conventional techniques for channel allocation may not consider the need for APs to provide wireless connectivity via both Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi protocols. Typically, administrators may attempt to manually configure APs or manage the system to avoid overlap between Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels. For example, an administrator might manually configure one or more APs to avoid transmitting on ESL HF channels 0, 1, and 2 to prevent interference with communications via the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi channel 1. However, a site may include a large number of APs configured with non-Wi-Fi transceivers, resulting in a cumbersome and time-consuming configuration process. Furthermore, due to the time required for APs to reset their operating channels, administrators may find it challenging to determine which neighboring APs are configured with non-Wi-Fi transceivers and to reconfigure the APs.

[0039] According to the technology disclosed herein, NMS 130 determines a non-WIFI channel allocation for the AP. NMS 130 determines the AP's neighboring APs based on scanned radio data of the frequency band at the site. RRM 134 determines a non-WIFI channel for the AP that does not interfere with the operation of WIFI and non-WIFI channels of neighboring APs. RRM 134 sends a message to the AP so that the AP can operate a non-WIFI transceiver on the non-WIFI channel.

[0040] NMS 130 can obtain channel-related data within a frequency band from the scanning radio of AP 142 within network system 100. NMS 130 can use a scanning radio to obtain data about multiple channels within the frequency band, rather than relying solely on a data radio tuned to an operating channel. In the example, NMS 130 causes AP 142 to scan multiple channels included in the 2.4 GHz frequency band to determine channel usage. In some examples, NMS 130 can infer usage within the frequency band and / or correlate usage within the frequency band with the use of non-Wi-Fi channels.

[0041] NMS 130 determines the neighboring APs of one or more APs 142 based on scanned radio data. NMS 130 can determine which APs 142 are neighbors of a given AP based on one or more factors, such as whether the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of communications received by a given AP from other APs meets a predetermined threshold. In the example, AP 142A-1 "hears" signals transmitted by other APs at site 102A and records the signals and the associated AP's RSSI. AP 142-1 provides network data regarding the RSSI to NMS 130 for processing. NMS 130 determines which APs are neighbors of AP 142A-1 based on the RSSI.

[0042] As part of determining neighboring APs, NMS 130 can identify APs configured to communicate via non-Wi-Fi protocols. AP 142 may include APs configured to communicate via one or more non-Wi-Fi protocols and APs not configured to transmit via non-Wi-Fi protocols. For example, NMS 130 can determine that AP 142 includes a subset of APs configured with transceivers (e.g., locally as part of the AP's radio or as a peripheral device connected to the AP, i.e., a dongle, and / or otherwise configured with components) that enable communication via the ESL HF protocol, while other APs are not so configured. NMS 130 can determine whether one or more APs 142 include ESL transceivers, Bluetooth transceivers, BLE transceivers, UWB transceivers, Zigbee transceivers, and / or other types of non-Wi-Fi transceivers. NMS 130 can identify APs including non-Wi-Fi transceivers based on configuration information maintained by NMS 130.

[0043] NMS 130 can maintain configuration information about one or more components of network system 100, including indications of whether an AP is configured to communicate via a non-Wi-Fi protocol. NMS 130 can obtain configuration information from components of network system 100 and maintain this information in one or more data stores of NMS 130. NMS 130 can maintain configuration information including the transceiver configuration of AP 142 (e.g., whether a given AP is configured with a non-Wi-Fi transceiver), the Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi operating channels of AP 142, and / or other information. NMS 130 can poll or otherwise cause AP 142 to report configuration information to be included in network data store 136. In some examples, NMS 130 can use network data based on keep-alive packets exchanged between APs 142 to determine the current configuration of AP 142. NMS 130 can use this configuration information when managing the configuration of network system 100.

[0044] In some examples, NMS 130 generates a graphical database of frequency bands as part of determining AP neighbors. NMS 130 can obtain scanned radio data from AP 142 and process the scanned radio data to generate the graphical database for frequency bands. NMS 130 can generate a graphical database that includes indications of whether a given AP is configured to communicate via a non-Wi-Fi protocol and which APs are neighboring APs. In the example, AP 142A-1 uses a continuous scan radio to scan channels within the 2.4 GHz band and uses this continuous scan radio to generate scanned radio data. NMS 130 obtains the scanned radio data and generates a graphical database indicating which APs at site 102A are neighbors of AP 142A-1. NMS 130 can generate a graphical database for allocating Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels to AP 142.

[0045] The NMS 130 determines whether a non-Wi-Fi channel should be allocated to the AP. The NMS 130 may determine this in response to receiving indications that a new AP has been added to the site, that the AP has been configured with a non-Wi-Fi transceiver, and / or based on other factors. For example, the NMS 130 may determine that an ESL high-frequency transceiver dongle is connected to the AP 142A-1 and that an ESL high-frequency channel should be allocated to the AP 142A-1.

[0046] The NMS 130 uses the RRM 134 to determine non-WIFI channels in a frequency band for allocation to non-WIFI transceivers of the AP. The RRM 134 can determine non-WIFI operating channels that do not interfere with non-WIFI transceivers of neighboring APs, and non-WIFI operating channels of the WIFI radios of neighboring APs operating in the same frequency band as the AP's non-WIFI transceivers. As part of determining non-WIFI channels, the RRM 134 can identify one or more non-WIFI channels that do not overlap with the non-WIFI and WIFI channels allocated to the AP and neighboring APs. For example, the RRM 134 can determine whether a given non-WIFI channel at least partially overlaps with the frequency range included in the WIFI channels allocated to the AP's WIFI radios and the WIFI and / or non-WIFI channels allocated to neighboring APs, and prevents the allocation of that non-WIFI channel as an operating channel to the AP's non-WIFI transceivers. The RRM 134 can send messages to the AP to configure the AP's non-WIFI transceivers to operate on the allocated non-WIFI channels.

[0047] In some examples, the NMS 130 uses feature enhancements for ESL channel allocation to enable the RRM 134 to allocate ESL channels and / or other types of non-WIFI channels. The RRM 134 can be configured to treat ESL as a different frequency band for channel allocation, such that the RRM 134 will perform ESL channel allocation in the order of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. The RRM 134 can be configured to allocate the optimal ESL channel to the AP's ESL transceiver, taking into account the current WIFI channels allocated to the AP and neighboring APs, and the current non-WIFI channels allocated to those neighboring APs with ESL transceivers. The RRM 134 can determine the optimal configuration of the AP's WIFI radio operating in the same frequency band as the ESL transceiver. The RRM 134 can allocate the optimal WIFI channel to the WIFI radio, taking into account both the ESL channel allocation at the AP and neighboring APs, as well as the WIFI channel allocation at neighboring APs. In other examples, RRM 134 may determine whether to cancel or switch the Wi-Fi radio of an AP (e.g., switch a 2.4 GHz radio to a 5 GHz radio) based on the Wi-Fi coverage and / or capacity on the frequency band and the presence of an ESL transceiver at the AP operating on that frequency band.

[0048] In some examples, RRM 134 determines the AP's configuration to reallocate non-WIFI operating channels. RRM 134 can determine whether an AP's non-WIFI operating channel overlaps with and / or otherwise interferes with the channel allocation of neighboring APs. Based on the determination that the non-WIFI operating channel overlaps with or otherwise interferes with the WIFI and / or non-WIFI operating channels of neighboring APs, RRM 134 can determine the non-WIFI operating channel to be reallocated to the AP. In the example, RRM 134 determines that the non-WIFI operating channel allocated to AP 142A-1 overlaps with the non-WIFI operating channel of AP 142A-1's neighboring AP (AP 142A-M in this example). RRM 134 uses a graphical database of the frequency band at site 102A to determine a new non-WIFI operating channel that does not overlap with the WIFI and non-WIFI channel allocation of AP 142A-M in the same frequency band. RRM 134 generates instructions configured to reassign a new non-WIFI operating channel to AP 142A-1 and provides these instructions, included in a message, to AP 142A-1. In some examples, RRM 134 sends a message to AP 142A-1 to instruct AP 142A-1 to operate a non-WIFI transceiver on the assigned non-WIFI channel.

[0049] RRM 134 determines whether a Wi-Fi channel should be allocated and / or reallocated to an AP. RRM 134 may use configuration information of AP 142, a graphical database of one or more frequency bands, coverage and capacity data for that frequency band, and / or other information to determine whether a channel should be allocated and / or reallocated to one or more APs 142. RRM 134 may determine that a Wi-Fi channel allocated to an AP should be reallocated based on one or more factors, including determining that the AP's Wi-Fi operating channel operates in the same frequency range as the AP's non-Wi-Fi operating channel (e.g., 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and ESL high frequencies), that the AP's Wi-Fi operating channel interferes with the Wi-Fi operating channels and / or non-Wi-Fi operating channels of neighboring APs, and / or other factors. RRM 134 may determine the operating channel of the radio used to configure the AP based at least in part on a portion of the Wi-Fi and / or non-Wi-Fi operating channels allocated to the AP and its neighboring APs. RRM 134 can use information about non-WIFI transceivers (e.g., graph databases, network information, etc.) to assign WIFI operating channels to APs while avoiding channel assignments that overlap with the WIFI and / or non-WIFI channel assignments of the AP and neighboring APs (e.g., to avoid assigning WIFI channels that include frequencies also included in the non-WIFI channels assigned to the AP and / or neighboring APs). For example, NMS 130 can determine the WIFI channel to be assigned to AP 142A-1 such that the WIFI radio of AP 142A-1 will not interfere with the non-WIFI channels assigned to the WIFI transceiver of AP 142A-1 at site 102A and / or the operating channels of the non-WIFI transceivers of neighboring APs. Based on the determined WIFI channel, NMS 130 can provide or send messages to AP 142A-1 to enable AP 142A-1 to operate its WIFI radio on the assigned WIFI channel.

[0050] The technology disclosed herein enables one or more technical improvements that provide at least one practical application. For example, using scanning radio to obtain data on relatively high utilization rates at specific frequencies transitioning to non-Wi-Fi channels allows the NMS 130 to gain a relatively wider view of the RF environment and take into account the impact of non-Wi-Fi devices when configuring the RF environment. In another example, this technology enables the NMS 130 to optimize channel allocation across Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels and avoid allocating Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels that overlap in frequency. The NMS 130 provides automated channel allocation to avoid overlapping channel allocation between Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels and improves wireless performance by avoiding interference between Wi-Fi and / or non-Wi-Fi channels, rather than requiring administrators to manually allocate channels to avoid overlap.

[0051] Figure 1B It shows Figure 1A A further example of a detailed block diagram of the network system. See above for reference. Figure 1A According to one or more techniques disclosed herein, the NMS 130 of the radio resource management module 134 optimizes one or more operating parameters of the AP 142 in the wireless network 106 based on each channel.

[0052] In this example, Figure 1B NMS 130 is shown, and NMS 130 is configured to provide services from wireless network 106 and wired LAN 175 networks at the network edge. Figure 1B (The far left) crosses over to cloud-based application services 181 hosted by computing resources within data center 179. Figure 1B The rightmost part of the system represents a fully automated, insightful, and secure (Wi-Fi, wired, and WAN) operation based on an AI / machine learning computing platform. NMS 130 includes a virtual network assistant 132, a radio resource management module 134, network data 136, and channel-specific operating parameters 138. Channel-specific operating parameters 138 include one or more optimized operating parameters determined for each specific channel in a given frequency band, determined and / or applied according to one or more techniques of this disclosure.

[0053] As described herein, the NMS 130 provides an integrated suite of management tools and implements various technologies disclosed herein. Typically, the NMS 130 can provide a cloud-based platform for wireless network data acquisition, monitoring, activity logging, reporting, predictive analytics, network anomaly detection, and alarm generation. For example, the network management system 130 can be configured to proactively monitor and adaptively configure the network system 100 to provide self-driving capabilities. Furthermore, the VNA 133 includes a natural language processing engine for providing AI-driven support and troubleshooting, anomaly detection, AI-driven location services, and AI-driven RF optimization with reinforcement learning. In some examples, the NMS 130 manages the allocation of Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels and determines channel-specific operating parameters 138 for non-Wi-Fi channels.

[0054] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of an example access point (AP) device 200 configured according to one or more technologies disclosed herein. Figure 2 The example access point 200 shown can be used to implement as described in this article. Figure 1AAny of the AP devices 142 shown and described. Access point device 200 (which may alternatively be referred to as "access point 200" or "AP 200") may include, for example, a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and / or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) base station, a UWB base station, an ESL high-frequency base station, a Zigbee base station, or any other type of wireless access point.

[0055] exist Figure 2 In the example, access point device 200 includes a wired interface 230, wireless interfaces 220A-220B (which may alternatively be referred to as "data radio"), a scanning radio 290 (which may alternatively be referred to as "continuous scanning radio"), one or more non-WIFI transceivers 292, one or more processors 206, memory 212, and input / output 210 coupled together via bus 214. These components can exchange data and information via bus 214. The wired interface 230 represents a physical network interface and includes a receiver 232 and a transmitter 234 for sending and receiving network communications (e.g., packets). The wired interface 230 directly or indirectly couples access point device 200 to... Figure 1A Network 104. Wireless interfaces 220A-220N represent wireless network interfaces and respectively include receivers 222A-222N, each receiver including a receiving antenna, through which access point 200 can receive signals from wireless communication devices (such as...). Figure 1A The access point 200 receives wireless signals from UE 148, other AP 200, and / or any other wireless device. Wireless interfaces 220A-220N further include transmitters 224A-224N, each of which includes a transmitting antenna. Access point 200 can transmit wireless signals to wireless communication devices, such as… Figure 1A The UE148, other APs 200, and / or any other wireless devices are included. In some examples, wireless interfaces 220A-220N may include one or more Wi-Fi 802.11 interfaces (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and / or 6 GHz), one or more Bluetooth interfaces, BLE interfaces, ESL high-frequency interfaces, Zigbee interfaces, UWB interfaces, and / or other types of interfaces. For example, wireless interfaces 220A-220N may include non-Wi-Fi transceivers configured to transmit and receive according to non-Wi-Fi protocols. One or more of interfaces 220A to 220N can be used to perform RTT measurements. However, these are given for illustrative purposes only, and this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0056] AP 200 can use the data radio of wireless interface 220 to observe the channel used by wireless interface 220 for communication data. AP 200 can use the data radio of wireless interface 220 to observe one or more types of interference in AP 200's wireless environment, such as non-WIFI interference, undecipherable WIFI interference, unknown WIFI interference, ambient noise in the wireless environment, and / or other types of interference, and generate data based on the recorded interference. For example, AP 200 can use the data radio of wireless interface 220A to observe the wireless channel assigned to AP 200 and generate data about the channel's performance. AP 200 can use the data radio of wireless interface 220 to generate more detailed data than AP 200's scanning radio (e.g., because AP 200's data radio can be tuned to a specific channel with a frequency longer than AP 200's scanning radio).

[0057] The scanning radio 290 can be a component of the AP 200 for listening to or scanning the AP 200's wireless environment. The AP 200 can use the scanning radio 290 to observe multiple channels in its wireless environment to generate data that includes metrics about the AP 200's wireless environment. The AP 200 can generate data based on the quality or performance of the channels scanned by the scanning radio 290, outside of the channels assigned to the wireless interface. For example, the AP 200 can use the scanning radio to record interference observed on each channel in the AP 200's wireless environment. The AP 200 can use the data radio of the wireless interface 220 to generate relatively detailed data about the assigned or current channels, and use the scanning radio 290 to generate relatively less detailed data for multiple channels across a frequency band (e.g., the scanning radio 290 can observe multiple channels during the same time period while the data radio is acquiring data about a more limited number of channels). For example, the AP 200 can use the data radio to record interference observed on the operational channel. Although illustrated as separate components, in some examples, AP 200 may use one or more of the wireless interfaces 220 as scanning radios 290.

[0058] Processor 206 is a programmable, hardware-based processor configured to execute software instructions, such as software instructions for defining software or computer programs, which are stored in a computer-readable storage medium (such as memory 212), such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium including storage devices (e.g., disk drives or optical drives) or memories (such as flash memory or RAM) or any other type of volatile or non-volatile memory, the stored instructions causing one or more processors 206 to perform one or more techniques described herein.

[0059] Memory 212 includes one or more means configured to store programming modules and / or data associated with the operation of access point device 200. For example, memory 212 may include a computer-readable storage medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium including storage devices (e.g., disk drives or optical drives) or memories (such as flash memory or RAM) or any other type of volatile or non-volatile memory, storing instructions for causing one or more processors 206 to perform one or more of the techniques described herein.

[0060] In this example, memory 212 stores executable software and / or data, including application programming interface (API) 240, communication manager 242, configuration / radio settings 250, channel operation parameters 252, network data 254, and data memory 256. In some examples, network data 254 includes any type of data measured or collected by AP 200, including, for example, Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of wireless signals received from one or more other APs in the wireless network, and RSSI of wireless signals received from one or more wireless clients (UEs). For example, AP 200 may store data including metrics about the quality (e.g., performance) of one or more channels in network data 254. Data memory 256 may also store any data used and / or generated by access point device 200, including data collected from UE 148 and / or one or more other APs 200.

[0061] AP 200 can provide NMS with data about channel quality, for example, Figure 1A , Figure 1B The NMS130 is shown. AP 200 uses data radio and scanning radio to record information about interference in the channel within the frequency band. In some examples, AP 200 may record information about usage levels within the frequency band for NMS 130 to use scanning radio 290 to infer usage and / or correlate usage with interference between Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels.

[0062] The communication manager 242 includes program code that, when executed by the processor 206, allows the access point 200 to communicate with the UE 148, other APs 142, and / or network 104 via interfaces 230 and / or any of 220A-220B. Configuration settings 250 include any device settings for the access point 200, such as default or adjusted radio settings for each of the wireless interfaces 220A-220B. According to one or more techniques of this disclosure, channel-specific operating parameters 252 include one or more optimized operating parameters (e.g., transmit power optimization) determined for each specific channel in a given frequency band according to one or more techniques of this disclosure. Where the AP 200 is configured to communicate on multiple frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and / or 6 GHz bands), the channel-specific operating parameters 252 may include channel-specific operating parameters for each frequency band on which the AP 200 is configured to communicate. In some examples, the channel-specific operating parameters 252 include optimized operating parameters for non-Wi-Fi channels.

[0063] The NMS 130, which executes the Radio Resource Management module 134, can, for example, determine these channel-specific optimized operating parameters, such as those referenced. Figure 1A and Figure 1B As described. In some examples, the NMS 130 updates the optimized operating parameters stored in the channel operating parameters on a continuous, periodic, or scheduled basis.

[0064] AP 200 can receive channel assignments from NMS 130. NMS 130 can determine one or more channel assignments for AP 200 based on data and / or other information received from AP 200 and provide AP 200 with an indication of the channel assignments. AP 200 can reconfigure one or more components (e.g., radio interface 220) to operate according to the channel assignments.

[0065] Input / output (I / O) 210 represents a physical hardware component capable of interacting with a user, such as a button, touchscreen, or display. Although not shown, memory 212 typically stores executable software for controlling the user interface regarding input received via I / O 210.

[0066] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of an example network management system (NMS) 300 configured to optimize one or more operating parameters for multiple access points (APs) in a wireless network based on one or more technologies according to this disclosure, using each channel. For example, the NMS 300 is configured to optimize one or more operating parameters for multiple APs based on a specific channel allocation for each AP. The NMS 300 can be used to implement, for example... Figure 1A , Figure 1BThe NMS 130 is mentioned. In such an example, the NMS 300 is responsible for monitoring and managing one or more wireless networks 106A-106N at sites 102A-102N respectively. In some examples, the NMS 300 receives network data 315 collected by AP 142 / 200 and analyzes the data for cloud-based management of wireless networks 106A-106N. In some examples, the NMS 300 may be... Figure 1A , Figure 1B Part of another server or any other server shown.

[0067] The NMS 300 includes a communication interface 330, one or more processors 306, a user interface 310, a memory 320, and a database 318. The components are coupled together via a bus 314, through which they can exchange data and information.

[0068] Database 318 includes storage for data relating to the monitoring and management of wireless network 106. Network data 315 includes any type of data measured or collected by APs 142 / 200, including, for example, Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of wireless signals communicating between APs 142, RSSI of wireless signals communicating between AP 142 and UE 148, etc. Data storage 256 may also store any data used and / or generated by access point device 200, including data collected from UE 148 and / or one or more other APs 200. According to one or more techniques of this disclosure, channel-specific operating parameters 317 include one or more optimized operating parameters (e.g., transmission power optimization) determined for each specific channel in a given frequency band. In some examples, channel-specific operating parameters 317 include channel-specific operating parameters for each of one or more frequency bands (such as 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz bands) and / or any other wireless frequency bands (such as non-WIFI bands).

[0069] Processor 306 executes software instructions, such as software instructions for defining software or computer programs, which are stored in a computer-readable storage medium (such as memory 320), such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium including storage devices (e.g., disk drives or optical drives) or memories (such as flash memory or RAM) or any other type of volatile or non-volatile memory, the stored instructions causing one or more processors 306 to perform the techniques described herein.

[0070] The communication interface 330 may include, for example, an Ethernet interface. The communication interface 330 couples the NMS 300 to a network and / or the Internet, such as... Figure 1AThis refers to any network 104 and / or any local area network shown. Communication interface 330 includes a receiver 332 and a transmitter 333, through which the NMS 300 receives data and information / transmits data and information to any of the AP devices 142, servers 110, 116, 122, 128, and / or any other device or system forming part of network system 100, such as... Figures 1A to 1B As shown. The data and information received by NMS 300 may include, for example, network data and / or event log data received from AP 142. NMS 300 uses the network data and / or event log data to remotely monitor and / or control the performance of wireless networks 106A-106N and determine the location of AP 142. NMS can further transmit data via communication interface 330 to any network device (such as AP 142 at any network site 102A to 102N) to remotely manage wireless networks 106A to 106N.

[0071] Memory 312 includes one or more means configured to store programming modules and / or data associated with the operation of NMS 300. For example, memory 312 may include computer-readable storage media, such as non-transitory computer-readable media, containing storage devices (e.g., disk drives or optical drives) or memories (e.g., flash memory or RAM) or any other type of volatile or non-volatile memory, the storage of which enables one or more processors 306 to execute instructions of the techniques described herein.

[0072] In this example, memory 312 includes API 320, SLE module 322, Radio Resource Management module (RRM) 334, Virtual Network Assistant (VNA) / AI engine 350, and one or more machine learning models 380. NMS 300 may also include any other programming modules, software engines, and / or interfaces configured for remote monitoring and management of wireless networks 106A-106N (including remote monitoring and management of any of the AP devices 142).

[0073] According to one or more techniques of this disclosure, RRM 334 further includes program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors and / or any other computing device of NMS 300, determine the WIFI channel allocation and non-WIFI channel allocation for the AP. For example, RRM 334 may determine the non-WIFI channel allocation and WIFI channel allocation of the AP to avoid overlap or interference between the currently allocated WIFI channels and non-WIFI channels of the AP and neighboring APs.

[0074] VNA / AI engine 350 analyzes network data received from AP device 142 and its own data to monitor the performance of wireless networks 106A-106N. For example, VNA / AI engine 350 can identify when an anomaly or anomalous state is encountered in one of the wireless networks 106A-106N. VNA / AI engine 350 can use a root cause analysis module (not shown) to identify the root cause of any anomaly or anomalous state. In some examples, the root cause analysis module utilizes artificial intelligence-based techniques to help identify the root cause of any poor SLE metric at one or more locations in wireless networks 106A-106N. Furthermore, VNA / AI engine 350 can automatically invoke one or more remedial actions aimed at resolving one or more poor SLE metrics from the identified root cause. Examples of remedial actions that can be automatically invoked by VNA / AI engine 350 may include, but are not limited to, invoking RRM 334 to reboot one or more AP devices and / or adjust / modify the transmission power of a specific radio in a specific AP device, adding a Service Set Identifier (SSID) configuration to a specific AP device, changing the channel on an AP device or a group of AP devices, etc. Remedial measures may further include restarting the switch and / or router, invoking the download of new software to the AP device, switch, or router, etc. These remedial measures are given for illustrative purposes only, and this disclosure is not limited to this aspect. If automatic remedial measures are unavailable or do not adequately address the root cause, the VNA / AI Engine 350 may proactively and automatically provide notifications, including suggested remedial measures to be taken by IT personnel, to resolve the abnormal or anomalous wireless network operation.

[0075] SLE (Service Level Experience) module 322 enables the setting and tracking of thresholds for one or more SLE (e.g., performance) metrics for each of the wireless networks 106A-106N. SLE module 322 also analyzes (e.g., stores as network data 316) network data collected by AP devices and / or UEs associated with the wireless networks 106A-106N (such as any one of the AP devices 142 from UE 148 in each wireless network 106A-106N). For example, AP devices 142A-1 to 142A-N collect network data from UEs 148A-1 to 148A-N currently associated with the wireless network 106A (e.g., named assets, connected / unconnected Wi-Fi clients). In addition to any network data collected by one or more APs 142A-1 to 142A-N in the wireless network 106A, this data is also sent to NMS 300 and stored, for example, as network data 315.

[0076] The NMS 300 executes the SLE module 322 to determine one or more SLE metrics for each UE 148 associated with the wireless network 106. One or more of the SLE metrics can be further aggregated to each AP device at the site to gain insight into the contribution to the wireless network performance of each AP device at the site. The SLE metric tracks whether the service level for each specific SLE metric meets a configured threshold. In some examples, each SLE metric may further include one or more classifiers. If a metric does not meet the SLE threshold configured for the site, a failure can be attributed to one of the classifiers to further understand how and / or why the failure occurred.

[0077] In some examples, the RRM 334 uses information about the AP configuration when determining channel allocation. The RRM 334 can use configuration information about which APs are configured with non-Wi-Fi transceivers, since only a subset of APs within a given site can be equipped with non-Wi-Fi transceivers. The RRM 134 can use information related to the AP configuration to determine both Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channel allocations.

[0078] The RRM 334 can use one or more equations to determine the allocation of Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels and to make the channel allocation more consistent. The RRM 334 can use these equations to distribute the channel allocation evenly across the entire frequency band, rather than allocating channels that overlap in the spectrum or are otherwise nearby. For example, the RRM 334 can distribute the 2.4 GHz channel allocation to allocate non-overlapping Wi-Fi channels 1, 6, and 11, instead of overlapping Wi-Fi channels 1, 2, and 3. The RRM 334 can use one or more equations such as the following to determine the allocation of Wi-Fi and ESL high-frequency channels and to make the allocation more consistent. The RRM 344 ​​can use Equation 1 to determine the allocation of a pair of APs (labeled as...). i and j Channel allocation: Equation 1 Where C represents the channel of the AP, α and β are the weights in the function, and where, Is it when selected for AP i The channel is a predetermined function of the channel uniformity offset. The RRM 334 can be based on the instruction AP. i and j The Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) for proximity determines α and β as predetermined or variable weights (e.g., when AP...). i and j When the RSSI is relatively high, NMS 130 can determine α and β to be relatively high values. RRM 334 can use subfunctions. Determine AP i and j Channel overlap between ESL channels, and using sub-functions Determine AP i ESL channels and AP j Channel overlap between the 2.4 GHz channels. Furthermore, the RRM 334 can use this function. This is to make the channel selection bias more consistent.

[0079] RRM 134 can allocate channels using equations (e.g., Equation 1) based on a set of probabilities associated with each channel, where non-overlapping Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels are given increased allocation probabilities (e.g., biased towards uniform channel allocation). Although discussed above in the context of ESL channel allocation, RRM 334 can extend the use of similar equations to determine the allocation of other non-Wi-Fi channels (e.g., UWB, Bluetooth, BLE, etc.). For example, RRM 334 can allocate the following channels according to Table I below and one or more scenarios:

[0080] Table I

[0081] In the first scenario, the RRM 334 determines the channel allocation without mapping the RF template to the site. The RRM 334 can map the Wi-Fi radio channel based on the ESL channels in Table I above. When restarting the AP, the RRM 334 can maintain the same ESL channels and map the Wi-Fi radio channel based on the associated ESL channels.

[0082] In the second scenario, the RRM 334 uses the RF template mapped to the site to determine channel allocation. The RRM 334 can map the Wi-Fi radio channel according to the ESL channels in Table I above. When the AP is restarted, the RRM 334 can keep the ESL channels the same and map the Wi-Fi radio channel according to the associated ESL channels.

[0083] In the third scenario, RRM 334 determines the channel allocation and overlays the device profile radio settings. RRM 334 can map the Wi-Fi radio channel according to the ESL channels in Table I. When the AP is restarted, RRM 334 can maintain the same ESL channel and map the Wi-Fi radio channel according to the associated ESL channel.

[0084] In some examples, the RRM 334 determines which APs at a site have ESL transceivers based on configuration information of APs with local ESL transceivers and / or based on indications received from APs including ESL dongles (e.g., ESL transceivers inserted into the AP via a USB dongle). The RRM 334 can maintain a table for ESL operation channel allocations for APs with ESL transceivers. The RRM 334 can build an RRM graph database based on scanned radio data obtained from one or more APs at the site. For example, the RRM can build a 2.4 GHz graph based on scanned radio data for all channels in the 2.4 GHz band, and a 5 GHz graph based on scanned radio data for all channels in the 5 GHz band. In some examples, the RRM 334 can build a graph database based on RF spectrum captures of a frequency band. For example, the RRM 334 can build a dedicated ESL graph database based on scanned radio data for all ESL channels.

[0085] For an access point (AP) with an ESL transceiver, the RRM 334 identifies neighboring APs at the site based on scanned radio data and determines which of these neighboring APs have ESL transceivers and ESL operating channels based on configuration data. The RRM 334 then selects the optimal ESL channel (e.g., 2.4 GHz) on a frequency band for the AP's ESL transceiver to avoid overlap with the ESL operating channels of neighboring APs with ESL transceivers and with the Wi-Fi operating channels of the AP or multiple neighboring APs. The RRM 334 can then determine the configuration of the Wi-Fi radio for APs operating in the same frequency band (e.g., 2.4 GHz). In some examples, the RRM 334 selects the optimal Wi-Fi channel for the AP's Wi-Fi radio to avoid overlap with the ESL channel allocation of ESL transceivers on the same AP and / or the ESL operating channels of neighboring APs with ESL transceivers, thus avoiding interference between ESL and Wi-Fi on the same frequency band. The RRM 334 can also take into account the Wi-Fi operating channels of neighboring APs' Wi-Fi radios and non-Wi-Fi interference when allocating Wi-Fi channels to the Wi-Fi radios of APs. The RRM 334 can then continue to allocate Wi-Fi channels to Wi-Fi radios operating in other frequency bands (e.g., 5 GHz, 6 GHz).

[0086] In scenarios where the RRM 334 reallocates all channel assignments, the RRM 334 can initiate the channel reallocation process at the AP with an ESL transceiver in the most densely populated area of ​​the site. For a new AP with an ESL transceiver (native or USB dongle) (e.g., a newly configured AP), the RRM 334 may not have scan data and may not know the neighboring APs. The RRM 334 can randomly select an ESL channel for the new AP's ESL transceiver in the frequency band, and then select a Wi-Fi channel for the Wi-Fi radio in the same frequency band to avoid overlap with the ESL channel. The RRM 334 then waits until scan data is available in the frequency band (e.g., 30 minutes) and reruns the channel allocation process to optimize the ESL and Wi-Fi channel assignments for the new AP.

[0087] In some examples, the RRM 334 uses the presence of an ESL transceiver on the AP as a factor to determine whether to disable or switch a Wi-Fi radio operating in the same frequency band as the ESL transceiver. As an example, after selecting the optimal channel for an ESL transceiver operating in the 2.4 GHz band, the RRM 334 may consider the coverage area in the 2.4 GHz band and the capacity or utilization of the 2.4 GHz band by the cluster including the AP and its neighboring APs, as well as the capacity or utilization of the same cluster by the 5 GHz and / or 6 GHz bands, to determine whether to support one or more of the 2.4 GHz radios and switch to a 5 GHz radio within the cluster. The RRM 334 may consider the presence of the ESL transceiver at the AP to determine which of the 2.4 GHz radios within the cluster will be disabled.

[0088] In some examples, the RRM 334 performs procedures to optimize the selection of Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels. For instance, the RRM334 can execute code such as the following to optimize the selection of ESL high-frequency and Wi-Fi channels: { "mac": "a67ef14", "Power": { "min_power": 3, "max_power": 18 }, "dfs_ok":true, "band_24_usage": "24", "no_valid_channels": false, "map_id": "cs39-246g-abc1", "x_m": 32, "y_m": 34, "height": 2.75, "radio_stat": { "band": "24", "channel": 1, "bandwidth": 20, "power": 3, "num_clients": 0 }, "radio_config": { "channel": 0, "bandwidth": 20, "power": 0 }, "native_esl_enabled": false, "esl_channel": 10 }, { "mac": "aa17bce23", "power": { "min_power": 3, "max_power": 18 }, "dfs_ok": true, "band_24_usage": "24", "no_valid_channels": false, "map_id": " cs39-246g-abc1", "x_m": 44, "y_m": 37, "height": 2.75, "radio_stat": { "band": "24", "channel": 11, "bandwidth": 20, "power": 3, "num_clients": 0 }, "radio_config": { "channel": 0, "bandwidth": 20, "power": 0 }, "native_esl_enabled": false, "esl_channel": -1 }

[0089] In some examples, RRM 334 determines whether to cancel (e.g., disable) the Wi-Fi radio of an AP. RRM 134 can determine the coverage and capacity on a frequency band of an AP cluster (e.g., a graph database-based neighboring AP cluster) containing the AP and its neighboring APs. RRM 134 can determine whether the coverage and capacity of an AP meets one or more thresholds (e.g., whether the AP provides sufficient coverage and capacity for UEs connected to the AP). Based on one or more APs with non-Wi-Fi transceivers and the coverage and capacity on that frequency band, RRM 134 determines whether to cancel the Wi-Fi radio of an AP operating on that frequency band. In an example, RRM 134 determines that the coverage and capacity of the 2.4 GHz band of the AP cluster meets predetermined coverage and capacity thresholds. RRM 134 can determine, based on the coverage and capacity of the 2.4 GHz band, that the Wi-Fi radio of an AP should be canceled and instruct the AP to cancel the Wi-Fi radio. In some examples, RRM 134 can configure the AP's Wi-Fi data radio as a scanning radio instead of canceling the Wi-Fi radio.

[0090] Figure 4 An exemplary user equipment (UE) device 400 is shown. Figure 4 The example UE device 400 shown can be used to implement the present invention relative to Figure 1A and Figure 1B Any UE 148 shown and described. UE device 400 may include any type of wireless client device, and this disclosure is not limited to that aspect. For example, UE device 400 may include mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless terminals, smartwatches, smart rings, or any other type of mobile or wearable device. UE 400 may also include any type of IoT client device, such as printers, security sensors or devices, environmental sensors, or any other connected device configured to communicate via one or more wireless networks.

[0091] UE device 400 includes a wired interface 430, wireless interfaces 420A-420D, one or more processors 406, memory 412, and user interface 410. The various components are coupled together via bus 414, through which they can exchange data and information. The wired interface 430 includes a receiver 432 and a transmitter 434. If needed, the wired interface 430 can be used to couple the UE 400 to... Figure 1A and Figure 1B Network 104. The first, second, third, and fourth wireless interfaces 420A, 420B, 420C, and 420D respectively include receivers 422A, 422B, 422C, and 422D. Each receiver includes a receiving antenna, through which the UE 400 can receive wireless signals from a wireless communication device, such as... Figure 1A and Figure 1B AP device 142, Figure 2 The AP device 200, other UEs 148, or other devices configured for wireless communication. The first, second, third, and fourth wireless interfaces 420A, 420B, 420C, and 420D further include transmitters 424A, 424B, 424C, and 424D, respectively, each transmitter including a transmitting antenna through which the UE 400 can transmit wireless signals to a wireless communication device, for example, Figure 1A and Figure 1B AP device 142, Figure 2 The access point (AP) device 200, other UEs 148, and / or other devices configured for wireless communication. In some examples, the first wireless interface 420A may include a Wi-Fi 802.11 interface (e.g., 2.4 GHz and / or 5 GHz), and the second wireless interface 420B may include a Bluetooth interface and / or a Bluetooth Low Energy interface. The third wireless interface 420C may include, for example, a cellular interface through which the UE device 400 can connect to a cellular network. The fourth wireless interface 420D may include, for example, any number of non-Wi-Fi interfaces, such as UWB, ESL high-frequency, and / or other types of non-Wi-Fi interfaces.

[0092] Processor 406 executes software instructions, such as software instructions for defining software or computer programs, which are stored in a computer-readable storage medium (such as memory 412), such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium including storage devices (e.g., disk drives or optical drives) or memories (such as flash memory or RAM) or any other type of volatile or non-volatile memory, the storage of which causes one or more processors 406 to execute the techniques described herein.

[0093] Memory 412 includes one or more means configured to store programming modules and / or data associated with the operation of UE 400. For example, memory 412 may include a computer-readable storage medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium, containing storage devices (e.g., disk drives or optical drives) or memory (e.g., flash memory or RAM) or any other type of volatile or non-volatile memory, the storage of which causes one or more processors 406 to execute instructions of the techniques described herein.

[0094] In this example, memory 412 includes an operating system 440, application 442, communication module 444, configuration settings 450, data storage for network data 454, and agent 494. The data storage for network data 454 may include, for example, a status / error log, which includes UE 400-specific network data. As described above, network data 454 may include any network data, events, and / or status that may be related to the determination of one or more roaming quality assessments. Network data may include event data, such as logs of normal and error events based on logging levels according to instructions from a network management system (e.g., NMS 130 / 300). The data storage for network data 454 may store any data used and / or generated by the UE 400, such as network data used to determine proximity to nearby areas, which is collected by the UE 400 and transmitted to any AP in AP device 142 of the wireless network 106 for further transmission to the NMS 130.

[0095] The communication module 444 includes program code that, when executed by the processor 406, enables the UE 400 to communicate using any of the wired interface 430, wireless interfaces 420A-420B, and / or cellular interface 420C. The configuration settings 450 include any device settings configured for the UE 400 for each of the wireless interfaces 420A-420B and / or cellular interface 420C.

[0096] Processor 406 can execute agent 494, which may be a software component of UE device 400 that captures data about one or more aspects of the performance of UE device 400. Agent 494 may capture information about the performance of one or more applications (e.g., the video conferencing application of application 442) and / or information about one or more SLEs associated with UE 400. For example, agent 494 may capture information about packets dropped during a video conferencing call and include that information in data 454.

[0097] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary network node 500 configured according to the technology described herein. In one or more examples, network node 500 is implemented to be attached to Figure 1A or Figure 1B The network 104 is a device or server (e.g., a router, switch, AAA server 110, DHCP server 116, DNS server 122, VNA 132, AP location module 135, network server 128A-128X, etc.) or a network device (e.g., a router, switch, etc.).

[0098] In this example, network node 500 includes a communication interface 502 (e.g., an Ethernet interface), a processor 506, input / output 508 (e.g., a display, buttons, keyboard, keypad, touchscreen, mouse, etc.), memory 512, and components (e.g., hardware module assemblies, such as circuit assemblies) coupled together via bus 509. Various components can exchange data and information via bus 509. Communication interface 502 couples network node 500 to a network, such as an enterprise network.

[0099] Although only one interface is shown by way of example, those skilled in the art will recognize that a network node can have multiple communication interfaces. Communication interface 502 includes a receiver 520 through which network node 500 can receive data and information (e.g., data indicating distance between APs and / or operational information such as registration requests, AAA services, DHCP requests, Simple Notification Service (SNS) lookups, and web page requests). Communication interface 502 also includes a transmitter 522 through which network node 500 can transmit data and information (e.g., location information, configuration information, authentication information, web page data, etc.).

[0100] Memory 512 stores executable software applications 532, operating system 540, and data / information 530. Data 530 includes system logs and / or error logs, which, based on instructions from the network management system, store network data and / or proximity information of node 500 and / or other devices such as wireless access points at the log level. In some examples, network node 500 may forward network data to the network management system (e.g., Figure 1A The NMS 130 was used for the analysis as described in this article.

[0101] Figure 6 This is a diagram of an example wireless channel in a frequency band according to one or more techniques of this disclosure. Figure 1A The context describes Figure 6 .

[0102] RRM 134 can determine whether one or more Wi-Fi channels and non-Wi-Fi channels overlap in frequency. RRM 134 can determine overlap between channels, such as in... Figure 6This can be visually shown, for example, the overlap between WIFI and non-WIFI channels. For example, RRM 134 can determine that ESL high-frequency channels 0 and 1 overlap with WIFI channel 1, and that ESL channel 2 partially overlaps with ESL channel 3.

[0103] RRM 134 can determine whether a Wi-Fi or non-Wi-Fi channel should be designated as a recommended or alternative channel. RRM 134 can use one or more equations or procedures to bias channel selection towards channel consistency (e.g., uniformly distributing channel allocation across the entire frequency band). For example, RRM 134 can determine that 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channel 1 should be the recommended channel, but 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channels 2, 3, and 4 should be alternative channels because they partially overlap with channel 1 in frequency. RRM 134 can also determine whether a non-Wi-Fi channel should be designated as a recommended or alternative channel based on its overlap with Wi-Fi channels and / or other non-Wi-Fi channels.

[0104] The NMS 130 can use information about one or more Wi-Fi channels and / or non-Wi-Fi channels (e.g., information about the Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels represented in Figure 600) to determine the AP's configuration. Figure 6 In the example, Figure 600 includes indications of one or more recommended Wi-Fi channels as recommended Wi-Fi channel indicators 602A-602C (hereinafter referred to as "recommended Wi-Fi channel indicators 602") and indications of one or more alternative Wi-Fi channels as alternative Wi-Fi channel indicators 606A-606C (hereinafter referred to as "alternative Wi-Fi channel indicators 606"). In the example, RRM 134 determines that Wi-Fi channels 1, 6, and 11 should be recommended and other Wi-Fi channels should be alternative Wi-Fi channels.

[0105] The NMS 130 can determine recommended non-WIFI channels and / or alternative non-WIFI channels, such as those shown in Figure 600. Figure 6 In the example, graphic 600 includes indications of recommended non-Wi-Fi channels as recommended non-Wi-Fi channel indicators 604A-604C (hereinafter referred to as "recommended non-Wi-Fi channel indicators 604") and visual indications of alternative non-Wi-Fi channels as alternative non-Wi-Fi channel indicators 608A-608D (hereinafter referred to as "alternative non-Wi-Fi channel indicators 608"). Recommended non-Wi-Fi channel indicator 604 may represent one or more non-Wi-Fi channels (e.g., Bluetooth channels) recommended by NMS 130, and alternative non-Wi-Fi channel indicator 608 may represent one or more non-Wi-Fi channels not recommended by NMS 130 and / or other available non-Wi-Fi channels.

[0106] NMS 130 can determine the overlap between Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channels, and recommend which channels are replacement channels, as shown in Figure 600. Figure 600 may include one or more indicators, such as recommended Wi-Fi channel indicator 602, recommended non-Wi-Fi channel indicator 604, replacement Wi-Fi channel indicator 606, and replacement non-Wi-Fi channel indicator 608, as visually arranged to represent the corresponding bandwidth of each channel relative to the frequency. Figure 6 In the example, graph 600 visually represents the width of each Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi channel in terms of frequency (e.g., MHz). For example, NMS 130 generates graph 600 where the recommended Wi-Fi channel indicator 602B spans a width corresponding to 22 MHz, and the recommended non-Wi-Fi channel indicator 604A spans a width of 1 MHz.

[0107] Figure 7A , Figure 7B This is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example network topology according to one or more technologies disclosed herein. Figure 7A , Figure 7B exist Figure 1A Described in the context of.

[0108] exist Figure 7A In the example, RRM 134 generates a graphics database, whose graphics 700A are visual representations, including those that can be compared with, for example... Figure 1A The AP 142 shown is similar to APs 702A-1 to 702A-5 (hereinafter referred to as "AP 702A"). RRM 134 can use configuration information about AP 702A and information about the neighbors of each of AP 702A to generate a graph database. RRM 134 can generate a graph database with APs as nodes and edges representing the proximity of APs (e.g., the strength at which APs can observe or "hear" each other within a site) to identify clusters of neighboring APs. For example, RRM 134 can use scanning radio to determine the neighboring APs of each of AP 702A.

[0109] RRM 134 can generate a graphical database that includes indications of the adjacency relationships of AP 702A. Figure 7A In the example, graph 700A includes arrows between APs to visually indicate which APs 702A are neighboring APs. RRM 134 can determine that AP 702A-1 is a neighbor of APs 702A-3 and AP 702A-2, and generate graph 700A that visually indicates the neighbor relationships.

[0110] exist Figure 7BIn the example, RRM 134 generates a graph database whose graph 700B is a visual representation, including AP702B-1, 702B-2, 702B-4, and 702B-5 (hereinafter, "AP 702B"), as well as the ESL dongle 704B. Graph 700B can be similar to... Figure 7A The diagram shows figure 700A, and each AP in figure 700B corresponds to the AP shown in figure 700A (e.g., 702B-1 corresponds to 702A-1, 702B-5 corresponds to 702A-5, etc.).

[0111] RRM 134 can generate a graphical database that includes indications of APs configured with non-Wi-Fi transceivers (in this specific example, an ESL high-frequency dongle). RRM 134 can obtain and maintain configuration information for AP 702B. RRM 134 can use the configuration information to determine whether an AP is configured with a non-Wi-Fi transmitter. RRM 134 can use graphical and / or configuration information when determining the Wi-Fi and / or non-Wi-Fi channel allocation for AP 702B. For example, RRM 134 can use graphical 700B when determining the channel allocation for AP702B-4.

[0112] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation for determining channel allocation according to one or more techniques disclosed herein. Figure 8 Is Figure 1A Described in the context of.

[0113] A network management system (e.g., NMS 130) determines the neighboring access points (APs) of an AP (e.g., AP 142A-1 at site 102A) at the site (802). NMS 130 can determine the neighboring APs of AP 142A-1 based on scanned radio data of the frequency band at site 102A. In the example, AP 142 at site 102A uses a scanned radio to collect scanned radio data and provides the scanned radio data to NMS 130. NMS 130 processes the scanned radio data and determines the neighboring APs of AP 142A-1 based on the RSSI of AP 142 observed by AP 142A-1.

[0114] NMS 130 determines non-WIFI channels in the frequency band to allocate to the non-WIFI transceivers of AP 142A-1 (804). NMS 130 can determine non-WIFI channels that do not interfere with the operation channels of the non-WIFI transceivers of one or more neighboring APs and do not interfere with the WIFI radio of AP 142A-1 or the operation channels of neighboring APs operating in the same frequency band as the non-WIFI transceivers of AP 142A-1. NMS 130 can use the graphical database of AP 142A-1 to determine the non-WIFI channels allocated to the AP and avoids allocating non-WIFI channels that overlap in frequency with the WIFI and non-WIFI channels allocated to neighboring APs of AP 142A-1. Furthermore, NMS 130 can use the configuration information of AP 142A-1 to avoid allocating non-WIFI channels to AP 142A-1 that overlap in frequency with one or more operating WIFI channels of AP 142A-1.

[0115] NMS 130 sends a message to AP 142A-1 to instruct AP 142A-1 to operate its non-WIFI transceiver on the assigned non-WIFI channel (806). NMS 130 may send the message to AP 142A-1 as part of performing an initial channel allocation for AP 142A-1 or to reallocate a different non-WIFI channel to AP 142A-1. In this example, NMS 130 determines the non-WIFI channel to be assigned to AP 142A-1. NMS 130 generates instructions for configuring AP 142A-1 to use the non-WIFI channel and encapsulates these instructions in a message. NMS 130 provides this message to AP 142A-1, and AP 142A-1 configures its non-WIFI transceiver to use that non-WIFI channel as its operating channel.

[0116] The techniques described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. Different features described as modules, units, or components may be implemented together in an integrated logic device or individually as discrete but interoperable logic devices or other hardware devices. In some cases, different features of an electronic circuit may be implemented as one or more integrated circuit devices, such as integrated circuit chips or chipsets.

[0117] If implemented in hardware, this disclosure is applicable to apparatuses such as processors or integrated circuit devices, such as integrated circuit chips or chipsets. Alternatively or additionally, if implemented in software or firmware, these techniques can be implemented at least in part by a computer-readable data storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform one or more of the methods described above. For example, a computer-readable data storage medium may store such instructions for processor execution.

[0118] Computer-readable media can form part of a computer program product, which may include packaging material. Computer-readable media may include computer data storage media, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, magnetic or optical data storage media, etc. In some examples, the article of manufacture may include one or more computer-readable storage media.

[0119] In some examples, computer-readable storage media may include non-transitory media. The term "non-transitory" may mean that the storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or propagating signal. In some examples, non-transitory storage media may store data that may change over time (e.g., in RAM or cache).

[0120] The code or instructions can be software and / or firmware executed by processing circuitry including one or more processors, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), general-purpose microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits. Therefore, the term "processor" as used herein can refer to any of the foregoing structures or any other structure suitable for implementing the techniques described herein. Additionally, in some aspects, the functionality described in this disclosure may be provided within a software module or a hardware module.

Claims

1. A network management system, comprising: Memory; as well as The processing circuitry communicates with the memory and is configured to: Based on scanned radio data of the frequency band at the site, the neighboring APs of the access point AP at the site are determined; Determine the non-WIFI channel allocated to the non-WIFI transceiver of the AP on the frequency band, wherein the non-WIFI channel does not interfere with the operation channel of the non-WIFI transceiver of one or more of the neighboring APs, and does not interfere with the operation channel of the WIFI radio of the AP and the neighboring APs operating on the same frequency band as the non-WIFI transceiver of the AP; as well as Send a message to the AP to cause the AP to operate a non-WIFI transceiver on the assigned non-WIFI channel.

2. The network management system according to claim 1, wherein, The processing circuitry is configured to determine, at least in part, the configuration of the Wi-Fi radio of the AP, which operates in the same frequency band as the non-Wi-Fi transceiver of the AP, based on the non-Wi-Fi transceiver of the AP and one or more of the adjacent APs.

3. The network management system according to claim 2, wherein, In order to determine the configuration of the Wi-Fi radio of the AP, the processing circuit is configured to determine the Wi-Fi channel allocated to the Wi-Fi radio of the AP on the frequency band, wherein the Wi-Fi channel does not interfere with the non-Wi-Fi channel allocated to the non-Wi-Fi transceiver of the AP or the operating channel of the non-Wi-Fi transceiver of the adjacent AP.

4. The network management system according to claim 2, wherein, To determine the configuration of the AP's Wi-Fi radio, the processing circuit is configured as follows: Determine the coverage and capacity of the AP cluster, including the AP and its neighboring APs, in the frequency band; as well as Based on the one or more APs with non-WIFI transceivers and the coverage and capacity on the frequency band, determine whether to cancel the WIFI radio of the AP operating on the frequency band.

5. The network management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The processing circuit is configured as follows: Obtain scanned radio data of the frequency band from the AP; as well as A graphical database of the frequency band is generated based on the scanned radio data, wherein the graphical database of the frequency band indicates which of a plurality of APs at the site are the neighboring APs of the AP.

6. The network management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The processing circuitry is configured to identify one or more neighboring APs that have non-WIFI transceivers based on configuration information maintained by the system.

7. The network management system according to claim 6, wherein, The configuration information indicates the operating channel of the non-WIFI transceiver of one or more of the adjacent APs.

8. The network management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The non-WIFI transceiver includes one of the following: electronic shelf label high-frequency transceiver, Bluetooth transceiver, Bluetooth Low Energy transceiver, ultra-wideband transceiver, and Zigbee transceiver.

9. A network management method, comprising: The computing system determines the neighboring APs of the access point AP at the site based on scanned radio data of the frequency band at the site; The computing system determines the non-WIFI channel allocated to the non-WIFI transceiver of the AP on the frequency band. The non-WIFI channel does not interfere with the operation channel of the non-WIFI transceiver of one or more of the neighboring APs, and does not interfere with the operation channel of the WIFI radio of the AP and the neighboring APs operating on the same frequency band as the non-WIFI transceiver of the AP. as well as The computing system sends a message to the AP to enable the AP to operate a non-WIFI transceiver on the assigned non-WIFI channel.

10. The network management method according to claim 9, further comprising: The computing system determines, at least in part, the configuration of the Wi-Fi radio of the AP, which operates in the same frequency band as the non-Wi-Fi transceiver of the AP and one or more of the neighboring APs.

11. The network management method according to claim 10, wherein, Determining the configuration of the AP's Wi-Fi radio also includes: Determine the WIFI channel of the WIFI radio assigned to the AP on the frequency band, such that the WIFI channel does not interfere with the non-WIFI channels assigned to the non-WIFI transceivers of the AP or the operating channels of the non-WIFI transceivers of the adjacent AP.

12. The network management method according to claim 10, wherein, Determining the configuration of the AP's Wi-Fi radio also includes: Determine the coverage and capacity of the AP cluster, including the AP and its neighboring APs, in the frequency band; and Based on the one or more APs with non-WIFI transceivers and the coverage and capacity on the frequency band, determine whether to cancel the WIFI radio of the AP operating on the frequency band.

13. The network management method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, further comprising: The computing system obtains scanned radio data of the frequency band from the AP; as well as The computing system generates a graphical database of the frequency band based on the scanned radio data, wherein the graphical database of the frequency band indicates which of the multiple APs at the site are neighboring APs of the AP.

14. The network management method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, further comprising: The computing system identifies one or more neighboring APs that have non-WIFI transceivers based on configuration information maintained by the system.

15. The network management method according to claim 14, wherein, The configuration information indicates the operating channel of the non-WIFI transceiver of one or more of the adjacent APs.

16. The network management method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein, The non-WIFI transceiver includes one of the following: electronic shelf label high-frequency transceiver, Bluetooth transceiver, Bluetooth Low Energy transceiver, ultra-wideband transceiver, and Zigbee transceiver.

17. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for configuring one or more programmable processors to perform a network management system according to any one of claims 1-8 or to perform a network management method according to any one of claims 9-16.

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