Methods and electronic devices for adjusting the access configuration of access point (AP) devices

Abstract

At least one embodiment of this disclosure provides a method and electronic device for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device. The method for adjusting the access configuration of an AP device includes: determining whether there is a change in the management state of the AP devices in a network topology including at least one AP device, the change in the management state including a change in the availability state of any AP device in the network topology; and, in response to the existence of a change in the management state of the AP devices, determining whether to adjust the access configuration of at least one AP device based at least on the locking configuration between the at least one AP device and a wireless terminal in the network topology. This method for adjusting the access configuration of an AP device can flexibly control the locking state of the AP device and the wireless terminal in response to changes in the device management state, ensuring normal connection between the wireless terminal and the AP device and meeting the normal network environment usage requirements of the wireless terminal, within the architecture of an AP-locked wireless terminal scheme.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to wireless communication, and more specifically, to a method and electronic device for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device. Background Technology

[0002] In the early days of Wi-Fi technology (the 802.11b / g era), wireless terminals used a roaming mechanism to connect to access points (APs) (hereinafter referred to as "APs"). This roaming mechanism mainly involves the terminal always selecting the access point (AP) with the strongest signal (highest RSSI) for connection, and immediately scanning and switching to other APs once the currently connected AP's signal falls below a certain threshold. As a result, this roaming mechanism is prone to: the ping-pong effect, i.e., repeatedly switching between two APs with similar signal strength, resulting in frequent disconnections; the sticky effect, i.e., the terminal always connects to the AP with a weakening signal until it is completely disconnected before switching; and uneven load, i.e., all or a large number of terminals are connected to the same AP, while other APs are idle.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, an AP-locked wireless terminal solution is introduced. This solution is a wireless network access control method whose core function is to permanently bind a designated wireless terminal to a fixed AP, preventing the terminal from arbitrarily roaming and switching APs. This technology has a wide range of applications, including service scenarios with high requirements for network link continuity, scenarios involving overall wireless network load balancing and fine-grained access permission management, and industrial IoT applications with strict requirements for connection stability and fixed-point device networking.

[0004] However, there is still room for improvement in how to ensure the normal connection between the wireless terminal and the AP under the architecture of the AP-locked wireless terminal solution. Summary of the Invention

[0005] At least one embodiment of this disclosure provides a method for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device, comprising: determining whether there is a change in the management state of an AP device in a network topology including at least one AP device, the change in the management state of the AP device including a change in the availability state of any AP device among the at least one AP device in the network topology; and in response to the existence of the change in the management state of the AP device, determining whether to adjust the access configuration of the at least one AP device based at least on the locking configuration between the at least one AP device and a wireless terminal in the network topology.

[0006] For example, in some embodiments, the availability state includes at least one of: offline state, online state, and topological location.

[0007] For example, in some embodiments, determining whether to adjust the access configuration of the at least one AP device based on the locking configuration of the at least one AP device and the wireless terminal in the network topology includes: for the wireless terminal: based on the locking configuration, determining whether the wireless terminal has an online preset locked AP device; in response to the presence of the online preset locked AP device, not adjusting the access configuration of the at least one AP device for the wireless terminal; or in response to the absence of the online preset locked AP device, adjusting the access configuration of the at least one AP device for the wireless terminal.

[0008] For example, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining whether the arbitrary AP device is a locked AP device of the wireless terminal; and in response to the arbitrary AP device being a locked AP device of the wireless terminal, performing the operation of determining whether the wireless terminal has an online preset locked AP device.

[0009] For example, in some embodiments, the change in the management state of the AP device includes a change in the network topology of any AP device from an online state to an offline state and / or a change in the topological location of any AP device from within the network topology to outside the network topology, wherein the arbitrary AP device is a locked AP device for the wireless terminal, and wherein, in response to the absence of the online preset locked AP device for the wireless terminal, adjusting the access configuration of the at least one AP device for the wireless terminal includes: in response to the absence of the online preset locked AP device for the wireless terminal, allowing at least one of all currently available AP devices in the network topology to access the wireless terminal.

[0010] For example, in some embodiments, at least one of the current AP devices is an unlocked AP device that has no locking relationship with any wireless terminal in the network topology.

[0011] For example, in some embodiments, the change of the AP device management state includes the change of any AP device in the network topology from the online state to the offline state and / or the change of the topological location of any AP device from in the network topology to outside the network topology, and the method further includes: in response to the arbitrary AP device not being a locked AP device of the wireless terminal, not adjusting the access configuration of the arbitrary AP device for the wireless terminal.

[0012] For example, in some embodiments, the change in the management state of the AP device includes a change in the network topology of the arbitrary AP device from an offline state to an online state and / or a change in the topological location of the arbitrary AP device from outside the network topology to within the network topology, wherein the arbitrary AP device is a locked AP device for the wireless terminal, and wherein, in response to the absence of the online preset locked AP device for the wireless terminal, adjusting the access configuration of the at least one AP device for the wireless terminal includes: in response to the absence of the online preset locked AP device for the wireless terminal, allowing the arbitrary AP device to access the wireless terminal.

[0013] For example, in some embodiments, adjusting the access configuration of the at least one AP device to the wireless terminal further includes: prohibiting the wireless terminal from accessing the wireless terminal by an unlocked AP device.

[0014] For example, in some embodiments, the change in the AP device management state includes a change in the network topology of any AP device from an offline state to an online state and / or a change in the topological location of any AP device from outside the network topology to within the network topology, and the method further includes: in response to the fact that any AP device is not a locked AP device of the wireless terminal, determining whether there are other wireless terminals of a first type in the network topology whose locked AP devices are all offline; and in response to the existence of the first type of other wireless terminals, allowing the arbitrary AP device to access the first type of other wireless terminals; and / or in response to the fact that any AP device is not a locked AP device of the wireless terminal, determining whether there are other wireless terminals of a second type in the network topology that have a preset locked AP device online; and in response to the existence of the second type of other wireless terminals, allowing the arbitrary AP device to access the second type of other wireless terminals.

[0015] For example, in some embodiments, the method further includes: in response to detecting a change in the management status of the AP device, storing the identification information of the arbitrary AP device in a list of AP devices to be processed; and in response to the expiration of a timer, querying the corresponding locking configuration for each arbitrary AP device in the list of AP devices to be processed, so as to perform the operation of determining whether the wireless terminal has an online preset locked AP device based on the locking configuration.

[0016] For example, in some embodiments, the method is managed and executed by a network controller, and the network topology is managed by the network controller.

[0017] For example, in some embodiments, the wireless terminal has multiple preset locked AP devices.

[0018] At least one embodiment of this disclosure provides an electronic device including: one or more processors; and a memory; wherein the memory stores computer-readable instructions and is communicatively connected to the one or more processors; the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory to implement the method described above.

[0019] For example, in some embodiments, the electronic device is a network controller.

[0020] At least one embodiment of this disclosure provides a computer program product having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the method described above to be performed. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly described below. Clearly, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a wireless communication system employing a locked wireless terminal scheme is shown.

[0023] Figure 2 A flowchart is shown of a method for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 3 A flowchart is shown of a method for determining whether to adjust the access configuration of an AP device based on a locked configuration, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4 An offline scenario of the device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0026] Figure 5 A device removal scenario according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0027] Figure 6 A device recovery scenario according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated; and

[0028] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Although the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the described embodiments. Rather, it is intended to cover variations, modifications, and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. It should be noted that the method operations described herein can be implemented by any functional block or functional arrangement, and any functional block or functional arrangement can be implemented as a physical entity or a logical entity, or a combination of both.

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand this disclosure, the disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0031] Note that the examples described below are merely specific examples and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure to the specific shapes, hardware, connections, operations, values, conditions, data, sequences, etc., shown and described. Those skilled in the art can utilize the concepts of this disclosure to construct further embodiments not mentioned herein by reading this specification.

[0032] The terminology used in this disclosure is that which is currently widely used in the art in consideration of the functionality of this disclosure; however, these terms may vary depending on the intent, precedent, or new technology of those skilled in the art. Furthermore, specific terms may be chosen by the applicant, and in such cases, their detailed meanings will be described in the detailed description of this disclosure. Therefore, the terminology used in this specification should not be construed as simple names, but rather based on the meaning of the terms and the overall description of this disclosure.

[0033] This disclosure uses flowcharts to illustrate the operations performed by the system according to embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the preceding or following operations are not necessarily performed in exact order. Instead, various steps can be processed in reverse order or simultaneously, as needed. Furthermore, other operations can be added to these processes, or one or more steps can be removed from them.

[0034] In the description of this disclosure, it should be noted that terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Similarly, words such as “a,” “an,” or “the” do not indicate a quantity limitation but rather indicate the presence of one or more. Words such as “including” or “comprising” mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses those elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects.

[0035] Discussions using terms such as “receive,” “send,” “determine,” “transfer,” “request,” “evaluate,” “trigger,” “establish,” “re-establish,” “enable,” or similar terms in this document may refer to the operation and / or processing of a computer, computing platform, computing system, or other electronic computing device that involves the manipulation and / or conversion of data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities in computer registers and / or memory into physical quantities in computer registers and / or memory or other information storage media that may store instructions for performing the operation and / or processing. Terms such as “connect” and “link” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections but also include direct or indirect electrical connections.

[0036] The terminology used in this disclosure is that which is currently widely used in the art in consideration of the functionality of this disclosure; however, these terms may vary depending on the intent, precedent, or new technology of those skilled in the art. Furthermore, specific terms may be chosen by the applicant, and in such cases, their detailed meanings will be described in the detailed description of this disclosure. Therefore, the terminology used in this specification should not be construed as simple names, but rather based on the meaning of the terms and the overall description of this disclosure.

[0037] In this disclosure, an AP, interchangeably referred to as a Wireless Access Point (WAP), is a communication device capable of communicating with non-access point (non-AP) devices (e.g., stations (STAs) or clients) in a WLAN and allowing non-APs to connect to a wired network. An AP is typically connected as a standalone device to a router (via a wired network), but it can also be integrated with or used within a router. Similarly, in this disclosure, a non-AP (e.g., a client or station, interchangeably referred to as a STA) is a communication device that does not operate as an AP but can communicate with an AP to obtain various communication services (such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, etc.). An STA can be any device containing a Media Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) interface compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard to the wireless medium (WM). For example, an STA can be a laptop computer, desktop personal computer (PC), personal digital assistant (PDA), access point, or Wi-Fi phone in a WLAN environment. STAs can be fixed or mobile. In a WLAN environment, the terms "STA," "client device," "wireless client," "client," "user," "user equipment," and "wireless terminal" are generally used interchangeably.

[0038] In this disclosure, a STA in a WLAN can function as an AP in different scenarios, and vice versa. This is because communication devices in the context of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology may include both STA and AP hardware components. In this way, the communication device can switch between STA mode and AP mode based on the actual WLAN conditions and / or requirements. In the various embodiments described below, STA may refer to a STA in a WLAN that is not implemented as an AP.

[0039] In this disclosure, a locked AP can refer to a wireless access point that, for example, has established a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID)-Media Access Control (MAC) address binding with a designated wireless terminal within a wireless access controller. This type of AP is a dedicated node for the terminal; the network side allows the bound terminal to access it and does not actively trigger roaming handover, thus ensuring the long-term stability of the terminal's wireless link. In contrast to a locked AP, an unlocked AP can refer to a regular wireless access point within the same wireless network that has not established a binding relationship with a wireless terminal. Although this type of AP is within the same coverage network and shares the same Service Set Identifier (SSID), the network side will block association requests and roaming access from bound terminals, prohibiting the terminal from joining the network.

[0040] In this disclosure, the AP-wireless terminal locking configuration refers to a strategy in wireless network management that binds a specific wireless terminal (e.g., identified by its MAC address) to a specific AP (access point). After the configuration takes effect, the wireless terminal will only be able to access the network through the designated AP, and will not roam or switch even if there are other APs with stronger signals nearby. Simultaneously, the AP's wireless resources will prioritize or exclusively serve the locked terminal.

[0041] As mentioned above, in order to solve the problems caused by the roaming mechanism, an AP-locked wireless terminal solution was introduced. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a wireless communication system employing a locked wireless terminal scheme is shown.

[0042] See Figure 1 The wireless communication system 100 may include a wireless access controller, one or more access points (APs, for example, Figure 1 The wireless access controller is the management device for a wireless local area network (WLAN), which can manage all APs (such as APs 1 to AP 3) and one or more wireless terminals within the network. Figure 1 The network topology managed by the wireless access controller (APs 1 through AP 3) is centrally managed and controlled to control the communication connections between these APs and wireless terminals. The network topology managed by the wireless access controller may include one or more of the aforementioned APs and one or more wireless terminals. In this document, the wireless access controller is also referred to as a network controller or access controller (AC).

[0043] It is understandable that wireless access controllers can take many forms, such as standalone hardware AC, built-in / wireless controller boards (plug-in AC), software AC / virtual AC, cloud-managed AC, embedded AC, chip-level / distributed intelligent AC, etc.

[0044] Traditional AP-locked wireless terminal solutions rely on network controllers and AP management. By locking a wireless terminal to a specific AP upon access, it maintains a long-term or even continuous connection with that AP, thus avoiding frequent AP switching. The following section combines... Figure 1 An exemplary description is provided.

[0045] In the wireless communication system 100, the network controller can input the MAC address of the wireless terminal and the BSSID of the specified AP in the background, generate a binding list, and distribute the locking policy to all APs in the network (e.g., ...). Figure 1 AP 1 to AP 3 in the configuration allows wireless terminals to only associate with the bound authorized APs, i.e., locking the AP (e.g., AP 1 to AP 3). Figure 1 (AP 2 in the example). When a wireless terminal is in an area where AP 1 and AP 2 overlap, even if the signal of AP 1 is stronger, the roaming request initiated by the wireless terminal to AP 2 can be rejected, thereby suppressing accidental handover by the wireless terminal. In addition, when a wireless terminal attempts to connect to other non-bonded APs, i.e., unlocked APs, the unlocked AP can directly refuse the association handshake and prohibit the wireless terminal from joining the network.

[0046] Understandable. Figure 1 The architecture shown is merely illustrative and does not impose any limitation on any embodiments of this disclosure. For example, Figure 1 The number of access points (APs) and wireless terminals shown is just an example and can be changed according to specific application requirements. For example, Figure 1 Other wireless terminals with locked access points (APs) may exist within the network. For example, Figure 1 Other wireless terminals that do not have a locked AP may exist in the process.

[0047] However, the inventors of this disclosure recognized during their research that conventional AP-locked wireless terminal solutions are prone to problems such as the following.

[0048] First, there is a risk of single point of failure. For example, traditional AP-locked wireless terminal solutions only support wireless terminals connecting to a single fixed AP (such as in...). Figure 1 In the example shown, the wireless terminal can only connect to AP 2. When the AP fails due to malfunction, signal interruption, or other reasons, the wireless terminal cannot connect to other APs, resulting in network interruption and affecting user experience.

[0049] Second, it lacks redundancy and fault tolerance mechanisms. For example, if the wireless terminal locks onto the AP (such as...). Figure 1 If AP 2) fails, the system cannot provide an effective redundancy mechanism, cannot restore the connection between the wireless terminal and other APs in a timely manner, and cannot meet the fault recovery needs in a multi-AP environment.

[0050] Third, it cannot cope with changes in network topology. Traditional AP-locked wireless terminal solutions support wireless terminals and a single AP (such as...). Figure 1 The fixed connection of AP 2 in the network makes it unable to dynamically respond to changes in network topology (e.g., Figure 1 The addition or removal of AP 3 in the network topology makes access for wireless terminals inflexible.

[0051] To avoid these problems introduced by AP-locked wireless terminal solutions, alternative access control technologies are typically adopted, such as automatic roaming technology based on signal strength (RSSI) thresholds and load balancing technology.

[0052] The main mechanism of automatic roaming technology based on signal strength index (RSSI) thresholds is that when the signal strength of a wireless terminal falls below a certain set threshold, the system triggers a roaming mechanism, guiding the wireless terminal to connect to an access point (AP) with a stronger signal. This scheme relies on simple signal strength judgment and is prone to frequent roaming behavior.

[0053] Load balancing technology is typically used in scenarios with multiple access points (APs) covering the network. It optimizes network resource utilization by directing wireless terminals to APs with lower loads. However, this technology cannot guarantee long-term connection stability for wireless terminals, and wireless terminals may frequently switch APs due to load balancing, affecting communication quality.

[0054] However, the aforementioned exemplary access control technologies cannot meet users' needs for AP-locked wireless terminal solutions, and typically only optimize the switching performance of wireless terminals when signal strength is poor, lacking a mechanism for automatically restoring normal connection when the AP fails or becomes unusable. Therefore, there is a need to ensure normal connection between wireless terminals and the AP within an architecture that satisfies the AP-locked wireless terminal solution.

[0055] In view of this, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method and electronic device for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device. By sensing the change in the availability state of the AP device in the network topology and combining the locking configuration of the AP device and the wireless terminal, it is determined whether to adjust the access configuration of the AP device. This enables flexible control of the locking state of the AP device and the wireless terminal, ensuring normal connection between the wireless terminal and the AP device under the AP locking wireless terminal scheme architecture, and meeting the normal network environment usage requirements of the wireless terminal.

[0056] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. For example, in conjunction with... Figure 2 The described AP device can be Figure 1 One or more of AP 1 to AP 3 in the above, combined Figure 2 The wireless terminal described can be Figure 1 One or more wireless terminals.

[0057] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 The method 200 for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device, and its additional aspects, can be performed by a network controller, electronic device, etc.

[0058] See Figure 2 The method 200 includes steps S210 to S220.

[0059] In step S210, it is determined whether there is a change in the management status of the AP devices in the network topology that includes at least one AP device. The change in the management status of the AP devices includes a change in the availability status of any AP device in the network topology.

[0060] Here, network topology refers to the physical layout of various devices interconnected using transmission media. For example, network topology may include (see [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 1 The description includes one or more access points (such as AP 1 to AP 3) and one or more wireless terminals. In some embodiments, the network topology may be managed by a network controller.

[0061] Any access point (AP) device (also known as the target AP device) can be an AP device whose availability status in the network topology changes (e.g., from available to unavailable or from unavailable to available). For example, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 Any AP device can be one or more of AP 1 through AP 3. In some examples, any AP device can be an AP device whose availability status has changed due to reasons such as failure or anomaly, recovery from failure or anomaly, or network topology changes (removal from or addition to the network topology).

[0062] The inventors of this disclosure recognized during their research that, for example, see [link to previous document] Figure 1In the wireless communication system with the application-locked wireless terminal scheme shown, the management status of AP devices in the network topology may change. For example, the AP device may malfunction or malfunction, recover from a malfunction or malfunction, or the network topology may change, causing a change in the availability status of the AP device in the network topology, such as becoming available or unavailable. In step S210, it can be determined whether a change in the management status of the AP device exists, so as to trigger the execution of the subsequent step S220.

[0063] In contrast, as mentioned above, the traditional AP-locked wireless terminal solution allows the wireless terminal to maintain a fixed connection with the locked AP for a long time or even the entire process, thereby avoiding frequent AP switching, while the wireless terminal focuses on whether the AP management status changes.

[0064] In step S220, in response to a change in the management status of an AP device, it is determined whether to adjust the access configuration of at least one AP device based on at least one AP device and the locking configuration of the wireless terminal in the network topology.

[0065] Here, locking configuration can be used to identify the binding or locking relationship between AP devices and wireless terminals in the network topology. For example, see... Figure 1 The locking configuration can be used to identify the locking relationship between AP 2 and the corresponding wireless terminal. Additionally, the locking configuration can also be used to identify the locking relationships (if any) between other APs and other wireless terminals in the network topology.

[0066] Here, the access configuration of an AP device can be a set of parameters and / or operating procedures set for the AP device to support its access to or non-access to the target network topology.

[0067] In some embodiments, the locking configuration can be implemented as a whitelist. For example, the whitelist contains information about which APs and which wireless terminals have corresponding binding relationships. Accordingly, APs and wireless terminals not on the whitelist do not have a locking relationship. Of course, this disclosure does not limit the specific implementation of the locking configuration, as long as it can identify the binding or locking relationship between APs and corresponding wireless terminals in the network topology.

[0068] As mentioned above, traditional AP-locked wireless terminal solutions keep the wireless terminal in a fixed connection with the locked AP for a long time or even the entire process, aiming to avoid the problem of frequent AP switching. However, they do not pay attention to whether the AP management status changes or the subsequent operations after the device management status changes.

[0069] In contrast, in step S220, when the device management status changes, the access configuration of the AP device in the network topology can be adjusted by combining the locking configuration, such as allowing or disabling the access of the AP device, thereby ensuring the normal connection between the wireless terminal and the AP device.

[0070] Therefore, the method for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure can flexibly control the locking state of the AP device and the wireless terminal in the architecture of the AP-locked wireless terminal scheme, in response to changes in the device management state (such as the AP device becoming available or unavailable), to ensure normal connection between the wireless terminal and the AP device and meet the normal network environment usage requirements of the wireless terminal.

[0071] As mentioned above, access point (AP) devices may experience malfunctions or anomalies, recover from malfunctions or anomalies, or undergo network topology changes, all of which alter the AP device's availability status within the network topology. In some examples, an AP device malfunctioning or experiencing an anomaly will cause its availability status to drop to offline, rendering it unavailable. In other examples, an AP device recovering from a malfunction or an anomaly will cause its availability status to return to online, making it available. In still other examples, network topology changes may involve removing or adding an AP device to the network topology, i.e., changing the AP device's topological location, thus rendering it unavailable or available, respectively.

[0072] Therefore, in some embodiments, the availability status may include at least one of: offline status, online status, and topological location.

[0073] In this embodiment, the availability status can involve scenarios such as AP device failure or abnormality, recovery from failure or abnormality to normal, or changes in network topology. It broadly covers special scenarios that may affect the communication connection between AP locking and wireless terminals under the architecture of AP locking wireless terminal solution, making the method widely applicable to actual networking scenarios.

[0074] In some embodiments, the network controller can identify situations such as the occurrence of faults or anomalies, recovery from faults or anomalies, changes in network topology, or other changes in availability. For example, the network controller can monitor the status of AP devices through periodic heartbeat message exchanges. Specifically, it can periodically exchange keep-alive messages with online AP devices to confirm that the communication link between the two parties is normal. When an AP device experiences a power outage, goes offline, has a link interruption, hardware malfunction, or program failure, it will not be able to reply to the network controller with heartbeat messages on time. After the network controller fails to receive a keep-alive response from the corresponding AP device multiple times consecutively, it can determine that the AP device has failed, synchronously mark its offline fault status, and complete the fault information reporting and status update.

[0075] As described above, step S220 describes determining whether to adjust the access configuration of the AP device based on the locked configuration. The inventors of this disclosure recognized in their research that frequent adjustments to the access configuration of AP devices generate additional power consumption. Furthermore, frequent adjustments to the access configuration of AP devices lead to frequent switching of wireless terminals between APs, which not only wastes channel resources but also makes them highly susceptible to environmental interference, triggering unnecessary roaming handovers and resulting in unstable service transmission. Therefore, there is a need to reduce or avoid unnecessary adjustments to the access configuration of AP devices.

[0076] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a method for determining whether to adjust the access configuration of an AP device based on a locked configuration, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown. It can be understood that... Figure 3 The described method 300 can be Figure 2 A more detailed exemplary step S220 is provided below. Additionally, as mentioned above, the network topology may include one or more wireless terminals; therefore, execution can be performed on one or more wireless terminals. Figure 3 Method 300 is described.

[0077] See Figure 3 The method 300 includes steps S310 to S330.

[0078] In step S310, it can be determined whether there is a preset locked AP device online for the wireless terminal based on the locking configuration.

[0079] For example, for a specific wireless terminal, it is possible to determine whether there is an online preset locking AP device for that wireless terminal based on its locking configuration.

[0080] It is understandable that users or other entities of wireless terminals can preset their locked AP devices as needed. If the AP device is online (i.e., available), it can be called an online preset locked AP device. If the AP device is offline (i.e., unavailable), it can be called an offline preset locked AP device.

[0081] In response to the presence of a preset locked AP device online on the wireless terminal (step S310 is a branch), in step S320, the access configuration of at least one AP device to the wireless terminal may not be adjusted.

[0082] For example, for any access point (AP) device, regardless of whether it changes from an available state to an unavailable state or vice versa, as long as the wireless terminal has an online, pre-locked AP device, the access configuration of the AP device in the network topology for the wireless terminal can be changed without adjusting the network topology, allowing the wireless terminal to connect to the online, pre-locked AP device. In this way, it is possible to avoid allowing more AP devices to connect when the wireless terminal already has an online, locked AP device, thereby avoiding problems such as the instability of service transmission caused by the introduction of AP devices, as described above.

[0083] Additionally, in response to the absence of a preset locked AP device online for the wireless terminal (the negative branch of step S310), in step S330, the access configuration of at least one AP device for the wireless terminal can be adjusted.

[0084] For example, for any access point (AP) device, regardless of whether it changes from an available state to an unavailable state or vice versa, as long as the wireless terminal is not associated with any pre-locked AP device online, the AP device's access configuration for the wireless terminal can be adjusted, allowing the wireless terminal to connect to the adjusted AP device. In this way, a normal connection between the wireless terminal and the AP device can be guaranteed.

[0085] Thus, in this embodiment, the decision to adjust the access configuration of the AP device for the wireless terminal can be determined based on whether there is an online preset locked AP device for the wireless terminal. This ensures the normal connection between the wireless terminal and the AP device while reducing or avoiding unnecessary adjustments to the access configuration of the AP device.

[0086] This method 300 is applicable in both scenarios where the target device changes from an available state to an unavailable state and vice versa, which will be further described below in conjunction with these situations.

[0087] As described above, the method disclosed herein is applied to the architecture of an AP-locked wireless terminal scheme. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the user's needs for the AP-locked wireless terminal scheme as much as possible, i.e., to allow terminal devices to connect to their locked AP devices rather than unlocked APs. Therefore, it is necessary to consider whether any AP device is a locked AP device, thereby performing different operations, such as adjusting or not adjusting the access configuration of at least one AP device.

[0088] For example, when any AP device is a locked AP device for a wireless terminal, if it changes from an unavailable state to an available state, it is necessary to reduce or avoid unnecessary adjustments to the access configuration of the AP device, which is consistent with the purpose of step S320 above; if it changes from an available state to an unavailable state, it is necessary to ensure the normal connection between the wireless terminal and the AP device, which is consistent with the purpose of step S330 above.

[0089] Therefore, in some embodiments, method 300 may further include: determining whether any AP device is a locked AP device of the wireless terminal; and in response to any AP device being a locked AP device of the wireless terminal, performing an operation to determine whether the wireless terminal has an online preset locked AP device.

[0090] In this embodiment, it is possible to Figure 3 Before step S310, it is determined whether any AP device is a locked AP device of the wireless terminal, and if it is determined that any AP device is a locked AP device of the wireless terminal, steps S310 to S330 are then executed.

[0091] In this way, even if any AP device is a locked AP device for a wireless terminal, it is possible to determine whether to adjust the AP device's access configuration for the wireless terminal. This ensures normal connection between the wireless terminal and the AP device while reducing or avoiding unnecessary adjustments to the AP device's access configuration.

[0092] For example, on the other hand, when any AP device is not a locked AP device for the wireless terminal (i.e., an unlocked AP device for the wireless terminal), it can be determined whether to adjust the access configuration of at least one AP device for the purpose of ensuring that the wireless terminal can maintain a normal connection with the AP device. This will be discussed in conjunction with the following text. Figures 4 to 6 Further description.

[0093] The above combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 A method 200 for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is described, along with one or more additional aspects applicable to scenarios where the device changes from an available state to an unavailable state and vice versa. The following is in conjunction with... Figures 4 to 6Method 200 and its other additional aspects are described by example in scenarios of changing from an available state to an unavailable state and changing from an unavailable state to an available state.

[0094] It is worth noting that the following text combines Figures 4 to 6 The various aspects described further are merely exemplary, for example Figures 4 to 6 Some steps in the process can be omitted, combined, or additional steps can be added. Additionally, the following text combines... Figures 4 to 6 Further descriptions of each aspect can be combined with those described above (e.g., in conjunction with...) Figure 2 and Figure 3 Method 200 and its additional aspects are described.

[0095] The following section will first introduce the scenario where the available state changes to the unavailable state.

[0096] In some embodiments, scenarios where an available state changes to an unavailable state can include a change in the state of any AP device from online to offline in the network topology (referred to as device offline scenario or device failure scenario) and / or a change in the topological location of any AP device from within the network topology to outside the network topology (referred to as device removal scenario). The following will combine... Figure 4 and Figure 5 An exemplary description is provided. Figure 4 An offline scenario of a device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 5 A device removal scenario according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0097] The inventors of this disclosure recognized during their research that, in scenarios where an available state becomes an unavailable state, if the relevant AP device (i.e., the target device) is a locked AP device for a wireless terminal, this may result in the wireless terminal not having a locked AP device to access, leading to network interruption.

[0098] In view of this, in some embodiments, the change of AP device management state includes a change in the state of any AP device from online to offline in the network topology and / or a change in the topological location of any AP device from inside the network topology to outside the network topology, wherein any AP device is a locked AP device for the wireless terminal, and wherein, in response to the absence of a preset locked AP device online for the wireless terminal, adjusting the access configuration of at least one AP device for the wireless terminal may include: in response to the absence of a preset locked AP device online for the wireless terminal, allowing at least one of all currently available AP devices in the network topology to access the wireless terminal. The following uses... Figure 4 and Figure 5 This embodiment will be described by way of example.

[0099] For example, see Figure 4The wireless communication system 400 may include a network topology 410 and a network topology 420 for adjusting the access configuration of at least one AP device, as well as a network controller 430.

[0100] When any AP in either the locked or unlocked AP group changes from online to offline, step S432 can detect that any AP has abnormally disconnected. For example, in network topology 410, this any AP could be a locked AP included in the locked AP group of the wireless terminal, and its offline status prevents the wireless terminal from connecting to its locked AP. Additionally, the wireless terminal is prohibited from accessing unlocked APs (i.e., normal APs) included in the unlocked AP group.

[0101] Subsequently, in step S434, it can be determined whether the arbitrary AP is a locked AP. If so, a scheduled task can be executed centrally, which will be described in detail below. Execution of the scheduled task can begin at step S435. In step S435, the cache can be queried to obtain the AP devices to be processed (i.e., one or more arbitrary AP devices). In step S436, the locking configuration of the wireless terminal and the AP device can be queried. In step S450, it can be determined whether the wireless terminal has an online preset locked AP device based on the locking configuration. If so, the method can end. If not, in step S452, at least one of the currently available AP devices in the network topology can be allowed to access the wireless terminal. For example, in network topology 420, the wireless terminal can connect to an unlocked AP included in the unlocked AP group. It is understood that any AP becomes unavailable due to being offline. Therefore, at least one of the currently available AP devices here does not include this arbitrary AP device. Subsequently, the method can end.

[0102] For example, see Figure 5 The wireless communication system 500 may include a network topology 510 and a network topology 520 for adjusting the access configuration of at least one AP device, as well as a network controller 530.

[0103] When the topological location of any AP in either the locked AP group or the unlocked AP group changes from within the network topology to outside the network topology, step S532 can detect that the arbitrary AP has been removed from the network topology. For example, in network topology 510, this arbitrary AP could be a locked AP included in the wireless terminal's locked AP group, and its removal from the network topology would prevent the wireless terminal from connecting to its locked AP. Additionally, the wireless terminal is prohibited from accessing unlocked APs (i.e., normal APs) included in the unlocked AP group.

[0104] Subsequently, in step S534, it can be determined whether the arbitrary AP is a locked AP. If so, in step S536, the locking configuration of the wireless terminal and the AP device can be queried. In step S550, it can be determined whether the wireless terminal has an online preset locked AP device. If so, the method can end. If not, in step S552, at least one of all currently active AP devices in the network topology can be allowed to access the wireless terminal. For example, in network topology 520, the wireless terminal can connect to an unlocked AP included in an unlocked AP group. Figure 4 Same or similar Figure 5 The method can then terminate, provided that at least one of all currently active access points (APs) is not included, and that any particular AP is not included.

[0105] In this embodiment, when the wireless terminal locks the AP due to Figure 4 Described device offline scenarios and Figure 5 When a device becomes unavailable due to removal, if the wireless terminal no longer has other online preset locked AP devices, it can be allowed to adjust to connect with at least one of the current AP devices in the network topology. This changes the wireless terminal's connection from any AP to the adjusted AP, thereby ensuring the normal connection between the wireless terminal and the AP device.

[0106] In some examples, allowing at least one of the current AP devices in the network topology to access a wireless terminal can be achieved by the network controller issuing an access permission configuration to the corresponding AP device.

[0107] As described above, in this embodiment, the purpose of adjusting the access configuration of at least one AP device for the wireless terminal is to ensure the normal connection between the wireless terminal and the AP device. Therefore, the AP device to be adjusted can be any AP device among all the current AP devices in the network topology. However, considering the exclusivity and security of the locked AP device under the AP-locked wireless terminal scheme architecture, if the wireless terminal connects to the locked AP device of other wireless terminals, it will affect the communication of other wireless terminals.

[0108] Therefore, in some embodiments, at least one of all current AP devices can be a non-locked AP device that has no lock-on relationship with any wireless terminal in the network topology. The following uses... Figure 4 and Figure 5 This embodiment will be described using an example.

[0109] For example, see Figure 4 Network topologies 410 and 420 and see also Figure 5As can be seen from network topologies 510 and 520, a wireless terminal connects to one or more unlocked AP devices in an unlocked AP group to connect to the network via the unlocked AP devices.

[0110] In this embodiment, the wireless terminal can connect to the network while avoiding interference with the communication of other wireless terminals with locked AP devices.

[0111] The inventors of this disclosure recognized during their research that, in scenarios where an available state becomes an unavailable state, if the relevant AP device (i.e., the target device) is not a locked AP device for the wireless terminal, it may not affect the connection between the wireless terminal with the locked AP and its locked AP.

[0112] In view of this, in some embodiments, the change of AP device management state includes the change of any AP device from an online state to an offline state in the network topology and / or the change of any AP device's topological location from inside the network topology to outside the network topology, and the method may further include: in response to locking the AP device as a wireless terminal, not adjusting the access configuration of any AP device for the wireless terminal. The following uses... Figure 4 and Figure 5 This embodiment will be described using an example.

[0113] For example, see continue. Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the process Figure 4 Step S434 and in the process Figure 5 When step S534 determines that the arbitrary AP is not a locked AP, the method can end, thus without adjusting the access configuration of the arbitrary AP device for the wireless terminal.

[0114] In this embodiment, if any AP device is not the wireless terminal's locked AP device, no processing is performed on the arbitrary AP device, thereby maintaining the relationship between the wireless terminal and its locked AP device and avoiding various problems caused by the introduction of arbitrary AP devices. For example, in the case of roaming support, the wireless terminal may roam between its locked AP device and any AP device, resulting in unnecessary access switching.

[0115] The following describes a scenario where an unavailable state becomes available.

[0116] In some embodiments, the scenario of changing from an unavailable state to an available state can include any AP device changing from an offline state to an online state in the network topology (referred to as the device online scenario or device recovery scenario) and / or any AP device changing its topological location from outside the network topology to within the network topology (referred to as the device addition scenario). The following combines... Figure 6 An exemplary description is provided. Figure 6A device recovery scenario according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. It is worth noting that the operations or steps in the device addition scenario may be the same as or similar to the operations or steps in the device online scenario described below, and will not be repeated here.

[0117] The inventors of this disclosure recognized during their research that, in scenarios where an unavailable state becomes available, different processing may be required depending on whether the relevant AP device (i.e., the target device) is a locked AP device for the wireless terminal. For example, when the target device is a locked AP device for the wireless terminal, it may be necessary to restore the wireless terminal's connection to the target device to meet the user's need for the wireless terminal to access the locked AP device. As another example, when the target device is not a locked AP device for the wireless terminal, it may be necessary to consider the need for other wireless devices in the network topology to connect to the target device in order to support the communication of other wireless devices.

[0118] In some embodiments, a change in the management state of an AP device includes a change in the network topology from an offline state to an online state for any AP device and / or a change in the topological location of any AP device from outside the network topology to within the network topology, wherein any AP device is a locked AP device for a wireless terminal, and wherein, in response to the absence of a preset locked AP device online for the wireless terminal, adjusting the access configuration of at least one AP device for the wireless terminal may include: in response to the absence of a preset locked AP device online for the wireless terminal, allowing any AP device to access the wireless terminal.

[0119] For example, see Figure 6 The wireless communication system 600 may include a network topology 610 and a network topology 620 for adjusting the access configuration of at least one AP device, as well as a network controller 630.

[0120] When any AP in either the locked or unlocked AP group changes from offline to online, step S632 can detect that the unlocked AP has resumed operation. For example, in network topology 610, this unlocked AP could be a locked AP included in the locked AP group of the wireless terminal. Alternatively, the wireless terminal can access unlocked APs (i.e., normal APs) included in the unlocked AP group. Of course, in other respects, the wireless terminal can prohibit access to unlocked APs included in the unlocked AP group.

[0121] Subsequently, scheduled tasks can be executed centrally, as described in detail below. Execution of scheduled tasks can begin at step S635. In step S635, the cache can be queried to obtain the AP devices to be processed (i.e., one or more arbitrary AP devices). In step S636, the locking configuration of the wireless terminal and the AP device can be queried. In step S637, it can be determined whether the arbitrary AP is a locked AP. If so, in step S650, it can be determined whether the wireless terminal has an online preset locked AP device based on the locking configuration. If so, the method can end. If not, in step S652, access of the arbitrary AP device to the wireless terminal can be allowed. Subsequently, the method can end.

[0122] In this embodiment, when the wireless terminal locks the AP due to Figure 6 When the described device becomes available in an online scenario, if the wireless terminal no longer has other online preset locked AP devices, it can be allowed to connect to the locked AP, thereby ensuring the normal connection between the wireless terminal and the locked AP device.

[0123] It is worth noting that, considering that the locked AP device is a preset locked AP for the wireless terminal, when the locked AP device is restored, it will naturally trigger the wireless terminal to connect to the locked AP. Therefore, allowing the wireless terminal to connect to the locked AP here does not involve any operation of the network controller, for example.

[0124] The inventors of this disclosure recognized during their research that the wireless terminal may already be connected to an unlocked AP included in an unlocked AP group, and the restoration of the locked AP of the wireless terminal would allow the wireless terminal to access both unlocked and locked APs simultaneously, which does not meet the usage requirement that the wireless terminal only needs to access locked AP devices, and may potentially lead to problems such as frequent roaming handover and security.

[0125] In view of this, in some embodiments, adjusting the access configuration of at least one AP device to the wireless terminal may further include: prohibiting the wireless terminal from accessing the wireless terminal by an unlocked AP device.

[0126] For example, see Figure 6 In step S654, the access of the wireless terminal to the wireless terminal can be prohibited by the unlocked AP device.

[0127] In some examples, preventing access to wireless terminals from AP devices can be achieved by the network controller issuing an access restriction configuration to the corresponding AP device.

[0128] In this embodiment, by allowing the wireless terminal to connect to the locked AP and prohibiting it from connecting to the unlocked AP, the usage requirements of the wireless terminal to access the locked AP device can be strictly met.

[0129] In some embodiments, the change of AP device management state includes a change in the network topology from an offline state to an online state for any AP device and / or a change in the topological location of any AP device from outside the network topology to within the network topology. The method may further include: in response to any AP device being a locked AP device that is not a wireless terminal, determining whether there are any other wireless terminals of a first type in the network topology whose locked AP devices are all offline; and in response to the existence of other wireless terminals of the first type, allowing any AP device to access the other wireless terminals of the first type; and / or in response to any AP device being a locked AP device that is not a wireless terminal, determining whether there are any other wireless terminals of a second type in the network topology that have a preset locked AP device online; and in response to the existence of other wireless terminals of the second type, allowing any AP device to access the other wireless terminals of the second type.

[0130] For example, see Figure 6 After determining in step S637 that any AP is not the locked AP of the wireless terminal, in step S660, it can be determined whether there are other wireless terminals of the first type whose locked AP devices are all offline and / or other wireless terminals of the second type with online preset locked AP devices in the network topology. If there are other wireless terminals of the first type, in step S662, access to the other wireless terminal of the first type can be allowed by any AP device, thereby ensuring the network use of the other wireless terminal of the first type. If there are other wireless terminals of the second type, in step S664, access to the other wireless terminal of the second type can be prohibited by any AP device, thereby satisfying the usage requirement of the other wireless terminal of the second type to strictly access the locked AP device. After executing steps S662 and S664, the method can end.

[0131] In this embodiment, when any online AP device is not a locked AP device for a certain wireless terminal, access to that arbitrary AP device can be provided to other wireless terminals in the network topology that require an AP device (i.e., other wireless terminals of the first type), ensuring the network usage of the corresponding wireless terminals. Additionally, it can also avoid allowing wireless terminals that already have locked AP devices (i.e., other wireless terminals of the second type) to access unlocked AP devices, strictly satisfying the usage requirements of the corresponding wireless terminals accessing locked AP devices.

[0132] It is worth noting that although steps S662 and S664 are executed in parallel, this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in some embodiments, steps S662 and S664 may be executed sequentially, and step S662 may occur before or after step S664. Additionally, depending on the need, such as when a specific function or purpose needs to be achieved, only one of steps S662 and S664 may be executed.

[0133] The inventors of this disclosure recognized during their research that the same or different AP devices in a network topology may change between available and unavailable states. Once such a change occurs in an AP device, triggering a determination to adjust the access configuration of at least one AP device may cause the network controller and / or other related components to frequently perform corresponding operations, increasing performance pressure.

[0134] In view of this, in some embodiments, the method for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device may further include: in response to detecting a change in the management status of the AP device, storing the identification information of any AP device in a list of AP devices to be processed; and in response to the expiration of a timer, querying the corresponding locking configuration for each arbitrary AP device in the list of AP devices to be processed, so as to perform an operation based on the locking configuration to determine whether there is a preset locked AP device online in the wireless terminal.

[0135] In this embodiment, AP devices within the predetermined time period can be processed centrally after the period expires (i.e., the predetermined time), thereby reducing the performance pressure on the network controller and / or other related components.

[0136] The following is combined with Figure 4 and Figure 6 The document provides exemplary implementations of centralized execution of scheduled tasks in both offline and online device scenarios. It is important to note that these implementations are merely exemplary. For example, centralized execution of scheduled tasks can be achieved in other ways. Furthermore, these implementations may... Figure 4 and Figure 6 The position in can be changed, and it can also be applied. Figure 5 In this case, it is sufficient to centrally process the changes in the availability status of AP devices.

[0137] For example, see Figure 4 When performing scheduled tasks in a centralized manner, in step S470, it can be determined whether there are any pending AP devices in the list of pending AP devices. In some examples, the list of pending AP devices can be cached, and the presence of any pending AP devices can be obtained by retrieving or querying this memory.

[0138] If it is determined in step S470 that there are no AP devices in the list of AP devices to be processed, then only the AP device detected in step S432 needs to be processed, i.e., a scheduled task is executed on it. For centralized processing, in step S472, the scheduled task can be executed after a predetermined time, and in step S474, the identification information of the AP device can be stored in a cache for later querying when executing the scheduled task (as in step S435).

[0139] If it is determined in step S470 that there is an AP device to be processed in the list of AP devices to be processed, then step S474 can be executed, that is, the identification information of any AP device to be processed detected in step S432 is stored in the cache.

[0140] Therefore, in conjunction with steps S470 to S474, whenever the list of AP devices to be processed is empty, a timed task can be triggered after a predetermined time, and any detected AP device can be continuously stored during the predetermined time period, thereby realizing centralized processing of any AP device within the predetermined time period.

[0141] and Figure 4 In the same or similar way, Figure 6 In order to centrally execute scheduled tasks, steps S670 to S674 can be executed. Steps S670 to S674 can be the same as or similar to steps S470 to S474 in the figure, and will not be described again here.

[0142] As mentioned above, centralized processing can alleviate the performance pressure on the network controller and / or other related components, and the predetermined time determines the time range that any AP device will traverse during each centralized processing session. However, if the predetermined time is too long, it may cause any AP device to wait too long to be processed, preventing it from adjusting its access configuration in a timely manner, thereby affecting the network usage of the corresponding wireless terminals. Therefore, a reasonable predetermined time needs to be considered.

[0143] In some embodiments, the scheduled time can be determined based on the needs of the actual use case. In some examples, the scheduled time can be 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, or other suitable time, etc.

[0144] In some embodiments, when any AP device changes from an available state to an unavailable state, this may cause a wireless terminal to be unable to connect to the AP device to establish a network connection. In this case, the predetermined time can be relatively short (e.g., 1 minute). In contrast, when any AP device changes from an unavailable state to an available state, this will not cause a wireless terminal to be unable to connect to the AP device. In this case, the predetermined time can be relatively long (e.g., 3 minutes).

[0145] As described above, traditional AP-locked wireless terminal solutions only support wireless terminals connecting to a single fixed AP device. When that AP device is unavailable, the wireless terminal will have no network access. Furthermore, even though at least one embodiment of this disclosure allows a wireless terminal to access an unlocked AP device when the single locked AP device is unavailable, this would not strictly meet the wireless terminal's requirement to access a locked AP device.

[0146] In view of this, in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the wireless terminal has a plurality of preset locked AP devices.

[0147] In this embodiment, when one of the locked AP devices for the wireless terminal is unavailable, other locked AP devices are still available, thus avoiding the need to adjust the access configuration of the AP devices and strictly meeting the usage requirements of the wireless terminal to access the locked AP devices. Furthermore, having multiple locked AP devices also allows the wireless terminal to connect to the best available locked AP device, ensuring communication quality.

[0148] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides a computer program product having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause to perform a method and additional aspects thereof for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0149] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides an electronic device. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of an electronic device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, the electronic device may be a network controller, such as... Figure 1 , Figures 4 to 6 The network controller in the system.

[0150] like Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device 700 includes at least one processor 720 and a memory 710. The memory 710 stores computer-readable instructions and is communicatively connected to the processor 720. The processor 720 executes the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 710 to implement a method for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, and additional aspects thereof.

[0151] For example, the memory 710 and the processor 720 can communicate with each other directly or indirectly. For example, in some examples, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device 700 may also include a system bus 730, through which the memory 710 and the processor 720 can communicate with each other. For example, the processor 720 can access the memory 710 through the system bus 730. For example, in other examples, components such as the memory 710 and the processor 720 can communicate through a network on-chip (NOC) connection.

[0152] For example, processor 720 can control other components in electronic device 700 to perform desired functions. Processor 720 can be a device with data processing and / or program execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), tensor processor (TPU), network processor (NP), or graphics processing unit (GPU), or it can be a digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc.

[0153] For example, memory 710 may include any combination of one or more computer program products, which may include various forms of computer-readable storage media, such as volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. Volatile memory may include, for example, random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. Non-volatile memory may include, for example, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), USB memory, flash memory, etc.

[0154] For example, one or more computer-readable instructions can be stored on memory 710, and processor 720 can execute the computer-readable instructions to perform various functions. Various application programs and various data, such as instruction processing code and various data used and / or generated by the application programs, can also be stored in the computer-readable storage medium.

[0155] For example, when some computer instructions stored in memory 710 are executed by processor 720, they can perform one or more steps of the method and its additional aspects for adjusting the access configuration of access point AP devices as described above.

[0156] For example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device 700 may further include an input interface 740 that allows external devices to communicate with the electronic device 700. For example, the input interface 740 may be used to receive instructions from an external computer device, a user, etc. The electronic device 700 may also include an output interface 750 that enables the electronic device 700 to connect to one or more external devices. For example, the electronic device 700 can communicate via the output interface 750, etc.

[0157] It should be noted that the electronic device 700 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is exemplary and not restrictive. Depending on the actual application needs, the electronic device 700 may also include other conventional components or structures. For example, in order to realize the necessary functions of the electronic device, those skilled in the art may set other conventional components or structures according to the specific application scenario. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit this.

[0158] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium. This computer-readable storage medium stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer (including a processor), can implement a method for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, and additional aspects thereof.

[0159] For example, one or more computer-readable instructions may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium. Some of the computer-readable instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, instructions for implementing one or more steps in the methods described above.

[0160] For example, a computer-readable storage medium may include the storage component of a tablet computer, a hard disk of a personal computer, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), flash memory, or any combination of the above computer-readable storage media, or other suitable storage media. For example, a computer-readable storage medium may include the memory 710 in the above-described electronic device 700.

[0161] This disclosure can be a system, method, and / or computer program product at any possible level of integrated technical detail. A computer program product may include computer-readable program instructions for causing a processor to perform various aspects of this disclosure.

[0162] Unless otherwise stated, an element mentioned in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one," but rather "one or more." Similarly, a plural reference to an element does not mean "more than one," but rather "one or more," unless otherwise stated or contradicting description elsewhere. Terms such as "if," "when," and "although" should be interpreted as "under the condition of," rather than implying an immediate temporal relationship or response. That is, these phrases, such as "when," do not imply an immediate action in response to an action occurring or during an action, but merely imply that an action will occur if the condition is met, but does not require a specific or immediate time constraint for the action to occur. Combinations, such as "at least one of A, B, or C," "one or more of A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, and C," and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof," include any combination of A, B, and / or C, and may include multiple A, multiple B, or multiple C. Combinations such as “at least one of A, B or C”, “one or more of A, B or C”, “at least one of A, B and C”, “one or more of A, B and C” and “A, B, C or any combination thereof” can be only A, only B, only C, A and B, A and C, B and C or A, B and C, wherein any such combination may contain one or more members of A, B or C.

[0163] It should be noted that the flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible structures, functions, and operations of the methods and apparatus according to various embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, a program segment, or a portion of code containing at least one executable instruction for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions described in a block may occur in a different order than those described in the accompanying drawings. For example, two blocks shown consecutively may actually be executed in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware system that performs the specified function or operation, or by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0164] The various embodiments described in this disclosure are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, their practical application, or improvements to techniques found in the market, or to enable those skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0165] Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word “comprising” and variations thereof, such as “comprising” and “including,” means “including, but not limited to,” and are not intended to exclude, for example, other additives, components, integers, or steps. “Exemplary” means “an example of a preferred or ideal implementation and is not intended to convey its indication.” “Like” is not used in a limiting sense but for interpretative purposes.

[0166] As used in this disclosure, the term "determine" can include a variety of operations. For example, "determine," calculation, operation, processing, derivation, investigation, search (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), and ascertainment are all considered "determine." Additionally, "determine" also refers to receiving (e.g., receiving information), sending (e.g., sending information), inputting, outputting, and accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Furthermore, "determine" can also refer to parsing, selecting, picking, building, and comparing. In other words, several actions can be considered "determine."

[0167] As used in this disclosure, terms such as “connection,” “coupling,” or any variations thereof refer to any direct or indirect connection or combination between two or more units, which may include situations where one or more intermediate units exist between two units that are “connected” or “coupled” to each other. The coupling or connection between units may be physical or logical, or a combination of both. As used in this disclosure, two units may be considered electrically connected by means of one or more wires, cables, and / or printing, and as numerous non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples, may be “connected” or “coupled” to each other by means of electromagnetic energy in the radio frequency region, microwave region, and / or light (visible and invisible) region, etc.

[0168] The present disclosure has been described in detail above, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description in this disclosure is illustrative and has no limiting effect on the present disclosure.

[0169] In addition to the exemplary descriptions above, the following points should be noted regarding this disclosure:

[0170] (1) The accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure only involve the structures involved in the embodiments of this disclosure. Other structures can be referred to the general design.

[0171] (2) Where there is no conflict, the embodiments of this disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0172] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure, which is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting the access configuration of an access point (AP) device, comprising: Determine whether there is a change in the management status of an AP device in a network topology that includes at least one AP device, wherein the change in the management status of the AP device includes a change in the availability status of any AP device among the at least one AP device in the network topology; as well as In response to a change in the management status of the AP device, it is determined whether to adjust the access configuration of the at least one AP device based at least on the locking configuration between the at least one AP device and the wireless terminal in the network topology.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The availability status includes at least one of: offline status, online status, and topological location.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Based on the locking configuration between the at least one AP device and the wireless terminal in the network topology, determining whether to adjust the access configuration of the at least one AP device includes: Regarding the aforementioned wireless terminal: Based on the locking configuration, it is determined whether the wireless terminal has an online preset locking AP device; In response to the presence of an online preset locked AP device on the wireless terminal, the access configuration of the at least one AP device for the wireless terminal is not adjusted; or In response to the absence of an online preset locked AP device on the wireless terminal, the access configuration of the at least one AP device for the wireless terminal is adjusted.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: Determine whether any AP device is a locked AP device of the wireless terminal; as well as In response to the fact that any AP device is a locked AP device of the wireless terminal, the operation of determining whether the wireless terminal has an online preset locked AP device is performed.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The change in the management status of the AP device includes a change in the network topology from an online state to an offline state for any AP device and / or a change in the topological location of any AP device from within the network topology to outside the network topology, wherein the arbitrary AP device is a locked AP device for the wireless terminal, and wherein, in response to the absence of a preset locked online AP device for the wireless terminal, adjusting the access configuration of the at least one AP device for the wireless terminal includes: In response to the absence of a pre-locked online AP device on the wireless terminal, at least one of the current AP devices in the network topology is allowed to access the wireless terminal.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, At least one of the current AP devices is an unlocked AP device that has no locking relationship with any wireless terminal in the network topology.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The change in the management status of the AP device includes a change in the network topology from an online state to an offline state and / or a change in the topological location of the AP device from within the network topology to outside the network topology, and the method further includes: If any AP device is not a locked AP device for the wireless terminal, the access configuration of the wireless terminal for any AP device is not adjusted.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The change in the AP device management status includes the change of any AP device in the network topology from an offline state to an online state and / or the change of the topological position of any AP device from outside the network topology to within the network topology, wherein any AP device is a locked AP device for the wireless terminal, and wherein, in response to the absence of a preset locked AP device online for the wireless terminal, adjusting the access configuration of the at least one AP device for the wireless terminal includes: In response to the absence of a pre-locked online AP device on the wireless terminal, access to the wireless terminal is permitted by any AP device.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, Adjusting the access configuration of the at least one AP device for the wireless terminal further includes: Access to the wireless terminal is prohibited by unlocked AP devices.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The change in the management status of the AP device includes the change of any AP device in the network topology from an offline state to an online state and / or the change of the topological location of any AP device from outside the network topology to inside the network topology, and the method further includes: In response to the fact that any AP device is not a locked AP device of the wireless terminal, determine whether there are other wireless terminals of the first type in the network topology whose locked AP devices are all offline; and In response to the presence of other wireless terminals of the first type, allow any AP device to access other wireless terminals of the first type; and / or In response to the fact that any AP device is not a locked AP device of the wireless terminal, determine whether there are other wireless terminals of a second type with an online preset locked AP device in the network topology; and In response to the presence of other wireless terminals of the second type, any AP device is allowed to access other wireless terminals of the second type.

11. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: In response to detecting a change in the management status of the AP device, the identification information of any AP device is stored in the list of AP devices to be processed; as well as In response to the expiration of the timer, for each arbitrary AP device in the list of AP devices to be processed, the corresponding locking configuration is queried to perform the operation of determining whether the wireless terminal has an online preset locked AP device based on the locking configuration.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method is managed and executed by the network controller, and the network topology is managed by the network controller.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The wireless terminal has multiple preset locked AP devices.

14. An electronic device, comprising: One or more processors; as well as Memory; The memory stores computer-readable instructions and is communicatively connected to the one or more processors; The one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-13.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein, The electronic device is a network controller.

16. A computer program product having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the method according to any one of claims 1-13 to be performed.

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