Methods and apparatuses for dynamic sub-gigahertz (S1G) mesh wireless networks

Abstract

To provide a signaling method and a mesh gate for establishing or maintaining a stable connection between a STA and an AP or other hotspot devices.SOLUTION: In a network 500a, a mesh gateway includes an access-point (AP) interface and a mesh interface, and monitors a sub-gigahertz radio channel for a probe request. Based on receiving a probe request from a station (STA) in a basic service set (BSS), the AP mode of the mesh gate is activated to turn on the AP interface. The mesh gate may also wirelessly connect to the STA using the AP interface and perform communications with one or more mesh nodes in the mesh BSS, providing communications between the STA and the one or more mesh nodes via the interconnection between the AP interface and the mesh interface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] For example, aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless mesh networks (WMNs) and / or dynamic sub-gigahertz (S1G) mesh networks. [Background technology]

[0002] A wireless mesh network (WMN) is a communication network containing multiple wireless nodes organized in a mesh topology. The mesh topology can be based on rich interconnections between the nodes, with each node in the mesh topology connected to one or more other nodes in the mesh topology. In the context of a WMN, the mesh topology between multiple wireless nodes allows multiple different paths to be taken between a source and a destination. In some instances, a WMN can typically be implemented as a low-mobility wireless ad hoc network. The mesh infrastructure allows data to be transmitted over long distances by breaking each distance into a series of short hops, and intermediate nodes cooperatively pass data from one node to another by making forwarding decisions based on each intermediate node's knowledge of the network and / or the underlying mesh topology. For example, using knowledge of the network and / or the underlying mesh topology, every node in the network can dynamically act as a router for every other node.

[0003] An example of a WMN is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11s mesh network. The IEEE 802.11s wireless mesh networking standard defines the interconnection between multiple wireless devices to create a wireless local area network (WLAN) mesh network. A wireless mesh network device, also known as a mesh station (mesh STA) or mesh node, forms a mesh link with one or more additional mesh STAs associated with the WMN. With multiple mesh links interconnecting various pairs of mesh STAs included in the WMN, a mesh path can be established using an ad hoc mobile routing protocol (e.g., a mesh path can include multiple mesh links between interconnected mesh STAs or nodes of the WMN).

[0004] Multihop wireless links in a mesh architecture can be used to route packets from one node (e.g., a source node on a WMN) through one or more other nodes (e.g., intermediate nodes on a WMN) to a destination node (e.g., a destination node on a WMN). The IEEE 802.11s mesh standard requires all nodes in a mesh network to transmit a beacon every beacon interval. This beacon, also known as a mesh beacon, advertises the mesh ID, mesh profile, and power-saving state. IEEE 802.11s mesh beaconing is intended for mesh network discovery and synchronization between mesh nodes when the mesh power-saving mode is enabled. Mesh networks operating in the sub-gigahertz (S1G) frequency band (e.g., frequencies below 1 GHz) offer the advantages of long-range wireless communication and improved fault tolerance compared to infrastructure networks. For example, license-exempt frequency bands below 1 gigahertz (GHz) can be used for wireless communication between mesh nodes in a mesh network. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects disclosed herein. As such, the following summary should not be considered an extensive overview of all aspects contemplated, nor should it be intended to identify key or essential elements of all aspects contemplated, or to delineate the scope associated with any particular aspect. As such, the following summary has the sole purpose of presenting certain concepts relevant to one or more aspects of the mechanisms disclosed herein in a simplified form, prior to the detailed description presented below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006]

[0006] Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media are disclosed for performing wireless communications over a wireless communications network, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN). According to at least one illustrative example, a signaling method is provided for a mesh gate node that includes an access point (AP) interface for communicating with one or more stations (STAs) in a basic service set (BSS) and further includes a mesh interface for communicating with one or more mesh nodes in a mesh basic service set (MBSS). The signaling method includes the steps of: monitoring a sub-gigahertz (S1G) radio channel for a probe request received by the mesh gate node; activating an AP mode of the mesh gate node based on receiving a probe request from a STA in the BSS, where activating the AP mode includes turning on an AP interface of the mesh gate node; wirelessly connecting to the STA using the AP interface of the mesh gate node; performing communication with the STA in the BSS via the AP interface of the mesh gate node; and performing communication with one or more mesh nodes in the MBSS via a mesh interface of the mesh gate node, where the mesh gate node is configured to provide communication between the STA and the one or more mesh nodes via an interconnection between the AP interface and the mesh interface.

[0007] In some aspects, the signaling method further includes turning off the AP interface of the mesh gate node based on a determination that the number of connected STAs in a BSS currently associated with the mesh gate node via the AP interface is equal to zero.

[0008] In some aspects, the mesh gate node uses the mesh interface to monitor the S1G radio channel for probe requests, and the AP interface is turned on only when the AP mode is activated.

[0009] In some aspects, the signaling method further includes transmitting a mesh action frame by the mesh gate node, the mesh action frame announcing the presence of the mesh gate node with an activated AP mode in the MBSS.

[0010] In some aspects, the signaling method further includes periodically transmitting, by the mesh gate node, a beacon for mesh network discovery, the beacon being transmitted periodically using a beacon interval determined based on the number of mesh nodes in the MBSS.

[0011] In some aspects, the signaling method further includes transmitting a beacon by the mesh gate node at a set beacon interval, and ceasing the beacon transmission based on a determination that the one or more mesh nodes are unavailable within the MBSS.

[0012] In some aspects, the signaling method further includes transmitting, by the mesh gate node, a probe request including a mesh information element (IE), wherein the mesh gate node is configured to transmit the probe request instead of transmitting a beacon.

[0013] In some aspects, the signaling method further includes transmitting a beacon using a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) index value higher than a lowest MCS index value associated with a data transmission in the MBSS.

[0014] In some aspects, the beacon is transmitted using a predetermined MCS index value, the predetermined MCS index value being used for beacon transmissions at all mesh nodes within the MBSS.

[0015] In some aspects, the MCS index value used to transmit the beacon is adaptively determined by the mesh gate node.

[0016] In some aspects, based on the signal strength of the received probe request exceeding a set threshold, an AP mode of the mesh gate node is activated and an AP interface of the mesh gate node is turned on.

[0017] In some aspects, wirelessly connecting to the STA further includes transmitting a probe response to the STA via an AP interface of the mesh gate node, the probe response being transmitted after turning on the AP interface in response to the received probe request.

[0018] In some aspects, the step of wirelessly connecting to the STA further includes connecting to the STA through an association process between the STA and the mesh gate node, and transmitting an announcement by the mesh gate node to one or more mesh nodes within the MBSS indicating the presence of the mesh gate node.

[0019] In some aspects, a mesh gate includes an access point (AP) interface for communicating with one or more stations (STAs) in a basic service set (BSS), a mesh interface for communicating with one or more mesh nodes in a mesh basic service set (MBSS), a processor communicatively coupled to the AP interface and the mesh interface, and one or more memory banks communicatively coupled to the processor and storing processor-readable code. The processor-readable code, when executed by the processor, is configured to monitor sub-gigahertz (S1G) wireless channels for probe requests, and upon receiving a probe request from a STA in the BSS, activate an AP mode, wirelessly connect to the STA, communicate with connected STAs via the AP interface, and communicate with one or more mesh nodes in the MBSS via the mesh interface. The connected STAs and the mesh nodes communicate with each other via the mesh gate.

[0020] In some aspects, a signaling method is provided for a first station wirelessly connected to an access point (AP) in a basic service set (BSS) over a sub-gigahertz (S1G) radio channel, the signaling method including: communicating with the AP via a station (STA) interface of the first station; and, based on a determination that the first station has lost connectivity with the AP, activating a mesh interface of the first station and transmitting a probe request using the mesh interface of the first station, the probe request indicating the first station's need for network connectivity, receiving a probe response from a second station wirelessly connected to an AP in the BSS, the probe response responding to the probe request, and, based at least in part on receiving the probe response, establishing a dynamic mesh network between the first station and the second station and communicating with the AP in the BSS. The first station is configured to communicate with the AP based on being not directly connected to an AP in the BSS and communicating with the second station using the mesh interface as a relay between the first station and an AP in the BSS.

[0021] In some aspects, the signaling method further includes, when the first station acquires a connection with the AP based on returning to a coverage range of the AP, reconnecting to the AP, and turning off a mesh interface of the first station and communicating directly with the AP via a STA interface of the first station. After reconnecting to the AP, the first station turns off the mesh interface.

[0022] In some aspects, a station (STA) is provided, the STA including: an STA interface configured for communication with access points (APs) in a basic service set (BSS), a mesh interface configured for dynamic mesh connectivity with a mesh basic service set (MBSS), a processor communicatively coupled to the STA interface and the mesh interface, and one or more memory banks communicatively coupled to the processor and storing processor-readable instructions. When executed by the processor, the processor-readable instructions cause the processor to perform the steps of communicating with the AP via the station (STA) interface; and, based on a determination that the STA has lost connection with the AP, activating a mesh interface of the STA, transmitting a probe request using the mesh interface of the STA (wherein the probe request indicates the STA's need for network connectivity), receiving a probe response from a second STA wirelessly connected to an AP in the BSS (wherein the probe response responds to the probe request), establishing a dynamic mesh network between the STA and the second STA based at least in part on receiving the probe response, and communicating with the AP using the mesh interface of the STA as a relay between the first STA and an AP in the BSS.

[0023] Other objects and advantages associated with the embodiments disclosed herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] Exemplary aspects of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings.

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless communication network.

[0026] [Figure 2A] 1 is a block diagram of a wireless communication device that can implement a station (STA) or an access point (AP), according to some examples.

[0027] [Figure 2B] 2B is a schematic block diagram of a receiver data flow architecture of the wireless communication device of FIG. 2A, according to some examples.

[0028] [Figure 2C] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a transmitter data flow architecture that can be used to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals over a wireless medium, according to some examples.

[0029] [Figure 3] 3A and 3B illustrate an example Wi-Fi HaLow wireless local area network (WLAN) including one or more stations (STAs) configured to form and / or provide a dynamic mesh network for extending range to STAs that move outside the coverage of the Wi-Fi HaLow WLAN, according to some examples.

[0030] [Figure 4] 4A and 4B illustrate an example of a dynamic mesh network including a mesh gate node configured to connect to a basic service set (BSS) of a Wi-Fi WLAN via the mesh gate node's AP interface and / or AP mode, and configured to connect to a mesh BSS (MBSS) of the dynamic mesh network via the mesh gate node's mesh interface and / or mesh mode, according to some examples.

[0031] [Figure 5A] 1 illustrates an example of a mesh gate node (eg, a co-located AP) with an AP interface for communication with a Wi-Fi WLAN BSS and a mesh interface for communication with a dynamic mesh network MBSS, according to some examples.

[0032] [Figure 5B] 1 illustrates an example of a mesh gate node (eg, a co-located AP) with an AP interface for communication with an external network and a mesh interface for communication with a dynamic mesh network MBSS, according to some examples.

[0033] [Figure 6] 1 illustrates an example mesh backhaul network including a plurality of mesh nodes and mesh gate nodes for providing mesh backhaul connectivity between a first Wi-Fi WLAN BSS connected to a first mesh gate node of the mesh backhaul network and a second Wi-Fi WLAN BSS connected to a second mesh gate node of the mesh backhaul network, according to some examples.

[0034] [Figure 7] 1 illustrates an example mesh backhaul network that provides mesh backhaul connectivity between a remote Wi-Fi WLAN BSS and an external network, such as the Internet, via respective connections to first and second mesh gate nodes of the mesh backhaul network, according to some examples.

[0035] [Figure 8] 8A-8D illustrate communication flow and signaling diagrams associated with operations for implementing a dynamic mesh network beaconless mode for the scanning and detection phase to avoid an initial scan of the mesh, according to some examples.

[0036] [Figure 9] 1 is a flow diagram of an example process for adaptive root mesh configuration of a first mesh node in a mesh network, according to some examples.

[0037] [Figure 10]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing system for implementing certain aspects described herein, according to some examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0038] Specific aspects of the present disclosure are described below. As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, some of these aspects can be applied independently and some of them can be applied in combination. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of aspects of the present application. However, it will be apparent that various aspects may be practiced without these specific details. The drawings and description are not intended to limit the invention.

[0039] The following description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the following description of exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing the exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention, as set forth in the appended claims. [overview]

[0040] A wireless local area network (WLAN) is a wireless communication network that uses high-frequency radio waves (e.g., radio frequency (RF) waves) to connect devices within a limited area. Most WLANs are based on one or more of the various Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 Wi-Fi standards. Devices connected to a WLAN may be implemented as access points (APs) or client stations (STAs) that provide services. A basic service set (BSS) typically includes a group of APs and STAs that communicate wirelessly at the physical layer level. For example, each AP and a set of associated STAs (e.g., a set of STAs associated with each AP) may constitute one BSS of a WLAN, and the BSS is managed by the APs contained within the BSS. A BSS can be identified to a user by its corresponding service set identifier (SSID). An AP can be configured as a master or primary device used to configure and maintain a network (e.g., a Wi-Fi WLAN). The AP associates all active STAs and periodically transmits beacon frames to the BSS indicating various network information and / or network details.

[0041] While mobile Wi-Fi STAs offer the convenience of wireless connectivity, there are several challenges associated with a Wi-Fi STA's wireless connection to a Wi-Fi network that can affect overall network performance and user experience. These challenges include maintaining adequate signal strength and coverage, preventing network congestion, and resolving interference. Mobile Wi-Fi STAs depend on the availability of wireless networks and the strength of Wi-Fi signals from APs or hotspot devices. However, in areas with weak or limited wireless coverage, signal strength may be insufficient to establish or maintain a stable connection between a STA and an AP or other hotspot device. An unstable connection to a STA can result in various issues, such as slow data speeds, frequent disconnections, and / or difficulty establishing a connection.

[0042] In congested or densely populated areas, Wi-Fi networks can become congested due to too many devices simultaneously attempting to connect to the same AP (e.g., congestion due to limited total bandwidth and airtime available for communication between a specific AP and a set of STAs associated with that AP). Such congestion can result in various issues, including reduced overall data rates for STAs and the Wi-Fi WLAN, increased latency, and / or intermittent connectivity for mobile Wi-Fi STAs. Furthermore, mobile Wi-Fi STAs can experience interference from various sources, including interference from other wireless communication networks operating on the same or overlapping channels. For example, co-channel interference can occur when multiple networks or devices operate on the same channel. Adjacent channel interference can occur when signals from nearby channels flood a Wi-Fi STA's operating channel. Non-Wi-Fi interference can be caused by other devices operating in the same frequency band (e.g., microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, IoT devices, etc.). Multipath interference can occur due to RF wave reflections. This can result in multiple versions of the same signal arriving at the receiver at different times, signal fading, reduced data rates, etc.

[0043] Interference can cause significant impairments in the signal path, leading to reduced data rates, packet loss, and / or dropped connections. One approach to mitigating these challenges is to ensure that signal strength between each STA is maintained above a set (e.g., acceptable) received signal strength indicator (RSSI) threshold, thereby avoiding weak or low RSSI STAs in the network. Other techniques include the use of various Wi-Fi optimization techniques, such as dynamic channel selection and adjustment, and the use of Wi-Fi extenders (e.g., additional devices used to relay or repeat signals between an AP and one or more STAs), which can improve the performance and reliability of mobile Wi-Fi STAs. However, these approaches do not provide a scalable solution, and deploying additional Wi-Fi extenders can be very difficult and cost-prohibitive, especially in large networks and / or networks with frequently changing topologies.

[0044] IEEE 802.11ah, also known as Wi-Fi HaLow, is a wireless networking protocol that uses sub-gigahertz (S1G) radios to achieve low power consumption and long-range wireless communication. Wi-Fi HaLow devices operate in the license-exempt ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) frequency band below 1 gigahertz (GHz). A Wi-Fi HaLow AP can provide connectivity to thousands of stations within a network coverage radius of approximately 1 km. Wi-Fi HaLow supports a variety of bandwidths, including 1 MHz, 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 8 MHz, and 16 MHz. These bandwidths are approximately one order of magnitude narrower (e.g., 10 times narrower) than the bandwidths used in the IEEE 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) standard. Furthermore, the symbol duration of IEEE 802.11ah Wi-Fi HaLow, operating at a 2 MHz bandwidth, can be up to 10 times longer than the equivalent IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5 symbol duration. Therefore, Wi-Fi HaLow networks have significantly narrower bandwidths and significantly longer symbol durations within those narrower bandwidths compared to Wi-Fi 5 and other recent Wi-Fi networks. Consequently, overall airtime is more limited, and the airtime used for individual data transmissions in a HaLow network is also significantly longer than in a Wi-Fi 5 network. While Wi-Fi HaLow STAs can be grouped together to minimize wireless medium contention, Wi-Fi HaLow networks still require effective and efficient radio resource management methods to prevent network congestion.

[0045] A wireless mesh network (WMN) is a communication network containing multiple wireless nodes organized in a mesh topology. The mesh topology can be based on rich interconnections between the nodes, with each node in the mesh topology connected to one or more other nodes in the mesh topology. In the context of a WMN, the mesh topology between multiple wireless nodes allows multiple different paths to be taken between a source and a destination. In some instances, a WMN can typically be implemented as a low-mobility wireless ad hoc network. The mesh infrastructure allows data to be transmitted over long distances by breaking each distance into a series of short hops, and intermediate nodes cooperatively pass data from one node to another by making forwarding decisions based on each intermediate node's knowledge of the network and / or the underlying mesh topology. For example, using knowledge of the network and / or the underlying mesh topology, every node in the network can dynamically act as a router for every other node.

[0046] An example of a WMN is the IEEE 802.11s mesh network. The IEEE 802.11s wireless mesh networking standard defines interconnections between multiple wireless devices to create a WLAN mesh network. An 802.11s wireless mesh network device, also known as a mesh station (mesh STA), can form mesh links with other mesh STAs (e.g., one or more additional mesh STAs associated with a WMN) over which mesh paths can be established using ad hoc mobile routing protocols. The multi-hop wireless links in a mesh architecture can be used to route packets from one node (e.g., a source mesh STA on a WMN) through one or more other nodes (e.g., intermediate mesh STAs on a WMN) to a destination node (e.g., a destination mesh STA on a WMN). The IEEE 802.11s mesh standard requires all nodes in a mesh network to transmit a beacon every beacon interval. This beacon, also known as a mesh beacon, advertises its mesh ID, mesh profile, and power-saving state. IEEE802.11s mesh beacons are intended for mesh network discovery and synchronization between mesh nodes for mesh power saving (e.g., when mesh power saving mode is enabled).

[0047] Aspects of the present invention provide a novel and effective signaling method for communication between a Wi-Fi WLAN and a mesh network based on using a mesh gate node to communicate with each STA or device in both the Wi-Fi WLAN and the mesh network and bridge the communication between them.

[0048] As used herein, a mesh gate node, also referred to as a "mesh gate" or "mesh node," may be provided as a node or other wireless communication device that includes both an access point (AP) interface for communicating with one or more STAs in a basic service set (BSS) (e.g., a Wi-Fi WLAN, an S1G network, a Wi-Fi HaLow network, etc.) and a mesh interface for communicating with one or more mesh nodes in a mesh basic service set (MBSS).

[0049] In one illustrative example, a signaling method provided by the systems and techniques disclosed herein includes monitoring a sub-gigahertz (S1G) wireless channel for a probe request and activating an AP mode (e.g., corresponding to the mesh gate node's AP interface) in response to the mesh gate node receiving the probe request from a STA in a BSS. The mesh gate node wirelessly connects to the STA that sent the probe request and can perform or provide wireless communication with the connected STA via the mesh gate node's AP interface. The mesh gate node can simultaneously communicate with one or more mesh nodes in a MBSS via the mesh gate node's mesh interface. Because the mesh gate node is included in both the BSS (via the mesh gate node AP interface) and the MBSS (via the mesh gate node mesh interface), the connected STA(s) of the BSS and the mesh node(s) of the MBSS can communicate with each other via the mesh gate node.

[0050] In one embodiment of the present invention, the signaling method for a mesh gate node further includes configuring the mesh gate node to turn off or deactivate its AP interface when the number of connected STAs in the BSS reaches zero. For example, if the mesh gate node is not connected to any STAs in the BSS, the mesh gate node may turn off or deactivate its AP interface to conserve power. In some embodiments, the mesh gate node may be configured to monitor probe requests via the mesh interface when the AP interface is turned off (and when the AP interface remains off). Thus, the mesh gate node may use the mesh interface to detect or receive probe requests from STAs attempting to connect or join the BSS while the mesh gate node's AP interface is deactivated. The mesh gate node may be configured to turn on (e.g., activate or reactivate) its AP interface only upon a probe request from the STA (e.g., only in response to receiving or detecting a probe request from the STA via the mesh gate node's mesh interface).

[0051] In some embodiments, a mesh gate can be configured to periodically transmit a mesh action frame to announce the presence of the mesh gate node within an MBSS. For example, the mesh action frame can announce or indicate the presence of the mesh gate node using a Route Announcement (RANN) element, where the RANN element includes information such as a hop count. In some aspects, a mesh gate node can transmit beacons at periodic beacon intervals for mesh network detection, where the beacon interval can be determined according to the number of mesh nodes in the MBSS. In some embodiments, a longer beacon interval can be used when a relatively small number of mesh nodes exist in the MBSS and / or when the number of mesh nodes in the MBSS reaches zero. In some embodiments, a mesh node can stop transmitting beacons (e.g., the mesh node can stop beacon transmission) if no other mesh nodes are available in the MBSS. A mesh node can start or resume beacon transmission (e.g., transmit beacons at a set beacon interval) based on detecting or receiving a probe request including a mesh identifier from a neighboring mesh peer.

[0052] In some aspects, the beacon transmitted by the mesh gate can be implemented as a single unified beacon for both connected STAs in the BSS and mesh nodes in the MBSS. For example, the unified beacon can combine information from mesh beacons (e.g., information related to the MBSS and / or indicating connectivity with the mesh gate's mesh interface) and information from BSS beacons (e.g., information related to the BSS and / or indicating connectivity with the mesh gate's AP interface). The mesh gate can be configured to broadcast the unified beacon at a predetermined interval. For example, the predetermined interval can be selected to be the same as the interval initially or previously used to broadcast a standalone mesh beacon or standalone BSS beacon (or both).

[0053] In some aspects, a mesh gateway can be configured to transmit a probe request containing a mesh ID information element (IE) instead of a beacon.

[0054] In some embodiments, beacons transmitted by a mesh gate node may be encoded using a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) higher than the lowest MCS (e.g., commonly used for management frame transmissions in the MBSS). For example, the MCS used for beacon transmission may be a predetermined MCS, which is used for beacon transmissions at all mesh nodes in the MBSS. In some examples, the MCS used for beacon encoding and transmission may be adaptively determined by the mesh gate. In some embodiments, the MCS used for beacon transmission may be based on the MCS used for data transmission, e.g., the MCS used for beacon transmission may be set to the minimum value of a set of transmission rate / MCS index values ​​used by all peers in the network.

[0055] In some embodiments, the AP mode of the mesh gate node is activated (the AP interface of the mesh gate node is turned on) based on the mesh gate node determining that the signal strength of a received probe request (e.g., from a STA within a BSS) exceeds a set threshold. A probe response can be sent from the mesh gate node to the STA through its AP interface after turning on the AP interface in response to the received probe request. The AP interface of the mesh gate can wirelessly connect to the STA through an association process.

[0056] One aspect of the present invention provides a mesh gate including an AP interface, a mesh interface, a processor communicatively coupled to the AP and the mesh interface, and one or more memory banks communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory banks store processor-readable code that, when executed by the processor, is configured to monitor an S1G radio channel for a probe request, and upon receiving a probe request from a STA in a BSS, activate AP mode, wirelessly connect to the STA, communicate with the connected STA via the AP interface, and communicate with one or more mesh nodes in a MBSS via the mesh interface. The connected STAs and the mesh nodes communicate with each other via the mesh gate.

[0057] Another aspect of the present invention provides a signaling method for a first station wirelessly connected to an AP in a BSS on an S1G radio channel. The signaling method includes the steps of: communicating with the AP via a STA interface; and, when the first station moves out of the coverage range of the AP and loses connection with the AP, activating a mesh interface, transmitting a probe request via the mesh interface to notify the need for network connectivity, receiving a probe response from a second station wirelessly connected to the same AP in the BSS, and, in response to the probe request, establishing a dynamic mesh network between the first station and the second station and communicating with the AP via the second station using the mesh interface. In some embodiments, the first station reconnects to the AP when it returns within range of the AP and turns off the mesh interface so that it can communicate directly with the AP after reconnection.

[0058] One embodiment of a station includes an STA interface for communicating with an AP in a BSS, a mesh interface for dynamic mesh connection, a processor communicatively coupled to the STA interface and the mesh interface, and one or more memory banks storing processor-readable code executed by the processor. The station is configured to communicate with the AP via the STA interface, and when the station loses connection with the AP, activate the mesh interface, send a probe request via the mesh interface to announce a need for network connectivity, receive a probe response from a second station wirelessly connected to the AP in the BSS, and, in response to the probe request, establish a dynamic mesh network between the station and the second station and communicate with the AP via the mesh interface. Illustrative Embodiments

[0059] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless communication network 100. In some aspects, the wireless communication network 100 may be an example of a wireless local area network (WLAN). As used herein, a WLAN may be a Wi-Fi network. In some examples, the WLAN 100 may be a network implementing at least one of the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless communication protocol standards (e.g., such as, but not limited to, those defined by the IEEE 802.11-2020 specification or amendments thereof, including 802.11ah, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be). The WLAN 100 may include at least one AP 102 and multiple associated STAs 104. For example, the STAs 104 may include a first STA 104a, a second STA 104b, a third STA 104c, a fourth STA 104d, etc. Although only one AP 102 is shown, the WLAN network 100 may include multiple APs 102 .

[0060] Each of the STAs 104a-104d may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), mobile device, mobile handset, wireless handset, access terminal (AT), user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), and / or subscriber unit. The STAs 104 may represent a variety of devices, such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a netbook, a computer, a tablet computer, a laptop, a display device (e.g., a TV, a computer monitor, a navigation system, etc.), a music or other audio or stereo device, a remote control device ("remote"), a printer, a kitchen or other household appliance, a key fob (e.g., a passive keyless entry and start (PKES) system), etc.

[0061] A single AP 102 and the set of associated STAs 104a-104d may be referred to as a basic service set (BSS) managed by each AP 102. Figure 1 further shows an example of a coverage area 106 of an AP 102, which may represent a basic service area (BSA) of the WLAN 100. A BSS may be identified to users by a service set identifier (SSID) and to other devices by a basic service set identifier (BSSID), which may be the medium access control (MAC) address of the AP 102.

[0062] The AP 102 periodically broadcasts a beacon frame (“beacon”) including the BSSID to allow any STAs (e.g., one or more, or all, of the STAs 104a-104d) within radio range of the AP 102 to associate or reassociate with the AP 102 and establish corresponding communication links 108a-108d (e.g., also referred to hereinafter as “Wi-Fi links”). For example, a first STA 104a can establish a corresponding communication link 108a with the AP 102, a second STA 104b can establish a corresponding communication link 108b with the AP 102, a third STA 104c can establish a corresponding communication link 108c with the AP 102, and a fourth STA 104d can establish a corresponding communication link 108d with the AP 102. The STAs 104a-104d can further use the beacon frames broadcast by the AP 102 to maintain their corresponding communication links 108a-108d with the AP 102. For example, the beacon may include an identification of the primary channel used by the corresponding AP 102, as well as timing synchronization functionality for establishing or maintaining timing synchronization with the AP 102. The AP 102 may provide various STAs within the WLAN with access to external networks via the corresponding communication link 108.

[0063] To establish a communication link 108a-108d with the AP 102, each corresponding STA 104a-104d may perform passive or active scanning operations (“scans”) on frequency channels within one or more frequency bands. For example, to perform passive scanning, each of the STAs 104a-104d listens for beacons transmitted by the AP 102 at periodic time intervals called target beacon transmit times (TBTTs). The TBTTs may be measured in time units (TUs). In some examples, one TU may equal 1024 microseconds (μs). In some examples, the TBTT may have a default value of 102.4 milliseconds (ms). To perform active scanning, each of the STAs 104a-104d may generate and transmit probe requests sequentially on each channel to be scanned and listen for probe responses from the AP 102. Each of the STAs 104a-104d may be configured to identify or select an AP 102 to associate with (e.g., based on scan information obtained via passive or active scanning) and perform authentication and association operations to establish a corresponding communication link 108a-108d with the selected AP 102. The AP 102 assigns each of the STAs 104a-104d an association identifier (AID) at the end of the association operation, which the AP 102 uses to track the STAs 104a-104d.

[0064] In some cases, one or more of the STAs 104a-104d may have the opportunity to select one of many BSSs within range of the STA or to select from multiple APs 102 that form an extended service set (ESS) that includes multiple connected BSSs. Extended network stations associated with the WLAN 100 may be connected to a wired or wireless distribution system that allows multiple APs 102 to be connected within an ESS. In some examples, one or more of the STAs 104a-104d may be covered by multiple APs 102 and may associate with different APs 102 at different times for transmission. After associating with an AP 102, one or more of the STAs 104a-104d may be configured to periodically scan the surroundings to find a more suitable AP with which to associate. For example, a given one of the STAs 104a-104d moving away from its associated AP 102 may perform a “roaming” scan to find another AP with more desirable network characteristics (e.g., a greater received signal strength indicator (RSSI), reduced traffic load, etc.).

[0065] In some cases, the STAs 104a-104d may form a network without any other equipment other than the AP 102 or the STAs 104a-104d themselves. One example of such a network is an ad hoc network. Examples of ad hoc networks include mesh networks and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. In some cases, an ad hoc network may be implemented within a larger wireless network. In such an implementation, the STAs 104a-104d may communicate with each other through the AP 102 using corresponding communication links 108a-108d, but the STAs 104a-104d may also communicate directly with each other using a direct wireless link 110. In some examples, two STAs may communicate via the direct communication link 110 regardless of whether both STAs 104 are associated with and served by the same AP 102. In such an ad hoc system, one or more of the STAs 104a-104d may assume the role filled by the AP 102 in a BSS. Such a STA may be called a group owner (GO) and may coordinate transmissions within the ad hoc network. Examples of direct wireless links 110 include one or more of a Wi-Fi Direct connection, a connection established by using a Wi-Fi Tunneled Direct Link Setup (TDLS) link, other P2P group connections, etc.

[0066] The AP 102 and the STAs 104a-104d can function and communicate according to at least one of the IEEE 802.11 wireless communication protocol standards using the corresponding communication links 108a-108d. These standards define WLAN radio and baseband protocols at the physical layer (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) layers. For example, the AP 102 and the STAs 104a-104d transmit and receive wireless communications with each other in the form of PHY Protocol Data Units (PPDUs) or Physical Layer Convergence Protocols (PLCPs). The AP 102 and the STAs 104a-104d in the WLAN 100 can transmit PPDUs over licensed or unlicensed spectrum, which can be a portion of the spectrum including frequency bands traditionally used by Wi-Fi technology, such as the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, the 60 GHz band, the 3.6 GHz band, and sub-1 GHz bands. Some implementations of the AP 102 and the STAs 104a-104d described herein can also communicate over other frequency bands, such as the 6 GHz band, which can support both licensed and unlicensed communications. The AP 102 and the STAs 104a-104d may also be configured to communicate over other frequency bands, such as shared licensed frequency bands, in which multiple operators may have licenses to operate within the same or overlapping frequency bands.

[0067] Each frequency band can contain multiple sub-bands or frequency channels. For example, PPDUs conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard and specifications can be transmitted over a frequency band divided into multiple 20 MHz channels. In such an example, the PPDUs are transmitted over physical channels with a minimum bandwidth of 20 MHz, although other channel bandwidths are possible. In some cases, larger bandwidth channels can be formed using channel bonding, combining multiple channels of the minimum bandwidth.

[0068] Each PPDU is a composite structure that includes a PHY preamble and a payload in the form of a PHY service data unit (PSDU). Information provided in the preamble can be used by a receiving device to decode the subsequent data in the PSDU. If the PPDU is transmitted over a bonded channel, the preamble field may be duplicated and transmitted on each of multiple component channels. The PHY preamble can include both a legacy portion (or "legacy preamble") and a non-legacy portion (or "non-legacy preamble"). The legacy preamble can be used for packet detection, automatic gain control, channel estimation, etc. The legacy preamble may be used to maintain compatibility with legacy devices. The preamble format, coding, and information provided in the non-legacy portion are based on the specific IEEE 802.11 protocol used to transmit the payload.

[0069] 2A is a high-level block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication device 200 that may be used to implement a STA or an AP in some examples. The wireless communication device 200 may include a MAC layer and a PHY layer that conforms to one or more of the IEEE 802.11 standards.

[0070] The wireless communication device 200 includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter module 202, an RF receiver module 204, an antenna unit 206, one or more memory banks 208, an input / output interface 210, and a communication bus 212. The RF transmitter module 202 and the RF receiver module 204 include modems (modulator-demodulators) that transmit data by modulating one or more carrier signals to encode digital information and receive data by demodulating the signals to recover the original digital information. As shown, the wireless communication device 200 further includes a MAC processor 214, a PHY processor 216, and a HOST processor 218. These processors can be any type of integrated circuit (IC), including a general-purpose processing unit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a reduced instruction set computer-5 (RISC-V)-based IC, etc.

[0071] The memory 208 may be used to store software and / or computer-readable instructions, including software or instructions that may be used to implement at least some of the functionality of the MAC layer. For example, each processor included in the wireless communication device 200 (e.g., the MAC processor 214, the PHY processor 216, the HOST processor 218, etc.) executes respective software to implement the functionality of its respective communication / application layer.

[0072] The PHY processor 216 includes a transmit signal processing unit and a receive signal processing unit (not shown) and can be used to manage the interface with the wireless medium (WM). The PHY processor 216 operates on the PPDU by exchanging digital samples with a radio module that includes the RF transmitter 202, the RF receiver 204, an analog-to-digital converter, and a digital filter.

[0073] The MAC processor 214 executes MAC-level instructions and manages the interface between application software and the WM via the PHY processor 216. The MAC processor 214 is responsible for coordinating access to the WM so that access points (APs) and STAs within range can communicate effectively. The MAC processor 214 adds header and tail bytes to units of data provided by higher levels and sends them to the PHY layer for transmission. The reverse occurs when receiving data from the PHY layer. If a frame is received in error, the MAC processor 214 manages retransmission of the frame.

[0074] The HOST processor 218 is responsible for interfacing with the MAC layer and performing the higher level functions of the wireless communication device.

[0075] The PHY processor 216, the MAC processor 214, the HOST processor 218, the peripheral bus 220, the memory 208, and the input / output interface 210 communicate with each other via the peripheral bus 212. The peripheral bus 220 connects to multiple peripherals that support core functions of the wireless communication device 200, including timers, interrupts, radio / filter / system registers, counters, UARTs, GPIO interfaces, and the like. The memory 208 can further store an operating system and applications. In some examples, the memory stores recorded information about captured frames and packets. The input / output interface unit 210 enables information exchange with a user of the wireless communication device. The antenna unit 206 can include a single antenna and / or multiple antennas. For example, multiple antennas can be used to implement multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, among other things.

[0076] 2B shows a schematic block diagram of a receiver data flow architecture 250 that can be used to receive Wi-Fi packets over a network. In one illustrative example, the receiver data flow architecture 250 shown in FIG. 2B can correspond to or relate to the wireless communication device 200 shown in FIG. 2A. A wireless signal is received via a WM and converted to an electrical signal via a receive antenna 252 (e.g., which may be the same as or similar to the antenna 206). The received signal is conditioned using a series of analog filters 254 (e.g., shown as analog RF receive (Rx) filters) before being converted to an equivalent digital signal using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 256. The sampled signal output of the ADC 256 is again conditioned using a filter bank 258, which can include one or more digital RF filters and / or farrows, before the samples are collected in an asynchronous receive first-in-first-out (FIFO) data structure 260.

[0077] The samples in the FIFO structure 260 are accessible by multiple modules. For example, the samples can be accessed by a packet detection module and a sub-band module, both of which may be included in the lower-level PHY section 262 shown in Figure 2B. In some embodiments, the lower-level PHY section 262 is itself included in the PHY processor 216 shown in Figure 2A.

[0078] The packet detection module included in the lower-level PHY section 262 may include hardware and / or implemented algorithms that can be used to analyze the initial section of the PPDU in the time domain. Based on the analysis, the packet detection module may be used to recognize the received frame and synchronize the frequency and timing of the wireless communication device with the packet being received. The sub-band module included in the lower-level PHY section 262 may include hardware and / or implemented algorithms that can be used to detect which sub-channel within an assigned frequency band is being used for the packet being received.

[0079] Once a packet is detected and the associated subchannel is established, the samples can be forwarded to an upper-level PHY unit 264. The upper-level PHY unit 264 can be included in the PHY processor 216 shown in FIG. 2A. In some aspects, the upper-level PHY unit 264 can be used (e.g., with the support of a co-processor module) to process and decode Orthogonal Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols and reconstruct the complete PPDU. The reconstructed PPDU is output by the upper-level PHY unit 264 and then processed by the MAC layer processor 266. The MAC layer processor 266 can be used to extract the data payload from the PPDU and provide relevant information to the HOST layer 268 for consumption.

[0080] In some examples, the MAC layer processor 266 shown in Figure 2B may be the same as or similar to the MAC processor 214 shown in Figure 2A. In some cases, the HOST layer 268 shown in Figure 2B can include or may be the same as or similar to the HOST processor 218 shown in Figure 2A.

[0081] FIG. 2C is a schematic block diagram of a transmitter data flow architecture 280 that can be used to transmit RF signals over a wireless medium, according to some examples. More specifically, FIG. 2C illustrates a simplified schematic block diagram of the transmitter data flow architecture 280 used to transmit wireless signals over a WM. Data can be generated from a HOST or APP module 282 and packaged into MAC-level protocol data units (MPDUs) that are routed over the wireless network by a MAC management module 284. A PHY module 286 interfaces with the WM and adds a PHY preamble and tail to the MPDU to compile a PPDU. Typically, a modulation coding scheme (MCS) for transmitting packets over the medium is established using a rate control algorithm by the MAC module 284 or PHY module 286. The selected modulation scheme can define the modulation technique and coding rate used to transmit data over the WM. Based on the selected modulation scheme (e.g., quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) 64), the PPDU is modulated for transmission over the WM. The encoder module 288 generates signals corresponding to points of a QAM constellation symbol (a group of bits in a PPDU) that can be encoded using polar coordinates (r-θ) or rectangular coordinates (QI). The modulation is performed by linking the encoder module 288 to a digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) 290. The modulated signal is filtered by an analog filter 292 and transmitted using a transmit antenna 294.

[0082] As mentioned above, the systems and techniques described herein can be used to provide dynamic mesh networks and / or dynamic mesh networking to extend the range and / or reliability of communications associated with Wi-Fi and / or S1G WLANs, including Wi-Fi HaLow networks. For example, embodiments of the present invention provide a novel and effective signaling method for communication between a Wi-Fi infrastructure network and a mesh network based on using a mesh gate node to communicate with respective STAs or devices in both the Wi-Fi infrastructure network and the mesh network and bridge communications therebetween. As used herein, a mesh gate node, also referred to as a "mesh gate" or "mesh node," can be provided as a node or other wireless communication device that includes both an access point (AP) interface for communicating with one or more STAs in a basic service set (BSS) (e.g., a Wi-Fi infrastructure network, an S1G network, a Wi-Fi HaLow network, etc.) and a mesh interface for communicating with one or more mesh nodes in a mesh basic service set (MBSS).

[0083] As described below with reference to at least Figures 3A-8D, a mesh gate node can selectively activate (and deactivate) an AP interface to communicate with infrastructure STAs to provide (or not provide) AP mode, and can selectively activate (and deactivate) a mesh interface to communicate with mesh nodes and / or mesh STAs to provide (or not provide) mesh mode. [Dynamic S1G Mesh Network - STA Extensions]

[0084] As contemplated herein, one technique for ensuring sufficient signal strength and coverage for a WLAN network operating using the S1G spectrum (e.g., Wi-Fi HaLow WLAN, etc.) can be based on the use of peer stations (STAs) that can extend the WLAN network coverage by establishing a mesh network for STAs that are outside the coverage of the WLAN network. For example, one or more STAs can be configured to operate as infrastructure STAs for communicating with the WLAN and can be configured to operate to extend the WLAN coverage by dynamically establishing a mesh network for one or more STAs that are outside the coverage area of ​​the WLAN network (e.g., one or more STAs that are outside the range of the WLAN's APs).

[0085] 3A illustrates a first example network configuration 300a corresponding to a Wi-Fi HaLow network (e.g., a WLAN) 305 that includes an AP 310 connected to multiple STAs (e.g., STA-1 331, STA-2 332, STA-3 333, STA-4 334, STA-5 335, STA-6 336, STA-7 337, etc.). In particular, the first example network configuration 300a of FIG. 3A corresponds to a scenario in which the multiple STAs 331-337 are all within the network coverage range of the Wi-Fi HaLow network 305 (e.g., each STA 331-337 is within range of the AP 310 and can maintain connectivity with the AP 310).

[0086] 3B illustrates a second example network configuration 300b in which a second STA-2 332 has moved out of coverage of the Wi-Fi HaLow network 305 but maintains connectivity to both the Wi-Fi HaLow network 305 and beyond (e.g., the Internet 360 or other external networks) based on the formation of a dynamic mesh network 350 between the out-of-range STA-2 332 and the in-range STAs (STA-1 331 and STA-3 333). For example, the second example network configuration 300b of FIG. 3B can correspond to an embodiment in which the STAs 331-337 of the Wi-Fi HaLow network 305 can form a dynamic mesh network for range extension in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] Generally, the Wi-Fi HaLow AP 310 shown in the Wi-Fi HaLow network 305 of FIGS. 3A and 3B can access the Internet 360 and provide respective wireless connections to associated stations within range of the AP 310. For example, in FIG. 3A, the AP 310 provides respective wireless connections to each of STA1, STA2, STA3, STA4, STA5, STA6, and STA7 (STAs 331-337, respectively). The multiple stations 331-337 associated with the Wi-Fi HaLow network 305 may be any electronic device, such as a computer, laptop, mobile phone, smartphone, and / or Internet of Things (IoT) device. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, one of the stations, STA-2 332, moves out of the coverage area / range of the AP 310. Based on STA-2 332 moving out of the coverage area / range of AP 310, STA-2 loses connection with AP 310 and Wi-Fi HaLow network 305.

[0088] Traditionally, if STAs 331-337 were all infrastructure STAs (e.g., unavailable or not used to provide mesh mode for mesh networking), when STA-2 332 moved out of range of AP 310, STA-2 332 would lose connectivity to both the Wi-Fi HaLow network 305 and any external networks (e.g., the Internet 360) connected to the AP 310 / Wi-Fi HaLow network 305. If configured as an infrastructure STA only, STA-2 332 would be unable to communicate with any of the remaining peer STAs 331 and 333-337 remaining on the Wi-Fi HaLow network 305 once it moved beyond the coverage of the AP 305 / Wi-Fi HaLow network 305.

[0089] In embodiments of the present invention, STA-2 can maintain connectivity even when moving outside the existing WLAN network coverage of the AP 310 / Wi-Fi HaLow network 305 based on STA-2 332 detecting a loss of connectivity and initiating (e.g., activating or using) its mesh interface for dynamic mesh network range extension. For example, STA-2 332 can have its mesh interface maintained in an inactive state while STA-2 332 is connected to the AP 310 in the example of FIG. 3A and / or if STA-2 332 does not participate in the dynamic mesh network while connected to the AP 310. In some aspects, STA-2 332 can activate its mesh interface based on detecting a loss of connectivity with the AP 310, such as corresponding to a received signal strength index (RSSI) of communication between STA-2 332 and the AP 310 dropping below a configured threshold.

[0090] In one illustrative example, after detecting a WLAN connection loss and waking up its mesh interface, STA-2 332 may issue (e.g., transmit) a probe request over its mesh interface. The probe request using STA-2 332's mesh interface may be a broadcast transmission announcing the need for network connectivity (e.g., a request from STA-2 332) to other peer stations within range (e.g., any peer stations or other nodes that receive the probe request broadcast by STA-2 332).

[0091] 3B , STA-2 332 may move out of and beyond the coverage of AP 310 of Wi-Fi HaLow network 305 and broadcast a probe request over its mesh interface in response to STA-2 332 determining that it has lost connection to AP 310. Two stations physically located near STA-2 332, STA-1 331 and STA-3 333, may receive the probe request from STA-2 332 and, in response, each be configured to launch its own mesh interface and send a probe response to STA-2 332. A mesh network connection may be established based on the exchange of probe requests from STA-2 332's mesh interface and probe responses from STA-1 331's and STA-3 333's mesh interfaces. For example, probe responses using the respective mesh interfaces of STA-1 331 and STA-3 333 can be used to provide connectivity from STA-1 331 and STA-3 333 to out-of-coverage STA-2 332 in response to a probe request.

[0092] A dynamic mesh network (e.g., Wi-Fi dynamic mesh network 350 of FIG. 3B ) may then be established between stations STA-1 331, STA-2 332, and STA-3 333, effectively extending the coverage area of ​​the Wi-Fi HaLow network 305. Even though STA-2 332 is out of coverage and no longer has a direct connection to the AP 310, STA-2 332 can still connect to and communicate with the Wi-Fi HaLow AP 310. In particular, STA-2 332 can connect to and communicate with the AP 310 via the range extension of the dynamic mesh network 350 provided by the mesh link between STA-2 332 and one or more (or both) of STA-1 331 and / or STA-3 333. For example, STA-1 331 and STA-3 333 have a direct or indirect connection to STA-2 332 via the dynamic mesh network 350, and even if STA-2 332 moves out of coverage of the network 305, communications to and from the Wi-Fi HaLow network 305 can be relayed via the respective direct connections between the AP 310 and STA-1 331 and STA-3 333. When STA-2 332 returns to the coverage range of the AP 305 and / or the Wi-Fi HaLow network 305, STA-2 332 can turn off its mesh interface and continue (e.g., resume) its direct connection and communications with the AP 310 using a Wi-Fi HaLow interface that is also included in and implemented by STA-2 332 in addition to the mesh interface described above.

[0093] Advantages of the disclosed dynamic mesh extension techniques for STAs include intuitively assisting in extending the coverage range of a BSS network 305 by enabling infrastructure STAs (e.g., STAs communicating with APs in a BSS network) to dynamically provide mesh connectivity to STAs that may have moved out of or exceeded the coverage range of the BSS network. The dynamic mesh extension techniques also provide the flexibility for STAs to switch to a mesh interface if the STA determines that its direct connection to an infrastructure AP is a weak signal strength link and / or if the STA determines that it has lost connectivity with the infrastructure AP. Thus, the impact on overall network performance due to the presence of weak RSSI STAs in the network can be avoided by configuring the STA to dynamically activate a mesh interface and send probe requests to one or more peer STA nodes, which then activate those mesh interfaces to provide the STA with mesh connectivity (e.g., the dynamic mesh network 350 of FIG. 3B). Once the mesh connection is activated, STAs of the mesh network (e.g., STA-1 331, STA-3 333) that are also connected to the Wi-Fi BSS network 305 can allow peering from STA(s) (e.g., STA-2 332) that are out of range of the mesh network 350 but are not connected to the Wi-Fi BSS network 305, thereby providing out-of-range STAs with a connection to the AP 310 via two or more hops. STAs that enabled their mesh interface to join the dynamic mesh network 350 for range extension while out of range of a direct connection to the AP 310 and the Wi-Fi BSS network 305 can be configured to disable the mesh connection after the STA returns to range of the AP 310. [Dynamic S1G Mesh Network - AP Extension Function]

[0094] Mesh networks are often used to extend network coverage and may be utilized as a backhaul link between two BSSs (e.g., mesh backhaul between a first BSS and a second BSS) where cabling (e.g., a wired connection between a first BSS and a second BSS) is not possible, impractical, or desirable. In some embodiments, a mesh gate (also referred to as a mesh gate node) can be selectively configured to both function as an AP in an S1G Wi-Fi network and as a mesh node in a mesh network. Using a mesh gate node configured as both an AP in an S1G Wi-Fi network and a mesh node in a mesh network can extend the range of a mesh basic service set (MBSS) associated with the mesh network. In some aspects, as used herein, a mesh gate may also be referred to interchangeably as a “co-located AP.” Embodiments of a co-located AP can be configured to monitor normal S1G client probe requests over the mesh interface and only activate the AP interface when an S1G client sends a probe request. For example, a co-located AP may be configured to wake up or activate its AP interface in response to the co-located AP receiving a probe request from an S1G client (eg, an infrastructure STA, etc.).

[0095] A mesh gate allows an AP interface of an infrastructure STA in a BSS to establish a connection with the mesh gate, while the mesh gate can connect to one or more mesh nodes or mesh STAs in an MBSS using its mesh interface. Thus, a mesh gate can bridge between STAs in a BSS and mesh nodes in an MBSS based on the mesh gate providing interconnection between its AP interface and its mesh interface. In some aspects, a station in a BSS can reach a mesh station in an MBSS through a mesh gate, and vice versa. In some examples, a mesh gate or portal may typically be marked as a root mesh STA. In such examples, a mesh gate can announce its presence using a mesh action frame containing a Route Announcement (RANN) flag or a path request element. All other mesh stations in the network respond to these mesh action frames and establish paths to the mesh gate. Mesh action frames are transmitted at RANN intervals, which are configurable parameters.

[0096] In addition to the mesh action frame, the mesh gate can further transmit beacons (e.g., beacon frames) according to a beacon interval, which is also a configurable parameter. Various embodiments of beacons transmitted from the mesh gate to the mesh nodes in the MBSS include regular beacons, probe requests, and integrated beacons. A detailed description of these beacons and their alternatives for mesh S1G networks is provided in further detail below. As previously mentioned, the mesh gate can be implemented as a mesh node or mesh STA including two different communication or networking interfaces, with a first interface provided for AP communication (e.g., an AP interface) and another interface provided for mesh STA communication (e.g., a mesh interface). Both the mesh interface and the AP interface can transmit beacons at default intervals to advertise the presence of the mesh gate in mesh mode and AP mode, respectively. For example, a first beacon type can be transmitted from the mesh gate node's AP interface approximately every 100 milliseconds, and a second beacon type can be transmitted from the mesh gate node's mesh STA interface approximately every 1000 milliseconds. This dual beacon activity, when transmitted at regular intervals, can cause noise in a network, especially in S1G networks, when multiple mesh nodes are present, as it consumes a large amount of bandwidth due to the low MCS data rate used for beacons (e.g., 0.3 Mbps with a long guard interval). Additionally, frequent beacon transmissions can reduce the battery life of battery-powered devices.

[0097] A mesh gate can have both mesh STA and AP functionality (e.g., mesh and AP interfaces / modes), which typically executes when the mesh gate is powered on. As contemplated herein, providing control to selectively enable or disable (e.g., turn on or off, respectively) different interfaces and modes of the mesh gate node can enhance the functionality of the mesh gate node and associated network connections. For example, a mesh gate node can be configured to control when to turn on AP mode. This can significantly reduce the airtime associated with transmitting beacons on the mesh gate's AP interface (which could otherwise occur every 100 milliseconds when the mesh gate's AP interface is active). Disabling, deactivating, or turning off the mesh gate node's AP interface when not needed can reduce traffic within the network based on the AP interface's beacon no longer being transmitted every 100 milliseconds as network traffic.

[0098] In some aspects, a user space application of the mesh gate can be configured and used to monitor traffic at the mesh gate and can turn on the AP mode of the mesh gate and activate the AP interface upon receiving a probe request from an infrastructure STA (or as otherwise detected by the user space application for traffic monitoring at the mesh gate). Similarly, the user space application of the mesh gate can be configured and used to turn off the AP mode and AP interface when the number of connected clients on the AP interface of the mesh gate becomes zero (e.g., when the AP interface of the mesh gate is not currently in use). Airtime can be further reduced by monitoring available mesh nodes near the mesh station. For example, the mesh gate can increase the beacon interval or stop beacon transmission if no nearby nodes are available in the network. In another example, the mesh gate can resume beacon transmission after a beacon or probe request is received from the mesh gate to the mesh station. In some embodiments, changes to the beacon interval used by the mesh gate can be advertised in a beacon compatibility IE of the S1G DTIM beacon frame transmitted by the mesh gate during beacon transmission operations.

[0099] 4A and 4B illustrate examples of dynamic mesh networks including mesh gate nodes configured to connect to a Wi-Fi WLAN BSS via the mesh gate node's AP interface and AP mode and to connect to a mesh network MBSS via the mesh gate node's mesh interface and mesh mode. In particular, FIG. 4A illustrates an example network configuration 400a in which mesh node-1 460 only participates in the mesh network's MBSS 455 (e.g., the mesh node-1 460's AP interface is turned off). FIG. 4B illustrates an example network configuration 400b in which mesh node-1 460 activates its AP interface to participate in both the mesh network's MBSS 455 and the Wi-Fi network's BSS 405. In some aspects, the MBSS 455 may be an example of a dynamic mesh network including one or more mesh gates implemented as mesh nodes or mesh STAs that can also turn on their AP mode / interface to connect to infrastructure STAs (e.g., mobile devices, etc.).

[0100] 4A, the BSS 405 network has two infrastructure stations, STA-1 431 and STA-2 432, each connected to the AP 410 of the BSS 405. The MBSS 455 network has three mesh stations (e.g., mesh nodes, one or more (or all) of which may be mesh gateway nodes with both AP and mesh interfaces), shown here as mesh node-1 460, mesh node-2 472, and mesh node-3 473. The mesh nodes 460, 472, and 473 of the MBSS 455 collectively form a mesh network.

[0101] Between example configuration 400a of FIG. 4A and example configuration 400b of FIG. 4B, STA-2 432 moves away from AP 410 of BSS 405 and toward mesh node-1 460 in MBSS 455. When STA-2 432 moves out of range of BSS 405, STA-2 432 loses connection with AP 410 and begins searching for a new AP to establish a connection with via a scanning process. In one embodiment, STA-2 432 may move away from AP 410 or lose connection with BSS 405, and in response, STA-2 432 may send a probe request to search for a new connection (e.g., as described with respect to the probe request sent in the above examples, such as FIGS. 3A-3B).

[0102] As STA-2 432 moves toward MBSS 455 and its constituent mesh nodes, mesh node-1 460 may receive a probe request from STA-2 432 (e.g., based on the physical proximity or range between mesh node-1 460 and STA-2 432 at the location shown in FIG. 4B). In some aspects, mesh node-1 460 may determine whether the received probe request has good signal strength (e.g., signal strength, RSSI, etc., above a set threshold, etc.). If the probe request is received with a signal strength below a set threshold, mesh node-1 460 may ignore the probe request and / or take no action.

[0103] Based on receiving a probe request from STA-2 432 having an RSSI or signal strength above a set threshold, mesh node-1 460 may be configured to become a mesh gate by activating its AP mode / AP interface, which remained inactive while mesh node-1 460 was in the example network configuration 400a of FIG. 4A. Mesh node-1 460 may further respond to the probe request from STA-2 432 with a corresponding probe response.

[0104] In the example of FIGS. 4A-4B, the AP interface of mesh node-1 460 was originally off (e.g., when mesh node-1 460 only joined MBSS 455, as shown in FIG. 4A). Thus, in some embodiments, mesh node-1 460 may receive a probe request from STA-2 432 via mesh interface of mesh node-1 460. As described above, the AP interface is turned on only when mesh node-1 460 decides to activate AP mode and function as a mesh gate (e.g., configures or reconfigures itself as a mesh gate).

[0105] 4B, both the AP interface and the mesh interface of mesh node-1 460 may be on at the time STA-2 432 sends the probe request. For example, mesh node-1 460 may already have both the AP interface and the mesh interface activated based on mesh node-1 460 previously receiving a probe request from another STA (not shown) that caused mesh node-1 460 to activate its AP interface. In this example, mesh node-1 460 may receive the probe request from STA-2 432 over the AP interface.

[0106] Upon receiving a probe response from a mesh gate (e.g., mesh node-1 460 after receiving a probe request from STA-2 432 and activating its AP interface if necessary), STA-2 432 can check whether the mesh gate 460 has the same capabilities and then initiates an association process to connect with the mesh gate 460. The mesh gate 460 can also announce its presence to other peers in the mesh network associated with the MBSS 455 using a Route Announcement (RANN) or Path Request element.

[0107] For example, mesh gate 460 can use a RANN or path request element to announce its presence as a mesh gate to the remaining mesh node peers (e.g., mesh node-2 472, mesh node-3 473, etc.) on MBSS 455, thereby indicating to the remaining mesh peers mesh node-2 472 and mesh node-3 473 that mesh gate 460 (e.g., mesh node-1 460 with both its AP interface and mesh interface activated) can access the DS across the MBSS. Based on the announcement(s) from mesh gate 460, both mesh node-2 472 and mesh node-3 473 can determine that STA-2 432 can be reached via an existing mesh link to mesh gate 460 (e.g., an existing connection in MBSS 455). The benefits of dynamically activating AP mode / AP interface in a mesh station (e.g., mesh node-1 460) include optimizing moderate overhead and saving valuable airtime by avoiding unnecessary beacons from the mesh station's AP interface.

[0108] In some embodiments, a mesh network may include one or more co-located APs (e.g., mesh gates, mesh gate nodes, etc.) that can simultaneously support both mesh and AP functionality. For example, Figures 5A-7 show various examples of mesh networks that include one or more co-located APs / mesh gates.

[0109] In particular, Figure 5A illustrates an example network configuration 500a corresponding to a mesh gate node 560 (e.g., a co-located AP) that includes an AP interface 562 for communication between the mesh gate node 560 and one or more STAs (e.g., STA 531) of a Wi-Fi WLAN BSS 505, and further includes a mesh interface 566 for communication with one or more mesh nodes (e.g., mesh node-1 571, mesh node-2 572) of a mesh network MBSS 555. Figure 5B illustrates a similar example, in which the mesh gate node 560 uses the AP interface 562 to provide connectivity between the MBSS 555 and an external network 580 / remote server 584 (whereas in the example of Figure 5A, the mesh gate node 560 uses the AP interface 562 to provide connectivity between the MBSS 555 and the BSS 505 / STA-1 531).

[0110] In some embodiments, the mesh gate 560 of FIGS. 5A and 5B (having an AP interface 562 and a mesh interface 566) may be the same as or similar to the mesh nodes used to implement STA-1 331 and / or STA-3 333 of FIGS. 3A and 3B, may be the same as or similar to mesh node-1 460 of FIGS. 4A and 4B, may be the same as or similar to one or more of STAs 331-337 of FIGS. 3A and 3B, may be the same as or similar to one or more of STA-1 431, STA-2 432, mesh node-1 460, mesh node-2 472, mesh node-3 473, etc. of FIGS. 4A and 4B, etc.

[0111] In some aspects, mesh node-1 571 and mesh node-2 572 of MBSS 555 can connect to and communicate with mesh gate 560 via mesh interface 566 and utilize mesh gate 560 as an additional (e.g., third) mesh node participant in the mesh network corresponding to MBSS 555. Simultaneously, infrastructure STA-1 531 can connect to and communicate with mesh gate 560 via AP interface 562 and utilize mesh gate 560 as an AP participant in Wi-Fi WLAN BSS network 505. In a simultaneous operation mode of mesh gate 560's AP interface 562 and mesh interface 566, mesh gate 560 can pass communications between AP interface 562 and mesh interface 566, thereby bridging connections between devices of Wi-Fi WLAN BSS 505 and mesh nodes of mesh network MBSS 555.

[0112] In some embodiments, a mesh gate or a co-located AP can be used to provide mesh portal functionality for a mesh network. For example, in FIG. 5B , mesh gate node 560 can be configured as a mesh portal between mesh network MBSS 555 (and its mesh nodes 571, 572) and an external network 580 (e.g., the Internet) with one or more remote servers 584 or other devices connected to the external network 580. For example, mesh gate 460 functions as a mesh portal and communicates with two mesh nodes 571, 572 in mesh network MBSS 555 via mesh interface 566, while mesh gate 560 implements mesh portal functionality that allows mesh nodes 571, 572 to communicate with the external network 580 / remote server 584.

[0113] 6 illustrates an example mesh backhaul network 680 including multiple mesh nodes and mesh gate nodes for providing mesh backhaul connectivity between a first Wi-Fi WLAN BSS-1 605 connected to a first mesh gate node 671 of the mesh backhaul network 680 and a second Wi-Fi WLAN BSS-2 607 connected to a second mesh gate node 674 of the mesh backhaul network 680, according to some examples. In some aspects, at least mesh node-1 671 and mesh node-4 674 may be provided as mesh nodes capable of simultaneously utilizing their included mesh interface and AP interface (and only utilizing one of them). In some embodiments, mesh node-1 671 and mesh node-4 674 may be the same as or similar to mesh gate node 560 of FIGS. 5A and 5B, and mesh node-1 671 and mesh node-4 674 each include an AP interface that is the same as or similar to AP interface 562 of FIGS. 5A-5B, respectively, and a mesh interface that is the same as or similar to mesh interface 566 of FIGS. 5A-5B, respectively.

[0114] In some cases, each mesh node (e.g., 671, 672, 673, and 674) in the mesh backhaul network 680 may be the same as or similar to the other mesh nodes. For example, in some embodiments, four mesh nodes 671-674 may each be mesh gate enabled nodes that include an AP interface and a mesh interface, with mesh node-1 671 and mesh node-4 674 configured as co-located AP / mesh gates with both the AP interface and the mesh interface active, while mesh node-2 672 and mesh node-3 673 are configured as mesh nodes only (with the AP interface deactivated or turned off and only the mesh interface active). In other examples, a first subset or portion of the mesh nodes in the mesh backhaul network 680 may be mesh gates / mesh gate enabled nodes that have both an AP interface and a mesh interface, while a second subset or portion of the mesh nodes in the mesh backhaul network 680 are non-mesh gate enabled nodes that instead include only a mesh interface (e.g., no AP interface). For example, in such an example, mesh node-1 671 and mesh node-4 674 may be included in a subset of nodes of the mesh backhaul network 680 that are mesh gate enabled and include both AP and mesh interfaces, while mesh node-2 672 and mesh node-3 673 are included in a second subset of nodes of the mesh backhaul network 680 that include only mesh interfaces (e.g., also referred to as mesh stations (mesh STAs)).

[0115] In some embodiments, BSS-1 605 includes a first STA-1 631 that communicates with an AP interface of a mesh gate implemented by mesh node-1 671 of the mesh backhaul network 680 (e.g., mesh node-1 671 uses its AP interface to act as an AP for BSS-1 605). The second BSS-2 607 can be separate and remote (e.g., remote) from the first BSS-1 605 and can include STA-2 632, STA-3 633, and STA-4 634 that communicate with an AP interface of a mesh gate implemented by mesh node-4 674 of the mesh backhaul network 680.

[0116] Because the mesh gates / co-located APs provided by mesh node-1 671 and mesh node-2 674 are included in the same mesh backhaul network 680, mesh node-1 671 can reach mesh node-4 674 (and vice versa) via one or more intermediate hops on the mesh links provided by mesh nodes 672 and 673. For example, mesh node-1 671 and mesh node-4 674 can connect to each other via the mesh backhaul 680 using one or more of the following: [mesh node-1, mesh node-3, mesh node-4], [mesh node-1, mesh node-3, mesh node-2, mesh node-4], [mesh node-1, mesh node-2, mesh node-4], and / or [mesh node-1, mesh node-2, mesh node-3, mesh node-4], etc.

[0117] The mesh nodes 671 and 674 can also be referred to as mesh gateways and / or coexisting APs because they simultaneously use their AP and mesh interfaces to participate in the same mesh backhaul network 680 and their respective BSS networks, BSS-1 605 and BSS-2 607 (respectively). Four mesh nodes, mesh node 1, mesh node 2, mesh node 3, and mesh node 4, are connected by a mesh backhaul. Mesh node 1 is a mesh gateway that connects to other mesh nodes in the mesh backhaul via a mesh interface and to station STA-1 in a first BSS network (BSS network 1) via an AP interface. Similarly, mesh node 4 is a mesh gateway that connects to other mesh nodes in the mesh backhaul via a mesh interface and to three stations, STA-2, STA-3, and STA-4, in a second BSS network (BSS network 2) via an AP interface.

[0118] In another illustrative example, Figure 7 shows an example network configuration 700 of a mesh backhaul network 780, which may be the same as or similar to the mesh backhaul network 680 of Figure 6. For example, the mesh backhaul 780 may include mesh nodes 771-774, which may be the same as or similar to the mesh nodes 671-674 (respectively) of the mesh backhaul 680 of Figure 6. In some embodiments, mesh node-1 711 and mesh node-4 774 of the mesh backhaul 780 of Figure 7 may be configured as mesh gate / co-located APs with their mesh interface and AP interface simultaneously active, while mesh node-2 772 and mesh node-3 773 may be provided as mesh STAs without AP interfaces (e.g., having only a mesh interface) or as mesh gate enabled nodes with their AP interfaces deactivated (e.g., only their mesh interface is active).

[0119] While the example mesh backhaul 680 of Figure 6 is used to provide mesh backhaul connectivity between a first BSS-1 605 and a second BSS-2 607, the example mesh backhaul 780 of Figure 7 can be used to provide mesh backhaul connectivity between a remote Wi-Fi WLAN BSS 705 and an external network 790, such as the Internet. Similar to the example of Figure 6, the mesh backhaul connectivity provided by the mesh backhaul network 780 of Figure 7 can be implemented, according to some examples, via respective connections of the mesh backhaul network 780 to first and second mesh gate nodes 771, 774.

[0120] 7 may be the same as or similar to BSS-1 605 or BSS-2 607 of FIG. 6 and / or other BSSs described herein and / or shown in the examples of FIG. 1-8D. For example, the remote BSS 705 of FIG. 7 may include a first STA-1 731, a second STA-2 732, and a third STA-3 733, each of which may communicate with an AP including or implemented by an AP interface of a mesh gate node 771 included in both the remote BSS 705 and the mesh backhaul network 780.

[0121] In one illustrative example, a first mesh node-1 771 may include a co-located AP used to implement a mesh gateway for connecting the mesh backhaul network 780 to infrastructure STAs 731-733 of a remote BSS 705. Mesh node-4 774 may include another co-located AP used to implement a mesh portal for connecting the mesh backhaul network 780 to the Internet 790 or other external network. The mesh gateway (e.g., mesh node-1 771) and mesh portal (e.g., mesh node-4 774) connect to other mesh nodes (e.g., mesh node-2 772 and mesh node-3 773) in the mesh backhaul network 780 using respective sets of mesh links between pairs of mesh nodes. The mesh gateway, mesh node-1 771, functions as an AP providing wireless connectivity to stations (STA-1 731, STA-2 732, and STA-3 733) in the remote BSS 705. The mesh portal, mesh node-4 774, connects to the Internet 790 through its AP interface.

[0122] In some aspects, a coexisting AP (e.g., mesh gate, mesh gate node, mesh gate-enabled node, etc.) in the examples described above with respect to FIGS. 3A-7 can selectively and dynamically determine whether to simultaneously activate both its AP and mesh interface. In examples where a coexisting AP / mesh gate is currently configured to activate both its AP and mesh interface, both interfaces can transmit one beacon per beacon interval. For example, the AP interface of mesh node-1 771 can transmit a first beacon on the remote BSS 705 at a first interval (e.g., every 100 milliseconds), and the mesh interface of mesh node-1 771 can separately transmit a second beacon on the mesh backhaul network 780 at a second interval (e.g., every 1000 milliseconds).

[0123] Separate beacon transmissions by the AP interface and mesh interface of a coexisting AP / mesh gate node significantly increase the number of beacons in communication, especially when there are a large number of mesh nodes in the mesh network. A beacon frame consists of mandatory and optional fields. Mandatory fields carry information necessary for the proper operation of the network, while optional fields are information elements (IEs) that provide information regarding the support of various features within the network. In some embodiments, to mitigate the problem of excessive airtime occupancy and improve mesh network performance, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a coexisting AP / mesh gate can be configured to perform a combined beacon, combining a BSS beacon on the AP interface and a mesh beacon on the mesh interface to reduce the required beacon airtime. For example, an embodiment of a coexisting AP can be configured to transmit a single combined beacon over the air using a beacon interval configured for a single combined beacon shared by the BSS beacon / AP interface and the mesh beacon / mesh interface of the coexisting AP. For example, the AP complies with the IEEE 802.11ah standard, which transmits a combined beacon on a channel within the S1G frequency band. In this embodiment, a coexisting AP supporting both stations in an S1G BSS and mesh nodes in an MBSS transmits a combined beacon for the stations and mesh nodes instead of separate BSS and mesh beacons. When this combined beacon is received by a station in the BSS or a mesh node in the MBSS, the receiver embodiment separates the combined beacon into two beacons and processes the appropriate beacon as if two separate beacons were received. The station processes the BSS beacon separated from the combined beacon, and the mesh node processes the mesh beacon separated from the combined beacon. This eliminates the need for extensive changes at higher layers to process the combined beacon transmitted by the coexisting AP. In some embodiments, the mesh network uses mesh beacon collision avoidance (MBCA) to avoid collisions between mesh beacons of neighboring nodes.To further leverage MBCA, multi-interface beaconing embodiments combine regular BSS beacons with mesh beacons to reduce the likelihood of beacon collisions. Co-located APs transmit integrated beacons from both the AP interface and the mesh interface to optimize airtime.

[0124] An example of combining a mesh beacon and a BSS beacon to form an integrated mesh-AP beacon is shown below. Some fields in a mesh beacon are identical to those in a BSS beacon, so the integrated mesh-AP beacon should present (e.g., include) only one copy of these fields. The integrated beacon may also include one or more mesh-specific fields for information contained only in mesh beacons and one or more BSS-specific fields for information contained only in BSS / AP beacons. In this example, the original beacon interval of the mesh beacon is 1000 time units (1024 ms), while the original beacon interval of the BSS beacon is 200 time units (204.8 ms). This means that BSS beacons are transmitted more frequently than mesh beacons. The beacon interval is the time between two consecutive beacon frames transmitted by coexisting APs / mesh beacons. Therefore, the integrated beacon is transmitted at intervals of 200 units (204.8 ms) to meet the needs of more frequently broadcasted beacons. In this example, the mesh beacon contains 5 bytes of fixed parameters and 74 bytes of tagged parameters, while the BSS beacon contains 5 bytes of fixed parameters and 84 bytes of tagged parameters. The resulting combined beacon is slightly larger than the BSS beacon, containing 5 bytes of fixed parameters and 109 bytes of tagged parameters. The coexisting AP combines the mesh and BSS beacons into a single combined beacon. This single combined beacon is split into two beacons in the mesh node or station's receiver driver, which then passes it to the Linux mac802.11 stack.

[0125] In some embodiments, a co-located AP operating in an S1G mesh network can turn off its AP interface and communicate only with mesh nodes in the MBSS using its mesh interface. When the co-located AP turns off its AP interface, it can function like a standard mesh node in the MBSS (e.g., without an AP interface). Like all mesh nodes in the MBSS, the co-located AP transmits a mesh beacon on the S1G channel every beacon interval to identify the mesh network. For example, the mesh beacon advertises its mesh ID, mesh profile, and power saving state. Because the available bandwidth in the S1G spectrum is limited, beacon overhead consumes a large portion of valuable airtime, especially when there are many mesh nodes in the MBSS. In terms of throughput, latency, and packet loss, the overall performance of an S1G mesh network degrades due to the high number of beacon transmissions between mesh nodes. Some embodiments of the present invention further improve the performance of an S1G mesh network by modifying the beaconing behavior of each mesh node. These embodiments include beaconless operation and a high modulation and coding scheme (MCS) rate for beacons.

[0126] Each mesh node in an S1G mesh basic service set (MBSS) is required to broadcast a management frame to announce its presence within the MBSS. For example, the management frame can be a beacon periodically transmitted by a mesh node to synchronize with other mesh nodes in the MBSS and allow the mesh node to enable power-save mode. In some embodiments of the present invention, a mesh node can disable power-save mode or mesh power-save features (especially AC-powered devices / mesh nodes) and skip beacons when power-save mode is disabled, since synchronization is not required. The aliveness of a mesh node can be detected by maintaining alive frames transmitted by the mesh node at regular intervals (typically shorter than the inactivity interval). The various embodiments described below illustrate several possible management frames that can help optimize the use of valuable S1G airtime. [Beacon-less operation]

[0127] The IEEE 802.11s mesh standard requires all mesh nodes in a mesh network to transmit a beacon advertising their mesh ID, mesh profile, and power saving state every beacon interval. If each mesh node transmits a beacon in MBSS, the beacon overhead increases significantly with the number of mesh nodes. A traditional mesh beacon is 100–110 bytes in size, and when using the default modulation coding scheme (MCS) index value of MCS0 (i.e., 0.3 Mbps), it takes approximately 3.5 ms of communication time in an S1G network. Therefore, the total beacon communication time overhead for 10 mesh nodes operating in a mesh network is approximately 35 ms. For a beacon interval of 100 ms (e.g., a beacon is transmitted every 100 ms), the total overhead associated with 10 different mesh nodes each transmitting a 3.5 ms airtime beacon every 100 ms, along with the possibility of collisions with other data frames, is approximately 35% of the available airtime (e.g., for every 100 ms beacon interval, 35 ms or 35% of the airtime is consumed by the beacon transmissions performed by the 10 mesh nodes).

[0128] To improve mesh network performance even with a large number of nodes, a new approach called mesh beaconless operation can be utilized. Because the S1G spectrum has all active channels, embodiments of mesh nodes in an S1G mesh network use active scanning to detect the presence of existing mesh networks. For example, as part of the active scanning process, a mesh node transmits a probe request that includes a wildcard mesh ID information element (IE). The mesh node can receive one or more probe responses to its probe request.

[0129] Each mesh node in a mesh network can be configured to filter probe requests received from regular S1G non-mesh clients if the received probe request frame does not contain a mesh ID information element (IE). For example, a mesh node can filter and ignore probe requests from non-mesh clients based on probe requests that do not contain a mesh ID IE. When ignoring probe requests from non-mesh clients, a mesh node that receives a probe request does not generate or send a probe response in response to the probe request, thereby reducing congestion and traffic on the network.

[0130] In some embodiments of beaconless operation, the beacons typically transmitted in an S1G mesh network are replaced with probe requests and probe responses. For example, instead of a mesh node periodically repeatedly transmitting the same information using a mesh beacon, the mesh node can be configured to transmit a probe response upon receiving an explicit probe request frame from the mesh node. Because network capabilities rarely change dynamically, using probe requests and probe responses as a substitute for beacons published on a mesh network for beaconless operation can avoid advertising the same network capabilities in beacons. In some aspects, network devices (e.g., nodes, STAs, APs, etc.) contemplated herein may be comprised largely of AC-powered devices that do not have the same power limitations as battery-powered devices that are not connected to a mains power source. In such instances where the majority of devices on the network(s) are AC-powered, device performance (rather than device power efficiency) may be the primary criterion for maintaining the network. Furthermore, implementing beaconless operation eliminates the need for a mesh beacon collision avoidance (MBCA) protocol to prevent beacon collisions.

[0131] 8A-8D show exemplary signaling diagrams corresponding to a sequence of operations for a mesh beaconless mode implementation of the scan and discovery phases, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 8A shows a signaling diagram illustrating a discovery scan 800a phase performed between mesh node-1 801 and mesh node-2 802. FIG. 8B shows a signaling diagram corresponding to a beaconless operation 800b phase between mesh node-1 801 and mesh node-2 802, which follows the discovery scan 800a of FIG. 8A. FIG. 8C shows a signaling diagram illustrating a peering establishment phase 800c, which may follow the beaconless operation 800b phase of FIG. 8B (again performed between mesh node-1 801 and mesh node-2 802). FIG. 8D is a signaling diagram illustrating an example of a third node peering phase 800d that may follow the peering establishment phase 800c of FIG. 8C and may be performed by one or more (or all) of mesh node-1 801, mesh node-2 802, and / or third mesh node-3 803.

[0132] Mesh peering, like infrastructure association, is implemented in a mesh node's supplicant, which uses MAC 802.11 to provide new peer notification upon receiving a lobe response or beacon from a neighboring mesh node. For example, mesh node-1 801 may include a supplicant component 812-1, a MAC 802.11 component 814-1, and a driver 816-1. Similarly, mesh node-2 802 may include a supplicant component 812-2, a MAC 802.11 component 814-2, and a driver 816-2. Mesh node-3 803 of FIG. 8D may similarly include a supplicant component, a MAC 802.11 component, a driver, etc., which may be the same as or similar to one or more (or both) of mesh node-1 801 and / or mesh node-2 802 or other mesh nodes described herein.

[0133] The supplicant (e.g., supplicant components 812-1, 812-2) is a user-space daemon for maintaining wireless connectivity for mesh nodes and implementing Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) key negotiation. The mac802.11 (e.g., mac802.11 components 814-1, 814-2) is a framework that driver developers can use to create drivers (e.g., drivers 816-1, 816-2) for SoftMAC wireless devices, which provide greater control over the hardware.

[0134] For example, the MAC 802.11 (e.g., 814-1, 814-2) in the mesh STA (e.g., mesh node-1 801, mesh node-2 802) handles data packet routing, route mesh STA mesh gate functions, and path search frames. For mesh peering to be successful, both mesh peers must have information about the other peer's advertisements in the supplicant; that is, both peers must have received the other mesh peer's beacon or probe response. Once both peers have the necessary information, the supplicant sends a mesh peering action frame, such as mesh peer open or mesh peer confirm.

[0135] Notably, in this embodiment, the initial mesh scan process is avoided; mesh nodes join the network as soon as the supplicant creates and initializes a mesh interface. As shown in the discovery scan 800a signaling diagram of FIG. 8A, the supplicant 812-1 of mesh node-1 801 can wake up and initiate a new mesh network in step 1. In step 2, the MAC 802.11 component 814-1 can perform mesh network initialization. In step 3, the supplicant 812-1 can send a COMMAND_SET_MESH_CONFIG to the driver 816-1 of mesh node-1 801, which sets the mesh ID and beaconless mode. In step 4, the driver 816-1 starts a periodic discovery scan timer (e.g., a timer for detecting directed probe requests) that can be supported in step 5. This causes the driver 816-1 to send a directed probe request with the mesh ID of mesh node-1 801 every 5 seconds until at least one peer connection is established.

[0136] Similarly, in step 6, the supplicant 812-2 of mesh node-2 802 initiates a new mesh network to the mac 802.11 component 814-2. In step 7, the mac 802.11 component 814-2 can perform mesh network initialization using the driver 816-2. In step 8, the supplicant 812-2 can send configuration information indicating the mesh ID of mesh node-2 802 to the driver 816-2 of mesh node-2 802 (e.g., sending COMMAND_SET_MESH_CONFIG including the mesh ID of mesh node-2 802). In steps 9 and 10, the driver 816-2 starts a periodic timer for discovery by sending a directed probe request including the mesh ID of mesh node-2 802.

[0137] In the beaconless operation phase 800b shown in the signaling diagram of FIG. 8B, the process proceeds to step 11, where driver 816-1 of mesh node-1 801 receives a mesh node-2 discovery probe request (e.g., the directed probe request sent by mesh node-2 802 in step 10 of the discovery scan 800a phase of FIG. 8A).

[0138] When a mesh node receives a directed probe request, the mesh node may evaluate whether the probe request is from a known peer with which the receiving mesh node has already established a peer connection. For example, in step 12, mesh node-1 801 and / or driver 816-1 may evaluate whether the mesh node-2 discovery probe request received in step 11 is from a known peer for mesh peering with mesh node-1 801 or from a new peer.

[0139] If the directed probe request is from a new peer, then in step 13, the directed probe request is passed to the mac802.11 component 814-1 along with the mesh ID IE and the corresponding receive status (e.g., Rx_status) is saved. Otherwise (e.g., if the directed probe request is from an existing established / known mesh peer of mesh node-1 801), it is dropped in the driver 816-1.

[0140] In step 14, the mac802.11 component 814-1 sends a unicast probe response including a full mesh configuration IE to the driver 816-1. Before sending the probe response, the driver 816-1 simulates a probe response from a peer node in step 15. For example, in step 15, a self-probe response from mesh node-2 802 to mesh node-1 801 can be simulated by the driver 816-1 of mesh node-1 801.

[0141] In step 16, the driver 816-1 of mesh node-1 801 passes the simulated probe response of mesh node-2 802 to the mac 802.11 component 814-1. In step 17, the mac 802.11 component 814-1 sends a discovery notification of the new peer mesh node-2 802 to the supplicant 812-1 of mesh node-1 801. This is because both supplicants 812-1 and 812-2 will need to have the new peer notification containing the probe response of the other peer mesh node. Notably, instead of sending a probe request and getting a probe response over the air 820, simulating a probe response identical to what the new node would have sent prevents additional frame exchanges over the wireless medium 820. This proves to be very useful in avoiding possible collisions and establishing consistent connectivity, especially when there are more than two mesh nodes in the network.

[0142] In step 18, driver 816-1 of mesh node-1 801 sends a unicast probe response to mesh node-2 802. In step 19, driver 816-2 of mesh node-2 802 receives the mesh probe response from mesh node-1.

[0143] In step 20, driver 816-2 passes the mesh probe response received from mesh node-1 801 to mac 802.11 component 814-2 of mesh node-2 802. In step 21, mac 802.11 component 814-2 sends a new peer mesh node-1 discovery notification to supplicant 812-2 of mesh node-2 802. Once both mesh nodes 801 and 802 have the probe response and the corresponding mac 802.11 components 814-1 and 814-2 indicate a "NEW_PEER" notification to supplicants 812-1 and 812-2, the two mesh nodes 801 and 802 begin SAE authentication and then peer using mesh peering action frames (e.g., as shown at the top of the signaling diagram in FIG. 8C).

[0144] After SAE authentication and peering, a peering establishment phase 800c may be performed according to the signaling diagram of Figure 8C, which corresponds to a later point in time when mesh nodes 801 and 802 are connected as peers and perform data forwarding accordingly. For example, after initial peering is performed and established according to steps 1-21 of the signaling diagrams shown in Figures 8A and 8B, a new node discovery scan 850 process may be performed according to steps 22-25 of the signaling diagram of Figure 8C.

[0145] For example, in step 22, the new node discovery scan 850 process may begin by sending a mesh discovery-oriented probe request (via driver 816-1) including the mesh ID of mesh node-1 801 to discover new neighboring mesh peers for mesh node-1 801. This discovery scan timer may run at 60 second intervals (e.g., a mesh discovery-oriented probe request may be sent by driver 816-1 of mesh node-1 801 every 60 seconds) to discover new neighboring mesh peers.

[0146] Similarly, in step 24, the driver 816-2 of mesh node-2 802 may perform a new node discovery scan 850 process by sending (via driver 816-2) a mesh discovery-oriented probe request including the mesh ID of mesh node-2 802 to discover new neighboring mesh peers for mesh node-2 802. This discovery scan timer for mesh node-2 802 may also run at the same 60 second interval for discovery of new neighboring mesh peers (e.g., a mesh discovery-oriented probe request may be sent by driver 816-2 of mesh node-2 802 every 60 seconds).

[0147] Because mesh node-2 802 is already a peer of mesh node-1 801, in step 23, driver 816-1 of mesh node-1 801 ignores all discovery probe requests received from mesh node-2 802 (e.g., ignores receipt of all discovery probe requests sent by mesh node-2 802 in step 24). Similarly, in step 25, driver 816-2 of mesh node-2 802 ignores all discovery probe requests received from mesh node-1 801 (e.g., ignores all discovery probe requests sent by mesh node-1 801 in step 22).

[0148] Thereafter, the third mesh node-3 803 wakes up and begins sending discovery probe requests that are received by one or more (or both) of mesh node-1 801 and / or mesh node-2 802. For example, as shown in the signaling diagram of FIG. 8D, corresponding to the third node peering phase 800d, in step 26, mesh node-3 803 can send a discovery probe request. In step 27, the discovery probe request sent from mesh node-3 803 in step 26 is received by driver 816-1 of mesh node-1 801.

[0149] In step 28, the driver 816-1 of mesh node-1 801 may evaluate the discovery probe request received from mesh node-3 to determine (e.g., evaluate and verify) whether mesh node-3 803 is a new or existing peer of mesh node-1 801. In step 29, the driver 816-1 may pass the discovery probe request from mesh node-3 803, including the mesh ID IE(s), to the mac 802.111 component 814-1 of mesh node-1 801. In step 30, the mac 802.11 component 814-1 may send a unicast probe response, including a full mesh configuration IE, to the driver 816-1 (and to both mesh node-1 801). In step 31, the driver 816-1 may simulate a self-probe response from mesh node-3 803 to mesh node-1 801. In step 32, the driver 816-1 can pass a simulated probe response to mesh node-3 803 to the mac 802.11 component 814-1. In step 33, the mac 802.11 component 814-1 can send a new peer mesh discovery notification for mesh node-3 803 to the supplicant 812-1 of mesh node-1 801. In step 34, the driver 816-1 of mesh node-1 801 can send a unicast probe response to mesh node-3 803, and in step 35, mesh node-3 803 can process the unicast probe response received from mesh node-1 801 in step 34, after which a peer discovery notification is provided to both mesh node-1 801 and mesh node-3 803. Similarly, this process can be repeated for mesh node-2 802 and mesh node-3 803 to establish peering. [High modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for beacons]

[0150] A modulation and coding scheme (MCS) index is a value that indicates the data rate and modulation type used to transmit information. For example, an MCS index associated with a beacon or beacon transmission indicates the data rate and modulation type used to transmit the beacon frame. The MCS index value may be a numeric value that represents a particular combination of modulation type and coding rate selected from a predetermined set of various modulation type and coding rate options.

[0151] If a mesh network requires network-level synchronization, all mesh nodes in the mesh network must transmit beacons. To reduce the overhead caused by beacon transmission, according to some embodiments of the present invention, these beacons may be transmitted using a high modulation and coding scheme (MCS) rather than a low MCS. For example, a higher MCS index value typically results in a higher data rate, but also requires better signal quality to avoid transmission errors. A lower MCS index value typically results in a lower data rate and is more robust to degradation in signal quality.

[0152] Conventional mesh nodes use only the lowest MCS index (e.g., MCS0) for beacon transmission to minimize transmission error rates. In some embodiments of the present invention, a mesh node transmits beacons using a higher modulation and coding scheme, e.g., MCS7, instead of the default modulation and coding scheme, which is typically the lowest (MCS0). The MCS defines the number of useful bits that can be transmitted per resource element, with a higher MCS conveying more useful bits per resource element than a lower MCS. These embodiments of transmitting beacons with a higher MCS can reduce the airtime required for beacon transmission. In some embodiments, the MCS for broadcasting beacons is selected according to the quality of the wireless link, with better wireless link quality resulting in a higher MCS being used. The MCS defines two aspects: modulation type and coding rate. The modulation type determines the phase and amplitude modulation of the bit coding. Examples of modulation types include binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), 64QAM, and 256QAM. More advanced modulation types, such as 256 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), transmit more information but are more susceptible to noise. The coding rate defines the number of bits used to transmit information and the number of bits used for error correction. A higher coding rate transmits more information but provides less error correction. In one embodiment, all mesh nodes in a mesh network use a predetermined MCS for transmitting beacons, the predetermined MCS being higher than the lowest MCS, i.e., MCS0. In another embodiment, each mesh node in a mesh network uses a potentially different MCS for beacon transmission, with at least one mesh node using an MCS higher than the lowest MCS. In some embodiments, mesh nodes in a mesh network adaptively determine the MCS for beacon transmission. For example, the MCS for beacon transmission depends on the minimum of the last transmission MCS rates used to communicate with all mesh peers.

[0153] In various embodiments of the present invention, a mesh node, mesh gate, or coexisting AP manages at least the media access control (MAC) layer and physical (PHY) layer in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) standard and is capable of transmitting and receiving over an S1G radio channel. Some embodiments of a mesh node, mesh gate, or coexisting AP include a mobile device, a personal computer, a laptop computer, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a wearable device, an augmented reality device, a video server, or a communication device on a vehicle. The mesh node, mesh gate, or coexisting AP includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter, an RF receiver, an antenna, one or more memory banks, an input / output interface, and a communication bus. The input / output interface includes an AP interface for communicating with one or more stations in the S1G Wi-Fi network and a mesh interface for communicating with one or more mesh nodes in the mesh network. The RF transmitter and RF receiver, also known as a modem, transmit data by modulating one or more carrier signals to encode digital information and receive data by demodulating the signal to recreate the original digital information. Furthermore, a mesh node, mesh gate, or coexisting AP includes a MAC processor, a PHY processor, and a HOST processor. These processors can be any type of integrated circuit (IC), including a general-purpose processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a reduced instruction set computing V (RISC-V)-based IC. The memory stores software including MAC layer functions. Each processor executes software to implement its respective communication / application layer functions. In particular, the PHY processor includes a transmit signal processing unit and a receive signal processing unit and manages the interface with the wireless medium. The PHY processor operates on physical layer protocol data units (PPDUs) by exchanging digital samples with the radio module, which includes an RF transmitter, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), an RF receiver, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a digital filter.The MAC processor executes MAC-level instructions and manages the interface between application software and the wireless medium via the PHY processor. The MAC processor is responsible for coordinating access to the wireless medium so that within-range APs and STAs can communicate effectively. The MAC processor adds header and tail bytes to units of data provided by the higher levels and sends them to the PHY layer for transmission. The reverse occurs when receiving data from the PHY layer. If a wireless frame is received in error, the MAC processor manages the retransmission of the wireless frame. The HOST processor interfaces with the MAC layer and is responsible for implementing higher-level functions of the wireless communication device. The peripheral bus connects to numerous peripherals that support core functions, such as timers, interrupts, radio / filter / system registers, counters, universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART), and general-purpose input / output (GPIO) interfaces. The PHY processor, MAC processor, HOST processor, peripheral bus, memory, and input / output interface communicate with each other via the system bus. The memory also stores the operating system and applications. In some embodiments, the memory can store recorded information about captured frames and packets. The input / output interface unit enables information exchange with the user. The antenna may include a single antenna or multiple antennas.

[0154] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of an example process 900 for signaling by a mesh gate node that includes an access point (AP) interface for communicating with one or more stations (STAs) in a basic service set (BSS) and further includes a mesh interface for communicating with one or more mesh nodes in a mesh basic service set (MBSS). For example, the mesh gate node may be the same as or similar to one or more of the mesh gate nodes of FIGS. 3A-8D described above. In some aspects, the mesh interface may be the same as or similar to the mesh interface 566 of FIGS. 5A-5B, and the AP interface may be the same as or similar to the AP interface 562 of FIGS. 5A-5B. At block 902, the process 900 includes monitoring a sub-gigahertz (S1G) radio channel for a probe request received by the mesh gate node. At block 904, the process 900 includes activating an AP mode of the mesh gate node based on receiving a probe request from a STA in the BSS, where activating the AP mode includes turning on the AP interface of the mesh gate node. At block 906, the process 900 includes wirelessly connecting to a STA using an AP interface of the mesh gate node and performing communication with the STA in the BSS via the AP interface of the mesh gate node. At block 908, the process 900 includes performing communication with one or more mesh nodes in the BSS via a mesh interface of the mesh gate node, the mesh gate node being configured to provide communication between the STA and the one or more mesh nodes via the interconnection between the AP interface and the mesh interface.

[0155] 10 illustrates a computing device architecture 1000 of a computing device capable of implementing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some examples, the computing device may include a mobile device, a wearable device, an augmented reality device (e.g., a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, or a mixed reality (MR) device), a personal computer, a laptop computer, a video server, a vehicle (or a computing device in a vehicle), or other device. The components of the computing device architecture 1000 are shown in electrical communication with each other using connections 1005, such as a bus. The computing device architecture 1000 includes a processing unit 1010 and computing device connections 1005 that couple various computing device components, including computing device memory 1015, such as read-only memory (ROM) 1020 and random access memory (RAM) 1025, to the processor 1010.

[0156] The computing device architecture 1000 may include a cache of high-speed memory directly connected to the processor 1010, close to the processor 1010, or integrated as part of the processor 1010. The computing device architecture 1000 may copy data from the memory 1015 and / or the storage device 1030 to the cache 1012 for quick access by the processor 1010. In this manner, the cache may provide performance improvements that avoid delays for the processor 1010 while waiting for data. These and other engines may control or be configured to control the processor 1010 to perform various operations. Other computing device memories 1015 may also be used. The memory 1015 may include multiple different types of memory with different performance characteristics. The processor 1010 may include any general-purpose processor, hardware or software services (e.g., service 1 1032, service 2 1034, and service 3 1036) stored in the storage device 1030 configured to control the processor 1010, and special-purpose processors in which software instructions are built into the processor design. The processor 1010 may be a self-contained system including multiple cores or processors, buses, memory controllers, caches, etc. Multi-core processors may be symmetric or asymmetric.

[0157] To enable user interaction with the computing device architecture 1000, the input device(s) 1045 may represent any number of input mechanisms, such as a microphone for audio, a touch-sensitive screen for gesture or graphical input, a keyboard, a mouse, motion input, speech, etc. The output device(s) 1035 may be one or more of many output mechanisms known to those skilled in the art, such as a display, projector, television, speaker device, etc. In some cases, a multimodal computing device may allow a user to provide multiple types of input to communicate with the computing device architecture 1000. The communications interface 1040 may generally control and manage user input and computing device output. Because there is no limitation to operation with a specific hardware configuration, the basic functionality herein may be easily replaced with improved hardware or firmware configurations as developed.

[0158] The storage device 1030 is non-volatile memory and may be a hard disk or other type of computer-readable medium capable of storing data accessible by a computer, such as a magnetic cassette, a flash memory card, a solid-state memory device, a digital versatile disk, a cartridge, RAM, ROM, and hybrids thereof. The storage device 1030 may include services 1032, 1034, 1036 for controlling the processor 1010. Other hardware or software modules or engines are also contemplated. The storage device 1030 may be connected to the computing device connections 1005. In one aspect, a hardware module that performs a particular function may include software or processor-readable code stored on a computer-readable medium in association with hardware components necessary to perform that function, such as the processor 1010, the connections 1005, and the output devices 1035.

[0159] The term "device" is not limited to one or a specific number of physical objects (such as a smartphone, a controller, a processing system, etc.) As used herein, a device may be any electronic device with one or more components capable of implementing at least a portion of the present disclosure.

[0160] Individual aspects may be described as a process or method that is depicted as a flowchart or data flow diagram. While a flowchart may depict operations as a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or simultaneously. Additionally, the order of operations may be rearranged. A process terminates when the operations are completed, but may include additional steps not included in the diagram. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, or a subprogram. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination may correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

[0161] The techniques described herein may also be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, firmware, or any combination thereof. Such techniques may be implemented in any of a variety of devices, such as a general-purpose computer, a wireless communication device handset, or an integrated circuit device having multiple uses, including applications in wireless communication device handsets and other devices. Any features described as modules or components may be implemented together in an integrated logic device or separately as separate but interoperable logic devices. If implemented in software, the techniques may be realized at least in part by a computer-readable data storage medium comprising program code including instructions that, when executed, perform one or more of the methods described above.

[0162] The program code may be executed by a processor, which may include one or more processors, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), general-purpose microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable logic arrays (FPGAs), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuitry. Such a processor may be configured to perform any of the techniques described in this disclosure. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices.

Claims

1. A signaling method for a mesh gate node, comprising: The mesh gate node includes an access point (AP) interface for communicating with one or more stations (STAs) in a basic service set (BSS), and further includes a mesh interface for communicating with one or more mesh nodes in a mesh basic service set (MBSS); The signaling method includes: monitoring a sub-gigahertz (S1G) wireless channel for probe requests received by the mesh gate node; activating an AP mode of the mesh gate node based on receiving a probe request from a STA in the BSS, wherein activating the AP mode includes turning on an AP interface of the mesh gate node; wirelessly connecting to the STA using an AP interface of the mesh gate node; performing communication with STAs in the BSS via an AP interface of the mesh gate node; performing communication with one or more mesh nodes in the MBSS via a mesh interface of the mesh gate node, the mesh gate node being configured to provide communication between the STA and the one or more mesh nodes via an interconnection between the AP interface and the mesh interface; Including, Signaling methods.

2. 2. The signaling method of claim 1, further comprising: turning off an AP interface of the mesh gate node based on determining that the number of connected STAs in a BSS currently associated with the mesh gate node via the AP interface is equal to zero.

3. 2. The signaling method of claim 1, wherein the mesh gate node uses the mesh interface to monitor the S1G radio channel for a probe request, and the AP interface is turned on only when the probe request is received.

4. 2. The signaling method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a mesh action frame by the mesh gate node, the mesh action frame announcing the presence of a mesh gate node with an AP mode activated in the MBSS.

5. 2. The signaling method of claim 1, further comprising periodically transmitting a beacon for mesh network detection by the mesh gate node, wherein the beacon is periodically transmitted using a beacon interval determined based on the number of mesh nodes in the MBSS.

6. transmitting a beacon at a set beacon interval by the mesh gate node; ceasing beacon transmissions based on a determination that the one or more mesh nodes are unavailable within the MBSS; The signaling method of claim 1 further comprising:

7. 2. The signaling method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by the mesh gate node, a probe request including a mesh information element (IE), wherein the mesh gate node is configured to transmit the probe request instead of transmitting a beacon.

8. 10. The signaling method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a beacon using a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) index value higher than a lowest MCS index value associated with data transmission within the MBSS.

9. The signaling method according to claim 8, wherein an MCS index value used for transmitting the beacon is adaptively determined by the mesh gate node.

10. The signaling method of claim 9, wherein an MCS index value used for transmitting the beacon is based on an MCS index value used for data transmission by the mesh gate node.

11. 2. The signaling method of claim 1, wherein, based on the signal strength of the received probe request exceeding a set threshold, the AP mode of the mesh gate node is activated and the AP interface of the mesh gate node is turned on.

12. 12. The signaling method of claim 11, wherein the step of wirelessly connecting to the STA further includes the step of transmitting a probe response to the STA through an AP interface of the mesh gate node, wherein the probe response is transmitted after turning on the AP interface in response to the received probe request.

13. The step of wirelessly connecting to the STA includes: Connecting to the STA through an association process between the STA and the mesh gate node; sending, by the mesh gate node, an announcement to one or more mesh nodes within the MBSS indicating the presence of the mesh gate; The signaling method of claim 12, further comprising:

14. A mesh gate, an access point (AP) interface for communicating with one or more stations (STAs) in a basic service set (BSS); a mesh interface for communicating with one or more mesh nodes in a mesh basic service set (MBSS); a processor communicatively coupled to the AP interface and the mesh interface; one or more memory banks communicatively coupled to the processor and storing processor-readable code; Including, The processor-readable code, when executed by the processor, monitoring a sub-gigahertz (S1G) wireless channel for probe requests; When a probe request is received from a STA within the BSS, the AP mode is activated and the STA is wirelessly connected to the AP mode. configured to communicate with connected STAs via the AP interface and with one or more mesh nodes in the MBSS via the mesh interface; The connected STA and the mesh node communicate with each other through the mesh gate. Mesh gate.

15. 1. A signaling method for a first station wirelessly connected to an access point (AP) in a basic service set (BSS) on a sub-gigahertz (S1G) wireless channel, comprising: The signaling method includes: communicating with the AP via a station (STA) interface of the first station; based on a determination that the first station has lost connection with the AP; activating a mesh interface of the first station; transmitting a probe request using a mesh interface of the first station, the probe request indicating a need for network connectivity for the first station; receiving a probe response from a second station wirelessly connected to an AP in the BSS, the probe response responding to the probe request; establishing a dynamic mesh network between the first station and the second station based at least in part on receiving the probe response; communicating with an AP in the BSS; Including, the first station is not directly connected to an AP in the BSS and is configured to communicate with the AP based on communicating with the second station using the mesh interface as a relay between the first station and an AP in the BSS; Signaling methods.

16. reconnecting to the AP when the first station acquires a connection with the AP based on returning within the coverage range of the AP; turning off the mesh interface of the first station and communicating directly with the AP via the STA interface of the first station; further comprising the first station turns off the mesh interface after reconnecting to the AP; 16. A signaling method according to claim 15.

17. A station (STA), an STA interface configured for communication with an access point (AP) in a basic service set (BSS); a mesh interface configured for dynamic mesh connectivity with a mesh basic service set (MBSS); a processor communicatively coupled to the STA interface and the mesh interface; one or more memory banks communicatively coupled to the processor for storing processor-readable instructions; Including, The processor-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: communicating with the AP via the station (STA) interface; Based on a determination that the STA has lost connectivity with the AP, activating a mesh interface of the STA; Transmitting a probe request using a mesh interface of the STA, the probe request indicating a need for network connectivity for the STA; receiving a probe response from a second STA wirelessly connected to an AP within the BSS, the probe response responding to the probe request; establishing a dynamic mesh network between the STA and the second station; communicating with the AP based on communicating with the second STA using a mesh interface of the STA as a relay between the first STA and an AP in the BSS; Execute Station (STA).

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