A channel management method for concurrent networks and a wireless device

Abstract

A channel management method for a parallel network, executed by a wireless device, includes: establishing a first connection in a first network with a first communication device via a first channel, and establishing a second connection in a second network with a second communication device via a second channel. The second network may be the same as or different from the first network. The second channel is determined by an enhanced channel selection algorithm that takes into account the existence of the first channel through which the first connection has already been established.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to communication in concurrent networks, and more particularly, to a channel management method and wireless device for concurrent networks, which can achieve better system performance. [Previous Technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the rise of high-demand applications such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), the number of Wi-Fi communication devices has increased significantly, leading to more scenarios where multiple Wi-Fi networks are used in parallel. Traditionally, Wi-Fi network connection algorithms rely on internal standards for peer selection. For example, for Wi-Fi station (STA) networks, this algorithm may be related to parameters such as received signal strength indicator (RSSI), interference level, bandwidth, and frequency band (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz). Devices scan available access points (APs), evaluate them according to these standards (i.e., conventional channel selection algorithms), and select the AP with the highest score. However, this approach may not be optimal for overall system performance, especially in scenarios with multiple parallel networks.

[0003] For example, in a scenario where a device simultaneously supports Wi-Fi Station (STA) networks and Wi-Fi Direct networks, the device may first establish a P2P connection on a specific channel based on a peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol negotiation mechanism. Subsequently, the device may also use a conventional channel selection algorithm to connect to the AP for STA operation, which may lead to a Multi-Channel Concurrent (MCC) scenario, thereby reducing throughput and increasing latency.

[0004] These methods also have limitations in scenarios involving multiple parallel networks of the same type. For example, if a device needs to access two P2P networks, they may establish connections on different channels based on their respective preferences, resulting in poor MCC and performance.

[0005] Therefore, in scenarios involving multiple parallel networks, there is an urgent need to provide an improved channel management technology to enhance overall system performance. [Summary of the Invention]

[0006] The following summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the following overview is provided to introduce the concepts, key points, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Selected embodiments are further described in the detailed description below. Therefore, the following summary is neither intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter nor to define the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] In one embodiment, a channel management method for a parallel network is disclosed. The channel management method is performed by a wireless device. The channel management method includes: establishing a first connection in a first network with a first communication device via a first channel, and establishing a second connection in a second network with a second communication device via a second channel. The second network may be the same as or different from the first network. The second channel is determined by an enhanced channel selection algorithm that takes into account the existence of the first channel through which the first connection has been established. That is, the enhanced channel selection algorithm specifically considers the existence of channels used by existing network connections when selecting channels for new network connections, in order to reduce the possibility of falling into an MCC scenario, thereby reducing transmission latency and increasing throughput.

[0008] In another embodiment, a wireless device is disclosed, comprising a processor and at least one transceiver. The at least one transceiver is configured to perform wireless communication, and the processor is coupled to the at least one transceiver and configured to perform the following operations: establishing a first connection with a first communication device in a first network via a first channel, and establishing a second connection with a second communication device in a second network via a second channel. The second network may be the same as or different from the first network. The second channel is determined by an enhanced channel selection algorithm that takes into account the existence of the first channel through which the first connection has been established.

[0009] The present invention is provided by way of example and is not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments and advantages are described in the following detailed description. The invention is defined by the claims.

Implementation Method

[0011] The following description illustrates preferred embodiments of the present invention. These embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical features of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Certain terms are used throughout this specification and the claims to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that manufacturers may use different terms to refer to the same components. This specification and the claims do not distinguish components by differences in name, but by differences in function. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims. The terms "comprising" and "including" used in the following description and claims are open-ended terms and should be interpreted as "comprising, but not limited to...". Furthermore, the term "coupled" means an indirect or direct electrical connection. Therefore, if a device is described as coupled to another device, it means that the device can be directly electrically connected to the other device, or indirectly electrically connected to the other device through other devices or connection means. The terms "basically" or "roughly" used in this text refer to a technical problem that can be solved and the desired technical effect achieved by someone with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field, within an acceptable range. For example, "roughly equal to" refers to a method that, without affecting the correctness of the result, is acceptable to someone with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field, with a certain margin of error compared to "exactly equal to".

[0012] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a channel management system 100 for a parallel network (particularly a parallel Wi-Fi network; for ease of explanation, a Wi-Fi network is used as an example) according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is worth noting that Wi-Fi is a wireless local area network (WLAN) technology based on the IEEE 802.11 standard. For example, different types of networks based on Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 standard) may include station-to-access point (STA-AP) networks, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, service access point (SAP) networks, etc. For illustration and understanding, embodiments of the present invention will use STA-AP networks and P2P networks as examples, but are not limited thereto. For example, a parallel network may be a scenario where a P2P network runs parallel to another P2P network, a scenario where a STA-AP network runs parallel to an SAP network, or a scenario where two or more Wi-Fi networks run parallel, etc. The channel management system 100 optimizes the overall performance of parallel networks in scenarios where multiple Wi-Fi networks operate in parallel. The channel management system 100 also addresses the problems in multi-channel concurrent (MCC) scenarios (i.e., scenarios where wireless devices operate in MCC mode), where overall performance is degraded due to channel switching overhead. MCC mode refers to a mode where wireless devices use multiple channels and the same (shared) transceiver path for transmission / communication across multiple networks. For example, by switching channels and sharing the same transceiver path through time-division multiplexing (TDD), transmissions are performed for different networks at different times. The channel management system 100 improves the overall performance of parallel networks by employing an enhanced channel selection algorithm (also known as the first channel selection algorithm). This enhanced channel selection algorithm considers the potential possibilities of the MCC scenario (i.e., the existence of channels used by existing connections) when selecting access points (APs) or channels for new network connections. The regular channel selection algorithm (also known as the second channel selection algorithm) does not consider the possibility of MCC scenarios, that is, it does not consider the existence of channels used by existing connections. In other words, when the regular channel selection algorithm selects an operation channel for a new network connection, it does not consider the existence of those channels already used by existing network connections. That is, the channel selection for each new network connection is completed independently, without considering the channels used by existing network connections separately.In this embodiment of the invention, the enhanced channel selection algorithm prioritizes single-channel contention (SCC) scenarios (i.e., scenarios where the wireless device operates in SCC mode) or dual-band dual-concurrent (DBDC) scenarios (i.e., scenarios where the wireless device operates in DBDC mode), where parallel networks running on the wireless device operate on the same channel or channels in different frequency bands. In parallel networks, wireless devices operating in SCC or DBDC modes do not need to switch channels for different networks. For example, in DBDC mode, different networks transmit data through channels in different frequency bands. Similarly, in SCC mode, different networks perform transmissions through the same channel without switching channels (e.g., different networks use the same channel at different times as needed), thus allowing the wireless device to make fuller use of its internal hardware resources such as the TRX (transceiver unit). However, in MCC mode, a wireless device can only perform TRX for a specific network during the time allocated to that network. If the TRX for that specific network is not used (idle), that idle time cannot be shared with other networks. Therefore, the channel management system 100 provides several advantages in multi-network parallel scenarios, including reduced latency, increased throughput, and enhanced overall system performance. SCC mode refers to a mode in which a wireless device uses a single channel (also called an SCC channel) and the same (shared) transceiver path to transmit signals for multiple networks. For example, it can use time division multiplexing (TDD) to transmit signals for different networks at different times using the shared transceiver path. In addition, DBDC mode refers to a mode in which a wireless device uses different channels (also called FDD channels) and different transceiver paths to transmit signals for multiple networks. It allows parallel (e.g., FDD) communication through channels in different frequency bands (e.g., 2.4GHz+5GHz, or 2.4GHz+6GHz, or 5GHz+6GHz).

[0013] In Figure 1, the channel management system 100 includes a wireless device 10, a first communication device 11, and a second communication device 12, wherein the first communication device 11 and the second communication device 12 are respectively connected to the wireless device 10. The wireless device 10 can be a mobile device or user equipment (UE). The wireless device 10 can act as a communication hub, connecting to multiple devices through at least one channel. In this embodiment, the main function of the wireless device 10 is to establish and manage parallel connections with other devices, while reducing or avoiding the possibility of performance degradation caused by MCC scenarios. The first communication device 11 can be a P2P device, a mobile device, or any other type of communication device. The first communication device 11 establishes a connection with the wireless device 10. The first communication device 11 communicates with the wireless device 10 through a wireless channel. The first communication device 11 transmits data to the wireless device 10 and receives data from the wireless device 10. The first communication device 11 can also establish connections with other devices in the network. The second communication device 12 can be an AP, a smartphone, a laptop, or another P2P device, which establishes a connection with the wireless device 10.

[0014] In this embodiment, a "connection" refers to a specific communication path that transmits and receives wireless signals between devices through a channel. For example, each channel can be identified by a channel number (CH) and a corresponding bandwidth. Proper channel selection is crucial for maintaining optimal network performance. Inappropriate channel selection may lead to reduced throughput. Therefore, when selecting a channel for a new network connection, the channel management system 100 employs an enhanced channel selection algorithm to reduce the probability that the wireless device 10 falls into an MCC scenario.

[0015] In Figure 1, a first connection is established between wireless device 10 (e.g., a mobile device) and first communication device 11 (e.g., another mobile device) via a first channel CA. A second connection is established between wireless device 10 and second communication device 12 via a second channel CB, wherein the second channel CB is selected or determined after the first connection is established via the first channel CA. The selection of the second channel CB is based on an enhanced channel selection algorithm that takes into account the presence of the existing first channel CA used by the first connection and aims to optimize overall system performance. Furthermore, in another embodiment, if wireless device 10 operates in an MCC scenario, the first channel CA between wireless device 10 and the first communication device 11 can be switched to a third channel CC to avoid operation in an MCC scenario. The third channel is selected to enable wireless device 10 to operate in an SCC scenario or a DBDC scenario, thereby achieving parallel operation with the second channel CB. For example, the third channel CC is determined to be the same as the second channel CB to achieve parallelism in the SCC scenario. Alternatively, the third channel CC may be determined to be a channel in a different frequency band (FDD channel) than the second channel CB to achieve parallelism in the DBDC scenario. By doing so, in this embodiment, the channel management system 100 employs an enhanced channel selection algorithm to provide improved throughput and reduced latency.

[0016] In the channel management system 100, the wireless device 10 establishes a first connection with the first communication device 11 in a first network via a first channel CA, and the wireless device 10 establishes a second connection with the second communication device 12 in a second network via a second channel CB, wherein the second network may be the same as or different from the first network. The second channel CB is determined by an enhanced channel selection algorithm that takes into account the existence of the first channel CA through which the first connection has been established. For example, the second channel CB is selected to enable the wireless device 10 to operate in SCC mode or DBDC mode as much as possible, thereby achieving parallel operation with the first channel CA in the SCC or DBDC scenario. If the wireless device 10 still experiences an MCC scenario, the first channel CA used for the first connection can be switched to another channel, for example, by selecting the third channel CC through an enhanced channel selection algorithm (which takes into account the existence of the second channel CB), and re-establishing the connection between the wireless device 10 and the first communication device 11 through the third channel CC, so that the wireless device 10 operates in the SCC or DBDC scenario. A detailed description of the channel management system 100 will be described below.

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the hardware architecture of the channel management system 100. The first communication device 11 includes a transceiver 11a, a processor 11b, and a memory 11c. The processor 11b is coupled to the transceiver 11a and the memory 11c. The transceiver 11a supports wireless communication, for example, sending and receiving data through a first connection established via a first channel CA in a first network. The processor 11b manages the communication process, for example, executing a negotiation process with the wireless device 10 to achieve channel selection and switching. The memory 11c stores the software and data required for the operation of the first communication device 11. The second communication device 12 includes a transceiver 12a, a processor 12b, and a memory 12c. The processor 12b is coupled to the transceiver 12a and the memory 12c. The transceiver 12a supports wireless communication, for example, sending and receiving data through a second connection established via a second channel CB in a second network. The processor 12b manages the communication process, for example, executing a negotiation process with the wireless device 10 to achieve channel selection and switching. The wireless device 10 includes at least one transceiver 10a, a processor 10b, and a memory 10c. The processor 10b is coupled to the transceiver 10a and the memory 10c. The processor 10b manages communication processes, such as performing negotiation processes with a first communication device 11 and a second communication device 12 to establish communication with them (including channel selection and switching). The memory 10c stores the software and data required for the operation of the wireless device 10. Specifically, the wireless device 10 includes at least one transceiver 10a to support wireless communication, such as sending and receiving data. If the wireless device 10 has only one transceiver 10a_1, this means that the wireless device 10 has only one radio frequency (RF) transceiver path available. Therefore, the wireless device 10 can implement an SCC scenario together with the first communication device 11 and the second communication device 12; that is, the wireless device 10 is preferably operated in SCC mode in a parallel network. If the wireless device 10 has at least two transceivers 10a_1 and 10a_2, this means that the wireless device 10 has at least two RF transceiver paths available. Therefore, the wireless device 10 can be used to implement a DBDC scenario (also known as an FDD scenario) or an SCC scenario with the first communication device 11 and the second communication device 12. That is, in this case, the wireless device 10 can operate in DBDC mode or SCC mode in a parallel network. In this embodiment of the invention, transceiver 10a_2 is optional.

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of selecting the second channel CB from the available channels using an enhanced channel selection algorithm. In this embodiment, the first communication device 11 can be a P2P device. For ease of explanation and understanding, the first network is illustrated using a P2P network as an example, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, it can also be a STA-AP network or an SAP network. The first connection between the wireless device 10 and the first communication device 11 in the first network (e.g., a P2P network) is used to access data through the first channel CA. In the example of Figure 3, the wireless device 10 establishes a first connection with the first communication device 11 through the first channel CA, where the first channel CA is CH36 (i.e., CA=CH36). For example, the wireless device 10 and the first communication device 11 can negotiate and agree to use the first channel CA (=CH36) as the initial operating channel. During the negotiation process, the wireless device 10 and the first communication device 11 exchange information such as their preferred channel, preferred channel list, and supported channel list. Understandably, a device's preferred channel includes the preferred channel that the device intends to use, the device's preferred channel list includes the second-best preferred channel that the device intends to use, and the device's supported channel list includes all channels supported by the device. Ultimately, the group owner (GO, e.g., wireless device 10) in the P2P network will determine the first channel CA from the available channels based on this information. For example, in the example of Figure 3, the first channel CA is determined to be CH36. After wireless device 10 and the first communication device 11 establish a P2P connection via the first channel CA (=CH36), when a new network connection needs to be established subsequently, the enhanced channel selection algorithm provided by this invention for different network types is used to select a suitable channel for the new network connection.

[0019] In one embodiment, the second network is a station-to-access point (STA-AP) network. The wireless device 10 performs a scanning operation to discover multiple APs on multiple available channels. Each AP has a corresponding operating channel. For example, the wireless device 10 scans for multiple APs operating on channels CH1, CH36, CH52, CH100, and CH144 respectively, and thus, the wireless device 10 finds a suitable AP from these APs and establishes a connection with it. Specifically, the wireless device 10 first generates multiple scores corresponding to the multiple APs according to a conventional channel selection algorithm, wherein the conventional channel selection algorithm does not consider the existence of the first channel CA (i.e., does not consider the potential possibility of MCC scenarios). Each score is associated with the corresponding AP and the corresponding channel. For example, the wireless device 10 generates a score for each AP. Each score is obtained by weighting multiple factors, such as the AP's signal strength, the number of devices connected to the AP, and / or the AP's security. Each score is used to represent a numerical value indicating the desirability of connecting to the corresponding AP. In the proposed enhanced channel selection algorithm, the wireless device 10 further adjusts at least one of the initially obtained scores based on the first channel to update the initially obtained scores, aiming to reduce the potential likelihood of the wireless device 10 operating in MCC mode. For example, the wireless device 10 reduces at least one score corresponding to at least one AP based on a weighting factor (e.g., a weighting factor greater than 0 and less than 1). Finally, the wireless device 10 selects the AP with the highest score based on the updated scores and establishes a connection with the AP with the highest score through its operating channel.

[0020] In the first case, if the wireless device 10 has only a single RF transceiver path, the wireless device 10 can reduce at least one score corresponding to at least one AP based on a weighting factor, wherein the operating channel of the at least one AP is different from the first channel CA. For example, in a scenario where multiple APs with operating channels CH1, CH36, CH52, CH100, and CH144 are detected and the first channel CA is CH36, at least one score corresponding to at least one AP whose operating channel is one of channels CH1, CH52, CH100, and CH144 will be adjusted. For example, the score is adjusted by multiplying the original score by 0.7 (using 0.7 as an example of a weighting factor). This adjustment is to reduce the likelihood that the wireless device 10 selects an AP corresponding to a channel different from the first channel CA (=CH36), thereby reducing the likelihood of the wireless device 10 operating in MCC mode / scenario. This is because the applicant found that the wireless device 10 needs to frequently switch channels when operating in MCC mode, resulting in performance degradation. Therefore, based on the updated multiple scores, the second channel CB is determined as the channel with the highest score among the updated multiple scores. For example, wireless device 10 selects the AP with the highest score from multiple APs based on multiple updated scores. The operating channel of the AP with the highest score is then determined as the second channel CB, for example, CH36. This enhanced channel selection algorithm effectively avoids wireless device 10 operating in MCC mode. After determining the appropriate second channel CB (=CH36) using the enhanced channel selection algorithm, wireless device 10 can establish a second connection with the second communication device 12 through the second channel CB (=CH36). Wireless device 10 will then operate in SCC mode, thereby improving transmission latency and throughput in parallel networks.

[0021] In the second case, if the wireless device 10 has multiple RF transceiver paths, the wireless device 10 reduces at least one score corresponding to at least one AP, wherein the operating channels of these APs are different from the first channel CA but are in the same frequency band as the first channel CA. This embodiment describes a scenario where the wireless device 10 has multiple RF transceiver paths, meaning that the wireless device 10 can also operate in dual-band dual-parallel (DBDC) mode. In DBDC mode, the wireless device 10 can transmit and receive data simultaneously / in parallel on two different frequency bands. In the proposed enhanced channel selection algorithm, in order to reduce interference and maintain preferred performance, the wireless device 10 reduces the original score of these APs operating on channels different from the first channel CA but in the same frequency band as the first channel (e.g., channels CH52, CH100, and CH144). This adjustment helps to select APs operating on channels in different frequency bands or on the same channel as the first channel CA, thereby making the wireless device 10 more inclined to operate in SCC mode or DBDC mode.

[0022] In another embodiment, the second network is a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. In a P2P network, when the wireless device 10 wants to establish a P2P connection with the second communication device 12, the wireless device 10 negotiates with the second communication device 12 to obtain a preferred channel, a list of preferred channels, and a list of supported channels between the wireless device 10 and the second communication device 12, and determines a second channel for establishing the network connection based on the preferred channel, the list of preferred channels, and the list of supported channels between the wireless device 10 and the second communication device 12. In one embodiment, if the wireless device 10 includes only a single RF transceiver path, the preferred channel of the wireless device 10 is set as the first channel (i.e., the channel used by the existing network connection). In another embodiment, if the wireless device 10 includes multiple radio frequency (RF) transceiver paths, the preferred channel of the wireless device 10 is set to one of a first channel (e.g., CH 36) and a third channel (e.g., CH 149), the third channel being different from the first channel and located in a different frequency band than the first channel, and the preferred channel list of the wireless device 10 includes the other of the first channel and the third channel (e.g., CH 36).

[0023] For example, during the negotiation process, wireless device 10 and second communication device 12 can determine which device acts as the group owner (GO) and which device acts as the group client (GC). This decision can be based on factors such as device capabilities, power levels, or device preferences. If wireless device 10 is the GO, then if the second communication device 12 also supports the preferred channel of wireless device 10 (e.g., the preferred channel of wireless device 10 is also included in the preferred channels of the second communication device 12, the preferred channel list, and the supported channel list), then wireless device 10 can select its preferred channel as the second channel CB. Therefore, the second channel CB used to establish a new connection is determined to be the same as the first channel (e.g., CH36). This enables the SCC scenario of wireless device 10, where two connection operations are performed on the same channel (CA=CB=CH36). In another embodiment, if the wireless device 10 includes multiple radio frequency (RF) transceiver paths, the preferred channel of the wireless device 10 is set to one of a first channel and a third channel that is different from the first channel and is in a different frequency band than the first channel, and the preferred channel list of the wireless device includes the other of the first channel and the third channel. For example, if the first channel is CH36, CH149 and CH36 are channels in different frequency bands and are FDD channels of each other. Therefore, the preferred channel of the wireless device 10 can be set to one of the first channel (such as CH36) and the third channel (such as CH149), and the preferred channel list of the wireless device 10 can include the other of the first channel (such as CH36) and the third channel (such as CH149). If wireless device 10 acts as the GO, assuming that the preferred channel of wireless device 10 is also supported by the second communication device 12 (e.g., the preferred channel of wireless device 10 is also included in any of the preferred channels, preferred channel list, and supported channel list of the second communication device 12), then wireless device 10 can select its own preferred channel as the second channel CB. Therefore, the second channel CB used to establish a new connection is determined as the third channel (e.g., CH149). This enables a DBDC scenario for wireless device 10, where the two connections operate on channels in different frequency bands.

[0024] In an embodiment of a P2P network, the wireless device 10 and the second communication device 12 follow a series of steps of the P2P protocol to establish a P2P connection. The enhanced channel selection algorithm proposed in this invention can be used to implement SCC or DBDC scenarios to achieve better performance. In SCC mode, the wireless device 10 maintains its existing connection with the first communication device 11 on the first channel CA=CH36 while establishing a connection with the second communication device 12 on the same channel (second channel CB=CH36). If the wireless device 10 supports DBDC mode, the wireless device 10 can also establish a second connection with the second communication device 12 through the second channel CB=CH149. These steps aim to optimize the P2P connection by selecting channels that allow SCC or FDD modes, depending on the hardware capabilities and preferences of the wireless device.

[0025] In another embodiment, the second network is a Serving Access Point (SAP) network. Understandably, an SAP network is a network feature (commonly known as a soft AP) where a device opening a hotspot can act as a wireless access point (AP), allowing other devices to connect to it to share network connectivity. Specifically, in a conventional connection process, the device opening a hotspot scans all available channels and selects the optimal channel to establish the hotspot according to a conventional channel selection algorithm. The selection criteria for the conventional channel selection algorithm include channel quality, interference level, and security. However, in the proposed enhanced channel selection algorithm, the wireless device 10 directly determines the second channel CB without performing a scan, ensuring that the wireless device 10 operates in Single Contention (SCC) mode or Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode. For example, if the wireless device 10 has only a single RF transceiver path, then the second channel CB will be directly determined to be the same as the first channel (i.e., CB=CA=CH36) without performing a scan. If the wireless device 10 has multiple RF transceiver paths, then the second channel CB will be directly determined as either the first channel CA or the third channel without the need for scanning. In this embodiment, the third channel (e.g., CH149) is different from the first channel (CH36) and is in a different frequency band than the first channel CA; understandably, the third channel and the first channel are FDD channels for each other. Similarly, by avoiding multi-channel parallel (MCC) scenarios, the second channel CB can be appropriately determined without scanning, enabling the wireless device 10 to operate in SCC mode and dual-band dual-parallel (DBDC) mode. Therefore, through the enhanced channel selection algorithm, the channel management system 100 provides improved throughput and reduced latency while saving scanning time and resources.

[0026] The purpose of the above embodiments is to appropriately select the second channel CB while taking into account the existence of channels already used in existing connections. This increases the likelihood that the wireless device 10 will operate in SCC mode or DBDC mode and reduces the probability of operating in MCC mode (in MCC mode, at least two different channels share a single RF transceiver path), thereby effectively reducing latency and increasing throughput. As described above, the enhanced channel selection algorithm can be exemplarily listed in Table T1. It should be noted that Table T1 only provides examples of key parts of the enhanced channel selection algorithm. Network type Enhanced channel selection algorithm STA-AP Network Scan and select the highest-scoring AP: (a) When a scanned channel would cause the wireless device to become an MCC scene or cause interference, the score of that channel will be multiplied by a weighting factor (e.g., 0.7) for adjustment. P2P network The following information is provided for negotiation: (a) Preferred Channel (Select SCC / FDD Channel) (b) Preferred Channel List (SCC / FDD Channels) (c) List of supported channels SAP Network Select the SCC / FDD channel directly without performing a scan. Table T1

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the channel management system 100 switching from the first channel CA to the third channel CC. In Figure 4, it is assumed that the wireless device 10 is already operating in an MCC scenario, which will lead to performance degradation. There may be several reasons why the wireless device 10 enters an "MCC scenario". For example, in some embodiments, after the first channel CA is configured, if the user framework does not allow dynamic allocation or change of the second channel CB in the second network, this may lead to an MCC scenario. In another case, after the first channel CA is configured, if the wireless device 10 is forced to connect to a specific channel as the second channel CB, it may also lead to an MCC scenario. In other embodiments, although an enhanced channel selection algorithm is used, if the available APs are limited, the wireless device 10 may still connect to the AP that causes the MCC scenario (i.e., the reduced score may still be the highest score among the updated multiple scores). Therefore, this embodiment of the invention also provides a switching mechanism for scenarios where the wireless device 10 operates in MCC mode, to switch the wireless device 10 from MCC mode to SCC mode or DBDC mode. For example, considering the existence of a channel used by a later-established connection, the channel used by an earlier-established connection can be switched to another channel (such as the third channel). During the selection of the third channel, the channel used by the later-established connection (such as the second channel) is considered to be the channel used by the existing connection, thus selecting the third channel based on an enhanced channel selection algorithm (considering the existence of the second channel). For ease of explanation and understanding, Figure 4 illustrates this using an example of 10 wireless devices with a single transceiver path.

[0028] In Figure 4, initially, wireless device 10 establishes a connection with first communication device 11 in the first network via first channel CA (=CH36), and establishes a connection with second communication device 12 in the second network via second channel CB (=CH44), which causes wireless device 10 to operate in MCC mode. When wireless device 10 operates in MCC mode / scenario, the channel management system 100 (specifically, wireless device 10) can be triggered to perform a re-evaluation process. In the re-evaluation process, overall performance is improved by switching wireless device 10 from MCC scenario to SCC scenario or DBDC scenario. In embodiments of the invention, various networks in a parallel network will use the specifications of their existing protocols to switch the "original" first channel CA to a different channel (e.g., third channel CC). The following are examples of specific protocols provided for different types of networks.

[0029] In one embodiment, at least one of the first network and the second network is a Station-Access Point (STA-AP) network. For example, the first network is a STA-AP network. In this example, when the wireless device 10 operates in MCC mode, the wireless device 10 can select a third channel (which is the operating channel of the third communication device) by means of an enhanced selection algorithm, taking into account that a connection has been established on the second channel. The wireless device 10 can send a reassociation request frame to the third communication device (e.g., another AP determined by the enhanced channel selection algorithm, not shown in Figure 4). If the reassociation request frame is accepted, the wireless device 10 will receive a reassociation response frame sent from the third communication device. Thus, the operating channel of the STA-AP network is switched from the first channel to the third channel. Understandably, the wireless device 10 is switched to establish a connection with the third communication device in the STA-AP network. In this embodiment, if the wireless device 10 has only a single RF transceiver path, the first channel CA (=CH36) can be switched to the same third channel CC as the second channel CB (=CH44) to allow the wireless device 10 to operate in Single-Channel Contention (SCC) mode. In another embodiment, if the wireless device has multiple RF transceiver paths, the first channel CA (=CH36) can be switched to a third channel CC (=CH149) that is different from the second channel CB (=CH44) and operates in a different frequency band to allow the wireless device 10 to operate in Dual-Band Dual-Parallel (DBDC) mode; or, the first channel CA (=CH36) can also be switched to the same third channel CC (=CH44) as the second channel CB (=CH44) to allow the wireless device 10 to operate in SCC mode. In this embodiment, the third channel can be determined by an enhanced channel selection algorithm that takes into account the channels used by existing connections (e.g., the second channel CB), wherein the operating channel of the third communication device (e.g., the one with the highest score) is the third channel. In short, when the wireless device 10 operates in multi-channel parallel (MCC) mode, the operating channel in the STA-AP network can be switched via a reassociation procedure in the STA-AP network, preferably switching the wireless device 10 from MCC mode to SCC mode or DBDC mode. Therefore, the channel management system 100 can provide a more efficient, faster, and potentially more energy-efficient network experience.

[0030] In another embodiment, at least one of the first network and the second network is a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. When the wireless device 10 operates in MCC mode, the wireless device 10 can switch the operating channel in the P2P network through a channel switching request and announcement mechanism (defined in the current Wi-Fi Direct protocol) to switch the wireless device 10 from MCC mode to SCC mode or DBDC mode. For example, when the wireless device 10 operates in MCC mode, the first communication device 11 can be triggered to generate an extended channel switch announcement (ECSA) frame or a CSA frame carrying information about the third channel CC (e.g., CC=CB=CH44) to make the wireless device 10 operate in SCC mode. The ECSA / CSA frame is a signal used to announce that the Basic Service Set (BSS) is switching to a new channel in the same or a new operating category. For example, the ECSA / CSA frame includes the operating category and channel number of the new channel. ECSA / CSA elements are contained in the ECSA / CSA frame, and the format of the ECSA / CSA elements is shown in Table T2. Field Element ID Length Channel Switch Mode New Operating Class New Channel Number Channel Switch Count Octets 1 1 1 1 1 1 Table T2

[0031] Wireless device 10 receives an ECSA frame (or CSA frame) from first communication device 11. As previously described, either wireless device 10 or first communication device 11 can act as a group owner (GO) or group user (GC). The GO acts as a central coordinator, similar to an AP, while the GC is connected to the GO. In this embodiment, the GO can switch the first channel CA to the same third channel CC as the second channel CB via an ECSA frame (or CSA frame). For example, the GO switches the "original" first channel CA (=CH36) to the third channel CC=CH44 via an ECSA / CSA frame, thereby switching wireless device 10 from MCC mode to SCC mode (CB=CC=CH44). Similarly, in another embodiment, when wireless device 10 is operating in MCC mode, the operating channel in the P2P network can be switched via the Channel Switch Request and Announcement mechanism in the P2P protocol to switch wireless device 10 from MCC mode to DBDC mode. By doing so, the wireless device 10 can use channels of different frequency bands and different transceiver paths to transmit signals for different networks.

[0032] In another embodiment, at least one of the first network and the second network is a Serving Access Point (SAP) network. When the wireless device 10 operates in MCC mode, the operating channel in the SAP network can be switched via a channel switching request and announcement mechanism to switch the wireless device 10 from MCC mode to SCC mode or DBDC mode. Based on Extended Channel Switching Announcement (ECSA) or CSA, the first channel CA between the wireless device 10 and the first communication device 11 can be switched to the third channel CC. For example, the wireless device 10 switches the first channel CA (=CH36) to the third channel CC (=CH44) to operate in SCC mode based on ECSA, or switches the first channel CA (=CH36) to the third channel CC (=CH149) to operate in DBDC mode. In this embodiment, ECSA / CSA allows coordinated channel switching within the SAP network, enabling a seamless transition from MCC scenario to SCC scenario or FDD scenario, thereby improving performance.

[0033] In the above embodiments, when the wireless device 10 operates in MCC mode, the third channel can be determined through an enhanced channel selection algorithm (which takes into account the existence of channels used by other existing network connections). The purpose of the above embodiments is to convert the MCC scenario caused by two different channels sharing a single RF transceiver path into an SCC scenario or an FDD scenario as much as possible by appropriately switching the first channel CA to the third channel CC. This can reduce transmission latency and increase throughput. The protocol message for changing the AP / channel can be shown in Table T3. Network type Change AP / channel protocol message STA-to-AP network (a) Send a reassociation request frame to the AP (b) Receive a reassociation response frame from the AP (if a reassociation request frame has been received). P2P network ECSA / CSA SAP Network ECSA / CSA Table T3

[0034] The advantages of switching wireless device 10 from an MCC scenario to an SCC scenario or a DBDC / FDD scenario in terms of latency and throughput performance are obvious. In one embodiment of the channel management system 100, it is assumed that "channel switching time = 3.5ms" and "MCC quota time = 50ms" are preset conditions. Regarding the channel switching time, it takes 3.5 milliseconds for wireless device 10 (e.g., a mobile phone) to switch from one Wi-Fi channel to another. This is a critical parameter, as frequent channel switching introduces overhead and latency. Regarding the MCC quota time, it is the time allocation assumed when wireless device 10 operates in an MCC scenario and connects to two networks on two different channels. Each network is allocated a 50-millisecond time quota for data transmission. After this quota is exhausted, wireless device 10 will switch to another channel of another network, incurring channel switching time overhead. For the MCC scenario, the average latency is 23 milliseconds. The maximum latency is 55 milliseconds. When the wireless device 10 operates in MCC mode, the total throughput (T-put) of the channel management system 100 is 7% lower than the maximum T-put achieved when the wireless device 10 operates in SCC mode.

[0035] For SCC or DBDC scenarios, latency is reduced to 5 milliseconds. Average latency improvement reaches 78%. Maximum latency improvement reaches 90%. This is because when the wireless device 10 operates in SCC or DBDC mode, it eliminates the need for channel switching, reducing latency. Furthermore, when operating in SCC mode, the total T-put achieved is equal to the peak T-put. Moreover, this total T-put is 7% higher than when operating in MCC mode. Furthermore, the total T-put achieved when the wireless device 10 operates in DBDC mode is twice the peak T-put. Compared to the SCC scenario, this enhancement means a 115% increase in T-put. The significant increase in throughput in DBDC mode is attributed to the wireless device's ability to simultaneously use two independent frequency bands. This simultaneous operation effectively doubles the available bandwidth for data transmission, resulting in a substantial increase in overall throughput.

[0036] In the channel management system 100, when there are two or more networks (e.g., three), the selection of a new network connection will refer to the existence of previous channels used by existing connections (e.g., considering the existence of those channels already used by existing connections), thereby causing the wireless device 10 to preferentially maintain either SCC mode or DBDC mode. Similarly, in a scenario where two network connections already exist, the selection of a new channel will be based on the same concept described above to preferably operate in SCC / DBDC mode. For example, if the first two channels use the same channel (e.g., CA=CB=CH36), the new channel can preferably be determined as that same channel (e.g., CH36) to maintain the SCC scenario. If the first two channels use different frequency bands in the DBDC scenario (e.g., CA=36 and CB=CH149), the new channel can preferably be determined as another channel in a different frequency band from these two channels to implement DBDC mode, or preferably as one of these two channels to implement DBDC / SCC mode, depending on the hardware capabilities of the wireless device 10. In short, the choice of new channels will also allow wireless devices to try to remain in SCC or FDD scenarios to improve overall performance and reduce latency.

[0037] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the channel management method for a parallel network executed by the wireless device 10. The channel management method for a parallel network includes steps S501 to S502. Any modifications to the basic inventive concept fall within the scope of the embodiments. Steps S501 to S502 are shown below.

[0038] Step S501: Establish a first connection with the first communication device 11 in the first network through the first channel CA.

[0039] Step S502: Establish a second connection with the second communication device 12 in the second network through the second channel CB, wherein the second network is the same as or different from the first network.

[0040] Details of steps S501 to S502 have already been described. Therefore, they are omitted here. In the channel management system 100, when selecting an AP or a suitable channel for a new network connection, the enhanced channel selection algorithm proposed in this invention can reduce the likelihood of MCC scenarios occurring in the wireless device 10, and optimize the performance of the Wi-Fi network in scenarios where multiple networks are operating in parallel. The enhanced channel selection algorithm prioritizes SCC or DBDC scenarios, for example, where multiple networks operate on the same channel in the same frequency band or on different channels in different frequency bands, to reduce channel switching and latency.

[0041] In summary, embodiments of the present invention disclose a channel management system / device and a channel management method for parallel networks. The channel management system / device and method aim to solve the MCC scenario problem in Wi-Fi networks (two different channels sharing a single radio frequency (RF) transceiver path will lead to reduced throughput and increased latency). The main idea is to prioritize SCC or DBDC scenarios when determining channels for new network connections, reducing the use of MCC scenarios. This method aims to establish connections through the same channel (corresponding to SCC mode) or different channels on different frequency bands (corresponding to DBDC mode) to reduce channel switching overhead. The enhanced channel selection algorithm considers the existence of prior channels used by existing connections when determining channels for new network connections, reducing the risk of falling into MCC scenarios. Therefore, the channel management system and method bring several advantages in multi-network parallel scenarios, including reduced latency, increased throughput, and improved overall system performance.

[0042] The use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third” to modify the elements of a patent application in the scope of the patent application does not in itself indicate any priority, priority, or order of one element of a patent application relative to another element of a patent application, or the temporal order of performing method actions, but is only used as a marker to distinguish one element of a patent application with the same name from another element element with the same name.

[0043] Although the embodiments and advantages of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope defined by the claims. For example, new embodiments can be derived by combining several parts of different embodiments. The described embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and all equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims of the present invention should be included within the scope of the present invention. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0010] The accompanying drawings (in which the same numerals denote the same components) illustrate embodiments of the present invention. The drawings are included to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of the present disclosure. The drawings illustrate implementations of embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It is understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, as some components may be shown out of scale to clearly illustrate the concepts of embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 is a block diagram of a channel management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the hardware architecture of the channel management system in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of selecting a second channel from available channels using an enhanced channel selection algorithm. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the channel management system in Figure 1 switching a first channel to a third channel. Figure 5 is a flowchart of the channel management system in Figure 1 executing a channel management method for a parallel network. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth for illustrative purposes so that those skilled in the art will have a more thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. However, it is obvious that one or more embodiments may be implemented without these specific details, and different embodiments or different features disclosed in different embodiments may be combined as needed, and should not be limited to the embodiments listed in the accompanying drawings.

Claims

1. A channel management method for a parallel network, executed by a wireless device, comprising: A first connection is established in the first network through the first channel and the first communication device; The second connection is established in a second network through a second channel and a second communication device, wherein the second network is of the same or different type from the first network, and the parallel network includes the first network and the second network; wherein the second channel is determined by an enhanced channel selection algorithm, which takes into account the existence of the first channel through which the first connection has been established, so as to reduce the possibility of the wireless device falling into a multi-channel concurrent (MCC) scenario when operating simultaneously in the first network and the second network; wherein the multi-channel concurrent scenario refers to the wireless device using multiple channels and the same transceiver path for transmission or communication in the first network and the second network, and sharing the same transceiver path by means of channel switching and time division multiplexing; and when the enhanced channel selection algorithm selects the second channel for the second connection, it uses the existence of the first channel as the channel selection condition, and prioritizes the channel that allows the wireless device to operate in single-channel contention mode or dual-frequency dual-parallel mode.

2. The method as described in request item 1, wherein, The second network is a station-to-access point (STA-AP) network, and the method further includes: performing a scanning operation to discover a plurality of APs, wherein each of the plurality of APs has a corresponding operating channel; generating a plurality of scores corresponding to the plurality of APs according to a conventional channel selection algorithm, wherein the conventional channel selection algorithm does not consider the existence of the first channel, each of the plurality of scores being associated with a corresponding AP and a corresponding channel; and adjusting at least one score corresponding to at least one of the plurality of APs based on the first channel to update the plurality of scores; wherein, based on the plurality of updated scores, the second channel is determined as the channel corresponding to the highest score.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein, Adjusting at least one score corresponding to at least one of the multiple APs based on the first channel includes: reducing at least one score corresponding to at least one AP based on a weighting factor, wherein the weighting factor is greater than 0 and less than 1.

4. The method as described in request item 3, wherein, Adjusting at least one score corresponding to at least one AP based on the first channel further includes: if the wireless device includes only a single RF transceiver path, reducing the score corresponding to APs whose operating channels are different from the first channel; or if the wireless device includes multiple RF transceiver paths, reducing the score corresponding to APs whose operating channels are different from the first channel but are in the same frequency band as the first channel.

5. The method as described in request item 1, wherein, The second network is a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, the wireless device includes only a single RF transceiver path, and the method further includes: obtaining a preferred channel, a list of preferred channels, and a list of supported channels between the wireless device and the second communication device, wherein the preferred channel of the wireless device is set as the first channel; wherein the second channel is determined based on the preferred channel, the list of preferred channels, and the list of supported channels between the wireless device and the second communication device.

6. The method as described in request item 1, wherein, The second network is a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, the wireless device includes multiple RF transceiver paths, and the method further includes: obtaining a preferred channel, a preferred channel list, and a supported channel list between the wireless device and the second communication device, wherein the preferred channel of the wireless device is set to one of the first channel and the third channel, the preferred channel list of the wireless device includes the other of the first channel and the third channel, the third channel being different from the first channel and located in a different frequency band than the first channel; wherein the second channel is determined based on the preferred channel, the preferred channel list, and the supported channel list between the wireless device and the second communication device.

7. The method as described in request item 1, wherein, The second network is a service access point (SAP) network; if the wireless device includes only a single RF transceiver path, the second channel is directly identified as the same as the first channel without performing a scan; or if the wireless device includes multiple RF transceiver paths, the second channel is directly identified as one of the first channel and the third channel without performing a scan, wherein the third channel is different from the first channel and is in a different frequency band than the first channel.

8. The method as described in request item 1, wherein, At least one of the first network and the second network is a site-access point (STA-AP) network, and the method further includes: when the wireless device is operating in multiple channel concurrent (MCC) mode, switching the operating channel in the STA-AP network by a reassociation program to switch the wireless device from the MCC mode to the single channel contention (SCC) mode or the dual-band dual-concurrent (DBDC) mode.

9. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, At least one of the first network and the second network is a point-to-point (P2P) network, and the method further includes: when the wireless device is operating in MCC mode, switching the operating channel in the P2P network through a channel switching request and announcement mechanism to switch the wireless device from the MCC mode to the single-channel contention (SCC) mode or the dual-band dual-parallel (DBDC) mode.

10. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, At least one of the first network and the second network is a Serving Access Point (SAP) network, and the method further includes: when the wireless device is operating in MCC mode, switching the operating channel in the SAP network via a channel switching request and announcement mechanism to switch the wireless device from the MCC mode to the Single Channel Contention (SCC) mode or the Dual-Frequency Dual-Parallel (DBDC) mode.

11. A wireless device, comprising: At least one transceiver is configured to perform wireless communication; The device includes a processor coupled to the at least one transceiver and configured to perform the following operations: establishing a first connection with a first communication device in a first network via a first channel; and establishing a second connection with a second communication device in a second network via a second channel, wherein the second network is of the same or different network type as the first network, and the parallel network operated by the wireless device includes the first network and the second network; wherein the second channel is determined by an enhanced channel selection algorithm that takes into account the existence of the first channel through which the first connection has been established, thereby reducing the possibility of the wireless device falling into a multi-channel concurrent (MCC) scenario when operating simultaneously in the first network and the second network; The multi-channel parallel scenario refers to the wireless device using multiple channels and the same transceiver path for transmission or communication on the first network and the second network, and sharing the same transceiver path through channel switching and time division multiplexing; and the enhanced channel selection algorithm, when selecting the second channel for the second connection, uses the existence of the first channel as the channel selection condition, and prioritizes the channel that enables the wireless device to operate in single-channel contention mode or dual-band dual-parallel mode.

12. The wireless device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, The second network is a station-to-access point (STA-AP) network, and the processor is further configured to perform the following operations: performing a scanning operation to discover multiple APs, wherein each of the multiple APs has a corresponding operating channel; generating multiple scores corresponding to the multiple APs according to a conventional channel selection algorithm, wherein the conventional channel selection algorithm does not consider the existence of the first channel, each of the multiple scores being associated with a corresponding AP and a corresponding channel; and adjusting at least one score corresponding to at least one of the multiple APs based on the first channel to update the multiple scores; wherein, based on the multiple updated scores, the second channel is determined as the channel corresponding to the highest score.

13. The wireless device as claimed in claim 12, wherein, Adjusting at least one score corresponding to at least one of the multiple APs based on the first channel includes: reducing at least one score corresponding to at least one AP based on a weighting factor, wherein the weighting factor is greater than 0 and less than 1.

14. The wireless device as claimed in claim 13, wherein, Adjusting at least one score corresponding to at least one AP based on the first channel further includes: if the wireless device includes only a single RF transceiver path, reducing the score corresponding to APs whose operating channels are different from the first channel; or if the wireless device includes multiple RF transceiver paths, reducing the score corresponding to APs whose operating channels are different from the first channel but are in the same frequency band as the first channel.

15. The wireless device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, The second network is a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, the wireless device includes only a single RF transceiver path, and the processor is further configured to: acquire a preferred channel, a list of preferred channels, and a list of supported channels between the wireless device and the second communication device, wherein the preferred channel of the wireless device is set to the first channel; wherein the second channel is determined based on the preferred channel, the list of preferred channels, and the list of supported channels between the wireless device and the second communication device.

16. The wireless device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, The second network is a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. The wireless device includes multiple RF transceiver paths. The processor is further configured to: acquire a preferred channel, a list of preferred channels, and a list of supported channels between the wireless device and the second communication device, wherein the preferred channel of the wireless device is set to one of the first channel and the third channel, and the list of preferred channels of the wireless device includes the other of the first channel and the third channel, wherein the third channel is different from the first channel and is located in a different frequency band than the first channel; wherein the second channel is determined based on the preferred channel, the list of preferred channels, and the list of supported channels between the wireless device and the second communication device.

17. The wireless device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, The second network is a Serving Access Point (SAP) network; if the wireless device includes only a single RF transceiver path, the second channel is directly identified as the same as the first channel without performing a scan; or if the wireless device includes multiple RF transceiver paths, the second channel is directly identified as one of the first channel and the third channel without performing a scan, wherein the third channel is different from the first channel and is in a different frequency band than the first channel.

18. The wireless device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, At least one of the first network and the second network is a site-access point (STA-AP) network, and when the wireless device operates in multi-channel parallel (MCC) mode, the operating channel in the STA-AP network is switched by a reassociation program to switch the wireless device from the MCC mode to the single-channel contention (SCC) mode or the dual-band dual-parallel (DBDC) mode.

19. The wireless device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, At least one of the first network and the second network is a point-to-point (P2P) network, and when the wireless device is operating in MCC mode, the operating channel in the P2P network is switched through a channel switching request and announcement mechanism to switch the wireless device from the MCC mode to the single-channel contention (SCC) mode or the dual-band dual-parallel (DBDC) mode.

20. The wireless device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, At least one of the first network and the second network is a Serving Access Point (SAP) network, and when the wireless device is operating in MCC mode, the operating channel in the SAP network is switched via a channel switching request and announcement mechanism to switch the wireless device from the MCC mode to the Single Channel Contention (SCC) mode or the Dual-Frequency Dual-Parallel (DBDC) mode.

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