Access point switching method and communication apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are an access point switching method and a communication apparatus, and the method relates to the technical field of communications. The method comprises: a terminal device receiving first information from a first access point, wherein the first information comprises a roaming access point list, and the roaming access point list comprises at least one second access point sorted according to a priority; and the terminal device switching to a second access point in the roaming access point list based on the priority of at least one second access point included in the roaming access point list. Based on the method, the time required for a terminal device to switch an access point can be reduced.

Description

Access point switching method and communication device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 22, 2023, with application number 202311566440.9 and application name “Access Point Switching Method and Communication Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to an access point switching method and a communication device. Background Art

[0003] Roaming refers to the function in which the mobile communication system can still provide services to a terminal after it leaves its registered service area and moves to another service area. Before the terminal switches the access point (AP) during roaming, it needs to perform a channel scan to determine whether the channel meets the switching conditions before switching to the corresponding AP. There are two channel scanning methods when the terminal is roaming. One method is full channel scanning, which scans all channels. The other method is for the source AP to provide a list of roamable APs and guide the terminal device to switch to the AP in the AP list. The terminal will evaluate the channel corresponding to each AP in the AP list through channel scanning, and then switch to the AP corresponding to the channel that meets the switching conditions.

[0004] Currently, channel scanning during roaming takes a long time, which results in a long time required for terminal devices to switch access points. In serious cases, this affects the user experience. How to reduce the time required for terminal devices to switch access points is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide an access point switching method and a communication device, which are conducive to reducing the time required for a terminal device to switch access points.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides an access point switching method, the method comprising: a terminal device receiving first information from a first access point, the first information including a list of roamable access points, the list of roamable access points including at least one second access point sorted according to priority; the terminal device switching to a second access point in the list of roamable access points based on the priority of at least one second access point included in the list of roamable access points.

[0008] Based on the method described in the first aspect, the list of roamable access points provided by the first access point to the terminal device includes at least one second access point arranged in order of priority. The higher the ranking of the second access point in the list of roamable access points, the higher the priority of the second access point, and also indicates that the network device considers the second access point to be more suitable for the terminal device to switch to. The terminal device can quickly determine the second access point suitable for its switching based on the ranking of the list of roamable access points. Therefore, this method is beneficial in reducing the time required for the terminal device to switch access points.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to one or more factors of the distance between the second access point and the terminal device, a received signal strength indicator RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point, or a load condition of the second access point.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to the distance between the second access point and the terminal device; the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, the distance between the third access point and the terminal device is lower than the distance between the fourth access point and the terminal device, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the list of roamable access points. It is understood that an access point that is closer to the terminal device can provide better network service for the terminal device. When the priority of a second access point closer to the terminal device is higher than the priority of a second access point farther from the terminal device, this facilitates the terminal device's switching to the closer second access point and obtaining better network service.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point; the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, and the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the third access point is higher than the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the fourth access point. The third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the list of roamable access points. It will be understood that a higher signal strength of a terminal device indicates better current signal quality of the terminal device. An access point with a high RSSI obtained by measuring the signal strength of the terminal device is more capable of providing better network service to the terminal device. When the priority of the second access point with a high RSSI for measuring the terminal device is higher than the priority of the second access point with a low RSSI for measuring the terminal device, this facilitates the terminal device to switch to the second access point with a high RSSI for measuring the terminal device, thereby obtaining better network service.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to its load. The priority of the third access point is higher than that of the fourth access point, and the load of the third access point is lower than that of the fourth access point. The third and fourth access points are two second access points in the list of roamable access points. It will be appreciated that the lower the load on an access point, the more resources it can allocate to a terminal device, providing better network service for the terminal device. When the priority of a second access point with a lower load is higher than that of a second access point with a higher load, this facilitates the terminal device's ability to switch to the second access point with a lower load, thereby providing better network service.

[0013] In a possible implementation manner, the first information further includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates whether the list of roamable access points is a list sorted according to priority.

[0014] In one possible implementation, before the terminal device switches to a second access point in the roamable access point list based on the priority of at least one second access point included in the roamable access point list, the method further includes: the terminal device determines, based on the first indication information, that the roamable access point list is a list sorted by priority.

[0015] In one possible implementation, a terminal device switches to a second access point in the list of roamable access points based on the priority of at least one second access point included in the list of roamable access points. Specifically, the terminal device performs channel scanning based on the list of roamable access points and selects the first second access point that meets the switching conditions for switching. Based on this implementation, the terminal device need not scan all access points in the list of roamable access points. Instead, the terminal device only needs to scan the first access point that meets the switching conditions and no further scanning is performed. Therefore, this implementation helps reduce the time the terminal device spends performing channel scanning, thereby reducing the time required for the terminal device to switch access points.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: after the terminal device determines the first second access point that meets the switching condition, stopping channel scanning.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device needs to perform channel scanning.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device does not need to perform channel scanning.

[0019] Optionally, the terminal device switches to a second access point in the list of roamable access points based on the priority of at least one second access point included in the list of roamable access points. Specifically, the terminal device selects the second access point with the highest priority from the list of roamable access points for switching based on the third indication information. In this implementation, the terminal device trusts the second access point included in the list of roamable access points provided by the first access point, i.e., trusts that the second access point included in the list of roamable access points provided by the first access point is suitable for the terminal device to switch to. Therefore, the terminal device does not need to perform channel scanning, but instead directly selects a second access point from the list of roamable access points for switching. This eliminates the need for channel scanning, thereby shortening the time it takes for the terminal device to switch access points.

[0020] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is carried in a basic service set BSS switching management request frame.

[0021] In a second aspect, the present application provides an access point switching method, the method comprising: a first access point generates first information, the first information including a list of roamable access points, the list of roamable access points including at least one second access point sorted according to priority; the first access point sends the first information to a terminal device.

[0022] Among them, the second aspect and its beneficial effects can be found in the description of the first aspect and will not be elaborated here.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to one or more factors of the distance between the second access point and the terminal device, a received signal strength indicator RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point, or a load condition of the second access point.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to the distance between the second access point and the terminal device; the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, the distance between the third access point and the terminal device is less than the distance between the fourth access point and the terminal device, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point; the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the third access point is higher than the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to a load status of the second access point; the priority of the third access point is higher than that of the fourth access point, the load of the third access point is lower than the load of the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

[0027] In a possible implementation manner, the first information further includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates whether the list of roamable access points is a list sorted according to priority.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the first information also includes second indication information or third indication information, the second indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device needs to perform channel scanning, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device does not need to perform channel scanning.

[0029] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is carried in a basic service set BSS switching management request frame.

[0030] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may also be a chip system. The communication device can perform the method described in the first aspect. The functions of the communication device can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above functions. The units or modules can be software and / or hardware. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device can refer to the methods and beneficial effects described in the first aspect above, and repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0031] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may also be a chip system. The communication device can perform the method described in the second aspect. The functions of the communication device can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware executing corresponding software implementations. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above-mentioned functions. The units or modules can be software and / or hardware. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device can refer to the methods and beneficial effects described in the second aspect above, and any repetitions will not be repeated.

[0032] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor. When the processor calls a computer program in a memory, the method described in any one of the first aspect or the second aspect and its possible implementation methods are executed.

[0033] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a memory, and the memory and the processor are coupled to each other. Optionally, the memory and the processor are integrated together.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes a transceiver, which is used to transmit and receive data and / or signaling.

[0035] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, and the processor is used to implement the method as described in any one of the first aspect or the second aspect and its possible implementation methods through logic circuits or execution code instructions.

[0036] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed by a communication device, it implements any one of the methods in the first aspect or the second aspect and its possible implementation methods.

[0037] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program or computer program product, comprising code or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in any one of the first aspect or the second aspect and its possible implementation methods.

[0038] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, which includes the above-mentioned communication device for executing the method described in the first aspect and the communication device for executing the method described in the second aspect.

[0039] In the tenth aspect, the present application provides a chip comprising a processor and a communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to enable the chip to execute the method of the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, or the processor is configured to enable the chip to execute the method of the above-mentioned second aspect or any possible implementation thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of an access point switching method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a basic service set BSS switching management request frame provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The specific embodiments of the present application are further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] The terms "first" and "second" and the like in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish between different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "including" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or elements is not limited to the listed steps or elements, but may optionally include steps or elements not listed, or may optionally include other steps or elements inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0048] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0049] In this application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "more than one" refers to two or more, "at least two (items)" refers to two or three and more than three, and "and / or" is used to describe the corresponding relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0050] The following describes the system architecture of the embodiment of the present application:

[0051] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the system architecture of the method provided in the embodiments of the present application is briefly described below. It is understood that the system architecture described in the embodiments of the present application is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0052] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as satellite communication systems and traditional mobile communication systems. The satellite communication system can be integrated with a traditional mobile communication system (i.e., a terrestrial communication system). Communication systems include, for example, wireless local area network (WLAN) communication systems, wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems, long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, fifth generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR), and other future communication systems, such as sixth generation (6G) systems, and communication systems that support the integration of multiple wireless technologies. For example, it can also be applied to systems where non-terrestrial networks (NTN) such as drones, satellite communication systems, and high altitude platform stations (HAPS) communications integrate terrestrial mobile communication networks.

[0053] FIG1 is an example of a communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application. The communication system includes at least one network device and at least one terminal device. FIG1 uses a network device and multiple terminal devices as an example. These multiple terminal devices can be cellular phones, smart phones, laptops, handheld communication devices, handheld computing devices, satellite radio devices, global positioning systems, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and / or any other suitable devices for communicating on a wireless communication system, and can all be connected to the network device. These multiple terminal devices can all communicate with the network device, and in addition, terminal devices can also communicate with each other. Of course, the number of terminal devices and network devices in FIG1 is only an example, and can also be less or more.

[0054] The terminal device involved in the embodiments of the present application, which may also be referred to as a terminal, is an entity on the user side for receiving or transmitting signals. The terminal device can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to the user, for example, a handheld device with wireless connection function, a vehicle-mounted device, etc. The terminal device can also be other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. The terminal device can communicate with a radio access network (RAN). The terminal device can also be called a wireless terminal, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, an access point, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, a user agent, a user device, or a UE, etc. The terminal device can be a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone) and a computer with a mobile terminal, for example, a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in or vehicle-mounted mobile device, which exchanges voice and / or data with a radio access network. For example, the terminal device may also be a personal communication service (PCS) phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. Common terminal devices include, for example, mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, PDAs, mobile internet devices (MIDs), and wearable devices such as smart watches, smart bracelets, and pedometers, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0055] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form factor of the terminal device. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device; it can also be a device that supports the terminal device to implement the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal device or used in conjunction with the terminal device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete components.

[0056] A network device is an entity on the network side that is used to send signals, receive signals, or both send and receive signals. A network device can be a device deployed in a radio access network (RAN) to provide wireless communication functions for terminals.

[0057] In one possible scenario, a network device may be a device with base station functionality, such as an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmitting and receiving point (TRP), a transmitting point (TP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a next-generation base station in a 6G mobile communication system, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or a non-terrestrial network device, i.e., a device that can be deployed on a high-altitude platform or satellite. A network device may be an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a base station, or various forms of control nodes, such as a network controller or wireless controller. Specifically, network devices can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also known as small cells) in heterogeneous network (HetNet) scenarios, relay stations, radio network controllers (RNCs), node Bs (NBs), base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), home base stations (e.g., home evolved node Bs, or home node Bs, HNBs), baseband units (BBUs) and remote radio units (RRUs) in distributed base station scenarios, transmission points (TRPs), transmitting points (TPs), mobile switching centers, and the like. They can also be base station antenna panels. A control node can connect to multiple base stations and configure resources for multiple terminals covered by multiple base stations. In systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with base station functionality may vary. For example, it can be a gNB in ​​5G, or a network-side device in a network after 5G, or a network device in a future evolved public land mobile (communication) network (public land mobile network, PLMN) network, or a device that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and vehicle network communication, etc. This application does not limit the specific name of the network device.The network equipment can also be an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN), a baseband pool (BBU pool) and RRU under a cloud radio access network (CRAN), etc.

[0058] In another possible scenario, multiple network devices collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different network devices respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the network device may include a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU may be set separately, or may be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU may be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH). It is understandable that the network device may be a CU node, a DU node, or a device including a CU node and a DU node. In addition, the CU may be divided into a network device in the access network RAN, or the CU may be divided into a network device in the core network CN, without limitation here.

[0059] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0060] In the embodiments of the present application, the form of the network device is not limited. The device used to implement the function of the network device can be a network device; it can also be a device that can support the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device.

[0061] In order to reduce the time required for a terminal device to switch access points, an embodiment of the present application proposes an access point switching method, as shown in Figure 2, the access point switching method includes steps 201 to 203. The execution subjects corresponding to the method shown in Figure 2 are the first access point and the terminal device, or the execution subjects of the method shown in Figure 2 can be the chip in the first access point and the chip in the terminal device. Figure 2 is illustrated with the first access point and the terminal device as the execution subjects. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the execution subjects of the access point switching method. The first access point can be a network device in the communication system shown in Figure 1, and the terminal device can be a terminal device in the communication system shown in Figure 1. Wherein:

[0062] 201. A first access point generates first information, where the first information includes a roamable access point list, where the roamable access point list includes at least one second access point sorted according to priority.

[0063] 202. The first access point sends first information to the terminal device. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the first information from the first access point.

[0064] In an embodiment of the present application, the first access point is an access point connected to a terminal device, which may also be referred to as a source access point. The second access point is a switchable access point indicated by the first access point to the terminal device, which may also be referred to as a candidate access point. The first access point sends the first information to the terminal device to guide the terminal device to switch to a second access point in the list of roamable access points. Optionally, the first information may be carried in a basic service set (BSS) transition management request frame.

[0065] When generating the first information, the first access point needs to first determine the priority of each second access point. It is understandable that the first access point believes that a second access point with a higher priority is more suitable for terminal device switching than a second access point with a lower priority. Optionally, in the list of roamable access points, the at least one second access point is arranged in order of priority, with a second access point with a higher priority being arranged before a second access point with a lower priority. For example, as shown in the following List 1:

[0066] Table 1

[0067] The first access point generates a list of roamable access points as shown in Table 1. The second access points include AP1, AP2, and AP3. The first access point determines that AP1 has a higher priority than AP2, and AP2 has a higher priority than AP3. Therefore, in Table 1, AP1 is ranked before AP2, and AP2 is ranked before AP3. Upon receiving the list of roamable access points as shown in Table 1, the terminal device may also determine the priority level corresponding to each second access point based on the ranking of the list of roamable access points.

[0068] In one possible implementation, the first access point generates the first information after detecting that the signal of the terminal device is lower than a first threshold. It is understood that the terminal device's signal being lower than the first threshold indicates that the terminal device's signal is weak, and the terminal device is located farther from the first access point, making it impossible for the first access point to provide better service to the terminal device. Therefore, the first access point promptly generates the first information, provides the terminal device with a list of roamable access points, and guides the terminal device to switch to an access point in the list of roamable access points. This facilitates the terminal device to quickly switch to a suitable access point and prevents the terminal device from being in a poor signal state for an extended period of time.

[0069] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to one or more relevant information: a distance between the second access point and the terminal device; a received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the terminal device measured by the second access point; or a load status of the second access point. In addition, the priority of the second access point may also be related to other information, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

[0070] The distance between the second access point and the terminal device specifically refers to the distance between the location of the second access point and the location of the terminal device. The first access point may obtain the second access point and the terminal device in the following manner: the first access point may determine the location of the second access point and the terminal device using a WiFi digital map, thereby calculating the distance between the second access point and the terminal device. The WiFi digital map includes the location of the second access point and the terminal device. Specifically, the location of the second access point and the terminal device are stored in the first access point as digital coordinates for reading and use by the algorithm module of the first access point.

[0071] Optionally, when the priority of the second access point is related to the distance between the second access point and the terminal device, in one possible scenario, the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, the distance between the third access point and the terminal device is lower than the distance between the fourth access point and the terminal device, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the list of roamable access points. It is understandable that an access point that is closer to the terminal device can provide better network service for the terminal device. When the priority of a second access point closer to the terminal device is higher than the priority of a second access point farther from the terminal device, this facilitates the terminal device being able to switch to the closer second access point and obtain better network service.

[0072] The RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point refers to the result obtained by the second access point from measuring the terminal device's signal. RSSI is a standard for measuring the wireless signal strength of a received signal. The first access point may obtain the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point as follows: the first access point sends a first request message to the second access point, requesting the second access point to measure the terminal device's signal strength; the second access point measures the terminal device's signal strength to obtain an RSSI, and sends the RSSI to the first access point.

[0073] Optionally, when the priority of the second access point is related to the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point, in one possible scenario, the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the third access point is higher than the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the list of roamable access points. It is understandable that a higher signal strength of a terminal device indicates better current signal quality of the terminal device, and an access point with a high RSSI obtained by measuring the signal strength of the terminal device is more capable of providing better network service to the terminal device. When the priority of the second access point with a high RSSI for measuring the terminal device is higher than the priority of the second access point with a low RSSI for measuring the terminal device, this facilitates the terminal device to switch to the second access point with a high RSSI for measuring the terminal device, thereby obtaining better network service.

[0074] The load status of the second access point may include parameters such as the number of terminal devices accessing the second access point and the resources allocated by the second access point, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. The specific implementation method of the first access point obtaining the load status of the second access point can be as follows: the first access point sends a second request message to the second access point, where the second request message is used to request the load status of the second access point; after receiving the second request message, the second access point sends the load status to the first access point.

[0075] Optionally, when the priority of the second access point is related to the load status of the second access point, in one possible scenario, the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, the load of the third access point is lower than the load of the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the list of roamable access points. It will be understood that the lower the load of an access point, the more resources the access point can allocate to the terminal device, providing better network service for the terminal device. When the priority of a second access point with a lower load is higher than the priority of a second access point with a higher load, this facilitates the terminal device to switch to the second access point with a lower load, thereby obtaining better network service.

[0076] It should be noted that the above examples are described using the second access point priority and related information of one second access point as examples. The following describes an example in which the priority can also be related to multiple pieces of information of the second access point.

[0077] In one possible scenario, the priority of the second access point is related to the distance between the second access point and the terminal device and the load of the second access point: when the distance between the third access point and the terminal device is less than the distance between the fourth access point and the terminal device, the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point; when the distance between the third access point and the terminal device is equal to the distance between the fourth access point and the terminal device, the load of the third access point is less than the load of the fourth access point, the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

[0078] In this case, determining the priority of the two second access points requires first comparing the distances between the two second access points and the terminal device. The second access point closer to the terminal device has a higher priority. If the distances are equal, the loads of the two second access points are further compared. The second access point with the lower load has a higher priority. As can be seen, integrating multiple pieces of relevant information to determine the priority of the second access points helps the terminal device switch to the most appropriate second access point, thereby obtaining better network service.

[0079] In addition to the above examples, the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation of the priority and the multiple information of the second access point.

[0080] 203. The terminal device switches to a second access point in the roamable access point list based on the priority of at least one second access point included in the roamable access point list.

[0081] In the embodiment of the present application, the terminal device switches access points based on priority, which can also be understood as the terminal device switching to a second access point in the list of roamable access points based on the ranking of the roamable access points. The terminal device preferentially switches to the second access point with a higher priority. Based on this method, the list of roamable access points provided by the first access point to the terminal device includes at least one second access point arranged in order of priority. The higher the ranking in the list of roamable access points, the higher the priority of the second access point. It also means that the network device considers the second access point to be more suitable for the terminal device to switch. The terminal device can quickly determine the second access point suitable for its own switching based on the ranking of the list of roamable access points. Therefore, this method is conducive to reducing the time required for the terminal device to switch access points.

[0082] In a possible implementation, step 203 is specifically implemented as follows: performing channel scanning based on the roamable access point list to select the first second access point that meets the handover condition, wherein, after the first second access point that meets the handover condition is determined, the channel scanning is stopped.

[0083] Channel scanning refers to the process by which a terminal device discovers a BSS and attributes associated with the BSS attributes by passively searching for "beacon frames" on different channels or actively sending "probe request frames." The switching condition includes satisfying the channel strength requirement, that is, the terminal device finds a roamable access point with a signal strength that meets the requirement through channel scanning. The specific process of performing channel scanning based on the list of roamable access points and selecting the first second access point that meets the switching condition for switching is as follows: the terminal device scans the channels corresponding to the second access points in the list of roamable access points in order from high to low priority according to the sorting of the list of roamable access points. If the scanned channel meets the switching condition, it switches to the second access point corresponding to the channel. If the switching condition is not met, it continues to scan the channel corresponding to the next second access point according to the sorting.

[0084] For example, assuming that the list of roamable access points includes four second access points, which are arranged in order of priority as AP1, AP2, AP3 and AP4, the terminal device will perform channel scanning in the order of AP1, AP2, AP3 and AP4, switch to the first second access point that meets the switching conditions, and will no longer perform channel scanning after scanning the channel that meets the switching conditions. Specifically, the terminal device first scans the channel corresponding to AP1 according to the order. If the channel corresponding to AP1 meets the switching conditions, the terminal device switches to AP1. If the switching conditions are not met, the terminal device will scan the channel corresponding to AP2 according to the order. If the channel corresponding to AP2 meets the switching conditions, the terminal device switches to AP2. If the switching conditions are not met, the terminal device will scan the channel corresponding to AP3 according to the order. The subsequent scanning method of AP3 is similar to the above-mentioned scanning method of AP1 and AP2, and will not be repeated.

[0085] Based on this implementation method, the terminal device does not need to scan all access points in the roamable access point list, but only needs to scan the first access point that meets the switching conditions, and will not scan again subsequently. Therefore, this implementation method is conducive to reducing the time for the terminal device to perform channel scanning, thereby reducing the time required for the terminal device to switch access points.

[0086] For example, assuming that the list of roamable access points includes 4 APs, and they work on 4 different channels respectively, if it takes N milliseconds to scan a channel, and if it is assumed that the terminal device scans all 4 channels, it takes 4×N milliseconds, then using this implementation method, the terminal device determines that the switching conditions are met when scanning the first AP, and then switches directly without scanning the subsequent 3 channels. Therefore, the terminal device only takes N milliseconds to scan the channels, which is 75% shorter than the implementation method of full scanning.

[0087] Optionally, the first information further includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates whether the list of roamable access points is a list sorted according to priority.

[0088] If the terminal device determines that the list of roamable access points is sorted according to priority based on the first indication information, the terminal device will perform channel scanning based on the list of roamable access points and select the first second access point that meets the switching condition for switching.

[0089] If the terminal device determines, based on the first indication information, that the list of roamable access points is not sorted according to priority, the terminal device will scan some or all of the second access points in the list of roamable access points, and then switch to an access point that meets the switching condition. The first indication information facilitates the terminal device to determine whether the list of roamable access points is sorted according to priority, and to adopt different channel scanning methods according to the two different situations.

[0090] Further, optionally, when the first information is carried in a BSS Transition Management Request frame, the first indication information is carried on one or more bits in the BSS Transition Management Request frame. Assuming that the first indication information is carried on one bit, the bit is referred to as the first bit. When the value of the first bit is a first value, it indicates that the list of roamable access points is sorted according to priority; when the value of the bit is a second value, it indicates that the list of roamable access points is not sorted according to priority. When the first value is 1, the second value is 0; and when the first value is 0, the second value is 1.

[0091] As shown in Figure 3, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the BSS Transition Management Request frame format. The BSS Transition Management Request frame includes: a Category field, an Action field, a Dialog Token field, a Request Mode field, a Disassociation Timer field, a Validity Interval field, a BSS Termination Duration field, a Session Info URL (Uniform Resource Locator) field, and a BSS Transition Candidate List field. Optionally, the first bit may be one or more bits in the Request Mode field.

[0092] The Request Mode field includes a reserved bit. Optionally, the first indication information is carried on one or more bits included in the reserved bit, that is, the first bit is one or more bits in the reserved bit.

[0093] In a possible implementation, step 203 is specifically implemented by selecting a second access point from a list of roamable access points for handover.

[0094] In this implementation, the terminal device trusts the second access point included in the list of roamable access points provided by the first access point, i.e., trusts that the second access point included in the list of roamable access points provided by the first access point is suitable for the terminal device to switch to. Therefore, the terminal device does not need to perform channel scanning, but instead directly selects a second access point from the list of roamable access points for switching, which can shorten the time it takes for the terminal device to switch access points. Optionally, in the list of roamable access points, the second access points are arranged based on priority, and the terminal device selects the second access point with the highest priority from the list of roamable access points. The second access point with the higher priority is ranked before the second access point with the lower priority. As can be understood, the terminal device selects the second access point ranked first from the list of roamable access points.

[0095] For example, assuming that the roamable access point list includes four second access points, which are arranged in order of priority as AP1, AP2, AP3 and AP4, the terminal device directly selects the access point with the highest priority, that is, AP1, for switching.

[0096] Optionally, the first information also includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device needs to perform channel scanning, or the first information also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device does not need to perform channel scanning. When the first information includes the second indication information, channel scanning still needs to be performed according to the method described above. If the first information includes the third indication information, channel scanning does not need to be performed according to the above method, that is, the terminal device selects a second access point from the list of roamable access points based on the third indication information for switching. It can be understood that the second indication information and the third indication information do not exist at the same time. The second indication information and the third indication information can enable the terminal device to determine whether the list of roamable access points needs to be channel scanned.

[0097] Further optionally, when the first information is carried in a BSS Transition Management Request frame, the second indication information and the third indication information are indicated by one or more bits in the BSS Transition Management Request frame, and the bit is referred to as the second bit. When the value of the second bit is the first numerical value, it indicates that the terminal device needs to perform channel scanning, that is, the second bit carries the second indication information; when the value of the bit is the second numerical value, it indicates whether the terminal device needs to perform channel scanning, that is, the second bit carries the third indication information. When the first numerical value is 1, the second numerical value is 0; when the first numerical value is 0, the second numerical value is 1.

[0098] In conjunction with the above introduction to the BSS Transition Management Request frame format, optionally, the second bit may be a bit in the Request Mode field. Further optionally, the second indication information or the third indication information is carried on one or more bits included in the reserved bits, that is, the second bit is one or more bits of the reserved bits.

[0099] In which, when the first information includes both the first indication information and the third indication information (or the second indication information), the first indication information and the third indication information (or the second indication information) can be respectively indicated by two bits in the reserved bits in the Request Mode field, that is, the reserved bits in the Request Mode field include the first bit and the second bit.

[0100] To implement the various functions of the methods provided in the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device and the first access point may each include hardware structures and / or software modules, and implement the aforementioned functions in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules. Whether a particular one of the aforementioned functions is implemented in the form of hardware structures, software modules, or a combination of hardware structures and software modules depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0101] Please refer to Figure 4, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication device may be a terminal device or a first access point, or a device capable of being used in conjunction with the terminal device or the first access point. In one possible implementation, the communication device may include a module or unit that performs the method / operation / step / action performed by the transmitting end in the method embodiment shown in Figure 2 above. The module or unit may be a hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0102] The communication device shown in FIG4 may include a processing unit 401 and a communication unit 402. Processing unit 401 is configured to process data. Communication unit 402 integrates a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. Communication unit 402 may also be referred to as a transceiver unit. Alternatively, communication unit 402 may be split into a receiving unit and a transmitting unit.

[0103] The communication device shown in Figure 4 may be a terminal device, or a device that can be used in conjunction with the terminal device. The communication device may also be a chip system.

[0104] The communication unit 402 is configured to receive first information from a first access point, where the first information includes a list of roamable access points, where the list of roamable access points includes at least one second access point sorted according to priority. The processing unit 401 is configured to switch to a second access point in the list of roamable access points based on the priority of the at least one second access point included in the list of roamable access points.

[0105] In a possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to one or more factors of the distance between the second access point and the terminal device, a received signal strength indicator RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point, or a load condition of the second access point.

[0106] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to the distance between the second access point and the terminal device; the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, the distance between the third access point and the terminal device is less than the distance between the fourth access point and the terminal device, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

[0107] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point; the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the third access point is higher than the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

[0108] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to a load status of the second access point; the priority of the third access point is higher than that of the fourth access point, the load of the third access point is lower than the load of the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

[0109] In a possible implementation manner, the first information further includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates whether the list of roamable access points is a list sorted according to priority.

[0110] In one possible implementation, before switching to a second access point in the roamable access point list based on the priority of at least one second access point included in the roamable access point list, the processing unit 401 is further configured to determine, based on the first indication information, that the roamable access point list is a list sorted by priority.

[0111] In one possible implementation, the processing unit 401 is specifically configured to perform channel scanning based on the roaming access point list to select the first second access point that meets the switching condition when switching to a second access point in the roaming access point list based on the priority of at least one second access point included in the roaming access point list.

[0112] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 401 is further configured to stop channel scanning after determining the first second access point that meets the handover condition.

[0113] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device needs to perform channel scanning.

[0114] In a possible implementation, the first information further includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device does not need to perform channel scanning.

[0115] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 401 is configured to select a second access point with the highest priority from the roamable access point list for handover when switching to a second access point in the roamable access point list based on the priority of at least one second access point included in the roamable access point list.

[0116] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is carried in a basic service set BSS switching management request frame.

[0117] The communication device shown in Figure 4 may be a first access point, or a device that can be used in conjunction with the first access point. The communication device may also be a chip system.

[0118] The processing unit 401 is configured to generate first information, where the first information includes a roamable access point list, and the roamable access point list includes at least one second access point sorted according to priority. The communication unit 402 is configured to send the first information to the terminal device.

[0119] In a possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to one or more factors of the distance between the second access point and the terminal device, a received signal strength indicator RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point, or a load condition of the second access point.

[0120] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to the distance between the second access point and the terminal device; the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, the distance between the third access point and the terminal device is less than the distance between the fourth access point and the terminal device, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

[0121] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point; the priority of the third access point is higher than the priority of the fourth access point, the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the third access point is higher than the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

[0122] In one possible implementation, the priority of the second access point is related to a load status of the second access point; the priority of the third access point is higher than that of the fourth access point, the load of the third access point is lower than the load of the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

[0123] In a possible implementation manner, the first information further includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates whether the list of roamable access points is a list sorted according to priority.

[0124] In a possible implementation, the first information also includes second indication information or third indication information, the second indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device needs to perform channel scanning, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device does not need to perform channel scanning.

[0125] In a possible implementation manner, the first information is carried in a basic service set BSS switching management request frame.

[0126] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device. The communication device 500 can be the first access point in the above method embodiment, or can be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the first access point in implementing the above method. This communication device can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiment.

[0127] Alternatively, the communication device 500 may be the terminal device in the above method embodiment, or may be a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal device to implement the above method. The communication device may be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment, and for details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiment.

[0128] The communication device 500 may include one or more processors 501. The processor 501 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU may be used to control the communication device (e.g., a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal, a terminal chip, a DU or a CU), execute software programs, and process software program data.

[0129] Optionally, the communication device 500 may include one or more memories 502, on which instructions 504 may be stored. The instructions may be executed on the processor 501, causing the communication device 500 to perform the method described in the above method embodiment. Optionally, the memory 502 may also store data. The processor 501 and memory 502 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0130] Optionally, the communication device 500 may further include a transceiver 505 and an antenna 506. The transceiver 505 may be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, or a transceiver circuit, etc., and is configured to implement transceiver functions. The transceiver 505 may include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver may be referred to as a receiver or a receiving circuit, etc., and is configured to implement a receiving function; the transmitter may be referred to as a transmitter or a transmitting circuit, etc., and is configured to implement a transmitting function.

[0131] The communication device 500 is a first access point: the processor 501 is used to perform the data processing operation of the first access point in the above method embodiment. The transceiver 505 is used to perform the data receiving and sending operation of the first access point in the above method embodiment.

[0132] Alternatively, the communication device 500 is a terminal device: the processor 501 is used to execute the data processing operation of the terminal device in the above method embodiment. The transceiver 505 is used to execute the data receiving and sending operation of the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0133] In another possible design, processor 501 may include a transceiver for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, or an interface circuit. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit for implementing the receiving and transmitting functions may be separate or integrated. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be used for reading and writing code / data, or the transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be used for transmitting or delivering signals.

[0134] In another possible design, the processor 501 may optionally store an instruction 503. The instruction 503 runs on the processor 501, which can cause the communication device 500 to perform the method described in the above method embodiment. The instruction 503 may be fixed in the processor 501. In this case, the processor 501 may be implemented by hardware.

[0135] In another possible design, the communication device 500 may include a circuit that can implement the functions of sending, receiving, or communicating in the aforementioned method embodiments. The processor and transceiver described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented on an integrated circuit (IC), an analog IC, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), a mixed signal IC, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic device, etc.

[0136] The communication device described in the above embodiments may be a first access point or a terminal device, but the scope of the communication device described in the embodiments of the present application is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device may not be limited to FIG5 . The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be:

[0137] (1) An independent integrated circuit (IC), or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0138] (2) A set of one or more ICs, optionally including a storage component for storing data and instructions;

[0139] (3) ASIC, such as modem (mobile station modem, MSM);

[0140] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices;

[0141] (5) Receivers, terminals, smart terminals, cellular phones, wireless devices, handheld devices, mobile units, vehicle-mounted devices, cloud devices, artificial intelligence devices, etc.;

[0142] (6)Others, etc.

[0143] In the case where the communication device can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the chip structure diagram shown in Figure 6. The chip shown in Figure 6 includes a processor 601 and an interface 602. Optionally, it may also include a memory 603. The number of processors 601 can be one or more, and the number of interfaces 602 can be multiple.

[0144] In one design, for a case where the chip is used to implement the function of the first access point in the embodiments of the present application:

[0145] The interface 602 is used to input or output signals;

[0146] The processor 601 is configured to execute the data processing operation of the first access point in the above method embodiment.

[0147] In another design, for the case where the chip is used to implement the functions of the terminal device in the embodiments of the present application:

[0148] The interface 602 is used to input or output signals;

[0149] The processor 601 is configured to execute the data processing operation of the terminal device in the above method embodiment.

[0150] It is understandable that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application may, in certain scenarios, be implemented independently of other features, such as the solution on which they are currently based, to solve corresponding technical problems and achieve corresponding effects. They may also be combined with other features in certain scenarios as needed. Accordingly, the communication device provided in the embodiments of the present application may also implement these features or functions accordingly, which will not be described in detail here.

[0151] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiment of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor or instructions in the form of software. The above processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, or a discrete hardware component.

[0152] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct RAM bus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0153] The present application also provides a computer-readable medium for storing computer software instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implement the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0154] The present application also provides a computer program product for storing computer software instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, implements the functions of any of the above method embodiments.

[0155] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated therein. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a high-density digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state drive (SSD)).

[0156] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for switching an access point, characterized in that: The method comprises: receiving first information from a first access point, wherein the first information includes a list of roamable access points, and the list of roamable access points includes at least one second access point sorted according to a priority; Based on the priority of at least one second access point included in the roamable access point list, switching to a second access point in the roamable access point list is performed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The priority of the second access point is related to one or more relevant information of a distance between the second access point and the terminal device, a received signal strength indication RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point, or a load condition of the second access point.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The priority of the second access point is related to the distance between the second access point and the terminal device; The priority of the third access point is higher than that of the fourth access point, the distance between the third access point and the terminal device is smaller than the distance between the fourth access point and the terminal device, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The priority of the second access point is related to the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point; The priority of the third access point is higher than that of the fourth access point, the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the third access point is higher than the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The priority of the second access point is related to a load condition of the second access point; The priority of the third access point is higher than that of the fourth access point, the load of the third access point is smaller than the load of the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The first information also includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates whether the list of roamable access points is a list sorted by priority.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that Before switching to a second access point in the roamable access point list based on the priority of at least one second access point included in the roamable access point list, the method further includes: Based on the first indication information, it is determined that the list of roamable access points is a list sorted according to priority.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The step of switching to a second access point in the roamable access point list based on a priority of at least one second access point included in the roamable access point list comprises: Channel scanning is performed based on the roamable access point list to select a first second access point that meets the switching condition for switching.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: After determining the first second access point that meets the switching condition, the channel scanning is stopped.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The first information also includes second indication information, and the second indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device needs to perform channel scanning.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The first information also includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device does not need to perform channel scanning.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The step of switching to a second access point in the roamable access point list based on a priority of at least one second access point included in the roamable access point list comprises: Based on the third indication information, a second access point with the highest priority is selected from the roamable access point list for switching.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The first information is carried in a basic service set BSS switching management request frame.

14. An access point switching method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Generate first information, wherein the first information includes a list of roamable access points, and the list of roamable access points includes at least one second access point sorted according to priority; Sending first information to the terminal device.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The priority of the second access point is related to one or more relevant information of a distance between the second access point and the terminal device, a received signal strength indication RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point, or a load condition of the second access point.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The priority of the second access point is related to the distance between the second access point and the terminal device; The priority of the third access point is higher than that of the fourth access point, the distance between the third access point and the terminal device is smaller than the distance between the fourth access point and the terminal device, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The priority of the second access point is related to the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the second access point; The priority of the third access point is higher than that of the fourth access point, the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the third access point is higher than the RSSI of the terminal device measured by the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

18. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The priority of the second access point is related to a load condition of the second access point; The priority of the third access point is higher than that of the fourth access point, the load of the third access point is smaller than the load of the fourth access point, and the third access point and the fourth access point are two second access points in the roamable access point list.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that: The first information also includes first indication information, where the first indication information indicates whether the list of roamable access points is a list sorted by priority.

20. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that: The first information also includes second indication information or third indication information, the second indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device needs to perform channel scanning, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device does not need to perform channel scanning.

21. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that The first information is carried in a basic service set BSS switching management request frame.

22. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes a module or unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, or the communication device includes a module or unit for executing the method according to any one of claims 14 to 21.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor coupled to a memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the memory to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 or the method according to any one of claims 14 to 21.

24. The device according to claim 23, characterized in that The device further includes the memory and / or a transceiver, wherein the transceiver is used for transmitting and receiving data and / or signaling.

25. A communication device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive a signal from other communication devices other than the communication device and transmit it to the processor or send the signal from the processor to other communication devices other than the communication device, and the processor executes the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 through a logic circuit or an execution instruction, or the processor executes the method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 21 through a logic circuit or an execution instruction.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores a computer program or an instruction. When the computer program or the instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 is executed, or the method according to any one of claims 14 to 21 is executed.

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